by Alexa Davis
“It’s too much. I haven’t done the work that would justify my having this.”
“You served your country until you were physically incapable, George. I talked to your brothers and they agreed that if I hadn’t done something to help you out, they were going to, anyway. You went away a kid with a promising future, and you came back a man stuck with the pittance the government gives their own. We’re not blind, and I don’t run a charity. You do exactly what you were hired for, and this truck is a tax write-off for the company.” I swallowed hard and reached out my hand to shake his.
“Thank you, sir.” He took my hand and gripped it tight.
“Now, you just focus on getting your life right. That includes making it right for Callie, even if you don’t get to keep her.”
“I will, sir. Somehow.”
The drive back to the job site was as lively as the ride out. This time, though, I was just caught up with the roar of the hemi and the feel of the wheels under us.
Tom thought I was doing all right. If I could back off a little, and give Xavi the time he deserved every day, maybe I could also fit in a little groveling to the boss’ lovely daughter. The longer I thought about it, the more solid my plan became.
We pulled into the semi-planed gravel parking and Xavi came bounding out the door that Nell opened. He leapt into my arms like a puppy and I almost fell under the weight. Tom helped me set him back down and promised not to tell Callie of his unprofessional behavior, while he grinned at us.
“So, boss, I’m going to take you up on your offer and take the rest of the day off. I need to take care of Xavi here, and I think it’s time I had a date.”
“Is that how it works, then?”
“It will be tonight.” My almost father-in-law shook his head and waved me off.
“I don’t want to know. Just go, have fun, and try not to make anything worse.” I saluted him, and he sauntered off to talk to the foreman. I looked at Nell and winked.
“Gotta cut out early, boss; got a big date and a new truck to impress her with.” Nell giggled and handed me my crutches and Xavi’s leash.
“Have fun, young’un. I’ll see you bright and early.”
I waved and commanded Xavi to jump up into the cab, stowed the crutches, and slid up behind the wheel. I pulled out the phone without starting the truck and sent a short text. I was feeling better than I had in a while and thought I’d get lucky and maybe she’d see me just for the hell of it.
10. Callie
I was in and out of meetings for hours, and when I finally escaped the store, I rushed home to get out of my bra and into some yoga pants. I was sliding the key into the deadbolt at home when my phone buzzed for what seemed the fiftieth time in a space of hours. I hadn’t slowed down enough to look, but it was only a couple of minutes to get Slinky-dog squared away before I collapsed on the couch to see who had been after me with such dedication.
I read the first texts and jumped up off the couch, cursing. A glance at the clock gave me thirty minutes and change if I wanted to shower and look decent before George showed up at my door.
I was in the middle of rinsing shampoo out of my eyes when I realized I could’ve told him no. But, he’d needed me less and less over the past few weeks and I was glad he still wanted to see me. Either to torture me or be friends, but when I was all alone and didn’t have to put a brave face on it, I was happy to spend more time with him. All too soon he wouldn’t need me anymore, then what would I do to punish myself for not giving up on him?
The door buzzed as I was squeezing myself into my jeans. I buzzed George up and looked in the mirror. I had no idea where we were going and I looked like I was about to ride in the rodeo. I swore and scrambled out of the jeans and grabbed a sundress from the closet. It went with my boots and gave me an excuse to wear my hair down. I could hear him knocking as I shoved my feet into my boots.
“Hold on, hold on, dang it, I’m coming.” I slipped the bolt and let George and Xavi in, as Slinky bounced and postured playfully for them. He was wearing a button-down shirt, slacks, and his boots had a high shine. Looking him over while Slinky had him distracted, I was glad I’d taken the time to change, even if I did feel a small trickle of sweat sliding down between my shoulder blades from the exertion of fighting my way out of the jeans.
“So, what’s up? We haven’t had time to catch up lately,” George inquired. He kept glancing around as if he expected me not to be alone, which last evening, would have been true. Thinking back, I wished he had come over. It would’ve helped me end a disastrous date a whole lot sooner and without me getting out my pepper spray to make the dingbat leave. I watched him, working so hard to look nonchalant and casual. Something was up.
“Well, last night I went out with Corey Dunn. Do you remember him?”
“That jerk’s been after you since high school.”
“I don’t know. Back then, I only had eyes for one jerk.” George laughed at my dig, and the sparkle in his eyes made me feel warm all over. “Well, anyway, he happened to be picking up fish food and we bumped into each other. It’s kind of sad, really; he’s going through a divorce.”
“Oh yeah? It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy,” George scowled. “Have a good time?”
“It was great! Right up until he bullied his way in here and suggested none too politely that he’d like a little something for buying me dinner.” George’s face turned dark, and I touched his arm and slid closer to him. “I slipped him a twenty and told him to keep the change, then threatened him with my bear spray.” George held me at arms’ length and studied my face. Realizing I was serious; he broke into laughter and hugged me tight.
“That’s my girl.”
“Ha! You better prove that, son.”
He held me close and sighed. I lost track of time as we stood gently rocking in my entryway. My ear was pressed to his heartbeat, and the steady thump against my cheek resounded in my own chest.
“Hey, you hungry, Cal?” I smiled into his shirt at his old nickname for me.
“Come to think of it, I am. What’s on the menu for tonight?” He shrugged and waited while I leashed Slinky, then hooked my free hand over his arm and lead me out the door. At first, I didn’t believe him, then I gaped as he helped me up into his new toy. The short dress threatened to pose a problem climbing in, but George slid his hand over my butt and held the dress down.
“Did you see that? What a gentleman. You sure are lucky to be going out with a guy who doesn’t flash that fine ass all over Austin.”
“No, you’re right. Grabbing was so much more chivalrous.” I rolled my eyes at his chuckle.
“You can’t blame a guy for wanting to touch you. Thanks for leaving the bear spray in your purse, by the way.” I laughed out loud and pushed away at Slinky as she responded to my laughter with her long, wet tongue.
“We’re going somewhere Slinky can go?” I rubbed the silly girl behind her silky ears.
“Yup. I figured you’d feel bad if we took Xavi, but not Slinky-dog. So, this time, I found a place where we can have both. There’s this Italian place that welcomes pets and has a big outdoor seating area. If the food is good, it would be a nice go to.” His face clouded over and he frowned. “Even with all the paperwork and his vest, people still give Xavi and me a hard time. It’s like the laws don’t matter. We got hassled at a Trader Joe’s the other day. Fortunately, the store manager squared them away, and it wasn’t close to home, so it’ll be easy not to go back.”
I shook my head. There was so much work that went into making the world a safer place for disabled vets, you’d think the most basic laws would be taught and followed by companies that served them.
“Sorry, George. I hate when people are ignorant.”
“Well, we survived. I wasn’t trying to bring you down, sweetheart. I just appreciate this place being somewhere I don’t have to show documentation of my service dog, just to eat.”
He rubbed my knee and I hummed in pleasure at his warm, rough skin on my
leg. I inched closer to make it easier, and he stroked it gently for a minute or two. I closed my eyes and relaxed in my seat, so content it took me a moment to realize his hand had slid up under my skirt, and he was massaging my thigh just below the thicker cushion at the top.
I licked my lips and stared out the window, pretending I didn’t care. Without a word, I opened my legs more and bit my lip to stay quiet when he slid his hand up and massaged the very top of my leg. His fingers brushed against my panties and I fought to keep my breathing even as the random brushes against the softest part of me became insistent caresses over and around the silk barrier that kept him from entering me.
“George…I think we should stop.” My voice sounded strangled, and my eyes closed even as I placed my hand over his, intending to pull him away from me. Instead, my traitorous libido fought my brain and my hand pressed him tight against me as my hips moved, grinding me onto him as wetness soaked through the fabric and dampened his fingers.
“Callie, I’m going to agree with you, for once. Only because if I do what my hands want to right now, we’re going to end up having sex on top of Xavi and Slinky.” He gently moved his hand away and gripped the steering wheel tight. “But I’m going to finish that later, and you’re going to want what I do to you.”
I didn’t doubt him. My body was already lit up like a switchboard, demanding we finish what we’d started. I saw the umbrellas of the Italian restaurant ahead and hoped that dinner was good enough to distract me for a little while, until I could decide exactly what I wanted beyond my physical appetite for the man sitting next to me.
George had made a reservation, so even with the apparent “hot spot” status of the place, we and our canine companions were escorted quickly to the expansive patio, where our pups were given their own bowls of tap water (though bottled was available upon request) and they laid down at our feet on foam pads that we were encouraged to soak with water to help combat the heat.
I raised my eyebrows at George across the table. I was too impressed to pretend otherwise, and I hadn’t even opened the menu. First, I took a quick look at the short, doggie menu, and selected a bowl of cucumber and blueberries for Slinky, with a whole carrot for her to chew on. Also listed were several raw meals for dogs that I just wasn’t as comfortable attempting yet, but I filed the information away for later.
Next, I perused the entrée menu, which thankfully had their wine pairings listed with the meals, saving me the effort of switching back and forth to find a good light meal that would go with my favorite Pinot Grigio. When the server came back and I ordered, George asked him to simply bring the bottle. I pretended not to hear him. I still wasn’t sure if I wanted us any less sober as the evening went on, but unlike my date from the night before, I knew I could trust George never to take advantage of me.
It had been a long, dreadfully boring day, and I decided I’d let him take the lead. If nothing else, I had a designated driver for a drunken ride home, possibly followed by hot sex. I could live with that. God knew I needed it, seeing George and still being alone was starting to chafe my ego.
Dinner was everything promised and more. I laughed out loud at the appetizer of raw oysters, but managed to polish off my half just fine. I was a couple of glasses into the bottle of wine when the main course arrived. I dug in like a starving woman, having survived my day on coffee and a single protein bar up until then. A few blissful, savory bites in, I noticed George watching me eat.
“What?”
“You’re happy right now.” His eyes were gleaming as he grinned at me.
“Food has that effect on me.” I shoveled another forkful into my mouth and made a face at him. He laughed and slipped a bit of steak to Xavi from his plate.
“You know I have an ulterior motive, right?” I nodded. I continued chewing my food and motioned for him to go on. “I almost quit working for your dad.” I swallowed hard and stopped eating.
“You have my full attention. What happened?”
“I just never felt like I’d be any good in an office. On site, I would have bet on myself against anybody for speed, precision, ability to spot inconsistencies and flawed materials, you know what I mean.” He paused, and took the opportunity to feed Xavi more steak while I waited.
“George. What happened?” I repeated myself when I saw him drift away. I knew he was upset enough to slip back in to PTSD land, and not knowing why had made my blood pressure skyrocket. My stomach did a flip, from happy and sated, to tossing and turning on choppy whitecaps.
“He didn’t let me quit. He said I’m doing better than I thought, and that if anything, I just needed to slow down and take more breaks. I’m not a business major. I don’t know how to get my brain around taxes and inspection law. The company bought me the dang truck, for God’s sake.” He rubbed his face in his hands and Xavi sat up and placed his head in his lap.
“Wow. Okay. Um…” I stammered for a second. I didn’t know what he needed to hear, so I attacked it like he would. Problem solving mode engaged. “You said you didn’t understand the inspection paperwork, but you’ve been through hundreds of inspections. What don’t you get?”
“The paperwork doesn’t make sense. The materials quoted don’t match what I saw on site; sometimes the materials listed don’t even make sense. But the inspections have gone through just fine. It’s like going in to take a test in English, but then you get there and the questions are all in Spanish. Even if you know one well, and the other a little bit, you’re going to get a lot of those answers wrong.”
I nodded. “What did Nell say?”
“She said she had no idea what any of it was, but the numbers matched the invoices, and that was what was being looked at most of the time.”
“Well, that’s true, but you’re right, every material in that paperwork should be physically visible on site…well, depending on the stage of the build, of course.” His face went from relieved, straight back to worried, in a matter of seconds.
“Then why don’t I see the materials in question?” He rubbed his hands on his thighs as he asked, one of his less anxious physical tics.
“It sounds like somebody is taking advantage of the boss not being on site. I bet they didn’t expect you or your expertise to show up and catch them. Someone is stealing from my father, George. If you want me to, I can help you find out who.”
He grinned and nodded his head. “I would like that…and maybe some help with sales tax, and payroll taxes, and…” He grimaced.
“Yeah, I can help with that, if you can help with the dog walking for the shelter pups and maybe some light kennel cleaning.”
“I’d scoop poop any day over doing taxes. Accountants are insane.” He sighed. “Thank you, Callie.”
“I would’ve helped without you buying me dinner first,” I replied, “but, you are welcome. Dinner was good.” I sipped my wine. “Dad bought you that truck?”
“For ‘my service to our country.’”
“Shit. I’m his kid, and all I got was a Ford Escort.” I chuckled. “He missed you.”
“He mentioned that. I should tell you, I also told him the truth about how I left. Does it piss you off that he let me keep the truck?” I arched my eyebrows at him, and filled my mouth with creamy pasta to avoid answering him. “He thinks I should grow up and try to win you back.”
“He doesn’t know much about women. He’s been with my mom for thirty years, and when he stepped out on her, she stayed. He just thinks we’re all like that now.”
“But I never stepped out.”
“Sarah Abbott loves to tell everyone that she’s banged four of the Hargrave brothers, and goes into great, gory detail to anyone who will listen. Not accusing, just letting you know.”
“Nope, not this brother. God, can you even imagine how drunk I’d have to be to even talk to that crazy, shallow bitch?”
I snorted wine out my nose.
“Goddamn it, George, it burns!” He laughed out loud as he handed me his cloth napkin. I cleaned up my fa
ce and patted my shirt dry. “Okay, you got me there. She was being a jerk and trying to make me feel bad. Which is probably why when I saw some kid keying her car, I went blind and deaf until I reached the back of the shop.” He laughed so loud people around us started to stare.
I ducked my head and feigned embarrassment, and Xavi, ever the wonder-dog, sat up and pushed his face up against George to get his attention. George reassured Xavier and Slinky-dog snuck over to his side to get in on the ear rubs.
My heart shattered into a million pieces as I realized that I never felt normal or relaxed anywhere else like I did with George. I considered calling my father about the thefts, but decided to let George handle it. It would be nice to see him get to be a hero again.
11. George
I was happy Callie and I were a team again. It made up for the fact that she was so tired and strung out from her own day of fighting the legislative fight against animal cruelty, she turned me down for a nightcap and went straight to bed when I took her home. Of course, the bottle of wine she drank by herself was at least partially to blame.
Callie had outlined what paperwork I needed to go back over and how to compare inventory to bookkeeping records to bills of lading. It sounded like the most boring work I had never considered before, which served to remind me why I joined the service instead of going to college. I wasn’t a book-learning kind of guy, and Callie said it might take weeks to go over all the different kinds of records to narrow down the possible causes of the discrepancies.
I agreed with her first impression, though. If what I had seen was true, I had to get to the root quickly, before a dangerous switch in materials was made and Tom took the blame for it.
My head hurt, and I ached from the effort of not staying with Callie. I ended up online, flipping through half-true news stories and cat videos, until an ad caught my eye. I clicked on the link and it opened to a jewelry seller I’d never heard of, probably some sketchy, cubic-zirconia con-job. But the rings I saw made me wonder what I would buy for the Callie I knew now, versus the Callie I’d known four years ago.
