When she turned to wave, Sarah gave her the finger.
It was still windy as hell and snowing in gorgeous white fluffs when she cut across the lawn to Charlie's. Clarice opened the door and yelled, “And we have lights.” causing Kimber to beam at her.
Charlie rushed in, steaming cocoa in each hand. “How about, come in, Kimber, kiddo.”
Clarice said, “Oops, do come in, Kimber.” Then she bowed.
Charlie shook his head and smiled. He waved her in while Clarice pulled the strands of lights from her hands.
“I only had one white, one small colored, and one colored strand with the big fat bulbs. It’s going to be sort of a mishmash of lights.”
“That’s okay,” Clarice shrugged. “Mish mash is good. It makes it interesting.” She ran off yelling for her mother.
“Wow. I hope I’m as wise as her when I grow up,” Kimber said.
“You and me both,” Charlie said. He put the cups down and took her hand. She felt a bizarre mixture of fear and excitement. Her main fear, Kimber realized, was that she would ending up liking Charlie even more than she already did—which seemed impossible—and then she’d fuck it all up. “Come here and give us a kiss,” he said in a horrible British accent.
“That was really, really bad,” she said as his lips touched hers. He kissed her softly, so softly that heat rushed like an internal brush fire through all of her limbs.
“I know,” he said. “It was beyond just bad.” His hands found her waist and he pulled her in. His arms wrapped around her and he squeezed her tight. “Why’d you leave that way?”
“I don't know. I guess I panicked.”
“I get that, but that’s not really an answer.”
In another room Clarice was belting out Elvis and Janette was laughing at her daughter.
“I freaked out a little? I like you. I like so much I feel reckless and I liked you fast.”
“I’m familiar with that feeling. And it feels dangerous, yeah?” His lips found her throat, and her pulse slamming against his mouth. Her head was light and floaty, but in a good way.
“It does. And scary. We are neighbors.”
Charlie pulled the clip out of her hair. Long locks fell around her face and tickled her cheeks. “That we are,” he said.
“And if we mess up and suddenly hate each other, we are still neighbors.”
“It’s risky,” he said.
“And you seem like you’ve just been through some stuff.”
Charlie nodded, making agreeable sounds and cupped her ass softly in his big hands. “I have and you have too, judging by your skittishness.”
“I have,” she sighed. She kissed his cheek and then his neck. He groaned. “And I’m scared that we’ll date or whatever it is you do after you’ve already slept together and been rescued by a handsome man and helped decorate his Christmas tree with his family…”
Charlie caught her hands up behind her back in one of his. Her arms pinned back that way–gently, but firmly–he had full access to her clavicle. He kissed her on the delicate skin. Her nipples peaked and she shivered from head to toe. “We are sort of going backwards, aren’t we?”
“Yes, yes, we are. It’s bizarre and it could all just blow up in our faces.”
“True. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.” He put his hands in her hair and tugged her face toward his. His mouth was hot and soft and sweet on hers.
“Gosh, are you two kissing again?”
They both turned, guilty and rushed, to find Clarice waving a red stocking ornament at them. “Can you come help or what?” she demanded.
“Clarice!” Janette yelled from the living room.
“I’m in here. Getting them. They were smooching again!” she yelled back and marched out of the room.
Charlie blew out a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. “We’d better move it. The boss has spoken.” He took Kimber’s hand and she squeezed.
God, when she got him alone it was going to be that much better.
She was hanging an ornament shaped like a police dog on the tree and helping Clarice with a fake tuft of berries when the phone rang. She was standing right next to it and didn’t give it a second thought. “I told Sarah to call when the roof guys came. I bet it’s her.”
Charlie waved his hand indicating she should go on and answer. Janette mixed a pitcher of something pink and fizzy and festive. Kimber let herself feel a warm happy glow for the first time in quite a while as she grabbed up the ringing phone.
‘Santa’s work village.” she joked.
There was an utter lack of sound for a moment and then a gruff voice. “Charlie there?”
“Um…sure. Yeah."
“Well do you think you can go get him for me? Just tell him it’s his partner.”
"Sure…I'll…" Her feet didn't want to move.
“Maybe today?” the man barked.
Kimber’s eyes stung with sudden tears and she bit her lip. She would not cry. She simply would not allow herself to cry. She set the phone down without another word. She walked up to Charlie who was untangling ornaments that looked like icicles. “It’s for you. It’s your partner,” she said softly and turned before he could see her face.
Clarice sighed and shook her head. “Him again? He keeps calling Uncle Charlie. ‘Cause he wants to come back.”
Kimber felt panicky. The sadness so swift and intense she felt a little sick. Janette carried a tray of drinks, looking hesitantly happy, but mostly concerned.
“He does, hunh?” Kimber asked.
“Yeah. What can you do?” Clarice sounded like such a grown up in a little pixie body.
Kimber caught the flash of the white service van in the window. She peeked out. “Do you think he’ll let him come back?” she asked, not wanting an answer. Hoping it was no.
But Clarice nodded sagely and said, “Sure I do. Uncle Charlie is so nice. He’ll let him come back eventually, I bet.”
Janette caught the look finally and went to put the tray down, but Kimber had had enough. Charlie was on the phone, his back to them, he shook his head, but kept his voice low so she really couldn’t hear.
She forced the false cheer out and sang, “Oh, look! The roof guys are here. I have to go and deal with that. Thanks so much for having me. Merry Christmas. Ho, ho, ho,” she babbled. She knew it, yet couldn’t stop. “See you later.”
“Kimber, wait. I don’t think you underst—” Janette stared toward her.
“I really have to go. You guys have fun. Thanks for having me for some of it. It was really nice.” Kimber swallowed back a huge sad sound that threatened to swell out of her throat.
She got out the front door before Charlie even looked up. She stood abroad of the pink flamingo Rudolph when the sob finally escaped. The roof guys looked and she shook it off, regaining her composure. “Hi there! Hi, I’m Kimber Daniels. That’s my house.” She rushed forward, hoping the red eyes and nose could be written off to just be cold air and Christmas spirit.
Chapter 8
Carl! That mother fucker. Couldn’t he just let well enough alone? After everything he’d done, Charlie never wanted to talk to him again. Now he was on the phone asking for help coming back. He hated Florida, missed Maryland. Wanted forgiveness. Charlie didn’t think he was a big enough man to forgive him even if he didn’t love Priscilla any more. Even if he felt like in the last few days he’d made those first huge steps to moving on with his life. He still didn’t think he could work with Carl.
“Man, I'll tell them to let you back, but I’m not working with you. I can’t. I don’t trust you with my back. Or to be in my life.” Charlie hung up to face his sister. Chances were Janette would expect him to go ahead and forgive and forget and let Carl come back. But he couldn’t. He wouldn’t.
“She left,” Janette said, not even pausing to breathe, “I think she has a misunderstanding about…”
Charlie shook his head. “What the fuck?”
“What?” Clarice yelled from the other room.
“Charlie,” Janette said.
“Jesus, Jannette. God forbid I say a bad word in my own damn house!”
He put his boots on and Janette said, “She’s really upset. You might want to just let her have a minute. I think she is a little confused about what kind of partner Carl is and I take it she’s been kind of beat up in the romance department.”
“Gee, me too, take a number.” Charlie tied his boots angrily and cursed Carl under his breath again. He was still screwing up his life all the way from fucking Florida. “I’m going to go talk to her.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“I would.”
Charlie tried not to slam the door because of Clarice. There was really no reason to upset her. Her Christmas was going to be difficult enough in a small apartment, sort of kind of staying with him half the time. Clarice’s dad, Bob, had died when she was one. Janette knew a thing or two about being upset and in pain. “Great. Now I’m a total shit heel for yelling at my sister, too.” Anger ripped through him and he punted the pink flamingo across the yard and felt a brief stab of satisfaction as he watched it sail. “Fore,” he said softly.
“Charlie, my man!” Richard the handyman gave him a friendly wave and Charlie grunted, waving in reply.
“Ms. Daniels around?” he asked Richard.
“She just tore outta here. Said she was going to grab food. Her friend’s in charge. She’s not too shabby either. But Ms. Daniels…man, I wouldn’t mind planting my—-”
“Don’t’ make me plant my foot in your ass,” Charlie growled and Richard backpedaled.
“Hey, no offense, man. I didn’t know you and her were…you know, like, connected.”
“Yeah, apparently no one does. I’m going in the side door. You make sure you do a good job, or I’ll report you to the Better Business Bureau. I know you do good work, but skimp. Don’t skimp, got it.?
Richard gave him a salute. “Got it. No skimping. Only the best for Kimber.”
“Exactly.” Charlie kicked his boots against the wrought iron side porch to get the snow off and pushed the door. It opened for him, revealing Kimber’s kitchen, exactly as the former owner had left it. “Hello?”
Sarah came sliding in the kitchen on her stocking feet. He could hear them removing the fallen roof and the noise rumbled through the small house. “Charlie. She’s not here. She left because of…”
“A phone call from my ex-partner. My ex cop partner. And she thinks…I mean, does she really think that I’m gay?”
“Bi.” Sarah looked like she wanted to disappear in a puff of smoke.
“Bi! How did that happen?”
“Well, first it was the flamingo.”
Charlie wanted to go find that damn bird and stomp it into hot-pink plastic shreds. Instead he blew out a big breath and tried to still his anger. “Go on.”
“Well, then you came to the door all made up and in a pink robe and…”
“Clarice did that and she’s five!” he roared.
“Hey, there Mister Yelly person. Don’t shoot the messenger.”
Charlie gritted his teeth. “Right, right, go on.”
“Then the whole partner thing. Two pictures, one guy, one girl.”
“I am a cop!” he hissed. “Partner is a standard term.”
“Son, you are preaching to the choir. I told her that.”
“So why?” Charlie sank down in a funky painted chair and hung his head. He did manage to resist the urge to actually start banging it on the table. Apparently for him, it was a bit simpler. Once he’d come to get her, once he’d taken her into his home and then his bed, he was willing to take that scary chance on her. She was neat. She was funny. She was great with Clarice and starting her own business and did not remotely seem like a Priscilla who wouldn’t give a second thought about sleeping with another guy.
Sarah snorted, shrugged, and dropped in an opposite chair. “She’s great. She’s awesome. And…truth be told, she’s sort of damaged.”
“Who isn’t?” Charlie laughed.
“Amen,” Sarah said and smiled at him. “Bottom line, Charlie, she needed you to be not okay for her from the get go because she thinks you are okay for her?”
“Pardon?”
“She was attracted to you and it scared the shit out of her.”
“Ah, well, isn’t that…crazy?”
“Yes.”
“So when she…stayed with me last night, it was because.”
“In her mind you were still safe. You were bi. You were torn. But you could be hers a little bit. But then…” Sarah played with salt and pepper shakers shaped like wiener dogs. Charlie wanted to grind them to dust between his teeth and then punch someone. He had a little frustration going on.
“Then what, Sarah. Do not keep me hanging.”
“But then she really liked you. Really, really, and she liked your sister and Clarice and the family vibe, and John that last shit she was with, he was a jerk. He treated her like she was dumb, incapable, and just a mess. He cheated on her, put her down. It was that classic, why-the-fuck-is-that-great-girl-with-that-douche-bag scenario. So she let herself like you and then the phone call. It was sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy deal.”
“But that was my partner who, might I add, cheated with my fiancée and has been out of my life since. And so has she. And I like Kimber. A lot…” He pushed his hands through his hair. It almost felt like the move was to hold his damn brains in his head. “More than a lot maybe,” he confessed softly.
“I know.”
Something boomed and they both jumped. “Richie said that she was out getting food?”
“She lied. She has this place her dad used to take her when she was little. The soft place. She goes there when she’s upset. It’s out by Loch Bell Road.”
“Out there? But it’s snowing. Pretty hard now! Again. Dammit.”
“I know, but she can be totally stubborn.”
“She didn’t drive that stupid little sports car, did she?”
“Um…”
“Aw hell.” Charliestood. “Those roads are twisty and slippery, and she’s in a roller skate!”
“More yelling! Hey!”
“I don't mean to yell, I'm just upset. Look there's food and booze and Elvis, plus a Christmas tree at my house if you want to go. I’m going to make sure she’s okay. Richie won't fuck up the porch because I already threatened in him with the BBB.”
Sarah laughed. “Booze you say?”
“Yep, something pink and fizzy.”
“Dude, I am so there. I’ll keep any eye on them from her, but call when you find her okay.…Okay?”
“Yeah, right," Charlie was dangerously distracted. "You got it.” Charlie had his truck down the street before Sarah even made it across his lawn.
* * * *
He found her on one of the Seven Serpent twists. She’d slid across the median and into the shallow ditch on the far side of the road. Not much damage beyond stress and wounded pride. Charlie parked in front of her, his truck on the wrong side of the road, but safely on the shoulder.
He knocked on the window and God help him, he had to laugh when Kimber actually pretended not to see him. “How can you not see me?” he yelled through the windshield. “No one else is here and you’re looking right at me!” Snow settled in his hair and eyelashes and she shrugged.
Charlie put his head down and gathered his patience. “Kimber. Please! Open the window.”
She pushed the button and nothing happened. “Start the car!”
Instead she opened the door and leaned out a bit. “I’m not here.” That was all she said before the tears started. Then, “I feel kind of stupid. Scratch that, I feel way stupid.”
Charlie cracked. He leaned in and took her face in his hands and kissed her. A car whooshed by way too close for comfort. He deepened the kiss and then took her wrists in his hands. “Come on. Get out of this car before you get hit. Snow or no snow, folks are ripping up this road like they’re in a race.”
&n
bsp; “I can’t. Go home, Charlie. I don’t want to wreck your life.” She started to pull the door shut and he grabbed it, a quick flash of anger arcing through him.
“Hey! Wreck my life? You want no chance of that?”
“Of course not.”
“Then get out of the damn car and come with me. Come back and sing, decorate, eat and drink, and snuggle in my bed with me. Give me a chance.” He tugged her and she started to rise then stopped.
“But the phone call—”
“Was a guy who used to be my best friend and my partner and slept with my girlfriend and has been out of my life and I like it that way.”
“But—”
“But you want me to be inaccessible. I talked to Sarah.”
“Sarah knows—”
“A lot more about you than you think. She loves you and she wants you to listen to me.” Okay, so he made that last part up.
“But the flamingo…” She blushed deep red in the cold blue-tinted air. More wind whipped and the snow gave a surreal hush to what was normally a very busy and dangerous road.
“Was my sister and the makeup was my niece and the rest was your imagination. Apparently to make me safe, though I am a cop. Safety is my middle name,” he joked. “And for tonight,” he tugged and this time Kimber stood. “I’d like to be happy. No worries about folks who hurt me or any of it. Just you and a hug. Can I have a hug?”
She hugged him. “Of course. God, I know I’m a bit…off.”
“Recovering broken hearted, is how I think of it. I’m one too.”
“So you said.” She kissed him on her own then and Charlie’s heart felt like it would swell right out of his chest.
The moment was lost when some asshole came ripping up the road and started a slow sickening slide right toward them. Charlie put her behind him, his hand protectively on her hip. The car righted itself and was on its way. Charlie wanted to shout, it had given him such a scare, but he let it go. “Get in the truck,” he said. “We need to talk and I’ll call a tow for you.”
He helped her into the cab and backed up a few hundred yards to a deserted parking area intended for hikers. He parked and turned to her. He let himself touch her leg, but that was it. “Listen. I’m not gay. I’m not bi. I’m none of that. I’m just a guy who’s helping out his sister, letting his niece play beauty salon and really, really didn’t want to like you because you live right next door.”
Pretty In Pink Page 7
