Chapter Twelve
“The point, Taylor, is that he should’ve asked. I’m Louie’s mom. I get to make the decisions.”
They were on Taylor’s back patio, and Louie and the puppy were racing around the fenced yard, a blur of black curls followed by a blur of wagging tail.
Taylor took a sip of her iced tea. “I agree, but he was just trying to do something nice for Louie, and you did talk about it beforehand.”
“But we didn’t make a decision. We just tabled it until later.”
“I think you’re making a bigger deal of it than it really is. I think you’re overreacting a little.”
“I’m scared,” Anna admitted. “I really appreciate what he’s doing for us, but how am I going to tell Louie he can’t keep the puppy? You have no idea how much I dread that conversation.” Anna shook her head. “Maybe I can talk to my landlord. Maybe he’ll let us keep a dog if it’s housetrained.” She wasn’t getting her hopes up on that account. With all the money her landlord was spending to clean up the place, she’d be lucky if he allowed her to cook inside.
“I’m sure Clark will keep the dog if you can’t. He’d let Louie see him whenever.”
“That could be a problem.”
“How?” Taylor twirled the straw in her drink.
“I don’t want Louie to get too attached to Clark. It wouldn’t be good for any of us.”
“He would never hurt Louie.”
Having seen the two of them together at Max Patch, she knew Clark would do anything for her son. “I know he wouldn’t. It’s just that Louie and I have our life together all worked out. We don’t need a third person.”
“The more love a kid has, the better,” Taylor countered. “Look how happy he is.” She motioned to Louie and the dog. They were rolling around in the grass, and Louie was giggling while the puppy licked his face. “George would never do that for him.”
“But Clark isn’t going to be in his life forever. This is just temporary.”
Taylor shrugged. “Just because the marriage is fake, doesn’t mean the relationship between Louie and Clark has to be fake.”
Maybe Taylor had a point. It would be good for her son to have a man in his life who was kind and responsible. Not an asshole.
It might be good for her, too.
“It’s just that after living with a control freak like George, it makes me uncomfortable when he just takes the reins,” Anna said.
“First of all, he’s nothing like the asshole. He takes charge, but he does it to help other people, not for his own gain. His relationship with my parents wasn’t the best, and he’s always had this compulsion to fix things for the people he loves. He must love you a lot.”
The word “love” hit her like a bucket of cold water. She had to change the subject before Taylor asked her how she felt. She wouldn’t lie to her best friend, but she wasn’t ready to discuss it. After her disastrous marriage to George, she promised herself she’d never fall in love again, but Clark was making that difficult.
“What really happened with Jake? He and I went to high school together, but we weren’t really friends. I remember when the crash happened and how worried you were about Clark, but I thought it was just because the road conditions were so bad. Why does Clark still feel so guilty?”
Taylor took a corn chip and dipped into some salsa before she answered. “It’s kind of a long story, but Jake owned a construction company, and he and Clark worked together on a lot of projects. The night of the wreck, they’d just finished a big one and were hosting a party at Jack of Hearts.
“The weather went south and the band canceled. Jake was pretty far into the tank and he made a lot of noise about going to his place to get his guitar. Clark, who was cold stone sober, got tired of hearing his mouth and agreed to drive him.
“The roads weren’t bad here in town, but once he got out into the country, they were pretty icy. In an argument over Jake’s cell phone, he hit a patch of ice and lost control of the car. It tumbled down the side of the mountain. Clark had a mild concussion and a few scratches, and Jake ended up losing his leg.”
“No wonder he feels so guilty.”
Taylor nodded. “In some ways, it was harder on my brother than it was on Jake.”
“Did Clark get in any legal trouble because of the wreck?”
“He was charged with reckless endangerment, but he won’t talk about it.”
Clark had never mentioned the charge to her, either, and it concerned her. Could it have any effect on the custody case? She gone all in to protect her son and the last thing she needed was something hanging over Clark’s head that could tip the scales in her ex-husband’s favor. “Jake and Clark been close for a while?”
“Forever. For as long as I can remember. Jake’s getting a prosthetic soon. It will get him out of the wheelchair, and maybe he can go back to work. That’s what he needs.”
“I told Clark the same thing. I think he’s working on getting him some interviews.”
“I hope that he’s better at showing up for job interviews than he is with his doctor appointments.”
“Are you close to him, too?”
Taylor laughed. “I wish. I’ve been trying to get close to Jake since puberty.”
“How come you never mentioned that to me?”
“It’s embarrassing. I’ve never had trouble getting a date, but Jake is absolutely immune to my extraordinary beauty and charm.”
“Are you sure he’s alive?” Anna laughed. “I can’t believe a living, breathing man could resist you.”
“He’s alive, all right. That I’m sure of,” Taylor said with a wink. “Very alive.”
Anna thought about Clark, how he must feel. The burden of the overwhelming guilt. The accident had been his fault, and for the first time since he’d blown into her kitchen, she understood how much it reinforced the feelings that had followed him since childhood. He was the responsible one, and he’d failed his best friend. It was a large weight to carry.
At a little past six, she grabbed her purse. “Come on, Louie, let’s head home.”
Louie raced inside, the puppy on his heels. “But I want to stay with Taylor. So does the puppy.”
Anna looked at her best friend.
Taylor shrugged. “Fine with me. I can drop him off in the morning.” Her eyes twinkled. A sure sign that she was up to something.
“What are you up to?”
“Nothing.”
“I’m not buying it. Did Clark text you?”
“He’s my brother.”
“Don’t avoid the question.”
“Spend some time with your new husband.”
A delicious tingle spread through her stomach. “He’s not my real husband.”
“That’s between the two of you.”
“Mom, can I stay? Can I?” Louie tugged on her arm.
“Sure it won’t be any trouble?” Anna asked Taylor.
“No problem at all. I love it when he spends the night.”
Anna kissed Louie then hugged Taylor. “See you guys later.”
She backed her car out of Taylor’s driveway and headed toward the cabin. Her body hummed with the anticipation of having a night alone with Clark. Usually, they had to be conscious of the fact that Louie was just down the hall, but all bets were off tonight.
When she opened the front door, most of the lights were turned off and something smelled divine.
“Clark,” she called out. “Where are you?”
“Out here,” he answered.
Anna followed the scent through the living room and onto the back porch. Clark was in one of the rattan chairs, a beer in one hand. In the soft light, he was more handsome than ever. She ran her finger along his forearm, enjoying the feel of his skin.
“Want one?”
“I’ll get it.” She walked to the left-hand corner of the porch and grabbed one from the cooler. “What’s for dinner?”
“Steak.” He grabbed her beer as she passed and opened it for her.
In front of her, was a large, shiny new grill. “Where did this come from?”
“I stopped by Madison’s. Been wanting a new grill for a while. The meat will be ready in a few minutes, and the salads are in the fridge.”
She turned to see the table was covered in a crisp white tablecloth with candles arranged in a circle around a bouquet of daisies. “Is this all for me?”
Clark nodded. “I have ulterior motives.” He dropped his voice into Redhawk range and her nipples hardened instantly.
“You always have ulterior motives.”
“Guilty.” He smacked her on the fanny. “But we need to eat first. I’ll need all my strength.”
“And then some,” she countered.
The wine paired perfectly with the steak. After finishing, Anna leaned back in her chair. “I need to ask you something.” She hated to ruin the vibe, but since leaving Taylor’s, she couldn’t get the questions about the accident out of her mind. “Is there anything about the accident that might give George some traction?”
Clark’s eyes went cold. “No.”
“Are there any charges I need to be aware of?”
“You’ll keep primary custody of Louie. Period.”
For the first time, Clark had totally shut her out, and it stung. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
He nodded. “That’s it. There’s nothing in my past you should worry about.” His eyes softened, and he took her hand. “I never talk about the accident. I just don’t.”
“I’m here if you ever change your mind.” There was sincerity, an earnest expression in his eyes, and Anna believed he was telling her the truth. He’d never lied to her before, and he had no reason to lie to her now. “I had to ask.”
“I totally understand,” he said. “But now that it’s all cleared up, let’s enjoy the evening.”
Anna’s skin tingled at the thought. “By enjoy, you mean…”
“And more.”