At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(142)

“Mike –”

“Didn’t think that, no f**kin’ way I’d stand down.”

“Mike –”

His lips touched mine again and when his head lifted, he whispered, “Be happy, honey.”

I nodded and whispered back, “You too, Mike.”

He smiled and it was the first time he smiled at me in the hundreds he’d given me that it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Yeah,” he said and he let me go.

I got in my car, started it up and drove away.

Stupidly, I looked back in my rearview mirror.

He was pulling his car into his garage.

Life goes on.

Shit.

* * * * *

Cal was putting the beer in the fridge when he heard Violet turn in the drive.

He pulled one free of the cardboard, closed the fridge, twisted off the cap and turned to flick the cap in her trash but he saw her trash had a lid. He got close to it, his hand moving toward it, a sensor caught the movement and the lid lifted open. He stared at it then tossed his cap in. Sensing he was done, the trash bin closed.

“Fuck,” he whispered, grinning.

Living with Vi was going to be an experience.

Then he realized she hadn’t come in even though he’d heard her cut her engine.

He turned and looked out the window to see her standing in her open door, immobile, staring at his truck in her drive.

He decided to give her time. If she didn’t come unstuck in twenty, thirty minutes, he’d go out and get her.

He moved to the counter opposite the sink, pulled himself up on it and took a drink of his beer, watching her staring at his truck.

She finally moved out of the car door, closed it and turned to the house. Mooch greeted her at the door. She dumped her purse on the counter with a glance at Cal, bent to pick up the dog and brought him up in her arms, close to her face so the dog licked her jaw as he squirmed in her arms and she tried to give him scratches.

She limped into the kitchen and asked, “You let him out?”

“Yeah.”

“He do any business?”

“No.”

“I’ll let him out.”

Then she limped out of the kitchen and to the back sliding glass door.

Cal sat on the counter and took another pull of beer. While he drank, he heard her shouting at Mooch mostly just teasing and playful then calling him encouragingly which meant she wanted to come in and then dog and woman came back into the house. The sliding glass door closed and Cal saw Mooch first because the dog came bouncing into the kitchen then tried to jump up Cal’s legs.

Vi strolled in seconds later and walked straight to the fridge without looking at him, opened it and gazed inside.

“You have dinner?” she asked the fridge.

“Thought we’d go out.”

Her body jolted and only her head turned to him.

“What?” she breathed.

“Out. To Frank’s. Or get a pizza from Reggie’s.”

“Frank’s,” she said.

“You hungry?” he asked.

She nodded.

He jumped off the counter. “Let’s go.”

She closed the fridge, muttering, “I’ll put Mooch in his box.”

Cal dropped his beer hand after taking a pull and said, “Got ‘im.”

Then he put the beer on the counter, walked out of the kitchen, put the dog in the box and she was standing at the door with the alarm remote and her keys in her hands when he got back.

He took them both out of her hands, opened the door, put a hand to her hip, shoved her out the door, locked it and then guided her to his truck, arming the alarm with the remote as they moved.

They both got in and were on their way when he spoke.

“You talk to Mike?”

“Yes.”

“It done?”

She was silent.

“Buddy?”

“It’s done,” she whispered.

Fuck.

It cut her up, doing that. Probably cut Haines up too.

He didn’t touch her, he wanted to, but he didn’t. She needed to break it off with a good, steady man to take a risk with another man who treated her like shit twice right after her brother was murdered like she needed someone to drill a hole in her head. But he didn’t touch her because, Cal sensed from her mood, she didn’t want that right now.

But he’d make it up to her, spend his life doing it, if it took that.

Though, knowing Vi, it wouldn’t take that.

He parked on the street four doors down from Frank’s, stopping to let her off at the door so she wouldn’t have to walk it with her foot. She waited for him outside and she limped by his side to the door but she didn’t touch him and he didn’t touch her.

He opened the door for her and they walked in. Elaine, one of the waitresses, turned their way, smiled at Vi, her eyes went to Cal and her face froze.

Vi’d been there with Mike, from the look of Elaine more than once.

Violet took a step back and ran into him.

Cal touched her then, sliding his arm around her waist, he moved to her side, pulled her to his and looked at Elaine.

“Got a booth, Elaine?” he asked.

Elaine looked at the wall of booths, two were open.

She looked back at Cal. “Take your pick, Cal.” Her eyes dropped to Cal’s hand curled around Vi’s waist then up to Vi. “Hey Violet.”