Disgruntled

by Shelley Wall

  “Yes, you are.” She didn’t look away. “Which is why I need to leave. He needs you.”

  He tossed the last of the leaves into the trash and brushed his hands together. Reva was keenly aware of the muscles in his chest heaving up and down. Todd stomped toward her. “What exactly do you need, Reva? Have you ever considered that?”

  “I don’t need anything.”

  “Then what the hell do you want?” He turned to his beer and threw back the last of the liquid that must have been hot after sitting so long.

  “Nothing.” The smell of the cut leaves wafted around them. A sweet accent to the sour air. She moved from one leg to the other and looked over the fence at her yard. “I’ll go now.”

  Squaring her shoulders, Reva lifted bare feet and moved to his back door. She slid the glass open and tufted across the carpet to her bag. She’d just take what she could carry and send one of her brothers for the rest. Tim was at the house now. He could gather it all up.

  “No.” Todd’s voice feathered lightly against her ear. “It’s best. For you.”

  “It’s not Reva, and I’ll be the one to decide what’s best for me.”

  “I’m not trying to—” She wanted to say control you, but Todd grabbed her arms.

  He pulled her against him, turning her body to curl into his chest. His rock solid, sweaty and slick chest. Mmmm. Damn, it was hard not to want to stroke that, even with all the anger burning underneath. Unfortunately, he’d made it very clear that he’d had enough women in his life. I don’t need this shit, he’d said. Well, neither did she.

  She wrenched her hands up against his skin and pushed hard. He tightened his grip.

  “You’re staying. If you leave, she wins again. This isn’t something she has any say in. I won’t let her. Yeah, Eric needs me. And I need him. But I’ll be damned if that woman is going to push my buttons again.”

  “I don’t want to stay. I want to go home. I want to get back to normal.”

  Todd lowered his head closer and stared at her mouth. “Tell me something,” he murmured against her lips, “what’s so great about normal?”

  No answer was expected. He brushed his lips across hers. Once. Twice. Then glanced across her nose before delving his tongue into parted lips that waited for him.

  Good tonsils, she thought. Warm, wet kisses. Scratch that. These were hot, wet kisses that he rained on her hungrily. His anger had simmered much of the day and though it had eased, there were still flames of emotion firing his desire. What’s great about normal? She knew she didn’t want the life she had with Nick. Nor did she want whatever was happening now. Okay, well now at this moment was good. Todd engulfed her in sweat, testosterone, and his delicious male scent. Whatever the emotion he’d had earlier appeared to have slipped from between them and propelled him into her. He kissed hard, seeking to dig into her. To whittle away at the control she’d had thus far. Maybe the control didn’t matter. What good had it done her? The life she’d had certainly had no strings of normalcy. Maybe normal was overrated. Maybe anything more than just this was too. She knew he was sick of it. Sick of women. Sick of her. But this felt like the first real good thing she’d wanted in years. And she did want it. Him. But it scared her.

  Uh-oh.

  25 CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Epiphanies come at the strangest, most inconvenient moments. Todd frowned at Reva unintentionally. Her eyes were open, not closed as a man would expect from a woman. Her mouth warm and inviting. She wanted to leave, but for all the wrong reasons. In fact, he doubted it was what she wanted at all. He had no false impression she wanted to be with him. No, the clarity of what she’d been through had to make her realize the importance of family and friends in the situation. His house was simply safer. Still, with his announcement about Annie’s ultimatum, she’d take the risk. She’d leave.

  But he wanted her to stay.

  “What?” Reva’s brows furrowed.

  “Tomorrow’s Friday, right?”

  “All day, why?”

  “Annie told Eric I’d take him rock climbing.” He ran a hand over Reva’s hair.

  “So, you’re taking him tomorrow? Don’t you think he’s a little young for that?”

  Todd smiled. “No. I thought I’d take him Saturday. There’s a park about an hour off the freeway that has several large granite outcroppings. It’s more of a nature trail but since it’s all rocky, we call it rock climbing.”

  “I know the place. I’ve been there.”

  “You stay two more days and we’ll all get up in the morning and go. It’ll be nice. We can pack a lunch and eat it when we get to the top. Eric loves the place.”

  “Uh, that’s kind of a bad idea, under the circumstances.” “What circumstances?”

  “Annie doesn’t want me here—or around Eric.”

  “Annie doesn’t get to vote.”

  “She said—”

  “She also promised I’d take Eric rock climbing when she dropped him off last weekend. She wouldn’t dare back out. She can’t possibly refuse since she’s the one that suggested we go. Why waste it?” He patted her cheek and extracted himself from her grip. Or released her from his.

  Reva agreed reluctantly. Friday evening though, he debated if he’d made the wrong assumption of her acquiescence. His concern elevated after he’d been home for two hours and no sign of her. Repeatedly, he paced to the living room to validate that her bag was still in the corner. He wore a path to the bathroom to check on her make-up, shampoo, and deodorant.

  By eight, he stood on the back porch and watched her dark house like the peeping tom he’d exposed days earlier. A neighbor would surely notice. At eight-fifteen, Todd fired off a brief text. “You okay?”

  “Yep. Great. See you later.” Sure. Thanks for explaining. “This is stupid,” he muttered before returning to his computer and pulling up the orders for Monday. He delved into the work, forcing himself to take his mind off personal matters. The fact that he even had personal matters to think about pissed him off.

  A soft whoosh signaled the front door easing closed just before the click of the lock acknowledged it. Todd was pleased he had finally been able to lose himself in work. Something that used to concern Annie, but Reva understood. Hell, he’d seen her entranced at the kitchen table with her head just above the keyboard.

  He glanced down. The time on the taskbar of his flat screen said 11:42 p.m.

  Friday night, out late. He realized he’d made a lot of assumptions when it came to Reva. It wasn’t his business to know where she was or who she was with. Obviously her brothers did because they hadn’t called and weren’t at her house.

  A shuffle signaled her proximity and he looked up with a scowl. She leaned against the doorjamb and watched. “You busy?”

  “What do you think?” His voice, decidedly gruff, was almost a stab at the sweetness of her statement. She could have at least told him where she was so he wouldn’t worry. “I’ll leave you alone then. Goodnight.” She disappeared.

  ***

  Children are immune to altitude and heat. Eric trudged up the granite outcropping with ease. His tireless march kept Reva on her toes as he pointed out every bug, lizard, and weed along the way. Too bad trees didn’t grow on rock. More shade would have been nice.

  Still, the child’s constant chatter brought a smile to her lips as her lungs heaved from the fast pace. Even with all the jogging, she winded a bit. When they reached the top, the view of the surrounding area amazed her. She’d been there before but it had been years. She’d forgotten.

  “Nice, isn’t it?” Todd said from behind.

  “I’d forgotten. I haven’t been here in ages. I told some of the people at work about it and everyone agreed it was one of those great places to go that one always forgets. Look. You can see the river on the far side of the city. It’s beautiful how the clouds almost hover. Do you do this often?” “Three or four times a year. Eric likes it and it’s a good way to spend a day. I don’t have a lot of time with work or we might d
o it more often.” Todd turned and set his backpack down to dig through it.

  Reva yawned and stretched bare arms to the sky. She’d worn a tank top under her hoodie. The hoodie had come off in the first thirty minutes and was tied around her waist. The trek had warmed her almost as much as a morning run, with less stress on the knees. She was still tired though. She hadn’t slept well.

  Todd had been too busy to talk and she craved the discussion on her news. The conversation with her cousin, David, went well. It was always handy to have a lawyer in the family.

  “Did you adopt Eric while you were married to Annie?” Todd twisted around and squinted into the sun at her. “That’s random. Yes.”

  “Have you ever thought about talking with your attorney about her ultimatum?”

  “I had a friend in college who went to law school. I talked with him a long time ago. He said since Eric’s not my natural born child, it’s unlikely I could challenge her on much of anything.”

  She frowned. “You need to meet my cousin, David.” “Why not? I’ve met the rest of your family. You hungry?” Reva glanced behind Todd to the blanket spread on the ground. He’d emptied his backpack of sandwiches, chips, and drinks.

  “Dad, check out this lizard!” Eric stood over a bump of rocks, intently focused on the small life-form sunning. It watched him warily.

  Reva didn’t mention the situation further but she ground over it silently. She had to get David and Todd together. David had sounded pretty optimistic. Unfortunately, he also said it might get ugly. Todd said he didn’t deal well with drama. From his comments, he’d had more than enough of that already. Ironically, she recognized the falseness behind his words. He dealt with it alright.

  Three plus hours later, Reva trailed after Todd and Eric to their cars. They’d ridden separately so Todd could drop him home immediately after. He was annoyed that Reva insisted, but she had no intention of spoiling the outing with a nasty parental scene in front of the child. Now, as they meandered toward the end of the fun, she was pleased with her decision. Eric chattered away as they eased toward the parking lot, his fingers entwined in Todd’s.

  “I have to stop and get gas on the way back. See you at the house?” Todd asked.

  “Maybe. I thought I’d go ahead and get my things and head home.”

  “In a hurry?” He glanced over the numerous cars parked around them as a family of four moved closer. Eric peered up, his head swiveled from one to the other.

  “Nope. Eric, you need a drink? I thought I’d stop at the store by the park gate and get a water.” Quick change of subject.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He dropped Todd’s hand and ran to their vehicle.

  Todd reached a hand to slip Reva’s wayward hair behind her ear. The simple act normally would have caused her to jump backward. Not so with him. “We’ll follow you down.” The roll of his shoulders as he moved to his car brought further warmth to her already clammy skin. She slipped into her car and steered downhill to the store.

  Inside, Eric ran to the restroom with Todd following. Reva grinned. She hated to admit it, but she couldn’t help but enjoy a day like this, and the two of them as they bantered back and forth. The drinks were in refrigerated windows toward the back. She managed her way down the aisle and opened a door to extract three water bottles.

  “Well, hey there, Reva!” a voice called behind her. Startled, she glanced up with the bottles balanced in her arms. Brent. She looked toward the bathroom.

  “Hey, Brent. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She stepped back and let the door close, encapsulating the cool air that had felt so good on her face.

  “Yeah, what a surprise,” he admitted. “I was just up the road, bicycling with some friends.” Brent waved a hand at the window and Reva noticed a truck outside with a bicycle’s handlebars over the tailgate.

  A coolness tingled along her skin and she glanced back to see if anyone had opened the fridge behind her. Nope. “You’re a biker?”

  “On the weekends. It’s good exercise and gets me outside.” He glanced to the window. “Well, I’d better get going. See you Monday.” He raised his hand with an energy bar grasped between fingers in a salute.

  Reva followed until she reached the counter and paid for the bottles of water. Todd and Eric were still in the bathroom. She glanced at the door and could hear their voices in the small space. Amazing how long it takes for a little boy to go to the bathroom. Wasn’t that only little girls? It would be easier to wait by the car rather than the small space between the aisles. With paper bag in hand, she pushed the door open.

  Brent rolled over the engine of his truck. It sputtered and died. Reva waved and continued to her car. She heard the churning of the engine a few times, then the metal clang of the door shutting.

  “Hey, Reva!” Brent called. “Wait up. I’m having trouble with my truck. Do you think you could give me a ride down to the bike trail so I can get one of my friends to help out?” She glanced at the glass window, seeking Todd and Eric through the glass. What’s taking so long?

  “Um, I guess so. Can you give me just a minute to—” “I should hurry before they all leave. It’s real close.” Reva shrugged. “Sure. Hop in.” The paper bag was tossed into the console and she slipped behind the wheel. She lifted her iPhone to peck in a message to Todd.

  Brent grabbed it from her hand and slid his finger along the screen surveying the features. “You have one of the new ones. I’ve wanted one of those.” He glanced up as they exited the lot and pointed toward a dirt road a quarter of a mile ahead. “Turn there. It’s down at the end.”

  Reva watched him toss her phone in the back seat. Shit.

  ***

  Todd came out of the bathroom practically growling with impatience. Eric, for all his mature conversations and playfulness, was still a little boy. He’d wet himself on the way to the bathroom. Couldn’t hold it any longer, poor kid. Todd had noticed him squirming on the way down and twice suggested he take care of it behind a rock or the few scraggy bushes they’d passed. No. Too embarrassing in front of Reva. Fortunately, Todd had thought to bring a change of clothes in the backpack.

  After working Eric out of the clothes, washing the skinny legs and body, and slipping on the clean undies, shirt and shorts—the kid was fine. Except for the dust all over his face, and dirt on his hands. Todd lifted him over the sink and propped Eric on a knee with the water running. A bit of soap added to the mix made sure that the face was once again clean and sparkling. Ten minutes later they walked out of the bathroom with the soiled clothes in a plastic bag. “Dad, where’s Ms. Reva?” Eric asked.

  “She probably got tired of waiting and went outside.” The jingle of the door as they exited caught his attention. He surveyed the lot. She’d left? Seriously?

  He whipped the phone off the dashboard and sent a quick message.

  Where’d you go?

  No answer.

  You okay? he added.

  Nothing.

  Eric skipped to the car. Todd walked back inside and looked around while Eric waited in the passenger seat. The jingle of the bells over the door eerily signaled his entrance and it occurred to him that he’d heard it twice while in the store. Reva had left. Someone else too?

  The store clerk sat behind the counter watching a small television screen.

  “Did you see a woman leave just a few minutes ago? Long brown hair, tank top and shorts?”

  “Yeah. They took off down that way about five minutes ago.” The man’s tattooed finger pointed toward town. THEY?

  “She was with someone?”

  “Sure. The guy she was with went with her. Why?” “The guy she was with was me. Who did you see with her?” “I don’t know. Just some dude. Dark hair. Medium height. Dressed in bicycle gear.” The clerk gestured to signify height and weight. “She knew him. They seemed okay.” “Did you get his name? Did she call him by name?” “I don’t know. I don’t remember, but his truck wouldn’t start and he ran out after her.” The man gestured at the b
rown truck sitting in front of the window. Todd froze. Dark windows. Brown truck. Taillights looked the same. Shit. Shit. He dialed Officer Teckley’s number. Voicemail. Dammit. “Officer Teckley, this is Todd Grisham. I’ve got kind of a situation here. I think I found Reva’s friend. Can you call me back right away? She might be in trouble.” Todd ended the call and phoned Tim, Ben, and her parents. Eons later, he’d rallied the group and realized that, for all their preparation, the plan to saturate the neighborhood and ward the guy off had failed. He’d failed. His iPhone buzzed into action and Todd jerked it to his ear.

  “Todd.” It was impossible to mask the impatience now. “Wow. Having a bad time, sweetie?” Annie’s voice surfaced a cringe.

  “What do you want, Annie? I don’t have time to talk.” “I just wanted to check on Eric. We’re going out to eat tonight and I need him home asap.”

  Todd rolled his eyes. Not now. Eric sat in the car, glancing through the book he’d slid out from under the seat. He was completely unconcerned with Reva’s disappearance. “Sorry, but I can’t bring him. I have something going on and I can’t leave. You can come get him.”

  “You’re addicted to your work, you know. That’s why it never worked for us. I’ll be over in thirty minutes.” “I’m not getting into an argument with you right now, Annie. I’m not at home. We’re still at the park.”

  “Still at the park? And you can’t even drop him by on your way home?” Her voice rose.

  “Look, Reva’s missing. I’m not leaving until the police get here and we can figure out what happened or she calls.” “Reva? She went with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I told you—”

  “And I am telling you, it’s none of your business. She’s none of your business. We’re not discussing this. If you need Eric home, come get him. Otherwise, I’ll drop him by as soon as I can. Reva’s in trouble. Get it? Or don’t you care?” Todd hung up. He jogged to the street and peered both ways down the road, hoping to see her car. Nothing. The brightness of the sun glared off a broken glass down the street as if to wink at him. Sure, they were likely way gone by now but he could hope, right?