Showered and dressed in his blue work pants and shirt with Veteran’s Plumbing embroidered above the pocket, he sat at the table and lifted the steaming cup of coffee Graciella set in front of him, breathing deeply of the fragrant brew. “Sweetheart, you make the best coffee. Thanks for breakfast.”
Graciella smiled briefly and sat across from him.
Santos dug into his syrupy waffle with gusto and poked a large piece into his mouth.
The vague feeling of unease returned. Something had changed from the time he’d left for his run and now. “Is something wrong, baby?”
Her eyes opened wide and she answered too fast. “No! Why?”
“You seem awfully quiet.”
She shook her head. “I must have been preoccupied. Everything is fine. I, uh, was thinking of making a grocery list, so I could go to the store and pick up a few things, you know, for the park tomorrow.”
“Good idea. The best place to check is probably the Wal-Mart in Simi. Do you know where it is?”
“Yes, Santos and I have been there a couple of times. What should I buy?”
“The practice is after lunch and we don’t have anything organized yet, so maybe a couple of boxes of granola bars, some individual bags of trail mix, and a lot of bottled water. You and the other moms can talk about how you want to handle it for the rest of summer.” He put his hand on hers. “Look, baby, don’t go to a lot of trouble or worry that you’re getting the right snacks. It’s just a bunch of sweaty kids trying out for baseball.”
Santos grinned through a mouthful of food. “Mama worries about everything, Macfearsome.”
Cluny laughed. “I’m beginning to see that.”
“Oh, stop it, you two.” Graciella waved her hands. “I do not.”
They finished breakfast on a more cheery note. Cluny put down his napkin and carried his dish to the sink. “Walk out to the van with me, OK?”
She glanced at him with a tight smile and nodded. “Santos, I put some towels in the bathroom off the hall. When you finish, take a shower and put on clean clothes.”
“OK, Mama.”
Cluny grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys and took her hand. He led her out the front door and across the lawn to his company van and opened the driver’s door so Queen could jump inside. He smoothed his hands on her upper arms. “What’s bothering you? Something happened between the time I left for my run and when I got back.”
She shook her head. “Nothing, I…”
“No. Please don’t deny it. Talk to me.” He was shocked to see tears fill her eyes. “Baby, what is it?” He wrapped his arms around her and lowered his cheek to the top of her head. His chest in a vise, he could barely breathe, but he sucked in air when her arms went around him. “I can’t stand to see you cry, sweetheart. Was it something I said or did?”
“No.” She shook her head against his chest.
“What then?” He stepped back and studied her face. “Let’s get it in the open then we can deal with it, baby.”
She sighed. “I’m embarrassed, because it’s so silly.” She patted his chest. “I’ll get over it, don’t worry.”
“I am worried because you won’t talk about it with me.”
Her lips pressed together in a stubborn line. Cluny was afraid she wouldn’t open up. He wouldn’t push her if she refused to tell him.
“Promise me you won’t brush it off. I already admitted it was trivial.”
“I promise.”
She cleared her throat. “When I went to put away my things, I found some of Misty Beachy’s belongings in the dresser.” Her cheeks turned pink, and she put her hands to her face. “I don’t want to stay in that room, amor. I can’t.”
Up to this point he hadn’t appreciated the depth of her concern and uncertainty about his past and present relationship with Mis. He swallowed and considered his response. “Graciella, I love you so much. It kills me that you still have doubts. We can solve this.” He cupped her cheeks. “Move Santos into that room, and I’ll buy some furniture for the empty bedroom. It will be exclusively yours.”
“I can’t allow you to go to that unnecessary expense because of my insecurity, querido. I’ve made far too much of this. Go to work. We’ll talk about it later.”
“OK, but I do need to furnish some of my rooms sooner or later. This big house echoes because of so much empty space. You could help me.” He smiled to reassure her, but couldn’t know what was in her mind. All he could do was be patient while she thought over his proposal. “Queen and I’ll leave now, baby. We’ll be home around six.” He embraced her and kissed her forehead. “I love you, and only you.”
She nodded but said nothing.
Cluny stepped into the van, closed the door, and started the engine. When he looked up, she smiled and waved. He pulled out of the driveway and headed to his warehouse. It would be an intense day. His company had been subcontracted by Big D Construction, Dwayne’s outfit, for a job at a new big-box store in Spring Grove. This one contract would bring in enough money to cover his overhead for the rest of summer. He’d run his plumbing business in a way that had him set comfortably as far as finances were concerned. He was ready to expand, the main reason he’d hired Chief Ollie Williams to manage the office and handle the ongoing maintenance and service part of the business.
He drove to his warehouse in Simi Valley and arrived fifteen minutes later. At this time of day he stayed off the freeway and drove the surface streets for two reasons. He avoided the rush hour traffic going east to the San Fernando Valley and the ever-growing volume of traffic moving west and north into Ventura County. Second, he enjoyed watching the endless changing development between Spring Grove and Simi.
Dempsey had related stories about his and his two brother’s adolescence here, long before there was a Spring Grove. The unique rocky hills and center of Simi had been a country town with acres and acres of orange and lemon groves, eucalyptus wind barriers, and cattle ranches. Gunny hardly recognized his hometown when he moved back from Wyoming.
“Look, Queenie. The new bank is almost finished. Pretty soon there will be a whole new shopping area here. Not sure if I like it, but it is what it is.”
He tried to shake off his conversation with Graciella. He’d better pay close attention to her feelings about Beachy. Those loudmouths at Dempsey’s party had upset her far more than he’d realized. “I wish you could talk, Queenie. I bet you’d have plenty of good advice for me.”
She turned her majestic head and whimpered.
“By God, you understood everything I said. I’d swear to it.” He grabbed a handful of her crest and tugged, to her obvious pleasure. “I am so lucky to have you, you miraculous creature.” Touching her lightened his mood. That’s what she did for him.
Around noon, his cell sounded off. He checked the screen and Graciella’s name displayed. “Hey, baby. What’s happening?”
“Santos and I are having a burger for lunch. We picked up the snacks for tomorrow, and I thought if it was OK with you, I’d check a couple of the furniture stores and get an idea on prices for, uh, what you mentioned.”
This was a welcome surprise. “Great! Yeah, do that. In fact, I have an account at Granada Furniture on L.A. Avenue. If you see something you like, call me and I’ll talk to the manager. They do same day delivery.”
“For heaven’s sake, Cluny, I can’t buy furniture you haven’t seen.”
“Sure you can. Just take a picture of it on your phone. If I hate it, I’ll tell you, and you can select something else. Besides, the manager is a friend of mine. If I don’t want to keep it after it’s in the house, he’ll pick it up, no questions asked.”
“I don’t know.”
“Look, if you don’t want to do it that way we’ll wait until Sunday and go over there together.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure…”
“I just got to the head of the line at the City Building Permit office. Gotta go, sweetheart. I’ll call you later.” He clicked off and stepped to the counter.
/> The clerk, Gloria, said, “Sweetheart? Sounds serious, Cluny. Do I know the lucky lady?”
He leaned across the counter and pecked the motherly woman’s cheek. “Nope.”
“Careful there, blue-eyes. The others in line might suspect me of showing favoritism.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Friday evening
Cluny parked at the curb. He waved at the store manager and his helper sitting in the furniture truck pulling away from his driveway. He went inside the house. “Honey, I’m home!” He followed his nose to the kitchen. “Something smells good in here.”
Santos stood grinning behind the island stove stirring a large pot. “I’m making chicken stew, Macfearsome.”
Cluny laughed. “You know how to cook more recipes than chocolate candy?”
“I can cook lots of stuff, but Mama helped me get it started.”
Cluny walked to the stove and leaned down to sniff the pot. “If this tastes as good as it smells I’ll think I’m on my way to Valhalla.” He noticed the table set for six. “We having company?”
Santos nodded. “Amber and her mom and dad are coming for dinner.”
“Cool, I need to talk to Gunny about tomorrow. He’s my assistant coach again this summer.” He picked up a wooden spoon with the intention of sampling the stew. “You got enough here for a battalion.”
Graciella called from the back of the hallway. “Cluny, come have a look. Santos—put the biscuits in the oven.”
He dropped the spoon, patted Santos’s back, and followed her voice. “Coming, baby.” If he could return home from work every night to a domestic scene like this one, he’d be a very happy man. He put on a straight face, intent on teasing her.
She waited at the open doorway to the bedroom that had contained an air mattress when he’d left for work this morning. Her smile uncertain, she twisted her hands and waited for his approval of the bedroom set. “Please tell me you like it, Cluny.”
He walked to the open doorway and stood peering into the room. Arms crossed, he pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded slightly. “I don’t know…”
“Darn it! I never should have bought it on my own without you being there.” She stamped her foot. “I just knew it! What’s wrong with it?”
He struck a pose of deep thought, hand on his chin then pointed. “The dresser is over this way about four inches too far.”
“What!” She balled her fists. “You, you…”
Cluny laughed, picked her up in a tight hug, and growled into her neck. The doorbell rang and he turned, still carrying her, and hurried to answer.
“Put me down, you skunk. It’s probably the Dempseys.” Graciella pounded his shoulders, and he ignored her protest.
Cluny let loose with one hand and opened the door. She squirmed in his arms and tried to free herself to no avail.
The Dempsey family waited on the front porch, but hesitated to enter when they saw her struggling. Cluny further tormented his sweetheart by smooching her cheek.
Marla raised her eyebrows and grinned. “I hope we’re not interrupting. Maybe we should come back later.”
Amber pushed past her parents. “Santos, where are you?” Hearing his answer from the kitchen, she wrinkled her nose at her silly Uncle Cluny and passed them. “Grownups,” she muttered balefully.
Queen followed her to the kitchen.
Graciella glared at him. “Are you planning to put me down?”
He put an exaggerated pleading look on his face. “If you promise not to hit me.”
“I’m not promising anything after what you just pulled.”
“OK then.” He tilted his head at the Dempsey’s. “Come on in. I need to take this to the back of the house. Could get ugly, shocking even. I don’t want you to see it.” He stepped back as Marla entered, then instructed them, “Call the cops if I’m not back in five.”
He carried Graciella back to the newly furnished bedroom, stepped inside, and pushed the door closed with his foot. “You gonna behave?”
“I suppose I’ll have to since our guests are in the house.” She grinned. “But I’m not saying what I’ll do later.”
“Sounds promising.” He set her on her feet but kept his arms around her slender waist. “I need a welcome-home-from-work kiss. Got one to spare?”
Her arms went around his neck. “All you want, querido.” She leaned into him and sighed.
Kissing her was something he could do all day long. He’d never get enough of those luscious lips and the feel of her body against his. Instantly hard, he groaned and pressed her tighter to him then lowered his mouth to hers. It didn’t end with one kiss. He backed up and fell on the bed carrying her with him. “I never wanted anyone more than I want you right this minute, sweetheart. You’re killing me.”
She pushed on his shoulders and rolled on top. “Killing you is the last thing I want to do, but I won’t talk about the first thing I want to do because it’s impossible right now.”
“Yeah I know,” he said on a resigned sigh. “I’ll grab a quick shower and change.” He squeezed her bottom and closed his eyes.
Graciella pushed off and stood at the edge of the bed to tug him up. “Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. I better check on those biscuits, if Santos hasn’t already taken them out of the oven.” She put a light kiss on his mouth. “I plan to punish you for teasing me.”
“I can think of several things that would teach me a lesson.”
“I’m sure, but I have a few ideas of my own. Now hit the shower before Marla calls the police. It’s been more than five minutes.”
He opened the door and strolled to his bedroom. Queen had been waiting for him, and she followed him to the back of the house. He paused to scratch her ears when he got through the door, then pulled off his work clothes.
True to his word, in less than fifteen minutes, he walked in the living room. His wet hair gleamed almost as bright as his happy smile. “Where are the ladies, Gunny?”
“Putting the final touches on dinner, and I suspect, talking about your bad behavior.” Dwayne bounced Declan on his shoulder. “What’d you do?”
Cluny told him how he’d teased her over the new bedroom furniture she’d bought on her own. “She was reluctant to shop for it without me, but I said to go ahead after she sent the pictures from her phone. You should have seen how nervous she was to show it to me. I couldn’t resist giving her a hard time.”
“I thought you had the guest room furnished.”
“She had an uncomfortable moment when she opened a drawer and found some of Beachy’s belongings. So, I suggested Santos take that room and we’d set up one of the other two for her. I hadn’t checked the closet or drawers before I put Graciella’s things in there. How stupid of me.”
“You have to admit, you and Beachy are the odd couple. Graciella got a dose of nasty speculation from the drunks the other day.” He lifted the baby and grinned into his fat little face. “Too bad you don’t know enough to appreciate how uncomplicated your life is right now, little buddy.”
Marla entered the living room, took Declan, and placed him in his carrier. “Dinner’s ready. It’ll be cozy with all six of us around that little kitchen table of yours. Are you ever going to get a dining room set?”
He stood and pecked her cheek. “Maybe I’ll send Graciella shopping again.”
“Hah! Good luck with that.” She rolled her eyes. “Make yourself useful, Cluny. Carry Declan for me.”
Dwayne dropped his arm around Marla’s shoulder. “I can carry my own kid, Danaher.”
She smiled sweetly. “Yes, I know, Dempsey, but I doubt Graciella will attack Cluny if he’s carrying an innocent infant.”
“You’ve got a point.”
Crowded around the table, elbow to elbow, dinner was a lively affair. Santos basked in the glow of praise for his chicken stew, and Graciella’s biscuits were so fluffy they nearly floated off the plate.
Cluny’s mood was sky-high. He surveyed the table and listened to the
conversation between the people he loved most in the world. It doesn’t get any better than this. At least he couldn’t imagine having ever felt so happy and contented.
His hand flew across the table as he beat Dwayne to the last biscuit. “You used to be quicker, Gunny.” He broke the biscuit in half and handed it over. “Don’t say I never did you a favor.”
“Please share your recipe with me, Graciella,” Marla remarked. “These are fabulous.”
“They’re really simple to make. I’ll write it down after we clear up.”
“I know how to make biscuits,” Santos said. “But Mama must have a secret because hers are always the best.” He held up the one on his plate and raised his eyes at Amber. “You want to share mine?”
“I’m rilly stuffed.” She plopped her head on her fist. “I probly won’t be able to run the bases during tryouts tomorrow.”
“If you kids are finished eating, you may be excused,” Cluny said. “Take Queen for a walk. She’s in danger of getting fat with all the snacks you’ve been sneaking to her when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
Graciella flashed him a hesitant and concerned look.
“This is a very safe neighborhood, baby. I know everybody here and there’s another hour of daylight. You don’t need to worry.”
Amber stood. “Can we ride your bikes, Uncle Cluny? Queen can run next to us.”
“Sure, the side door to the garage is open. Stay in the park and on the path.”
“OK.” The kids ran to the back door. “Queen, let’s go!”
Graciella sighed. “I can’t get used to allowing Santos out of my sight. I’d never think of letting him go alone in our neighborhood. I know I worry too much. Statistically it’s very safe there.”
Marla nodded. “Statistics aren’t much comfort to a mother, are they?”
“I’ve got a couple of cigars in the truck,” Dwayne said to Cluny. “Why don’t you and I go out to the front porch and have a smoke?”
Love of a Marine (The Wounded Warriors Series Book 2) Page 20
