A Courtesy Call (Green Division Series Book #2) (14 page)

“What are you doing for the rest of the day?”  She asked Mike.

“Sitting around the hotel worrying about Cass.”

“Sounds pretty exciting.”

“Mmm, doesn’t it.”  He smiled and kicked a rock.  “How about you?”

“Sitting around holding a bag of ice to my lip.”

“Good.  We’re both lame.”

Silence.

“Do you want to come over, maybe we can be lame together?” 
A little too bold Raleigh.  He doesn’t feel that way about you.  He’s being nice.

Mike thought about the offer.

“You don’t have to.”  She wanted to rewind the clock five seconds.

“Sure.”  He smiled. 
Is she flirting with me? Did she invite me over to...no, she’s emotional and lonely...she’s not interested in you Mike, get it together.

“Alright.”  Raleigh was surprised by his willingness. 

Mike followed Raleigh back to her house.  She collapsed on the couch immediately.

“I’m rude, huh. Do you want something to drink?”  She started to rise, but Mike put his hand on her shoulder.

“You need to take it easy.  I’ll find my way around the kitchen.”

Mike returned with a glass of water for her and a bag of ice.

“Thank you.”  She put the cloth covered bag over her lips, squinting at the pain it inflicted.

Mike sat on the opposite end of the couch.  Three hours passed of making small talk, from Mike’s job, to Raleigh’s family, to the television show playing on
BBC
,
Top Gear
.

“You’ve been on their show?”  Mike asked in shock.

“Last year.  I got to drive their reasonably priced car around the track.”

“No.  I don’t believe you.”

“I have it DVRed.” 

“Let’s see it then.”

Raleigh played the episode and Mike watched in amazement.  Twenty minutes passed without either saying a word.

“I can’t believe you were on
Top Gear
.”

“You just watched it.  I got third place on the board.  Kind of embarrassing to lose to movie stars.”

“Call it a fluke.”  He smiled.  “You looked happy there.”

“I was.” 

Mike knew why she was happy in those tapes.  It was the pre-accident Raleigh.

“So, do you want something to eat?  My lip is numb enough to grab a few bites.”  She cleared her throat and rose to her feet.

“I see why it’s so hard for you.”  He stood.

“I don’t follow.”  She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

“Why you’re having a hard time moving on.  Your lives were so intertwined that every reference to the past, is a reference to the two of you, especially your career.”

She pawed through the fridge.  It looked no better than the previous day.  Health foods. 
Aiden.

“We don’t have much for options.  Some yogurt, salad, tofu.”  Raleigh wasn’t further rehashing the past. She’d done enough crying for the day.

“I’m not hungry, thank you though.”  He sure as hell wasn’t hungry for tofu.

“Me either.”  None of the options were appetizing.

“Then why are you in the fridge?”

“Seemed like a good place to avoid a topic.”

“I see that.”

Raleigh closed the door and turned.  Mike was only inches away.  Neither moved.

“Do you want me to leave?”  He half wished she’d say yes.  Mike felt like an awkward teenager all over again.  He hadn’t felt attraction on the level he did with her in far too long.

“No.”  Raleigh looked up at his intense gaze. 

Their close quarters lasted a few more moments before Mike gained his composure and stepped back.

“Movie?”  Raleigh got a grip as well.

“Ah, sure.” 

They walked back to the living room and Raleigh turned on the ginormous television and popped a DVD in.  A
Bond
movie, one of her favorites.  And what man didn’t like
Bond
?  They sat on the couch together leaving a comfortable space in between them.

Halfway through the movie, Raleigh fought to stay awake.  She was exhausted and she’d seen the movie a dozen times before.  Her battle with consciousness slowly failed.  She sprawled out on two of the three oversized cushions, her feet against the armrest.  So when she failed to stay awake, her body slumped toward Mike’s.  Her head rest against his thigh. 

She’s...awful. 
Mike’s pent up sexual frustration caught up to him.  Raleigh brought her hand up to his thigh and held on to it as though it was a pillow.  She wasn’t aware of her actions whatsoever.  When she adjusted her grip on the pillow, she adjusted her grip on him.

“Jesus,” He said lowly and leaned his head back.  Mike moved her hand forward so she wasn’t molesting him in her sleep.  Had she been awake, he surprisingly would have found himself more than willing. 

The movie ended and Raleigh was out cold.   The remote was out of Mike’s reach leaving him zero entertainment. 
Sigh.
  He looked around at the pieces of wall art until he lost interest in those, then looked down upon her face.  Peaceful.  She looked peaceful and happy in her sleep, something he hadn’t seen during her waking hours.

Another hour passed.

After boredom overtook him, Mike too passed out.  His moderate snoring brought her to the front.  The pillow her head was on was very firm.  And warm.  And didn’t feel like a pillow at all.  She slowly picked up her head.

Brilliant.  You drooled on his leg, now that is attractive. 
She would have been embarrassed if she didn’t find it so funny.  Mike woke with the sound of her cackling.

“What’s funny?”  He rubbed his eyes.

“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.

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.