A Time for Home: A Snowberry Creek Novel (21 page)

Leif shifted restlessly, obviously having trouble finding a comfortable position for his injured leg. “Yeah, well, our boy wasn’t thinking too straight when he left. He’ll feel really bad when he gets back and realizes what he’s done.”

He reached over to pat her on the shoulder. “Sometimes the memories get to be too much, and he needs to blow off some steam. Soften the edges with a few beers. We all do. You spend enough time over there, it gets to be your normal. Makes it hard to adjust to life back here.”

There wasn’t much she could say to that. From what little she’d heard of Nick’s conversation with his folks, it didn’t come as a surprise that he needed to get away for a while. She suspected he’d been more than a little embarrassed that she’d overheard his end of the conversation.

His parents wanted him home, and she didn’t blame them. Was she being selfish because she didn’t want to hurry him along the way back to his parents and what they saw as his real life?

Yeah, she was, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. He and Leif had wormed their way into her life like they both belonged there, not just for a couple of weeks, but long term.

She was about to check the time again when a truck pulled into the top of the driveway. It didn’t come any farther, but the passenger door opened and closed before the truck backed out and took off with a loud spray of gravel. Mooch charged down off the porch raising hell before Callie could grab him.

The dog came to an abrupt stop as a familiar figure began meandering his way down the driveway, stumbling slightly before catching his balance with exaggerated care. Her first two reactions were relief that Nick had made it home safely and anger that he was obviously drunk.

“Looks like Nick must have made himself some new friends.” Leif pushed himself up out of the rocker. “I think I’ll leave him to your tender care. I’m overdue for my meds and my leg isn’t happy about it. Be sure to tell him he’ll be the guest of honor at an ass-kicking party in the morning. I’d take care of that little chore tonight, but I’m guessing he wouldn’t remember it. Better to do it tomorrow when he’s sober and hungover.”

Callie laughed. “You have a mean streak, Leif. I like it.”

She gave him a quick hug before heading down the steps to confront the man still wending his way down the driveway. The door slammed behind her as Leif went inside, leaving her alone with Nick. As aggravated as she was with the man, she couldn’t help but laugh when Nick stopped to pet Mooch and almost toppled over.

When he heard her coming, his face lit up. “Callie! I was just about to call you. Hey, Lucy, I’m home.”

He held out his arms and twirled, clearly proud of himself for having accomplished that particular feat. Leif was right. There was no use in trying to reason with Nick now. Tomorrow, though, they’d have a long chat about disappearing for hours and worrying his friends. For now, she caught his arm and wrapped it across her shoulders while she put hers around his waist to help keep him steady.

“Come on, big guy. It’s time for you to call it a day.”

He belched really loud. “Oops, sorry about that. Too much beer. Not enough food. But, hey, guess what! I won five bucks on my last game of pool.”

Cute. He sounded so darn proud of his accomplishment. “And how much did you lose on all the ones before that?”

Nick froze for a few seconds, his face screwed up in a frown as he tried to come up with an answer. “Doesn’t matter. I ended the night on a high note.”

And to demonstrate that, he started singing one of those charming ditties the army used for keeping cadence. She suspected Nick would be embarrassed to find out he’d shared such a colorful one with her, but she couldn’t help but laugh. He was definitely in rare form.

“Up the steps, Nick. Then I’m going to pour you into bed. That’s the safest place for you right now.”

They managed to reach the front door without mishap. Good, but the steps to his bedroom on the second floor presented a whole new set of challenges.

“Come on, Nick, we can make it.”

Leif wandered back in from the den to check their progress. “I’d offer to help, but then Callie would have two of us to haul up there. So tell me, Nick, did you have a good time tonight?”

The man in question nodded, looking like one of those bobble-headed toys they gave away at ballgames. “That I did, Leif. Drank beer. Played pool. Won five dollars.”

He’d been about to start up the stairs but wheeled around at the last second to speak with his friend. “Sorry you weren’t there. The name of the bar is ‘Beer.’ Our kind of place.”

Then he frowned. “Well, not quite. No pretty women.”

Well, that was a relief. Callie tried to get him headed back in the right direction.

“Maybe next time you can take Callie to this fine establishment. I’m sure she’d have a great time at Beer.”

She shot the other man an exasperated look. “Thanks a lot, Leif. Don’t encourage him.”

The jerk only laughed. “See you in the morning. Knowing Nick, it will be noon or later before he surfaces after a bender like this one.”

Then Leif’s expression turned serious. “I meant what I said earlier, Callie. He needed this.”

She believed him. “I know, Leif. That’s the only reason I’m not taking Spence’s old baseball bat to him right now.”

“You’re good people, Callie Redding.”

Leif disappeared back into the den. At least she now had Nick headed in the right direction. When they made it to the top of the steps, she all but shoved Nick into the bathroom he was using while she waited out in the hall. At least he was sober enough to take care of that much on his own.

When he came back out, he’d stripped down to his boxers. Her mouth went dry at the sight of all that tanned skin and sleek muscle. Thanks to that one night they’d lost control out in the yard, she knew exactly how wonderful his body felt next to hers, and she wanted that again. At the moment, though, he was clearly not up for anything other than crawling into bed. She sternly told herself she wasn’t disappointed. No, not at all, especially since it wouldn’t be fair to take advantage of the man while he was in this condition. The moral high ground and all that.

When he yawned big enough to have his jaw cracking, she could only laugh. “This way, Nick.”

He took her hand and let her lead him in the right direction. She didn’t bother turning on any lamps in the bedroom; there was plenty of light spilling in from the hallway to get him tucked into bed.

She turned back the covers for him and hoped he wouldn’t have many clear memories of how she’d fussed over him tonight. Well, technically, this morning. Unfortunately, she suspected the buzz from the copious amounts of alcohol he’d consumed was already wearing off.

Right now, he stood facing her, their hands still tangled together. “I’m sorry for worrying you, Callie.”

She kept her eyes focused just south of his, not wanting him to see the hunger in them, the effect of being this close to him in this setting. “That’s all right, Nick. What are friends for?”

He bent his forefinger and used it to lift her chin, forcing her to look at him. “I’m going to kiss you, friend, so if you’re not interested, better leave now.”

As if.

His smile was sweet with a spicy touch of predatory just as his lips settled over hers. God, it felt like coming home, like taking a victory lap, like all things good and beautiful. He kept it gentle, not crowding her at all, as he feasted on her lips, tasting and tempting and teasing.

At the moment, she felt as wobbly as he had looked coming down the driveway. The air around them was perfectly still, yet she felt buffeted by the waves of passion that were burning through her veins.

“Callie girl, you’d better go while I’m still strong enough to let you walk away.”

And if she didn’t want to walk away? Before she could think that through, he made the decision for them both. He kissed her again and then turned her around and gave her a soft shove. As much as she hated it, he was right. She needed to put some distance between them, both physically and emotionally.

“Good night, Nick. Sleep well.”

She made it all the way to the door before looking back. He was still watching her, his dark eyes shadowed and inscrutable.

“Call me when you get home, so I know you made it okay. Better yet, take Mooch with you.”

Great idea. “We’ll be fine, but I’ll call if that will make you sleep better.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

That promise warmed her from the inside out. She practically danced down the steps, calling for Mooch. “Well, dog, you’re with me tonight.”

Uncomplicated male that he was, Mooch wagged his tail and followed her out into the night.

N
ick shifted on the bed to stare out the bedroom window as he waited for the phone to ring. It shouldn’t be but another minute or two. Maybe he should’ve gone with her, but right now he couldn’t have trusted his legs to get him down the stairs safely, much less back up again. He shouldn’t have had so much to drink, but that was water under the bridge.

Or actually, beer. Tim and Kevin had introduced him to several of their favorite local microbrews.

He also shouldn’t have given into the impulse to kiss Callie again, at least not like that. As if his life depended on it, on her. Damn, but touching her skin, holding her close, however briefly, had felt so damn good.

Before he could pursue that line of thought, his cell phone started blasting out reveille. Damn it, Leif! He’d forgotten his supposed friend had reprogrammed Nick’s phone to do that. He grabbed the phone and hit the button.

“Callie?”

“Sorry it took a little longer than expected for me to call. Mooch was hungry, and then I got ready for bed before I remembered I’d left my cell downstairs.”

Nick stifled a groan, picturing Callie curled up under the blankets all snuggly and warm. “Is Mooch there with you?”

She laughed softly. “He was stretched out on the bed before I finished brushing my teeth.”

So the dog was right where Nick would give anything to be. For a mutt, Mooch sure had a knack for landing on his feet.

“I don’t want to disparage a fellow soldier, but you should know he snores and has a bad habit of chasing rabbits in his sleep. Although I’m not sure why. I don’t think I ever saw a single rabbit in Afghanistan.”

Not exactly brilliant conversation, but it was the best he could come up with. Besides, it was only an excuse to keep Callie on the line.

There was laughter in her voice when she spoke. “Maybe he’s chasing goats. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen pictures of goats on the news in Afghanistan.”

He hated thinking about that place, especially right as he was about to go to sleep. That could be enough to trigger the nightmares.

“Mooch also likes to steal pillows. Boot him off if he tries anything.”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine, Nick. There’s plenty of room in my bed for him.”

Was it big enough for three, or at least two humans and a dog? Not that Nick had the guts to actually ask the question.

“I should hang up. We both need our sleep.”

She was right even if he wasn’t ready to let her go. And he wasn’t just thinking about tonight. “I wish I was there to tuck you in.”

Silence.

Then she whispered, “I wish you were, too, Nick. Good night.”

“Sleep well, Callie,” he whispered back and disconnected the call.

Because he sure wouldn’t. Sleep well, that is. Not with images of what it would be like to crawl under the covers next to Callie and hold her all night long. But as he imagined every detail, his eyes grew heavier until at last he could no longer keep them open. Finally, he turned to face the direction of Callie’s house and drifted off to sleep.

•   •   •

Austin hunkered down in the far back corner of the Creek Café, but that didn’t keep the police chief from walking in and heading right for him. Damn, who had ratted him out? Someone must have called Gage Logan and told him right where Austin could be found. It wasn’t like he came in here all that often.

The lawman slid into the booth without waiting for an invitation. When the waitress started toward him, he waved her off. After dropping his cop hat on the table, he leaned into the corner of the booth, making it clear that he was there for as long as it took.

The only question was why. Rather than ask, Austin sipped his coffee and waited for Logan to tell him. It didn’t take long.

“Where’s your dad holed up these days, Austin? Haven’t seen much of either one of you around town lately.”

He made the question sound as if he were only making small talk, polite conversation. Austin wasn’t buying it. Not when the tension lines framing Chief Logan’s mouth and eyes made it clear the question was anything but casual. What had the old man gone and done now?

“He has a room a couple of towns over. I’ll tell him you were asking about him, Chief. I’m sure he’ll be touched by your concern.”

Okay, smarting off to the man wasn’t a good idea, but Austin didn’t give a damn. The officer was nothing but a small-town cop with a big-city attitude. If he was any good at his job, he wouldn’t have had to settle for working here in Snowberry Creek.

“We both know your father didn’t take it well when he found out that your cousin Spence left his house and everything in it to Callie Redding.”

Gage Logan stated it as a fact, one Austin couldn’t dispute. “So? He had every right to be pissed. That house has been in our family for generations. Spence knew it, too. He left it to Callie just to spite Dad.”

Logan sat up straighter, the abrupt change forcing Austin to reassess the man’s capabilities. “Even if that’s true, it doesn’t change the fact that Spence had the legal right to do whatever the hell he wanted to with the house and everything in it. Besides, from what I’ve heard, there was never any love lost between your father and Spence.”

That much was true, but Austin wasn’t about to side with an outsider against his father. He didn’t have much use for his old man himself, but blood stood up for blood.

The lawman kept right on talking. “I’m putting you on notice. If I catch you anywhere near Spence’s place, I’ll arrest your ass. Same goes for your father. Let him know.”

It occurred to Austin that an innocent man would be asking what brought all this on. “I’ll be glad to pass along the message, Chief, but he’ll want to know why you brought this up now. He made his opinion clear to Spence’s attorney when the will was read. As far as I know, my father hasn’t been anywhere near the place since you kicked us off the property right after Spence fucked up and got himself killed.”

Logan lunged forward, snagging Austin by his shirt from across the narrow span of the table. “Show some respect, you little prick. Your cousin died for his country. Got that?”

Austin nodded. “Yeah, I got it.”

“Good.” Logan shoved Austin backward. “But we were talking about Spence’s place. It was vandalized the other night, and one of Ms. Redding’s guests was attacked. If I find out you or your father was responsible, it won’t go well for either of you. The judge takes a dim view of greedy bastards, especially stupid ones.”

Austin forced himself to look the police chief right in the eye. “I never attacked nobody, and my father hardly ever leaves his room. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”

Which was nothing less than the absolute truth. Yeah, he’d broken the window, but that guy had been out cold on the floor when Austin had found him. Of course, if he told Logan that, he’d have to admit that he’d been in the house in the first place. Son of a bitch, he should have known that night would come back to bite him on the ass.

“But okay, I’ll deliver the message. I should warn you, though, he’s likely to go ballistic if you’re accusing him of something he didn’t do.”

Again, the truth. Dad was a mean drunk, always had been, and drinking was about all he did these days.

The police chief’s expression remained hard and cold. “He might also want to know that the two guys staying at Spence’s house are trained military. If he goes messing with them, he might not last long enough for me to arrest him.”

With that comment, Logan picked up his hat and slid out of the booth. He stood beside the booth long enough to make one more promise.

“And just so you know, I’m not convinced that it’s your dad who was behind the break-ins. He might be at the top of my list, but you’re right up there with him.”

Logan walked away without looking back. Clearly he didn’t view Austin as any kind of real threat to anyone. Yeah, they’d see about that. One more good score and he’d have enough money to leave town.

The last antiques dealer he’d talked to had been willing to discuss what kind of items he was looking for. When Austin had brought him that blue-and-white vase, the man’s eyes had glittered with pure greed. He’d asked if there was more where that had come from.

So far, he’d found only one like it, which was part of the reason he’d broken into the house the other night. He’d have to stake the place out again and watch for an opportunity to make one last shopping trip through the house.

Once he moved the goods, he’d take off to parts unknown and start over where no one had ever heard of his old man or cousin Spence. His plans made, Austin finished his coffee and headed out the door. For now, he needed to follow his normal routine by going to work and keeping his nose clean here in town.

As he got into his truck and started the engine, he spotted the police chief’s car parked a block farther down the street. Was that jerk planning on following Austin? If so, he was in for a long night, because he was heading straight to work. The only thing more boring than Austin’s job flipping burgers would be watching someone else do it.

He smiled as he pulled out into traffic. Sure enough, the cop followed him. Fine. All he’d learn was where Austin parked at work. If he stuck around until after Austin’s shift ended, Logan would see the crappy apartment where Austin lived. If he was hoping to find proof that Austin was behind the thefts, the cop wouldn’t find it there.

He was almost disappointed when Chief Logan made a left turn a couple of blocks later. So much for being hot on Austin’s trail, at least for the moment. That didn’t mean the cop was giving up. Not by a long shot.

Well, he would deliver the cop’s message and then lay low for a couple of days. If the cop didn’t bother him or his dad after that, then Austin would start his final stakeout. It was time to be moving on, and a few hundred dollars more would go a long way toward making that happen.

•   •   •

The next morning Austin stood in the parking lot outside his father’s apartment for nearly fifteen minutes arguing with himself about whether he really needed to deliver Chief Logan’s warning at all, much less in person. However, since his old man was too cheap to buy an answering machine and didn’t own a cell phone, there really wasn’t any other option. It just pissed Austin off that he was the one who had to do it at all. If the cops wanted to tell Vince something, they fucking well should do it themselves.

He caught himself rubbing his jaw as he ran through a list of all the reasons why he shouldn’t just get back in the truck and leave. Jerking his hand back down to his side, he let loose with a string of curses. How many times over the years had his father’s right fist connected with that side of Austin’s face? And it was just one of many remembered bruises, welts, and broken bones that were memorials to his father’s alcohol-fueled temper. He looked back toward the highway. Maybe he should keep right on driving as far as a tank of gas and five hundred dollars would take him.

God knows, he’d dreamed of doing exactly that for . . . well, as far back as he could remember. This time, though, Austin was going to do it. He’d stockpiled almost enough money and knew how to get some more. There was no reason for him to hang around Snowberry Creek any longer. The family home had passed into other hands, a final “fuck you both” to Austin and his old man from Spence when he died. As much as Austin hated his cousin for cutting them out of his will, he really couldn’t blame the guy, either.

It was all water under the bridge, and Austin needed to get moving. He’d worked all night and needed to crash soon, but he’d sleep better without this particular chore still hanging over his head. Even though he’d been the one who’d lifted the stuff from Spence’s place, that didn’t mean his father hadn’t been up to something on his own. The last thing Austin needed right now was for his old man to bring the wrath of Gage Logan raining down on both of them, especially when he still had a bunch of stuff left to sell. One look in the boxes in the back of his truck, and the police chief would slap on the cuffs and haul Austin’s ass off to jail.

He forced himself to approach the building, one that had once been a crappy motel before being converted to even crappier apartments. The exterior was straight out of the seventies, done up in a hideous combination of faded green, orange, and gold. The plastic plants in the window boxes were gray with dust. Damn, he hated this place, but each visit only made him more determined to build a future that didn’t end up with him living here or someplace just like it. The breakfast sandwich and coffee he’d eaten after getting off work stirred uncomfortably in his stomach, but he kept walking.

Austin could smell the cigarettes, alcohol, and despair from thirty feet away. He rapped on the gaudy orange door and stepped back in case his father was in a fighting mood when he opened the door. Austin could pretty much count on Vince being either in a drunken stupor or pissed because he wasn’t. There was never much in the way of a middle ground when it came to his father’s moods.

The door opened just far enough for Vince to peer out with one bloodshot eye. “What the hell are you doing here at this hour, boy?”

At twenty-two, Austin wasn’t a boy, not any longer, but his father would never see him as anything else. “We need to talk, but not out here.”