When Summer Comes (11 page)

Maybe Callie would change his mind. Maybe she’d refuse to let him in. But she didn’t. She stared up at him for a second, then stepped back so he could walk past her. “Your dinner’s cold,” she said. “Come and sit down. I’ll heat it up.”

“I can heat it up,” he responded, but either she didn’t hear him or she wanted to do it herself because she didn’t change course.

“They’ll just come back later. You realize that,” she said as a plate of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy turned in the microwave.

He’d chosen the seat on the far side of the table, where he’d sat for breakfast. “I do.”

“By then you’ll have your bike fixed. Is that it?”

“My bike’s already fixed. By then I’m hoping to have the barn finished.”

She took some utensils out of the drawer and placed them in front of him, along with a glass of wine. “What are you afraid they’ll do?”

“I told you.”

“You’re afraid they’ll arrest you.”

He stretched out his legs. “Basically.”

“Over an unpaid speeding ticket.”

There was also a warrant out for his arrest in Nevada, which was far more serious, but he couldn’t say anything about that. “
Two
unpaid speeding tickets.”

“What’s the worst that can happen?” she asked.

“Don’t know. And I don’t want to find out.”

“Community service? Fines? Jail time?”

“Probably jail time.”
Definitely
jail time, since the speeding tickets were the least of his worries.

“Maybe they won’t realize you have those outstanding warrants.”

“They will eventually.” If they ever figured out his real last name...

The microwave shut off with a ding. “Right. They’re too curious about you,” she admitted as she retrieved his plate. “With Denny and Powell making you sound shady in an attempt to save their dogs, everyone will want to know who you are.”

“It’d be best if I’m gone by the time they dig up too many details.”

“That might not be long.”

He understood that. But he didn’t want to go without keeping his end of the bargain. She’d put herself at risk to help him, and he wouldn’t forget her generosity. “We’ll play it by ear, see how much we can get done in the next few days.”

“If you say so.”

He certainly didn’t want to leave right now. The food smelled so good his stomach growled. He couldn’t remember ever enjoying meals as much as he’d enjoyed them since coming to Callie’s. He’d been to many roadside cafés in the past six months, but they couldn’t compete with her home cooking. What made it even better was that she seemed to like feeding him. At least, she smiled as she watched him eat whatever she put in front of him.

“You haven’t asked where I went,” he said when he was about halfway through.

“What are you talking about?” She was back at the counter.

“When the police chief came.”

She blew out a sigh. “Because I don’t want to know.”

That made sense. Not knowing enabled her to be honest if he ever had to hide there again, which protected them both.

“Want more?” she asked.

“No, thanks.” He paused to look up at her. The dark circles under her eyes were
more
marked instead of less. “Have
you
eaten?”

She started tidying up. “I had dinner earlier.”

The memory of her, leaning on the table last night as if she didn’t have the strength to stand, popped into his mind. There was probably plenty she wasn’t telling him.

But there was plenty he wasn’t telling her, too.

“Eat just a few bites.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Why?”

“Because you need the nutrients.”

“Fine.” Taking his right hand, she ate the piece of chicken he had on his fork. “There you go,” she said with a laugh.

The fact that she was willing to eat from his fork told him she wasn’t afraid he carried some sort of disease. It also drew his attention to her mouth.

“You know how pretty you are, don’t you?” he asked quietly.

She didn’t blush or glance away as he thought she might. Her eyes remained steady on his. No doubt she’d had her share of compliments. “I think this is the first time you’ve ever really looked at me.”

“No,” he said. “It’s definitely not.”

* * *

That night Levi dreamed of a woman. He couldn’t see her face, but he was driving into her supple body, climbing toward orgasm, feeling the clench and pull of her body as she met each thrust. But a second before achieving that much-needed release, he woke up, heart pounding and muscles taut.

“Shit.” He lay there, breathing as hard as if it had all been real and wondering why he couldn’t have awakened a few seconds later. He was supremely unsatisfied but unwilling to ease his own discomfort. After causing Behrukh to lose her life, he didn’t deserve that kind of pleasure, didn’t deserve anything.

How long until morning?

He had no idea. He didn’t wear a watch, didn’t have a cell phone. Time didn’t matter when a person had nowhere to go. But he didn’t want to lie awake for hours, waiting for dawn. He’d done that enough those last few months in Kandahar.

After several minutes, his heartbeat began to slow but his erection remained, probably because he couldn’t stop thinking about Callie. He wasn’t positive she was the woman in his dreams, but it hadn’t been Behrukh. The feel of Behrukh would’ve been different. She was leaner, physically stronger, because she’d led a harder life. She would’ve smelled different, too—like the curry she cooked so often. After her death, he hadn’t been able to dream of her, anyway. He hadn’t been able to dream at all. The insomnia that’d plagued him the year before he joined the army had returned; he’d lain awake, sweating in the heat while staring at the dark tent above him. He’d listen to the coughs and snores and rustles of the other platoon members and wish he could be like them. But he couldn’t. Some days he had to roll out of bed to make muster, feeling so sleep-deprived he could hardly stay on his feet.

Ironic though it was, he’d won a roomful of martial-arts trophies growing up but was proudest of simply
enduring
those final months in Afghanistan—something he couldn’t have done without the training he’d received from his father. Well before any army sergeant had gotten hold of him, Leo had drilled certain rules into him. Levi knew how to use every ounce of self-control he possessed. He knew how to adhere to a regimen. He knew that sometimes he had to withstand pain and keep fighting even in the face of sure defeat. Without Leo, Levi would not have finished his last tour so he could be honorably discharged—but that was the kindest thing he could say about his father.

A sound brought his head up. He couldn’t identify it, but it didn’t seem to fit with the noises he’d been hearing. He thought maybe someone was creeping toward the barn.

Had he missed picking up on the hum of a motor?

Maybe the police or the men who owned the pit bulls were back, hoping to take him by surprise. Neither group wanted him hanging around....

The creak of the barn door, along with a subtle flash of moonlight, told him he’d guessed right. Someone was approaching. He had no idea who, but he refused to allow himself to be caught in a vulnerable position.

He pretended to roll over, so the sound of his movements would draw whoever it was immediately to him, but got up instead. Then he waited for the right moment, for the intruder to come close.

A second later he heard footsteps near his bed and grabbed whoever it was from behind, cutting off his air with one arm and rendering him immediately defenseless.

Only it wasn’t a him. The soft body against his gave Callie away long before she could even attempt to speak.

* * *

Panic turned Callie’s knees to water as she felt the raw power of Levi’s quick, sure movements. She opened her mouth to scream but couldn’t get enough air.

For the first time, she was afraid of him.
Really
afraid. In that moment, she knew without a doubt that, despite her diagnosis, she still cared about living, about sticking around for as long as possible.

The fear didn’t last, however. As soon as he realized it was her, he eased his hold and turned her in his arms. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I hope...I hope I didn’t hurt you. I didn’t know...”

His words fell off, but she understood. He hadn’t known it was her. She should’ve announced herself. She would have, except that she’d been waiting to get close enough to touch his arm, in case he was sleeping. “It’s okay,” she said. “I...I shouldn’t have surprised you.”

“What are you doing out here?”

He released her but she couldn’t quite let go of him. She was still trying to overcome the effect of such a fright, worried that she might crumple to the ground. “I—I wanted to see if you’d come inside.”

“Why?”

His deep voice rumbled in her ear, but he must have felt her unsteadiness because his hands no longer hung at his sides. They were sliding up her back. She could feel the warmth of his splayed fingers through the satin of her pajama top as he drew her into a solid embrace that reassured her but did nothing to slow her galloping heart.

Instinctively, she rested her cheek against the soft cotton of his T-shirt.
Don’t read anything into this. He’s just being kind.
But she couldn’t deny that the chemistry between them had suddenly changed. She liked the feel of his firm chest, the security she felt in the circle of his arms, but there was also a sexual element—probably because he wasn’t completely dressed. She’d already felt the band of his briefs and, since her pajama bottoms were panties, the crisp hair on his legs as he brushed up against her.

She swallowed hard as his hands settled between her shoulder blades. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why not?”

“I was...I was worried that maybe Denny and his idiot friend would come back and cause trouble.”

“They might. But they’re the kind of trouble I can handle.”

“Not if they bring a weapon. And not if you want to avoid the police.” She stepped away because the embrace had gone on too long. She didn’t know this man. Not really. Although they’d spent two days together, he’d revealed very little about himself. And there was Kyle. They weren’t in a romantic relationship; they both knew that. But they’d slept together as recently as last week, which made her feel disloyal in spite of their understanding. “Anyone can be taken unawares.”

He didn’t respond.

“So what do you say?” she asked.

“About what?”

She wondered what he was feeling, if he’d enjoyed their contact as much as she had. “Will you come in? I think...I think it would help me relax if I knew you were safe, that we were both in the house.”

He didn’t seem eager to accept. He was suddenly so standoffish that she expected him to say he was fine where he was and let it go at that.

But he didn’t. “I’m sorry if you’re lonely,” he said. “I wish things were different but...I have nothing to offer you.”

“I’m not asking for...for
sex,
” she clarified. “I just want...I just want you to come in the house.”

She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be
opposed
to having sex with him, however. Right now, more contact with him was all she could think about. He seemed to understand that but, after a brief hesitation, he said okay and grabbed something.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“My pack. It has my clothes.”

She wondered if it also contained condoms.

8

M
aybe if Levi had been able to go back to sleep, he wouldn’t have realized something was wrong. The noises that tipped him off were slight enough he might’ve credited them to the dog. Except that Callie had shut Rifle up in the mudroom. He whined occasionally, but the noises that worried Levi weren’t coming from that direction. They were coming from Callie’s bedroom.

Relax.
If she was up and around, it was none of his business. Dawn was turning the night sky a deep shade of purple. Perhaps she was an early riser. Soon, he’d get up and start his day, too, and with any luck he’d finish repairing the barn so he could paint tomorrow.

A weak-sounding cough had Rifle scratching at the door, as if he didn’t like what he heard, either. What was going on?

Levi sat up. “Callie?”

There was no response from her, but Rifle barked. A second later a toilet flushed.

She was up, all right. She had to be. But when he twisted around to look at her door, he couldn’t see a light underneath it. Like him, she probably couldn’t sleep and was tossing and turning.

Then he heard another sound, a sound of distress, and that got him up and moving.

“Callie?” He knocked at her bedroom door. She didn’t respond, but the door wasn’t locked. Apparently, she wasn’t worried that he might attack her. Almost from the beginning—at least since she’d found him bleeding in her bathroom—she seemed to trust him more than their short acquaintance should warrant. He wouldn’t have advised her to take the same approach with any other stranger, but he appreciated how her confidence made him feel. He didn’t want her to be wary of him. He’d hated how the women who’d passed through his father’s life had flinched at any sudden movement—even though they’d reacted that way for good reason.

Callie’s bed was empty. In the light bending around the bathroom door, which stood slightly ajar, he could see the rumpled covers. She was no longer beneath them.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

A soft moan scared him enough that he crossed the room and shoved the bathroom door wide—and there she was, lying on the tile floor, her face chalk-white, eyes closed.

“Shit, what is it?” As he crouched to see what was wrong, her eyelids fluttered open. She made an attempt to get up but couldn’t quite manage it.

“I’m...fine,” she said. “Go...go back to bed. Please.”

Please?
Why? She obviously needed help. She seemed so drained she could hardly move. And he could tell from the pungent odor that she’d been throwing up.

“Go...” She attempted to shoo him away. “I...I’m better off...alone.”

She didn’t like him invading her privacy. He could understand that. Not only was she sick, she was in her underwear. So was he, but the sheer black fabric of her panties revealed quite a bit more than his briefs, especially since she wasn’t even strong enough to pull her T-shirt down to cover them.