Love in Bloom (23 page)

Clay added, "If you want to date, you have to ask girls for dates.  And if you want a successful future, you have to do what you can to get it.  Can you honestly see yourself as or working at a convenience or sporting goods store the rest of your life?  Is that enough of a challenge?"

"You work in a store."

Clay gave a wry smile.  "Score one for you.  But I also own the store.  I do the PR work, the managing, some of the repairs.  I'm my own boss."

"I don't know what I want," Ben muttered.

Paige rose and went to the aquarium.  She was taking a stab in the dark, but it was a one worth taking.  "Did you set this up?"

"Yeah.  I have three more up in my room.  One saltwater, two freshwater."

"This is beautiful, Ben.  I heard they're not easy to get started or keep."

He shrugged.  "It just takes time.  There has to be the right filtration to meet the demands of the fish."

She smiled at his technical use of the language that had come out so easily.  "Your counselor told me you show a high aptitude in science."

"I do this for fun.  I like to read about marine biology, coral reefs.  I guess that's why."

Clay picked up on Paige's idea.  "Work should be something you like to do, something that interests you."

There was a different light in Ben's eyes as he studied the aquarium pensively.  "The counselor mentioned studying biology, but I don't know."

Clay nodded.  "Think about it.  Think about what you want to be doing five years from now, ten years from now."

Ben mumbled, "Maybe I can look over some of the college brochures."

The lights flickered again as the wind whooshed and rain beat against the house.

Clay's eyes were shadowed as he looked at Paige.  "We'd better get going."

A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, a crack sounded, the lights went out as sirens blew.

Ben's mother came into the living room with a flashlight.  "You're welcome to stay until the electricity comes back on."

Paige could only see Clay's shadow, tall and broad by Ben's chair.  She couldn't see his face, but she could feel his coiled energy and wasn't surprised by his answer.

"Paige, if you're game, I'd rather leave.  Shep won't be happy with the lights out and the thunder booming."

She was fairly certain Clay was more agitated than Shep right now.  He wanted to go home--to a home where he could withdraw from a nosy world.  She suspected he'd said everything he had to say, everything he could say, and if he stayed, he might have to answer questions that brought back more turmoil and pain.

Even driving in a storm, she could trust Clay, despite the fact he didn't seem to trust her.  "We can leave now.  If we wait, the streets could flood."

Mrs. Hockensmith went to the hall closet and felt for something along the side.  "I only have this golf umbrella, but it's better than nothing."

"I can bring the trophies by your house sometime," Ben said.  "I'd like to look at them again, if you don't mind."

Clay's answer was gruff.  "I don't mind."  He took the umbrella and waited for Paige by the door.

Paige touched Ben's shoulder.  "Think about what Clay said."

She saw him nod.

Clay went out on the porch and opened the umbrella.  Paige took his arm so she could stay close to him.  It was stiff, as tense as he was.  The umbrella didn't do much good.  The wind slapped them with rain as they ran to the SUV.  Clay opened the passenger's door, holding the umbrella as she climbed in.  She didn't even have time to say thank you as he slammed the door shut and hurried to the driver's side.

Tossing the umbrella into the backseat, he shook the raindrops from his arm.  "We'll go to my place and see what the conditions are like before we attempt to go to Doc's."

"Doc's not home," she murmured.  "He went to his sister's and is staying the night."  Paige suspected Doc had left to give her time alone to think about Clay, her mother, and Africa.

Clay started the engine and switched on the headlights.  As they drove down rain-drenched streets, Paige remembered a similar drive after their day at the amusement park.  But they'd arrived home at the end of the storm.  This one was just beginning.

Their headlights and the flashes of lightning were the only illumination.  The roads looked eerie with the streetlights dark, no lamps blazing in the houses they passed.  The wind swept tree branches across the streets.  As Clay headed out of the residential section, a cluster of branches suddenly flew at Paige's side of the windshield.  She gasped.

Clay swore.  Then he muttered, "We'll be home soon."

Instead of being comforting, his words made Paige's stomach flip-flop.  And what would happen once they were there alone?  Would he talk to her?  Would he tell her what he was feeling?  Or would he hold on to his silence for protection and as soon as the storm subsided, take her back to Doc's?

She studied him in the shadows.  His body was rigid, his broad shoulders held stiff as he looked straight ahead.  From the glow of the dashboard, she could see both of his hands tightly enclosing the wheel.  She wondered if he ever let his guard down, if he could every truly relax.  From the sounds of it, that only happened with Trish and his mother.

No past.  Lord, Paige couldn't imagine how to handle that.  To think back and have...nothing.  Yet again, maybe that's where Clay got his forward-looking attitude.  There was no looking back.  That's why he could play and work and thoroughly enjoy himself.  Except where she was concerned.

The question again came back to haunt her.  Why couldn't he trust her?  Had something else happened that Clay hadn't told Ben?  What about the woman Doc had mentioned?  Where did she fit in?  And what about Clay's father?

Paige had so many questions.  But she couldn't ask them. 

Clay had to open up to her on his own.

The heavy rain quickly raised puddles.  Some covered half the road.  When the night shrouded one pool until Clay was on top of it, the SUV sloshed through the water.  She heard Clay's sigh of relief when the engine didn't stall out.

A few minutes later, he turned down the lane and parked next to the front walk.  "This is one time when I wish I'd built a garage."

"I won't melt," Paige commented.

Clay turned off the windshield wipers and headlights and they sat in the darkness.  Paige had never felt closer to Clay, yet so far away.  The rain closed them in.  She could smell the faint trace of Clay's shampoo, see his large shadowy outline, hear his breathing.  She waited for him to say something that would open a door between them.

All he said was, "Let's get out of this."

Her hand trembled as she reached for the buckle on her seatbelt.  The catch wouldn't open.

He undid his seatbelt and heard her fumbling with hers.  "Problems?"

Her voice seemed to desert her as the emotions from the evening gathered in her throat.

His hand covered hers.  "Let me."

While she soaked in his warmth, the comfort of his touch, he asked, "Paige?"

She pulled her hand away so he could help.

He pressed the button and the seatbelt retracted.  So did Clay as he moved away from her and opened his door.  "Stay put," he commanded.

Grabbing the umbrella, he jumped out and came around to open her door.

Paige didn't touch him as they hurried to the front porch under the umbrella.  She couldn't see his face as he closed the material and leaned the handle against the house.  Shep began barking as Clay dug in his pocket for the key.

He opened the door and Shep stopped barking.  Clay let Paige precede him inside.  She stood in the darkness as Shep rubbed his head against her leg.

Clay went to the kitchen.  "I'll get a flashlight and some candles."

She heard him open a closet, pull open a drawer.  A cupboard closed.  Metal clanked against metal.  She saw a small glow of light.  Careful not to run into furniture in the dark living room, she went to the kitchen.

She watched Clay, as by the light of a flashlight he trimmed the wick on a candle, put it in it's old-fashioned holder, and lit it.  He did the same with another.

"Can I do anything to help?"

He looked at her then.  In the glow of the candle she saw his fatigue.  She felt drained, too.

Lightning lit up the kitchen and a moment later, thunder crashed.  Wind and rain battered against the back walls.

"Paige, I don't really feel like going out in this again.  My spare bedroom's made up for when Trish visits.  How about if you just stay overnight?"  When she hesitated, he said, "Doc's not home to worry about you."

She didn't know why she was hesitating.  She didn't want to go back outside any more than Clay.  If she stayed the night, what?  Maybe Clay would talk to her?  He wasn't in a talking mood and she knew it.  It hurt to be this close to him yet not close enough.  Maybe in the morning when they were both rested...

He handed her the flashlight.  "You'll stay?"

She took it from him.  "Yes."

"Trish keeps spare clothes in the dresser.  Maybe she left pajamas or something.  I'll lead the way with the flashlight if you want to bring one of the candles.  I think I have another flashlight in the closet upstairs."

Clay wasn't just keeping his distance emotionally, but physically too.

She followed him up the stairs, her hand cupped around the candle flame so it didn't blow out.  He led her into a room a bit smaller than the master bedroom into which she'd peeked before.  It was difficult to see the decor in the shadows, but she could see a quilt on the double bed.  Colored patches made up large rings that intertwined.  She guessed the cannonball headboard was dark pine.

Clay went to the dresser and pulled open the top drawer.  The first item he pulled out was a pastel cotton and lace shift.  His gaze met hers, and even without electric lights, she could see sparks of desire in his eyes as he looked at it, then looked back at her.

She knew he was imagining her in the short nightdress.  He knew she knew.

Clay stuffed it back in the drawer and said gruffly, "Look through everything and find what you want.  Trish won't mind.  I'll go check on the other flashlight."

He was gone before she could open her mouth.

Paige sifted through the drawer and decided the cotton would be the most practical.  As soon as the storm stopped, she'd probably have to open the windows so the room didn't become stifling.

Clay was back in a few moments.  He laid a second flashlight on the nightstand.

"Are you going to bed now?" Paige asked tentatively.

"As soon as the thunder dies down, I'll let Shep out.  He'll probably make it a quick trip with the rain.  So if you want to use the bathroom first, go ahead."

Clay was making it clear they weren't talking about anything tonight.  He couldn't wait to get out of the room.