The house was quiet; the only sounds were the two dogs snoring in their beds. One of them, Scamp, lifted its head and gave a soft bark of acknowledgement.
She had already grabbed her small purse when Tobias came out of the bedroom. He’d pulled on his sweatpants.
With tussled hair and a bare chest, he was breathtakingly tempting. “Be careful driving back.”
“Like you care. If I wrapped my car around a tree, you’d probably have a barbecue to celebrate.”
The edges of his lips twitched as he understood what she was doing. “Yeah, I’d get out my guitar and play, Ding Dong the Witch is Dead.”
“Kiss my ass.” Tori went to the door and yanked it open.
“Been there, done that.”
She huffed and closed the door firmly behind her.
Tori drove about a mile down the road before she was forced to pull over. Sobs racked her body. He was going to get married. Tobias Hamilton was going to move and would be gone from her life forever.
Chapter Seven
It was a windy day, which meant Mindy had to hold down her skirt with both hands as she made her way to Eric’s front door. This was quite bold of her, but after a week of being ignored, it was time to find out what the problem between them was.
Just like a man to avoid a situation instead of just talking it out. Although she was emotionally invested and already cared for him, that didn’t mean she wasn’t realistic. Sometimes situations changed.
Circumstances and feelings changed all the time and there wasn’t anything that could be done about it. However, being they lived in a small town and would be seeing each other regularly, it was best not to have it be an awkward thing.
Eric lived two streets over from main on a quiet side street. His house was an unassuming one-story ranch house with a garage and a very well-maintained front lawn.
She knocked three times and then put her arm straight down in an attempt to keep her A-line skirt from blowing up and exposing her rear to the world.
Wearing a tank top and sweats, Eric opened the door. His eyes narrowed at first against the brightness of the sun and then widened upon seeing her.
“Hey. Come in.” He moved back and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting company.”
She noticed there were socks on the floor next to the couch and an open magazine, but other than that, the room was neat.
“I was about to pour myself a glass of soda. Do you want some?” He motioned to the kitchen.
So far, he didn’t act awkward. A bit surprised she’d stop by, but other than that, he seemed relaxed. Interesting. “Sure, I’ll take a Coke if you have one.”
“What brings you to my door, pretty lady?” he asked, placing a filled glass of soda on the counter next to where she stood.
She cleared her throat. “Why have you been avoiding me?”
Eric was tall and muscular, a striking physique that seemed to run in the Hamilton family. Every one of them, even Ernest, who was more the athletic build, had amazing bodies. She’d met Luke and Tobias’ sister once and, although svelte, she, too, was blessed with an amazing body.
While he seemed to ponder her question, Mindy allowed her gaze to linger on his chest. Eric was a quiet guy, shy and reserved. But he seemed at ease with her since they’d been on several dates, one where their make-out session had become quite ardent.
“I need a clear head to make a decision.” His gaze met hers for an instant. “It’s hard to think straight when I’m around you. All I want to do is kiss you.”
Her heart skipped. So his feelings hadn’t changed. However, he didn’t seem at all happy at the moment. “What are you trying to decide?”
If he told her he might be gay, she would drive herself into a tree. His brother, Ernest, was gay and in a relationship with a really nice guy. Did that mean Eric was also homosexual? She couldn’t compete against a man or provide what he needed in a partner, so it would be no contest there.
“I was offered an opportunity for a position in Billings. It would be a promotion. I’d have to move.”
Then again, she couldn’t compete against an entire city or a better position either.
“Oh. Well that’s good news. It means they hold you in high regard.” She tried her best to sound peppy, but her tone remained flat. “Have you made a decision yet?”
Eric shook his head. “No. There’s a lot to consider. Someone would have to replace me here. My family is here and you. You’re here.”
“Me?” Heat filled her cheeks. “I don’t want to stand in the way of your career. We can always visit.” The last word came out as a whisper. Their relationship was much too new to survive long distance and they both knew it.
“Visit?” His lips twitched. “Is that what you propose?”
Eric closed the distance between them and with fingers under her chin, lifted her face. “I don’t want to visit.” He lowered and covered her mouth with his. Mindy could’ve cried at the feel of him against her as she clutched his shoulders.
She fell against him as he encircled her waist.
The feel of him brought so many sensations, Mindy could have sworn the room tilted. Parting her lips for his tongue, she couldn’t help but let a content sound escape.
He was like no other, broad, well-built and a great kisser.
“I want you, Mindy,” he whispered in her ear. “Can I make love to you?”
Mindy responded by pressing harder against him. “Yes.”
He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. It was definitely a man’s room. The bed was unmade and clothes were strewn about. There was no art on the walls, and other than the bed and two night stands, there was only a dresser.
Mindy didn’t care. All she wanted was to be with Eric.
They undressed quickly, each looking at the other and inspecting each area revealed. Eric’s gaze bored into hers and then roamed down her nude body. It felt as if he touched each spot his eyes landed.
“You’re perfect,” he said, moving closer. She had just thought the same thing about his body, but wasn’t able to speak as his mouth covered hers.
They fell onto the bed, a tangle of limbs, and he came over her, never breaking the kiss.
Although Mindy was anxious to have him inside her, she also wanted the moment to last. Lazily, she slid her hands down his broad back, enjoying the sensation of his skin under her palms.
Eric didn’t hold back when she wrapped her legs around his slender waist, he thrust in. The thickness of his erection filled her completely and it was all Mindy could do to keep from climaxing. Digging her nails into his back, she lifted her hips to match his drives, taking and giving in time.
They continued making love, nothing existing but each other.
The aroma of spices would have normally made Tori inhale deeply and smile, but this morning, she wanted to throw up. Had she really done it? Almost had sex with Tobias?
After all the years of maintaining the type of relationship that guaranteed they’d not like each other, twice they’d allowed passion to overtake all reason.
Her temples thudded and her mouth felt as if she’d stuffed it full of cotton. After returning home, she’d drunk an entire bottle of wine and then started on a second one. Now she was paying a price for two dumb things.
“Good afternoon,” Jessie called out with a bright smile. “You look like crap.”
“Thanks,” Tori said and trudged to the coffee station. “I feel like it, too. Someone slammed my head against every wall in my house and then poured sand in my mouth.”
“Wine or liquor?” Jessie asked, holding up a bottle of aspirin. “Either way, we’ve got it covered, you need to take a couple of these, have a bowl of minestrone and go sleep it off.”
True, she wasn’t going to be any good the way she was feeling and sleeping would provide a respite from having to think about what she’d done.
“Yeah. I’ll just check with Marco and see if he needs anything.”
“He just w
ent to the market, won’t be back for an hour.”
Tori lifted the dark coffee and drank it down. Although a bit too hot, she didn’t feel a need to care. “I’m going home. Call me if anything comes up.”
The dings of her cell phone woke her and Tori opened her eyes slowly. First one and then the other. No thudding, and although a bit thirsty, her mouth wasn’t as dry. She peeked at the display to find it was already three in the afternoon.
It had been a long time since she’d slept a day away.
The text was from Tobias.
Last night didn’t change things
If anything, it proved that I need to do this
I’m still getting married.
She stared at the display and typed back.
Last night was truly a mistake
I don’t care what you do
It was tempting to add the word dumbass, but she refrained. If the idiot wanted to make a mistake and end up with a second divorce, that was his choice. From now on, she’d stay out of any Hamilton issues. She wasn’t part of the family and although his mother tried to keep her in the loop, it was time to cut that tie.
She slid from the bed and went to the shower. The hot water cascading over her skin helped wash away the night of bad choices. Once done, she hurried to the bedroom and pulled on clothes; jeans and a simple t-shirt. She slid on some tennis shoes and then dug in her drawer and pulled out the engagement ring.
With a small drawstring bag tucked safely in her purse, she went out.
The Hamiltons’ home near Billings was welcoming. As soon as Mrs. Hamilton opened the door, her face brightened and she smiled warmly at Tori.
“I’m so glad to see you, come in.” Tobias’ mother was a pretty woman who always reminded Tori of being a teenager. When she started dating Tobias, she’d often spent afternoons in their kitchen. Mrs. Hamilton and her mother had been good friends and often visited each other.
Although it was nice, it made it hard to sneak off with Tobias to make out. The mothers always kept vigilant eyes, claiming they would not allow the teens to ruin their good friendship.
In the end, it had not ruined it, but made the two women closer.
“What brings you to town?” Mrs. Hamilton said, leading her to the back porch. “I was out here watering the plants and watching the hummingbirds.”
“Oh my goodness,” Tori exclaimed at noticing the four feeders. All of them had tiny birds fluttering around them. “How cute. Look at that one. Oh, over here, there are three of them.”
For a few moments, she allowed the whimsy of the moment to allow her to relax. While Mrs. Hamilton watered the plants, they talked about what was going on at Laurel Creek. Tori filled her in on the relay races and finally admitted to punching Tobias on the nose.
“He probably deserved it,” Mrs. Hamilton said with a shake of her head. “That boy has always spouted off without thinking.”
Tori met her gaze. “I apologized to him. There is never any good reason to strike another person.”
Mrs. Hamilton laughed. “You obviously didn’t grow up with boys. They punch and kick each other regularly. Even nowadays, they fight like boys in a schoolyard over every little thing. A few months ago, Luke and Ernest had a fist fight and then the twins are always giving each other a black eye or a busted lip.”
At Tori’s wide gaze, she added, “However, you are right. This is different.”
“He’s still planning to get married, Mrs. Hamilton. He told me so. So, I’ve decided to return the ring so you can give it to him to give to Mimi.”
“That’s not going to happen. I am not giving that woman the ring. I may just have it reset and gift it to Clara,” Mrs. Hamilton said, referring to her daughter. She took the proffered bag and placed it on a tabletop.
It was best not to interfere and ask why. Her heart was already broken at the decision to distance herself from the Hamiltons.
Mrs. Hamilton studied her for a moment. “What about you? It’s time for you to find a good guy and settle down.”
“I’m not sure I’ll ever find someone that I want to sacrifice my independence to,” Tori replied with a chuckle. “I like not sharing a bed.”
“I can certainly understand that,” Mrs. Hamilton said. “Especially with these Hamilton men. They are so bulky.”
Tori looked away, not wanting to think about the fact she’d shared a bed with a Hamilton just recently.
When a hand pressed down on her shoulder, she wanted to lean into the kind woman and cry. “You’ll always have us. I consider myself your aunt. Look at me.”
It was not what she wanted. This was going all wrong. How to tell her she’d decided to part ways, to not stay in touch?
The kindness in the woman’s eyes chipped at Tori’s resolve. “You have been part of our lives since you were a kid. Don’t let the fact things didn’t work our between you and Tobias and that he’s getting married change anything. Promise me.”
Shit.
Tori let out a long breath. “I will be in touch and even come visit when it’s safe. But I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to continue to invite me to family gatherings. Mimi is already demanding they move away from Laurel Creek because of me. I don’t want to cause any more problems.”
Mrs. Hamilton’s face hardened and she shook her head. “That boy only learns when he goes headfirst into a big mistake. But there’s nothing to change his mind.” Her expression suddenly changed and she dug a cell phone out of the front pocket of her pants. Holding up a finger, she dialed a number.
“Hi, Sweetheart. I’m fine. Did you get a chance to make any inquiries?”
There was a long pause as she listened to whomever she’d called. Then her eyes widened. “You should speak to my son about this.”
Again she listened and rolled her eyes. “Well, you tried. I’ll call him…or no, I think I’ll go visit the dork myself.”
She hung up and her lips curved. “Sorry about that. I remembered I had sent Eric on an errand. If I don’t call about things when I recall them, they can be lost forever.”
They laughed at the comment and although Mrs. Hamilton seemed to be at ease, something about the phone call was strange. For some reason, Tori felt as if it had something to do with her, or would affect her in some way.
Since Mrs. Hamilton didn’t offer any explanation, she tried to figure out a way to find out which son she’d spoken about. “Is Luke in some kind of trouble?”
“Oh, goodness no. Leah has been a godsend. My Luke has been improving steadily. He still goes to see a counselor on a weekly basis, mind you, but the improvement in him mostly has to do with Leah.”
Tori was genuinely glad to hear it. “That’s great. They make a great couple.”
“Yes, they do,” Mrs. Hamilton said, studying her. “So do Allison and Taylor. Now to find you a Mr. Wonderful.”
What was it about parents and their relentless desire to match people up? “Don’t suggest Eric. He’s infatuated with Mindy, the woman who owns the coffee shop.”
“I heard,” Mrs. Hamilton said. “He’s got a job offer to move. I think to either Helena or Billings, I forget. Anyway, if he takes it, I’m not sure how it will affect those two.”
Her heart broke for Mindy. “I wonder if he’s told her yet. I don’t want to break the news if he hasn’t.”
“I certainly hope so.” Mrs. Hamilton picked up the watering can and began to water the plants again. “Did you know, my nephew, Alex, is moving to Laurel Creek? He’s divorced. Tobias invited him to come out to the ranch, get a fresh start.”
“No, no, no,” Tori held up her hands as if stopping traffic. “Don’t even think about saying anything to this Alex about me. I am not interested in dating any Hamilton.”
Mrs. Hamilton laughed. “Tobias ruined you.”
Before heading back to Laurel Creek, Tori went shopping and then treated herself to an expensive meal. The day turned out quite lovely. If she were to be honest, it was a great distraction from what awaited at Lau
rel Creek.
There was the restaurant to deal with. Marco had spoken to her about becoming a partner and was more than prepared to help more with the business aspect. She needed to hire another server or two as they had discussed expanding to the empty space next door.
With the money from the partnership, Tori could pay for her portion of the expansion and then treat herself to a trip to Hawaii.
Things were moving in a good direction businesswise. As far as her personal life, that was a different story. She decided to join a dating website and start dating. It was time to live. As far as Tobias, she could possibly speak to him about keeping their distance.
Nah, it was probably just best to ignore him until he got the hint.
A song came on the car radio and she cranked the volume up. As she sang with the song, a weight lifted from her shoulders. It was time to take control of the future, not worry about the things she couldn’t control.
She was single, had good friends and a thriving business. The only thing missing was a dog. Her lips curved as she headed to the local shelter, which was actually a small ranch on the outskirts of Laurel Creek, where a couple fostered animals.
Chapter Eight
Mindy couldn’t believe it. After years of not dating and months of tension between her and Eric, he was leaving. He’d not confirmed it but, in her gut, she could feel the separation between them.
He’d been more than gracious when she’d gone over to his place. Had chatted and they’d made love, but there was definitely a wall.
The bell over the door rang and for two days now, each time, her stomach flipped. It wasn’t Eric.
Taylor, the town’s sheriff, walked in. His muscular build seeming to shrink the interior of her shop. He stopped at a table and spoke to a couple of women and then came to the counter.
His hazel gaze met hers for a moment before moving to the espresso machine. “I need extra caffeine in my coffee today.” Lips curving into a smile made it obvious why he did. Obviously he and Allison had enjoyed each other’s company.
Ruined: Tobias Page 6
