Chapter Six
W ay to go, asshole.
Anthony gripped the fence, watching Delilah slam out of the side gate and disappear. He called out to her, but she ignored him.
He couldn’t blame her. She’d come outside to check on him, and he’d lashed out at her because he was pissed off at his family. It wasn’t Delilah’s fault his brother’s appearance brought up shit he’d rather forget about. Being the youngest of five brothers, he’d idolized them, especially Grant, who was the closest to him in age. But the way they’d bailed on his mom to live with their dad had destroyed his admiration for his brothers significantly when he grew up enough to understand why.
Except for his brother Bradley, the rest of the Russo boys were trash.
Anthony pushed off the fence to follow Delilah because she deserved better. He didn’t treat women like garbage, and he needed her to know that.
When he rounded the corner, Delilah was standing over a man curled in the fetal position, and his stomach dropped out. He burst into a run, eating up the gravel in his work boots, and skidded to a halt at her side.
“Are you hurt?”
“No,” she sobbed, waving a hand. “He puked on me.”
“What?” The sour smell of vomit hit Anthony at the same time the man on the ground burped.
“I was going to sit in my car, and he grabbed me. I thought he was letting me go, but then he projectile vomited all over me. It’s sticky and stinky, and there are clumps—”
Anthony gagged, and Delilah’s eyes widened, taking a step away from him. “Are you a sympathy puker?”
“No, but you’re being super descriptive, and the—smell—isn’t helping.”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Delilah said shrilly. “I am coated in someone else’s stomach contents, trying not to freak out, so if you can’t handle it, then go away.”
“I can handle it.” He nodded toward the parking lot behind her. “I’ve got a gym bag in the back of my truck with my workout clothes. You can change into them and use my gym towels to clean yourself up, at least.”
“I’m not going to fit into your clothes,” she murmured.
Anthony almost scoffed, but he caught the crumpled expression on her face. “If not, I’ve got a blanket.”
“I don’t want your help,” she grumbled. “If you’ll go get Holly, I can just leave.”
“If I go get Holly, she needs to drive you home in her car, right?”
Delilah shook her head. “No, my car.”
“Even worse. Wouldn’t you rather stink up my truck than your car? I deserve it for being such a dick.”
Delilah sniffled. “You do.”
“That’s the spirit,” Anthony laughed.
“My phone and purse are in the car, and Holly has my keys,” Delilah said, arm held out stiffly at her sides as if she was afraid to touch herself.
Anthony reached out and patted her shoulder briefly. “I’ll run in and grab them while you get cleaned up. Come on.”
“What about him?” she asked, pointing to the prone man at her feet.
Anthony leaned over and reached under the man’s arms, dragging him back to prop him against the building. “I’ll let Paulie know he’s out here.” He cupped Delilah’s elbow, surprised she didn’t jerk away as he led her to the second row where his truck was parked.
“Alright—” He clicked the fob and opened the back door, hauling out the gym bag, the blanket, and a trash bag from the door. “Change out of those clothes and get inside. I’ll warm it up.”
“Why are you being nice to me?” she asked.
Anthony chuckled. “Don’t I seem like a nice guy?”
“Not in my experience.”
“Fair enough,” he said soberly. “You may not believe it, but I’m not known for taking out my bad temper on people. I apologize for doing it to you.”
Delilah didn’t meet his eyes when she nodded, turning her back on him. “Will you please unzip me? I’d rather not pull it over my head and get chunks in my hair.”
He swallowed back the urge to gag at the imagery and did as she asked, dragging the metal tab down until it stopped above the curve of her ass. Anthony saw the flash of lacy underwear and dropped the zipper like it burned him.
“I’ll go get the stuff from Holly,” he said, rubbing his singed fingers against the front of his jacket.
“Thanks.” He took a step back, turning to leave, but she called out, “Wait, Anthony?”
He twisted around and met her gaze. “Yeah?”
“Please don’t tell anyone except Holly what happened,” Delilah whispered with wide, shimmering eyes.
Anthony almost reached out to hug her, but stopped, remembering his behavior and the vomit. “I won’t.”
Anthony turned when she started sliding the straps of the dress down her arms, and went around to the driver’s side to start the truck. He turned the heater on high and hopped down, addressing her through the open back door. “There’s a towel in the bag if you want to wipe up any excess. Just put your dress and the towel in the trash bag.”
“My shoes, too,” she said. “It dripped all over them.”
“On that note, I’m out.” Anthony thought he heard Delilah laugh as he walked away, heading for the front of Brews and Chews, where Paulie was watching the door.
“Anthony, I thought you were already inside,” the burly bouncer greeted him.
“I was, but there was an incident off the patio. There’s a drunk guy on the side of the building puking.”
Paulie grimaced. “Fucking idiots. No one knows how to hold their liquor.”
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.”
Paulie hollered for someone to cover the door as Anthony stepped inside and made a beeline for the table, only to make a sharp turn when he spotted Holly coming in from the patio. They met in the hallway outside the bathroom and before he could get a word out, Holly asked, “Have you seen Delilah?”
“Yeah, she had an accident.” At Holly’s horrified expression, Anthony added, “She’s not hurt, but she needs to leave. I came in to get her purse to give her a ride home.”
“Why?” she asked, giving him a quizzical expression. “I drove her car.”
“She doesn’t want to ride in the car in her condition,” he explained, trying to move things along so he could get back to Delilah.
“What happened to her?” Holly asked.
“A drunk guy puked on her.”
Holly covered her mouth with her hand, her voice coming out muffled. “Oh my God! Gross!”
“Yeah, which is why she doesn’t want to ride in her car.”
“And you don’t mind her getting it all over yours?” Holly asked.
“Yes, but I gave her some stuff to clean up with and a change of clothes and came to find you.” Anthony lowered his voice when a couple passed by on their way out to the patio. “She doesn’t want anyone to know what happened.”
She nodded. “I’ll get the stuff and drive her car home.”
“Won’t Declan have questions?” Anthony asked.
“He’ll be fine,” Holly said casually, waving her hand. “Give me a few minutes to say goodbye.”
“Sounds good.”
He hung back by the bar and watched Holly talk to Declan, who started getting up but sat down when she touched his shoulder. Once she disappeared out the door, Anthony headed over to say his goodbyes to the others around the table.
“I’m taking off. See you guys later.” He noticed the additional empty seat and scanned the room. “Hey, where’s Pike?”
“He went out front looking for Delilah about five minutes ago,” Nick said.
Shit. What the hell was Pike going to think if he found Delilah in Anthony’s truck, wearing his clothes or worse … naked under a blanket? “I better go find him,” Anthony said hurriedly. “Enjoy the rest of your night.”
He rushed out the door, passed Paulie and the other bouncer, and nearly collided with Holly. He managed to catch her by the shoulders before she fell backward.
“Sorry,” Anthony said, releasing her. “Pike is out here looking for Delilah. I doubt she wants him to find her.”
“You’re probably be right,” she said, holding up what he assumed were Delilah’s keys. “I’ll take off, so if you see Pike, tell him I had to get Delilah home because she didn’t feel good.”
“I will,” Anthony said.
“Thanks.”
Anthony watched her get into the car and back out before he jogged across the parking lot, stalling when he heard Pike calling his name. Pike was coming around from the other side of the building from the patio, frowning. “What are you doing?”
“I’m heading home,” Anthony said. “The guys said you were out here, so I came to let you know Nick will give you a ride home.”
“That’s fine, you were in a sour mood anyway,” Pike said, searching the parking lot. “Have you seen Delilah?”
Anthony wasn’t thrilled with his friend’s description of Anthony’s behavior and gritted out, “Holly took her home. She wasn’t feeling well.”
Pike’s frown deepened. “I just saw Holly ten minutes ago. She was looking for her, too.”
“I guess she found her.”
Pike’s shoulders dropped with obvious disappointment. “I’ll have to get her number later, then.” Pike’s demeanor switched up and he eyeballed Anthony with intensity. “Are you okay? Grant left, and you disappeared.”
“I’m fine,” Anthony said, shrugging. “After bumping into my brother, I’m just not in the mood to hang.”
“I get that, but I can come with you if you need—”
“No!” he said, coming off more rushed then he meant to be. He took a slow, even breath and smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to read a book and go to bed.”
Pike watched him for several ticks silently, “You’re acting twitchy.”
Shit, he thought he was doing a better job of hiding it.
“What?” Anthony asked. “Why would you say that?”
“You’re shifting your feet like you can’t wait to bolt,” Pike said, pointing at the ground.
“I told you. I want to go home and relax. It’s been a long week,” Anthony said, impatiently glancing toward his truck.
“Fine, go.” Pike shook his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bro.”
“See you.”
Pike gave him a disgruntled look and headed back into the bar. The minute he disappeared, Anthony booked it for his truck. The dark tint obscured the view inside, but when he opened the door, he found Delilah wrapped in his blanket.
“Clothes didn’t work?” Anthony would never say it out loud but he had been looking forward to seeing her wearing his T-shirt and sweats.
“I didn’t even try. I didn’t want to get your clothes all nasty.” She held up the edge of the blanket without exposing anything important. “This will be easy enough to wash.”
“Holly came by with your stuff?” he asked.
Delilah pointed to her little purse. “She did and only snickered a small amount.”
Anthony grinned. “It could be a funny story you tell your children someday.”
“No, I don’t think it’s appropriate to tell my children about the time a drunk guy told me I was pretty and puked all over me.”
Anthony laughed, putting the truck in reverse. “On a happy note, the smell isn’t bad.”
“Open the trash bag in the back seat and say that again.”
“I don’t think I will.” He pulled the lever down to drive and headed toward the exit. The nighttime scenery whizzed by as he pulled out of the parking lot, along the main road; the silence thick and heavy in the dark cab.
Searching for a segue to jump-start the conversation, he finally asked, “Do you think we could forget about my blowup on the patio?”
Anthony saw her turn his way out of the corner of his eye. “You offered to let me wear your clothes, knowing I was covered in vomit. I think I can let it go.” She cleared her throat, and he glanced her way briefly, “If I can ask you something personal?”
“Uncomfortable personal?” he asked.
“It depends on how close you keep things to the vest.”
A few seconds ticked by as he considered and eventually shrugged. “Shoot.”
“Why didn’t your brother have your new number?”
Anthony grimaced. Of course, she would latch on to the awkward encounter with his brother and wonder about his fucked up family situation. He didn’t hang with anyone outside his friend group, and they all knew why he didn’t talk to his father and brothers.
He almost didn’t answer, but Anthony decided he had nothing to hide. “I guess because I didn’t think to reach out and let him know.”
“I have additional questions now,” Delilah said, chuckling, “but I’ll let it go because you clearly don’t want to get into it.”
“I don’t discuss my relationship with my brothers with anyone,” Anthony said, his tone harsher than he meant it to.
“You have brothers, plural?” she asked.
“I have four. All older.” Anthony’s fists clenched the steering wheel until they throbbed. “I was a surprise when Grant was six. Before that, my parents thought they were done.”
“They must have been excited,” she said, hesitantly.
“My mom was. My brothers were, too, until they got older and lost interest in me.”
“I’m sorry.” Delilah’s tone was soft, heavy with empathy, and he shifted in the cushioned driver’s seat. The last thing he wanted was for Delilah pitying him.
“What about your siblings?” he asked.
“I’m an only child.”
Anthony chuckled. “That’s what I felt like after my parents’ divorce. Grant chose to move with our dad to Boise, and I stayed here with our mom. The only one of my siblings to visit was my brother Bradley.”
“Where does he live?” Delilah asked.
“Northern Idaho.”
“What about your mom?”
A lump climbed up Anthony’s throat, making it hard to swallow. “She passed last spring.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s life. I had almost thirty years with her, which is more than some kids get.” Anthony cleared his throat. “What about your parents?”
“They moved to Boise while I was in college. They thought I would want to live in the city after graduation and were shocked when I came back here.”
Anthony made a left, slowing down through the heart of town. “Why did you?”
“Holly, mostly. I have trouble making friends because I have trust issues with most people.”
He didn’t tell her he felt the same way about his friends. When his dad left, his mom broke down, and he had no idea how to comfort her. He’d spent a lot of time at Pike’s and Nick’s houses until she’d finally stopped crying at the drop of the hat.
“Where am I going?” he asked, realizing he’d never asked her address.
“The duplexes on Spruce. Number 404. You’ll make a right up ahead, and they’ll be on the left.”
“Got it. Do you rent or own?”
“I rent. What about you?”
“I live in a camper trailer.” He was used to horrified silence from women and wasn’t surprised when Delilah didn’t respond immediately.
“In an RV park?” she asked, finally.
There was no judgment or disgust in her tone or expression when he glanced her way, just the high-pitched lilt of curiosity.
“No, I bought a few acres past the Winters’ Christmas tree farm when I was nineteen.” Anthony turned on his blinker and took the right like she’d said. “I saved up to put in a well, septic, and electricity and bought a cheap trailer to fix up. I’ve been saving for ten years to build my dream house. I’m really close, too.”
Now was the time when most people had an opinion on his choices. “Wow, you’ve been saving for ten years and still live in a trailer?” Or his favorite, “You should have just bought a home already built. It would have been cheaper.” It didn’t do him any good to argue because people didn’t understand. This was going to be his forever home and he wasn’t going to settle for less than what he wanted.
Exactly how he felt when it came to romance. The woman he finally fell in love with was going to make him feel so intensely for her, there would be no question that he loved her.
The house was something he could control, while love was a little more unpredictable.
Anthony braced himself, ready to fire back with a snarktastic comment to whatever condescending opinion she had.
“I think that’s astounding,” she said, reaching out to touch his shoulder briefly. “Doing something like that takes a lot of patience and sacrifice. I like to spend my money, which is why my dad is always going off on me about emergency funds and unexpected expenses.”
Warmth rushed through him and he relaxed, glancing away from the road to smile at her. “Would I get smacked if I said I agreed with your dad?”
Anthony caught the roll of her eyes in the street light. “No, but that’s only because I’d flash you in the process. Can’t punish and reward you at the same time.”
Her tone was lighthearted and playful, but his imagination ran wild thinking about what was going on under the blanket. He’d have to be oblivious not to notice how big her tits were and while he’d tried not to, he’d pictured what they looked like a time or two. His cock strained against the confines of his jeans as he pictured large, rosy nipples and areolas contrasting against her creamy skin. He made a jerky left turn on Spruce, trying to remember what they’d been talking about before.
Delilah cleared her throat. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, you’re fine. I was just thinking”— Don’t say about her breasts!— “I was luckier than a lot of young people. I was paid well in a job that I jumped right into after high school. I was able to get grants for college and pay out of pocket for what was left, so I have no debt. I spent some of the money I earned getting Adventures in Mistletoe off the ground, but I was able to sell my mom’s house for a nice profit, making up the difference. I miss my mom, but she always said that house was a constant reminder of my dad. She’d have moved if she could have been able to afford it.”
He hung a left into her driveway and put the truck into park, leaving it on so the heater could run. “Looks like Holly dropped off the car and went home.”
“I told her I’d be fine.” Delilah opened up the door, the dome light catching her smile. “Thank you for your help and seeing me home.”
Anthony reached across and gripped her hand when she started to get out. “What are you doing?”
“Getting the bag from the back and going inside.”
Anthony scowled. “You’ve got no shoes on, and it’s freezing.”
“It’s not far—”
“I don’t give a shit if it is one foot or ten. Do not get out of this truck.”
He opened the driver’s side door and shut it on her protests. He rounded the back of the vehicle and grabbed the trash bag from the back seat with her dress and shoes. He dropped it unceremoniously into her lap, and when the blanket slipped down slightly, revealing the top of her bare breast, he cleared his throat. “Pull the blanket around you tighter.”
“What are you going to—” He slipped his arm behind her back and under her knees, lifting her from the seat. “Anthony!” she squealed.
He tapped the door with his hip, closing it. “Can you get the keys to your front door out?”
“You don’t need to carry me! I can walk.”
“I already told you I’m not letting you walk on the cold ground in your bare feet,” he said, his voice breathless and a little high, “so stop arguing and get those keys ready to open the door.”
Delilah leaned her head back, studying his face so intently he almost squirmed. “Are you holding your breath because I stink?”
Anthony’s lips twitched, suppressing a laugh. “A little bit.”
Delilah buried her face in his chest, her breath escaping in a groaning laugh. “This is so embarrassing.”
“It could be worse. You could have puked on yourself.” He paused on her front step, inches from the handle. “Open that storm door, would you?”
“This is ridiculous,” Delilah muttered, doing what he asked. Once she had access to the front door, she stuck her key in and unlocked it. “Look at that! You can put me down.”
“Turn the knob.”
She did, and when the door swung in, he dropped her gently inside her home. A series of high-pitched barks erupted behind her and Delilah turned, speaking calmy. “It’s okay, Leia. I’ll let you out in a minute.”
Anthony couldn’t tell where the dog was in the dark house, but it’s bark was yappy. “What kind of dog?”
“A corgi mix.”
“One of those fuzzy things with short legs?” He laughed.
“She is not a thing!”
“If you say so.” Anthony grinned at her outrage and shoved his hands in his pockets. In spite of the sour, subtle smell of the drunk’s vomit, Anthony still wanted to reach for her and pull her in for a tight, warm hug. He’d loved the feel of her in his arms and wanted to experience it again.
Rather than come off like a creeper though, he simply said, “I recommend a hot shower and that you deep soak that dress. The shoes might be a lost cause. They’re impractical anyway.”
“Oh, you think so, Mr. Know It All?” She shot back with only mild irritation, and he was relieved that she really seemed to have forgiven him for his earlier behavior.
“I do, and since you said yourself I know everything, you should probably listen.” He twisted and removed her keys from the door, holding them out to her. “Don’t forget these. Good night.”
“Good night,” she whispered.
Anthony closed the storm door and headed back down the walkway to his truck. He suddenly heard the creak of the metal open again and the pitter-patter of bare feet on cement behind him. Anthony stopped and turned around with an exasperated, “Damn it, Delilah, get back ins—”
His words got cut off when Delilah launched herself against him, and he caught her, wrapping his arms around her blanket-clad body.
“I wanted to hug you but remembered I was naked under here.”
Anthony groaned and lifted her off her feet, the heat of her body burning through the blanket. He carried her back to the front door while she laughed and wriggled in his arms.
“Good god, woman, are you trying to kill me? Stop wiggling like that before I drop you.”
Delilah giggled and twisted the knob of the storm door when they reached it. Although Anthony set her down inside with a scowl, his lips twitched. “Do I have to tell you to stay?”
She held on to the blanket with one hand and smacked him with the other. “I’m not a dog, you jerk!”
“Ow! I’m sorry,” he said, laughing before he leaned closer, sniffing loudly. “Seriously, go shower. You stink.”
Anthony shut the door on her loud, “Hey!”