by Sable Hunter
“I’ll be careful.” She gave him a grateful smile. “I can always reapply it later.”
He nodded, giving them both a wave as he headed off to his shop. Delaney sat with John for the additional minutes before rising to pick up the breakfast dishes. She was more than ready to begin her first full day in the Callan household.
* * *
The first thing on Jonah’s agenda was to tow Delaney’s car from the truck stop to his garage. Once he managed that feat, he found her little Camry was in better condition that he’d feared. The wheel was definitely ruined, but the engine seemed to be in good shape.
As he worked on job after job, he let his thoughts wander to the woman who’d come into his life. So far, she seemed to be an answer to a prayer. Not only was she willing, she seemed more than capable of dealing with his father. The fact that she was damn easy on the eye didn’t hurt a thing either. He could hardly focus on his job for recalling the way her brown eyes shone when she laughed…and the way her full breasts jiggled when she walked. “Damn. Ouch!” he exclaimed after catching his thumb in a pair of vice grip pliers. “You need to pay attention to what you’re doing, idiot.”
Refocusing on his work, Jonah hummed along with the radio as it played a classic country tune. The sound of the music and the roar of the big box fan drowned out any other noise. So, when Jonah felt a soft tap on his shoulder, he almost jumped out of his skin. “Holy hell!” He sprung up so fast, he banged his head on the hood of the vehicle.
“Sorry. I brought you some lemonade.”
“Dang.” Jonah’s heart was pounding like a jackhammer at the sight of Delaney standing there in a pair of tight blue jeans and a form-fitting tee. The woman smelled like a dream. He took a breath and rubbed his forehead as he accepted the big glass full of the tart drink. “Thanks.” Unused to someone bringing him some refreshment, Jonah was a bit taken aback. “This is unexpected. How’s your bruise?”
“It feels much better.” Delaney pointed over her shoulder to where John was strolling along with Rufus and Tommy at his heels. “We walked down to the creek for a picnic.” She held up a basket. “And we picked some dewberries. John wants me to make a pie.”
“Well, I swear, those look good enough to eat.” He eyed the black berries the size of his thumb. With a big grin, he reached over to snag one to pop into his mouth. “Good.” He smacked his lips.
“You should wait until they’re washed.”
“Aw, a little dirt never hurt nobody.” Before she could move, he stole another one.
Delaney playfully swatted at his hand. “Leave some for the pie.”
“Oh, all right.” He pulled his hat down over his eyes as he moved to lean over the exposed engine of a car he was working on. “Can we have ice cream with the pie?”
“Why, sure.” Delaney placed the basket on a nearby worktable. “If we don’t have some in the freezer, John and I will go to the store. She stepped to the bay doors to check on her charge. “He seems to be having a good time.”
“What’s he doing now?” Jonah asked as he worked to loosen a bolt on a carburetor. “Dang, I need a different wrench.”
Hearing what he said, she went to his work bench. “He’s playing fetch with Rufus.”
Standing up, Jonah wiped his hands on a rag. Before he could hunt a different tool, Delany came to him with just the one he needed.
“Here you go.” She held a torque wrench out to him. “Do you need some help?”
Open-mouthed he accepted the tool, then watched in shock as she draped herself over the fender of the car.
“Have you checked for vacuum leaks?”
“Yes.”
“Does the accelerator pump work?”
“Yes.” Jonah chuckled, feeling something between flabbergasted and delighted. “You know engines?”
“Some. My grandpa taught me.”
He nodded. “So, that’s why your Camry was in such good working order.”
“Yea. I could’ve changed the tire and wheel if I’d had the right tools and if nobody was trying to abduct me. Is my car ready?”
“Sure is.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Jonah.”
“All part of the deal. Here, sit with me for a bit.” Jonah pulled a mechanic stool and a ten-gallon plastic water cooler near the front bay for them to sit on.
“Do you want your lemonade?” she offered it to him before she took her seat.
“Yea, thanks.” He took a sip, stealing glances at her while she made herself comfortable. For a few brief moments he just enjoyed looking at her. She reminded him of a beautiful young doe – healthy, sleek, and full of energy.
“Good spot. I can see your dad from here. For the last couple of hours, he’s seemed almost normal.”
“Yea, he does that.” Jonah tried to sort through his thoughts. “Tell me more about those men who harassed you.”
“Well, there’s not much to tell. They were young. Our age.”
“Oh, I’m older than you think, honey. Count on it.” Sometimes, he felt ancient.
“I don’t know. At times, I feel over the hill.” She sighed. “One of them mentioned using a taser on me, so I got the feeling they had done such things before.”
“A taser?” This shocked the mess out of him. “Done what before?”
“Pretend to stop to help someone, then abduct them. Maybe.” She shivered as a sudden chill came over her. “I’m just glad that cop showed up when he did. Although…he wasn’t really into my explanation. I guess he had other things on his mind. Maybe he thought I was overreacting.”
“What? Did he think they were hitting you up for a date?” Jonah blew out a frustrated breath. “I’ve known some great lawmen in my time as well as some sorry ones. I ought to know, I used to be one myself.”
“Oh, really?” This surprised Delaney.
“M.P. Military police in Afghanistan. Seems like a lifetime ago.”
She gave him a smile. “Thank you for your…”
He held up his hand to stop her speaking. “I don’t deserve any thanks. War is hell and I just wish I could forget it.”
She nodded. Some veterans couldn’t speak of their experiences. Delaney could respect that. “I understand. Anyway, if it’s okay, I need to go to the police station this afternoon to make a statement. I told them I’d come in today.”
“Why, sure. Just be careful.” He shook his head with a frown. “What those men tried to do to you is a shame. I’d like to have just five minutes alone with them.”
His harsh statement made her shiver with appreciation. “Oh, they aren’t near the man you are. They’d run scared. Unless…they were armed.” She shivered for a different reason. “I wouldn’t want you challenging them.”
“I probably won’t get the chance. If I did…” He slammed his right fist into his left palm. “They’d better watch out.”
Unable to resist Delaney moved close enough to go on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. “Thank you. It feels nice for someone to care.”
By the time he lifted his palm to his cheek to preserve the feel of her lips on his skin, she’d already moved a few steps away. His body felt bereft at her absence. “Uh…do you need me to watch Dad until you return?”
“No, I can take him with me, if it’s all right with you.” She watched John come forward, tossing the ball he’d been throwing for the dog. “When you get hungry, there’s chicken salad in the fridge.”
“Oh, all right. Sounds wonderful.” His stomach growled at the thought. “I guess if you’re heading back to the house, I could go with you.”
“Okay. I’ll fix you a sandwich and check on the ice cream before we go.” She gave him a smile as she picked up the basket of berries. “Are my keys in the car?”
“Yea, they are.” Clearing his throat he composed himself, bending to stroke Rufus who’d come to him for a pat. “By the way, I put a real spare in the trunk for you.”
“Oh, excellent. Thanks!” As they
headed out of the shop, Delaney spotted a delivery truck driving up. “Expecting a package?”
“No. I don’t think so.” Jonah grabbed the dog’s collar to keep him from bounding over to the woman who was approaching them with a box in her hand.
“Hello. This is for Cletus Timmons. Can I leave it with you?”
“Yea, sure.” Jonah signed for the package. “He can pick it up here.”
“We can take it to him, Can’t we, Mattie?” John asked as he joined them.
Delaney patted him on the arm. “Sure, if you want.”
“Her name’s Delaney, Dad.” He fell into step between her and his father as they walked from his shop over to the bungalow. “I’ve heard him call you Ann Margaret, but who’s Mattie?”
“The girl from True Grit. The same one he was protecting from the snakes last night,” she whispered the answer so as not to get the older man started on the idea.
“Delaney,” John mused, repeating Jonah’s correction. “What’s your last name, girl?”
“Ellis,” she told him simply.
“Where did you say you were from?”
“Louisiana. Zwolle, Louisiana.”
As they strolled toward the house, John rubbed his chin. “Hmmm. I knew an Ellis at Fort Polk. Carlton Ellis. What was your Daddy’s name?”
Delaney felt herself blush all over. At first, she started to lie – but she couldn’t. “It wasn’t Ellis. My parents weren’t married. My father’s name was Parrie, Gil Parrie. Uh…I’ve seen him and his family from a distance, but I’ve never spoke with him.”
Jonah touched her arm. “I’m sorry.”
She nodded, unable to say anything more. This was such a touchy subject for her.
“I knew some Parrie’s in Louisiana. Makes sense now.” John took a good look at Delaney. “I wondered what you were.”
“What I am?” Delaney frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re a little on the tanned side. You could be most anything. Italian. Mexican. Creole. But with you having a name like Parrie and being from Zwolle, well, I’d say you’re a redbone. Am I right?”
Jonah was disturbed to see Delaney’s face fall. “Hey, Dad. Not nice. Apologize.”
“It’s okay.” She was used that type of speculation. Ignoring the twinge of hurt in her chest, she gave them a smile. “Some people may use the word in a negative sense, but I don’t mind it at all.”
“It doesn’t make it right. He wouldn’t be saying these things if he was in his right mind,” Jonah whispered expressing his concern. “
“No. Really. It’s okay.” Delaney placed a soothing hand on Jonah’s arm. “Actually, he’s probably right. Where I’m from no one really uses the word when referring to themselves, but there’s nothing wrong with the term. Most believe we’re descended from a mix of Spanish and Native American. Of course, I also have a wee dab of the Emerald Isle in me thanks to my grandmother – thus the name Delaney. Basically, I guess you could say I’m a mutt.”
“You’re pretty as a picture, but I knew you weren’t white,” John continued, unfazed by Jonah’s attempt to make him be quiet. “During my time at Fort Polk, I used to see a lot of those pretty redbone girls around. Even hooked up with a few of them.”
“Enough of that.” Jonah held up the package, anxious to change the subject. “I guess I should call Cletus and tell him he’s had a delivery.”
Delaney stepped ahead of the two men to open the kitchen door. “Why does he have his packages dropped off here? Is he not at home or something?”
Jonah laughed. “No. Due to the state of his driveway, the delivery folks refuse to risk the safety of themselves and their vehicles trying to manipulate the huge ruts.”
“Why doesn’t he get it fixed? Or is it a lack of funds?” She pressed her fingers to her lips. “I shouldn’t ask. I know how embarrassed one can be about money – or the lack of it.”
“Oh, it’s not money. Cletus draws a good pension as far as I know and the only thing he spends it on is take-out. Plus, he owns all of these digital billboards on the interstate. I think he runs them from his laptop. He makes a killing on those. Mainly, he’s just a tightwad.” Jonah thought a moment. “Who knows? He might be hiding from something,” he speculated with a shrug. “He’s hard to explain. Just wait and see for yourself.”
“Hmmm. Sounds interesting.” She patted the old oak dining table. “I’ll make you a sandwich, Jonah. John, do you want another one?”
“No, I want a brownie.” He stooped to pick up the kitten. “Where did this cat come from?”
“We brought him home last evening. Don’t you remember?” As soon as Delaney said those words, she knew they were a mistake. Asking an Alzheimer’s patient that question was just a trigger for a negative reaction.
“No.” He pushed Tommy off his lap unceremoniously, then grasped his head. “Why am I so confused?”
Jonah sat down by his father. “Hey, it’s okay. When you go into town with Delaney this afternoon, y’all can take this package to Cletus. You can check up on him and see what he’s up to.” He looked to Delaney for verification.
“Sure, we can do that.” She placed a brownie in front of John and two sandwiches cut diagonally in front of Jonah. “Eat up, boys.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Picking up one half of a sandwich, Jonah took a big bite. Instantly, his mouth appreciated the flavors of white meat chicken, grapes, pecans, and a mouthwatering dressing. “Dang, this is good.”
Delaney was pleased. “I’m glad you like it. Homemade is always better than store bought.” She delayed a moment, enjoying the sight of him eating the food she prepared. When their eyes met, she whirled around. “Now, let’s see about that ice cream.” She opened the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. “I don’t see any here.”
“There’s a chest-type freezer on the back porch.” Jonah rose to show her where it was located.
“I can find it.” She waved at him to stay at the table.
Both Jonah and John watched her stroll across the kitchen and out the door. Their eyes stayed glued to the spot until she returned with a half-gallon of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla in her hand.
“This is almost full.” Seemingly oblivious to their stares, she placed the ice cream in the small freezer, then proceeded to stretch a bit – holding her arms over her head. This motion did amazing things to the soft cotton t-shirt molding her feminine form. As she turned around, both men jerked their heads down to look at their plates so she wouldn’t catch them ogling her.
“Okay. We’re fixed up. Now, while you guys finish in here, I’ll go see about getting pretty for our trip into town.”
While they sat silently, she left to go upstairs.
Jonah let out a breath, raising his hand to his neck. “Damn, I jerked my head so hard I think I’ve got a crick.” He rose to refill his glass with water.
“Me too.” The older man chuckled. “She sure improves the view around here.” No sooner did the words leave the older man’s mouth than his coffee cup shattered against the edge of the counter.
Jonah wheeled around. “Why did you do that?”
Raising his hands, John shook his head. “I didn’t do it. I swear.”
“Oh, don’t give me that. Do you expect me to believe that cup just rose up and flew across the room by itself?”
“Yes.” He nodded solemnly. “I saw it do just that.”
Jonah let out a whispered curse as he fetched the broom and dustpan. “This has got to stop. We’re going to run out of dishes.”
“What happened?” Delaney asked as she peeped her head in from the living room. “I heard glass breaking.”
“Oh, Dad’s acting out again.”
“I am not!” The disgruntled gentleman pushed to his feet, wadding up the paper towel Delaney had given him with the brownie. “I won’t be wronged. I won’t be insulted!” he shouted as he pulled away from Delaney’s touch on his arm. “I won’t be laid a hand on!
”
“Another Wayne quote,” she whispered, glancing at Jonah. “Everybody has laws he lives by. I have mine as well, Mr. John.” She added her own line from the same movie as she offered her charge her arm. “Today’s feature is The Shootist, Jonah. The character he’s playing this morning happens to be another John, John Bernard Booker. Am I right, Mr. Wayne?”
Her movie knowledge seemed to pacify him. “In the flesh.” He took a step or two from the table and stopped to scratch his back. “Hold on, I got a powerful itch.”
Delaney rubbed her fingernails over the chambray material covering John’s shoulders. “Come on. Let’s go. I’ll give you a massage tonight if you’re good.”
“Oh, I’ll be good.”
The smirk on his dad’s face did not go unnoticed by Jonah, who was suddenly hit with a wave of envy. He was just about to tell Delaney she shouldn’t reward his father’s bad behavior when the house was shaken by an upstairs door being slammed shut. Hard.
Delaney’s eyes grew round with surprise. “What in the world?”
Jonah headed to the second floor at a trot while John and Delaney moved to the bottom of the stairs to wait for him.
“Look.” John pointed to the cat who was standing near them with its back arched. “Tommy is a fraidy cat.”
“Aww. Nothing to be scared of you silly kitten.” Delaney picked up the feline, then winced as the little mite dug its claws into her arm. “Easy, boy.” The sound of Jonah’s descending steps drew her attention. “A draft, I guess?” she suggested what she considered to be the most logical explanation.
“Heck, if I know. I couldn’t detect a draft, other than the air conditioner blowing like normal. I couldn’t even tell which door was the one we heard banging shut. All of them are open now.”
“Huh. Interesting.” Delaney started for the exit, nudging John to follow her. “As long as there’s not an intruder in the house, I’m okay with weird noises.”
“No intruder.” Jonah felt a bit disappointed in her calm reaction. He would’ve enjoyed it if she’d needed a big, strong chest to hide her face against. “Y’all be careful. I’ll finish my sandwich and go back to work.”