Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

“Wait a second, wait a second . . .”

Clara grinned as she handed the customer she had just finished ringing up his receipt.

Tidying up the stack of flyers on the counter for hunting excursions, I made a face at them. “Why do people catch bass if they don’t eat them?”

Walter, one of my favorite customers because he was so sweet and one who came in when he was bored, which seemed to be very often because he was newly retired, picked up the small plastic container of flies he’d bought from Clara just a moment ago. “Bass don’t taste good, Aurora. Not good at all. But they don’t fight much when you reel them in, and there’s plenty in the reservoirs around here. The game wardens restock them.”

I wondered who.

The older man winked in his friendly way. “It’s about time I get going. Have a nice day, young ladies.”

“Bye, Walter,” Clara and I both called out as he headed toward the door.

He threw us a wave over his shoulder.

“We should go one day,” Clara said when the door shut behind him.

“Fishing?”

“Yeah. Dad was talking about wanting to take his boat out. It’s been a while since he has, and the weather has been nice. He’s been feeling good lately and hasn’t had any accidents getting around.”

I didn’t even need to think about it. “All right, let’s do it.”

“We can launch—”

She stopped talking at the same time I spotted the man at the door, holding his cell to his face.

It was Johnny, Amos’s uncle.

“Go help him,” I whispered to Clara.

She scoffed. “You do it.”

“Why?”

“Because he dated my cousin, and I was serious, I’m not ready to date, and I like him but not like that,” she explained. Clara gestured to where he was kind of wandering around. “Go help him. You’re single too.”

I huffed. “I’ll just see if he needs help.”

I’d made it about halfway to where he’d stopped, at a rack holding a waterproof shell, when his eyes flicked to me. It took a second, but a smile crept across his mouth. “I know you.”

“You do. Hi, Johnny. Need some help?”

“Hi, Aurora.” He set the jacket back on the shelf and eyed me from my face down to my shoes and back up. I ignored it like I had when two other guys had done the same earlier.

“How are you? Can I help you find something?” I’d found that it was a lot easier to delegate work if I asked first if they needed to find something. Stuff in the store, I could find, easy-peasy. Answering complicated and specific questions, I was still not a professional at, even though I’d gotten a hell of a lot more informed about all outdoor things. The time I’d spent with Mr. Rhodes had helped, but I’d been doing research and bugging Clara now that business had calmed down a bit. The bulk of tourist season was over.

“I came in for some leaded weights,” he started to say.

I knew now that was used for fishing.

“Then I got sidetracked with this jacket here.” He eyed me down again, and the sides of his mouth curled up even more.

“We have leaded weights over there in the back where you see that display, but if we don’t carry what you’re looking for, I’m sure we could order it.”

Johnny nodded, that goofy-pleased smile still on his mouth. “All right, I’ll wander over there in a minute.” He paused. “You really work here?”

“No, I just steal Clara’s shirt and come hang out with her when I have free time.”

He grinned. “That was a stupid question, wasn’t it?”

I shrugged. “I feel like stupid is a very strong word.”

He laughed, and it made me smile. “You just don’t . . . I can’t see you working here. That’s rude. I’m sorry.”

“It’s all right. I’m learning as I go.” I shrugged again. “If you need more help, let me know. I’ll be standing around.”

He nodded, and I took that as my sign to walk away. I headed back toward Clara, who was looking at her phone, but I was pretty sure it was just a façade and she was really eyeballing the shit out of us.

I wasn’t mistaken.

“What did he say? Does he want to bear your children?”

The loudest fucking laugh burst out of me, and I had to lean forward and press my forehead against the counter between us so that I wouldn’t fall to the ground.

“Hold on. Men don’t bear children.”

“Not that I know,” I cracked up, still facing the floor.

We both started laughing our asses off. The next time I managed to peek up, she had disappeared behind the counter. She might have been lying on the ground because I could hear her laughing but couldn’t see her.

I wiggled my eyebrows at her. “I need to bring some of my romance books over to teach you some things.”

“I know things.”

“At your age, you should know more.”

“We’re the same age!”

“Exactly.”

Clara laughed, and I could see the top of her head starting to peek back up before it suddenly disappeared again about a split second before I heard, “Would you mind ringing me up?”

It was Johnny.

I turned toward him, wiping the tears from under my eyes from laughing, and said, “Of course.” I went around the counter where the register was and unlocked it. Johnny handed over the two small packages, which I scanned quickly.

“So . . . Aurora . . .”

I raised my eyebrow at him. “Yes?”

“You got big plans tonight?”

I’d forgotten it was Friday. “Big plans with my iPad and some sangria I was planning on making.”

His laugh was bright, and it made me grin as I gave him his total just as the door to the shop opened and Jackie slipped inside.

We made eye contact, and I smiled at her. She gave me a little one back. Things had been . . . I wouldn’t want to say awkward, but a little strained since she’d admitted she knew I had been with Kaden. I hadn’t been mad at her, not even a tiny bit. Neither one of us had made an effort to talk about it again since Yuki had interrupted our conversation to say that she was getting picked up because they had to start their trip to Utah.

I wasn’t upset or mad or worried. I just figured that . . . well, if she had wanted to tell Amos and Mr. Rhodes, she would have already. My secret was safe with her.

But eventually, I would need to talk to her.

And at least tell Amos.

Johnny greeted the girl as she passed him and dug into his back pocket, pulling out his wallet and handing over a card.

“Would you like a receipt?”

“No.” He cleared his throat, picking up the two packages of weights and hesitating. “Would you like to ditch your iPad and go to dinner with me? There’s a Mexican place I like that I bet has sangria.”

That wasn’t what I was expecting. And his offer surprised me so much I didn’t know what to say.

Go out on a date?

“Unless you’re seeing somebody,” he added quickly.

“I’m not,” I admitted just as fast, thinking about his offer.

His smile turned flirty. “I’d ask about Rhodes, but he’s weird around beautiful women.”

I groaned and made a face, but . . .

What the hell did I have to lose? Clara had said she wasn’t interested in him like that, hadn’t she? I could always double-check with her.

And it sure wasn’t like I’d sleep with him.

Sure, I thought Mr. Rhodes was hotter than hell, but it wasn’t like that meant anything. He barely talked to me, still. From the way he looked at me more often than not, I was pretty sure sometimes he regretted inviting me to stay longer. He could be so nice one minute and not so much the next. I didn’t get it, and I didn’t want to overthink it.

I had moved here to . . . move on with my life, and part of that included . . . dating. I didn’t want to be alone. I liked stability. I wanted someone around to care about me and vice versa.

This wasn’t the first time I’d gotten asked out since I’d started working here, but it was the first time I was considering it.

Screw it. “All right. Sure. At least you’ll talk back to me unlike my iPad, right?”

His smile grew even wider, and I could tell he was pleased. It made me feel nice. “I’ll talk back. Promise.” He smiled just a little more. “Want me to pick you up?”

“I’ll meet you there? Wherever we’re eating?”

The man nodded. “All right. Seven work?”

“Deal.”

He gave me the name of a restaurant I recognized on the river that wound its way through part of the town. “I’ll meet you up front.”

I knew this was a step, like Clara had said. It was something. And something was better than nothing, especially when you had that to begin with.

“I’ll see you later then,” Johnny said with that big grin still on his face. “Thanks.”

“No problem, see you,” I said.

And it was only because the store was empty that Clara let out a whoop. “Did you just get asked out on a date?”

“Hell yeah, I did,” I called back. “Is that okay with you? I won’t go if you do like him.”

She shook her head, and I could tell from the easy way she did it she was telling the truth. “Go. I’m really not interested in him like that.” She paused. “Do you have anything to wear?” I must have thought about it too long because she made a face. “I guess I know what I’m doing during my lunch break.”

I raised my eyebrows at her. “What?”

Clara just smiled.

With one final look in the mirror of the bathroom of my apartment, I figured I wasn’t going to spontaneously get better looking.

I was as good as I usually got.

I hadn’t gone heavy with my makeup, but I hadn’t gone ultra-light either. Just right, I figured, for a date. Good enough to hide the scratches and dents in the used goods that I was, but not hiding so much that I looked like a different person.

A few times in the past, I’d gotten my makeup professionally done and ended up washing it off afterward because I didn’t like the way it felt. I didn’t have much to complain about without foundation. And if someone could see a hint of the pimple I’d popped that morning, too bad.

Fortunately, Clara had gone home during her break and brought back a skirt that she said was a size too small and a cute blouse she told me I could have. I didn’t have heels, and my feet were a full size and a half bigger than her size seven and a halves, so I’d had to settle for some sandals that fortunately did match the skirt and emerald green shirt.

I thought I looked pretty. I felt pretty at least.

I didn’t expect anything from tonight except hopefully some pleasant company. I’d even pay for my own food, just in case.

Snatching up my purse—and for some reason randomly remembering the twenty purses and clutches that I’d left behind at Kaden’s, gifts from over the years—I grabbed my keys too and headed down the stairs and out the garage, only to stop short.

I hadn’t heard the garage door open, but it was a wide and gaping maw. Amos and Mr. Rhodes stood in the center, looking up at the mechanism that was the garage door opener.

I guess they hadn’t heard me either because when I said, “Hey, fellas,” Amos jumped and I was pretty sure that Mr. Rhodes’s shoulder might have jerked a bit too.

What I was sure of was that Mr. Rhodes’s eyes narrowed a little.

I think he might have glanced at my legs.

“Everything okay?”

“Hi, Ora. The garage door opener isn’t working anymore. Dad’s fixing it,” Amos answered.

Part of me was surprised he wasn’t bringing Yuki up again. He’d demanded to know why I hadn’t told him that I knew her. That I was friends with her. Good friends.

Personally, I was still butthurt he’d been so surprised to hear her say I was a good songwriter.

We’d been side-eyeing each other a lot since.

“Good luck.” I grinned at my teenage friend. “If you need anything from up there, go for it. I’ll be back later.”

“Where are you going?” my landlord asked out of nowhere.

I looked at Mr. Rhodes in surprise.

Was he . . . frowning?

I told him the name of the restaurant. Then I wondered if I should tell him I was meeting Amos’s uncle there.

But before I could decide, the teenager asked, “Are you going on a date?”

“Sort of.” I let out a breath. “Do I look okay, you think? It’s been a long time since I’ve been on one.” Kaden and I hadn’t been able to go out unless it was to a family thing and a private room had been booked.

I cringed thinking about it now.

I’d been so stupid for putting up with that for so long. Man, if only I could go back in time and tell a younger Aurora not to be stupid and settle.

I wanted to think I’d loved him so much that’s why I’d put up with it, with the secrets and the subterfuge. Now, some part of me thought I’d just been desperate to be loved, to have someone, even if it cost me.

And maybe love always had a price, but it shouldn’t have been that high.

“No.” Amos’s throat bobbed, bringing me back to the present. “I mean, you look really, uh, pretty,” he stammered.

“Aww, Amos, thank you. You made my day. I hope your uncle thinks so too, otherwise, tough shit for him.”

Mr. Rhodes scowled. “You’re going out with Johnny?”

Why did he have to sound like I was doing something wrong? “Yes, he went by the shop today and invited me. He asked if I wanted him to come pick me up, but I didn’t want to make it weird. I promised no one would come over and didn’t want to cross the line,” I rambled quickly, his facial expression staying exactly the way it was. “Is that okay with you? It’s only dinner.”

Those purple-gray eyes raked over me again.

Did his jaw just go tight?

Was he . . . mad?

“It’s none of our business,” he said very slowly.

His tone disagreed.

Even Amos glanced at him.

“We might have to turn off the power, but I’ll have it back on by the time you get back,” Mr. Rhodes went on, his voice tight.

Okay . . . ? Someone must have forgotten to take his chill pill. “Whatever you need to do. Good luck again. See you later. Have a good night.”

“Bye,” Amos said in what had become his normal voice now. More comfortable, not so quiet.

Mr. Rhodes, though, said nothing.

Well, if he was annoyed with me going out with his relative or whatever he was . . . too bad. I wasn’t bringing him back here. It was only dinner. Just a nice date with nice company.

And I was looking forward to it.

One small step for Aurora De La Torre, one giant leap for the rest of my life.

I wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it. Not even Game Warden Moody.

“So,” Johnny asked, sipping on the one and only beer he’d said he was drinking that night, “how are you still single?”

I snickered as I set my glass of sangria down and shrugged. “Probably the same reason as you. My addiction to creepy dolls gets in the way.”

My date, my first first date in forever, laughed. Johnny had already been waiting for me inside the restaurant when I’d gotten there. So far, he’d been polite and curious, asking all kinds of questions about my job at the shop so far mostly.

And asking about my age. He was forty-one. He owned his own radon mitigation company and seemed to really like his job.

He was very cute too.

But it had taken about fifteen minutes in to decide that, as easy as he was to talk to and joke around with, at least so far, I didn’t get that . . . that feeling, I guess. I knew the clear difference between when I liked someone and when I liked someone.

From the way he’d checked out our waitress’s ass and the hostess’s, I figured he wasn’t feeling the chemistry either. That or he expected me to be blind. Either way . . . it was a bust.

I wasn’t heartbroken.

And I was going to pay for my half of the food.

Pulling into the driveway not too long afterward, I was surprised to see that the garage door was still wide open. I had just barely closed my door when a shadow covered the gravel right in front of the opening. By the length and mass of it, I knew it was Mr. Rhodes.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hi,” he replied, stopping right on the edge of the concrete floor.

I stepped closer, my toes just on the other side of where the foundation was, and peeked in and up. “Did you get the opener fixed?”

“We have to order a new one,” he replied, staying right where he was. “The motor burned out.”

“That sucks.” I looked at him. He’d shoved his hands into his dark jeans.

“It was as old as this apartment is,” my landlord explained.

I smiled faintly. “Did Amos bail on you?”

“He went back inside about half an hour ago, saying he had to use the bathroom.”

I grinned.

“You’re back home early,” Mr. Rhodes added out of nowhere in that serious voice of his.

“We only had dinner.”

Even though it was dark, I could sense the heavy weight of his gaze as he said, “I’m surprised Johnny didn’t ask you to go out for drinks after.”

“No. I mean, he did, but I told him I’d been up since five thirty.”

The hands came back out of his pockets as he crossed his arms over that swimming-pool-sized chest. “Going out again?”

Someone was chatty tonight. “No.”

I was pretty positive the lines across his forehead deepened.

“He checked out the waitress’s ass every time she walked by,” I explained. “I told him he needs to work on that next time he goes on a date.”

Mr. Rhodes shifted just enough under the light that I saw him blink. “You said that?”

“Uh-huh. I messed with him about it nonstop for the last half hour. I even offered to ask her for her number for him,” I said.

His mouth twitched, and for one split second, I caught a hint of what might be a stunning smile.

“I didn’t know you were best friends growing up.” That was really all I’d freely gotten out of Johnny about Rhodes and Amos. I hadn’t pressed. That information alone had been interesting enough.

Rhodes tipped his head to the side.

“What about you? Do you go on dates?”

The way he said “no” was like I’d asked him if he’d ever considered cutting off his penis.

I must have flinched at his tone because he softened it when he kept talking, looking right into my eyes all intense when he did. “I don’t have time for that.”

I nodded. That wasn’t the first time I’d heard someone say that. And as someone who had . . . not even been second-best . . . it was fair. It was the right thing to say and do. For the other person. Better to know and accept what your priorities were in life than waste someone else’s time.

He worked long hours. I saw how late he came in some days and how early he left on others. He wasn’t exaggerating about not having time. And with Amos . . . that was an even higher priority. When he was off work, he was home. With his son. As it should be.

At least I had no ideas in my head about this hot guy. Look but don’t touch.

With that in mind . . . “Well, I don’t want to keep you. Have a good night, Mr. Rhodes.”

His chin dipped, and I thought that was all I was getting, so I started moving toward the door, but I only managed to take about two steps when his rough voice spoke up again. “Aurora.”

I looked at him over my shoulder.

His jaw was tight again. The lines across his forehead were back too. “You look beautiful,” Mr. Rhodes said in that careful, somber voice a heartbeat later. “He’s an idiot for looking at anyone else.”

I swear to God my heart just totally stopped beating for a second. Or three.

My whole body froze as I felt his words burrow deep in my heart, stunning the hell out of me.

He moved toward the middle of the garage on the outside, those big hands grabbing hold of the door’s lip.

“That’s really, really nice of you to say,” I told him, hearing how weird and breathy my voice came out. “Thank you.”

“Just speaking the truth. ’Night,” he called out, hopefully oblivious to the destruction the verbal grenade he’d just launched at me had caused.

“Goodnight, Mr. Rhodes,” I croaked.

He was already pulling the door when he said, “Just Rhodes is good from now on.”

I stayed frozen there for way too long after the door had closed, soaking in every word he’d spoken as he headed to the main house. Then I started moving, and I realized three things as I went up the stairs.

I was pretty sure he’d checked me out again.

He’d told me to call him Rhodes, not Mr. Rhodes.

And he’d waited for me on his deck until I’d unlocked the door and gone in.

I wasn’t even going to try and analyze, much less overanalyze, that he’d called me the B-word earlier.

I didn’t know what to think about anything anymore.