by Parker, Lexy
I didn’t want to come right out and say it. “She mentioned she was married, but I didn’t notice a ring.”
Philip shook his head as he walked out the door. I guessed that meant he wasn’t going to answer. It also meant he didn’t want me asking questions because he didn’t want the complications. I got it. I knew it was too complicated.
Complicated was not what I needed with Emmitt in town and the business losing money. I should leave it alone. I knew that, but because I was horrible at listening to my own advice, I turned on the laptop and pulled up the deliveries for tomorrow. With Rick gone, I would need to do some of them. I scanned the sheet, hoping to see the vet’s office on the route. I wanted to see her again.
“Dammit,” I muttered when I didn’t see it on my list.
I couldn’t ask Philip for information. That was a dead end. I got the idea Dani might have been just a tiny bit interested in me. If she wasn’t, then she was a very good flirt. I was already trying to think of ways I could arrange an accidental meeting between the two of us. Hell, maybe I could ship something to the vet’s office and deliver it. What did one mail to a vet?
“Leave it alone, Clay,” I warned.
I forced myself to focus on something other than the pretty vet tech. I took care of some paperwork before tidying up around the office. I was also the cleaning crew. I could hear my phone ringing in the office and did a quick sprint to reach it, hoping for a last-minute delivery to the vet’s place.
It was my mother. I groaned, considered ignoring it but knowing that would only delay the inevitable. “Hi, Mom.”
“Clay! There you are!”
“You have GPS on me?” I teased.
“What?” she asked with confusion.
“You said there I am, so I was wondering if you knew where I was.”
Silence.
“Never mind. What’s going on?” I asked her.
“We’re going to have dinner later,” she announced.
Again, I couldn’t resist. “Really? That’s great.”
“Clay, dammit. Would you quit cracking jokes long enough to listen,” she scolded.
“What is it, Mom?”
“I said, we’re having dinner. I would appreciate it if you could come. I’d like to have one family dinner, with just us,” she insisted.
I ran a hand over my face, squeezing the bridge of my nose. “All right. Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight. I’ll see you at six and bring a bottle of scotch. Apparently, Emmitt prefers scotch to wine. I should have known that, and I just felt awful I didn’t have what he wanted last night after dinner,” she rambled.
“Yes, scotch. I’d hate for Emmitt to go thirsty,” I said dryly.
It was lost on her or she chose to ignore it. “See you then.”
I put the phone down. My day was not going to end on a high note, which made sense considering how shitty it had started. The only bright spot had been meeting Dani, and even that had been fleeting. It was like window shopping. I got to look and admire but I couldn’t touch.
I answered a couple of emails asking for quotes, set up the day for tomorrow and headed out of the office. I needed to make it to the liquor store to get the golden boy his Kool-Aid. We couldn’t have poor Emmitt being forced to drink the same swill as the rest of us. I thought about going home to change but then dismissed the idea. I was blue-collar. Putting on a clean shirt or going so far as to put on a dress shirt and tie wasn’t going to change that. My family knew who I was. They weren’t going to be fooled by a different shirt.
When I parked in front of their house, I looked through the large windows. My mother was in the kitchen, my dad sitting in his recliner watching something on his big screen TV. I could see Emmitt sitting at the kitchen table, his laptop open and a blue glow highlighting his face. I imagined he probably made at least ten thousand dollars just sitting in my parents’ house. There was a part of me that envied him a little. Life always seemed so easy for him. He’d been popular in high school. Went on to college and of course he did well and then landed a killer job on Wall Street.
It all seemed so easy. Maybe I should have gone to college. I got out of the truck and headed up the walk, knowing I couldn’t hide out front all day. I rang the bell and waited.
“Clay, there you are,” my mother exclaimed for the second time that day.
“Hi, Mom. I brought Emmitt’s juice,” I said, holding up the bottle of scotch.
“Oh, good. Come inside. I’ve made a roast chicken for dinner,” she said, walking back to the kitchen.
I waved at my dad as we passed the living room. He ignored me. His show was on. I didn’t know what show that was, but there was always a show on. He wasn’t exactly the most attentive father.
“Hi Emmitt,” I said walking into the kitchen.
He didn’t look up from his computer. “Did you bring scotch?”
I chuckled. “I did. I’ll pour a couple,” I said, moving to grab two glasses.
I sat down at the table next to his seat and poured us each a half glass, sliding his toward him. He grabbed it and sucked it down without saying a word.
“Are you working?” I asked him.
“No.”
“Job hunting?” I quipped.
That got his attention. He looked up at me, narrowing his eyes. “What’s your problem?”
“Problem?”
“Why are you always trying to start shit with me?”
My brows shot up. “Have another drink. Hell, let me pour it for you.”
I got up and got the bottle, pouring him a full glass. He took it and sucked down a good portion of it before finally looking like he was ready to talk. “Still working at the shitty little delivery company?”
“Since I talked to you two days ago? Yes, still there.”
“Mom says you have like one employee,” he sneered.
“Technically, I had two this morning, but I’m down to one now,” I clarified, refusing to let him rile me.
“Wow, business must be booming. Maybe one day you’ll be able to buy yourself some new clothes, so you don’t show up for dinner in your cool work polo,” he said, clearly trying to insult me.
I finished my drink and stood up. “I’m going to see if Mom needs some help.”
I wasn’t going to let him get me fired up. I had more respect for my parents than that. Emmitt had been insulting me since the day I was born. I was immune to his bullshit.
“Grab the plates and set the table,” my mom instructed.
I did as she asked, purposely pushing his laptop to the edge of the table. He snatched it up, glaring at me as he stomped out of the room. It was deeply satisfying to know I had managed to piss him off a little. Score one for me.
Chapter 8
Dani
I knocked on the door and waited, glancing to my left and smiling when I saw the pretty flowers that had recently bloomed. The bright pink and purple petunias were likely the exuberant choices of the little girl that had come into our lives not so long ago. She loved unicorns and rainbows and all things sparkly. The colors were a nice touch. I imagined the small family working in the yard over the weekend, having a good time together. Sadie opened the door, a grin on her face and a sparkly pink bow in her curly brown hair. She was a ray of light, all the time. She was always on, which exhausted me, but she was naturally bubbly.
“Hi, Sadie,” I greeted. “You look very pretty today.”
“Hi, Dani. Thank you. Come in, please,” she said, using her perfect manners.
“Thank you, I’d love to,” I said, following her inside.
She always had a way of making you want to use your best manners.
“Dani’s here!” Sadie shouted, the good manners vanishing for a brief second when she resorted to typical kid behavior.
“We’re in back!” I heard Jamie’s voice call out.
I followed Sadie through the kitchen and onto the back patio where Philip was cooking hamburgers. Jamie was setting the patio table. “Hi!�
� she greeted when I stepped outside.
“Those burgers smell amazing!” I exclaimed, my stomach growling.
“They’re going to taste amazing as well,” Sadie said.
“I’m going to grab the salad from the fridge. Do you want a beer?” Jamie asked.
“Sure, thank you,” I said, taking a seat at the table and staring out into the small backyard with lots of green grass.
“Thanks for helping Clay out yesterday. He’s kind of a goofball when it comes to engines and stuff like that. He knows his way around a fishing pole, but engines are just not his thing,” Philip said.
“It was really no problem. I felt bad for the guy sitting out in the parking lot. I just had to jump the truck,” I answered. “What’s his story?” I added, knowing it was probably a little forward. I’d known Philip for more than a year and considered him to be a brother. He was used to my bluntness, although it had taken some time for him to adjust to it.
Philip looked at me, a knowing smile on his face. Jamie returned at that moment, looking from me to her husband. “What’d I miss?”
“Dani was asking me about Clay,” Philip answered with a grin.
Jamie turned and looked at me. “Really? Clay? When did you see him?”
“Yesterday. He had to make some deliveries and he and Dani happened to meet,” Philip explained.
Jamie’s face lit up. “Really? That’s interesting. And now she’s asking about him. Very interesting indeed.”
“So, how come I’ve never met him? Is he married? Locked down in a relationship? I know he’s lived here but we have always managed to avoid actually meeting,” I asked.
Philip shook his head. “I’ve never known him to be in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been. I don’t think he’s dated anyone seriously since I’ve lived here.”
“Is he gay?” I asked, resorting to my direct nature.
“No. He’s just been really focused on his business and I think he’s kind of shy,” Philip answered. “He’s more of a homebody and doesn’t go out a lot. He prefers fishing or hiking out in the woods than clubs and the loud scene.”
“How do the two of you know each other?” I asked.
“We were in the marines together. He got out a few years ago and started the delivery business. He gave me the job to get me down here,” he explained.
“He’s never had a girlfriend?” I asked, not sure what to think of that.
“I don’t know if never, but I’ve never seen him with anyone serious. He’s dated but I don’t know. He’s a funny guy, but he kind of holds back. Like few people really know him. I think he’s always so busy being a good friend and just focusing on his work, he doesn’t have a lot of extra time to try and meet women,” he explained.
I nodded, digesting the information. “He seemed like a nice guy. He’s not ugly.”
“He was asking about you when I got back to the shop,” Philip offered.
My eyes went wide. I looked from Jamie to him. “Really? What did he ask?”
Jamie burst into laughter, earning a scowl from me. “This feels very fifth grade like,” she teased.
“I think if you want to know about Clay, you should ask him. I’m sure he would be very happy to tell you all about himself,” Philip answered.
I scowled and looked at my best friend. “Jamie,” I whined.
She giggled, holding up her hands. “Don’t look at me. However, I will say I like Clay. He’s nice and he is really good with Sadie. He’s a loyal friend and I’m glad to know him.”
“That was very vanilla,” I retorted.
“Burgers are done,” Philip announced.
We all built our burgers and sat down, except for Sadie, who wanted to watch some TV show in the other room.
“Have you thought about the city party thing?” Jamie asked.
I looked at her, took a drink from the beer bottle before putting it down. “Yes, I have.”
“And?” she prodded.
“And I’m going to do it. It’s going to be short and sweet and I’m not going to say much about our relationship. That’s private, but I can certainly talk about his service and what it means. I want to talk about the hole his death left in the lives of the people who loved him,” I explained.
“I think that’s perfect,” Jamie said, tears glistening in her eyes.
“I want you there. I want you in the crowd for moral support,” I demanded.
“Of course. I’ll be there. Whatever you need, I’ll be there,” she said.
“Me too,” Philip said in a somber voice.
I remembered Jamie telling me Philip had known her brother. “Did Clay know Gage?” I asked, suddenly panicking a little.
Philip gave a slow shake of his head. “No. I don’t believe they ever officially met. They might have seen each other in passing, but I don’t think they ever hung out.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. I wasn’t sure why the idea of Gage and Clay knowing each other freaked me out. I still felt like I was cheating just by being a little interested in Clay. A part of me knew it wasn’t cheating, but that little part of me that was hopelessly devoted to Gage would always be convinced he would be the only man I could ever truly love.
“Oh,” I murmured.
“So tell me about you meeting Clay,” Jamie said, quickly changing the subject.
“He’s cute, funny and I had fun in the very brief time we chatted,” I said, shrugging a shoulder.
“He is quite the comedian,” Jamie said dryly.
“You know, if you two would have had a normal wedding like normal people, I would have met Clay earlier,” I lectured them.
They both laughed, completely unashamed by their elopement. “We changed our minds.”
“You got cold feet,” I shot back.
“Well, it all felt so rushed. We decided to enjoy being engaged, then one day, we decided to be married,” Jamie said, shrugging a shoulder.
“I’ll have you know, Sadie and I were really looking forward to wearing those dresses,” I pouted.
“I’m sorry and you looked beautiful,” Jamie assured me.
“Thank you.”
“I think we should have a barbecue here,” Jamie said, looking at her husband.
“We just did,” he said with confusion.
She shook her head. “No, I mean a barbecue. We’ll invite Clay and Dani and have a nice dinner.”
“Uh, hello, Dani is right here and no, you’re not setting me up. That is way too weird. This whole thing is weird. Isn’t it weird?” I asked, looking at Jamie.
She shrugged. “I don’t see anything weird about it.”
“You’re my sister-in-law.”
She reached over and grabbed my hand. “Dani, you are my sister. You were married to my brother, but he’s been gone a while now. You deserve to be happy and I want you to be happy. I don’t think you have to stay single for the rest of your days. I’m not going to be upset with you if you start dating. I want you to date.”
I nodded, rubbing my hand over my neck. “Thank you. I don’t know. When I saw him today, for the first time in a long time I felt something stir. Maybe it’s only because it’s been so long, and the first eligible bachelor appears in my life and I’m kind of freaked out.”
“He is eligible,” Philip said, adding his two cents.
I giggled. “Thank you.”
“Give it time. Ease into it. We’ll help facilitate meetings if that’s what you want,” Jamie offered.
“No. I do not need you to babysit me. I don’t even know if it’s anything. It was a chance meeting and I’m not sure I’m even truly interested,” I said.
“If you change your mind, we’re here for you,” Jamie said.
“I appreciate it,” I said.
We finished our meals, not talking anymore about Clay. We talked about our jobs and the coming summer and what we had planned. I loved that they never made me feel like a third wheel, but I knew things were bound to change. Maybe it was why they
were so eager to set me up with Clay. If they set me up, they could occupy me with him and have more time to themselves.
“Do you want another beer?” Jamie asked.
“No thanks. I’m going to get out of here. I’ve got a spin class in the morning,” I said, making my excuses.
“Should I expect to find Clay hanging out at the vet’s office tomorrow?” Philip joked.
“I doubt it, especially if he doesn’t have a better truck to drive,” I said with a laugh.
“He does. He doesn’t let on, but he’s doing all right. He owns the company. He lives a simple life and he would never be flashy, but he does okay for himself,” he said.
“I’m not interested in what he does or doesn’t have,” I told him.
He nodded. “I know. I get it. I was thinking a little more about the lack of a girlfriend thing. I think it has something to do with his family. I just found out he has a brother, which is odd to me. I’ve known him a long time and he’s never mentioned he had an older brother. I know he isn’t overly close with his parents, but he does go there quite a bit and helps them out.”
“Philip, thanks, but really, I don’t think I’m ready to start thinking like that. It was nice to be asked about, nothing more,” I assured them both.
Jamie walked me out. “Dani, you can move on. I want you to move on. Don’t think you have to hide away in that house because of me.”
“I know. It isn’t that. I’m just not sure if I’m ready,” I told her.
“I get it and you know Philip gets it. I just don’t want you to think I would think badly of you if you decided to start dating. And, for what it’s worth, I really do like Clay. He’s like a big brother. He’s gentle and kind and has been such a good friend to Philip.”
“Okay, I get it. I don’t know. I’m not saying it won’t happen, but right now I think I’ll focus on the speech I have to give,” I mumbled.
“You’re going to do fine,” she assured me.
“Jamie, why don’t you get up there with me? He’s your brother and I would feel so much better having you beside me,” I told her.
It was her turn to look scared. “I don’t know.”