"Of course."
"Now, tell me about your pilot."
Oh, boy. Her date with James Malloy had been nice, but nothing spectacular. He'd called a couple times to ask about Kylie, but they'd not made plans for another date, especially since he was in the west coast for another four months.
"He's a very nice man. Tall..."
Chapter Fifteen
Adam walked into the music room surprised to find it empty. Caden was usually strumming on a guitar or on the drums in the evenings.
"Hey, son," Roman Ford walked in behind him and went directly to his guitar. "Planning to play?"
He'd not picked up a guitar in years and didn't plan to start now. He wasn't sure why he'd even walked in there. Probably for different scenery, since he'd been stuck indoors for the last couple days as summer storms raged outside. A familiar tune filled the room and he sat to listen. "Remember when we planned to start a band?"
"Yep," his father replied with a smile. "You boys were pretty serious there for a while. Practiced every day."
"We thought we'd be rock stars. Planned on it. We may have done it if Jensen didn't insist on being the lead singer."
Roman Ford laughed. "He's a clown. Tristan has a much better singing voice. But that boy was too shy to perform."
"Did I hear my name?" Tristan stood at the door. Still in his business suit, he held a briefcase in one hand and raked the other one through his wet hair. "It's a doozy out there."
"You gonna play?" Tristan looked to Adam. "Haven't heard you play in a long time."
"That's because I haven't. Probably take me some time to get back into it."
"You're a great guitarist." Tristan placed the briefcase on the floor and walked in pulling the suit jacket off. He grabbed Adam's old guitar and strummed it. It was tuned.
"Who's been playing my guitar?" Adam instantly got up and snatched it from Tristan. "You've got your own."
"Not me," Tristan replied already picking up his own base guitar. "Probably Caden."
"Caden!" Adam hollered.
The youngest Ford poked his head in. "What?"
"Why are you always here?" Tristan asked, not giving Adam a chance to get onto him about borrowing his guitar. "Every time I stop by you're here."
Caden shrugged.
"He's living here," their father said still strumming the guitar. "His girlfriend kicked him out. Said he was spoiled rotten."
Caden rolled his eyes and leaned on the doorjamb. "I don't know why she had to go and call Mom."
"She called Mom?" Tristan began to laugh. "Boy, she really was mad at you."
"Yeah." Caden sat behind the drums. "I still have some stuff over there. But she changed the locks, so I can't get in."
Everyone except for Caden laughed. He scowled. "It's not funny, my Bose headphones are over there."
"Why don't you get your own place?" Adam had to ask. "You're a detective now, I'm sure you can afford it. Not to mention all the money Jensen and Tristan always throw at you."
"He's too lazy," their mother said from the door. "I keep telling your father we need to give him an ultimatum and kick him out to find a place."
Everyone looked at Caden, who remained frozen, his eyes wide. He recovered and managed an indignant expression. "I'll get a place as soon as I finish this assignment. And y'all will have to cough up some awesome housewarming presents from the list I'll give you."
"You need to settle down." Their mother's gaze swept over her sons. "All of you do. Tristan, you're almost forty and still single."
"I'm thirty-eight."
"Like I said, almost forty. Caden, you need a woman who will set your straight. You're a spoiled brat thanks to your brothers and us." She gave her husband a pointed look and then cocked her head to the side and studied Adam last. "Now you. Something’s there, you have a settled and in love look about you."
His brothers stared at him and Adam looked around the room. "I don't look settled and in love."
"Well, you must have someone in mind," his mother insisted. She shrugged. "Fine, don't tell me. Boys come on, time to make the salad. I'm having a drink of wine while you get dinner on the table."
It was a family tradition. They had specific chores after their mother cooked the main meal. It gave her time to relax a few minutes before dinner.
Adam watched his parents walk out together and frowned. What had his mother seen? How would she suspect he was in love?
Tristan nudged him on the shoulder. "I'm glad it's you and not me."
"Yeah, you got that look," Caden added wiggling his eyebrows. "You look settled."
"Shut up."
After dinner, Adam went to his bedroom. He stared at his cell phone and considered calling Tesha. It had been too long since hearing her voice. The fact that he thought about her daily didn't mean she would know it. The thought of what she'd seen that night made him hesitate every time. He'd attacked her in a jealous rage, had tried to take her against her will. Then how he'd reacted when she attempted to calm him made him put the phone down.
He'd told her to move on, to forget him. Had she? According to Caden, she was cool and had only called once to ask about him.
Doctor Mitchell had finally decided he could be left unsupervised. He was free to leave after their next consult. With the promise of meeting with him for counseling twice a week.
Right now, his plan was to return to Ford Industries and get reacquainted with the schedule of working in his old job. According to Dr. Mitchell, he needed daily structure and should plan to return to live in Nashville, to his old life. His current homework assignment was to draw up a plan for that.
What did he want? His career back? He considered moving back into an apartment in the city, not too far from the offices. A house would be better, maybe one with land around it. Although he enjoyed remodeling the Victorian, he preferred a more modern home.
Adam read his notes on the pad of paper on the nightstand. The short list, had most items crossed out. How had he become so submerged in Vince's life that he'd forgotten his own aspirations?
The paper scratched against the surface of the wood as he slid the pad closer. He wrote Executive at Ford Industries across the top, then listed his plans for a career that included expanding the company further south. His cousin Bradley Ford in Charlotte had expressed an interest in heading that operation.
The pen remained suspended in midair as he searched his mind for more personal items. He wanted a wife and children, but first he had to ensure his PTSD was under control. He now believed it was possible.
Since discussing Vince's last words, he'd not had an attack or flashback. Of course he'd been in a controlled environment. Once he left the walls of his family home, he wasn't so sure they wouldn't return with a vengeance.
He put the pad and pen aside. Damn how he hated not being the firm, strong, self-assured man he once was.
Chapter Sixteen
Groggy from sleep and Kylie's insistent barking, Tesha trudged to the side door to let the dog out. She couldn't help but look across the way towards Adam's house. Her heart skipped at beat at seeing his truck parked beside it. He'd come home.
There were no other signs of anything different, the curtains were drawn and from what she could see, he was not outside.
Tesha stumbled backward in her hurry to get back inside. As soon as the dog finished she urgently called to it. "Come on, Kylie, let's go back in."
Of course the puppy paid her no mind, too busy investigating a new smell in the garden. She closed the door and moved away from the windows.
A few minutes later, the puppy barked. The high-pitched yaps, which either signaled a new lizard in the garden or a visitor, made Tesha uneasy. She was not ready to face Adam, didn't know how she'd react.
He stood in the garden, just inside the gate looking down at the puppy that barked and ran circles around his ankles. When she opened the door, he looked up at her. Butterflies fluttered in her belly and she mentally told them to go to hell. It was hard to
tell by his expression if he was angry with her or not.
"Hello, Tesha." He looked good. Had gained some weight in the right places, if possible, his shoulders looked broader and his eyes were sharp, some of the wariness gone. One corner of his lips lifted. "I'm sorry not to have called first. I came to check on the house."
The house. Not to see her. Tesha wasn't sure what to say. Her stomach was still doing too many flips for her to concentrate on what he said. "I think the house is fine. I went over a couple times to check."
"How are you?" He didn't move toward her, which she took as a sign he wasn't happy with her. It surprised her that he'd stop by at all.
She looked for the puppy to tell him the news then realized the dog had slipped back inside through the open door, probably seeking her food bowl for breakfast. "I am good. Are you back to stay?"
She'd forgotten how handsome he was, her daydreams had not done him justice. The darkness of his hair brought out the blue of his eyes. Of course the curves of his sensuous lips were hard to look away from. He'd not shaved, had a couple days growth, which was sexy on him. He wore a grey t-shirt and jeans. Filled both just right. Tesha did a mental headshake. She was standing outside in her pajama pants and tank top with bare feet. Probably not the picture of loveliness. "I hope you understand why I called your brother that night."
Adam nodded, but did not say anything.
She was not playing the silent game with him today. "I'm glad to see you, I better get inside and get dressed."
"I'm not sure when I'll be back." His gaze lingered on her lips and she took a step back. This was not the time to allow him to think that just because he stopped by she'd throw herself at him. "I still have things to work on."
Tesha swallowed. Why was he really there? Although his eyes took her in with what could pass for want, she was not at ease with him today. It would only make things harder for her when he left again. Adam was not telling her anything, not explaining why he came to see her. "Why are you here, Adam?"
"I needed to see you and thank you for calling my brother. It turned out to be a good thing. I also thought..." He shrugged. "I thought you'd like to know I think about you all the time."
"I wondered how you were doing and if you got some counseling. I'm glad to hear it." She ignored the last comment. The pang of discomfort at how distant they were now threatened to turn into pain. "I have to go." She turned and rushed inside ensuring to shut the doors and lock them. Aware he could see her through the French doors, she walked into her bedroom and closed that door as well.
After getting dressed she wandered back to the main rooms. She peered out the window. Adam's truck was gone. Unsure of her plans, Tesha sat on a barstool and looked around the space. God she was lonely, she missed him, wanted him to tell her he cared for her. He'd not said much, which was typical and there could be some satisfaction in him telling her he thought about her. But she wondered if he'd thought by showing up and saying that she'd immediately have sex with him. Was that why he'd come? Hoping to get a piece of ass and then ride off into the sunset again until deciding he needed to get laid again?
A part of her understood if that was the case. After all, she was the first woman he'd slept with more than once since Afghanistan. At least that's what he'd said and she didn't take him for a liar.
Tesha could understand Adam. She'd had a hard time letting go of Cleve after being with him. He was her first lover after David's passing. Thank God they were able to remain friends and she didn't lose him. But with Adam it was totally different, she could never be just friends with him.
An hour later, she entered Cassie's shop. The sugary smell in the air made her mouth water. Cassie looked up from behind the counter where she was setting up a display of what looked to be birthday cupcakes. "Good morning, Tesha. Good timing, I can use your taste buds."
Tesha chuckled. "Am I that easy?"
"When it comes to cupcakes, yes." Cassie rushed into her kitchen and came back with two cupcakes. They were undecorated with a sort of glaze on top. "It's my new recipe. Oooey Gooey Caramel. The batter is butter crème, in the center there is melted caramel and over the top a caramel glaze."
They sat at one of her small tables with a cup of coffee and one cupcake each. Both were silent, taking the taste testing very seriously. Tesha allowed the creaminess to linger on her tongue. She closed her eyes and tasted the wonderful mixture of butter and caramel. "These are wonderful. I think I have a new favorite."
"They are good," Cassie mumbled, her mouth still full. She patted herself on the back. "I'm a genius."
"And modest too," Tesha said while licking the last of the confection off her fingers.
"Something's wrong." Cassie studied her for a moment. "Usually after eating a cupcake, you get a goofy look. You are not looking goofy right now."
Tesha wanted to deny that even the wonderful cupcake had barely lifted her spirits. "Adam came to see me this morning."
"Oh my God, did he take Kylie?" Cassie's eyes were wide.
"No, actually I forgot to tell him about her. He came to tell me he was staying in Nashville a bit longer. Actually, I'm not sure why he came by."
Understanding dawned by the way Cassie's let out a breath and her eyes softened. "It was hard seeing him then?"
"Yes. I wish he'd not stopped by at all."
"Did he say something about where you stand with him?"
"He said he missed me. But I'm not sure how to take that. I ran in the house, had to get away from him before I did something stupid."
Cassie's hand was warm when she patted her upper arm. "I'm sorry. Love stinks."
Love? "Men stink." Tesha looked toward the display. "I need another cupcake."
She chose a red velvet one and broke it in half, then placed the second half in front of Cassie. "Why don't you date anyone?"
"Because of my wedding day." Cassie shook her head. "I didn't dump my last boyfriend. He was my fiancé. So cliché really, catching him with one of the bridesmaids, a woman I thought was my friend, during the reception."
"No!" Tesha exclaimed. "That is horrible."
"Tell me about it. He'd disappeared and I went to find him for the cake cutting, caught him with his dick hanging out. Good thing I wasn't carrying the knife. I heard them before I saw anything. They were in the dressing room. The room where I was supposed to change into my honeymoon outfit."
"What did you do?"
Cassie chuckled and let out a breath. "It would make a good movie scene. They were so engrossed; they didn't see me come in. There were two pitchers of ice water on a table. I picked them both up and threw it all over them. I ran back to the reception, calmly took the microphone from the band singer and told everyone I'd just caught Kevin and Angela fucking in the dressing room."
"Wow." Tesha sat back. "I can't imagine what you felt."
"Anger mostly. The hurt came later. My parents drove me home, I was pitching a fit, cussing, screaming, and crying all at once. I don't remember much about later that night except crying in bed. They told me he left right away too and so did most of his family. Mine stayed and partied, because that's what my family does. Kevin at least did have the decency to repay my part for the cost of the wedding."
"Did he try to talk to you after?"
From Cassie's expression, Tesha could tell the memory still hurt. "He did. Called, texted, came to my apartment, my job. He apologized many times. Never really explained why he did it, other than to say it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. He tried to convince me to work things out, but when I filed annulment papers he signed them."
They continued to sit in companionable silence until a customer came in. Tesha watched Cassie's interaction with the woman who had a hard time deciding between the many choices and ended up buying twice what she'd originally said she needed. Cassie was a great woman, pretty and with a good heart. Whoever Kevin was had lost out on a great thing.
A black Ford F250 drove past. Adam was still in town it seemed. He parked in front of t
he hardware store. He got out of the truck, seemed to hesitate at the door and then went inside.
"I'm going to hang out here a bit longer," Tesha, told Cassie who'd also watched Adam through the window.
"Good idea."
Chapter Seventeen
The sun was setting as Adam drove along a two-lane highway. It was not a long drive to Nashville, but for the route he chose, a long-winding road, it would take an additional hour to arrive at his parents’ home. It suited him just fine, needed the time to think and clear his head. Besides, he preferred the less traveled roads.
In the back of the truck flowers were secured against the cab. He'd almost forgotten to get the rose bushes his mother specifically asked him to pick up from Miller Hardware on his way home. Thankfully Mrs. Miller had four plants on hand, so at least one person would be happy with him today.
It had been a mistake to see Tesha. He waged an internal war since leaving her garden to go back and make her understand how much he missed her. He should have pulled her against him. Kissed her until they were both breathless.
She didn't trust him that much was obvious from the way she kept moving backward. After seeing him at his worst he didn't blame her, no woman would want a broken piece of shit like him.
Even though the flashbacks seemed to have stopped for now. It was hard to be hopeful, if he got better, returned to Nashville, then maybe he'd allow himself the luxury to think of a future. Right now, it felt more like limbo.
He flipped through the radio stations and settled for one, Bruno Mars began to croon and Adam had to agree. There was nothing he would change about Tesha. Well, maybe one thing. For her to give him a second chance.
* * *
"Would you like to sit in on the meeting?" Tristan, who sat behind his desk, asked Adam a few days later, as his secretary handed him a folder with papers to sign. "You can listen in, don't have to participate. Start getting in the loop of things."
Even Heroes Cry, Fords of Nashville, Book 1 Page 12
