A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2)

by Monahan, Ashley

  “You were snoring like a chainsaw.”

  He smiled. “I don’t believe you.” Mike looked down at his thigh. “How did my leg get wet?”

  “I don’t know.” She stayed on the middle cushion beside him.

  He raised an eye and looked down at the wet spot. “You drooled on my leg.”

  “I don’t drool in my sleep.” She blushed.

  “And I don’t snore.”

  “Maybe I did,” she said innocently. “What time is it?”

  “Five o’clock.” Mike looked at his phone, no missed calls.

  “She’s fine,” Raleigh reassured. Mike didn’t answer. “I promise you, Aiden will not take advantage of her. He’s too good a man.” She patted his thigh. “He’s one of the good guys, like you.”

  “How do you know I’m one of the good guys?”

  “You’re here aren’t you?” Her hand rested on Mike’s thigh. Her hand’s placement distracted the hell out of him. “Any other man, or woman for that matter, other than Aiden would have bolted by now. Why haven’t you?”

  Mike didn’t answer the question.

  Raleigh straightened out her sun bleached blond hair and it settled neatly back in its place. Her hair looked soft to the touch. Mike stopped himself from confirming that. He stared blankly.

  “Mike?”

  “Hmm?” He returned his attention to her voice versus her form.

  “Why did you stay with me?”

  “You asked me to.”

  “Oh.” Not because you wanted to.

  “And I wanted to,” Mike said confused himself. He put his hand atop of hers and ran his thumb over the back of her palm. Mike became aware of his actions and pulled back. “I should give Cass a call.”

  Raleigh nodded and moved over to the far side of the couch. This man is more confusing than a woman.

  Raleigh didn’t have to eavesdrop where he sat only feet away. She listened to his side of the conversation.

  “Cass, I want to make plans with you before you make another date...you’ve already made a date...what about seeing Bentonville Battlefield?...I see...It’s okay...I’ll see you later. Bye.”

  Mike was disheartened.

  “She backed out on you?”

  “I’m not going to see much of her for the rest of our trip. She smitten with Aiden.”

  “Teenage love.”

  “Don’t say that.” Mike wrinkled his forehead.

  “What are you going to do for the rest of your vacation?”

  “I’m not sure.” He retook his seat on the couch. “Only two more days left. What do you have planned for tomorrow?”

  “I don’t want to think about it.” She brought her hand to her forehead. “Going over our options at the office. Trying to pick a new partner this late in the season will be a nightmare. Want to be my co-driver?”

  “I’ll have to pass on that one.”

  “I don’t blame you.”

  “If you decide to skip the track, you’re welcome to go to Bentonville Battlefield with me.”

  “History buff?”

  “Civil War buff.”

  “Um…” She thought about his offer. The battlefield didn’t interest her, but Mike’s company did. “I’ll skip the track tomorrow.”

  “How about nine? Or give me a call tomorrow morning when you’re ready to go.” Mike gave her his number. “I’m going to go not worry about Cass back at the hotel.” He smiled. “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” She buzzed Mike out the gate and flopped on the couch.

  What are you doing? She asked herself. Mike asked himself the same question on his ride back to the hotel.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Cass’s face beamed. Mike didn’t want to think about where her endless smile originated from. She’d sundered in at 2am. It was hard to let her grow up and he had to bite his tongue remembering she was an adult.

  “Why don’t you come with us to the battlefield?” Mike sat at the breakfast nook with Cass.

  “Us? Aren’t you two getting close?”

  “You ditched me. I had to find company somewhere.”

  “You like her Dad, admit it.”

  “She’s not bad.” Mike bit into the room service pancakes.

  “I’ve never seen you this way. Deny it all you want, but you are falling for her.”

  “You’re ridiculous. We’ve spent one afternoon together. I’m not falling for her. This isn’t a trashy romance novel where we meet and fall head over heels in love and live happily ever after a one day tryst.”

  “Tryst! Oh and you’re giving me a hard time! You slept with her!”

  Mike’s face turned as red as a stop light.

  “No, I didn’t sleep with her. And I could ask you the same about Aiden.” He shot her an accusatory glance.

  “Dad...” She rolled her eyes and didn’t answer the question. Her evasion didn’t slip past Mike.

  “What are your plans for today?”

  “I’m going to hit the shops downtown and hang around the pool. Aiden’s going to pick me up later for dinner.” She beamed.

  “You’re sure you don’t want to come to the battlefield?”

  “Positive.” She wasn’t going to interrupt their budding romance, or so she thought.

  Cass walked downtown and Mike sat on the patio waiting for his phone to ring. Nine came and went, followed by ten, then eleven. It was a four hour drive to Bentonville and if she didn’t call within the hour, it would be a short visit.

  A phone call would have been nice. Mike stood and grabbed his keys. He wanted to see Bentonville and tomorrow would be his last day to wander, so he was going, with or without her.

  *****

  “Shit!” Raleigh looked at the time and nearly fell out of bed. After her long nap in the afternoon, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep until dawn broke and obviously overslept. “Mike’s going to think I’m a real bitch now.”

  She looked for her cell phone. Of course she couldn’t find it. She jogged down the stairs to the living room. There it was. Five missed calls, all from Aiden and Tom. She’d worry about them after she called the number Mike had given her.

  “You must be backing out on me. It’s almost eleven thirty.”

  “I’m so sorry, I overslept. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

  I never sleep. Mike thought. Memories from the past prevented a peaceful sleep.

  “Don’t worry about it.” Mike turned onto the highway toward Bentonville. He’d given up on her and started the drive to his destination.

  “Is it too late? Do you still want company?”

  It would be a thirty minute drive back to pick her up. Mike didn’t debate whether he would backtrack or not.

  “I’ll be there in about thirty so long as Tom-Tom gives me good directions.”

  “I’m really sorry,” she said remorseful.

  “It’s okay. We should still get there by four and have a few hours until dark. Be ready in thirty.”

  “I will.” Raleigh clicked end and then quickly called Aiden and Tom back. They’d expected to see her in the morning as well, though after the previous day, didn’t fault her for being AWOL. She informed them she’d be taking the rest of the week off and requested they find candidates for a female co-driver. She would put her trust in Aiden and Tom to hire a new partner, but that was the stipulation. A girl.

  “So what are you up to today, Miss?” Aiden asked as though he already knew. “Going on a fieldtrip, that’s the real reason isn’t it.”

  “Saw it off.”

  “Bugger off,” he said surprised.

  “Be good to Cass, Mike will kick your ass.”

  “She’s the one tempting me.”

  “I wouldn’t say that in front of him.”

  “Have fun, Miss.”

  “You too, not too much fun though,” she said seriously.

  “I think it’s you we have to worry about, not me.”

  “Oh shut up Aiden. Bye.” She hung up the phone and hurried to get ready.

/>   *****

  “Can you stop at Burger King?” She pointed to a fast food joint in the distance.

  “Will do.” She eats like a trucker and looks like a model. Mike thought to himself.

  A quick stop for fast food and they were back on the road. The four hour drive wasn’t uncomfortable considering the length of time they’d known one another. A four hour drive with a friend could be trying, for them it was fun. During that time Mike learned she was a terrible singer. She sounded like a drunk out of pitch karaoke singer.

  “Has anyone ever told you, you are a horrible singer?”

  “Shut up.” She pushed his arm.

  “Driver, keep your hands on the wheel at all times,” he joked. Raleigh drove his car of choice, the GTO. Mike was in heaven.

  They pulled into the parking lot of the historic battlefield. There were a fair amount of people there for a Friday afternoon at the end of tourist season. Before getting out of the vehicle she donned her oversized sunglasses and cowgirl hat to match the boots she’d worn looking like a true southern girl.

  “That’s your disguise?” Mike nearly laughed at her poor attempt to conceal her identity. If anything, her outfit drew attention to herself. The boots she wore made her as tall as Mike. Her white lace tank top showed off her tan beautifully. It was conservatively cut, which made his mind further wander. And her jeans appeared to be tailored specifically for her.

  “What?” She thought she could pull it off. “I thought I looked okay given that I only had twenty minutes to get ready, lead foot.”

  “You don’t look okay.” Mike paused.

  “Well mister you look—” She interjected.

  “You look beautiful.” He too donned sunglasses and gave her the compliment while keeping his gaze straight ahead. “How do I look? I think you were going to say something before I finished.”

  Silence. Mike had a hard time not teasing her further. He knew she wasn’t going to compliment him on his beauty.

  “I was going to say you are...” He said you’re beautiful. She smiled. “You’re a not bad looking

  chap yourself.” He wasn’t a bad looking man at all.

  “Not bad looking, thanks.” She was good for the ego. Not bad looking. I am getting old.

  “Oh, stop. You know what I meant.” She put her hand in the fold of his arm and held it. They walked arm in arm to the information office.

  They spent three hours at the site, Mike took it all in. Raleigh, well, she tried to act interested. The Civil War wasn’t an area of history that interested her.

  “You look like you’re ready to fall asleep.” Mike nudged her as their guide finished their tour.

  “No, I’m very intrigued. I was taking it all in,” she lied.

  “Liar.”

  She looked at the ground and smiled. “Maybe.”

  They walked back to the parking lot and Raleigh tossed him the keys.

  “You’d let me drive?” His jaw dropped.

  “Don’t wreck it.”

  Mike stared at the car as though he’d won the lottery.

  “There’s a stipulation.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You need to stop somewhere for ice cream.”

  “Strange stipulation, but I think I can do that.”

  They got into the car and Mike pointed it toward Charlotte. Only one pit stop was made at a truck stop for dinner and ice cream. That was Raleigh’s pick. She didn’t fail to surprise him at every turn.

  Mike parked the GTO and felt a sense of loss. That would be the last time he would touch one of those in his life likely.

  “Thank you for letting me tag along today.”

  She opened the door and walked inside. It was after midnight and both were exhausted. He stood outside, she inside.

  “Thank you for coming. I had a good time.”

  “Me too.” Raleigh was nervous, not knowing what would happen next. Butterflies returned to her stomach.

  “Well, I guess this is goodnight.” He put his hands in his pockets.

  “You should come to the track tomorrow, let me take you for a ride before you go home.”

  Ride...

  Mike had a gut feeling it wasn’t a good idea. “I’ll go along if you keep it under a hundred.”

  “No promises.”

  Though Raleigh intended on taking the weekend off, she needed to see the progress of the car and co-driver. Aiden would fill her in if she called...hell, she was looking for an excuse to spend more time with Mike, who was she kidding.

  “What time?”

  “How about two?”

  “Does that mean I should plan for about midnight?”

  “I’ll be on time tomorrow. Mornings aren’t my time of day.”

  “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow at the track.” He turned.

  “Mike.” she called before he walked away. “Thank you for everything these past few days.”

  “No need to thank me.” He smiled and walked away.

  Raleigh made it upstairs and plunked down on the bed, clothes and all. Walking around a battlefield and riding in a car for eight hours had exhausted her.

  *****

  “You lecture me about me spending time with Aiden, but I’m not the one coming in at one in the morning.” Cass sat up on the couch in the living room. “What have you two been up to?”

  “What I told you we were doing. Going to the battlefield. It’s a four hour drive one way. What time did you come in?”

  “If I told you eight you wouldn’t know any different.” She sunk back into the couch exhausted. “So I’ll say eight.”

  “What are we doing tomorrow?”

  “I’m spending the day with Aiden.”

  “I should have guessed.” Mike sat beside her on the couch.

  “What are you doing tomorrow?”

  “I’ll have to find something else to do since my daughter is ditching me, yet again.”

  “You already had plans to spend the day with Raleigh.” She had him figured out. “I can’t believe my father has the hots for a race car driver.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong.” Mike stood. “We’re friends, that’s it. And that’s all you and Aiden had better be too. I’m going to bed, be good.”

  “Night Dad, love you.”

  “Love you too, hun.” He kissed her forehead and walked off to bed.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Mike woke up to a note on the table.

  Aiden’s taking me on the town today :) You and Raleigh have fun! Love Cass

  Mike slept a record amount of sleep. Six hours of peaceful slumber with only one thing on his mind. Raleigh.

  *****

  Raleigh arrived at the track early and squared away her affairs. They were interviewing six potential co-drivers the week to follow, all females. Tom respected her request. After her meeting with Tom, she attended to more pressing matters.

  She fished through the gear in the garage. There were fire suits, but none that would fit Mike’s frame. All her co-drivers had been rather short and rail thin. Mike had a muscular medium build. At 6’0”, he was taller than any suit she had.

  “Shit,” she said. She didn’t normally give rides without a fire suit. Not that it saved Luke, but it gave a person a fighting chance if needed.

  “That doesn’t sound good.” Mike walked into the open bay.

  “Jesus, you scared me.” She put her hand over her chest.

  “I’ll knock next time.” He walked to her. “I’m having second thoughts about this if you’re saying ‘shit’ before we even get in the car.”

  “Oh, man up. You’ll be fine.”

  “Man up?” Mike repeated her smartass words.

  “Yes, man up. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into a back room and returned with a helmet. “For you.”

  The apprehension in Mike’s face was clear. He’d trusted her in the driver’s seat when on the highway, but this was a race track, in a race car. Her partner had burned to death. It didn’t comfort him
.

  Though it was a production Mike succeeded in fitting his frame into the seat made for a much smaller figure. The close quarters due to the equipment inside had him sandwiched like a canned sardine. He put his helmet on and secured it tightly. Raleigh did the same.