Wood U (Carved Hearts #4)

by L. G. Pace III

  Hell yeah, life is good. I can think of one thing that would make it even fucking better.

  I knew she’d only be around for a few days, and it’d be a shame not to give her a proper Texas welcome before she split town.

  I smelled like a dead animal, so I ran home for a shower before heading back to their apartment. Molly was banging around in the kitchen with her back to me as I came in. Joe was sitting over on the couch with Francis, where they were gabbing like a couple of hens. The old man gave me a bit of the stink eye when he saw me, so I headed in to talk to Molly. She turned with a pot in her hands and almost dropped it in surprise when she saw me.

  “Mac? What the hell are you doing here?” I tried not to wince at the question. She said it loud enough that I had no doubt that Francis heard. My suspicion was verified a second later when I heard a chuckle from Joe.

  “What,” I asked as nonchalantly as I could, “a brother can’t just stop by to have dinner with his sister?”

  Molly scowled at me, before understanding dawned on her face.

  “For fuck’s sake.” Molly dropped her voice to a whisper, brandishing her chopping knife at me. “She’s here to mend fences with Francis, and you’re trying to bird-dog her? Can you not act with your dick this one time?”

  I glanced back over my shoulder, but Francis and Joe seemed oblivious to us. They were in the middle of a conversation about advertising for another employee and whether they should put an ad on Monster.com.

  “Look, Short Shit…” I said, popping the lid off the beer I had snagged from the fridge. “She seems cool. I don’t see the harm in asking if she is interested in me showing her around town. In fact, it would be downright unfriendly not to offer such a nice girl a personal tour.”

  Molly looked like she had just smelled something rancid and mimed vomiting in the sink. She looked like Betty Boop would if someone had penciled tattoos all over her, and pissing her off was one of my favorite pastimes. When she got angry, she was about as threatening as a freshly hatched chick.

  “Ugh! Shut up, Mac. I don’t need to picture your skeevy ass trying to get on anyone, much less that poor girl. Why don’t you just get a gold chain and a crushed red velvet suit?”

  “Mind your business, kid.” I hip checked her. “Watch and learn.”

  She glowered at me, pausing in her chopping in a way that made me slightly fearful for my life. “I swear, if you make Kelly feel uncomfortable about being here tonight—”

  “I’ll be a perfect gentleman, Molly.” I raised my hands in mock surrender. “You have my word.”

  Molly shook her head, but the frown left her face, and I was pretty sure she wasn’t going to kick me out. Grabbing another beer out of the fridge, I popped it open and handed it to her. I hung out with her in the kitchen until there was a knock on the door. Joe went and answered it, and my brother, Mason, and his wife, Robin, walked in. Looking over at Molly, I raised an eyebrow. “So, what? I’m the only one who didn’t get an invite?”

  Molly shrugged and never stopped mixing her signature coleslaw.

  “I figured having a few, non-horndog types here for dinner might make it a more welcoming environment for Kelly. And for Francis. From what I understand, they’re having trouble reconnecting. There’s a lot of ugly to sort through between them.” The pointed way she said this made it clear that she knew a lot more than she was willing to share. Not surprising. Molly had a way of wheedling her way right up inside people’s defenses.

  Mason joined Joe and Francis in the living room, while Robin came into the kitchen. She gave me a curious stare and bumped my shoulder with hers.

  “Hey there, Mac, fancy meeting you here. I figured you would be out on Sixth Street showing the young bucks how it’s done.”

  Molly cocked an irritated eyebrow and shook her head. “Make no mistake, Robin. He isn’t taking a day off of his prowlin’. He just figured it was easier to shoot fish in a barrel.”

  Robin looked from Molly to me and then shook her head with an amused grin. “Oh yeah? Who’s the lucky victim?”

  “Francis’s daughter, Kelly.” Molly gave Robin a knowing side glance. “The poor girl came to Texas to see her father, and Mac’s trying to give her ‘the bonus package’.”

  I shot her a deadly glare, knowing they were about to double-team me.

  Robin laughed. “Well, I guess you can’t blame a hound dog for wanting to hunt.”

  “Y’all are hateful,” I stated. Having had enough, I left the two of them in the kitchen to chatter and took a beer out to my twin brother, Mason. He accepted it with a grateful smile and clinked bottles with me.

  “How the hell do you do it?” I asked.

  “What?” He tipped back his cowboy hat. “Wake up an awesome, sexy beast?”

  “No. That’s understandable. We have the same genes. I mean how do you stay married?” I asked, my snark purposeful. “Especially to that mouthy broad?”

  My brother smirked, and I’d seen his expression a million times in the mirror.

  “I say ‘Yes, Dear’ a lot,” he replied.

  By the time Kelly showed up, I was feeling a lot more relaxed about the entire evening. Could probably have something to do with the three beers I’d downed. She was even better looking than I remembered, all long dark hair and lean muscle. Mason’s eyes bugged out when he saw her, and she did a double take from him to me and back again. I thought Robin was going to stab Mason with a fork when Francis introduced him to Kelly and he got all tongue tied. Molly stepped in and introduced Joe and Robin, and Kelly’s gentle smile and wide, innocent eyes seemed to soothe Robin’s ire.

  Kelly had brought a twelve-pack of Budweiser along, which I relieved her of during introductions. It was a good call on her part because we were already running a little low on adult beverages. Robin took the beer from me and led Kelly back into the kitchen with her. Mason leaned in to whisper in my ear.

  “Holy shit, dude,” he blurted, and I shushed him. He continued much more quietly. “No offense to Francis, but her mom must have been a Playboy Centerfold.”

  Robin returned to the living room with several cans of cold beer. She handed one to Mason and one to me.

  “Francis, would you like one?” Robin asked. Francis smiled and shook his head.

  “No, thank you, dear. I’m four months sober as of today. I’m fine with my sweet tea.” Robin’s smile froze on her face, and then her hand went to her mouth.

  “I’m sorry.” Robin looked like she wanted to sink into the floor.

  Awkward. Even more awkward since it was his daughter who had brought the booze.

  I looked for Kelly and noticed she’d re-entered the room just in time to hear the exchange. Her expression was guarded, but she popped the top on her beer-can right on the heels of his comment.

  Francis ignored this, and he rose, crossed to Robin, and patted her arm. “That’s quite all right. The world is full of alcohol, and people are going to drink it. Believe me, I’ve had more than my share. But I do need some more tea if you don’t mind.”

  His glass was still half full, and it was an obvious ploy to either vacate the viper pit or smooth things over. Robin nodded gratefully and took his glass, retreating to the kitchen for a refill.

  “I understand you two have already met,” Francis said to Kelly, nodding in my direction. His tone wasn’t typical Francis. He was normally very jovial, but tonight he sounded level and calculating.

  “Not officially,” Kelly replied, tucking a strand of her long wavy hair behind her ear as she crossed to shake my hand.

  “Mac Hildebrandt.” I clasped her tiny hand in mine, and she batted her eyelashes at me shyly.

  Nice.

  “Kelly. Palmer.” Her sweet voice made her sound like a schoolgirl. I wish I could say it was a turn off, but I’d be full of shit if I did. “You look different when you’re not covered in sawdust.”

  Robin had distracted Francis by handing him his tea, so I leaned in a little.

  “You look good
enough to eat,” I whispered. Her cheeks flashed red, and somehow it made her look even sexier.

  “If y’all want to, you can make up your plates. I thought we’d eat up on the roof, since it’s so nice out tonight,” Molly announced.

  I let the rest of them file into the kitchen and stayed behind to talk to Kelly. She hadn’t released my hand immediately and when she realized this she blushed even deeper. The effect was so damned adorable, I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from saying so.

  “So, how are you liking Austin so far?” I asked.

  “I love it! It’s so different than what I expected,” she said enthusiastically.

  She talked about all the things she’d seen and done in the past twenty-four hours. I enjoyed listening to her accent which made her sound like a hot weather girl. Hearing she was outdoorsy made her even more attractive to me, but I had a little trouble focusing on some of what she was saying. She was talking so fast, it made her a bit breathless. I liked the way her chest heaved when she was excited. I decided right then and there I would like to see her out of breath again. And again.

  We talked the entire time we were fixing our plates and when we headed up to the roof, I let her go ahead of me, as any gentleman should. Plus, her ass was a work of art, and I got to inspect it up close all the way up the stairs.

  Priceless.

  “Oh my God!” Kelly gasped. I hurried topside to see what made her react so dramatically. Once I stepped out into the night air, I understood immediately. Joe had talked about fixing up a pergola for Molly since she missed her patio back in Seattle. It was my first time seeing his masterpiece, and I have to admit, the man’s a genius.

  The seating looked like something out of a Japanese garden, and Molly had strung white lights and added bunting and bright cushions. Their rooftop was like a spa at a five-star resort… a tiny oasis in the middle of downtown.

  “This is amazing,” Kelly was saying. Her earnest doe eyes looked to me for confirmation. I realized a man could get lost in those eyes very easily. As if she read my mind, her smile broadened, lighting up the night around us.

  Molly made a big point of sitting Kelly between Francis and herself, banishing me down to the far end of the table with Joe. I decided that if she wanted to be a pain in the ass, I was more than up to the challenge. But I did make a mental note to search the joke shop downtown when next I got a chance to see if they still sold itching powder. If so, Molly was getting some in her bed Christmas morning. Short Shit wanted to irritate me? I could irritate her right back, and I’d had more years to perfect the art form.

  We had a great meal, as expected when Molly was in the kitchen, and after dinner we quickly burned our way through the twelve pack Kelly had brought. When she offered to go get some more down at the corner store, I insisted I’d walk with her.

  “So, you teach?” I began, having caught the part of her story about how she’d gone biking with a fellow teacher she met at the flea market.

  “I do.” She was twisting a long strand of her chestnut hair, and it taunted me. She had a gracefulness about her that I found fascinating. The more I watched her over dinner, the more apparent it became that she outclassed me, but I figured I could still show her how we have a good time Deep in the Heart. “Third grade. I love the kids, but the parents? Forgetaboutit.”

  “I can imagine. People suck,” I admitted.

  “Yes. They really do.” Her quiet response was accompanied by a glimmer of despair. It vanished quickly, and I wondered if I imagined the whole thing. “And you? You make all that amazing furniture I saw in the window?” Her broad smile was sure to be my undoing. I watched the way she moved, all cat-like and confident. I decided I could watch her smile all night and never get tired of it.

  I shrugged, but I felt the smug smirk creep onto my face. “I love using old stuff to make somethin’ cool. It’s recycling at its finest. One man’s junk…”

  “I wish I had your talent.” The light turned yellow, and I gripped her arm on reflex. Her amber eyes traveled down to my hand then back up to meet mine.

  “Tell me something,” I said. “I want to know more about you.”

  “Like what?” She blinked her long lashes shyly, turning away to look ahead at the light.

  “Favorite color,” I demanded.

  She laughed, and it bowled me over. It was a sultry, sexy sound I hadn’t expected from her. She was certainly something different. And different in a most excellent way.

  “Red.” She confessed, turning to look up at me. “Yours?”

  “Brown,” I replied, taking advantage of the shadows we were passing through to let my gaze roam her body. I was still staring when we came back into the light and she caught me looking. I gave her a grin that I knew was completely unapologetic.

  “My turn,” she said. “Favorite band.”

  “Can’t narrow it down to one. AC/DC, maybe? Not a big fan of rap. Or yodeling. You?” I replied.

  “Same here.” She sighed. “I’m a little bit country, and a little bit rock n’ roll.”

  “Ditto. You’ve come to the right place. We’re—”

  “The Live Music Capital of the World?” she finished.

  “Yep,” I concurred, ushering her across the street with my hand on the small of her back.

  “So I hear,” she chirped, her arm briefly coming around my waist before dropping away.

  “Movies,” I announced, looking down at her, and loving the way she felt beside me… “Go.”

  “I like happily-ever-afters,” she replied. “You?”

  “Action,” I admitted. “But the hero has to save the day, so I guess you could call that a happily ever after, right?”

  “Sure.” She nodded.

  “Siblings?” I asked.

  “Only child,” she answered, leading me into the store. “Are Molly and Mason your only siblings?”

  “Yes, thank Christ,” I responded, pulling a cold case of Shiner Bock from the cooler. “So…now that we know all about each other, how about you let me give you a ride?”

  The corner of her mouth curled, and she looked as if she were on the verge of laughter or something seedier.

  She’s whisky in a teacup, that’s for damn sure. We’re as unlikely a pair as they come, but there’s no denying that together we’re as hot as the Fourth of July. Soaked in booze and playing with fireworks.

  “Literally, or…” She turned her amused eyes on me, and I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and carry her back to my place.

  “Lady’s choice.”

  She looked very capable of getting up to no good.

  “Tempting…but I think I’ll take a raincheck.”

  I COLLAPSED ON my couch and gazed at the remaining boxes littering my tiny apartment. It was a freshly painted, one bedroom in a converted home. Because it was so small I’d had to get rid of half of my stuff before making the 1400-mile journey south. Still, it was in a safe neighborhood and within biking distance of my new job.

  And, most importantly, I was in Austin.

  Jerry was in my kitchen, doing her best to unpack what she deemed were the ‘immediate necessities’.

  “Where do you want the salad spinner?” In her coordinating pink sweat-suit, she looked like she belonged in a Nordic Trak ad, not my closet-sized kitchen.

  “I said ‘the necessities’, Jerry,” I called to her, too tired to move.

  “The way you eat, that is a necessity,” she clucked.

  I snorted. I could tell working with Jerry was going to be a blast. She and I had kept in touch through Facebook since my vacation ended. Two weeks after I’d flown home, she’d called to tell me that one of her school’s first grade teachers was retiring. She insisted that I get my resume in ASAFP.

  I was immediately tempted as I’d returned from spring break to tragic news. One of my students had been killed by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting. Cleaning out her locker was rough, and I questioned for the thousandth time what I was accomplishing. My contract was up
in May, and I was ready for a permanent change. I’d done my bit, fought the good fight and all that, but after five long years I still had no real ties to the community except Annette, and I had a feeling she’d understand.

  Jerry’s inside information about the vacant position in Austin was perfectly timed. When I’d left for home after my initial visit, I was already in love with the city. The job opening was too much of a coincidence, and though I sometimes questioned my sanity, I have to cling to the belief that things happened for a reason.

  “Where is everyone?” Jerry asked, tossing newspaper aside as she loaded my plates into the dishwasher. “I’m surprised your dad isn’t here with donuts and coffee directing traffic.”

  “Yeah…about that…” My sheepish expression caused her to stop fiddling with the box she’d been unpacking and head in my direction.

  Jerry’s green eyes honed in on me. “What?”

  “He doesn’t know I’m here.” Her brow knitted in disbelief, and I hurried to explain. “I didn’t want him reading anything into it. I’ll tell him I’m here when I’m ready. Our relationship is…complicated.”

  Jerry shrugged before ducking down to stow something in a lower cabinet. “Sorry, wasn’t trying to pry.”

  “You’re not. It’s just…honestly I’m not really sure how I feel about being in the same city with him.” I replied, trudging into the kitchen. “My mom’s furious. She thinks I’m choosing him over her. She actually hung up on me when I told her. That was like six weeks ago, and I haven’t talked to her since.”

  “Doesn’t your mom live in Colorado?” Jerry asked.