Incidental Contact (Those Devilish De Marco Men) (36 page)

What was weird was that he hadn’t felt outright panic. In fact, the ground-rocks feeling in his gut was gone. He hadn’t realized that until those fluttery bees’ wings cranked up in his stomach again. He knew what the feeling was now.

He was in love with Amy.

He was dragging his toolbox from behind the back seat when he heard the crunch of tires on the gravel path. Sunlight glinted off the hood of Dan’s black truck.

His brother pulled up in front of the open door. “Saw you turn in here. What’s up?”

Eric gestured toward the net. A lot had happened since the day they’d argued, but though Eric felt like a different man, nothing had really changed in the week since Carah’s birth. Not between him and Dan, for sure. The weather had thawed, but not his older brother’s chilly attitude.

“What’s that for?”

He explained.

“Phil’s a dick on two legs, but I reckon I can see his point.” Dan eyed the cage. “Gonna take some time to tear that down and move it.”

“I need to get off around two, if possible. Net has to be up before six-thirty. That’s when the first game starts.”

Dan climbed out of his truck and strolled through the door. Eric followed, bending to sit his toolbox on the floor. Driving the toe of his boot through the slats on a packing crate, his brother crammed his hands into the front pocket of his jeans. The look on Dan’s face made Eric go tense with dread.

“Why’d I have to hear from Maze that you want to open a camp for handicapped sports? And your partner has a grant from a private foundation to help make the improvements and pay the rent?”

“Gene Rolley wouldn’t be my partner. He’d be my tenant. If the thing’s profitable, I don’t mind splitting the proceeds, or putting ‘em toward the farm taxes. Colton might need some help on Lila’s medical bills, too.”

Dan nodded. “Okay, but why didn’t
you
tell me?”

A year ago—hell, a month ago—Eric would’ve turned away without comment. The three of them lived and worked too close to argue. Once Dan made up his mind about something, it was easier to change the direction of the wind.

Amy’s comment was fresh in his mind. One mistake didn’t define a man... necessarily. His grandfather had been sixty when he turned his back on his workers, but Eric had been seventeen when he’d tried to help Sarah get an abortion. That had been fifteen years ago.

“Why’d I have to explain, Dan? I mean, I live here, same as you. I care what Jonah and Carah are exposed to. I worry about who might be around the women when they’re home alone. Same as you. You keep measuring me by what I did at seventeen. I know I haven’t done much to change your opinion since, but that’s.... These guys, Dan... you just need to see ‘em play.”

Dan turned for his truck.

Fuck, failed again.

To Eric’s surprise, instead of leaving, Dan reached inside his vehicle and came back holding an envelope. “Here’s your lease. Congratulations. Sounds like the camp’s gonna be a real good thing.” Dan chuckled. “But if we’re gonna have people running around in wheelchairs, we’re gonna have to slow Lila down somehow. I guess speed bumps are out?”

Eric took the envelope, numb with shock. Dan was giving in? “I dunno. I think four pounds, two ounces of ballast named Carah Mia might do the trick.” He unfolded the paper and couldn’t help but stare at the words. Dan had given him sole control of the camp and this shed for ten years, renewable on demand. For a dollar. He reached for his wallet. “What changed your mind?”

Dan leaned against his truck. “Guy I know did something last night. Reminded me how important it is to let people know you value them.”

“I figured you thought it was a dumb idea.”

Dan lifted massive shoulders. “I did think it was a dumb idea. And I was wrong. Same as I was wrong for not gettin’ between you and Dad that night.”

T
he exhibition was going to be a complete disaster. Amy paced from the toy vendor’s cart to the sweatshirt cart, glaring at the Parks and Rec employees kneeling on the floor. In over an hour, they’d only assembled two of the four-foot-by-four-foot sections of hardwood.
Two.
At this rate, they’d be done by Sunday night. Her dad wasn’t responding to her rapid-fire texts.

“Thanks for the heads-up about Jay Jarius signing autographs.” Amy shoved her phone into her back pocket and tried to smile at the toy guy. “I stocked up on these little plastic footballs.” He waggled one. Amy was tempted to grab it and fire it at the idiots who couldn’t bother to read the directions on how to assemble the portable court.

“You’re welcome. Trust me, I hope you sell a million.” She stalked to the folding table, yanking the cover straight. Living with Eric had literally spoiled her. She expected every man to go about this kind of chore with his competence.
As if. Competence is rare.

Looking up hopefully when the service door opened, her heart fell when the person stepping into the mall wasn’t Eric, but her mother. Alice dragged a floor-model message board they’d arranged to borrow from the library. “Your dad’s going to be late for his own funeral.” Her mother banged a box onto the folding table and panted. “I have more like these. Can you help me fetch them, so I can move my car? Eric’s behind me, waiting to get into the service alley.”

“Oh, thank God. I’ve been plotting how to kill Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.” Amy yanked a thumb over her shoulder at the Parks and Rec crew.

Alice watched the inept pair for a minute, shaking her head. “Almost makes me feel sorry for your dad. Almost. I guess you heard the news already? I’m so excited.”

“What news?”

Alice’s brows went up. “Eric didn’t tell you? Gene Rolley’s been at the garage all day. Your dad was there till lunchtime. The De Marcos—well, Eric—is leasing him the migrant camp at De Marco Farms. Have you seen the place?”

Eric told her Dan refused to consider giving Gene a lease. What had changed? And why hadn’t he bothered to tell her?
My work here is done.
Her heart wrenched painfully.

She tried to smile at Alice. This wasn’t the time for an inquisition. “No, I didn’t know. Yes, I’ve seen the camp. It’s perfect. There aren’t many physical barriers. Even the building doors are already wider than normal.”

Alice beamed. “He gave them a great lease and plans to help them do the work to convert the place. A heart of gold
and
he can fix a car? Be still, my heart.” Alice tugged the sleeve of Amy’s uniform. “Come help me unload this stuff. I have three more signs. Thought we should put one on the court during the breaks to tell people when the next game will be played.” Alice turned, took two steps and stopped so fast Amy banged into her. “Guess not.”

Amy peered over her mom’s shoulder. Eric, Dan, and Colton each carried a sign. Eric scowled and pointed at Alice. “Didn’t you hear me yelling that we’d get these?”

Alice tipped her head back. Eric loomed over her. Her mom was even shorter than Amy. “I heard you yell. I just didn’t know you were talking to me.”

Eric set his burden down and tapped Alice on the end of her nose. “Yes, you. What else needs to be brought in from your car? And if you’ll give me your keys, I’ll get my brother to move it. No sense in you running in and out in the cold. Mrs. Sizemore, have you met my brothers? This is Colton. That’s Dan.”

Colton smiled. “Nice to meet you, ma’am. I have baby pictures, if y’all wanna see ‘em.” He waggled his cell phone, then pressed it into Amy’s hand. “Gotta get this done. I’m sneaking Lila out of the hospital. She’s determined to, uh, see the first game.” He snagged Alice’s keys and loped toward the service entrance.

“Mom just told me about the camp. Congratulations.”

The hurt that he hadn’t told her faded when Eric said, “Aw, dammit. I wanted to see your face when I told you.”

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” Alice covered her mouth, but laughed. “Tucker can’t keep secrets.”

“Now you tell me.” Eric huffed, but he was smiling in a way she hadn’t seen for a long time.

An hour later, Amy felt much calmer. Not only had Eric drafted Colton and Dan, but Maze was here, too. After she fussed about the county employees, Eric shooed them away. Now, Dan and Maze were slinging the massive sections of hardwood around like poker chips. With Colton and Eric doing the assembly, the floor was nearly complete.

The Parks and Rec guys had the bleachers set up and were wheeling in the portable goals. Amy collapsed into a chair beside Alice, behind the table set up for Jay to sign autographs. “I think this is actually going to happen.”

Her mother lifted Amy’s cell phone to her eye. “How many pictures do you plan to take?”

Alice leaned close and whispered, “Honey, I’d ask how you got such gorgeous minions, but in my official capacity as your mother, I’m afraid I’d be obligated to slap you if you told me.”

Amy laughed till she had tears in her eyes. “I see ‘em nearly every day, you know.”

“We’re moving to the farm,” Alice declared. “I can tell from here, the view is amazing. We don’t take up much room. I thought Eric looked like Rafe. Good Lord, Dan’s his spitting image. If Colton ever cut that long hair, he would be, too.”

A few minutes later, Cynda arrived with Jonah. The teenager was practically bouncing. “I can’t wait to meet Jay Jarius. You’re gonna introduce me, right Amy?” Jonah threw his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. He batted his lashes. “Pretty please?”

“How about I put you in charge of giving people their tax-deductible receipt for their donations? That way you can sit at his elbow.”

“Awesome! Hey, my Algebra teacher said our student teacher’s name was Miss Sizemore. That’s you, right? I’m never gonna remember not to call you Amy. I gotta go. Eric needs my help hanging the net.” The teen bounded off.  Skidding to a halt, he spun and folded his hands together under his chin. “Amy, please, please ask Uncle E if he’ll get me a job at the training camp. I hate working at the garage.”

“Ask him yourself.” Amy laughed, but yanked her phone from Alice’s hand. In all the excitement over the exhibition, she’d forgotten to check the student teacher assignment postings.

Jonah waggled his brows like Eric and the look in his green eyes grew sly. “Tell you a secret about my uncles. They can’t say no when their girlfriends do the asking. Works every time.”

She felt the hard look from her mother, but kept her eyes on the screen. “Lila still won’t let you have that four-wheeler, huh?” she muttered. “Hey, I am gonna be teaching you Algebra.”

“She’ll have to give in if I have a job up at the camp. No homework, please, Amy? You know baseball starts after Spring break.”

“Jonah, Eric needs you. Work now, talk later,” Cynda scolded, then turned to Amy with a smile. “What do you need me to do? Grams will be along. She stopped to talk with some folks she used to work with at the cotton mill.”

“Ugh. We have to find all the letters to make these signs.” Amy pushed the note cards spelling out the information to go on each sign toward Cynda and made introductions, but her attention was on Eric.

He approached the toy vendor’s cart, pointing to two sponge ball shooters and a huge roll of kite string. “What’s up, big man? No pink one this time?” the toy guy ribbed, pulling the guns Eric indicated off the racks.

“You know what? I will take a pink one,” Eric said, turning to wink at Amy. “I’m a big believer in tradition.”

“Yeah?” The vendor laughed, making change. “I hope your shooting’s gotten better.”

“We’re about to find out.”

What was he up to? He dumped the balls out of the shooters and tugged something out of his shirt pocket. Light flashed off a long, thin piece of metal. Whatever the thing was, he tied the kite string to it before shoving the strip through the sponge ball. After tugging the metal strip off the string, he knotted the twine around the ball. He twisted more twine around his forefinger. When he was satisfied with the length, he produced a pocket knife. Cutting the twine, he stuffed the small coil into the barrel. The ball went in last.

He repeated the procedure with the second gun. Handing that one to Jonah, he kept the pink one and pointed at the rafters. Jonah studied the beams overhead, then examined the toy gun, nodding.

Taking positions a few feet from the court, both pumped their guns.

“What in the world are they doing?” Alice paused, letting plastic letters fall through her fingers to stare.

“Haven’t figured it out yet,” Amy replied.

Eric pulled his trigger. The ball flew toward the high ceiling and fell to the ground. He retrieved the ball and stuffed the twine back onto the gun, moving about a foot closer to the basketball court. He pumped a few more times, then took aim and fired. The dark ball arced into the tangle of ductwork and metal beams and disappeared before falling onto the sections of gleaming hardwood. The white twine hung in mid-air. Squinting, she realized the line had crossed an overhead beam.

“Pump it about ten times,” he called to Jonah. “Then let ‘er rip.”

Dan, Colton, and Maze had completed the floor by the time Eric and Jonah had worked their way around the court, leaving strings dangling in their wake.

The pair ducked out the side door. When they returned, Eric was carrying a huge roll of something that looked like black carpeting. Jonah had an armful of...
ski ropes?

“The man’s a freaking genius,” Amy muttered, realizing his plan.

Cynda nodded. “Even Lila has yet to come up with a hare-brained scheme he can’t make happen. Colton fusses all the time that Eric enables her wild ideas.”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Amy blurted, turning in her seat to glare. “Of course Eric will bust his ass to keep you and Lila happy, because he loves his brothers and in his mind, women always leave.”

Like he busted his ass to help me with this project?

She wasn’t sure where the insight came from, but she knew she’d stumbled on something important. She thought about Tina, and Dani, and Dee. She’d assumed he’d been using them for casual sex, but what if it were the other way around?

Was that even possible?

Well, yeah.
Wasn’t she using him for a place to stay?