Fender Bender Blues (25 page)

Rach tiptoed around the room to collect her clothes scattered all over the floor. The clock on the nightstand read seven a.m. She stole out of the room, quiet as a mouse, and gingerly shut the door behind her. In the living room, she hurried to pull on her wrinkled clothes and tripped over the leg of her pants when the doorbell rang.

“
Fuck!
” She hit the couch and landed with one bare knee on the carpet, the other leg stuck with her pants halfway up her thigh. She covered her mouth with her hand and held her breath.

When the doorbell rang again, Rach clawed her way up from the floor and pulled her pants to her waist, zipping up the fly and buttoning the waistband. The only way to get out of the house was to go through the visitor at the door. With the incessant door-ringing, Craig would soon awaken and she wasn’t ready for that awkward scene. She smoothed her tangled hair as much as possible without a pick and yanked the door open.

Only to be faced with a drop-dead gorgeous blonde dressed in a fitted navy pencil skirt and a fast-fading smile on plump red lips.

“I must have the wrong apartment.”

Rach nearly shivered at the razor sharp edge to the other woman’s words. Self-consciously, she patted down her unruly hair and pulled her wrinkled blouse into place. Mornings weren’t her finest hour, especially before a shower and definitely not after a long night of steamy sex. At a loss for words, Rach stared. Finally, she stammered, “Uh, this is, uh, Craig Larsen’s apartment.”

The blonde stepped back, a stricken expression skewing her face, and Rach decided she didn’t have the wrong apartment, after all. Judging by the angry gasp, Rach guessed she was Craig’s ex, Maggie. She looked away from the pretty woman to the to-go coffees clutched in her manicured hands.

Bringing coffee to a man who’d dumped you was not normal behavior, and if they’d broken up months before she wouldn’t look as victimized as she did now. According to Leah, they hadn’t dated for very long, but the woman standing before Rach looked as if she’d just been hit by a truck.

Rach pasted on a smile, trying to ignore the anger simmering inside to a slow boil. She pushed the door open wider and said as cheerfully as she could muster, “Well, come on in. Craig’s asleep in the bedroom. Just…wake him up. I’m on my way out. Have a good day.”

Rach strolled past, hoping to appear indifferent even though her mind was seething at the insulting idea of being added to Craig’s list of conquests. She’d been nothing more than a one-night stand to him. All her fears about the morning-after hadn’t involved actually running into a flesh and blood ex.

She held her head high as she walked down the hall. Her red hair might have been an unattractive ‘froed out mess, but she still had her pride.
Sort of
.

She slid behind the wheel of the Toronado and reached for her cell phone, hands shaking so badly she nearly dropped it on the floor. The air inside the car was stuffy and she turned the key and fumbled with the button to roll the windows down. She breathed in deep the scent of fresh cut grass and ignored the wild eyed woman staring back at her in the side mirror.

It was no surprise when Leah didn’t answer—she wasn’t a morning person, either. After the message recording played through, Rach moaned into the phone, “I just did the stupidest thing of my life and it’s your fault. I’m not sure I can ever forgive you. I’ll give you a few hints—it involves me, Craig, and a bed. If you can’t guess, I’ll have to question your intelligence as well. Call me. I need you. And tell Rick good morning and I blame him for it, too!”

Her voice had grown shrill by the end of her speech. At least they’d get the point. All their stupid matchmaking schemes had worked and now look at the mess she was in! She snapped the phone closed and worried about Tally, who’d gone without a potty break all night. Her puppy needed her. Craig didn’t. He was probably getting his eyes scratched out—or maybe his ex was crawling into bed to warm the spot Rach had left.

Sick.
She moaned and rested her forehead against the steering wheel, shaking her head from side to side. Her tummy did a little roll and sucked in another deep breath of fresh air. Hopefully, the first scenario was being acted out up in Craig’s apartment. If he was minus an eye after this morning, he deserved it.

Chapter Thirty

The strand of Christmas lights landed in a heap on Rach’s living room floor. She tossed the butterfly garden stake through the front door and it landed inside next to the lights. The forecast promised a sixty percent chance of rain for the rest of the day, and though Mrs. Petska was home, Rach wanted to get the lights and gnomes inside before the rain came. The humidity hung heavy in the air and the skies had begun to darken to the north. A small breeze rustled through the trees as the rain neared she knew she needed to hurry.

Setting the ladder inside the door, she whistled to Tally who bounded up the porch steps with a loud woof. Just then, Mrs. Petska stepped out her front door and Rach suppressed a groan.

“I told you all that barking would cause a problem.” She gave Tally a scolding stare, then turned to face her neighbor.

Mrs. Petska put a hand on her round hip in a determined air of authority, her eyes wide as she took in the mess. “
Humph
.” She jerked her head in a single, sharp nod of approval. “It’s about time you take that dreadful stuff down. You have horrible taste in decorating—you must have taken tips from Linda.”

Rach bit her tongue and counted to three, reminding herself of Mrs. Petska’s dumbass son who’d left his wife for a Vegas bimbo. She flashed a polite smile and prayed for patience. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Of course I’m happy. Those gnomes are the ugliest damn things I’ve ever seen. As bad as the trash Linda puts out every year. It’s nice you’ve finally come to your senses. I really thought you might be going crazy or doing drugs. Kids these days are a bunch of idiots.”

The urge to get back onto the ladder and rehang the lights was strong. It took all of her willpower to keep her feet on the ground and off the ladder. Through gritted teeth she said, “Well, you should throw away that ugly Welcome sign!”

Then she turned and ran into her townhome, slamming the door on Mrs. Petska’s sputtering indignation. She leaned back against the closed door and looked down at Tally who gave her a questioning stare.

“So much for a truce.” Tally whimpered and crouched low to the ground. Rach sighed. “Tell me about it.”

Now she’d be dodging her neighbor for another week. When the doorbell rang, Rach pushed herself from the door. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered. “I need to put a stop to this damn yard war. It’s ruining my life.”

She threw the door open and found Craig standing on the other side of the threshold wearing a gray shirt and a frown. Speechless, she took a step back. He stuck out a finger and pushed her jaw shut. She swatted his hand away and moved to shut the door on him, but he held the door open with his hand and stepped inside. Giving him a severe glare, she shut the door behind him.

“So nice of you to stop by uninvited.” She crossed her arms over her chest so she wouldn’t be tempted to smack him. Ignoring the sarcasm, he sent her a smile that turned her insides to jelly. Pissed, she strolled past him and headed for the stairs. “But if you don’t mind, you can let yourself out. I have to get ready.”

“Ready for what?”

“None of your business.”

“Of course, it’s my business,” he insisted.

He followed her up the stairs and she shook her head in exasperation. What had she been expecting? An apology? A declaration of undying love? Good thing she hadn’t been holding her breath for either or she’d be dead.

“I’m going out with Leah tonight. And no, it’s
not
your business,” she reiterated.

“And you didn’t invite me?”

His annoyance pissed her off and she whirled around at her bedroom door to face him with all her pent up anger dying for release. “Of course not, or I’d have had to invite your ex, too. You know, the one who brings you coffee in the morning at inappropriate hours.”

His mouth enveloped into a pleased smile and she snapped her mouth shut. “Jealous?” He waggled his eyebrows and she shoved him in the chest. He didn’t even budge.

“There’s no room in my evening for your ego.”

“Or your jealousy,” he added with a playboy grin. She turned her back on him and walked into her bedroom. Sending the closet doors open with a loud bang against the wall didn’t make her feel any better so she searched her closet for something to throw.
Maybe a black pump aimed at Craig’s forehead.

“I’m not jealous,” she lied and pulled out a teal satin tank top. “Just pissed you’d sleep with me when she’s in the picture. If you’re dating someone, you shouldn’t sleep with random people. That’s the definition of a cheating man-whore.”

The warmth of his body close behind made her freeze. She grasped the clothes hanger in one hand and the closet door in the other because she didn’t trust herself not to jump into his arms. All day, she’d missed him, longed to feel him against her, to experience the pleasure and happiness she’d experienced with him the night before in his bed. Her body ached for it. When his arms went around her to encircle her waist and pull her back against his body, it was all she could do to bite back the sigh threatening to escape her lips.

“I’m not seeing her,” he promised. His breath was a whisper against her hair and smelled of the peppermint gum he liked. “I’m not sure why she came over this morning. She hasn’t been welcome at my place for a long time and she knows it. It won’t happen again, Red.”

She wanted to believe him, but a niggling of doubt remained. Why would a woman keep throwing herself at a man if she wasn’t wanted? The concept was so foreign to Rach that she shook her head. When she didn’t turn to face him, Craig spun her around in his arms. She stared at his chest, her body rigid and stubborn. He waited a few seconds then put a finger under her chin and forced her to look up into his eyes.

“I’m serious.” The way his eyes pleaded with her quickened her heartbeat and her doubts slowly crumbled. He grasped her hand and touched his lips to her knuckles. “It’s been over for months, Red.”

She stared down at her hand in his. When she looked up again, she frowned. “I don’t understand what the problem is if it’s been over for months.”

He sighed. “It’s complicated because she works for me. When she calls, I never know if it’s about business or not, so I have to answer. Usually, I let it go to voicemail. This morning I told her she’s not welcome at my apartment and I think she left knowing I meant it.”

“You didn’t want a commitment?” She hated the uncertainty in her voice. Her need for his intentions to be pure was so overwhelming that she held her breath in anticipation of his answer. When he shook his head and pulled her into a tight hug, she let that breath go in a silent whoosh of relief. After a moment’s hesitation, she dropped the shirt and put her arms around his waist, locking her fingers behind his back.
This feels so right. I don’t want to let this go.

“Not with a woman who’s only interested in my money. I don’t trust her. I had a bad vibe about her when I dated her, and I ended it because there was no connection.” He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead and she shivered from the contact.

“So you’re not a commitment phobic man-whore?” Her voice came out muffled against his chest.

Craig laughed. “No, I’m not. So let’s forget about my ex. She’s history.”

She considered his words for a few seconds and then smiled. “Okay, I believe you.” Then she pushed him away and picked up the shirt off the carpet. “But you really do need to go. I have to get ready. Leah will be here in about twenty minutes.”

“That’s okay, I can watch.”

“Why are guys such perverts?” She turned back to the closet, but could still feel him behind her, standing close. Her heart raced a mile a minute in her chest.

“I had your car towed to my dealership today.” He gently lifted a strand of hair away from her neck and kissed the skin underneath. Rach suppressed a shudder.

“Oh? Who gave you permission to do that?” Her voice cracked and she tried to distract the butterflies in her stomach by pulling out a cream cardigan from the closet.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, about that…’’ He lifted his head slightly from brushing a soft kiss on her shoulder and cleared his throat. “Your dad called me at work. Said you didn’t have the sense to go and get your car from the ‘insurance frauders’.”

Rach frowned and turned to face him. She pushed him away and perched her hands on her hips. “I don’t have any sense?”

“He specifically said you’re a woman and women don’t have the sense to do right by their vehicles.” Craig grinned and leaned against the wall beside the closet. “I, of course, agreed and said I’d take care of it.”

She looked down at the shoes lining the bottom of her closet. It really would feel rewarding to chuck a pair at him. “How did you get them to release it to you?”

He winked. “I’m Craig Larsen, darling. I always get what I want.”

She winced at the horrible cowboy drawl. “Oh geez. You really are something else.”

“You know it, Baby.” He waggled his eyebrows and she rolled her eyes.

“Just because you’re some big shot, doesn’t mean you can go around, loading up any car you want. It’s still grand theft auto if you don’t have the person’s permission, you know.”