“We’re doin’ our part to help out the economy,” Keira said to her mother.
Vi came to a stop and looked at her daughter. “What’d you buy?”
“A pair of shorts you will just love and a new pair of flip-flops that are awesome and there was a buy two get one free at that accessories place so I bought four and got two free, a bunch of bracelets and necklaces. They’re sah-weet. You can borrow them,” Keira answered.
Vi stared at her youngest a moment then looked to her oldest. “What’d you buy?”
“Nothin’,” Kate grinned, “I’m gonna borrow Keira’s stuff.”
“You are not,” Keira snapped. “Mom can borrow it but you can’t.”
Vi’s eyes went to Cal and she shook her head then they went back to Keira. “You two fightin’?”
“No,” Keira said.
“Yes,” Kate said.
Vi knew instantly who was lying and who wasn’t so she looked at the one who’d be honest with her and asked Kate, “Why?”
“She and Heather want to go to that party at Jody’s house with me and Dane,” Kate answered.
Vi’s gaze went to Keira. “I thought we talked about that.”
“Mom,” Keira whined.
“You aren’t goin’, that’s for juniors and seniors.”
“Kate’s a sophomore,” Keira returned.
“Kate’s a junior now, school’s over,” Vi retorted.
“I’m old for my age,” Keira shot back.
“Honey, you’re fourteen goin’ on twelve. You’ll be forty-five goin’ on twelve. You’re locked in girldom. You’ll be livin’ in a house with daisies on the walls and wearing pink wellingtons when you’re married and have six kids,” Vi replied.
“I’m not havin’ six kids,” Keira snapped, not stupid enough to deny she was all girl and would be until the day she died.
“And you’re not goin’ to that party,” Vi said softly but firmly, using a voice that, from the look on Keira’s face, she knew that was the end of the discussion but Vi wasn’t going to leave it bad so she told them both, “Guess who’s comin’ to town next weekend?”
“Uncle Sam!” Keira shouted, guessing immediately and also immediately losing her attitude.
Vi smiled. “And Melissa.”
“That’s awesome!” Kate yelled.
Vi turned to Kate. “Baby, can you bunk with Keira on her futon so Sam and Mel can have your room?”
“Sure,” Kate agreed instantly, her face bright, her mouth smiling, obviously loving her uncle like her mother loved her brother if she’d give up her space.
“This is so cool!” Keira announced.
Vi slid an arm along Keira’s waist and gave her a squeeze before letting her go and saying, “It certainly is, honey. Now go get your bags, take ‘em into the house and leave Joe alone, yeah?”
“Yeah,” Keira grinned at her Mom then at him and said, “Later Joe.”
“Later,” Cal replied.
Keira took off and Kate moved toward the house but she was looking at Cal. “You want a Coke or somethin’, Joe?” she asked.
“Sounds good,” Cal answered, ignoring the fact that his brain was trying to decide if he liked quiet Kate calling him Joe better than loud Keira.
“I’ll get it,” Kate muttered and walked away.
Cal looked from Kate to Vi and she was staring at the ceiling.
“How much did that cost?” she asked the garage door opener.
“You, tonight in my bed with your hand between your legs,” Cal answered quietly and her eyes shot to his.
“What?” she whispered.
“You heard me.”
She looked to the drive to see Keira down at the end carrying her bags and waving across the street at Feb who had Jack at her hip and she was talking to Myrtle in her front yard. Then Vi looked at him and got close to the ladder.
“You want sexual favors for a garage door opener?” she asked sounding slightly pissed but more disbelieving.
Cal turned his attention to the opener. “I do the work, I decide the payback.”
“I’m your booty call, Joe, not your prostitute.”
At her words, unexpected words, words that pissed him right the fuck off, Cal turned his attention back to Vi.
“My booty call?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah.”
“Booty call?” he repeated.
“Yeah,” she repeated too and he saw she was pissed as well but he reckoned she wasn’t as pissed as he was.
He put the screwdriver he had in his hand on the top of the ladder, climbed down and got close to her. She didn’t retreat then again she never did either because her attitude made her stupid or because she had a backbone. He figured it was both.
“Booty call?” he asked again, hoping she’d cotton on to the tone of his voice.
She didn’t.
“Yeah,” she repeated yet again.
He studied her then, he had no idea why, but just to piss her off further, he stated, “You aren’t pissed that’s what I want, you’re pissed you want it so bad you can’t wait to give it to me.”
He succeeded in his effort at pissing her off more, her eyes narrowed and she leaned closer to him and hissed, “I can’t believe you.”
“You been thinkin’ about it since I said it on the phone.”
Her eyes got wide then he watched her clench her teeth as she fought for control but he was too angry to give her the time.
Instead, he bent at the waist to get into her face and informed her, “Buddy, what we got is what it is. It might not be what you want but you gotta admit, what it is, is good. What it isn’t is a booty call and it pisses me off you’d say that and it pisses me off you’d think I’m on a fuckin’ ladder in your goddamned garage, installin’ a fuckin’ door opener so I could buy a fuckin’ session with you.”
“That’s what you said,” she accused.
“And that’s what I want as payback, I told you, straight out. I also told you, I do somethin’ for you, we talk payback. I’m doin’ somethin’ for you so that’s what I did. You didn’t like that idea, it made you uncomfortable, all you gotta do is say.”
“So every time you do something for me, it’ll require payback?”
“Buddy, that’s life. You always work to balance the scales. You don’t wanna owe someone something, even if it’s only in your head that you owe ‘em and they don’t give a shit. It’ll fuck with you. So you give back to balance the scales.”
He knew he had her with the way her face changed, not that she nodded in understanding, instead she looked more irritated because he was right.
“That said,” he went on, “I’d buy this and install it for nothin’, you need to take care of your car and Kate doesn’t need to be scrapin’ ice off hers either. I thought you’d let me do that and know those scales stayed balanced, I wouldn’t have said shit. But you wouldn’t let me do that, I know because you asked how much the fuckin’ thing cost.”
She glared at him, even more irritated because he was again right.
Then she changed the subject and he knew she was trying to piss him off further too.
“If I’m not a booty call, what am I?”
He looked over her shoulder to see Keira skipping across the yard, swinging her bags, going to the front door of the house.
Then he looked at Vi and muttered, “Jesus, Vi.”
“No, I wanna know, what is it that we’ve got?”
“What it isn’t is a booty call.”
“You said that already.”
Cal glared at her and she took it, waiting, silently demanding an answer.
So he answered, “I enjoy you, you enjoy me, for as long as it’s good.”
“That’s it?” she asked, her face carefully controlled, her body tense, fighting to hide her reaction to his words and, in doing so, not succeeding in hiding the fact that he’d gotten under her skin too.
Shit.
He should have never fucking started this again.
&n
bsp; He forced his voice to soft when he replied, “I thought we had an understanding, buddy.”
She held his eyes a moment then she stepped away, murmuring, “Yeah, we did.”
The side door opened and Kate called out, “Here’s your Coke, Joe.”
Cal looked from Vi to Kate and saw Kate also got her mother’s walk, cool, calm, unconsciously moving her hips, swaying her ass, in possession of her body in a way that no teenage girl should be. Dane probably saw her walking down the hall and knew he’d go for it.
Or he’d seen her smile.
First chance he got, he was having a conversation with Dane.
She made it to him and handed him the Coke.
“Thanks girl,” Cal muttered.
“You want a sandwich?” she asked. “We got turkey and roast beef.”
Vi’s kids were polite. Cal wasn’t surprised.
“I’m good.”
“You want one, just call,” she said, looked at her Mom, gave her a small smile and then she walked away.
“I’ve got shit to do,” Vi mumbled but Cal reached out a hand and grabbed her arm.
When she turned back to him he said, “We’re not done, buddy.”
She looked at him and replied, “I don’t think I’m comin’ over tonight, Joe. I got things to think about.”
He knew what she’d be thinking about, she’d be thinking about ending it. He also knew she should and, she didn’t, he knew he should but he wasn’t ready.
“Vi.”
Carefully, she pulled her arm from his hand and asked, “You gonna be in town awhile?”
“Yeah.”
“We’ll talk later,” she said quietly and moved away.
He let her. He let her because Colt was now with Feb and Myrtle across the street and he’d taken Jack from Feb. He had the baby held close to his front, both arms wrapped around the boy but his eyes were on Cal. So were Feb’s. Myrtle didn’t notice, she was busy gabbing.
Cal opened the Coke, took a drink and set it aside.
Then he went back to the ladder.
Fifteen minutes later, he was standing in front of the garage door testing the remotes when a dark blue Chevrolet Equinox pulled up to the curb and Mike Haines jumped down.
Cal watched him, his mouth getting tight, seeing Mike’s eyes on him as he walked up Vi’s drive and noting Mike’s mouth was set tight too.
“Cal,” Mike greeted.
“Mike.”
Vi came out the side door, her eyes jumping between them, uncomfortable and unprepared for this scene.
Mike turned to Vi, watched her walk up to them and said softly, “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hi,” she replied and Cal felt his gut get tight.
“Got plans tonight?” Mike asked Vi and Cal watched Vi’s eyes remain glued to Mike.
“No, why?” she asked back.
“Thought we’d reschedule dinner for tonight,” Mike answered and Cal knew the asshole was making a point, doing this with him standing right, fucking, there.
“Um…”
“My place, six o’clock,” Mike said firmly, not waiting for her to reply. “You still got my address?”
“Yeah.”
“Good,” Mike said, again talking soft then he lifted a hand to her jaw. “You have troubles findin’ it, you give me a call, yeah?” She nodded, he leaned in and touched his mouth to hers.
Cal locked his body to steel against the heat burning in his chest.
When Mike’s head came up, Vi’s eyes slid to Cal, she pressed her lips together and looked back to Mike. “Um… Mike –”
“Six o’clock.”
“Um –”
He dropped his hand and cut her off. “See you then,” he turned, nodded to Cal, Cal nodded back and Mike moved to his SUV.
Vi watched Cal.
Cal went back to testing the remotes and the door slid up.
Then he heard her shout, “Mike!”
Cal looked at Vi then at Mike who was standing at the back of his car.
“Yeah?” Mike called back.
“Do you need me to bring anything?” Vi asked, making her point too and that burning in his chest grew hotter as Mike smiled.
“Just you, sweetheart.”
“Okay, see you later.”
“Later.”
Mike got in his SUV and drove away.
Vi watched the street.
Cal closed the garage door.
Then Cal said to her, “Buddy, your remotes.”
She looked up at him and asked, straight out, “You don’t even care, do you?”
Oh he cared, too fucking much.
“We’re not that,” he reminded her.
She stared at him and he saw it in the backs of her eyes. Disappointment, even pain, and he nearly lifted his hand to touch her but he didn’t have the time.
She stepped back and whispered, “Right.”
He was a dick, Christ he was a dick, he should cut her loose.
For the life of him, he just fucking couldn’t.
She started to turn but he called to her, “Vi,” her eyes lifted to his and he held out the remotes, “door’s workin’, these’re you’re remotes, one for you, one for Kate.”
She stared down at the remotes in his hand as if she had no idea what they were but whatever they were scared the shit out of her.
Then taking the remotes, her voice flat, she whispered, “Thanks.”
“Buddy –”
“See you later,” she said quickly.
“Vi.”
He could say no more, she walked away, cool, calm, her hips moving, her ass swaying and he watched her until her side door closed.
Then he looked at her garage door.
Then he walked to his house.
* * * * *
Cal was sitting outside on his deck at dusk, his feet up on the railing, knees cocked, looking at his yard without seeing it, his second beer in hand.
Vi’s Mustang was gone, she was at Mike’s.
He took a pull from his beer then looked to the side hearing it and waited finally seeing Colt round the house.
“Hey,” Colt called.
“Yo,” Cal replied.
“Mind company?” Colt asked, coming up the steps.
Cal did. He didn’t want company. He also didn’t want to talk about whatever Colt was over to talk about. But he didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts, thoughts of Vi at Mike’s, thoughts of Mike’s mouth on Vi, his hands, thoughts that were fucking with Cal’s head.
“Nope,” he said to Colt. “Beer’s in the fridge,” he offered, “bring me one.”
“Gotcha,” Colt muttered, sliding the door open and stepping inside.
Cal looked at his yard then he looked at Vi’s.
He paid a service to mow his in the summer, that’s it. It was green because this was Indiana and they’d been having regular night rains and random day thunderstorms but it was nowhere near as healthy as Vi’s.
Vi couldn’t afford to pay a service. But you could see in the small ditch that delineated their property where her lawn stopped and his started. Hers was greener, no weeds, thick. Her deck had fancy garden furniture with an umbrella, not white, plastic chairs, like his. She had little and big pots of flowers all around, bright colors, vibrant, alive.
The Williamses who’d lived there for as long as Cal could remember were house proud. They took care of their place, built on the extension in the back, put in the deck, updated the bathroom and kitchen, installed the alarm. When old Dec Williams died, his wife Martha moved to Bloomington to be close to her kids and grandkids, selling the house she’d lived in for fifty years to Vi.
Even as well as Dec and Martha took care of their house, Vi did it better.
Colt came back, scraped another plastic chair next to Cal’s and handed Cal his beer. Cal took it, downed the dregs of the last one and set the bottle on the deck as Colt sat down and put his feet up on the railing, knees cocked, like Cal’s.
“Weather’s good,” Co
lt remarked.
Cal didn’t answer. It was a warm evening but no humidity, the day had been sunny, no clouds, a fair breeze. There was no need to answer.
“You comin’ to the wedding?” Colt asked.
“Yeah,” Cal replied though he wanted to go to a wedding like he wanted someone to drill a hole in his head. He liked Colt and Feb enough to go, though. They wanted him there, he’d be there.
“I’ll tell Feb, she’s livin’ and breathin’ this wedding, you show without RSVPing, her head might explode.”
Feb, as far as Cal could tell, was pretty laid-back. He showed and didn’t let her know he was coming, she wouldn’t have cared less.
“You know Audrey?” Colt asked and, in the middle of taking a pull off his beer, Cal’s eyes went to his friend.
He swallowed and lowered the beer.
“Who?”
“Audrey Haines.”
There it was. Fuck.
“Nope,” Cal answered.
“Total bitch,” Colt noted, “lazy bitch. Mike ran himself ragged for years, used to do side work, security for awhile then he made detective and started doin’ without, even havin’ to make his kids do without so she could sit on her ass in a designer track suit and watch soaps in that huge fuckin’ house. He gave up; divorce was final two months ago. The whole department celebrated. Good man like that doesn’t need to go home to that shit.”
Cal didn’t reply.
“He’s into Vi,” Colt went on.
Cal took a pull of his beer. That didn’t need a response either. Cal knew Mike was into Vi, he knew why, not to mention, Mike had made a point of making that fact clear to Cal.
Colt fell silent and contemplated Cal’s yard while they both drank beer.
Eventually Colt continued. “You knew Melanie.”
Cal did, he’d lived across the street from her since Colt and she moved in. Colt’s ex-wife Melanie was pretty, shy, sweet but shit scared of life. Cal never knew why they broke it off, didn’t ask but he figured it was because it’d get old, dealing with that shit, no matter how pretty she was.
“Yep, how’s she doin’?” Cal asked, since Melanie had been caught up in that scene with Feb and Colt, Denny Lowe kidnapping Melanie and holding her, Feb and Susie Shepherd hostage.
At Peace Page 24
