by Terry Towers
His eyes narrowed at me. “Orders by who?”
“Your brother and Kent. I was told to relay that everything is going along fine with the ranch and Ryker is well on his way to the exhibition. There’s no need for you to be doing anything other than resting.” As I spoke, I took the tray from him.
“This is my business. I need to oversee things, at the very least.”
“No way.”
Our gazes locked as we stared at each other, his expression becoming determined. He may be stubborn, but I had news for him; I could be just as unwavering. “Just so we’re clear, you’re not going to intimidate me. You should have a couple days off that leg and if you don’t have the common sense to realize that, then I’m going to have to have enough for the both of us.”
“I could make you move out of the way,” he threatened.
“Then that’s just what you’ll have to do.”
We continued to stare at each other. He was right, I couldn’t stop him if he really wanted to leave, but I was going to stand by my guns. Why did he have to make things harder than they had to be?
“Fine,” he growled, slowly turning and beginning to hobble back down the hallway to his room. “What am I supposed to do all day?”
I didn’t even think about the answer; the words just came out. “We’ll have a movie marathon.”
“Oh Lord,” he groaned. But he didn’t refuse the idea. We were making progress.
Proud of myself, I rushed back down the stairs. Putting the dishes in the dishwasher, I finished cleaning and straightening up the kitchen before heading back up the stairs with a couple bottles of water in hand. It had been a while since I’ve spent the day relaxing and watching movies; it might be fun, even if it was with Ryker’s cranky older brother.
~*~ TT ~*~
Calvin
Watch movies all day? Was she crazy? I bet she had a bunch of chick flicks all lined up for me to watch. Well, I had news for her; if she was going to insist on me sitting and watching movies all day then it’d damned well be what I wanted to watch.
Entering my bedroom, I put my crutches to the side and hobbled over to the bed. I will admit going down those stairs did seem like a daunting task and I wasn’t overly steady on my feet yet. The pain medication was kicking my ass, though I remembered the pain without using them and it was the lesser of two evils in my mind.
Pulling myself up and onto the bed, sitting with my back against the headboard, I grabbed the remote control and turned on the large, wall-mounted television which was across the room. If I were to wager a guess, I’d say that this particular television hadn’t been on more than a half a dozen times since buying it a couple of years back. Not sure why I even bought a television for the bedroom; watching television for me was a rarity. Who had time for fake life when there was so much of real life to experience?
Close to twenty minutes past and I was just settling in on watching a documentary about the rodeo and its progression throughout the past century when I heard her footsteps heading towards my bedroom.
“Are you awake?” Nina asked, poking her head into the room, though why she’d ask was beyond me since the door was left open and she could easily see for herself.
“Yeah, look you really don’t need to entertain me…”
“No. We should really get to know each other anyhow.” She had two bottles of water in her hand, a bag of chips and bowl of popcorn. “We’re going to be in each other’s lives for a long time.”
I sighed. There was no way I was going to get her out of here. Why fight it? Perhaps she’d get bored after a movie or two and then leave me in peace.
“Fine.” I motioned towards the room. “You might need to go and get a chair. The only thing to sit on is the bed.”
“That’s fine.” She came into the room and set a bottle of water and regular chips on my nightside table before walking around the end and pulled herself onto the other side. It took her a minute to settle in next to me, leaning her back against the headboard, her bare arm grazing mine and sending a shiver through me. I liked the feeling of her nearness and it pissed me off that I liked it. Not wanting to feel that again, I inched my way over as much as the bed would allow. Unfortunately, I could only manage to get about a four-inch space between us.
“Do you mind if I change the channel?” When I didn’t reply straight away, she took the remote which was lying between us and began flipping though the channels until she found a program she liked. She laughed and gave my arm a playful slap. “Have you seen this show?”
Staring at the screen, which featured four men, I shook my head. “Nope. I don’t watch television much.”
“They are so funny, Calvin. So funny. They’re from Stanton Island and they do silly stuff on hidden camera.”
“Oh Lord,” I groaned out loud. It went from bad to worse.
“No. No. It’s not oh Lord at all! It’s a really funny show.”
“I’m really not a fan of this slapstick stuff.”
She eyed me, a frown creasing her brow. “What does slapstick mean?”
Waving my hand at her, I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. Let’s just watch the episode.” I could put up with a half an hour of just about anything. It didn’t take long for me to discover that we’d stumbled upon a marathon of the show “Impractical Jokers.” Eight whole hours of four men from New York challenging each other to do outrageous things. I’ll admit it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be; after the first couple of episodes I was actually starting to enjoy it.
But there was something I was enjoying far more than the television show and that was watching Nina watch the show. I did my best to keep her from noticing that I was watching her. She had a light, sweet sounding laugh, and her eyes shone with happiness as she tossed salted, buttered popcorn into her mouth. She was captivating to watch. Had Ryker seen this part of her shine through when he was chatting with her on the internet? Had that been why he’d been so damned hellbent on going to Russia to fetch her?
“What’s the matter?”
Fuck, busted. “Nothing. I ummm.” Shit, I grasped the back of my neck and gave it a squeeze. Boy, was it me or was it getting hot in here?
“You had an odd look on your face. Are you feeling okay? Do you need more pills?” She started to get up from the bed but I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “No. I’m fine. I was just thinking, that’s all.”
“About what?”
Of course she’d ask about what? “Just how funny life can be. How things change and sometimes you’re not even ready for it.” I was rambling just to say something. I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell her that her eyes shone like polished emeralds or that the faint speckling of freckles across the bridge of her nose was so damned sexy that it was taking more effort than I would have liked to keep from getting closer to her.
She was Ryker’s girl. Not mine. There was no use even thinking otherwise. Though he had offered to share her… I gave my head a shake. Where in the fuck did that come from?
“Do you mean about Allison?”
That wasn’t what I meant. Or at least I didn’t think it was. Though considering I didn’t have anything else to come up with as an excuse, I decided to just roll with it. “Yeah, a bit.”
She pressed her lips tight together and nodded. “Would you like some help with her closet?”
Her closet? I looked over my shoulder at the entryway to the closet that contained most of Allison’s possessions and my stomach clenched and I was beginning to find the air in the room becoming thick. Could I gather the strength to go through everything and just get rid of it? As if she never existed? That was her stuff, her clothing, her personal belongings. She’d spent years lovingly accumulating those items. I knew I had to put those things away; it had been too long. I just didn’t know if I had the strength to start.
“I can help you, if it makes it easier,” she added. “We’re friends. Friends help friends, yes?”
Friends. Hmmm. It had been a while since I’d had a fema
le friend. She looked so genuine in her desire to help me. Maybe having her to give me a hand was just what I needed to do what had to be done.
“Okay. Can we do it tomorrow?” I needed the day to wrap my mind around the idea.
“Yes.” She looked down at my leg in a cast. “You should stay off your leg for the day.”
Yes, that’s why I needed the extra day. I’d let that assumption roll. “That’s a good idea. Tomorrow we’ll get to work.” Despite how uncomfortable it made me to think about ridding the house of Allison’s stuff, it was reassuring to know I’d have someone with me who seemed sympathetic. Ryker was sympathetic, at first, but he’d long given up on me when it came to Allison. Not that I blame him, it just was…
Chapter 18
Nina
I’ll admit, I’d misjudged Calvin. He wasn’t nearly the asshole that my first impression led me to believe. First impressions can be deceiving. The hardness in his demeanor was just a show; there was a soft and pained interior. I knew he was hesitant to pack up his wife’s stuff, but at least I was able to get him to waiver a little. He needed to move on and I was hoping I could help him with that.
“We should get lunch. Are you hungry?” I asked. I wasn’t really hungry, but figured I’d ask just in case.
Laughing, he shook his head. “We’ve ate a bag of popcorn and a large bag of chips.”
“So, you’re not hungry?” I prompted. He had a nice smile. It was too bad he didn’t smile more often. As I did a quick survey of his features, I realized how good-looking he really was. While Ryker had a boy-next-door appearance, Calvin’s look was more rugged, with a strong, square chin with a fine stubble. When he smiled, his eyes lit up, no longer being uninviting, but welcoming me in with his friendship. It was amazing what can be achieved in the matter of a morning.
His grin turned guilty. “Perhaps a little; I could use a sandwich.”
“Then I’ll run downstairs and make us something.”
“I can make my own food,” he replied, surprised when I grabbed his arm, stopping him.
“You’re on bedrest. I don’t think it’s smart to try and make those stairs on that leg.”
Laughing, he pulled his arm from my grip and proceeded to slide from the bed. “I think I can make some stairs. I’ve been going up and down stairs all my life.”
“But…” Before I could finish my protest, he stood and began walking, correction, limping, across the room, grabbing his crutches on the way out.
Getting off the bed, I followed behind him. The man was so damned hard to negotiate with. “Is it impossible for you to let someone help you?” I asked, rushing from the bedroom and reaching his side.
“I don’t need help. I’d accept help if I really needed it, but I don’t.”
“So then, yes, you are stubborn.”
He looked over at me and shrugged. “Like I’ve said before, I’ve had broken bones before. I’ve gone up and down stairs on crutches before. Chances are, I’ll be broken again. It doesn’t mean I have to lie in bed watching television while someone serves me.”
He began to descend the stairs. It was hard to watch without rushing to him to giving him a hand, but he managed to make it down the stairs to the main floor with me in hot pursuit. Now that he wasn’t quite as dopey with painkillers, he did seem to be a lot steadier.
“Then I’ll make a compromise with you. No working and I’ll stop bothering you.”
“Fine. I can live with that.”
Getting his agreement on the subject was much easier than I anticipated, but I was smart enough to know that I shouldn’t poke a gift horse in the mouth. I frowned. Was poked the right word to use in that saying? By the time we reached the kitchen, it was beginning to really bother me.
“Calvin.”
I watched his shoulders sag as he turned to me and I saw him force a smile to his lips. “Yes, Nina?”
“There’s a saying. Is it poke a gift horse in the mouth?”
His brow furrowed as he cocked his head to the side. Had he not heard me? I was about to ask the question again when he burst out laughing, pinching the bridge of his nose as he lowered his head.
I guess I was right and I’d messed up the saying.
After close to a full minute, the laughter subsided, and he looked up at me with a hint of tears in his eyes. “The saying goes, look a gift horse in the mouth. Look. Not poke.”
“Oh.” Instead of allowing myself to be embarrassed, I shrugged. Give me a break, my English is primarily self-taught and pretty darned good if I were to say so myself. “Thank you for the correction.”
“My pleasure.” With a shake of the head, he took a few more steps to the fridge and opened it up. “What do you want for lunch?”
“I’m not hungry.” I was going to ask him to sit down and let me take care of it for him but refrained. He’d only push me away. Better off waiting for him to ask. So instead of helping, I leaned my back against the counter, arms folded in front of me, and watched as he began to pull out some lunch meats, cheese and mayonnaise from the fridge and then bread from the cupboard.
He wasn’t doing too bad but I could see his frustration over the length of time it was taking to balance himself and make his sandwich. “Since you’re just standing there, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have you help.”
Trying to contain my grin, I gently pushed him aside. “How many?”
“A couple; don’t be stingy with the meat.” He readjusted his crutches and made his way across the room and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. “And a large glass of milk would be great as well.”
With my back to him, I grinned. “Coming up. What does stingy mean?”
“Put lots of meat on the sandwich, that’s what it means.”
After preparing the sandwiches, making sure that I wasn’t being stingy with the meat, I poured him a glass of milk and set them onto the table before him. The sandwich smelled good; I loved ham.
“I thought you weren’t hungry?” he asked as I began preparing myself a sandwich.
Looking over my shoulder, I crinkled my nose up at him. “I could eat. Ryker says a few extra pounds wouldn’t hurt.”
“You’re perfect the way you are.” He said it so matter-of-factly that it gave me pause. Not sure how to reply, I didn’t. Instead, I finished what I was doing, cleaned up and took a seat next to him. By the time I took a bite into my sandwich, he was finishing up his second.
“Did you want to watch more of the show in the living room?” I asked as I searched my mind for ways to keep us both occupied for the afternoon. I expected to hear him say no.
“That would be fun.”
Our gazes locked, and I smiled. Maybe we could be friends after all.
~*~ TT ~*~
Calvin
Waking up, I was surprised to see that the sun was already up. I really hoped this late start stuff wasn’t the beginning of a trend. Sitting up, I yawned and slid out of bed, completely forgetting about my broken leg, despite the cast, until I attempted to put weight on it.
Groaning, I stood, putting a minimal amount of weight on my foot until I had the crutches under me. At least I didn’t have a wake-up call from Nina this morning. I’d already learned my lesson, keeping on a pair of boxer shorts, just in case.
After going to the bathroom and throwing on a pair of gym pants and t-shirt, I made my way downstairs. She’d made me promise I’d get her before going back downstairs so she could assist me. I wasn’t a baby, despite how much she seemed to want to coddle me. I didn’t need assistance.
I’d made it down one step when I heard a door open to the right of me. Awww damn! Don’t get me wrong. After spending the previous day with her, I had come to enjoy her company; maybe I’d misjudged her.
But shit, can’t a guy go down a flight of stairs without her fussing?
“You promised to tell me when you woke up.”
“I didn’t need help. I’m feeling great,” I replied, looking over to see her hurrying, barefoot, down the hallw
ay, her red satin robe flying up behind her. She had it tied securely around her waist, but the opening dipped low, giving me a glimpse of her cleavage. Looking back up to her face, I noticed her hair was still wet. She must have been in the process of getting dressed and heard me hobbling down the hallway.
“Doesn’t matter. We had a deal.” She reached my side, huffing softly. Despite her words, she didn’t stop me from beginning to make my way down the stairs. Instead, she took to my side and walked down the stairs with me.
“We did. I’m sorry.” I really wasn’t, but if it made her feel better, I’d say it to her anyhow.
“Okay. You’re forgiven.”
Smiling, I gave her quick glance before continuing down the stairs.
“When did you want to start on the closet?” she asked as we reached the final step. “I’ve always found it was best to tackle a task early on and get it out of the way so you can enjoy the day.”
My jaw clenched. I’d been so sure about it yesterday when I was spending the day with her. I’d decided that it was time to thin out the closet and let go of the past, but now that the time was approaching for me to go ahead and do what I’d agreed to, I was once more apprehensive.
“Look,” She placed her hand on my bare arm and to my disdain, I inhaled sharply. Her hand was so warm and soft. “I know it’s hard, that’s why I’m here to help you get through this. I know we don’t know each other well, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care.”
Her beautiful green eyes looking up at me were so sincere, it was touching. The look in her expression and sincerity in her eyes did more than touch my soul, it touched me physically, lighting a fire in my dick. Dear God. Perhaps I needed to get laid. Yes, that would solve this issue. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen any time soon so I had no choice but to suck it up.
