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“No. My dad would never be unfaithful to my mom. Hell no. I’m not trying to hear that shit.” I paced the room, upset at what my mind told me was fact. My dad had been in love with Gladys for years, and she with him. The scenes played out in my head, and I fell back down to the couch in disbelief.
“Clint, I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions just yet. But, from everything Gladys says about your mom and your family as you were growing up, your father worshipped the ground your mom walked on.”
I shook my head in disbelief. In less than a week, Tamara had figured out something that had been staring me in the eyes for most of my life. “Maybe. But he also loved another woman who lived right under our roof.”
“Fuck. I’m sorry, Clint. It seems I’m always saying that to you. I’m not trying to cause problems.”
I looked at her with fresh eyes. “How’d you figure it out?”
“Hold that thought. Let me go get the broom.”
“Don’t come this way. I’ll come to you.” I stood again and walked over to the kitchen door as she handed me the brook and a wet cloth. “So, how’d you come to this conclusion and see something I hadn’t noticed my entire life? Honestly, I thought their care for each other was just because of long-term friendship. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You could be wrong, Clint,” she tried to backpedal.
“No. You were right. This is what I do. I take the pieces of a situation, the players, and their behavior, and I come up with a conclusion. A reason why they’re doing what they are. Usually, I do this with the people we’re hunting, or even my clients, which is probably why I didn’t think to do it with my dad and Gladys. What would they have to hide? They’ve been this way since I was a young teenager.” Fuck, the more I think about it, the worse it gets.
“I don’t know. I’m a people watcher. I listen to the things they don’t say as well as the things they do. I had to learn that skill while living with Derek. I had to learn how to tell when he was happy, sad, frustrated, or angry. I learned to listen when he talked about going out with his friends and what he didn’t share with me about those nights. That’s how I pieced together that not everything with him was on the up and up.”
Nodding, I swept up the glass from the ground, then wiped up the liquor from the floor. Then, walking past her, I threw away the broken glass, grabbed a fresh glass, and poured myself another drink. “When did you notice?”
“The first day I was here was when Gladys went out on a date with Ernest. Do you remember when I told you your father looked around the room for Gladys?” I nodded in response because I remember her saying that. “Well, I also noticed that when the door opened, and you announced your father was bringing Sammy home, Gladys stood up and fixed her clothes, even putting away the loose strands of her hair. She wanted to look good for your father. It was like something she regularly did.”
My breath caught in my lungs. “Well, I’ll be damned. Then Gladys announced she was going out on a date, and my dad acted a whole damn fool about it.”
“Yup,” she said.
I looked at her standing across the room and didn’t like her being so far away. “Why are you all the way over there?”
“I don’t want to risk getting a sliver of glass in my foot. My slippers are all the way over there.”
Looking at her, then noticing her shoes on the other side of the coffee table, I placed my drink down. Standing, I walked over to her. “I got you, sweetheart.” Bending down, I scooped her up in my arms.
She squealed, burying her head in my neck. “I’m too heavy, Clint. Don’t drop me.”
“Woman! You’re short and just the right size for me to carry you around. You’re like a mini candy bar. Just the right amount, a perfect serving, and bite-sized.” That she thought I’d drop her was almost laughable. I could hold her in my arms all day and night and never get tired. I sat on the couch again, not releasing her from my arms. When she tried to move, I held on tighter.
“Clint, I’m trying to sit down. You have to let me go.”
I didn’t like the thought of that one bit. Hell, I hadn’t even made love to her yet, but I knew I could never let her go. “Don’t ask me to do that.”
“Ask you to do what?”
“Let you go. I think you’ve come into my life right when I needed you. I’m not sure I’ll be ready to let you go in three weeks or any time after that.” What the fuck was I saying? Was I really staking a forever claim on this woman? Yes. Yes, I was. She shook her head at me, and I couldn’t help but frown.
“Clint, you can’t be serious. My life is in Virginia.”
“No, your life is wherever you want it to be. I’m not saying how we met is normal, and yes, you’ve only been here a week. But you and I both know there’s something between us. You felt it when we touched that first night. Don’t deny it. Don’t deny what you feel for me.”
“This is crazy,” she murmured.
Maybe it was, but lightning doesn’t always strike twice. So when it does, I have no choice but to take that as a sign. “Kiss me, Tamara.”
“What?”
“You heard me. Kiss me. After that, if you can tell me you don’t feel the same way I feel about you, I’ll never mention it again.”
“This is a bad decision,” she said, just before leaning over to press her lips against mine.
