“Yeah,” Jessie said.
“Sure,” Dee called.
“Shit,” Mimi mumbled, “all right.”
“Small one for me,” Feb told her.
“I’m in,” Jackie said, I looked at her and she smiled at me and when she did I let that soft warmth invade my belly and for the first time didn’t fight it.
Feb was lucky, not because of Colt (who was awesome) or Jack (who was adorable) but because she had a great Mom.
I handed Jack off to Feb, got up and called to Cheryl, “I’ll get the glasses,” then I announced to the women, “I got another problem.”
“Seriously?” Dee asked.
I went to the kitchen, pulled open my cupboards with the wine glasses and then looked over the bar into the living room to see they were all looking my way.
Then I said, “I need help exactin’ retribution against Tina Blackstone.”
Without even asking what she did, Feb stated, “I’m in.”
“Me too,” that was Jessie (not surprising).
“Absolutely,” Dee added.
“This’ll be fun!” Mimi clapped her hands.
“I’m all over that,” Cheryl said from beside me.
“Oh shit,” Jackie muttered and I laughed.
My friends laughed with me.
* * * * *
I sat on Mike’s stoop and watched the Chevy pull into the drive.
I didn’t move as he parked in the drive not the garage, got out and, eyes on me, he walked to me.
I didn’t speak and he didn’t either as he sat down on the stoop close to me, our hips pressed together as were the sides of our thighs. But his hands didn’t come to me. He leaned forward with his elbows to his legs.
I leaned forward too.
I looked to my left and whispered, “Mike –”
“Cal visited me at the Station.”
I closed my eyes. His hand curled around the back of my neck and I still didn’t open them.
“Sweetheart, it doesn’t work, he jacks you around, you know where I live.”
He’d made his decision and, as usual with Mike, it was the right one.
My eyes opened and looked into his.
“I jacked you around,” I whispered.
“I knew what I was gettin’ into.”
“Mike –”
“Honey, a shot at you, it was worth it.”
“Don’t be nice.”
“You want me to get pissed? Be a dick?”
“I think it’d be easier,” I said truthfully.
“Can’t do that, Vi.” His hand gave me a squeeze and he let me go, leaning back into his legs but looking at me the entire time. “You were in deep with him, he was with you. Signals were all there and you told me as straight as you could. Before I even took you on our first date, I knew it by the way he looked at me the night I met you at J&J’s. I still took my shot.” He grinned. “Do it again, just for last night.”
I shook my head and felt my mouth curve softly.
Then I felt my small smile die and I lifted my feet up to the step and bent into my legs, my cheek to my hand, my neck twisted to look at him.
“I liked bein’ with you,” I whispered and I felt the tears hit my eyes.
His hand came back to me, pulling my hair from the side of my face and then staying wrapped around my head.
“I liked bein’ with you,” he returned.
The wetness fell, I felt it slide over the bridge of my nose, along my temple and I whispered “I liked it a lot, Mike.”
His hand tensed in my hair and he whispered back, “Sweetheart, you’re killin’ me.”
“I wish –” I began.
“Don’t, honey,” he cut me off.
“Okay,” I whispered.
He squeezed my head gently again then his hand went away. He got up and took my hand. I lifted up my torso and he pulled me off the step, walking me through his lawn to my Mustang. He stood with me at the door and his hands came to my jaws, pulling me up to my toes so he could touch his mouth to mine.
He kept his hands at my jaws when he told me, “He promised me, I stand down, he’d give you everything.”
My heart flipped over.
“He did?”
“Yeah,” Mike nodded then his hands tightened on my jaws. “He doesn’t, Vi, you come to me and I’ll give it to you.”
I closed my eyes and nodded but I knew, that happened, someone would have Mike. He wouldn’t be available for long. This was my only shot.
His thumb slid through the wetness on my cheek, the tears still sliding silently from my eyes.
“Sweetheart,” Mike called and I opened my eyes. “You won’t be comin’ to me. Man I talked to today would move heaven and earth to give everything to you.”
“Mike –”
“Didn’t think that, no fuckin’ way I’d stand down.”
“Mike –”
His lips touched mine again and when his head lifted, he whispered, “Be happy, honey.”
I nodded and whispered back, “You too, Mike.”
He smiled and it was the first time he smiled at me in the hundreds he’d given me that it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Yeah,” he said and he let me go.
I got in my car, started it up and drove away.
Stupidly, I looked back in my rearview mirror.
He was pulling his car into his garage.
Life goes on.
Shit.
* * * * *
Cal was putting the beer in the fridge when he heard Violet turn in the drive.
He pulled one free of the cardboard, closed the fridge, twisted off the cap and turned to flick the cap in her trash but he saw her trash had a lid. He got close to it, his hand moving toward it, a sensor caught the movement and the lid lifted open. He stared at it then tossed his cap in. Sensing he was done, the trash bin closed.
“Fuck,” he whispered, grinning.
Living with Vi was going to be an experience.
Then he realized she hadn’t come in even though he’d heard her cut her engine.
He turned and looked out the window to see her standing in her open door, immobile, staring at his truck in her drive.
He decided to give her time. If she didn’t come unstuck in twenty, thirty minutes, he’d go out and get her.
He moved to the counter opposite the sink, pulled himself up on it and took a drink of his beer, watching her staring at his truck.
She finally moved out of the car door, closed it and turned to the house. Mooch greeted her at the door. She dumped her purse on the counter with a glance at Cal, bent to pick up the dog and brought him up in her arms, close to her face so the dog licked her jaw as he squirmed in her arms and she tried to give him scratches.
She limped into the kitchen and asked, “You let him out?”
“Yeah.”
“He do any business?”
“No.”
“I’ll let him out.”
Then she limped out of the kitchen and to the back sliding glass door.
Cal sat on the counter and took another pull of beer. While he drank, he heard her shouting at Mooch mostly just teasing and playful then calling him encouragingly which meant she wanted to come in and then dog and woman came back into the house. The sliding glass door closed and Cal saw Mooch first because the dog came bouncing into the kitchen then tried to jump up Cal’s legs.
Vi strolled in seconds later and walked straight to the fridge without looking at him, opened it and gazed inside.
“You have dinner?” she asked the fridge.
“Thought we’d go out.”
Her body jolted and only her head turned to him.
“What?” she breathed.
“Out. To Frank’s. Or get a pizza from Reggie’s.”
“Frank’s,” she said.
“You hungry?” he asked.
She nodded.
He jumped off the counter. “Let’s go.”
She closed the fridge, muttering, “I’ll put Mooch
in his box.”
Cal dropped his beer hand after taking a pull and said, “Got ‘im.”
Then he put the beer on the counter, walked out of the kitchen, put the dog in the box and she was standing at the door with the alarm remote and her keys in her hands when he got back.
He took them both out of her hands, opened the door, put a hand to her hip, shoved her out the door, locked it and then guided her to his truck, arming the alarm with the remote as they moved.
They both got in and were on their way when he spoke.
“You talk to Mike?”
“Yes.”
“It done?”
She was silent.
“Buddy?”
“It’s done,” she whispered.
Fuck.
It cut her up, doing that. Probably cut Haines up too.
He didn’t touch her, he wanted to, but he didn’t. She needed to break it off with a good, steady man to take a risk with another man who treated her like shit twice right after her brother was murdered like she needed someone to drill a hole in her head. But he didn’t touch her because, Cal sensed from her mood, she didn’t want that right now.
But he’d make it up to her, spend his life doing it, if it took that.
Though, knowing Vi, it wouldn’t take that.
He parked on the street four doors down from Frank’s, stopping to let her off at the door so she wouldn’t have to walk it with her foot. She waited for him outside and she limped by his side to the door but she didn’t touch him and he didn’t touch her.
He opened the door for her and they walked in. Elaine, one of the waitresses, turned their way, smiled at Vi, her eyes went to Cal and her face froze.
Vi’d been there with Mike, from the look of Elaine more than once.
Violet took a step back and ran into him.
Cal touched her then, sliding his arm around her waist, he moved to her side, pulled her to his and looked at Elaine.
“Got a booth, Elaine?” he asked.
Elaine looked at the wall of booths, two were open.
She looked back at Cal. “Take your pick, Cal.” Her eyes dropped to Cal’s hand curled around Vi’s waist then up to Vi. “Hey Violet.”
“Hi Elaine.”
“What’s shakin’?” Elaine asked as Cal moved Vi forward.
“World’s upside down,” Violet answered.
Elaine finally grinned. “I can see.”
Cal didn’t catch what Vi did, but whatever it was, Elaine’s grin grew to a smile and Vi walked with him through the restaurant as eyes followed.
He let her go when they hit a booth, the last one against the back wall, more privacy.
She slid in, he slid in beside her.
She looked at him and asked, “Can you sit opposite?”
“No,” he answered.
“Why?”
“I like you at my side.”
Her expression gentled but she said, “I like my space.”
“Say good-bye to that,” Cal advised.
“What?” she whispered.
“Baby, I’m moved in, you got a new dog and, tomorrow, you got Dane sleepin’ on your couch. You like space, you’re fucked.”
Her face ungentled and grew pale. “You’re moved in?”
“I moved in this morning before you got home.”
“Where?”
“Your room.”
“How?” Her voice was rising.
“How?” Cal repeated.
“Yes, how?”
“Packed some shit, brought it over, unpacked it,” Cal explained unnecessarily.
“Where’d you put it?”
“In your room.”
“Yeah, but where?”
“Jeans and boots in the closet, dumped some tees in a drawer, razor in the bathroom. Done.”
“Holy crap,” she whispered then jumped when Elaine slapped two menus on the table.
“Should I have bothered with those?” she asked a pertinent question, tipping her head to menus no person who’d lived in that town longer than a month hadn’t memorized.
“Not for me,” Vi told her, “I want a reuben.”
“Burger,” Cal said.
“Cheese?” Elaine asked Cal.
“Yep.”
“Cheddar, swiss, or jack?” Elaine went on.
“Surprise me,” Cal told her and Elaine grinned again.
“Drinks?” Elaine continued.
“Diet Coke,” Vi ordered.
“Beer,” Cal said.
“Bud, Coors, Bud Light, Coors Light, Heineken –” Elaine listed.
Cal cut her off. “Bud.”
“Onion rings, fries or both?” Elaine went on.
“Fries,” Vi answered.
“Both,” Cal told her.
“Gotcha.” Elaine shoved her pencil behind her ear and slid the menus back off the table. She’d had her pad in her hand while they ordered but this was either for show or she held it by habit. She hadn’t written a word before she walked away. The order would come to the table as they’d asked for it and the check would come with a total at the bottom, that was it and it would be the right total. That was Elaine. That was Frank’s.
“Joe,” Violet called and he turned to see she was out and out fretting so he turned more fully to her and dipped his head close.
“Relax, buddy,” he said softly.
“This is going really fast.”
“I know.”
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“Nadia.”
Cal pulled back. “What about her?”
“Who is she?” Vi asked.
Fuck.
He did not want to get into this shit and what was more, she didn’t.
“Vi –” Cal said low.
“No, I don’t want to know. What I want to know is, honest, right here, did you sleep with her while you were sleepin’ with me?”
Cal locked down his temper. “I already told you the answer to that.”
“Okay, then, is she gone?”
Nadia was never gone. Nadia was always a phone call away. He didn’t share that.
“Yeah.”
“Definitely?”
“Vi, not a big fan of askin’ or answerin’ twice.”
“You lied to me.”
“There was a reason.”
“And that was?”
“To save you from me.”
Her torso moved back and her eyes got big.
Cal wrapped a hand around the back of her neck, pulled her close and leaned into her.
“Thought I was savin’ myself from you, but I was savin’ you from me.”
“I –” she started.
He cut her off. “You see these scars on my face?”
Her eyes went to his cheek then back to his. “Yes.”
“Bonnie gave them to me. So high, her head was in the clouds but it wasn’t a good trip. She got pissed at somethin’, I don’t even know what, she came at me. Got me with her nails.”
“Joe,” she whispered, her fingers curling tight around his thigh.
“She got like that a lot. When she was pissed, she’d scream the fuckin’ house down and it wasn’t unusual she came after me. She only marked my face and, you probably don’t know this, buddy, but you gotta come hard and dig deep to make marks like these with your nails.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” Vi muttered.
“Not tellin’ you for you to say anything. I’m tellin’ you because now it’s happening. You’re with me and you’ll find this shit out about me. I look in the mirror every day and remember her marking me then I remember what else she did to me. Now you see it, right on my fuckin’ face, you’ll think about it too. Maybe it won’t come to you every time you see it, but it’ll come to you and, I know you, you’ll feel it.”
“Joe –”
His face got closer and he whispered, “That’s what I was savin’ you from, baby.”
“It’s you,” she said incomprehensibly.
/> “What?” he asked.
“I didn’t know she did it. Before you told me what you just told me, those scars were just you.”
“Now you know.”
“Those scars are still just you.”
“Vi –”
“They are.”
Fuck, was she serious?
“Vi –”
“Maybe you’re right and I’ll think about it sometimes. But most of the time, I don’t even see them. They’re just a part of you.”
Cal had no response to that except the urge to kiss her.
So he did and he kept doing it until he heard the thud of a beer bottle hitting the table.
His mouth left Vi’s and he turned to see Elaine putting Violet’s drink in front of her.
“Bud, diet. Enjoy. Shout for a refill,” Elaine said, her mouth curled up at the ends and then she walked away.
Cal turned to Violet who’d grabbed her drink and was sucking on the straw. It reminded him of her at J&J’s, her elbow on the bar, her head in her hand, her straw between her lips, her eyes on him and half his concentration had been on her, the rest of it trying to stop his dick getting hard.
He hoped Frank hurried with their goddamned food.
Violet’s eyes came to him. “We should probably not make out in Frank’s restaurant.”
“Why not?”
“’Cause it’s mostly full.”
“So?”
“Rumors fly.”
“Buddy, my truck’s in your drive and my tees are in your drawer.”
Her eyes slid to the side then back to him then she put her straw to her mouth and muttered, “Right,” then she sucked on her straw.
“It’s a small town, we’ll be the talk of it for about a week then someone else will.”
“Okay,” she whispered and put her glass down.
When she released her glass, he took her hand. Linking his fingers with hers, he brought their hands to his thigh.
“What else is in there?”
Her eyes lifted to his. “What?”
“In your head that we have to get sorted out?”
She laughed softly then replied, “You don’t wanna know.”
“Wouldn’t ask, I didn’t wanna know.”
She leaned into him. “Joe, there’s so much in my head, it’d take a year to get it sorted out.”
“All right, break it down. What’s priority?”
Her face set to confused. “Priority?”
Christ, she was cute.
“The most important, baby,” he explained quietly.