by Ciara Knight
“Don’t worry, I won’t be staying long.”
“I hope you’ll stay for good. But most of all, I hope you marry Ally and live a long, happy life together. The way you should’ve done a decade ago. I’m sorry I was so weak.” He bowed his head, resting it on his boney hands over his cane.
For a millisecond, Rex felt for the old man. He’d lost everything, his wife, his son, his home. People said he lived on the street until someone gave him a backroom in a building. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He headed for the door. “There’s too much work to do to listen to your regrets.”
“Her family offered to pay your way through college, but I told them you didn’t want college. You weren’t about college.”
“Sounds about right.” Rex shrugged. “I wouldn’t have taken their money anyway.”
“Even if it meant you could’ve stayed with Ally, and you never had to go in the military?”
“Military was good for me. I learned how to be a man. A real man.” Rex scowled down at the person who was supposed to be his role model growing up.
“Understood. Even so, you need to know the truth. Her mother wasn’t to blame about hiding those letters. I was.”
“What?” Rex clutched the door frame, fighting his rising temper. He’d let that go a long time ago, and refused to let it return. “You needed to leave this place. As you said, you needed to become a man, and you couldn’t do that mooching off the Roberts. But that wasn’t why I hid it.”
Rex squeezed the molding on the door so tight it cracked and splintered. Great, another thing to fix. “Why? Never mind, I don’t want to know.” Rex took a step inside.
“Because I knew I was poison. You needed to get away from me.”
He pushed away from the door. “You did it as an act of kindness, huh?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe that.” He snickered. “I wouldn’t believe that.”
“So you admit there was something else. Another reason.”
“Money. Isn’t it always about money?” He pushed himself up to stand eye to eye with his son. The man who once towered over him in height and girth now crippled to his level.
“Money?”
“Yeah, she gave me the tuition check to give you. Said if you wouldn’t take it I could keep the money if I promised to make sure you never came back. Guess I couldn’t keep my promise.”
He wanted to remove all memory of his father. Lord knew he’d tried. He’d gone all the way to the sandbox to get away from him and his haunting childhood. Everyone in the military was a team. There were ranks, but that he could respect. Men who deserved his loyalty and hard work. “Leave. I never want to see you again.”
“Understood.” His father hobbled to the steps. On the second, he buckled and clung to the railing. Rex helped him up despite his inner turmoil. No matter what, you never left a man down. Even if that man ruined your life.
Chapter Nine
Ally walked up the street with a phone to her ear. She decided to leave her mother a message that she’d get at the next port. Her mother couldn’t leave her cell phone for more than a day without feeling lost and alone, even with her father by her side. The woman was a total cell phone addict.
The beep sounded and Ally took a deep breath of courage. “Mother, we need to talk. Rex is in town. Obviously, father knew this and that’s why he called me and sent Big brother and the posse over. You should also know that I’m aware of your betrayal. I only have one question for you. Why? Why did you keep Rex’s letter and calls from me? Why did you let me think he ran off and left me behind? Didn’t you know what that would do to me? I haven’t had a functional relationship since he left. I’ve been swimming in a pool of self-doubt and unworthiness never believing a man would stay. Now, he’s back, and I know. I know everything.” She hit end and slid the phone into her purse. Her hands shook and her knees were weak under her, but when she turned the corner and spotted Rex working on the front porch, the darkness faded.
He hadn’t chosen to leave, but did that mean he wanted to return? Would he ever consider it now that he was well off and beyond the small town of Silver Springs Society?
Mel was right, she had to get to know him again. See if there was anything between them, then she’d ask him if he’d consider returning. This time it would be their choice. Not their parents’.
“Hey.” Rex said, his voice low and hollow.
Ally stepped back, her determination tumbling down the steps. “Um, I can come back later if you want.”
Rex set the hammer down. “No, please.” He leaned against the side of the house and adjusted his tool belt around his waist. “I want you to stay. It’s my father I never want to see again.”
Ally wanted to smile that it hadn’t been her that he didn’t want around, but it was wrong to be that happy when Rex was obviously in torment. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Rex scrubbed his face, drawing her attention to the sexy stubble on his jaw line. “No. But can I ask you for a favor?”
Ally finished the steps and stood a few feet from him. For the first time, she took in all that was the grown-up version of Rex Snyder. And if she admitted it to herself, he looked even better today than the day he’d left. The military had shaped not only his confidence, but his muscles. “What is it?”
“Can you not hate me today? I don’t think I could handle any more drama for a few hours.”
Ally stepped closer, locking gazes with him. “I don’t hate you. I hate what happened, but I don’t hate you. Now that I know the truth. It’s just…it’s gonna take time to process it all.”
Rex grunted his agreement. “I think the best thing we could do is some manual labor.”
“Sounds good to me.”
“Do you know where I can get some help? I need a second set of hands with some of this work.”
“I can help.” Ally blurted before she thought better about it. She was supposed to be working to save her business. And not just save, thrive. Mel was counting on her.
“Okay, if you don’t mind. I’ll tell you what. We’ll work on some home improvements, then I’ll be your assistant with restoring the furniture and cataloging everything. Deal?” he stuck his hand out. The hand that brought memories and sparks and warmth into her life.
She accepted it. “Deal.” The world tilted under her feet at first skin to skin contact. A jolt of something exciting bolted up her arm and warmed her insides. He released her too soon, but the feeling lingered this time. A familiar call to be closer to him echoed in her soul.
Rex retrieved his hammer. “Why don’t you go set your stuff down and we’ll get started.”
Ally walked in and found the foyer and parlor cleaned of all dust and dirt, even the rugs were gone. She returned to the front porch. “Did you sleep at all?”
He quirked a brow at her. “Why do you ask that?”
“Because we could eat off that foyer floor. That had to have taken hours.”
He shrugged and pointed for her to grab a pair of goggles from the chair close by. “It didn’t take that long. I’m not good at sitting still. Besides, I thought I’d have to bribe you to get your help. Guilt is usually a good tool to get someone to do what you want.”
“You were going to guilt me?” Ally huffed as if shocked by his words, but she could tell by the up-tilt of the right side of his mouth that he was joking.
“Well, I had hoped you were the same generous and compassionate Ally that I once knew.”
She tied her hair back and scooted in close to hold the board in place for him to hammer in. “Glad I passed the test.”
After the board was hammered in place, they moved to the stairs to rip out the one that was rotted. They were close, so close. She could smell the mix of new cologne that pleased her to the point she found herself leaning into him to get another whiff every so often. A mature, familiar scent with a hint of mystery.
“I know why David and Mel broke up.”
He popped a brow at her. “Real
ly? Should I ask?”
Ally handed him a nail. “Yeah, according to Mel, it was all her fault.”
He placed the good board down, then swung the hammer a few times until the nail sunk into the wood. “I find that hard to believe. I had always assumed David did something stupid.”
“No, Mel did. She told him that she wanted more out of life than getting married right out of high school.”
Rex hit another nail until it slid deep into the wood. “That makes sense. So he left because she wanted a chance to figure things out?” He shook his head. “It would’ve taken a lot more than that to make me leave.”
She sighed. “It gets worse. He caught her on a date with another guy. I guess that he left shortly after that, and at some point, she figured out what she had lost, but it was too late.”
Rex finished the last of the nails, so they moved to the parlor. “Did she ever get over him?”
Ally shook her head. “Not even a little.”
They ripped up the carpet that covered the hardwood floor.
Rex set down his hammer. “I think it’s time for a lunch break. Name the place. I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
Ally looked down at her filthy shorts and tank top. “I don’t think we’ll be allowed in anywhere in this condition.”
“Right. How about I order in some pizza. Sound good?”
She wanted to ask how he kept his body looking like that if he ate pizza, but decided against it. “Sure.”
He grabbed his phone from the saw horse he’d set up in the corner, so Ally took the opportunity to clean up a little. She made her way to the hall bathroom and turned on the water, but it sputtered. The water came out murky and smelled like rotten eggs. She tried to shut off the knob, but it broke and water shot up and out everywhere. “Ahh, no!” She held her hands splayed in front of her to fend off the aggressive water, but to no avail.
Knock. Knock.
“You okay in there?”
“No, help!”
The door flew open and Rex’s eyes were wide, his jaw tight, but then it softened and he laughed and laughed and laughed.
“Stop it, help me.”
He knelt, opened the cabinet doors below the sink, and turned a knob which made the water stop spewing. “Geesh, so much for cosmetic work.”
Rex rolled over onto his hip and looked up at her, his face red from laughing. “I should’ve warned you. Plumber comes Thursday, remember?” He managed through labored breaths and hysterical laughter.
She took her palm and swiped it along the counter, sending water onto his head.
“Hey.”
“Hey nothing. You deserved that.”
He shook his head, sending water droplets everywhere like a great big dog. “You can get cleaned up upstairs. Shower works fine in the master. I’ll get you some dry clothes and lay them on the bed for you.”
Ally rung out the bottom of her tank top. “Fine, but when is it going to be your turn?”
“Turn for what?”
“For water to attack. Remember ninth grade at the possessed water fountain?” She did her best aggravated look with hands on hips and all.
He started roaring with laughter again. “You had so much mascara all over your face, you looked like a scary doll.”
She stomped her foot. “Like I do now. So funny, really.”
He pushed up from the ground. His body inches from her own. “No. You’re not wearing bad eyeliner and inch thick spider lashes.”
It wasn’t what he said, but the way he said it. In that tone that would make any girl’s knees weak. His sexy, disheveled hair made him look like a life guard with a golden tan and white teeth and muscles in all the right shapes. Not weight lifter kind, the swimmer and runner kind.
Rex tucked a wet strand of hair behind her ears. “Unlike ninth grade, you can pull off the just out of the shower look to perfection.”
His hand moved to her shoulder and she leaned into him, drawn to him. The humid air surrounded them like a blanket, swaddling them together. He looked down at her through hooded eyes. His lips parted. She rose onto her toes, eyes closed. The moment unfolded in perfect rhythm. She took two short breaths and leaned closer.
Rex cleared his throat and stepped back. “Um, I’ll go get those clothes for you.”
She retreated from him, from the moment, from the possibility. Mel was wrong, he didn’t want her. Why would he? He’d moved on with his life. She was his past, and it was time to look toward the future.
He slipped out of the bathroom and she heard his steps on the stairs.
Mr. Embarrassed poked his head through the open door and pointed at her. She kicked the door shut on him.
Chapter Ten
Rex set the clothes on the master bed. The water cut on in the bathroom, so he closed the bedroom door and retreated downstairs. He reached the bottom step and hit his head against the wall. “I’m such a fool.”
The image of her close, with her eyes closed and lips parted haunted him. He could almost taste the sweetest flavor ever invented on those lips. Except he couldn’t. Not now. Knowing that his father was the one who kept them apart. She’d assumed it was her mother. He needed to tell her the truth before anything went any further. What if she hated him? His father had been the root of almost all their problems growing up. He’d caused a scene at the restaurant in front of all of her family at her mother’s birthday party twelve years ago. His drunkenness became a town spectacle to the point where Ally’s father kicked Rex’s father and him out. Which only led to Ally crying and her mother’s party ruined.
So many times, so many places, his father had caused them trouble. The minute she walked down the stairs, he’d tell her the truth. He’d tell her that his father took money and hid the letters. Of course, her mother knew the entire time. She could’ve told them, or at least told Ally. There was so much she needed to know before they could kiss, before they could reconnect. He had to tell her he was leaving in a few weeks, too.
The pizza delivery guy drove up the front driveway, so Rex met him outside. “Hey, I heard this house was for sale. Always thought it was the coolest.”
“Know anyone who wants to buy it?” Rex asked him.
“Nope. Don’t think so.” The teenager shrugged, handed him the pizza, took the money, hopped in the car and took off.
Who was Rex kidding? The house was so big, who would ever want to take care of a home that size anymore?
He went back inside, sat the pizza down on the parlor table, and retrieved some paper plates out of his bag in the corner. The pipes clanked in the walls indicating she’d finished her shower. His stomach rolled with indecision. He hardly believed his father when he said it, now, he had to tell Ally.
For another ten minutes, he waited at the bottom of the stairs ready to tell her why he couldn’t kiss her. He had seen it in her eyes, the embarrassment and disappointment. If he remembered correctly, those were two of the designated Ally monsters, and she was probably hanging with them upstairs now. Hopefully the scared one didn’t make her climb out the window.
How could he have been so stupid? The door squealed open, and he stood tall. She reached the top of the stairs, and he thought she was more gorgeous in his sweatpants and t-shirt than in a ball gown. Damp hair, ruby cheeks from the heat, her thin arms and long legs, and perfect lips. “I didn’t kiss you because of my father,” he blurted.
She froze on step three. “What?”
“In the bathroom.” He pointed as if she didn’t know what he meant. “I wanted to kiss you, but I knew something, and you hate secrets, so I couldn’t kiss you.”
Her gaze rose from the floor in the wounded puppy position to straight at him. “Explain.” She walked down the rest of the stairs and stopped two up from him.
“My father showed up here this morning. He told me that it was him that hid the letters. Your mother offered money to send me to college with you, but told him if he couldn’t make that happen he could keep the money if he made sure I never ca
me back. He did. Your mother isn’t to blame, my father is.”
“No. He’s not.” She bit her bottom lip in that adorable deep thought way she’d perfected.
“Of course he is. He took money in exchange for his silence.”
“Exactly. My mother paid him to keep you away. She knew you wouldn’t take her charity. Besides, she took advantage of a broken man who suffers from alcoholism. Of course he took the money, he was sick. Everything to him back then was about the next drink.”
“Don’t make excuses for him.” Rex snipped, but then softened his tone and took her hand. “Sorry, it’s just that there’s so much in the past between us.”
“I know. But I also did a lot of volunteering at the clinic, and learned about alcoholism. It’s a disease more than a choice. I remember your mother once telling me your father was a good man. A trustworthy, honest, loyal man who would’ve done anything for anyone until he discovered the bottle.”
Rex exhaled a long breath. “Doesn’t matter. It only matters that you know the truth.” He tugged her down one step. “I’m sorry if I embarrassed you. I’m sorry if I hurt you in anyway. I want to kiss you, more than anything.”
She looked at her toes then at the wall. “I don’t think we should.” She slipped her hand away and headed for the parlor.
“What? Why?” Rex asked.
The smell of pizza filled the room full of meat and red sauce aroma. “I’m starved. Let’s eat.”
“Wait.” He scooted around her and blocked her from reaching the pizza. “Why don’t you want to kiss me?”
Ally closed her eyes and then opened them again. “Because, I don’t know you. I realized that when I was upstairs getting cleaned up.”
“You mean Mr. Scared convinced you.”
She snickered, a cute, little girl kind of laugh. “Mega Fear Monster. And no, believe it or not, no Ally allies upstairs. I’m handling this on my own.”
He moved aside, allowing her to get a piece of pizza. After a few bites, she sat cross legged on the floor. “Do you remember when we met and then when we kissed?”