Flying in Shadows (The Black Creek Series, Book 2) (15 page)

Andy smiled wide as he turned to the crew leader and assessed what he would do about
it.

The crew leader shook his head and didn't look too surprised or unnerved by the physical
altercation. Instead, he called out to the rookie, "Get your skinny ass in the truck
before I join the little lady." He walked and stood over him, then lifted him up by
the arm, not so carefully.

The rookie held onto his balls as he limped to the bench seat of the truck.

She didn't look nearly as offended when the crew leader called her, 'little lady.'

"Listen, Rose," the crew leader addressed her. "It is Rose, right? We can patch the
loose bricks right up and stay on the drive. We won't touch your work." He reached
out a hand to shake. "Pretty flowers."

* * *

Brie stood in her bedroom, looking out her back window this time. The outline of a
great blue heron showed in the dark. It perched on top of the watermelon-sized rocks
that held the lake back from gushing over into the creek. Leaning against the side
window trim, she waited.

Nathan came up behind her and wrapped his arms over and around her shoulders. "Feel
better?"

She curled the tips of her fingers over his forearms. "Much. Thanks."

"Duncan's reaction..."

"Yes. I worry about him. Mother's privilege." She let her head drop back on his shoulder.

"Speaking of worry, did you ever find out more about the unused sleeping bag?"

Just as Nathan asked, she saw what she was waiting for and nodded her head toward
the window. "See for yourself."

Nathan narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the window as a bobbing light came
from the direction of their house. "What the hell?"

"Wait, wait. Don't get too close... and... now."

A second light bobbed from across the creek, heading toward the bridge. Both led toward
the guesthouse. Nathan laid his hand over his eyes. "I built that bridge. And the
house."

"They're grown, Nathan. Are you going to go down there and ground him?" She took his
hands, much like she'd done with Duncan earlier that day. "You might feel better that
I found a missed condom wrapper on the floor when we were working the other day."

Nathan covered his ears. "Hear no evil."

She pulled him by his hands away from the window and to their bed.

* * *

When they were close enough they could see each other's faces, Rose watched as Andy
turned off his flashlight and dropped it in the grass. He took the last several steps
in two long strides, taking her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. The electricity
hadn't faded or even come to be something she was used to. It intensified each time
his urgent mouth took hers.

"There you are." He linked their fingers and pulled away, looking at her.

She wore her cut-off jean shorts, a summer tank and flip-flops.

"Mmm, hello." Turning, she pulled him inside. "Today was like old times."

He followed her and plopped on the wicker couch, propping his feet on the matching
coffee table. Andy explained that the rest of the furniture was due later in the week...
along with the air conditioning. "It's different with you as my girlfriend."

Girlfriend. How could she possibly be Andrew Reed's girlfriend? Distracted, she tried
to keep up. "I hate bullies. They never grow up."

"We're not kids anymore. The dude's a jerk, but he's a full-grown jerk."

She sat down and faced him, watching his lips as he spoke. She pressed hers together.
"I'm smart and I'm careful."

"You are smart." He set one of her feet, then the other onto his lap. "And hot-headed
and not at all careful." He ran his thick hands up the length of her long and lanky
legs, stopping only when he reached her hip. "And beautiful and sassy and I love every
part of you."

At that, she pulled his shoulders down and slid under him. He lay on top of her while
tucking her hair around her ear. He set his lips just underneath, then clicked off
her flashlight.

* * *

Miniature flags stood in rows lining the fronts of the landscaping plots in the Reeds'
lush backyard. A steady stream of relatives covering four generations came and went
between the Reed home, their guesthouse and over the bridge to Brie's sister's home.
Each bedroom, guest room and couch was claimed for the weekend.

The scene played out like a small town. With the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming
lavender lofting around them, young parents chased their toddlers away from the creek.
Parents of older children encouraged their kids to go in the creek. Grandparents manned
the grill and organized a pick up game of baseball for all. The rest enjoyed time
lounging in one of the many lawn chairs. Eight-foot folding tables were scattered
along one side of the yard while the other side was covered with a maze of metal croquet
hoops.

Andy sat with Rose inside the house at opposite ends of the double-leaf kitchen table
among a small army of friends and family. Everyone reminisced, shared their most recent
news and made plans for future get-togethers. Around them, a beehive of organized
chaos worked to prepare food while supervising children.

Rose updated Brie on Charcoal's progress in his intermediate training class. "He knows
the boundaries of the yard. Well, unless something small and furry is within eyesight."

Brie set her hand on top of Rose's, patting it twice. "Remember not to scold him when
he returns. No matter how frustrated you are. Dogs are simple. If you scold them when
they come home, they won't be so quick to come home."

Rose shook her head as she leaned around Brie, checking on Charcoal. He was on the
deck with Macey and Goldie, who lay so still someone might think they had moved on
to a better place if not for the rise and fall of their backs. Running around the
two of them, the pup switched back and forth between sniffing his surroundings and
nudging the two geezers. It was a gamble, she noticed. He would either break one down
enough to play with him or earn a quick nip from experienced jaws.

"It is frustrating, but I'll keep at him. Sit and stay are all but mastered, again
unless there is something furry to distract him, or his tail comes into view." Rose
lit up a broad smile.

Andy noted the contrast of his home to her quiet house of four. Rose had the ability
to seamlessly flip between settings. She wasn't the type that needed constant attention.
But instead, fell into the antics of reunions, joining in on the practical jokes and
chiding that seemed to be expected.

She caught his glance for a fraction of a second. Just long enough. She laughed with
his aunt, tossing her head back in response to something he couldn't hear. He watched
from his peripheral vision as she casually made her way out the front door, pausing
to actively listen to whoever stopped her on the way. The blood drained from his head,
but he worked to make small talk with passersby.

After an acceptable amount of time had passed, he pushed off from the table and slinked
to the front door well aware of exactly where she would be waiting. He closed the
door behind him as she pulled him to her, smashing mouths and twining limbs as closely
as their upright, fully clothed bodies would allow.

When would this fade? After all the years, how could there be so much that was new?
The little sounds she made when he touched her. They could always communicate with
a look or a gesture. That grew along with the way they worked as a team in everything
they did.

Then why was she suddenly pushing him away with both hands?

The look on her face made him sigh, long and heavy. "Hannah," he said.

Rose nodded half smiling, half sorrowful.

Squinting, he slowly pivoted to face his cousin.

Crossed arms, she looked smug with a hip cocked so far to the side she could have
been double jointed. A cat with a canary. "You're making out with Rosemarie."

"Yes, I know that." Turning his head away from her slightly, he kept his eyes on hers.
"How much?"

Hannah held out a hand, palm up. "Five bucks ought to do it."

He dipped his head and looked at her through his lashes as he dug in his pocket. He
slapped the bill in her hand but didn't let go. "Swear to it." He felt a little pride
in the canning of his younger cousin.

He and Rose watched until Hannah finished strutting around the side of the house toward
the back.

"She had her arm wrenched behind her." Rose leaned a shoulder against the front of
the house with one ankle crossing the other. "Likely had her fingers crossed."

"Do you care?" He walked up and placed his hands on her hips, closing the distance
between them.

Rose shrugged. "It's handy."

"Annoying."

"Play it by ear?"

"Mmm." He covered her mouth with his and quickly forgot what they were talking about.

* * *

A small army formed. Sides were aligned, and arsenals of squirt guns and water balloons
were chosen. Others picked up a last game of baseball out in the field behind the
completed Reed guesthouse. Together, Rose and Andy taught a handful of the younger
kids how to catch crawfish from the warm creek. When it was too dark to see the water
any longer, they rinsed black mud from several sets of small toes.

"They liked getting their feet washed and dried nearly as much as squishing the mud
between their toes." She let Andy collapse first in the hammock that stretched under
the tall deck.

Crawling in next to him much like she'd done for years, she kept as much of a platonic
distance between them as she could in a hammock. "True. It reminds me of when we were
that age." She yawned quietly. "I feel like I haven't had a full night's sleep in
weeks. Oh, yeah, I
haven't
had a full night's sleep in weeks."

Andy clasped his hands as a pillow behind his head.

Around them, parents covered snack food while the pyros from the group organized tubs
of Black Cats and sparklers. Duncan was, as always, ringmaster of the larger fireworks.

Rocking in the hammock, she and Andy discussed their next weekend trip and decided
on a change of pace to Binghamton rather than climbing at Catskills. She let out the
air from her lungs. "Questions will come up if we run off to spend the weekend together
there. It won't just be a climbing trip."

Her body tensed as Andy slipped an arm under her head and the other around her waist.
"I'm pretty sure Brie already knows." He rotated her body, tucking her back close
to him.

"Well, hell. I thought we were going to play it by ear."

Andy nipped her lobe and twined their legs. "Wake me up when Duncan is ready to start
the boomers."

Shivering from the feel of Andy's teeth, she let her head lay limp on his arm. She
snuggled against him, trying to ignore the dozens of pairs of eyes that would certainly
be glued to them. Never had she dreamed this would happen. Andy. She'd been in love
with him longer than she could remember. Had always expected they would be there for
each other. As best friends. Now, he was in love with her. With her. She would tell
him. She would tell him of her feelings soon. And of her... idea.

* * *

The next few weeks felt like a well-oiled machine for Andy. Days building houses.
Stolen evenings with his best friend and lover. Although part of him wanted to kick
himself for missing the fact that she had been right under his nose all along. Another
part, the more sensible part, knew any time before now would have been too soon.

It was a rare night when they would have more than just stolen moments on a blanket
in front of the lake or at the guesthouse. Since the rain would have made either option
uncomfortable, it worked out well that tonight was dinner out and the rest of the
evening to spend together without being rushed or exhausted at a late hour.

But when he reached her house, she wasn't there. Neither was her mom or sister, or
even the pup. It might not have been so unsettling, except her stepdad made it sound
like he didn't know when she was coming back. Stepping away from the door, Dave silently
invited him in. Holy shit, he was a big man. Getting a closer look, Andy added really
pissed off to the description.

Dave said just two words, "Sit down."

A magnet seemed to pull Andy to the nearest chair. He sat upright, on the edge, trying
hard to assess Dave's expression.

Towering, Dave slowly paced back and forth across the living room floor, fingers threaded
through the belt loops on the back of his detective slacks.

Possibilities raced through Andy's head. "Is... Rose all right, sir?"

Dave stopped and looked him in the eyes. "Cut the sir shit." Then, leaned back against
the middle shelf of their entertainment center.

Andy didn't know what to say. Claim ignorance? That would be sincere. He had no frigging
clue what Dave was so mad about. Looking at his forever-intimidating gun holster,
Andy decided on reverent silence. He watched Dave's eyes and movements carefully.
Dave leaned over and pulled a short stack of papers from the shelf behind him.