by Carter Ashby
“Is that so?”
Cora nodded. “And it doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve waited too long, and now I don’t know how to be around men. I was so frightened Friday night…” she choked before she could finish the sentence.
Her mother might have been an insufferable snob, but she was a wonderful confidante. The gossip gene had somehow passed her up. All of her friends had it. Four of her daughters had it. But she, herself, was a vault. And when she was in the right mood, as she was now, she could listen without judgment.
Cora recovered. “I invited him in. I told him there would be no funny business, but…when he asked if he could kiss me, I said yes.”
Noreen smiled. “A good kiss?”
“Very good. When it started going further, I just freaked out. He stopped just as soon as I said stop. But then I treated him like he’d attacked me or something. I asked him to leave. I told him I’d heard he treated women badly, and I didn’t feel safe being around him. It was all completely unreasonable.”
“What is it you’d heard about him?”
Cora slumped back against the counter. “Just that he sleeps with women and doesn’t call them. I’ve seen it myself. Not the sleeping with them part. I’ve seen him pick up women. He’s shameless. Of course, the women he chooses are, too. He doesn’t leave broken hearts in his path.”
“Would your heart be broken if he slept with you and didn’t call?”
“Maybe nothing so dramatic. But with him, I want more than that. Or else nothing. I couldn’t bear to be just another on a string of nameless, faceless women he’s used.”
“Is that your pride? Or is it that you have feelings for him?”
Cora reflected on the question for a moment. She smiled to herself as she recalled the games they’d played together Friday night. First pool. Then PS3.
“Ah. I see,” Noreen said. “Well…was he treating you the same as he does other women?”
“No,” she said, frowning again. “That’s the odd thing. If he wanted to sleep with me, he was going about it completely differently. For one thing, he’s taken a month getting to it. And then, he wasn’t aggressive at all. In fact, sometimes he seemed almost…hesitant.”
“Sounds like you possibly owe him an apology.”
Cora studied her mother. “Yeah. It does, doesn’t it.”
“Yes. And do let me have Kyle check up on him…”
Cora laughed. “Mom, I know enough. I hired him. We did plenty of checking up on him first.”
“And? Is he a good man?”
“He’s got some history you won’t like. But let’s not worry about it just now. After all, he’s probably done with me after the way I treated him.”
Cora finished washing the dishes while Noreen dried. Ginger and Dana interrupted, thus ending their conversation.
“We’re going for drinks at Darcy’s,” Ginger said. “You should come with us, Cora, now that you’re fit to be seen in public.”
Cora rolled her eyes. Ginger was such a bitch. Cora hated it when her sisters went to Darcy’s. The bar had always felt like hers. Her father used to take her, and then Sam, and then Adam…the place was in her blood. Which was why she accepted the invitation even though she didn’t care to spend time with her sisters. She hoped to ditch them for Lyssa, who was often there on Sunday evenings since she had the day off. And maybe, just maybe, Rye would be there, and she could apologize.
Rye got a call from Kent, which was why he was playing pool at Darcy’s when Cora and her sisters walked in. He didn’t initially assume the tall goddesses towering over his diminutive boss were related to her. But then he turned to Kent and said, “Who are they?”
And Kent said, “Cora’s sisters. I went to high school with Ginger; she is so hot.”
“If that’s the red-head, she’s mine.”
“No fucking way, you’ve got Cora.”
Rye snorted. “I’ll never have Cora. Come on, play pool and act like you didn’t notice them.”
He turned his back to the women while Kent cast him a skeptical glance and bent over the table, taking aim. “Why are we pretending not to notice them?”
“You never approach a woman like Ginger. She gets plenty of attention, trust me. Best way to lure her is ignore her.”
“That’s never worked for me before.”
Rye moved around the table to take his shot and discreetly glanced up. Sure enough, Ginger was leering at him as she sipped a drink from a straw. Rye shot her a wink and set his sexy grin to about ten percent power. No use wasting it all on a sure thing. He wondered if Cora would care or maybe even get jealous.
He took his shot and then another. On his third, he missed, and it was Kent’s turn. That was when he felt a hand slide over his shoulder and a hot woman press herself against his side. “Hey,” Ginger said, smelling of whiskey and perfume, “Zachariah, right?”
Rye nearly shivered. “Rye. No one calls me Zachariah.” Cora might if she wanted, and he wouldn’t argue. But he certainly wasn’t going to let this woman get away with it.
“Rye? Why not Zack?”
“Because when I started school, there were already three other Zack’s in my class. So we went with Rye.”
“Mmm. I like it. So, Rye, how about you buy me a drink and then show me how to play this game.”
Kent glared at him in disgust, so Rye gloated a little. He slid his arm around Ginger’s waist and pulled her tighter against him. “What are you drinking, beautiful?” he asked, as he led her to the bar.
“Whiskey sour.”
Cora was standing at the bar talking to her other sister. She’d clearly spotted him but was choosing to ignore him. So as Ginger ordered her second drink, Rye kept his hand on her hip and said to Cora, “I know you said your sisters were hot, boss, but damn.”
The other sister turned and, with a winning smile, extended her hand. “I’m Dana.”
“Rye.” Ginger was the clear winner of the three, but he certainly wouldn’t kick Dana out of bed. “Nice to meet you. We’re short one at the pool table if you wanna be partners with Kent.”
She leaned back to look past him, pursed her lips, and shrugged. “Sure. Sounds fun.”
Ginger wrapped her arms around Rye’s waist, and he enjoyed the view of her generous cleavage exposed in an extremely low-cut red dress. There would be no views like this with dowdy Cora. Rye decided to tear his eyes from the spectacle and see if Cora was jealous. He wondered if her face would be red, her eyes fiery.
It was the opposite. As soon as he saw Cora, he learned something about her. And the learning of it changed him forever. The dam around his conscience started to crack again, and guilt began gushing in. Her face was pale. She wasn’t even looking at him so much as through him. Her fingertips hovered at the neckline of the adorable blue dress she was wearing, her other hand rested on her stomach.
Rye had gone too far.
To think, he’d been pondering sleeping with Ginger and rubbing Cora’s face in it the next day. But Cora wasn’t a toy, and this wasn’t a game and Rye suddenly felt sick to his stomach.
“Come on, sweetie,” Ginger said to Cora as she accepted her drink from Roux the bartender, “you can hold my drink while Rye teaches me how to play pool.”
That snapped Cora out of her daze and her eyes finally turned angry. “Why don’t you just wedge it between your fake tits, Ginger. I’m going home.” She turned and walked out calmly and about as dignified as she could have under the circumstances.
Rye watched her, sick and frustrated. Ginger’s touch felt slimy, so he stepped away from her even as he stared at the door closing behind Cora.
“Come on, let’s play,” Ginger said, pulling at his hand. She had no regard whatsoever for her sister’s feelings. Rye, always a loyal and devoted brother, couldn’t imagine treating a sibling with such scorn.
“Go play with yourself,” he said and left her huffing by the bar.
He burst into the night and scanned the lot. She had her car door open, so Rye ran.
“Hey,” he shouted.
She looked up at him, hate and hurt forming tears in her eyes. But at least she paused long enough for him to catch up to her. He grabbed her car door to keep her from closing it. Then he just stood there, willing words to form. But it had been years since he’d opened himself to hurt, years since he’d treated a woman like a human being, and the words wouldn’t come.
“What?” she spat.
“I’m sorry,” he managed to say. But it all just went downhill from there. “She was just…I…I didn’t mean…”
“What happened,” she said, “was that I hurt your feelings Friday night, and you decided to take it out on me by flirting with Ginger.”
He gulped because that was exactly the case.
She let out a little laugh, shook her head, and looked away. “I was going to apologize for misjudging you, for making you feel bad. But you just confirmed everything I accused you of, so I guess it’s moot.”
“Cora, I…” still couldn’t think of anything to say to make it all better.
She stared into him, giving him a moment. But when nothing intelligible came out of his mouth, she said, “I’m just mad at myself. You’re not my type, I know that. But I’ve nursed this crush on you, and I’ve let myself believe a guy like you might want me. Well, that’s over as of this moment. I promise to resume my professional behavior, but I don’t want to be your friend. You’re playing games I’m not interested in and not capable of playing.”
He shook his head. “Cora, I like you.”
She let out a bitter laugh, and her face contorted in pain and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “You had no problem stopping, Friday, when I said stop. I deluded myself into thinking you were a gentleman, but that’s not it, is it? You just weren’t that excited about me in the first place, were you? If Ginger had been next to me that night, you’d have gone home with her, wouldn’t you? I was just the only female available at the time.”
“No. No, that’s not true. I find you very attractive—”
“You were slavering like a dog over my sisters.” She clamped her jaw shut and looked away. “I’m sorry,” she said in a softer tone. “I shouldn’t blame you. You are who you are, and you have every right to your preferences. And deep down, I know I don’t want someone like you. I want someone true and honest…I want a serious relationship. I was a fool to let my attraction to you affect me so. Goodnight, Rye.”
She sank into her car and tried to jerk the door out of his grasp. “Wait. Please,” he said.
“Go back inside. Ginger’s a sure thing, and she hardly ever fucks the same guy twice. Should be just what you’re looking for.”
This time she succeeded in slamming the door, nearly taking Rye’s fingers with her. He stood helplessly as she drove away wondering if he’d just burned the best bridge that had ever come his way.
CHAPTER SEVEN
ADAM HAD A standing lunch date with Cora every Tuesday. He thought today he might try and talk her into playing hooky the rest of the day and shopping. He was dying to talk to her about Cash.
He parked in a small lot a block away, and as he was walking up the sidewalk, he saw her walking down it. They smiled at each other as they converged on the entrance to the restaurant. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, holding open the door for her.
“Hey, yourself.”
He followed her to the back end of the bar where Franny was sitting, all but a permanent fixture. Franny liked to come in, sip soda, and stare at Sullivan Fletcher’s back. Adam couldn’t really blame her, it was a nice back.
Cora took a seat next to Franny, and Adam sat next to Cora.
“The usual, guys?” Lyssa shouted from across the open kitchen.
“Yes, please,” Cora answered for them both. She took off her sunglasses and that’s when Adam noticed how puffy her eyes were.
“You’ve been crying,” Adam said, resting his hand on her back.
She sighed. Franny was alerted enough to turn her attention from Sullivan to Cora. “Is everything okay?” Franny asked.
“Everything’s fine,” Cora said. “I just had a little reality check and I’m getting over it is all.”
“I was already going to talk you into ditching work and going shopping,” Adam said, “this just settles it. You wanna come, Franny?”
“Depends,” Franny said. “I’ve been trying to get a date with Sullivan, but he keeps ignoring me. What say, Sully?” she shouted. “I’ll rock your world.”
No reaction from Sullivan. Franny shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll go shopping with you guys. As long as we can go by the fabric store.”
“Fine with me,” Adam said, “Now tell us about this reality check, Cora.”
Cora sighed. “It’s stupid. I had this crush on Rye and—”
“Shit.” Adam’s good humor vanished in the wake of righteous indignation. He’d warned her a million times. That guy was no good. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
Cora rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I told you he was no good, Cora, I told you.”
“I know. I should have listened.”
“So, wait, what happened?” Franny asked.
So Cora gave them a rundown of Friday night and the following Sunday. Adam was shaking with rage. The man had put his hands on sweet, innocent Cora. And then he’d used her sisters to belittle her. The sick bastard. “You should have seen him,” Cora said. “I mean, Friday he made me feel like there wasn’t another woman in the world worth looking at but me. Then Sunday, he’s got his hands all over my whore of a sister. I can’t believe how stupid I was.”
“He had no right to make you feel that way,” Adam said.
“Sounds like he was nursing a wounded ego,” Franny replied.
“And that’s an excuse?” Adam asked.
“Of course not. But it’s an explanation. Sounds like really immature behavior, but I wouldn’t take it to mean that he doesn’t find you attractive, Cora.”
“I don’t frankly care who he finds attractive anymore,” Cora said. “He’s not the right kind of guy for me. I need someone a little more down to earth, a little less full of himself.”
“Damn right,” Adam said.
“I thought he seemed like a lot of fun,” Franny said.
“Cora doesn’t need fun, Franny. She needs someone sturdy and dependable, just like her.”
“Um, Cora can have fun if she wants.”
“No, you can have fun. That’s the kind of guys you attract and the kind of lifestyle you choose to live. Unfortunately, Cora, the good guys don’t come in those tall, pretty packages. You see someone sexy like Rye, your best bet is to run the opposite direction.”
Cora was frowning, turning her head back and forth as Franny and Adam argued. “I don’t usually attract those types of men anyway.”
“This was just a fluke,” Adam said. “But it was a good learning experience.”
“Hey,” Franny said a little more forcefully. “One…Cora can attract any kind of man she wants. And two…why are we stereotyping, here? I mean, do we really know the guy? Are we really going to sit here and say that all tall, gorgeous men are brain-dead asses? We’re really telling Cora that she can’t have any fun along with all that sturdy and dependable?”
“I’m just trying to help her get a realistic view of her dating world.”
“You’re putting unnecessary restrictions on her dating world. Jeez, Adam, I had no idea you were so narrow-minded.”
For a moment he forgot that Cora was sitting between himself and Franny. “You want me to lie to her? Tell her she’s capable of attracting a man like Rye and convincing him to live a good life for her?”
Franny’s jaw dropped. Cora slammed her hands on the counter. “That’s enough,” she said quietly. She turned to face him. “What kind of man is it I should be going for? A hunchback with warts and a limp, perhaps?”
“Honey, I didn’t mean it like that.”
Lyssa and Sully brought them their sandwiches. Lyssa retu
rned to the front of the counter to serve more customers, but as Sully started to return to his work, Franny said, “Hey, Sully, what do you think of our Cora? Is she a hottie or not?”
He froze, halfway turned away from them and shot Franny a dirty look.
Cora laughed bitterly and buried her face in her hand. But Sully turned to Adam. “What are you doing talking to her that way? I thought you were her best friend?”
It took a brief moment to overcome the surprise at being addressed by the usually silent Sullivan. “This woman has never been on a date in her life. The first guy she sets her sites on is that womanizing bastard, Rye Holcomb. Obviously she needs guidance.”
“I don’t need your guidance, Adam, I need your support,” Cora said. “Do I judge you whenever you need a shoulder to cry on?”
“I’m not judging, I’m—”
“You’ve had it out for that guy from day one,” Franny said.
“That’s true,” Sully chimed in. “What’s wrong with him? Sure, he’s a little slutty, but so’s Franny and we like her.”
Franny folded her hands over her heart. “Aww, thanks, Sully.”
“How can you just flippantly dismiss his behavior?” Adam asked. “The guy’s a pig and he was such a jerk to Cora last weekend.”
“He was a jerk,” Cora agreed, “but that’s not all there is to him. He’s great at his job. He’s loyal to his brother.”
“And he stood up for my sister and the girls at the bar that night when Les Dunigan was harassing them,” Sully chimed in. “Sounds like he’s a pretty stand-up guy, most of the time.”
Adam shook his head, realizing he was losing this argument. “That’s not the point anyway. The point is, you shouldn’t be looking for guys like Rye.”
“Because he’s too much fun for me?” Cora said.
Adam sighed and shook his head. “You’re being difficult.”
“You’re being overbearing. Do I need to say it Adam? You’re not my mommy.” She made a funny pouty face at him, which made him laugh.
