God, she wanted that. If only things had been different. If only he hadn’t been with Raven. If only he could be the one she could know was hers and hers alone—a man her sister couldn’t take from her.
He was so different than she thought. He was kind and thoughtful and easy to talk to.
It was strange being here in his house—the quiet darkness with just the soft baby snores of Ethan and Hammer’s deep breathing coming from the living room.
His very presence drew her, and she pushed back the covers. Careful not to wake Ethan, she crept from the bed and moved to the door.
The fire had burned to embers, but its orange glow reflected around the room. She tiptoed farther, and Hammer came into view. He was asleep, a blanket over his lower body, his bare chest revealed. The golden glow threw his body in relief, revealing his muscles in shadow and light. His jaw was strong, and he looked so at peace.
She was so tempted by him, and that was exactly why she should have stayed away, why she should have turned Shades down, why she should have left tonight when Hammer gave her that out.
She had no business here, not if she wanted to protect her heart. She’d had it broken so many times in the past by men who’d wanted her until Raven cast her spell over them, and they’d dropped her like a hot rock.
Each time it happened she’d had her self-esteem shredded. She couldn’t put herself through that again, and Hammer had the power to devastate her in a way none of the others could. He’d been her secret crush for so long. It was an infatuation she buried deep.
She bit her lip. Hammer had known about her nursing classes, said Jesse had told Ghost, whom he’d heard it from. She wondered if anything else Jessie or Skylar knew had made its way through the grapevine.
She swore silently. Men were bigger gossips than women ever were. If his brothers knew anything, they undoubtedly told him. She frowned. He hadn’t said anything, which seemed odd. Maybe he didn’t know.
An ember popped in the fireplace, and Hammer moved. She darted back to the bedroom and jumped under the covers. She heard some movement, like he was rolling over, and then silence.
Tink let out a relieved breath and said a prayer that he and his brothers found Ethan’s mom soon and brought her home. She’d be able to put dreams of Hammer behind her, along with Raven and this whole town. She could start fresh somewhere else, somewhere she wouldn’t have to compete with her sister.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Several days later, Tink was back at Hammer’s. She’d watched Ethan all afternoon.
The screen door banged as Sherry walked in. “Looks like the bottom’s about to fall out of those clouds out there.”
It had gotten darker. Tink bit her lip. She needed to get home, hopefully before the rain started.
“How’s our little man been today?” Sherry asked, coming over to the coffee table where Ethan played with his blocks.
Tink sat on the floor, helping him stack towers until they fell over, and he giggled. Then they repeated the process. “He’s good. Hey, I made some Ziti. It’s in the oven on low whenever you’re ready to eat.”
“I wondered what smelled so good. Are you staying?”
“No, I have to go. I’ve got homework to do.” Tink stood, and Sherry took her place.
“Hi, Ethan.” She gave him a hug.
He held a block out to her. “Bok.”
She took it and added it to the stack while Tink moved to get her purse and keys. The rumble of a motorcycle shook the house as it roared up.
Sherry grinned. “Guess Hammer’s home.”
Ethan looked up at Sherry. “Unkie?”
She made a face at him and kissed his nose. “Yes, Unkie’s home.”
He clapped his little hands. “Yay.”
“Yay,” Sherry mimicked.
Tink moved to the couch and bent down, her arms out. “Give me a hug, sweetie.” He ran to her and hugged her.
The screen door opened, and Hammer walked in.
Ethan toddled over to him. “Unkie!”
Hammer scooped him up. “How’s my little peanut?” His eyes connected with Tink’s. “You leavin’?”
Things had been a little awkward between them since the night he’d kissed her. She hitched her purse over her shoulder. “Yeah, I’ve got to get going.”
A flash of lightning lit up the windows, and a split second later a crack of thunder boomed overhead. They all jumped.
Ethan let out a cry, but Hammer bounced him. “It’s okay, son. Uncle’s got you.”
The skies let loose with a downpour of rain. It beat on the metal roof and poured off the eaves like a sheet of water over a waterfall.
“Damn… I mean dang, it’s coming down,” Sherry said, correcting herself.
“I raced home, hoping I wouldn’t get caught in it. Made it in the nick of time.”
“Lucky me, I get to drive home in it,” Tink groused.
Hammer shook his head. “Babe, you shouldn’t drive in this. Wait until it lets up a bit.”
“I can’t. I’ve got a report due tomorrow.” Something she was dreading.
“Sorry you got tied up here so long. I should have come home sooner.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Take my raincoat,” Sherry offered, nodding to where it lay over the back of the couch.
“Thanks.” Tink slipped it on and pulled the hood up. “I’ll see ya.”
“Be careful!” Sherry called.
Tink dashed out in the rain and jumped in her car. She slammed the door and pushed the hood back. Water droplets flew everywhere. She put the key in the ignition and turned it, expecting the engine to turn over and fire up, but it only clicked. She tried again, giving it some gas. Nothing. “Goddamn it.” She slammed her palm against the steering wheel. “Come on!”
Another flash of lightning crackled across the sky followed by a loud crack. Shit! She hated lightning. A second later there was a shadow on the passenger side and a tap on the window, then the door opened. Hammer stood there, his T-shirt getting soaked.
“Won’t start?” he shouted over the rain.
She shook her head.
“Battery dead?”
“I think so. It just clicks.”
“I could jump it for you, but not with the lightning.” He nodded toward his big black truck. “Come on, I’ll drive you home and get your car to you tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
He was already dashing to the vehicle to open the passenger door for her.
She pushed her door open and jumped out, running for his truck. It was a Ford F150 with a lift kit that put it pretty high up for her petite size. He grabbed her waist and hefted her onto the seat like she weighed nothing. Before she could yell a thank you, he slammed the door and sprinted around to the driver side. The truck rocked as his big body slid behind the wheel, and he slammed the door.
“Ooo wee.” He grinned over at her.
“You’re soaked! I feel terrible.”
He reached in the backseat of the crew cab and pulled out a denim shirt. Grasping between his shoulder blades, he yanked the wet T-shirt over his head.
Tink was treated to the sight of his rain slick skin before he shrugged into the denim. Then he fired up the truck and cranked the heat. Looking over at her, he asked, “Better?”
The warmth poured from the vents. “Oh, that feels good.”
“Slip out of that wet raincoat. You’ll warm up quicker.”
She tossed it in the backseat.
He pushed a couple of buttons and grinned at her. “Seat warmers.”
It didn’t take but a few seconds before she felt the heat radiating up. “Wow.”
“Nice, huh?”
The warmth enveloped her backside and moved up the small of her back. “I bet this is awesome when you have a backache.”
“Yup.”
“I may have to hunt you down next time I get a backache with my menstrual cycle.”
“TMI, Tink, TMI.”
“Sor
ry.” She giggled and leaned back deeper into the seat, putting her head back and closing her eyes. “Oh, I’m in love. Why don’t I have these?”
He chuckled as he spun the wheel and headed them down the long drive, the wipers slapping back and forth a mile a minute. “Probably because we live in Alabama.”
“Right. That.” She moaned. “Who cares? These are awesome!”
“Gee, if I’d known the way to your heart was seat-warmers, I would have put you in my truck a long time ago.”
She rolled her head on the headrest. He grinned, and she couldn’t help but return the smile.
The truck bounced along the rutted gravel drive, splashing through quick-forming puddles. He paused at the blacktop highway and looked at her. “Which way?”
He didn’t know where she lived, and she hadn’t thought about the fact that now he would. “Um, take a left. I’m in an apartment down in Southside. Just under Vulcan.” Vulcan was the famous cast iron statue of the Roman God, Vulcan. It had loomed from the top of Red Mountain gazing over Birmingham since 1903, in tribute to the city’s iron and steel industry.
“Really? Southside, huh? Are you goin’ to UAB?”
“No. Samford University.”
“How’d you end up in Southside?”
“Friend from high school had an apartment. She needed a roommate.”
He glanced over at her, one hand on the wheel, his elbow on the wide armrest that divided them. “So, you helped her out?”
“She couldn’t find anyone else.”
“But it’s not real close to your school, is it?”
“Not really, and it’s kind of a dump.”
“You help people out a lot, don’t you?”
“I guess so.”
Hammer took Highway 119 to 280, turning onto the busy six-lane highway. They’d gone about a mile through red lights and traffic when Tink’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and frowned. It was Ada, who usually didn’t call. Tink put it to her ear. “Hello?”
“Alexandra, I need you. Your father’s fallen and hit his forehead. I can’t get the bleeding to stop. He won’t let me call the paramedics. Your mother’s not home. I don’t know what to do. You know I’m not good in stressful situations.”
“Calm down, Ada. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“But why won’t the bleeding stop?”
“It’s the blood thinner they have him on. Remember, for his deep vein thrombosis.”
“Oh, I forgot that makes it hard for him to form a clot.”
Hammer looked over at her. “Everything okay?”
“My parents’ cook and housekeeper. My dad fell and is bleeding.”
Hammer slowed the vehicle and turned into a business.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Give me the address. I’ll take you there.”
“Are you sure?” He gave her a look that said he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Okay, fine. It’s on Highland Avenue.”
His brows lifted. “The Highland Avenue?”
Highland Avenue had once been where all the cream of society had lived. She nodded. “Yep.”
He followed her directions, finally pulling in the brick drive to park in the circle in front. He glanced up at the large home. “You rich, Tink?”
“My father’s a doctor. It’s his family home, passed down for generations. Unfortunately, there was no family fortune to go with the inheritance, just barely enough to cover the estate taxes.”
“Still. Place must be worth a fortune.”
“It is, but my father would never sell it. My sister, however, would sell it in a heartbeat. Ironic thing is, as the first born, she’ll probably inherit it.”
“That sucks. Wait here.” Hammer climbed out, dashed around the truck in the rain, and opened her door, helping her down. She’d never in her life had a man do that before. It was kind of nice.
Together they dashed up the stairs and under the cover of the veranda.
“You want me to go or wait in the truck?” he asked, looking a little nervous to set foot in the place.
“Don’t be silly. Come in.”
“Tink.” He stopped her with a hand on her arm. “I’m not exactly the kind of guy a girl brings home.” He jerked his chin up at the place. “Especially, this kind of home.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. Come on, I may need your help with Daddy.”
At the reminder of her father, he nodded. “Yeah, okay. Sure.” He still looked uncomfortable, but he followed her inside.
She opened the door and stopped in the foyer. “Ada?”
“We’re up here!”
Tink led him up the big staircase to the second floor and down the hall to the library. Her father was reclining on the tufted leather chaise, a towel pressed to his forehead. He looked up when they entered.
“Alexandra, tell her I’m fine. I told her not to call you.”
She went to him, pulling the towel from his forehead. “Let me see.”
There was a gash, but it wasn’t that deep or wide—a nick really—but a trickle of blood ran down. “Ada, bring me the first aid kit.”
“He can be so stubborn.” She dashed to do it, giving a glance at Hammer.
Her father looked up at him. “Who did you bring with you, Alexandra?”
“This is…” she paused, not wanting to introduce him as Hammer but not knowing his real name. Hammer saved her from the dilemma.
He stepped forward, extending his hand. “Bodie, sir, Bodie Dodge.”
Tink frowned, fascinated to learn something she’d bet not many people knew.
“Dodge?” her father asked. “You’re not related to Henry and Althena Dodge, are you?”
Hammer frowned. “My parents, yes, sir. You know them?”
“Oh, Lord. What a small world. I knew Althena in high school, back when she was a Besserman. Her father owned Besserman Cadillac.”
“That’s right.”
Ada came in with the first aid kit.
“I’m a doctor, for heaven sake. I think I can take care of it myself.”
“You can’t even see it, Daddy,” Tink protested.
“Well, get me a mirror.”
“Mind if I have a look?” Hammer asked. Her father narrowed his eyes, but nodded. Hammer leaned over and examined the wound. “My grandfather was a bleeder. Whenever he nicked himself shaving he’d dab a little deodorant on the cut. Swore by it. Stopped the bleeding every time.”
Her father frowned. “Ah, the aluminum chloride! That would not only shrink sweat glands, but also constrict blood vessels and clot a nick. Brilliant.”
Tink ran and got some. “Here, Daddy. Try it.”
He did. A few moments later, the bleeding slowed, then stopped.
“Amazing.” Her father flicked his gaze at Hammer with respect.
“Yes, sir. The old home remedies usually are.”
Hammer’s eyes drifted up to the portrait of her mother, then his eyes drifted to her. If he was comparing the two, he’d find no similarities. Tink looked nothing like her. Raven was the daughter who looked like their mother.
“What’s all the commotion? I was clear across town!” Raven made her grand entrance. She stopped short when she saw Hammer, her eyes skating over him. “You… I remember you from Lift Club.”
Hammer looked like he’d seen a ghost. His eyes flicked from Raven to Tink.
Tink groaned. She was hoping to be in and out without a confrontation. “Raven.”
Her sister barely glanced at her before her gaze returned to Hammer. “What are you doing here? Wait, did you come with Alexandra?”
She’d said it in a tone as if she couldn’t believe it, as if Tink weren’t capable of being with a man that looked like Hammer. “It’s none of your business, Raven.”
“I was giving her a ride home,” Hammer answered almost simultaneously.
“A ride home? From where?” Raven’s eyes again zeroed in on Tink.
“From none of your business,” she cut
in before Hammer could answer. “Daddy’s fine now. You can go back out to whatever dance club you came from.” Tink’s gaze roved over her sparkly mini dress.
“How do you know my sister?” Raven asked Hammer, cutting Tink out of the conversation.
His eyes held Tink’s, like he was wondering how much she wanted her family to know about the MC and the fact that she not only knew a member of the Evil Dead, but that she hung out at their clubhouse on a regular basis.
Instead of answering, he turned to her father and extended his hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Dr. DuPont.”
Her father’s eyes drop to the bit of tattoo ink that peeked out from under the cuff of Hammer’s denim shirt and the three-skull Evil Dead ring on his middle finger. “Yes, son, you too. Tell your mother I said hello.”
Hammer nodded. “I will, sir. I’m sure she’ll be pleased.”
“Tell her to come by the office sometime and say hello. It’s still in the same location. She’ll remember.”
“I’ll do that.” He turned to Tink. “You staying here or you want me to give you a ride back to your place?”
Her father answered for her. “Take her home. I’m fine. A big to-do about nothing.”
Tink looked from her father to Hammer, disbelieving this was happening. Her father was sending her off with Hammer. And he knew Hammer’s parents? What was happening? Had she entered some alternate universe?
Raven looked just as dumbfounded. Tink could see the wheels turning, and she would bet money Raven had never been shut down by a man before in her life.
“You ready?” Hammer asked.
Tink bent to kiss her father. “Rest, Daddy.”
“I will.” He looked at Hammer. “Be careful driving. It’s bad out there.”
“Yes, sir. You can count on it. I’ll take care of her and make sure she gets home safe.”
“Thank you. Good to meet you, son.”
“You, too.”
As they left, Raven followed them out. Hammer ignored her, but she stood watching on the veranda out of the rain, observing the way he helped Tink into his truck. Raven stood with her arms folded, and if Tink had to guess, she’d say her sister was fuming.
They pulled back down the drive and out on the road. Hammer finally turned to her. “So, that’s the one you think I slept with?”
Hammer Page 10
