Break The Line Page 6

  “Benson, about tomorrow night?” she says slowly.

  “We can stay here, and I can cook for you if you don’t feel like going out? I understand with everything that’s going on with Beau.”

  “It’s not that. There’s just something . . . I do, every Sunday afternoon. I don’t think I’m ready to stop doing that. And I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready.” I’m almost afraid to ask. But not afraid enough.

  “Is it something I can be a part of?” She pauses, taking a deep breath. She pulls her head from my shoulder and stares at my face, deciding something. And just before her lips part to speak, the faint humming of a cell phone catches her attention. I slap at my thigh, realizing it’s my phone vibrating in my pocket.

  “I’m sorry.” I look at her as I hold my cell phone up. “It’s Jess.” She waves her hand toward the phone signaling for me to answer it.

  “This better be good,” I say into the cell.

  “Good news, the boat should be ready by Tuesday. The sponsor paid for a faster delivery, and there’s no telling what amount they forked out to the mechanic. He sure seemed giddy as hell. They want you in Georgia this week. They need you at the Elite, it’s supposed to be a big turn out,” he says, and for some reason I feel panic instead of elation.

  “Hmm. I see.”

  “You see?”

  “I don’t know, man, I was kinda enjoying the break,” I say, and it causes Danni to take another long drink from her bottle. She holds it up in the air and points inside, asking if I want another. I shake my head yes, and she takes off toward the kitchen.

  “Where are you?” Jess asks, and I let the silence speak for itself. “You gotta be shittin me? You think that redhead is worth losing a first-place win over?”

  “Her name is Danni.”

  “Well, her name isn’t $10,000, I know that much!” He says loudly into the phone.

  “All I’m saying is I need a break.”

  “No, what you’re saying is you want to get laid.”

  “Watch it,” I say, my voice low with warning.

  “You’re paying for my hotel the rest of this week. And you’re calling the sponsors because I’m not dealing with it. And you’re also buying me some more goddamn bug spray because the mosquitos in this town are as big of a pain in my ass as you are,” he says, ending the phone call. I laugh, and shove my phone back into my pocket when Danni comes back through the door.

  “Everything ok?” she asks, tilting her head.

  “Just Jess, keeping me updated on the boat repairs.” She takes my hand and pulls me up from the swing, and walks backward down the steps, tugging me along. She has a mischievous expression on her face that has my heart rate spiking.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Walk with me,” she says. I keep her hand in mine and we make our way around the back of her house, and she points toward a trail carved into the wooded hills.

  “When I was a kid, I would play all day in these woods. My daddy made this trail for me with his back-hoe, so I wouldn’t get lost. And then when I got older, in high school, we would all build bonfires out here in the fall after the football games,” she says, and I’m hanging on every word.

  “So, what kind of girl were you in high school, Danni? Were you a cheerleader? Band geek?”

  “Neither. I sang the National Anthem before all the sporting events,” she says, giggling. I think about the way her sexy mouth looked up against the microphone the other night, and it causes me to lose focus and trip on a tree root.

  She looks back, pulling her hand up to her mouth to cover her laugh. “Maple tree. They are prone to surface-level tree roots,” she says.

  “Ya don’t say.” I stand, dusting myself off and giving her a goofy grin.

  “Lots of hikers have sprained their ankles on those at the State Park. I know every plant on these hills, and I know pretty much all there is to know about hiking. It’s why I became a Park Naturalist.” She bends down to tighten a rogue shoelace. When she stands, I smooth her hair off her shoulders, and satisfy my craving to run my thumb along her bottom lip. The urge I have to taste the lime on her lips is overpowering. She nods her head toward the woods, and we walk farther on the trail. “It’s just up here,” she says, and I have no idea where we are going, but right now I would follow her anywhere.

  I’m behind her, watching her long legs hiking up the rocky hillside, and the view is just adding to the torture. She breaches the top of the hill, and reaches her hand down to pull me up to the clearing. The trees are cleared out from the small patch of land, only leaving behind weeds and overgrown grass. From this vantage point, I can see the lake stretching for miles. The town conforming around it. There’s a large rock bolder off to the side, and a site that looks like it’s housed several campfires.

  “I haven’t been up here in years,” she says, looking out into the distance. “I expected it to be more overgrown. It’s just like we left it,” she says, shrugging her shoulders.

  “It’s really something,” I say, admiring the view and feeling thankful that she brought me here. Our shoulders are brushing against each other, and our fingertips are lightly touching.

  “Kiss me,” she says, turning to face me. “I need to see something.”

  She doesn’t have to ask me twice. In an instant, my hand slides underneath her jaw, and I pull her face to mine. My other hand wraps around her waist, holding her in place. Her mouth is soft and warm, and there is an urgency in the way her tongue moves against mine that causes my grip to tighten. The full weight of Earth’s gravity could come crashing down around me at this very moment, and I would still feel like I was floating. Where did this girl come from? Her fingers slide into the hair at the base of my neck and I bend down, picking her up. Her legs wrap around my waist, and I feel her thighs tighten around me, causing a low growl to form in my throat. I have one hand placed firmly underneath her, and the other slides up under her shirt, along her side, and along the soft skin of her back. I grip the back of her neck, holding her mouth to mine, thinking I might not ever be able to stop kissing her. Our breaths become shallow, and she unwraps her legs as I place her feet back on the ground.

  “Yes,” she says, leaning her forehead against my chest, her hands gripping the shirt gathered around my hips. “It’s something you can be a part of. But Benson—”

  “I don’t care. I don’t care what the ‘but’ is, so don’t even say it. It doesn’t matter,” I say, cutting her off, still trying to catch my breath.

  “I think I’m going to hang out here for a little bit. You can pick me up tomorrow at five p.m. Don’t dress up, it’s casual,” she says, looking up at me.

  “I can stay, Danni.”

  She smiles up at me. “I’m ok, it’s just been a long day. Thank you, for everything,” she says, leaning on her tip toes and placing a kiss on my lips. “Do you think you know the way back down?” she asks, and I nod my head hesitantly. I don’t want to go, but I want to give her the time she needs up here.

  “Tomorrow at five o’clock,” I say, walking out of the clearing and she nods her head yes.

  As I’m walking out, I notice a large oak tree to my left, the initials D.R. + L.J. carved into the center of the trunk. I pause, turning my head over my shoulder to look at her, but she’s already staring at the sun dipping below the horizon.

  * * * *

  I’m looking in the rearview mirror at Danni’s house, when my attention is suddenly drawn to Danni’s mother on the side of the road. She’s pulling a stack of mail out of an old red mailbox shaped like a barn, and she’s waving me over. I pull to a stop and roll my window down, “Hey there, Miz Penny, thank you for the lunch, it was as good as I knew it would be,” I say, smiling at her.

  “Mmmhmm,” she says, eyeballing my truck with an expression I can’t read. “Would you do me a favor, Benson? I sure would appreciate just a second of you
r time.” Her tone of voice is not asking, but assuming that it’s already settled that I will.

  “Yes, ma’am,” I say, and pull my truck into her driveway. I hop out as a man walks out onto a large wrap around porch and throws his hand in the air in a wave.

  “Paul Walker.” He extends his hand for me to shake.

  “Paul, this is Benson Howell, he won the Classic this Friday,” Miz Penny says.

  “Ahhh, so this is Benson.” And I notice his hand shake grows a little firmer. “Dropping Danni-Rose off?”

  “Yes, sir. Beau had a little run in with a rattlesnake this afternoon. Liza has him all fixed up, and she seems to think he will be all right.” Danni’s mom pulls a hand to her chest, clearly worried.

  “Oh, my goodness,” she says, and darts her eyes to her daughter’s home.

  “Yes, ma’am. We got him to the vet in time. He’s with Liza at the clinic for a couple of days. I was bringing Danni home to make sure she’s all right. She’s…” I trail off, not knowing the exact words to use. I see her parents exchange a knowing look, and I know they of all people understand.

  “Thank you, Benson, for taking care of her today.” Her mom throws her arms around my neck in a hug, and I awkwardly pat her back.

  “I’m going to go call her.” She takes off toward the house, and I call out stopping her.

  “Miz Penny, she’s up there,” I say, pointing to the clearing at the top of the mountain that stretches into the sky behind their house.

  “She . . . she took you up there?” she asks, stumbling over her words in shock.

  “Uhh, yes, ma’am.” I rub the back of my head with my hands. A small smile forms on her face, and she nods her head before walking inside.

  “Well, Benson, it sounds like you got more than you bargained for in our small little fishing town.” Mr. Walker chuckles, and follows me when I walk back to my truck. There’s an awkward silence that lingers between the two of us as I stand with my hand on the door handle. “She’s not going to make it easy for you.” I follow his gaze, looking up at the mountain.

  “No, sir, I wouldn’t imagine so.”

  “She’s been through a lot. Has she told you? About…” he asks.

  “No, sir, but I think she wants to. She’s tried to.”

  He looks down at the dirt, kicking a rock with the tip of his boot. “Well, that’s farther than any other person has gotten with her. Be patient,” he says, holding his hand out again, and I shake it.

  “Yes, sir,” I reply, and he takes off toward the porch when I open my car door.

  “And Benson?” His voice is suddenly stern and commanding. I pop my head out of the truck, looking at him. “When I say she’s been through a lot, I also mean she’s been through enough. Understand?”

  “Yes, sir, I do,” I promise, hoping that the sincerity in my voice matches up to the feeling in my chest. I watch as he turns his back and walks inside.

  I drive off and through the town, slowing down in front of the vet clinic to see if any lights are on. I find myself worried for Beau, and wanting to check in on him. I look at the clock on my dash, 8:15. I’m also starving and in need of a good night’s sleep. The refuge of room service and a pillow is seducing me to drive a little faster to my hotel.

  The day’s events keep playing in my mind. I don’t know what happened between Danni towing in my wreckage and that kiss up on the mountain, but whatever it is, I can tell it’s already changed absolutely everything. And there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

  Chapter Eight

  Danni-Rose

  “So, how is he doing?” I say, walking over to the driver’s side of my Jeep. Liza steps out, wearing the same clothes from yesterday. “You didn’t even shower?” I ask. I called Liza first thing this morning and asked her to drive my Jeep over and pick me up. She sounded groggy and tired, and from the looks of her she must be feeling it too.

  “He is doing a lot better than I thought he would be, honestly. I slept on the floor beside him. I have to be truthful with you, Danni. I wasn’t sure he would make it through the night,” she says, and my heart feels like it is pounding through my chest. “But he did, and now I can say he’s more than likely in the clear. I left him with the vet assistant for the morning, and I’ll go back and check on him this afternoon. He will probably get to go home tomorrow.” I walk over to her and give her an appreciative hug.

  “But about this Red Hot Chili Peppers T-shirt…” she says, trailing off. I stand back and notice the dried rusty streaks across the left side.

  “Come on, you can take a shower here and change, then I’ll drop you back off at home.”

  “Oh, I brought this,” she says, reaching into the passenger side and pulling out a box of donuts and a tray of coffee.

  “God, I love you,” I say, taking the tray from her hands and walking up to the porch. Liza follows me, then stops just short of the door, staring at the beer bottles left by the swing. She looks at me, smirking and raising her eyebrows.

  “It’s a couple of beer bottles, not a stack of condom wrappers.” I duck my head, avoiding her stare.

  “Uh huh. I want details, you hussy,” she calls back to me when she walks down the hallway to my bedroom. I hear her opening drawers, and then closing the bathroom door.

  The morning air is thick with humidity as I step out onto the front porch, the wind unable to cut through the dense heat. I stare at the evidence that Benson was here, and that for a brief moment I let myself forget everything I’ve been so angry about. I hold the beer bottles upside down over the railing, and watch the amber liquid ooze into the grass. Walking out to the trash cans placed beside the road, I see my mama strolling down the rocky path, dish cloth slung over her shoulder.

  “Mornin baby, you doin ok?”

  “Hey Mama, yeah, Liza is here. She had a long night, Beau—”

  “Yeah, Benson told us what happened. I’m so glad he was there yesterday to get Beau where he needed to be, and to get you back home. I wish you’d have called me, honey, I could have . . . Well, I don’t know what I could’ve done, but I’m your mama. You call me.” She pulls the towel off her shoulder and swats at my thigh with it, then pulls me into a hug.

  “Liza says he’s going to be all right. When did you see Benson?”

  “Caught him on his way out of here yesterday evening, said you two went on a little hike?” she asks, then waits patiently for me to decide if I want to tell her anything.

  “I want to dislike him more than I do,” I say, looking back toward my house.

  “Oh honey, at some point you’re going to have to stop beating the world up because it took yours away. He wouldn’t want that, ya know? L.J. was so full of life. He may not be able to tell you himself, but if he could, he would tell you to stop being such a bitter old shrew. Hell, we’ve all been telling you that. He wouldn’t want you to waste being able to live . . . to love . . . just because he can’t.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “Sure it is, baby. Just try,” she says, squeezing my shoulder and turning to walk back home.

  “I’m taking him with me today. Benson. I need him to understand . . . why I am the way I am now. I think he needs to know what he’s getting himself into,” I call out to her.

  “Oh, something tells me that man might be in it through hell or high water,” she says, throwing me a wink before turning to walk back home. But I’m not so sure the baggage I come with is something anyone would want to be a part of.

  * * * *

  Liza is swaying on my porch swing, legs curled underneath her, icing smeared across her chin.

  “You’d better have saved me one,” I say, and she holds the box out for me. The old wooden swing creeks underneath the weight as I sit.

  “Have a good night?” she asks, holding back a grin.

  “Yes.”

  “Is he a good
kisser?”

  I pause, smiling before sinking my teeth into a chocolate-glazed donut.

  “Is it big?”

  I choke and bend over at the waist, coughing my breakfast onto the wooden planks of the porch. “Liza,” I say, whipping my head around to make sure my mama isn’t within earshot. “I wouldn’t know, Jesus.” I swat her leg and she falls back onto the arm rest, laughing.

  “Well, it would do you some good,” she says, and my shoulders shake with laughter. “You need to loosen up, Danni. You’re going to end up a bitter old bitch with an army of cats as your only companion at night.” I narrow my eyes at her.

  “I took him through the trails and up the mountain,” I say, and watch as her large grin grows smaller.

  “Up . . . there?” she says.

  I shrug my shoulders.

  “Does he know, Danni?”

  “I think he thinks he does. I’m letting him come with me tonight. I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not. I don’t know how I’ll feel once we get there. But I do know that I can’t move forward with Benson, if I’m still waiting to hate him. Hell, maybe I should hate him. Maybe I will. I just know that I won’t be able to figure anything out until he’s seen it all.” Liza stares back at me, then nods her head in agreement.

  “Wanna go see Beau before you drop me off?” she asks. I grab her hand and squeeze.

  “Thanks, Liza. You really are the best.”

  “I really am.” Smiling, she cuts her eyes sideways at me.

  * * * *

  “I can’t believe how much better he looks than yesterday,” I say, nuzzling Beau’s neck.

  “Resilient for sure,” Liza says, popping a small pill into a dog treat to hide the taste. Beau laps it up from her fingers, and she ruffles the fur on his back. Beau’s tail thumps against the examination table, completely oblivious to what almost happened to him yesterday. Liza helps him down and leads him back into the large kennel. “Just one more night, buddy, and you get to go home.”

  “You ready?” I ask. Liza stretches her arms into the air and yawns.