by Taylor Dean
“Doing okay, I hear,” he mumbles.
“I’m sure she is, under the circumstances and all.” Carla pats Stony’s hand. “Do you hear from her much?”
Stony clears his throat. “We don’t communicate.”
“Understandable, sweetie. Now, what can I get for you two?”
I feel utterly lost. I have no idea who all these people are in Stony’s life. It bothers me more than I care to admit. When it comes down to it, I know nothing about him.
When Carla leaves I say, “This is nice. It gives new meaning to a place where everybody knows your name. It feels welcoming.”
“They’re good people. But they don’t just know your name, they also know all of your business. No secrets around here. That’s small town livin’.”
If I’d stumbled into Roby looking for help, I’m sure I would have found it easily and I quickly would’ve become the talk of the town. But I’m glad I found Stony instead. “Do you mind if I ask who Shay is?”
“My sister. She’s having a baby. Her husband cheated on her. She left him and now she’s living with our mom.”
“That’s terrible. She won’t go back to him, will she?”
“Not a chance.”
“And Jace?”
“Her high school sweetheart. We all thought they’d marry one day. They kept up a long distance relationship while he went off to college at NYU. Don’t know what happened between them. I don’t think anybody does. Shay is very close lipped about the whole thing. I don’t think it ended well. Mom says he broke her heart. Thought maybe they’d reconnect now that Shay is home. But Jace is off in New York City making his career as some high powered attorney and never visits.”
It takes a little more courage to ask the next question. “Who’s Mia?”
“My ex.”
The jailbird. “The one in jail?” The one whose picture still holds a place of honor on his nightstand.
“Yep.”
Girl Crush begins to play over the airwaves and I ignore its message. I’m not going to let jealousy overcome me and ruin our relationship. I’m the one sitting across from Stony, not Mia. “So, you don’t communicate with her?” I ask even though he just said he doesn’t. But I’m trying to get a conversation going.
“Nope.”
I wait for more, but that’s it. “How come?”
“We were over before she went to jail.”
Then I ask the loaded question. “Why’d she go to jail?”
Stony stares down at his hands. Very unlike him. “Long story.”
“You don’t want to talk about it?”
“Rather talk about you.”
I guess I’d rather concentrate on the here and now as well, but I am curious about his life. However, I’m about to spend the entire summer with him. Something tells me all shall be revealed as time goes by. Besides this isn’t really the place for a long story. But how long can it be? She did something wrong and she went to jail. Period.
I have a feeling there’s more to it than that. Stony’s reluctance to talk about it makes me wonder about his involvement. But, talking about past relationships is probably not healthy for us right now. All in good time.
But I am curious about Mia’s story.
Our food arrives then and we both dig in. We both ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and corn. Hot buttered biscuits are on the side. It’s down home cooking at its finest and I love it.
“So, you mentioned bookkeeping. What do you need help with?” I ask.
“My rental houses.”
“How many do you have?”
“Thirty-two.”
My jaw drops and I nearly release my fork and splatter gravy everywhere. “You have thirty-two rental houses?”
“Yep. Renovated every one of them. I sold most of the houses I renovated. These are the ones I kept.”
“Are they all in Austin?”
“Yep. It’s a part time job just keeping track of everything. I have a guy in Austin who takes care of maintenance.”
I recover quickly, but I’m still in awe. Stony has done quite well for himself. I also realize I’m not just going to be a maid and a cook. “So, you really do need an assistant?”
Stony casts me a meaningful look. “I do now.” I think if he smiled, he would’ve done so along with those words. “Seriously, if I want to finish my house, I really could use some help. Besides, how else can I have you live with me and still be proper?”
He makes a good point. “I like when you speak in full sentences.”
“Not gonna happen often. Don’t get used to it.”
I laugh out loud. I think he’s having a party inside that gorgeous body of his. But the inside forgot to tell the outside.
I excuse myself to use the ladies’ room and as I make my way toward it, I notice a wall that says “Our Local Hero.” Underneath is a framed photograph of Stony in his combat uniform. He’s the vision of health and virility. He’s standing in front of a tent, weapon in hand. A small above-ground bunker is next to the tent, one wall completely stacked with sandbags. To me, the sandbags represent the danger he was in while in Afghanistan. His injured leg and burns confirm it. I glance at Stony, but his back is to me. I quite like thinking of him as the local hero.
He’s my hero too.
AS WE DRIVE out of Roby, a sign says, “Scurry Back!”
I’m not sure I’ve ever scurried anywhere in my life. The fact that the town of Roby chose that sign for people to view as they exit their little town makes me smile. I’m starting to love this quiet little spot on the earth and the thought surprises me.
When we arrive back at Stony’s homestead, I can’t help but smile. “I’m back,” I think to myself. Time for a little happily-ever-aftering in our very own Camelot. I keep that thought to myself.
When Stony begins to unload his supplies, I ask if he’d like help.
“Sure. Grab some gloves.”
I’m glad he doesn’t tell me no or treat me like I’m too frail to handle a little work. I help him stack lumber and place tarps over various supplies. We work well together and he doesn’t become impatient with me. I tend to overanalyze personality quirks in people. To me, every little nuance of someone’s behavior is a red flag. I refuse to be with a man who is constantly frustrated by my actions. I want to feel as though I’m an equal partner in any relationship I enter. So far, so good.
“Will you give me a tour of the house?” I ask.
“Love to.”
We walk inside and even though the house is in its rawest form, I can see that it’s going to be incredible.
“This is going to be the kitchen. It’ll be open to the sunken living area. I like the idea of a large great room. The back wall will be all glass overlooking the courtyard.” Stony’s eyes wander the area as if he can see it all in his mind’s eye. His enthusiasm transforms his face and he almost looks happy. He forgets himself and speaks in full sentences.
“These two hallways on either side of the great room lead to the downstairs bedrooms. They form a square and surround the courtyard. You can only get to the courtyard from inside the house. Gonna have a pool put in out there. Swimming is good exercise for me.”
I’m suitably impressed. “I love it, it’s unique.”
“Be careful walking up the stairs. There’s no railing yet,” he says as he takes my hand and helps me up. I look at him questioningly and he says, “I like the challenge of stairs. They keep me healthy and active.”
I’m learning very quickly that Stony likes to challenge himself. It’s just another trait in him I find attractive.
I gasp as I see the master suite. Other than the master bath, it’s one open very large room with plastic covered slots for windows all the way around the entire perimeter. “The view from up here will be fantastic, Stony.” The view of nothing. But it has become an amazing nothing to me.
“You like it?” He hasn’t released my hand.
“I love it.” It overlooks the outdoor area below that is
surrounded by bedrooms. The design is ingenious.
From the windows I can also see far into the distance. It’s a literal ocean of prairie land. The wind blows, causing a rippling effect on the tips of the foliage, mimicking the motion of waves. I watch a dust devil form, whip around for a few minutes, and die after a short life. I see a few pronghorn antelope gracefully prance about until they’re out of sight. It’s a different view than what I’m used to, but it’s amazing all the same. It no longer seems desolate, instead it seems miraculous. And utterly beautiful.
Some lucky lady will get to share this room with him. It seems obvious he’s building this home with a family in mind. I wonder if he looks at this room and thinks of Mia. The thought worries me. But I don’t believe he’d ask me to be here if he was thinking of Mia. I’m secretly proud of myself for not thinking of her as jailbird. It isn’t very nice of me to label her in that manner.
But you know what is nice? I’m the one standing in his future master suite and I’m the one holding his hand right now. I imagine standing in this room with all the windows open, the wind making the room feel fresh. I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to live here with Stony. When I open my eyes, he’s standing directly in front of me, watching me intently as if he’s reading the emotions on my face. He takes a step closer and grasps my other hand, intertwining our fingers on both hands.
“This is a big house for just one man,” I say.
“Don’t plan to live here alone.”
This is real. This is really happening. My voice turns all breathy on me and yet I feel calm and safe. “Who will you live here with?”
“My wife and children, whoever they may be.”
He’s standing so close, I can feel his sweet breath on my face and he’s looking down at me with those emotion filled eyes of his. Suddenly I can’t think of one single thing to say. I’m not even sure I remember how to speak.
I believe there’s a very real chance his wife could be me.
Our hands remain at our sides, tightly laced together as Stony takes another step closer. I lift my head up and stare into his eyes. So many things wander through my mind. I just met this man a few days ago and yet it feels like it’s been so much longer than that. What am I doing? Is this wise? I’m jumping into this relationship so quickly. I know what’s about to happen and I think I want to kiss him, but a little voice inside me is wondering if I will like it or if this will be that awful moment when I turn off.
Then as he leans forward and presses his lips to mine, all conscious thought vanishes. I think of nothing except the feel of his lips on mine, our hands clasped together, his body pressed close to mine. His kiss is tentative, light, and sweet. I find myself wanting more. I want to be as close to him as possible and the feeling both consumes and surprises me.
Then he backs away ever so slightly and says, “I’m not gonna be able to stop kissing you now.”
“Duly noted,” I whisper. As long as I don’t pass out, I’m about to enjoy every minute of his kiss. But I’m light headed, my heart is pounding, and I can no longer feel my feet. I lean into Stony and let him keep me upright. Calm is a thing of the past.
It’s all the permission he needs as he kisses me properly this time around. The kiss turns deep and searching as our mouths meld together as one. It’s all I can do to keep our hands clasped. They want to wander over his back, delve into his short hair, and hold him tightly to me. It’s sweet torture to not be able to do so.
This. This is what I’ve been waiting for. These are the emotions I’ve been waiting to feel. They were all there locked inside of me, just waiting for the right man to set them free.
He does kiss me for longer than I would’ve anticipated a first kiss to last. He’s in no hurry to end our embrace and I go with it, gliding along with the ebb and flow. We fall into a sweet rhythm, a cascade of light and hard, firm pressure and then feathery strokes. Each time he backs off, I think the kiss is coming to an end, and then he’s back for more. And I’m eager to accept.
When our kiss does finally come to an end, he backs away and releases my hands, almost as though he’s worried about coming on too strong. It’s a little late for that. Then he surprises me by saying, “Happy.” I’d forgotten about our silly code word.
“I think I already knew.” It comes out as a whisper because I can’t speak yet.
“Can’t leave a girl guessing.” He leans forward and lightly kisses my forehead.
I smile.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” he tells me.
I miss my hands in his and I miss his lips on mine. “Me neither,” I say.
“Is this too fast?”
I nod. “Maybe. But when it’s right, it’s right.” I don’t mention that it’s never felt right to me before, that I’m in awe of the way he makes me feel. I reach out and smooth the line between his eyebrows. He blinks heavily at my touch. The furrow relaxes, but the crease in his skin is still there. It’s a part of him and the thought makes me hurt inside.
I wonder what Cait will think when I describe Stony to her. I guess it will depend upon which parts of him I choose to highlight. I could mention that he’s missing part of a leg, that he has scarring down one shoulder and arm, that he doesn’t smile, and he doesn’t say much unless he has something to say. Or I could point out that he’s so serious, he has a constant furrowed brow.
She’d wonder if I’d lost my mind. If I heard that description, I would balk too.
But there’s so much more to Stony than what you see on the surface. When I look upon him, I see the man beneath the battle scars. It’s clear that his emotional scars run deeper than the physical.
No, when Cait asks about Stony, I’ll mention his kindness, his dry humor, his thoughtfulness, his work ethic, his morals, and his love of family. Just for her, I’ll also mention that he’s a fine specimen of manhood. His injuries certainly don’t detract from his male beauty.
I suppose some would only see his physical faults. I suppose some would even judge him accordingly. Perhaps that is exactly what puts that furrow in his brow. It reminds me of a Clive Owen or Hugh Jackman furrow. I don’t like the circumstances in his life that put it there, but, you know what? It’s sexy as anything and I find myself looking forward to the next time I get to kiss him.
As of right now I can say without a doubt, I’m in love with the fact that I love kissing Stony.
CHAPTER
Fourteen
“HEY SPENCER, JUST wanted to say . . . I love havin’ you here. I really do. Can’t sleep tonight ‘til I get this off my chest. Call me crazy. Just easier for me to talk to you like this. Don’t know if you’re sound asleep or wide awake . . . maybe I don’t want to know. Maybe it’s better if you’re sound asleep, then you won’t label me as a crazy man for talking to you in your sleep.”
I’m wide awake and hanging on every word. I haven’t been able to fall asleep because I’ve been hoping Stony will come and talk to me. Now that it’s finally happening, I’m not sure how I ever thought I was dreaming. Perhaps because his heartfelt words left me filled with disbelief that a man could actually speak to me in such a manner.
I love it. I absolutely love it.
He appears to be sitting outside my draped bunk, perhaps on the kitchen stool. The dim lights he leaves on at night in the living area cast his shadow on the Wall of Jericho. He’s leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. His voice is low, drowsy, and intimate. In my mind, I imagine I’m lying on a bed with him, face to face, as he whispers his most heartfelt thoughts. I’d love to look into his eyes as he speaks to me.
“Wasn’t too sure if you heard me on my last visits or not. Didn’t seem like it. Then I saw the realization on your face today at the bus station and . . . I knew you had. Dream or no dream. Guess that’s a good thing. At least you know where my head’s at and you won’t be wondering if I like you or not. Don’t think a girl should wonder about things like that. They should know because their man told them so. Glad that’s out in th
e open now. I guess it’s pretty obvious I have a thing for you and . . . I think you feel the same.
“Sorry about today. After I dropped you off at the bus station, I went to buy my supplies. My heart wasn’t in it, so I parked the truck at a local park and just sat there for I don’t know how long, staring into space. I was mad at myself for letting you go, for not saying more. I felt paralyzed and . . . frankly, very alone. You walked into my life—it was sudden—yet the timing was perfect. And I actually let you go. Don’t know what I was thinking. Won’t happen again. Not without a fight. I promise you that.
“I sat there kicking myself over and over. Thought about calling you and maybe even begging you to stay with me. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what your response would be. I wasn’t all that sure what you thought of me or even if you’d want to stay.
“Wondered when it would be too soon to give you a call . . . and not come off like one of those stalker-types. The thing is, don’t want to play games. If we like each other, we should come out and say it, don’t you think? Why keep it a secret?
“Listen, I’m well aware that most women won’t give me a second glance when they realize my . . . well, let’s just say physical imperfections. Some people just can’t deal with it. I understand that and I accept it. But you, Spencer, you’re different. Knew it right away. I could see your interest even after you knew everything. I could see it in your eyes. Truth be told, I doubted myself. Thought maybe I was seeing what I wanted to see. The mind plays tricks on us when we want something. Sometimes we convince ourselves things are the way we want them to be. Then we’re shocked by how far we are from the truth.”
I’m not exactly sure what he’s talking about now. I think he’s referring to something in his past, something I don’t know. But I won’t interrupt him and ask. Right now he just wants me to listen.
“That kiss today . . . it surprised me. All I can think about is when I get to kiss you again.”
My thoughts exactly.
“It was perfect. You were so . . . soft and willing. Gotta say, I had a hard time ending it. Can’t wait to see where this goes. Okay, I’m rambling. Enough said. Get some sleep, Spencer. Goodnight.”