Page 41 of Putting Out
Gee, it had been nice to see him. It had been nice to have her bones jumped, too, except he hadn’t been as happy about that as she had. Now there was this new woman in his life and she was going to have to sit on the sexual bench. Luke didn’t cheat when he was married or committed. It was one of his strengths. So they would be friends. Friends could be good. It could be enough.
Back inside, she found her grandfather and brother still working in collusion to betray her. Reilly pounced.
“The two of you can stop your evil machinations. I’m not dealing with Odie. Besides, he would never agree to take me back. I fired the man!”
“That’s what we thought you would say.” Pop hit the answering machine button. A soothing voice let the room know there were twenty-three new messages.
“We deleted half of them,” Kenny told her. “We just want you to listen to this one.”He nodded to Pop and Pop hit play.
“Reilly. I wish I could say everything I need to say to you. Soon we’ll be together. I understand I have to be patient, but you should know sometimes I can barely breathe…”
Pop hit the delete button.
“Sorry about that, sweetie, we were trying to get rid of all the garbage first.”
“There was more like that?” she wondered.
“The breather is a regular,” Kenny elaborated. “Called at least four or five times. He’s not happy about you playing, either. Says he doesn’t like you being bothered by all the attention.”
Reilly shuddered as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck go up. Then she shook her head realizing the man was to be pitied rather than feared.
“I can’t believe you left the phone on at all.”
“We turned off the ringer,” Pop explained. “You know your Grams and I have people who call us, too. The Wilsons, for example, wanted to play bridge tomorrow night. You’re not the only person in this house, miss.”
“Sorry, Pop.”
“It’s the next one.” Kenny walked behind Reilly and with a gentle shove, moved her into the kitchen where she could get closer to the phone.
Pop hit play and a voice she hadn’t let herself think of in ten plus years bounced out of the machine.
“Hell-lo. This is Odie Manning. I am call-ling to wish you con-grat-u-la-tions. That and you might want to consider try-ying when you get to the Maas-sters to hit that ball a little farther. That’s it.”There was a pause for a second then he finished.“In case you need it… for any reas-on, I will give you my new home phone num-ber.”
Pop clicked off the machine and pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. “I already have the number.”
“Of course you do.” How could she have forgotten? The twang, the way he spoke, dragging out each word into a sentence, emphasis on syllables that shouldn’t have them. It was as if he was always trying to explain something to someone who was simpleminded.
“I can’t believe you’re going to make me do this.”
“As if anyone could make you do anything,” Kenny replied. “You know you need him. You hate it, but it’s a fact. Suck it up and call him.”
Pop nodded. “Suck it up.”
“He’s going to have to come here. Anywhere else will be a circus. You’re all going to have to put up with him.”
“Grams loves guests. And Odie and I do just fine. It will be like old times back when you were starting out.”
A little girl in a ponytail with big dreams. That’s what she was afraid of. “Give me the phone.” Reilly took the receiver and the number Pop had jotted down for her. She punched it out regretting each number as she did.
She waited while the phone rang, hopeful for one second he might not be home to answer. No such luck.
“Hell-lo?”
“Odie, hi. It’s Reilly.”
“Reilly? Reilly who?”
Reilly closed her eyes and fought the temptation to slam the phone down. Two hundred and eighty yards. It was a heck of a distance to hit the ball. It wasn’t enough. On the other end of the phone was the one man who could help. That he was a condescending jackass didn’t enter into the equation.
