Swept Away (11 page)

Murray called him bright and early the next morning. The bridal crew got out of control and broke a window. Tucker agreed to fix it. 

"On the upside, they're leaving today instead of tomorrow. Seems the groom is pretty pissed off about the party. Throw in Marcia fawning over you like her best party gift and her friend catching it on video—the wedding may be off. I told Hetty we shoulda went with the crock pot."

"Oh shit. I swear, I didn't do anything."

"Don't worry none. That was pretty obvious in the video Hetty’s sister sent her. You have some damn good self-control boy. Or has Josie got you on a leash?" 

Looking into the room where Josie slept, he sighed. “No, just trying to use my head.” 

Tucker started walking toward the garage as he finished his conversation with Murray. He loaded everything he needed onto the truck and headed to the cottage. It was relatively quiet compared to the day before. A curly-haired woman was packing her bag in the back of the SUV when he arrived. She nodded at him as he got out of the truck.

Grabbing the replacement glass and his tool kit, he headed into the cottage. He heard dishes clanking and smelled freshly brewed coffee. He made his way to the kitchen. A woman with black hair gave him a smile. “Why, if it isn’t the wedding wrecker in the flesh.”

Tucker frowned, ignoring her remark. He turned to a small blonde sitting at the table and asked, “You know what window is broken?”

She nodded. “Marcia’s room. Big room with all the windows, top of the stairs.”

Tucker nodded and headed up. The door to her room was wide open, and Tucker was a little disappointed to see she was sitting on the bed. He knocked on the doorframe. She turned, her face lighting up when she saw him.

“Tucker,” she said, coming toward him, arms out for a hug. She was wrapped around him before he could block her.

“Oh Tucker, I had the shittiest night. Mona, that whore, sent Gary the video of me teasing you about being my stripper. And of course she added that we disappeared to the beach. Gary didn’t buy for a second that all we did was talk. Can you believe that?”

Tucker tried to push her away, but she held tight.

“He’s just upset. He’ll calm down,” Tucker said.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him this mad.”

“I’m sure it was humiliating for him. You were rowdy.”

That made her step back. Hands in the air, she paced, her voice rising as she explained. “I swear, I just wanted to have fun. I was hurt that the son of a bitch cheated on me. I’ve never cheated on him. Ever. Have you ever been cheated on Tucker?”

He nodded.

“Makes you feel like shit, right? Like some sort of idiot? And I don’t know about you, but it made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. I mean, I give it up whenever he wants it, and I try to shake things up and make it good. Why did he have to go screw his ex? So, when I got here, with my freaking guts ripped out, I was trying to find some way to forget…to feel pretty and wanted. That’s why I hit on you.”

“Did you tell him that?”

Her feet stopped pacing while she wiped away tears. “He called, all high and mighty, and gave me hell. I tried to tell him my side of the story and he hung up on me. Now, he won’t talk at all. All of my calls go to voicemail.”

“Go home. Talk to him. Make him listen.”

“He doesn’t want me.”

“What the hell do you have to lose? Bug him until he hears you out. Then if he still says it’s off? Screw him. Is a cheating prick really who you want for the rest of your life?”

His words brought her flying back into his arms. He had to hold onto her to keep from toppling over.

“Oh Tucker, you are the best. I swear my biggest regret in life will always be not making love to you on the beach. I can’t believe I walked away. If I’d have known I was going to be crucified for it anyway, I would have done it for sure.”

“Oh well.” Tucker peeled himself away. “I guess life is all about regret.”

“Maybe…” she said, running a hand up his chest.

He was about to say no when a sound on the steps caught his attention. Shoving Marcia aside, he turned to the sound.  He recognized the top of her head as she disappeared down the steps. Josie. Tucker ran after her.

He caught her at the bottom. Grabbing her by the arm, he spun her toward him. “I can explain.”

She slapped him as she jerked her arm away. “Leave me alone. I hate you.”

Noticing the kitchen crew was making their way into the hall, he let her go, and she ran off.

“Son of a bitch,” he said, taking after her. Outside, in the glaring sun, he couldn’t see her anywhere. He assumed she went to her cottage, but the place was quiet. She wasn’t in any of the rooms. His next guess was the cemetery. Also nothing. He checked the pond, the beach, and Hetty’s. She was nowhere to be found. He tried to call her, but she never answered. Frustrated and feeling like an ass, he went back and finished the window. He was happy to see the entire wedding party gone. Window fixed, he went back to the shop to put everything away.

Murray was seated on a stool, a pair of reading glasses perched on the end of his nose as he slumped over a motor with a screwdriver. Tucker offered a good morning, and Murray gave him a harrumph as a greeting. Tucker cleared his throat and asked, “You seen Josie anywhere?”

Murray swiveled toward Tucker. Leveling him with a look over the rim of his glasses, he said, “My niece isn’t a toy. You understand that, right?”

Tucker’s palms were immediately sweaty. “No, she’s not. She saw me talking to Marcia, but it was nothing.”

“Hope not,” he said, turning back to his motor.

Tucker moved closer. He might as well let the man know he had more interest in Josie than just the horizontal hokie pokie. He leaned his elbows on the table so he could look Murray in the eye. “Look, Josie is special to me. I didn’t mean to get myself in hot water with Marcia. I just tried to be nice to the woman. Her fiancé dumped her, you know?”

“I’m the one who told you,” Murray said, still working on the motor.

“And last night, Josie made it clear she didn’t want a relationship. That she only wanted to be friends. I honestly don’t know how to deal with her.”

Murray pulled his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “She’s an odd sort, son.”

“Well, so now she’s pissed. Any other time, I’d say she’s jealous and that’s a good thing, but with Josie, all things normal are off the table.“

Murray nodded.

“I need to talk to her. You wouldn’t happen to know where she went, would you?”

“She was planning to go to the thrift store out the road a ways. Seems she busted all her dishes throwing a temper tantrum. Toppled the cabinet. I was headed over to check in on her and heard the commotion. I asked her what was going on and she said she hated you. Then she left.”

“You didn’t stop her?”

Murray put his glasses back on and picked up the screw driver. “No, I didn’t. I learned long ago not to get between a fool woman and her fits. I asked her where she was headed, and she said she needed new dishes. So, off she went.”

“Shit Murray, I better find her.” Tucker headed to the door, then stopped. “Seriously, if she’s that upset thinking I might have something going on with Marcia, that has to mean she’s into me, right?”

“Got to give you credit for positive thinking. Never knew a woman destroying half her kitchen was a good sign. If you’re fool enough to want to approach a mad woman, the store is to the right at the end of the road, then left. Follow that road, and you’ll drive right into it.”

“Thank you.”

Tucker nearly ran to his car.

He found her walking, arms swinging, fists clenched. He pulled up to her and got out, talking to her over the roof of his car. “Josie, we need to talk.”

“No,” she said and kept walking.

“Come on. It’s not what you think. I can explain.”

“I don’t care. Go away.”

“Come on, Josie. Let me explain. Are you really going to judge and convict me without hearing my side of the story?”

She turned slowly toward him.

“Come on. It’s hot, let me give you a ride.” He pulled the handle and shoved the passenger door open. 

Without a word, she climbed in his car.

“I was only there to fix a broken window.”

She stared straight ahead. “I don’t care. You can do whatever you want.”

“I want you.”

“You’ve done me. Feel free to move on.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched.

“This is the place,” Josie said, pointing to a converted two-story house nestled into a shady corner lot on an otherwise busy street. The lawn was covered in large items set out for sale. A weathered bench welcomed uninterested shopping sidekicks to relax and wait under a yawning, scraggly oak. A hand painted sign welcomed customers to enter from 9:00 AM to whenever the owner felt like leaving. 

“Thank you for the ride. I’ll only be a minute, wait if you want, or go. It doesn’t matter to me.”

He grabbed her arm and held her there. “We need to talk.”

“No, we don’t. I need to buy some dishes. That’s all I need right now.”

“Ah, come on. You said let’s be friends. You can’t shut me out for this.”

“No, you come on. I can do whatever I want. You lied to me. The only reason you didn’t screw her is because she told you no. Which is just fine, because you don’t owe me anything.”

“It wasn’t anything like that. And I told you I convinced her she didn’t want to cheat on Gary. Her thinking she told me no made her feel better.”

Glaring at him, she said, “Aren’t you just the most noble of all heroes.”

“You know what? I don’t deserve this shit. I haven’t done a damn thing.”

“Fine,” she said, pushing her door open.

“Fine,” he echoed, letting go of her arm.

She got out and slammed his door. The curse words flew as he pounded on the steering wheel. He told himself he should leave her. Let her walk home. Why was he working so damn hard on a woman who was obviously bat shit crazy?

“Damn it,” he said, getting out and slamming his door shut. A group of guys made it to the entrance before him. Laughing and joking, they took their sweet time filing through the door. Tucker was steps behind them as they approached the girl at the counter. The largest in the group slapped his hand on the counter making the clerk jump. “Hey Natalie, aren’t you glad to see us?”

The girl flushed and said, “Barely containing myself.”

Tucker gave them a closer look. His guess was frat boys vacationing on mom and dad’s money. Four in total. One large guy, the big mouth, and three others who looked like they were cloned from a prep school catalogue. Polo shirts, in varying colors, the same baggy khaki shorts, and all in desperate need of a haircut. Tucker rubbed his stubbly high and tight military cut as he gave the guys a nod hello.

They ignored him and made their way through the store.

Tucker was weaving the aisles looking for Josie when he realized the guys found her first. Or at least he assumed the
pretty lady
they were taunting was Josie. He followed the sound. He found her in the back of the store in a small room that said
Clearance
on the open door. Josie had her back to them, pretending she couldn’t hear as they hit on her. Tucker’s heart pumped faster. His muscles tightened.

“Come on, baby girl. Sweet ass like that. How have we not met?” the big guy asked.

Josie did a sort of slide to the right to try to slip out of the back room, but the big guy caught her by the arm and spun her around to face him. Josie was white as a sheet. Her body shook. She looked as though she might pass out. He had seen that look of sheer panic plenty of times. In battle. From soldiers who had seen or experienced things no human should ever have to. That realization that someone might have hurt Josie that badly sickened him for a moment, but that feeling passed and fury took its place.

Tucker charged, grabbing the guy by his pastel blue collar. Almost in a single motion, Tucker lifted the man off his feet and into the shelves next to him. There was a crash of glass and clatter of metal. “Who the hell do you think you are? You don’t touch her; you don’t talk to her. Do you understand me?”

The guy was wide-eyed as he stuttered, “Hey man, be calm. I didn’t know she was with you.”

Josie clutched Tucker’s arm. “Stop it. It’s all right.”

Tucker’s jaw clenched. “No, it’s not all right.” Glaring at the guy, he added, “Stop being a prick. You need to learn some respect.”

“I will. I swear.”

“Tucker! Stop it!” Josie sounded pissed as she pulled at his arm. She seemed madder at him than she did the son of a bitch he was nearly strangling.

He let the guy go as Josie stormed off. He looked around the room at the broken shelves and shattered glass. “Clean this shit up,” he said and walked away. Stopping at the counter, he said, “I’m staying at Murray’s. Once they get that cleaned up, see how much I owe you for the damages, and I’ll come by and pay it.”

Natalie grinned. “No charge. I’m sick of them. Every day this week…same bullshit. I told my boss, and he said it meant they had a crush on me. Hah. Sure. Do I look like their type?”