Games of the Heart

by Kristen Ashley

  “I wouldn’t hold your breath for that,” she retorted.

  He didn’t think so.

  “We done?” she bit out.

  They fucking were, thank God.

  “Yep,” he answered.

  She disconnected.

  Mike hit a button on his phone and dropped it on his desk, his eyes going across it to Merry who was also on the phone.

  “Yep,” Merry said into his phone. “Yep,” he repeated. “Got it,” he went on. “When’s this goin’ down?” He paused to listen. “Yep.” He said again, nodding to a person he couldn’t see. “Thanks for the info. Right. Thanks again. Later.”

  He put his phone in the cradle and his eyes went to Mike.

  “Seems our afternoon load just lightened, brother,” he announced.

  They were heading out to visit with McGrath so Mike’s brows went up.

  “How’s that?”

  “Well, Fire and Building Safety have deemed a shopping center in Danville, a restaurant in Avon and a whole fucking housing development outside of Pittsboro unfit for use. Owners and occupiers are being notified. There’s a building inspector who’s bein’ picked up by IMPD for questioning for bribery and corruption. Danville PD and Hendrick’s County Sheriff’s Department both have obtained warrants for Bernard McGrath’s arrest. I think he’s gonna be too busy to have a chat with us.”

  Mike grinned.

  Merry grinned back.

  “Better call Dusty and get her ass in the kitchen. She’s got a lotta cake bakin’ to do,” Merry remarked.

  “Yeah,” Mike agreed.

  “And I know someone, get you a fuckuva deal on one helluva bottle of Scotch for Devin.”

  “Make the call, man,” Mike ordered.

  Merry nodded and reached out to his cell on his desk.

  Mike did the same with his. He went to his contacts, found Dusty and hit go.

  Then he told her the news.

  The he held his phone away from his ear as she shouted with joy.

  That was when he smiled.

  * * * * *

  That Friday night…

  “We’ll be back around ten, Dad,” Reesee called from the hall she and Fin were heading down.

  Mike’s head was leaned back over the couch so he could watch them go. They were heading to a movie. Mike had lifted the ban but Fin hadn’t gone for it for a week. Now he was going for it.

  “Have a good time,” he called back, saw Dusty appear in the doorway to the kitchen where she was still baking cakes and he saw her grin at the couple.

  They grinned back then they were out the door.

  It was then Mike watched Dusty wander down the hall.

  No and his band were at some kid’s house setting up to play a gig they were each getting paid twenty dollars to play for a party. His curfew was midnight. It was their first paying gig and they were beside themselves even though they were playing for hours for pretty much nothing.

  This meant Mike had three and a half hours alone in his house with his woman and his dog.

  This was not lost on Dusty and he knew this when she hit the living room, rounded the couch, came direct to him and deposited her ass in his lap.

  Her arms circled his shoulders. His arms circled her waist and his eyes dropped to her mouth.

  “Please tell me you’re done bakin’ cakes,” he muttered.

  “Got one more to go,” she told him and his eyes moved to hers. “But I’ll do it in the morning.”

  Damn right she would.

  She tipped her head to the side. “You get time off next week?”

  The next week was the kids’ spring break.

  “Half day Wednesday then Thursday and Friday.”

  She scrunched her nose. It was something but since the kids went to Audrey’s the next Friday night, it wasn’t much. Audrey was supposed to have them Monday through Wednesday afternoon but she’d made a deal with them since she couldn’t get much time off work. She’d been able to get Tuesday off to do something with them so they were spending the night Monday and coming home Wednesday morning. But they were back with her on the weekend and she had something planned.

  “We’ll figure out somethin’ to do that they’ll like,” Mike assured her.

  “Next year, No’s last year, we should plan something fun. Florida or Mexico or something,” Dusty suggested. “Give Audrey a head’s up now and maybe trade something out with her so we can have that time.”

  “I’ll get right on that,” Mike murmured and she grinned then pressed closer.

  “I think it would take about seven elephants to drag Fin and Rees back to the house so I also think you’re pretty safe to get right on something else right about now,” she whispered her invitation.

  Mike smiled. Then he accepted her invitation, taking her to her back on the couch and he got right on that.

  * * * * *

  Late Friday night…

  Mike’s eyes opened as did his senses.

  Still.

  Quiet.

  Nothing.

  Nevertheless, carefully, seeing as every time he’d done it before he’d woken Dusty, he slid away from her at the same time pointing at Layla. Her head had come up from Dusty’s ankle but she saw Mike’s hand, knew his command and she stayed where she was.

  Mike went to the dresser and tagged a tee. Dusty had clearly been in a mood or she’d needed something to do to kill time while she was waiting for cakes to bake because he came home that night, went up to their room to change and found, for the first time since she moved in, the bedroom floor clear of clothes and shoes and it had been vacuumed.

  He tugged the tee on, opened the door and went through. Down the hall, he went to Reesee’s room first. Opening her door, he saw her head on the pillow, the shadow of her cell on the nightstand within reaching distance but it was late. She was out. Fin had got her home on time and although they sat in his driveway for fifteen fucking minutes in Fin’s truck (which had a bench seat, for fuck’s sake) before she wandered in with a dreamy look on her face, it wasn’t any dreamier than other looks she had after leaving Fin so Mike relaxed.

  He moved out of her door, closed it and checked on No. His head was also on his pillow and he was also out. Mike was surprised about this. He’d gotten home from the gig completely wired. Clearly, it had gone well but Mike also knew it had gone well because he stood in No’s doorway leaning against the jamb while No put away his gear and told him about it. Mike thought it’d take him a while to wind down but he’d obviously since crashed.

  Mike moved out of his door, closed it and then retraced steps he’d taken time and again in his walkthrough of the house.

  The house was still.

  It was quiet.

  Nothing.

  All good.

  Rhonda was sorting her shit, helping out. She’d even worked with Della to crate Dusty’s pieces that week.

  Debbie was disabled.

  McGrath was in jail.

  Audrey seemed to be keeping her shit and making inroads with Rees.

  With four people working the farm, the corn was nearly finished being planted.

  Nothing bad.

  All good.

  Mike stood in his living room looking out the doors to the deck at his moonlit backyard.

  Nothing out there either.

  All was still.

  Quiet.

  Good.

  “So why in the fuck can’t I shake this fuckin’ feeling?” he whispered to no one.

  Unsurprisingly, he got no answer.

  So with the weight he’d been carrying in his gut for a while still heavy, even after Rhonda was shaking it off, Audrey stepped up, Debbie was sorted, McGrath was put out of commission, Mike walked back upstairs and to his room.

  He closed the door and carefully slid back in with Dusty, fitting his front to the curve of her back and snaking his arm around her waist.

  She hadn’t woken.

  All good.

  Except it wasn’t.

  And he
knew it.

  He just didn’t know why.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Games of the Heart

  Late May…Saturday…

  I was walking from the barn to the house to get a drink when the backdoor crashed open and a nanosecond later, Rees flew out, face red, wet and ravaged. Hair flying, she dashed down the steps and headed immediately to the field toward home even though Fin followed her and shouted, “Reesee!”

  At this dramatic display, I had stopped and, weirdly, Fin did too. His eyes were glued to her departing back and his body was still as a statue.

  I started out of my halt and moved quickly to him.

  I was hesitant when I called out my stupid question, “Everything okay?”

  It was a stupid question because clearly, everything wasn’t. And seeing as these were teenagers, no matter that they were mature ones, butting my nose in would probably not be welcomed.

  But Rees’s face and Fin’s body did not bode good tidings.

  Furthermore, something had been going on with them for a few weeks. Rees started whatever was going down acting the same as ever but Fin was different. He got quieter and quieter until he was brooding even worse than after his Dad died. Rees responded to that also getting quieter and quieter, more watchful then, lately, hesitant and unsure of herself like she had been when I first met her. And this was something she had blossomed out of entirely by the time Jerra and Hunter came with their kids for a visit.

  And whatever was happening between Fin and Rees was the only thing that was of concern the last month. Everything had settled. Life was good.

  No. Life was great.

  Now this.

  Shit.

  Fin’s eyes sliced to me and he growled the obvious answer, “No, everything is not fuckin’ okay.”

  Then he shared no further, turned on his boot and stalked into the house, slamming the door behind him.

  I followed him much slower, hit the kitchen and saw Rhonda pressed into a corner, her wide eyes on the doorway that led to the hall, her hand at her throat.

  Rhonda had pulled it together in Rhonda’s way. She was still Rhonda but at least she wasn’t moping and vacant anymore. She was back to the old Rhonda if a melancholy one.

  “Did you hear what happened?” I asked and her eyes came to me.

  “He broke up with her.”

  My mouth dropped open as I felt my chest compress.

  Then I pushed out a weak, “Sorry?”

  “He…he…they were in the livin’ room. They had the doors closed but I heard Rees shoutin’. I didn’t hear what Fin said but she kept shoutin’, ‘I can’t believe you’re breakin’ up with me! I can’t believe you, Fin! I can’t believe you’re breaking up with me!’ over and over. I think he tried to get her to calm down because she shouted, ‘Don’t get near me!’ and took off.”

  My eyes drifted to the doorway as I whispered, “How could that be? They’re…they’re…”

  “Meant to be,” Rhonda finished for me on a whisper and my eyes moved back to her, now doubly shocked she’d gotten herself together enough to cotton onto that obvious, bedrock fact that every one of us knew but no one was talking about.

  “Do you know what’s been eating him lately?” I asked.

  Something shifted in her face that wasn’t pleasant to witness and she replied quietly, “Fin doesn’t talk to me much, Dusty. Never really did but now…”

  She let that hang and I felt for her but I didn’t have time to deal with that.

  I moved toward the hall.

  “Don’t!” Rhonda cried and I looked to her.

  “What?”

  “Don’t go to him. Leave him be,” she said.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “He’s…well, he gets that from his Dad. When Darrin got angry or in his head about somethin’, he needed quiet and he needed time. You need to give my boy quiet and time.”

  I studied my sister-in-law, seeing her for the first time in a long, long time with new eyes.

  Maybe she didn’t drift, protected every second by Darrin, through life.

  Maybe shit penetrated.

  She proved this by advising, “Go to Rees. She was in a bad way. Fin won’t want you up there but she needs you.”

  Shit penetrated with Rhonda. Definitely.

  Good to know.

  I nodded and swiftly retraced my steps, went out the door, jogged down the steps and kept jogging as I made my way across the field, through the back gate, up the yard and through the door. I got no greeting from Layla and I’d know why when I got through the house and hit the top of the stairs. There I saw Layla’s body moving agitatedly outside Rees’s closed door, Rees’s sobs could be heard and No was standing in the hallway with the neck of his guitar in his hand, face pale, eyes wide, concern easy to read on his face.

  “What’s goin’ on?” he whispered. “She shot in here, slammin’ doors and wailin’ loud. Layla’s freaked.”

  One look at his face, I knew No was too.

  “Your Dad still at the gym?” I asked.

  “Far’s I know since he’s not here,” No answered.

  I didn’t know if that was good or bad. What I did know was that Mike had left a while ago so he could be back at any time.

  Whatever I was going to do, I needed to do.

  “Right, keep Layla away from the door, I’m going in,” I told him.

  “What’s goin’ on?” No asked again.

  I held his concerned eyes and whispered, “Later, honey, I need to get to your sister.”

  No studied me, nodded then bent to grab Layla’s collar.

  I knocked twice, called, “Reesee, honey, I’m coming in,” then I went in.

  She had her back to her headboard, ass to the bed, a pillow stuffed between her chest and her drawn knees, her arms tight around her calves and her red, wet face was turned away.

  “Go away, Dusty,” she said softly, her words hitching audibly as her body did it visibly. “Please just go away.”

  God, one look and she was the picture of heartbreak and I knew this because she was so heartbroken, my heart broke just looking at her.

  “Honey, what happened?”

  “G…g…go away,” she whispered, keeping her head averted, not even trying to brush away the tears streaming down her face.

  I sat on the side of the end of her bed, keeping my distance but still close and I encouraged gently, “Honey, talk to me. What happened?”

  Her head twisted to me, her face twisted with pain and she hissed, “Fin happened.”

  Then she pulled in another broken breath, this one hitched twice and it even sounded painful.

  I braced and whispered, “What?”

  “He says summer’s comin’,” she spat. “He says he’ll be a senior,” she spat again. “He says he’s gotta worry about that farm and when he’s not, he’s gotta do it up, have fun, last chance he’s gonna get. Next year, it’ll only be him who takes care of the farm, he says. So, he’s gonna do it up and to do it up, he’s gotta be free,” she leaned her whole body toward me, pressing into her feet and finished, “he says.”

  Oh God.

  “Reesee –” I started on another whisper.

  “Millie Chapman,” she bit out and my head jerked at the harshness of her tone and the words.

  “What?”

  “He’s starting right away, Dusty,” she threw out her hand hopelessly. “He told me. He’s got a date with Millie Chapman,” she leaned in again and concluded, “tomorrow night. The easiest girl in school, everyone knows it because Millie tells them. And he asked her out when he was with me.”

  My body went still and my mind went blank.

  Rees unfortunately wasn’t done sharing, however.

  “I’m fifteen but I know what this is. I knew Fin’s reputation. I’m not an idiot,” she snapped. “Kids talk. Bunches. Especially about guys like Fin. He never took it very far with me and really, honestly, right now, honest to God, I don’t get what he was doin’ with me. I can’t fig
ure it out. Because I know what he wants. Everyone knows what Finley Holliday is out to get when he’s with a girl because he gets it. But not with me. And the only thing I can reckon is that when Dad let us car date, Fin told me they had a talk. He never said much about what they talked about but I’m guessin’ Dad laid it out and Fin knew he’d never get to go there so he did his time with me so I wouldn’t think he was a total dick or…probably, you wouldn’t ‘cause he likes you… and then when he was done doin’ his time, he got rid of me.”

  I sat still and staring at her.

  “And now I’m never dating again,” she declared dramatically, leaned in and hissed, “ever.”

  I stood up just as the door opened and Mike walked in.

  “What’s goin’ on?” he asked.

  I looked to him but I didn’t see anything.

  Not one thing.

  Then I stormed out, past Mike, into the hall, past Layla and No, down the stairs, the hall, the living room and out the backdoor.

  Then I ran. I did not jog. I fucking ran.

  So by the time I hit the backdoor of the farm, I was winded but it did nothing to make me even one iota less pissed.

  Rhonda was still in the kitchen and the second I entered it, she asked “Dusty, how’s Rees?”

  I ignored her and marched down the hall, up the stairs and straight to Fin’s room.

  I pounded the side of my fist on his door once then opened it and walked right in.

  Fin was in much the same position as Rees, ass to the bed, back to the headboard, knees cocked but his elbows were to them, his head bent, his hands wrapped around the back of his neck.

  But the instant I walked in, his head snapped up and he growled, “No way, no fuckin’ way. Get out.”

  “You’re still seventeen, Finley Holliday. I’m still your elder. I’m your aunt and you’re going to fucking listen to me.”

  He knifed out of bed, leaned toward me and roared, “Get out!”

  “No!” I shouted back. “My nephew is not gonna grow up to be that asshole. No way. Not on my watch. You don’t play with hearts like that, Finley Holliday,” I threw an arm out toward the wall that faced Mike’s development. “You don’t ever play with hearts like that. She’s heartbroken, Fin, un-fucking-done.” I jerked a finger at him. “You did that to her. She’s way too fucking young to be dicked around by a master. You knew you were going to pull this shit with her, you should have never gone there.”