Rory: Hope City, Book 7

by Maryann Jordan

  So used to blood on his uniform, he understood her concern. Making a decision he hoped would not offend her, he carried her to the bottom of the stairs and said, “Let me get you to your bedroom. That way you can shower, get the blood washed off, and change clothes.”

  She nodded her acquiescence. “That’s a good idea. Thank you.”

  He mounted the stairs easily, her weight slight in his arms. At the top, she directed him to the bedroom on the left, and he stalked inside. Placing her feet carefully on the floor, he held onto her while she pulled off her heels.

  “Thank you, Rory. I know this was a lot of trouble and you went out of your way—”

  “Not at all. I’m glad I was there to help.”

  “You can just lock the front door as you pull it closed behind you, and I’ll be fine—”

  “I’m not leaving. Not now. I want to stay close in case you become ill again.”

  She blinked, her nose scrunching slightly. “I’m sure I’ll be—”

  He interrupted her once again. “Seriously, Sandy. In good conscience, I couldn’t leave and not be sure. I know my staying up here would make you uncomfortable, so I’ll go downstairs and wait. Take your time in the shower. Do whatever you need to do. All I ask is that you leave the doors cracked so that if you need to call out to me, I can get to you.” Not giving her a chance to argue, he took her by the shoulders and gave her a slight nudge toward the en suite bathroom he could see through an open door. Also not wanting to cause her to be self-conscious, he walked out of the room and jogged down to the first floor.

  Rounding the bottom of the stairs, he saw Ocee walking into the room, looking up at him as though assessing whether or not he would get fed. “Um… hey, buddy… Ocee.” He bent down, holding his hand out for the cat to sniff, pleased when Ocee purred and rubbed his head on Rory’s hand. He walked into the kitchen and looked around, discovering a dish on the floor. He opened the pantry and found a plastic tub of dry cat food. Uncertain of the feeding protocol, he put a little bit into the dish, which Ocee hurried to. While the cat munched, he continued to search her kitchen and found a stash of teabags. Microwaving a cup of water, he dunked the bag to steep.

  Listening carefully, he heard the water from upstairs shut off. He gave her several minutes of privacy and then moved to the bottom of the stairs. “Sandy, I’m coming up,” he called out. Not hearing a response, he quickly bounded upstairs taking two at a time, halting outside her bedroom. Knocking on the doorframe, he called out again. “Hey, Sandy? Are you okay?”

  “Yes, I’ll be right there.”

  He waited in the hallway until she appeared. Staring down at her, he was glad to see her eyes were bright and her face had color. “You look much better than you did earlier.”

  As she smiled and nodded, he was struck with the memory of the first time he saw her… when she’d beamed her smile toward him at the Celtic Cock and he’d noticed it was slightly crooked. He’d thought it was adorable then, and staring at her right now, fresh from the shower with no makeup on, she was just as beautiful.

  Her wet hair was combed and slicked back from her face. She was wearing flannel pajamas with furry socks on her feet. There was nothing overtly sexy about her outfit, and while it seemed incongruent with the image he’d formed of her, it now seemed to fit her perfectly. There was nothing about Sandy that fit neatly into a box. She was full of surprises.

  “I’m really fine now, Rory. You don’t have to stay.”

  “I know I don’t have to. But I want to. I hope that’s okay with you.”

  She appeared hesitant, and he waited, holding his breath. Finally, as though making a decision, she nodded. Looking back over her shoulder, she said, “I have no idea if I can get the blood out of those clothes, but I hate staring at them. The blouse was pretty, but not particularly new. I really like those pants, though.” She sighed heavily. “I can’t stand looking at the blood on them. It makes me feel woozy again. Would it seem terribly foolish to throw them away?”

  Without replying, he gently walked past her and saw the offending garments on the floor of the bathroom. He scooped up the blouse and pants and wadded them in his arms. Walking back over, he said, “I don’t think it’s foolish at all. Let’s go downstairs and throw these out.”

  They walked downstairs together, and she exclaimed, “Ocee, I forgot to feed you!”

  He grabbed a garbage bag from the pantry and shoved the bloody clothes inside. “I wasn’t sure what he normally ate, but I gave him some dry food.” He inclined his head toward the counter. “And I made you a cup of tea.”

  Her mouth dropped open as her gaze moved from the steaming cup of tea back to his face. “Tea? You made tea for me? But… but how?”

  “Boil water. Drop in the teabag.” He lifted a brow as his lips quirked.

  “Smartass.” She reached over to wrap her hands around the still-steaming cup.

  “The only thing I wasn’t sure about was what you put in it. My sister likes sweetener. My mom only uses a teaspoon of sugar. My grandmother used to add honey. And my other grandmother would add a bit of milk.”

  She burst out laughing. “Wow, you really do know what you’re doing.” She grabbed the sugar bowl and dumped two teaspoons of sugar into the tea and stirred. Opening her refrigerator, she pulled out a bowl with lemon slices and squeezed one into the cup. “I like both sugar and lemon.”

  “I remember. You like sweet and tart.”

  She sucked in a quick breath, and he immediately wished he hadn’t reminded her of the time before they shared a kiss—the time before he was an ass. He had wanted to have time to prove to her that he was a better man. He’d even considered charming her. But the man his parents had raised him to be only allowed for honesty. Throwing up his hands, he rushed, “Please, Sandy… I’m really sorry. I… fuck… I have no excuse. I’m just so sorry.”

  14

  Sandy continued to stare at Rory, her mind racing as she tried to figure out what he was apologizing for. When she’d first blinked her eyes open after passing out in the shop, she’d had no idea where she was or what had happened but seeing his handsome face had somehow righted her lopsided world, giving her something to hold on to. Uncertain if she was dreaming, she was shocked to discover that he truly was leaning over her, calling her name.

  Her confusion continued when he insisted on driving her home, but one look at the bloody mess on the floor near Joan as the rescue workers were rolling her out to the ambulance sent woozy shockwaves through her again.

  She’d expected him to drop her off at the door, not ensure her safety and stay while she cleaned up. Incredulity speared through her at the knowledge that he’d fed her cat and made her a cup of tea.

  But now, she had no idea what was causing his handsome face to contort with such a grimace. He appeared to be in distress, and she reached out to place her hand on his arm then hesitated, her hand dropping back to her side. “Rory… I don’t understand. What are you apologizing for?”

  “I was an ass.”

  Not expecting those words, she was unable to keep the bark of laughter from erupting. Her emotions from earlier were still churning, as was her stomach. Her body was still dealing with the aftereffects of the adrenaline rush and subsequent fainting. The absurdity of the situation was overwhelming, and laughter continued to pour forth. Tears streamed down her face as she doubled over, one hand holding onto the counter and the other one clutching her stomach. “I’m sorry… I can’t help it.”

  Barely able to catch her breath, she looked up and watched Rory’s expression morph from remorse to surprise to laughter. For a long moment, the two of them stood in her kitchen allowing the cleansing relief of shared mirth to flow over them.

  As she finally gained control of herself, she shook her head. “I know what I was laughing about, but what had you going?”

  “You. When you smile you can light up a room, but damn, Sandy, when you laugh like that, you make everyone want to laugh along with you.”

 
She held his gaze and viewed nothing but sincerity. “I think that might be one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.” Cocking her head to the side, she asked, “But was that one of your lines? And if so, why use it on me?”

  Shaking his head slowly back and forth, he stepped closer. “That was no line. That was straight from me to you.”

  They remained silent for a moment, each staring into the other’s eyes as though weighing the unspoken words. “Wow,” she breathed. “I’m not sure what to do with that.”

  “Can we talk? We could… um… order some food and sit for a while. Just talk… if you feel up to it?”

  Uncertain as to what he wanted to talk about, he was being so nice, she didn’t want to fight. “I still feel a little queasy, so I think I’ll pass on ordering some food.” She turned and opened the refrigerator door, peering inside. “If you’re okay with eating light, I can fix a tray of deli meats and cheese, some grapes and apple slices, and crackers.”

  When he didn’t respond, she twisted around and looked over her shoulder, finding him staring at her. Standing, her body still in front of the open refrigerator, she asked, “We can order something for you if you’d like.”

  Jerking, he shook his head quickly. “No, no, what you suggested is fine. I’m just surprised that you're letting me stay. Letting me talk. It seems more than I deserve.”

  She sucked in her lips and pressed them tightly, her mind in turmoil. “My grandmother used to say that a lady always accepts someone’s heartfelt apology. Granted, I’m not quite sure what the apology is for, but that’s why we can talk.” She turned back to the refrigerator and began pulling out food items. Soon, the two of them stood side-by-side, filling a large platter with a variety of finger foods.

  She picked up her cup of tea and the water he asked for and led the way into the living room as he carried the tray. Sitting on the sofa, she sat in one corner, her legs crisscrossed as she faced him. For several minutes, they munched on the food, letting the silence peacefully settle over the room. Ocee meowed loudly, breaking the spell.

  Rory looked down and fussed at the interrupting feline. “Don’t tell her lies. I did feed you.”

  A crooked smile spread across Sandy’s face, and she waved her hand dismissively. “I believe you, but Ocee loves attention.” She patted the cushion beside her, and the cat jumped up and curled into a tight ball next to her leg.

  After eating her fill, glad that her stomach was less queasy, she sipped on her tea and looked toward Rory. Sitting on the other side of the sofa facing her, their eyes met. “So, um… you wanted to talk?”

  “I did. I mean, I do. It’s just that this is nice. Sitting here like this.” Her brow crinkled as he struggled to get his thoughts together. Finally, he sighed heavily, glancing around her home. “I like what you’ve done here. It seems inviting… homey.”

  “And that surprises you.”

  His gaze snapped back to hers. “Yeah, when I first saw it, it did. Now, it just seems like you.”

  “Does this have anything to do with your apology?”

  He set his water bottle on the coffee table, leaned back, and scrubbed his hand over his face, nodding slowly. “Yeah, actually it does. I was really interested in getting to know you better when we first met. I probably made that pretty obvious. And it seemed like you were interested, too.”

  If he was expecting her to agree or make the conversation easy on him, he was going to be disappointed. Her grandmother might have insisted she accept an apology, but she was not above making him work for it. Continuing to sip her tea, she remained silent.

  “I let other things get in the way. Some of it probably necessary. Other things were me just being stupid.”

  She leaned forward and set her cup on the coffee table before pinning him with a hard stare. “Rory, I get that you’re trying to tell me something, but you’re also talking all around the subject. It would be a lot easier if you’d just speak plainly.”

  He chuckled deeply, and she wished the sound didn’t affect her quite so much.

  “You’re right. I guess I’m just embarrassed and so it’s easier to beat around the bush. So, here goes. I listened to some guys that said you had high expectations when it came to a man spending money on you. And since I was newly out of the Army with some money saved up but not nearly enough to do all the things I wanted to do, I had moved back in with my parents. I had a volunteer position with the HCFD and… well, I was as far from a high-roller as you could get. On top of that, I had just gotten hired as a new EMT and was approved for paramedic training. The last thing I had besides money was time.”

  “So, instead of getting to know me better and making a decision for yourself, you just cut me loose. Rather rudely.”

  He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Nodding, he looked at her, his gaze never wavering. “Yeah… I was an ass.”

  His words moved through her, and she felt the warm blanket of his tangible sincerity drape over her. “I appreciate you telling me this, Rory. I was never sure what I did to be on the receiving end of your acrimony.”

  “I’m sorry, Sandy. I’ve always considered myself to be fair when dealing with others. I failed spectacularly with you.”

  Her lips curved upward, and she shrugged. “I’ve accepted your apology, Rory, so don’t keep beating yourself up. It was nice to have you attend to me when I fainted.” Rolling her eyes, she added, “Which is proof positive why you’re the paramedic, and I should never attempt a rescue.”

  “But you didn’t faint at the shelter when the director was bitten.”

  “Yes, and if you noticed, I stayed away. Believe me, I was woozy. The other woman working had jumped in to get her a towel, and I stayed far away with the animals.”

  “Hey, don’t sell yourself short! It didn’t look like the cashier at the sandwich shop was up to handling the emergency, and you jumped in to do what you could. It was only when EMS got there and took over that it hit you. Just like when you helped the woman who’d been roofied at the Celtic Cock. You knew exactly what to do and helped her until we could take over.”

  She jumped to her feet and started toward the door, blurting, “Yes… well, thanks for your help today, Rory. And especially for your apology.”

  She turned and saw him standing in the middle of the room, having not followed her. He held her gaze then walked slowly until he was standing directly in front of her. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his knuckles over her cheek.

  “I know something must’ve happened to you, Sandy.”

  “I don’t… I’m not… it’s not…” She desperately wanted to stop the conversation before it went further, but the feel of his fingers on her cheek made her want to lean into his warmth. She crossed her arms protectively over her stomach and swallowed deeply.

  He stepped closer. “I know that we can’t pick up where we left off before I was an ass, but I’m going to prove to you that I can be a better man and start anew. And one day, you’ll be able to tell me everything.”

  Ensnared by the electricity passing between them and the sincerity of his voice, she barely managed to choke out a whisper. “I don’t talk about it.”

  “You will. When you trust me again, you’ll be able to tell me anything.”

  “The past can’t be changed.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering for just a moment. “I can’t change your past, but I can work to protect your future.”

  With that, he stepped back and she instantly felt the cool air settle where his warmth had been. He walked to the door and looked over his shoulder, calling out, “Lock up after me.”

  She did so on automatic pilot and then walked to the window and watched him jog to his truck. Dropping the curtain, she stood, his words still running through her mind. I’m sorry… start anew… be a better man… tell me everything… trust me again… protect your future…

  “I don’t know that you have any words for me right now, Grandmother,” she whispe
red to the empty room, causing Ocee to lift his head and stare at her.

  “A lady never leaves dirty dishes lying about.”

  Grinning, she shook her head to dislodge Rory from her mind, then walked over and picked up the platter and empty teacup, taking them into the kitchen.

  15

  Rory parked outside the Celtic Cock, seeing Sandy’s SUV down the street. Hustling inside, he scanned the interior, zeroing immediately on Sandy sitting with Harper and Bekki King at a high-top table with Sean and Blay standing next to them, arms crossed over their chests. Stalking over, he offered a chin lift to his brother and his best friend before greeting the women.

  “Oh, my God!” Harper said, “Are you here to stand guard as well?”

  He grinned as she turned her gaze up toward Sean and said, “Honey, we are perfectly capable of watching our drinks. You don’t have to stand here while we try to have a conversation.”

  “It’s not up for discussion, babe,” Sean said, bending over to kiss the top of her head. His words may have sounded a bit harsh, but his tone was full of concern, and at his kiss, Harper smiled in return.

  Rory knew Blay was there to keep an eye on his sister and continued grinning as Bekki rolled her eyes. Settling his gaze on Sandy, he battled the desire to tell her she was beautiful. Her hair was pulled away from her face but the length waved down her back. Her blue sweater matched her eyes perfectly. Her skirt was not short but made her legs look amazing. Blowing out his breath, he focused on her face. “It’s nice to see you again. How are you?”

  He could feel Harper’s eyes boring into the side of his head, but he ignored her. He only cared about what Sandy thought.

  She looked up, her brow furrowed slightly, and pulled in her lips for a moment. “I’m fine. Um… fine. Thank you.”

  Wanting to be close but not intrusive, he said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your conversation. Please, go ahead.”

  She nodded slowly, a little crinkle in her brow still evident, then turned back to the women. “You said you were working on a story about abuses with contracts in City Hall, Bekki. Do you remember a couple of years ago about a scandal with Perkins Electrical? They got contracts by under-bidding and then didn’t follow regulations.”