Shit Kickers & Stilettos (Heiresses In Aprons) (9 page)

Between work and soothing her friends ruffled feathers Rosie had spent most of the last three days on the phone or computer. She was at the point where she wanted to hop in her car and drive into the city. If she wasn’t spending her free time with Dade she would have done it already. She just wasn’t ready to give that up yet, even though she knew Dade would understand her need to go be near her friends.

She had explained to him that most of the time her role within the group was the sounding board. Whenever one of them had a problem she would listen to them talk it out. Sometimes if they were lucky they’d come up with at least a temporary solution. It seemed like since her visit with Sophia last week everyone had gone into a tailspin of sorts.

Nicolette wasn’t talking to two of her cousins, which was a huge deal in a family as close as hers. Sophia said it was because they had teased her about her lack of skills with kids. Rosie knew it was a sore subject for Nicolette. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, or that they didn’t like her, she just didn’t have many in her life to really learn how to take care of them. Rosie had once heard her sisters tell her it was no big deal, because she could afford a team of nannies. Nicolette was determined that she would never let it come to that. When Rosie talked to her earlier today she’d said she was going to find a
way to prove them all wrong, which kind of scared her. A determined Nicolette could be dangerous.

Then there was poor Tiffany. Things had been a little intense past few months between her, her parents, and sister. Her parents were pushing her to further her education and Tiffany wasn’t firmly against it. The issue seemed to be coming to a head, and though Nicolette and Sophia promised to be there for her Rosie wanted to be on hand.

Sophia, well she was usually the most together one of them all, but she was still dealing with the situation Gina had created. Hopefully the idea they’d come up with would work, but only time would tell. Rosie had already done what she could to get things moving.

When she was at home in her apartment and felt stressed or cooped up she’d take a stroll through her neighborhood. The sights and sounds always managed to calm her. She had no idea if it would work there but she decided to go for a walk and give it a try. She grabbed her cell phone off her desk just in case anyone needed her and headed for the
back door.

Dade had gone into town early this morning for some supplies and hadn’t returned yet, so she stopped in the kitchen and left him a note. She wanted to make sure he’d find it right away so she put it on the counter next to a plate of leftover cinnamon rolls that she’d made this morning.

Once outside on the porch that wrapped around the house she just stood there looking out at the yard. The idea of tossing rocks into the pond didn’t appeal to her like it had when she was a little girl, but she found herself walking toward the gazebo anyway. She ignored the bench and leaned against the post and stared out over the pond. The water was still and the few ducks floating on the surface were silent. Not for the first time since she got there she felt like something was missing.

It was more than her uncle. She missed him like crazy and wished he was there with her, but it was more than that. Like something was missing in her life. A part of her she’d yet to find. She wondered if she would have felt it in the city if there hadn’t been so many things to distract her. She felt the tears building up and didn’t even try to hold them back. Her uncle was always trying to teach her something.

She closed her eyes. An old memory of her and Teddy lying on a blanket staring up at the stars popped into her head. She had been around eleven, or maybe even as old as twelve. He had been pointing out the constellations and telling her stories about them.

He paused and after a few minutes he’d said, “Baby Girl, someday you’ll come here to think and I want you to remember this.”

“Why?” she had asked.

“Because I may not always be around to tell you how much I love you. You need love in your life, or it won’t really be any fun. Look for a man who makes you smile on the inside and on the outside.”

She opened her eyes, wiped her cheeks and said, “Oh Teddy. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Teddy’s reply would have been, “You’ll never know until you try.”

She’d always taken that to heart and tried her hardest at everything she did. Sometimes she failed, but it was with the knowledge that she’d given it her all. And there were some things like roller blading that she thought she’d never be able to do. With a little hard work and patience she had surprised herself and gotten the hang of it. She couldn’t help but wonder which category Dade would fall into?

Dade stayed away from the house as long as he could without it being too obvious. The last thing he wanted was for her to realize that he was avoiding her. He just needed some space to get his thoughts in order. While she seemed able to focus on work and everything else that came her way he couldn’t stop popping into the study to see if she needed anything, or just to say hi. So when the stable manager asked him about ordering some supplies in town Dade had jumped on the chance to drive in and pick them up.

Once he’d done that he decided to waste a little time. He grabbed a quick lunch on his own. The turkey and Swiss club sandwich hadn’t tasted nearly as good as the ones Rosie made. Even though the diner had been packed it was too damn quiet without her there to talk with. Then he hit the bookstore, bank, grocery store, and stopped to visit a friend of his. His buddy Nick was happy to see him, or maybe anyone might have done at the time. Nick’s five year old twins Hank and Holt had woken from their nap and without him knowing decided to take their dog Molly and her eight puppies out to play in the yard. When Dade had shown up Molly and Nick were chasing the puppies and the boys around the yard trying to round them all up.

It had taken over an hour, but Dade had helped them get everyone inside and calmed down. The puppies settled in much quicker than the boys. Once their mom laid down it was feeding time and they all pounced on her. The boys got angry because they weren’t done playing with them yet. Dade watched Nick negotiate with his kids better than some of the business men Dade had to deal with. Dade asked a few questions about the pups.

He knew they were yellow labs. Nick said they were almost six weeks old and all but two already had homes they’d be going to in just two weeks. Dade had no idea how Rosie was going to feel about it, but before he could stop himself he claimed the last two. Both girls, one was a touch bit lighter than the other, but Nick said that could change as they got older. Dade visited for a little while longer then decided it was time to go home and tell Rosie what he’d just done. He snapped a couple of pictures of the pups, tentatively named Baby and Girly until he got Rosie’s input and left.

Some people might see it as irresponsible of him to take on not one, but two puppies when so much of his life was still uncertain. He guessed that might be one of the reasons he’d done it. There was a damn good chance he was going to lose Rosie. The puppies wouldn’t replace her, but at least he wouldn’t go back to being all alone. A sick and twisted part of his mind told him he might be trying to see how she’d deal with him for doing this without asking her first. No matter what happened he’d love and care for the dogs and provide them with the best home he could.

Dade pulled the truck up to the barn and started unloading it. One of the boys from town that worked in the stable came running out to help him. In no time at all they were done and Dade had no excuse not to go find Rosie. He checked the study, her bedroom, his bedroom, and finally the kitchen. There on the counter sat a plate of gooey sticky buns. With one hand he grabbed a bun, and with the other he picked up the note resting against the plate.

She’d gone for a walk. It was only four-thirty so it would be light out for a few more hours. Still he wanted to make sure she was okay. He’d been in the barn so he knew she wasn’t there. Still he walked over that way to see if she’d taken one of the
trails. Not finding any sign of her he started back for the house.

He climbed the porch steps and turned to take one more look around. A dark shape on the gazebo caught his eye. Dade walked over and found her sitting there staring out into the woods. He had no idea why and from the concentration lines on her forehead he wasn’t sure he wanted to ask.

“Hey there, everything okay?”

“Fine.”
But she didn’t look up at him

“I’ve got some news to share,” His voice sounded a little
too chipper so he toned it down. “If you want to hear it?”

“Is it good?” Dade noticed the slight
droop of her shoulders when she asked.

“Um
… I think it is, but you might not.” Honesty would hopefully gain him a few points.

“I’m willing to think positively. What’s up?”

“I stopped by my friend Nick’s while I was in town. His dog, a purebred yellow lab had puppies about six weeks back. I bought the last two. They’ll be ready to come home in about two weeks.” It came out in such a flash that he would almost admit to it being the closest thing he’d ever done to babbling.

“Puppies?”
He couldn’t tell if she was excited or anxious, so he just nodded and waited for the rest of her reaction. “Boys or girls?”

“Both girls.
I know I should have asked since we’re sharing the house, but it was kind of a snap decision. I really didn’t want to take a chance on someone else claiming them before we could hash it out. I’ve always wanted a dog, but Teddy was allergic.” Dade realized he was trying to justify what he’d done. Then it hit him that she could take after Teddy when it came to cats and dogs. “Shit! You’re not allergic, are you?”

“No. I’ve been around dogs and never once had an adverse reaction, but my parents were too busy to consider pets when I was younger. I guess I was just nervous about taking one on.”

“You don’t have to take care of them. I’ll do it all.”

“No,” She shook her head and smiled. “I’d like to help if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. I’m going to have to do some shopping and get things ready around here before they come home.”

“We can do it together.”

Rosie knew it was wrong and she truly tried to stop herself, but she’d spent the past four months pushing Dade’s buttons. Sometimes he deserved it. Others had mainly been just for her gratification. The thing was he let her get away with it. Oh he’d done some pushing of his own, but nothing she couldn’t handle. It was the strangest relationship she’d had with a guy. It retrospect she came to the startling realization that it was really similar to the one she had with Sophia, just with added benefit of awesome sex.

All the teasing was a perverse type of foreplay. It wasn’t what she had intended, but she wasn’t complaining. And since Dade wasn’t either she could go on enjoying the rewards. After all it wasn’t hurting either of them. Still Rosie was going to make an effort to see how long she could go without saying or doing something that would demand a response. She kind of wondered how long it would take Dade to make a move of his own without her egging him on.

Would the passion that roared between them die down without them pushing each other? She hoped not, yet at the same time it would be good to have things fizzle out naturally so they could end on good terms. They only had two months left. He was going to be busy training and house breaking the puppies, and they both had tons of work to keep them occupied. It might be good if she actually started to initiate the beginning of their end.

The phone rang and it took her a few seconds to find it among the papers scattered on top of her desk. “Hello.”

“Feel like coming to dinner tonight?” Nicolette asked. “Sophia and Tiffany are coming.”

“Yeah I could use a break.” Maybe her friends could help her straighten her focus.

Nicolette made a noise then said, “Will Dade mind?”

Rosie didn’t like that her friends thought their relationship had progressed to the point where he had any say in what she did. “No. He’ll probably be glad to have the house to himself for the night.”

“Good, because we’re having dinner at my grandmother’s house, and I already told her you would all be there.”

“Nicolette, are you up to something?” Rosie would still go she just wanted to be prepared.

“I’m not going to ask why you all asked that, because I’m not sure I want to know the answer.” She sighed and Rosie knew it wasn’t just for effect. “I was just thinking that with you all there maybe we’d have a civilized meal for a change.”

Rosie thought it was a wise decision not to remind her of the night that her grandmother had balled out her cousin Joey in front of everyone when she found out he’d cheated on his girlfriend. “I’ll head in soon and hopefully get there around three so I can handle a few things at the gallery before dinner.”

“Call me when you get in and I’ll meet you there. I’ve been working on something new and I have a couple of things I want to show you.”

“New?” Rosie couldn’t believe she’d been holding back on her. “I thought you decided to take a break and let your creative juices build up.”

“Yeah, well the muse struck and I decided to go with it.”

“Oh.” This had happened once before. “Does this muse have a name?”

“No.” Nicolette laughed. “It’s not like that. This is something totally new for me. I’m actually a little nervous to show it to you.”

“Well don’t be.” That made Rosie curious, because Nicolette had never been worried before. “You know I’ll take a look and give my honest opinion.”

“I know that’s why you’re the only one who knows the truth about this.”

“That and the fact that I’m your only friend who can keep a secret.”
They both laughed.

Rosie ended the call and went looking for Dade. Once she told him she was leaving she could pack up her stuff and get on the road. He wasn’t in his office, or anywhere else in the house. It was totally hypocritical, but she was surprised he left without telling her. They weren’t that type of couple yet, and unfortunately she didn’t think they would have enough time to get there. Worse she was beginning to think that was exactly what she wanted. She called his cell phone and left a message for him to call her back as soon as he could, but that nothing was wrong.

While she waited she packed a bag and went back to the study. She gathered the files she’d need for the night and stuck them in her bag with her laptop. There were a few things she wanted to run past the girls and get their opinions on. She walked over to one of the bookshelves and slowly ran her hand along the books.

Her uncle had an extensive collection of mysteries and who’ dun’ it’s. Most of them had cracks on the spine proving they’d been read over and over. Her finger lingered on the rare one without any marks. It was the one she sent him just a few weeks before the accident. She pulled it out and stroked the glossy cover before pressing the book to her chest. What was she going to do without him?

She turned to slide the book back in place, but froze when she noticed a big
yellowish envelope stuck in the back behind the other books. Rosie dropped the book to the floor and began pulling others out until she could free the envelope. With it in her hand she dropped onto the couch and stared at it. She flipped it over and over. Something inside slid from side to side. There was nothing written on it. If her name had been on it she would’ve ripped it open already.

Her options were pretty clear. She could open it and not tell anyone else. Or she could wait for Dade and they could open it together. Mr. Grest would probably need to be notified if it turned out to be something important, but something told her if her uncle wanted him to know he would have given it to him. She got up and walked over to the window. She stood there tapping the envelope against her thigh fighting with herself.

This room had been her uncle’s private domain. Dade knew that. She decided it was only right as his niece that she open it. Her fingers trembled a bit as she flipped the clasp. She pulled the edges apart and looked inside as she walked over to the desk. Rosie carefully dumped the contents onto the desk calendar. There were four photographs, and two thick envelopes. One was addressed to her, and the other was addressed to Dade. They were both in her uncle’s handwriting.

She picked up the pictures. The first was of her and her uncle a few years ago in front of the Christmas tree. The next
was of him and Dade each holding up a beer toasting whoever was behind the camera. They were both smiling. Rosie laid it on the desk and moved to the next one. It was of her uncle dancing with her at one of the charity events she’d been a part of.

God, he looked fabulous in a tux. Rosie remembered that night half the women there that night had made large donations trying to catch his eye. It was a great picture of the two of them. She put the picture aside deciding she was going to have it blown up and hang it on the wall behind the desk for everyone to see. The last picture was bigger than all the rest. It was a party of some sort and Dade was staring across the crowd to where she was standing with her uncle. She had no idea when it was taken, or by who. Her uncle was smiling at her, but Dade wasn’t.

Rosie didn’t know what her uncle was up to. She decided she wanted
to. Still her hands shook as she picked up her letter.

‘Baby Girl,

             
If you’re reading this I guess you and Dade either didn’t follow through with my request, or things didn’t work out the way I hoped. I’m sorry to have left you at all, but I thought I was at least leaving you in good hands. Dade is a good man, the best I know, and I had the highest hopes for the two of you.

I hid this packet knowing the only way one of you would find it was if you were packing my things away. I had hoped so many times over the years that you and Dade would spend some time together and fall for each other. It would have made things so much easier.

I know deep in my bones you two are perfect for each other. Forgive me for trying to push you two together to make you see it too. If I had more time I would have found another way, but if you got this then something stopped that from happening. I thought you just needed to get to know him better. I’ve seen the way he looks at you and with just a little nudge I was hoping he’d do something about it. Since you’re reading this he must not have, or he did something to screw it up. He can be a blasted fool sometimes. All men are at some point. If that’s the case do me a favor and cut him some slack, and give him a chance to make up for it before you do something rash like walk out on him.

If things just can’t work that’s fine too. Thank you for at least thinking about doing this last thing for me. Remember forever Baby Girl that I love you, and I hope you can forgive an old man his follies. They were done with love in mind.

             
                                                                                    With all my love,

             
                                                                                                                              Uncle Teddy’

Rosie’s tears rolled down her cheeks and landed in fat plops on the paper. Emotions rolled through her. She knew trying to control them would be impossible. Her uncle couldn’t have known he was going to be in an accident, so why the letters and pictures? She wiped her face off and picked up the phone. Mr. Grest might have some answers.

Twenty minutes later the tears only fell harder. Mr. Grest hadn’t known about the letter, but he hadn’t been surprised. He told her that Teddy had always hoped the two of them would run into each other someday, hit it off, and end up blissfully married. Since you both seemed disinclined
to do it on your own this arrangement was his last ditch attempt to see if he could bring you two together. She’d found out that her uncle re-record that video every six months just in case one of them met someone or something.

Then Mr. Grest had surprised her by telling her he’d already mentioned all this to Dade. How could he have gone along with it? Worse how could he have not told her what was going on? Well, damn it, she was going to find out. Then she was going to tell him exactly what she thought about it and him.