No Sunshine When She's Gone (7 page)

Jill, however, didn’t know that. She wouldn’t want her antics to get back to James Lawless. Aidan smiled to himself. He had her where he wanted her, and liked that fact. He kept her secret.

“Long story short,” he began, “I was with Lila Sims, and she wanted a reading. Aries Martine immediately saw through her. Apparently Lila only wanted to marry me to make her boss jealous. We’re no longer together.”

Carrie was sympathetic. “Not so happily ever after.”

Shaye smiled broadly. “That’s amazing! I’m so glad Aries set you straight,” she said, placing two rolls of paper towels at the center of the table. They would be used as napkins. “Lila wasn’t right for you.”

“How would you know that?” he asked.

“A sister’s intuition,” Shaye said as she passed Trace a large serving platter for the cooked food. “She seemed a social climber.”

Aidan had to agree. Lila had often planned their dates. They would inevitably attend high-profile parties and events. He preferred low-key nights, where pizza, beer, and ESPN kept him company. The television didn’t expect small talk or count on a charitable donation.

Woof!
Sadie had arrived. Behind her came Mike Burke, Aidan’s construction supervisor. Mike was tall and lean with a hard face and major attitude. He wore a
Tough as Nails
T-shirt and ripped jeans. Incongruously, he carried a pink bakery box. “Your girl sniffed every bush and tree on the property,” he informed Aidan. “Then she wandered down to the beach and chased a crab.”

Chased
was an exaggeration, Aidan mused. Sadie was a white pointer of indeterminate age, although his veterinarian figured she was at least twelve, possibly thirteen. Her eyes were cloudy and her ribs showed despite her three meals a day. He gave her lots of treats.

Sadie was a stray. She’d found him in Tallahassee. She’d somehow managed to sneak inside the fencing where his crew parked the heavy equipment for the night. She’d been dirty and hungry. He’d given her a bath and fed her. She’d never left. His men had adopted her. She favored Aidan and Mike, and spent the day in their office trailer on different construction sites. Mike had an active social life, so Aidan took Sadie home with him each evening. He’d become her human. They suited each other. Neither asked for much.

Sadie came toward him now; her steps were slow and her hips sagged, but her tail never stopped wagging. She was always happy. She sat down near his feet, then leaned against his leg. He scratched her ears.

“I brought cupcakes,” Mike said to Shaye. He handed her the oblong box; in exchange she passed him a Guinness, his favorite beer.

Shaye snuck a peek at their dessert. “Nice assortment,” she approved. She immediately carried the cupcakes inside the house, so the frosting wouldn’t melt in the heat.

“My name is on one of the devil’s food,” Mike called after her.

Carrie Waters gave Mike a small smile. “I like devil’s food, too,” she said.

Mike stared at her. Stared and stared to the point of rudeness. Aidan saw a flicker of interest spark in his eyes, so fleeting it could’ve been a play of light. “You’re plain vanilla, sweetheart,” he finally said.

He had called Carrie bland.

Heat crept into her cheeks.

Aidan cleared his throat. Polite wasn’t Mike’s strong suit. He spoke his mind. His sarcasm often jabbed. The man could draw blood. He hadn’t always been that way, but life had thrown him a curveball. He coped the best he could.

Jill visibly bristled; she was not pleased by Mike’s comment. She was on him in a heartbeat. “Vanilla? Come again, dude?”

Mike shrugged. “Vanilla with sprinkles,” he amended. “Happy now?”

Jill narrowed her gaze on him. “Definitely sprinkles with a sparkler on top.”

Carrie flashed a smile.

Mike noticed her braces. “You have a full grill.”

Carrie clamped her mouth shut.

Mike ran his own tongue over his teeth, testing the smoothness. “Aren’t you a little old to have your teeth straightened?” he asked.

“Age is irrelevant,” came from Jill.

“Total fender bender when you kiss, I bet.”

“Why would you care?” Carrie braved.

Mike shrugged. “I don’t, actually.” He then looked to Aidan, lifted an eyebrow. “Who are these women?” he asked. No names had been exchanged. “Friends of yours?”

“We’ve just met.” Although he and Jill seemed old acquaintances. Aidan made the introductions. Mike’s jaw significantly tightened when he learned the ladies worked for the Rogues Organization. Major league baseball was a touchy subject for him. It was a dream lost. Building the spring-training facility would be bittersweet. He’d be on the outside, looking in. Fate wasn’t always fair.

Aidan had known Mike for twelve years. He’d met the other man through his younger brother, Rylan. The two athletes had attended the University of Miami together. They’d lived in the same dorm. Both had full baseball scholarships. Ry played center field and Mike was the starting pitcher. Both friends were sport savvy and built to play ball.

Mike had ranked number one in college pitchers up until the night a crooked poker game and bar fight stole his future. Aidan was aware of the unfortunate incident. It had been tragic. Life-altering. Crippling.

Rylan and Mike had gone out for a beer at Humphreys, a local sports bar. They had joined a card game with four other guys they’d seen around campus, but hadn’t known well. They’d had no idea at the time, but later learned that the men ran a poker scam and shared in the winnings. The bartender got a cut, too.

The crowd had thinned around midnight. The lights had dimmed. Few remained. Beer bottles littered their table. Baskets of pretzels were empty. Rylan and Mike were down several hundred dollars when Ry caught one of the players cheating. He had called Hudd Daniels out.

Rylan’s accusation started a fight. Mike backed Ry. The remaining three guys sided with Hudd. Rylan and Mike took their fair share of punches, but finally got the best of all the guys but Hudd. He’d been a dirty fighter. Hudd had grabbed a Hammer Break pool cue from the rack, the heavy slammer that broke balls like cannon fire. He’d swung the cue at the back of Rylan’s head with intent and anger, a deadly combination.

Ry never saw the blow coming, but Mike had. He’d raised his arm to protect Rylan, and taken the hit himself. Square across his palm. Fifteen bones had broken. His surgery had been successful, but recovery failed him. He’d never been able to fully grip a baseball. That took him out of the major-league draft. A draft that would’ve taken him first round had he been healthy.

Rylan went on to play professional ball. He’d been drafted in the third round by the St. Louis Colonels. Mike had been heavily scouted by the Rogues, and would’ve given his right testicle to play for the team. Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be. His dream had disintegrated. Disappointment darkened his heart. Depression left him moody. Sarcasm shadowed his regrets.

Aidan would always be grateful to Mike. He credited him for saving his brother’s life. A severe blow to the head could have caused a skull fracture or worse. He couldn’t imagine life without Rylan.

He’d hired the man when Mike graduated from college. Aidan paid him a good salary that included profit sharing. He would someday make him a partner. He’d always have Mike’s back, even when Mike put people off. Tonight was such a night.

Aidan listened now as Mike spoke to Trace. “When did you get the Triumph?” he asked. “Vintage fuckin’ A.”

Shaye touched her fingers to her lips, shushed him. “Lower your voice. I don’t want Olive picking up profanity.”

“She’s inside,” said Mike.

“She can hear a pin drop on the other side of town.”

“Sorry,” he whispered.

Trace looked up from the grill. “It’s not my car,” he said. “It must belong to Jill or Carrie.”

Mike rubbed his chin. “It’s Jill’s,” he assumed. “Carrie is more Cube, square and boxy.”

“That is what I drive,” she quietly confessed.

“No surprises there,” Mike said. “Bet you keep both hands on the steering wheel, stick to the speed limit, and have never gotten a ticket, am I right?”

Carrie dipped her head; didn’t respond.

Jill looked ready to flatten the man.

“Safety first,” Aidan said, smoothing over Mike’s comment. Mike was being a dick. Aidan had no idea why he’d singled out Carrie. His jabs were sharp; uncalled for.

Aidan eased the conversation with, “I test-drove a Cube last year.” He stretched the truth, just a little. In actuality, he’d sat in one at the dealership, but found it didn’t have the leg room he needed. Still, he complimented, “It’s a solid vehicle with lots of cargo space.”

Jill eyed him curiously. A smile tipped her lips. She knew he was fibbing. “The Cube is Carrie’s second car,” she informed them. “She also has a Corvette.”

Carrie tilted her head, as if to hear Jill better. Her eyes rounded, and there was a heartbeat of uncertainty before she said, “My red Corvette.”

Mike’s jaw shifted. “You wrap your ass in fiberglass? No way in hell, babe.”

Aidan had his own doubts, too. He had a gut feeling Jill was fabricating to get back at Mike for his rudeness. She was quite the storyteller. Her life was a work of fiction, a real page-turner.

“Mike, I’m warning you,” Shaye called to him a second time. “Clean up your language.”

“That’s crap,” Mike corrected.

“Not good enough,” said Shaye.

“Dubious then.”

“Better,” Shaye said as she began setting out the food. A plate of deviled eggs joined a bowl of steaming baked beans. Dinner was being served.

“I’ll help you.” Carrie chose to duck under Mike’s radar.

She took pleasure in simple tasks, Aidan observed. Carrie’s smile was soft when she retrieved the layered salad from the small refrigerator, removed the saran wrap, and set it on the table. She hummed as she fussed with the condiments. She brought out pitchers of tea and lemonade, then iced a metal bucket for the cans of beer. She seemed content and capable; a gentle soul. Mike preferred lusty, uninhibited women, those who broke sexual rules.

Aidan noticed Jill hadn’t moved; she’d remained with the group. She turned on Mike, kept her voice low. “What’s with you?” she asked. “Do you work at being a jerk or does it come naturally?”

“What you see is what you get.”

“I don’t like what I see,” she stated. “Stop messing with my friend.”

“Or you’ll what?” Mike pushed back.

Her eyes glinted in a way that told Mike she’d dealt with assholes much of her life, and could handle one more. “You’ve been warned.”

Mike’s mouth pinched. “That I have,” he said once she’d walked off. He jammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and the tips of two fingers broke through the worn denim. He scuffed the heel of his boot on the slate patio. Then shifted his stance.

Aidan pursed his lips and asked, “What’s with the attitude, man? Why Carrie?”

“She likes devil’s food cupcakes.”

“That’s definitely a reason to be a shit.”

“I’ve acted worse.”

“You better play nice,” Aidan said. “I think Jill could take you.”

“Yeah, I think she could, too.”

A
idan kept a close eye on Mike the remainder of the evening. Mike separated himself from Carrie, staying on his own side of the patio. That didn’t stop him from staring at her when he thought no one was looking. Aidan caught each of his glances, and found the situation amusing. Mike’s reaction to the woman wasn’t normal. He had charm in him, when he chose. Tonight was not the time.

Mike had accepted a cold Guinness from Shaye, but he had yet to pop the top. Beer usually called to him, but tonight a woman held his attention. He’d gone quiet; his brow was creased. He tensed when Carrie laughed at something Trace said. He was on edge. The night rode his last nerve.

Bored by the men’s company, Sadie pushed herself up with effort and ambled toward the cooking center. Deserted by man’s best friend, Aidan mused. The pointer seldom left his side. She couldn’t be hungry; he’d fed her before they’d left home.

Sadie sniffed the air and he could almost hear her sigh. The aroma coming from the grill enticed her. She would get her fair share of tidbits. Trace would fix her a special chicken breast without barbecue sauce. Aidan would peel off the meat. He didn’t want her choking on the bones.

He watched as Sadie ambled toward Jill. Trace had put her in charge of the potatoes and corn. She clicked a pair of tongs. Sadie curled back her lip and gave Jill her crooked smile. Aidan had no idea how Jill would react. Did the woman even like dogs?

He was secretly pleased when she bent and scratched Sadie’s ear. Sadie pushed her head against Jill’s palm, and looked adoringly at her new friend. They’d bonded.

The night air slowly swayed, and a light breeze seduced the hem of Jill’s sundress, pushing it up her thigh. Another gust cupped the material to her bottom. Her curves were again visible. Aidan appreciated what he saw, a little too much.

“Nice ass,” Mike admired.

Aidan’s chest squeezed. He didn’t appreciate Mike eyeing Jillian Mac. He had no claim on her. Still, he was glad when Carrie stopped to massage Sadie’s shoulders. Her timing was perfect. She distracted Mike.

Mike scrubbed his jaw with his knuckles and grunted. “It’s going to be a long year.”

Aidan understood. Instead of standing on the pitcher’s mound, throwing one-hundred-mile-per-hour fastballs, Mike would be the construction superintendent of the Rogues’ training facility. It didn’t seem fair. Aidan felt bad for the man.

He valued Mike, so much so, he gave him an option. “The construction company has two big projects running simultaneously,” he stated. “There’s the expansion on the cardiac unit at Tampa Memorial Hospital as well as the sports center here in town. I’ve split our crew. Guy Clarion is supervising the Tampa project, but I can switch the two of you. There’d be less distraction, less pressure, if you took over the hospital. Your call.”

Mike called it quickly. “Leave, and miss out on Trace’s Thursday night barbecues? Not on your life,” he said.

“You’ll find a way to deal with the Rogues then . . . and Carrie?”

“She owns a Corvette, what’s not to like?”

“Chances are good she doesn’t.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.” Mike actually smiled. “Jill was misleading. She made up the second vehicle to make Carrie look good.”

Jill had defended her friend. The lady was fierce. “The women are close,” Aidan agreed.

Mike stared across the patio. “Carrie’s stronger than she looks,” he said.

“You know this how?”

He shrugged. “A gut feeling.”

“Don’t test that feeling,” Aidan said.

“Jill would come after me.”

“She’d take a nail gun to your testicles.”

Mike winced. “That’s a painful image.” He then popped the cap on his beer and sipped deeply.

“Ten minutes and we eat,” Trace called to the men.

Shaye glanced their way. “Aidan, you’d better go see Olive soon or she’ll be breaking out of her cage to find you.”

“I’ll see her now.” He patted his back pocket. “I brought her a packet of pistachio nuts, dried cranberries, and a mirror.”

His sister nodded. “She loves you
almost
as much as me.”

He lowered his voice, spoke to Mike. “Stand in cement.” It was their man code to stay in one place until the other person returned.

“I’m not moving.”

Aidan headed into the house. The sliding-glass doors silently opened, but the weight of his step on the marble floor clued Olive to his arrival.

“Aidan!”
she gave a girly shriek when she saw him. Her wings swept wide as she swayed on her perch. She danced for him.

He fitted the tip of his finger through the bars and smoothed the feathers on her head. “How’s my best girl?” he asked.

“Better now.”
She pecked his finger; her way of giving him a kiss.
“Gift, please.”

“You only love me for my presents,” he teased her.

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.”

Aidan chuckled. Shaye left the television on for Olive whenever she left the house. The sitcoms, movies, and commercials kept the parrot company. The Quaker picked up all sorts of slapstick and drama. She surprised everyone with her attention to detail. She loved Maxwell, the pink Geico pig. She imitated his
“wee wee wee”
all the way home.

“Sorry, no diamonds,” Aidan told her.

“Pftt,”
Olive blew him off.

“But,” he drew out, “I have nuts, berries, and a surprise.”

“Mine, mine! Eat first.”

He produced the unshelled pistachios and passed her one. Olive crunched through the nut in record time. She made a moaning sound, which sounded sensual. Aidan figured she’d overheard Shaye and Tracy having sex.

A cranberry came next, which Olive dramatically savored. She ate another berry before she screeched,
“Where’s Sad?”

Aidan rubbed his brow. No matter how hard he’d tried to coax the name Sadie from Olive, she referred to his dog as
Sad
. He went with it. “Sad’s outside,” he said.

“No,”
the parrot corrected him.
“Here.”

He turned slightly and saw that Olive was right. Sadie now rounded the corner of the living room with Jill close behind. What was it about this woman that made his stomach tighten and his dick twitch? He didn’t wear underwear. The zipper on his jeans would leave track marks if he wasn’t careful. He shifted, and made every attempt to breathe evenly.

“Have you met Olive?” he asked Jill. “She’s quite the conversationalist.”

“Earlier this evening,” she told him. “She’s amazing.”

“Yes, I am,”
the Quaker agreed.

“I wanted to catch your exchange,” Jill said. “Shaye said you spoil her.”

“There’s nothing wrong with taking care of your own.” He paused, met her gaze. “Same as you do with Carrie.”

“Carrie is like a sister to me.”

“So I’ve noticed.”

“Who is Mike to you,” she asked, curious, “beyond your superintendent?”

“I’d take a bullet for him,” he said honestly.

“I’ll give a warning shout before I shoot.”

“Good to know.”

“More gifts?”
Olive interrupted them.

He reached into his shirt pocket and removed a small, flat box.
“For me?”
Olive’s voice rose.

“For you,” said Aidan.

Jill leaned forward as he removed the top. Her hair brushed his arm; her hip rubbed his thigh. He sucked air. Set his back teeth. He was damn glad his shirt was untucked, hiding his erection.

Her effect on him was puzzling. He valued honesty, yet Jill danced around the truth. But then so had Lila Sims. He refused to be duped a second time.

Olive gave Aidan her full attention when he held up a rounded hanging mirror in a pink frame with a bell attached to the bottom. He slid it through the bars and clipped it safely to the cage.

“Mirror.” Aidan sounded out the word for Olive.

She studied her reflection for several seconds.
“Who’s the pretty girl?”

“You are,” he said.

The parrot preened and fell in love with herself. She then poked the bell with her short talon.
Ting-ting.
She arched her neck, nudged it again, listening for the tingle. The sound fascinated her.

“She likes your present,” Jill said, smiling.

“Olive is easy to please.” He lowered his voice, shared a secret. “Her next gift will be a ladder; after that, a toy car to push around.”

“Maybe a matchbox Cube?” she said, tongue in cheek.

“Busted,” he mused.

“White lies are forgiven,” she assured him. “You were being kind to Carrie.”

“What about her Corvette?” he asked.

“I pushed Mike’s buttons.”

“You did, too,” he said, only to wonder, “Do you ever have a conversation when you tell the truth?”

“Guess you’ll have to talk to me further to find out.”

He could do that. He looked forward to getting to know her. He glanced at his watch, said, “Dinner is about to be served.” He tapped the cage gently. “’Bye, Olive. Be a good girl?”

“Fuckin’ A.”

Jill’s eyes rounded. “Oh . . . no.”

Mike’s profanity had reached Olive’s sensitive ears.

His sister would not be pleased. “Bad word,” he quickly corrected the parrot.

“So you say.”

He grimaced. What would come next? Fortunately Olive’s reflection caught her attention once again, and she went back to admiring herself.

“Can she get any cuter?”
she asked her image.

Aidan took Jill by the arm, escorting her from the room. “Let’s leave while she’s into herself.”

They crossed the living room. Sadie trailed behind them. Aidan slowed his steps to match Sadie’s pace. Jill moved ahead of them. He took a moment to admire her backside. The bounce of her hair. The casual set of her bare shoulders. The nip of her waist. The sway of her hips. Nice, very nice, he thought. His dick agreed.

She stopped short of the sliding door, and he nearly walked into her. He caught himself just in time. He reached around her and pushed the slider aside. She passed through, returning to the patio.

“How was Olive?” Shaye called to him.

“She liked her mirror,” he said.

“Did she thank you?”

“She had a few departing words for us,” he informed her. “New words, I might add.”

His sister frowned. “She overheard Mike, didn’t she?”

“Her hearing is sharp.”

Shaye shook her fist at Mike. “You’re a dead man.”

Mike finished off his beer. “I may be sentenced, but I deserve a last meal.”

“Let’s eat, then,” Trace announced. He carried a platter piled with chicken and ribs to the table. Jill brought the corn and sweet potatoes. Carrie filled a squeeze bottle with extra barbecue sauce, then grabbed the butter and sour cream.

The group gathered around the patio table. His sister sat next to her husband and Aidan found himself between Jill and Carrie. Mike was on Jill’s right. Everyone could see and talk to everyone else. Sadie nudged him with her nose and Aidan scooted his chair over, which put him closer to Jill. Their elbows bumped and their legs brushed. His groin tightened. His jeans tented. He had no physical control around this woman. He scooted his chair closer to the table.

Platters and bowls of food were passed around, and plates were filled. Shaye smiled at Jill and Carrie as she buttered her corn on the cob. “How was your trip?” she asked.

“We drove straight through from Richmond,” Jill told her. “The weather was good and we made great time.”

“We only stopped for gas and food,” said Carrie. “Jillie Mac loves bagels and freshly baked bread. She could live on them. MapQuest located every bakery along the interstate.”

“The Bakehouse on the boardwalk makes delicious bagels and cheese bread,” Shaye said. “Get there early, when they’re hot out of the oven.”

“I’ll make a point of doing that,” Jill said, sipping her iced tea.

Aidan listened closely, taking it all in. He now knew that Jill liked baked goods. She must have a high metabolism to remain so slim. Either that or stretching the truth burned a lot of calories.

“How can I help you settle in?” Shaye wanted to know. “Tell me what you need.”

Jill thought for a moment, and then said, “Rental space for our Rogues store. James Lawless wants team memorabilia available to the public. We’ll sell everything from jerseys, T-shirts, baseball cards, and autographed photos of the players to bobble heads.”

Shaye had a solution, which didn’t surprise Aidan in the least. His sister was a mastermind. “The boardwalk would provide the best visibility,” she said. “I will soon have a shop available. The Dairy Godmother has outgrown its spot and is changing locations. You could set up there, once my uncle clears out the display cases, dipping cabinets, and tables and chairs. Give him a few days to move.”

Carrie smiled, big and bright. “Sounds perfect.”

“Thank you,” said Jill. “We can check that off our list.”

“Where are you staying in town?” Shaye asked next.

Carrie answered, “We’re temporarily renting rooms at the Barefoot Inn. We’re quite comfortable.”

“We’ll stay there until we find something permanent,” added Jill.

Aidan had a suggestion for them, but so apparently did his sister. Shaye jumped ahead of him. “How would you feel about living on a land-docked houseboat?” she asked as she scooped a generous portion of the layered salad onto her plate. “My grandfather gave me his vintage Horizon when it was no longer seaworthy. All repairs are in place, the boat is solid. It has two decks with all the amenities of home. I lived there for several years before I married Trace.” She sighed. “The houseboat holds wonderful memories. I can’t bear to part with it.”

“A docked houseboat,” Jill mulled over Shaye’s offer.

She exchanged a look with Carrie before saying, “We’d like to see it.”

“My schedule is full for the next few days,” Shaye said on a sigh. “Perhaps Aidan could give you the tour.”

“I can do that.” He then followed up with his own option. “I own an apartment complex two blocks from the beach. There’s presently a vacancy.” Beach Walk was eight months old. Aidan had told his manager to take his time filling the vacancies. Those filing an application went through two interviews and a background check. He offered furnished apartments, and preferred to rent to year-round professionals rather than seasonal tourists.