Mom nodded. “Whatever you think is best, but I wouldn’t want to impose on Brock or Gabe.”
I stood up and they both looked at me. “I guess I’ll go get my bag ready.”
I SET MY BAG IN THE corner of Clint’s bedroom with a sigh. He was in the kitchen on his cell phone with Brock or Gabe, setting things up for Mom. I wandered into his master bath, but there weren’t any bath salts or special soap for taking a bath. As I left the bathroom, my cell rang inside my purse.
The display indicated Angela was calling and I smiled.
“Hey Angela!” I answered.
“Hey yourself. I’m seriously gonna have to send out a search-and-rescue party, you don’t keep in touch, girl.”
My mouth opened to answer her, but the phone was snatched from my hand.
I glared at Clint, who put it to his ear. “She’ll call you right back,” he said before hitting the red icon to hang up.
“What the hell?” I demanded.
“She’s in New York?” he asked, his eyebrows arching.
“Yeah.”
His eyes widened and his tone was firm. “Do not tell her anything.”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t. Tell. Her. Anything. I mean it, Rae. I trust no one at this point and neither should you.”
“She’s in New York, and I don’t know how much a hit costs, but she wouldn’t have the money for it.”
“If you changed your will, who would the money go to? All to your mother? None to your best girlfriend in the Big Apple?”
I sighed as I realized he was right. Still, that was crazy talk.
“That doesn’t mean she’d order a ‘hit’ on me.”
“You don’t know that, and Tommy doesn’t know where the hit was ordered from, except it came from ‘out of town’. So, do not tell her anything. Got me?”
I sighed. “I got you.”
He handed back my phone, and I redialed Angela.
“Girl! What is going on with you? And please tell me the face and body that go with that voice are just as damn sexy. ‘Cause I won’t lie, I think my panties got wet, him talking to me like that.”
“Nothing is going on with me, Angela. Just getting things sorted out with Mom. How about you tell me what’s going on with you? Work still the same ol’ same ol’?”
She chuckled derisively. “Oh, you know it. Another day another dollar. You sure you’re okay? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“Yeah, I’m as okay as I can be. Every day brings a different challenge without my sister around. But I don’t want to bring you down.”
“Rae. I am your friend. You won’t bring me down. Whatever it is you can lay it on me.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay, Angela. I’ll call you later in the week, how’s that?”
She sighed. “I don’t like it, but if that’s what you want, that’s good with me.”
I ended the call, and thought Clint would still be standing there, but he sauntered out of the bathroom. I heard the tub filling with water.
“You want a bath? I noticed you walked in here and came out just as your phone rang. Figured a bath was calling your name.”
I smiled wanly. “Yeah, but you didn’t have any of the stuff for it.”
He grinned. “I had a small bottle of bubbles I never gave to Laura for her birthday, so the tub’s filling now. You want a drink? Or company?” he asked with an arch of his brows.
My lips twisted to the side. “I’ll take the drink, but I’m not the best company right now, Clint.”
Clint
AFTER I TOOK A FULL glass of white wine to Raegan, I slipped out of the bathroom and went to the living room to watch football.
Tanya and her family were taking dinner over to Penny in an hour. Then Brock was going to crash in the guest bedroom overnight. It wasn’t the best situation, and I was going to owe Brock big time, but it was the best I could do on short notice. I had called Debenedetti. He offered to have one of his people watch the house from the street.
For a man who claimed to care about Raegan’s safety, I found it odd that nobody would be watching my place, but then again, I wouldn’t have wanted that. Maybe Debenedetti knew that, but something about this still struck me wrong. From experience, I knew dwelling on it all night wouldn’t help.
I sighed as I thought of Raegan soaking in my tub. News like Debenedetti delivered was bad enough, but the bomb her mother dropped only made matters worse. Part of me really wished she’d have let me soak with her, not because I wanted to initiate anything but because she needed some company. Though, red-blooded man that I was, I had to admit I’d have tried to divert her attention with sex. It wasn’t a cure-all, but our chemistry couldn’t be denied.
As though my thoughts conjured her, Raegan padded out of the bathroom wearing a towel. My dick swelled, but I forced myself to focus on her eyes.
“You need something, mamita?”
She pressed her lips together for a moment. “This will sound outlandish and crazy, but if you still have the letters Mom wrote to you, can I see them? I don’t know why I want to read them, but I do. If you’d rather I not, or you don’t have them—”
I stood up. “I have the first two. Once I got the key from her, there weren’t many more letters because she would call, or I would drop by. Though, the letters aren’t going to tell you much. I’ll get them out while you get dressed.”
She nodded and went back into the bathroom.
I opened the nightstand drawer and spied the colorful envelopes paper-clipped together. I opened the first one and set it on top of the second envelope. While I waited on Raegan, I reread it wondering what she could possibly glean from it.
Dear Clint,
I doubt you want to hear from me, but I hope you’ll forgive this intrusion (I didn’t have your new
