by Sable Hunter
“You will. Soon.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Mr. Alden?” Yes, Shae’s heart was racing. “This is Shae.”
“Miss St. John.”
She felt put into her place. “Either will do. I made some phone calls and I’m satisfied about your references. I didn’t ask about your rates.”
“Thirty an hour. If that’s…”
“No, thirty will be fine.”
“How about I stop by later this afternoon and we can make some concrete plans for the week?”
At present, she was calling from a pay phone in front of the grocery store. “Great. I’ll be there.”
When Derek hung up, he wiped the smile off his face as soon as he realized it was there. “Remember yourself, Alden.” Remember June. And for God sakes, remember who Shae St. John is – nobody you want to get close too.
Picking his phone back up, he dialed his ex-wife. When she came on the line, he closed his eyes. “Could I speak to my daughter?”
“She’s not here.”
“What do you mean she isn’t there? Where is she?”
“She’s at a playday with a friend.”
Something about Blair’s voice worried him. “I swear, Blair. If you’re not taking care of June, I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” She seemed to be daring him. “Don’t cross me one whit, Derek. I could break you so easily.”
God, he was tired of these threats. “If you’ve got something on me, Blair. Why don’t you just use it? I gave you your divorce. Hell, the judge you slept with even gave you full custody.”
“Just don’t cross me. You’d better think twice about taking me to court. I’m going to destroy you. I don’t know how much clearer I can be.”
Hitting the End button, he cut off the call. Hell, he hated waiting for the other shoe to drop. Blair was up to no good, he knew that as well as he knew his own name. Derek was so tempted to just push her into showing her hand, but he was… “I’m not afraid, I just don’t trust her.” He still wracked his brain, trying to figure out what he’d done, or what she could blame him for. They’d exchanged words, but he’d never lifted a finger to harm his wife, and he sure as hell never harmed his child.
But Blair was devious. He’d learned that on their wedding night when she’d changed from an affectionate bride to an icicle at the drop of a hat. Still, he’d stayed with her. After all, she’d been pregnant, carrying his child. “I just don’t trust her.” She was smart. Blair worked for a high-tech media arts company. Next to her, Derek’s IQ was closer to the range of a turnip’s. Still, he was smart enough to know not to put anything past her, she didn’t intend for him to have any access to his daughter again.
And that was what puzzled him.
Derek had no idea what he’d done to piss her off. Not a clue.
…Over at Shae’s, she was scurrying around the house, straightening up, baking cookies, and getting the coffeemaker all set up. “Land sakes, you’d think I have a date.” She ran her fingers through her bangs, lifting them off her forehead. “Remember, knot-head, this man thinks you’re a…” How did people classify her? Troublemaker, for sure. “At least I make trouble for myself. Loose morals. “Ha!” She barked a laugh. “I bet I’m the first virgin in human history to be labeled a slut.”
Once the cookies were done, she set them on the counter to cool. To pass the time until her guest arrived, she attempted to work a bit on the computer. Her current WIP was a cathartic book about herself, she was calling it Just A Love Story. If anyone local read this, they might recognize themselves. She was changing names, not to protect the innocent, because they weren’t innocent – she just didn’t want to cause an uproar.
Of course, in this fantasy version of it all, she could create a hero. After meeting Mr. Eastwood/Alden, she knew exactly who the hero was going to be. At least the love scenes were going to be good, using Derek as inspiration.
Knock! Knock!
The sound came from the back door, so she knew he’d taken her advice about avoiding notice. She jumped up and hurried to let him in, unable to prevent feeling excitement at the prospect of seeing him again. “Hey!”
Derek stood there a moment. His eyes were averted, having been studying the bottom half of the kitchen door. When it swung open, he found himself staring at a pair of bare legs instead. A pair of gorgeous, shapely feminine legs.
“Do you want to come in?”
He jerked his head up, their gazes colliding. She’d caught him ogling her body. Rather than seeing a knowing, flirty expression on her face, all he found was pleasure at his presence. “Uh, yeah, that’s why I’m here.” God, he was smooth. Not.
“I went to the bank.” She showed him in, gesturing to a chair. “Would it be okay if I paid you for a month in advance. Four forty-hour weeks, that would be one hundred-sixty times thirty.” She picked up a pad of paper. “Forty-eight-hundred. Correct?”
“Yea…” This would be enough to pay what he owed Blair and more. “Are you sure?”
“Perfectly.” She picked up her dog who was dancing at his feet and deposited him in the other room. “That’s why I do the work I do, so I can renovate the house.”
Derek glanced toward the doorway that he knew led to the hall. How she earned the money, that’s what worried him. In his mind’s eye, he could see a parade of men coming from her bedroom with a satisfied smile on their faces. “What if I just take the money and run?”
“You won’t,” Shae said with conviction, placing the correct amount on the table. “I trust you.”
“Okay, thank you.” Pity, because he knew he couldn’t return the favor. The money, however, was a different story. In God We Trust. He picked up the greenbacks and folded them, shoving the bills into his front pocket. “All right, this is what I think we should do first...”
“Okay, I’m listening.” Even though his use of the word ‘we’ was meaningless, she enjoyed him making the plan sound like a joint effort. Sitting at the table across from him, she looked at the drawing and the material list.
“If you’re in agreement, I’ll place the order for the lumber we need. While it’s being shipped, I’ll tear out the cabinets and flooring.”
“Out with the old, in with the new.” She smiled at the prospect.
“If you’ll unload the cabinets tonight, I’ll make a fresh start in the morning.”
She pointed at a single box on the floor. “Already done. I didn’t have much.”
Derek glanced in the box and saw one plate, one glass, one bowl, one saucer, two cups, and one each of silverware pieces. There was also a small skillet and a saucepan. “Wow. Do you travel as lightly?”
“Yes. Despite what you may have heard, I live fairly simply.”
Holding up his hands, Derek indicated he didn’t need to hear anymore. “How you live is none of my business.”
Seeing he wasn’t interested in her explanations, she tried a new tactic. Hospitality. “I baked cookies and made coffee. Would you like some?” Before he could answer, she dug the cups out of the box and set the saucer before him. “Chocolate chip. Homemade.”
Derek would’ve turned down the refreshments, but about the time she placed the cookies on the table, his stomach growled like a mad dog.
“Good, you’re hungry. Dig in. What do you take in your coffee?”
“Just black.” He didn’t want to take time to add sugar and creamer. As soon as he got the cup in hand, Derek took a big sip and a quick bite of cookie. As soon as he put the sweet treat in his mouth, he almost doubled over with ecstasy. My God, these were good. Glancing over at her, he almost paid the woman a compliment, but he didn’t want to set a precedent of small talk between them. As far as he could tell, she wasn’t wearing a spec of makeup, but her skin seemed exquisitely flawless and looked to be smooth to the touch. He wished for his sake she had a pock-marked face and a big nose.
No such luck. Miss St. John was a very attractive woman.
Shae watched him eat. Since he was focused on his food and not
paying her any attention, she could look her fill of him. Well, no, she told herself. She probably couldn’t look at him enough to satisfy. Derek Alden was a beautiful man. She especially loved the dark scruff on his strong jaw and those high cheek bones. There was also his thick mane of hair, not to mention his firm lips that looked to be begging for a kiss. She had this incredible urge to trace the seam with her tongue, to nibble on his lower lip, to suck on it. A searing wave of heat branded her cheeks.
Seeing him finish one cookie, she pushed the platter closer to him. “Have another.”
“Thanks.” Standing up, he picked up one additional cookie for the road. “I need to go.” He picked up the paper where he’d written the notes. “I don’t guess I’ll see you on Monday.”
Derek wasn’t asking a question, she realized he was seeking her agreement. “No, I guess not.” When he started to go, she jumped up and tore off a couple of sheets of paper towel. “Here, take these with you.”
“Oh, no. I don’t want to take your food.”
Shae quickly wrapped the cookies up and held them out to him. “No, please. I made them for you. Lord knows, I don’t need them.”
He wasn’t sure what she meant, he just knew he needed to get the hell out of Dodge before he forgot who she was and what he needed to focus on.
June.
“Okay, thanks.” He took the cookies. “If you have any instructions or don’t like something I do, leave a note on the bar. I’ll do the same if I need to communicate with you.”
“All right.” Shae followed him to the door, marveling at the lengths they would go so he didn’t have to be in the same room with her.
“Thanks again for paying in advance.”
“Of course.” She wanted to say something about his little girl, but she didn’t. “I hope it helps.”
She hoped it helped.
Derek jerked his head and looked at her directly. What did she mean? Was she doing this for him? To help him? “You don’t have to do this again. From now on, week by week will suffice.”
“Okay, whatever you say.” His eyes were so cold and his expression so fierce, she crossed her arms over her middle and hugged herself tightly.
When he was gone, Shae shut the door, wishing things were different.
* * *
Monday…
When Derek arrived, it was to find Shae’s (yes, when they weren’t speaking aloud, he thought of her as Shae, he just didn’t want her to know it) side door unlocked. When he stepped into the kitchen, he knew from the thick silence that no one was home.
She’d done exactly what he asked of her.
Good. Yet, he was mentally waylaid by something he’d have to label as regret.
Oh, well. For the best. Undoubtedly.
Knowing what needed to be done, Derek went to work. His first order of business was tearing out the existing cabinets. Immediately, he was struck with a problem. What was he going to do with the debris? His effing truck was parked a few blocks away and he didn’t want anyone to pass by and see it in her driveway. “Hell.” Walking to the window, he looked out into the back yard. “Maybe…”
Pushing open the door, he ventured outside. “I wonder if I could pull my truck behind the house. If I can, I’ll pile it outside the door and load it up before I leave,” Derek mumbled to himself as he started to the side to see how much room he had to maneuver.
A sudden voice took him by surprise.
“Is something wrong?”
He jerked around to see Shae St. John and her dog, sitting on the dilapidated steps of a storage shed. “I didn’t realize you were back here.”
She held up a notepad. “I’m working. I told you I’d probably be back here, if that’s okay.”
“You don’t have an office to go to…or whatever?”
She shook her head slowly. “Nope. Are you looking for something?” Obviously, it wasn’t her.
He raked his fingers through his hair. “I was wondering what to do about the debris.” He glanced at the drive. “I think I could pull my truck back here and…”
“No one could see it.”
“Yea, that would work.” He’d just have to circle the block until no one was passing by who would see him entering her drive. “I’ll just throw everything out the door when I rip it up and load it as I start to leave.”
“Okay, I’ll be your lookout for you, so you can escape undetected.” Shae wanted to grin at the absurdity of the situation, but she realized this was important to him.
“Fine.” Without another word, he took off down the creek to fetch his vehicle.
Shae held onto Mojo’s collar, so the pup wouldn’t follow him. The small dog didn’t understand why the other human was ignoring him. “It’s okay. We’re fine.” She let out a sigh and went back to work, deciding she would write this scene into her book. “Might as well use all this drama, I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.”
When he returned about a half hour later, Derek pulled in, parking a few feet away from where she sat. Without acknowledging her presence, he reentered the house, and in a few moments, she heard a banging noise.
“Come on, boy.” She stood up and retired to the shed. “I brought water and snacks. Are you hungry?”
A small woof was her only answer.
…When quitting time came, Derek picked up his lunch box, straightened the work area as best he could and left the house to load the scrap lumber and other debris in the back of his truck. To his surprise, he found it all loaded, save for the sink and a few other large pieces. Clearly, he’d had help. Glancing around, he half expected to see Shae lurking around, waiting to speak to him – but she was nowhere to be seen. He stood still a moment and listened, but there was no noise. With a shrug of his shoulders, he threw the remainder of the refuse in the back end of his truck and took his leave.
As he came to the driveway, he was surprised to see Shae and her dog sitting at the base of a large pine tree. When he pulled up even with her, she rose and walked a few feet out toward the road, glancing both ways. “All clear!” She gave him one wave, then retreated quickly, leaving him with his uneasy attraction and a deep-seated sense of guilt.
* * *
Friday…
By the end of the week, their routine was fairly fixed. He stealthily entered, did his work, and Shae kept to herself. On the days when he had to remove something, Derek would find most of the items loaded at quitting time. The only time he saw her was when she played sentry for him at the driveway as he left to go home.
Today, he was replacing a few pieces of subflooring in the kitchen. Sitting back on his haunches, he surveyed the damage. Soon, he could start putting down the new tile. Hearing a noise out back, he glanced at his watch. Two-thirty.
She was back.
He didn’t know where she went, but Shae had a standing appointment everyday at two pm. She was never gone long, because without fail, she was back in thirty minutes. If this was someone’s idea of a quickie, it was too damn quick for him.
As he picked up the hammer to go back to work, it dawned on him what day it was – “Ah, hell.” He was supposed to call his lawyer and he’d left his damn phone at home. Standing up, he glanced around. Surely, in a house this old there was a landline.
Derek looked around for a few minutes, then threw up his hands. As bad as he hated to, he was going to have to seek Shae out and borrow her cell. Leaving the bungalow by the back door, he noticed the few things he’d tossed out of the house were already in the back of the truck. Pressing his lips together, he attempted to not feel impressed by her diligence. After crossing the yard, he hopped up on the top step of the storage building and tapped on the door. It wasn’t closed, merely pulled to. He could hear the whirr of a box fan and a moment later, the welcoming bark of a dog. “Miss St. John?”
“Yes?”
He pushed open the door to find her just on the other side. “I need to use your phone.” While he was speaking, his eyes moved beyond her to see a laptop open on a rickety t
able. What she was doing, he didn’t have a clue.
“Okay.”
He held out his hand to receive the phone. “I need to call my attorney, it won’t take but a second.”
“Okay, I’ll have to get it.” She headed out of the storage shed and Derek followed.
“Most people keep their phone with them.”
Shae nodded. “I used to. I don’t call anyone anymore. Where’s yours?”
She didn’t call anyone anymore. Strange. “I left it in my other jacket.”
When she entered the house, Shae smiled at the progress he’d made. “This is going to be great. You’re doing a wonderful job. You’re very talented.”
“Thanks.”
He watched her take a chair and carry it into the hall, then open a closet door. Stepping on the chair, she reached up onto a top shelf and took a box down. “There’s minutes on the phone, it will just need to charge up a little bit before you can get a dial tone.”
Derek was a little shocked. “A woman without a cell phone? This goes against nature as I know it.”
Shae laughed as she stepped down from the chair and headed into the living room to plug the charger into the electrical socket. “I expect you’re right.”
He started to ask why she had no one to call, then he realized from everything he’d heard about her all over town – the answer was obvious. She had no friends. She had no one to call.
Again, he wondered at the sin this woman had committed to turn a whole town against her.
“Thanks, I appreciate you letting me borrow it.”
“Not a problem.” She backed away a step or two. “When it’s ready, talk as long as you’d like.”
After their brief exchange, Shae left him to return to the shed to finish the chapter she was working on. Now, she knew how it would end. Sitting down at the computer, she began to type…
After crossing the yard, Roland hopped up on the top step of the storage building and tapped on the door. It wasn’t closed, merely pulled to. He could hear the whirr of a box fan and a moment later, the welcoming bark of a dog. “Miss Stevens?”
