Twenty-Three

Their father dropped them back off in front of Rutherford Construction, and Faith and Cherish stood side-by-side as they watched him drive away. Faith waved and smiled, her mood lightened with the visit.

It didn’t last long, however. With Cherish around, it never did.

“What the hell did you do?” Cherish whipped around with a look as if she wanted to punch Faith and just keep swinging.

“Do? I had lunch with my father. What are you talking about?” Faith shook her head as she turned to walk back inside. She would not have a shouting match with her sister at work.

Of course, Cherish didn’t care where they were. “You let him think it’s all right for him to just up and quit his job. He’s in his late fifties for crying out loud! Do you know how hard it’ll be for him to find another job?”

“He doesn’t want another job, Cherish. He wants something different. He has a dream, and he’s chasing it. I’m not going to be the one to tell him not to go for it. He needs support, not condemnation.”

“He needs a paying job!” She ran to get in front of Faith and blocked her from going up the steps to the offices. “What about Mom? How is he going to take care of her?”

Faith took a deep breath. “That’s between them, don’t you think?”

Cherish slammed her fists onto her hips. “You and all this damn follow your dream shit is going to ruin the lives of others. Maybe you don’t care about what it does to you and Selby, but others are getting caught up in your nonsense, and it’s destroying the great things in their lives. Keep your dreaming to your own bed and leave everyone else out of it.”

“Excuse me? I’m not making anyone do anything, and I sure as hell didn’t tell Dad to quit his job. He did that on his own. And you know what? I’m glad he did. Life is too short not to do what makes you happy.” She pushed past her sister and stormed up the steps, jerking the front door open when she reached it and marching inside. If it hadn’t been one of those doors on a slow return glide, she would have slammed it. How dare Cherish blame her for her father’s actions. He was a grown man capable of doing whatever he wanted. He didn’t need them babysitting him and dictating his life. There were enough people in his life now doing that to him. He had always wanted to write a book, and she was glad he was actually going to make it work. She knew absolutely nothing about the publishing business, but she did know her father. He would not risk their security no matter what. Cherish needed to trust him. Faith always had. After all, it had been Arni Driscoll who made her realize her life was hers to live and no one else’s.

“Good lunch?” Ashlynn asked as Faith passed through the reception area.

“Perfect.”

Faith jerked the door leading to the warrens of Rutherford Construction open and barreled into the hall. And who else does she think I’ve swayed into doing something reckless? What else is she blaming me for? It had been obvious that Cherish was upset about more than just their father quitting his job, but she hadn’t elaborated. Who else, heaven forbid, was following their heart’s desire?

Edwin stood outside of his office. At her thundering steps, he turned, eyebrows raised. She didn’t stop to even say a hello. She stormed into the Girls’ Den and threw herself into her chair, punching the power up button on her computer. Leave it to Cherish to ruin a perfectly good lunch.

Less than a minute later, she felt Cherish enter the room. It was as if a wall of ice blew in through the doorway. Not a word was spoken, and Faith refused to turn her eyes from her computer. She could hear her sister bumbling around her desk, trying her best to draw Faith’s attention. She wouldn’t have it. Not this time. Faith was tired of fighting with her family and being blamed for everything when really none of it was her fault. They could all stay stuck in their boring, routine lives for all she cared. Her life was hers, and she was fed up explaining it to them. Work was work, and that was all Cherish would get out of her in the future. Faith didn’t need them. She had Edw…Selby…and that was all she needed. She would show them. She would show them all.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The bell over the door jingled, and Selby called out, “Welcome to Downtown Books,” as he sat on a step and loaded up a shelf of paperback fantasy novels.

“What? No special treatment for your father-in-law?”

“Arni?” Selby stood, leaving the books on the floor beside his stool. “What brings you by?” he asked as he passed down one of the aisles.

“I’ve come to impugn on my son-in-law’s business.” Arni leaned on the front counter, his thin arms folded in front of him. “I was hoping to steal some books from you on writing if you have any.”

“On writing? Like how to write a book type stuff?” Selby cocked his head, thinking over his inventory as he made his way to where his father-in-law stood.

“Exactly like those types of books. I’m going to write a book. I’ve written a few articles for history magazines, but I know a novel is a horse of a different color. I figured I’d try here before heading to the old brick and mortar stores and see if I can save some money. Have to watch the pennies for a while.”

Selby gave Arni a puzzled look. “Something happen at work?”

“I quit.”

Selby just stared at him. “You quit?” he asked in disbelief.

Arni nodded. “Yup. I quit. I decided to follow my dream and try to make it as a writer. I intend to do more with magazines, but I really want to write that novel I’ve always dreamed about.”

Selby pressed his lips together and nodded his head, impressed that his father-in-law made such a bold move. “A pretty gutsy move. I’m all for people chasing their dreams. What does Valerie think of your plans?”

The older man chuckled as he shook his head. “She thinks I’m a crazy old goat who is going to land us in the poorhouse, but she’ll deal with it. She always does.”

Selby merely nodded, not sure what to say and even less sure he believed Arni. Valerie was a stubborn person who was used to having money and her way. It was unlikely she took his announcement with a smile and a pat on the back. Crazy old goat was probably the nicest thing she had called him.

“I know, I know. She doesn’t give you the impression she can be supportive sometimes, but she has always backed me whenever I wanted to do something. She helped me get through college so I could become a teacher. She’ll help me make a go of this.”

Selby smiled. “I’m sure she will. I’m excited for you. Really. Anytime anyone goes after their dreams, it’s a scary thing, but an exciting thing as well. I was nervous as hell when I opened this bookstore.”

“Well, listening to Faith lately and how bubbly she is, I’m impressed with how she has grabbed life by the horns and ridden it her way. It’s time I began to do the same thing.”

Selby laughed as he gestured Arni toward the back of the store. “The books you want are probably this way. Help yourself to whatever you want.” It was a good thing Faith’s father didn’t know what horn she grabbed and rode that put that bounce in her step.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Faith stared at the truck, glancing at tires and bumpers without really seeing anything. She needed a break from her sister. The tension since lunch had been thicker than London fog, and she had had all of it she could tolerate. Selby would be massaging her neck that night for sure.

“Another fun day for the Driscoll sisters?”

Faith turned at the sound of Edwin’s voice to see him walking toward her from the main building. She took a deep breath as she turned back to the truck. “Apparently I am now responsible for what my father does with his life.” She stared at the clipboard in her hands, wondering what she had inspected last. Her irritation distracted her from her work, and that caused her to be even more distracted.

Edwin walked up behind her and started massaging her shoulders, his strong fingers squeezing and rubbing her muscles. Faith closed her eyes and lowered her head, relishing the feel of his touch on her body even if she wore clothes. “So, I take it lunch did not go well,” he said.

Faith gave him a brief rundown of lunch with her father and sister and how Cherish had blown up at her on their return to work. “I just couldn’t be in there anymore. She drives me crazy with her judgmental mindset. No one has ever told her she couldn’t do something, but heaven forbid if someone were to choose to do something precious Cherish didn’t approve of. She just hates for people to be happy.”

Edwin said nothing as he continued to rub her shoulders. His silence bothered Faith. “What are you thinking?”

He squeezed her shoulders tighter. “I’m wondering if perhaps you’re not too hard on your sister.”

Faith spun as she pulled away from him, her face a mask of disbelief. “Too hard on her? Are you kidding me? You weren’t there when she blamed me for our father quitting his job as if it were my fault he decided to chase his dream. You haven’t been there when she’s spit her venom-laced barbs into my back. Too hard? Since when are you on her side?”

“I didn’t say I was on anyone’s side,” he said as he slipped his hands back into his pockets. “I’m just saying maybe she’s going through something you don’t know about and lashing out at you is just her way of getting some of her anger out. Maybe she can’t go after the real problem.”

“And I’m the stand in? No thank you. She can take it out on someone else. I have enough family drama in my life without being her punching bag.” She gripped her clipboard tighter in her hand and walked off toward the warehouse. She wanted to get away from her sister, and now, she wanted to get away from Edwin. That was a switch from how she felt as of late.

She marched into the warehouse and as soon as she was out of sight came to an abrupt halt and took a deep breath trying to calm her agitation. It didn’t last. A firm hand gripped her arm and spun her around. She gasped as she stared into Edwin’s eyes. “What the hell was that about?”

She stared into his green narrowed eyes as they penetrated into her. Words left her as his angry gaze bored into her nerves, her anger.

“I wasn’t defending Cherish. You forget, I know her too. I know what a snarky little snit she can be and how vindictive she is. However, I see her from a view you don’t because you’re her sister. And I’m telling you there are things she’s going through that you aren’t privy to, and you need to just cut her some slack.”

“What is she going through? Why does that give her the right to blame me and chew my ass out for something that isn’t my fault?”

Edwin released her arm as he took a deep breath to calm his own nerves. Faith reached up to where his hand had been, the ache of his grip still throbbing, and rubbed her muscles. His face softened as he spoke. “It doesn’t give her the right. No one has the right to use someone else as their punching bag. However, try being the bigger person and give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Faith narrowed her eyes at him as she crossed her arms. “What is she going through, Edwin?”

“It’s not my place to say, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to her about it.” He looked almost frightened of Cherish finding out he had spoken to Faith. She had never seen him like that. Whatever her sister was going through, it must have been pretty big for him to be worried and defending her.

“Edwin, is something wrong with my sister? Is she sick or something?” She wasn’t sure what else it could be that Cherish wouldn’t have announced to the world. Then again, Cherish would have shouted she was dying even if all she had was a cold just for the attention. “Is Jordie okay?”

“Oh yes, yes, it’s nothing like that. As far as I know everyone is healthy and doing well.”

“Then what the hell could it be?”

“I’m sorry, Faith, but I can’t say. I just know she’s hurting right now.”

Faith wanted to growl but knew it wouldn’t make a difference. When Edwin made his mind up about something, it stayed that way. “Fine.” She turned away from him and walked further into the warehouse. “Where is Terry?”

Edwin crossed his arms and watched her. “What does it matter? You didn’t come in here to see Terry. You came in here to get away from me.”

She turned and glanced at him, wishing he was wrong so she could prove it to him, but he wasn’t wrong. It annoyed her that he knew what she had been about when she stormed away from him. She continued to search for Terry as if Edwin had been wrong.

“He’s not here. I gave him the rest of the day off to do something with his son at school.”

Shit. She heard his boots on the concrete floor as he moved closer to her. He gripped her shoulders and turned her around to face him. A smirk creased his face. It was that smirk that constantly made her panties soaked without even a sexual word being spoken. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her, his lips soft, his whiskers coarse against her skin. He split her lips with his tongue and tasted her. Her moans filled her ears, echoing in the cold warehouse, as he pressed her body to his and raped her mouth with his tongue.

When he finally broke the kiss and pulled away from her, she quickly scanned the area for anyone who might have seen them. He chuckled at her slightly. “Worried? I thought you were mine to do with as I please, anywhere I please.”

She had to swallow the nervousness that crept up into her mouth. “I...I am.”

His smirk widened. “Good. Remember that.” He kissed her forehead and then turned and left.

She watched him leave, his back straight, shoulders firm, his ass….his ass capturing her attention. He drove her crazy with how he could swoop in and take her like that. And it was only a kiss!

Yet, it was more than his kiss. It was that presence; that power that radiated from him, that had drawn her to him and made her melt when he demanded something from her. And she knew she would give it no matter what it was. He owned her, and she relished the ownership.