Lean on Me (The Mackay Sisters) (13 page)

“Yes.”  Not really wanting to
discuss Minx with the hurt still so close to the surface, she started past him,
only to have him grab her arm.

Surprised, she looked at him.

His face was wreathed with concern
and, yes, a slight glint in his eye.  “Now then, perhaps you need to talk about
it?”

“Not really,” she replied
truthfully.

“Getting into a fight in the park
with another woman isn’t anything to play down.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Mrs Hubble appeared at Old Man
Parker’s other side, the same concern wrinkling her already wrinkled brow even
as that familiar gleam of excitement sparkled in her sharp eyes.  “Getting into
fights just isn’t your style, Lori.  You’re normally such a meek little thing.”

Not sure whether to be insulted or
not, Lori shook her head.  “Nothing happened.”

“Harry Dunsley saw it all from his
front yard,” Old Man Parker stated.  “You and that woman in the park.  New to
town, isn’t she?”  He leaned closer.  “Keeps to herself.”

“Look, I really don’t know her and-”

“And yet somehow you and she got
into a fight.”  Mrs Hubble winked.  “Over a man, is it?”

“What?  No!”  Yes, but not quite
in the way this gossiping old couple hoped.

Her thoughts must have reflected
on her face because Old Man Parker practically quivered.  “Well, Lori Mackay,
seems you’re a dark horse.”

Mrs Hubble pressed even closer,
her strong perfume filling the air.  “Now, dear, your parents aren’t alive, God
bless their departed souls, and nor is your Grandma, who was one of my close
friends.  Because of that, I’m offering myself as your confidant.  You can rely
on me, you know.”

Ye gods.  As if
that
was
ever going to happen.

Lori held up her hands, palms
outwards.  “I assure you, Mrs Hubble, I don’t need a confidant.”

“Now don’t be shy, dear-”

Exasperated, Lori retorted louder
than she’d normally have done, “Nothing happened!”

The gum Hallie had been chewing
snapped loudly in the sudden silence and Lori became aware that the two people
standing at the checkout were watching her curiously.

As luck would have it, she’d known
both of them all her life, too, so all she could do was give them a weak smile
before turning back to Old Man Parker and Mrs Hubble, both of whom were looking
at her open-mouthed.

“Really,” she said, “I’m fine.”

Old Man Parker and Mrs Hubble
exchanged a look.

Nerves jangled, Lori made her
escape, almost running out the door and straight into Mrs Swanson.

“Sorry.”  Lori smiled apologetically. 
“Clumsy of me.”

“Oh, that’s all right, dear.”  Mrs
Swanson looked her up and down.  “You’re looking a little flushed, sweetie.”

“I’ve been for a walk.  You know,
sun and all.”  Lori skirted around her.

“I heard you’d hurt your ankle.”

“It’s much better.  A little achy,
which is why I’m going home to rest it.”

“Maybe you could call in to Tommy’s
café for a rest.”

“”I’ll be fine.  I’m not thirsty
or anything.”

“Sweetie, sometimes a drink
doesn’t fix things, but…” Mrs Swanson winked.  “Other things can.”

Not sure what she was getting at.
Lori raised her eyebrows.

“Oh, sweetie, we all saw it!”

“Saw what?”

“You and Tommy kissing on the
street, of course!”  Mrs Swanson laughed.

Oh shit.
  “Oh, that
wasn’t-”

“Come now!  I saw you going into
the café the other morning just before opening time.”  Her smile widened.  “And
he locked the door behind you.”

By now Old Man Parker and Mrs
Hubble had appeared, ranging up either side of Mrs Swanson to eye Lori
gleefully.

“Now, dear,” Mrs Hubble cooed. 
“Secrets in Peeron?  Secrets don’t stay secrets here, you know that.”

And wasn’t that the truth?  Exactly
why she now found herself in this predicament which wasn’t even her own.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” Lori began,
her cheeks fiery red.

“Oh, come now, we may be old but
even we know when something naughty is going on.”  Mrs Hubble actually
tittered.  “You and Tommy behind locked doors.  A quickie, was it, dear?”

Lori’s mouth fell open,
embarrassment flaming her cheeks.  “No!”

“Claire, really.”  Mrs Swanson
cast Mrs Hubble a glance.  “That’s a little vulgar, even for you.”

“Not really,” Old Man Parker
muttered.  “We know her from her youth, remember?  Some better than most, I
might add.”  Leering, he nudged Mrs Hubble in the side.

She just tittered even more.

The picture that brought to mind
didn’t even bear contemplating.  Pushing it away with an inward shudder, Lori started
to back away.  “Look, I must go.”

“But dear, don’t you think it’s a
little much to be having two men on?” Mrs Swanson asked.

“I’m not!” Appalled, Lori stopped.

“But Matt-”

“He’s my neighbour!”

“Who jumps your back fence,” Mrs
Hubble said.  “Shirley told me.”

Lori’s anger, normally slow to
start, was beginning to heat up.  “Maybe Shirley should mind her own damned business
for a change!”

Mrs Hubble’s mouth fell open.

“Oh dear,” Mrs Swanson murmured. 
“Clair, if Lori wants to keep her liaisons private-”

“Then she shouldn’t be kissing
Tommy in public,” Old Man Parker pointed out.  “Bad way to keep things private,
Lori.”

Her temper slipped another notch. 
“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know what we see.”

“What you saw was Tommy kissing me,
sure-”

“Maybe, dear, you should lower
your voice,” Mrs Hubble advised, leaning forward.  “Really, for someone trying
to keep this public, you’re not being very discreet.  Now, I can give you lessons
on discretion.”

This was so damned maddening!

Old Man Parker snorted.

Mrs Swanson clucked her tongue. 
“Far be it from me to advise you on your affairs, Lori, but really, you do
surprise me.”

“I’m not having an affair!” Her
temper snapped.  “Tommy kissed me, not the other way around!”

There was a gasp behind her and she
swung around to see Harriet glaring at her, tears in her eyes, her jaw
clenched.  “You slut!”

That was so bloody unfair.

The combination of sadness over
the loss of her beloved Minx, the unfairness of the verbal attack by Harriet,
and now the ridiculous gossiping broke every bit of Lori’s normal constraints
and good humour.  For the first time in her life, she lost it.

“Are you freakin’ kidding me?  I’m
not having a bloody affair!  And even if I was, it’s no one’s business but my
own!”  Swinging around, she stabbed her finger in the direction of Old Man
Parker, Mrs Hubble and Mrs Swanson.  “I could be bedding three men for all you
know, and it’s not your business!”

Their mouths hung open.  Unfortunately,
Mrs Hubble’s eyes held a gleam and Lori just knew her fingers were aching to
whip out her mobile phone.  For God’s sake, she was surprised she didn’t have
it out recording Lori to put up on YouTube.

“Oh, dear, do you think you should
be hanging out your dirty linen in public?” Mrs Swanson asked, genuinely
concerned.

“There’s no dirty bloody linen!”
Lori yelled.  This time her glare encompassed not only the three elderly gossips,
but also the two people who had just come out of the supermarket and Hallie,
who chewed and popped her gum while leaning against the door watching with
interest.

Really upset now at how far out of
hand everything had gotten in so short a time, frustrated beyond belief, Lori
glared Harriet.  “Who I kiss or don’t is my business, so back off, lady!  As
for the rest of you, you know what?  I’m shagging so many men that it’s a
surprise I’m not walking bow-legged!  Yeah!”  At the shock on all their faces,
she could only nod, hands on her hips, the outrageous lies spilling out. 
“Yeah.  You know how I sprained my ankle?  It happened while I was swinging
from the chandelier pleasuring myself with a fifteen inch long vibrator!”

She had no idea where the words were
coming from, they were just spilling out.  It was as though every gaping face
pulled the worst from her.  She couldn’t help it, she was so angry with the
gossiping, the judgements, and no one listening.  And she was even sicker of
having been drawn into something not of her doing and having her friendship
with Matt almost destroyed because of it.

Hell, their friendship had been
destroyed, it wouldn’t be the same, there was no going back.  There would
always be a slight difference now, a strain.

All of it none of her personal
doing.

It was the friendship with Matt
that hurt the most though.  That and her beloved Minx dying, and the only thing
everyone was concerned with was her love life and sticking their noses into
it.  All for their own enjoyment.

Harriet took a step forward.

“Back off, lady!” Lori barked.

Now everyone was looking at each
other, no one knowing quite what to do.

“Lori?” Adam’s voice came from
behind her.

Swinging around, she saw the cop
car pulled in behind her.  Great, just great.  “
What?
” she yelled. 
“Come to arrest the town slut?”

His mouth fell open.

Normally that would have been a
sight for sore eyes, the normally unflappable, calm Adam Moor struck dumb, but
right then she didn’t see any humour in it.  Especially not when she glimpsed a
green uniform out of the corner of her eye and turned her head to see Matt and
Hamish, another ambulance volunteer, standing beside Hamish’s car.

Oh, that was even better.  Matt
was staring at her, Hamish didn’t know where to look, Adam was gob-smacked and
she’d just made a huge spectacle of herself.

Even worse, Matt had started
walking towards her, concern etched in every strong line of his handsome face. 
That she couldn’t handle, not right now.

If she didn’t get out of
everyone’s gazes, she was going to fall apart.

Not happening,
hell
no. 
She might be hysterical, she might be losing the plot, but damned if she, a
Mackay, was going to do it in front of everyone.

Running around the front of the
cop car, she ripped open the door and almost fell inside.  “Drive!”

Chapter 5

Adam eyed her warily as though
wondering if he should put her in handcuffs.

“
Drive!
” she practically
yelled at him.

“Lori!” Matt’s voice called.

“Please!”
 
She begged Adam

After one quick glance in his
rear-view mirror, he said, “Put your seatbelt on.”  Putting the car into gear,
he pulled out of the parking lot.

Lori risked one glance back to see
Matt running after the car, but he stopped as the car turned onto the road and
drove away.

Heart pounding, she turned back to
face the front, slumping in the seat.

Obviously having regained his
composure, Adam asked calmly, “What was all that about?”

“Nothing.”  Folding her arms, she
stared out the window.

Oh God, she couldn’t believe she’d
actually done it.  She’d made a total fool of herself, lost the plot, did
everything but…did everything.

Matt would never come near her
again.

She almost burst into tears. 
Instead, she took refuge in anger, an emotion not normal for her but very
welcome right then.  It was as though once loose it had a mind of its own. 
Right now it wanted to keep churning.  Fine by her.

Adam pulled up in her driveway but
before she could even unbuckle her seatbelt, he caught her arm.  “Look at me.”

Biting her lip, cheeks flaring in
shame, she turned her head and met his gaze.

The calmness of his expression
helped her regain some equilibrium.  Well, until she saw the concern in his
eyes.

“Do you want to go to the
hospital?” he asked.

“The looney bin, you mean?”

“No, Lori.  The hospital.”

“I’m not a nutter.”

“I never said you were.  Do you
need something to calm you down?”

Jaw clenched, she glared at him. 
Fury still roiled through her and combined with her horror at her own actions
and words, it made a potent mix.  “Right now I’m within inches of punching
someone
, anyone
, so if you don’t want it to be you, Adam, you’ll leave
me here.”

“Oh yes,” he said dryly, “because
that statement fills me with such confidence.”

“Are you going to charge me with
disturbing the peace?”

“No, but threatening a police
officer might be in the cards.”

“Then do it.”  She thrust out her
wrists.  “Because I’m going to get out of this car right now and the only way
you’re going to stop me is by arresting me.  Got it?”

His eyebrows shot up.

“I’m not kidding, Adam!”

Nodding slowly, he looked away,
studying the road for several seconds before getting out of the car and walking
around to her side.  Opening the door, he motioned for her to get out.

Still riding on adrenaline, she
jumped out.  “What do you want me to do?  Go face first against the car and
spread my legs?”

“Not quite what I had in mind.” 
He held out his hand.  “Give me your keys.”

“Searching my house for the drugs
that I’ve apparently been using that have made me lose my mind?”

Plucking them from her hand, he
slung one heavy arm around her shoulders and steered her up to the veranda. 
“No, I’m going to unlock this door and see you inside safely.”  The key clicked
in the lock and he opened the door, but before releasing her, he turned to look
down at her.  “You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”

“I’m treading a fine line right
now, Adam, but the only one going to get hurt is not me, understand?”

That obviously didn’t convince him
of anything.  The only thing Lori wanted was everyone out of her sight and that
included Adam.  Taking a deep breath, she shoved one had through her hair,
dislodging the lackey holding her ponytail in place.  “I’m fine.  I just…lost
it for a minute, okay?  Things got on top of me, I…  Look, I’ll be fine.  All
right?”  When he just continued to watch her, she repeated, “I’m fine, really.”

He still didn’t look convinced.

“Adam, either arrest me and take
me away, or leave me here to calm down and wallow in my own embarrassment.”

That seemed to ease his mind a
little, for he relaxed, stepping away from her.  “You need anything, you ring
me, all right?”

“Yes.”

His look was steady, searching. 
“I’ve heard rumours, Lori.  I don’t know what exactly is going on for real, but
if you need someone to talk to you can ring me.  I won’t judge.”

Like hell she was talking to anyone. 
“Thank you.  Really.”

He nodded before turning and
walking back to the cop car, getting in and casting her one last concerned look.

She waved to him.

He waved back and drove off.

Opening the door, she straightened
her shoulders and walked inside, shutting the door carefully behind her and
locking it with deliberation.  Only then did she slump against the wall and
slap her forehead with her palm.

Freakin’ hell!  What have I
done?

The phone chose that precise
moment to ring.  Lori froze.  Oh, surely not.  Surely freakin’ not!

“Are you kidding me?” she ground
out from between clenched teeth.

The phone peeled out, an incessant
ringing that was so annoying, even more so because she suspected someone had
heard of her meltdown and they were seeking details under the guise of solace.

She’d give them details, all
right!

Storming through into the kitchen,
she yanked the hand piece off the wall bracket and placed it to her ear.  “
What?
”

“Lori?” Tommy asked.

“Yes, it’s the freakin’ crazy
woman here!  What do you want?”

“Uh - you okay?”

“Do I
sound
okay?” She
sucked in a ragged breath.  “What do you want?”

“Why did Matt come to me and
suggest I go around to you?”

Lori froze.  “What?”

“Yeah.  He came around about an
hour ago, said your cat had died and you needed comfort.  Apparently I’m the
best bloke to do it.  What’s that about?”

“Oh my God!”  She couldn’t have heard
correctly.  “Tommy, do not ring me again -
ever
!”  She slammed the phone
back up on the wall so hard it was a wonder the bracket didn’t fall off.

Standing in the middle of the
kitchen, Lori fumed.  How dare Matt.

The doorbell rang.  Another bloody
gossip collector, no doubt.  They were doing her head in!  They’d drive her to
drink!  One last time she was going to verbally blast them to hell, pound one
last nail in her coffin before she locked the door on the world and fell into a
whimpering pile of self-pity and sorrow on the floor.

One last satisfying, shocking,
verbal blasting.

“You are so dead!” she yelled,
storming down the hallway and ripping the front door open.

Matt stood there, his expression
both wary and concerned.  “Tommy isn’t here yet?”

She slammed the door so hard in
his face it actually shook in the frame.

~*~

Now he was worried.  He’d never
seen Lori lose it, not in all the months he’d known her.  She’d never once
raised her voice, never once said anything in anger.  But at the supermarket
she’d let rip and some of those things were, well, from her they were
shocking. 

From anyone else they’d have been
hilarious.

But coming from Lori and in such a
way, it was cause for concern.

Was she having a breakdown?  Where
was that idiot, Tommy?  Damn it, at times like this a woman needed her
boyfriend.  That thought had him scowling.  Shit, Whatever.  Matt rang the
doorbell.  No answer.  He knocked.  No answer.  He knocked harder.  No answer.

“Open up, Lori!” he called.

No answer.

Right, there were other ways to
enter the house.

Up over his fence, into his
backyard, over to the Mackay fence and over it.  No sooner had his booted feet
hit the grass than he was already striding for the back door.

Through the window he saw Lori
enter the kitchen.  She took one look at him through the window, he took one
look at her, and they both ran for the back door.

She got there first, slamming the
wooden door and locking it just as he yanked the security screen open.

Curses, he’d just missed gaining
entrance.

“Lori, let me in,” he demanded.

No answer.

He knocked, rattled the door
knob.  “Lori!”

Now it wasn’t only concern tugging
at him but annoyance as well.  Damn it, she’d lost control at the supermarket
and he was only trying to help her.

Something bloody Tommy should have
been here doing.

That thought just made him a
little madder.  “Lori, unlock the damned door and let me in.”

No answer.

Fine.  Stepping back, he placed
his hands on his hips, trying to breathe deeply, evenly, controlling his
temper.

Hell, he didn’t really have much
of a temper at the best of times, but this was the second time it had flared. 
Oddly enough, both times had been because of Lori Mackay.

Okay, take it easy.  Settle
down
.  Closing his eyes he sought for control, found it, pulled it up.  Better. 
Opening his eyes, he knocked slowly and deliberately on the door.  “Open the
door, Lori.  I need to check that you’re okay.”

No answer.

A muscle jumped in his jaw. 
“Lori.”

No answer.

“Damn it, woman, open the bloody
door!”

“Bugger off!”

The reply had his eyes widening. 
“I beg your pardon?”

No answer.

“This is your last warning,
Mackay, open the door!”

No answer.

“If you don’t open this door I’m
going to-”

The back door yanked open and Lori
stood there, green eyes blazing, apple cheeks flushed, her magnificent breasts
rising and falling with temper.

Christ, he shouldn’t be thinking
of her magnificent breasts, shouldn’t be noticing her beautiful eyes, but-

“You’ll what, Matt Winters?” One
hand on her curvy hip.

Man, she was spitting fire.

Hot.

No!  No, she belongs to someone
else.  Goddamn it!

“You’ll what?”  Her small chin
stuck out defiantly.

Keep calm.  You’ve been in volatile
situations before, just use your training
.  “It’s all right, Lori.  I’m
only here to-”

“Stick your nose in my business?”
she snarled.

“Now, love,” he began soothingly,
gently crowding her back into the house.

She was having none of it.  His
chest smacked up against her breasts - oh Christ, what breasts! - as she barred
his way.  Head tilted back, all that glorious brown hair tumbling over her
shoulders and down her back.

“Stick that calming crap up your
arse!”

Keep calm. 
His emotions
were starting to fire.  Concern, annoyance, worry, and…
uh-oh
.  Was that
a flare of desire?

“And get out of my house!” she
yelled.

Oh yeah.  How hot was she when her
dander was up?  Those beautiful eyes like pools of green fire, those lush lips
just begging to be kissed, those heaving breasts screaming at him to palm them,
cup them.  Taste them.  His mouth actually watered.

He was hanging on by a thread. 
“Lori, calm down.”

“Calm down?” she spoke between
clenched teeth.

“Yes.”

“Are you telling me what to do,
Matt?”

“Bloody oath,” he ground back.

The atmosphere in the kitchen was
dark, anger sparking with something more, something carnal that curled around
Matt, surged into him. 

God, he wanted her.  So hot, so
fiery, so beautiful.

Tommy be damned.

He grabbed Lori in the same
instant she grabbed him, her hand curling around his nape, pulling him down
fast and hard, his hand grabbing a thick swathe of her hair, holding her in
place.

Their lips met in a hard,
clashing, hungry kiss.

Heat surged through Matt, his
shaft almost instantly rigid, throbbing.  Lori’s lips on his, her tongue
demanding entrance, was an aphrodisiac on its own.  Her taste swept through
him, her scent filled him, the heat of her body making his blood hot, heavy,
surging thickly.

Wresting back control, he twined
both hands in her hair, using his body to crowd her backwards, the screen door
slamming shut behind him as he pushed her back into the kitchen.

Her ferocity almost matched his,
her hands grasping at his clothes, pulling and yanking.  The buttons popped off
his uniform shirt as she wrenched it open, her palms a contradiction of
coolness against his skin when she drank from his mouth so hotly.

So erotically.

He tore her blouse right down the
front, ripped it down the back, and yanked it down her arms as he wrenched his
mouth from hers, leaning down to latch onto the side of her throat, sucking
hungrily of the silky skin as her blouse dropped in rags to the floor.

She arched into him, crying out,
nails raking down his back, down further, scraping over his spine and into the
small of his back, ripping a growl of approval from his throat.

Her cool palms against his heated
skin wasn’t soothing.  The slide of her palms elicited a hot trail of need that
slid through his skin to pool low in his loins, and when those cool fingers
slid beneath his waistband to dig her nails into the rise of his buttocks, his
sac pulled tight, a fiery thread pulling taut from the touch.

Christ, he wanted her, needed her.

“Lori.”  He breathed it hotly
against her throat, his hands seeking the clips of her bra, unsnapping it
impatiently, pulling it down her arms and freeing those generous breasts.

Without breaking contact from her
throat, he pulled back enough to allow the globes to tumble into his waiting palms.

Finally. 
Finally.
  His
very fantasy was happening, those wonderful breasts overflowing his palms,
those sweet little nipples hard buds of need.

Just as impatiently her fingers
fumbled at his belt, yanking the strap free from the buckle until it hung loose. 
His fly almost tore open, the button certainly popped off.