Upper Hand (Cedar Tree Book 5) (9 page)

“S
o on Monday morning, I’ll see you at the new clinic?”

I’ve just been put through my paces by Kendra, who seems happy with the progress I’m making. She follows me through the front door where I sit down on the bench, waiting for my ride. 

“Yes. I hope I can get behind the wheel soon though. I’m not a very good passenger,” I admit, making her chuckle.

“Didn’t peg you for one, but I don’t think you’ve got long to wait. Already I can tell your balance is improving. And what do you think of the acupuncture? Are you getting used to it?”

This time it’s my turn to chuckle. I was plenty freaked out beforehand, but honestly could not feel the first needle go in. Not a thing. That’s not to say it is entirely painless, since the needle she placed at the base of my neck today hit a spot that is still sore now, but she swore it would bring relief. I have to admit, my head feels clearer now than it has since I woke up.

“I’m still not a fan of needles and reckon I’ll never be, but my head feels good. So if you must, you can poke me again on Monday.”

“Good. In the meantime, I’ll see you tomorrow at the open house, right? Naomi tells me you’ll be there.”

Damn. I know the chance is good I’ll bump into Jed there, and that is not something I’m looking forward to, but I owe it to my friends to be there.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

“Awesome!” I smile at her youthful exuberance as she walks off to find her car, following her with my eyes. She’s gotta be in her mid thirties, but she’s as peppy as a twenty-year-old. Cute, but not for me.

The familiar squeal of a car door has me swing my head around to find Beth leaning on the roof of her junker, looking at me through slitted eyes, before turning to wave at Kendra as she pulls out of the parking lot.
Interesting
.

“Ready to come or do you need to enjoy the view a bit more?” she snaps, immediately lowering her eyes from mine and turning red. Dropped her guard for a minute, while I’m not a gambling man, I’d stake my bank account on the fact that is jealousy I’m hearing.

“Nothing like the beauty of a spring afternoon,” I tease her, but she just slips in her seat when I approach the car. Once I’m settled in and buckled up, I turn in my seat to look at her.

“Except perhaps the fully seasoned abundance of a gorgeous twilight.” Fuck if I know where that drivel comes from, but regardless, it flies out of my mouth.

Beth’s gaze flicks to me before she drops her head to the steering wheel and starts laughing. Okay? Not sure that’s the reaction I was hoping for but still, it’s better than making her cry. Takes her a minute to compose herself before turning her eyes back on me

“That is the corniest shit I’ve ever heard, and Clint? If you’re looking to charm a woman? Don’t call her ‘fully seasoned’ or compare her to twilight. Neither are particularly flattering.” Thank God she’s still smiling a little. I need to seriously work on thinking before I speak.

-

-

I
can’t believe I blurted that out like a jealous school girl. I’m fucking forty-six years old and made myself look like a damn fool when I caught him looking at Kendra, who’s at least ten years younger. Of course Clint being Clint, he immediately takes the burn off by coming up with possibly the most cringe-worthy line in history. The man is a lost cause when he tries to ‘handle’ a woman. Someone really should muzzle him before I shove
my
foot in his mouth one of these days.

“Did you want to stop somewhere?” I ask, aiming for a much needed diversion from the embarrassing incident.

When I don’t get an answer, I turn to look at him and find his eyes on me, a smile tugging at his lips. Damn him for being so handsome. “What?” I prompt and the smile is now out in full force.

“I don’t need to go anywhere, but did you get all you need?” he asks breaking the tension that is simmering between us. For a minute there I was ready to climb over the centre console and kiss that mouth that’s been tempting me for so long. A small blush creeps up my cheeks as I think of the extra large pack of batteries I picked up.

“Yeah. I’m done. Except a quick stop at my house to grab a few things,” I respond a bit breathlessly, thoughts on how I plan to use those batteries to ease my recently revived libido swirling through my mind. The knowledge of him sleeping just down the hall every night has wreaked havoc with my determined mindset that sex is something reserved for a younger crowd. It’s been a long time since I’ve had any kind of physical release that involved a whole other person. The last couple of years I hadn’t even craved the vibrator gathering dust in my bedside drawer. Damn Clint. Being in his proximity constantly has my creaky body respond in unexpected ways. If I don’t relieve some of the built-up tension, I really am bound to jump him at some point. Better to take matters in my own hands, so to speak.

“I’d love to know what’s on your mind—what’s got your face all scrunched up like that.” Clint’s deep rumbling voice startles me, and when I stop at the traffic light, I sneak a glance. His eyes are tracing my face with an intensity that I can feel stroking over my skin like fingertips. Just like that he is playing my body again, without ever touching me.

With every ounce of my resolve, I pull my eyes from the intense contact to focus back on the road and opt to say nothing.

My phone starts ringing in my purse, which is tucked in beside Clint’s large feet.

“Would you mind grabbing my phone? It might be Dylan finally calling back.”

I’ve been trying to get a hold of him ever since he dropped Max off, without success. I’m hoping it’s him. I’ve been worried about him, especially since getting a message the number was no longer available when calling his house yesterday. Thankful to find his cell phone hadn’t seen the same fate yet, I’ve been blowing it up with voicemails and text messages. So far no response.

“It’s Dylan,” Clint says looking at the screen.

“Can you answer it? I’m gonna pull off.”

There’s an empty church parking lot coming up on my right and I pull into it as I hear Clint say, “Hello?”.

“Think you’d better talk to your mom about that.” Clint hands the phone to me with an angry look.

“Honey?”

“Ma. I have to leave town for a while. I’ve got this job offer that I can’t refuse. Can Max stay with you?”

“How long, Dylan? I’m just about to start working again. What’s going on with you? I’m worried.” I rattle off when a deep sigh interrupts me on the other side.

“Ma, please... I’m fine, I gotta go. Take care of my baby for me? Love you.”

And just like that he’s gone and when I frantically try to call back, fear creeping up on me at the despondent tone of his voice, the call goes immediately to voicemail.

“Goddammit, Dylan,” I mutter to myself, trying three more times to get through, when Clint covers the phone in my hand with his.

“Was going to do this on Wednesday already, and now I wish I had; we’re gonna talk to Gus, girl. See if he can find anything out.”

“Something’s wrong, Clint. I can feel it.” I struggle to keep the impotent tears at bay when I feel his hand stroking my cheek, and my breath stills in my throat. He’s never touched me like this before. When I lift my eyes, I see compassion in his eyes, but also something else—something darker. It’s making me squirm in my seat.

“I know. Fuck, I knew it when he dropped Max off Wednesday morning. We’ll figure it out, sugar.”

With a variety of emotions constricting my throat, I simply nod before slipping the car in drive again and pulling out of the parking lot.

_

“Big gah!”

We’ve barely stepped inside when Max comes barreling to the front door, passing right by me and latching himself onto Clint’s leg, nearly knocking him off kilter. Blue, Katie’s dog, walks up languidly behind and nudges me with his big head, making sure I’m not left out.

“You guys the welcoming committee?” I smile over my shoulder at my grandson, but he’s still smiling up at Clint. Little traitor. It does melt my rusty heart a little when I watch Clint smiling back and ruffling Max’s hair.

“Go say hi to your Gammy.” Clint nudges Max, who’s like a little trained Pavlov dog when Clint speaks and immediately swings around and treats me to a big smile and a leg-hug, pushing the big dog out of the way.

“Gammy, see?”

Max grabs my hand and pulls me to the kitchen, where Katie is working on her computer at the dining room table. Mattias is sitting on the floor, surrounded by those oversized Lego blocks. Duplos I think they call them.

“Hey guys,” Katie says, “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon. Thought maybe you’d take the opportunity to grab some dinner?” She’s wiggling her eyebrows up and down with a fool grin on her face, looking back and forth between Clint and I.

“Stuff it, pipsqueak. You’re about as subtle as an eighteen-wheeler on a bicycle path.”

“Actually,” Clint pipes up, “maybe we should ask Katie? See what she can come up with on Dylan.”

Katie whips her head back to me. “Why? What’s up with him?”

I spend the next couple of minutes going over the tension in their house, Tammy leaving suddenly, and Dylan showing up at my house at the crack of dawn to drop Max off. I remember almost word for word our phone conversation from earlier. Not difficult, since he never said much to begin with. Katie’s fingers are already flying over the keyboard, while I’m telling her what little I know.

“Where does he work?” She wants to know and I give her the name of the garage. She then proceeds to question me on his home address, Tammy’s family, where they’re from. Do I know if they’d had any specific problems in the marriage before, and if I know about financial issues they might have. I don’t have a hell of a lot to tell her. Clint sits at the kitchen table keeping an eye on the boys, while at the same time listening in with a keen ear.

By the time we have Max and his things loaded up, my head’s still buzzing with the virtual interrogation, despite the fact that Katie’s assured me she’ll start digging around. I’m just getting in the car when I remember something.

“Wait!” I call out to Katie who’s already walking back in the house with Mattias on her arm. “We never talked about baby-sitting Max.”

“Not much to talk about,” Clint points out, “I’ll sort it out with Katie in the morning. I’m not totally helpless with him.” He seems almost insulted.

“Never said you were, but—“

Katie pipes up, “No buts, you just do your thing and Clint and I have Max covered between us, okay?”

“Fine.” I throw my hands up in surrender. “I really appreciate this, you know?”

“Just roll with it, Beth. Being on the receiving end of help isn’t something you’re accustomed to, but you’ll get the hang of it.”

Clever bitch. I throw a sharp look at Clint, who is chuckling at Katie’s teasing words, before sliding behind the wheel.

“Later, little lady,” he waves at her before closing his door.

-

W
ith a quick simple dinner under our belts and Max down for the night, I walk into the kitchen to find Clint at the counter measuring out coffee grinds.

“Decaf,” he clarifies.

I slide onto a stool and find myself staring at his broad back underneath the flannel shirt he’s wearing. I have to shake my head to clear the increasing R rated thoughts he seems to generate on a more frequent basis lately. Forcing my eyes away, I stare out into the darkness outside the window instead.

“Penny for your thoughts.”

When I look back, Clint’s eyes are studying me intently. It’s become awkward with him getting better every day and me still around. Not like he really still needs me here twenty-four seven. He gets around the house fine, and aside from needing groceries and being driven around for now, he seems able to look after himself just fine. I like being here with him—not going to deny that—but I’m afraid to get too comfortable in this man’s house, in his presence.

“I should probably be moving home, you know. Not like you need me around all the time.” I wince at how passive aggressive that sounds. Like I’m willing him to ask me to stay. He doesn’t; instead he rubs a hand over the now permanent scruff on his jaw and regards me through slitted eyes.

“Yeah? Getting tired of me already?”

“Not saying that,” I scramble. “Just that I’m sure you’re craving your peace and quiet. I’m not exactly easy to miss and Max...well, a two-year-old Energizer bunny is not your usual speed either.”

“Hmmm. You worried about me or about you?”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

I shift a little uneasily on my stool as he suddenly pushes back from the counter and makes his way around it. With both hands he grabs my seat and turns me around so I’m facing him. And he’s close—in my face close, especially when he puts his hands on either side of me on the counter, effectively boxing me in.

“You running again?” I can feel the breath from his lips on my own. Whatever control I was holding on my physical response to him just went out the window.

“Again? When was I running?” I pretend not to know what he’s talking about, when in reality he has pegged me better than I’m comfortable admitting. I am running, and have been, knowing very early on the kind of power he’d be able to wield over me. I’m a coward.