Chapter Ten
By the time they’d eaten dinner and settled Louie into his new bedroom for the night, Clark was tired. He spent most of his time alone, and while he was glad to help Anna and Louie, he was a bit overwhelmed at the amount of noise and chaos they created.
“Ready to call it a night?” he asked Anna. He picked up his empty wineglass and took it into the kitchen. “Louie is already asleep.”
Anna was cleaning glitter from the coffee table. As soon as he’d explored the cabin, he’d begged to make a sign for the door of his new room. With the art project finished, Anna was cleaning every shimmery sliver off the table and hardwood floor. Her black hair shone in the lamplight and reminded him of a crow’s wing. “Ready. I have a crazy day tomorrow. I’ll drop Louie at Mrs. Rosemiller’s on my way to work.” She yawned. “The wine made me super sleepy.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday. Surely you don’t work on Sunday.”
“I work anytime I can,” she said. “I usually do this house on Monday, but they’re having a party tomorrow night. They want it to look nice. It will only take me a couple of hours.”
Clark hadn’t worked on Sunday since college. Saturday either. He felt a twinge of sympathy for Anna. She was so dedicated, so focused on making a good life for her son and herself. If anyone deserved a break, it was her. “Louie can stay here if he wants. Get used to the place.”
“I don’t want to burden you, Clark. You’ve done so much already.”
“It’s no trouble.”
“He can stay with Mrs. Rosemiller tomorrow. Then, once the two of you know each other a little better, I’d love it if you did some guy things with him.”
He nodded. “Sounds like a plan. Good night.”
His heart did something strange. For a moment, he allowed himself the opportunity to imagine the marriage was a real one. Was this something he could do every night? Forever?
The answer scared him.
There was no reason to go down that road. This setup was not even close to forever. It was a simple arrangement, a way for him to turn one of his wrongs into a right. Except with Louie safely tucked in his bed and Anna on the sofa, it felt natural, like something he’d always wanted.
No matter how much I want it, I’ll never deserve it.
“Night.” Anna turned and looked at him. “I’m going to finish this up and then I’m headed to bed myself.”
Her cheeks were flushed and rosy. He briefly wondered what the wine would taste like on her lips. “Okay.”
Clark headed down the hall and into the bathroom. He stripped down to his boxers and grabbed his toothbrush from the rack. Just as he started to floss, he heard a loud sneeze, and then someone jogging down the hall. The bathroom door, which he’d left a little ajar, flew open, and the knob hit him squarely on the hip.
“I’m so sorry,” Anna said. She was holding her finger over one eye. “But I need some eye drops. I have glitter in my eye.”
He dropped the floss into the trash and put his hands on her shoulders. “Sit here,” he said, guiding her to the toilet. “Let me look. Move your finger.”
She moved her finger and struggled to open her squinted eye. “Can you see it?”
Clark leaned down and placed his finger on her eyelid. “Yep. It’s green. Let me grab some solution and flush it out.” From the medicine chest over the sink, he took a bottle of the saline he used for his contacts. “Lean your head back.” He put a couple of drops into her eye. The tiny piece of glitter floated to the side and he used his thumb to rub it away. “There. Better?”
She was looking up at him, one eye red and teary, the other clear and bright blue. Something passed between them. Electricity. Heat. Anticipation. As if there was a rubber band stretched between them and it was about to snap. “Much better,” Anna said. “Thanks.”
They were so close their knees touched. “Good. Let me look once more and just make sure that was the only piece.”
Clark tried to ignore her smell, all cherry blossoms and girly powder. He tried not to notice the softness of her skin against the tip of his index finger, but it wasn’t easy to hide his attraction. Boxer shorts weren’t exactly concealing.
Satisfied she was glitter free, he knelt in front of her. “You’re clear.”
“Thanks,” she said, her gaze never leaving his. “I’m sorry I shoved into the bathroom like that.”
He shook his head. “No big deal. We are married after all.”
He meant it as a lighthearted joke, but the way she looked at him, the heat in the tiny room, the obvious attraction between the two of them, made it feel heavier. Made it feel real.
Before he even knew what was happening, his lips were on hers. This time, Anna kissed back like she meant it. His first thought was, I never want to stop kissing her. She tasted like honey and wine and desire. He slid his tongue into her mouth and grew even more aroused when he heard her breath catch. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
Anna nibbled his bottom lip, and the sensation made him even harder. He threaded his arms under hers and pulled her to a stand, never breaking the kiss. Her body was soft, curvy, and warm and fit against his perfectly. He ran his fingers through her coal-black curls, pulling her closer.
She ran her fingers down the length of his arms, causing him to shiver.
He inched her backward until her back was against the wall. She wrapped one leg around his waist and pulled him toward her. The cotton of her shirt rubbed against his chest, making him long for skin-to-skin contact. “I want to feel you.” After tugging at the hem, he shimmied the blouse upward. “My God, you’re perfect.” Her lacy bra was cotton candy pink. Trailing one finger down along the curve of her breast, he said, “Pink is definitely your color.”
“You should see me in red.”
“I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity.”
Anna moaned and kissed him more deeply.
Hot. Sexy. Uninhibited. There was nothing sweet about the kiss. Even if their marriage was a sham, this passion wasn’t.
As Anna pulled away, Clark ran his tongue along the length of her neck and relished the way her whole body shivered and the way she clung to him.
The woman in his arms needed more than a safe place for her son.
She needed sex. Sweaty, hot, and totally uninhibited.
Abruptly, Anna pulled away, her eyes wide. “Clark, I…I…” She blushed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I had no idea glitter in the eye would be so irresistible.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the glitter. Maybe it was you.”
“You think?” Her eyes sparkled.
“There’s no good reason to sleep alone.” The bathroom was so small he could touch her without fully extending his arm. “Especially when you’re married.”
“We’re adults.” Her voice was low and sultry, and he couldn’t tell if she was trying to convince him or herself.
When they’d agreed on the arrangement, neither of them had really addressed sex. “You’re okay with—”
“We’ve already decided there are no strings attached. A little fun couldn’t hurt, right?”
He took her hand. It was small and delicate, and he loved the way her fingers laced through his. “Come with me.” He led her down the hall and into his bedroom. After closing the door behind her, he took her hands in his and looked into her eyes. “You’re okay with this?”
Instead of answering, she placed her hands behind his neck and pulled his lips to hers.
My God, she’s delicious.
She slipped her tongue into this mouth and betrayed her want. “It’s more than okay,” she whispered against her lips.
In response, she unbuttoned his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. She ran both hands along his shoulders and down his chest. She never broke eye contact with him as she explored his body. “I want this, too.”
That was all it took. He edged her toward the bed, his lips pressed to hers. “I want to see all of you.”
She hooked one finger under the shoulder strap of her bra and slowly moved it to the side. He ran his thumb over a pebbled nipple while he bent to kiss the top of her breast.
“Your skin is flawless.” He loved the way her breath hitched as he ran a fingertip along the line between her breasts. “You’re gorgeous,” he said, sliding the other strap of her bra to the side. Her skin was like silk, soft and smooth, and he wanted to feel every inch of it against his own. “Get undressed.”
“I like a man who’s direct.” She shimmied out of her shorts and panties, and then stood in front of him.
He pulled her close to him, reveling in the feel of her naked breasts pressed against his chest. He rubbed slow, lazy circles on her back with his fingertips until she looked up at him.
“That feels wonderful,” she said.
“That’s just the beginning.”
Their lips met again, but this time the heat was immediate. Anna’s kiss belied her hunger, the want in her, and Clark was happy to oblige. After slipping off his clothes, he guided her to the bed. Her black curls spread out on the white pillow case. “Since the moment I saw you in that short denim skirt, the one you wore to Louie’s birthday party, I couldn’t stop wondering if I’d ever get to see you like this.”
“I hope I didn’t disappoint,” she whispered.
“Not at all,” he said. “Want me to show you what I really think?”
Anna giggled. “I’d like that.”
He took one nipple in his mouth, and she gasped. After giving the same treatment to the other, he looked up at her. Her eyes were closed, her head tipped back. The line of her neck was so erotically feminine. He traced it with this tongue, savoring the flavor of her skin.
She moaned and arched her back. “I want you.” She writhed against him. “I don’t want to wait.”
He ran the tip of his index finger between her breasts, over her belly button, and between her legs. “You’re one bossy minx.”
His voice sounded closer to Redhawk’s than his own.
Clark grabbed a condom from the top drawer of the bedside table, slipped it on, and then he was inside her. He thrust slowly at first, enjoying the tight feel of her around him. She dug her nails into his ass, urging him to pump faster. He was so turned on that it didn’t take much encouragement.
Just as her muscles contracted, he felt his own release.
Afterward, he rolled onto his side and pulled her closer to him. “Was that okay?”
Without opening her eyes, she smiled. “Not sure. I might need another demonstration.”
…
The next week, Anna finished her cleaning job early, motivated by the gorgeous and breezy weather. After packing her supplies in the trunk of the car, she rolled down the windows, opened the sunroof, and breathed in the scents of lilac trees filling the neighborhood.
Since the first night in the cabin, she and Clark had made love nearly every night.
Sometimes it was sweet, other times it was red-hot.
She turned onto Florida Street and drove past her house. The grass had been recently mowed, no doubt something Clark had arranged. While she missed the place, she’d been really happy living at the cabin.
I could get used to it, if only for the perks.
After a quick stop at Mrs. Rosemiller’s to pick up Louie, Anna drove toward the cabin.
“Did you have a good day?” She looked in the rearview mirror at her son.
“Mrs. Rosemiller made breakfast for snack. We had pancakes and bacon.”
“That sounds wonderful. Did you clean your plate?”
“I even asked for seconds.” He gripped his Redhawk figure in one hand and met her eyes in the mirror. “I wish I could have pancakes every day.”
When they pulled into the driveway, Clark was lying in the hammock flipping through a magazine. Louie bolted out of the car—and with his toy in one hand—ran across the grass, zipping and zooming, as he narrated the superhero’s latest adventure.
“Have a good morning?” Clark asked, sitting up and tossing the magazine on the ground. He flashed a smile at her, and her heart beat a little faster.
Anna nodded. “The clients weren’t home, so it was nice and quiet. It’s still early. Let’s take Louie and do something outside.”
“Ever been to Max Patch?”
Max Patch was a bald mountain on the Tennessee-North Carolina border only about forty-five minutes from Franklyn. With no trees, the grass was broken by large boulders. She’d heard Taylor mention the incredible views several times, and she’d seen plenty of postcards, but she’d never found the time to go herself. “No,” she answered. “But I’ve always wanted to.”
“Let’s pack some snacks and take my truck.” He took her hand and led her into the cabin.
In the kitchen, Clark grabbed a soft-sided cooler from underneath the counter and filled it with bottled water, a few apples, and some protein bars. Anna tossed in some cheese sticks she’d brought from her house. They were Louie’s favorite snack. From the linen closet, he grabbed a flat sheet.
“Ready?” Clark asked.
“Yep,” Anna said.
After transferring the booster seat from Anna’s car into Clark’s truck, they set off toward Hot Springs and Max Patch. The trees, finally green after a long winter that didn’t want to let go of the mountains, were the color of Granny Smith apples. Louie busied himself in the backseat with a Redhawk coloring book.
They passed through the small town of Hot Springs and turned onto Highway 209. The road was a series of switchbacks, but Clark handled the truck as if it were an extension of his body. Over his shoulder, Anna kept an eye on the speedometer. Clark never pushed the truck above the speed limit. He drove so carefully it was almost as if he were in some sort of trance. By the time they got to the small parking area near the top of Max Patch, Louie was squirming and ready to stretch his legs.
Clark grabbed the cooler and they walked up the short path that led to the top of the mountain. Louie skipped ahead, weaving on and off the paved path. The air was cooler up here. Anna took deep breaths and filled her lungs with the clean mountain air.
Even though she’d grown up in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the view still took her breath away. Standing on top of the world, in the bright May sunshine, she saw Tennessee to the west, and when she turned and faced east, North Carolina. They were the only people around, and Anna reveled in the freedom of having the place all to themselves.
“I can’t believe I’ve never been here,” she said. Clark stood behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “It’s just beautiful.”
“I thought you’d like it.” He spread out the sheet and placed the cooler on one corner. “Want to have a seat and just enjoy the view?” He sat in the middle and Anna sat beside him. “Wine?”
“You packed a bottle?”
“Thought you might enjoy a glass.”
“Thanks, I’d love that.”
Clark poured the chardonnay into a plastic Solo cup and passed it to her.
“Want to share?”
He shook his head. “I’m driving.”
“Thanks,” she said. “It’s nice to have a break from being the only driver.” It was so considerate of him. She couldn’t think of a single time a man had put her comfort before his own.
It’s only a vacation. Don’t get too used to it.
Anna sipped her wine as Louie zipped back and forth across the wide patch of grass on top of the mountain.
“Hey, Louie,” Clark called. “Want me to play the Blot?”
Louie skipped to a stop right in front of them. “You’d do that?”
“Sure. Just tell me what to do.”
Louie looked up at him in awe. “We’re in Capital City, and you’re trying to find my hideout.”
Clark nodded. “Then I should give you a bit of a head start, huh?”
“Count to thirty.”
“Will do.”
“And close your eyes,” Louie insisted.
Clark placed his hands over his eyes, spread his fingers and watched until Louie ran behind one of the large boulders. Continuing to count, he took his hands off his eyes and looked down at Anna. His grin was devilish and made him even sexier. “It’s fun to play the good guy and the bad boy.”
The wine had relaxed her, and when she looked up at Clark, she couldn’t fight the magnetic pull of him. She hooked her index finger in his and rose. The nearness of him made her heart race. From his gravelly voice to his bright-green eyes, everything about him turned her on. “I like the bad boy, too,” she said.
He turned his head and yelled. “Louie, I’m going to silently count to a hundred so you can find the best hiding spot.”
And then his lips were on hers. He placed his hands on the back of her neck, and the smell of him flooded her senses.
I can’t keep my hands, or my lips, off this man. What is wrong with me?
When his hard-on pressed against her, all her questions vanished, and she moaned, remembering the feel of him inside her. Clark nibbled at her lower lip and the taste of him, coupled with the sweet tang of the wine, was incredibly erotic.
“Think it’s been a hundred yet?” he whispered against her lips.
“Fifty at most,” she answered. She slid her tongue in his mouth and ran her palms across the top of his shoulder. He placed his hands in the back pocket of her jeans.
“It’s been a hundred. Can we finish this tonight?”
Anna opened her eyes and looked into his. “Think you’ll still be in the mood?”
“Absolutely no doubt.” His green eyes glimmered with heat. After he gave her a light tap on the ass, he set off to find Redhawk’s hideout.
Anna sat on the grass and watched him. Only a couple of days into her marriage of convenience, and she was already growing more and more attracted to him. On top of the heat she felt every time he was in the room, she liked him. She poured herself another glass of wine and fantasized about what was going to happen after they put Louie to bed tonight.
A few minutes later, the boys shot out from behind one of the large rocks. Louie was running, and Clark wasn’t far behind him. Both of them were laughing, loving the chase. It was what she’d always wanted for Louie, and it broke her heart that it was only temporary. Her arrangement with Clark was only designed to keep custody of her son. It wasn’t a long-term thing, and even though Louie needed this kind of male role model in his life, she couldn’t ask that of Clark. She’d already taken too much.
I just have to see it for what it is. A way to keep custody of my son and have a little fun at the same time.
“I’m closing in on you,” Clark said.
Louie giggled and tried to run even faster. He stumbled and fell into the grass a few feet from Anna, and Clark fell beside him. They tumbled around, tickling, laughing, and jabbing each other. Eventually, they both ran out of steam and fell onto their backs, wide smiles on their faces.
“Having fun?”
“The most fun ever!” Louie declared.
Anna’s chest felt too small to hold her heart.
Clark scooted closer to her and placed his hand on her knee. “Pretty good day, huh?”
“This is a magical place. Thanks for bringing us up here,” Anna said. It was the best day she’d had in ages. She hadn’t worried about money once, and she’d been able to spend time with her son on top of a beautiful mountain. The setting sun painted the sky in brilliant oranges and gold, making the mountain appear dusky purple. “I had a great afternoon.”
Clark put his arm around her shoulders. “I know you’re used to working all the time, but while we’re together, I want you to take some time for yourself.”
“Thank you. For everything.” Before she realized what she was doing, she was leaning into him again. She was about to kiss him when Louie’s voice brought her back to reality.
“Mom.”
“What, baby?”
Still on his back in the grass, Louie said, “Redhawk and the Blot are tired.” He pointed to Clark. “It’s not easy to save humanity.”
“Let’s pack up everything and head back toward the cabin,” she said.
Clark rose and offered her his hand. “Get him settled. I’ll take care of the trash.”
Back at the truck, Anna wrapped the picnic sheet around Louie so he could fall asleep on the ride home. “You know the only thing that could’ve made this day better?” Louie asked.
Anna handed him Redhawk. “What?”
“If I’d had a puppy to bring along.”
By the time they reached the town of Hot Springs, Louie was asleep. “He really wants a dog, huh?” Clark asked.
“He’s been begging for one since he started kindergarten, but not only would my landlord have a fit, I just don’t have time to take care of a dog. Maybe when he’s a little older and he can take more responsibility.”
“That’s too bad. Every little boy needs a dog. We always had dogs when I was growing up. I loved all of them, but Sasquatch was my favorite.”
“Sasquatch? There’s got to be a story there.” She’d heard Taylor mention the dog, saying he was always chewing something up, digging holes, and getting into trouble. He was the main reason Taylor was a cat person.
Clark’s eyes briefly left the road and met hers. “I was nine, firmly in the monsters stage of boyhood, when a puppy wandered into the yard. He was a mutt, probably a cross between a German shepherd and a Lab, and even at only a few weeks old, he was huge and shaggy. I loved him instantly.”
Anna had never had a dog of her own, but she loved animals. “Your parents let you keep him without a big fight?”
“No. It was a huge fight. They preferred pedigreed dogs, mostly springers and setters, expensive ones my dad took bird hunting once or twice a year. I hated seeing those dogs stuck in a pen just waiting for his pleasure.”
“How did you talk them into letting you keep Sasquatch?”
“Begged and begged until they were so exhausted they had to give in.”
“Why did you love him so much?”
“He loved me unconditionally, and I really needed that.” He took one hand off the wheel and rubbed his chin. “He was my best friend.”
“Taylor seems to think he was a menace.”
“He was,” Clark said with a laugh. “He ruined my parents’ backyard, several pairs of nice shoes, and a truckload of pillows. Taylor’s probably still mad that he ate her lip gloss. All of it.”
“Probably. She’s pretty serious about her makeup.”
“Always has been. I replaced the stuff with my allowance money, but she never forgave Sasquatch.”
Louie murmured in his sleep, and Anna swiveled in her seat to check on him. He was the most perfect thing she’d ever seen, and she wanted him to have everything she hadn’t. Including a childhood filled with love and attention. Protecting him from George was at the top of that list. Nothing would say real family like a puppy. But then again, what would happen to the dog when she moved back to Florida Street? She turned back to Clark and put her hand over his. “Let’s talk more about it later.”
Clark’s face lit up, like he was the kid who might be getting a puppy. “At least there’s a chance.”
…
Clark woke slowly, Anna’s naked body snuggled close to his. It felt so right, he was afraid to open his eyes.
“Mmmm,” she murmured. “I have to get moving.”
He kissed her neck and ran his index finger in a lazy circle around one of her nipples, making it go diamond-hard. His dick responded immediately. “Already?”
She playfully elbowed him. “You’re going to make me late. Again.”
“It will be worth it. Let’s make it three tardies in as many weeks.”
“Nope. Mrs. Wilson waits for me with watch in hand.” She rose and slipped into her robe. “See you at breakfast.”
By the time Clark was dressed, Louie was halfway through his Cheerios.
“Ready for school, buddy?” he asked, ruffling the kid’s hair as he passed on the way to grab a cup of coffee.
“We have PE today. That’s my favorite,” he said between two slurps of milk.
“Only a few more days until summer break, huh?”
“Yeah. Then I have to go to my dad’s more often.”
“You’ll have fun.” Clark heard the false note in Anna’s voice.
Louie shrugged. “He yells a lot.”
Clark’s heart squeezed. Louie was a good kid, well-behaved with great manners. Clark had yet to see anything that required yelling. “Maybe it’s just his way. My dad yelled a lot, too.”
“He did?” Louie swished his spoon around in his cereal.
“Yep. I hated the way it made me feel.”
“It scares me. Even when he’s not yelling about something I did, he still makes me nervous.”
“Have you talked to him about it?” Clark sat in the chair opposite and took a sip of his coffee.
“He’s not a very good listener.”
“I’m so sorry.” The urge to punch George again rose up in him, but he knew that would only make matters worse. He’d have to find another way to beat the bastard.
After breakfast, Louie and Anna left the house and Clark went upstairs to his office. It was time to make sure George didn’t do anything crazy to get custody of Louie. Jake had mentioned George wasn’t a stranger to trouble and wasn’t afraid to grease the wheels of justice when necessary.
Maybe that meant he had a few secrets no one knew about, secrets that might cool his jets permanently.
He texted Jake.
Any info on George’s priors?
A few minutes later, his phone pinged.
Mostly drunk and disorderly. One fight that landed him the hospital. Ask Taylor. Maybe she’s talking to YOU.
Nothing happened in Franklyn or at the hospital that Taylor didn’t know about. In the years she’d worked there as a physical therapist, she’d built an incredible network of friends and allies. If she didn’t have an answer, she could get one usually within a couple of hours.
Thx. Will ask her. She’s not talking to you?
No. I missed a doctor’s appointment and she’s pissed.
Clark had no idea why the two of them weren’t already together. It was obvious they were in love with each other, but neither of them could see it. It worried him that Jake had missed the appointment, too, but it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have via text.
Need anything? He texted back.
I’m cool.
Will stop by later.
K.
If George had been in a fight that required medical care, maybe it was something Willa could use in the custody battle. But before he brought it up, he needed more information. He fired up his laptop and did an internet search of local private investigators. He’d never had cause to hire one, but after seeing Louie and Anna together over the past few days, he was more convinced than ever he needed to make sure George didn’t separate them.
The PI might find nothing, but in Clark’s mind, it was worth a few greenbacks to give it a shot.
After deciding on an investigator, he made the call. The PI agreed to take the case, and Clark arranged to drop a check off at the man’s office. He leaned back in his chair and exhaled. He felt much better knowing that someone would be keeping an eye on the abusive bastard.
Since Anna wouldn’t expect him home for a few of hours, he decided it was the perfect time to head over to Jake’s apartment. He stopped by the grocery store and filled a cart with some things Jake might need—milk, bread, eggs, and sliced turkey. At the last minute, he threw in a bag of Doritos.
With the grocery bags and milk in his hands, he tapped on the door of his best friend’s apartment with the tip of his shoe. When he didn’t hear Jake moving around inside, he placed the bags on the concrete and rang the doorbell. Still nothing.
He’d asked Jake for a key several times, just in case, but Jake had refused every time, citing the need for privacy, as if the two of them had any real secrets from each other. He stepped backward and looked into the parking lot. Jake’s van was in the handicapped spot. Maybe he was sleeping.
Clark pulled his phone from his hip and texted Jake. Finally, after more than ten minutes, he heard the deadbolt on the door click.
“What’s up?” Jake looked terrible, like he hadn’t showered in days. His skin was greyish and pale and he had a faraway look in his eyes. He made no move to clear the doorway so Clark could get past him with the groceries.
“I got you some chips and stuff,” Clark answered, holding one of the bags in his hand.
Jake reached for it. “Thanks.
“Can I bring the rest inside?”
Jake hesitated but finally wheeled backward. “I guess.”
In all the years Clark had known Jake, he’d never seen him like this. His best friend was the kind of guy who usually bounced back quickly. Whether it was from heartbreak or a setback at work, he was a driven person with a sunny disposition. The man in front of him barely resembled the Jake he’d known for more than twenty years.
Why wasn’t I the one who ended up in a wheelchair? At least that would’ve been fair.
Clark picked up the bags and walked into the apartment. It was a wreck. Beer bottles and food packages were everywhere. It smelled terrible, like the garbage hadn’t been taken out in a long time. All the blinds were closed, and even on this bright, sunny early summer day, it was cool and dark inside.
“How long has it been since you’ve cleaned the place?” Clark asked.
Jake wheeled himself into a corner of the living room and focused on the television. “A while.”
He’d always been neat and liked for his things to be squared away. The state of the apartment shocked Clark. Guilt, a familiar companion, stabbed him in the heart again. He should’ve been checking on his best friend more often. Instead, he’d been busy with Anna and Louie, and he’d let his responsibility to Jake slip.
I should be helping him, not playing house with Anna and letting it screw with my head.
Clark took the groceries to the kitchen and started putting them away. “Have you been anywhere this week?” he asked through the pass-through into the living room.
“Nope,” Jake answered, his eyes never leaving the television.
“Why did you miss your doctor’s appointment?”
“Forgot about it.”
“That sounds like bullshit.”
“Give it a rest, Duck. Shit. Taylor has already chewed my ass. I won’t miss another one, okay?”
Clark knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere by pushing harder. “Want to come out to the cabin this weekend? Maybe we can catch a game.”
“Thanks, but I’m okay.”
When Clark finished putting the food away, he grabbed a couple of trash bags from under the sink and began cleaning up the place.
“I’ll hire someone to come over a couple times a week to help you clean up. You can’t live like this.” He opened the blinds in the living room, and Jake winced.
“I don’t need help. I just haven’t gotten around to cleaning up. Shit, Duck. Is that a fucking crime?” He shook his head and sank deeper into his wheelchair. He cranked up the volume on the television and went back to ignoring Clark.
By the time Clark finished, all the trash had been taken to the dumpster, the carpet had been vacuumed, and the kitchen had been wiped down. Jake was still actively ignoring him. On the way out the front door, he paused and looked at his friend.
I have to do something.
…
At Clark’s insistence, Anna had given up most of her cleaning jobs. She worried constantly about what she’d do when the custody case was settled. Although, it was nice to have a vacation from the backbreaking work and it was wonderful not to feel the constant financial pressure she’d lived with for so many years, this wasn’t forever. As soon as the custody case was settled, she and Louie would be back to the house on Florida Street, and she’d have to find a way to support them. In addition to keeping in touch with all of her clients, she regularly combed the internet for job listings. Maybe, in the time it took to settle custody, she could find something with regular hours and benefits.
Life with Clark is just a temporary fairy tale. I have to be prepared for the inevitable ending.
She was stirring the pot of pasta on the stove when Clark came through the front door. “How was your day?” One look at her husband, and she knew something was wrong. In the short time they’d been together, she’d learned to read his moods and expressions. “I’ll meet you on the back porch. Beer or whiskey?”
“Whiskey,” he answered, tossing his keys and cell phone onto the counter.
Anna dropped a couple of ice cubes and some bourbon into a glass and took it outside. Clark was slumped in a chair watching Louie through the screen. She handed him the glass. “Do you want to talk about it?”
He took a slug of the amber liquid. “It’s Jake.”
Anna sat down in the chair next to him. “What’s going on with him?”
“I went by his place today to drop off some groceries, and the place was a pigsty. He barely said two words to me the whole time I was there. I took out the trash and vacuumed, but he needs a service. I offered to send someone over, but he refused.”
“Maybe he’s embarrassed about how dirty it is. I’ve had clients like that, people who normally keep things neat, and then something major happens and they just can’t keep up anymore. I can go by there and give it good scrub if you’d like. After all, I’m a professional.”
Clark shook his head. “I don’t think he wants anyone in the apartment. He almost didn’t let me in, and I’ve known him since kindergarten.” Clark exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s isolating himself like never before.”
“He’s depressed?”
Clark nodded. “He looked like he hadn’t changed clothes in a week.”
“What about counseling?”
“When he lost his job and was forced to go on disability, his access to mental health services was very limited. I offered to pay for him to see the therapist of his choice, but he refused.”
Although Anna didn’t understand how Jake felt, she did understand how debilitating depression could be. “Maybe he doesn’t realize how badly he needs help. Sometimes people are too ashamed to admit they’re depressed. He might think it makes him seem weak.”
Anna wanted to ask Clark about the accident. Taylor had mentioned the accident several times, so Anna knew some of the details, but not the whole picture. “Maybe he needs a job, something that makes him feel productive again,” she said.
“I offered him a job in my office, but he wouldn’t take it. Said it felt too much like charity.”
“Maybe you could find him a job with another architect or construction company. But be sure to talk to him about it before—” Before Anna could finish cautioning him that interfering might be the worst thing he could do, Clark was rushing into the house to grab his cell phone.
…
With all his contacts in the construction business, he could find the perfect job for Jake. Talking to Anna had helped him. She knew just what to ask, just how to approach his raw feelings.
When Jake had blown off the job Clark offered him, he’d never stopped to consider that maybe Jake wanted to work with someone other than his best friend.
Clark jogged up the stairs to his office in the loft and began combing through stacks of purchase orders and plans. Since the accident, Jake had shuttered his construction business, but he had tons of experience and know-how, so that was a real shame. He was one of the best in the business, and Clark wanted to see him working again. He’d suggested that Jake work for him for two reasons. His schedule would be flexible working for Clark, and Clark would have been around to pick up any slack. Jake had vetoed that idea immediately, and Clark hadn’t pressed. He’d tabled the work idea, thinking Jake would bring it up again when he was ready.
Jake didn’t like to be pressured. He was stubborn as a mule, and when he decided to dig in his heels, there was no moving him.
But now the situation was different, and Clark felt he had to do something to force Jake to start living again. He’d been out of the game for eighteen months, and it wasn’t working. He was depressed and withdrawn.
Knowing Jake was going to be all kinds of pissed, he picked up the phone and called the largest commercial builder in the region. After a short conversation with the office manager, he’d scheduled a job interview for Jake. He disconnected the call, feeling like he’d made some progress.