Page 17 of Needing His Touch
“Boyo, Carsynn, you two are a sight for sore eyes for this old man.” Gramps meets us on the front porch in a flannel and a pair of jeans, no fucking shoes on his feet. I swear to God he’s going to be the reason I go prematurely gray.
“How are you doing, Mr. Bernie?” Carsynn and I walk up the steps. My hand holds open the storm door, trying to get Gramps in the house where it’s warm. Just because the snow isn’t falling doesn’t mean it’s not cold out here. Shit, even my woman doesn’t have the appropriate clothes for this type of weather. She’s currently wearing her warmest clothes, which isn’t much. We stopped at her apartment to grab a thermal, sweatshirt, and jacket, but it still wasn’t enough, so we came back to my house, where she put on a pair of my thermal socks, one of my jackets that was too big but covers up most of her body, and a thick hat. Carsynn thought it was overkill at first, until she stepped outside after leaving my garage, where the truck was heated before we left. Her teeth instantly chattered once she was out in the open air, and her tune changed on borrowing my clothes.
“Good. Bored to death. Never lost power this time, though,” Gramps boasts. Usually the wind blows, a little ice hits the power lines, and he’s without for days on end. This latest storm wasn’t a doozy like most can be. It came as fast as it left. Though, it being this early in the season means we’re going to have a cold-as-fuck winter with a shit ton of storms.
“Well, at least it’s over,” Carsynn says. I’m pretty much chopped liver right now. Carsynn and Gramps hug for a moment, then he guides her inside, something I’ve been trying to do since we walked up the steps. Maybe I can get my woman to talk some sense into him about his lack of footwear. Damn man acts like we live on the beach in Florida.
“For now,” I tell her, following the two people on this earth I’d give everything up for.
“Why did I think New Hampshire was such a great place to live?” She laughs, but I can hear an edge to her tone. Fuck, I’m going to have to get her behind the wheel soon, or she’s never going to be comfortable driving again. I haven’t brought up the fact there’s a spare vehicle she’ll be using. I’m going to take care of a few things first before I head to the shop, where I’ve got an SUV in the yard with four-wheel drive, tires that aren’t bald, and it’s newer. The problem will be Carsynn accepting the damn thing without paying me.
“I think you landed right where you were meant to be, sweet pea. Now, tell me what you two lovebirds have been getting into while we were snowed in for three days.” He disentangles from my fairy, and I step in to help her take off my jacket. I see the look he tosses over his shoulder as he continues to walk toward the kitchen. I know the look, seen it more than a few times in my thirty-two- years. He’s ticked about what she’s wearing beneath my jacket. I nod.
“Gabe couldn’t sit still. He was doing this and that, checking the house and apartment, feeding me non-stop, and then the damn man got on the roof!” She is still pissed about that. I didn’t tell her it was a necessity. There was more snow on one part of the roof than the other, sitting, not melting or falling off like it was supposed to. It happens when the sun doesn’t hit a part of the roof. I deal with it every year. She never had that issue living in an apartment with warmer temperatures. We had a stand-off, Carsynn telling me to get down while I was responding for her to get in the damn house. She’s as bad as Gramps, wearing my flannel, nothing on her legs, except at least she was wearing my slippers.
“Honey, that old house of his does it every storm. Why do you think I stay at home? Gabe won’t let me help him, and he won’t let me order him from the ground either. The less I know, the better. It seems he’s your problem now.” I hold Carsynn’s hand while she steps out of her shoes, some rubber-looking things that do nothing for insulation, but at least she’s not getting her feet soaked in the snow.
“Well, someone should yell at him more. I had no idea he was up there. One minute I was watching him with the snowblower, figuring he’d be on the ground and out there for a while. I started baking chocolate chip cookies, and the next thing, I heard thumping on the roof. Needless to say, the first batch of cookies came out burnt. We did not compromise, but he knows now to keep someone aware when he’s climbing a ladder and standing twenty feet up in the air on the roof,” she throws me right under the bus. Gramps’ eyebrows arch as we follow him into the kitchen. My hand lands on her ass, smacking it lightly but with enough of a slap to get her attention. “Gabe!” she squeals, jumping up and looking at me like I’ve got two heads.
“Gabe McCoy, you’re going to give an old man a heart attack. We had an agreement.” Gramps is standing near the coffee pot, pouring a cup for himself in a ceramic mug, a travel mug next to it for me to take on the road.
“Yeah, Gabe McCoy.” Carsynn pinches my side in retaliation. It’s not enough to hurt, more to get my attention. A damn shame she doesn’t realize my eyes and ears are always on her.
“Carsynn was home, and I was in the zone.” I pull her closer to me, my hand going beneath her hair to massage her neck. She’s tense, worried about me out on the road, and I want to reassure her as much as I can.
“Do better, or I’ll get in my truck when you tell me not to, you hear? Jesus, next time tell her or call me.” He’s pointing the finger, though not the middle one. The one that means business, and it’s right on me.
“Will do. You good to take Carsynn home whenever she’s ready? I’m going to tow her car, grab a phone from the office, and work my way back to the house if there isn’t much to do. I’m not sure how many calls the office got or how long I’ll be out.” My lips press against the side of Carsynn’s head, her hands slip around my waist, and she holds on to me.
“Yep, we’ll be good, won’t we?” he asks the woman wrapped around me. She nods in agreement. “Though you tell me. Carsynn can run the shop, and answer the calls for that matter.” I furrow my eyebrows. I didn’t want to bring it up to her yet, but now that Gramps has, I realize he’s right. It would help me out. She could cut down on hours at the diner, and it wouldn’t kill her body nearly as much.
“That’s not a bad idea. A few hours a day or a few days a week. It’d sure free up Gramps from grumbling about the state of my office.” And I’d get to see my fairy a fuck of a lot more.
“Me? I’ve never done anything like that before. What if I screw up?” She moves away from me, or tries to, but I hold the fuck on.
“Sweet pea, you can’t screw up more than Gabe already has. The office is a damn mess. Whatever he offers you, ask for double. Besides, it’s just an idea. You can always say no. I mean, it’s an office job with benefits, means you’re not on your feet all day, and you’ll get more pay. It’s worth a shot, though I’d miss seeing your pretty face first thing in the morning,” Gramps lays it on thick.
“Think about it, okay, fairy? You don’t have to say yes or no right away, but I do have to go. Walk me to the door, and I’ll get Gramps the cookies you brought for him.” I turn to Gramps. “I’ll see you later.” He walks toward me, a travel mug in one hand for me, his own in his other.
“Did someone say cookies? I was hoping you’d brought me some after your story.” He winks at her, handing me my coffee and giving me a side hug.
“I’ll think about it.” I nod. That’s all I can ask of her. While all I want is to immerse Carsynn completely in my life, she’s been on her own for as long as she can remember. It’s a lot for both McCoy men to barge into her life and try to make it better.
“Works for me, fairy.” I guide us out of the kitchen and to the front door. Thankfully, Gramps stays behind. We don’t need an audience when I kiss her, especially since I’m not giving her some chaste kiss. I’m going to leave her breathless and with a promise for a whole fucking lot more when I get home tonight.
20
CARSYNN
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay for dinner?” I ask Bernie as we pull into Gabe’s driveway. We spent the better part of the day together. The man is a busybody, going from one room to the other to tinker on this or that. I helped him bring wood in again even though he wanted to yell at me because of the lack of clothing I wore. Gabe called to check in around lunchtime, and he and Mr. Bernie talked for a few minutes before the phone was passed to me. A phone I’d never seen the likes of before. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot, so a house phone was a luxury my parents would never put before their drug use. Grandpa Bernie, as he now tells me to call him, has an honest to God phone that’s rotary style. It’s attached to the wall. The spiral cord is long enough he can sit down in his recliner to have a long conversation. Gabe let me know he’d be home for dinner and that my car was in his yard at the shop. Then he had to go, but he’d see me later. Once we hung up, I asked Mr. Bernie how it worked, to which he told me the phone company made them obsolete. You can receive calls; you just can’t call out. He uses his other phone in his bedroom to dial out if necessary. For the most part, he’ll talk to Gabe on a cell phone if he’s out on the road. That way, he doesn’t miss a chance to chit chat. Secretly, I believe Bernie calls Gabe as much as he does because he worries, rightfully so. He told me about losing his wife and daughter back to back. I’m sure that hits you in a way you’re never prepared for.
“I’m sure. You two lovebirds need your time alone. I remember when Winnie and I first got together. We would stay out late, stay up late, and the next day, we were dog tired. It was worth it, though.” Bernie is lost in a memory, a good memory I’d guess, judging by the smile on his face. We talked about Winnie and his daughter, Gabe’s mom. I didn’t bring it up and wouldn’t think about doing that to Gabe either, but he told me how they passed away within months of each other, how it broke his heart, and how Gabe was the only reason he got up each morning after everything happened. Winnie and his daughter would have kicked his ass from their grave if he screwed up.
“The offer is there should you change your mind.” Before we left, I took out ingredients to make a quick dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. I’m still shocked Gabe has such a well-stocked kitchen, a kitchen I’ve been putting to good use. While we were snowed in, he’d make breakfast, mostly because he woke up well ahead of me. Apparently, my body is too tired to move in the morning. Gabe says I’m catching up on years of sleep deprivation, and I tell him it’s from his powerhouse of a sex drive. Which in turn starts a whole new conversation about how I’m not complaining when it happens, and then he’s seducing me all over again.
“I know, and I appreciate it. I’m glad you’re here, Carsynn, not glad Gabe had to find you the way he did. But I’m glad you’re a part of the family.” He hits the clicker for the garage. There was no talk about where he was dropping me off. Clearly, I’m going to Gabe’s. These McCoy men, always doing what they want and how they want.
“You’re my family, too, but we need to talk about something funny or embarrassing. I’m at my max capacity for crying today.” Bernie parks in Gabe’s spot in the garage. He didn’t have to do all that, except I know why he did. It’s also the reason I’m going to accept a part-time position at McCoy’s Auto Repair. I need better winter clothes. I’m also going to need a car, extra hours, extra money, so I’d be stupid not to accept the offer.