Pieces of You (3 page)

The first song ends and the bar goes crazy. The Band is really good, and they deserve every cheer they receive.

"So what's the name of the band?" Riley questions as she places her empty bottle on the bar top. "I never got the chance to ask your friend." Glancing back, she calls to the bartender. "Water please," when he appears to replace her bottle with a fresh drink.

"Make that two waters, Mark." I order and he nods, returning with two fresh glasses of ice water.

I chuckle. "The name of the band is just that." Turning again, I lean my hip against the bar, taking both waters in my hands and passing one to her.

"Just that? That's a strange name for a band." She offers.

"No, it's The Band." I remove the straw and drink directly from the glass. "They could never decide on a name, so they just went with The Band. It works for them."

She brings the straw to her lips, and I clear my throat.

As the band plays on we watch them and sing along to the covers we know. Before long, the set is done and the bar DJ begins playing the standard Wednesday night country music.

As the dance floor fills, I catch her glance in my direction, and she smiles when she gets caught. "So, Riley. It's been great hanging out with you tonight, but I have to head home. I start a new job tomorrow, and I heard the new boss is a tight ass. I'm afraid of what the repercussions would be if I was late."

She shakes her head. "I know how you feel." She sighs. "I have a new employee tomorrow, and if he shows up late, or hung over, I'm gonna have to turf his ass." She winks at me.

Tim returns just as we finish the exchange, smiling and covered in sweat. The bartender hands him a cold bottle of beer which is brought directly to his lips. "One for the lady too," he calls out before swallowing half the bottle.

"Thanks, Tim, but I will have to take a rain check. We were just about to leave." Riley informs him as I smirk when his expression turns to shock.

"You two..." he looks between us as the wheels turn, "are leaving ... together?"

Riley bites her lip and nods, while I just stand here, not offering him an answer or suggestion.

"No you aren't." He looks at me for an answer, and I change my stance, tucking my left thumb into the front pocket of my jeans and my right hand on the small of Riley's back. His eyes follow my hand, and he claps his hand hard on my back. "DAMN. TY!" His eyes twinkle. He looks genuinely happy for me.

"Good show tonight, Tim. See ya later." I begin to walk toward the door, leading Riley gently with my hand.

"OH, MY GOD, you were amazing tonight, Tim." I hear a woman shriek behind us after we walk away.

Princess is standing at the door and when he notices me leaving with Riley, he grins really wide. "Really good to see you again, Turtle. Come back again and bring your friend." He rocks his head in her direction and winks.

"Will do, Princess." I wink at him as he opens the ropes for us to leave.

"That ain't right, Turtle." He chuckles as we step off the sidewalk and into the parking lot. Riley's body shivers in the cool air, and I find myself mindlessly rubbing her lower back with my fingertips.

"Where did you park?" I ask her quietly.

"Over there. By the driveway." Riley points and pulls her keys from her pocket while she continues to stay in step with me. As we reach her car, I place my hand up on the roof while she turns to face me. She's smiling as she crosses her arms and raises her eyebrow.

"Turtle, huh?"

I roll my eyes and shake my head releasing a large puff of air. "You've gotta remember. I've lived here my whole life, for the most part. I grew up with these guys, and Princess still calls me Turtle. It was a nickname my mother gave me as a child."

"Is that so?" She twists her smile, and her eyes brighten. "Why did he call you Turtle?"

I pull my arm off the roof of the car and shift my weight to the other foot. Looking back at the line waiting to get into The Shake, I rub the back of my neck with my right hand. "Because I used to wear only turtlenecks." She giggles. "I was four. I had my thing, okay?" I defend playfully.

"We all have our thing I suppose." Her smile is still plastered across her face.

"What's your thing?" I ask and slowly step into her space. Her hand fumbles on the handle as she shakes her head.

"I don't have a thing," she whispers huskily.

"Sure."

"Goodnight, Ty. See you tomorrow." She quickly tries to change the subject as she steps forward, closer to me where I can once again smell her amazing light perfume. Opening her car door, Riley turns and sits in the driver's seat. Her feet slide into place, and I close the door for her. I tap the window, and she rolls it down expectantly.

"See you tomorrow, boss lady," I say as I lean into the car.

"Goodnight, Ty," she whispers and slowly pulls away.

Turning, I walk to the other side of the lot to my truck. The window is still down because no one would want her, everything is just how I left it. Climbing in, I turn the key and the radio comes on. The Jeff Healey band is blaring in the speakers, reminding me of Mel. I turn off the radio and pull out of my stall as quickly as I can to head home and hopefully sleep enough before I'm awakened by my dreams again.

Chapter 3

"Morning," I announce as I step into the foyer through the open door of Widow Crawley's home. I slide my hammer into my tool belt and wipe my feet on the mat in the doorway. Memories wash over me as I look around the front room, bringing a smile to my face.

"Coffee?" she asks cheerfully from the kitchen, breaking me from my trip down memory lane. I follow her voice into the room and am greeted by Riley wearing a ponytail, t-shirt, and sweatpants. I was not expecting her to be so dressed down. I can only assume she will be helping me do the renos and I think I kind of like the idea. She turns to pour my cup of coffee and my eyes are instantly drawn to her backside, but what I find makes me chuckle out loud.

"What's so funny, Turtle?" she questions suspiciously while still pouring my coffee.

"I have to admit. I'm a little surprised at your choice of attire." I rest my hip against the counter and bend over to lean on my elbow.

"What's wrong with my attire?" She turns suddenly, twisting her mouth and peering at me through squinting eyes. Her playful demeanor is welcomed. It's going to be nice to have someone around me for a while who can be normal. Who won't treat me with kid gloves because of the accident.

"Here you go," she places my coffee on the counter, "Turtle." A mischievous grin dances across her lips.

"Thanks." I suck my teeth and shake my head, still not responding to her question, I attempt to avoid it.

"Aww. It's not that bad." Riley smirks and lifts her steaming coffee to her lips with both hands wrapped around her 'It's my Coffee and I'll use cream if I want to' mug.

"Yeah." My tone is clipped. I really hate this nickname. I really hate that Princess used it in front of my boss. "You don't have the nickname."

"I'm sorry, Ty. I just..."

"No, it's fine." I mock her. Pretending to be hurt by her words, I sniffle and turn away drinking my coffee as I look around the room.

"Ty."

Turning back to her, I wink. "It's not that bad. Don't sweat it, boss lady." Relief washes over her face, and she visibly relaxes against the counter with the ugly yellow sink.

“Oh I know it's not that bad. You're just being a drama queen.” Riley smirks. “Let's walk around and get our plan. I still have to get permits for the major items on the list, but we can do the little things."

"Sounds good, boss lady. Getting permits here isn't hard and won't take long either. I can put in the paperwork on my way home tonight. I kinda know the planning guy. We can have the permits back tomorrow afternoon." As we climb the stairs, I glance up and see her firm backside with the word 'Juicy' written across the fabric. How am I not supposed to stare at her with that word, drawing my attention every time it's in plain sight? Shaking my head, I try to get rid of the thoughts that are starting to invade my mind. I bite my lip and attempt to keep my gaze elsewhere.

We get into the bathroom and discuss how we are going to fix the tub. It's not going to be easy because the pipe needs to be replaced. We decide together the best way to approach this is to remove the two back legs and get the tub into the hall, but there is no way she will be able to help. She's just too damn small. "I'm going to have to hire someone to help. There's no way you can help lift this thing." I explain to her. She chews on her lip briefly and nods before taking a drink of her coffee. I can tell that she's slightly offended by my words, and I can tell she likes to get her hands dirty. Be a part of the process and all, but clearly she doesn't have the muscle to lift this bad boy.

"Can we get this going by Friday morning? I have to head out of town for the weekend."

"You know you don't need to be here to get the job done right? But yes, we can get this going probably by tomorrow. I have a couple of guys I can call." I think the only one big enough that could help would be Princess. He could probably use some extra cash. I mean, who can't?

"That would really be fantastic, Ty." She looks up at me from the floor as I lean against the pedestal sink against on the opposite wall. We just sit there for what seems like a couple of moments, watching each other. “I know I don't have to be here. I have confidence in you. But honestly, I like to be here so I can learn to do these things. I like to get my hands dirty and be able to put a piece of me in the job.”

I clear my throat and push off the sink, offering her my hand to help her stand up. Blushing slightly, she accepts the offer and I help her to her feet. "Thanks."

"Shall we go tear out some cupboards and start pulling the frames for the windows?" I pull my hammer out of my tool belt.

"I thought you would never ask."

We step into the master bedroom and beeline it directly to the picture frame window on the far wall. Looking out I can see the street in front of the house that leads directly to the school. I briefly imagine Widow Crawley sitting in a rocking chair and knitting while watching the children play on their way home for the day. I can also see the crabapple tree that I used to steal from. Perfect view from this window. And I smile. This is how she used to catch us all the time.

Sliding the claws of the hammer below the corner of the frame, I crank it, which causes the frame to shift on its nails and slowly pull away from the wall. Seeing how easy it was, Riley does the same on the opposite corner. With a few grunts that gain my attention, she helps me pull the pieces completely away from the wall. I clear my throat and turn my ballcap backwards.

"So, Riley, what made you decide to buy Widow Crawley's place. Are you moving out here for good? 'Cuz, if you are I would be happy to be your chaperone any time you go to The Shake. I can also warn you away from other events where you may need my assistance for when I am unavailable." We walk to the second bedroom and check out the frame before continuing on the demo.

"Have you ever seen those home reno shows on television? The ones where people buy cheap homes, reno them like crazy and then sell them for double the price?" She asks before grunting again as she pulls the slat away from the wall.

"I think so," I reply as I walk over to give her a hand. The hammerclaw is stuck in the wood. "Look at you, Wonder Woman. Breaking this place up."

She rolls her eyes and blows air up out of the corner of her mouth, forcing the dangling hair from in front of her eyes. "Wonder Woman. Bah." She grunts while throwing the disassembled frame onto the pile in the hall. "So yeah." She claps her hand and a puff of dust wafts through the air in front of her. "That's what I'm doing. I'm flipping this amazing house."

"So not sticking around, huh?"

"Nah. I'm a city girl. I'd probably go crazy if I lived here too long. Especially without knowing anyone. I mean, you grew up here. You know everyone. But me ... I need a chaperone." She winks at me and wipes her forehead with the back of her arm.

"You know Tim." I joke while we head down the stairs, I try, in earnest, not to stare at her backside. Not only does it say 'Juicy' it now has a line of dust just above the word from where she leaned against the counter. Inwardly, I groan and resist the urge to dust it away. Reaching the kitchen, I offer her a bottle of water from the cooler on the table. Both of us twist off the caps and take a drink.

"So what's your story, Ty? You a ladies' man like your friend Tim?" She waggles her eyebrows at me. I haven't had to answer this question before, and it takes me off guard. I lean against the counter, placing my hands behind me gripping the overhang.

"No. I'm far from a ladies' man. I mean, if I was a ladies' man, I would have mentioned the word that's printed across your backside a few times. Said a few, possibly inappropriate comments and dusted off the thick line of white that marks the material just above the letters," I answer honestly. “But since I'm not a ladies' man, I kept those comments to myself,” which has been challenging. She smirks and shakes her head back and forth, chuckling quietly to herself.

Dropping my gaze to the ground, I rub the back of my neck and take a deep breath. "But seriously, my story is a little different." I take off my ballcap and scratch my head - nervous habit. Riley watches me intently while I struggle to find the words without sounding like a broken shell of a man.

"I had a fiancée." I finally manage, taking a breath and replacing the cap on my head.

"You had. Did you guys break up? Do you need me to kick her ass?"

Laughing nervously, I shake my head. "No, um. She's dead."

Riley's expression takes a drastic turn, and she puts her bottle of water down on the table. "I'm so sorry."

Looking back up at her, I squint my eyes and chew on my bottom lip. "So am I."

We both stand in awkward silence for a couple of moments until a knock on the door breaks the discomfort. Quickly, I walk past her through the entryway to answer the door. Taking a deep breath, I quickly grab the handle and pull open the door.

"Got a delivery for a Riley, uh, Jensen." The tired looking delivery man announces as I open the door. He tries to push the clipboard with papers in my direction and offers me a pen. "If you could just sign..."

"I'll get Riley for you." I offer and before I can call her, she steps beside me in the foyer. Her hand reaches up and rubs my lower back tenderly.

"Got it. Thanks, Ty."

"Want me to check them out while they're still on the truck? They are a pain to get back in there once they're off."

"Sounds good." She starts looking over the paperwork, and I remove my box cutter from my tool belt as I climb into the back of the truck. "The product number is D1589A630. How many do you see up there?"

Looking at the remaining boxes in the truck, I quickly count. "One-two-three-four. I see four of that number. Slate gray?"

"Perfect. There should be a stove and refrigerator in there too."

Looking around I see both appliances and cut the boxes to take a quick look. "Stainless?"

"You got it. Fantastic! Thanks, Ty," she yells as she continues to speak with the delivery guy. I climb off of the truck and put my work gloves on. This guy won't do it by himself, and if I don't help him, he won't do it at all. As it is, he looks like he could snap in half if he even tried to pick one of these up.

"I'll help you wheel 'em in," I tell him as I pull out the truck's ramp. He nods at me and climbs into the truck to help me drag the items to the edge.

It takes half an hour to unload everything and unbox them on the lawn. Riley collects the scattered cardboard and piles it on the porch by the door. The cabinets are really nice, and they will look fantastic with the stainless steel appliances. But it seems too...

"Nice right?" Riley calls out as she admires the cabinets laying on the floor of the kitchen. "These are going to look fantastic when we have the remodel done.” Smiling excitedly up at me, she circles the cabinets and bites her bottom lip. "These are those no-slam cupboards. You can throw the door closed, but they close quietly! Really cool."

"You mean they have shocks in them?" I ask unsure of the system. Cupboards have always had hinges and those suckers just rock back and forth.

"I guess they are like shocks. They just slow the motion right down and close quietly." Riley shrugs and turns to the yellow sink, running the water she begins rinsing off her hands.

"They are nice. I just can't picture it all together right now."

She looks over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow at me.

"Okay. That's it." I hiss and shake my head

"What?"

"How in the hell do you do that? I mean-" I'm frustrated. Pointing to my own eyebrows I continue, "Mine don't move like that!" I try and try, but she's laughing at me. Hysterically. "What's so funny?"

"You look like you're constipated."

"Shush you." I purse my lips and glare playfully at her. We glare at each other playfully. I can't hold this dirty look for long, and I break it with a smile. Her look lightens as well, and we watch each other quietly for a few moments.

I look at my watch and see that it's already 3:30. "So, now that they are all in the house, how about we call it a day. I can call someone to work with me tomorrow on the tub, then get the supplies."

"Good call." She nods in agreement while pushing away from the counter. "I'll pay well. Make sure it's someone who can hack the workload and the pushy boss."

"No problem." I nod and I toss my work gloves on the counter, removing my tool belt and placing it beside my gloves. I might as well keep it here as I will be working for probably the next month. "Hey. You wanna get something to eat tonight? I grill a mean steak," I ask as I turn my ballcap back around.

"Yeah?"

"Seriously. So tender it melts in your mouth." Riley licks her lips, and it takes my breath away.

"I'll bring salad." She offers.

"Salad?" I change my stance and hook my thumbs in my front pockets. "Well hold on there, lady. You see. I'm a man. I eat meat. I'm not a rabbit. I do not do salad."

"I'll bring a salad." She smirks. "Write down your address for me, I forgot my mug upstairs. I'll meet you at your house later. Yeah?"

I watch her walk out of the room and hear her feet as they hit each stair on the way up. Taking the small notepad from my tool belt, I scribble down my address and phone number. Looking around the room, I ensure I am not leaving anything behind, at least that's what I'm telling myself. I'm stalling. "I'm gonna have to make a stop on the way home. See you at six alright?" I call up the stairs and wait for her response, instead of waiting here desperately.