“Relax?” Laughing some more, I had to hand it to her. She knew how to push my buttons without even trying. “You expect me to relax as if I don’t have a care in the world?”
Her cheeks reddened. Whether from anger or regret, I couldn’t tell.
Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the wheel. Definitely anger. Little Miss Spitfire had returned.
Chapter Thirty
Char
He was going to suck it up whether he liked it or not. People did things because they cared and for no other reason. I cared. More than I should, judging by the hostile glances I kept receiving. He could be angry at me. I didn’t care. What I did care about was keeping him occupied for the next few days. Jenny, a new nurse, had agreed to cover my shifts, while I tended to my outside patient.
Viper’s mindset had taken on the victim mentality, and rightfully so, considering, but I needed to snap him out of it. Taking him home had been out of the equation. It would put him right back at the scene of his horrendous attempt at suicide. He needed a neutral space to help clear his head. Or that was my logic, anyway. I hope it worked.
I’d run it by Dec and he’d agreed. I had him on speed dial should I need him quickly.
I could feel the tension leaching out of Viper, so the ride to Pinckney remained silent but tense. I wouldn’t goad him any more than I already had. I needed to let him settle.
Pinckney hadn’t changed and neither had the cabin if it could be called that. It resembled more of a lake house. Low set. White with blue shutters. Lots of deciduous trees surrounding the property. My folks hadn’t been here in a couple of years, as they now lived in Maine, but I’d always had a key. I needed to utilize it more for relaxation time. It was kept well maintained by a local crew my father kept on salary.
Pulling in to the driveway and pressing the garage remote, I turned slightly to gage Viper’s reaction.
His jaw remained firmly set and his focus, straight ahead. He’d be a tough nut to crack, but I never backed down from a challenge.
Turning off the ignition, I stepped out and moved to retrieve his bag and mine from the backseat.
Viper remained in the passenger seat.
“Do you need a hand getting out?” He had his crutches with him, so I knew he could probably do it, but it was in my nature to ask through concern.
Forcing open his door, he ignored my question, juggling himself and his crutches around so as to lever himself up. Slamming the door shut, he barked out, “Don’t think I’m happy about this! You didn’t even ask. You drove me to some hick town without my consent. So you’ve not only kidnapped me, you’re holding me here against my will!”
God, he could be a dick. “Ha! First, I didn’t force you! I didn’t hold a gun to your head…” Immediately regretting my words, I watched his face turn red and his eyes go colder. Gripping the crutches, he used the sudden adrenalin to surge forward. I moved back, a sinking feeling clutching my chest.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”
Too late. He crowded my space. Even injured, he was a force to be reckoned with.
“You think you fucking know what’s best for me? Just because you’re a nurse? Well, news flash, lady! You don’t know shit! You don’t know me, and you sure as hell don’t know how I feel or what I’m going through!
Anger rose. It was true I didn’t know what he’d endured, but I knew enough about how the brain worked after life-altering injuries. I knew he was an ungrateful jackass.
Taking a deep breath to help tamp my ire, I slowly said, “You’re right. I don’t know you or how you feel, but I care, okay? I want to be here for you. I want to help. And it’s not because of my job, or that I feel obligated. Stop pushing me away!”
His chest heaved. Eyes on fire. He resembled more of the Viper I knew at that moment and it caused my libido to nearly catch alight.
A flicker of humanity showed itself and then disappeared before he rotated and made his way inside.
I still held both our bags, so I trudged in behind him, taking his bag into the master suite with the bathroom. I took the spare room. I figured it would be easier for him to have the facilities closer.
The place smelled musty after being shut up for so long, so I opened windows, letting the cool breeze flow through. Viper had plonked himself on the couch in a huff, so I decided to ignore him and proceed to find the takeout menu my folks normally kept stuck to the fridge. Sure enough, it still remained.
“What pizza do you like?” I called out.
“Get whatever you want. I’m not hungry,” he gruffed.
Fine. Meatlovers and Hawaiian coming up. I bet once he smelled it, he’d change his mind.
***
The atmosphere didn’t change. I set the pizzas on the coffee table and filled my plate, watching and waiting to see if Viper would cave into the temptation. Nope. His strong will held firm, so I ate and placed the leftovers in the fridge, heading out back to sit on the verandah to watch the stars.
“Come out back with me? It’s a gorgeous night.”
He didn’t even look at me, simply rose, and hobbled down the hallway to his room, slamming the door.
Would he keep this up the whole time? It was possible. Viper didn’t do anything he didn’t want to. I imagined he did really want the pizza, and would normally have sat outside with me, but his pride and stubbornness wouldn’t give me the satisfaction.
Too bad, because the stars were extra bright, even with the bite in the air.
Pulling my cell out of my pocket once I’d settled on the outdoor lounge chair, I dialed Mac.
“Hey, girl,” she answered on the fourth ring.
“Hey.”
“How’s it going? You made it there okay?”
“Yeah. Just sitting out back, relaxing.”
“How’s Viper?”
“He’s in his room, being an ass.”
Mac chuckled. She knew the bantering that went on between His Highness and me. “You’ve got your work cut out for you. How will you cope over the next few days?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure. He wouldn’t eat dinner. Wouldn’t come sit out the back. He’s actually really pissed I brought him out here.”
“Hahaha. That sounds like him. You want a word with Dec to see if he knows how to break through the barrier Viper’s put up?”
I wasn’t sure his best friend had the answers either, but it was worth a shot.
Waiting for a minute, I heard shuffling and then a deep voice. “Char. What’s up?”
His voice held mild concern.
“Nothing bad, just the usual. A stubborn, grumpy soldier to contend with. No biggie.”
“He giving you a hard time already?”
“Well, let’s just say he feels like I’ve kidnapped him.”
Dec roared with laughter. “Maybe he’s more himself than we thought.”
“I just don’t know what to do to help him. I thought he might like the idea of getting away from it all for a few days. Maybe it’s just me he doesn’t want to be around.”
We’d had a weird relationship if you could call it that. It had so many bends and sharp corners to it, I couldn’t keep up.
“I think you just need to toughen up some and tell him how it’s gonna be. Don’t let him walk all over you and be a dick. Get him outside tomorrow any way you can. He needs it. He’s not going to sulk in his room forever. If I was there, I’d be on his ass like some drill sergeant, demanding he get his butt outside and moving. The longer he sits around feeling sorry for himself, the harder it will be to get him to do anything. You need me to come out there and kick his ass?”
Giggling, I replied, “No. Thank you. I just need to grow some balls and hope he listens to me. I’ll give him tonight to sulk, but in the morning, I’ll try what you said. He can only curse me and throw a tantrum, right?”
“Ahh, yeah. He probably will, but don’t listen. Dig your heels in. Be tough with him. Don’t take his crap. This is like an intervention. We’re his friends and love h
im. We’re doing this to help him. He may not see it, but eventually, he will. We’re all he has. Seeing him with the gun to his head…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t need to. “I’ll handle it. Don’t worry. I’ll put my suit of armor on in the morning and become the bitch from hell.”
“Atta girl. You got this. If taking the hardball approach doesn’t work, then I don’t know what will. Keep us posted, okay?”
“I will. And thanks. I mean it.”
“All good.”
After hanging up, I felt a little better. Maybe I did need to harden up when it came to Viper. Show him I wasn’t backing down or walking away, no matter what. Come morning, he was going to truly know the meaning of the term, fiery redhead.
Chapter Thirty-One
Char
Morning came and with it, life outside stirred. As for inside the house, silence ensued. Today was the day to test both of our wills. Sleep had come in fits and bursts. On and off. My mind had been on Dec’s words. Toughen up. Don’t take his crap. Could I do it? I’d like to believe so because if I failed, I’d be handing him over to his best friend. I’d never dealt with anything like it, personally. At work, we sent patients to therapy. An expert. Today, I needed to be that therapy. I hoped and prayed Dec knew his friend as well as he said he did.
Rising, I showered and made a pot of coffee, steeling myself for the morning ahead.
The lake house set back from the road in a thicket of trees that expanded down to the water. A track had been carved out by my father years ago, but with the caretakers focusing on only on the grounds around the house, everything had probably flourished.
We’d have to forge our own path. Kind of like life, really. This new road I traveled. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing, but with one foot in front of the other, I’d discover new ground.
It was early. Seven thirty, to be exact. The sun was only beginning to raise its head. The sky had lightened, but the trees held the rays at bay.
Taking a long swig of coffee, I strode with purpose to the last room on the left. I didn’t bother knocking, but blew in like a tornado, finding Viper asleep on his back with one arm covering his eyes. For a second, I faltered and just stared. Blankets covered his chest with only his head sticking out. October in Michigan was pretty cool. It felt like five degrees. I wore socks, sweats, and a long sleeve tee, but I knew in order to step outside, I’d need a jacket.
Viper’s arms were bare, so I assumed he slept without a shirt, even in fall temperatures.
Dragging in a deep breath at his rugged handsomeness, I swallowed any doubts and moved forward.
“Rise and shine! Time to wake up and head outside!” My voice echoed in the quiet.
Viper stirred and turned slightly, but didn’t wake. I neared the bed and jiggled him on the shoulder with my hand.
“Time to wake, Viper! The sun’s up. You should be too.” It sounded weird to be demanding he get up when technically he didn’t have to. We didn’t have anything to do other than making it to the lake, but if I was to let him know I was serious in my endeavor to help him, I needed to push aside any emotion and give him some tough love.
Both of his eyes opened and in a second were focused on me. Even bleary from sleep, they shot adrenalin into my bloodstream and upped my heart rate.
Don’t back down, Char. You got this. Don’t let him intimidate you. Stick to the plan.
“What the fuck are you doing?” he rasped, his brow scrunched up.
“Getting you out of bed. I didn’t bring you out here to sleep all day. Get. Up!”
Shit. His face morphed into one of carefully controlled anger. I’d seen that look before and it scared the hell out of me. My brain yelled at me to back out of the room slowly and shut the door, but if I did that, I’d be giving in to him. I wouldn’t follow through with it.
The sheets got thrown back, revealing his naked chest in all its masculine finery. My eyes wavered on the dips of his abdomen and then flew to his eyes as he pivoted to sit on the edge of the bed. His crutches stood against the wall beside the bed. Within reach.
An inferno blazed in the depths of such glorious green eyes.
“You think you can tell me what to do? Sorry to disappoint you, Red, but I’m not doing squat today, so I suggest you get that pretty ass out of here and go to the lake yourself.”
He creaked his neck as if meaning business, and I’m sure he did. So much for taking charge. I needed to up my game.
Grounding both feet into the timber floor, I gritted my teeth. “No! I’m not going alone.” Needing to change tactics, I almost yelled, I didn’t peg you for a quitter. But that’s exactly what you are. The going gets tough and you, what? Give up? Just like that! Huffing, I placed a hand on my hip. “You disappoint me.”
It killed me to say it. But I turned and stormed out of his room to the kitchen to finish the rest of my coffee. If he’d been one hundred percent mobile, there’s no way I would have said what I did. I’d pay for it, but I couldn’t dwell on that. The words were out. I heard a thud, followed by a loud, “Fucking bitch!”
Oh, I was in trouble all right. Scouring the kitchen, I pondered grabbing a weapon in self-defense. He sounded murderous as heavy clomping from the crutches pounded the hallway.
I hurried to the door leading outside and opened it so I could quickly escape, should I need to.
When Viper rounded the corner, the devil himself appeared. Every morsel of his boxer-clad body was squeezed tightly, ready to pounce.
“What the Goddamn hell did you say to me? Huh? I disappoint you? Is that what I do?”
Suddenly wishing I could take the words back, I held my breath. Part fear. Part anticipation. He was out of bed. I’d achieved that, but not in the way I’d wanted. I wanted him to come willingly.
He didn’t disappoint me. Not by a long shot. But I’d said what I needed to. It had worked to an extent. Now, I didn’t know what to do next.
Lifting my chin, I mock-laughed. “Your character disappoints me. I thought you were made of steel. Unbendable. Unbreakable. It would appear I was mistaken.”
He took a step forward, then stopped. His face dropped slightly but recovered. My words had affected him. He tried hard not to show it, but I’d seen. Good. Maybe I could do this.
“Coffee’s there. Help yourself to a cup.”
Pointing to the machine, without glancing away, I noticed he didn’t even blink, let alone follow my hand. I could only read his thoughts by the small tidbits he gave away via his face or body language. His white knuckles gripped his crutches desperately. His black irises had expanded, which I knew meant one thing. He was weighing up whether to strike or not.
“You think I can’t handle anything you ask of me? I don’t want to go outside. I don’t feel like going to the lake. But you know what? Just to prove your sorry ass wrong, hold five. I’ll fucking give you what you want. And when I make it to the lake? Then what? Are you going to gloat and say, “I told you so?”
“No. I’d never do that.”
His eyes flashed as he pivoted around and began moving toward the hallway. “Fine. One trip to the lake and then you’ll get off my case and I’ll be free to do what I please until you get me the hell out of Dodge.”
Victory. I’d done it. I didn’t care if he sat inside every day hereafter. I’d touched a piece of his pride that wanted to prove me wrong. I didn’t care about his pride. I only cared about reaching him.
I stepped out onto the back porch, shivering at the fresh morning. Fingers crossed, the path to the lake wouldn’t be too tricky to maneuver on crutches.
I wanted to cave to Viper’s distress and coddle him, but not after my small victory. I’d push him further until we arrived back at the house later on. Then I’d let my wall of armor down and show him my compassion.
Five minutes exactly, the sliding door opened and Viper stepped out wearing sweats like me and a black tank. He obviously didn’t feel the cold as much.
Slamming the door and giving m
e a glare which could ignite dry wood, he held out one hand as if gesturing me to lead the way.
Starting off, I turned to make sure he followed. His arms strained with the effort. His mouth held firm as he stared past me.
“If I injure myself further, I’m holding you fully accountable!” he growled.
I didn’t answer. I hoped he didn’t fall or have an accident and get hurt any worse. I couldn’t live with that.
I kept a slow pace so he could keep up as we moved into thicker brush. Birds chirped and a slight breeze tickled the tops of the trees.
I found the path my father had created to be non-existent, so I forged a new route where there were fewer bushes and trees.
Every now and then I’d peer back to see if Viper was with me. He’d slowed somewhat, but he was still in view. I stopped to let him catch up.
When he caught me staring at him, he roared, “Get an eyeful, Red? Are you frigging happy now? You got me outside. I’m moving. I’m doing it. I knew I could, but you obviously weren’t as convinced I could do it.”
“You’re doing great.”
He merely huffed and shook his head.
Large tree roots slithered across our virgin trail, so when I’d stepped over them, I called back to Viper. “Be careful of the roots. Take your time.”
He didn’t answer. Nor did I expect him to. I stood back and waited for his approach. A slight sheen of sweat had broken out on his skin, causing him to shine. With the dappled light of the sunrise through the trees, he appeared god-like. His half-leg didn’t bother me at all. I had accepted it and looked beyond the missing limb.
“You expect me to get over that?” he asked, stopping.
“Yes, I do. Like I said, do it slowly.”
He eyed me with suspicion. “What are you getting out of this? Why are you doing it?”
Did he mean the walk or standing by him in general?
Before I could say another word, he mumbled. “Forget it. You’re insane. That’s why you’re making me do this.”
The Lost and Found Series Page 52