Incompatibly Yours: Charity Anthology Supporting Fertility Research (9 page)

Julie mentally snapped herself out of her cooking fantasy to watch Clay, and thought maybe the cooking fantasy would be much safer than the other fantasy playing at the edge of her mind. He had always been too handsome for his own good, but as a man he had a dangerous air about him that set her on edge.

She had wondered if he would remember her from high school, and hadn't got her hopes up that he would, so she felt no disappointment. Well, maybe just a little bit. She wasn't the type one remembered. Plain Julie Daniels never turned any heads in her high school days. Hell, who was she kidding? She didn't turn heads period, and she was cool with that. Life was easier that way.

She watched as he put the food on the tray, along with utensils and what looked like iced tea. Before he picked the tray up, she walked over. "I can take it."

"I've got it." His voice was deep with a tone used to giving orders.

"Mr. Marshall." She reached for the tray again, but he moved it out of her grasp. "It's Clay, and I said I've got it." He nodded toward the door, as if expecting her to obey his orders.

She was better at giving orders than taking them, so she just stood in his way, staring up at him. "You are going to have to trust me to take care of your brother." She reached for the tray again, but he refused to give it up. "I think we have been over this before, about five minutes ago."

"I don't have a trust issue with you," he replied, also standing his ground holding the food tray. "Bo has never been violent, but his current state is questionable and I will not put you in harm's way."

"He won't hurt me," Julie replied, trying her best to ignore the tingling in her stomach at his protective words. She knew deep down he probably just didn't want to be sued.

"No, he won't." His eyes promised something she couldn't quite read, but it was gone as he looked down at the plate of food. "If you are going to get him to eat anything, I suggest we stop this argument you will lose, and get his food to him before it gets cold."

Julie opened her mouth, but then snapped it closed with a sigh. "Well fine, but put it down for a second. I need to cut up the meat and put it where I want it first."

He eyed her for a second before doing what he was told. "So, when I called Blind Faith, it was your sister I was talking to?"

"Yes." Julie nodded, concentrating on cutting the tender chicken breast into pieces.

"I remember you from high school, but not your sister." His deep voice filled the room, but that wasn't what made her drop the knife, causing a loud, embarrassing clang. He remembered her.

Picking up the knife quickly, her eyes flashed to him for a second before she focused back on the food. "She went to the Texas Institute for the Blind. Jessica was born legally blind," she replied, still reeling that he remembered her. "After she graduated, she wanted to open a place that helped anyone who was blind, so that's how Blind Faith came about."

"You both come highly recommended." He picked the tray back up as soon as she was finished and headed out the door.

She raised her eyebrows at that, but kept quiet as she again followed him out of the room and up the stairs to Bo's room. Moving in front of him, she knocked on the door and rolled her eyes as Bo said, "Go the fuck away."

"No can do," she called as she opened the door. Glancing toward him, she was pleasantly surprised to see he had put on a shirt, even if it was inside out. "Hope you're hungry."

"I thought I told you to get out," Bo grumbled, trying his best to look intimidating while lying in bed.

"And I told you to make me, and until you do that you'll just have to deal." Julie turned to take the tray Clay still held. "I'm going to set your tray across you."

"I'm not hungry," he grumbled, but his stomach growled loudly, indicating he was lying.

"Is that so?" Julie replied, heading to the side of the bed.

"I don't like you." Bo's tone wasn't as hateful as before, but still held a little heat.

"You don't have to like me," she answered nudging the side of the bed with her knee to let him know where exactly she was. "You just have to listen to me."

"I swear I'm about to—" He jerked when she placed the tray across his outstretched legs and lap.

"What?" Julie didn't let him finish. "Throw something at me? Oh wait, you already did that and missed. How about call me names? Ah, wait… you did that also. Well, since your aim isn't that great and I've been called every name in the book and I doubt you could come up with something new, why don't we just try to be friends and you let me help you, hmmm?"

"You're an annoying pain in my ass." Bo cursed at her.

"Right back at ya," Julie replied, then picked up the fork from the tray. "Are you a lefty or a righty?"

"Am I a what?" His sightless eyes snapped up to her as if he actually saw her, completely forgetting she had just thrown his words back in his face.

"Are you left-handed or right-handed?" Julie kept her gaze away from Clay, knowing he was near and watching every move she made. Ignoring that man was close to impossible.

"What in the hell does that have to do with anything?" Bo kept looking up toward her, his sightless eyes searching hard for something, anything. It was truly heartbreaking and something she saw way too much of.

"I need to know where to place your fork." Julie figured he was right-handed, but waited for him to tell her.

"I'd like to tell you where to place the fucking fork." His grin spread across his face in a nasty sneer.

Julie actually grinned. "Noted, but I'm only trying to help you, so be nice." She grabbed his right hand and placed the fork in it.

"I don't want or need your damn help." Bo gripped the fork in his fist and she wondered for a split second if he was getting ready to stab her with it. She was ready if he tried.

"Too bad, because I have nothing better to do." Julie quickly moved his drink off the tray and put it on the table next to the bed. "Your roll is at twelve o'clock, potatoes are at three, and your chicken is at six o'clock. I have your drink on the table next to the bed. We'll work on that another day."

"What in the hell are you taking about." Irritation trembled from his voice as well as a hint of fear that she didn't miss.

"Do you know how to tell time?" Julie asked, her voice serious, and yet a grin still tipped her lips.

"Of course I know how to tell time, I'm not stupid," Bo spat, then followed up with a snort.

"Good to know."

"What, that I can tell time?" He'd walked right into that one.

"No, that you're not stupid. That would make my job so much harder." Julie cocked her eyebrow then gently touched his hand holding the fork, leading it to the plate. "Remember, your roll is at twelve o'clock." She guided his hand toward the buttered roll.

"And let me guess, these are my potatoes at three fucking o'clock," he growled with disgust. "Listen, lady, this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. I can eat just fine without your lame-ass lesson." With that he dropped the fork then grabbed a handful of potatoes and chicken in his fist and shoved it in his mouth. Half the food ended up in his mouth while the rest mashed in his beard and fell down his chest.

"Nice." Julie sighed. "You know, being blind doesn't mean you have to act like a barbarian."

Bo didn't say a word for a few seconds. He just stared at the wall. "You need to get out of here before I do something I've never done before." His tone was level and even.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Julie knew what was coming and wanted it to come. She'd crossed his line and hoped to hell he'd cross hers so they could get it over with and get on with what really mattered: getting him back to where he needed to be.

"Hit a woman, but lady, you are about to be the first." The words and the way he spoke them would have scared many, but not her. It was his determination that she heard, and she was going to push that determination just a little bit further before she was finished for the day.

She glanced over to give Clay, whose angry pose indicated he was ready to stop his brother, a warning look before turning her attention back to Bo. "Don't forget, you're blind," she replied, her tone matter-of-fact. "That would be impossible."

"Nothing is impossible if you want it bad enough." He sneered her way.

Those words were music to her ears, and she wanted to jump up with a fist pump of triumph, but kept calm and cool. "I'm glad to hear you say that."

"Just get out of here." Bo laid his head back against the pillow, closing his eyes as if in defeat.

Julie picked up the tray, but left a napkin on his lap. "Your drink is still on the table if you want it." She walked toward the door Clay had opened, but stopped and turned. "Be ready for round two, because I'll be back bright and early in the morning."

"God help me," Bo moaned, still keeping his eyes closed.

"He's on my side in this, so save your breath," Julie replied before walking out the door.

Chapter Three

Clay found himself looking out his office window for the hundredth time, searching for Julie Daniels's car coming up the drive. Slamming his pen down, he stood. He was behind on paperwork, but his concentration was shit, had been shit because of his brother's worsening condition, and now with Julie Daniels in the picture his usual pinpoint focus had gone to hell.

He'd made many attempts to help his brother himself, with the aid of friends, but Bo just got worse. He had been diagnosed at the age of sixteen, when he had failed his eye examination for his driver's test. Their parents had taken Bo to many specialists, but the results always came back the same, Retinitis Pigmentosa. Though most cases of total blindness didn't happen until the person was in their forties or even later in life, Bo's symptoms progressed quickly.

Taking a deep breath, Clay leaned against the wall, staring out over the land he and his brother had inherited. Their mother, Beth, passed in her sleep when he was twenty-two and their father, Clay Sr., followed soon after. Both Clay and Bo knew losing their mother had killed their father. He had become sick and withdrawn the day they put their mother in the ground. Damn, but he missed them both.

His eyes moved to the car slowly making its way down their long drive, and knew it was Julie. He remembered the shocked expression on her face when he mentioned her and school. He did remember Julie Daniels. The name hadn't rung a bell at first, but when he had opened the door yesterday to see her standing there, he knew exactly who she was. She had always been shy, with her head in a book. Even though they were in different grades, their high school was small and it was impossible not to run into everyone at least once a day. He remembered her peeking up from a book as she walked down the hallway, her beautiful brown eyes hidden behind large glasses. He would smile at her and say hi, which she returned with a hurried urgency, as if wanting to get away from him.

The memory made him frown. He felt an odd attraction to her, had actually felt a pull to her back then, but never acted on it. She had been different from him or any of his friends. She had few friends while he had many. They partied hard on the weekends and even sometimes during the school week, but he never once saw her at one single party. Was he just feeling this unusual draw because she was coming here to help his brother, like an angel he had beckoned to give his brother peace?

He stayed where he was, his eyes glued to the car, trying to see through the windshield. The door opened and she appeared. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a tight messy bun at the back of her head. Loose wisps of hair played around her face with the breeze. As she slammed the door, she lifted her face to the sunshine and smiled. His heart skipped and his groin tightened. He leaned closer to the window as his eyes slowly slid down her body. She had never been a small girl. Even young, she'd had curves the other girls didn't, or tried their best to get rid of with excessive diets and exercise. She was definitely a beautiful woman who did nothing to enhance her looks with makeup or fancy clothes. She was in jeans that hugged her every curve, and a womanly flannel shirt that tightened enticingly at her breasts. The only thing that seemed flashy were her pink-and-white gym shoes, which made him smile.

There was much more to the woman than she let anyone see. Even back in high school she hid behind those big glasses and her books. He wondered for a moment if she still wore those glasses. His smile widened as he watched her disappear around the corner of the house. Clay Marshall was always up for a challenge, and he was sure finding out who the real Julie Daniels was would be a sweet challenge.

★★★

Once again, Julie found herself at the Marshall doorstep knocking on the door. She didn't sleep but maybe an hour because every time she closed her eyes she saw Clay. She was in the middle of rolling her eyes at herself when the door opened.

"No yelling today?" was all she could think of saying as she stared up at Clay, who was dressed in a plain white T-shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of beat-up cowboy boots. Yeah, her eyes took the tour before meeting his. She was pathetic.

His eyebrow cocked as a half grin appeared on his face. He stepped aside to let her in. "It's early yet."