“Layne?” she called into the silent cab.

“Yeah, Roc,” he answered.

“Thank you,” she said.

“For what?” he asked.

He heard the material of her coat slide against the seat as she turned to him. “I know this is awkward, and weird, and… well, awkward. And I know because of my crazy scheme I kind of pushed you into this whole… um, situation. But you’re being really nice and you definitely didn’t have to go out of your way to arrange that, uh… tête á tête with Jarrod and what you said to him was nice, though, obviously, not nice for him but, I mean, it was nice about me.” She paused, sucked in a breath then continued. “You know, being a good woman he fucked over and all and –”

He cut her off. “Roc?”

“What?”

“You’re welcome.”

She went silent before she whispered, “Thanks for, um… you’re welcoming me.”

He laughed low.

Jesus she was a nut.

And absolutely no less appealing with her shields up.

He turned into his development and luckily, after living there for over a year, found his house without getting lost.

There was a car on the street parked between his house and the house next door and he hoped to God for the owner’s sake that the HOA Nazis weren’t out patrolling or someone would receive a testy letter tomorrow.

He hit the garage door opener, slid up the drive beside Rocky’s Merc and parked in the garage wondering if she drank whisky. He had whisky and beer in the house and it would be good to sit and end the night with Rocky and a glass of whisky. It wouldn’t be smart, but it would be good.

The Charger’s spot was empty. The boys were back at his house for the week but out that day and night, Jasper with friends during the day and on a date with Keira that evening. Tripp was hanging with some buds, having spent the night after the game at one of their houses, he was supposed to spend the day jacking around, going to the mall and being home that evening after they went to a movie.

He switched off the ignition and Rocky had jumped down and rounded the hood by the time he joined her. He opened the door and leaned forward, holding it for her to precede him and then he walked by her through the utility room and did the same for the kitchen door.

When they both got into the kitchen he saw the house was dark and he stopped thinking about how to convince Rocky to stay and have a drink. It was early, not even eleven. Tripp was supposed to be home by ten but his curfew wasn’t until midnight. Plans may have changed but, if they did, he should have called.

Layne started to reach to switch on the light when they went on, bright and blazing, and he heard shouted, “Surprise, baby!”

Then he looked beyond a rock solid Raquel to see Melody standing in his kitchen wearing high-heeled, black platform sandals and see-through, black underwear.

Fuck!

“Ohmigod!” Melody shouted, covering herself with her arms.

“Melody, Christ!” Layne clipped, moving quickly around Rocky and in front of her to block Melody from view. “What the fuck!”

“I… ohmigod!” Melody cried, edging backward toward the couch in the living room.

“Fuck, woman, I got two teenaged boys living in this house and you’re practically fuckin’ naked! Jesus. How the hell did you get in here?”

“Tripp… Tripp let me in then he took off,” Melody answered, still edging back, she snatched up a robe off the back of the couch and started pulling it on.

“He took off?” Layne asked.

“He didn’t… he didn’t tell me you were…” Her eyes shot to Rocky who still hadn’t moved. “I told him I needed alone time with you. He called a friend and they… he didn’t tell me you were on a date.”

“No! No, that isn’t what this is,” Rocky put in and now Layne saw she was on the move, edging along the counter pressed against it as if she wanted the counter, cupboards and then the wall to absorb her. “I’m… I’ll be… you two just… I’ll be going.”

“Roc –” Layne started and her head snapped toward him but her eyes didn’t meet his.

“No, that’s okay, Layne, I’ll just… just let myself out.” She was sliding across the fridge now and looking anywhere but Layne and Melody. “You two just… enjoy your evening. I’ll let myself out.”

“Rocky.” He moved toward her and she started moving quicker, rounding the fridge, she caught her heel on the lip that separated the tile from the wood and went crashing down, her hand slamming into the wood first, followed by her right hip and thigh.

“Fuck!” he hissed, moving swiftly toward her.

“Ohmigod! Are you okay?” Melody, now wearing her robe, shot forward too.

Rocky waved a hand at them, facing the floor, pushing up, the heavy curtain of her hair obscuring her features.

“I’m okay,” she whispered. “I’m good.”

Layne bent and put a hand on her hip and one on her bicep but she pulled it violently out of his grip.

“I’m good,” she whispered to the floor, pushing forward, dragging her body away from him, she gracefully got up, movements fluid, as only Raquel could do, and gained her feet.

“Did you hurt anything?” Melody asked as Rocky kept her head dipped, much like Tripp did after Cosgrove got through with him, and pulled her jacket together using only two fingers because she was doing this with the hand still clutching her purse.

“No, I’m okay.” She was in profile to Layne and she shook her hair back and lifted a hand that he saw was trembling, pulling back the hair on the opposite side to him and tucking it behind her ear. He could see she shot Melody a false smile. “See, just fine. I’ll go.”

“Roc –” he started, putting his hand on her arm again but her head turned, slow, the movement liquid, she tipped it back and he caught half a second of her eyes, the bottom edges brimming bright with tears, their depths filled with a pain so stark, his body froze and his chest tightened, squeezing out all his oxygen then she looked to the ground and turned abruptly, breaking contact with his hand.

“Have a good night!” she called and ran, her heels clicking on the wood, to the door.

Layne looked over his shoulder to Melody and growled, “Get dressed.”

Then he went after Rocky who was already out the door.

He caught her still opened car door as she folded herself in it, her hand shooting out to the handle and he pushed back as she pulled in.

“Rocky, hang on a second,” he said, crouching in the open door.

She kept her eyes glued to the steering wheel. “You should go in.”

“Look at me.”

“You should…” She took a deep breath and then turned to him with a bright, totally fake smile. “Thanks for dinner. It was nice. My treat next time.” She looked to the house then back at him before she said softly, “You should go in, Layne. She probably feels like an idiot. You need to talk to her.”

“Roc –”

“Go in,” she whispered, her voice suddenly trembling so much it was hard to hear in more ways than one. She was losing it. “Layne, please get out of my door and go into the house.”

He started to lift a hand to her face saying, “Baby –”

Her head jerked forward and her eyes squeezed closed. “Don’t! Please, please just go in.”

He stared at her profile and clenched his teeth. Then he straightened, stepped out of the door, slammed it, she fired up her car and backed out fast, accelerating forward even faster.

He watched until he lost sight of her car then stalked into his house, the look of Rocky, tears and pain in her eyes, burned on his brain, and he threw open the storm door, the front door, slammed it and moved through the house, taking the steps two at a time.

Melody was in his bedroom quickly yanking down a t-shirt. He saw her bag on the floor and she couldn’t have been there more than two hours and the fucking thing had already exploded. There were two glossy shopping bags from her store lined against the wall.

“You know I was shot nine weeks ago,” he bit out.

She didn’t look at him when she whispered, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“That coulda had a different ending, I thought for a second before I walked into this goddamned house that someone might have broken in and I came in armed.”

She jerked her head toward him. “Tanner, I’m so sorry. I didn’t think.”

“No, you didn’t. Fuck, even in LA, you pulled that shit, that coulda happened. You know better.”

“I know!”

He kept at her. “It coulda been Jas comin’ home from his date and gettin’ an eyeful.”

She shook her head and rushed to her bag, dropping to her knees and shoving things in.

“Things have changed, Melody, from when it was you and me and sun and a population of people with bleached teeth in LA.”

“I know, Tanner,” she told her bag.

He stared at Melody but all he could see was Rocky.

Fuck! Why couldn’t he get that fucking look on Rocky’s face out of his goddamned head?

She zipped her bag closed and he watched her. Melody was tall, lean, great tits and they were real. Thirty-five. Long, dark hair. Blue eyes. She was also funny and sweet.

Fuck him.

Layne made a decision.

“DeeDee, come here,” he said softly and her head shot back.

“I saw,” she whispered.

“What?” he asked.

She shook her head and looked down at her bag and, slowly, she straightened.

She had grace, she was in tune with her body, but she wasn’t fluid.

She turned to look at him.

“I didn’t get it, I didn’t understand why you… with me, why you wouldn’t…” She shook her head and took in a deep breath then continued. “I looked through your stuff. I found the envelope. I saw the pictures. I know who that woman is.”