At Peace (The 'Burg #2)(78)

And that was the f**k of it.

“What do you want me to talk to him about?”

“It’s just that…” she started to move from him and muttered, “forget it, it’s no big thing.”

His hands went from her ass, lifted, crossed and slid around so he could lock her in his arms.

“What do you want?”

“I…” she started then stopped, looking away and biting her lip.

“Baby, for f**k’s sake –”

Her eyes snapped back to his and she said, “He’s snoopin’ around Hart.”

Cal’s arms convulsed as a very bad feeling soured his gut.

“What?”

“Sam, he’s snoopin’ around Hart. I don’t know what he’s doing but he was close to Tim and he’s close to me and what happened to Tim and after to me hit him hard. He’s –”

Cal cut her off. “That’s whacked.”

Her body jerked then she said, “I know, but –”

“It’s not only whacked, it’s stupid.”

This time her body tightened in his arms and her eyes narrowed.

“He’s not stupid, he’s my brother and he’s –”

“Stickin’ his nose in shit he shouldn’t. Jesus, Vi, Hart’ll chew him up and spit him out.”

He f**ked up, he knew it the second her face twisted with pain and her body wrenched, her hands going from his neck to his chest to push away.

He let her go but twisted so she landed on her back and he landed on her.

“Buddy –”

“I know that, Joe,” she interrupted on a whisper. “I know exactly what Hart will do.”

“I know you do,” Cal whispered back.

“That’s why I want you to talk to Sam. That’s the favor. I want you to tell him to stop, explain things to him. Get him to let the cops deal with it.”

“He’s here, you set up the meet, I’ll have a word,” Cal said immediately.

Her chin jerked then she blinked.

“What?”

“When he’s here, you set it up, I’ll have a word.”

She stared at him a second as if she’d never seen him before.

Then she breathed, “Really?”

“Yeah.”

He felt her body relax under him and her arm slid around him, her other hand gliding up his neck and into his hair as her leg moved from under him to wrap around his thigh.

“Thanks, Joe.”

He knew it the minute she spoke. He knew that was all he needed, those two soft words with her limbs wrapped around him and, God help him, he’d do anything for her.

Jesus, he was f**ked.

“Need to see to your garage,” he told her.

He was leaving her arms after he f**ked her on his couch and listened to her sharing her life with him so he could fix her garage door opener.

Yes, f**ked.

“Okay,” she whispered.

He lifted up, pulling her up with him. He waited until she yanked up her shorts and retied her ponytail and together they walked over to her house, Vi going to her yard, Cal going to her garage.

Twenty minutes later, he was in his truck heading to the hardware store, buying her a new garage door opener.

* * * * *

Cal watched the Fiesta pull into the drive.

Kate had barely come to a stop when Keira was out the door and running at him, her hair flying, her arms wheeling like she’d run to her mother at Colt and Feb’s barbeque.

“Joe!” she screeched.

He was on a ladder in Vi’s garage, installing the new garage door opener and he looked down at Vi’s daughter who’d come to a halt by the ladder and was smiling up at him. Doing this, he was thinking the only sound better than hearing Vi say his name was hearing Keira say it.

“Hey girl.”

“I’m gettin’ a dog!” she announced.

Cal dropped his arms and asked, “What kind?”

“American husky.”

“Good breed,” Cal said even though he had no clue whether that was true or not.

“I know!” she yelled as if he wasn’t right there in front of him. “I’ve been looking them up on the internet.” She got up on her toes and whispered loudly, “Though, it says they bark a lot. I haven’t told Mom that part yet.”

“Hey Joe,” Kate said, joining their party.

“Kate.”

Her eyes were on the opening to the garage then they came to him and she remarked, “You got the door open.”

Cal didn’t respond as the door was open so he didn’t think she needed an answer.

“When we moved here, Mom spent, like, forever tryin’ to get that door open,” Kate told him.

“Yeah?” Cal asked, lifting his arms, tipping his head back and going back to the opener.

“What’re you doin’?” Keira asked and Cal looked through his arms to Keira.

“Installin’ a new garage door opener.”

Keira and Kate looked at each other. Keira grinned big. Kate’s eyes came back to him and she looked thoughtful.

“That’s cool, Joe,” she said softly, her eyes going to the ceiling then she looked at him and finished, “thanks.”