Her Gentle Giant, Part 2: Remember to Dance (15 page)

Chapter Forty-one

“Reese McCoy,” he grated out under his breath.

She could hear the indignation in his voice and feel it in the tense muscles under her palm.

 “Yes. You know who he is?”

 “He works for an outfit that subcontracts with the electrical co-op in this part of Texas. I’ve worked with him at some of the electrical sub-stations in the area on their wireless Internet antennas. I remember seeing him come in the club this evening.”

“We dated briefly right after I moved out on my own. I was restless and testing my new independence. He took me out a couple of times, and I didn’t realize he was only after one thing. One thing led to another, and…you know. It hurt horribly, and he wasn’t gentle at all, like he didn’t care it was my first time. He seemed to make a game out of how hard he took me, like that was how he wanted it, with no thought for me. I never heard from him again after he got what he wanted.”

Rachel felt the tension in Eli’s body increase. She stroked his chest and kissed him there. She wondered what went through his mind. She gave him time to process, and he asked. “Did he know you were a virgin?”

“Yes, when it looked like we were going to have sex, I told him. I thought he had a right to know beforehand that I had no experience. But I also hoped that he would take his time and be gentle. It was like I poured gasoline on a lit match.” She knew it was a strain for him to hear those things when she felt a rumble in his chest under her hand and heard a soft growl. His body vibrated with tension for a moment. “I couldn’t get him to stop. I couldn’t get him to slow down. He didn’t even bother with a condom.”

“I’d gotten on the pill, so I never lived through the fear of wondering if he got me pregnant, but I felt so stupid. Before that night, I never would have thought that if I told him I was a virgin he would take pleasure in doing it so roughly. I bled like crazy and cried afterward. He was…triumphant. When I continued crying, he slapped me and told me to get a hold of myself and deal with it. It was over and I wasn’t a virgin anymore ‘thanks to him.’ That was how he put it.” She sensed the tension in Eli’s body and the quickening of his heartbeat, though he still stroked her gently. “I
never
told him I wanted to get it over with. Those were his suppositions. I took the first opportunity that presented itself. I paid hard for my foolishness. The bleeding didn’t stop until the next day. I waited a few days to recover, and then I went to a doctor and got all the tests they recommended. I was never more ashamed of my own stupidity than I was in that moment.”

“But he hurt you, and then revisited that pain on you again tonight.”

 “The shame I felt is for being nonchalant about giving up a part of myself that was sacred to someone so
foul
. I was blind at the time and naïve. I—I can’t believe I felt this way, but I wanted to get it over with. I never
once
told him that, but it was how I felt before he…did what he did.”

“Did the doctor ask you if he’d raped you?”

“Yes, but I told them no because, in essence, I had asked for it. I went willingly, to a point. I couldn’t call it rape because I consented to be with him.”

“He ambushed you.”

“Yes, he did. But pressing charges against him, with the circumstances being what they were, I’d have been raped over and over again going through the proper legal channels, in the courts, the media, in front of my family and friends. Tell me I chose wrong,” she said, mild challenge in her voice. “I do know this. Someday, Reese will get paid back for what he did. It doesn’t even matter if I ever hear about it or know it happened. I know he’ll be repaid.”

“Did you get some help?”

She appreciated him more in that moment than he could realize for understanding that it wasn’t something that she could just
get over
without help.

 “Yes, I was referred to a support group and went for a couple of years. They helped me a lot. Now, it’s just something that happened to me a long time ago. It doesn’t affect who I am now. I don’t think it has impacted how I relate to you, though my behavior tonight was perhaps a bit over the top,” she said with a slight grin. “I have moved on from the trauma, but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed encountering him tonight or hearing his vulgar retelling of the incident in the parking lot. I’ve always been able to avoid him when our paths have crossed before. I don’t hide from him, mind you, but I’ve been able to avoid any face-to-face contact. That’s saying a lot, considering the size of this town. I hope someday he’ll move away or disappear.”

 “Does your father or any other man in your life know?”

 “Are you kidding? I didn’t want to see my dad go to prison or any of his friends or my classmates, for that matter. They all knew something was wrong for a while, but I attributed it to the stress of going to school and being out on my own. I was fairly solitary for a while. Getting out and socializing was very therapeutic, proving to myself I could socialize and enjoy having friends to hang out with safely. They all welcomed me back like I’d never been gone.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Did you consider him a friend?”

 “No. He’s a greasy, lazy son of a bitch. He wouldn’t know what a decent day’s work felt like if it reared up and bit him in the ass.”

 She’d noticed that time had not been kind to Reese, though it had only been nine years since that night. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this thing that happened to me sooner. You had a right to know that about me.”

 “Rachel, I want all of you, even the parts that have been hurt.”

 “If I had kept my head straight, I would have come to you untouched. I regret that now more than anything.”

He lifted her chin to gaze into her eyes. “No regrets, remember? Our first time was precious to me. Whether you were a virgin or not, it was no less magical or amazing. I wish I could erase the pain of that memory from your mind.”

 “You have, you know? You are so gentle and sweet, and I finally understood what making love was
supposed
to feel like. My efforts to get past losing my virginity backfired on me, you see? Because I still didn’t know what it was like until I met you and fell in love with you. How do you feel about what I’ve told you?”

He took his time answering her. She thought he was trying to protect her from the depth of the emotions he experienced. He simply said, “Vengeful, but not foolish. You and I have big plans for our lives, and nothing is going to change that. But I do feel vengeful.”

 “I’m sorry he’s someone you work with.”

 “He’d actually have to do some work for that to be true. I’m self-employed, so I don’t have to work with him.”

 “What are you going to do?”

 “Nothing except hold you, right now. How do you feel?”

 “Light as a feather.”

“Good. Angel, I’m sorry it happened, and I’d erase it all from your memory if I could. You know you’re safe with me.”

 “Of course.”

 “Then it will all work out.”

She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she knew he was formulating a plan. That had not been her intention in telling him.

 “You’re going to do something, aren’t you?” She sat up and looked at him.

 “I’m not going to kill him, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Eli smiled at her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She allowed him to cuddle her to his chest, and she fell asleep listening to the comforting sound of his heartbeat as he stroked her back.

* * * *

Eli had to smile as Charlie took his hat off and scratched his head in embarrassed surprise. Eli and Rachel had just shared a clear conversation through the wall adjoining their bedrooms.

“Well, I’ll be damned, Eli! I could see where that might be a bit of a…uh…
problem
. I wonder why none of the other renters said anything.”

 “Well, Mr. Hardaway was practically deaf, and he never had any visitors except his grown kids. He was always very quiet, and I never heard a thing from over on his side. We didn’t discover it until one day when there were people home on both sides of the duplex.” Eli spared his congenial landlord the more descriptive details.

Charlie had stopped by on Wednesday to get started on some repairs he’d talked to Eli about before Rachel had her accident. Eli explained to him that they had since gotten engaged and would be house hunting in the area for a place of their own. Eli offered to pay whatever penalties Charlie expected for breaking the lease so early, but Charlie waved off his offer.

 “You’ve have been such neat renters, never give me any trouble, never late with the rent, and you keep the place looking nice. I’m not going to charge you any penalties. But I am glad you showed me this wall. I’m going to have to get some soundproofing in there. When’s the wedding?” he asked, and they chatted for a while.

Charlie changed his plans and made a top priority of putting in sound-reducing insulation in the hollow wall. Rachel was at Eli’s place more than her own, so she cleared out her bedroom and moved the furniture back to her parent’s storage barn until it was needed again.

Her mom and dad never batted an eye about the bed returning and never asked about her sleeping arrangements.

Rachel and Eli met with Jane Jensen, Rachel’s real estate agent friend. Jane directed them around the area to ten different properties. They liked a few of the acreage sites, especially the ones that had a lot of oak trees on them. Eli and Rachel both had a dream of having a home amidst oak trees, far back from the road. Several of the properties Jane showed them fit the bill.

There was one twenty-acre ranch that had a nice-sized older house on it. It was more space than the two of them needed, but it offered room to grow and to raise a family. The previous owners had evidently loved gardening because the overgrown flowerbeds hinted that, until recently, they had been lovingly maintained.

The lawn in front of the house had not survived the hot summer and drought the year before and would need to be re-done, but the house and yards were surrounded by woods on all sides. He could see kids running in safety and freedom in the yards and around in the wooded area and playing in the low creek that ran through the property.

Jane kindly turned down the offer for lunch and left them with a shortened list of the properties they liked the best, along with the directions for getting to each, so that they could talk in private about what they should do next. Jane told them she had the key to the ranch house if they wanted to pick it up and go take another look in case they missed something before.

Eli took Rachel to Rudy’s, and they sat in the quiet corner booth and held hands and talked.

“You liked the ranch house, didn’t you?” he asked, smiling softly at the excitement in her eyes when he brought it up.

She nodded. “I did. Someone took care of that place while they lived there. It’s a little rundown from being vacant, but I see a lot of potential. They worked hard on the basic landscaping and all the shrubs and trees around the house.”

 “I like the long, meandering driveway through the woods and the trees all around the house, but the lawn…Ugh.”

 Rachel nodded. “I know. We’d have to rip out all that carpet grass.”

“As far as the house goes,” Eli said, “it needs major updating and remodeling. Replace any rotten wood, paint, and maybe redo some flooring. I can do a lot of that, if the price is right on the house.”

“I could help with the paint and other things. I’d like to hire a professional to update the landscaping, and it would be worth it to put in a sprinkler system.”

He laughed. “We’re talking like we already made our decision.”

“Oh, no, not yet. I want to have it inspected first. I’m not getting emotionally invested until we know if it would mean buying a money pit. I do like the basic structure and layout, though. The house itself seems solid and structurally sound.”

“All those appliances would have to go, for sure.”

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. “I haven’t seen a harvest gold refrigerator in years! Yes, all new appliances, please! We need to see about the wiring in the house also…”

They talked and laughed through lunch. Rudy congratulated Eli and Rachel on their upcoming nuptials and brought them a complimentary dessert, which they shared before Rachel went back to the office. Eli told her he would be home by early evening after his last service call of the day.

* * * *

Eli sat down with the men at one of the tables, and Ethan brought them all beers. Eli looked around at the group and said, “What I tell you can’t leave this room, or this group. Whether you help me or not, you have to promise me that much.” Eli wished he could have included Mike and Rogelio at this gathering but they were too close to Rachel’s father. Rachel had been very clear on why she hadn’t told him years ago and Eli respected her wishes.

Ethan, Jack, Adam, and Ace agreed.

Eli detailed to them what happened to Rachel and that she had received no justice for what had been done to her. He told the story to the best of his recollection, and when he was done, he could have heard a pin drop it was so quiet around the table. Eli looked around the table, making eye contact with all of them in turn.

“Rachel says she’s content that someday he’ll get what’s coming to him, and I think she was a little worried I’d kill him at first. You can imagine how I reacted, right?”

The indignation he felt so strongly was clearly reflected on their faces.

Ace spoke up first. “I could look into his past, into his dealings for you. Find dirt on him. He sounds like a predator. If he did that to her, he’s done other bad things that could come to light. He would not fare well in prison. I’d be willing to bet he’s got lots of skeletons hanging in his closet. Let me do some digging. Do you have much information on him?”

“Just his name and employer. I work with him from time to time.”

“That’s a start.”

When Jack spoke, his demeanor was calm, as were Ethan and Adam’s, but Eli could see the anger beneath. He thought they might feel strongly about what happened to Rachel. “Eli, first, thanks for deciding to call on us about this. We’ll do whatever we can to help you. Ace, if you need someone to help watch this bastard or assist you in any way, you let us know. Calling on Ace was a good idea, Eli. He’ll help us nail this son of a bitch, but good.”

Ethan and Adam nodded.

“That prick won’t know what hit him,” Adam muttered.

“I promised Rachel I wouldn’t kill him, but it’s damned tempting.”

Ace chuckled and nodded in understanding. “Don’t do anything permanent yet. I have a good feeling about this. If this guy gets his jollies doing things like this, he’s probably got buddies he brags to. He’s boasted about other stuff, too, I’ll bet. Let’s focus on making him the girlfriend of some seven-foot tall, three-hundred-pound prison inmate. I’ll start digging for you this afternoon and contact my guy to watch him.”

“Thank you, guys.” Eli shook their hands. “Ace, whatever the cost, I’ll cover it.”

Ethan said firmly, “There’s no way he’s gonna to get away with hurting another woman like that ever again. Ace will find something.”

Adam spoke up then. “We know how it feels to find out that the woman you love has been harmed and mistreated by someone she trusted. We’ll bring this guy to justice, one way or another.”

“Thanks, man,” Eli said, glad to have their backing.

“Do you know if you’ll be working with him anytime soon?” Ace asked as he made notes on a pad.

“No, I only see him on the jobs scheduled at the sub-stations. He works all over the co-op’s service area, which would explain why she hasn’t run into him more often. The company he works for assigns them randomly.”

“Okay, I’ll track him down.”

“And don’t worry, Eli,” Jack said. “This conversation won’t leave this room.”