“No, she’s amazing. You’re lucky to have her.” I started toward the bathroom. “I’m going to get that shower so I can get out of your hair.” I faked a yawn. “I’m really tired.”
“Shelly—”
“I’m fine, Clark,” I said, and I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door with a solid click behind me. Then I sagged against the wall. Because I knew that I would never have the love of a man like Clark. And that was okay with me, because I didn’t want that anyway. Love made you weak. And that was one thing I would never be.
Chapter 19
Clark
“What did you say to her?” I asked as I walked back into the kitchen. I was rather proud that I didn’t even raise my voice. If it was anybody but my MeeMaw, I would have been loud about it. But MeeMaw…well, she’d slap me into the middle of next week if I spoke to her the way I thought about talking to her sometimes.
“We just had a little chat.” She waved a hand breezily in the air. “She’s a nice girl.”
No, she wasn’t. She was a shark. “MeeMaw…” I said slowly, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
“Willy.” She mocked my tone and shot me a glare.
Shelly had refused to even look at me as she went into the bathroom. “What did you do?”
“We just talked.” She stared at me. “Get that scowl off your face, Willy,” she warned. “I’m already tired of seeing you all puckered up like that.” She pointed her finger at me, and I knew I would soon be in trouble, if I wasn’t already.
“Shelly’s special, MeeMaw.” I wanted to explain. Shelly didn’t think like the average woman. She couldn’t read people. She didn’t understand the meaning behind their words. “She has trouble reading between the lines. You have to be very direct with her. If you’re not, she might get confused.”
“She wasn’t confused. She understood every word I said.”
“You think she wasn’t confused. You don’t know that.”
“I was very clear.”
“Why did she refuse to look at me, then?” I finally asked.
“You’re going to fall in love with her, Willy, and you’re going to get your heart broken.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You are going to fall in love with that woman. And she’s not going to be able to love you back, not the way you need.”
“Please tell me you didn’t say that to her.”
“I didn’t say that to her.” She waited a beat. “But I did say something very similar.” She jabbed that long, pointy finger at me again. “And you know I’m right. You always fall for the broken ones. You think you can fix them.”
“She’s not broken!” I cried. “Truth be told, I think she’s pretty damn amazing. She doesn’t need fixing.” That was the biggest truth I’d ever told. But once it hit my brain, I knew it was true. Shelly might have done some shady shit in the past, but I had a feeling that there was a reason for every shady thing she’d ever done.
Beyond me, a shadow moved in the hallway, and I knew without a doubt that Shelly had been standing there listening.
“Don’t fall in love with this one, Willy. She will break your heart.” This time, there was no finger jab. No fierce glare. There was just a soft resignation on her face.
“I won’t fall in love with her. She’s only here temporarily.” Only long enough to find Megan, and to get Megan back to where she needed to be—where she couldn’t harm anyone. “I need her to find Megan.”
“If Megan thinks you’re sleeping with that woman, she’ll let her presence be known. Soon.”
“Maybe you should go and visit Aunt Edna,” I tossed out. “Where you’ll be safe.”
She chuckled. “And miss the shit show? Not a chance in hell.” She stood up, walked over and pulled my arm until I bent down so she could kiss my cheek. “Go get some sleep. I’m going to play cards with my friends.”
“Strip poker again?” I teased.
“I’m too old for strip poker. My left tit would end up under the sole of my shoe.”