by Gina Wilkins
J.T. ambled toward the door behind them. “Might as well go out and take a look. We should be able to get started on the roof now that the rain’s stopped.”
“I’ll be out in a couple minutes,” Gavin said as his friends moved noisily outside.
Gavin waited only until the door had closed behind them before speaking to Jenny in a firm tone. “I wasn’t shot.”
She dunked her tea bag very deliberately into a mug of steaming water, her gaze focused fiercely on the task. “That’s what you keep saying.”
“I didn’t lie to you, Jen.”
He still read her all too easily. She moistened her lips. “Someone shot at you.”
“I was responding to a domestic disturbance call. A guy high on meth was shooting wildly in a courtyard. I ducked behind an open door of a panel truck, he fired a few shots in my direction and some sharp pieces of metal from the truck embedded themselves in my shoulder. The wounds weren’t life-threatening, but I had to have a minor surgical repair and I developed a mild infection afterward. Once the stitches come out in a few days, I’ll do some physical therapy to loosen up the shoulder, and then I’ll be back on the job. End of story.”
She tossed the tea bag in the trash can. “Until the next time someone shoots at you.”
“He wasn’t shooting at me. Just firing in all directions. Like I said, he was high as a kite.”
“Was anyone else hit?”
“No. The whole incident only lasted a few minutes. His weapon jammed and he was taken into custody. He’s being held now for mental evals before standing trial.”
She suppressed a shudder as she all too clearly envisioned the harrowing scene he’d described. “I guess I missed the news coverage.”
How would she have reacted, she wondered, if she’d heard Gavin’s name in a report of an officer shooting? It was one thing to hear about it when she could see him standing in front of her, looking relatively healthy and strong. But would she have panicked at not knowing how he was, even after all those years of not seeing him? Would she have hoped for the best and let it go, or would she have felt compelled to find out for certain that he would be okay?
He shrugged his good shoulder. “It happened the same day as that big warehouse fire downtown. The next morning there was that six-car wreck that shut down the river bridge and backed up rush-hour traffic for a couple hours. An addict with a gun in a high-crime neighborhood didn’t make the lead coverage. Since I didn’t actually take a bullet, the department downplayed the reports at my request.”
“Just another day at the office,” she murmured through a tight throat.
“Hardly. Despite what you see on TV, it’s a very rare occasion when I have to draw my weapon, much less fire it. I was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time that day. The only reason I didn’t explain earlier was because I knew even after all these years, you’d turn it into an I-told-you-so.”
She met his eyes fully then. “That was a rotten thing to say.”
“Well?” he challenged, his brows drawn into a scowl. “Isn’t that exactly what you’re thinking? That you predicted ten years ago I’d probably get shot on the job?”
She hadn’t predicted it exactly. But she had feared it with every fiber of her being. She saw no reason to point out that those fears had even more justification now. By how much had that shrapnel-scattering bullet missed burrowing into his chest? A few inches? Less? Would it have made the front page if the bullet had slammed into him rather than the truck door?
“You were willing to accept the danger.”
“But you weren’t.”
Staring blindly into her tea, she heard a vague echo of her widowed mother’s heartbroken sobs whispering in the back of her mind. Remembered her own grief at the untimely loss of her father. She had never wanted to risk that devastating loss again for herself. “Do we really want to have this discussion again?”
After a moment, he muttered, “No. Hell, no.”
He moved toward the back door. “I’ll go help the guys with the shingles. No need for you to come out this time. Enjoy your tea.”
She had no intention of going back out unless her assistance was specifically requested. She very much needed some time alone, to regain her emotional equilibrium and steel herself against any further painful reminders of the past.
* * *
“Here, Gav, let me get that,” Rob said as he reached for the good-size fallen limb Gavin had just picked up. “I’ll haul it over to the burn pile for you.”
“I’ve got it.”
“It’s a little heavy. Maybe I should...”
“I said, I’ve got it.”
Rob held up both hands in response to Gavin’s snap and backed off deliberately. “Yeah, okay. It’s cool. I’ll just go get that one over there.”
Gavin let out a gusty sigh and pushed a hand through his hair. Water was still everywhere, gathered in puddles, dripping from raised surfaces, running down every incline. The ground was a slick coat of mud over the rocky surface, making them have to plant their feet carefully. They hadn’t yet started on the roof, but they’d been cleaning up debris. He’d been relieved that the damage was limited and easily repairable. It could have been much worse. Which didn’t explain his lousy mood.
Avery stood nearby when Gavin turned from throwing the limb on the pile. Hands on his hips, he scowled at Gavin. “Damn it, you’re letting her mess with your head again, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right.”
“She’s not messing with my head.”
“Then why’d you almost rip into Rob just because he offered to help you carry a branch?”
“Long day,” Gavin muttered, a little embarrassed. “I’m tired. Shoulder’s sore. And I’m hoping we don’t find too much damage up on that roof.”
Avery shook his head. “Yeah, that’s a lot of excuses. And I’m not buying any of them.”
“Okay, it’s a little...weird that Jenny’s here.” He stumbled over the adjective, but he couldn’t come up with a better one. “I wasn’t prepared to see her, especially under these circumstances. It’s not like I still have feelings for her or anything,” he felt compelled to add. “It’s just weird.”
“Just don’t forget how bad she—well, she and her family—messed you up last time,” Avery warned in a growl. “I’d sure hate to see that happen again.”
“Not likely. Jenny’s champing at the bit to get off this hill, and chances are I won’t run into her again for another decade, if that.”
“I notice you didn’t say you’re in a hurry to get rid of her.”
Avery was concerned about him, Gavin reminded himself. And while the words annoyed him, he supposed the intention should count for something. “Why the hell do you think I’ve spent all morning trying to get that tree out of the drive?”
“Good,” Avery said with a firm nod. “Because I doubt she’s really changed all that much. Probably still a snob.”
“Jenny wasn’t a snob,” Gavin said without stopping to consider. Her grandmother, on the other hand, was, though there was no need to get into that now. “We just had different goals in life. Being a cop’s wife wasn’t one of hers, for a lot of reasons.”
His friend gave him a narrow-eyed scrutiny, as if trying to decide if he’d defended Jenny a bit too fervently. Gavin was relieved when J.T. called for his attention then. “Hey, Gav, I’m going up on the roof now. I forgot to ask where you keep the roofing nails.”
“They’re in a box on the shelf above the shingles,” he called back.
“Didn’t see them.”
“I can’t find them, either, Gav,” Rob agreed from the open door of the utility shed.
“Hang on.” With a glance at Avery’s still-frowning face, Gavin moved away somewhat
too eagerly.
He didn’t want to talk about Jenny just then, neither past, present nor future. Maybe because he was still trying to figure out his own convoluted feelings about all three. Maybe because he was starting to realize that after all these years he still wanted her. That he’d never really stopped wanting her.
* * *
Because the hammering from the roof was giving her a headache, Jenny moved out to the front porch. She wasn’t sure what the guys were doing exactly, but it required lots of banging and a few shouts and a couple of trips in and out of the back bedroom, so she just got out of the way.
A cool, damp breeze brushed her face and toyed with the strands of hair on her cheek. The clouds were lifting, letting glimpses of sunlight glint among the rain-heavy leaves of surrounding trees. Emerging from their shelters, birds were starting to chirp again and a couple of squirrels played tag across the wet ground. If she ignored the sounds of the men in the backyard and on the roof, she could hear the river rushing past below the cabin.
This, she thought, was the scene she had envisioned when she’d booked the cabin. She’d pictured herself sitting on this porch rocker, perhaps watching a gentle rain fall around her—no stress, no interruptions, no reason at all to be “on” for anyone else’s benefit. Away from her daily routines and obligations, she’d be able to reimagine her future, to see herself in a new reality. Once she returned to real life, rested and refreshed, she would be very busy planning a wedding, attending social and political functions, getting more acquainted with Thad’s family and associates, business, personal and political. After the wedding, she and Thad would travel quite a bit, and when they were in town there would be functions nearly every evening.
She’d always wanted to travel, to see all the places she’d only read about. But she’d been so focused on establishing her business and planning for the second store, and others down the road, so careful with her budget, that she hadn’t traveled nearly as much as she would have liked. All of that would change if—when—she married Thad. They would travel in style. Thad had even commented that she could take her mom and grandmother to some of the places they enjoyed exploring through television documentaries. Both women had worked so hard for so long, had seen so many of their dreams fall apart, it would mean a great deal to her to give them a few treats now.
It would be a good life. Comfortable. Secure. She would be able to use the skills she had developed in business and marketing, though perhaps not in the ways she’d expected. She’d be pushing Thad’s objectives more than her own—though as he’d predicted, she would surely make them her goals, as well. She could still make her mark, just in different venues than she’d planned.
Thad promised to be a loyal and considerate partner. Their children would have all the advantages of a comfortable social position, he’d always said—the best education, exposure to the arts, chances to see other parts of the world. They would be raised with an awareness of the obligations of privilege, and with knowledge of the inner workings of government. Just as Thad himself had been raised, and look how well he’d turned out, he’d added with a charmingly self-deprecating chuckle.
Not once in the seven months she had dated him had Jenny had to bandage Thad’s injuries or pace the floor worrying about whether he would be shot on his job. Thad wasn’t even a criminal lawyer. Unlike her firefighter father, whose favored off-duty pursuits were as risky—if not more dangerous—than his work, corporate attorney Thad could generally be found on the golf course when he wasn’t helping some business VIP wade through legal paperwork. The odds were fairly good that Thad’s daughter, if he should have one, would not be left fatherless at a young, particularly vulnerable age.
Maybe she’d finalized her decision, after all. With all the points she’d just enumerated, she would be foolish not to accept Thad’s proposal. There were cons, of course, as there were to any decision, but the pros certainly outweighed them. There was no good reason at all for her not to marry Thad.
“Hey.”
With a start, she turned to find Gavin watching her from the open doorway to the cabin. She had no idea how long he’d stood there. She’d been too lost in her thoughts to hear the door open. She cleared her throat. “Hey, yourself.”
“We got the leaks fixed, I think.”
She hadn’t even noticed the hammering had stopped. “That’s good. I hope there wasn’t much damage.”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll have someone out to check it before I rent the place again.”
“Good idea.”
“Look, I’m, uh, sorry about earlier. If I sounded...”
She shook her head quickly and cut in. “It’s fine. Really.”
His expression rather grim, he nodded. “The guys brought a big box of chocolate-chip cookies that J.T.’s wife made. They look really good. We thought you might like one.”
“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”
“We’re going down to check the road in a little while, after we take a short coffee break.”
She sat up a bit straighter. “You think I’ll be able to leave soon?”
“Maybe another hour or so, just to be sure.”
She glanced at her watch. It was already four o’clock. It wouldn’t yet be fully dark by five, so it should be safe for her to leave.
“You’ll still have a long drive ahead of you back to Little Rock,” he warned. “It will be late when you get back home.”
“I could always stop somewhere along the way if I get tired. I’ll be fine.”
“You’re in quite a hurry to get away, huh?” he said after a moment.
She shrugged, her eyes trained on her car in the driveway. “It seems best, considering everything. You’ve been a very gracious host and I appreciate it. But if I can get out safely today, I think I should go.”
He didn’t try to make another argument for her to stay. He would probably be relieved when she was gone, though she couldn’t read any emotions in his expression.
“Go have your cookies and enjoy your company,” she said. “I’ll just sit out here and read awhile longer.”
He hesitated only a moment, then nodded. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks. I will.”
He moved back into the cabin and closed the door quietly.
For the next fifteen minutes, she tried to read, but the book still didn’t hold her attention. Was she ever going to finish it? Did she really want to waste any more of her time with it? For all she knew, everyone’s attention had already moved to another trendy title she would be expected to discuss.
She heard hearty male laughter coming from inside the cabin and she felt suddenly lonely. Maybe she’d go inside for a little while, after all.
“Hey, Jenny,” Rob called out, looking up from his chair at the table when she walked in. He shook his shaggy dark hair out of his dark eyes and winked at her. “Come help me. I’m getting stomped over here.”
She had assumed they were playing poker again, but she saw now that some sort of board game lay in front of them. Approaching them curiously, she laughed in surprise. “Scrabble? Really?”
“J.T.’s obsessed with the game,” Rob answered with a gusty sigh. “He has to stay in practice because he and his wife bet household chores when they play each other.”
“Hey, last time she beat me I had to cook dinner every night for two weeks,” J.T. insisted with a laugh. “Well, every night I was home, anyway. I figure if I pick up some new words from you guys, I’ll have an advantage next time I play her.”
Sprawled in his chair, Gavin looked up from his rack of tiles. “I keep board games here for guests. J.T. dug this one out to play while we finish our coffee and cookies.”
“Just don’t tell anyone you caught us playing Scrabble and eating cookies instead of high-stakes poker with booze and cigars,” Rob entreated c
omically.
“Your secret is safe with me.” She was aware that Avery’s laughter had faded when she’d entered the room, and he seemed to be making a point of not looking at her, but she wouldn’t let him put her on the defensive again.
She circled round to stand behind Rob and look over the board and his rack. Some of the words on the grid made her raise an eyebrow. Her grandmother would certainly disapprove of a few. This explained some of the raucous laughter she’d heard.
With an exaggerated clearing of her throat, she reached out and rearranged a couple of Rob’s tiles on his rack. He frowned at the board a moment, then laughed and slapped all of his tiles down in a triple-score play. “Boo-yah!” he crowed. “Top that, losers.”
“Oh, that’s no fair,” J.T. protested with a shake of his head. “Jenny gave you the word.”
“I’d have come up with it on my own. Probably.”
“Right.” Gavin’s chair creaked as he shifted his weight. Though he was smiling lazily, he rested his right arm rather gingerly across his lap, and Jenny thought she saw a shadow of pain in his eyes. He had so overdone it that day, not that he had listened to anyone who tried to dissuade him, she thought in exasperation.
“Jenny’s deadly at Scrabble,” he drawled. “Dad thought he was the Scrabble champ until he took her on. The two of them got into some serious competitions. Holly called it full-contact Scrabble.”
There was a barely notable moment of silence before Rob and J.T. responded with smiles. Jenny moistened her lips even as Gavin suddenly frowned, as if he’d become abruptly aware of just what he’d unthinkingly revealed about their past. It would be hard to maintain now that they had simply been passing acquaintances in college. Judging by the speculation on their faces, she realized that Avery must not have enlightened the others earlier, after all. She would leave it to Gavin to decide how much he wanted to tell them later, after she’d gone her own way again.
“Your dad was a worthy opponent,” she said casually. “You were always pretty good yourself, but not your sister. Holly tended to make up words as she went.”