Jeremy let out a deep sigh and shook his head. Something was way off here.
“I really shouldn’t tell you this because it’s Eva’s story to tell. Still, you at least need to know the truth. Eva was engaged to my brother.”
They broke it off? Except, she was still wearing the ring. Was she mentally off? Was that what I was missing here?
“Cage, my brother is dead.”
That had not been what I was expecting. I had almost been convinced Eva was a little unstable. I sure wasn’t expecting to hear she was wearing the ring her dead fiancé gave her.
“He was in the army. About eighteen months ago, a bomb near Baghdad. Him along with four other soldiers. He’d proposed to Eva on his last leave.”
Well, shit.
“She still wears the ring,” I said, trying to wrap my head around this.
“Yeah, she does. They grew up together. We all did. He was my twin. But he and Eva were inseparable. They were so alike.”
I didn’t have a response for this. What could I say? I was sorry? That seemed too shallow. The guy had lost his brother. Eva had lost her fiancé. Sorry wasn’t exactly deep enough.
“Do me a favor and don’t tell her I told you. She isn’t over it. As you can see she still wears the ring and don’t get me started on that badass Jeep she has and won’t drive.” He stopped and the concern in his eyes was clear. He didn’t want Eva upset.
“I won’t tell her I know,” I assured him.
“Thanks, man.” He started to turn and walk away when he stopped and looked back at me. “Remember this the next time she acts like a complete bitch. She hasn’t given you a fair chance but I’ve decided it’s because she’s attracted to you and it scares her. I doubt she ever gives you a break. Just ignore it.”
She’d started to give me some sort of break in the barn earlier. Sure as hell wish I’d stayed around to find out what it was now that I knew this. I’d run because I was real close to kissing her pretty little lips. Her being engaged had been a red flag. Then there was my scholarship I had to think about. But truth be told, if Eva pushed hard enough I’d break.
“Hey, Jeremy,” I called out and he stopped again. “She ever smile?”
I’d been waiting to see her smile. I thought maybe it was just me she didn’t smile around. After hearing this, I wondered if she ever smiled anymore.
“Haven’t seen her smile since the day before we got the call about Josh. It was the weekend and I’d decided to surprise everyone by coming home from Vanderbilt. I remember walking in the door to the kitchen and Eva was sitting at the table with Momma looking over wedding magazines. Both of them squealed and jumped up to hug me. We got the call the next morning.”
My chest hurt. I wasn’t a real emotional guy. I’d had a shit life for the most part. Even so, the picture he’d just painted of a happy Eva with her life ahead of her then having it snatched away … hurt me.
“What’s her smile like?” I asked
Jeremy looked wistful for a moment. Then replied, “Incredible.”
Eva
Daddy was gone for the weekend and Cage would be gone tomorrow. Jeremy wouldn’t even be around. I thought about calling Becca Lynn but then I wasn’t sure I wanted her around here just yet. Whatever happened with her and Cage hadn’t been something she enjoyed because she hadn’t called me or come by.
I wrapped Saran wrap around the two turkey and swiss subs I’d made Cage for dinner. I hadn’t cooked anything but Cage would need to eat. I reached under the counter and pulled out a sports bottle. He had to be tired of water. I filled it up with the rest of the lemonade I’d made for Daddy.
Unable to resist, I left both items sitting on the counter and went to the mirror in the hallway to check my hair and face. I wasn’t going to think too hard about why I wanted to look attractive for Cage. If I did think about it the answer would more than likely bother me.
Once I was sure I looked good enough, I went back to the kitchen and picked up the plate of food, grabbed a bag of chips and the lemonade then headed to the barn.
The sun was setting and it was later than I normally brought his dinner out. Normally, I managed to get here before he finished working and leave it on the table by his bed. But tonight, I wanted to see him. I wanted him to touch my hand again and make my body tingle. It had been so long since a single touch had made me feel alive. It was exciting. I missed excitement.
I opened the barn door. Looking to the right I saw the door to his room closed. The only air-conditioner in the barn was the small window unit in the back room. Keeping the door closed was the only way for him to keep the room cold so he always kept it closed. I normally didn’t have to question whether he was in there or not because I knew he wasn’t. But I hadn’t seen him come inside so all I had to go on was the fact the truck was parked outside.
With a tight grip on the plate in my hand, I made my way to his door. I started to knock and decided to lean forward and listen first. Maybe he was in the shower, or on the phone. I pressed my ear to the warm wood. I couldn’t hear anything. Maybe if I set the lemonade down and used my hand to cup my ear to the door I could hear better.
I bent down and set the sports bottle at my feet then used my hand to see if it made hearing through the wood easier.
“What’s going on in there? Can’t be a whole lot. It’s too damn small,” Cage’s amused voice startled me and I fumbled with the plate I was holding with one hand.