“Okay. You’ve never lied to me so I guess that’s something.”
He nodded. “And I’ll get the car back, sweetheart. I swear.”
“Who has it?”
His eyes slid toward a corner of the living space.
“Dad.” She stood in front of him, waiting for him to raise his head. When he did, she stared down at him. “Who has it.”
“A guy out in Kissimmee. Runs one of the classic car shows.”
“You met him at Old Town Village.”
It wasn’t a question and Cally didn’t pretend to think about his answer. He just nodded again.
“I want his name.”
“You can’t contact him, Claire. What will he think?”
“I don’t give a shit what he thinks, Dad. I want my car back.”
“Your car?”
“Yes, my car. I love that car. I want it back. I should have changed the registration and title to my name when we left Melbourne.”
“I earned that car.”
“No. You won that car. Not gambling, for once in your life though. Still, it’s mine now and I’m getting it back.”
Cally stood, his shoulders slumped, and took out his wallet. Thumbing through the worn leather, he withdrew a business card. “The guy’s name is Monty. He’s a good guy. He takes numbers on the side. Races, too. Sort of like a mobile OTB.”
“Sounds like a king among men,” Claire grumbled as she took the card. “I’m going to get in touch with him and try to buy the car back.”
“But it’s worth so much! How will you afford it?”
“How will I afford it? How the hell should I know?” She turned to leave, then faced him one more time. “You sure picked a funny time to worry about how I can afford things, Dad.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know.” She breathed in and let it out in a rush. “Home, I guess.” She pointed at him. “You’re not leaving this property, do you hear me? And if you pull anything before I straighten this out you’re on your own.”
She didn’t wait for his apology or his explanation this time. She stomped down the steps and got back behind the wheel of her very practical, very boring Prius. She turned the ignition and faced the car back toward Cypress Corners.
And cried the whole way home.
***
Jake ached all over, but he felt pretty damn good. Nearly all the infrastructure was ready and the finish grading would be done by midweek. Then the equipment could be installed the next week and assembly would fly. He knew how this worked. The slow part was just about finished and soon he’d be testing the courses and making sure they were safe. And having a blast while he was doing it.
He took a shower as the sun was starting to set, then pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved T. Harmony was a doll to let him do his laundry at their house, and he took her up on it a couple of times a week. He grabbed up his dirty work clothes and shoved them in his laundry duffle, planning on toting it along when he stopped by to visit Rick and the family tomorrow. Tonight was Saturday night though, and he had one thought on his mind at the moment. Claire.
It had been weird this morning. She’d been her usual self. Not demanding or whiney or anything. Yet he’d felt himself pushing her away even as she was obviously trying to ease his worries about the project. He’d stopped just short of being a prick, but barely. Now that he felt better about the progress he’d made, and that his rotten dinner with Bill and Tiffany was a little further in the past, he could concentrate on what he and Claire were good at: making each other feel good and leaving the emotional stuff out of it.
He thought about her at odd times, though. Thought about her both in and out of bed. She was funny and sweet. She was strong and determined. She was caring and a good friend. He never had woman friends. She’d hit the nail on the head with that one. She felt like a friend, though.
She’d listened to him when he talked about his mother and what she went through after Bill left them. She’d sat through dinner with his nightmare of a father and stepmother and lived to tell the tale. He would just admit to himself that he liked hanging out with her. He’d leave the rest of it alone. He was leaving soon anyway.
When he got to Claire’s house he saw the Prius parked at the curb. He was sure she’d drive the T-bird back from her dad’s today. She loved that car and looked so damn hot in it. Getting out of the Jeep, he walked up to her front door and rang the bell. Then rang it again.
Nothing. There was a light on inside. Through the frosted glass he could see it and figured it was one of the table lamps in the living room. He knocked on the door then.
“Claire?”
He heard a muffled reply from inside, then a click as she threw the lock on the door. She didn’t open it.
“It’s open.”
Turning the knob, he opened the door. She’d retreated to the couch, curled up on one side.
“What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
“No.” Her voice was flat and thick.
He studied her. She was in her pajamas and, from the rumpled look of them, she’d been in them all day.
“Did you go see your dad today?”
She lifted her head a little, then gave a harsh laugh. “Oh, yeah. I saw him.”
He had no idea what was wrong, but something definitely was. Sitting down near her feet, he placed a hand on her leg. “Claire, what’s going on?”
“What’s going on,” she repeated. “Hmm.” Coming to a seated position, she scrubbed her hands over her face and turned to him. “My father lost it.”
He shook his head. In the dim light he could see that she’d been crying. Her hair was in a tangled ponytail and her eyes looked a little puffy. “Lost it?”
“Yep.” She sniffed and folded her legs under her. “He gambled with it and lost it.”
“What?”
“The car, Jake. He lost the Thunderbird.” She swallowed audibly. “My Thunderbird. And for what he owes the guy who has it now, I don’t know if I can ever buy it back.”
Jake’s heart broke for her. There was something more here, though. More than just a car. “What happened, baby?”
She took in a shuddering breath. “Reality, Jake. Reality bit me hard on the butt today and I can’t ignore it any longer.”
“What reality?”
“My dad is an addict. A gambling addict, but an addict just the same.”
Her words didn’t make sense but he guessed this had happened before. Often enough that she scrimped and saved and handled everything for her father.
“But you’ll get it back. I know it.”
“Oh, I will. It will take a huge chunk of my savings and put a big damper on my Christmas, but what am I going to do?”
Jake went to wrap his arms around her but she pulled away.
“Don’t.”
“Why not?” Jake stroked her arm. “I want to make you feel better.”
She faced him, her eyes so very sad he felt it in his gut.
“You can’t. I have to do this myself. Like I’ve always done. Like I always will.”
A coldness settled over him. “What are you saying?”
“This,” she waved a hand between them. “This is over, Jake. Whatever fun we were having, I just don’t have the luxury of indulging myself any longer.”
“Now, wait a minute.”
“No. You’re leaving in a couple of weeks anyway. Why put off the inevitable?”
His mouth fell open. “Because I like being with you. And you like being with me.”
A half-smile lifted a corner of her mouth. “Yeah, I do. But I was a fool to think it was anything more than that.”
“More than what?”
“More than scratching an itch, Jake. I got distracted by the hot guy wanting me for once. I threw my usual caution to the wind. Like an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. You’re the smartest woman I know.”
“Yeah, yeah. The money mind of Cypress. That’s me.”
&n
bsp; That flat tone was back in her voice. “That’s not what I meant.”
“Look, Jake. It’s been fun.” That smile was back but it was sadder still. “A lot of fun. But it’s over.”
He sat there like he’d fallen off a bridge without a bungee. “You’re serious.”
“Dead serious. I’m sorry.”
Just like that, the door slammed shut on whatever this was between them. Now there was nothing but cordiality and a polite good bye.
He came to his feet. “Okay.” He didn’t have to be told twice. Okay, he did but maybe not more than twice. “I’ll go. You know how to reach me.”
“For a booty call? Nope. Not going to happen.”
He reached the front door and faced her. “Why not?” he had to know.
“Because if I’m going to quit you I have to do it cold turkey.”
He guessed that was something. He’d have a damn hard time quitting her. That was for sure.
Chapter 22
“Damn it!” Jake growled and threw the tangled harness to the ground.
“Easy, bro.”
He whipped his head around to see Rick walking toward him. His brother appeared casual but Jake saw the concern on his face.
“I’m just having a little trouble with this harness.”
“Yeah?” Rick came closer and reached down to pick up the mass of straps and webbing. “Is it not to your specs?”
Jake blew out a breath and nodded. “Yeah, it’s to my specs. I just can’t get the damn thing untangled.”
Rick made a show of looking at the equipment arrayed on the crates. “How’s the rest of the stuff?”
“Fine,” Jake snapped. He immediately cooled. “Sorry, Rick. This has been a bitch trying to get everything ready early.”
“Ready for what? The official opening isn’t until the end of the year.”
Jake nodded. “I know, but I wanted to get this thing up and running faster than that.”
“Why?”
The question hung in the air between the brothers but Jake kept his mouth shut tight. A realization dawned in Rick’s eyes, though. And it just pissed Jake off all the more.
“God, tell me you’re not killing yourself for Bill.”
Jake cursed and stalked into the shed that would serve as a base of operations. The computers had yet to arrive and there were boxes of brochures and equipment everywhere in here, but he didn’t see it. He just envisioned it as he wanted it to be. Finished and buzzing with activity.
Rick followed him and Jake was grateful they were alone for the time being. His big brother was going to lay something big on him and Jake was in no mood for an audience when he told him to fuck off.
“Don’t do this, man,” Rick said. “Don’t try to please that son-of-a-bitch.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
The words were biting but they lacked the force Jake had hoped for. Rick didn’t even flinch.
“I know his games. Did he challenge you? Tell you there was no way you’d meet the deadline for the opening? He’s playing mind games, Jake. Like he always does.”
Jake settled back against the counter and crossed his arms, hoping he looked a little more relaxed than he felt. There was a bunch of bees buzzing in his head, rapidly moving to his stomach. He wouldn’t let his brother see that, though.
“This has nothing to do with Bill.”
When Rick raised a brow, Jake cursed again. “All right, it has a little bit to do with Bill. But it’s on me, Rick. I’m the one who wants to get this thing open and running.”
“To prove to him that you can do it? Shit, you don’t have to prove anything to him.”
Jake pulled his gaze away from his brother’s. “That’s easy for you to say. You got the hell out of there.”
“And I couldn’t be a happier man.”
Jake shrugged off his brother’s words, but he didn’t need them to know Rick was a damn sight happier with his life now.
“Yeah well, I don’t have a loving woman and an amazing kid. You have every reason to be happy.”
“And you’re just a poor guy who can bed any woman he wants. I’m crying for you.”
“Not any woman I want.”
Jake bit his tongue but the words were out there now. He heard Rick take a few more steps toward him but couldn’t look him in the face.
“You miss her.”
“Who?” Jake asked as he faced Rick. “Claire? Hey, she’s the one who ended it. We were just having fun anyway.”
“If you say so.”
“She said so, man. Not me.”
“And did you argue with her?”
“What the hell for? I wasn’t going to convince her to keep up our couch calisthenics until I left for good.”
“Couch what?”
Jake waved a hand. “Never mind. What we had was good but now it’s over. It’s what she wanted and I’m fine with it.”
“Yeah, you look fine.”
“Maybe I just need to get laid.”
Rick gave him a half-smile. “If you say so.”
“Stop saying that,” Jake growled. “Now if you’re finished, Mr. Lonely Hearts, I have work to do .”
Rick pulled back at his outburst, but shrugged in that easy-but-not-so-easy way he had and turned to go. “The courses look great, by the way.”
“Thanks. I’m going to test out some of the apparatus this week.”
Rick turned with a jerk. “So soon? Have they been inspected?”
“The inspections will come when the courses are complete. I just want to try out some of the bridges and running trails. Maybe climb a wall or two.”
“Be careful, man. You’re my only brother.”
Now Jake gave him a wide grin. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I have nine lives.”
Rick snorted and walked out of the shed. “Well then maybe you should trying living one of them like a grownup.”
Jake flipped him the finger even though he knew Rick wouldn’t see it. He slammed his hand down on the counter and went back outside to sort through the harnesses.
Maybe he’d go for a hard run through the wilder parts of the courses. That would burn up some energy and help clear his mind. He missed Claire, but he wasn’t going to admit that to his brother. It was bad enough that when they’d been dating Rick and Harmony had practically hummed the wedding march every time they went over to their house. It wasn’t what Claire wanted. No. That wasn’t why she kicked him out of her bed. He could guess the real reason.
He wasn’t worth the trouble of trying to work out whatever they had. He was a good lay. He was a good time. It was what he always shot for and he’d hit the target big time with the pretty redhead. If he missed the talks and the laughs, that was just his too bad. He’d find another girl to share more than sex with.
It didn’t escape him that he’d never found one before Claire, though.
“Mr. Chapman, did you need something?” Jim, one of the construction guys, asked him.
“What?” Jake saw that Jim stood over near one of the smaller climbing walls. A warm-up wall, set not far from the shed and meant to give visitors a taste before committing to the adventure. “No, man. Just thinking.”
Jim nodded and looked over at one of the bridges stretching across the other side of the lake. Jake followed his gaze. The bridge was thirty feet above the lake and, if the weather was bad, they’d have to close down that portion.
“Have you run the bridges yet?” Jim asked.
Jake shook his head. “No, man. Not yet, but I’m dying to.”
Jim laughed. “Dying is right. You’d never get me up there.”
“Ah, come on.” Jake grinned at him. “It’s only thirty feet.”
“Yeah. Thirty feet over rough terrain or the lake full of gators.”
“Animal control is going to check for alligators.”
“Still. No way I’m going up there.”
“I can’t wait to give it a go.”
Jim just chuckled and went back to checking
the braces on the climbing wall. Jake knew this course by heart and that bridge fell right at the three mile marker. Not too far into the run that a participant might be too winded to make it across yet still far enough to challenge them if they weren’t used to the physical test.
It looked graceful and smooth, and it was. For the most part. It also swayed with the number of other runners making their way across and the movement became more marked during a heavily-participated race. Jake had emails from several obstacle-running clubs who wanted to be among the first groups to try it out but Jake couldn’t risk signing off on anyone giving it a go just yet. Not until he himself tried every nook and cranny of this course and made sure it was safe.
After all, he knew just how to make it more of a challenge for a guy like himself. A guy who threw himself into the risk for the thrill of it.
With Claire out of his bed and out of his life, it seemed like that was all the thrill he was going to get until he got the hell out of Cypress Corners.
***
Claire dragged herself out of bed on yet another lonely Sunday. More than two weeks had passed since her world had blown apart. Two hectic, hellish weeks during which she’d done everything she could to secure the money to start to pay the guy back for the Thunderbird. More than once she’d told herself she was an idiot to be going so far out on a limb for a car but it was more than that to her. It was everything.
Yes, it was the principle of the thing but it was more than that, too. It was her pretty little car and it held fond memories for her. Memories of her mom and dad when they were happier. Of her and Jake when she was taking things in the moment for once in her life. It was her damn car and she was going to get it back. What else did she have in her life anyway?
Tammy had asked her what was wrong again and again, until finally giving up and taking Claire at her word that everything was okay. She was really a good friend and never mentioned Jake or the fact that it was obvious she wasn’t dating him anymore. Mr. Forbes had asked about Jake only once before Tammy put an end to that line of questioning with a swift change of subject. Another point in Tammy’s favor.
Claire dreaded someone asking her outright just what the heck had happened. She had no reason to give should someone ask her. She’d given up hot sex with a great guy for what? To soothe her ego? To keep herself safe? God, that last one was the straw to the camel’s back for her.
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