Page 138 of Under Her Skin
Kip’s going to set her up with some jerk and I hope that makes her realize I’m the one for her. But the thought of her out with another man has been keeping me up atnight.”
Max makes a huffing sound then says, “A jerk, huh? Um, I’ll talk to Kip. When you have abandonment issues, you tend to like to have jerks around. Don’t ask me why, because I sure as hell don’t know, but I know I did that to myself. A bunch of real bitches I kept around until I finally let Lexiin.”
“Crap!”I say. “Shit! I knew it was a bad idea. Yeah, call Kip and tell him to find a real nice guy, if he knows any. She’ll run from him like he was a mountainlion.”
Max laughs, but my heart is pounding in my chest. “It’ll be okay, Blake. I’ll take care ofit.”
“Okay, let’s talk about something else. Anything else,” I say as I pace around the swimming pool in the backyard.
“Did Kip tell you the good news,” Max asksme.
“What good news?” I stop andlisten.
“They’re having anotherbaby.”
My stomach clenches. I have to wonder if that’ll ever happen for me. If Rachelle will ever let that happen for us. “Well, that’s nice for them,” I manage to get out of mymouth.
Max sighs. “Buddy, believe me, I know what you’re thinking. And one day, yes it will happen. And hopefully it’s Rachelle, but it may be anotherwoman.”
I can’t wrap my head around another woman. Not ever. No one could ever make me feel the way Rachelle does. The way her body conforms to mine. Her laugh and mine combine to make the best sound I’ve everheard.
No, there will never be another woman forme!
“Thanks for the pep talk, Max. I’ll see you tomorrow around noon.Bye.”
“Bye,Blake.”
Iputthe phone back in my pocket and jog over to see Josh and ask him to watch over things for a few days or so. I knock on the door and he smiles at me as he answers it. He backs up and gestures for me to comeinside.
“Hi, Josh.” I walk in and he takes me all the way through the empty house. “Where iseveryone?”
“Out shopping.” He opens the back door and I can see the yard has been sectionedoff.
“Building something?” Iask.
“A pool,” he says as he grabs a beer out of an ice chest and tosses one to me. He sits on a lawn chair and I take the one near his. “I have to keep up with the next door neighbor or my wife and kids will have myhead.”
“Oh crap! Really? I’m sorry, dude,” I say then take a drink of the coldbeer.
“Nah, don’t be. This old place needs some help too, just like yours did. The whole neighborhood needs revamped. This subdivision has been here around fifty years. Most of the houses are badly in need of upgrades,” hesays.
A lightbulb goes off in my brain. “Hey, you know what? This is exactly the kind of thing Max has talked to me about. Projects I can use some of my money on to help me keep it out of the governments hands and help the things I careabout.”
“What are you talking about, Blake?” Josh takes a long sip of hisbeer.
“Aneighborhood beautification fund.I can make one for the whole neighborhood and then everyone can make improvements to their homes, courtesy of my lucky money.” I grin and take another drink of my beer. “A park in that vacant lot would be a great addition as well, don’t youthink?”
“Wow!Do you know how great it would be to have this street looking good? Adding a park is a great idea! Do you suppose your remodeling crew could get to it all? I bet they’d give you a great deal if you got them that much work.” Josh stands up and surveys the exterior of hishome.
“New, stone or brick exteriors for all the homes would look nice, wouldn’t it?” I ask. Then another light flashes in my head. “How’s that job at that oil field service company going? I know it’s no business of mine, but you sure have been home a lot the last fewmonths.”
“The work has slacked off real bad.” Josh takes a long drink from his beer. “I’m about to have to look into doing something other than what I’ve been doing the last fifteen years. The future in oil looksbleak.”
“Well, I’ll need someone who knows a thing or two to head up something this big. This is, at the very least, a five-year project if it’s to be done right. Don’t you think?” I askhim.
“Maybe I can think of someone who’d be a good candidate for that.” Josh gets his phone out and starts looking through hiscontacts.
I look over at him. “What’re youdoing?”
