Holden wandered off and settled at a booth by the front windows. Cars passed on the busy street outside, but he imagined the racetrack instead and his nearly finished Camaro tearing it up. Those streams of painted blood would catch the sunlight just right to look as if they were fresh and wet. The seat would cradle his body as he pushed the car to its limits. The tires would grip the track with an almost magnetic attraction, and Holden’s heart would get the adrenaline fix it so craved.
“Sweet.”
“Quit talking to yourself. You look like a moron.” Vaughn snapped his fingers in front of Holden’s face and slid the grilled cheese toward him.
“I wasn’t talking to myself.” Holden pierced a straw into his soda and grabbed a couple napkins from the dispenser on the table. Mara’s grilled cheeses were messy, triple-decker concoctions with four kinds of cheese and tomatoes. Things tended to slide out whenever Holden picked it up, but good God, it was a killer sandwich.
Vaughn let out a sigh of approval as he bit into his banana-nut muffin minus the nut. Holden paused and studied his friend.
“Why not her?” He motioned with his chin to Mara who helped a new customer but locked her gaze on the back of Vaughn’s head.
Vaughn swiveled his head around. “Why not who? Mara?
“Yeah.”
“She’s too…” Vaughn waved a hand as if trying to grab the right word.
“Nice?”
“Exactly.” Vaughn pointed a finger at Holden. “She’s not date worthy.”
“The girl goes out of her way to make you a banana-nut muffin minus the nut in hopes you’ll come in, and she’s not date worthy?” Holden put his sandwich down to wipe a bead of cheese off his pinkie finger.
“Look, Hold, a girl like that…” Vaughn threw a glance back to Mara who beamed at him. “She’s got a drawer full of sensible, cotton underwear. Most likely white.”
“So?” What was wrong with sensible underwear? You could trust a gal who wore sensible underwear, right?
“I’m more of a red lace thong kind of guy, you know?” Vaughn winked and took another bite of his muffin. For a moment, Holden wished there was a rogue nut in there.
“And that’s your problem.” Holden shook his head and slurped up a mouthful of Sprite.
“I don’t have a problem.” Vaughn wiggled his eyebrows at some women sitting at a nearby table. They sent him interested looks in return. Of course. Vaughn’s hazel eyes and sandy blond hair reeled women in like caught fish.
“Sure you don’t.”
“Sarcasm, be gone!” Vaughn shot a hand out toward Holden as if exorcising a demon. “What I have, good buddy, is a plan.” He tapped his temple.
“Right. The plan to get Sabrina.” Holden was all too familiar with Vaughn’s complicated mission to woo Donovan Electronics CEO, Sabrina Donovan. Honestly, the woman scared the shit out of Holden, and he couldn’t possibly imagine wanting to be with her, but Vaughn insisted he had to “conquer her.” His words.
“She barely acknowledges your existence.” Holden finished his sandwich and wiped the table where cheese had fallen in yellowy-white globs.
“All part of the game, cowboy. All part of the game.”
Holden hated games.
Before Vaughn could say any more, both of their cell phones rang. “Time to fly,” they said in unison.
Holden answered his phone, because Vaughn had just taken an oversized bite of muffin. On purpose.
“Lancaster.” Holden drummed his fingers on the table. A little grease had managed to camp out under his thumbnail so, wedging the phone between his cheek and shoulder, he folded a corner of his napkin to wipe it away.
“Holden, dear, where are you?” Sabrina’s voice dripped with something that made Holden feel squirmy.
“The Sweet Hut. Having lunch with Vaughn.”
“Super. You’re all fed and ready to fly then?”
“As always.”
“Wonderful. Get here ASAP. I need you to fly to San Diego and pick up some execs.”
“Roger that.”
“Love when you talk pilot, Holden. It makes me hot all over.”
Holden cleared his throat, grateful his buddy couldn’t hear Sabrina. She never came on to Holden in front of Vaughn, because she was well aware of his plan or his game or whatever. But when it was just she and Holden—and he tried to minimize those occurrences—she piled on the innuendos. If Holden didn’t love his laid-back schedule and flying the company’s King Air 350i so much, he’d probably have quit a long time ago over Sabrina’s…her…well, her harassment.
“We’re on our way, Sabrina.” Holden hung up and gathered his trash. “C’mon. San Diego beckons.”
“Cool. Are we flying Sabrina?” Hope laced Vaughn’s features. He loved when he could trap Sabrina aboard the plane and attempt to dazzle her with his flying prowess. She always pretended to be fascinated, and Holden supposed that said something about her not being a total shrew. Then she’d make some quiet comment as she was getting off the plane—a comment only Holden could hear, one usually involving his genitals and what she wanted to do with them—and he’d be reminded she was a shark. A horny one.
“No. Just a pick up of execs.” Holden led Vaughn deliberately by the counter so Mara could get one last look at him, then opened the door. Outside the air was steamy. Another Texas summer afternoon.
Luckily, after some uncomfortable moments in Sabrina’s presence, Holden would escape the heat by spending the afternoon flying to California. Unfortunately, the heat and more uncomfortable moments would be waiting for him when he got back. They always were.
Chapter Two
Johanna reviewed her “To Do” list and decided she would finish sketching out the dandelion-and-noose logo for the weed pulling business, make business cards for two other designs she’d finished, and tackle some updates to a website she’d created for a local romance author. That was enough to keep her busy well into the afternoon.
As she shuffled out of her office to refill her coffee cup in the kitchen, she peeked into Kam’s room. He was sitting in the middle of his floor with Legos scattered around him, which didn’t come as any surprise. The kid would build with the blocks in his sleep if he could manage it. He’d no doubt grow up to be an architect based on the way he constructed houses, buildings, castles, and space stations out of Legos. Many of his creations were on display throughout the farmhouse not to mention the stray Legos Johanna was always picking up with and shaking out of the vacuum.
“Morning, Kam.” She leaned against the threshold of his room.
“Hey, Mom.” Kam held up a piece of white paper. “Check this one out.”
Johanna stepped into the room and took the paper. A blueprint of what appeared to be a fire station was sketched onto the paper in dark pencil. Kam had even drawn a Dalmatian sitting by a fire hydrant.
“Ah, today’s project.” Johanna handed the drawing back to Kam. The kid had his own version of a “To Do” list. She never had to worry about him being bored.
“Well, it’s raining out, so I thought I’d get started on this.” He was already digging furiously in the big bin containing his Lego collection. Despite the creations he hadn’t disassembled yet—many of them quite large—Kam still had a ton of blocks left in the bin to work with. Somehow the bin multiplied overnight and he had no repeat sets. He and Johanna actually kept a list so they wouldn’t buy sets he already owned.
“Your grandfather should be over shortly,” Johanna said, checking her watch.
“Maybe Pep will want to help me with this one.” Kam was forever trying to get Alex’s father to play Legos with him, but Ted wasn’t a sit-down-and-stay-put kind of guy. Neither was Alex, which probably made his jail cell seem even smaller. Kam had clearly inherited Johanna’s ability to remain focused on a single task for hours. Hey, it made her ultra-productive as a self-employed businesswoman. She had to imagine it was a good quality to pass on to one’s offspring.
“I’ll get some breakfast going for
you and Pep.” Johanna turned on her bare heel, carefully navigated her way around the Lego minefield, and finally made it to that refill of coffee. She scrambled up some eggs, heated a few strips of bacon, toasted several pieces of bread, and set up two plates at the kitchen table. At the smell of bacon, Miles, their four-year-old border collie, came trotting in. He tossed his black nose into the air and let his tongue loll over the side of his jaw as his golden eyes targeted the meat. He rose onto his hind legs and was about to rest a white paw onto the table when Johanna grabbed him by the collar.
“Don’t even think about it, Miles.” She tugged him back, and he obediently sank to all fours. His claws scritch-scratched on the hardwood floor as he walked to his food bowl to pout.
Johanna pulled out one of the kitchen chairs and sat. “Come here, ya big baby.” She tapped her thigh, and Miles bounded over, still crunching on his dry food. His eyes disappeared behind black fur as Johanna rubbed the white patch around the dog’s neck and chest. Little doggy noises of bliss sounded, and Miles rested his head in Johanna’s lap.
“Who’s my boy, huh?” Johanna crooned into the dog’s ear as she buried her face in his fur. She’d gotten Miles after Alex had been sentenced. She and Kam had needed something to make the world not seem like complete Hell. So far, Miles had served them well. Whether it was a lick on the cheek, a snuggle in bed, or a brisk run through the woods, that dog never let them down. Johanna wished she could say the same of the people she knew.
She broke off a piece of bacon and delighted the dog by holding it out to him. He snatched it out of her palm, pulverized it with his teeth, and licked her entire hand when he was done.
“Something smells good.”
Miles let out a short bark of greeting as Ted filled the doorway between the kitchen and the living room.
“Good morning, Ted.” Johanna got up and gave Alex’s father a quick hug as was their morning ritual.
Ted dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Bacon too? Nice.” He strode into the kitchen, but popped his stocking foot up off the floor before reaching the table. “Ouch!” He bent down and picked up a bright red Lego piece. “I hate these damn things. Suckers feel like knives.” Ted tossed the block onto the table.
“Hey, Pep!” Kam rounded the corner at a bit of a run and slammed into his grandfather’s form causing Ted to stumbled back. Spotting the Lego piece on the table, Kam said, “You found it? I’ve been looking for this one.”
“Maybe if you picked them up off the floor when you were done playing with them, they wouldn’t get lost, Kam.” Ted scowled, but his lips turned up a moment later. As Johanna had already discovered, it was impossible to stay mad at Kam. After all, you never knew when it would be the last time you saw someone. Holding grudges wasn’t a smart practice in the real world. It only left your heart broken when…
“Wanna help me build a fire station, Pep? I’ve started the foundation.” Kam’s voice pulled Johanna back from the dark places, and she sat at the table with him and Ted to finish her coffee.
“You know how boring I find Legos, Kam. Spare an old man, huh?” Ted dove into his eggs and bacon, crunched down on his toast. He nodded his thanks to Johanna who raised her mug in response. Making the guy a few meals a week was the least she could do. Ted did her a solid favor in the summer by watching Kam while she worked. Kam would happily entertain himself all day, but Johanna worried about a boy his age spending too much time alone. He wasn’t meant to be alone.
He was meant to have a twin sister. Someone to play with, grow up with, fight with, and generally team up with against Johanna. Johanna and Alex. Kam had been cheated out of that, out of a real family. They’d all been cheated.
Johanna shook her head. What’s with the pity? She had to shed it and fast. Her “To Do” list wasn’t getting any smaller. She didn’t have time for pity today.
“It’s not supposed to rain all day,” Ted said. “How about if I take you out back and teach you to drive?”
Kam’s black-brown eyes grew huge.
“Absolutely not,” Johanna interrupted before the seed of hope in Kam could sprout a stem and leaves. “There is no way my nine-year-old boy is going to drive.”
“Aw, c’mon, Johanna.” Ted took a sip of his orange juice. “We’ve got fields big enough to land a space shuttle in. The boy will have plenty of room.”
“That’s just it, Ted. He’s a boy. He doesn’t need to learn to drive now.”
Johanna stood as if to punctuate her statement and end the conversation. She went to the sink to wash her mug and avoid having to look at Kam’s disappointment. Sure, it was every boy’s dream to know how to drive. So she was a dream crusher. Big deal. Kam would get over it, and she was his mother, dammit. She had a right to protect him. She’d failed his sister, but she’d do everything in her power to make sure Kam reached a ripe age.
“Okay, okay,” Ted said. “How about if I take you to visit a real fire station instead of watching you build one with those Legos?”
At this, Kam’s face brightened again. “For real, Pep?”
“For real. One of my buddy’s is chief at the fire station down the street. I’ll bet I can get him to let you climb all over the trucks.” Ted met Johanna’s gaze, silently asking if this would be an acceptable activity for the day.
Johanna nodded. “Thanks.”
“Yeah, well, still think the kid should learn to drive now, but damn if these aren’t the best eggs I’ve ever eaten.” Ted winked and finished his juice.
Johanna leaned down and kissed the top of Kam’s head. “Be good for Pep, all right?”
“I’m always good.” Kam smiled sweetly at Johanna and somehow she loved him a little more.
“So don’t you believe in combing your hair anymore, Kam?” Ted asked as he took their dishes and glasses to the sink.
“A girl told him—”
“Mom! Not Pep. Do not tell Pep.” Kam stood on his chair and put his hand over Johanna’s mouth, but that didn’t stop her laugh from sounding.
Ted turned around and leaned against the sink, his arms folded across the army green T-shirt he wore. Unlike Kam, who was a miniature version of his father, Ted and Alex didn’t resemble each other in the least. Alex had dark skin, dark eyes, dark hair as his mother had, while Ted was a graying blond, with freckled, fair skin, and bright green eyes.
“Don’t tell me what?” Ted narrowed his eyes at Kam.
“Nothing, Pep. Nothing.” Kam jumped down from his seat. “Gotta get dressed.”
Ted grabbed the back of the neon yellow Jerritt’s Electric “We’ve Got Your Spark” T-shirt Kam had worn to bed. Another one of Johanna’s clients. “I have ways of making you talk, kid.”
Kam zigged and zagged, trying to free himself, but Ted had a solid handful of cotton.
“Well, looks as if you’ve got things under control here, yes?” Johanna asked.
“Yes, ma’am.” Ted saluted her and hauled Kam off toward the boy’s bedroom. “See you later.”
Johanna stood in the kitchen for a moment longer as the sound of Kam’s laughter and Ted’s low, Darth Vader impression wafted down the hallway. Maybe he didn’t want to play Legos, but Ted was a fantastic grandfather, and Johanna wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to repay the guy for everything he’d done for her and Kam.
Sighing, Johanna made her way to her office and closed the door. She sat at her desk and pulled out the sketches of the weed pulling logo. Tapping her pencil on the edge of her pad, she considered the dandelion she’d drawn. She knew dandelions were weeds and invasive, but something about the bright yellow flower made her think sunshine and warmth and carefree summer days. A shame really to have the weed hanging by a rope. But hey, that was the design the client had liked best, and the customer was always right. She’d made a good chunk of money—legally—off that belief.
Johanna toyed with colors for the dandelion, but nothing was jumping up as perfect. “C’mon, Ware. Get your head on.” She glanced at her “To Do” list and grumbled over
the fact that things were not getting crossed off. She was usually much more productive than this on a Monday morning. Friday afternoon was a different story, especially if it was nice outside. But a rainy Monday? That should have catapulted her into high efficiency.
The front door opened and closed and a few minutes later, an engine started. Kam and Ted were off on their fire station adventure.
I need an adventure.
One that involved adult beverages and sunscreen and maybe a little wild sex.
****
Holden angled the nose of the King Air 350i down toward the runway growing ever larger in the cockpit front windows. Being behind the controls was almost as thrilling as sitting behind the wheel of a racecar. And the King Air 350i was a sweet ride. Donovan Electronics had the most recent model painted in Black Stardust, which was a mostly white body with black and silver detailing on the wings and tail. The DE logo, a globe with a little antennae sticking out the top and the letters DE repeated around the globe, was emblazoned on both sides of the aircraft’s aft section. With an almost 58-foot wingspan and a length of nearly 47 feet, this plane was a tight bird built to ferry passengers in comfort and at a maximum cruising speed of 313 knots.
“We’re making our descent into Dallas Fort Worth International Airport folks,” Vaughn announced over the intercom, sounding very much like a radio DJ. “Please power down your electronics and fasten your seatbelts. Thank you.”
He put a finger to his lips signaling to Holden that he was leaving the channel to the main cabin open. Vaughn had this sick idea he would one day learn some important kernel of wisdom from the execs they carried that would seal the deal with Sabrina Donovan. Something about a hobby, her favorite music, what she was looking for in a man. Mostly they overheard boring chit-chat about what kind of car would be waiting to escort them to DE Corporate Headquarters in downtown Fort Worth.
Holden concentrated on the runway and the tasks he had to complete to guarantee a safe landing, but he couldn’t not listen to the voices coming from the cabin.
Kisses to Remember Page 2
