As they walked up the stairs, I heard Ike ask, “Have you ever held a hammer before?”
“Nope. No time like the present to learn.”
Drake touched my hand. “Mom’s going to take you to the paint store. Her quilting circle and members of the local church are coming tomorrow to help paint. We’ll have this place ready in no time, and you’ll meet your deadline.”
This was incredible. My heart swelled. Since the day Drake changed my tire, he’d always been there for me. He made me his first priority. Leaning toward him, I put my hand on his face. “You are amazing. Thank you.”
“Anything for you. Anything.”
Drake leaned toward me, and our lips almost touched.
Kane called from upstairs, “I’m not here to do this by myself, Drake. Stop playing kissyface with Alexa, or I’m going to beat your ass.”
Amie groaned, and Drake gave me a quick kiss. “Better go before Kane gets his panties in a twist.”
“I heard that, dickhead.”
Amie sighed, “Lord, give me strength.”
It was wonderful to be back with the Fosters again.
Chapter Nine
Alexa
Almost twelve hours later, I stood in the middle of what would be the reception area. The broken spindles on the top railing had been replaced, the walls were primed to be painted, and the musty smell had been replaced with fresh cut wood and cleaning supplies. All the major repairs were done except for the upstairs kitchen and the restrooms. The latter would have to wait a day or so, when the new plumbing would arrive. Kane was going to help Drake finish up tomorrow since Hayden had a flight. Old wallpaper had been stripped, and the walls were ready to paint tomorrow. Everyone but Drake and Hollis had left about twenty minutes ago.
This was happening. And we would open on time. All thanks to Drake. Without him, everything would have taken much longer.
Hollis came down the stairs looking exhausted. Throughout the day, I’d heard Ike teaching Hollis what he needed to know. But now his hammer was stowed in his tool belt correctly.
“I don’t think residency was this exhausting. I’m going to bed. Ike is a force to be reckoned with, and he’s twice my age.”
I gave him a hug. “Night, Hollis. You’re halfway there to being a full Alaskan.”
“I hope so. Stitches, setting bones, diagnosing illness… piece of cake. Sawing, hammering, screwing, leveling and every other ing word… I’m too tired to even be clever. Drake’s gathering his tools and will be down in a second.”
“Sounds good. Get some sleep. I’m meeting the church members and the quilting circle here at ten tomorrow for painting. You don’t have to come.”
“No, I want to. It feels good to accomplish this. I’m going to go soak, crawl into bed, and pass out—unless you need anything.”
“Nope, I’ll lock up with Drake.”
He threw up a hand and walked to his car. “Night.”
Although he was completely out of his element, Hollis had hung in there to the very end. When Ike had left, he’d given Hollis the tool belt to keep. My friend had more money than he could spend in a lifetime and could have bought as many tool belts as he wanted. But judging by the way he touched the belt, I knew he would treasure it for the rest of his life. Most things in Hollis’s life had come with strings. With the Fosters, friendship and kindness weren’t a bargaining chip.
The taillights of his SUV faded as he drove away, and I thought about my friend. He was desperate for a new start after his father’s suicide two and a half years ago. Hollis’s father had owned a medical equipment company, and about three years ago, his parents separated. One night, after his shift at the hospital, Hollis had stopped by for dinner only to find his father dead. In his office, a one-word note was left on the desk. Sorry. I think Hollis and I ultimately bonded quickly because we both lost our fathers in a tragic way.
I walked into the room on the right. This would be one of the exam rooms. If only we had this place when Dad got hurt. Things might have been different. The day of the accident, three men had died. The pistons from the log splitter had exploded, and Dad had bled out internally before the helicopter could get to him. If Skagway had had a surgeon, the bleeding might have been stopped.
The air charged when Drake walked into the room, and I felt his heat behind me. “Mom said everything is set to paint tomorrow.”
It was because of Drake and his family that this had happened. I turned, and we were so close our noses touched. “Thank you… for everything. You helped make one of my dreams come true.”
Dragging his nose along mine, he said, “And I will spend the rest of my life helping you achieve your dreams. Every one of them.”
“I want to do that for you, too.”
“You already have.”
Goose bumps erupted along my skin. It had been so long since I felt this alive. I ran my hands over his chest and felt him shudder from my touch. He was all sweaty. I missed the feel of him. Butterflies danced in my stomach in anticipation of his lips touching mine.
“Lex, I—”
“Yoo-hoo. Alexa?”
No. No. No.
I wanted to grab that moment between Drake and me back. It felt important, and I could have sworn he’d been about to tell me he loved me. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh as Raquel’s familiar voice—a sound not unlike a cat being strangled—drifted into the room. Drake stood up straight and muttered a curse. “Impeccable timing.”
That was an understatement.
Chapter Ten
Alexa
I turned to face the door, preparing myself to see my sister. We hadn’t spoke in the two years since I left, other than a few random emails to finalize Dad’s estate and her gushing about her fabulous life. She’d cashed out the plot of land Dad had left her almost immediately. I was a little sore she’d let it go without giving me a chance to purchase it, but Dad had left me the land with the cabin on it—the one with all the memories. Mom had gotten the B&B with the surrounding land. I took a deep, fortifying breath.
“Alexa? Where are you?” If it was possible, her voice got higher, and I cringed. She peeked in the doorway. “Oh, there you are. Why didn’t you answer me? I had to yell. You know how that stresses my vocal cords. Chazz doesn’t like when my vocal cords are stressed.”
Oh yes, the vocal cords. Raquel had a beautiful singing voice. It was odd, considering her speaking voice nearly drove me up the wall. But she sang like an angel. Mom, of course, loved the attention Raquel garnered and generally sided with her. They had hoped one day Raquel would make it big. Mom always said that someday, word of Raquel’s voice would travel and bring an agent to Skagway to sign her. They were delusional. “Mom, Alexa is stressing me out. It’ll affect my vocal cords.” That was the most commonly heard phrase in our house when we were growing up. Dad, on the other hand, would ignore the complaints and take me fishing. Anything so we could escape the house.
Raquel wore her dark hair in a tight chignon and some over-the-top designer suit. In Skagway, she stuck out like a sore thumb. As she walked in, her strong perfume filled the room. I wanted to gag from the overly flowery taste in my mouth.
Maybe things will be different now. Hopefully.
“Hey, Raquel. It’s good to see you.”
I stepped forward, my arms outstretched. Raquel’s reaction was almost comical. She patted my shoulders like I was diseased. If we’d been in public, she would have greeted me with excessive affection.
Nope, she hasn’t changed.
Without a word, Drake stepped beside me and rested his hand on my hip. Raquel’s eyes focused in on the motion, her mouth flat. She’d never approved of Drake. The thought of being connected to someone who owned a bar was unimaginable to her. Time and time again, she’d begged Dad to make me break up with him. Needless to say, Drake barely tolerated her.
What am I supposed to say?
The situation grew awkward as I waited and Raquel peered around the room. Disapproval rolled off her in
waves. There was no question that the clinic was definitely beneath her.
Well, truth be told, anyone who didn’t believe money and status were everything was beneath her.
My parents had been financially comfortable from Dad’s logging and Mom running the B&B during the tourist months. But there wasn’t much excess. Which was why I’d had to scrimp and save for college.
After Dad died, Raquel and Chazz started dating—they got married two months later. The moment he came to town Raquel had schemed to get Chazz’s attention. I had overheard a conversation between her and Mom after the funeral in a back room. The poor guy never stood a chance.
I hadn’t been invited to the wedding, which hurt. But it had always been that way—Raquel intentionally did things to spite and hurt me. She’d known that I would have wanted to be there. Family was important to me.
I’d found out about Raquel’s engagement through the Twiner sisters’ newsletter. Yeah, it had stung. Sooner or later, I’d grow completely numb to anything my sister did.
Once she’d completed her survey of the room, Raquel twisted her expression and waved her perfectly manicured hand in front of her nose. “The dust is beginning to upset my allergies. I’ll need to make this quick. Chazz hates when I’m stuffy and sound nasal. We need to talk about welcoming Dr. Fritz to Skagway. Chazz agrees.”
Chazz Hennington. I’d never met the guy, but hearing his name was like fingernails on a chalkboard. No one knew much about his family other than the fact that his parents were dead and he had a brother in California. From what I understood from the Twiners, they’d made their millions from a grocery store chain in California.
I wanted to wipe the smug look right off Raquel’s face. “I think we’re going to do the meet and greet at the Red Onion. Hopefully, Chazz will understand.” I kept my face neutral, but my voice dripped sarcasm. There was only so much I could take from my sister before my temper flared. And I hated when my temper got the best of me. It normally resulted in me doing something I regretted.
One time in high school, I dumped an entire tray of food on my sister in front of the whole school. Yeah, I’d gotten in trouble for that one. She’d dropped her backpack on my school project, ruining it. It had pissed me off and I reacted. Poorly.
“Pardon me?”
“You heard me, Raquel. We’ll do a welcome party at the Red Onion.” Well, I hadn’t really cleared it with Drake, but he wouldn’t care.
She gasped, her hand to her chest, and I felt Drake’s frame shake as he tried to contain his laughter. “I don’t know if a bar is the right place to welcome the town’s doctor.”
Cocking his head, Drake stared at Raquel. “I promise to make sure the floors are mopped and the tables have been wiped down. Chazz can stop by to check it out if he’d like.”
I mashed my lips together at Drake’s overemphasis of Chazz. At one point when we were dating, Raquel had gone off on how she doubted the floors and tables in Drake’s bar were ever cleaned. Apparently, Drake remembered.
Raquel’s green eyes narrowed, and her lips thinned to nonexistent. If looks could kill, Drake would have vaporized. She walked around the room a few times, circling her prey… probably me. Maybe Drake. The clicking of her heals echoed through the room. Raquel pinned her eyes on me trying to intimidate me into submission. It wouldn’t work. I refused to turn around and follow her movement. Drake remained relaxed beside me. It always amazed me how composed he could remain.
Finally, she asked, “Is the fodder in Twiner Tellings true?” before sighing dramatically.
Fodder? Who talked like that?
Before either of us had a chance to respond, she continued. “Alexa, things have changed since you left. I do not need a member of our family gossiped about in that horrid newsletter. It’s upsetting to me. And Chazz hates when I’m upset. He plans to run for mayor in the next election. You understand, right?”
Mayor Richards would not like that news. He’d been elected seven years ago and served the people of Skagway well. If Chazz were to win, I imagined my sister would want Skagway to be renamed Raquelville.
Yeah, I’d have to move.
Again, there was no time to respond before she said, “So, I’ll let you know the details of the welcoming party. I imagine we’ll do it at our home. It’s a lovely place, more than fitting to welcome the new doctor. And Chazz agrees.”
Chazz. Chazz. Chazz. My temper soared, and I felt the burning heat on my neck that often accompanied this level of fury.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page, Alexa. I’ll let Chazz know and get the details to you.”
I stepped out of Drake’s embrace and addressed my sister. “No, Raquel, we are not on the same page at all.” She was not going to dictate my life. I fisted my hands to remain calm, but when Raquel tilted her head and raised her eyebrow condescendingly, I lost it. “Does Chazz wipe your ass, too, Raquel? Because it seems like you’ve lost any independent thought since marrying him.”
She gasped and put her hand to her chest again with a staggered, dramatic step backward. I rolled my eyes. If there had been anyone else there besides Drake, she’d have fainted for the attention. “I have never heard such crudeness.”
“Well, it’s a legitimate question, Raquel. Are you able to take a shit in private?” I held up my index finger. “Wait, don’t answer that.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “Dad would be so disappointed in you for acting like this. I’m trying to help.”
On the inside, I was shaking with rage. How dare she bring Dad into this! How dare she! There was a bucket of dirty water two feet away. Stay calm. Don’t let her bait you. I took a deep breath. “Raquel, I think it’s time you left.”
From the flash of victory in her eyes, Raquel knew she’d hit a nerve. And now she was going to go in for the kill. With a sinister smile, she added, “Does the truth bother you, Alexa? I know if my father didn’t approve of my choices, it would haunt me.”
Lies. It was all lies. And manipulation.
Anger surged through me. Nothing had changed. Raquel would say anything to get her way. Anything. In the blink of an eye, I was a teenager again, hurting from all the terrible things she used to say.
No more.
I picked up the bucket and tossed the dirty water at Raquel. “You have always been a bitch.”
She screamed while I fumed. If I’d had ten buckets, I would have dumped every single one of them on her. “Never, ever, bring up Dad to me again. Do you understand? In fact, just avoid me altogether.”
I stood, gripping the empty bucket while Raquel shook with hate. Oh, I’ll be getting a phone call from Mom tomorrow, no doubt. But tonight, I had set a boundary with my sister. I waggled my fingers the way she had done to me so many times. “Run along now, Raquel. Go tell Mom. But I won’t warn you again. Never mention Dad to me again or I will make it my mission to create more fodder than you could ever dream of. Chazz wouldn’t like, considering his plans to run for mayor. Do you understand me?”
Raquel’s nostrils flared while she opened and closed her mouth, unable to speak. Without another word, she turned and huffed out of the place, dripping nasty, dirty water. I threw my head back and sighed. I shouldn’t have done that. I should have walked away. Tomorrow, there would be hell to pay with my mom. Raquel had deserved it, without a doubt, but now I’d have more stress.
And the mood had effectively been ruined. Bitch.
I turned to Drake and he said, “None of it’s true. You know that, right?”
A lump formed in my throat, and I nodded stiffly. Drake gently put his hand on my cheek. “Don’t let her poison you. Your dad was proud of the person you were. Never doubt it, Lex. Don’t let her win.”
Weary, I closed my eyes for a second. Dad loved me. I know this. I grabbed a towel and began to clean up the water. Silently, Drake helped me.
“I’m ready to head to your parents’ place.”
Drake nodded and escorted me to the door. “She’s not worth it.”
I flicked off the lights. “No, she’s not. I bet Chazz would agree.”
Drake’s deep chuckle helped ease some of the stress. “Maybe we should invite her to sing at Hollis’s welcome-to-town party? Unless her vocal cords are too stressed. Who knows, maybe there’ll be an agent there to sign her.”
Since the moment I’d met Drake, he’d been able to bring light to the darkest of situations. He kept me grounded. I laughed, and he smiled down at me.
After locking the door, I headed to my truck. Drake opened the door, but we remained there, staring at each other. How did I stay away from him for so long? He traced his finger down my jawline, and something raw flickered in his eyes. Maybe we’d be able to recapture what had been about to happen earlier. I still wanted to know what he’d been about to say.
“Lex, I—”
Blingbring. Blingbring. Blingbring.
“Damn it all to hell,” he cursed.
The world was against us.
He looked at his phone with a frown and sighed. “I need to take this.” I nodded, and he accepted the call. “This better be good, Crete. Fuck. Yeah, let me get Lex home and I’ll be right in.”
Oh, this isn’t good.
With another curse, he ended the call.
“Bad news?”
“Yeah. Bernie came in, pissed off at the world. Mack said something. Bernie swung. Roy came. I’ve got to go.” Roy was the sheriff in Skagway.
In the past, our dates had been ruined on more than one occasion because of a similar situation. About once every other month it had seemed to happen. “You don’t have to follow me to your parents’. I’ll be okay.”
“Roy can wait. I want to make sure you get home.”
That warm, squishy feeling made its way back. Drake winked at me and headed to his truck. As I drove to his parents’ house, it was impossible to wipe the grin off my face with Drake’s headlights in my rearview mirror the entire way. With Drake Foster, I always felt like his number one priority.
Intoxicated By You_An Exposed Hearts Novel Page 6