Chapter 23 #2
He hadn’t been at Rory’s all that long, but in that time, he’d changed drastically.
He’d put on some much-needed weight. His cheeks were no longer sunken in, and his skin had a healthy rosy tone to it.
In the past week since I’d been gone, Rory had obviously taken him to get a haircut.
The sandy blond of his hair no longer looked dull and flat but shiny and healthy.
Add to all of that the new clothes she’d bought him, and he looked like a totally different kid.
Gone was the scared, scrawny little boy with a bad attitude.
He still had the bravado, but the shadows that had been lurking in his brown eyes were finally starting to fade away.
It would only be a matter of time before they disappeared altogether.
“You get your room finished while I was away?” I asked, drawing him back into conversation.
“Yeah,” he replied, turning his head to me, and just for a second, I caught a flicker of excitement flash across his face. “It’s pretty cool. Rory let me paint the walls a dark blue, so it’s not so girly anymore. And I got all new stuff for my bed and a desk where I can do my homework.”
“That’s awesome, Zach. I’m glad you like it.”
His gaze slid over my shoulder, growing unfocused as he lowered his voice. “Never had my own room before.”
I felt that twist in my gut that came every time he said something I related to. “Well, you do now, bud,” I said, speaking just as quietly as he had.
“Yeah.” The pensiveness melted from his expression as he turned his attention back to me. “Can I ask you a question?”
I sat up straighter in the chair. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”
“Do you…?” He bit down on his bottom lip while summoning up the courage to ask whatever he had to ask me. “Do you know what happened to the other kids who were at the Caswells’?”
Leaning forward, I rested my elbows on my knees and gave him my full attention. “I don’t. But you want me to, I can find out.” He remained quiet for a few seconds before finally giving me a nod. “All right. Then I’ll find out and let you know.”
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem. You ever need anything, all you have to do is ask me or Rory.”
He nodded again and pulled that bottom lip back between his teeth.
“I really like it here,” he whispered a few seconds later, and that quiet admission nearly took me to my knees.
“Rory’s really nice, and she never raises her voice, even when I piss—” He caught himself and backtracked.
“Even when I make her mad. And Bill and Becky are cool. Bill’s taken me out on a horse a couple more times.
And this weekend he said we’d take the ATVs out and he’d show me around the land. ”
“That’s good, bud.”
His chin dipped into his neck and he began wringing his fingers together in his lap. “I don’t wanna screw it up.”
That twist in my gut grew even tighter. “Hey,” I said, waiting until I had his eyes again.
“You can’t screw it up,” I told him. “No matter what you do, no matter if you get mad and take it out on Rory, no matter if you get in trouble at school or even here, you can’t screw it up because that woman in there cares about you.
You’re in her heart, Zach, and there’s nothing you could ever do to change that. ”
He wanted to believe me; I could see it written all over his face. He just couldn’t. At least not yet. But that was all right. There was plenty of time.
The screen door suddenly swung open and Becky’s bright, cheery “Yoo-hoo” came a second later.
“In here, Becky,” I called out.
She and Bill appeared at the entrance of the living room right past the entryway a second later, and she shot me and Zach a beaming grin.
As usual, Becky Hightower was class personified, from her silver-streaked black hair styled to perfection, to her done-up face, all the way down to the cream-colored pumps on her feet that matched her casual slacks and stylish blouse.
Looking at her now was like glimpsing into a future to see what Rory would look like twenty-some years down the line, and the future looked very bright.
I stood and made my way to her, placing a kiss on her cheek before turning to give Bill a handshake.
“Well, don’t you just look handsome,” Becky stated, her beam turning almost blinding as she took in my black pressed slacks and gray button-down shirt.
“Thanks, Becky. And you’re lookin’ just as beautiful as always.”
“Oh, you.” Her bright blue eyes twinkled as her cheeks turned pink.
“Oh for the love of god,” Bill grumped, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. “The man’s takin’ your daughter out on a date. You mind not droolin’ over him beforehand?”
Becky shot her husband a look that could peel paint off the walls as Zach’s snort of laughter sounded throughout the room.
Ignoring his wife’s death glare, Bill made his way into the living room and joined Zach on the opposite side of the couch.
“We brought board games, Becky’s idea. But I’m tellin’ you right now, son, I’m not playin’ Monopoly, so don’t pick it.
Shit takes too damn long to play, and she’s a cheat, so there’s no winnin’ anyway. ”
“Bill!” she snapped as Zach snorted again. “I do not cheat.”
He looked at his wife, then back to Zach. “She cheats. But that’s all right. You don’t feel like playin’ games, you just say the word, and I’ll get her to back off so I can teach you how to tie flies. My baby girl was a whiz at it by the time she reached your age.”
Zach’s gaze bounced between the two of them, and there was no doubt which way he wanted to go. The kid would be a fly-tying expert by the time Rory and I got back from dinner.
On that thought, the click of heels suddenly sounded on the wood floors, and I turned just in time to see Rory step through the mouth of the hallway.
All the blood in my head rushed south at the sight of her.
Her red-painted toes peeked out from a pair of sky-high heels with a ton of complicated straps that wound all the way up to her ankle.
There was a huge expanse of smooth, creamy skin from the shoes all the way to midthigh where the hem of her dress hit.
And what a fucking dress it was. Formfitting black lace that hugged her all the way up to her breasts, where the neckline dipped into a V that showed off a hint of cleavage.
Thin lace straps looped over her shoulders, putting her delicate neck and collarbone on display.
Her shiny black hair hung down her back in long, loose curls that were just begging to be wrapped around my fingers.
Her makeup was a little heavier than usual, her crystal blue eyes standing out against the smoky shadow.
“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” she cried as she scurried toward the living room, a black beaded clutch tucked under one arm while her neck was cocked at an awkward angle so she could slip a thin gold loop in her ear. “I didn’t mean to take so long. I hope we don’t miss our reservation.”
My arms shot out just as soon as she was in reach, and she let out a startled yelp as I pulled her to me.
“Jesus, dollface. You look gorgeous.” I caught the flush on her cheeks just before I bent my head and pressed my lips to hers.
I wanted to take the kiss deeper, to ruin her perfectly applied lipstick, but I managed a small amount of self-control, mindful that her parents and Zach were currently watching with avid interest.
When I pulled back, the blue in her eyes had darkened and her lids had gone half-mast as she did a scan of me. “You don’t look so bad yourself either, stud.”
I smiled down at her and was just about to go in for another kiss when the sound of retching killed the moment. “Oh, gag!” Zach cried. “I don’t wanna see that!”
My arm around Rory’s waist squeezed as she let out a little giggle while we turned toward the living room.
“Oh, shush, you,” Becky chided. “One of these days in the not-so-distant future, you’ll be wantin’ to kiss a girl just like that.”
“It’s not about wantin’ to kiss a girl or not!” he cried. “It’s about watchin’ them do it.” Then he did a full-body shiver.
“I’m with the kid on this one,” Bill groused, his face looking a little pale. “I don’t wanna see that shit either.”
“Enough out of you two.” Becky scowled at them before wiping the look away and grinning at her daughter. “You look beautiful, honey bunch. Absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks, Mama.” Rory stepped out of my hold to head over to her parents and kiss their cheeks. “And thanks again for watching Zach.”
“Not a problem, dumplin’,” Bill replied. “We’ve got it covered. It’s two shots of whiskey, then straight to bed.”
She let out another giggle.
Becky smacked his arm.
And Zach looked at him with wide, excited eyes. “For real?”
“Not on your life,” Bill rumbled, hooking his arm around the boy’s neck and putting him in a fake headlock.
“All right. Well, call us if you need anything. And I left the number for Cord’s cell and the restaurant just in case you try calling me and can’t get through. Oh, and bedtime’s nine thirty. He’ll try and tell you it’s ten, but—”
“Baby,” I cut her off. “You forget, they’ve done this before. They got it.”
Her nervous gaze bounced down to Zach, and before I could take her hand and pull her out the door, she grabbed hold of him and gave him a tight hug, nearly squeezing the life out of the poor kid.
“Be good, honey,” she said softly before placing a kiss on his head.
“And remember, even if my dad suggests something that sounds like a really cool idea, it isn’t. What did I teach you?”
Zach allowed his mouth to twist into a full-blown smirk as he stated, “The wrath of Becky Hightower lasts longer than any fun Bill Hightower could think up.”
Becky hooted.
Bill scowled at his daughter.
And Rory looked down at Zach proudly. “That’s my boy.”
I got close and took her hand, pulling her toward the door as she called out over her shoulder, “We’ll see you guys later!”
Then I finally had Rory alone.