“Jesus!” Toby rubbed a hand over his face. “Get your shit. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Nah, don’t bother. I am too comfy to go anywhere.”
“Get your things!”
He hung up before Mark could protest. He stuffed his phone into his pocket and made his way back to the dining room. All heads turned when he walked in.
“Toby?” His mom wiped her mouth on her napkin and twisted her body to face him. “Is everything all right?”
He sighed. “I’m going to take Mark to the hospital. But I’ll be back.”
Both his parents nodded.
“Okay, let us know if you or Mark need anything,” his dad said.
Promising he would, Toby grabbed his coat and left the house. He got into his car and drove to Mark’s apartment, and because nothing ever happened in Willow Creek, he left the keys in the car and the engine running.
Mark was exactly where Toby expected, sitting in the armchair, a bag of chips in his lap, a lit cigarette in one hand and the TV remote in the other. He was idly flipping through the channels when Toby walked in.
“You hung up before I could tell you not to bother,” the other man grumbled. “I’m not going over there.”
“He’s your dad,” Toby stated sharply. “He’s had a heart attack. I think that qualifies as some kind of, oh, I don’t know, emergency!”
“The guy’s an asshole. Besides.” He took a deep drag of his cigarette, blew out the smoke, and continued. “He’s already at the hospital. Nothing I can do for him.”
“Jesus, Mark!” Toby crossed the room and stopped next to the armchair. “If there was ever a time to put the past behind you—”
“My dad isn’t your dad, Tob. My dad doesn’t give a shit about me. Hell, he’d rather see anyone, but me. Frankly, that suits me just fine.”
“Get up!” Toby barked. “There’s a lot of things you could do now that you’d forgive yourself for later, but if he dies and you sit here, you’ll never be able to brush that away. Come on. Car’s running downstairs.”
“Damn it, McClain, I ain’t going!” He jammed his cigarette into the ashtray, tossed the bag of chips down on the coffee table and shot to his feet. “Trust me, this ain’t something I won’t forgive myself over. He deserves to die and I hope it’s the most painful death in history.”
“Fine, I’ll go.”
Mark frowned. “What the hell for?”
“Because someone needs to be there and if it won’t be his only son, the only family he’s got left, then it’s gonna be me.”
Fury shone across his eyes, illuminated by the sickly green lamp, reminding Toby of a swamp at night. A muscle coiled in Mark’s jaw that tightened his mouth.
“Do you think he deserves your kindness?” Mark spat out. “You’ve got no idea what he’s done, the things he’s said. That man is pure evil.”
“Maybe, but he’s still your father and maybe you don’t owe it to him, but you owe it to your conscience.”
Shaking his head, Mark relented. He tossed the remote into the groove his ass had made in the armchair and splayed his hands.
“Fine, but he starts his shit and I’m leaving.”
Toby nodded. “Fair enough.”
The drive out to the hospital took less than fifteen minutes, but it was the longest drive in history with Mark stewing in the passenger’s side seat. His anger was a physical force pouring through the cabin. Toby had to roll down the window to breathe. He parked in the guest lot and cut the engine. Then he followed Mark in, mostly because he didn’t trust the other man not to bail at the first chance.
He’d met Jeff Pierce a few times in the past when he’d gone over to Mark’s place when they were younger. He’d seen less of him over the years, but he hadn’t changed overly much. Mark’s mom had left them when Mark was five. She’d been twenty years younger than Kyle and realized too late that she wasn’t ready for a family. Everyone knew the story. It was around that time when Kyle started drinking heavily, went through a shit ton of different jobs before breaking his back during a head on collision where he’d been driving drunk. He filed for disability and got it. Mark’s grandmother raised him mostly, but that didn’t stop his dad from reminding him just how worthless he was every chance he got. Toby didn’t blame Mark for hating the man, but he also knew his friend well enough to know if his dad died and he didn’t at least get the chance to see him one last time, it would eat at him.
“Want me to come in?”
Mark shook his head. “No, thanks. I’d like to get humiliated alone.”
Toby said nothing, but moved to hold up the wall outside the door to wait. He’d been there ten minutes when his phone buzzed. The text message was from Calla asking how things were going.
“Fine,” he wrote back. “Mark’s with his dad now. Will message when I’m headed back.”
He stowed the phone away and watched the bustle of hospital life. Most of the people were doctors or nurses, but there was the occasional civilian visiting loved ones before visiting hours were over. Toby didn’t recognize any of them, but he did get a saucy glance from a nurse as she passed him, which he returned with a grin. It was pure reflexes, but the nurse stopped and walked back to him.
“Hey,” she said, in a deep, throaty voice that didn’t suit the soft, roundness of her face.
“Hey.”
“I’m—”
He never did find out what her name was when Mark charged out of his father’s room, swearing like a sailor on leave. His face was a frightening shade of crimson and he looked murderous enough to, well, murder someone.
“You better not call me when you die in here!” he was screaming.
“Mark!”
His friend wasn’t listening as he spun around and charged down the hall with a head full of steam. Toby excused himself from the wide eyed nurse and hurried as fast as his cane would allow after his friend. He caught up to him by the truck. He was pacing in front of the hood, a cigarette in hand.
“He’s an outright bastard, you know that?” he snarled when Toby came to a stop, panting slightly. “You know what he says to me for coming? Who let you in? Then he went on about how I was the reason he was in there. That if it hadn’t been for me, Mom would never have left and he’d never have started drinking and his life wouldn’t be a mess. Then maybe you should have put a fucking condom on!” he screamed at the building, as though his father could somehow hear him.
“Hey.” Toby set a hand on his arm, hoping to calm him. “Let it go, okay? He’s a dick, but you know what? It’s no longer on you to repair the bridge. The ball’s in his corner.”
Mark puffed on his cigarette, blew out the smoke, then crushed the rest under his boot. “Yeah, well, he can shove the fucking ball up his fucking ass. I’m done. He can fucking die, and they better not call me to come get him, because I’ll tell them to just toss him in the trash bin out back so some homeless guy can piss on his fucking corpse.”
Inwardly grimacing, Toby patted his arm lightly. “I don’t think Willow Creek has homeless people, but I’m sure we can bring some in for the occasion.”
Mark looked at him, bafflement furrowing his eyebrows. He burst out laughing. He shoved Toby gently.
“You’re a douche.” Still chuckling, he turned to the truck. “Come on, asswipe, get me home.”
Toby paused. “Actually, why don’t you come back with me? I know Mom and Dad won’t mind.”
Mark hesitated. “I don’t know … I thought it was a McClain’s only thing.”
“Hey, I’m the one driving, so unless you’re going to throw yourself out of the car halfway there … you’re coming. Now get in.”
Leaving Mark no choice, but to follow, Toby started around the hood to the driver’s side. He fished out his phone and sent a quick text to Calla.
“Bringing Mark over. Don’t bring up his dad.”
He stowed the phone away once it was sent and climbed in behind the wheel.
“We’re going to make a q
uick detour,” he told the man fastening himself into the seat next to him.
Mark shrugged. “Okay.”
He drove to the inn. It was in the complete opposite direction of his parent’s house, but he pulled into the driveway and threw open his door.
“Be right back,” he told his friend as he hopped out.
The evening air nipped at his curled knuckles, but he gripped his cane tighter and moved hastily up the newly rebuilt porch steps. At the door, he paused only long enough to wrench the doorknob.
“Addy?” he called as he stepped into the foyer and the familiar, cozy warmth inside.
The lights were on in the hallway and the kitchen, but the rest of the house lay in a comfortable darkness. He shut the door behind him and took a step deeper.
“Addy?”
Hurried footsteps pounded on the stairs and then she was there at the end of the hall, looking like Christmas.
“Toby?” She jogged over to him. “What’s wr—?”
His arm sprang out and he grabbed the back of her neck. He hauled her to him, colliding their bodies in all the places that counted and claimed her mouth. He kissed her with all the maddening passion of a man dying, and that was exactly how he felt, like she was air and he was drowning. The woman beneath his grasp whimpered beautifully. Her small fingers gripped his shoulders as the supple length of her melted down the length of him. Her firm breasts flattened against his chest and the nipples cut through their clothes to graze him. It took all his control not to strip her right there and take them into his mouth.
“Come tomorrow,” he growled into the kiss. “I need you there, Addy.”
Misty brown eyes opened into slits and she peered up at him through heavy lashes. “Yes.”
Her breathy whisper made him grin. It made him fucking hard. But he bottled it all back.
“Good.” He kissed her one final time before releasing her and taking a step back. “Just came back for that. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Smirking at her flushed, bemused expression, he walked out. Mark glanced up when Toby heaved himself back inside the truck.
“Got what you were looking for?”
Toby grinned and put the truck into drive. “Yup.”
Everyone was in the sitting room when they arrived at his parent’s place.
“Mark!” Beth smiled wide. “I am so glad to see you. Come help me win this debate.”
Mark shifted uncomfortably at the enthusiasm in the woman’s voice. “What debate?”
“He’s not going to side with you,” Cole said with a chuckle. “It’s a guy thing. There’s a code.”
Patting him on the shoulder, Toby started past Mark and ventured deeper into the room.
“What’s the question?” Mark shuffled in a few steps.
Calla answered. “Do men tell their friends about their conquests?”
Mark’s eyes widened. “Whoa, yeah, sorry, bro code.”
Cole and Sloan burst out laughing. Beth boo’d and threw a chip at Mark that drew a smile from him.
“That isn’t fair,” Calla insisted.
“Oh, don’t give me that!” Damon broke in. “Are you telling me that girls don’t tell each other about the guys they’ve slept with?”
“Willa and I have never shared that information,” Calla insisted.
“But that’s different!” Jared shot back.
“How?” Willa demanded.
“Because she’s my sister, too!” Damon pointed out. “And it’s gross.”
Willa and Calla exchanged glances.
“This is true,” Calla conceded. “But I’ve never told anyone else either.” Her eyes narrowed at her husband. “Are you telling me you’ve told people about our sex life?”
Jared’s eyes immediately went enormous with panic. They shot to Damon who inexplicably found a spot on the ceiling and stared at it hard.
“Warning! Warning! Abort! Abort!” Toby snickered as he took the armchair.
“Who would I tell?” Jared blurted at last. “Damon certainly wouldn’t want to hear about it.”
“And he’s got no other friends,” Damon piped in helpfully and got an elbow in the side for his efforts.
“Mark.” Lily turned to the man still standing just inside the doorway. “Are you hungry, sweetie? There is loads of food left.”
“And take your coat off,” Cole said. “Make yourself at home.”
Mark shrugged out of his jacket, but held on to it as he moved deeper into the room. Beth rose and took it from him with a smile and went to hang it up as Lily went to make him a plate.
“I’m okay, really.” But Lily was already clanging around in the kitchen.
“Just let it happen.” Toby told his friend. To the rest of the room, he asked, “Where’s the kids?”
“Bed.” Calla sat back and folded one long leg over the other. “Tomorrow is going to be absolute chaos and everyone needs all the sleep they can get.”
“Mark, you can take the sofa, if you like?” Lily was back with a steaming heap of everything.
Mark took it with a quiet murmur of thanks.
“Actually, he can take my bed,” Toby offered. “The sofa is better for me.”
Lily checked her watch. “We should start heading there ourselves, actually, especially since Calla wants everyone up at five.”
“Five?” Jared, Toby, and Damon blurted simultaneously.
“Yes, five!” Calla retorted. “We’ve still got a lot to do before the event, and what are you all outraged about,” she shouted, rounding on Toby. “You’re always the first one awake anyway.”
While true, only those who had seen Calla in full battle mode could understand his dismay. Tomorrow would prove to be one hell of a nightmare, but there was one silver lining he was deeply looking forward to.
Chapter 10 ~ Addy
I’ve officially lost my mind and it’s all Toby McClain’s fault.
Addy had had no desire to attend the event. Just the mere thought of it had filled her with unimaginable dread, yet she found herself dressing up the children and packing them into the van Saturday afternoon. She herself had gone with a simple cotton dress in soft, slightly faded, black. The thick straps over the shoulders dipped into a modest V down the center of her chest and the hem dropped just an inch above her knees. She wasn’t entirely certain what the dress code was for such an event, but it was Willow Creek, not New York. Odds were things would be simple, but formal.
She drove into town, berating herself the whole way. She kept cursing Toby for making her temporarily lose her ever loving mind and seducing her into complying. But it was too late to back out. Truthfully, a small part of her, didn’t want to back out. She was excited to see him again. An even larger part of her, missed him, which made her crazy. She had no idea what any of it meant. She had never had a relationship, had never been on a date or even had a real kiss. In many ways, Toby was her first for everything and it was all so frighteningly new and a disaster waiting to happen.
The other reason she had decided to go was to help with the preparation. All she could think was what a huge disaster everything was going to be if she didn’t get to Town Hall quickly and help organize. Calla had assured her that they had people to oversee the arrangements and the display, still Addy’s inner neat freak refused to stay quiet. All she could think was what if things didn’t get prepared properly and it looked badly on the company, and Willa and Calla realize what a big mistake they’d made in hiring her? What if they ran out of something and no one was around to make more or fix it? There were so many nagging voices in her head that she almost didn’t hear Hanna calling from her seat in the back.
“Mommy!”
“Yes!” she cried a little too loudly.
“Where are we going?”
Addy turned left onto Main Street and continued forward. “We’re going to a party.”
The parking lot behind Town Hall was crowded with vans and cars and people all rushing around preparing. Addy recognized no one as she found a
spot at the back and cut the engine. She pocketed the keys, grabbed her purse and took a deep breath before pushing open her door and stepping out. She opened the door for the children and took Hanna’s small hand in hers.
“I need you guys to be really good for me tonight, okay?” she begged quietly as they made their way across the lot. “Just stay out of everyone’s way and we will leave before you know it.”
“Is Kari going to be here?” Hanna asked. “Can I play with her?”
Addy had no idea if other children would be there. She hadn’t asked. Truthfully, Calla didn’t even know she was coming. But she figured she wouldn’t be staying long and her kids were normally pretty good about not misbehaving.
“I don’t know, but yes, if she is.”
If at any point she thought the outside was a mess, the inside was a stampede of movement. She was pretty sure it was how a circus looked right before opening, people rushing all over, furniture getting dragged and repositioned, footsteps thundering on hardwood. It was a cacophony of sound that rebounded off the walls. In the midst of it all, a general overseeing her troops, stood Calla in all her glory. She wore jeans and a baggy sweater. Her hair was drawn back from her face by an elastic. She held a clipboard and pen in one hand and a cellphone in the other. Every so often, she’d consult one or the other and direct people accordingly. She spotted Addy and her eyes flickered in surprise, but it didn’t last.
“You’re here.” She said when Addy reached her. “The food is going to be set up over there.” She gestured with her phone towards a set of double doors tucked away behind thick, navy drapes. The drapes were shoved back to allow movement, but Addy saw the concept. “That’s the kitchen. The curtains will serve as a shield and the tables will be set up just in front.”
Addy nodded. “That sounds great.”
Calla glanced down at Hanna, then at Sean. “The kids are upstairs. Rosie and Rachel are watching them. You can take them up or … actually, one sec.” She dialed a number on her phone and pressed it to her ear. “Hey, can you come down? I have two more for you. Thanks!” She hit off and peered at Addy. “Rachel’s on her way. She’ll take the kids up and I’m going to show you where everything is.”
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