It was just after 6pm when Marti arrived at her house. Though she parked at her own home, she exited the vehicle and prepared to walk across the street to meet up with Joe when he called to her from the front porch. She about skipped all the way to the steps…the newly constructed steps. Though the railing still wasn’t completely installed yet, there was enough done for her to get a feel for what the finished porch would look like.
“This is amazing!” She said and then beamed. “I love it. Let me just take a look around.” She passed him and entered the front door of her home for the first time since she had fallen through the porch nearly a week ago. It was nice to feel firm boards beneath her feet.
The kitchen was shaping up nicely. She loved the new cabinets that had been installed. There were still a few custom ones that were on order, but in a pinch, she could probably make a meal there. She glanced behind her. And soon enough she would even have a place to serve it. She smiled while turning to speak with Joey. “Nice job. Now…what movie would you like to see?”
Walking closer to her, he put his arms around her and said seriously, “I just want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you can move into your dream house as soon as you get back from Vermont. I can’t promise that everything will be done. That can take another month. I can, however, promise that the house will be livable. You will have a safe and sturdy front porch, a working kitchen, a functional bathroom, and a place to lay your head. I don’t want you to worry.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I wasn’t worried. That thought never occurred to me. I have faith in you, Joey. You make things happen, good things, like this house and my new life.” She walked into his arms. “Or is this how you handle all the single ladies? You remodel their house for materials and labor, and then you remodel them for free?”
It was obvious to anyone that she was trying to be funny, that she merely wanted to be playful, but to Joe it felt like another dig at how he spent his free time. He started to back away, to back out of her embrace, but she wasn’t having it. She held on…for dear life.
Then she looked up at him with those melted chocolate eyes of hers and spoke. “I need you to know how much I appreciate this, all of this. The house is simply amazing, but the way you make me feel…” She seemed to be at a loss for words. “I know I joke, but I do that when things feel too serious for me to handle. Be patient with me Joe. In some ways when we met, I was just as broken as this house. Just as surely as you and the crew are fixing this place, you are rebuilding me, too.”
Staring down into those eyes, he knew there was no way he’d be able to walk away from her. This wasn’t going to be easy with the town against them, but she needed him. He was the best man for the remodel…both of them. He watched as the look on her face turned from serious to playful.
“Have I buttered you up enough?” She asked, giving him a naughty smile.
It stirred hope. And aroused something in his pants. Her earlier words had already excited his heart. “What did you have in mind?” He asked, feeling pretty playful himself.
“Well, I wanted to see that new chick flick…the Nicholas Sparks one…” Her face transformed once again. There was this appealing innocence about her.
“So then I guess we’re going to go see that Nicholas Sparks movie.”
They drove his truck. And when she questioned why they would do that instead of taking her vehicle, he said that he didn’t want her running up any more miles on her vehicle than was necessary. He proceeded to share a long lecture on vehicle maintenance and the importance of low mileage. He might have continued, but he had looked at her face and could tell her eyes were glazed over.
“Marti? Are you listening?” He gently prodded.
She shook her head. “Nope.”
“Why not?” He was surprised. Anyone else would have claimed to have been paying attention. Not her. And she seemed proud of it.
“Dead horse,” she said simply.
“You saw a dead horse?” He glanced around wondering where she would have seen one on the interstate.
“Nope,” she said. “You are beating a dead horse. I can only listen for so long.”
Part of him wanted to laugh, the other part was frustrated that she was ignoring his pearls of automotive maintenance wisdom. “I just thought with this being a new vehicle that you might have some questions about the maintenance schedule. I didn’t mean to bore you.” His hands had a white knuckle grip on the wheel as he tried to control his temper.
She stared up at him in surprise. “You’re joking right? I mean about the scheduled maintenance?”
“No, why would I joke about that? Every vehicle sold has a book outlining what needs to be done and when.” He was getting frustrated.
“Huh. There’s a book?” Suddenly she seemed interested.
“I’d call it more of a booklet. It comes standard in all vehicles.” He watched her. She was tapping her chin with one finger. It was pretty cute.
“Standard in all vehicles you say? And where might this magical booklet be found?” She glanced about, pulled down the visor, was about to open the console, when he stopped her.
“If you are looking for the booklet…glove box.” He sighed and pointed. He smirked as she turned her head and anticipating her next question, he responded. “And yes, a glove box is where it is kept in all vehicles which works nicely since glove boxes are standard in every vehicle.” He shook his head. She had done it again. She had raised his ire and then put out the fire. Damn, he could really like this woman.
They were still riding in companionable silence when they arrived at the theater. And the only thing that had changed was that now they were holding hands. They let go to exit the truck, and then he met her around on her side again to walk into the theater. He backed away from her extended hand. “Oh, I should warn you. I don’t do PDAs.” And with that, he drew closer, but planned to simply walk beside her.
She shrugged and looped an arm through his. Marti was humming and happy as the walked up to the ticket booth. They were about to see their first movie.
Glancing conspicuously at her arm looped through his he said, “I thought I just mentioned that I don’t do PDAs.” He waited for her remove her arm, but it didn’t happen.
“Oh, well I do.” She gave him a defiant look that showed she was prepared to argue. “Listen I spent years in a marriage where just about every aspect of my life was dictated by the other person. I won’t do that again. This is my compromise.” And she jutted out her chin and dared him to argue with the soundness of her reasoning.
As much as it pained him, he loved her spirit. This woman was going to rock his world. Maybe that was for the best. He didn’t move to New Hope for his life to stay the same. He wanted a change. He wanted life to be different. And this was definitely different. She was nothing like anyone he had ever known. And he meant that in the best possible ways.
The movie was good, another fine example of the typical bittersweet love story that was the hallmark of all Nicholas Sparks novels. During the movie, she had looped her arm through his once more and snuggled against his shoulder. And although it took him a moment to get used to it, he had warmed to her closeness by the time the movie ended. In fact, he was feeling downright mushy. He was thinking that if he convinced her to come into the house for a bit, he might just get her to stay.
As they walked toward the truck in the nearly empty parking lot, he noticed a group of guys near his truck. His guard was raised instantly. “Wait here,” he said sternly. “Do not come closer until I tell you it’s okay.” He peeled her off his arm and looked her in the eyes. What he saw there surprised him. Instead of seeing fear in her eyes, he saw determination. “Is that your game face?” He asked.
Nodding, Marti said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”
He sighed. “Just stay here. I won’t be able to concentrate if I have to worry about you getting hurt.”
He walked over to the vehicle. The guys finally
noticed him and froze. They were in the process of breaking into his truck. And now he was in the uncomfortable position of interrupting them. When he glanced at the tool box on the driver side, Joe discovered that it had been opened. Luckily, that was the side with the nails and caulk and screws. All of the hand power tools were stored on the other side.
“What are you doing?” He asked. His voice was stern, serious. Many times guys like these would simply run away. Other times, the guys would buck, try to fight their way out of the situation. Now it was just going to take a moment for him to figure out which case this was. He had Marti to worry about. He crossed his arms over his chest and planted himself as a barrier in between them and her.
“Get out of here,” one of the guys said menacingly.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said calmly.
One of the larger guys stepped forward. “And why is that?” He sneered.
“Well, for starters, it’s my truck.” And he stepped forward, too.
Apparently he was dealing with the fighters. Great. And he was only outnumbered by three to one. He stepped forward one more time. It was on. The biggest guy lunged at him, but Joey was ready. He went low and hefted the guy up and slammed him on his back on the grassy median. In seconds, he had straddled him and was punching him in the face. The guy’s friends reacted immediately. Instead of trying to pull Joey off, one guy started kicking him and another jumped on his back.
That was all Marti needed to see. Without thinking, without considering what Joey had told her to do, she rushed into the fray. She grabbed the shoulders of the guy who was kicking Joey and yanked him back and away. He reacted by pulling his fist back and preparing to hit until he realized it was a woman who had pulled him away. “Fair fight!” She yelled. “Stay out of it.”
Then she went to the guy who was on Joey’s back and pushed him off. He reared back to hit but she just stood her ground, convinced no one would hit her because of her gender. Last time she was right. This time…she was wrong. She took a hard fist to the jaw before he realized the error of his ways. Joey had reared up to get the guy off his back just as Marti pushed him off. And then the fist connected with her face. It happened so suddenly.
She stood there as her head whipped around. She didn’t have time to block or react. She was too proud to cry or fall. She stood there with her face burning. The inside of her cheek felt like ground beef, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and Joey was instantly enraged. He had grabbed the guy who hit her and threw him to the ground. Something about the look in his eyes told her he was in a blind rage, completely unaware of what he was doing. Two of the three thieves were bleeding. It might have been all three, but the one guy came to his senses and ran away.
Finally he stopped hitting. He stood and moved away from the guys rolling around moaning. And he walked over to Marti with his hands outstretched, palms cupped. She knew he wanted to examine her face.
“Dammit,” he grumbled. “I told you to stay out of it. Why can’t you ever listen to me? Now you’re hurt!” He felt her cheek bone, her jaw. “I don’t think anything is broken. We’ll see how you look in the morning before we decide whether or not to go to the hospital.” He sighed and drew her close to his chest. “Okay, let’s get you home. We’ll ice your face.”
He walked her around to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door for her and helped her hop in. Once he was convinced she was okay, he went around and hopped in the driver’s side.
Her neck hurt, not as badly as her cheek, but still…it really hurt. She could see Joey eyeing her. He had this horrible look on his face every time he did. He was upset she was injured. He was angry he hadn’t prevented it. And she thought he might just be a little upset with her, too.
“It wasn’t a fair fight,” she explained quietly. “You were outnumbered and they were hurting you. I was only trying to help.” Though she hadn’t cried in front of the other guys, she had no qualms about letting go in front of Joey. He made it safe for her to be real. Huge, hot tears rolled down her face and dripped onto her shirt.
“Baby,” he murmured as he tried to gently wipe away all evidence of her sorrow. “You did this for me? You silly woman, I can handle myself in a fight. I could have taken one maybe two more even.”
In an effort to make her feel better, he had actually managed to make her feel worse. “Oh.” That was all she could think to say. It’s not as though there was anything more to be said. So she stared out the window until they made it to his house.
Joe spoke first. “Let’s get you inside.”
“I thought I was going home,” she argued as she moped over to his side.
He grabbed her hand and led her into the house. They were so quiet for the first time ever. And this time, it was as uncomfortable as those other visits had been relaxing. Finally, as soon as he managed to get her in the kitchen, he sat her on the couch with a bag of frozen peas. “I can’t believe you took a punch like that and didn’t fall down. You are a champ.” He smiled at her. “Have you been hit before?” She shook her head. His face turned serious. “Never again.” He pulled the peas back so he could glance at her face. And when he was finally content with what he saw, he walked her to the bedroom.
It was evident that she was too tired to protest. He laid her down on the bed, climbed on to join her, wrapped himself around her and they both fell ever so soundly asleep.
When Marti woke up, her cell phone revealed that it was 4:30am. She felt rested. Her cheek hurt. And Joey was still all around her, but now she was hot. She felt like she shouldn’t be here. Yet she didn’t know where she wanted to be. She realized she had three missed text messages waiting for her. Once she opened them, she discovered they were all from Blaine. That settled it. She would just get up and start her day.
Joey’s arm was across her stomach with his hand tucked under her side. She gradually lifted it, so as not to disturb him, and slid out from under. Soon she was completely free. Instead of feeling liberated, she felt alone once more. Grabbing her purse off the nightstand, she headed out of the room, down the hall, and out the front door. She looked around before crossing the road as a precautionary measure then she unlocked the Escape, hopped in and drove back to Hope House.
At least she had the happy memory of being in Joey’s arms to take the sting out of having to deal with Blaine first thing in the morning. Though she had planned to talk to him after the late great hour of eight o’clock, it wasn’t to be. Her phone began to ring insistently and it wasn’t even five in the morning yet.
“What?” She was frustrated as a matter of principle.
“I thought you were going to come and pick up what you wanted from the house,” he began. “And now Suzette is urging me to sell the place. And you aren’t helping. And I have had just about enough.”
It was a good thing she had just pulled into the parking lot because she would have slammed on the brakes after hearing what he had to say. “Really? You have had enough? You are bothering me because the home wrecker doesn’t think I’m arranging my life fast enough to suit her purpose?” She stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door angrily. “You tell that bitch that I will get there when I can fucking arrange it! And if I’m not moving at a speed she’s comfortable with, she can chill the hell out or eat shit and die. I’m not particular about which choice she makes, either!” She disconnected the call as she stomped across the gravel drive to the porch and was surprised to discover that Keely was awake, showered, dressed, and sitting there drinking her coffee.
Marti shook her head in dismay. “Great. Just great.” She collapsed in a nearby chair. “I guess you heard that.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for my colorful choice of adjectives.”
“Don’t be. I’m proud of you,” Keely said as she reached over to pat Marti’s leg. “It sounds like you are finally standing up for yourself. It’s about time.”
Marti could see that Keely was studying her face. “Oh, that,” she remarked. “After dealing with Blaine I h
ad nearly forgotten that.”
“I know I promised that I wouldn’t interfere. All I’m going to say is that if this is your idea of living, you need to slow down. It looks like it could hurt you.” She raised her hands.
“It’s a long story and while Joe is a part of it, he didn’t inflict the damage,” she said pointing to her face. “I think I need to go crawl back into bed for a while longer and see if my second start to the day isn’t better.”
She stood up from the chair, walked over to Keely to give her a warm hug, and then headed into the house and up to her room. She had just finished undressing and climbed into bed when her phone rang again. This time, it was Joey. And though she toyed with the idea of answering it, she just couldn’t handle one more pre-dawn conversation. She’d call him back when she woke, or even later as soon as she was good and ready.
When she woke up a few short hours later, she still couldn’t catch a break for a better morning. Instead there was a long voicemail from Blaine and a text message, both of which explained that the lawyer was involved and that she had 48 hours to remove her property from the home. After that, it was no longer her property. If she had let out a string of curse words out in the parking lot, it was nothing compared to the creative crafting she had just completed after listening and reading.
She showered and dressed while deciding her next move. Apparently she had to break down and go to Vermont sooner or forfeit all of her belongings. She considered both sides. It would be nice to make a totally fresh start, to be rid of any and all baggage from that past relationship, but that cost money. And her assets were frozen. That rat bastard. She really had no choice but to go. And a last minute ticket to Vermont in the middle of prime ski season would not be cheap. While she had never been one to get caught up in money, there was something to be said for being able to consider what was most convenient and not what was most affordable. Right now, the difference was flying and driving. She would have to leave bright and early in the morning or even in the middle of the night again. She wondered how long it would take to load everything. Her original movers would no longer be a possibility. She would have to start considering other options.
Stormy Surrender (New Hope #1) Page 17
