Back to You: Bad Boys of Red Hook (18 page)

As soon as Rocki had the clothes in the wash, she tossed the tongs in the sink and then let herself into Bree’s bedroom.

“Do you mind?” Bree held her top in front of her.

Sheesh, it wasn’t as if she were naked. She had a bra and shorts on already. “No, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.” Rocki flopped down on the unmade bed. It looked like someone either had had wild sex in it or a really restless night. From the trash can overflowing with tissues and Bree’s less than perky disposition, Rocki figured it was the latter. “So, no hot monkey love with Storm last night, huh?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Rocki, please, leave it alone.”

“No. You might as well just tell me what happened before Nicki gets out of the shower. Knowing that kid, you have about five minutes.” She waited.

Bree said nothing.

“Don’t make me ask Storm.”

Bree yanked a tank top over her head. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Rocki checked her manicure. “Are you willing to bet on that?”

Bree shoved her arms through and stepped toward the bed. “Remind me why you’re my best friend?”

Rocki gauged her distance to the door in case Bree decided to throttle her. “Because I know the good, the bad, and the impossible sides of you, and I still love you. So do us both a favor and tell me what the hell happened.”

Bree turned toward the window and looked out. “He did the same thing he did last time—he ran.”

“He didn’t run.” Rocki slid off the bed and stood beside Bree, watching her reflection in the window. “When I brought Nicki over here, Storm was in the bathroom with the dog and a blow-dryer.”

“I didn’t say he ran far.” Bree swiped at her eyes, wiping away angry tears. “One minute I was lying naked in his arms thinking finally we were gonna…you know—”

“Make love?”

“And the next, he was pulling his pants on and walking away.” She turned and seemed to deflate. “He said he couldn’t do it.”

“Equipment malfunction?” Rocki did her best not to laugh. Storm was the last person she’d imagine having
that problem. He always looked so physically…capable. Damn. What a letdown.

Bree’s eyes filled. She swallowed hard, and then blew out a breath. “No, that would have hurt less.”

“What did he say?”

“What does it matter?”

Rocki figured it mattered a hell of a lot. She hadn’t seen Bree this upset since…Well, she’d never seen Bree this upset. She shook her head and started toward the door. “Looks like I’m going to have to talk to Storm after all.”

“Rocki, please, don’t.”

“Why?” She stopped and faced Bree.

“Because”—Bree sank down on the bed and pulled a tissue out of the box—“because I told him I wanted him for sex for as long as he was here, and when he leaves, I would find myself a nice boring accountant type.”

“You actually said that?”

“Yeah, why else would I want to sleep with someone like Storm?”

“Because you’re in love with him, and you’ve been in love with him since you were a kid.”

“I am not. I may have been in love with him years ago when I was young and stupid. I’m not even sure I like him now; I’m just attracted to him. I told him that too. I was completely honest.”

“You told him you didn’t like him, but you wanted to sleep with him? No wonder he left you naked on the bed. You hurt him.” Bree’s righteous indignation wavered a bit, and if Rocki didn’t misread her, it was replaced with a touch of shame. Good. “So what did he say?”

“He said he didn’t want to be used and that he
wouldn’t use me, but if I wanted to make love to him, to let him know. Do you believe him?”

Rocki held up her hands. “Wait. Let me get this straight. You think Storm’s the bad guy in this scenario?”

“Of course I do. He didn’t have any problems with it until we were in bed.”

“When did you tell him you didn’t like him?”

“When we were making out on the couch.”

“Bree, I know you don’t have much experience with men, so let me clue you in on something. When men are trying to use both their big head and their little head at the same time, it takes them a lot longer to respond to verbal stimuli than physical. Men are not natural multitaskers—especially when there’s a naked woman involved. Frankly, I’m impressed that what you said even registered, and I’m even more impressed that Storm put on the brakes. It serves you right.”

“What?”

“You insulted him, you hurt him, and you’re surprised he didn’t want to…well, not to be crude or anything, but you’re surprised he didn’t want to fuck you? Because, girlfriend, that’s what you asked him to do in no uncertain terms. If a guy sweet-talked me like that, I’d have left him on the bed—unconscious. I hate to say it, but he was a lot nicer than I would have been. You owe him an apology.”

“Me? He walked out on me—again.”

The shower stopped, and Rocki got off the bed. “Storm ran out on you years ago. It was wrong, but Bree, he was practically a kid. You’re an adult, and now you treated him like a piece of meat.”

“I was being honest.”

“Oh, and that makes it all right? Did you even consider his feelings?”

Bree didn’t answer.

“I’m going over to check on Pete and help Storm clean up. It sounds as if he could use a friend.” She stopped at the door and turned. “When Nicki gets dressed, send her back to Pete’s. I think Storm has plans for her and that dog of theirs. Since I don’t have anything better to do, I’ll hang out with Pete until they get back.”

“You’re leaving?” She looked dumbfounded.

“You asked me to come by and look after Pete for a while, and that’s what I’m going to do. Besides, you need some time alone to think about what happened with Storm, what you said to him, and put things in perspective. I’ve never known you to be cruel, Bree, not even to people like Daniel who deserve it. Storm doesn’t.”

“I didn’t intend to hurt him.”

“Didn’t you?” Rocki opened the door. “I think it was Ian Percy who said, ‘We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions.’ It’s always stuck with me. Sometimes our intentions and our behavior don’t match. Just sayin’. I’ll see you later.”

 * * *

Storm stepped out of the shower wearing nothing but a scowl and a towel, and he found Rocki washing the walls of the hallway. “Hey, Rocki. You don’t have to do that.”

Rocki blew the pink part of her bangs out of her eyes and sat back on her heels, looking up at him. “Oh, I know. I thought you could use some help. I checked on Pete—he’s sleeping—and Nicki should be back any minute. Where’s your furry friend?”

“I locked him in my room.” He clamped his hand on
the towel that was slipping down his hips. “I’m going to get some clothes on. I’ll be right back.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Rocki returned to scrubbing, and he slipped past her into his room, making sure D.O.G. didn’t escape. Storm found the dog asleep on the bed. One eye opened and watched him warily. Storm had never had a dog before, but after one look at D.O.G., he understood where the term “dog tired” came from. He was tempted to join him. It sounded a lot better than dealing with the mess he’d made of the apartment and whatever was left of his relationship with Bree. “Don’t get too used to sleeping there, boy. That’s my bed, and I’m not into sharing it with dogs.” He’d hoped to share it with Bree, but if last night didn’t kill his chances, bringing a stray dog home had probably done the trick.

Storm reached for his belt and remembered it was ruined. He added a new belt and a dog bed to the list of things to buy as he pulled on his clothes and slipped out without waking his new roommate.

Rocki had moved on to wiping down the leather couch while Nicki kneeled on the kitchen counter, putting away canned goods. All the windows were open, but the place still smelled like wet dog with a twist of Lysol—an improvement.

“Rocki, thanks for helping out.”

“What are friends for?” She tossed the rag into the bucket and stepped closer. “You doing okay?”

Storm figured she was asking about more than just his health. “I’ll live.” The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his disaster of a relationship with Bree when Nicki was in earshot. “Nicki and I have to take off for a little while. Would you mind hanging around here for an hour
or two so we can get D.O.G. his shots and pick up a few things? There’s a store that has a vet right there. I called them, and they said to come right over.”

“Go ahead. I’ll just clean up and keep an eye on Pete until you get back.”

“Oh no. You don’t have to do that. I’ll clean the rest when I return.”

“Okay.” She dropped the rag into the bucket. “But you might want to stop by Bree’s before you leave and tell her your plans. Just a suggestion.”

Storm rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay. Nicki, are you ready to go?”

“Uh-huh. I’ll get D.O.G.”

“I’m going to talk to Bree. I’ll be right back.” He took a deep breath and stepped into the hall. He knocked on Bree’s door before he lost the nerve.

She opened the door but didn’t invite him in.

“Hi. I just wanted to tell you I’m taking Nicki and D.O.G. to PetSmart to get his shots and buy a few things. Rocki said she’d stay with Pete until we get back.”

She nodded.

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t discuss the whole dog thing. And you have every right to be pissed at me, but you weren’t around and Nicki loves the mutt. I didn’t have the heart to disappoint her.”

“No, you figured you’d leave that to me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck again. Guilty. So, okay, it wasn’t his finest moment. “I’ll take care of everything.”

“Sure you will. Good luck with that.”

“Thanks.” Storm rested his hand on the doorframe. He hated this false politeness. She started to shut the door; he stuck his foot out, stopping it. “Bree, don’t do this.”

“What?”

“Don’t shut me out. We need to talk. We need to make plans we can both live with.”

“Okay, but now is not the time.”

“You’re right.” Still it felt wrong. Everything felt wrong since last night. “I guess I’ll catch you later.”

This time when she closed the door, he let her. One problem at a time, and the problem he had to deal with now had four legs, mismatched ears, and a little girl who loved him desperately.

 * * *

Bree sat at the end of the Pier in Louis Valentino Jr. Park, staring at the Statue of Liberty without really seeing it. The late-afternoon sun beat down on her head and shoulders as the brackish-scented wind off the bay swirled around her and tugged at her hair, sending it flying around her face. Teenagers waded at the water’s edge by the boat ramp; others climbed the rocks precariously placed atop the jetty across from the pier. Painted like children’s building blocks, the rocks spelled out Red Hook.

Voices all around her were muted by those in Bree’s mind. Visions of Storm replaced the sight of the sun casting diamonds on the water. She’d been cruel; she hadn’t stopped reacting to her feelings long enough to consider his. Guilt burned her as surely as the sun’s rays.

Someone sat on the other side of the long bench, but Bree was so immersed in her own turmoil, she took no notice. She continued to stare off into space, fitting the puzzle pieces scattered throughout her mind while unsuccessfully trying to visualize the big picture. She didn’t know what the big picture was, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be pretty.

“What you need is a good rain; it looks as if it would fit your mood. Too bad it never rains when you want it to.”

She almost laughed. What she needed was a good storm—just not the one sitting beside her. “I look that bad, huh?” Bree couldn’t believe she’d been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed Storm’s presence. She’d always had a weird kind of internal Storm warning system. The hair on the back of her neck seemed to rise whenever he was within a hundred yards of her—today she hadn’t noticed.

“A good rain washes away all the crap so we can see things more clearly.” His arms rested along the back of the bench. His long legs were kicked out and crossed at the ankle, and his trusty dog was lying quietly beside him, panting and eyeing the seagulls screeching overhead.

“You’re probably right.”

Storm’s brows rose. “That’s a first.”

“I’m sure you’ve been right before, although I’ll admit it’s the first time I noticed. Is the dog okay?”

“D.O.G. is one hell of a lucky dog. The vet said he’s in pretty good shape for a stray, but then Nicki’s been taking care of him for a while. He wasn’t too happy with the shots and the blood test, but he doesn’t have heartworms—whatever the hell they are. He has to take a pill once a month to avoid getting them, and he needs to gain a few pounds, but the vet assured us he’d be fine.”

Storm shook the paw D.O.G. placed on his leg. “Nicki really loves him, Bree, and he’s good for her. Every kid needs a dog.”

Bree shrugged and looked over at the beast. “Why did she have to get such a big one? Couldn’t she have found a toy poodle?”

D.O.G. sniffed around her feet, which she quickly moved away. He backed up, dropping his front paws and chest to the dock, his butt high, as if preparing to jump on her, and let out a bark. Before she registered moving, she was standing on the bench and looking down at a laughing Storm Decker.

“Keep him away from me.”

Storm held the leash a little tighter and rose, smiling up at her. “I didn’t think anything scared you, but now I know your secret. You’re afraid of dogs.”

“I am not.”

“Right, that’s why you climb anything in the vicinity when he’s around.”

“He was going to attack me…again.”

Storm patted the dog, who leaned against his side. “He was playing.”

D.O.G. sniffed at her feet, and she stepped as far back on the bench as she could.

Storm grabbed her hand. “Watch you don’t fall over backward. He’s not going to hurt you; he’s just saying hello.”

She held his hand like a lifeline. She was afraid her palms were sweating; being this close to a big dog was almost as flustering as being too close to Storm, so she got a double whammy—lucky her.

“Do you want to take a walk?”

“With him?”

A slow smile quirked his perfect lips. “And me.”