by Stacey Wilk
“Was that a compliment, Mr. Carroll?”
“Never mind.” He swung open the door to Cash and Blaise, standing there with the same lopsided grin. “What are you two doing here?”
Beau was feisty if nothing else. She had forgotten to mention Cash to him, and now it was too late. She knew what they wanted. There would be no way to delicately mention her concerns. Why couldn’t they have at least waited until Beau was out of the house? Were there no boundaries in this small town? Was everyone always going to be up in each other’s business? At least the disregard of personal space would become someone else’s problem when she returned home. She didn’t want this much closeness with the people she lived near. It only meant trouble. It was too hard to trust people. Her mother and father had proved that to her in different ways, but it was still the same result. She had trust issues.
“Hey, Beau.” Blaise stuck out his hand to shake, and Beau took it.
Cash did the same. “Good morning, Mr. Carroll.”
“Could we talk with you a minute?” Blaise said.
“I’m in a bit of a hurry.”
Cash looked Beau in the eye. “We won’t take long. My dad told me you’re working on Grace’s house, and I was wondering if you needed any help. I’m going to be here for the summer, and I need a job.”
Grace was impressed. Cash had stood tall and squared his shoulders. He never let his gaze waver. He was a sweet and mature kid. His appearance was a little startling, but once you got past that, he was just like any other kid his age.
“Beau, I was about to mention it to you before you started to storm out.” Grace jumped in before Blaise could say another word. “I’d like to have Cash helping out on the job. I’ll talk to Hoke about using money from the renovation fund to pay him, and you could use the extra pair of hands.”
“You any good with a hammer?”
Cash shoved his hands in his pockets. “I got Grace’s table unstuck and fixed the door.”
“Never mind that.” Beau blew past them. “We start day after tomorrow seven a.m. sharp. You show up late and you’re fired.” He halted and turned to look at Cash. “You follow my rules on the job, and no one gets hurt. Safety first. I don’t want you to end up like your old man there. I know you young folk do things different than in my day, but on the job, none of that stuff on your face. You’ll sweat it off anyway.” He pointed a finger at Cash and turned to her. “Miss Grace, don’t you go bothering Hoke about that fund. Keep your money for the big stuff. You’re gonna need it. I’ll pay the young man myself. Can’t take my money with me anyhow.” He muttered the last words into the wind.
****
He didn’t see that coming. When Grace opened her mouth, he thought for sure she was going to throw them off the porch. He never figured she’d want Cash to work on her house. Not from the look on her face last night. Blaise figured when he spoke to Beau about Cash working for him, he’d have to convince Miss Ice Cube to go along with it. And he never thought she would because that would mean she’d have to talk to him and she definitely didn’t want to do that. If she had said no, Colton was his backup plan. Women very rarely said no to Colton, and he already had Grace warming to him last night when Blaise left.
“Wow. Thanks, Grace.” Cash stared after Beau’s truck as it rode down the street. “I thought he was going to say no.”
“Um, yeah. Thank you.” He wanted to say how nice she was for helping his son, but the words stuck in his throat. She made him feel like that geeky music teacher’s kid he used to be instead of Blaise Savage, the drummer. Except he would always be that kid. All the years on the road and all the album sales didn’t change that. He’d stopped running from it a long time ago.
His hand inside the brace began to sweat and itch. He pulled on the Velcro and yanked it off.
“How did you hurt your hand?” Her words were soft like a pianissimo.
He locked gazes with her. “It was stupid.”
“He fell off scaffolding back stage at a show.”
Blaise glared at Cash. “Grace doesn’t want to hear about it.”
“No, go ahead. Why were you on scaffolding? Wait, before you tell me, do you want to come in? I could make some tea. I don’t have much else yet except for Dixie’s lasagna, but we can’t heat it up yet.”
“How about I tell you over breakfast at my house?” Did he actually just say that? She wrinkled her nose. Miss Fusspot was disgusted by him. Why offer the tea, then? He would never understand women.
“Excuse me one second.” She held up a finger and pulled a phone from her pocket. “It’s my daughter. I’m sorry. I have to take this. You’ll have to tell me that story another time.”
He wanted to say they would wait, but that seemed desperate. Grace stepped back inside and began to shut the door. She glanced over once more and offered a small wave.
“Hi, honey. How’s it going?” she said into the phone. Her smile lit up her face.
Blaise watched until the door clicked shut and Grace’s voice trailed away.
“Crash and burn, Dad.”
“What are you talking about?” They headed across the lawn.
“You asked her out, and she denied you. Total crash and burn.” Cash laughed.
Even if he was busting Blaise’s backside, getting rejected by a woman in front of his son was worth the laughing. “I wasn’t asking her out. I was being neighborly. That’s all.”
“Yeah. Okay. You making me breakfast?”
He pushed open the door, and the smell of cigarette smoke smacked him in the face. “Forget it. I only cook for pretty ladies.”
“You mean the pretty lady next door with the long legs?” Colton stepped into the hallway with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. “Bro, leave her to me. You can’t handle a woman like that.”
And the competition was on.
Chapter Twelve
Grace had barely shut the door on Blaise before Chloe blurted out, “I can’t stand living with them. Could you please talk to Dad?”
“Well, hello to you too.” Grace returned to the kitchen to freshen up her tea. The morning sun was streaming in through the back door. Finishing the tea out in the backyard might make this conversation more pleasant, but there wasn’t anywhere to sit. She’d have to navigate the cinder blocks posing as steps.
“Mom, this isn’t the time for jokes. You don’t know what it’s like here. Can you please talk to him?”
“Talk to him about what?” Grace pinched the bridge of her nose. She hated that every conversation with Chloe had the knots in her neck twisting and turning until they were so tight she thought her neck would snap right off. When were the teenage years going to end? She loved her daughter more than anything in the world. She would lay her life down for Chloe, but her daughter was exhausting. Being a parent was exhausting.
“He fusses all over her all the time. He won’t let her do anything, like she’s sick or something instead of…you know.”
“Yes, I know.” How could she forget?
“So she sits there on the couch with her feet up, directing him to unpack boxes and put things away, all the time calling him some gross pet name. And he loves it. He laughs every time she says it, like it’s the funniest thing in the world. And never mind me. I might as well be invisible for all the attention he pays me.”
There it was. The real problem. “Chloe, there isn’t anything I can say to your father about how he behaves with his new wife.” Boy, was that going to be one she’d have to get used to. “Just ignore them.”
“I can’t ignore them. They are always around.”
Grace plopped into the chair and pushed her tea away. “College is right around the corner. Does it really matter what they do? You’ll be gone soon.”
“I knew you wouldn’t understand. You decide to go start a new life and leave me behind, and Dad has his new life. What about me? Doesn’t anybody care about how I feel in all of this?”
“I didn’t leave you behind. You wouldn’t want to live her
e while the renovations are going on.” The idea of leaving behind the fighting and the battles with her teenager had offered up some peace, if she were going to be truthful. The Disaster House was going to give Grace some of the space she had craved for a long time. When was the last time she didn’t have to answer to anyone? Explain where she was going? She wanted to know what it was like to be on her own for once. “And you’re forgetting you’re leaving for college to start a new life there.”
“I’m supposed to go off to college. You’ve been telling me that since I was four. You weren’t supposed to relocate to the South, and dad wasn’t supposed to marry some woman half his age and have another baby.”
“Life has a way of messing up our plans.”
“Thanks a lot, Mom. I call you and tell you how I feel, and all you can do is sit there and crack jokes. My feelings don’t mean anything to you.”
“I wasn’t cracking jokes.” But she couldn’t help it. She laughed. The whole conversation was ridiculous, and she was being sucked in again. When was Chloe ever going to learn the whole world didn’t revolve around her, and what had Grace done wrong that made her daughter think it did? She took two deep breaths. “Chloe, I’ve got to run. The contractor is here, and he’s starting work today.” She had to change the subject but felt guilty about lying. “I’ll talk to you soon, and if you want to come stay with me, then you know my arrangement.”
“Yeah. Bye.”
She deposited the phone on the table and made another cup of tea. Maybe this one would release the weight on her shoulders. How could she turn Chloe away? Chloe was feeling the cold shoulder Larry so often offered. He wasn’t a soft place to land. Grace didn’t blame Chloe for feeling left out, neglected. Should she call her back and tell her to come and not worry about finding a job?
“No. If you want things to be different, you have to start acting differently, Grace Starr.” But it was so easy to slip into old habits. She looked around the kitchen. Wouldn’t it just be easier to leave all this behind and go home? She wasn’t even sure if she cared that much about Nancy Templeton and who gifted the house. She could find a place to rent back in Jersey for a while, and she and Chloe could live there. Chloe would be happy, and Grace wouldn’t have the stress of fixing up the Disaster House.
She yanked open the back door, needing to feel the air around her, and teased the cement block with her foot. It held enough. The yard was overgrown in most places, and the fence leaned like an old man. A hole in the fence gave her a clear shot into Blaise’s backyard.
He was growing a garden. Well, it looked like one anyway. Small plants shot up out of the ground, and green mesh surrounded his small squared area. Not much. She couldn’t picture him as a gardener.
He came outside but didn’t see her. He dragged the hose to his patch of growth and sprayed the water, wetting himself in the process. He let loose a string of curses, and Grace couldn’t help but laugh.
His breakfast offer had startled her. Why was he being so nice? Or was that invitation a rehearsed move he used to win over the ladies? That brother of his certainly had moves. Blaise was at least subtle about trying to pursue a woman. He didn’t parade around like a peacock in heat.
The sun warmed her skin. The birds sang their morning songs, and honeysuckle scented the air. She could stick it out in Heritage River a little longer. Once the renovations got underway, she’d feel better. She’d have a purpose, and that’s what she needed. She hadn’t had one in a long time.
In the meantime, she’d go into town and poke around. Stop at the library, get a library card. She was craving a new book to read. Maybe ask about Nancy Templeton, after all. Who knew what she’d discover.
Chapter Thirteen
“You ready to give up on that garden yet?”
Blaise didn’t turn at the sound of Colton’s voice. He rolled up the hose and brushed the dirt from his brace.
Colton handed him a tall glass of iced tea. “Figured you be sweating your ass off out here playing in the dirt.”
“I like the garden. It reminds me of Dad, but I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I think I drowned the tomatoes.” Blaise held up his glass. “Thanks. The day is warming up fast. Are you headed down to the lake while you’re here?”
The fishing was best at night this time of year. The water would be cool, and the wildflowers were in bloom. When they were kids, their mother would pack a picnic lunch and they’d spend the day there. He and his siblings would swim out to the center and hang on the dock, letting the sun cook their skin like bacon. Colton would hold diving contests to see which Savage kid could do the best dive. He’d play and play until he was certain he had won. And sometimes, when Savannah could be convinced, they’d sing rhythm-and-blues songs as loudly as they could. He would drum on the wood, and Colton would make guitar noises with his mouth.
“Nah. No time to drag out the poles. I’m going back tonight. I’ve had enough of the old homestead for a while.”
Colton never hung around long. It’s why he never married. Marriage required too much commitment. Hell, a relationship lasting more than twenty-four hours was too much for Colton.
Looked like it would be now or never. “I want you to hear what I wrote before you go.”
“Not this again. Christ, how many times do I have to say it?”
“Listen to what I have. You’re going to like it.” Blaise turned for the house and hoped Colton would follow. He didn’t understand why his brother was being so stubborn about the whole music thing. What was he afraid of?
“Did you sell your car?”
That stopped him in his tracks. “What?”
“Have you sold your Porsche yet?” Colton flopped into the Adirondack chair and stared over the top of his glass.
“What does that have to do with what we’re talking about?”
“Everything. You need the money.”
Blaise wiped his face with his hand. He didn’t want to talk about his money, or the lack of it. He’d trusted the wrong person, and now he was almost wiped out. He woke up one morning to find out his investments were gone. As if they’d never existed. He had some cash in a few checking accounts and his cars. He was trying to sell the Porsche. He hadn’t told Colton about selling the place in Nashville.
“Don’t worry about the car. I’ve got it under control.”
“You’ll make more money when we tour. If we sell out, we’re set to make big bucks this time. We could all use it. Especially Patrick.”
Patrick had been in and out of rehab more times than Blaise could remember. Patrick was like a brother to him, but he carried too much baggage and trouble. Blaise was getting too old for Patrick’s bullshit. Finding someone to play behind Colton wouldn’t be too hard.
“Cash got a job working with Beau on the house next door, and he has his community service at the library. Savannah pulled strings for that to happen. He’s staying put, and so am I.”
“He’s going to be working for your pretty neighbor?” Colton tried to see over the fence. “That fence isn’t ours, is it?”
“No, it’s not mine.” He emphasized mine. “The fence is hers. It should be torn down.”
“You know, I could stick around and help her too. Maybe get another look at those legs.”
“She’s not your type. She’s too uptight. Five minutes and you’ll be gone.”
“I don’t know. I’ve been known to melt a few hearts. Besides, I had her laughing pretty loudly the other night.” Colton wagged his eyebrows.
“Forget it.” He never cared about the women Colton went after. His attitude was they were grown-ups and responsible for themselves, but there was something about Grace that didn’t feel right with his brother. He loved his brother and knew he would never hurt a woman on purpose, but he did have the commitment thing. The only thing Colton was attached to was the band. Everything else came second. Grace didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who would want to come second to anything.
“Are you saying I can’t date he
r?”
“I’m saying she won’t want to have anything to do with you.”
“We’ll see about that. More importantly, the band needs you, bro. I need you.” Colton was never going to quit.
“So wait until after September when Cash goes back to California.”
“Can’t do it. The dates are being worked on as we speak. We can’t cancel again. People will stop showing up.”
“You shouldn’t have agreed to any new dates without talking to me first. Before Cash even got here, there was still the problem with my hand.”
Colton unfolded himself from the chair and set his iced tea down. “We can’t wait for your hand to heal. This was supposed to be the summer tour for us. We can’t reschedule all the meet and greets. We have to give that money back.”
“So give it back.”
“Are you nuts? I’m hoping we can give those people a signed photo or something like that, cancel the meets, and keep the money. I’m not returning that money because you’re the ass that fell off the scaffolding.”
“You dared me.”
“What are you? Twelve? You don’t have to listen to me.”
The same words Grace used. They felt cold inside his head, like the iced tea in his good hand. When would he stop behaving like Colton’s younger brother instead of a grown-up?
Colton kept talking, unaware of the look on Blaise’s face. “We all shouldn’t suffer. We hit the road when the dates are ready. That’s it, man. Either with you or without you.”
Blaise cleared the distance between them. They stood nose to nose. “Don’t threaten me. I will kick the shit out of you with one hand. This is my band too. It’s my name as much as yours, and it won’t take much for me to convince Patrick and Troy to take my side.”
Colton backed up. “I didn’t come here to fight with you. I came to see my nephew, which I did, and I wanted you to know where I stand. And Patrick and Troy are with me. I told you Patrick needs the money, and Troy doesn’t have the guts to stand up to me. He’s just happy he has a gig. He’s getting so old his voice is shot. No one wants him, and he knows it.”
