The man couldn’t answer him with words; he just nodded in agreement. “Well, someone has been getting in touch with her.”
“Well,” Hank said heatedly. “It wasn’t me. She’s old fucking news.” Hank jerked his head toward the man’s beat-up truck. “Now, get the fuck off my property, and if you come back, you’ll be behind bars.”
The man started retreating but did it talking. “I want her back, you need to fucking find out what is going on and—”
“I don’t need to do shit,” Hank spat at him. “Now, this is your last warning, get the fuck off my property.”
The man did as ordered, but not before he threatened, “This isn’t over, Weathers.”
Hank rolled his eyes, nodded his head and pacified, “Okay, tough guy.”
Once the man’s truck turned onto the road, Hank reached for his cell. He didn’t bring up Arissa’s name when he tapped on the screen. He brought up Phoebe’s but after a few rings, he got her voicemail. He hung up. Watching the pickup disappear down his drive, despite the scene the man had caused, Hank believed him. Someone was calling Phoebe, but it wasn’t him. So who was and why the fuck were they digging up the past?
He brought up his contacts again, searched for the name and tapped the screen.
“Hey, Boss.”
“I need you to look up a plate for me, ask around town if anyone has seen anything suspicious.”
Mike didn’t hesitate to ask, “Should I be worried?”
“Not yet,” Hank grumbled, still keeping his eyes to where the truck disappeared. “But keep it on the down low and report back with anything you find.”
Hank gave Mike the license plate number before he hung up; he stood there for a beat before the smell of burnt crust carried on the breeze. Rushing into the house, he went straight to the oven, grabbed a potholder off the counter and pulled out the cherry pie. The crust around the edges had started to turn dark brown, but from the smell, the bottom was already lost. Hank placed the pie plate on top of the stove and leaned back against the counter. One fucking night. He couldn’t have one fucking night with no interruptions. God forbid you throw a woman in the mix and all hell breaks loose. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath. Maybe Summerville wasn’t the place for him. Hell, who was he kidding, he loved it here.
He looked at the pie and noticed Arissa had cut out little cherries into the dough. He smiled. He reached for his cell, he tapped the screen and this time, he called Arissa.
Arissa had just walked in the door when her cell went off. Dropping her purse on the counter, she grabbed her cell out of it. She answered, “Hey.”
“Let me make it up to you?” Hank asked as his greeting.
She assumed the man was gone and though she had questions, she didn’t ask them and instead teased, “No need to make anything up, but I would really like a rain check for the darts.” Moving through her kitchen, she grabbed a glass and poured herself some wine from the open bottle on the counter.
Hank went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. “Deal.” He went up to his room, toed off his sneakers. With his back to the headboard, he focused on the waterfall. “Not how I expected our night to end,” he said mindlessly into the phone.
Arissa walked out front and settled on one of the rockers. “That makes two of us. Not going to lie, I was scared. I didn’t know at first who he was, thought maybe he was someone you’d arrested and he was looking to get back at you.”
Hank took a deep breath before he took a swig from the bottle. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that shit, but it’s a long story. Maybe we save it for another time.”
“We can save it for our second date,” she teased before she sobered and asked, “You’re okay?”
Hank smiled but it faded when he heard the concern in her voice. “I should be asking you that, but yeah, I’m good.”
“Me? I deal with lunatics trying to break in all the time.” She chuckled, trying to make light of it because it really had been an unnerving scene, but coming to know the man Hank was, his guest being scared on his turf…he was playing it cool, but she suspected he was livid. She was sincere when she added, “Your timing is impeccable.”
Hank licked his bottom lip thinking about her and the way she had looked. “With eyes like yours, a body so perfect, and you add that phenomenal personality in the mix, I have no fucking doubt you have lunatics knocking down your door.”
A rush of heat moved through her at his words. Silence followed for a beat before she said, “Could you repeat that?” Then she took a long sip of wine, hoping to ease the fire burning inside her.
Hank’s voice was low and deep when he started, “I can. Your eyes are so soft they draw you in. Your body, the curves, any man would be lucky to touch them. Your personality, no words, even in the heat of the moment, you can throw out a joke. Not many could or would. So…” Hank paused and added, “I have no doubt that lunatics would be knocking down your door to get to you.”
Arissa bit back a sigh; she was in trouble. This man did things to her, and hearing how he saw her. “Those are the nicest words anyone has ever said to me. And the fact they came from you…I really wish that asshole hadn’t shown up tonight.”
“Baby, if that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you, then you need to stick around,” Hank told her and shifted when he felt his jeans getting a little too tight. The sound of her voice sighing through the phone had his mind wandering elsewhere.
Her voice was
