His thick, dark hair was slightly damp, and the muscles of his shoulders and stomach looked even more defined than they had in my dreams. I felt myself swallow as I tried to focus on what was really important – the fact that this was a powder-keg waiting to explode.
Derek turned to glare at Joel. "Are you talking to me?"
Joel stepped closer. "You see any other pussies around here?"
"No. But I see an asshole."
I spoke up. "Derek, seriously. You need to go, like now."
"Fine." He turned and gave me a stiff smile. "And you're welcome, by the way."
And you're not.
But I didn't say it, because I wanted him gone already.
Finally, I got my wish. Derek turned and stalked to his car. He yanked open the driver's side door, got behind the wheel, and slammed the door behind him.
A moment later, I watched in silent mortification as his car squealed in reverse, did a sloppy U-turn, and then roared down the long driveway, leaving an ominous silence in its wake.
I turned my nervous gaze to Joel.
He was still there, but he didn't look happy.
Chapter 38
From the open doorway, I gave Joel a nervous smile. "I'm really sorry about that."
His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why are you sorry?"
"Well, he called you a name for one thing."
"Forget that." He moved closer until we were standing within arm's reach. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, sure." I gave a shaky laugh. "We fight all the time, so I'm kind of used to it."
Joel's gaze darkened. "That happens a lot?"
"No. Not really." I glanced toward the driveway, where Derek's car had been a moment earlier. "But he's been in a rotten mood all summer. Honestly, I don't know what's going on."
After a long, ominous silence, Joel asked, "You want me to have a talk with him?"
"No," I blurted. "Definitely not." In fact, that was the last thing I wanted. Trying not to be rude about it, I added, "But thanks. That's really nice." I ran a trembling hand through my hair. "But he's already gone, so…"
"So, I'll go after him, not a big deal."
That's where Joel was wrong. It would be a big deal. Already, it was a big deal. Looking to tone things down, I said, "It's fine, really."
"Sorry, but you're wrong."
I blinked. "What?"
"Talking to you like that? It's not fine. And you know it."
"Well, yeah. But you just saw the tail end." I tried to shrug it off. "He said some things. I said some things." I forced a laugh. "And you said some things..."
"Yeah. I did." His jaw tightened. "And he's lucky I only said something."
I didn't ask what Joel meant, because I could see it in his stance, along with the way his gaze kept shifting to his car, like he was thinking of making good on his offer – to have a "talk" with Derek.
I summoned up a smile. "I know. And I appreciate it, really. But can't we just forget it?"
Joel still wasn't smiling. "Forget it."
"Yeah. I mean, you're already mowing my lawn. You don't need to fight my battles, too." I deliberately brightened my tone. "When you're done, I was thinking I'd make dinner."
"I'm already done."
"Seriously?" I turned to study the lawn. With all of the Derek-drama, I hadn't even noticed, but the front yard looked surprisingly terrific. And I'd heard Joel mowing out back, so obviously, that part was finished, too.
Still, I couldn’t quite believe it. "The whole thing?"
"Yeah. Unless there's more you haven't showed me."
I stared in amazement. "But you've only been at for a couple of hours."
Finally, to my infinite relief, Joel smiled back. "What? You wanna inspect?"
I felt myself swallow. That smile was almost my undoing. With a conscious effort, I pushed aside any thoughts of Derek. He wasn't here, thank goodness. But Joel was.
In the long shadows of the fading day, he looked utterly amazing. I didn't want to stare, but it was hard not to. Everything about him was pure perfection – from his beautiful face to his finely-cut shoulders and chest.
My gaze slipped lower, and I tried not to notice that his flat, defined abs glistened just enough to accentuate all those interesting ridges and valleys, the ones that, until now, I'd only been seeing in my dreams.
Catching myself, I forced my gaze to keep on going, as if I'd merely been looking down to inspect the chipped, white paint of the oversized porch.
Trying to get a grip, I studied the paint more closely and worked hard to focus on house repairs or something equally unsexy. But it was no use. The only thing I wanted to think about was Joel.
"So?" he said. "Do you?"
Did I ever.
I gave a little shake of my head. "Do I what?"
"Want to inspect the lawn?"
"Should I?"
He gave a flick of his head. "Come on."
Soon, we were in the back yard, with its panoramic view of Lake Michigan. But now, I wasn't looking at the water, or even at Joel.
I was looking at the lawn. Like the front yard, it looked amazing. Confused, I turned to study the lawnmower, which he'd parked near the shed out back.
I turned my attention back to Joel. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?"
I pointed to the mower. "Get that…" I pointed to the lawn. "…to do that?"
It was an honest question. Every time I mowed, the lawnmower sputtered in and out, making the yard look like a giant cat shaved by a monkey.
That was one reason it always took so long. Sometimes, I had to mow huge sections of it twice, just to make it look decent.
Joel shrugged. "It just needed some adjustments. That's all."
"Like what?"
"Nothing big," he said. "Fuel filter, air filter, sharpened the blade." He paused. "Also, the self-propelling mechanism was off, needed some tweaking."
"Tweaking, huh?" I smiled up at him. "What are you? Some kind of mechanical genius?"
"Nah, I'm just a guy."
Whatever he was, he wasn't just a guy. He was amazing in too many ways to count. His magic with the mower reminded me of how quickly he'd diagnosed the problem with my car, assuming he'd been right, that is.
Reluctantly, I said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"About what?"
I bit my lip. "My car, actually."
"Yeah? What about it?"
"I just need some advice, that's all." I hesitated. "Derek said it might need a new engine. Do you think that's true?"
Chapter 39
My question hung in the air. In Joel's eyes, I saw slow anger, simmering just beneath the surface.
Instantly, I was filled with remorse. Of course, he was angry. Here, he'd just spent two hours mowing my lawn, and already, I was hitting him up for something else, even if it was only advice.
But did he realize that? I mean, he understood that I wasn't expecting him to fix my car, too?
Oh, God. What if he didn't? Regretting that I'd even mentioned it, I gave him an apologetic smile. "You know what? Sorry. Forget I asked."
"Why?"
"Because I shouldn't have."
"You shouldn't have what? Asked about the car?"
"Right. Definitely." I hesitated. "But just so you know, that wasn't a hint for more 'free labor' or anything. I was just curious what you thought, because you looked at it the other night."
I forced some cheer into my voice. "But you know what? It'll all work out. So, never mind."
He gave me an odd look. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
He waited, as if expecting a better answer than that.
When the silence grew too heavy, I finally admitted, "Alright, I can tell that you're mad, not that I blame you. I mean, no one likes a mooch, right?"
"A mooch?"
"You know. A freeloader. A user. Whatever." Feeling guiltier than ever, I turned away and gazed out over the lawn. "Already, you've done me a huge favor, and I don't want you
to think I'm not grateful."
"It wasn't a favor," he said. "It was a deal. Remember?"
I was still looking at the lawn. "I know that's what you said. But it doesn't feel like a deal."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm getting the better end of it."
"That's your opinion, not mine."
Again, I turned to look at him. In spite of his words, the anger was still there. I could see it in his eyes, just as I could see the muscles of his neck, corded into tight knots.
When I made no response, Joel gave a slow shake of his head. "You think I'm pissed about the car?"
"Aren't you?"
"Yeah. But not at you." He studied my face. "You really don't get it?"
"Get what?"
Ignoring my question, Joel asked, "How have you been getting to work?"
"I've been riding my bike. Didn't you know?"
"No," he said. "I didn't."
"Really? Even though you've been stuck carting me around?"
"I wasn't stuck," he said. "I like carting you around. You think I'm out here picking you up because I thought your car wasn't working?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "Otherwise, like tonight, I would've just driven out to meet you."
"That's what you think."
I stared up at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, I like picking you up. And I like taking you home."
"Why?"
"Other than spending time with you?"
"Well, yeah."
Joel shrugged. "It gives me the chance to check things out, make sure everything's okay."
At first, I didn't get it. But then I recalled the very first time he'd brought me home. We'd arrived just in time to catch my uncle galloping off with that horse. "Is this about my relatives?"
"In part."
"I guess I should've mentioned, they won't be back for at least a month."
"Yeah? How do you know?"
"It's their pattern," I explained. "Whenever I catch them, they wait a few weeks before coming back. And one time, they didn't come back for two whole years."
"Because they lost interest?"
I winced. "No. Because they were living in Italy."
"Why Italy?"
"Who knows? But the timing was perfect. I was away at college, and with them out of the country, I didn't have to worry about them swiping my stuff while I was gone. So, in a way, I've been pretty lucky."
"You call that lucky?"
"Well, you know, glass half-full, right?"
Joel gave me a look that was decidedly glass-half-empty. "That's one way to look at it. About your car, where is it now?"
"I don't know. Derek didn't tell me."
His jaw tightened. "Right."
I hesitated. "So, what do you think? About the engine, I mean."
"I think the guy's full of it."
I felt a surge of hope. "You think so?"
"I know so."
I blew out a long breath. "Well, that's good. I'll call him Monday and get it worked out."
Joel didn't look thrilled. "Why not now?"
"It's a Friday night," I said. "No one will be working on it this weekend anyway." I tried to laugh. "And plus, I think I've had enough of Derek for one day."
"You want me to handle it?"
I studied his face. Was that a sincere offer? Even if it was, I knew better than to accept it. Still, I had to smile. "I'm pretty sure you've had enough of Derek, too. Besides, this will give him a couple days to cool down."
I glanced at Joel's bare chest. "Speaking of cooling down. Do you want a shower or something?"
"I don't want one, but I probably need one." He glanced toward the house. "Got a shower I can borrow?"
I had to laugh. "Actually, I've got like ten. You can take your pick." I paused. "But did you bring a change of clothes?"
"I always have a change of clothes."
"Really? Why?"
"Because things happen."
I couldn't help but wonder, what kind of things? But part of me knew. A guy like Joel? He was probably pounced on wherever he went. No doubt, he'd enjoyed the showers and bedrooms of countless girls across the state.
As we circled the side of the house to retrieve his things, I recalled Derek's snide suggestion, that I'd be paying Joel with, to put it crudely, pussy.
I gave Joel a sideways glance. True, I was ungodly attracted to him, and he'd done me a huge favor. But getting naked for lawn care wasn't exactly my style.
Joel did realize this, didn't he?
I gave myself a mental slap to the face. Of course he did. And I'd been stupid to even wonder.
In fact, thanks to April, he knew more than I wanted him to. So I pushed that thought out of my mind, and focused on the positive. Soon, Joel and I would both be getting the answers we wanted. And then, we could simply sit back and enjoy a nice relaxing evening.
Except, it didn't work out that way.
Not at all.
Chapter 40
I stared at the stranger on my doorstep. It was some guy in his late twenties, or possibly his early thirties. I'd never seen him before, and yet, something about him looked eerily familiar.
He was tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a lean muscular build that might've piqued my interest a couple of weeks ago, before I'd become so obsessed with another guy who looked remarkably similar.
I'd barely opened the door when the stranger said, "Where is he?"
Well, hello to you, too. Probably, if I'd been smart, I would've ignored the doorbell entirely. After all, it had brought me nothing lately but grief.
Joel was upstairs, taking a shower. And now, given my suspicions, I didn't quite know what to do. Should I welcome the guy inside? Or slam the door in his face?
Stalling for time, I said, "Where's who?"
The stranger flicked his head toward Joel's car. "The driver of that."
I made a show of looking toward the driveway. Behind Joel's car was a pricey-looking sedan with dark tinted windows. The way it looked, the guy had serious money – or massive car payments.
Then again, I could say the same thing about Joel, or even myself, if my car wasn't older and broken down, that is.
I pushed aside the distraction and returned my attention to the stranger. "You do realize you can't just show up here, demanding to see whoever."
"Yeah? Why not?"
I gave the guy a closer look.
Ungodly attractive? Check.
Amazing body? Check.
A total jerk, just like Joel had implied? Oh yeah. That was a checkmark so big, I'd need a billboard to write it on.
I crossed my arms. "Because it's impolite. That's why."
Behind me, I heard Joel say, "Yeah Bishop. It's impolite." A moment later, he joined me at the door. "So shove off."
Bishop. Yup, that was Joel's last name alright. They were definitely brothers, although why the guy didn't go by his first name, I had no idea.
I was still pondering that when Bishop gave Joel a hard look. "Where the hell are they?"
In a voice filled with mock innocence, Joel said, "Where's what?"
Bishop's jaw tightened. "You know what."
Oh, crap.
I knew what, too. Or at least, I was pretty sure I did. Thanks to my internet research, I'd seen the brother who owned the Camaro. That brother had cryptic tattoos and even less civility. This brother was tattoo-free, but not much nicer.
And I could guess what he wanted – the guns in the trunk.
My gaze darted from Bishop to Joel as they stared each other down. Hoping to diffuse some of the tension, I said, "Isn't anyone going to introduce me?"
Bishop said, "No need. I'm not staying."
So much for a happy family reunion. But did he have to be so rude about it?
I said, "Good. Because no one invited you."
The guy's lips curved into the hint of a smile. "Who's impolite now?"
Next to me, Joel said, "You are, dickhead."
The guy shrugged. "So I
hear."
Joel said, "How'd you find me?"
"Give me my stuff," Bishop said, "and maybe I'll tell you."
"Or," Joel said, "you can tell me. And maybe, I'll give you your stuff."
I spoke up. "Or maybe, you could do it at the same time. You know, like a hostage swap."
In unison, they both turned to look. Neither one of them looked thrilled with my idea. I cleared my throat. "It works in the movies, right?"
"No." Bishop said. "In the movies, it all goes to hell."
Okay, so maybe he had a point. Still, I felt compelled to mutter, "Not in every movie."
Bishop looked unimpressed. "Then you and I are seeing different shows."
Joel said, "What are you doing here, anyway?"
"You know what I'm doing here." Bishop turned and glanced around the yard, as if assessing his surroundings.
I leaned closer to Joel and whispered, "You guys are brothers, right?"
"Supposedly."
"How many do you have, anyway?"
He glanced toward Bishop. "Too many."
In my view, there was no such thing. I would've loved to have a brother, a real brother – or better yet, more than one. I looked from one guy to the other. "You know, you guys really should be nicer to each other."
In unison, they both made the exact same scoffing sound. And for some reason, that made me laugh. "See? You're more alike than you realize."
But Joel was shaking his head. "No. I'm nothing like those pricks."
Well, that was interesting – and yeah, kind of rude, actually.
I looked to Bishop. He looked utterly unfazed.
In a surprisingly calm voice, Bishop said, "Well, this prick needs to talk to you. Now." His gaze shifted to me. "And preferably somewhere else."
I gave him an irritated look. "Don't you think that's kind of rude?"
"I'm not being rude. I'm doing you a favor."
Now, it was my turn to scoff. "Some favor."
Bishop looked to Joel. "Are you coming or not?"
"Forget it," Joel said. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Alright." Bishop shrugged. "You wanna discuss it here? Fine by me." He smiled. "I left Jake down the road. My guess? He'll be here in five, ten minutes. But hey, you do what you want."
My gaze snapped to Joel. From the look on his face, he was thinking the exact same thing I was. "Well, this is just great."
Something Tattered (Joel Bishop Book 1) Page 15
