Stone arched an eyebrow and smiled. “Where ya headed?”
“Back home to do some cleaning and get a mattress ordered for delivery. When I’m finished, I need to go buy some clothes so I have something to wear to my brother’s funeral tomorrow. Is that okay with you, Lieutenant, or do you feel the need to tell me how to live my life as well?” Okay, he didn’t deserve that but damn it, she’d had enough. Her nerves were gone, gone, gone, gone and they weren’t coming back anytime soon.
Stone dipped his head and smiled. “I wouldn’t presume to tell you to do anything. I asked because I’m off duty in five minutes and I thought I’d offer you a ride.”
Avery opened her mouth and then snapped it shut. Idiocy bloomed red across her face. “Thank you, I would appreciate a ride.” He was actually being very kind.
“I’ll go change and if you’d like, I can help you clean up.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that. This is my problem, not yours.” Avery took a step back and held up her hands.
“You didn’t ask. I offered and, believe it or not, every once in while sharing a problem isn’t a bad thing. I’ll be right back, don’t run away.”
Avery stood there shocked as Stone hurried away and disappeared. When he left her sight she turned and looked through the door to find Cindy still sitting in the parking lot. Avery frowned. No point in letting her sit there. Avery opened the door and, holding her chin high, approached the car, opened the door and was met with Cindy’s familiar “I knew you’d be back” look.
“You can go home, Cindy. Lieutenant Stone is giving me a ride. He’s going to help me clean up.”
Cindy blinked rapidly a few times, apparently surprised. “Fine. Oh, just so you know, I told him to check out Ridge Gates.”
“You what?” Cold fury tore through Avery’s system. Of all the nerve.
“He never did seem right to me and now he’s had head trauma. Mark my word, that man is behind this. He shows up, bangs you and then disappears and now your home is broken into. I’m telling you, Avery. He’s bad news but you won’t listen.”
Avery bent down, peeked inside the door and scowled at her friend. “You’re the one with head trauma. He didn’t disappear. He was at the airport today along with half this damn city to meet the plane that brought Cale home. He stood by my side as I watched my brother’s casket being unloaded from that plane and right now he’s at the funeral home standing guard along with another soldier over Cale’s body.”
What the hell had gotten into Cindy? Why the sudden hate-fest against Ridge?
“You had no right,” Avery snapped. “I thought I knew you, Cindy, but I don’t know a thing about you.” Avery slammed the door and ran back to the station.
Stone opened the door and frowned. “Okay, things aren’t going well with Cindy?”
“No,” she growled and rubbed her temple. “Something weird is going on with her and until she gets herself straightened out I want nothing to do with her.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Come on. Let’s go wade into that mess you have and get some normalcy back into your life.”
Stone put his hand on her back and led her to his truck, opened the door and helped her step in. Maybe she had the wrong best friend. Stone acted more like a friend than Cindy and she’d just met him a few hours ago. Avery let out an exasperated sigh. Cindy didn’t deserve that. She’d always been there when Avery needed her, but the hurt and sense of betrayal ran deep and for the life of her, Avery couldn’t understand what Cindy had against Ridge. And right now anger over how her life turned to crap clouded her sensibilities.
“I feel like I’m taking advantage of you,” she told him as he slipped behind the wheel.
“Nah. But if you want to, be my guest.”
The look he gave her was rife with interest and not just a friendly interest. Avery’s cheeks flushed as she quickly turned her head. “This is probably messing up your evening.”
Stone started the truck. “All I had planned was grabbing a cold beer and watching television. I think I can pass up that fun for one evening. Seriously, Avery, I want to help. If you’re uncomfortable say the word and I’ll leave. The last thing you need is me keeping you on edge.”
Avery silently groaned. This man wasn’t for real. He couldn’t be. Stone pulled into the parking lot of a grocery store.
“What are you doing?”
“Sit tight, I’m going to get you some garbage bags.” He opened the door and slid from the seat.
“I have garbage bags,” she said before he shut the door.
“You had garbage bags. I saw them shredded on your kitchen floor. Relax, Avery, I’ll be right back.”
She watched him stroll toward the store. She had to admit, he looked damn fine in his tight jeans and navy blue T-shirt. The sleeves of his shirt stretched against his muscles and his jeans hugged his ass and thick thighs. Why the hell hadn’t anyone snatched up this guy yet? And why wasn’t she more interested in him?
“Because you can’t get your head away from Ridge,” she scolded herself. A man who clearly didn’t want her. The hurt flooded her heart as she remembered the words whispered in her head. It shouldn’t have happened. Could it be any clearer?
What didn’t he like about her? She wasn’t a raving beauty but she certainly wasn’t ugly. Her body wasn’t stick thin but she wasn’t fat, merely curvy, a few extra pounds here and there. What was it about her Ridge couldn’t get past?
The truck door opened and Stone tossed in a bag and slid behind the wheel.
“Do you think I’m ugly?” she asked him and then rolled her eyes. Why the hell did she ask him that?
“Far from it,” Stone chuckled. “Frankly I don’t understand why some guy hasn’t swept you off your feet yet. What brought this on?”
“I don’t know. All this,” she said, waving her hands around, “makes me wonder who would want to hurt me so badly. I guess my self-esteem has taken a shot. Honestly, I’ve never worried much what other people thought about me.”
“Except Ridge Gates,” Stone added as he started the truck.
Avery froze. Damn Cindy and her big mouth.
“Wanna tell me about this guy? Cindy seems to think I should check him out.” Stone pulled back out into traffic and headed toward her house.
“Are you going to?” Irritated, Avery crossed her arms over her chest.
“Do you think I should? I mean, your friend thinks he’s responsible for all the evil in the world. I think he can’t be all that bad if you’re interested in him.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, Avery looked away. “What exactly did Cindy tell you about him?”
“He’s your brother’s best friend. She said you’ve been in love with him for years but he’s never noticed you. They both used to stay with you when they were on leave which leads me to believe he may have your alarm code. He’s suffered a severe trauma, lost his best friend and is suffering from physical wounds. Oh, you and he had sex a few nights ago and then he bailed, never to be seen again.”
Avery whipped her head around. “She told you that?” That was crossing the line. When she saw Cindy again, the woman had better run for the hills. “For your information he was at the airport with me today along with about a hundred other people that showed up to meet the plane carrying my brother’s body. He’s at the funeral home standing guard over his casket right now. But go ahead and check him out. You’ll only be wasting your time.”
“I think that alibis him. I’m more interested in the personal relationship, though.”
Avery glanced at Stone. He didn’t seem too uncomfortable with the news that she’d slept with Ridge. More like he was testing the water.
“It’s just what Cindy told you. He never seemed to know I existed. The other night we were both hurting and needed someone. That’s all.” And as soon as she got that through her head, the sooner she could move on.
“You were in Dover?”
“Yeah. That’s where they flew Cale’s body back to.
I needed to be there. I wasn’t there in the hospital for him but I could be there when he touched down on American soil again. Cale was a proud soldier. I don’t know exactly what he did in the military but I knew to my core he believed in what he was doing.”
“Gates was there in Dover, too, I take it.”
“He convinced the doctors to let him out of the hospital and flew home to meet the plane. I never saw him at the airbase but I knew he was there. I left word for him to meet me at my hotel. I just wanted to know he was okay. He was hurt pretty bad.”
“And one thing led to another.”
“One thing led to another. I won’t apologize for it and I don’t regret it. I’d spent the last two weeks lost and alone, half dead inside. He let me live again, for a little while.”
They sat in silence the rest of the way to her house. Maybe she shouldn’t have told Stone so much but she’d meant every word. She would not apologize for acting on her feelings.
Stone parked in front of her house, shut off the truck and leaned back against the seat. “I think he’s a damn fool,” he said, looking out the windshield. “If he can’t see what he’s passing up then he doesn’t deserve you.”
Stone’s words made her smile. This had to be the first time in her life a man other than her brother had complimented her. “Maybe he does see. Maybe that’s the problem.” How many times had her mother told her no one would ever want her, she was too fat, too independent.
Cale had always held her while she cried and reminded her the mental illness made their mother say things that weren’t true. It hadn’t made it hurt any less.
“I don’t know who told you such things,” Stone said, getting out of the truck, “but they weren’t right in the head.”
Avery laughed out loud. Little did he know.
For two hours they both worked inside the house. Avery took the living room and Stone took the kitchen claiming he didn’t want her getting cut on any of the smashed dishes and glasses. The smaller pieces they bagged up and stacked outside. The bigger pieces of debris they stacked in the living room.
Progress was quick. When nothing could be salvaged all they had to do was junk it. Moving on to the upstairs, Stone took the bathroom and Avery started on one of the spare bedrooms. Again, they finished quickly and then hit her bedroom.
“You sure you want to tackle this today?” Stone asked, looking around at the mayhem.
“It’s not a matter of wanting to. I have to.” The longer she let this mess sit, the more terrified she’d become of her home.
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” Stone disappeared down the stairs.
Avery looked through her closet. Not a stitch left for her to wear. Even her panties and bras were shredded. The only clothes she had were on her back, shoes too. What would drive a person to such evil destruction?
“You okay?”
Avery jumped at the sound of Stone’s voice. “I’m good. Better get started, I guess.”
Together they bagged up all her clothing, sheets, curtains and what were left of her pillows. When it came time to drag the bigger pieces down the stairs, Stone carried most of the load. Her dresser, mattress and the tangled springs were hauled into a spare bedroom.
“This way they can move your new mattress in. You don’t plan on sleeping here tonight, do you?” Stone asked.
“No. I’ll stay at a hotel tonight. I guess after the funeral tomorrow I’ll start making calls and see if I can get some repairs started.” It would take weeks to get her house back to normal. God, it was like she was starting over from scratch.
Stone walked over and put his arm around her. “It’ll be okay. Wait and see.”
The front doorbell rang and Avery jumped, her heart leapt into her throat and her body began to shake.
“Whoa, easy, sweetie. It’s just the door. I’ll get it.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead—nothing too personal, just a brush of his lips to let her know she wasn’t alone—and then left.
Avery stood there shaking and feeling like a fool for more than one reason. Stone was everything a woman dreamed about. He was caring, affectionate and easy on the eyes. He’d made it clear he was interested. All she had to do was take that step and she’d have a dependable, loving man by her side. So what was the problem?
“Avery, come on down,” Stone shouted up the stairs.
The problem was her heart wouldn’t let go of Ridge. What would it take to convince her to walk away from old dreams? Avery ambled down the steps and walked right into the tasty aroma of fresh hot pizza.
“I thought you could use something to eat,” Stone said, holding a large pizza and six-pack of beer. “I wasn’t sure if you drank beer so I chanced it.”
Avery blinked several times to push away the threatening tears. He’d bought her food. No one besides Cale had ever bought her food. Not even the boys she’d dated in high school—they always made her pay her own way. “Thank you. I’d love a beer.”
Stone tossed out a blanket on the living room floor, set the box and beer down and then offered his hand. Avery slipped hers into his and then knelt on the floor. There they sat, eating pizza and drinking beer in the middle of her empty living room and she loved it. He actually made her laugh with his quick wit and funny police stories. It turned out he had four younger sisters who he spoiled regularly which made his parents angry. He was perfect.
“You want me to take you shopping for some clothes?” he asked out of the blue, surprising her.
“Thank you, but no. I’ll just go down to the boutique and grab some.”
“Okay. If you won’t let me go shopping with you,” he said, pulling out his phone, “I can at least help you get some repairs finished.” Stone dialed a number and then began talking to someone named Frank.
Before Avery knew it she had a plumber coming to fix her bathroom and make any repairs to her kitchen that needed done. The next call he made was to a mattress store. The day after tomorrow she’d have a new bed and a truck to haul away all the broken furniture.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she told Stone. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Here’s a thought. When you get tired of waiting on Gates, call me.”
“And if that doesn’t happen?” She didn’t want him waiting for a phone call that might never come. Stone deserved someone who could appreciate the man he was.
“Then I’ll settle for being a friend. You, Avery Easton, are a fine gem any man would like to have in his collection of friends.” He stood, gathered the garbage and stuffed it into another trash bag, helped her to her feet and then folded the blanket. “Do me a favor. Call me tomorrow after the funeral. Let me know how you’re doing,” he said, walking to the door.
“I don’t have your number.” Avery couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. Butterflies tingled her tummy, like a teenager being paid attention to by the big, handsome jock every girl wanted.
Stone jotted down his number and handed it to her. “I’d like to go to the funeral tomorrow but I won’t overstep my bounds. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll come looking.”
“I’ll call,” she promised as he walked through the door. Avery stood there watching as he got in his truck and drove away. Closing the door, she turned and sighed. Why couldn’t she have found him a couple of years ago before her heart became set on another man?
* * * * *
Ridge stood in the quiet room breathing in too-sweet floral aromas and developing one hell of a headache. Next to him stood a young soldier at attention who didn’t have the first clue who Cale Easton was. Still, he’d volunteered to stand watch over his casket and Ridge respected the hell out of the kid for that.
Every once in a while someone would walk by the door, stop and stand for a moment. Maybe they were silently paying their respects; maybe they were simply gawking at the two military men standing at attention. Ridge didn’t care either way. A few times the funeral director would come in with a floral arrangement and set it up.
Ridge wondere
d who’d be sending flowers. Cale didn’t know anyone in this town besides his sister and her friend, the snotty Cindy. That’s how he referred to her anyway. Every time he came back and ran into her she looked down her nose and sneered at him. She and Avery owned the high-class boutique together and Cindy seemed to want to make sure he didn’t get any ideas about soiling the proper Avery with his filth. Too damn late for that.
Ridge closed his eyes and pictured Avery in is mind. The way she’d looked that night as she took him into her soft, warm, slick body and flew apart. Damn, but there wasn’t anything hotter than Avery when she came. She was so fucking beautiful it hurt.
Earlier he thought he’d have to give up his guard and bolt from the room. He’d sworn he could hear her in his head, feel her wrapped around him and smell her soft perfume. It made him hard instantly.
Ridge frowned. Maybe he did. At the airport he thought he heard her plain as day talking to him but her lips hadn’t been moving. When he’d responded quietly in his head she flinched as if she’d heard him too. What was that all about? He needed to talk to her about it—or not. She’d probably think he’d lost his mind and try to have him hospitalized. God, he was a mess.
Pain flared up his leg and made him wince. He’d hoped to stand guard all night but it didn’t look like he’d be able to. His muscles hadn’t healed yet and the undue stress was making them weak.
Two soldiers appeared at the door, took their positions and marched slowly forward. Regret and relief mixed in his chest. Cale would understand but that didn’t make leaving any easier. When the two stepped in front of him, they all four saluted each other. Ridge and his young partner sidestepped once and made room for the new guards.
With one single step they took their places, saluted the casket and then did an about face. Ridge and his partner marched to the door and went through. The young soldier stopped, turned and put his hand out.
“You knew him,” he said, shaking Ridge’s hand.
“My best friend.”
“Thank you for allowing me the honor of standing guard with you, sir.”
Spliced Page 11