Page 18 of Inherited Light
“Well, I guess you’ve got me there. I did go out with him right after high school. By the end of the night, I was referring to him in my head as ‘the groper’ because he wouldn’t keep his hands off me. Over the years, he’s wanted to engage me again, but there’s no way I would go out with him. He’s so much bigger than me now he could do whatever he wanted and I would be useless to stop it.”
“You’re scared of the guy,” I deduced and she nodded, her eyes telling me how much.
“He’s volatile, which is what worries me. Now I’m worried about you.”
I squeezed her knee gently. “I can take care of myself, Cat. I think he’s all bark and no bite anyway, but I don’t think you should risk talking to Xavier. He seems to think you’re his girl, which is exactly how he described you to me.”
She brushed her hand at me. “He’s been acting this way for almost ten years, so don’t worry about it, I’ll be okay. Can we stop talking about him now? I feel like he’s ruining our nice time.”
I caressed her face with my hand and let it fall to the couch. “Who’s he?” I asked, winking. “I had a fantastic time tonight, and I asked about your plans because I want to stop over tomorrow and check out the ramp with you in the daylight. Maybe I can shore it up and give it a few more months of life.”
She nodded once. “I would appreciate it, Ren. I’ll be here most of the day. How about after lunch?”
“I’ll pencil you in for tomorrow, after lunch. You know my number if something comes up.”
I didn’t want to stand. As soon as I did, I couldn’t kiss her. It was awkward, and she moved first, swinging herself back into her chair and unlocking the brakes. I took it as a signal and stood, following her to the door.
“Is there anything I can do for Cinn?” she asked, stopping at the front door. “I feel terrible she’s having such a hard time.”
I knelt next to her chair again and shook my head a little bit. “I think all we can do is leave this to Cinn and Foster to work out between them. Heartbreaking as it is, it will strengthen their marriage. Cinn’s first husband left her because of her illness, so I think there’s fear of Foster doing the same wrapped up in how she’s feeling, too. The difference is, this time, her husband would lay down his life for her, so I’m not worried.”
“Okay, but don’t hesitate if you think she needs a friend of the female persuasion, I would be there in a heartbeat.”
I tucked a curl off her forehead. “I know you would, and that’s enough for me. Thanks for the wonderful evening, Cat. I’m finding it hard to leave, but I must.”
She took my hand and held my gaze. “You never asked the whole night.”
I blew out a breath and shook my head. “I never will ask, Cat. If we continue to see each other, and you want me to know, then I’ll listen, but it’s not a breaking point for me. Not even close. Okay?”
She whispered ‘okay’ and I leaned forward, holding her face with my hands and giving her a slow, gentle, and languid closed mouth goodnight kiss. “Goodnight, sweet Cat. Sleep well. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I opened the door and she held her hand up in a wave. As I strode down the ramp, a wave hit me in the form of a beautiful, brown eyed woman and it would carry me to a place I never dreamed I could go. All I had to do was stay on top of it and not buckle to the power of outside forces.
Chapter Seven
I swung my legs out of the truck and closed the door. The driveway was short and after a few steps, I was opening the gate to the yard. There was a low, thunderous woof and I planted myself, prepared for Brutus to barrel into me, as he always does.
“Hey, Brute,” I said, rubbing his ears when he set his paws on my chest. “How’s your Cinn doing today, huh boy?” I asked, shoving him down. I jogged up the two steps and knocked a few times, hoping I didn’t disturb her from a nap. The door opened and Foster stood in the doorway, his face telling me it had been another long night.
“Hi, Lorenzo,” he said, holding the door. Brutus snuck in first and I followed him, closing the door behind me.
Cinn padded into the living room from the bedroom and stopped when she saw me. “Hey, brother,” she said, coming over and giving me a hug. “I’m sorry if I worried you.”
I hugged her and glanced up at Foster. He gave me the so-so hand to tell me she was feeling better, but not completely.
“I never worry about you, Cinn,” I said and she snorted.
“Nice try, Lorenzo,” she scolded. “I can read you like a book.”
I let her go and put my hand on my hip. “Oh, really? What am I thinking about?” I asked, trying to goad her a little bit.
“Cat. Now, come and tell me how the date went,” she said excitedly, tugging me to the couch.
Foster held up his finger. “I’m going to go grab a shower. You two will be fine without me?”
I nodded and Cinn took his hand for just a moment as though it were a silent communication between them. He dropped it and called Brutus to go with him, but the dog defiantly stayed where he was, next to Cinn’s feet. I snickered at the glare he gave the guy, as if to say, ‘Sorry pal, you’re on your own’.
“So, spill it,” she said as soon as I sat down.
