“I’ll be in touch,” Thomas called out to Clara’s retreating back, her long dark hair blowing in the wind.
Edward fought her the entire way to the drugstore on the corner.
Jason inserted himself into his father’s space. “What the hell was that all about? I thought I told you your brother isn’t up to that kind of pushing.”
Thomas blinked, his expression pained. “I want my brother back.” He stared in the direction the other couple had disappeared.
“Then stay away from Clara!”
Thomas shook his head. “Did you notice how Edward accused me of poaching his woman? After denying they were a couple? I’m on the right track,” he insisted.
Jason glanced at Lauren, who clearly was keeping out of a Corwin family argument. “Dad, please.”
“I’m a grown man, son. Stay out of it.” Thomas straightened his collar.
The determination in his expression, along with the warning in his voice, told Jason the Corwin family was in for a rocky ride.
DESPITE THE DOCTOR’S recommendation otherwise, Lauren needed to see her sister. When she’d told Jason she was taking the afternoon off to drive to the Bricksville prison, he said he’d understood, but his tone and his movements had been cold and brittle. Clearly her sister’s criminal actions colored the way Jason viewed her. Something Lauren truly did understand, especially since her relatives had been directly or indirectly responsible for so much of his family’s pain.
She knew now that with so much history between them, there was no way they could ever have more than this short time together. She’d treasure it forever, but this was all there could be. Blood was thicker than water, and he’d support his family while she’d do the same for hers. And in her heart, Lauren believed Beth needed to know someone cared about her despite everything.
So she made the trip to the prison and sat by her sister’s bedside. When Lauren arrived, Beth was awake, staring straight ahead.
Lauren brushed her hair off her face, held her hand and talked to her.
“The house is coming along great.” Lauren fudged the truth. “I hired a reasonably priced contractor who’s patching the holes in the walls and repainting.” She forced an enthusiasm and sense of normalcy she didn’t feel into her voice as she told her sister things she hoped would soothe her. She deliberately omitted the fact that her contractor and her lover was Jason Corwin.
And she didn’t mention that Beth’s lawyer needed more money or that Lauren was running short on funds. She only told Beth positive things.
“The contractor is also negotiating good prices with the subs, like the electrician and the plumber,” she said cheerfully. “The water heater broke but I managed to have it replaced. And my contractor is checking the estimates the plumber gave him before letting him do any more work on the pipes. But we’re getting there.”
Beth’s eyelids fluttered up and down.
Lauren sighed. “What is it, Beth? Do you want to talk to me?” She squeezed her sister’s hand.
“Don’t upset yourself,” the nurse said from the corner of the room.
Lauren had almost forgotten they weren’t alone.
“I have to try and reach her,” Lauren said. “Someone has to try!” But even as she spoke, she knew the blinking was just a reflexive response, as the nurse constantly reminded her.
“I do have some good news for both of you,” the nurse said as she strode to the barred window and looked outside.
“What is it?” Lauren asked.
“The work on the new wing is almost complete. Pretty soon your sister will have the quiet she needs. They’re phasing out the construction crews, and as soon as the inspection’s finished, no more workers, no more noise.”
A low gurgle sounded from the bed.
Lauren glanced over but her sister remained staring into space. Lauren turned back to the nurse. “That is good news,” she said. “I’m in the middle of a construction project myself.”
“So I hear,” she said, smiling.
Lauren thought of her monologues to her sister and nodded.
“How is it going?” the nurse asked.
Lauren walked over to the other woman. “Basically the place needs a ton of work. The electrical is sound but the plumbing is a mess, and there are some structural repairs to make. But I’m determined to get this thing finished and sold on time.”
“Good for you. I wish you luck.”
“I need it,” Lauren said. She glanced at her sister. “We need it.”
“You’re a special person, visiting like this. Not many of the people here have someone who cares.”
“Thanks.” Lauren hoped her sister knew and appreciated that fact, as well.
JASON HAD NO LUCK catching mice. The traps had been set for over a week but not one mouse had been caught. Lauren didn’t want them killed so he hadn’t called an exterminator. Besides he wanted to save her money, and all the exterminators would do was set the same humane traps he had. But the little creatures hadn’t disappeared. Far from it. And they were smarter than the average trap or cat. Avoidance was their middle name and even Jason was impressed with the little suckers.
They raced through the walls, despite the fact that he had covered all the holes. He’d heard them-there was definitely more than one-and both he and Lauren had caught glimpses. She was so on edge, she thought she saw them everywhere-when she drank her morning coffee, even when she showered. And she claimed she could feel them on her skin. They were creeping her out and Jason couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
As for the house, things were progressing. He’d assigned Connor to the garage, cleaning and painting the walls. Ross and Nate he’d settled outside, one cleaning leaders and gutters, the other stripping and staining the wood, returning the old Victorian to a clean, New England blue.
He’d hired an electrician to come in and take stock of the wiring in the house, making sure it was ready for inspection and up to code on the day of the closing. Rocco De Martino, a friendly competitor of his father and uncle, assured him all was well.
That left Jason and Lauren working on the main house by day. Thanks to her fear of the rodents, she stayed in whatever room he was in. If he was patching and spackling the walls in the living room, she carted furniture outside and boxed up things for Goodwill.
Nights were even better. He’d lugged Fred over to his uncle’s house so Hank could take care of the dog for as long as Jason was away.
They’d crawl into bed exhausted-but not too tired for sex. He couldn’t get enough of her and the feeling was apparently mutual. Afterward, she’d roll over to fall asleep, claiming her space. He didn’t know if it was deliberate or force of habit.
The first night, he’d taken her physical withdrawal like a punch in the gut. Ironic for a man who’d spent the last who knows how many years screwing snow bunnies and showing them the door. He’d given Lauren her space, but it had taken him hours to fall asleep. He needn’t have worried. Her fear of the mice led her right back into his arms.
Most mornings he woke up with her curled into him, splayed on top of him, or clutching a certain body part in her hand. At which point she more than made up for rolling over to her own side of the bed the night before.
True to his word, Jason had gotten J.R. to take a huge chunk off the plumbing estimate by promising the man he’d do the same when he finished his basement after the first of the year. He wished he could have saved her even more, but she hadn’t mentioned being short of cash lately, so he assumed it must have helped. And she was definitely grateful.
Today was master bedroom day. While he spackled and painted, she emptied drawers and closets, moving items to various piles to keep or give away.
He looked across the room and caught sight of her bending over the bottom drawer of the large chest in the corner. Her shirt rode up, revealing her slender back and fair skin, while her tight jeans dipped low, exposing the edge of what appeared to be black lace panties.