Had to Be You: Bad Boys of Red Hook Page 8

  Slater shook his head. “Oh no. I’m not dumb enough to contribute to your delinquency. Pour at your own risk and don’t even think about lighting up.”

  Rocki downed her shot and held the glass for a refill. For a girl who rarely drank anything without an umbrella, this didn’t bode well.

  Pete poured his own and sipped it. Someone had to appreciate a fine scotch. “Take a deep breath, and tell me what you need.”

  “I just did.” Her eyes filled all over again, her face was pale and blotchy, and she was shaking.

  “Once more, without the sound effects.”

  By the time she garbled her way through the story, Pete knew three things. One: Her brother had been hurt in a skiing accident. Two: He would never, ever give Rocki two shots of Macallan. Three: She needed a designated driver—destination, somewhere in New Hampshire. And he knew just who to send. “Slater, you up for a road trip?”

  “Me?”

  “Storm and Bree can cover the bar. Take Rocki where she needs to go and take care of her while she’s there.” Pete put his hand on Rocki’s shoulder. “This girl’s family and she needs us. Go pack your bags.”

  “I never unpacked. I’ll be back in thirty seconds.”

  “Good. Grab the extra box of tissues in the linen closet. I have a feeling you’re gonna need it.”

  Pete pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Slater. “Take my car. I’ll pay the speeding tickets.”

  • • •

  Slater had almost made his escape by the time he heard Nicki’s feet stomping up the steps, announcing she’d come home from school.

  He’d checked his watch. He’d completely forgotten that someone had to pick her up. Logan must have and, knowing Logan, he’d probably sent Nicki to the kitchen for a snack and promptly returned to pouting in his personal booth in the bar.

  Slater didn’t understand Logan’s behavior. Logan had never been one to pout like a girl. Hell, the man could never stand still long enough to get attached to much of anything—not even women. They were similar in that respect. Slater didn’t expect it to take more than a few days for Logan to shake off the ego bruise Skye had laid on him when she dumped his ass. Slater had been sure that by now, Logan would have taken one of the women who’d been trolling by his table up on the offer of a good time. Okay, it sucked being dumped—Slater should know—but shit, it had been almost a week and Logan was still walking around like a zombie.

  Nicki flew through the door to the apartment, skidded to a stop, and caught Slater with his duffel over his shoulder. “You’re leaving?” She tossed the backpack that was almost as big as she was onto the breakfast bar and drew her hands to her hips. “You just got here.”

  He looked at her, trying to figure out why he felt so off around her.

  Nicki dug her sneaker into the carpet. “Slater?” She’d caught him staring. Her eyes bore into his with a combination of fear, hurt, and frustration. Damn, she was already getting attached.

  “Rocki’s brother was in an accident in New Hampshire and we have to check on him but I’ll be coming back before I have to leave again.”

  Nicki’s eyes practically tripled in size. “Rocki has a brother too?”

  “Apparently. You didn’t know?”

  “No, she never talks about her family. I just figured we were it. Around here, family is what you make it. You know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, Nicki. I know.” He knew all about being a part of a family with no blood relation. He couldn’t even remember his own parents.

  “Is he hurt bad?”

  “Who?”

  “Rocki’s brother. Duh.”

  Right. Rocki’s brother. Slater scrubbed his hand over his face not knowing what to say and settled on a shrug. Head injuries were iffy at best. The guy could die or he could come out of the coma and be just fine. Slater didn’t want to lie and tell her everything was going to be all right when he didn’t have a clue. It didn’t stop him from having the urge to say whatever it took to wipe that worried and scared expression off Nicki’s face. “It’s too soon to tell. They should know more in the next day or two. I’m sure we’ll be checking in with Pop.”

  She didn’t look any less worried. God, he really sucked at dealing with kids.

  “Look, Nicki, I have to go because it’s a long drive and Rocki needs to be there for her brother.”

  “Okay, but wait a minute. I have something to give her.”

  He must not have stifled the impatient grunt as well as he meant to because Nicki stopped and shot him an annoyed glare before running to her room. A second later she returned holding something behind her back. She looked up at him and smiled before she held out a rock the size of a softball. She shrugged her little shoulders and dug her foot into the carpet again. “It’s my lucky rock. Nothin’ bad happens when I have it, so it might be lucky for Rocki too. Will you give it to her to borrow? Maybe it’ll make her feel better.”

  He dropped the box of tissues and his duffel, knelt down, and looked into eyes so familiar he knew he’d seen them before. “Sure, Nicki. I’ll tell Rocki you’re lending it to her. It’s really nice of you. I’m sure it will help.”

  She handed him the rock and then moved in close. She smelled like Johnson’s Baby Shampoo and little girl and peanut butter.

  “Did you get Rex to make you another peanut butter and bacon sandwich?”

  She bit her lip and shrugged.

  “You’d better brush your teeth before Bree sniffs you out.”

  “Okay.” She threw skinny arms around his neck and hugged him.

  Slater had no choice but to hug her back. It wasn’t as if he didn’t want to, but the feel of her—so small, so freakin’ fragile kind of weirded him out. She felt like a delicate little bird—he was afraid to squeeze because she might break. He was ready to take off but couldn’t because she was still wrapped around him like a monkey. He gently lifted her and set her away. “You be good for Pop, Storm, and Bree while I’m gone. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  He picked up his stuff and hurried out the door. The last thing he wanted to do was get caught up in Nicki’s all too familiar gaze again. He shook off the chill making its way down his spine. He’d never thought of himself as a coward, and for the first time in his life, he’d begun to wonder if he’d suddenly turned into one. Nicki was an amazing kid. She deserved better, and running away like a coward was not his best. He forced himself to turn and face her.

  Nicki stared back with eyes that held hurt and worry. She reminded him of the way he’d felt as a kid every time he had known his time was running out at one of his foster homes. Nicki was scared. “Hey, Nicki. Come here.” He crouched down so they were eye to eye.

  Nicki bit her lip and walked the few steps toward him.

  He took her little chin in his hand and tipped it so she met his eyes. “Look, kiddo, nothing’s happening except that I have to take Rocki to see her brother. Nothing else is going on, so there’s no reason for you to worry.”

  “You promise? First Skye left, and then Logan came back but he’s sad all the time, and now you and Rocki are leaving too. . . .” A tear dripped down her cheek and he brushed it away with his thumb.

  “Logan and Skye have grown-up things to work out, but that has nothing to do with you. As for me, all I can promise is that I’ll come back and stay for a while at least. We’ll figure everything else out then. I promise I won’t leave you high and dry, Nicki. Okay?”

  She didn’t say anything; she just nodded her head and looked as if she was doing her damnedest to staunch the flow of tears. The next thing he knew she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her wet face burrowing into him. “Shh, it’s okay, Nicki.”

  “No, it’s not. Nothing is okay.” She let out a gulping hiccup.

  Someone cleared his throat behind him.

  Nicki looked up, pushed out of hi
s arms, and ran to Pop.

  Slater rose, knowing he’d been right. He sucked at dealing with kids.

  Pop caught Nicki and shot him an apologetic look before turning his attention to the little girl in his arms. “What’s going on, Nicki? What’s with the tears?” Pop pulled Nicki over to his favorite chair and she climbed on his lap. “Slater, you go ahead down and I’ll be there in a minute.”

  Slater should have felt relieved to hand the crying ten-year-old off to his father, but what he felt was anything but. He didn’t know what it was, and with Rocki downstairs waiting for him, he didn’t have time to identify it.

  Nothing made sense. He was so confused—not something he’d ever experienced before. He couldn’t wait to get away from Nicki, but then felt as if he shouldn’t leave her.

  He’d wanted to get to know Rocki and didn’t like the way she’d avoided him all week. He especially didn’t like the way she flirted with every man between the age of two and eighty-two. He’d wanted to spend one-on-one time with her, but being trapped in a car for six hours while she was upset and sniffling was not exactly how he’d envisioned it.

  He didn’t know if he suffered from a Sir Galahad complex or what, but he wasn’t able to let a damsel in distress fend for herself. Even if Pop hadn’t suggested he escort Rocki to New Hampshire, he would have volunteered. Whatever the complex, he had no option but to take Rocki to her brother and stay until he knew she’d be all right.

  When Slater returned to the office, Rocki was right where he’d left her, looking like her world had imploded. Lost, alone, and shaking. The only difference was that she wore her coat and hugged her purse to her chest. Her red-rimmed eyes were circled with what was left of her mascara—the black rings looked like shiners and accentuated her unhealthy pallor.

  “Are you doing okay?”

  It seemed to take a minute for her to register he was even there.

  Rocki rose from her chair like an arthritic geriatric and looked right through him before turning and walking out.

  “Pop, Rocki and I are leaving.”

  Pop met them in front of the door and grabbed his arm.

  “Is Nicki going to be all right?”

  Pop gave him a look Slater couldn’t decipher—surprise mixed with something else. “She’ll be fine. Change of any kind makes her nervous—it was the same with you boys. I guess I should have expected it but it’s been a lot of years since any of you were in that position.” He stepped closer. “Here, you’re not going to have time to stop for cash, so take this.” He held out a wad of money.

  Slater didn’t want anyone to think that he expected to be paid to help Rocki out or, God forbid, he needed the cash. He didn’t. “No, I’m good, but thanks.”

  Pop dragged Rocki into a hug and whispered something in her ear—something that brought a wobbly smile to her lips.

  Rocki kissed his cheek and refused his cash too.

  He ran his hands down her arms and slipped the wad of bills into her coat pocket before stepping away. “Call me when you get there. We’ll be here praying for him, sweetheart.” He dragged Slater into a hug, and then gave him a slap on the back. “You take care of my girl, son. Drive safe.”

  “Will do. Come on, Rocki. Let’s go.” Shit, the way Pop talked made it clear that he thought of Rocki as a daughter. Slater was beginning to appreciate the hell Storm must have gone through growing up and wanting to date Bree—the daughter Pop had never had. He couldn’t imagine that Storm had an easier time of it as an adult. Maybe the fact that Pop always seemed to take in strays wasn’t such a good thing. It certainly cut down on his sons’ dating prospects.

  CHAPTER 7

  Pete slipped into his office, pocketed a stogie, and wondered, not for the first time, what the hell his kids were going to do when he bellied up to the big bar in the sky. When that happened, he wanted to be able to kick back and shoot the shit with St. Peter, and not worry about his kids.

  He knew if he weren’t steering them in the right direction, the lot of them would be chasing their own tails. As entertaining as it was to watch them do just that, it got old fast. Since his heart attack, he worried he wouldn’t be around to make sure his kids were finished with the tail-chasing part of their lives—both their own and the tails of the opposite sex.

  He was sure Storm and Bree were going to be okay, thanks to him—though Storm would die before he’d ever admit it. He’d even thought he’d had Logan and Skye on the right path until Logan went and screwed it all up. Screwing up was one thing—after all, what the hell did Logan know about being in a loving relationship? For Logan, learning relationship rules was akin to a blind man feeling his way around a crowded room without a guide dog or a cane. Pete shook his head. It was a painful process. He was going to have to step in soon because Logan’s inaction was just making matters worse.

  “That better not be a stogie I see in your pocket, Pete.”

  Bree. Damn the woman. She had amazingly bad timing. Where was she when he’d needed her? “Oh come on. Who died and left you my keeper? I’ve been doing the job long before you were born, young lady.”

  Marriage obviously agreed with Bree—she and Storm had spent the last month in New Zealand and Australia—much of that time on a boat or beach from the look of her tan, and he’d never seen either of them so happy. Bree was a redhead and it surprised the hell out of him to see her normally pale skin bronze. He couldn’t remember the girl ever having a tan before. “I’m glad you’re home, even if you are a royal pain in the ass.”

  Bree crossed her arms and tapped her toe. “I’m only a pain in your ass when I catch you. I swear, I’m going to every smoke shop in Brooklyn and will threaten the life of every store owner. If I can’t stop you from buying those foul things, I can do my best to keep the owners from selling them to you.”

  “You can try.” Pete couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He was glad that Bree and Storm were back home and happy. Things were just the way they should be. He only wished he could say the same for his other two sons.

  “Where’s Nicki? Rex said she seemed a little off after school. Is something really wrong or was Nicki just tugging on his heartstrings so she could wrangle a PB&B sandwich out of him?”

  “Both. Rocki had to take off for New Hampshire—her brother’s been in an accident—”

  “Whoa—Rocki has a brother? Since when?”

  Pete sat and rocked back on his chair. “Her whole life, since he’s three years older than she is.”

  “How could I not know this?” Bree sat down opposite him and shook her head, looking both hurt and bewildered. “Rocki’s my best friend.”

  “Bree, there are reasons people keep things to themselves. I’m sure Rocki has a good one.”

  “Is he . . . God, I don’t even know his name. . . .”

  “Jackson.”

  “Is Jackson going to be okay?”

  “We don’t know. He’s in a coma. From what I gather, he was in a skiing accident. Rocki was so upset, I could hardly understand her. I didn’t want her driving. Besides, I’m not even sure the girl has a license, so I gave Slater my car and told him to take care of her.”

  “Slater? What the hell were you thinking?”

  Pete smiled and stuck out his hand.

  Bree’s eyes rolled like a slot machine, and he just hit the jackpot. She stuffed her hand in her pocket, fished for a Lincoln, and slapped it onto his palm.

  He added it to the ten he’d taken from Slater earlier, making sure he didn’t expose his cigar. “Slater’s hardly hidden the fact that he’s interested in Rocki, and since he could use some breathing space, he might just find it and all the answers to his questions about Rocki in New Hampshire.” Pete leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk while surreptitiously closing the drawer, hopefully hiding the contraband. “It was like killing three birds with one stone. It was ingenious if I do say so mys
elf.”

  “No wonder Nicki’s upset. Slater just got here, and now he left right after Skye took off. The poor kid doesn’t know who is coming and going. Her life’s been like a revolving door lately.”

  “I know, Bree, but both Logan and Slater were in such prickly moods, if the two of them stuck around, one of them would end up taking another swing at the other and I’d be forced to get the bat out again. How could I explain that to Nicki? I think ‘boys will be boys’ only works once. It’s definitely better this way.” Pete wished he could light up and follow it with a glass of scotch. “I think it will be good for Slater and Rocki to help each other deal with the changes they’re facing in their lives. And since you just returned, it’s not a good time for you to leave. Nicki’s been waiting for a month for you to come home. Leave Rocki to Slater for the time being. We’ll know soon enough if I’m right—and I haven’t been wrong yet.”

  Bree shook her head. “You’d better be careful, Pete. People don’t like feeling like pawns on a chessboard of your own making. No matter how right you are.” She leaned over the desk, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and swiped the cigar right out of his pocket before turning on her heel and slipping out of the office.

  It was a damn good thing he had more where that came from. He just prayed that Bree didn’t make good on her threat to talk to his suppliers.

  • • •

  Slater drove to Rocki’s place and searched for a parking space as soon as he turned onto Mott Street.

  “You can park here.”

  “In the loading zone?”

  “It’s fine. I know the owners—they’ll say I’m waiting for a delivery.” She got out of the car, went to the restaurant, stuck her head in, and spoke to one of the women by the counter.

  Slater waited on the sidewalk and then followed her up to her apartment.

  Rocki opened the door, and when he stepped in behind her, he was greeted by a wall of shoes—the entryway had nothing but shelving from floor to ceiling. The floor space in front looked like a Payless after a blowout sale. Shoes were scattered hither and yon. There were so many bright colors it made his head hurt.