Spar (Sweetbriar Lake)

by Rebecca Jenshak

  When the door shut behind Claire, Tori got up from the bed and rifled through her overnight bag for a change of clothes. Chris had a look on his face that hinted at a serious conversation. She’d be damned if she was going to take part in any such conversation in baggy sweatpants with makeup smudged under her eyes. This man had destroyed her once. She wasn’t going to let him see her break again. No — scratch that — she wasn’t going to break. Period. She had a perfectly good life with her job, family, friends. She could live without Chris. She was almost certain.

  “Sorry to barge in so early. I need to talk to you before I head back to Sweetbriar.”

  “You’re going back?”

  “Just to grab a few things. It doesn’t look like Travis is going anywhere for at least a few days. I’m going to stay here until I can bring him back.”

  She excused herself with a lift of the clothes in her hand. In the confinement of the bathroom she let out a sigh and quickly changed out of the sweatpants and into jeans and a t-shirt. The thought of spending the week without him was depressing and ridiculous considering they weren’t a couple who was living together. They were friends who were staying together until her apartment was ready. She’d lost focus of that fact over the past week as they’d shared the master bedroom of his house. It was the first place since she’d left home that felt like it could be more than a temporary dwelling.

  Face scrubbed clean, and emotions pushed as far down as she could manage, she sat on the bed opposite to Chris. “So, you were saying you’re leaving.”

  He gazed at her intently for a moment, seemingly trying to read her. She kept her face as blank as she could manage. “Yeah. I could, uh, give you a ride back to Sweetbriar if you wanted.”

  Her heart squeezed at the invitation, but she held out, hoping for more. She didn’t want a friendly ride back to Sweetbriar; she wanted him to ask her to stay with him. Let her be there for him and Travis while he recovered. She wanted in his life for real this time.

  “I should ride with Claire. She’s a terrible driver, needs someone to keep her company or she drives off the road.”

  God, he had to stop looking at her so carefully. Her body hummed with nervous energy, but she didn’t dare make any movements that he might interpret as signs of her ragged emotions.

  Chris pulled out his keys and fiddled with one before pulling it free from the ring. “So you can get in and out of the house while I’m gone,” he said and placed the silver key in her hand.

  She held in her protest, knowing it would only be met with an argument. He stood and leaned closer, moving a hand forward and then pausing. Her cheeks stung with rejection like she’d been slapped in the face. He was hesitating with her. She moved to him and hugged him awkwardly. She did her best to remain detached, but his warmth as he circled his arms around her and dipped his head down to the nook of her neck made her melt into him against her will.

  His voice tickled her skin and sent shivers down her body. “I’m sorry about everything. Thank you for being here.”

  Any animosity she’d been holding for him fell away. She was a jerk. She’d been moping around thinking about how awful she felt. She couldn’t imagine what he was going through right now. He pulled away while she wrestled with her anger at herself.

  “I’ll call you,” he said gruffly and turned.

  She watched the door open and close, creating a barrier between them.

  “Thank you! Thank you!”

  Susan squeezed Tori so hard a whoosh of air escaped from her lungs.

  The woman eased her grip but still held on. “Sorry, I’m just so excited!” She pulled back and held Tori by the elbows. “How did you manage this?”

  “Actually, it was Elle’s idea, and the guys all agreed. We’ll charge a small fee to get in to watch the fights, and several local businesses have donated items we’ll raffle off. I can’t promise it’ll be everything you need, but it should be a start.”

  “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble. You’ve done plenty already. Autumn is doing great, in large part due to you.”

  “She’s a good kid. Besides, I didn’t do that much. Everyone has pitched in. You know how it is here. We Sweetbriarans stick together when the going gets tough.”

  Susan laughed and led Tori to the chairs on the front porch. “Speaking of tough, Dax told me about Travis. How is Chris holding up?”

  “Okay, I think. He’s been staying at the hospital, and we haven’t talked much.”

  “He must have taken it pretty hard. I know how much he tries to protect everyone.”

  Tori nodded. Chris was blaming himself for Travis getting jumped. He hadn’t said as much, but it was obvious in the way he was so fiercely protecting him now. She had tried to make him see reason, explaining that Danny’s men would have found Travis eventually; it was just dumb luck that they’d found him the night of the fight. But Chris wasn’t having any of that.

  “And the two of you?” Susan caught Tori’s eye and smiled. “Dax said Chris has been walking around the jobsite in a much better mood lately.”

  She was about to squash any idea that there was anything going on between them when her phone rang. “Sorry, it’s Jake. Let me just make sure everything is okay.”

  “No worries. I need to get inside and finish laundry before Autumn gets home. Thank you so much for stopping by and for everything.”

  Susan gave her hand a squeeze and disappeared into the house. The screen door slammed shut as Tori answered her phone.

  “Hey, Jake.”

  “I’m calling with good news!”

  “Good. I could use all the good news I can get today.”

  “Your apartment is ready! A few final touches today, but you should be able to move in as early as tonight.”

  A pit formed in her stomach at the thought of moving out of Chris’ house. She had known this day would come, but instead of being relieved or excited to move, it felt like the final blow to a bad week. “Wow. That’s great.”

  Jake hesitated before responding. “You okay? You sound a little funny.”

  She laughed awkwardly into the phone. “Yes, sorry. It’s been a strange week. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “Chin up, buttercup. Everything is gonna be alright.”

  Tori got in her car and drove in the direction of her apartment to see for herself. She had driven by the building every day for work, but hadn’t paid much attention to the progress being made. That probably should have been a sign that she was becoming too comfortable in her new accommodations, but it hadn’t fazed her until now.

  The work trailer was still parked in the lot, along with several construction trucks, but the heavy machinery was gone. She spotted Jake as she walked up to their building.

  “I can’t believe they’re almost done.”

  “Yeah. Chris’ guys are good. Come take a look.”

  Tori followed Jake inside where one man was painting the walls and another was hanging a brand-new door on the hinges.

  “A door you can’t kick through.”

  Jake laughed and led her up the stairs to her apartment.

  “What’s all this?” Tori pointed to two men standing just inside her apartment.

  “Security system.”

  Tori stepped into her apartment and inspected the small white control panel on the wall. “What? We each have our own security system now?”

  Jake didn’t say anything, but the look on his face told her everything.

  She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Tell me I’m not the only one with my own security system.”

  His lips curved into a tight-lipped grin.

  “You live ten feet away — I already have a security system,” Tori fumed.

  Jake moved in front of her and pushed a few buttons on the control panel. “Not for long,” he said cheerily. “I’m breaking ground on my house next month. Enter a four-digit code. It’s what you’ll use to shut off the alarm.”

  “He couldn’t have just sent flowers. Oh no, t
he man has to buy an entire alarm system.”

  Jake chuckled and moved out of her way while she entered her code. “Is that it?”

  “Yeah, pretty much. The guys can give you all the particulars. I gotta head in for my shift.”

  “Alright. Thanks.”

  He turned to leave, and she felt a pang of sadness that he was moving on. She worried once he moved out for good, she’d never see him. If the rift between him and Claire didn’t resolve itself, it was more than likely he’d eventually stop coming around their group when she was with them.

  “Jake?”

  He stopped and swiveled his head to meet her gaze.

  “It won’t be the same around here without you.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Tori stretched out in Chris’ large bed while she listened to his deep voice on the other end of the phone.

  “What was it like fighting him again after all these years?”

  She could hear the ruffling of sheets in the background and pictured him moving around in the hotel bed, trying to get comfortable.

  “It was just like any other fight. Our old titles don’t mean shit anymore. It was just two washed-up dudes fighting.”

  “You’re not washed-up, or at the very least you’re the best of the washed-up dudes,” she teased into the phone.

  He chuckled softly, and she smiled, hoping he was moving on from the accident.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were fighting him that night? It may not have been what I thought you should do, but I would have understood.”

  She heard his hesitation as he let out a sigh. “It wasn’t a big deal. Everyone was making it a big deal, like fighting Louis somehow made up for the past. It doesn’t. It didn’t. Beating him sure doesn’t make me feel any better about losing the title match fifteen years ago.”

  His tone had an edge to it, and she wondered how they’d gone from laughing to him being pissed in such a short span of time.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply it was a big deal. I’m just trying to understand why you did it.”

  “Because I wanted to.”

  His frustration bit through the phone, and she stilled, waiting for him to apologize. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. “I’m sorry. It’s just… it’s over now. It doesn’t matter. I need to focus on Travis and being there for him now. Everything that’s happened in the last week just makes me realize what an ass I’ve been. I brought him home with me and then didn’t take any measures to help him get back on his feet.”

  She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and stared around the room — his room — wondering where that left them. She decided to test the waters and see how he felt about her moving out. They hadn’t discussed it, but he must have known her place was ready.

  “I went by my apartment today. I can move back in tomorrow.”

  “We won’t be back until Friday or Saturday, so there’s no need to rush off.”

  Did that mean once they got back there was a reason to rush off?

  “Sorry to cut off, but Charlie just walked in. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “Good night, sweetheart.”

  She heard the beep of his disconnection as she whispered back, “Night.”

  Tori lifted the heavy box from her trunk, cursing Chris for moving everything out. This was only the start of the many things she’d have to bring back. After she’d gotten over the initial shock of him moving her stuff, she had been thankful to have everything she needed. Now she was seriously questioning that thankfulness as she maneuvered the box awkwardly through the parking lot. Sweat trickled down her face as the afternoon sun and humidity beat down on her.

  She heard her name, and Dax’s heavy footsteps fell in beside her. “Need a hand?” He removed the box from her grasp before she could say no.

  “Thanks,” Tori said sheepishly.

  Dax shifted the box over to his hip and held it in place with one big arm wrapped around the top. “I hope you’re not planning on moving all the boxes back one at a time.”

  He winked, and she cringed, remembering he’d been the one to box up and move her things the first time.

  “I can send one of the guys out when you’re ready. I’m sure that’s what Chris would want if he were here.”

  His words made her mind reel to what exactly Chris’ intentions had been when he moved her out of her apartment. It was as if he had done it without thought of her returning to her place. But then again, he’d taken such drastic measures to make sure her apartment was safe, he must have wanted her to leave.

  “Thanks, but I can manage.” She felt a little better taking control of her things and her life, even though she had to admit it would be nice to have some muscle to help her move.

  They entered the apartment, and Tori went to enter her code into the beeping alarm system while Dax placed her box on the floor.

  “Let me know if you change your mind,” he said with a grin and left her to her quiet apartment.

  Tori got to work unpacking the box. Keeping herself busy seemed to be the best way to stop obsessing over the whole situation and move forward. This was her home. It didn’t mean that she and Chris couldn’t still see one another. It didn’t change anything, really, except where she’d sleep at night. They hadn’t discussed the future or even labeled what they were now, but she knew he cared about her. That wouldn’t go away just because they weren’t under the same roof, would it? She shook her head free of the negative possibilities. She managed to keep this positive outlook going until later when she pulled up to Chris’ house.

  Chris met Tori’s stare through the windshield of her car. She sat in the driveway staring at him as if she couldn’t believe he was really here. Maybe he should have called first, but the day had been chaotic, and he was eager to get home. He yearned for his own bed and the fiery woman who’d been sleeping in it.

  He was glad she was here. The daily updates on the worksites had let him know that her apartment was ready even before she had known. The thought of her moving out did something funny to his chest. Shit. It’d barely been any time since she’d moved in, but she’d brought life to the place. Without her, it wouldn’t be the same. He’d racked his brain trying to figure out how to get her to stay, but nothing felt right.

  With Travis living there and needing him, it just didn’t feel fair to ask her to stay, knowing he couldn’t give her everything she needed from him. He’d known from the start that things with Tori only worked one way — all in. With any luck, Travis would be back on his feet soon, and then Chris could concentrate on his own life again.

  She got out of the car and approached them slowly without taking her eyes off him. The exhaustion he’d been feeling all week started to slip away as he drank her in — cutoff jean shorts, white t-shirt, hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She’d refer to this look as sloppy or casual, but holy hell…

  “You’re back,” Tori said, stopping a few feet in front of him. She finally pried her eyes away and watched Travis and Charlie getting out of the truck. Travis was muttering and cursing as Charlie all but lifted him from the back seat.

  Chris took a step forward, and he tried to string together a sentence that answered the question she hadn’t asked. “We didn’t find out he was getting released until this morning, or I would have called.”

  She nodded, and they walked up the driveway in silence.

  Their pace was slow, eyes downcast as he watched their feet shuffle along. Chris felt at odds with himself. What he wanted to do was sweep her up into his arms and kiss her stupid. Yet, he didn’t, and she didn’t throw herself at him or give any indication that was what she wanted.

  “Tori! You’re an angel.” Charlie yelled from the kitchen as they made their way into the house. “I may move in, too, just for the food,” he said, scooping a large portion of meatloaf onto a plate.

  “There’s salad on the top shelf.”

  Charlie placed his hands ov
er his heart and smiled at her. “Marry me?”

  “You couldn’t handle me,” she said, her teasing voice back.

  Chris felt his mouth pull into a half smile as she pulled out the salad and extra plates.

  “Are you hungry, Travis? Chris?”

  Travis grunted from the couch, threw a blanket over his legs, and reclined back. He wouldn’t admit as much, but the pain medicine was making him drowsy and nauseated. He’d even passed on stopping for a burger on the way home — something he’d been asking for since his first taste of hospital food.

  “Looks great,” Chris said, meeting Tori’s eyes. In truth, all he wanted was a shower and to pass out in his own bed, but he wasn’t about to turn down anything she offered.

  “I hear the apartment’s opened back up,” Charlie mentioned as the three of them sat down at the dining table with their food.

  She looked from Charlie to Chris and then down at her plate as she nodded. “I, uh, started moving a few things back in today.”

  Chris dropped his fork, and the metal met the china plate with a loud clang.

  “The place looks great. The enhanced security might have been a little much, but everything is wonderful.”

  Charlie spoke, looking between them with a confused look. “Enhanced security?”

  Tori lifted an eyebrow at Chris. Charlie would give him hell if he knew the extra precautions he’d taken at Tori’s apartment. Charlie didn’t understand. He couldn’t. He loved women, all women, but he’d never been in love. The women in Charlie’s life came and went. They were long gone before feelings or emotions ever came into play.

  Chris spoke to his brother, well aware that Tori was hanging on his every word. “We strengthened the security at the apartment. Those doors were so flimsy a strong breeze would have busted the locks.”

  “Matt Letch still own the place?”

  Chris nodded. “Yeah, cheap old drunk.”

  Charlie twirled his fork around in the air. “Think he might sell?”