by Lindsey Hart
“Laney-”
“No, let me finish. I said I was off guys because honestly, I just don’t want to be hurt again. I am so tired of putting myself out there and being hurt that I really just can’t go through it again. I can’t even think of it. I thought last night- well, there were all the strange signs there that said Hector and I should… that it was maybe meant to be or something. I picked the one dresser with something in it. Something really meaningful. There were other things too. It was all so weird. I’ve never really experienced that with anyone. Maybe I am really jaded or maybe I just never met the right person. I didn’t even think that existed.”
“I still don’t know if it does. I think when you meet someone who is special, you just know. I still don’t know if there is any right person or The One or that romantic crap. Shane and I have put a hell of a lot of work into making our relationship what it is. It isn’t magic. It’s a lot of patience and understanding and learning about another person.”
“I know. That’s what I’ve always thought too. I’ve never believed in fate or signs or romantic crap. I wanted to, but after everything, it’s pretty hard. I just got worn down. And then last night, it did feel special. It did feel right. It did feel like fate. So, when Hector stopped- I guess I didn’t believe he was trying to be a gentleman. I was extra hurt because I’ve never experienced anything like that and then he just started in on the same shit every other douchebag has said before him.”
“But if he was a real douche, wouldn’t he just have had sex with you and left? I think that would have been worse.”
“I don’t know. Some guys, even if they’re into me physically, it’s like they find something else about me all wrong. I don’t know what it is. I try and be a good person. I’m nice. I help people when I can. I’ve worked so hard on myself over the years. I fucking meditate now!”
“Laney, you’re the best person I know. You were maybe a little needy back in the day, but that was a long time ago. You really have come so far, and I know that because I’m your best friend. I’ve watched you struggle, day in and day out, to make yourself a better person when you were already the best. I know you know that you deserve someone amazing. I thought when you said you were off men and just wanted to be by yourself that you were waiting for that to come along.”
“I was. I thought I was. And then- Hector just kind of fell into my life. He’s gruff. He didn’t want it any more than I did. I thought maybe he was trying to push me away last night because he was scared too. I should have been more understanding, but I just… went off the hook. It’s embarrassing now. I really don’t know why I did it.”
Rayvn shrugged and when she grinned, Laney had to smile too, despite it all. “Maybe it was a culmination of all the shit that’s happened over the past, I don’t know… decade.”
“Probably. I’ve met some real skunks.”
“Skunks? That’s too good a word. You’ve been through the worst of it. I think that sometimes, people find someone who is amazing. Kind, sweet, gentle, a truly good person. They feed off that and they use that and when they’ve drained it dry, they take off.”
“That would be about right.”
“Okay, so if Hector was scared and even if he was just trying to use being a gentleman as an excuse…”
“I don’t know if he was. Maybe he was. Either way, I flew off the handle. What I was saying didn’t even make sense. I was just reacting and arguing for the sake of arguing. I wasn’t nice. That was the worst part. He was- he was right when he said he was vulnerable and hurting. He was able to admit that to me. I didn’t understand. He just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t trying to just fill that hole inside of himself. I think so, at any rate.”
“It would have been better if you just sat down and talked it out.”
“Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” Laney said ruefully. “Anyway, after last night, I doubt he’ll want to see me again. I still feel, deep down, that he’s special. That there is something about him- or that- I don’t know. That we were meant to meet and do something for each other and I’m not sure what that is. Maybe it’s not even romantic. There is this crazy attraction there. I can’t even explain it away. I felt it right from the start. I didn’t realize he felt it too, but I think he does.”
“So, if you are meant to do something, as you say, then… if it’s not sexual and now that you’ve proven to each other there is some chemistry, won’t it be really hard?”
“Yeah. Impossible. In short, I think I really fucked everything up.”
Rayvn stared hard at Laney for a long time. Laney glanced around at the shop. It was a mess. Dresser drawers everywhere, furniture moved and strewn about. It looked like a wreck. She probably did too.
“Laney,” Rayvn finally said gently. “I’ve learned a lot from being with Shane. We have our fights. Some of them were pretty bad at the beginning. There was a point where if I never saw him again, I would have been happy. Or at least, I thought so. Somehow though, we got through it. We’re still getting through it. I’ve learned that almost everything is fixable, to an extent. Why don’t you just go home and get some rest and then try calling Hector?”
“He probably won’t answer.”
“Was it really that bad?”
“I don’t know. I probably confused the hell out of him. And he probably thinks I’m a basket case. Maybe I am.”
“No, you’re not. Everyone gets mad. Everyone gets tired. Everyone gets confused. People say things they don’t mean.”
“If he doesn’t answer, I guess I could always leave a message. That’s better than nothing. Maybe it would make me feel better too.”
Rayvn nodded slowly. Laney hated to see what was almost pity in Rayvn’s eyes. She didn’t want to be pitied. She didn’t want to believe that it was truly that bad. That she’d maybe met the one person she could actually see herself with, or at least, she felt this crazy connection, a feeling she’d never had before, and it might be over. Just like that.
“Okay. I’ll get some sleep. Sleep makes everything better, doesn’t it?”
Rayvn blinked hard, so hard that Laney just about missed the moisture in her eyes. Just about. Laney never doubted Rayvn’s friendship over the years. Not once. She never would, either, because Rayvn was a true friend. The kind who felt for other people, who felt so damn bad, she took it to heart and cried for them. “I hope so,” she said softly. “I really, really hope so.”
CHAPTER 12
Hector
The fact that it was pouring rain didn’t deter Hector from demolishing the barn. He had to have it down before the realtor came back to photograph and list the farm.
He swung his sledgehammer again, taking out a few boards. Bam! The sound echoed, shattering the still tranquility of the late evening. The wind and the rain were his only companions. It was late, but impossible to tell how late. It was still kind of light out, but not really, given that the sun hadn’t made an appearance all day.
Wham! He demolished a few more boards. Wood splintered and flew all around him. He set down the hammer for a moment and pulled the few loose boards out of the way. He picked up the sledge again and struck a fatal blow to the few remaining in the area he’d chosen to start on. Bam! Wham!
His mind was going as fast as his hands were. Probably faster. I was just trying to be a gentleman. Wham! Seriously. I guess no one appreciates anyone who try to do the right thing. He had no idea if the problem was him or if it was Laney. Or why she was so angry with him. He wasn’t trying to reject her. He was trying to do the exact opposite, even if he didn’t need another complication in his life at the moment. Even if it was the worst possible timing. He was willing to set that aside and take a chance. Wham! He landed another blow.
He gave his head a shake. After two days and two nights, he still hadn’t been able to figure out where he’d gone wrong. Somehow the evening went off the rails. Big time.
He also hadn’t looked in the card box. It didn’t make sense, given that he’d gone in the mi
ddle of the night, driven four hours round trip to get it. He just… he just couldn’t look inside. Not yet. It was always on his mind, driving him nuts. He knew it was irrational to be scared of a box and a few inanimate objects, but he was. He was scared of it and all that it contained.
It was a good thing that the barn needed to come down. At least it gave him something else to think about. It gave him something to do with his hands. It kept him busy during the day and at night he fell into bed, too exhausted to do anything more than close his eyes.
Hector was so intent on delivering devastating blows to the barn that he didn’t hear or see a black SUV coming down the drive. He didn’t notice it until the vehicle was right in the yard. He saw it out of the corner of his eye and paused with the sledge raised above his shoulders. He carefully lowered it back down and halted.
The rain was coming down in sheets and he couldn’t see who was behind the wheel. The windshield wipers were going full blast. Somewhere, from the foggy recess of his memory, he realized he’d seen that SUV before. Of course. Laney. He remembered that it had been parked in front of her condo. He’d barely registered or noticed it at the time, but he recalled a fleeting glimpse of it.
He froze. His entire body went numb. He realized, for the first time in hours, that it was not only raining, it was pouring. He was soaked to the bone and quite cold when he stopped moving around.
Hector shrugged off the discomfort. He set down the hammer slowly, in as dry a spot as he could find. He walked slowly towards the SUV. The lights were on and the fact that they were almost blinding, made him realize that it was darker and later out than he thought.
The door opened while the vehicle was still running. A slim figure emerged from behind the wheel. “What are you doing?” She yelled, so she could be heard through the rain and over the whirr of the SUV’s engine. “It’s pouring out!”
Hector literally felt like a deer in the headlights. He froze and couldn’t make himself move. He couldn’t really believe he was seeing her there. Why had she come? She could have called… after the night at her house, he doubted he’d ever see her again. He told himself he wasn’t sure if he wanted to, but he knew that wasn’t true.
Because when Laney talked to him about connection and fate and loneliness, it stirred something inside himself and he knew that she was right. He wasn’t sure what he thought about fate, but he did feel the connection and he sure as hell was lonely.
“You should go inside!” Laney yelled, when he didn’t answer.
Hector gave himself a shake. “What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. He took a step forward, but stopped.
“I- I tried calling. A few times. You never answered. I needed to know if that was because you didn’t want to talk to me or just because your phone was off.”
“Oh.” Right. My fucking phone. “I actually have no idea where it is at the moment. I’ve been busy out here…” he indicated the barn. “It’s probably dead.”
Laney’s eyes travelled in the direction of the barn before they swept back to his face. “Well… are you going to stay out here and give yourself pneumonia or do you want to go inside?”
“Are you inviting yourself into my house?” He tried to keep a straight face and failed.
The rain was pelting down on them and Laney put a hand up to shield her face. “I guess I am. Unless you want me to leave. I can do that too. Although I hoped- well I hoped that you’d give me a cup of coffee first.”
“That didn’t go so well the other night.”
She must have realized he was kind of kidding, since he was still smiling just a little. Those adorable coral lips, fuck, those lips that tasted so damn sweet, curled upwards. “Yeah. I know. I promise though that I’m not going to fly off the handle again. I came to tell you that I was sorry and try and explain.”
“That definitely sounds like something that would be best done over some java.”
“Java. I haven’t heard anyone call it that in ages.”
“Sorry. I’m backwoods and old school, remember?”
The stain of a blush started up on Laney’s pale cheekbones, right underneath that smattering of freckles. “Right. Maybe I’ve decided that I like that. Or that I’m okay with it at any rate. I’ve had some sleep and I’ve had some time to think about what you said. I do owe you an apology.”
“Maybe I owe you one as well.”
“What for?” A frown slowly knitted her brows together.
Hector shook his head. “We’re getting soaked. Drive up to the house and I’ll get changed and make us some coffee. I’m starved. Have you eaten?”
“I may have had something a few hours ago.”
“I completely lost track of time out here.”
“I can see that. Apparently, you lost track of the weather as well.”
He shrugged. “I never minded the rain. It’s soothing. Cools me down.”
“You could make yourself sick out here being soaked like that.”
“So you’ve said.”
“So I know.”
“Drive up then. I’ll meet you there.”
Laney didn’t hesitate. Either the rain was coming down too hard or his invite was clearly what she’d wanted all along. Despite the fact that she was still pretty much a stranger and he hated strangers, it felt good to have her there. The kind of good that warmed him from the inside out. He didn’t realize how jumbled up he’d felt before, but seeing Laney again, all those painful knots inside his stomach and chest undid themselves. He hadn’t minded the rain, since it felt like it was raining inside himself as well.
Laney waited for Hector once she’d parked her SUV. He marched up the small porch and held the door open for her.
She ran from her vehicle to the front door and rushed past him. As she did, her scent, beautiful and floral, dainty and as pure and sweet as she was, floated in her wake. It made him feel a little dizzy. He responded instantly to the feel of her brush past him, her warmth, her scent. It brought back that kiss and the way she’d ground against him. He recalled, painfully, the taste of desperation, both hers and his.
Even though he was freezing, his cock hardened. His jeans were pretty much plastered against him they were so wet. He kicked off his boots in annoyance, angling himself so that Laney couldn’t see the bulge that was pretty damn evident.
“Have a seat in the kitchen.” He motioned down the hall, still turned away. He could barely look at her. If he did, he’d probably see how her lips parted when she spoke, how her tongue darted out to moisten them, the press of her wet shirt and black leggings against her body, outlining every curve in stark detail. “It’s just down the hall and to the right.”
“It’s a nice place,” Laney said slowly.
“Yeah. No. Not really. It’s outdated as hell. I know that. It’s also not overly clean. I’m not great at that and lately it’s been at the bottom of my priority list.”
“That’s okay.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah…” Laney laughed.
Even though he didn’t have his body quite under control, Hector looked at her. He carefully kept his eyes on her face, which didn’t really even help, since she was so damn beautiful. “I’m going to grab a change of clothes. You’re pretty wet too. Do you want a clean t-shirt?”
“Oh- yeah- thanks.”
“I haven’t had anyone here in a long time. Other than the realtor, I mean.” He felt ridiculous after, like he shouldn’t blurt out personal shit.
Laney blinked at him and her eyes softened. “That’s alright. I understand. I’ll put the coffee on, if you want. I’m sure I can find everything.”
“The maker is on the counter. The coffee is in the cupboard right above it. The tap water is good. The well here is deep and we never had any problems with it.”
“Okay.”
They both stood there awkwardly for a minute before he cleared his throat. It came out a little froggier sounding than he wanted.
“See. You’ve already caught a chill o
r something.”
“Just clearing my throat.”
“You could probably use tea, not coffee. And some honey. Do you have any of that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. I know there’s honey in the cupboard, but as to tea- never tried it in my life.”
“You’ve never tried tea?” Laney asked incredulously.
“Not that I can remember. I know my grandma drank it so you might get lucky and find some. Even if you do, will you still put on the coffee?” He didn’t want to admit to her that now that he was out of the rain, he was starting to feel chilled through. He actually considered having a hot bath but didn’t want to waste time soaking in a tub when Laney was sitting there in his kitchen waiting.
“Of course.” She nodded at him once, turned around, kicked off her knee-high black boots, and walked down the hall.
Hector actually let out a sigh of relief when she was gone. It didn’t help his cock, which was still annoyingly erect, but it did help that he didn’t have to angle himself away from her and try and talk to her at the same time. He made a break down the hall and to the right, up the narrow staircase and into his room. It was a small room, with a twin sized bed. He was much too big for it, but he’d never bothered with anything else. His feet hung off a mile, but it was old and what was old was worn in and comfortable to him.
He could have taken his grandparent’s room after his grandma passed, but it felt too soon. The last room down the hall had belonged to his parents. He had never gone in there. Not once. As far as he knew, the door was shut and locked and always stayed that way.