her. She was an adult
and shouldn’t be under her father’s thumb anymore. Especially when he seemed to
do nothing but use her. Rick stepped away from the window and ran a hand
through his hair. Saving damsels in distress wasn’t his usual gig and he
honestly didn’t know how to go about it. What Annie really seemed to need was a
new, better job. Especially if her dad had jeopardized her current one.
The portrait near his door caught his eye and a grin slowly
spread across his face as a plan formed. Annie might not want a handout, and
she might be opposed to the kind of work that could get her on her feet. But
what if she thought Rick desperately needed her help with a project?
He chuckled and pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Wes
would definitely help him once he explained the situation. And if not? Then he
would just call Lynn. She could talk her husband into anything.
* * * * *
Tammy went to work on Sunday so Annie was able to as well.
Then the week started, and with Tammy in school Henry had nothing to complain
about. The next few days passed without incident. Annie looked for any
opportunity to visit Rick, but when she had free time his car was gone. He had
never been away so much during the week before and she decided he was avoiding
her.
“I knew it was too good to be true,” she said as she let her
blinds fall back into place.
It was Friday afternoon and both Tammy and Henry were at
work. Annie had asked to go into work too but there wasn’t an available shift
for her. Sam had drastically cut her hours after the previous weekend.
She fell back onto her bed and stared at the water-marked
ceiling. Thoughts of Rick were always close and she had been dreaming about
him. But his absence made it obvious the desire was all one-sided. He was way
out of her league anyway.
Her eyes drifted shut and her muscles relaxed into the soft
mattress. She had curled onto her side and started to doze when a knock sounded
on the front door. It was tempting to simply ignore it. She wasn’t expecting
anyone. It was probably one of the neighborhood teens looking for Tammy. The
knock sounded again, more persistently, and she decided to answer. With a groan
she left her bed and went to the front door.
Rick was about to give up and head home when a very
sleepy-looking Annie finally opened her front door. She was adorably rumpled
and had neglected to put her glasses on. Large green eyes blinked up at him in
confusion and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Hey, beautiful, did I wake you?”
Her sweet mouth dropped open but nothing came out. He took
the opportunity to lean forward and kiss her lips. She moaned into his mouth
and he pulled her into his arms. A sense of peace settled over him and he knew
that was what had been missing all week. He deepened the kiss until she melted
against him.
The sound of a car passing had her jumping back. He released
her reluctantly and glanced behind him. It was someone from farther down the
road whom he didn’t know. The car didn’t even slow down.
“Rick. I wasn’t expecting you,” Annie said.
He appreciated the breathless quality of her voice. At least
she seemed to be as affected by their kisses as he. He ran a hand over his face
and gave a short nod. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by all week. I got busy with
work unexpectedly.”
“Oh.”
“Can I come in?”
Confusion crossed her features for a second before clearing
into a smile. “Yeah. My dad’s working late.”
“Perfect.”
She moved back and he stepped into the dim interior. Only
the bright Texas sunlight breaking through the cracks in the blinds illuminated
the living room. Somewhere down the hallway another light was on. He guessed it
to be her bedroom.
She shut and locked the door once he was inside and he
couldn’t keep from touching her. Luckily she didn’t protest when he pulled her
against him again. He rubbed his lips against hers slowly before slipping his
tongue into her mouth.
“Mmm, you
Learning to Kill: Stories