Hook, Line, and Sinker

by Shirley Holder Platt

  "It's open. Are you happy now? What do you want?" Her anger was like a wall that he couldn't break.

  "I want you to tell me what I should have done. We were about to lose everything you'd worked so hard for. I jumped in and saved it. I thought you'd be happy. Your commission is intact, the town gets jobs, Walsh will talk you up. What did I do that was so wrong? And don't storm off like that. I hate that. Women are always doing that to me. I thought you were different." He ran out of steam, stuck his hands in his pockets, and waited for her to respond.

  She stepped back.

  "Come in."

  He did as she said, and she closed the door behind him quietly.

  "I thought that you thought that I was incapable of handling the situation, so you went around me." She sat on the arm of her couch, refusing to look at him. He watched as she chewed the inside of her mouth.

  "No way. I didn't think that at all. I just went into overdrive to get the problem solved. That's what men do. We like to solve problems, especially if it'll help our women." He'd walked to her side and put his hand on her back. He began rubbing his hand in soothing circles. He knew he was getting through to her when she leaned into his side.

  "Am I your woman?"

  "Hell, yes. What do you think I've been doing? I'm not in this for your cooking, that's for certain."

  "I'm an idiot." She laid her head against his stomach.

  "You're the smartest woman I know. Don't talk about yourself like that. Anyway, they have lessons for cooking. You can always learn." He wanted desperately to lighten the mood in the room. He lifted her chin, saw pain in her grass-green eyes, and was sure any man could lose himself in those eyes. He took her hands in his and lifted her.

  "Sorry?" she asked. She swallowed audibly. Zeke knew how difficult it was to apologize and loved her even more for it.

  "Nothing to be sorry for. It was a simple misunderstanding, that's all." He bent to kiss her. When she wound her arms around his neck, he sighed with relief. They were good together. He reveled in the feel of her warm skin on his. When she moaned, he scooped her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom.

  "I want to see you take those shorts off. I've fantasized about you like this for years." He sat on the bed, and she stood between his legs. She unbuttoned the top of her shorts and slid the zipper down slowly. When he saw the bright orange color, he almost lost control.

  "You undo me," was all he could get out before her mouth was on his, and she'd pushed him back onto the bed and crawled on top of him.

  "I guess this means you forgive me?" he asked afterward.

  "I guess. But next time something like that happens, you will call me." She emphasized her point by poking her finger on his chest.

  "Tarzan hear Jane," he said. He'd succeeded in making her laugh. All was right again.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  It rained all the next weekend. Sophie and Zeke used the weather as an excuse to stay in bed anytime they weren’t eating. They lay together watching television Sunday afternoon. Sophie thought Cleopatra had never had it so good when Zeke popped a grape into her mouth. She watched him fight to keep his eyes open as one of her favorite Rom-com movies neared the end. When the show was over, he was snoring lightly. She slipped off the couch and padded across the floor to the shower. She jumped when Zeke pulled the curtain aside and stepped in with her. Their love-making was slow, sweet, and very slippery. He washed her hair, and she scrubbed his back. She’d never been in a shower with a man. She wanted to do it again, as soon as possible, and she told him so.

  He leaned down for a kiss and mumbled something she couldn’t quite catch.

  “Say that again? I couldn’t understand you.” She ran her hands through his hair, massaging his head, then neck, relishing the warmth of his body.

  “I said, I’m falling for you, woman. Pay attention.” He slapped her bottom playfully, and she jumped.

  “Don’t make me laugh when you’re professing your love.” Her playful tone hid the feelings his words had set off in her body. Her heart beat faster.

  “I’m serious. I meant what I said. I also like touching your butt.” He nibbled on her earlobe as she reached to turn off the water. He pinched her left cheek, and she swatted at his hand. She couldn’t stop giggling at his antics.

  “I’m crazy about you, too,” she said. “Crazy me in love with a Hart. My family will kill me.” She tsk-tsked and shook her head, still thinking the whole thing incredible. She slid the curtain open and took two towels off the nearby hooks. She used one to dry her hair and handed the other to Zeke. She didn’t see his eyes as she stepped out of the tub, so she continued talking, unaware of the hurt she inflicted.

  “Pops, especially. I’ve heard Malloy versus Hart stories my whole life.” She wrapped the towel around her torso and turned, surprised by his stillness.

  “Why does he hate us?”

  “It was a long time ago. Your great-grandfather put a fence on my great-grandfather’s property or something like that. The Malloy family has held the position for years that your family stole from us, named the town after themselves, even though we were here first, and are money-grubbers extraordinaire. And don’t look at me like that. I’m simply telling you what we’re up against. It’s not like I hold the grudge. Water under the bridge and all that.” She began combing the tangles out of her hair, still oblivious to his feelings.

  “I think that’s a lot of hooey,” he said as he walked past her toward the bedroom.

  “Hooey?”

  “Yeah. Harts don’t steal.” The firm set of his jaw told her she’d struck a chord.

  “I didn’t say you stole anything. It was all a long time ago.” His whole body clenched. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she shut up.

  “But you think my great-granddaddy did?”

  She raised her shoulders and eyebrows but didn’t say anything.

  “Let’s talk about something else. I don’t like you thinking bad things about my family. Sure, my father is a class-A nut job, but his meanness is usually only directed at my brothers and me. He’s done a lot for the town.” The pride in his voice overrode the resentment she usually heard when he spoke of his father. She made a mental note to avoid the topic of family feuds until they decided to go public with their affair. If they ever did. She was sure it wouldn’t last. No one had ever stayed interested in her for more than a few months. She might throw the L word around lightly, but she kept the walls up to guard her heart. When he called it off, she’d survive just fine.

  “How about food? I’m starving,” she said.

  “Shall I get a pizza from Mabel?” He picked up his phone and began searching for the number to call in an order.

  “Sounds like a plan.” She pulled the towel off and walked past him toward the closet. He snagged her around the waist and kissed her shoulder. As he bent lower, she pushed him away.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re insatiable, and you’re wearing me out,” she said. “Give a girl a break. I’d like to have clothes on when the pizza is delivered.”

  “Heck, that’ll be at least twenty minutes. Lots could happen in that amount of time.”

  “Could is the operative word here,” she said.

  “Oh, come on.” He’d dropped his towel, and his readiness was apparent.

  “Didn’t your mom teach you that when a woman says no, she means it? Put your clothes on, bubba.” She picked his jeans up off the floor where he’d left them and tossed them to him.

  Sophie convinced Zeke to pull his truck to the back before the pizza delivery. He complained but did as she asked. When the bell rang, she made sure the delivery guy couldn’t see past her into the living room where Zeke waited on the couch.

  All her senses were heightened. Hunger was only one, but she ate ravenously. She’d never smelled a pizza that made her mouth water as much as the one they ate together. His leg against hers as they sat on the couch felt electric. His laughter made her heart skip a beat. She wanted the
weekend to last forever.

  His cell phone rang out with a country tune.

  “That’s Nat,” he said after a quick glance. He hit the button to ignore the call.

  “Don’t you want to know what he’s calling about?”

  “He’ll leave a message. I’ll check in a minute.” They were watching her DVDs of Game of Thrones since Zeke had missed the entire series despite all the hub-bub.

  “When do we get dragons?” She hadn’t known the man loved fantasy movies. She had an extensive collection and couldn’t wait to share them with him.

  “Patience, grasshopper,” she said alluding to an old television show they’d discussed earlier.

  “You promised dragons.”

  When the show ended, he checked his phone for messages.

  “One of the dogs bit him. He wanted to whine. He probably called Gabe when I didn’t answer.” He tossed the phone down and stood to stretch. Her mouth watered as his tee-shirt rode up and revealed his toned body. She ached to touch him again.

  “Are you sure he’s all right? That’s scary. What kind of dog? Where did it bite him? What did he put on it? Is he current on his vaccinations?”

  He held his hand out to stop her.

  “I told you all I know,” he said. His lack of concern made Sophie worry more.

  “You need to call. What if he needs your help?” She was standing and started pacing the room, chewing the inside of her mouth.

  “Stop worrying. Nat’s a big boy. Come back here.” He curled his finger in a come-hither gesture.

  “Really? Is that how you guys operate? If I called Sean and told him I needed help, he’d be here in a New York minute.”

  “Yeah, but Nat didn’t ask for help.”

  “He kind of did, don’t you think?” She couldn’t understand Zeke at this moment.

  “Nah. If he needs me, he’ll call back.” She imagined Nat lying on the floor, frothing at the mouth, his body contorting in pain.

  “But…”

  Zeke stood and took her in his arms.

  “You can’t kiss everything away,” she said.

  “Watch me.”

  Later, when she remembered the phone call and their discussion, she promised herself that she wouldn’t let Zeke distract her from important talks by kissing her silly. And she meant it, at the time.

  Sunday evening, they stood at her back door, gazing at the sunset, wrapped up in each other’s arms. The buzzing of mosquitoes convinced them to stay inside, and she was happy that the air conditioner was working. Zeke’s body temperature was warmer than hers, and she loved feeling the heat radiating from him as he held her. She nuzzled his neck contentedly.

  “I’d better go,” he said after the sun disappeared, and the lingering light faded away.

  “See you in the morning?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said. He kissed her lips and walked out the back toward his truck. She watched him go, thinking what a fine specimen of a man he was. He looked back, and she waved and blew a kiss. Exhausted, she fell asleep before the ten o’clock news.

  ##

  She stopped at Rainy’s for her morning jolt of caffeine on Monday. Rainy poured her usual drink without asking for her order. She seemed distracted.

  “Is something wrong?” Sophie asked as she took the plastic lid off and sipped her drink.

  “You didn’t hear?” Rainy stayed tuned into the town’s gossip line. She was told or had overhead, almost every new thing that happened before most people ate breakfast.

  “Hear what? I went to bed early, and I didn’t watch the news this morning.” The drink was too hot, so she put the lid back on tightly.

  “Nat got bit by a dog they think has rabies. They’re testing it today. He’s already gotten the first shot.” She shook as if the thought gave her the willies.

  “I told Zeke it might be bad,” Sophie said before thinking. She quickly looked away when Rainy raised her eyebrows.

  “You were with Zeke again? Aren’t you two getting cozy? I wouldn’t have put you together in a million years, the way you’re always going off on those guys. What changed?”

  “It’s just a fling. Don’t go making a big deal out of it.” She picked up her cup, laid cash on the counter, pulled her purse strap over her shoulder, and left before her friend could get any nosier. She drove to work, wondering how many people had seen Zeke’s truck in her driveway before she asked him to move it. What was he thinking of when he parked out front like that? Did he want the whole town talking about them? Word was sure to get back to her brother. He’d keep his mouth shut, but what if one of her dad’s friends saw and spilled the beans? She needed to be careful in the future. Dating a Hart was grounds for being disowned in her family.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Zeke dropped by his brother's before going to work the next day. He'd acted casual in front of Sophie, but he wanted to see for himself that his brother had suffered only a small bite and wasn't severely injured. He'd thought Nat would have called from the hospital if that had been the case.

  "It was a false alarm. I didn't need the first shot, but what's done is done." Nat rubbed the area around his bandaged hand as he spoke but didn't seem upset. He took most things in his stride, and this was no different. Zeke would've been furious if it had happened to him.

  "Does it hurt much?"

  "Not too bad. I've only taken a couple of acetaminophen tablets. Didn't need any this morning."

  "Tell me what happened. What made you think it was rabies?" He was relieved and glad he'd stopped by before going into the office. Nat looked none the worse for wear.

  "The woman was trouble from the get-go. She came in with a baby on her hip, a toddler holding her hand, and a Chow Chow followed her, unleashed. The baby was crying, the toddler was screaming, and the dog was barking, so the woman was distracted. I held out my hand for a shake, and the dog thought I was attacking. He came at me like lightning. She'd given the toddler permission to hold the leash. While they were still in the car, her kid fed the dog a fizzy candy. I thought it was frothing at the mouth. Stupid, now that I have time to think about it. The froth was pink. I haven't had a dog bite in ages. This one was bad; it broke the skin. Scared the holy crap out of me."

  "I can see why." Zeke wanted to see under the bandage but thought it would be immature to ask his brother to unwrap the wound, so he resisted the urge to ask.

  "I fired the client before we had a chance to get started. I don't need that kind of drama in my life."

  "Did she pay for the shot?"

  "Hell no. The crazy woman didn't even give her kid a talk, blamed me for the whole incident. People never cease to amaze me." He shook his head.

  "Moms and their kids. Go figure. Did the shot hurt?" Zeke had a secret fear of needles.

  "Just a little sore today." He rubbed the spot on his arm and picked at the bandage on his hand. "I feel like a fool. If word gets around that a dog got that out of control at my place, it will be horrible for business."

  "Oh, word will get around. You know how this town works."

  "Thanks for the encouragement."

  "Anytime. Well, now that I've got you straightened out, guess I'll go on to the office and see what I can do for them." Zeke set the half-empty mug of coffee in the sink. His brother made terrible coffee. He'd only accepted the cup out of common courtesy, but he didn't have to drink the stuff.

  "Don't forget your superhero cape on the way out," Nat said.

  "Not to worry. My powers work with or without it." Zeke saluted as he left. He was relieved to know his brother would be fine. As for the dog training business taking a hit, he was sure his brother's reputation would survive this incident.

  Since Sophie had been so worried, he called to update her.

  "Fizzy candy?" she asked. Zeke could hear her incredulity seeping through the phone.

  "Yep. Crazy, huh?"

  "People." She didn't elaborate, but he nodded as if she could see him.

  "See you at the o
ffice later?" he asked.

  "Yes, I'm on the way in now, and Zeke?"

  "What?"

  "I'm glad you went by to see Nat."

  "Me too. I've got another errand to run. Catch you later." Zeke disconnected and drove to the local library. The librarian was the same woman who'd worked there when he was a kid. Her hair was gray now, but she still wore glasses with a chain to hold them when she took them off, and she always had a smile for him when he came in. He tipped his head and returned her smile.

  "Mrs. Temple," he said by way of greeting.

  "Ezekiel Hart. I've not seen you in a coon's age." She had never called him by his nickname. She used his brother's full names, too. It made him smile. Since everyone called him Zeke, using his full name felt like a term of endearment.

  "What can I help you find?" She was one of the kindest persons he'd run across in his thirty-two years of existence. She also happened to be as sharp as a tack and knew the ins and outs of research like nobody's business.

  "I'm looking for information from back when the town was established, or before. Do you know when they first printed the newspaper here?"

  "Let me see," she said as she tapped her chin with a finger and looked at the ceiling. "I believe it was established in 1880. Why?"

  "I'd like to see if there were any articles about a disputed land boundary between the Harts and Malloys."

  "We can look," she said, "but you might have better luck with county records. I guess it would depend on how publicly contentious the issue became. I've often wondered why there was bad blood between your families. Let's take a look at the microfiche. Do you remember how to use it if I pull the old rolls for you?