The Closer You Get (6 page)

Just then Rye and the woman he’d been fondling all evening headed out the front door. “I guess your chaperone’s gone for the night,” Adam said.
 

“He won’t go far. He doesn’t leave my side.”

“Not even for sex?”

“Nope. He’ll just do her in the truck.”

This, for some reason, made Adam mad again. “He’s a real piece of work.”

“What’s your problem?”

Adam shook his head. “That girl…that’s Erica Willis. I don’t know her that well. Her parents are pretty good people. She’s not made the best decisions in the world, but she’s a nurse and a good one. More than that, she’s a person, Cash. A person. And all he sees is a piece of meat.”

Cash’s eyes were narrowed in thought. “Rye’s a person, too, but all she sees is a piece of meat. They’re doing this to each other.”

Adam shook his head. “No, it’s different. Women…you have to be careful with them. They get these fantasies. She probably thinks he’s going to rescue her, or something. She probably thinks he cares about her.”

“Come on, Adam. You don’t know Rye. And you can’t absolve her of responsibility just based on her gender.”

Adam sat back, surprised at the coherence of Cash’s argument. Cash didn’t seem like the kind of man who thought too deeply about things. Which just showed the error in Adam’s thinking. Judging a man based on his clothes. He felt ashamed. “So why won’t Rye leave your side?” he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.

“That’s a story for another time.” Cash caught a waitress’s attention and ordered another beer.

“Why not now?”

“Because I don’t want to talk about it now. You already dragged more personal information out of me than I had any intention of giving.”

Adam smiled. “I admit it’s better than I’d hoped to get. I like getting to know you, Cash.”

“So what, now? You want another date?”

“This one ain’t over.”

“Pretty close.”

“Not even.”

Cash laughed.
 

Adam leaned forward. “You say you’ve got one-night stands in your personal history. That suggests to me you’re not really this difficult to get into bed. So let’s quit playing around, Cash. Come home with me. Now.”

Cash leaned forward, his nose only inches from Adam’s. He dropped his gaze to Adam’s lips and Adam’s breath caught in his chest. The man smelled amazing. Adam wanted to bury his face in Cash’s neck, and he thought at last he might have the chance to do it.

Then Cash sat back and chuckled. “You’re a real big shot, aren’t you? This what you want from me? A one-night stand?”

“You know it isn’t.”

“Then you’ll have to wait. I like you, Adam. I wouldn’t mind seeing where this goes. And so far I think you’re just trying to be all charming and cocky, and so far it’s pretty cute. But I don’t take to being pressured. Or dominated. So if you want this to happen, it’s going to be on my time. And in my own way. Got it?”

Adam was all but drooling. No…he was drooling. “Apparently I don’t mind being dominated,” he muttered.

“Say again?”

“Nothing. Look, I’ll back off a bit. But I just need you to know I’m ready when you are. I’ll get on my knees and beg right now if it’ll be any help.”

“It won’t. I’m not toying with you, Adam. I’m just being careful.”

Adam smiled gently. He hated to think how long this guy was gonna make him wait. But he kind of liked the idea that Cash’s interest was more than skin-deep. Adam hadn’t been in a relationship since law school, and he sorely missed it. Having someone to depend on; someone to have sex with whenever he wanted; someone to talk to and sleep with. Yes, he could definitely wait for something like that.

When Cora said she was hoping someone would hit on her, she hadn’t quite meant this.
 

The evening had started out miserably enough, with Rye barely even glancing at her. Then watching him go out of the bar with Erica, and her coming back in with that satisfied smirk on her face. Rye hadn’t come back in, though. Cora was glad. She didn’t want to see him after he’d been doing…whatever he’d been doing with Erica.

But then Les and Eddie Dunigan came in. They bellied up to the bar a few seats down from Cora and Lyssa. Lyssa gave Cora an eye roll. Everyone hated when those two showed up. They tended to be particularly nasty to Roux the bartender who pretended not to see them. Fortunately, Jack, the owner, always took care of Roux. He threw the towel he’d been using to polish the end of the bar over his shoulder and went to take Les and Eddie’s drink orders.

As soon as Jack served them, he had to go to the back for a phone call. That’s when Cora heard Les say something about wishing the dyke would serve them their drinks. Roux didn’t look at him. “I wish he’d step in front of a train,” she muttered.

“You should call Marshall,” Lyssa said.

“He shouldn’t have to come running every time his brothers act like assholes…he’d never have a moment to himself.”

“Hey, why are you girls all huddled together down there?” Eddie sneered.
 

“Maybe they’re gonna make out while we watch,” Les said.
 

Cora stood. “I’m going home. Lyss?”

Lyssa glanced at Roux. “I hate to leave you alone.”

Roux smiled. “Thanks. Jack’s just in the back. They don’t mess with me when he’s around.”

Lyssa stood, and she and Cora turned to leave, but while they’d been talking to Roux, Les and Eddie had come up behind them. Cora found herself face to face with Lester Dunigan, and he smelled like a locker room. And weed. And whiskey. “Get the hell out of my way,” Cora said.
 

“You look different tonight,” Les said. “You look kind of do-able. How about a dance?”

“I’ve no patience for this. Move, now, or I’ll press sexual harassment charges and have you put in jail.”

Les laughed. “You gonna hire your fag friend over there? I ain’t afraid of him. Come on. One dance and I’ll leave you alone.”
 

“She said no.” Rye appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, at her side.
 

Les narrowed his eyes. “You’re the asshole robbed me in the pizza parlor yesterday.”

“Yep. Walk away.”

Les and Eddie both sized him up before backing up a step. “Free country,” Les said. “I can talk to her if I want.”

Rye cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders, his feet set apart in a wary posture. Les and Eddie backed down. They walked away, muttering insults under their breath. Rye sighed. Cora looked up at him, but he was watching the two losers as they hovered over their drinks at the end of the bar. “How much trouble are they?”

“Don’t know,” Cora said. “Probably not much.”

“They normally hang out here?”

“No. There’s a little tavern down by the river where they usually go. But every once in a while they make their way up here. Jack doesn’t like them.”

Rye frowned at Lyssa. “You okay?”

She looked about to vomit. “He touched my breast,” she said, and then shivered.

Rye’s expression went cold. “I will go break his hand right now,” he said.

Lyssa smiled. “Thank you. But there’s no need to go to prison over it.”

Rye looked over at Eddie, as though weighing out whether it would be worth it. “Bastard,” he muttered.

Cora found herself smiling. So what if he was a man-whore? So what if he wasn’t interested in her? He was noble and beautiful.

“Everything okay?” Adam asked as he and Cash joined them at the bar.

“Yeah,” Lyssa answered. “Dunigans.”

Adam glared at the two men.
 

“We’re going fishing,” Cash said to Rye. “Adam says he knows a couple good fishing holes.”

Rye’s face twisted in a comical mix of confusion and disgust. “That’s not some kind of sick euphemism, is it?”

“No,” Cash laughed. “Jesus. We’re just going fishing. Do you wanna come?”

Rye glanced at the Dunigans. Then he looked at Cora. She swallowed and quickly looked away. The eye contact was becoming searing. For her anyway.
 

“We should stay with them,” Rye said.

Cora felt her breath leave her in a whoosh. He was looking after her. A real protector. “Um. Thanks. I’m actually going home.”

“Me, too,” Lyssa said.

“All right,” Adam said. “We’ll stay until you’re on your way. Okay?”

Cora and Lyssa paid for their drinks. They left the bar and split apart to go to their cars. Cora felt a presence behind her, but she knew it was Rye. She unlocked her car and turned to face him. “Thank you,” she said before he could say anything.

He shrugged. “You wanna come fishing with us?” If only the man would exhibit some emotion, she might be able to tell what he was after.

“Um. Thanks. But I’m going to head home.”

“Okay,” he said like he didn’t care one way or another.
 

“All right.” She turned back to her car.

“I’m not asking you out,” he said. “It’s just, I gotta keep an eye on Cash, and if you wanted to come, then, I wouldn’t feel like such a third wheel.”

She turned to face him again. She felt a little sick and a little excited. The thought of being near him in the dark on the riverbank sent her heart racing. But she reminded herself that there was professionalism to keep in mind. Not to mention that he’d gone off with another woman earlier this evening. “Did you have fun with Erica?” she asked. She did her best not to sound spiteful or jealous. She only wanted to remind him of who she was and who he was.

He let out a bitter laugh and moved back a step. “Fun? Yeah, I had fun with her.”

“Maybe she’ll go fishing with you, then.”

His expression sobered. The moon was doing crazy things with his eyes. “Yeah. Maybe she will. Thanks, boss,” he said. He turned and strode back to the bar.
 

Cora swallowed down the inexplicable pain and disappointment, drove home, and went straight to bed.

Cash loved fishing. It was peaceful. It forced you to exert calm and patience. And the reward, should you get lucky enough to snag a fish, was incredible—a surge of adrenaline, usually followed by disappointment when you saw the fish wasn’t nearly as big as you’d hoped. But occasionally followed by vast amounts of pride and satisfaction, as well as a big dinner. The entire experience could be a metaphor for life.

Of course, that was when your fishing partner wasn’t as fidgety as a five-year-old, and the quiet of the night wasn’t punctured by the harsh laughs and squeals of your brother’s date. Not Erica. Some other woman. They were back in the truck doing God only knew what.

“I think something ate my bait,” Adam said, for the tenth time.

“Nothing ate your bait.”

“I think it did because I felt a tug a minute ago, and I wasn’t sure that it was a bite, but then nothing happened…I’m gonna check.”

Cash rolled his eyes and looked heavenward. God help us, he thought.

Somewhere behind them, from in the pickup truck, came a sharp scream followed by Rye’s laughter. The woman cursed him out.
 

“Jesus,” Cash muttered.

“There, see? Bait…gone. Here.” Adam swung his hook over to Cash.
 

Cash dug in the styrofoam cup of dirt and worms for another worm. “Mr. Fancy Pants can’t bait his own hook. Seriously, man.”

“It’s disgusting. And I told you I haven’t done this since I was a kid.”

“Obviously. Now if something tugs on your line, give it a jerk and reel it in.”

“I’ll try.”

Before he could cast out again, the woman came streaking out of the truck in her underwear. She splashed into the river, with Rye in his boxers on her heels. He tackled her and took her under. Cash sighed and reeled his line in. It started raining underwear as the woman flung first her bra, then her panties, then Rye’s boxers onto the gravel bar around them. “Are you going to do this in front of us?” Cash shouted.
 

They were a few yards into the river, the water up to Rye’s navel. “Unless you leave,” he answered and then hefted the woman up on his hips. She wrapped her legs around him.

“Shit,” Cash muttered. “You’re the worst chaperone ever!” he shouted again. He took Adam’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

They walked down a dirt path that followed the river. Cash kept hold of Adam’s hand. Adam was oddly silent. At last, he stopped, and Cash turned to face him. “Cash, your brother’s a pig.”

Cash sighed. “Is this going to be a problem for you? Because tell me now, and we won’t go any further with this.”

Adam pressed his lips together and looked away. “That’s the stepdaughter of a friend of mine. Her name’s Tracy. And granted, she is a slut, no doubt about it. I think she even wears pants with the word ‘slut’ written across the ass. But still….”

“Why’s it bother you?”

“Because it bothers Cora.”

Cash frowned and shook his head. “You’ve known us two days. If you don’t like us, then let’s not hang out.”

“I like you, Cash. But Cora’s like family. I’m afraid he’ll hurt her.”

“Didn’t seem to me like she much cared about him.”

“Well, that’s because you don’t know her. He’s done something to her. She’s been different since yesterday.”

Cash shrugged again. “It’s not my problem. Not my business. You want me to take you back home?”

Adam let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I wish our fishing spot hadn’t gotten ruined.”

“You weren’t going to catch anything anyway.”

“Hey! You don’t know that.”

“I got a little, four-year-old niece I take fishing sometimes, and she sits more still than you do.”

Adam shoved him playfully, and he laughed. He caught Adam’s wrist and brought him in close. Adam’s smile slowly faded. He slipped an arm around Cash’s waist. Cash reached up to touch his face, but Adam said, “Don’t touch me with those worm encrusted fingers of yours.”
 

Cash grinned and shoved his hands in Adam’s hair.
 

“Gross,” Adam whined.
 

Cash laughed, grateful for the comic relief. He kissed Adam on the forehead and led him back the way they’d come. “Where are we going?” Adam asked.

“I’m taking you home,” Cash said. “Before I do something I’ll regret in the morning.”