Fraternize Me

by Debra Kayn

  George walked into the lobby. “Take him down to the first floor. Mr. Holland would like to speak to him.”

  “George!” Hank jerked his arm, but the guard clasped his wrist and bent his arm behind his back. “Dammit, George. Tell them who I am.”

  “Calm down, Mr. Johnson—”

  “Holland!” Hank ground his teeth together. “Hank Holland.”

  “Go on.” George motioned for the guards to continue walking Hank out of the room. “Take him out of here before he causes any more of a scene.”

  Hank glared over his shoulder as the guards shoved him out of the room. Ava sagged against the counter. How did Hank put up with the stress of causing constant trouble at the hotel for her? She groaned and hung her head. Only a person who had no feelings could hurt someone else without guilt eating them apart.

  “It’ll be okay, Ava.” George patted her hand.

  She shook her head. “I don’t even know why I let Mr. Holland talk me into making trouble for Hank. I’m not the kind of person who enjoys making fun of someone. I think Mr. Holland has made a mistake. Hank doesn’t care about me. That’s not why he came back.”

  “Trust me. He does.” George smiled tenderly. “I’ve known Hank and Drake since they were boys. Both of them are stubborn in their own way, especially Hank.”

  “But, I don’t want to be involved with him. Not after…” She swallowed. “Let’s get back to work. We still have several hours to go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Two pink shirts lay ironed and folded on the table in Hank’s room. He held up a pair of pink boxers with a previously white band that now matched the color of his shirts. Oh hell no…

  He rummaged in the sack, and extracted his socks. Every single item he’d sent to laundry came back pink. Why didn’t it surprise him that Drake hadn’t evaluated the laundry workers? He was probably getting it on with Dahlia the supermodel and couldn’t be bothered.

  In his swimsuit, he threw open the door and marched down the hallway. He had holed up in the room after Ava ordered him escorted downstairs. Forced to wait for the only clothes he brought with him to the hotel, and for what? He couldn’t go find Ava wearing pink.

  He knocked on Drake’s office door and let himself in. “You wanna’ explain why both sets of my clothes came back from your laundry service pink?”

  Drake laughed. “Really?”

  “Yes, dammit.” He pulled at his shorts. “Give me something of yours to wear. I can’t be traipsing around with shorts on through the lobby.”

  Drake shook his head. “We’re not twelve years old anymore. I have almost thirty pounds on you, and you’re two inches taller than I am. You’ll have to wear your own clothes.”

  “They’re pink.”

  “So? You’re a secure man…right?”

  He growled. “Cowboys don’t wear pink.”

  “I guess one cowboy will.” Drake laughed even harder. “Unless you don’t want to talk with Ava and you enjoy staying at the hotel. After tomorrow, she has two days off. She’ll be gone. You’re running out of time.”

  Hank threw Drake a dirty look and walked back out of the office. Fine. If Drake wanted to make the situation more complicated, he’d work around it. He entered his room and pulled on his jeans. If he squinted, he could barely see the pink tint on the pockets and around the almost bare spot on his knee. Once he had his socks and shirt on— he searched for his boots— Shit.

  A quick phone call to the laundry room confirmed his suspicion. They’d not only ruined his clothes, they’d lost his favorite pair of boots. Stubborn enough to ignore Drake, he walked out of the room wearing his pink socks as if nothing was wrong.

  He had to come clean with Ava. The constant ache he’d experienced the last week settled in his chest. He had so many things he wanted to say about their time together, and about making plans to continue seeing each other. He’d assumed she felt the same way. It made no sense why she avoided him. She knew the truth now, and she'd gotten the job.

  The night they’d spent together remained the highlight of his week, hell his life. He’d wanted someone who made him laugh, who could sit all night and talk with him about the future, and who could help him relax. He’d spent every spare second on the ranch, but she’d shown him there were more than early morning chores, herds to battle, and falling into bed every night too exhausted to think about much else except sleep. She had him believing there was more to life. Without her, he walked around unsatisfied.

  He stepped out of the elevator and spotted her standing outside George’s office. She smiled at a guest, unaware of him. He moved over to the wall, out of sight, keeping her profile in view. She radiated sunshine.

  He’d always wondered how people walked around, owning the world, seeing the splendor in normal things he was blind to, and he wanted to understand. He wanted to experience the beauty he saw every time he looked at her.

  For someone so young, she understood the world better than he did. She’d had her fair share of disappointments, but she never made excuses for the hardships thrown her way. She took care of her grandmother on top of everything else. He hooked his thumbs into his pockets. Warmth flooded his chest. She met all her challenges head on, and that impressed the hell out of him.

  She lifted her chin and laughed. His gut tightened. God, she’s beautiful.

  The guest walked away, and Ava rubbed her arm. Afraid she could sense him watching, he hurried over. This time, he’d convince her to listen.

  She turned her head before he reached her. He smiled, but she shook her head and moved to walk down the stairs.

  “Ava? Please.”

  She stopped. “I’m working.”

  “I know. You also know Drake’s my brother, and I wouldn’t allow him to say anything about you taking the time to listen to me.” He sighed. “I need to tell you that I’m sorry.”

  “You slept with me.” Her eyes darkened to a stormy blue.

  “Of course, I did, darlin’.” He guided her back up the steps and over to the side, out of view of the lobby. “It was the best night of my life.”

  “It was a lie,” she hissed.

  “Yes. No.” He clamped his lips closed and shook his head. “We weren’t a lie. What happened between us every time we spent time together was real.”

  “You’re only saying that.”

  She studied him. He stroked her cheek, swallowing when she leaned against the palm of his hand. Everywhere he touched, she fit perfectly against him.

  “Ava!” Drake jogged up the steps. “We need to switch two guests out of third floor rooms. They’re waiting at the desk for you.”

  “I’ll take care of them.” She turned her attention back to Hank. “I need to go.”

  “Meet me after your shift.”

  “I-I can’t.” She turned and hurried down the steps.

  Hank watched her go, then raised his hands and tilted his head back. “Kill me now.”

  “Dude.” Drake clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re wearing pink. How can she take you seriously if you’re dressed more cheerful than the Delightful Daisy mascot that stands on the corner of Sixth and Main St? Hell man, you’re not even wearing boots, and your socks are pink.”

  His frustration level reached new heights. If he could have five minutes with Ava, he could straighten the whole mess out.

  “Screw you.” He walked off, changed his mind, and marched back to confront Drake. “You never change. Life is a big joke to you. You shirked your responsibilities at the ranch to come here with your Mom, and twenty years later, you’re still thinking about yourself first. It’s time to grow up.”

  “Hank—”

  “I’m serious. You should’ve been here to evaluate Ava the right way. What you forced me to do is ruining my life. I want her. Now and always. But, what did you do? You were more concerned about getting laid. Hell, your hotel is falling down around you, and I’m wearing pink clothes, dammit.”

  “Hank—”

  “Don’t ‘Hank�
�� me!” Hank tapped Drake in the middle of the chest. “I’m through coming to the rescue. That includes making excuses for you not coming out to the ranch and visiting Dad. He loves you, and you don’t even care.”

  “I care,” Drake said, softly.

  A kick in the gut would’ve surprised him less. The day Drake left, he’d never looked back at the family that still loved him. He’d forgotten about Dad. Drake forgot about him.

  Hank’s own mother died right after he was born, and Drake's mom filled the hole. He went out of his way to keep in contact with her, for himself, Drake, and his dad. The least Drake could do is stay in contact with their dad.

  “You have a helluva way of showing it.” Hank stepped back and leaned against the top of the stair railing. “I lost my brother.”

  Drake stuffed his hands in his front pockets of his slacks. “I know.”

  “You bitch about me never coming to stay at the hotel, and that’s the reason. I’m tired of doing my damnedest to keep us together with no effort on your part. Well, I’m through with that.” He wiped his mouth. “Our relationship goes both ways. I’ve done everything possible to keep you in my life. I want to be involved in what you’re doing, in how you’re doing. I miss you, but I can’t keep screwing up my own life for you any longer.”

  “Do you know how many years I’ve tried talking to you and Dad? Every time I work up the courage, I hear from Dad how Hank’s completed the roundup or Hank’s designed a new barn or Hank’s hung the frickin’ moon. Dad doesn’t see what I do. He can only see you.” Drake sighed. “I know…I brought that on myself by choosing to leave with mom.”

  “You can change that. It only takes you coming out and seeing us. Dad’s half going crazy since he retired and I took over the ranch. It’d be nice to give him someone else to bother.” Hank cussed under his breath. “Shit.”

  “What?”

  Hank shook his head. “I have to go back to the ranch tonight. I have a load of cattle going out in the morning, and I need to be there. This was my last chance to get Ava to listen, and now…”

  “Does she matter that much to you?”

  He nodded. “I'm in love with her.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Ava stood at the bottom of the stairs. She covered her mouth, afraid to miss one word of Hank’s confession. She had no idea his feelings matched her own.

  Silence fell upstairs. She sank down on the bottom step, holding on to the banister. He loved her. Whatever purpose he had for completing Drake’s list of tricks to play on her, wasn’t because he wanted to make her lose the job. He’d found himself stuck in Drake’s manipulations, the same way she had.

  What a mess. She stood and hurried over to the desk.

  “Sally, when Mr. Holland comes down let him know I’m leaving an hour early.” Ava walked around the counter and into the back office.

  Sally followed. “Is everything okay with your grandma?”

  “It’s not a family emergency. Well, maybe it is.” She waved off her answer. “It’s okay, Mr. Holland will understand. Don’t worry.” She grabbed her purse, hugged Sally, and hurried out the front door.

  She had a lot to do in one hour if she planned to make things right before Hank left for the ranch. Thankfully, Seaside was a small town and everything was within walking distance. She took off running.

  First thing she had to do was buy Hank new clothes with the extra money Mr. Holland gave her for taking the job. She couldn’t force Hank to go back to the ranch wearing spring colors. A cowboy had a reputation to keep.

  Inside the Clothes Emporium, Mrs. Straumberg stepped out from behind a clothes rack. “Hi Ava. How’s your grandmother?”

  “Same.” She smiled, glancing around her.

  “Is there something you’re looking for?”

  She nodded. “Flannel shirts. Big ones. Maybe, black…or blue.”

  “Sure, we have some right back here on the shelf.” Mrs. Straumberg led the way. “Is there anything else?”

  “Wranglers.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t know his size.”

  “Hm.” Mrs. Straumberg tapped her chin. “Describe him, dear. I’ve raised four sons. I’m pretty good at sizing.”

  “It's Mr. Holland's brother. He's a little taller than my boss.” She raised her hand. “And he doesn't have Mr. Holland's extra weight around his middle.” She lowered her hand to her hip. “And he’s got slim hips, but muscular thighs. He’s big, but it’s not fat.”

  Mrs. Straumberg raised her brows. “I think I know exactly the size. I’ll meet you at the register.”

  After grabbing a few shirts, she pulled off a package of socks and added it to the pile. The underwear he’d have to buy himself, because she had no idea what size he wore.

  Armed with her packages, she headed down the street to Shady Oak. She left her things with Judy and walked to Gram’s room. The doctor said the more she talked and repeated information to Gram, the better chance of her remembering important facts.

  “Hi, Gram.” She entered the room quietly, not wanting to frighten her.

  Grams turned her head away from the television. “Is it time for dinner?”

  She shook her head. “No. I came by to say hi and see if you still planned to go to the kite festival with me on Sunday.”

  “You’re my nurse.” Grams frowned.

  “I’m Ava. Your granddaughter.” She leaned over and squeezed Gram's hand. “Jeff’s daughter.”

  “My Jeff isn’t married. He’s only sixteen years old.” Gram's mouth tightened. “You should go home before your mother comes looking for you. It’s getting dark outside.”

  “Okay.” She smiled. “I’ll stop by again on Sunday.”

  “I won’t be here.” Gram pushed the blanket off her legs and stood.

  “Oh?” Ava moved to pick up the throw and set it on the bed. “Where will you be?”

  “I’m going to the beach. My granddaughter and I are going to spend the day together.” Gram’s face lit up. “She’s the sweetest girl. I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life.”

  Ava’s vision blurred, and she cleared her throat. “That sounds wonderful. I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time.”

  On that tiny blessing, Ava said her goodbye and left. It was time to focus on the good things, and not let the bad moments pile up. As long as Gram was happy, she would be happy too. It was the most anyone could do in a difficult situation.

  Back at the hotel, Ava found Drake in his office. She closed the door behind her, in case Hank came knocking. She didn’t want him to find her yet.

  She approached the desk. “Is Hank still here?”

  “Yes.” Drake leaned forward. “Why are you whispering?”

  “I need you to get Hank’s truck keys. Once I have his door unlocked, I need you to sneak them back into his room,” she said.

  He shrugged. “You don’t need keys. Hank never locks his doors. That’s not how they do things on the ranch, and he always forgets when he comes to town. I bet the truck’s unlocked.”

  “Good.” She turned around. “Thanks.”

  “Wait.” Drake came around the desk and blocked the door. “What are you doing?”

  She smiled. “For once, it’s none of your business.”

  “Listen Ava, I might’ve been wrong about…”

  “Might’ve? You were big time wrong, but that’s okay. I know you love your brother. So do I.” She stepped around him. “Oh, and if you want to make up for forcing me to go through hell the last month, make sure Hank doesn’t come out of the hotel for at least twenty minutes.”

  Now she only had to find George. She rode the elevator up to the main floor, and found him in his office.

  “George, I need a Phillips head screwdriver, and I’m in a hurry. Do you have one in here?” Ava leaned against the door, taking the weight off her arms from all her packages.

  “Sure.” He cocked his brow. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” She shifted the bags, and stuck out her fing
ers to grab the screwdriver. “Thanks.”

  By the time she had her plan completed and the situation under control, she hid on the other side of a car parked beside Hank’s truck, out of view. She was exhausted. She leaned against a tire, not caring if she dirtied her clothes or put a run in her stockings. It was more important that Hank learn the truth.

  A door slammed. She stretched to her tiptoes and peeked over the hood of the car. Hank!

  Hank opened the door and climbed into the truck. He turned in the seat, scooped up one of the shirts Ava left, and blinked. She covered her mouth. The look on his face…priceless.

  He sank back in the seat, staring up at the hotel. The laugh lines around his mouth and the gleam in his eyes were all gone. Ava blinked the tears away. She wanted to go and assure him that everything between them was okay, and she loved him too. She couldn’t wait any longer. She picked up her things, and walked around until she stood in front of his truck. The charade was over.

  Hank frowned when his truck wouldn’t start. She raised her chin and waited, bracing herself for his anger, disbelief, or whatever he threw at her. He wasn’t going anywhere. At least, not yet.

  When the truck refused to start, he raised his gaze, spotted her, and leaned back in the seat looking confused. She held up her hand. The truck’s distributor cap dangled from her finger.

  The corner of his mouth lifted. She shrugged and lifted his boots in her other hand. Her whole body warmed as he smiled and stepped out of the truck.

  “Looks like your truck won’t start, cowboy.” She grinned. “But you’re in luck. I happen to know how to fix your problem.”

  “Is that right, darlin’?” He stood in front of her.

  “Sure do.” She held out his boots. “I also found these lucky boots. Maybe they’ll fit.”

  He bent down and kissed her. For the first time in her life, peace settled around her. It was the most perfect moment in her life. She knew then that even when she was an old woman, sitting on her porch—or stealing Hank’s boots and hiding them from him—she’d have the same wonderful feeling of being in love. That wherever they were, and whatever they were doing, they’d never again let anything stop them from being together.