Reid

by SJ McCoy

  “They’re having a big book drive, collecting books for the kids and the vets. My two have so many books they’ve outgrown, I want to take them over there. It’s nice to think that other kids might get to enjoy them. I think reading’s important, and if you get into it when you’re a kid, it’s something that you have for a lifetime.”

  Tara smiled. She certainly felt that way. “What kind of books do they want?”

  “Anything and everything they can get. Kids’ books, adults’ books. In the article I read about it, it said that the vets enjoy reading and it’s a good escape for them. You know, it gets them out of their heads, so they don’t keep reliving their own nightmares.”

  “I can see that. I love to escape into a good book when I can. In fact, I’ve probably got a whole bunch I could bring.” She wasn’t sure about taking Owen’s books. He got so attached to his things and got upset when he couldn’t find them, but she had shelves and shelves of books that she’d never read again. She wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of giving them away, but she had them all on her e-reader anyway, and if the vets would enjoy them, it woud be worth it.

  “I don’t know if the vets would want to read all those romances you work on.”

  Tara chuckled. “I doubt it, but I went through a phase of only reading mysteries and thrillers for a few years after my divorce—romance didn’t interest me much at that point.”

  “Okay. I bet they’d enjoy those. So, are you going to come with us?”

  “Yeah. Why not. As long as Owen’s doing okay. What time are you going?”

  “Deb’s coming to my place for lunch, and then we’ll leave around two. Do you want to have lunch with us?”

  Tara shook her head. She knew Carolann would understand. “Just give me a call ten minutes before you’re ready to leave, and we’ll meet you in the lobby.”

  Chapter Four

  Reid looked around the lobby as he waited for Oscar to pick him up. He wasn’t really seeing the other guests coming and going. He was seeing the redhead as he’d seen her yesterday—sitting by the concierge desk when he’d been checking in. Even thinking about that moment when their eyes first met sent a jolt through him. It didn’t make any sense, but that no longer seemed to matter. It was undeniable that every time he thought about her, he had a physiological reaction. He’d spent far too much time last night reliving every moment of their brief encounter. He had so many questions—who was she? Was she even available? By the way she’d reacted to him, he believed she was interested in him—but that didn’t necessarily mean that she wasn’t married or involved with someone. Where was Owen’s father? Did they return to him after she bid Reid such a wistful farewell? Had the wistfulness only been on his part? No. He knew that. If that damned cab driver hadn’t been in such a hurry, there would have been more between them. He shook his head. There hadn’t been anything more between them, no numbers exchanged—no means to ever contact her again. He needed to put her out of his mind, forget her, but he couldn’t do it.

  He got to his feet. Sitting here wishing he’d done differently wasn’t going to change anything. He made his way out front to wait for Oscar. That would save some time—and maybe the doorman from yesterday would be out there.

  He didn’t get a chance to see if it was the same doorman or to decide if there was any point asking him about which cab companies they used. Oscar’s limo pulled up at the same time as he walked out the doors.

  The rear passenger window slid down, and Oscar grinned out at him. “Reid! Jump in.”

  Reid slid into the back, and Oscar punched his arm. “Always such perfect timing. It’s like you planned it and Darren somehow fell in with your plan.”

  Reid smiled at Darren, the driver, in the rearview mirror. “We’re on the same wavelength, right?”

  Darren laughed. “I wish. I doubt my mind could ever turn itself up to the frequencies you operate on, but this worked out pretty well.”

  Reid smiled. “It did. Thanks for coming to get me.”

  “Hey. What about me?”

  Reid laughed at Oscar. “You didn’t come to get me, you made Darren drive since you’re too lazy.”

  “I’m not lazy. I’m working damned hard these days—I work two jobs, keeping the club going and helping at the center.”

  “I never thought I’d see you running a community center, but I’m glad Grace got you involved. It’s done you good.”

  Oscar smiled. “It has. She has. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

  “I know, but you’re kind of good for her too. It sounds like you’re turning the center around, and this book drive is a fantastic idea.”

  “It is, but I can’t take the credit for it. It’s the brainchild of one of the vets, Daquan. I thought TJ would have told you about it—warned you that Daquan is one of your biggest fans and might get a little tongue-tied.”

  “No. He didn’t talk about it at all. To be fair, neither did you. I only heard about it from Mom.”

  Oscar shrugged. “You tend to stay busy up there in Washington doing your own thing.”

  “I do, but books are my thing—you don’t think mine are good enough?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you’re doing a book drive and you didn’t think to mention it to your brother who happens to be a writer.”

  “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t even make the connection.”

  Reid laughed. “You’re not much of a reader, are you?”

  “No. Grace is the reader. She loves your books.”

  “She read them?”

  “She did.”

  Reid smiled. “So, both my sisters-in-law read them, but neither of my brothers did.”

  Oscar chuckled. “If you were anyone else I’d worry that it hurt your feelings somehow, but you don’t have feelings.”

  Reid rolled his eyes. “I do; I just don’t feel them the same way you do.”

  Oscar frowned. “You’re not offended, are you? That I didn’t tell you about the book drive or try to involve you?”

  “Relax. Of course, I’m not offended. I was just surprised that you missed such a logical connection. But you aren’t always efficient, I know that. So, I took things into my own hands and came down here. I’ve had some of my books sent down. I have a check for Grace to buy whatever new books she thinks are best—for the kids and the vets. And I have another idea, but I wanted to run it by you—and her and TJ and whoever else needs a say.”

  “What idea?”

  “Where do you plan to house all these books?”

  Oscar shrugged. “At the center.”

  “Do you have the space?”

  “I thought so at first, but this whole thing got bigger than we expected, faster than we expected.”

  Reid nodded. “That’s what I expected.”

  Oscar chuckled. “Of course, it is. So, what’s your solution?”

  “A bus. A book bus. Like a mobile library. It’d serve double duty as storage and a library. It’s a safe place to keep the books and for people to go to read. I believe this may grow to be much bigger than you thought, and you could end up with a fleet of buses that can go out into the communities.”

  Oscar raised an eyebrow. “You could be right. You need to talk to Grace and Daquan. I try to mostly just do as I’m told at the center. Grace and TJ take the lead—and like I said, this whole thing was Daquan’s idea, so he should get some input.”

  Reid nodded. “It is only an idea. I don’t mean to come in and try to take anything over. I just got enthusiastic when I heard about it.”

  Oscar grinned. “I’m happy you did. Seems like the center is becoming a real family affair. Maybe we can get you to move down here and join us.”

  Reid shook his head rapidly. “No. I’ll buy you a bus, but I couldn’t live here. You know that.”

  “I do. I was just getting carried away with enthusiasm myself. I like the idea of the three of us getting closer again. Now we need to
find you a woman, and if nothing else, we can all meet up in Montana for weekends and get-togethers.”

  Reid nodded. He could see that happening. He even liked the idea. Oscar and TJ were both spending more time back in Montana lately. He’d been back for Oscar and Grace’s engagement party and planned to go again soon. Maybe he’d go and catch up with Shane, as TJ had suggested.

  “Did I fuck up talking about finding you a woman?”

  Reid laughed. “No. Obviously, I don’t have one, but …”

  “But?”

  “The idea doesn’t horrify me as much as it used to.”

  Oscar brought his hand up to his face.

  “You never did manage to hide your smile when you do that, you know?”

  Oscar moved his thumb over his lips. “I know. It worked when I was a kid, and somehow I’ve never broken the habit.”

  “What are you smiling about anyway?”

  “The fact that you aren’t totally averse to the possibility of meeting someone.”

  Reid held his gaze. He almost told him about the redhead yesterday, but he stopped himself. There was no point.

  ~ ~ ~

  Owen sat on Tara’s lap on the bus and stared out the window. She wondered, as she did so often, what was going on inside that little head of his. He watched the traffic and people on the sidewalk with a frown furrowing his little brow as if he were trying to figure them out the same way he did with his puzzle pieces.

  Deb turned in her seat to look back at them. “How have you been? I’m glad you came with us, I haven’t seen you in ages.”

  “I’ve been busy. I just finished editing a book on Tuesday, and I’m not starting another until Monday, so I have a couple of days to relax.”

  “That’s good. I worry about you, cooped up in your apartment all the time with Owen.” She waggled her fingers at him and smiled, trying to get a reaction, but Owen’s gaze didn’t flicker away from the window.

  Deb made a face. “He doesn’t like me.”

  “I’ve told you a thousand times. It’s nothing personal. It’s not that he doesn’t like you; it’s just that he doesn’t really notice you. You don’t capture his attention.”

  Deb laughed. “Story of my life! Cute guys never notice me.”

  Carolann leaned across the aisle. “That’s not true. That guy last Saturday was cute, and he more than noticed you—all night long, I believe.”

  Deb laughed. “He was cute. The kids were staying with Mom, so why not?”

  Tara smiled. It was fun to hear about the girls’ antics on their nights out. It seemed Deb managed to find a guy to go home with most weekends. Tara was grateful that she had a built-in excuse not to join them. They didn’t even ask anymore. She’d never been the type to go out drinking and partying and going home with random men.

  “I can never tell with you,” said Deb. “The way you smile like that when we talk about girls’ night. I can’t figure out if you’re trying to hide your disapproval, or if you’re jealous that you’re not getting any.”

  Tara laughed. “Neither. I don’t disapprove. It’s fun to hear about, but even if I could go with you, I wouldn’t want to. It’s not my thing.”

  Carolann grinned at her. “You don’t need a real guy to get off with. You get off on those dirty books you edit, don’t you? Go on, admit it!”

  Tara laughed. “Okay, I admit it. I do get involved in the characters’ lives—and most of them have rather interesting sex lives.” She glanced down at Owen, but he was still staring intently out the window.

  “I need to read some of them,” said Deb. “It seems to me that getting my sex from a book would be a lot less hassle than a real man. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.”

  Tara nodded. For some reason, mystery man’s face popped into her mind. She’d rather get her sex from him as Deb put it than read about it in a book. But, that wasn’t an option. She’d missed her chance.

  They all got up and gathered their bags as the bus approached the stop near the center. Owen clung tightly to her hand as they got off. She looked down at him, he was stressed, she could tell. He was used to riding on the bus, but now they were in an unfamiliar place—and about to enter an unfamiliar environment. She smiled at him. “Are you okay?”

  He nodded uncertainly.

  “What do you need?”

  “Music.”

  She smiled. She hadn’t been able to get the iPod off him until after he’d fallen asleep last night. This morning they’d been too busy going through his usual routines and getting books together to bring. Fortunately, she’d popped the iPod into her purse just before they left the apartment. She fished it out, and his little face lit up when he saw it. She didn’t see any reason not to let him listen to it while they went into the center to deliver the books.

  Carolann and Deb were a long way ahead of them already. They stopped and looked back to see if she was coming. She waved them to go on. “We’ll catch up with you inside.” She’d already told them not to worry about her and Owen riding the bus home with them. She needed to be free to stay for as long or as short a time as Owen could handle.

  Owen was already putting the earbuds in his ears. She handed him the iPod, and he pressed the buttons, fast forwarding—searching for something, apparently.

  “What are you looking for?”

  He didn’t answer until he’d forwarded a few more times, then he looked up at her with a smile that filled her heart with happiness. “Bach.”

  She took his hand and picked up the heavy book bag. She still had more books she wanted to donate, but there was no way she could have carried them all. It’d take another two trips at least. She was hoping that they’d maybe have a collection point somewhere closer to her apartment.

  She stopped outside the center. There was an elderly guy sitting outside the main door in a wheelchair. She looked down at Owen, but he was lost in his own world, listening to the music.

  “Good morning, Miss.” The old guy smiled warmly, and Tara smiled back. “Are you coming in?”

  “We are. I have some books to deliver.”

  “That’s very kind of you. Come on in.” He smiled at Owen. “Are you getting rid of your books, so you can get some new ones?” he asked.

  The little furrows appeared on Owen’s brow, but he didn’t reply. He just stared.

  The old man didn’t seem perturbed. He smiled up at her. “Shy, is he?”

  She nodded. That was the simplest explanation.

  “He’ll be fine. There’s a whole bunch of kiddies in there today. He’ll be joining in and playing with the rest of ’em in no time.”

  “No, we’re only here to drop off the books.”

  The old man looked up into her eyes. His were a steely blue, and they made her feel he could see into her soul. “Are you okay? Is he?”

  She nodded and tried to smile reassuringly. “We are. It’s just that Owen isn’t like the other kids. We tend to keep to ourselves—it’s easier that way. We only came to deliver the books.”

  He nodded. “It might be easier that way, but it isn’t always better. You should come down here sometimes. Hang out with us if you need some company—both of you.”

  Tara smiled. She liked him; crazy as it seemed, she felt more at home with him than she did with the two girls she’d come with. “Thanks.”

  He nodded. “I can see you don’t plan to take me up on the offer, but think about it. If ever you need a place or people who understand, you know where we are.”

  “Thanks.” She didn’t know what else to say, and she was in danger of spilling her guts to the old guy, telling him how tough things were, how lonely she felt, and how afraid of the future she was—for Owen’s sake and her own. He reached up and gave her hand a squeeze. “You can do it, girl, but you don’t have to do it all by yourself if you don’t want.”

  A tear escaped and rolled down her cheek, taking her by surprise. “Thank you.”

  “What? For
making you cry?” He smiled. “I didn’t mean to do that. Why don’t you take them books inside? I’m Terry, by the way.” He held his hand out, and she shook with him.

  “I’m Tara, and this is Owen.”

  “Well, thanks for coming to see us, Miss Tara. I hope I’ll see you again.” He smiled at Owen, and to Tara’s surprise, Owen smiled back at him.

  She heaved the strap of the bag higher on her shoulder and went inside. She’d be glad to get rid of them at this point—they were heavy.

  Chapter Five

  Reid stood inside Grace’s office, looking out the window. From here he could observe the crowded center without having to be in the middle of it all. There must be several dozen people out there, at least. Oscar, Grace, and TJ had all introduced him to people—to vets and youngsters, and old ladies. They were all regulars at the center. Most of the people out there at the moment were just visiting—coming to drop off books. He smiled at that. He didn’t tend to have much faith in humans, finding them to be self-serving mostly and generally oblivious to others’ needs. It pleased him to see that when a need was pointed out to them, they were coming out to help—even though he believed that it was still self-serving. They wanted to donate their old books so that they could feel good about themselves for being charitable. He turned away from the window, realizing that wasn’t a very charitable thought.

  Grace smiled at him. “I really should get out there to show my face and thank people. These Friday afternoon open house sessions have been really good. But I have to be realistic about it. The initial interest in the book drive was driven by an article Dani wrote for us. People are good to come and donate, but I know at least some of it is driven by interest in seeing Oscar Davenport and his fiancée.”

  Reid smiled. “You don’t mind that?”

  She made a face. “I wouldn’t choose it, but it’s my reality, so I’m not above using it to my advantage.”

  “We’re more alike than I would have imagined.”