Count on Me (Petal, Georgia) (21 page)

“All right. So, we good in the Caroline department?”

Anne nodded. “I think I could actually like her. Though you know, Royal, it would be easier on a girl if the woman you fell for wasn’t so freaking ridiculous. Not even an overbite or a zit. And she totally uses bad words. Like a boss. I’m unwillingly and yet quite frankly impressed.”

“Sorry not sorry about that part. She’s pretty fun. Plus when she gets tipsy she makes up the best nicknames for things and people. It’s the best party trick ever. Come on. There’s beer. You can probably stay an hour or so. But then, scram. Because I have plans of an extremely graphic nature to concoct with my lady friend.”

Anne wrinkled her nose.

Out in the kitchen, Caroline had opened three beers and a cat sat on her shoulder as they both looked out the windows.

“I can’t believe he’s taken to doing that.” Royal grinned at the sight.

“He essentially steers me with a helpful prick of his claws.” She looked at him carefully. “We all straight now?”

He moved to Caroline, grabbing the cat and setting him down so he could get close. “All straight. Thank you for being so awesome.”

“Not that awesome. But you’re welcome.”

“What do you have to eat?” Anne started to poke around in the fridge.

Caroline rolled her eyes but picked up her beer. She didn’t seem angry or even upset. But she was wary, he could see that much.

“Are you two hungry? I can make sandwiches.”

“No thanks. We just had dinner at El Cid. I am stuffed full of carbs and margaritas.”

To her credit, Anne didn’t stay more than her allotted hour. By the time she left, there was a little more ease between her and Caroline, and Royal was beyond happy about that.

Chapter Thirteen

Royal came back to the house after he’d been working all morning. She watched as he pulled off his work boots in the mudroom off the back porch. He dropped his pants and tossed them into the washing machine, along with his shirt and socks and underwear.

He looked up then to catch her staring. And grinned.

“I’m going to shower so I’m respectable when we go to your grandparents’ for lunch. On the way out, we’ll stop by my aunt and uncle’s place.”

“Okay. But all the soap in the world isn’t going to clean you up, dirty man.”

He waggled his brows as he sashayed his cute naked ass past where she was sitting at the kitchen table getting work done.

She’d already gotten dressed and put on makeup while he was out working. She’d taken over not his bathroom, but one attached to the guest room across the hall. He was so messy and used to living alone that his stuff spilled across every surface.

She briefly considered jumping into the shower with him but realized that would cut it too close because she’d have to get ready all over again, and she didn’t want to have to rush out on his aunt and uncle.

And it was important. She wanted to meet them and was glad they wanted to meet her too. She finished up her work as Royal got ready, finishing about five minutes after the water turned off in the master bath.

Spike hopped up so he could walk over her files and notes, plopping his butt onto her keyboard. He meowed and gave her a
you may pet me now
face so she gave in to his terroristic threats and even kissed his head because the crazy cat was as charming as his person was.

“Just toss his butt down if he gets in your way.”

Spike snorted and moved to her shoulder, which had become his favorite perch. He rode around on her shoulder all the time.

Caroline turned to tease Royal and ended up struck totally silent as she took him in from his black trousers to the pale blue oxford shirt.

But the belt.
Well.
She stood. “Your cat is an extortionist so I have to be careful with how much I deny him. Also he’s cute and furry. You, however, look good enough to thoroughly muss up. Is that a new belt?”

Pleasure washed over his face. “Thank you, sweetheart. Please feel free to muss me up for hours and hours anytime you wish. Belt isn’t new, but I haven’t worn it in a while.”

“I really like it.” She didn’t even know why. But it made her hot. Wide, honey-tanned leather leading to a big-ass belt buckle. She slid her fingertips over the metal of the buckle.

“I have this fantasy.” Royal shook his head. “Never mind. We don’t have the time, and if I think about it too much, I’ll be hard and useless for hours.”

She was flushed all over. She grabbed a file folder and used it to fan her face. “Be sure to revisit this topic with me. It’s relevant to my interests.”

“Who knew you’d have a belt-buckle fetish?”

“I don’t think I did until just right now. It’s the whole look. You’re so long and lean, and that belt sort of makes your shoulders look wider and accentuates your waist. I don’t know exactly, cowboy, but I’ll gladly take it.”

He grabbed his keys. “I’m driving. So you can have wine.”

“That just
isn’t done
. They don’t drink in the daytime. That’s what layabouts do, don’t you know? Oh and me and my friends when we go on our annual vacation. But Abigail would frown at every single detail of those vacations, so.”

“Are there pillow fights or pudding wrestling?”

She barked a laugh. “Sure. Day-drinking while on vacation with your girlfriends clearly paves the road to dancing until four in the morning, or skinny-dipping. Though to be totally fair, I’m fine blaming skinny-dipping on four margaritas by two in the afternoon.”

“I think I need to go with you on this vacation. Keep an eye on all this action.”

“Ha. Nope.”

She freshened her lipstick after kissing him quickly. Her hair was held back with a headband. Her grandmother approved of headbands rather than her hair being loose. She also liked to put it in a bun, but Caroline had a love bite at the back of her neck. Right at her hairline.

“Should I bring something for your aunt? I can run to town and come right back.”

He rolled his eyes. “No. This is just us stopping by on our way out. Fifteen minutes at the most.”

Their house was on the other side of the land the farm sat on. A big, pale yellow farmhouse. His grandfather had built the house for his grandmother. Then his uncle had taken over when his brother—the day drinker and layabout—got married to Royal’s mother and it was clear the older Watson boy was too wrapped up in his bride to get anything done.

Uncle Bob painted it pale yellow because Denver loved yellow. They’d made that big yellow house a home for Royal. His parents had lived in the original building Royal’s grandparents had used while the house was being built. One of the two bedrooms there was Royal’s.

But he’d slept in the big yellow house. In a room that was his. Where he’d kept his books and his clothes. Denver and Bob’s table he sat at four days a week or more.

It was home.

He pulled up and got her door, taking her hand as they headed in.

“Don’t slam that screen door,” a woman called out.

“I haven’t let it slam since I was fourteen or so. She still says it,” Royal said in an undertone as they went inside.

“Seems to me it works then. Her telling you not to do it.” Caroline shrugged. “That’s a success story right there, Royal.”

“Oh, I like her. She’s smart.” A woman Caroline’s size came into view as they walked into the kitchen. “Royal, you were telling the truth. You’re short like me. Which is nice because now I’m not alone.”

Caroline held her hands out. “I’m Caroline. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

Denver grinned. “Nice to meet you too. I’ve been pestering Royal for weeks now to bring you by so we can meet you. I’m glad he finally obeyed. You hungry?”

“Aunt Denver, I told you, we’re going to lunch at the Lassiters.”

Denver did this thing with her mouth that made Caroline snicker.

“Aunt Denver, can we not?”

Caroline waved a hand. “Oh it’s fine. She didn’t actually say anything. Her expression, I probably wouldn’t have even caught it if I wasn’t trained to judge people’s facial expressions all the time.”

“Your grandmother has a good heart. She’s always a huge contributor when we do the food drives in the spring and winter. She just has a very specific idea of how things should work and an audacity to believe she should be able to set rules for
everyone
else based on her ideas. She’s great at brainstorming fundraising ideas, for instance.”

“But maybe no one likes to work with her because she’s not much of a team player.”

Denver thought that was hilarious. “Yes.” She sobered. “But she loved your mother. And she loves your siblings too. She brags about you. She’s not all bad.”

“You’re a straight shooter, aren’t you?”

“Hell yes, I am. What on earth is the point of pussyfooting around stuff?”

“My grandparents are good people. I love them and I respect them. What happened to them when my mother was murdered, well, it changed them, all of us, forever.”

“Sure. And I feel for her. Losing a child is a terrible thing to bear. But wrongs on top of wrongs doesn’t make the pile smaller, does it?”

Royal grabbed control and changed the subject. “And on that note. Where’s Uncle Bob?”

“He’s in his shop. Go get him so he can meet Caroline. She’ll stay here with me while you go.”

Royal rolled his eyes, but he said his
yes, ma’am
and moved to do as she’d asked.

“Lord above I thought he’d never go and I’d have to keep on pretending I have good manners.” Denver snorted. “Want some hot tea? Water’s still hot.”

“Yes, please.”

“Sit. I’ll bring it over.” Denver waved Caroline over to the table so she went.

“We have about five minutes, maybe seven, before Royal and Bob come back. Bob’s in the middle of some woodworking project. It’s his new hobby since Royal fully took over. Which is fine with me because it keeps him out from under my feet. Anyway he’ll draw Royal into some long conversation about how great this or that whatsit he’s making is. So, I hear Garrett Mosby gave you some trouble. He was in my Sunday school class when he was in middle school. I can’t imagine he’s improved much. Handsome though. I guess he and your sister will have pretty babies.”

“He’s…can I be direct with you?”

“I’d dislike you otherwise.”

“He’s one of those men who isn’t very strong or bright or even that nice. He’s handsome enough. He finds women like my sister and my grandmother, and he latches on. You know like he’s protecting them when really he’s just building himself a little bully pulpit so he can keep his women in line. As far as he’s concerned,
everything
women get upset over is an overreaction. No issues women face are as important as what men do. He’s the guy at the next table over at a restaurant who will explain to you how you feel about something he’s overheard you talking about.”

“That’s just not how a gentleman acts. He doesn’t get it from his daddy, who is as nice and mannerly as they come. But Garrett, he’s the baby. Some parents do just spoil the baby rotten. I think that’s the case here.” Denver pinned Caroline with her gaze. “Royal wasn’t born to me. But he’s my son sure as if he was. So if you’re wondering if he shares things with me, he does. Nothing that would be a betrayal of your trust. But he’s thoughtful, Royal. So he told me about this Garrett thing, and I’ve also heard there’s some trouble with Anne.”

“I think at least that part is smoothed out.” Caroline remained very careful. If Anne had been around for six years, chances were Denver liked her. Or she wouldn’t have been around long.

“Well, that’s good. I love Anne. She’s a good girl. But she and Royal are far better off as being close friends. She needs a different sort of man, and he needed a woman who saw things the way he does. Wanted the same things. Anne…well I’d tell you she hasn’t had an easy life. That she regards Royal as hers and would have a difficult time loosening up when he finally met a woman and truly fell for her. I’d tell you that, but it seems to me, you have had your share of traumatic childhood stuff.”

“We worked it out yesterday. Who knows, we might even end up friends.” She didn’t want to give any more detail than that.

“Good.” Denver paused. “I just want to tell you that I knew your parents. Your mother was gorgeous. Inside and out. We often stopped in at the diner on the way home after church on Sundays. There’s no way anyone could ever make me believe he had anything to do with harming your mother. Petal is talking. It’s what Petal does. Sometimes it might feel like everyone is out to get you or thinks you’re bad or wrong for continuing to try to prove your dad’s innocence. But that’s far from true.”

Bob came in with Royal, who nervously checked her over to see if his aunt had done any damage. It was sort of cute. They stayed another few minutes and then got back on the road to town.

“Should I be apologizing?” Royal asked as they made it out to the main road.

“Nah. I like her. She’s plucky. She told me she knew my dad.”

“Yeah. I remember something about it. At the time they were upset. But you know the whole damned town was upset. I was seventeen, nearly eighteen years old. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t pay attention much back then.”