Clover (15 page)

Four Years Ago

Clover didn’t recognize most of the people at her party. When she mentioned that to her dad, he just laughed and introduced her to the next couple who walked by. The Shermans. They were clients of her dad’s and their oldest daughter was starting high school this year. Their youngest son was the same age as R.J.. None of that information explained why they were at Clover’s going away party.

She found Brandon hiding in the corner, partly obscured by a large fichus. Her dad had rented the community center and brought a crew in to cater the event. The caterers provided all the tables, chairs, place settings, and several of the fixtures. The fichus likely entered the building on a hand truck earlier that day and would leave the same way later. Clover sat next to Brandon and wished the plant was bigger.

“My feet are killing me.” She slipped off the ridiculous high heels that she’d insisted on wearing. They looked really sexy and made her feel all grown up. This evening was enough to convince her that heels were for fools. She’d figure out a way to look sexy in flats from now on. The pain just wasn’t worth it.

Brandon looked at her shoes and raised one eyebrow. He took a sip of his beer rather than comment.

“Does Dad know you’re drinking that?”

Brandon evaluated the long neck bottle, then drained it. “Your father doesn’t need to know everything.”

“Where did you even find it?”

Her dad had contracted a full service beverage bar that stocked several non-alcoholic options, a few wines, and a full line of top shelf liquors. The only thing Clover didn’t see was beer.

“I have my ways.” Brandon smiled deviously. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago that she’d realized how sexy that particular smile was. He’d met her at school one day to drop off a book she’d forgotten. After he left, she’d been swarmed by senior girls wanting to know all about him. Prior to that, she’d never noticed that Brandon was a good looking man. He’d always just been Brandon. She still didn’t know exactly what to do with her new perspective on him.

“Can your ways find one for me?” Clover asked, knowing that he wouldn’t give her a beer. She may be eighteen and ready to move to Seattle for school, but that didn’t change anything. Brandon and her dad would always see her as a little girl. For now, she was okay with that.

Brandon looked at her levelly, but didn’t answer.

“That’s a no then?”

Brandon nodded. “That’s a no.”

Clover had tried beer a few times. She wasn’t a huge fan the first time, but by the third or fourth time, it started to grow on her. She was a big fan of tormenting Brandon, though. He was so even-keeled all the time. It was fun to see if she could knock him off center. The raised eyebrow over her shoes was a pretty extreme reaction from him.

“I’m going to miss you.” Clover didn’t know where the sudden burst of sentiment came from. The closer it got to the time for her to move, the more excited she got. She hadn’t allowed herself to dwell on how much she’d miss her family.

Brandon held out his hand and, when she took it, he squeezed hers tight. “I’ll miss you more.”

She laughed because if she didn’t, she would cry and throw herself into his lap like she had when she was little. “I have no doubt about that.”

“You’re going to do great, Clover. You’re so much like your dad. So smart and determined. It’ll be over before you know it.”

“Thank you.” She had to get away from him before she really did break down and cry. Her emotions were so close to the surface and she wasn’t holding herself in check very well.

Brandon gave her hand one last squeeze, then let go. He looked pointedly over her shoulder. “Your dad is giving me the evil eye. I guess I better go mingle.”

They stood together. She had so much more she wanted to say to him, to her whole family really, but the words just wouldn’t come to her. Instead of words, she slipped her shoes back on with a grimace and kissed Brandon on the cheek. If her dad was watching Brandon, that meant he was watching her, too. “I better get back to it.”

“You should go say hi to Jake.” Brandon pointed to another potted plant with a pair of feet at the base.

“That’s Jake hiding behind that plant?”

Brandon laughed. “He takes all his cues from me.”

Brandon joined her dad and Clover crossed the room to where Jake was hiding. She rustled the plant in front of him. “Are you going to stay back there for the whole party?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know any of these people.”

He’d filled out quite a bit since the year before, but he was still scrawny and gangly. He was wearing a suit jacket that was a few sizes too large, but the shirt was too small to button at the neck. He looked rather pitiful and she didn’t blame him for hiding.

“I don’t know them either.”

“Then why are they here?” Jake asked the question that had been running through Clover’s mind all night. She would have preferred a small family barbecue. Or maybe pizza and a DVD in their living room. A night where her dad and Brandon didn’t focus more on work than the moment in front of them. She loved them both, but they were perpetually distracted by their respective businesses. Any given night, her dad might join them, but he’d spend the majority of his time staring at his laptop answering emails. Brandon used evenings to catch up on the administrative parts of running the farm. There was a surprising amount of paperwork that went into growing crops.

Clover shrugged. “My dad invited them.”

“Did he invite the whole county?”

She surveyed the room. There were several people who’d traveled to be there. “And then some.”

Jake scuffed his shoe on the floor. Clover recognized it as a sign of nervousness, but she hadn’t seen it from Jake in a long time. “My aunt made me come.”

“I’m glad you did. If you hadn’t, who would I talk to?” She led him to one of the round tables toward the back of the room. She couldn’t hide behind a plant, but hopefully she could rest her feet while talking to Jake. She sat and pushed a chair toward him. “Sit.”

They spent the rest of the evening talking and, by the end of the night, she was a little sad to think that she probably wouldn’t see him again until the next summer.

Chapter 29

Present Day

Jake pulled into the Watson driveway well before Clover would leave for work. She’d told him that she didn’t want him to hang out at the pool while she was on shift, but he had to run a few errands. Hopefully, that would convince her to let him ride along.

Right as he turned off his engine, Clover came running out the front door with her keys in her hand. She looked startled when she saw his truck, but she switched directions and headed toward him with a smile.

He climbed out and met her as she rounded the front fender.

“Hey, what are you doing here? I’m on my way to work.” She raised up on her tiptoes and kissed him before he could answer. “I missed you, by the way.”

They’d seen each other the night before, but during the hours in between, he’d missed her, too. The need to spend time with her grew more urgent with every passing day. He snuck another quick kiss, then responded, “Me, too. I need to pick some things up in town, so I thought maybe we could ride in together.” He tried so hard to sound confident with Clover, but sometimes simple statements came out as a question.

She raised a brow. “Yeah? What do you need to get?”

He’d hoped to avoid telling her that his primary objective was the box of condoms she’d asked about twice. He didn’t know which embarrassed him more, that he didn’t have them when she asked, or that he had to tell her he wanted to buy some so he’d be ready next time she asked. His face flushed with heat and he stammered, “I…you know…drug store…”

Clover looked at him, her head tilted to one side and her brow creased, before a look of understanding crossed her face and she smiled knowingly. “Okay, you can ride with me so long as you’re not planning to bring a bunch of farm supplies home in my trunk.”

Thank God she hadn’t needed him to be more specific. He’d struggled enough just to say what little he’d managed. “Is my truck okay here?” Jake doubted that she’d care where he parked, but Mr. Watson might have an opinion on the matter. “Do I need to check with your dad?”

“It’ll be okay, but if you’re really worried about it, I’ll run in and tell him. It’ll be quicker that way.”

“I just don’t want him to find it and be upset, that’s all.”

Clover laughed and kissed him on the cheek. “It takes more than a pickup truck to upset him.” She walked backward toward the house as she spoke, and just as she was about to trip on the bottom step, she turned smoothly and ran back up the stairs and into the house.

Jake leaned against the fender of his truck and wondered how much Mr. Watson really knew about their relationship. What would he think if he knew the reason for Jake’s impromptu trip to town with Clover? Would he even say anything? Jake didn’t really care to find out either way. He wondered if this was what his aunt had meant when she warned him not to play with Clover, but nothing about their relationship felt like playing.

Maybe he was too young to know the difference, but for him, this was as real as real could get. He didn’t know how exactly, but he knew he and Clover would find a way to be together beyond the summer. They just had to. Anything else was too devastating to even consider.

Clover ran out of the house for a second time, this time with her smile focused on him. It took Jake a couple of beats to realize that Mr. Watson had followed her out of the house.

“Dad wants to talk to you.” She winked as she walked past him. She climbed in her car and left Jake standing alone in the driveway with her dad.

Jake tried to smile, but Mr. Watson made him nervous, so it probably looked more like a grimace. Then he remembered his manners and extended his hand to Mr. Watson. He was the type of man who liked to shake hands and that’s the kind of thing Jake should always keep in mind. “Hello, sir.”

Mr. Watson’s handshake was firm, but brief. It didn’t feel like he was trying to make a point and that helped Jake relax a little.

“Afternoon, son. Clover says you’re headed into town with her. Are you planning to do some swimming?” Mr. Watson’s tone was mild, but his gaze was anything but. He stared at Jake with intense scrutiny and Jake fought the urge to squirm in his boots.

“Not exactly, sir. I have to pick up a few things from town.” The thought of stopping past the pool to cool off while he was there was pretty appealing, but it wasn’t his primary goal. If he had time, it would be a nice bonus to the day.

“Things that are better carried around in a sports car rather than a pickup truck?” Mr. Watson’s expression didn’t change, but Jake felt flayed open and exposed by the words.

“Yes, sir. I just need a few small toiletry items from the drug store.” He pulled a folded paper from his pocket and gave it to Clover’s dad. Aunt Tammy had written out a careful list of all the things she needed, including tampons and a few other items Jake was not particularly thrilled to shop for. He doubted she would be very pleased to know that Randall Watson had reviewed the list, but that couldn’t be helped now. Jake had panicked like a kid caught passing notes in school and turned it over without really thinking about the contents.

Thank God he hadn’t penciled the word condoms onto the bottom like he’d considered. There was no way Mr. Watson would mistake Jake’s printed block letters for his aunt’s flowing cursive script.

Mr. Watson scanned the paper with the efficiency of a man who was accustomed to reading reports. “I see.”

He folded it in half and returned the list to Jake. His fingers trembled as he tucked it back into his pocket. Jake left his hand in his pocket and stuffed his free hand into the other pocket. It seemed the safest bet given how nervous Mr. Watson made him.

“Now, why don’t you tell me what this is really about?” Clover’s father folded his arms over his chest.

“Sir?”

“That list will take thirty minutes to collect. Tops. Not four hours.”

Jake’s mouth went dry and he swallowed before trying to answer. “No, I don’t think it will take that long.”

“Son, I think it’s time we talked about it, don’t you?”

“It?” Jake’s voice cracked. His own dad had never had
the talk
with him. He wasn’t at all prepared to have it with Mr. Watson.

“It. Your relationship with my daughter.”

Before Jake could answer, Clover rolled down her window and called, “I really need to get going or I’m going to be late for work.”

“Saved by the bell, eh Jake?” Mr. Watson asked drolly.

The reprieve gave Jake a chance to collect his thoughts. Mr. Watson was old fashioned in a lot of ways. He probably just wanted to know Jake’s intentions with regard to Clover and had no magical insight into the true reason for the shopping trip. Jake took a step closer to Mr. Watson. He wanted to be able to speak candidly without Clover overhearing him. “I love your daughter, sir. I’m happy to talk to you about that any time you like.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But it doesn’t explain why you’re planning to spend the afternoon sitting at the pool when you should be working. You’re not a boy anymore.”

Jake’s head swam. Mr. Watson’s words were the best compliment he’d ever been paid by another man, yet at the same time they contained cutting judgment. Yes, he thought Jake was a man, but not a very good one if all he wanted to do was hang out at the pool.

“I finished my work early so that I could spend the time with Clover.”

Mr. Watson’s posture relaxed slightly when Jake said he hadn’t abandoned his responsibilities to run off and play with Clover, but not by much. “But why? Clover is better off if she doesn’t have her boyfriend hanging around her job, bugging her while she’s trying to work.”

“Oh no, sir. I would never bother her at work. I don’t want to get her in trouble.” Jake needed to wrap this up and go. Clover was waiting and not very patiently. However, he couldn’t just walk away and let Mr. Watson think he was a lazy guy. He worked too hard and Mr. Watson’s opinion mattered too much.

“Then why go at all if you’re not going to talk to her?” For the first time during their conversation, Mr. Watson looked perplexed.

“Because then I know she’s safe.” Jake knew the moment he finished the sentence that he’d said too much, but there was no taking it back. Mr. Watson was going to make him explain. Frankly, he would rather do that than have his future father-in-law--God willing--think he was a controlling jerk.

Clover’s dad rocked back on his heels and evaluated Jake. “What does that mean? Safe from what?”

“Her boss...he’s not a great guy.” Jake spoke hesitantly. Clover was going to kill him for telling her dad when she said she didn’t want to.

Mr. Watson’s face turned red, but his voice never changed. “Has he hurt her?”

The longer Jake thought about it, the less it mattered if Clover was mad. Her safety was more important than anything and Mr. Watson would know how to help. “No, but he’s said things.”

“What kind of things?”

Jake hesitated again. He couldn’t bring himself to use the word ‘blowjob’ when all Vince had done was ask for one. He’d been completely out of line to do so and it made Jake want to punch him in the mouth, but that didn’t change the fact that Clover had gotten on her knees for Jake. Twice. He could feel his skin burning with embarrassment already. He might pass out completely if he ever had to say something explicit regarding sex and Clover to Mr. Watson. He settled on “sexual things.”

“I’ll ruin the bastard.” Mr. Watson turned away briefly. When he turned back to face Jake, his eyes blazed with anger and sadness. “Why hasn’t Clover mentioned this to me?”

“She said he’s not the first. Like maybe it’s normal for her to have that happen.” Jake couldn’t imagine treating a woman like that, at work or otherwise. Mr. Watson had spent more time in the workplace than Jake, but he still looked surprised. Maybe he’d come across it in L.A., yet expected men to behave better in Oregon. Or maybe he was just surprised that his daughter seemed to be routinely on the receiving end. Or maybe he was genuinely surprised by it all, just like Jake. One thing was certain--Jake wasn’t going to ask him.

“Goddamn it.”

Clover tooted the horn and, when Jake turned in her direction, she waved at him with a smile that said “Hurry up.”

“I really need to go, sir.” Jake hated to leave things the way they were, but the only other option was to tell Clover to go on without him. He really didn’t want to do that.

“Of course. We’ll continue this later.” Mr. Watson turned toward the house. He stopped halfway up the steps and called over his shoulder, “Your truck is just fine where it is.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Jake watched Mr. Watson until the door closed behind him. That conversation was intense and he had no idea how to explain to Clover what they’d discussed. Jake had started out on the defensive, worried that Mr. Watson knew about his secret motivation behind the impromptu trip into town. No young man wanted to discuss sex with his girlfriend’s father. But then it had taken another turn, and by the end, Jake felt like an alliance had been established between them.

Either way, he’d never been witness to a parent who displayed such open concern for his child. It unnerved him to realize how jealous he was of something he was almost certain other people considered normal.

Jake shook his head to clear his thoughts, then trotted over to Clover’s car. He’d finish the conversation with Mr. Watson later. For now, however, he’d been trusted with keeping her safe and that’s what he intended to do.