Читать книгу Ransom Canyon - Jodi Thomas - Страница 12

CHAPTER SIX

Staten

STATEN DROPPED BY his grandmother’s house, but she didn’t have any chores for him. It seemed the cluster of retirees at Evening Shadows had hired a handyman to run the place. In truth, he’d never seen the community looking so good. The swimming pool had been cleaned out, the fence fixed and the porches painted, every house a different color.

“Yancy says,” Granny shouted over the news blaring from her TV, “if each door is a different color, some of the folks won’t get confused and keep going in the wrong house.” She shook her head. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life than when I saw Leo naked.”

Staten stood, his fists clenched. He didn’t care how old the little man was, he wasn’t putting up...

Granny continued, “It was my fault. I must have miscounted. I thought I turned into my house, but it was his. But I blame him, of course, for not locking his door.”

Staten calmed. “Granny, you live in number three, he lives in four. How hard could it be to count to three?”

She shook her finger at him. “Now, don’t get smart with me. After about eighty years, things like numbers started falling out of the back of my head. I can’t even remember my phone number, much less anyone else’s.”

“Don’t worry about it. Everyone you know is programmed into your phone. All you have to do is flip it open, punch a button and say their name.”

She raised an eyebrow as if she suspected a trick. “So, what is going to happen if one day I’m somewhere lost and lose my phone? Even if I can borrow someone else’s phone, I won’t know a number to call, and the stranger I asked to help probably doesn’t have Aunt Doodles’s number in his phone anyway.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “With my luck, the stranger will be one of them serial killers, just looking for his next victim, and there I’ll be, up a creek without a phone.”

Staten patted her shoulder. Every week she had a new worry. He should keep a list. Eventually she was bound to get around to repeating one. “First of all, you can’t drive. So if you’re lost, you’re still in the county. Anyone you stop will probably know you and be happy to bring you back here. Second, if you do see a serial killer, he probably does know Aunt Doodles. She went to jail several times, remember.”

Granny’s finger started wagging again. “She did not. Not many anyway. And every single time was that dumb husband of hers’ fault, not hers.”

Staten leaned down and whispered, “How do you know? You can’t count to three.”

She slapped his cheek too hard to be a pat. “Stop it, Staten. You remind me of numbers I couldn’t remember, and that reminds me of Mr. Leo and his wrinkled...body. Now, that’s a sight I’d like to unsee.”

All at once laughter erupted from her. Staten enjoyed the sound from the dear old woman who’d loved him every day of his life.

As always, her sweet chuckle was music to Staten’s ears. When he was growing up, his parents were either traveling or fighting. By the time he was in middle school, his father had divorced his mother and found wife number two. Neither of them had seemed to want custody of him in the split. His mother had remarried and moved to England within six months, without leaving a forwarding address.

Staten had spent most of his time with his grandparents on the ranch. He’d loved working the land with his granddad and living in their little place where his granny’s laughter always seemed to fill every nook and cranny. The visits from his father and wife number whatever had grown further apart. Senator Samuel Kirkland showed no interest in the ranch. No one was surprised when Granddad died and left it to Staten, his only grandson.

“Sorry you had to see Old Leo, Granny.” He smiled at his grandmother. “Maybe the new handyman was right about the doors. It must have been a shock for you and Leo when you walked into his house.”

Granny was busy cleaning up the coffee cups. “Not so much. I’ve seen him naked before.” She turned and headed to the tiny kitchen.

Staten had no intention of asking more. He didn’t want to know.

Since it was too early to go to Quinn’s for supper, he dropped by the volunteer fire department’s weekly meeting.

This time of year grass fires were rare, and guys were drinking coffee and talking about how the chamber of commerce was planning something big. The men got their information from their wives, who’d passed it around some. So, no telling how accurate it might be. The leaders in Crossroads were looking for ideas to help the town grow and that meant raising money.

“A fund-raiser to beat all fund-raisers,” Hollis shouted. “We plan to raise enough money to improve both the fire station and the clinic. Ellie could use the space at the clinic, and when she graduates, most folks would like to see her stay in town and run it full-time.”

“That waiting room is too small,” one of the other farmers said. “She’ll be stacking folks in chairs before long. With all the pregnancies lately, she’ll want to add a birthing room. We can handle a doc coming in once a week, but we need a nurse there full-time.”

G.W. Polk, who farmed next to Hollis, shook his head. “There’s a good hospital in Lubbock. I was born in a car headed that way. To my way of thinking, kids should be born the same place they’re conceived.”

Hollis nodded. “My point exactly. You were born in a car and you haven’t been the same since.”

Staten was distracted by thoughts of Quinn and the way she kissed him, but he tried his best to listen. He rarely participated in the town’s problems, but he always sent a check to help out with any fund-raiser. Every year the chamber of commerce thought up a grand plan to improve the town, but nothing ever really changed. Correction, he thought, the dozen reindeer they’d put up at Christmas on all the light posts along Main looked great.

After an hour, he excused himself and told the men that whatever they decided, he was behind the chamber one hundred percent. He took his time leaving. Reason told him he was being a fool worrying about what time he got to Quinn’s house. She was the same shy woman he’d known all his life. Nothing unusual would happen tonight, and he’d be wasting worry to think otherwise.

For the past five years he had never given their unusual relationship much thought. Maybe because it seemed to have grown naturally with neither of them planning it. He never considered finding another woman, though he knew a few who’d welcome him in their bed if he showed up.

Only, they would come with strings. They’d want eventually to become Mrs. Kirkland, and Staten wasn’t sure he ever wanted that again. Being numb most days was far better than hurting.

Maybe he should just be satisfied with what he had with Quinn. It was good. It was enough. She probably felt the same, even if she had asked to be kissed.

He told himself when he got to her house he’d act exactly the same as he always did. Nothing different. Nothing changed. One little kiss didn’t mean anything.

As he pulled up to her place, he noticed her working in the barn, elbow deep in the engine of her old tractor. Even after all his stops, he’d arrived early. He’d said supper. It wasn’t even five o’clock.

Halfway to her barn he remembered the bag of barbecue in the truck. If she hadn’t already waved, he would have turned around. But it was too late. Maybe she’d rather drive over to Bailee and eat hamburgers or maybe even try something at the café in town. They didn’t have to always do everything the same. He could be flexible. The kiss was proof, wasn’t it?

No, going into a café would seem too strange. They never ate out. They both thought it would seem too much like a couple thing.

“Need some help?” he asked when he reached her.

“No. I’ve about got it.” She stepped down to face him. “Where’s the barbecue?”

“In the truck. I brought beer, too. That all right with you?”

He rubbed away a smudge on her cheek with his finger. The touch was casual, but her eyes watched his every movement.

Stepping out of his reach, Quinn moved toward the house. “I’ll clean up while you get the food.” She was almost to the porch when she looked back and added, “I already set the table.”

He watched her until she disappeared. She’d never seemed quite so nervous around him. Suddenly, he wished he could take back the kiss from last week. He wanted everything to stay the same. They had it good and good was enough.

The shower pipes rattled from down the hallway as he set out the food. The paper containers looked out of place amid her china. He hadn’t given it much thought before, but she always set the table with her few pieces of hundred-year-old china and nice flatware. He tossed the plastic cutlery he’d picked up into the trash.

When she finally joined him in the kitchen, he was halfway through his first beer. He offered one to her, but she poured herself a glass of cold tea instead.

She was wearing a blue silk blouse that floated around her. He liked the look. Something different. Brushing his hand over the soft material, he breathed in her fresh smell. “It seems like I’ve been fighting all week to get back to you.”

“I know how you feel.” She leaned against him. “I missed you, too.”

They sat down where they always ate and filled their plates. He wasn’t sure what she’d like, so he’d bought a pound of every kind of grilled meat the café had. Then he’d tossed in fries and okra for the vegetable.

She asked about the meeting, and he told her the gossip that she probably cared nothing about. Neither ate much. Neither wanted to talk.

Finally, Staten stood. She hadn’t offered to take him to her bedroom, and if he stayed longer, he’d say more than he should.

“I should call it a night.” He reached for his hat. “We saddle up before dawn tomorrow.”

“All right,” she said in a flat tone that revealed nothing as she stood.

He took two steps to the door and remembered how he’d promised he would kiss her goodbye before he left.

With his hat in one hand and Quinn holding their plates between them, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

When he straightened, he saw a tear roll down her face.

He doubted he’d get an answer if he asked her why she was crying, but it was obvious that he was doing something wrong.

Tossing his hat on the bar, he took the plates from her and set them aside. “I didn’t do that right,” he muttered, more like a swear than an apology.

She waited.

He brushed her shoulders lightly as he leaned in again and touched his lips to hers.

Quinn’s mouth was so soft. Her bottom lip trembled slightly.

His fingers tightened over her shoulders, and he pulled her closer, kissing her lightly until her mouth opened. Then, without hesitation, he kissed her completely.

She didn’t pull away. She simply accepted his advance. He lifted her arms and set them on his shoulders as he continued. If she wanted to be kissed, by hell he’d kiss her.

Slowly, her body melted against him.

He finally broke the kiss, but he didn’t turn loose of her. “Any objections if I undress you?” His hand moved over her back and came to rest on her hip. “I’ve never said so, but I like doing that.”

She leaned her head back as his fingers moved over her blouse. He watched her face as he slowly unbuttoned first her blouse, then her jeans. He liked the way she always left something on for him to finish, and tonight he was doing it all.

Standing before him she closed her eyes as he kissed his way down her body. Then, she took his hand and led him to her bedroom.

They made love slowly, tenderly, as they always did. Only after both were satisfied Staten held her tighter than ever before as though just discovering what a treasure he had in his arms.

When she drifted to sleep, he found himself kissing her. He couldn’t get enough of the feel of her. He’d been starving all week and finally she was beside him, warm and soft. For a while she moved in her sleep, welcoming his touch, but when he deepened the kiss she woke with a jerk.

For a few minutes he held her tight, gently caressing her, whispering her name in the darkness.

When she calmed, he pulled her close. “I want you again if you’ve no objections, Quinn. I don’t want to leave and wait a week to be with you again.”

Her big eyes widened with uncertainty, but she nodded slightly, and he made love to her for the second time. But this time they both knew he wasn’t just loving a woman out of need. He was loving Quinn.