Say You'll Never Love Me (24 page)

BY THE TIME JARED
dropped Silbie off and picked Dak up, it was almost eleven. Still plenty of time for drinks before the bars closed at two. Tech Tavern, with over sixty taps, including several house-made beers, boasted the largest selection in the city. Jared figured this was his chance to show that Lubbock was more than flat land and farmers. He doubted Austin had better watering holes than this one.

On the drive over, Jared kept the conversation focused on his new friend. He’d asked about his job and daughter, two things Dak was more than happy to discuss in length.

When they got to the bar, Jared stopped to order, then found a table in the corner. He slid onto one of the red vinyl chairs. The Tavern smelled of beer and chicken wings. A variety of neon signs hung on the walls, along with signed photos from all the Tech football players who’d gone on to play for professional teams. Even though it was less than two hours until closing, the place was still packed, mostly with university students.

Dak took the seat across from Jared and leaned forward. “Quinn gave me strict instructions to find out what’s going on with you and Raynie?”

Jared chuckled. “You mean what are my intentions?”

“I told her it’s none of our business, but they’ve been friends forever, so I’ve got to give her something.”

“Friendship is all she wants.”

Dak raised a brow. “But you want more?”

The server delivered the mugs and Jared paid. He waited for her to leave before he answered. “What would be the point? In a few weeks she’ll be leaving. And . . . she hates Lubbock.”

“Hell, other than Quinn, she only has one close friend. And Rico, the guy she dates on and off is nothing but a boy-toy. For her to stay, maybe you should give her a reason stronger than friendship.”

Jared laughed. “I’ve tried, and for a while, I thought we were getting closer, but she ended it.”

“She thinks you’re seeing someone.”

Jared’s face drew tight. “Why would she think that?”

“Saw you with a woman at some cafe.”

So she did see me.
“She was an old friend.” He wanted to change the subject before Dak asked too many questions. “Raynie mentioned you and your wife got together under odd circumstances.”

“About as odd as you can get. She tricked me into getting her pregnant and never told me about the baby. Fabricated everything, so I had no way to find her.”

Jared’s mouth hung open. “So, she lied?”

“That’s an understatement.”

When Dak finished the story, Jared sat in stunned silence. Compared to Quinn’s lie, his seemed insignificant. “Damn. How’d you get past all that?”

“Easy. I loved her.” He chuckled. “Not at first sight. She wasn’t my type. But after our weekend together, she’s all I thought about. And once I located her, because of what she’d done, I tried to hate her, but couldn’t. Oh, I put on a good act for a while, but when she threatened to leave, I came to my senses.”

“That’s some story.”

“Yeah. Similar to yours and Raynie’s.”

Jared choked on his drink. He saw nothing comparable. “What do you mean?”

“A card reader and a minister. Opposites. But you’re ahead of the game, because there aren’t any lies involved.”

I’m not afraid of storms, for I’m learning how to sail my ship.

~Louisa May Alcott

BLURRY EYED, JARED
stared at the clock, then rolled to his back and gazed at the ceiling. It’d been another two weeks since he’d seen Raynie and shared a drink with her friend, Dak. Because of what Jared learned about the couple’s love story, and how Raynie had been a part of the deception, surprised him.

He swung his feet to the floor and rested his elbows on his knees. No time to think about his love life. He’d promised to mow his parent’s lawn. In the past, Dad always insisted on doing the yardwork, but since being diagnosed with angina, the doctor ordered no exertion for a while.

An hour later, with each strip he cut, his brain played a game of she loves me, she loves me not. One minute he thought the attraction was one-sided, and the next, mutual. He should forget her and move on with his life. There were too many things to overcome for a relationship to ever work. He was ready to settle down and she never would be.

He killed the engine and admired his work, loving the smell of freshly mowed grass. From Jace’s house, Mom walked Jared’s way with the twins in tow.

She smiled. “Thanks for mowing. It looks great.”

He raked fingers through his hair. “Glad to do it.”

“You need a haircut.”

“Nope. This is my new look. I’m letting it grow. Thinking about getting my ears pierced and a nose ring.”

“Over my dead body.”

He laughed. Nothing made him happier than getting the best of his mother.

Emma broke free and reached for him.

“Sorry, baby. I’m hot and sweaty. Let me wash up and I’ll take you.” At the faucet, he picked up the garden hose, and trickled a gentle stream over his face. The little tots ran to him. He spread his thumb over the end of the tube and sent a spray into the air. Both girls danced in circles, raised their arms to catch the drops and giggled.

“Jared! You’re soaking them! Stop!” Mom threw her hands up, but when he aimed the spew toward her, she stepped back. “You’d better not get me wet.”

He smiled down at his nieces. “Think we should give BeBe a bath?”

She retreated and narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” He pointed the water hose, and a mist hit her.

She screamed and jumped back more, but he followed. The toddlers laughed and tried to keep up. Sunlight broke through the clouds and created a rainbow in the cascade. Damn, about the time he pushed Raynie from his mind, Mother Nature reminded him of her.

A FEW WEEKS AGO
, hearing from Rico would have sent Raynie’s heart into a spin, but not now. He called to say how he liked California and missed her. Yeah, right. Before the conversation ended, he asked her to mail a package to him. Once she returned to Austin, she was to pick it up from the new owner at the tattoo shop. Just some old designs from Rico’s early years, before he put everything on computer. Funny, she never considered him sentimental, but he said they were important, so she agreed.

She went into the bedroom and marked the desk calendar. Fifteen days until she headed back home. She wrote Rico’s name and drew a heart around it. Silly. Her stomach knotted, and she didn’t understand why. He’d been nothing more than a good time. A convenient distraction. A scratch for an itch. Meaningless sex. The kind she liked.

Then she thought of Jared. Lord, she was a mess. A fickle woman who didn’t have a clue. Told him to go, but hoped he’d stay. Talk about screwed up. She deserved to be miserable wanting a man she couldn’t have.

To survive, she needed to avoid him until she left. Block the kindest, most selfless, trustworthy man she’d ever met from her mind. Easier said than done.

By seven o’clock, Silbie helped Raynie clear the dishes. Her niece had come a long way. When she mentioned either parent, she still talked about them in present tense, but not as often. She didn’t cry for Celeste anymore, and the nights Silbie crawled into Raynie’s bed had gotten less.

She’d still not told Silbie about moving, but time was running out. She needed to ease into it. “Hey, Sil. This summer, I thought we might travel. Would you like that?”

“Where would we go?”

Raynie poured leftover taco soup into a plastic container. “I need to take care of some business in Austin, so I thought we’d stay there a while. Then head to Florida for Grand’s wedding. Spend time on the beach. Work on our tans. Go to Disney World.”

“Swim in the ocean? Find seashells? And see Cinderella?”

“Sure would.”

“Can I buy a camera to take pictures?”

“Absolutely.”

“Okay.”

A loud clap of thunder caused Silbie to jump. She came around the counter and hugged Raynie’s waist. “I’m scared. I don’t like that.”

“It’s okay.” Another new discovery. She’d not known her niece was afraid of storms. “Tell you what. After our baths, we’ll get our jammies on, and build an inside tent. Your mom and I used to do that when we were young.”

Raynie made quick work of filling both tubs. While Silbie bathed, Raynie sank deep into her own perfumed bath. The talk about leaving Lubbock, even for a while went better than expected. Maybe by the time summer ended, she’d be okay with a permanent move.

Lightning streaked across dark clouds while angry thunder protested. Raynie gathered comforters and pillows from the beds and spread them in the hallway. Thumbtacks held sheets stretched from one wall to the other. In the center of the makeshift shelter, she took the shower rod from Silbie’s bathroom, anchored it into an antique churn Celeste had by the fireplace and attached an open umbrella to keep the roof from sagging.

She nestled Silbie in her arms. “Scary stories were your mom’s favorite, but I liked fairy tales with princesses.” Raynie wished she still believed in those.

Silbie shivered. “I wish Daddy was here.”

Raynie didn’t know what to say. She wished the same thing. Or Mom. Or Quinn. Or anybody more experienced in comforting a terrified little girl. “I know you do, sweetie. How about I read your favorite book? I’ll be right back.” She doubted that was the best way to handle the situation, but it was all she could think of. Rain pounded. The sky exploded with fiery bolts and roared with one clash after the other.

Her phone chimed, and she searched beneath the mound of bedding, but then Silbie took it from her pocket and handed it to her. Odd. Raynie glanced at the caller. Her heart jumped into her throat. “Hello.”

“Open the garage so I can pull my truck inside. It’s about to hail.”

He must be out in the weather and needs shelter.
She rushed to find the opener. Regardless of the reason, hearing Jared’s voice excited her, seeing him made her warm all over. Four hours past a five o’clock shadow, dark stubble peppered his handsome face, and he needed a haircut. He looked good enough to eat, or at least lick. “You get caught out in the storm?”

“No. Silbie called. Said she wanted me to come over because she was scared. You didn’t know?”

“No.”

Silbie nudged her out of the way and hugged him.

He lifted her into his arms, and she pressed her head to his chest and cried.

“Hey, sweet pea, it’s just rain. It’ll be over soon.”

At that moment, Raynie realized no matter how hard she tried, or how good her parenting skills, there would always be things she couldn’t provide. Like the loving comfort of a man’s arms. “Come inside. Silbie and I made a tent.”

He moved forward with the child clinging to him like a dryer sheet on a towel. Raynie wanted a turn at that if only for a moment. To have him tell her everything would be okay. Assure her she was doing a good job, even though she was an epic failure.

For the next two hours, while hail pounded in waves, she and Jared took turns storytelling. She made popcorn, and he told the silliest knock-knock jokes she’d ever heard. She couldn’t remember a more violent storm or being happier. Unable to pull her eyes away from him, he’d caught her looking more than once. She hoped he couldn’t read her mind.

By ten o’clock, Silbie was asleep, the hail had stopped but rain continued to fall. Raynie moved around the kitchen putting popcorn bowls away while Jared stacked books on the counter. The lights flickered, then the room went dark.

“Power’s out. You got a flashlight or candles?”

“I’ll get them. There’s a lighter on the mantle.”

She left him and moved down the hallway. In the bedroom, out of habit, she flipped the light switch and for a second expected it to work. Crazy. From the nightstand, she took a pillar candle, then stepped into the bathroom for votives. When she came out, Jared stood inside the room. Even in darkness, a silhouette of solid manhood.

She set the candles down, rummaged through the drawers and found a small Mag lite, and shined it toward him. “Who said let there be light?”

He laughed. A low mellow tone from deep in his chest, and her toes curled. Then he did something unexpected. He closed the door and locked it. Her heart hammered. Outside, wind whistled and howled. Raynie’s emotions swirled right along with it.