More Than a Touch (Snowberry Creek #2) (11 page)

There had to be more to this than just the lawyer’s request.

Callie was frowning big-time now. “It seems Austin’s boss and several of his coworkers have come forward on their own as character witnesses to testify he’s been a good employee, reliable and all of that. The attorney is claiming the break-ins were out of character for Austin, and that he was only driven to take such desperate action because he was working for minimum wage and needed to help support his ailing father.”

What a load of crap. “So what does all of this have to do with you and me?”

Because Callie wouldn’t be avoiding looking him in the eye if it was only about her and maybe Nick.

“According to Gage, it would really help Austin’s case if I were to support the idea. The only real question is about Austin’s attack on you. He admits he broke the window, but he denies ever hitting you. He claims he heard you hit the floor and ran in to check on you.”

“Bullshit! I was knocked out cold that night. I even have the scar to prove it.”

Callie held up her hands as if to surrender. “I know, I know, Leif. But here’s the thing: When I was dusting that room the next day, I found blood on the corner of the end table next to the hide-a-bed. What if you did fall getting out of bed when you heard the glass break and hit your head there?”

He found himself rubbing his temple, trying to remember the details of that evening. The trouble was he’d been on some pretty heavy pain meds and had no memory of how he came to be passed out on the floor. Translation: The kid’s explanation was possible.

“He also said he put a pillow under your head before he took off. I don’t know how else the pillow would’ve gotten there. In fact, Nick apologized to me later for ruining the pillowcase when he used it to wipe the blood off your face.”

Again, the explanation was plausible—not that it excused Austin for breaking into the house in the first place. However, Callie’s words were tentative, as if she was actually considering offering that punk a lifeline.

Like hell! This wasn’t some teenager. He had to be in his early twenties. At Austin’s age, Leif had already done his first tour in Iraq and was on the verge of beginning another deployment.

No matter what, though, Callie didn’t deserve the sharp side of Leif’s temper. With considerable effort, he reined it in and bought himself some time by buttering the toast. The eggs were done, too, so he scooped them into a bowl. After putting the food on the table, he sat down across from Callie.

After they’d each filled a plate, he made himself ask, “Are you actually buying that line of crap?”

She’d been about to take a bite of her bacon, but she set it back down on her plate. “Not exactly. We both know that if Austin does do hard time in prison, he’ll come out worse than he went in. That is, if he survives at all. So, yes, I’d rather give him a chance to make restitution and turn his life around. If he screws up again, at least I will have tried. It’s not like I have any big emotional attachment to any of the stuff he took. It all belonged to his family anyway.”

Leif knew right where this was headed. “And despite knowing that Spence wanted you to have all of his stuff, you feel guilty about ending up with everything.”

Her shoulders sagged. “Yeah, I do. Maybe that’s stupid, but I can’t help feeling that way.”

They both lapsed into silence as they ate. Who was he to blame her for feeling guilty about the situation they all found themselves in? After all, if Nick had made a different choice that day, it would’ve been Leif who died in the street. Nick felt guilty because he’d been the one in charge, and Spence had died on his watch. Callie felt guilty because she’d profited from a friend’s death. There was plenty of guilt to go around.

Aw, heck, what the hell?

“If you want to give the punk a break, I’ll back your play.” He pointed his fork at her. “But if Nick explodes over this, I won’t take the heat alone. In fact, I’ll tell him you waited until I was in a pain-pill stupor and browbeat me into accepting the idea.”

She laughed, just as he’d hoped. “It’s a deal. If he asks, it’s all on me.”

“Is there anything we need to do other than show up at the hearing?”

“I’ll call Gage and found out. And, Leif?”

“Yeah?”

She got up and came around to his side of the table to give him a quick hug. “Thanks for being so understanding, even if you really do hate the whole idea.”

“You’re welcome. But I repeat, if Nick comes unglued, I’m throwing you to the wolves.”

“Fair enough.”

She sat back down, her mood obviously improved. “I saw you and Mooch leave for a walk last night. How did that go?”

“Fine. We only went as far as the park. I mostly let him run around for a while.”

“And you didn’t see anybody else?”

Her question sounded a little too coy for it to be totally innocent. What did she know? Enough, it would seem, considering the smug smile she was shooting in his direction.

He might as well fess up and get it over with. “I might have run into Zoe Phillips at the park.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Might have? You don’t know for sure?”

Busted. “Okay, I did run into her at the park. She was out for a walk, too. We talked for a little while, had a piece of pie at the diner. Afterward, she drove Mooch and me back here. Then I went to bed. Alone, in case you’re wondering.”

“I’ve always liked Zoe.” Callie poured herself another cup of coffee. “And before you ask, I wasn’t spying on you. Bridey happened to be driving by when you two were leaving the park. She mentioned it when I stopped by her shop for a latte on the way back from my run this morning.”

Okay, that did it. He set his mug down with a little extra force. “You went to Bridey’s and didn’t bring me back a muffin?”

Callie looked guilty. “Actually, I did. But while I waited for you to show some sign of life over here, I lost control and ate it. Next time I’ll know to buy two.”

“Better make it three, since you already owe me one. The second one is the penalty you pay for eating mine in the first place. The third one is for insurance to make sure mine arrives here intact.”

Callie laughed and started to clear the table. “It’s a deal. I’ve got to go in a minute. I promised my mother I’d help her out in the yard this morning.”

Before she was out the door, he called after her, “Callie, it’s a nice thing you’re doing for Spence’s cousin. Let’s just hope he’s smart enough to realize it.”

But Leif wouldn’t be putting any money on the chance that he would.

Cha
pter 11

T
he rest of the weekend sped by in a blur. Leif spent most of it sitting on his ass or doing his stretches. On Sunday evening, he’d taken Mooch for another walk at the park, but they hadn’t run into Zoe again.

He’d been tempted to call her to see if she’d like to go somewhere for dinner, but he wasn’t sure how she would react to that. There were times he was convinced her interest in him went beyond her concern over his recovery, but not always. Not wanting to push things, he’d also resisted the urge to kiss her again the other night when she’d dropped him off at Spence’s place.

Had she taken that for a lack of interest on his part? He wasn’t scheduled to see her at the clinic today, but maybe he’d run into her anyway. If so, he might take a shot at setting up something with her later in the week. Feeling better than he had in a while, he locked Mooch in the house and headed into town for his physical therapy appointment.

As soon as he walked in, Isaac closed the chart he’d been reading and headed straight for Leif. “How did your appointment with Zoe go on Friday?”

The question came off as more curious than accusatory, but the concern on the other man’s face made it clear something was up. “Fine, I guess. She went over the numbers with me and talked about the importance of keeping up with my treatment.”

Not that he gave a rat’s ass about the measurements. He didn’t need a bunch of facts and figures to tell him that his leg was a long way from normal.

“Why? What’s going on?”

His answer didn’t seem to satisfy Isaac. “Because she wants to see you again today. Zoe said it wouldn’t take long and to let Brandi know when you were done in here. She didn’t say what it was about, and I wanted to make sure there wasn’t a problem of some kind.”

It was a puzzle to Leif, too, even if he and Zoe hadn’t parted on the best terms after his appointment on Friday. They’d certainly gotten along fine on their impromptu walk that evening.

“There’s no problem that I’m aware of, so maybe it’s some paperwork snafu. You know how easy it is to get all tangled up in red tape.”

Isaac looked relieved. “So true. I spend half my time dealing with all that crap. Either way, keep me in the loop.”

“Will do.”

Rather than worry about what might have gone wrong in the interim, Leif plunged into his exercise program, keeping up a running conversation with Mitch about the upcoming baseball play-offs as they did their reps.

The hour passed quickly. Isaac made a few more notes on Leif’s chart before letting him leave.

Leif picked up his pack and headed out the door that led into the main clinic. When he didn’t immediately see either Brandi or Zoe, he stopped at the front desk.

“I’m Leif Brevik. Zoe left a message with Isaac that she wanted to see me for a minute.”

The receptionist smiled and reached for the phone. “Have a seat, and I’ll let her know you’re here. It may be a few minutes if Zoe is with a patient.”

“That’s okay.”

It’s not like he had anywhere he had to be. He settled into a chair and picked up one of the year-old magazines from the pile on a nearby table. He skimmed an article on the war, probably not the smartest thing he could have done. It didn’t matter that it was months out of date. For the boots on the ground, the war was pretty much the same now as it had been then. And wasn’t that just a damn shame?

“Mr. Brevik, Zoe can see you now.”

He closed the magazine and tossed it aside. Pasting a smile on his face, he followed the receptionist down the hall past the same office where he’d met with Zoe the first time. They kept going until they reached a door he hadn’t noticed before.

“She’s waiting for you at the picnic table in back.”

He thanked the receptionist and stepped outside to look around. Okay, this was getting stranger and stranger. Granted, it was a nice day, and it was a relief to breathe air that was fresh and free of the medicinal smell of the clinic. But why would Zoe prefer to speak to him out here?

There was only one way to find out. He walked around the corner of the building. His leg was tired from his therapy, which meant his limp was more pronounced. It wasn’t as if Zoe hadn’t seen him hobble before, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

He finally spotted her sitting on the top of an old wooden picnic table with her back to him. Her dark hair was pulled back and braided. Damn, he’d love to set it free, especially if he could then see it spread out on his pillow. Yeah, like that was going to happen—but a man could dream.

She waited to face him until he was just a few feet away. Her expression definitely wasn’t a happy one, making him wonder what the hell had happened since they’d parted company on Friday night. All the pieces fell together. If this had been about his leg or his physical therapy, they wouldn’t be meeting out here next to the parking lot.

“What’s up, Zoe? What do you have to say that couldn’t have been said inside instead of out here?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Friday night. You know, about us.”

“I didn’t even realize there was an ‘us,’ Zoe. What’s happened to make a simple walk in the park a problem for you?”

He perched on the tabletop right next to her. She scooted a few inches farther away, clearly not liking that he was crowding her.

“We were seen together.”

“Yeah, I heard that Bridey saw us leaving the park Friday night. I didn’t think it was any big deal.”

Although it was obvious it was a big deal for her. “She saw us, too?”

“Yeah, she mentioned it to Callie earlier this morning. Who else saw us?”

Zoe swallowed hard. “Brandi. I swore her to secrecy, but that’s not fair to her. She’s not the one with something to hide.”

Okay, that was a bit over the top. “What are you talking about? We’re both adults. We went for a walk and had pie. Neither of those are crimes as far as I know.”

“No, they’re not, but I’m definitely bending the rules here. Ours has to be a professional relationship, not personal. I can’t afford to have it get out that I’m hanging out with a patient.”

He was trying to remain calm, but it was getting harder with each passing second. “I’m guessing from your reaction that could be a bad thing.”

“Yeah, it could be, Leif. Even though I’m a nurse practitioner, I’m still bound by the same rules that set the boundaries between a patient and a doctor.”

“And those rules say two adults can’t share a piece of pie or a walk along the river?”

He didn’t bother to wait for her response. “So you’re saying that as long as you’re overseeing my care, none of that can happen again.”

Leif hadn’t phrased it as a question, but she answered him anyway, her blue eyes looking so sad. “I’m sorry, but yes. I don’t like it either. Leif, I didn’t make the rules, but I do have to live by them. It’s for your own protection.”

Just that quickly his temper snapped. He could protect himself. He’d been doing it for years. “That’s bullshit, Zoe, and you know it. I can take care of myself, but that’s not what’s in play here. No, you’re protecting your own ass. Fine, I get that, but don’t tell me that it’s better for me in the long run.”

Not when the evenings he’d shared with her had been the biggest dose of normal that he’d had in a long time. For those few precious hours he’d been able to put the war and all its pain behind him.

“But, Leif—”

He cut her off. “You’ve made your point, Ms. Phillips. I’ll be going now.”

His leg cramped up as soon as he put his weight on it, causing him to stumble a bit. Zoe was off the table and grabbing his arm in an instant. He tried without success to break free of her grasp.

She held on with the tenacity of a terrier. “Damn it, Leif, don’t be an idiot! Let me help you.”

He froze long enough to regain his balance. “You can let go now.”

When her hands fell away, he missed their warmth against his skin, not that he would admit it to her now. “Thank you for your concern, Ms. Phillips, but I can make it to my truck on my own.”

Stubborn woman that she was, Zoe shadowed his footsteps. Finally, he’d had enough of her hovering. His anger faded, and all he could feel was tired.

“Go back inside, Zoe. You wouldn’t want anyone to see you walking me to my truck. I’m pretty sure that goes beyond your customary service to your patients. God knows we wouldn’t want people to talk.”

Okay, that was a cheap shot. He stopped walking. “Look, I get what you’re saying—no more late-night walks, no more pie. I’ll see you around—or not.”

She let him walk away this time. And yet he really wished she hadn’t.

•   •   •

Mitch made it to his car by sheer willpower alone. If he didn’t know better, he might have suspected that Isaac had added on that extra round of reps just to see how much Mitch could take without pleading for mercy. His gut told him that his old friend had set out to challenge, not torture, him.

Besides, he knew from his past rounds of postsurgery rehab that it was up to him to pound the mat when it got to be too much for him. It was his body, making it his call when to back off a bit.

He’d pay for his stubborn pride later, but that didn’t stop him from being pleased about how much more he’d been able to do today. As he unlocked his car, he caught sight of Leif coming around the end of the building. Where had he been all this time? He’d left the therapy room half an hour ago. Whatever Leif had been doing had left him huffing and puffing like he’d been running a marathon.

Under other circumstances, Mitch would’ve met the man halfway in case Leif needed some extra support, but right now he wasn’t in any shape to help anyone. He leaned against the front fender and watched to make sure Leif made it to his truck safely.

When the other man noticed Mitch was staring at him, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What the hell are you looking at?”

Mitch considered a few answers but went with his first thought. “I’m looking at a man who looks as bad as I feel. You know, like he could use a beer.” He let himself smile. “Or maybe even a six-pack. God knows, after what Isaac put me through this morning, I’m all about heading to the closest bar.”

Leif hobbled closer, his face flushed from the exertion it cost him to get that far. “My buddy told me there’s one around here with some decent pool tables. He said the building wasn’t much to look at, more like a bunker than anything, and the only sign on it just says
BEER
.”

Mitch laughed. “Yeah, I know the place. It sits right at the edge of the city limits. It used to be called Parton’s Bar, but I heard someone else took it over recently. Want to follow me there?”

Leif looked back toward the clinic with the oddest expression on his face. Whatever was on his mind at the moment couldn’t be good. “Oh, yeah. Lead the way. I’ll even buy the first round.” He headed for his truck. “Get me there fast enough, and I might even spring for the first two. On the way, though, I have to stop and pick up a friend.”

Suddenly Mitch had a new surge of energy. “Sounds like a plan.”

•   •   •

Thirty minutes later Mitch was halfway through his first beer. He took another sip and looked around the room while he waited for his turn at the pool table. It wasn’t the kind of place he was used to hanging out in anymore, but today the dingy interior and twangy music certainly suited his mood. Leif’s, too, considering he was already on his second longneck and had a third lined up next to it as backup.

“Move, Mooch.”

Leif stepped around the dog to line up his next shot. He’d insisted on stopping to pick up Mooch on the way to the bar. Something about soldiers never abandoning a buddy when on a mission. The bartender had protested when the three of them had walked into the place, but Leif flashed his dog tags and then Mooch’s.

A pair of bikers over in the corner had immediately sided with Leif once they heard the dog’s name. It seems Leif’s buddy Nick had told them all about the dog’s heroics back in Afghanistan. At first the bartender thought it was a line of bull that Leif and the other two were using to convince him to let the dog stay.

But when Leif had shown the man the scar on the dog’s shoulder, he’d backed off and even cooked a burger for the mutt. Amazing. Mitch hadn’t wanted to doubt Leif’s story, but he didn’t believe it himself until he surreptitiously ran his fingers along the dog’s shoulder himself. Damned if there weren’t a long scar buried under all that white fur.

He didn’t know a damn thing about bullet wounds, but he was willing to give Leif and the dog the benefit of the doubt.

“It’s your shot, Mitch.”

He took another sip of his beer and set it aside while he walked around the table eyeing his options. “You could have left me something to hit.”

Leif leaned against the wall with a big smirk on his face. “And here I thought a hotshot quarterback like you would be able to hit anything he aimed at.”

Mitch shot Leif a dark look. “That would be true if I were throwing a football. Pool takes a whole different skill set. I used to be pretty good at it, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I played.”

It felt like forever. He’d been too caught up in life in the fast lane to leave much time for hanging out in the kind of place that boasted well-worn pool tables and a postage stamp–sized dance floor. He could just hear what his teammates would say about this place.