AlmostHome (8 page)

“Yes, sir. I’m thinking I might ought to go ahead and sell
that roadhouse. I got no interest in running a bar. “

Holden looked up and nodded as Helen came back with three
plates of blueberry pancakes. They each eyeballed the plate the woman set in
front of Haley, looking for telltale signs she’d messed with Haley’s food.

“I’ll swap you,” Holden said, reaching for Haley’s plate.
“Looks like you got more blueberries than I did.” Helen didn’t react
suspiciously but Holden took Haley’s plate anyway. “Just so happens I may know
one or two folks interested in buying the place. I’ll make a few calls and let
you know.” He forked up a big mouthful of pancakes and sighed. “So where you
kids off to today?”

“Going into Kerrville to get Haley set up with some office
equipment. That dinosaur Jack called a computer won’t last much longer and
Haley’s gonna need the proper equipment to start her business.” Wyatt gave
Haley a nod. “Probably ought to have Holden start working on the paperwork to
incorporate.”

Haley pointed to her mouth, which was filled with blueberry
pancakes. She chewed and swallowed.

“Good idea. I’ll call and set up appointment. But I do have
a question about something we talked about that day in your office.”

“Shoot,” the attorney said, reaching for his coffee.

“It’s about Aunt Jack’s death. You said the sheriff was
suspicious but the coroner ruled it an accident. You got an opinion as to what
happened?”

Holden set his cup down and nodded solemnly. “I think she
was pushed.”

Haley closed her eyes and took a calming breath. “Why?”

“Jack was barely into her sixties.” Haley didn’t miss it
when the lawyer cut a glance toward Wyatt. Did they both know more than they
were saying? “She was in good shape, you understand. Worked hard, ate right,
didn’t smoke, hardly drank. No history of heart problems or high blood
pressure. No reason she’d be lightheaded. And she knew every inch of that barn.
No way would she misjudge the edge of that hayloft. The scuffmarks the sheriff
found tell me there was some kind of scuffle. Way I figure it, she got into a
tussle with someone and lost her balance—or was pushed.”

Haley sat stock-still for a moment. “Who do you figure for
it?”

Holden shook his head. “That’s just it. People in this town
loved Jack. Didn’t have any disputes with anyone that I know of, and you know
something like that would make it to the rumor mill, just like you having
supper with the local vet. My first thought was your daddy but then I found out
he was incarcerated. So I have to assume it was a stranger.”

Haley met Wyatt’s gaze, then looked away. Someone had
probably killed her aunt. A stranger? Or someone her pa had hired? The pancakes
turned to unpalatable goo in her mouth. She swallowed with difficulty and
pushed her plate away. She’d be having a long, hard look at that hayloft as
soon as she could. She glanced at Wyatt’s plate and noted he’d pushed his away
as well.

“Guess I’m ready when you are,” she told him, then turned to
Holden. “Thank you for the information. I’ll call and make an appointment.”

* * * * *

“Wow, this place is something else.” Haley had never
actually been inside a store like it.

“Seriously? You’ve never been to a Best Buy?”

Haley’s face heated and she shrugged. “Never had the need.
Never had the money for a laptop so if I needed to use a computer, I just went
to the local library.” She laughed when Wyatt rubbed his hands together with
glee.

“Come on, sweet pea.” He grabbed her hand and led her toward
the computer department. “Let’s introduce you to technology.”

There were so many different brands of computers and
printers that Haley’s head was spinning by the time they settled on one Wyatt
assured her was the best system for her needs. She wound up getting the
insurance and extended warranty since she was afraid she’d manage to screw it
up somehow. For a printer, she went with an all in one that did everything but
make her morning coffee, then added a color laser printer so she could make up
brochures for her business.

Wyatt also talked her into purchasing a phone that had two
lines, one for home and one for business. When it came to cell phones, Haley
insisted they keep it simple. Why would she need to go online on her phone when
she had a computer at home? They compromised by purchasing one that allowed her
to text and was Bluetooth compatible, though why she needed Bluetooth she
didn’t know. The last thing she wanted was another leash. She’d lived most of
her life on the end of her father’s tether.

“Okay, can we look around some?” Haley asked, after the
finished in the computer section. “I’ve always wanted one of them iPods and I
think I’d like to get a television.”

Wyatt goggled at her. “You don’t have a TV?”

“Nope. Just that old thing Jack had and it ain’t gonna last
much longer. Oh, and I want one of them flat screen things. A good sized one so
I can watch the Cowboys play.”

“A girl after my own heart.” Wyatt slung an arm around her
shoulder and guided her to the television section.

A couple of hours later, Haley felt a little shell-shocked
by the amount of money she’d spent. Wyatt opened the truck door and waited for
her climb inside. He chuckled when he slid behind the wheel.

“Feeling a little sick to your stomach, are you?”

Haley blinked several times. “I think I threw up in my mouth
a little. Holy crow that was a lot of money. Why didn’t you stop me when I
bought that surround sound thing?”

Wyatt laughed. “Pure selfishness on my part. One, because it
did my heart good to see you doing something for yourself for a change,
especially since you can afford it now. Two, I’ll be parking my ass on your
couch during football season.” He held out his hand. “Lemme see that cell
phone.” She handed it to him and he pulled the car charger out of the bag.
Using his knife, he opened the package and plugged in the phone to start it
charging. “Now, let’s go have ourselves some lunch, then we’ll get on back and
start settin’ up all your loot.”

“Should we leave all this stuff in the truck while we go
inside and eat?”

“Good point.” He grinned. “I know just the place.”

They settled on a little taqueria with a walk up window
where Wyatt ordered a dozen pork soft tacos, chips and guac, and a big carton
of Mexican rice. They sat on the tailgate, the food stacked between them,
swinging their legs as Wyatt talked about HTML code and jpeg pictures. It was
all Greek to her but she liked the sound of his voice. She had to confess that
she liked everything about him and those feelings were growing as she got to
know him better. Much as she hated to admit it, she felt as if she were
fighting a losing battle to keep her heart safe. Truth was, she liked the way
he made her feel.

“Are you listening to a word I’m saying?” he asked, reaching
for another taco.

Haley giggled. She actually giggled, a sound she never
expected to hear coming from her mouth. She dipped a chip into the guac and
popped it in her mouth, talking around it. “You lost me at HTML code but that’s
okay. I like listening to you talk.”

He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled
her into a quick kiss. His mouth lingered a moment so he could nibble on her
bottom lip.

“So, you think all that techno talk is sexy, huh?”

She shook her head. In for a penny, in for a pound. “No, I
think you’re sexy.” Heat raced to her cheeks and she’d have pulled away if his
hand hadn’t tightened on her neck. “I can’t believe I said that.”

He rested his forehead against hers and sighed. “It’s okay,
sweet pea, I feel the same way about you.” He let her go and dug another taco
out of the bag. “Eat up. We got a long night ahead of us. It’s gonna take a
spell to get all that stuff set up.”

* * * * *

Wyatt had to force himself not to grin all the way home.
Haley thought he was sexy. Only God knew what that statement had cost her. She
was not a woman to confess her feelings and she didn’t give her trust lightly.
He figured he’d be wading into some pretty deep water if he took the next step
with her, but damn if he wasn’t ready to plow through right up to his neck. He
wanted her. And he didn’t just want her body. He wanted all of her. Everything
she was willing to give him. And that made his stomach clench a little just
thinking about it.

He backed the truck up to the porch and Haley slid out the
driver’s door behind him. He couldn’t help himself. He reached for her and she
went willingly, arms twining around his neck. He kissed her.

She tasted of guacamole with a sweet hint of Coca-Cola. She
was one of the few women he knew that didn’t insist on diet drinks. She didn’t
drink soda very often, she’d declared at lunch, so if she was going to drink it
she was damn sure going enjoy it. He deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue
between her teeth to the sweet, moist depths of her mouth. She uttered a sigh
and followed his lead, leaning into his kiss.

Damn but she tasted good. Felt good, pressed up against him
like she was. His hands skimmed her back, slid beneath the hem of her t-shirt
to caress her warm skin, moved around to cup her lace-covered breasts. She
moaned and he raised her shirt, running his fingers over the tops of her
breasts. Lord have mercy but she was soft. His mouth left hers to nibble at her
neck while he flicked open the front clasp of her bra. Her breasts fell into
his hands and he thought he’d never felt anything so soft in his life. He
lifted her onto the truck’s seat and took a breast into his mouth. A tiny gasp
escaped her as she arched into his mouth and into the hand teasing her other
breast. She buried her fingers in his hair, holding him against her.

Her whispered, “Oh god, yes,” was Wyatt’s undoing. He worked
the button and zipper, grateful to whoever designed low-rise jeans as he slide
his fingers beneath soft denim and satiny panties. She was hot and wet and it
was all he could do not to strip her bare and bury himself inside her slippery
heat. He stroked between her swollen pussy lips, teasing her clit as her hips
moved with the rhythm he set. All he could think about was making her
come—until he heard someone whistling a tune off-key. Shit. “Dooley’s coming,”
he whispered. He yanked her shirt back down and turned, blocking her from view
so she could tuck herself back into her clothes.

Wyatt scowled at Dooley who mirrored the look right back at
him. Obviously, the older man disapproved, which pissed Wyatt off because it
meant his friend thought Wyatt’s intentions were less than honorable. Truth to
tell, a couple of minutes ago they were less than honorable. He’d been prepared
to strip off Haley’s jeans and have her on the front seat of his truck. He took
a deep breath and nodded at Haley’s foreman.

“Dooley.”

“Wyatt.” Dooley shook off his attitude. “Heard y’all pull
up. Thought you could use some help unloading.” He looked at the bed of the
truck. “Looks like you two bought out the store.”

“Gave it a good try.” Haley’s warm hand landed on his back
and stepped aside to let her out of the truck. She smiled at Dooley despite her
red-cheeked embarrassment. “Reckon we could use some help unloading. Fact of
the matter is, we could probably use some help getting Haley’s new TV and home
theater set up if you’re of a mind.”

Dooley tipped his hat back and scratched his head. “Sure, I
can help. Just let me call Maria and let her know I’ll be a while. We was gonna
cook dinner together tonight.”

Haley slipped an arm around Wyatt’s waist. “Why don’t you
tell her to bring the kids on up and we can all have supper together? I mixed
up some ground beef for burgers last night and there’s some hot dogs in the
freezer. Maria and I can whip up some coleslaw or something to go along with
it.”

Dooley grinned and flipped open his phone. “Hey, darlin’.
Haley and Wyatt wanna know if you and the kids wanna come up to her place for
supper. You gals can gab whilst the youngster and I hook up Haley’s fancy new
TV and such.” He nodded and closed the phone. “She’ll be up soon as she hoses
the kids down. Let’s get to unloading.”

Wyatt had never seen Haley laugh so much. Everything
delighted her. The children’s antics as they tried to teach Scuzz a new
vocabulary that didn’t include cuss words. His and Dooley’s swearing on the
porch as they struggled to assemble the console for the new TV and the desk for
her office. Every now and again he’d stop to watch her through the screened
door as she worked with Maria’s girls to assemble a batch of chocolate chip
cookies, teasingly scolding them when they’d sneak a couple of chocolate chips
from the bag.

At last, the console was inside with the new forty-two-inch
plasma television sitting proudly atop. Burgers sizzled on the grill while the
smell of baking cookies filled the air. Wyatt’s heart filled with joy at the
happy chaos surrounding them. It was almost like having a family of his own.

“All right,” Maria called, clapping her hands. “Everyone
wash their hands and take a place at the table. Food’s ready.”

Hot dogs and burgers, buns, condiments and everything needed
to dress them was on the table, along with a big pitcher of sweet tea and bowls
filled with potato salad and coleslaw. Snoop dog sat between the two youngest
children waiting for something to drop and Wyatt chuckled when one of them
sneaked the hound a piece of hot dog.

“So, Miss Haley,” Carlita said around a huge bit of hot dog.
“Can me ’n Ezzie come watch cartoons sometime? I bet SpongeBob would look huge
on that TV.”

“I bet he would too. And of course you can, if your ma and
pa say it’s okay. Maybe come Saturday morning?”

The note of longing in Haley’s voice made Wyatt’s heart
clench. He’d bet as a child Haley had never spent much time watching Saturday
morning cartoons.

His uncharitable thoughts about Kent Kilpatrick were
becoming downright unchristian.