“Yeah, well, don’t tell too many people. Wouldn’t want to ruin that bad-boy image.”
Her smile made heat pool in his groin. “You’re the one who was claiming to be a nice guy.”
“Just to you.” Because for some crazy reason, he wanted her to know that. “Hey, have you eaten?”
“No.”
“Want to go get something? We could go to Conquistadors.”
She sucked on her bottom lip and regarded him warily. “I actually have work to do…”
He considered that. “Look, I don’t want to be that guy who distracts you from shit you have to do. Really. I know your work is important to you. But you have to eat, Hayden.”
She nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’s true. So we could just go for something quick…”
That wasn’t what he wanted. At all. But he really didn’t want to be an asshole. “Sure. Just grab a bite and I’ll bring you home. Or would it work better for you if we just ordered something in?”
“I need to cook dinner for you sometime.”
“Okay, then.”
“But not tonight.” She made a face. “Sorry. I don’t like eating restaurant food all the time. It’s healthier to eat at home. But I suck at finding time to shop and cook. Especially lately, with looking after my aunt and uncle and everything else. I picked up a few things yesterday when I was shopping for them, but honestly, after spending the whole afternoon at the spa, I don’t have time to make anything.”
“No worries. We’ll order something healthy. What’s your favorite place?”
“EVO.”
“Right, you mentioned that the other day. Mostly vegetarian?”
“Yes.”
Ugh. He squared his shoulders. “Okay, I can do that. Let’s have a look at their menu. I’ll go pick it up and you can get some work done.”
“Really?” She gazed back at him.
“Sure.” They moved over to her computer on the desk. “So what’s up with your aunt and uncle? You never said anything before about looking after them.”
She brought up the EVO menu on her screen. “My aunt fell and broke her hip a couple of months ago. She’s doing better, but still not getting around well, and it turns out my uncle is as helpless as a newborn guppy.”
Amusement curled inside him even though it was a serious topic. “So not only are you killing yourself trying to find the cure for cancer, you’re looking after your aunt and uncle.”
“Well, I’m trying.” She sighed. “I’d like a fish taco.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’m surprised you’re not telling me to try something new.”
He gave her a slow grin. “Hey. This is new for me. I have to try new things too.”
“Somehow I don’t think that’s as difficult for you as it is for me.”
He grimaced. “In my experience, change is usually for the better. But it can be hard for all of us at times.” He kissed her nose. “I’ll go get the food and be back soon.”
“Thank you.” Their eyes met, and the connection stretched out warm and vibrant.
“You’re welcome.”
Fuck, he just wanted to explore how soft and smooth she was everywhere. But he could also be patient. And dammit, he wanted her to be happy, and if she was worried and stressed about work not getting done, he’d find a way to help her with that.
Christ, what was even happening with him? Usually when he was worried about making a woman happy it was a question of whether he should use his fingers, tongue, or cock.
He made the quick trip to EVO and returned with their food, which they ate sitting on her couch. The fish taco was surprisingly good. He told her more about the skydiving and how thrilled the guy who’d jumped with him had been. They were nearly finished when Hayden’s cellphone rang.
She frowned as she unfolded her legs from beneath her and stood. “Huh. Who can that be?” He watched her find her phone in her purse and peer at it. “Oh boy. Uncle Colin.” She answered the call. “Hello?”
Beck took another bite of his taco as Hayden talked.
“Oh no…what happened? Where is she?” She paused to listen. “You need me to come there? Or maybe you should call an ambulance.”
Beck’s spine snapped straight and he frowned. What was going on? He met Hayden’s worried gaze.
“No, no, I’ll be right there. Okay, just stay with her, Uncle Colin.” She ended the call and grimaced. “Sorry. I have to go.”
“I’ll take you.” He rose too, grabbing a paper napkin. “What’s happening?”
“My aunt fell again. Dammit. She’s supposed to be using her walker, but sometimes she doesn’t. Uncle Colin is freaking out, as usual. I don’t know if he’s overreacting or if she should be going to the hospital, so I better get over there. You don’t have to take me.”
“I will.” No way was he letting her deal with this herself.
“You don’t even know them,” she protested, picking up her purse and keys.
“I know you. That’s enough. Maybe we can get you over there quick enough to take care of things and still get that work done you wanted to.”
She eyed him, pausing at her door. Finally, she said, “Thank you.”
Chapter 17
Beck hustled Hayden out to his Jag. Once he’d started the engine, he asked, “Where do they live?”
She gave him the address and brief directions and he zoomed down her street, turning onto Grand Avenue, then onto I-5.
“Um, you’re a fast driver,” she commented, gripping the armrest.
“I’m a good driver.”
“Okay, yes.”
“I kick Cade and Marco’s asses at the Speed Bowl on a regular basis.”
“The Speed Bowl?”
“Go-kart racing.”
She laughed. “Oh my God. You’re crazy.”
“Crazy fun, baby.” He was happy that he’d made her laugh despite her obvious worry about her aunt. “I’ll take you there next week. We’ll race.”
She sighed. “Much as that sounds like fun, I have a stupid busy week next week.”
“You need time for fun. We’ll find time. Maybe on the weekend.”
“You work on the weekends.”
“Yeah, usually, but we can juggle schedules if need be. We’ll figure it out.” She was chewing on her bottom lip and he didn’t like that. “Hey, relax.” He reached over for her hand to squeeze it. “What’s wrong?”
“You can’t just leave things open like that. What are we going to do? When are we going to go? I need to know. I need to prepare.”
His heart did a weird flip in his chest. This really did make her anxious. And much as he wanted to give her new experiences and get her to loosen up a little, he did not want to make her anxious. “Okay, baby. Just let me nail things down at the bar and see when I can have time off. Then I’ll tell you exactly what we’re going to do and when we’re going to do it. And you can prepare for all the fun we’re going to have.”
“You think I’m crazy.”
“No, I don’t. I think you’re cute.”
She gave a soft sigh. “I’m sorry. I know I’m kind of, er, rigid.”
“Not as rigid as I am when I think about you.”
After one shocked beat, she burst out laughing. “Oh my God.”
Satisfaction settled in his gut. He’d made her laugh again.
“I’m just stressed with being busy at work, and then things with my aunt and uncle and…” She paused. “I hate feeling like things are out of control.”
“Why are you looking after your aunt and uncle? Don’t they have kids?”
“They do, but my cousins live in New York, with families and busy careers. It’s hard for them to get home. They did come when Aunt Gina was in the hospital. And I’m right here. I don’t mind helping, really. They did so much for me when Mom and Dad died. I was overwhelmed with the things that needed to be done, and of course devastated at losing my parents, so close together like that. My aunt and uncle helped me so much, so of c
ourse I’ll do anything for them.”
He nodded. Not that he understood that feeling about actual family, but it was how he felt about Cade and Marco. During their service, they’d come to trust one another with their lives. He knew they’d risk their lives to save his and he’d do the same for them.
“Are they your mom or your dad’s family?”
“Aunt Gina is my dad’s sister. Gina and Colin Strong.”
He pulled up in front of a gorgeous, two-story stucco house in Mira Mesa, with a lush landscaped front yard, flower beds full of color and greenery. “How old are your aunt and uncle?” he asked as he followed her quick steps up the sidewalk.
“Seventy-four and seventy-eight.”
“Wow. And they’re still living in this huge house?”
“I know, right?” She used a key to enter the house. “Hello! I’m here.”
He stepped inside and glanced around as Hayden hurried through the spacious foyer and into a carpeted living room. He tagged along, taking in the curvy sofa and love seat upholstered in blue velvet, the carved dark wood furniture—including a piano against one wall—and flowery drapes and cushions.
Hayden knelt beside a recliner where a woman sat, the chair laid back. A man—Hayden’s uncle no doubt—sat on the nearby love seat. Their faces were both pale and lined with worry, and in the case of the aunt, pain.
“Are you okay, Aunt Gina?”
“I think so.”
“How much pain are you in? Should we take you to the hospital for X-rays?”
“I don’t want to go back to the hospital. I hate that place.”
“I know you do. But if you broke something, or knocked your pin out of place, they need to fix it.”
“I don’t think it’s that bad. Really.”
“Can you walk?”
The woman swallowed. “Yes.”
“Let me see.”
Beck smiled. At that moment everyone noticed his presence and he took a couple more steps into the room.
“Aunt Gina and Uncle Colin, this is Beck Whitcomb. He was at my place when you called so he drove me here.”
Gina regarded him with interest, Colin with a frown. Beck stepped forward again and extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Strong.” He gave him a firm handshake, registering the older man’s assessment of his hair, beard, and tattoos.
His presence did seem to distract Gina from her pain, as she smiled at him. “Well, hello, Beck. It’s lovely to meet you. Hayden hasn’t mentioned you.” She glanced at her niece. “We keep telling her she needs to get out more.”
Beck grinned. “No, really?”
“Here.” Hayden frowned at him, but arranged Gina’s walker near the chair for her. “Let me help you stand, Aunt Gina.”
The woman managed to get to her feet and moved across the carpet with the walker. Eliminating the thick carpet would likely be a good idea. But hell, getting them out of this house would be even better. Trained to assess details rapidly, Beck took in the staircase to the second story, the big kitchen and dining room, the sliding doors onto a large patio covered with a pergola, and beyond that what appeared to be a huge lawn with a stone-edged pond and fountain. Jesus.
“There,” Gina said to Hayden through gritted teeth. “See? I’m fine.”
Hayden nodded, her forehead still furrowed. “Okay, that is good. When is your next doctor appointment?”
“Wednesday.”
“Good.” Hayden bit her lip. “Well, if you think you’re okay, we won’t go to the hospital, but make sure you mention to the doctor that you fell so he can check things out.”
“I will.”
Hayden turned to her uncle. “You’re taking her to the doctor?”
“Of course.”
Should the old guy be driving? Eh, he did seem pretty sharp, and physically fit.
“Make sure she tells the doctor,” Hayden said.
“I will.”
She glanced around. “Did you eat dinner?”
“I was trying to make some soup,” Gina said. “That’s when I fell.”
“You weren’t using your walker, were you?”
Gina sighed. “No. I was just in the kitchen and it’s hard to cook and get things out of cupboards with it. It’s in the way.”
Hayden sighed and looked at her uncle. “Uncle Colin, you need to help out more. Let Aunt Gina sit in a chair and tell you what to do.”
Her uncle nodded, his face tight. “You’re right, I know. I was busy outside and…hell. I’m sorry, Gina honey. This is my fault.”
“It’s not your fault.” Gina smiled at him. Their love for each other was evident, which was pretty damn cool considering how long they must have been together. “I’ll be more careful.”
Beck watched Hayden’s expression as she clearly struggled with something. “I’ll make you some soup and a sandwich,” she said, rising.
“I can help,” Beck offered.
She shot him a smile. “Thanks.” She got her aunt back into her recliner. “Did you take any pain medication, Aunt Gina?”
“No.”
He saw Hayden swallow a sigh. “I’ll get you some.”
Beck followed Hayden into a kitchen lined with oak cupboards and more big windows looking out onto the generous yard out back. Hayden ran a glass of water and emptied a pill from a small bottle into her hand. “Could you take this to her? I’ll start heating the soup.”
“You bet.”
He returned to the living room and helped Gina take the pill, sensing her reluctance. But still, she was going along with it, maybe because it was him.
Together he and Hayden found bread and cheese slices and she soon had bowls of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on the small table. She called to her aunt and uncle and they slowly made their way to the kitchen to sit and eat.
“Thank you, Hayden.” Gina spooned up some soup. “What would we do without you?”
One corner of Hayden’s mouth lifted. “I don’t know, actually.”
“Hayden is our angel,” Gina said to Beck. “Seriously. She’s been such a help since my fall.”
Hayden dropped her eyes, but smiled.
“I’m sure she has,” Beck said. “I know how much she cares about you.”
“And we love her too. She’s an amazing girl, you know.”
“I’m finding that out more and more,” Beck murmured. He caught Hayden’s gaze and she did an eye roll.
“You two aren’t eating?” Gina asked. “Have some soup.”
“That’s okay, we ate at my place,” Hayden said.
“So, Beck. Tell us about yourself. What do you do for a living?”
Beck leaned against a counter. “I own a bar. Conquistadors. At P.B.”
Colin’s frown reappeared. “A bar? Huh.”
“Beck used to be a Navy SEAL,” Hayden added.
Colin’s expression changed. “No kidding?”
“That’s right, sir. My two buddies and I left the Navy about a year ago and went into business together.”
“Well. How about that. Thank you for your service.”
Beck nodded, appreciating the sentiment.
This was a weird experience for him. He was pretty sure the last time he’d met a girl’s parents—or family—had been in high school.
Hayden moved over beside him and said in a low voice, “Can we wait until they’re done? I want to make sure my aunt eats, and also clean up after. Otherwise she’ll try to do it.”
He nodded, slipping an arm around her waist to give her a brief squeeze. “Of course.”
They chatted while the older couple ate, then he helped Hayden do their dishes, along with some that had already been sitting on the counter. He wiped off the counter as she cleaned the sink, Gina having returned to her recliner in the living room.
“I really wish they’d move out of this house,” Hayden told him quietly. “It’s way too big for them. They can’t keep on top of it and they refuse to hire help. It’s starting to get out of control. I come an
d help but it’s too much for me too.”
“They don’t want to move?”
“Uncle Colin doesn’t want to give up his yard. He’s a passionate gardener.”
Beck nodded. “I guess it’s hard to give up things like that.”
“I know. I just want them to be safe. I tried to talk to them about it once, but it didn’t go over well, and they’re not my parents…”
“You need to get their kids out here to talk to them.”
She shrugged and rinsed out the dish sponge. “I’ve mentioned it to them. We chat on Facebook.”
He stood near her and set his hands on her hips. She lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “Yeah?”
“Sure.”
“You probably haven’t told them how bad things really are.”
“Well…”
“You need to do that, Hayden.”
She stared at him.
“Seriously. I understand that you love them and want to help, but you’ve got a lot on your plate. And it sounds like they know that too. They want you to get out more. They want you to have more fun.”
She rolled her eyes. “Everyone seems to want that.”
Warmth filled his chest. Seeing Hayden with her family, seeing how much they cared about her, seeing her look after them and worry about them, made him want to gather her up in his arms and protect her and do whatever he fucking could to help her. He also felt an unusual helplessness—there was no way he could just move her aunt and uncle out and solve that problem for her. It annoyed him unreasonably. He liked solving problems and he hated that Hayden had this one.
And given that he wanted nothing to do with his own family, it was even more bizarre that he wasn’t just brushing this off and letting her deal with it without him. But it didn’t mean anything. He could handle this.
On the drive back to Hayden’s place, he made her laugh more by telling her about Joe and Helena’s latest fight. “They were arguing about which of them is more likable. Comparing how many friends they have and why.”
“Oh my God.” She touched her fingertips to her smile.
“Yeah. It was actually hilarious, because at that moment everyone in the bar was thinking they’re both complete asses. Last week, they fought over where to put the ketchup in the fridge. Joe was insisting because it’s a tall bottle it goes on the top shelf with other tall things. Helena said it’s a condiment and therefore must go in the door.”
Body Shot (Last Shot) Page 17
