Looking for Trouble

by Victoria Dahl

  “I love hearing my name when you come,” he murmured.

  “Ha. Narcissist.” But when she curled her arms around his back, he sighed and melted into her. He liked to be held after he treated her like a whore. Sophie smiled into his skin. She wouldn’t tease him about that. Yet.

  “Can you spend the night?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I was actually hoping you’d take me in. The kitten was just a ploy.”

  “Okay, but I’m taking you in for your shots tomorrow.”

  His laughter rumbled through her. “Fine. But for now... Let’s order a pizza from bed.”

  “Perfect. I don’t suppose you like veggie?”

  “I should’ve known.” He scooped her up and carried her down the hall. “Though after tonight, I might have guessed meat lover’s.”

  Her shrieks echoed against the wood floors. With all the screaming she’d done tonight, her poor neighbors were going to believe everything they read about her in the paper. But it would be worth it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “LAST ONE,” SHANE SAID, before the drill screamed. He stood and stretched. “Shit. I should’ve let you have the honor. This is your first big project.”

  “All I did was lift and hammer and saw exactly what you told me to. This was your deal.” Alex stood shoulder to shoulder with Shane and looked over the ramp they’d installed to the front door of their mom’s house. It had taken two full weeks, but thanks to Shane, it was solid as hell and could still be easily removed if her rental contract on the house ever came up.

  “Maybe it’s too much,” Shane said, eyeing the ramp with an overly critical eye for the hundredth time since they’d started.

  “We’re heading into winter soon. The doctor said her stiffness may get worse. She’ll need the scooter more, and that temporary metal ramp was crap.”

  “Right.” But Shane still frowned at the ramp. Ironic, considering he’d carved each corner post with a relief of pine trees. It was probably the nicest wheelchair ramp in the state. “Well, I’m glad we got it finished before you leave. When are you going?”

  “In three days.”

  “You leaving the bike here?”

  “Yeah. Mom said I could store it in her garage until I get back.”

  “Good. That means you’ll have to come back.”

  “Yes, but then I’m off again.” He grinned and Shane shook his head.

  “You’re in a bad way.”

  “Fuck off,” Alex grumbled, but then he spotted the source of his trouble walking down the sidewalk and he felt a weakness he couldn’t deny.

  “Did you see it?” she called out, waving her phone.

  “See what?”

  “Your mom wrote to the paper again.”

  “Oh, shit,” Alex groaned. She’d been so much better. She’d been almost normal for a whole week now. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

  “I’m not,” Sophie said. “Is she around?”

  “No, she drove her new scooter to the store to pick up a cake.”

  Sophie smiled and handed him her phone. “Here. It’s only in the online edition.”

  Alex glared down at the phone, but as he scrolled, his worry started to ease.

  I’m the woman who wrote a few weeks ago to complain about my son’s new girlfriend [Strumpet on My Street]. At the time, I did not appreciate your response, but I’ve since realized you were partially right. I was suffering from a serious medical condition at the time and I was not seeing everything rationally. I’d like to publicly apologize to my son for the harsh words I wrote. He’s an adult and can make his own decisions.

  I’ve gotten the medical help I needed and am now looking forward to a new relationship with my family. My life has been too lonely for too long.

  Veronica says: At least I was partially right! I’m glad you’ve gotten the help you needed to ensure that you and your family are healthy and happy in the future.

  “Well.” Alex handed the phone off to Shane. “That was progress. But no apology for Sophie yet.”

  Sophie grinned. “It’s okay. I’d say that’s pretty amazing progress. And she speaks to me now. We’ll get there.”

  “Maybe. But she still needs to make up for all the crap she spread around town.”

  Sophie shrugged. “You know what? I’m a big girl. I can handle it. And I managed to hold on to my job with just one tiny warning for stepping out on my shift that day. I couldn’t keep up my perfect record forever.” She leaned closer. “I’m a very bad girl, after all.”

  Oh, Jesus, she was a bad girl, even if she was wearing his very favorite good-girl dress. He traced a thumb over the demure neckline. He loved the bright red of the fabric.

  Shane handed him back the phone. “Quite a turnaround,” he said.

  “Come on.” Alex tipped his head toward the front door. “Let’s set the table.” His mother was hosting a dinner to celebrate her cleaned and updated new kitchen.

  Sophie headed into the kitchen to hang out with Merry while Shane and Alex got plates and silverware from the sideboard. The cabinet hadn’t been in their family home, but Alex recognized the silverware. He traced a thumb over the checked pattern of the handles. Another thing he’d forgotten.

  “Hey, look,” Shane said. “It’s my Christmas plate.”

  Alex glanced over at the red-rimmed plastic plate. He snatched it. “That’s my Christmas plate!”

  “No, yours was green with a Christmas tree in the middle. Mine is the one with Santa.” He snatched it back. Suddenly Alex could remember this exact argument, back when he and Shane were young boys. He’d felt that Shane had always gotten the best of everything, because Shane had been older, but he’d also thought everything Shane had was better, simply because it belonged to his big brother.

  Alex found the green plate in the same drawer and traced a finger over the chipped edge. “I’m glad you brought me back here,” he said quietly.

  “Wow. Are you sure? It wasn’t quite what I’d envisioned when I asked you to come home for a few days.”

  “You mean the lawsuit, becoming a town scandal, Mom’s hospitalization and three weeks spent fixing up her house?”

  Shane quirked an eyebrow. “That about covers it.”

  “Strangely enough, it’s been worth it.”

  “Sophie?” Shane asked.

  Alex shrugged. “That’s part of it. But it’s more than that. I was so angry at you when I left home. Even angrier than I was at Mom. I felt like you’d betrayed me. We were supposed to be in it together.”

  Shane shook his head. “No. I was your big brother. I was supposed to protect you.”

  “I guess I thought that, too. But I was wrong, Shane. We were kids. Both of us. You were only a year older than me. How the hell were you supposed to handle all that bullshit any better than I could?”

  “I don’t know, but I should have.”

  “We were both mixed up,” Alex insisted. “Both confused.”

  Sophie stepped into the room, then stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. He met her eyes. “And we were scared,” he said.

  She watched him for a moment longer, understanding in her soft brown eyes, then she turned and retreated back to the kitchen.

  “We were scared, and I reacted with anger and frustration, and you tried to fix it with hope. Neither of us was wrong. I’m sorry it took me so long to forgive you.”

  “Shit,” Shane muttered. “You don’t need to apologize.”

  “Well, neither do you.” He set down the plate and grabbed his brother in a quick hug. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” Shane’s arms pulled him tighter for a brief moment. “But I have a feeling you’ll be back more often now.”

  Alex laughed. “Maybe.”

  Sophie en
tered again a few moments later, bringing in a big vase of flowers to set on the table. “I still can’t believe how much work you boys got done in less than three weeks. The house looks great.”

  It did look great. They’d cleaned out the whole place, boxing up all the documents she wanted to keep and moving them upstairs. Then they’d moved her real bedroom furniture downstairs to the den, so she didn’t have to use the stairs at all unless she wanted to. The house was set up for one-level living, the ramp was installed, the kitchen cleaned and the carpets all replaced with hardwood. He and Shane had worked their asses off. Alex had loved it.

  The kitten loved it, too. She careened around the corner and slid across the wood. Alex watched her roll into the baseboard and tried not to frown. Sophie missed the kitten. So did he. But they’d both be traveling a lot now. Pastel was better off here, oddly enough.

  Alex shook his head and finished the last place setting. He’d still be gone to distant places too often to have a pet. But maybe, just maybe...not too often to have a woman to love.

  “How long until dinner?” he asked Shane.

  “Another hour.”

  “Great. I wanted to fit in another lesson with Sophie before dark. She’s getting pretty solid on the bike.”

  “Can she ride in that dress?”

  “If she wants to. She’s damn amazing.”

  Shane shook his head again, as if he were exasperated by the stars in Alex’s eyes. Alex wasn’t bothered by them himself. He couldn’t see the stars, after all. All he could see was Sophie as she wandered into the dining room again.

  “Ready for a lesson?” he asked.

  For a moment, her face turned wicked and her lips parted, but then she paused and glanced at Shane and decided to play it straight. “Sure!” she finally chirped. Alex grinned as her cheeks turned pink. “I’ll just grab my jacket.”

  She raced from the house, leaving Shane and Alex alone with just the faint sound of Merry singing in the kitchen.

  “I guess you’re a good teacher,” Shane drawled.

  “Ha. Maybe. Hey, do you remember when Dad taught us how to use the lawn mower?”

  Shane frowned.

  “The riding mower.”

  “Oh.” His face cleared and he nodded. “I think I do. That old John Deere mower.”

  “I thought of that a few weeks ago, right before the dedication. He was a good teacher. Patient. That’s what I was going to talk about at the ceremony. The summer he died, he taught me how to use the mower, and I can still feel it. The engine roaring, the sun hot on my arms, and him telling me what a natural I was.”

  “Maybe that’s why you loved bikes so much. You brought your first one home at fourteen. Scared the hell out of me.”

  “Hmm.” Alex frowned down at his hands, so big and blunt like his dad’s. He could remember those big hands closing over his little ones on the mower, keeping the wheel steady. “You think?” The smell of gas and the deafening engine and the sun on his face...

  Sophie’s knock interrupted his thoughts. “Are you coming?” she called from the doorway. His frown disappeared at the sight of her wearing black jeans beneath her dress. She didn’t trust herself not to tip the bike over.

  “Show me what you’ve got,” he said as he stepped outside and gestured toward his bike.

  She looked nervous, the way she always did as she approached the motorcycle, but she swung a leg over, tucked her skirt under her thighs and set her foot to the shift.

  “How are you feeling about shifting these days?” he asked.

  She only nodded and sent him a quick glance before she turned the fuel cutoff and pulled the choke. She hit the starter switch, then grabbed the clutch and eased the throttle up, making the engine roar. She was getting better. Up until today, she’d gone over every step of starting it before she’d dared.

  “I want to see you taking those curves a little faster this time,” he said.

  She gave him a thumbs-up, then kicked up the stand and balanced on her toes. Alex backed away and she took off.

  He felt the strange mix of alarm and joy he always felt when she rode. He wished he could wrap her in a bubble and still let her enjoy her freedom. But he couldn’t, and the freedom meant so much to her.

  He’d been sure that he wasn’t right for her, wasn’t right for anyone. He drifted, he moved, he walked away. But he didn’t feel any urge to walk away from Sophie, and she didn’t seem afraid that he’d go. She hadn’t once complained that he had to head to Alaska soon. She’d never pouted or asked him not to go. Either she trusted that he’d come back or knew she’d be fine if he didn’t. After all, she’d survived worse.

  And he’d been wrong about what she wanted from life. Once she’d started letting go, she’d bloomed. She was teaching her brother how to do the books for the ranch and teaching her dad to cook his favorite meals. She wasn’t hanging on. She wasn’t afraid.

  He watched as she took a corner at a speed that didn’t make him terrified she’d fall over. “Much better,” he whispered to himself. She had her permit. She knew what she was doing. Still, he felt his jaw clench as she drove out of sight. He could still hear her though, as she drove down the cross street, then took another turn. She wasn’t going far. Thank God.

  The Triumph wasn’t a huge bike, so it was good handling for her, even if she had asked several times if she shouldn’t be learning on a smaller bike. She’d look cute on a smaller bike, but he loved her on his.

  Even as he thought it, the engine noise grew from a faint sputter to a steady purr and she turned the next corner with ease. He wouldn’t even mention that there’d been a stop sign there because her smile was wide and happy as she drove toward him.

  She sped past, kicking up briefly to third gear just to show him she could before slowing the bike and easing into a wide turn in the middle of the street.

  Her eyes danced with life when she finally pulled next to him and killed the engine. “That was great,” he said immediately.

  Her smile grew even wider. “It felt good. Almost natural.”

  “It looked even better,” he said, leaning close to kiss her. Her face looked so small in the helmet. It made him want to take her home and kiss her until she went breathless.

  A strange thought. But it matched the even stranger feeling in his chest.

  He didn’t want to go.

  * * *

  “I’M SORRY I have to leave.” Alex loomed over her, the sun and the roar of small jets behind him. “If I could...”

  “It’s okay.” Sophie leaned up to give him another quick kiss. “You’ll be back soon.”

  “I will,” he rumbled.

  “And I need a little time to recover. You’ve been pretty thorough the past few days.”

  “I had to get my fill,” he answered.

  She slipped a hand up the nape of his neck to his smooth scalp. She’d shaved him this morning in the shower. “So did you get your fill?”

  “Jesus, Sophie.” He stared down at her for a moment before cupping her head and holding her still for a hard kiss. “I’m not sure that’s possible,” he murmured against her mouth.

  Her chest felt tight and hot at the words.

  He kissed her more softly before he let her go. “My brother said you’re free to come to brunch tomorrow. They’re trying to make sure Mom doesn’t get down about me leaving. Changes like that trigger her, I guess.”

  “I can’t. We’re finally burying my mom’s ashes out near a little spring about a half mile from the house. It was a spot she loved.”

  “Good. Good for you.”

  “Yeah.” She didn’t want to let go of him, but she could feel the minutes ticking away.

  “I love you, Sophie.” His words were almost lost in the roar of a jet ascending. She stared up at him in shock for a long moment, th
at strange feeling taking her over again.

  “Oh, Alex,” she sighed. “I think I love you, too.”

  He smiled, his whole face going from dangerous to sweet with that one small thing. “You think?”

  She nodded and kissed him one last time. “It’s scary,” she whispered into his ear.

  “I know. I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too. But I’ll see you soon.”

  He stood straight and slung his big bag over his shoulder as she smiled up at him. “Maybe you’re not going to miss me enough. You look pretty cheerful.”

  “That’s because we’re leaving for California as soon as you get back.”

  “All right. But try to miss me a little. Okay?”

  She grinned. “Okay. Just a little.” She could see the mild confusion on his face, but he kissed her one last time, and then turned. He felt like he was hurting people each time he left, but he wasn’t hurting her.

  He glanced at the car. “You can practice on my bike while I’m gone. Just be careful.”

  “I won’t hurt your bike. I promise.”

  “I’m not worried about the damn bike.”

  “I’ll be fine, Alex. You’re a good teacher.”

  “All right. And when I get back, I’ll take you anywhere you want on that thing. I promise.” He stole one last kiss and then he left, walking toward the tiny airport terminal.

  “Send me lots of pictures!” she called.

  He turned and walked backward. “Deal. I’ll call you tonight.”

  She got in her car and pulled away, returning one last wave as she left. She’d enjoyed the way he watched her with such puzzlement, wondering why she wasn’t crying and clinging. But she wasn’t worried about him leaving. He was coming back. And then she’d go with him.

  Plus, she had bigger things to think about.

  After so many years without a life, she had plenty of vacation days saved up for her two-week trip to California. But she also had quite a bit of cash and a plan she hadn’t mentioned to Alex yet. If she liked the trip to California, if she liked life on the road, she might make it permanent. For a year or two anyway. She had a lot of savings, an offer to help with curation for an online research library, and a brand-new motorcycle permit burning a hole in her pocket. Two more weeks, and she’d have her license.