The Patriot Girl

by Toni Lynn Cloutier

  Jodi’s attention returned to the two. “So are you having a Tarzan or a Jane?”

  A boy. MaKayla held back her guess. Nancy looked as if she’d swallowed a basketball and had a glow. That’s how she’d carried Alex. With her daughters, she had been round all over and looked dragged down.

  Nancy shrugged. “Don’t know. We want to be surprised.”

  The father-to-be touched Nancy’s belly. “The way it’s kicking, I’m predicting a future Cincinnati Bengals player.”

  “Cincinnati, my ass, buddy.” Duke’s finger repetitively poked the table. “You’re in Tennessee now. It’s the Titans.” His overgrown midsection jiggled as he laughed, and he gave Sam a high five.

  “You don’t want to go against the Titans. Duke used to harass my husband to no end when he rooted for another team.”

  Nancy’s head tilted sideways. “What happened to your husband?”

  MaKayla stiffened. With the lawsuit still hanging over her head, she feared talking about the accident would jinx the outcome. If the driver of the other car wanted more than the insurance company was willing to pay, she could lose what little she had.

  “I’m sorry. Open mouth, insert entire body.” Nancy lifted her hand in the air and opened a palm. “Forget I asked.”

  “It’s okay.” Another swig of beer might help MaKayla to get the words out a little smoother. “It was a traffic collision. He was killed instantly. My son had a broken arm and a few bruises.” And was now fatherless, she wanted to add. Instead, she washed down the words with another gulp of beer.

  “Oh, gosh. I’m so sorry.”

  MaKayla forced a smile.

  “Who are they blaming?”

  Jodi touched MaKayla’s arm. “There’s no one to blame.”

  Yeah, right. No one could convince MaKayla that the other driver had not seen Paul coming. Okay, she knew she should give him the benefit of the doubt. But if she couldn’t blame him, then she had to blame herself. If she hadn’t asked Paul to go to the cabin for the weekend, her family never would have been out in the storm on their way to close up the office. Someone had to take the blame. These past few years, life had been easier blaming the other driver.

  MaKayla lowered her head, swallowed the lump in her throat, and began to peel the curling beer label off the moist bottle. How could she put the past behind her if the subject always came up? Obviously, moving on wasn’t as easy as she’d hoped. And ignoring what happened wasn’t going to make the past go away.

  Jodi rubbed MaKayla’s back. “There’s no one to blame for what happened. Paul slid through a red light. The oncoming car had the green light. And if Paul wanted to go out into a storm to take care of business, you can’t keep blaming yourself for his actions.” Jodi tucked MaKayla’s hair behind her ear. “It was an accident. And it needs to be put to rest.”

  MaKayla rolled her eyes and looked at Jodi. “Yeah, well, maybe when the case settles I’ll feel some closure.”

  “Why isn’t the other driver settling?” Nancy leaned forward. “They know who it is, don’t they?”

  Oh no, Nancy. Don’t go there. MaKayla smiled and looked across the table. “You had to ask.”

  Jodi burst into laughter. “We know his name’s Harry.”

  MaKayla shook her head and handed Jodi a napkin to wipe her eyes with. “Let her get this out of her system. She thinks it’s funny this person has the same name she calls her husband’s you-know-what.” She handed Jodi another napkin.

  “His name is Harold, not Harry.” Nancy failed miserably at holding back her laughter. “He’s a lawyer. And we have no idea why he hasn’t settled yet.”

  “I’m sorry, honey.” Jodi took a deep breath. “You need a ‘Harry’ of your own.”

  “Oh, stop it!” MaKayla looked at Nancy to explain. “She can’t go twelve hours without making love. She thinks everyone should be that way.”

  Jodi shrugged. “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

  The laughter blew the dark cloud away that always hovered above MaKayla during discussions of her husband’s accident.

  “Well, I don’t need a Harry. I need a business, remember?”

  When Nancy asked for details, MaKayla shared happily. She could sit and talk about her proposed business all night. And more came out of the conversation than she had expected. Nancy handed her the phone number to her cousin’s small restaurant that was in need of some publicity.

  They ordered another round of beers and bottled water for the mother-to-be. MaKayla took a deep breath and tried to let go of the past—a little.

  “MaKayla do you have kids, or grandkids?”

  She smiled at Nancy. “My son leaves for college next Saturday.”

  Jodi nudged her. “He’s sweet on his girl, Tammy. They’re probably having sex. Have you talked to him about condoms and—”

  “Jodi!” MaKayla shook her head. “He’s only been with Tammy for a few weeks.”

  “I’ll talk to him for you, if you’d like.”

  “No, thank you. I want to discourage him about making love. You’ll only encourage him.” Drinking her warming beer gave MaKayla time to catch her breath. She would rather go back to the accident conversation than discuss her baby growing up.

  Jodi winked at Nancy. “Suit yourself.”

  As much as she’d wanted to ignore the subject, Jodi had a point. Alex had never had evenings where he skipped dinner, but in the past three weeks, he’d had more stomachaches than in his seventeen years. MaKayla had chalked his symptoms up to signs of puppy love. Saying he was “falling in love” with this girl would be admitting she no longer had a little boy. She didn’t want to face the fact that Alex was becoming an adult. What mother did?

  Besides, he knew about protection. There had been many discussions about how hard she and Paul had struggled with raising a child, and also paying for college at the age of twenty-one. When the time was right, she would make sure he knew about respecting a woman’s feelings, and the right time and place to be intimate.

  Maybe Jodi could talk to Alex about a more important matter because she couldn’t seem to get through to him. “Why don’t you talk to him about fixing that beat-up car of his before he heads back and forth to Kentucky?”

  “He’s a male.” Nancy waved her hand as if swatting a fly. “They don’t worry about such things until they wind up in the desert walking home.”

  Duke stood beside MaKayla. “Come on.” He held her hand, pulled her to a standing position, and then led her across the room toward the dance floor.

  “Duke, I can tolerate the country music, but I don’t know about this line dancing stuff.” She couldn’t disappoint her friend. She squeezed her way beside him onto the dance floor. She could do this—coordination was the key.

  “Follow me. Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy.”

  Okay. She kept her head down and watched the feet in front of her the same way she had during a high school dance, when she wanted to learn the new moves. After a few missteps, she caught on. She repeated the choreography eight or nine more times until the participants clapped, cheered, and headed back to their seats.

  It was fun, and easier than she had expected. She felt alive dancing and laughing with Duke. She missed going out with Paul and their friends. If this was what letting go of the past would be like, she could do it—with time.

  Duke turned her back against his belly and spoke loudly in her ear, drowning out the applause and whistling around them. “I knew you would pick up on it. And thanks for the cruise.”

  She patted his hand still on her shoulder—no need to yell back what her touch conveyed. They made their way back to the table.

  “She’s a natural.” Duke told his wife before he sat.

  Jodi looked up. “I noticed. And I’m not the only one.”

  MaKayla followed Jodi’s nod across the dance floor. Dustin stood with his elbows leaning on top of a thick log of the dance floor enclosure. A booted foot rested on the bottom timber. The leather-clad woman by
his side sized MaKayla up, as if she were her competition.

  “He hasn’t taken his eyes off you. Isn’t he the one from the bank robbery?” Jodi tugged on MaKayla’s pant leg. “He’s probably got a nice ‘Harry’ for you. Sex with him could be wild.”

  If so, she’d never see it with Miss Leather Atascadero by his side, protecting him as if he were a piece of chocolate cake during that time of the month.

  Who was this man? And why had he offered to buy her a drink if he were involved with someone? Maybe she’d taken his casual drink offer the wrong way. He was simply being kind because she’d put a bandanna on his head. In any case, she wasn’t ready for the dating scene. She wouldn’t know how to talk to men without thinking they wanted more than a drink.

  “Yes. He’s the one from the robbery.” Too many years away from alcohol had made the couple beers weaken her judgment. MaKayla sat down and tapped her horny friend’s shoulder. “And enough of that making love talk. You know I don’t like——”

  “I forgot.” Jodi rolled her eyes. “You don’t use the word s-e-x.”

  MaKayla laughed in agreement as her eyes scanned the room for Dustin once more. When their eyes met, he winked at her. Her entire body melted faster than a snowman in the hot sun. He was adorable, but his looks and how he made her feel were the only things she knew about him.

  Maybe she should go talk to him. After all, he had been injured trying to protect her. She could find out how he was feeling. And maybe he knew the club’s owner. Two topics—more than enough subject matter to break the ice.

  Before she could push her chair back, an elderly woman stole his attention. She’d wait until he was alone. For now, she would enjoy her friends’ company.

  Chapter Three

  Vicky James took her children’s hands into her own. “What are my twins cooking up this time?” She touched Dustin’s forehead. “You should be at home resting. What are you still doing here?”

  “The head’s fine, Mom.” He couldn’t say the same for the one below his belt. Friday he had feared never seeing MaKayla again. And what luck to have her sitting in his place of business forty-eight hours later.

  Dana broke free from the hand-holding and popped a peanut into her mouth. “Your son took a blow to the head for the woman in the patriot shirt over there.”

  Afraid she’d disappear if he stopped staring, Dustin turned his head slightly. “Dana, you two might get along. She wears the same apple lotion you do.” He took a deep breath, allowing his memory to recapture her scent. Mentally he could still feel her touch and her breasts pressed against his back.

  Raising a three-year-old had made him forget at times he was a man with needs. He needed a beautiful woman such as MaKayla to remind him how admirable the view of a female could be, and how much he missed the companionship.

  His mother’s tap on the shoulder snapped his attention back. “Well good, dear, we know she recognizes a good scent, let’s hope she recognizes a good man. You go talk to the Patriot Girl. She looks as if she’d give me more beautiful grandchildren.” She pulled him down for a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going home to get some rest.”

  Drumming his fingers against the log railing, Dustin gave his sister a quick did-you-hear-what-I-heard eye-roll.

  Asking another woman to carry a part of him inside her again and risk losing her the way he had Liz would never happen again, no matter how beautiful her potential offspring.

  “Don’t worry about Mom.” Dana rubbed his arm now that they were alone. “She can hound me with having her grandkids. You already gave her one.” She jerked her head in MaKayla’s direction. “Go talk to her. I’ll see you later.”

  “Night.”

  Watching MaKayla’s friends stand to greet a group of his loyal customers, Dustin saw the perfect opportunity to make his move.

  He straightened up and slowly inched his way across the crowded dance floor, never taking his eyes off his anticipated goal.

  ****

  “Hey, MaK—”

  MaKayla turned too quickly toward the voice beside her and missed her mouth with the bottle. A drip of beer dribbled on to her chest. She reached for a napkin to wipe the mess and realized what had stalled Dustin’s speech—her cleavage. He leaned on the dance floor balustrade and smiled.

  Sadly she couldn’t blame his sudden approach entirely for her clumsiness. After all the alcohol she’d consumed, her lips had become numb.

  “Hi. How are you feeling?” Gripping the end of the table to keep her balance, she tipped her head back to finish the rest of her drink. How many beers had this made, four or six? Either way, she’d drunk three or five or seven too many.

  “Nice shirt.”

  “I wanted to dress for the occasion.” A sad reminder that she was all work and no play, she would need to go shopping for another outfit if she decided ever to return here. “A business suit and high heels wouldn’t have been appropriate.”

  She placed her empty bottle down and turned to face him. Big mistake. The same attraction she’d felt at the bank returned with profound awareness the instant their eyes met. His lips were fuller than she remembered and she’d never thought a five-o’clock shadow could be arousing before now.

  His smile faded and their breaths hitched as if they were the only two people in the room. Alcohol had to be intensifying her desire to kiss this man.

  She had to break the stare or else find her heart leaping out of her chest. “Did you have stitches?” His Stetson covered where she remembered nursing his wound.

  He rubbed his forehead. “Ten.”

  His eyes settled back on her three unbuttoned snaps. Surely alcohol was the devil taking over her body. She was enjoying this attention way too much. Never before had she not wanted to stop a man from desperately trying to see through cotton, or wanted to undo one more button to tease.

  She had to snap out of this state of arousal and become the conservative woman everyone knew her to be.

  Her hand landed on her chest. “Does your head hurt?”

  He looked up and smirked.

  “One track mind.” MaKayla recognized his flirtatious expression. Jodi wore the same one whenever her mind went into the gutter. Lucky for him, she was used to the territory and could make light of it. “I mean the head on your shoulders?”

  Laughter consumed him. He stepped back, shying away from her comment.

  Normally she wouldn’t pry, but alcohol knew no boundaries. “Any other head problems should be discussed with your girlfriend across the way.”

  His laughter intensified. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

  When he slipped his hand between the wood beams and grasped hers, she hesitated to make the connection. His fingers were rough but his touch was gentle.

  “No wedding ring.” Dustin held her hand. “Does that mean you’re single?”

  Who took all the oxygen out of the room? Words wouldn’t escape her. All she could do was nod.

  “Good.” He broke the intimate touch. “Don’t move.”

  He disappeared and she finally took a breath. No more beer for her. If she let this man’s touch get under her skin, what would she let him do if they were ever alone? Someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and accepted the hand Dustin offered her.

  “Care to dance while we finish this conversation?”

  “Of course.” Her friends were still occupied by their other guests. One dance and then she’d focus on their celebration.

  He placed his hand on her lower back and escorted her onto the dance floor. He held her in the old-fashioned way. One hand was on her waist, the other hand holding hers. It was probably for the best that she didn’t have both her arms wrapped around his neck—and his lips closer.

  “Can I buy you dinner some evening?” Dustin asked.

  “No, thank you. That’s not necessary.”

  Dating might be nice someday, after she’d established her business and learned how to live alone. If a relationship didn’t work out, at least she would st
ill have her business to keep her company.

  Besides, she knew one date with Dustin wouldn’t be enough. Any more would be a distraction from her goals. Already, she was wanting another slow song to begin so their closeness wouldn’t come to an end.

  “Come on. It’ll be a dinner to celebrate life.”

  “You want to go on a thank-you-for-saving-my-life dinner?”

  “Sure.” He tipped his Stetson. “I thought you’d never ask. I’d love to.”

  “That wasn’t an invitation.” She meant to raise a brow, but felt both rise. “Besides, what would your girlfriend think?”

  Dustin laughed. “She’s my twin sister, Dana. And she said I should definitely ask you out. So is that a yes?”

  Twin sister? “Oh.” They had established their availability minutes ago. Darn alcohol. His relationship status made his touch even more erotic. “Would you promise to keep your hands to yourself?”

  He pulled her closer. “Not a chance. As long as I have your permission, that is.”

  She laughed. How could she refuse an honest man? Maybe she could make this a business date. That way she could concentrate on her business goal, and less on how his presence affected her.

  “Before I answer, I have a question for you. Your answer might allow me to say ‘yes’ to your invitation—on one condition.”

  “Okay, let’s hear it.”

  “Do you know the owner of this place?”

  “As a matter of fact, we are quite close.”

  “Then the condition is that you have to invite him or her to join us.”

  “Why?”

  “I have a business proposition I’d like to pitch to him, or her.”

  He pulled in her hand and kissed her knuckles. “Done.”

  “Done?” She snapped her fingers that were dangling off his shoulder. “Just like that? Shouldn’t you ask them first?”

  “He’ll agree. No worries.”

  He? Good to know she had to impress a male.

  This was probably Dustin’s way of making sure she wouldn’t cancel out. But without a definite “yes” from the owner, she ran the risk of being alone with him. It was worth taking.