didn’t have time for this. He’d come to make sure his father was okay, and ended up giving up his whole damn night to calm the waters, time he’d meant to spend with Thea traveling up and down the coast. No, he’d done enough.
“I’m not getting into this with you, Pete. I came in to say that whatever bullshit you want to hash out with me, you need to put aside so we can figure out what to do about Pop.”
“What to do about him? What do you think I’ve been doing for the last two years since Mom died and you’ve been gallivanting all over the country while Pop withers like some old corn stalk?”
“ Gallivanting ? Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”
“I think it’s pretty damn convenient that you found a job that keeps you as far away from this place as possible.”
“And I think I’m done talking about this,” Calder said, moving for the door. “Go to bed, Pete.”
“Must be nice, huh?” Pete called behind him. “Breezing in and out of people’s lives. Never having to commit, to worry about the long haul?”
Calder whipped around, his resolve to walk away waning with the daylight. “You didn’t have to stay here.”
“Somebody did,” Pete spat back. “And it sure as shit wasn’t going to be the brilliant doctor, was it?”
The hell with this . Calder put his hands out and resumed his path to the door, letting the screen slam behind him. He was out, he was done. Whatever hope he had of smoothing the churned waters of his brother’s mood tonight was gone. Pete was determined to stew in his bitter juices and Calder wanted no part of that meal. He thought of Thea back at the house, waiting for him. He thought of the way she’d looked at him at dinner, the way she’d slid her arms around him on the bike, the heat of her thighs pressing against him, the sweet smell of her shampoo. He thought of that night fourteen years earlier when they’d both helped each other to escape their lives for one perfect night. Hell, maybe they could do that again tonight.
And maybe tonight, they could do more than just watch the stars and choke down burgers.
* * *
From the kitchen window, Thea watched Calder cross the field toward the house, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his gait quick and hard.
“I’m guessing he and Pete didn’t make up,” Marie said, coming beside her and offering a weary sigh.
“Were they ever close?” Thea asked.
“Oh sure, when they were younger. But then all that happened with Pete losing the football scholarship to USC and it was never the same between them. Their father’s drinking didn’t exactly help.”
Why had Pete lost his scholarship, Thea wondered? She watched Marie, waiting for her to say more, but then the door swung open and Calder stepped in.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
Thea nodded, noting the strain in his expression even as he tried to cover it with a smile.
“Thanks for dinner, Marie,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “It was incredible, as always.”
“Yes, thank you,” said Thea.
“It was my pleasure,” Marie said, moving to hug Thea. “It’s always fun catching up on old times, isn’t it?”
Outside on the porch, Thea looked up at the barn, seeing the shape of Calder’s brother silhouetted in the light. “I didn’t say goodbye to Pete.”
“It’s okay,” Calder said, casting a wary look in the same direction. “We should get going.”
When they reached the bike, Calder handed her a helmet and reached out to help her snap the straps, just as he’d done that first time she’d worn his helmet. Though she’d mastered the closure since, she relished the nearness of him, the chance to feel his hands on the skin of her neck.
The clip clicked. “Tight enough?” he asked.
“Perfect.” Thea searched his eyes, Marie’s comments in the kitchen still ringing in her thoughts. She wanted so much to ask him how long his father had been this way, how hard it must have been for them all. She wanted
“I’m not getting into this with you, Pete. I came in to say that whatever bullshit you want to hash out with me, you need to put aside so we can figure out what to do about Pop.”
“What to do about him? What do you think I’ve been doing for the last two years since Mom died and you’ve been gallivanting all over the country while Pop withers like some old corn stalk?”
“ Gallivanting ? Is that what you think I’ve been doing?”
“I think it’s pretty damn convenient that you found a job that keeps you as far away from this place as possible.”
“And I think I’m done talking about this,” Calder said, moving for the door. “Go to bed, Pete.”
“Must be nice, huh?” Pete called behind him. “Breezing in and out of people’s lives. Never having to commit, to worry about the long haul?”
Calder whipped around, his resolve to walk away waning with the daylight. “You didn’t have to stay here.”
“Somebody did,” Pete spat back. “And it sure as shit wasn’t going to be the brilliant doctor, was it?”
The hell with this . Calder put his hands out and resumed his path to the door, letting the screen slam behind him. He was out, he was done. Whatever hope he had of smoothing the churned waters of his brother’s mood tonight was gone. Pete was determined to stew in his bitter juices and Calder wanted no part of that meal. He thought of Thea back at the house, waiting for him. He thought of the way she’d looked at him at dinner, the way she’d slid her arms around him on the bike, the heat of her thighs pressing against him, the sweet smell of her shampoo. He thought of that night fourteen years earlier when they’d both helped each other to escape their lives for one perfect night. Hell, maybe they could do that again tonight.
And maybe tonight, they could do more than just watch the stars and choke down burgers.
* * *
From the kitchen window, Thea watched Calder cross the field toward the house, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his gait quick and hard.
“I’m guessing he and Pete didn’t make up,” Marie said, coming beside her and offering a weary sigh.
“Were they ever close?” Thea asked.
“Oh sure, when they were younger. But then all that happened with Pete losing the football scholarship to USC and it was never the same between them. Their father’s drinking didn’t exactly help.”
Why had Pete lost his scholarship, Thea wondered? She watched Marie, waiting for her to say more, but then the door swung open and Calder stepped in.
“You ready to go?” he asked.
Thea nodded, noting the strain in his expression even as he tried to cover it with a smile.
“Thanks for dinner, Marie,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “It was incredible, as always.”
“Yes, thank you,” said Thea.
“It was my pleasure,” Marie said, moving to hug Thea. “It’s always fun catching up on old times, isn’t it?”
Outside on the porch, Thea looked up at the barn, seeing the shape of Calder’s brother silhouetted in the light. “I didn’t say goodbye to Pete.”
“It’s okay,” Calder said, casting a wary look in the same direction. “We should get going.”
When they reached the bike, Calder handed her a helmet and reached out to help her snap the straps, just as he’d done that first time she’d worn his helmet. Though she’d mastered the closure since, she relished the nearness of him, the chance to feel his hands on the skin of her neck.
The clip clicked. “Tight enough?” he asked.
“Perfect.” Thea searched his eyes, Marie’s comments in the kitchen still ringing in her thoughts. She wanted so much to ask him how long his father had been this way, how hard it must have been for them all. She wanted
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