by Reece Butler
She could actually have enough space to get clean, and to sleep.
“Fine, I’ll take it. But I feel like I should pay someone.”
“You put in enough hours to make up for it already.” Brenda beckoned her forward. “You start the tub. I’ll let myself out.”
Chapter Twelve
“How’s Eric?”
Max glanced over the top of his glasses. He’d been reading reports at his desk when Brenda waltzed in. “Awake and pacing like a caged bear.”
His little sister had that look on her face that meant she knew something, and Max had a good idea what. He wasn’t blind and didn’t have a cold so all his senses worked fine. He’d seen the can of disinfectant with the lid off. A quick spray did not cover the evidence of sex.
He’d never seen Nikki rattled, but when he walked into the clinic her shirt was buttoned wrong, hair mussed, lips swollen, and there were creases in her skirt. When he’d hauled Eric to his feet, the man had glanced at his front pocket. A scrap of red lace stuck out. Eric had flashed a satisfied grin and stuffed the scrap deeper with his fingers.
That was the second hint Max had that the good doctor had a wild side under her professional exterior. He’d seen the way Matt and Nikki melted together when they danced. Matt had held her as if he never wanted to let her go. She’d been the same. When Matt took off to get Eric, Nikki had looked for him. Others may not have noticed, but little went on in his town without him knowing the wherefore and the why.
“Eric still fighting to stay awake?” Brenda exhaled when Max nodded. “You think he’ll forget everything when he finally crashes?”
He didn’t hazard a guess. At eighteen, Eric had blacked out after a very stressful evening. If Max hadn’t hauled him off, he might have killed the guy. But that night was nothing like their enjoyable fight.
“He’ll sleep after supper, and we’ll find out in the morning.”
“That’s right, food knocks him out,” mused Brenda. She snickered. “Remember the party the Elliotts had that last weekend in June? Susie wanted him to think they’d finally done the deed so he’d propose. She even baked his favorite strawberry-rhubarb pie.”
“I got a piece before he took the rest home. I told Ellie to get the recipe.” Max rubbed his flat belly, thinking of his wife’s annual birthday treat. “Hope there’s enough wild strawberries for a dozen pies.”
“I’ll bring my buttermilk-fried chicken to the party. You’ll be what, thirty-seven? Or should I say forty-seven?”
Max ignored the sisterly jab. She’d had a hissy fit last year when she turned thirty-five. He, Jack, and Ellie took the kids so Brenda and Derek could have a long weekend of fun. Brenda came back with a satisfied smile while Derek strutted like a rooster for weeks.
Max tilted his office chair on its back legs. “How’s the doc?” He gave Brenda a look he’d been perfecting since he realized how well it worked for their father on his teenage friends.
“Don’t bother using that look on me,” she replied with her nose in the air. “It hasn’t worked on me since I was nine. But to answer your question, Nikki’s settling in. And if you want more info, you’ll have to share.” She stuck out her tongue at him as if they were kids.
“Don’t know why Derek doesn’t put you across his lap and give you what for.”
“Who says he doesn’t?” she replied belligerently.
Max snorted a laugh. “Figured there was something under that Clark Kent act. He use his hand, or a paddle?”
Her face turned a color close to that of her hair. “What consenting adults do in private is none of your business!”
She stuck her nose in the air but her color deepened. He gave his brother-in-law a mental nod of approval. Derek adored Brenda, but not only would she be bored if he was a pushover, she couldn’t stand a man she didn’t respect.
As this was ranch country, stores carried leather straps, buckles, chains, crops, and lots of other interesting items. No one would know if they were used for a horse, or a willing spouse. He’d been thinking for a while that Climax could use someone with the skill to design and build furniture as well as work with leather and metal. There were likely a number of homes that could use, say, a spanking bench with restraints. He’d mention it to his brother and co-husband, Jack. Winter evenings were long on the Gibson ranch, and Jack liked to keep his hands busy.
“Eric asked me about Nikki,” said Max, getting back to the point of the conversation.
“Did he do it in front of anyone else?” Brenda grunted with satisfaction when he shook his head. “I think they’re good for each other. And I mean Matt as well as Eric.”
Max nodded his agreement. He did not approve of meddling. But there were times and places where adults needed a nudge to get over whatever held them from moving forward. Nikki was a damn good doctor. It seemed every woman in town was delighted with her, which made their men happy. Marci marrying the MacDougals would encourage Nikki to stay. But if she married the Frost brothers, she’d put down deep roots.
Max wanted the people in his town to have the best lives possible. And that meant ensuring Matt found himself a wife. Lots of women had caught his eye over the years, but he treated them all with that light affection he gave everyone from babies to great-grandmas. Until Nikki. Max had heard about their meeting in the mercantile, and had seen Matt watch Nikki in town. She looked back, but only when she thought no one would notice.
Eric might froth at the mouth at the suggestion, but Max had a good idea his buddy was also eager to come home to a good woman. Eric was just too stubborn to admit it, insisting he could never live in Climax. Max saw past his bluster to the tinge of envy when Eric watched someone else’s kids having a good time.
Max knew things about Eric that the man couldn’t remember, but Max was sure still stirred in his conscience. Otherwise, why would Max hear his groan and cries float out his open window on hot summer nights? If Nikki shared his bed, those might stop. And if they did, would Eric want to come home more often?
He needed more data before he could answer those questions.
“Does the doc know Eric won’t remember whatever happened between them?” he asked.
“I told her, but I don’t know if she believed me.”
Brenda’s right leg bounced. It was more of a tremble, and she only did it when she was trying to hide something major. He could wait until she talked in her sleep about it and Derek passed on the news, or he could be blunt. In this case, blunt was necessary.
“You got anything you need to tell me, Sis?”
Brenda fidgeted for a few minutes while he calmly watched. Finally, she heaved a sigh. “They didn’t use a condom.”
Max’s chair legs hit the floor with a crash. “What the hell were they thinking?” He winced and rubbed his sore ribs where Eric’s fist had caught him a time or two. Slamming his chair down had aggravated them.
“Obviously, they weren’t!” She glared back at him. “Nikki wants a hot, short fling. I helped her get Marci together with Simon. And I encouraged Nikki to go after Eric.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then sighed at the floor. “Today was about the best time for Eric’s swimmers to hit the jackpot.”
“You’re saying there’s a good chance Eric got the doc pregnant?”
When Brenda nodded he leaned back again to think. Though he and Eric were rivals in school, that was long ago. They’d been good friends before. Since Eric left, the senior Frosts had missed their oldest son, though they put up a good front. Max had kept Eric’s secret for twenty years, a secret Eric didn’t know existed. He figured Eric would to come to him and demand an explanation about that night. He was still waiting. Though Max had heard, and understood, his nightmares, Eric insisted he remembered nothing.
Max hadn’t had a choice but to tell his father, the sheriff. Discreet enquiries, and the answers, had taken a huge weight off Max’s shoulders. On his father’s urging, he’d vowed to keep his mouth shut. Since they figured Eric had no knowledge of how
near he came to a long stint in prison, they didn’t want to raise the issue. But then Max heard Eric scream in his sleep. He’d been wondering for a while if that was part of the reason Eric refused to stay in Climax. Matt seemed to know nothing of them, so maybe it only happened when Eric slept alone. Would he have them tonight, in jail?
The rules stated someone had to stay the night when a prisoner was in the cell. It wasn’t just to make sure they didn’t escape, but to ensure they didn’t harm themselves, or to let them out in case of fire, for instance. They didn’t often have a prisoner, but when they did his father loved a chance to reign over his old kingdom.
Drunk or not, Eric wouldn’t have had sex with Nikki unless he wanted more than a one-night stand. And Nikki, though she insisted she would never settle on marriage, longed for children. He’d seen it himself even before Keith told him how Nikki was always reluctant to hand baby Sophie back.
“There’s a good chance Eric won’t remember,” he said.
“Not unless someone tells him,” said Brenda, nodding in agreement. “And that someone can only be Nikki. Of course, nothing might come of it, and she’ll be sure to be careful from now on.”
Max steepled his fingers as he assembled facts.
The Meshevski sisters had had a heap of trouble growing up, but they’d done well. Marci had been married to a lousy excuse for a man, but she now had Lance and Simon to care for her. In about seven months, they’d have a baby.
Nikki had always been alone. She’d protected their mother, and Marci, all her life. Not one man had protected, supported, or loved her. Ever. They’d put her down for her size, her intelligence, her lack of money, and anything else that would make her cringe. She had one heck of a lot of chips on her shoulder, and for very good reasons.
Given encouragement, Eric would consider it his duty to knock every one off. Matt would be on the same page, wanting a loving woman to share his life. Eric needed more. Like himself, Lance, Keith, and many other Valley men, Eric would wear the pants in his family. When Max first saw the interest between Matt and Nikki, he’d asked Lance his opinion. They’d agreed Nikki was perfect for both Matt and Eric. One wanted to cherish his woman with loving care, the other with loving discipline.
Nikki would fight Eric every step of the way, kicking and screaming. In spite of herself, she’d love every minute of his domination. Lance said her totem was Polar Bear. It was strong enough for Eric’s Grizzly, but needed the balance of Matt’s fun-loving, playful Otter. Lance had access to Spirit, both by himself and through his Bannock relatives. He sometimes knew things, or could point Max in a direction he might not think of. Those ravens of his kept a good eye on the Valley, and somehow communicated it with Lance.
Others in the law enforcement community might scoff at using nonscientific methods, but Max used what worked. Though it bugged him to admit it, sometimes that meant relying on his little sister.
Max knew people, but Brenda knew women better. She wanted the doc to stay in town, for many reasons. If they played their cards right, three good people could end up a lot happier than they were right now. And that would make a bunch of other people happy, such as Edna, Charlie, and Walter Frost. They were getting to an age where grandchildren made life worth the aches and pains.
“Stop brooding,” said Brenda. “Neither of them knows they’ll be sharing a house. Nikki raved about the huge tub and bed in Eric’s master bedroom, so she won’t move out. After spending the night in jail, Eric will want his own bed back.” Brenda tilted her head and smirked. “Twenty dollars says it’s Nikki hauling Eric into bed this time, demanding he satisfy her.”
“No bet.”
They shared a laugh. Max hadn’t lost to Brenda since he was sixteen, mostly because he refused to try.
“You think they’ll end up together?” she asked.
“You saw the doc kneel down right after I knocked him out?” He waited for Brenda’s nod. “When Eric opened his eyes he took one look and hauled her tight. You should’ve seen her face when he did a crocodile roll and she ended up under him. I listened just in case, but she was moaning for more, not crying for help.”
“They deserve each other. In a good way,” added Brenda when Max snorted. “They’re both wonderful, lonely people, and horny as hell. Nikki wants a short-term lover and Eric will soon be gone. It’s perfect. And once he’s gone she can enjoy that oversize tub and bed he had built. Baby or not, even without Matt, Nikki won’t want to leave Climax.”
Max and Brenda shared a satisfied smile.
Chapter Thirteen
Eric’s head still swam a bit from residual alcohol, but the dinner Max had brought in from the Roadhouse had sopped up much of it. It had also made him feel every one of his thirty-eight years. He was so tired his bones ached, but he was afraid to fall asleep until he was alone. Nightmares in his own bed were bad enough. He rarely remembered much, but knew they had something to do with prison. He’d only had them at home, when he was alone. Would being in a jail cell bring them on?
“Tell me something,” replied Max, interrupting Eric’s dark thoughts. He leaned back in his chair, which he’d rolled into the corridor by the cell. He switched his toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other. “Why did you try to fix the marks for the college scholarship? You were doing good. I know they lowered you fifteen marks for breaking in, though they couldn’t find any evidence of tampering. Even then, I barely beat you.”
Eric didn’t ask why Max had finally brought it up. They’d danced around the subject off and on over the years. He didn’t have anything else to do, could go nowhere, so he might as well clear the air.
“That close?”
“Yep. I got the state scholarship and you lit out of town.” Max shot him an accusing glare. “Do you know what your folks went through when you disappeared like that?”
Yes, he did. His mom had told him in detail when they tracked him down. They understood his intentions, but not his methods. Water under the bridge.
“Susie went ballistic when she couldn’t find you,” continued Max. “She was so sure you were going to put a big diamond on her ring finger. Kenny had a hell of time calming her down. Then your mom said you’d shown up somewhere out East. Susie realized you weren’t coming back and took off for Vegas. Next thing we know, she’s married to some old guy who wanted arm candy.”
Eric scrubbed his head with his fingers. Jolts of pain erupted, making him wish he hadn’t. Susie had been the bane of his existence. She’d followed him everywhere, hoping to catch him alone. She was why he couldn’t relax and have a few beers unless he was alone with the boys. Fifteen minutes when he was drunk and she’d be telling everyone they’d had sex and he’d promised to marry her. He’d hoped when he left that she’d realize how much Kenny loved her. But the man was still dreaming that she’d smarten up and come back to stay.
“How many husbands she gone through now?”
“Three.”
The room went quiet for a bit. Then Max’s toothpick starting flipping from one side of his mouth to the other. Eric waited for the explosion. It didn’t take long. The front chair legs slammed onto the concrete floor, echoing through his sore head.
“Why the hell did you take off? Ellie cried, thinking you might be dead!”
Eric slowly crumpled the soda can that had come with his dinner. They’d never spoken about why he’d left. Perhaps now was the time. He had nowhere to go until morning, when Max would let him out. He could have gone home, but Max said every drunk had to spend the night in jail.
“Back then I was just another hotshot kid,” he said. “I wanted to take on the world outside my home town. You and Ellie were engaged to be married.”
Eric waited, hoping the words would settle and fade. It took a few minutes and much toothpick chomping before Max swore. His repertoire had expanded since high school.
“You weren’t trying to raise your marks, were you?”
“Nope.”
Max slammed his can of soda on the
table. If it hadn’t been near-empty, foam would have erupted. Eric could calculate the rate of propulsion, the angle, and the likely distance it would travel, all in his head. Max would have found the answer, but he’d need a calculator, and time. He was smart, tough, and had the determination of a bull, as well as the muscle. Eric rubbed his sore gut. Max also had the punch of a prize fighter.
“You threw away a full scholarship to Montana State?”
Eric shrugged it off. “I made sure you got the best shot you could at life. I had other irons in the fire.”
Max snorted. “What, you already had a scholarship lined up at a hotshot college out East?”
Eric set what was left of his soda can on the cement floor. He didn’t look up.
“You did.” Max’s face turned dark. “Son of a bitch! Why didn’t you just accept that state scholarship, then turn it over to me?”
“Because then you’d be second, and you deserved to be first,” he said quietly.
Eric stared through the bars at his best friend and closest competitor in high school. They’d fought to be on the football team, the rodeo team, to get the highest marks in math and science—any damn thing they both wanted. Sometimes Max won, sometimes Eric. The competition kept them sharp and pushed them to places they might never have gone otherwise. But Eric wanted freedom, and Max wanted a family. Eric would not jeopardize Max’s dream when he could find his own way without it.
“I knew you and Ellie wanted to marry as soon as you graduated from college,” he said. “You found good jobs, worked for a while, and started a family. When your dad was ready to retire, you came home and got elected sheriff.”
“And you haven’t been home much since you turned eighteen.”
Eric shrugged it off as if it didn’t matter. He had his reasons, and they went as far back as he could remember. He had no idea how he was going to survive living here for a year. He couldn’t last a month unless a certain doctor agreed to lighten up his nights. He did owe her a bare-assed spanking. And damn, but she wanted it, too. She’d fight him, and was big enough that he’d have to work to hold her down, but that would just rev him higher. Just thinking about it gave him a woody. Luckily, he was bent forward, elbows on his knees, so Max wouldn’t notice.