AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As we collapsed and lay next to each other, catching our breath while the intensity faded to a faint glow, my mind was free to start up again. All my thoughts roared back in an avalanche. In Evie’s house, in Evie’s bed, with her and Gage, was the last place I should sleep tonight.
Naked in the middle of town would be smarter.
Evie curled into me without disturbing Gage, who was pressed into her back. “I promise not to tell if you stay,” she said softly.
Damn it.
“Unless you have work to do in the middle of the night,” Gage added.
Double damn it. I wasn’t going anywhere. I couldn’t make myself even if I had to.
The next morning was simple. No drama. No sarcasm or snipping or expectation. Just casual conversation, plans for later, and then I left.
I went back to my motel, showered, and told my half-hard cock to stand down when last night rushed into my head without my permission.
I worked, though the enthusiasm wasn’t there. It felt more like I was tying up loose threads than pushing forward with any of these clients. In the early afternoon, I was thinking about calling it a day when Hudson called. A few seconds after my cell started ringing, my room phone did as well.
That was probably Elaina. Hudson could wait. I picked up the room phone. “Hello.”
“Hey.” Elaina’s smile was clear in her voice. “We got a package for you. Kind of big.”
Perfect timing, and even better distraction. “I’ll be right there.” The delivery was from Hudson. I’d asked him to send me one of Tony’s RC tanks. An ache bloomed in my heart at the thought, but it didn’t linger as long as I expected. It hurt, but it was more of a ghost of pain.
Elaina had the box sitting out of the way near the front desk. “What is it?” she asked when I walked in. “Am I allowed to know?”
“Not only are you allowed to know, you get to decide what happens to it next.” I grabbed the box and moved it to a more open part of the space. Not that there was a lot of room in here, but there was a reasonable sized lounge area with a few padded chairs and a coffee table, in an adjoining space.
She followed. “Why me?”
I grabbed my pocketknife and sliced through the tape. The crumpled paper came out first, exposing a bubble-wrapped series of pieces. I extracted what looked like the turret first, and then the remote control, and sliced both out of their protective casing.
Elaina gasped. “You didn’t… I can’t. Thank you, but no.”
“At least let me explain.”
“I can’t have people buying him things.” Elaina’s voice went soft.
I should’ve warned her first. “I didn’t buy this. I’ve had it for years. It was”—exhale—“my husband’s. Now that he’s passed on”—this wasn’t easy to say, but it wasn’t as difficult as I expected—“this sits in storage and collects dust. I’m not going to do anything with it, and if someone can get some use out of it, I don’t know anyone who will appreciate it more than Kurt.”
“He’s ten. He’s going to wreck it.”
“I don’t even know the number of times Tony has crashed this, or the others.” The memories nudged the edges of the box I kept them in. “It’s the cost of working with RC.”
“I know.” She gave a wry smile. “You’ve seen the plane Kurt takes wherever he’s allowed.” She dragged in a shaky breath that I felt in my soul.
She was thinking of her husband. I had no doubt. “How long has it been since you lost him?” I asked.
“A little over a year ago, and for the most part the wounds are scars. Tender, but not raw. The pain still surges sometimes, you know?”
“I do.” I knew exactly what she meant. “I lost my husband about the same time. Maybe two years ago.” As if I didn’t know the exact time and date. There was a mental wince every time I said the words, but the feeling was more like what she just described.
“I’m sorry,” Elaina said.
Me too. “Anyway, if you’re not comfortable with him having it, I won’t be offended.”
“He’s going to love it. I don’t know how to thank you or repay you.”
Knowing that someone would give it a new life was all I wanted.
