Clover

by Cole, Braxton

  When he turned to face Vince, he found the man literally seething. A small line of spittle dripped from his mouth and he paced back and forth, watching Jake. Jake was in control, but Vince most definitely was not. A crowd formed a semi-circle around them.

  Jake took half a step toward Vince and spoke in a low, menacing voice that he’d learned from his father. “Listen to me very carefully. Clover is off limits. You will never, ever touch her again. If you do, I will kill you. Do you understand me? Dead. You will disappear and your family will never see you again.” As he spoke, he started to shake. By the time he finished, his whole body vibrated with the caged up energy. He needed to get away from Vince before he did something he would regret.

  Clover slipped her hand into his and pulled him toward the building. There were separate entrances to the men’s and women’s locker rooms, but he wasn’t willing to let her go for even a second. He walked backwards so he could keep his gaze focused on Vince. A guy like that would smash Jake over the head the second he turned around. Jake had spent too much time around angry people who liked to communicate with their fists not to recognize the signs. He let Clover lead him through the building and out into the parking lot. They made it all the way to her car before he realized that he was still wearing his swim trunks and his clothes and shopping bags were inside his locker. So was Clover’s bag and, most importantly, her car keys.

  “I have to go back inside.” Clover raised her chin as she spoke. The look of determination that Jake had come to expect from her was back in place. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of the scared girl he’d found cowering against the wall only moments ago. He wasn’t sure which worried him more, that she’d been so terrified before or that she was so clearly in denial about it now.

  “No, you can ask one of your co-workers to get it for you.” Jake squeezed Clover’s hand. He had too much pent up adrenaline and he had no idea where to put that energy.

  “I have to do it.” Clover pulled him back toward the building. She’d made up her mind and he wasn’t going to be able to change it.

  “I don’t like it.”

  “I don’t either.”

  Jake stopped walking and pulled Clover to a stop with him. “You don’t have to prove anything. You got away from him. That’s enough.”

  “I froze. If you hadn’t been there…” Clover’s eyes stormed over for a moment, then cleared. “Anyway, I can get my bag. It will be fine.”

  “Clover…” He wasn’t above pleading with her in order to keep her safe.

  “You can walk me to the door. He won’t enter the women’s locker room.”

  “I don’t know...” Jake knew he wasn’t going to stop her. He’d never been able to keep Clover from something she was determined to do.

  “You need to get your stuff, too. I won’t leave the locker room until I see you, okay? It’ll be fine. I promise.” She pressed her palm to his cheek. Normally she followed that with a kiss, but she didn’t this time. She just stared into his eyes.

  Because he knew he had no other choice, he nodded and said, “Okay, sure. Just scream as loud as you can if he so much as looks at you. Promise me.”

  Clover kissed him. “I promise.”

  The walk back into the building dug at Jake’s need to protect Clover. How could he lead her back to the place where she was most vulnerable? Each step hurt, but before he knew it, he was watching her enter the women’s locker room without him. He ran as fast as he could to collect his own belongings. He didn’t bother to change out of his swim trunks, instead he wadded his clothes into a ball and tucked them under his arm.

  When he got back to the lobby, there was no sign of Clover. He wanted to charge into the locker room to make sure she was okay, but he forced himself to wait. He counted to ten, then ten again. After the fifth time, he cursed and headed toward the entrance. He was two steps away when Clover emerged with her bag over her shoulder and a real smile on her face.

  Jake put his arm around her shoulder and led her out of the building for the second time. Her smile confused him. A few moments ago, she’d been fighting back tears, but now she looked happy. It was an extreme turnaround. “Everything okay?”

  “I think it will be.”

  “What happened?” Jake took the keys when Clover offered them and didn’t think twice about climbing behind the wheel. His encounter with Vince rattled him pretty good. He couldn’t imagine how much it must have shaken Clover.

  “Nothing bad. I just talked to some of the other girls. They thanked me for what you did.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” He had wanted to kill Vince.

  “You were strong when I couldn’t be. And you made Vince show everyone who he really is. That’s everything.”

  Clover’s car was much smaller than Jake’s truck. It accelerated quicker, handled better, and was virtually silent. The only thing Jake didn’t like was the bucket seats. In his truck, Clover could sit as close as she wanted. In her car, it was impossible to hold her while he drove. He put his arm around her as best he could and drove straight to her house. As much as he wanted to use the condoms he’d finally picked up, he wanted to make sure she was safe even more.

  Chapter 34

  Two Years Ago

  Jake hung the pitchfork on its pegs in the barn. He’d spent the day travelling his aunt’s acreage with the ATV and trailer. She let her animals roam free range. It was his job to collect the manure and move it to the compost pile. It was a crappy job in every way.

  His Aunt Tammy stepped into the doorway of the barn. The sun set low in the sky and his aunt cast a long shadow across the floor. “You got a second? There’s something I want to show you.”

  “Sure. I’m done here.” Jake was tired. He’d gotten up early to try and beat the heat. All he’d done was make his work day longer. He hoped she didn’t have another job for him to do. “What do you need?”

  “It’s out here. Come on.”

  He followed his aunt out into the light. She’d stopped a few feet away in front of a beat up green Ford pickup truck that had to be older than he was. She was smiling bigger than he’d ever seen before.

  “What’s this?” He asked, confused more than anything. His aunt drove a nice Dodge truck. She had no need for a rusted old Ford.

  “I know it’s not much, but it runs strong.” She held out a set of keys.

  Jake stared at the keys his aunt offered him. He’d had his license for almost a year, but had no expectation of getting his own car any time soon. His parents had made it very clear that a vehicle for him wasn’t in their budget.

  He reached for the keys, a little afraid to get too excited about what he thought his aunt was saying. He took them, but didn’t trust the way he felt. “For me?”

  “Yeah, you’ll have to change over the title and get the insurance, but yes. If you want it, it’s yours.”

  Jake pulled his aunt into a hug. She thumped him on the back like one of the guys. The woman was a mystery to him. She was a huge softy, but tried to act tough. He didn’t understand why.

  “Why?” He should have a thousand questions, but he was distracted by the feel of the keys in his hand.

  “A young man needs a way to get around.” His aunt shrugged. Her grin hadn’t faded.

  “Where did you get it?”

  “A client was short the cash for his order. He offered me the truck. I took it.” It’d been a rough year for a lot of people and his aunt had felt that heavily with her business. She sold premium meats at premium prices. When people couldn’t pay their mortgages, it was hard to justify the expense of a side of beef, no matter how good it tasted. Still, he’d never seen her barter before. The gesture touched him.

  “Thank you.” Jake hugged her again. A little longer this time. She tried so hard during their three months together to make up for the other nine.

  “Well, you want to take it out? Give it a test drive?”

  God, did he. But he needed to figure out a few more details first. “How much do I
owe you?”

  She shook her head. “No, Jake, let me do this.”

  “You need the money just as much as the next guy.” Jake didn’t know that for sure. She seemed to live okay, well enough to upset his parents. But that didn’t mean anything. She worked hard for her money. It wasn’t right for him to assume that she owed him.

  “Jake…” She shook her head and sighed. “I want you to have it. Please.”

  “I’ve never seen you barter before.”

  “I do from time to time. All the locals know I’m open to it. Just depends on what’s up for offer.”

  “Give me an example.”

  “That brickwork.” She pointed to a stone retaining wall and brick walkway that hadn’t been there when he left the previous year. “All the yard maintenance.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, Jake. People are having a hard time. That doesn’t mean they don’t need to feed their families. Currency comes in a lot of different forms.”

  “And you won’t let me pay you back?”

  “You need that money for school.”

  As soon as his aunt had started paying him for the work he did, he’d started putting it away for college. His parents made too much for him to get financial aid, but, just like a car, they’d made it clear they wouldn’t pay for it.

  Finally, he gave in. He really had no other choice. If she wouldn’t take his money, he couldn’t force her. Besides, it felt really nice to simply say, “Thank you.” He liked that his aunt tried to take care of him.

  “Now go. Get out of here already. I know you’re dying to take it out.”

  “Yeah.” Jake nodded slowly, the realization that he officially had his own truck sinking in. He gave his aunt one more hug, then trotted around the front to the driver’s side. It was faded and beat up and the tailgate was missing completely. The back was littered with beer cans and the cab smelled like chewing tobacco. When he put the key in the ignition and turned it, the engine caught immediately. It ran smooth and strong. In other words, it was perfect.

  He waved goodbye to his aunt and headed toward the Watson place.

  Chapter 35

  Present Day

  The trip home from the pool was Clover’s first time in the passenger seat of her car. When Jake pulled to a stop in front of her house, she realized she hadn’t paid attention enough to know whether the ride was as smooth from this side as it was from behind the wheel. Maybe she’d be able to convince Jake to take her out again when she wasn’t shaking and distracted.

  “Do you want to come in?” Clover didn’t think about what she was actually asking. Thoughts flew through her head without landing in any one place long enough for her to grab hold of them and figure out what they meant. In lieu of an actual plan, good manners seemed like a safe fallback.

  “That depends.” Jake played with the hair around her face. His fingers were gentle and soft, bordering on timid. She leaned into his touch.

  “On what?” she asked in a hushed whisper. As she stared into his eyes, the turmoil in her mind calmed. All the noise settled, leaving her with a clear vision of her future. Jake was at the center.

  “You need to talk to your dad. Will that be easier with or without me?”

  And just like that, the noise was back, swarming in her mind and scattering her thoughts. She sighed. “I should talk to him alone.”

  Clover hated saying those words, but knew that she didn’t really have a choice. As much as she wanted Jake with her, she needed to talk to her dad alone. Jake calmed her, helped her focus, but she had to say some hard things to her father. She didn’t like admitting how vulnerable she’d been, how much she’d needed Jake to help her. She was grateful beyond words that Jake had arrived when he had, but her dad wouldn’t see it that way. He would want to know why it had been allowed to escalate to that point. He wouldn’t blame Clover; he would blame Jake. She wouldn’t be able to talk to her dad if she was trying to defend Jake at the same time. It would be easier if she went inside by herself.

  Jake lowered his eyes. “I understand.” When he met her gaze again, his eyes were filled with sadness. She’d seen a lot of emotions from him this summer, but in the past hour, she’d seen some she hadn’t experienced before. Extreme anger, fear, guilt. She wanted to back the day up to three thirty that afternoon. If she had it to do over again, she’d wait for Jake before heading toward the locker room. That one decision would have saved all of this.

  Jake killed the engine and climbed out. He set his Safeway bags in his truck before he circled the car and opened Clover’s door. She expected him to walk her to the door, but instead he pulled her into a hug.

  “I’m sorry, Clover. I should have been there sooner.” His voice choked as he spoke, his words muffled into her hair.

  “You were perfect.” Clover held onto Jake, clinging to him with the hope that he could somehow return everything to normal. She shuddered to think what would have happened with Vince if Jake hadn’t arrived when he did. She’d never felt so helpless.

  “I love you.” Jake stared into her eyes, his gaze so intense that she didn’t know how to respond.

  Finally, she kissed his cheek and said, “I know.”

  He pulled her closer and held her just a little tighter, before he released her. “Will you call me?”

  She nodded and he walked to his truck. She watched as he climbed inside and drove away and she didn’t head inside until his truck disappeared on the horizon. She fought the urge to call him back.

  “Where’s Jake going?” R.J. called from the porch.

  “Home. I need to talk to Dad.”

  Clover turned toward the house. She hadn’t planned to ever tell her dad about Vince. There hadn’t been a point to it. It would upset him and there wasn’t anything he could do to change the situation. But today that had changed. Vince had scared the crap out of her. It was no longer just a feeling. He’d proven to her that he truly was dangerous, and he’d done so with lots of witnesses. At the time, she’d felt invisible, but there was no way that people didn’t notice the encounter. Especially not after Jake got involved. He’d thrown Vince to the ground and declared himself Clover’s personal protector. Someone probably recorded that on their phone. She’d be lucky if her dad hadn’t already seen the whole thing on YouTube. She needed to talk to him before that happened.

  “Why? What’s going on?” R.J. clenched his fists. Sometimes her baby brother was endearingly protective, but she had no idea what had brought it on this time.

  “I need to talk to Dad first.” She didn’t want to have tell the story about Vince twice. She felt like a fool for not blowing the whistle on him earlier.

  “Jake didn’t do anything, did he?”

  “What? No. What makes you think that?”

  R.J. shook his head and took a step back. “Never mind. I know Jake is a good guy. I just thought maybe, after what I said to him earlier…”

  Clover struggled to make sense of what R.J. was saying. Jake and R.J. were friends, but R.J. made it sound like they’d had a fight. That was completely out of character for Jake. He was the peacekeeper. He hated arguing. In the moment, though, she was too tired to sort it out in her head. She needed to get inside before she lost her focus completely.

  “I have no idea what you are talking about, so let’s come back to it.” She went into the house and didn’t stop until she sat across from her dad.

  He looked up, surprised to see her. “Clover? What’s going on?”

  “I can’t sit in my dad’s office?” The answer was a total deflection. There was no way he didn’t pick up on her defensive tone.

  He set the folder he’d been reading on the desk and closed it, then he removed his glasses and laid them on top of the file. “Of course you can. I just expected you to spend the rest of the day with Jake.”

  “Jake went home.” Clover bit her lip, unsure what to say. Seriously, how was she supposed to tell her dad about her boss? What had he really done? Stood too close, said some nasty thing
s? She couldn’t even remember his exact words. All that stood out in her memory was her fear. And that seemed more ridiculous than anything. She’d been terrified of what, exactly? Vince couldn’t have hurt her there with all those witnesses.

  “Did something happen?”

  Clover shook her head quickly. “With Jake? No. I mean yes. Sort of. I don’t know.” The last sentence faded off hopelessly. This was not going the way she wanted. Too bad she didn’t know what she wanted, only that it wasn’t this.

  Her dad stared at her like she was a complex formula that he needed to sort out. After several long moments, he said, “I’m going to need more information than that.”

  “It’s about my boss, Vince. He…”

  Her dad’s eyes narrowed. “He what?”

  “He didn’t do anything.”

  “Then why are you so upset?”

  Clover closed her eyes. She needed to order her thoughts, start at the beginning, and go from there. “He’s new this summer. My first day he…said some stuff.”

  “What kind of stuff?” Her dad’s voice was sharper than normal. She opened her eyes to see him clutching his pencil.

  “He asked me to do something.” She needed to grow a pair and stop making her dad beg for every piece of information, but she couldn’t bring herself to say more.

  “Stuff? Clover, speak plainly.”

  “He wanted a blowjob. From me.” The words sounded inelegant and awkward, but she couldn’t find a better way to say it. That was as plain as she could get.

  Her dad snapped the pencil in his hand, but didn’t raise his voice. “He said that to you?”