Pieces of it All (7 page)

"That's him. I ran into him last night and he invited me to the fair. I think you can adopt pets, but it's educational too. He's volunteering at a booth for a vet."

"Is this like a date?"

Good question. "I'm trying to figure that out myself, Mom. How do I know?"

"Do you want it to be?"

Beth leaned against the banister, rubbing her shoulders as they burned. "Yeah, I do. He seems nice."

Her mom balanced her coffee cup on the railing. "Don't forget you're going off to college in a few months. I don't want you getting too attached to anyone."

Those were her dad's words. Her mom was a romantic. Her dad, while he wanted her to marry and have kids one day, preferred she go to college and graduate first. And she was his little girl. His
only
girl and his
only
child. He didn't want her to get hurt. Between her dad and Lucy, it wasn't a wonder why she never had any exciting stories.

"I know, Mom. No need to worry."

She crossed her arms. "I don't worry. Your dad, well, that's another story." She stepped over and kissed Beth's forehead. She hated when she did that. "Have fun, and don't be home too late. I'd like you back in time for dinner."

Harvey pulled into the driveway. Her mom waved, grabbed her coffee and went into the house. At least she didn't stick around to give Harvey the third degree. The second date wasn't the time for them to officially meet. She wished herself luck and hopped down the stairs and met him in the driveway. "Hi. Thanks for picking me up." She slid into the passenger seat, relaxed he wore athletic shirts and a plain blue Nike tee shirt. She chose her outfit wisely. Score a point for Beth.

"No problem. I take it your mom is okay with you coming with me?"

"Yeah, she's fine. My mom's pretty easy going." He looked as handsome as ever, every hair placed strategically around his face. She wished she could reach out and run her fingers through it.

"Glad to hear. I only met her briefly at your party. Shall we get going?"

The pet fair was held outdoors at a park Beth had never been to before. Tents were set up in multiple places and as they entered, a banner above them reading "Washington County Annual Pet Fair." Booths representing animal toy companies, food vendors, and grooming services lined the walkway. Harvey led her through the aisle to a tent set up near the bathrooms. A tall man with dark hair and dressed in a long sleeve dress shirt (in this weather!) and a tie stood behind the booth, underneath a poster with the words 'Dr. Victor Leavitt, D.V.M. – Be Responsible – Spay & Neuter Your Pets.'

"Harvey! I'm so glad you came." He looked over at Beth. "And you brought someone to help. Wonderful!" He shook Beth's hand. "I'm Dr. Leavitt. You can call me Vic."

"I'm Beth. Thank you for letting me come."

"I've never seen you at the clinic. Are you a pet owner?"

"No," she said, embarrassed. Maybe it was odd she was helping out at a pet fair and she never even had a hamster. She liked animals, but her dad didn't want any.

"No big deal. It's not a requirement to be here. Any help is wonderful. And, if you're so inclined, the Humane Society booth is down to the right."

"My parents would throw a fit if I came home with an animal."

He snickered. "They haven't met Harvey then?"

Beth laughed, uncomfortably, before Vic slapped Harvey on the back. "You're too easy, Harvey. Anyway, the clinic opens soon, so I'll be on my way. Here are pamphlets to hand out with information, and I left appointment cards and a book for you to record them in for October. The month is wide open." He opened the book to show them. "Simply write their name in here with their pet's name, type of animal, and if male or female. The animal, of course!" He snorted. At least he found his own jokes funny. "Put down their phone number and let them know we'll call them on Monday with more detailed appointment information. Got it?"

Harvey shut the book. "Got it, Vic. Seems simple enough. I think we'll manage." Beth's body responded with a shiver when he placed his arm around her.

"Great. Thanks for doing this. I wanted to avoid pulling the staff away for the day. Pack everything into your car and drop it by Saturday morning. I'll sign your form then." She didn't know what kind of form Vic had to sign. Maybe that was something volunteers did.

"Sure thing. Now go! We've got this!"

Vic left and Harvey motioned for Beth to sit behind the counter. "You take the chair. I didn't tell him I was bringing someone."

"Are you sure? I can stand." She was too anxious to sit all day.

"No, it's fine, really. I work better when I can interact with everyone."

Beth took a seat behind the table. She sat up straight and folded her hands.

"You look stiff. This isn't school."

She yanked her hands away. "Sorry. I'm unsure of what I'm supposed to be doing." Should she cross her legs, put her elbows on the table, lean back against the chair? What did she do when visitors approached the booth? Would they catch on she'd never owned a pet? This whole thing may have been a mistake.

"Keeping me company. You can take the appointments. You're handwriting is probably better than mine."

"That sounds good." She grabbed the pen. She could handle that. She had to make a conscious effort not to click it to the rhythm of her heart or she'd drive Harvey crazy. After about fifteen minutes, the park filled up with people and their animals. Animal watching kept her mind off of the pen. She'd never seen so many dogs in one place at a time. She recognized some of the breeds: black labs, poodles, beagles, and pugs, like Bullet. They were so adorable, their noses stuck to the ground, tails wagging.

"Tell me," she broke the long silence between them. "How did you and your dad get Bullet?"

He kept his back to her as he handed pamphlets to people walking by. "We got him six years ago. I left home right after. He was a rescue dog. Two years old when we got him."

She quickly did the math in her head. Six years ago? He would have been sixteen. "You moved out young. Did you go live with your mom?"

The muscles in his back tensed up. "No." He said. He didn't offer up any more information.

"When I move in with Heather at the end of August, it'll be my first experience living on my own." She didn't want to pry. If she gave information about herself, possibly he'd share more about his life. He was twenty-two, left home young, had a dog named Bullet, attended alternative school, and volunteered for the vet. Those were the only facts she had.

Her eyes met with the dirt ground when she noticed he was staring at her. Did he often steal glances at her? Did he want to kiss her as much as she wanted to kiss him? Ever since The Blue Rooster, the thought of kissing him never left her thoughts. Did guys think about that stuff, too?

"So you two will be living it up in college, hey? What's your friend Lucy doing?"

"I wouldn't say living it up. Like I said last night, I'm not too much of a party girl." Even with his back now turned to her, she liked the view. The athletic shorts didn't shape his butt, but it still was cute enough. "Heather is. So that'll be interesting. Lucy told me the other day she's going to Boston for school. I'll miss her, but that's great for her."

"Oh?"

"Her dad passed away about two years ago. Her mom's been a little clingy ever since. She needs the distance." Harvey nodded.

"I plan on finding a place of my own soon. I want to get out of this town. Possibly move to the city. I can't wait to be out on my own again."

"Why? What's so bad about it?" Their town was small, but that was part of the appeal.

He turned to face her. Looking her straight in the eye he said, "Some things you're better off not knowing."

Six hours later, Harvey and Beth loaded the table and chair into the trunk of his car.

"That went pretty fast," Beth said. "Nice turnout, I thought." She must've written over a dozen names down. People loved discounts, even to fix their animals, and Dr. Leavitt was a respected vet in the area. Many considered the reduced rate a steal.

He shoved the folding chair into the car. "I guess. I wish more people signed up. I hope Vic is happy with the results."

"I scheduled at least twelve or thirteen. That's not bad."

He slammed the trunk. "We could've done better. Overpopulation is a huge problem because people don't get their animals neutered. These morons breed their pets and aren't educated enough to take care of them properly half the time. They're just out to make a buck."

"You're pretty passionate about this, huh?" Beth admired Harvey's feelings on the topic. She couldn't think of anything she held so much passion for, unless reading counted. Once in college, she hoped to find something to support, a cause worth her time and energy.

He shrugged. "Like people with kids." He turned the key and it stalled. He tried two more times before it caught. "Some people shouldn't have them."

She didn't understand his remark. Did he mean himself? He was anything but an open book, and his mystery intrigued her. His need to protect himself from whatever hid beneath the tough exterior attracted her to him even more. Never before had she met someone so dark and edgy. Interesting people didn't exist in her community.

She cleared her throat. "When do you work again?"

"Tonight - five until nine." He paused. "Anxious to see me again, are we?" His smile gleamed.

Was it that obvious? She had to practice her poker face. It was hard to hold back how much she wanted to spend time with him. She clasped her hands and set them on her lap until they arrived at her house.

"How about you come over to my place tomorrow morning and I'll make you some breakfast?" He pulled up to the end of her driveway and parked on the road.

"Okay. Then I can meet your dad, too?"

"No," he spit out. "He won't be there. He starts work at seven. He doesn't get home usually until after five, later if he stops off somewhere after."

She shouldn't have asked. She wasn't even prepared for her mom to spend any time with him and she gathered her mom was a hundred times more easy going than his dad. Stupid, Beth.

The prospect of being alone at his house with him scared her and excited her at the same time. So many possibilities existed. The morning played in her mind: chatting, getting to know each other over pancakes, snuggling on the couch until he finally kissed her. After kissing for a while, maybe it would lead to more. She clenched her inner thighs together, her body tingling in places it hadn't for quite some time. Gosh, she wanted him to kiss her.

She didn't need to wait. As soon as he had the chance, he rushed in and pressed his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, allowing their lips to flatten together. His lips covered hers, wetting them completely and when he pushed his tongue through the little opening between their lips, it was warm and tickled. It was hard to breathe, but she didn't care. She'd die like this.

The perfect kiss.

Chapter Eight

Harvey didn't dream of stocking shelves, but he got paid to line things up perfectly. Even though most of the money he earned went straight into his father's pocket, it was a step in the right direction if he wanted to reach his ultimate goal of getting away from him. He needed to fill his resume, whether a puny auto shop job or not, if he had any hopes of leaving town and moving to the city.

It took an hour of hard work to perfect and tidy the display, and he placed the last container of Turtle Wax on the shelf. He stepped back to observe the display. He'd done a good job. Every package sat behind the one in front of it, the tops even with one another, in an impeccable line.

"Quality work, Harvey." Nelson came up behind him.

Harvey crossed his arms with pride. "I try. It took a while, but I think I created a masterpiece."

Nelson grabbed the empty box, smashing the sides together. "I'll toss this in the back. How would you like to set up another display?"

"I'd love to." It was awesome to be recognized for his hard work. If he'd taken the time to focus in school, he could've boasted top grades. He wasn't a dummy. He had more to offer than being someone's punching bag. Many days in rehab he spent sitting on the couch talking with Maggie. He didn't like to lie down like others did - he felt much too vulnerable, even around her. In this world few people existed he trusted completely. Maggie was probably the one and only. She'd be so proud of him right now.

"I'll go grab the set up information. You hang tight. I'll be back in a minute." Nelson went to the back room.

Harvey made himself comfortable behind the checkout counter. The store closed in fifteen minutes and the likelihood of any more customers was slim. Harvey wanted to get home and relive the day with Beth. After dropping her off, he had just enough time to change into his work clothes - a pair of khakis, a white polo, covered by his deep green vest. The highlight of his day was finally kissing Beth, and the sweet taste of her tongue lingered on his lips. Thinking about her tongue and those lips other places on his body gave him a hard-on he didn't have time to take care of before work. If the job weren't important, he'd have tamed it and risked being late. The second he got home, he had plans with his dick.

The chimes of the door interrupted Harvey's daydream. The slim man that entered took his baseball cap off and turned it around, stopping when his eyes met Harvey's. "Oh, shit. Ricky."

Ricky pushed his hat further down on his shaved head. "Well, well. Harvey fucking Etheridge. Nice of you to come back to town and not even let me know you're here."

"You weren't on the top of my list to visit."

"Is that right?" He wandered into the first aisle of the store.
Pull your damn pants up,
Harvey thought. He didn't need front row tickets to Ricky's rounded rump covered by only a thin layer of cloth. "The way I see things, I should be number one on your list." He picked a carton of oil off the shelf and pretended to read the label. "You go sober yourself up and now you're too good for everyone else, that it?" He put the container back.