The Patriot Girl (21 page)

She must have been hanging around Jodi too long. For some reason when he mentioned ‘favor’ her mind went straight into the gutter. Deep down maybe she wanted his favor to be sexual.

And
if
that had been his request, what would she have done? “Okay. What’s the favor?”

“Tiffany Reynolds called.” He handed her a paper from his pocket.

“Tiffany Reynolds?” In an effort to hide the blood rush warming her cheeks, she glanced at the phone number he’d written.

“Yes. Remember? Caller number twelve, from the grand opening promotion. It turns out that she’s a child. She said she won the tickets for her father’s birthday gift, but then he had to work that night. If Dana can track her down, do you think Buck would still make good on her prize?”

“Buck’s back in Florida. But maybe when he returns for a family visit we could do something. I’ll find out.”

Dustin kissed her hand. “Thanks. There’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”

“What?” He slipped one of her fingertips into his mouth. Here comes the sexual favor. No one kissed a hand this erotically without sexual intentions.

“Now that we’re friends,”—he removed her moist flesh then slid his tongue around another of her fingers—“how about going away with me to Oklahoma on Thursday?” Her second finger dropped against her palm, as weak as the rest of her. “You know…as friends. But it
would be
just the two of us.”

They
would be
more than friends if he did this to her at an appropriate time and place.

She’d seen a movie once where the woman used her arm to swipe all the papers off her desk then laid her back on the wood as her man climbed on top of her. Right now, MaKayla wanted to be that spontaneous, that bold,
that woman
. But she couldn’t.

She pulled her hand back. “I can’t. I have too much to do here. Plus my business is taking off. I’m swamped, Dustin.”

She could tell his smile was forced—hopefully not because of her rejection. Perhaps his muscles had gone weak from the passion he likely had flowing through his body too.

“Well, if you change your mind, let me know.” He stood. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

“Thanks for stopping by.” She closed the door behind him then placed her hand against her heart. It was for the best that she couldn’t go away with him. She wouldn’t be able to resist him if they were alone in the confined quarters of a hotel with no phones, no interruptions, and no framed family portraits beside her as the reason for why she had to say “no.”

Upon their return they’d no longer be friends. They’d be lovers, and right now she couldn’t handle such a relationship.

****

When she heard the phone ringing, MaKayla couldn’t get the key into her front door’s lock fast enough. Her arms full of groceries, she rushed inside leaving the door wide open and proceeded to knock a pile of mail off the end table onto the carpet.

Alex.
He had her daily routine memorized. Come home after work, make something to eat, and then shower. She’d relax with a cup of tea as she went through the mail, and then spend the rest of the evening working on materiel for her clients.

After work today she’d messed up her whole schedule by going to the market where she’d met up with an old friend and chatted for forty-five minutes. She dropped the bags onto the floor and plucked the receiver off the wall. “Hello?”

“Hey, Mom.”

His voice wasn’t as chipper as usual today. “Is everything okay, honey?”

“Fine. Has that kid come back?”

“No.” Alex hadn’t seen the boy from the Christmas morning incident at the recreation center while he’d been home on break.

She tried to convince him, and herself, the kid had probably left the area now that she could identify him. Hopefully, she was right. “I don’t want you worrying about me. Dustin and Duke have the place surrounded. I’m almost like a prisoner. Okay?”

He chuckled. “Okay. Talk soon. Love you.”

“Love you.” She went back to the front entry, dropped to her knees, and cleaned up the mail off the floor.

Both of them would feel better once this kid was caught. But right now, Alex needed to worry more about his grades and less on her.

Footsteps sounded on her porch. She sucked in a lung full of air and stood up.

“I’m sorry. Did I startle you?”

MaKayla let out a breath when an older woman appeared in front of her. “I shouldn’t have left the door open.” She recognized Dustin’s mother from their meeting during the grand opening of No Bulls. “It’s Vicky, right?” The woman had been adamant about everyone calling her by her first name. “Come on in. Would you care for a tea?”

“Sure. I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

“No. I hope you don’t mind if I put a few groceries away.” She closed the door and then headed for the kitchen. “My phone was ringing as I unlocked the door. My son calls every day at this hour and I hate missing him. As mothers do, we drop everything for our kids.” They laughed and Vicky began to help unload the bags onto the table. “So what brings you by, Vicky?” MaKayla’s hands rested on a bag of chips and she looked up. “Is Dustin okay?”

“Yes, dear, he’s fine.” She neatly folded one of the plastic bags. “Physically anyway.”

“What do you mean?” MaKayla put things away in the cupboard and refrigerator, and then stuck two cups of water into the microwave for tea.

“This may be none of my business, and Dustin would hit the roof if he knew I was here, but I had to come over and talk with you.”

“Oh?” As the microwave dinged she gestured for the woman to sit. She had no idea which direction this conversation was going to continue. Was Vicky upset with her because of the accident or because she was involved, or more precisely
not involved,
with her son?

MaKayla’s record with mothers, even her own, wasn’t very good. She placed the hot cups of tea, sugar, and cream on the table and then sat across from Vicky.

“My son doesn’t ask for much out of life. Getting what he wants usually turns into a pain in the neck for him. He had to wait a couple years before his wife’s father would allow them to marry. He wanted a child badly and then lost his wife during childbirth. And now…you.”

“Me? I don’t understand.”

“I’ve never seen him so happy, yet so miserable.” She chortled. “That must sound crazy.”

Surprisingly, MaKayla understood. She wouldn’t interrupt the woman. She needed to let her explain.

“Growing up at his granddaddy’s ranch, he loved being with the horses, taking naps in the hay, and staring up at the stars at night. When we had to go home, he’d get tears in his eyes and I’d have to assure him we’d be back. He acts the same way with you. When he talks about you, his face lights up. But then the reality of your relationship hits him, and I see that little boy he used to be. Only I can’t reassure him you’ll come back. As you stated previously, we drop everything for our kids. And that’s why I’m here.”

MaKayla could relate to Dustin’s emotional roller coaster. Whenever he was near, she felt complete. And when he was away, she allowed herself to remember his touch and his laughter; and that’s when emptiness filled her heart. But the past still stood between them no matter how strong their feelings.

“I’m sorry, Vicky. I know what he’s going through. I feel the same way.”

“I understand what it’s like to lose a husband, MaKayla. I blamed everyone and everything I could so I wouldn’t disparage my husband for leaving me, or castigate myself for not stopping him from flying that night.” Vicky sipped her tea then trailed a finger around the cup’s edge. “And I also understand your feelings about doing the right thing.” She smirked. “After all, what will people say if you date the man who killed your husband, right?”

MaKayla choked on her sip of tea. Finally, someone who understood her reasoning that dating Dustin was actually a
bad
idea.
What would Paul’s parents think?
She’d always included her son’s grandparents around the holidays’ family gatherings. She couldn’t change tradition. She nodded and allowed the woman to continue.

“I’m about to share something with you I’ve never shared with my children.”

Great.
The last thing MaKayla needed was to have a secret from Dustin. She’d have
secret
written all over her face, she’d lose sleep, and have yet another reason to avoid seeing him. “Please, don’t share. Secrets make me feel as if I’m hiding something.”

Vicky reached out and touched MaKayla’s hand. “It’s okay. I do need to tell Dustin and Dana, and I will. But I want to share this with you now.”

“Okay.”

Vicky inhaled deep and smiled. “First, I want you to know how much I loved Dustin’s father. We met through a political party my parents were invited to. My father adored Harold, invited him to the house, took him golfing, and gave him money to take me to the best places. But Harold wasn’t my first love.” She sipped her drink, then swallowed hard.

This conversation wasn’t easy for Vicky. MaKayla did what always helped her get through a tough situation. She held the woman’s hand. “You’ve never talked about this before, have you?”

The woman’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “I would have disappointed my father if I’d told him the truth.” She took a napkin and dabbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, dear. It’s been a long time. I’ll cut this short, and stop all this emotional nonsense. At the time, I was in love with a man who my father would never have approved of. He was from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. Frankie knew how much my family meant to me and he didn’t want to get in the way of that. He stepped aside so I could be with Harold.”

“I’m so sorry. You must have been crushed.”

Vicky forced a smile. “I was. But life goes on. MaKayla, I don’t want you to have to live the way I did.”

“How so?”

“Wondering how my life would have turned out if I hadn’t worried so much about what my father and others thought.”

MaKayla’s eyes filled at the notion of never seeing Dustin again, wondering what life without his smile and arousing touch would be like.

She knew she might never find another man who made her feel so safe, sexy, and alive the way he did. He had a caring heart and his presence brought out the wild-woman in her she never knew existed.

“You know the guitar at the club with the initials on it?”

MaKayla nodded.

“It was Frankie’s guitar. He used to write me love songs and play them for me. When he moved away, he wanted me to have something to remember him by. Harold wanted to know about my relationship with Frankie so I told him. He was willing to let me go, but I’d become pregnant by then. I did the right thing and married my children’s father, and tried to forget.”

“That’s admirable, Vicky.”

Vicky shook her head as if trying to erase the memories. “When we moved to Tennessee, I’d left the guitar, along with Frankie’s memory in Oklahoma. Afterward, Harold and I became closer. I never expected my son to end up with a part of my past.”

MaKayla swiped a tear from her cheek. “I can’t imagine living with that pain.”

“Honey, look at me. This will be you in a few years if you don’t get past this crisis of conscience. I’ve seen the way you look at my son. And I do understand the pain in your heart. You’re still loyal to your husband. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s time to let go.”

“I’m trying.”

“Good.” Vicky stood. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you for the tea, and for listening to an old woman ramble on.”

“It was my pleasure. Thank you for sharing. I’m sure that wasn’t easy.” MaKayla hugged the woman goodbye.

As she closed the door behind Vicky, only one solution came to mind. She and Dustin weren’t the only ones hurting by not being together. Their families and friends were part of this non-relationship drama as well. She had to make a decision to be with him—as more than friends—or break off her ties with him altogether.

Chapter Seventeen

“Good morning, Mom.” Dustin wiped down the bar with a damp cloth. He smiled at his mother sitting on a barstool in front of him. “Off shopping this morning?”

“No, dear, I came to talk.”

“Okay. Want a coffee?” He filled two cups and set one down in front of her. “Is everything okay?”

She waved a hand. “Fine.”

He’d never seen his mother without a smile unless she was upset or hurting. He touched her arm. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

After a moment’s hesitation she confessed. “I went to MaKayla’s house yesterday.”

“No.” Dustin gripped his hair. Although his mother had always done things out of the kindness of her heart, she sometimes overstepped her boundaries. This was one of those times. “What happened?”

“She’s a lovely woman, Dustin, but confused about her feelings. We had a nice talk about relationships and doing the right thing.”

“I’m sure you meant well, but you shouldn’t have.”

“I know, I know. But I had to. I can’t stand watching you walk around here miserable anymore, honey. The poor girl needed a woman-to-woman talk.”

“She has friends to talk with, Mom.”

“Well, now she has one more.” Vicky sipped her coffee. “There’s something else I need to tell you.”

There’s more? What she has to say can’t be any worse than what she’s already revealed.

MaKayla must think he’d gone to his mother and cried because she wouldn’t go out with him. How pathetic. He was forty years old. When would his mother realize he was an adult and quit butting into his personal life?

“Dustin, you know the mystery autographed guitar you have over there?”

He turned to the guitar on the wall. “Yeah.”

He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that now he had to go apologize to MaKayla and come up with some explanation as to why his mother had stuck her nose where it didn’t belong.
Who cares about some stupid guitar?

“It belonged to a man named Frankie William Rose.” She tapped the side of her cup. “He was an old friend of mine.”