Breathing His Air (14 page)

“Not for you.” He powered up the computer. “What’s up?”

She stepped inside. “I’ll be quick.”

He lifted his gaze and came out of his chair. “Shit.”

“I’m okay.” She shrugged. Her dark hair fell into her face, covering the swollen cheekbone. “I was just wondering if I can have tonight off. I told Tabitha I’d cover for her, but I’m moving out of the cabin and going to stay with my sister in town.”

“You’re not going anywhere.” He held up his finger and walked past her to the doorway. “Bruce?” he yelled.

“Rain. It’s over. It was over a long time ago,” said Sugar.

He ignored her and spoke to Bruce when he approached. “Steve’s out of Bantorus. Pass the word, and make sure he has an escort out of town. Put Travis on him for a while, until we know he’s not going to try to contact anyone.”

“Sure.” Bruce looked past Rain’s shoulder. “She okay?”

“Can you be responsible for her?”

Bruce nodded. “Of course. The sonofabitch won’t lay another hand on her.”

This was the first time Sugar had come to work with evidence of Steve’s abuse. He’d asked her several times in the past if she was safe, because he suspected otherwise. She’d stood up for Steve every time. But she couldn’t hide the truth now.

“You know the rules.” He tilted Sugar’s face up and studied the bruise. “No warnings, no second chances. When he decided to put his anger on you, he died to us. I don’t care if you forgive him or send someone to beat his ass. He’s gone, and won’t be allowed to return to Pitnam.”

She nodded. “I really want to go to my sister’s house. You can have the cabin.”

“I’ll keep it open for a month. It’s yours if and when you want to come back. The job, too.” He lowered his voice. “You’re worth more than someone’s anger, Sugar. You’ve got family here that cares about you, too.”

“I know.” She stepped over and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Rain.”

“Sugar?”

She stopped and turned around. Unable to hide the misery on her face, she lifted her gaze.

“You’re worth it,” he said.

She nodded. “Someday I hope to believe that.”

“You need help reminding yourself, you call me, call one of the guys. We’ll help you remember.”

He stayed in front of the desk and watched her walk out.

Torque slid into the room and shut the door. “What’s up?”

“Get a crew out to my house and install a new security alarm. Someone’s messed with mine, and I suspect it was Sanchez, seeing how Crystal made herself at home inside my damn house when I was out with Tori.” He shook his head. “I’ve got an errand to run before it hits nine o’clock. Make sure someone is watching Tori. I’ll be back before she closes for the day.”

“Got it.” Torque sat down at the desk.

He grabbed his key off the hook by the door. Adrenaline fueled him all the way outside to where he’d parked his motorcycle. Two days he’d stayed off the bike. No wonder he was easily irritated.

As he threw his leg over the seat, flipped the kickstand up, and turned the key, his stress melted away. He looked forward to tonight. No matter how much he liked the Corvette, he wanted the seat under his ass and the wind in his face.

• • •

Tori jotted another item on the notepad while she held the cup under the espresso machine. After the sixth request for cookies, she decided she’d have to make a shopping trip for supplies. She smiled out the window. Rain had enjoyed her cookie dough last time. She didn’t think it would be a problem if she turned his kitchen into a bakery tonight.

She leaned out the window. “Here’s your order. Would you like a bit of love advice?”

The short-haired woman laughed. “I was hoping you’d ask. Sylvia, who works at Lumber and Nails, said you’ve predicted she’ll be married by next year.”

Tori leaned on her elbows and peered down into the two-door sedan. “I remember her. She has a boyfriend she’s been dating for two years named Will, right?”

“That’s her. We’ve been friends since I moved here with my first husband … oh, about four years ago. The marriage ended, but I wasn’t going to end all the friendships I’d created.” She grinned, and Tori could see the stubbornness and strength in the woman. “My name’s Theresa.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Tori.” She glanced behind the car, relieved to find no other cars waiting behind her customer. “What would you like advice on today?”

“I’ve been seeing this one guy for about three months.” She squirmed and leaned her elbow in the open window of the car. “Childless, never been married, and the sweetest person you could meet.”

Tori groaned and nodded. “And you’re tired of him catering to you, right?”

“Yeah.” Theresa’s brows rose. “You are good.”

“Have you started arguing with him yet?”

Theresa scoffed. “He brought me flowers the next day when I tried.”

“Hm. How about screwing up his plans he had for your date?”

“He rearranged his schedule without a word and told me it was no problem,” said Theresa.

“Ah, girlfriend, you are going to have to pull out the bag of tricks for this dude.” She propped her fist under her chin. “PPF. Personal Public Fun. Let him take you out, and you can show him how fun you are. Go out and dance … if he doesn’t want to, don’t let that stop you. You need to have fun without him. Once he notices that he’s not the focus of all your attention, he’s going to have to step up his game.”

“What if he leaves? I don’t want that to happen. He is nice. He’s just … too nice.”

She winked. “No man likes to take a back seat. He’ll either have to prove himself worthy of your attention or hop out of the car. But, you’re going to have to decide if you’re willing to settle, and from what you’ve said, you’ve reached the bridge. You have to cross to the other side or be happy staying in one spot.”

Theresa’s smile grew and she nodded. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Good luck.” She straightened. “Stop by again and let me know how things worked out.”

“Thanks, Tori. See you when I come around for tomorrow’s coffee.” Theresa waved.

With a moment’s break, she leaned out the window and let the morning breeze cool her off. She’d gone full steam since opening the Shack, and almost everyone wanted advice today. She closed her eyes. It was hard to lose the guilt, no matter what Rain said.

She gave advice to rebel against everything her dad had told her in the weeks leading up to the murder-suicide. It’d been her way to show herself that compassion and love couldn’t harm anyone. She’d seen the effects her advice had in other people’s life and, until today, she’d thought she’d be fine living without someone special for herself.

Rain had changed her mind. She wanted everything she hoped for other people and more.

The purr of a car grew closer. She opened her eyes, peered under the customer’s baseball cap and smiled when she recognized who was driving the car. “Hey, Raul. You want the regular?”

Raul — mid-thirties, ink-black hair, and with a bronze complexion — grinned up at her from his old, rusted car. “Ah, the pretty lady returns. You’ve been missed.”

Goosebumps came over her arms at the sound of his smooth, accent. “Thanks. It’s good to be back doing what I love.”

“I’ll have the normal.” He swiveled in his seat, fiddling with his hat. “How have you been? You weren’t gone because you were sick, I hope.”

“No. I’m good. Well, getting there … ” She shrugged, pouring the coffee straight into the cup. “I’ve been better, but things are looking up. That’s the main thing. How’s the girlfriend trouble?”

Raul waved his hand. “Gone. Life is short, and she wasn’t worth the headache.”

She passed him the cup. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“No advice for me today?” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he continued to adjust his baseball hat.

“Take the hat off, Raul, and women will notice you.” She laughed. “I’ve got my eye on you, Raul. You’re a charmer. Don’t hide from the girls. They like a good looking man with a silver tongue.”

“Ah, you know me well.” He chuckled. “I have no time for more women in my life. Besides, I’m waiting for you to accept my invitation to go out to dinner. We could be good together,
hermosa
.”

“Ah, but I’m Rain’s woman. I’m blind to all other men,” she said, laughing. “Now get going. You’ve brought a smile to my face. Your job is done.”

“I’ll see you again.” Raul winked, pulling down his hat.

She shook her head in amusement, watching him drive off. Then she closed the window, pulled down the blinds, and set to cleaning the trailer. She’d have to hurry. Rain was due to walk her to the bar in five minutes.

Nervous energy got the job done fast. She threw the soiled rags in the plastic bag and had put the bag in the designer carryall Rain had bought her yesterday when a knock fell on her door.

She opened the trailer. Her insides fluttered, and she smiled as she jumped down onto the ground. “Hey.”

“Bought you something.” Rain kissed her and held up a grape lollipop.

“Oh, my God. You are marvelous.” She pulled the wrapper off and stuck it in her mouth. Her cheek bulged. “How did you know this was my favorite flavor?”

He shrugged. “Guessed. What’s got you so happy?”

“Besides you buying my favorite treat?” She smiled and dug in her shorts for the list she’d made earlier. “I’ve had time to think, and I want us to get along. It’s nice, and … ”

He ignored the paper she handed him and laughed. “And you like our kisses.”

“No.” She fake-punched him in the chest. “Okay, yeah, but I’m talking about us … that part is nice. Better than what most people have, you know.”

“I know.” He frowned down at her note. “What the hell is this?”

“An IOU. I tallied everything you bought me … the extra things, I mean.” She hitched her bag over her arm. “Except the shoes. I’m making you pay for those.”

“We’ll talk about that later.” He crumpled the note and stuffed it in his pocket. “Come on, I have something to give you in the bar.”

“I hope it’s a diet pop.” She skipped along beside him. “I’m dying of thirst.”

“I can’t believe you sell coffee but don’t drink it.”

“Weird, huh?” She glanced behind her. “Maybe I should start selling lemonade.”

Inside Cactus Cove, a crowd had gathered in front of the bar. She followed Rain, smiling at the customers she recognized.

He cleared a path to the counter, picked up a huge bag, and turned toward her. “Got one more thing for you.”

She backed up and put her hand on her chest. “Rain … you can’t be buying me anymore things.”

“You’ll need it all. There’s no sense arguing,” he said.

“What is it?” she whispered.

He set the bag at her feet and pulled out a leather jacket, so light it appeared white at first glance. But it was pink. Her favorite color. She stared at the coat and then up to Rain’s eyes.

“No,” she mumbled. “You can’t do that. You’ve bought me too much already.”

“The whole set is in here. Chaps, gloves, and I even got you boots, since the ones you bought yesterday aren’t made for riding.” He handed over the leather.

She held it to her chest. “I can’t possibly — ”

“It’s a gift,” he said.

“A gift?” Her voice broke.

“Yeah.”

She threw herself at him and planted her face in his chest. He might have chuckled, but she couldn’t hear anything over the sobs coming from her.

Rain pulled her back, holding her shoulders and peering down in her eyes. “Babe … ”

“No” — she swallowed — “No one has ever bought me anything better. Not since … ”

“Damn me,” he murmured, crushing her to his chest. “Sh. It’s only a little gift.”

She shook her head, wiping her face on his vest. “No, it’s mega-big. The best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Ah, Bozo.”

She hiccupped and smiled for no other reason than Rain wanted to give her a piece of his lifestyle. Then she decided she liked when he called her bozo in that soft voice he used when she’d caught him by surprise.

Chapter Seventeen

Unreal.

Tori blinked at Rain. “You had no idea Crystal was using you?”

“Nope.” He cut through his steak and stabbed the piece with his fork. “My first clue came when Sanchez showed up and ordered her to climb on the back of his bike.”

She gazed out at all the other couples at Riverside, a quiet lounge behind the hotel Rain owned. Everyone sat eating and enjoying quiet conversation. She wondered what they discussed, and if they were having a heavy conversation about ex-lovers and motorcycle club problems. Somehow, she doubted it.

She wiped her mouth and put the cloth napkin in her lap. “There are a lot of things I understand about relationships. I can see how people fall out of love, how they grow apart, and how their goals grow apart from each other so that over time it causes them to go their separate ways. What I don’t get is why someone would step out of a relationship without having the courtesy to say something. Wouldn’t it be easier to take five minutes and tell the person you supposedly care about that you want to break up before you go bop someone else?”

“Bop?” He grinned.

“Yeah.” She set her fork down. “How long did you go out with her?”

“A year, more or less.”

“Hm.” She studied her plate.

“Babe?” He rubbed his lips together. “You’re bothered by my past, and it’s done.”

“It’s horrible what she did to you. Of course, you’re over her, right? It no longer hurts to think about what she’s done?”

“There was never any love between us. She wasn’t my woman. We had sex. It ended.” He shrugged.

“I see,” she whispered.

He leaned forward and held her hand. “You don’t see. She means nothing to me.”

It hurt worse than she’d imagined. She stared at their hands linked on top of the table. His way of life and the approach he used to claim someone, only to throw them away when he tired of them, seemed shallow and unfeeling. Yet she’d witnessed how much he loved those he called family. He’d held her tenderly at night, not pushing her for anything more. Of course, she’d been half out of her mind when they were in bed, but still. He never asked for anything she wasn’t willing to give.

“Talk to me, Tori.”