Something Like Family Page 13

  Tuck nodded. “Yes, it is. Have I lost your support?”

  “Not at all. I’d say this request is just getting interesting.”

  Rave had never seen a spread of food like the one that filled three long picnic tables. Becca had pointed out to him all the award-winning recipes while he drooled like a Doberman over the dessert table. Now she sprawled on a picnic cloth—checkered red and white, just like in the movies—and watched him eat two plates full of food. She had a few veggies and some dip on her plate but had barely touched any of it. “So, tell me about Ashley. She’s the one you left behind, right?”

  Rave ran a hand through his hair. “She had already dumped me. The more I find out about her now, the more I realize I was blind. Does that make any sense?”

  Becca crossed her legs, tucking her flowing skirt around her. “Sure it does. When Michael left for college, I believed we could do the whole long-distance thing. But all I did was sit around thinking about how he was missing out on college life.”

  Rave frowned.

  “It’s a rite of passage, isn’t it? The frat parties, the girls.” Becca corralled her hair by sweeping it over her shoulder and clamping a hand around it. “It just seemed wrong that he was weighed down with a girl back home.”

  “Wow.”

  She searched his eyes for an explanation. “Was that sarcasm?”

  “Um, let me think.” Rave tapped his chin. “Yes. It was sarcasm.”

  Becca’s cheeks reddened.

  Rave set his plate aside and moved closer to her. “Weighed down? With you? Sorry, Becca, but any guy would be lucky to have a girl like you. And what are you even talking about, rite of passage?”

  She opened her mouth, but he cut her off.

  “Are you saying guys deserve to get to go off to college and act like idiots? Sleeping with as many girls as they want and partying every night?”

  Becca dropped her head.

  “That’s pathetic, Becca. That’s not a rite of passage. That’s indulgence. It doesn’t make someone a better man. It certainly doesn’t build character. Any guy with half a brain would wait for you. You’re worth it.”

  “He’s a good guy. I didn’t give him a choice.”

  Rave reached over and touched her leg. “There’s always a choice, Becca.” His fingers grazed her skin for a moment, but then he dropped his hand.

  “It was too complicated. I don’t need complicated. I need easy. Simple. There’s a lot going on with my family—my dad is in a new job.”

  “You want to talk about it?” he said.

  “No. We weren’t talking about me. We were talking about you.”

  Rave leaned back. “Ashley is working her way out of my system.”

  Becca bumped his shoulder with hers. “You sure about that?”

  He drew a long breath. “Trust me on this one. Funny how blinded we are until we get some distance.”

  “But you’re not over her. You still seem so sad.”

  He wasn’t over her. Rave reached for his lemonade. “It’s not just Ashley. She has a little boy. He’s like . . . well, kind of like my own kid, except he’s not. I was with her when she went to the hospital to have him, and I’ve been in his life ever since.” At the hospital, she’d even told the nurses Rave was the father so he could have access to the nursery whenever he wanted. Even though it was a lie, it had felt really good to be called Daniel’s father.

  “It’s him you miss?”

  Rave dropped a hand to his chest. “Yeah. It kills me. But, I mean, I miss her, too. She was a friend for a long time. Then we became more. It was pretty easy for her to let go, but I still feel—”

  “Kind of abandoned?”

  He wouldn’t have used that word. But yes, he felt abandoned by Ashley. Even though he knew what really mattered to her now, and he understood that people like that only ever did what was best for themselves.

  Becca scooted even closer. “Michael is in his second year at the University of Kentucky. It’s in Lexington.”

  “So you guys haven’t been together for two years?”

  Her right shoulder tipped up. “We tried to pick up last summer. It worked until he left again. I told him not to let me know if he was coming home this summer.”

  Rave cleared his throat. “I wish I could say I’m sorry, but if you were taken, I doubt we’d be sitting here having a picnic together. It’s dangerously close to a date.” He winked.

  She pressed her fingertips to her heart. “It’s nothing like a date.” But a tiny dimple appeared at the edge of her mouth, conspirator to her staunch reserve. “Do you like living with Tuck?”

  “He’s the best man I’ve ever known.” Rave could say that honestly and with absolute confidence.

  “My dad’s the best man I’ve ever known.” She smiled. “But I do love Tuck.”

  “He does a memorial for the men he served with in Vietnam.”

  “Like once a year or something?”

  “Like twice a month.”

  “Wow.” Becca’s eyes rounded. “That’s incredible.”

  Rave nodded. “Like I said, best man I’ve ever known. Hey, you need to eat. I’m not about to let all this food go to waste.”

  She squeezed her hands into fists and released them. “I’m always too nervous before a game. Can’t eat a bite.”

  “You know what? I have a remedy for that.” Rave took her by the hand and lifted her from her spot on the red-and-white blanket and then dragged her to the corner of the church, away from peering eyes. On one side of them was the parking lot filled with cars but no people, on the other, an empty field. Without allowing himself to consider the repercussions—ʼcause not considering was what he did best—Rave stepped in closer to her, until his thighs rested against hers.

  Little pants of hot air slipped from between her lips. She threw a look left, then right.

  “No one’s watching,” he purred.

  She clenched her hands at her sides and squeaked, “This isn’t helping my nerves.”

  “It will.” Using an index finger, he moved the long strands of hair from her throat until it toppled over her shoulder. The neckline of her blue sweater skimmed her collarbone, creating for Rave an almost irresistible temptation to trace the edge of fabric. His eyes did what his fingers shouldn’t.

  She was breathing hard now, fuller breaths than at first, and knowing he’d had that effect on her created a sizzling ball in his stomach. His eyes trailed up and locked on hers.

  She swallowed.

  Rave hooked his thumb and finger around her chin and slowly tilted her head up and back as if he was going to point out something in the sky. The length of her tanned throat filled his vision. She moved willingly, no resistance, no restraint. With painstaking slowness, he brought his mouth closer and closer to her throat. But she held her ground, her hands flattened on the solid wall behind her as if it anchored her. Rave drew in a deep lungful of air and blew it over her throat. Her body went lax, her eyes closed.

  He drew in another, surprised by how shaky his own breathing had become. This time, after he released the hot breath against her throat, he dropped a kiss on the spot where her pulse throbbed.

  Her eyes opened. They were glassy and far away.

  Rave grinned.

  “Is that how you calm nerves in the city?” Her voice was rough.

  He tipped one shoulder in a shrug. “Seemed to work.”

  Becca focused her attention on the barren field beside them. “I like it,” she whispered. “It’s better than what we do here in the country.”

  Rave planted a hand on the wall behind her, not moving closer, but also not moving away. “What do you do here?”

  “Muck out manure from horse stalls. It works, too, but it smells worse.”

  Rave dropped his hand. “Well, at least I smell better than dirty horse stalls.”

  Her green eyes flashed. “Decidedly.”

  “You have a wicked sense of humor, redneck girl.”

  “And you have a strange s
ense of calm for a guy who wants to kiss me.”

  He moved a millimeter closer. “Who said I want to kiss you?”

  Becca pushed herself off the wall and moved toward him until her cheek touched his. “You did,” she whispered.

  Magnets were peculiar things. Flip them one way, and they repelled each other; flip them over, and they created a bond not easily broken. Her cheek was velvet-soft against his. Her flesh warm from the sun and from the heat they’d generated. Rave tried to force his mind away from this girl, this girl who was so unlike him and yet such a perfect fit. He tried to think of Ashley. That’s who he was in love with. That’s who his heart belonged to, even if she’d never be his. Even if she was a liar and a user. But the image of Ashley refused to materialize.

  There was only Becca. Becca with her auburn hair and cowboy boots. Becca with her fierce attitude and jewel eyes. But what if Rave was just using her? What if this was his way of getting over Ashley? The thought caused him to take a step back, breaking the contact.

  Her emerald eyes narrowed. “You got a problem, city boy?”

  Nervous energy flew off him in waves. “I don’t . . . I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest and lifted one foot until it rested against the wall behind her. “You planning on hurting me?”

  He shook his head and brushed a hand over his face. “No. Absolutely not. But—” How had he so quickly lost control of this situation?

  She drew a breath and let it out slowly. “We’re just friends, Rave.” But she didn’t look at him when she said it. Her gaze was focused on a faraway spot on the barren field.

  “Yeah,” he agreed, but his heart wasn’t in it.

  “You want to hear some good news?” Her voice was just a little too cheery.

  He tried to focus. “Sure.”

  She motioned for him to follow her back to the picnic area. “I’m not worried about the game anymore.”

  Rave chuckled and offered her his arm. “I told you it would calm your nerves. And you didn’t even have to resort to manure.”

  CHAPTER 10

  “That girl of yours sure knows how to pitch.”

  The game had been a shutout with Becca, dressed in her softball uniform and her hair tied back in a bandana, throwing a no-hitter. Rave had never dated a sports girl. Of course, he wasn’t dating Becca, but that didn’t keep him from feeling the pride—and also the pinch of jealousy—when the game ended and a steady stream of softball players, guys, came over to congratulate her with hugs.

  She was elated at the eleven-to-nothing score.

  Tuck set a plate of leftovers in front of him. Trini had fixed them up with the goods. “She was tough out there. Trini told me she had a partial scholarship to the University of Kentucky her senior year.”

  Rave stopped moving, the fork halfway to his mouth. He could smell pot roast. “Kentucky, huh?” Made sense, that’s where her boyfriend had gone. “What happened?”

  “Her daddy lost his job. They were looking at losing their home, and Becca decided to stay here and go to work full-time for Alexandra, who owns Sustenance. She helped pay the mortgage until her dad found work. They’re still paying off the debt.”

  If he could admire her any more than he already did—unlikely—that bit of trivia tipped him right over the edge. “Does she still want to go to college?”

  Tuck grinned over a spoonful of mashed potatoes. “Don’t know. She’s your girl, maybe you should ask her.”

  Rave liked the sound of that. His girl. But she wasn’t. “Saw you talking to the preacher.”

  Tuck placed his spoon on the plate. “Yes sir, I did. I told him about the memorial. Asked him to help out.”

  Rave wasn’t sure why Tuck would do that. He’d already told him he’d be doing the memorial as long as he lived.

  “Now, don’t go getting all concern-faced.”

  Rave bit his cheek. “Don’t you trust me with it?”

  “Just the opposite, boy. I trust you completely. But . . .” There was a long pause as Rave watched a barrage of emotions over Tuck’s features. “It’s a heavy burden to carry. I carried it alone for too long. Good memories are pillows. They bounce around inside you, giving your soul a soft place to land and rest. Hard memories are like daggers. They stab the soul until it can no longer bleed.”

  Rave leaned forward. “But they’re not my memories, Tuck.”

  Tuck shook his head. “That’s where you’re wrong. They are. Because you chose to become part of them. They take a toll on your spirit. They bleed away your life. I’ve been worrying over this. And I didn’t have an answer. I don’t want to see you carry this burden alone. The preacher said he’d pray for us. And I believe he will. There’s a better way, Rave. There’s a better way to honor the men than what I’ve been doing.”

  “What is it, Tuck?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. But I believe we’ll find it.”

  Rave reached over the table and gave Tuck’s hand a squeeze. “Then we will.”

  “Are you still wanting to be an electrician?”

  Tuck had given him a series of books that Rave had been sifting through at night. He’d found the work interesting, intriguing, and in some ways like a puzzle that needed to be put together. “Absolutely.”

  “Good. Come with me. I’ve got to show you something.” Rave followed Tuck out the front door, and the two waited while Bullet hopped into the cab with them. Tuck drove from the house down a back path that Rave had assumed was only used for farm equipment a lifetime ago. Deep in the woods, they arrived at a small clearing and a cabin that rested against a backdrop of mountains. A narrow stream appeared beyond the shack as Rave hopped from the truck and looked around. Wildflowers grew in bright purple and yellow pops of color. Tuck stopped at the foot of the two steps leading to a narrow, covered porch. “This is where I fell in love with Millie.” His fingers traced the line of a sunflower petal. “She used to gather these wildflowers and tie them with a dark scarlet ribbon. Always the same color. Always left for me to find on the rocking chair.”

  Rave could imagine his grandmother as a young woman clipping flowers and leaving them for Tuck. Rave’s eyes fanned over the cabin with its tin roof and wooden shutters. He’d lived in worse places. “This is a pretty cool place, Tuck.”

  But Tuck was lost to the memories. Finally, he turned to Rave. “It’s your first project. Wiring needs redone. I’ll help and instruct as you go, but you’ll have to do most of the work.”

  Surely Tuck wasn’t serious. Rave didn’t know enough to start a real project. “But I’ve only been reading the books.”

  “And have you learned anything?”

  “Yes. I understand the concept. But am I ready to take on a job?”

  “Nope. That’s why you’re gonna do it. When this is done, I’ll call Brice and see about getting you on at his company. Sound like a plan?”

  Rave nodded and couldn’t suppress the grin that appeared on his face. “Yes, sounds amazing.” Together, they entered the small cabin. Once inside, it occurred to him that Tuck was pushing things into high gear. Rushing the training, choosing someone to help with the memorial. The realization stole the excitement from his new job. Tuck was preparing to leave him.

  May ended, and Tuck’s strength stayed the same as when Rave had first met him. They worked on the cabin, bringing it back to life and running out the forest critters that had taken up residence. June was warm and beautiful in the Smoky Mountains. Rave missed surfing, and every windy day reminded him of the waves he wouldn’t conquer. But life was good. Ashley had called a few times and let him talk to Daniel. Rave never mentioned that he knew about Barry and the trip to the Keys, but his mood toward her was friendly, nothing more. She didn’t mention the state of her love life, and Rave didn’t ask. Rave had seen the real picture of Ashley—the one she’d always tried to hide from him. Ashley was a girl with a backup plan. Always. Maybe that was how she made it through life. Rave was her backup plan if thing
s didn’t work out with Barry. With each passing day, the love he’d had for her had died a little more.

  The wind around the hillsides picked up the cool of the water. He’d spent many an evening with Becca, sitting on the pier near her house. He’d end each night asking her if she wanted to go out with him. She’d smile and say, “No.” Her eyes would blink, and in them, he’d see the same emotion he felt whenever they were together. Like what they shared was too delicate to mess up with simple things like dating. It was precious, and one wrong move could cause it to disintegrate as fast as tissue on a water spot. He believed with all his heart this was the reason she said no when he’d ask her out.

  He’d been working on ideas for the memorial for Tuck’s men. It was a cool Saturday, and they were just closing up shop at the swap meet when Becca came running out of Sustenance. She jogged over, her hair flying in the breeze, and Rave clutched his chest. It was in that moment, the moment his eyes landed on hers and her mouth slipped into that perfect smile that he knew. He’d fallen for Becca. They weren’t even dating. They hadn’t really kissed. But his heart had already betrayed him. Her cheeks were flushed from the jog over, and she was breathless. “Hey.”

  He was breathless, too. “Hey.”

  There was a grin, a knowing grin, on her face. She had a secret and was bursting to tell it.

  Rave frowned. “What?”

  Becca licked her lips—which made all his other thoughts fly right out of his head. “I’m waiting,” she said.

  He glanced around. “For what?”

  Her brow tilted seductively. “For you to ask me out.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Becca, will you go out with me?”

  “Yes.”

  He went back to packing up the tools Tuck had spread on their swap meet table until her single word registered. “Wait a minute. What?”

  She rose up on her toes. “I said . . . yes.”

  “But you’re supposed to say no.”

  She cocked her hip. “You want me to say no?”

  “No!”

  Her smile returned. “Then pick me up at eight at my house.” Becca turned and ran back to Sustenance, leaving a gaping Rave behind. Everything in their relationship tipped on its axis. She was changing the rules. Changing the game. They were actually going on a date. Rave couldn’t be happier.