Stealing Taffy

  Tanyalee roared with laughter again, clutching her arms around her middle because she thought she’d split a gut. Somewhere in the distance she heard a screen door open and shut. Then she noticed that cutting through the noise of her own guffaws was Dante’s deep chuckle.

  “Everything all right, Taffy Marie?” She straightened and looked behind her. Judge Van der Rohe was standing on the porch in his boxer shorts. Tanyalee waved. “Just fine. Sorry to disturb you, Judge. We were just leaving…” Oh, sweet Jesus! The judge is in his underwear! “Let’s go!” she whispered, yanking on Dante’s arm. “Honestly, if I wanted to see an old man in his boxers I coulda just stayed home!”

  Dante broke out into a jog, but Tanyalee was still so out of breath she could only manage a stumble. She gave up trying to catch him. Suddenly, Granddaddy’s sweatpants began to slide south on Dante’s muscular, olive-skinned ass, leaving all that naked perfection glowing under the Willamette Road streetlights for everyone to see. He yanked them up, but not before they’d reached halfway down his thighs, and Tanyalee shrieked with laughter, figuring Aunt Viv’s phone was probably already ringing with an eyewitness report. Just then, one of Granddaddy’s flip-flops busted, forcing Dante to hop on one foot. He grabbed the broken plastic sandal with one hand and the back of the sweatpants with the other. Tanyalee thought for sure she was going to die from a lack of oxygen she was laughing so hard.

  They staggered into the sloping front yard of Aunt Viv’s house, clutching at one another and tripping over each other’s feet, Tanyalee shushing Dante because he was now making as much noise as she was. If they were too loud, Viv would surely be outside in a flash, wanting to know what kind of nonsense they were up to.

  “Quiet,” she hissed. “Come with me. Hurry.” She pulled Dante to the one corner of the yard she knew wasn’t visible from inside the house. When she was little, she and her friends used to hide there, protected by a curtain of willow branches, giggling as Viv would call for Tanyalee to come for supper. When she was in junior high, it was the spot where she’d go to sneak a cigarette or two. On those many occasions when she’d been grounded in high school, Tanyalee had made out with her share of boys there, all without violating the terms of a punishment that banned her from leaving the yard.

  Tanyalee instructed Dante to duck under the branches and pushed him into the hiding spot. He collapsed onto the grass, still sputtering with laughter, then yanked her down into his lap.

  “Shh!” Tanyalee landed with a thud on his thighs.

  “Hold still, Taffy. I want to kiss you.” His hands were firm and hot as they moved from her back to her legs, bottom, and on to her belly. He tried to kiss her but she wouldn’t let him.

  “I really wish you wouldn’t call me that.” She arranged one leg on either side of his waist and faced him, slipping her fingers into his thick hair. In the diffuse light, she could see the sparkle in his dark, smiling eyes, the strong lines of his handsome face. Tanyalee felt a tender tugging in her chest. It was a wonderful, warm feeling, but a little unexpected. She didn’t quite know what to make of it.

  “I can’t help it.” Dante’s lips trailed along her forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, and when he reached the center of her throat, he added the tip of his tongue to the mix of sensation. “Here’s the thing,” he whispered, his lips still on her and his breath tickling her flesh. “They may not have realized it, but I think your family was on to something when they gave you that nickname.”

  “What a silly thing to say.” Tanyalee tipped her head back and moaned softly, giving him better access to the tender flesh of her throat.

  “Nope.” Dante dipped lower, his lips and tongue moving onto the swell of her breasts. “See, Taffy takes patience, right? When you unwrap a piece, it’s stiff as cardboard and cool on your tongue. Not a whole lot of payoff at first, and you’re almost tempted to spit it out and throw it away.”

  She felt his hands cup her breasts and lift them toward his mouth. When he gently bit at her through her shirt and bra, Tanyalee instinctively arched her back. When he caught a nipple between his teeth she trembled with need.

  Dante’s deep, rumbling chuckle returned. “But oh, baby, watch out, because after just a little while in my mouth…” He looked up at her once more. “Taffy starts to soften up, and the sweet juices flow. The effort is most definitely worth it.”

  Tanyalee didn’t care if he thought she was a pushover, the kind of woman who would just melt in the heat of a little bit of sweet talk and some nipple nibbling. She didn’t care about anything but feeling his kiss once more, full and deep and just a little demanding. “Dante,” she breathed, lowering her lips to his.

  Suddenly, Tanyalee found herself flipped onto her back in the grass, the weight of Dante’s big body forcing her to relinquish control, his mouth hot and slick and all over on hers. She couldn’t help herself. She grabbed onto that perfect butt of his and pulled him tighter to her body, all the while wondering, What is it with the two of us? Why does this happen every time we spend five minutes together?

  “I want you, Taffy,” Dante said, sliding his hands into her hair as he continued to kiss her, lips sliding along hers, tongue sensuously exploring the inside of her mouth.

  Tanyalee arched her back, gripping the steel-hard heft of Dante’s upper arms, his shoulders, his back. She threw her legs around his thighs and squeezed.

  “Taffy Marie? Are you out there?”

  She froze. He froze. Neither breathed.

  “Taffy? I hear the two of you laughing out under the willow tree so you might as well come on in. Dessert and coffee are ready.”

  Tanyalee shut her eyes and sighed with frustration. Maybe someday soon, once she’d been working for Candy for a while, she’d have enough money to find an apartment. A little privacy seemed like a mighty fine idea.

  Dante popped to a stand as Tanyalee forced herself into a seated position. He looked down at her, a guilty smile on his face, Granddaddy’s sweatpants once again sagging dangerously low on his hips. This time he didn’t need to use a hand to hold them in place, though, since they were snagged on something big and hard.

  “Sweet baby Jesus,” Tanyalee said under her breath, rubbing both hands over her face, trying her best to snap out of her sexual dream state. Eventually, she stretched out a hand and Dante pulled her to a stand.

  “Well, this is a little embarrassing,” she said, avoiding eye contact. “Sorry.”

  Dante laughed softly. “Nothing to be sorry about, and it’s sure as hell not embarrassing. Not to me.”

  She looked up, feeling the smile on her lips. “What is it, then?”

  “It’s fun, baby. You’re fun. I have fun with you—and I’m not just talking about all the…” Dante stopped himself. “Don’t get me wrong—that part’s awesome.”

  Tanyalee giggled. He was right about that.

  Dante brushed his fingertips down the side of her cheek. “What I’m saying is that my life hasn’t been all that fun for the last few years. I didn’t realize how much I needed to cut loose and laugh the way I did tonight. There’s not a damn thing to be embarrassed about. You gave me a gift. You give me a gift every time I’m with you.”

  “All right,” Tanyalee said, still a little confused by how kind he was. How sweet. How understanding and patient. If she were completely honest with herself, she’d have to admit she never imagined that the sexual powerhouse from the hotel room would have a gentle side.

  He kissed her softly, then took her hand and led her out of the willow branches. “If I can’t have Taffy, I’ll have to settle for some cobbler,” he whispered.

  They walked hand in hand to the house, Dante adjusting the sweatpants on the way. When they reached the top step, a two-person welcoming committee waited for them on the porch swing.

  “Well, lookie who decided to show up,” Granddaddy said, barely containing his laughter.

  Aunt Viv crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. “You have grass in your hair, Taffy Marie.”

  Whe
n Tanyalee fluffed her hair and wiped at her shirt, blades of grass rained down onto the porch floor. She realized that between the dunk in the lake and the roll on the lawn she surely looked like a grass-stained muskrat. She took a quick peek at Dante and saw that he—with his tousled hair, broken flip-flop, and falling-down drawers—didn’t look so fresh himself.

  “Ya’ll could use some dessert, no doubt,” Granddaddy said, hoisting himself from the swing with a grunt. He gestured for Tanyalee and Dante to go ahead of him through the front door. “I hear a body can work up quite an appetite going around flashing the neighbors.”

  Tanyalee cursed under her breath.

  “Uh, Miss Newberry?” Dante spoke politely to Aunt Viv, but Tanyalee could tell he was itching to get out of there. She couldn’t blame him. “Are my clothes dry yet?”

  “Well, now, funny thing about that,” she said, smiling. “You’ll have to wear Garland’s ratty old rags home, I’m afraid. I put all your muddy things in a Hefty bag right there in the foyer. You can drop it off at the cleaners on Main.”

  Dante was silent. He looked puzzled at first. Then his face said it all: The Newberrys are nuttier than squirrel food.

  Aunt Viv put her hands on her hips. “Well, you didn’t want me to ruin those nice work trousers and tie by putting them in the dryer, now did you?”

  Chapter 11

  “Good afternoon, Miss Newberry. Please have a seat.”

  Tanyalee sat down across from Temple Smathers, who looked particularly disheveled that day. He began tossing file folders around on his desktop, huffing and puffing in frustration.

  “Is there something I can help you find, Mr. Smathers?”

  He didn’t bother to look up. “No.” He grabbed what he’d apparently been looking for and threw open the folder with impatience. “Have you found full-time employment?” Smathers made his inquiry without looking at her.

  Tanyalee sighed. “Well, it’s not full-time … yet. It won’t be full-time for another couple weeks, after Candy Carmichael’s bakery opens for business, but right now I’m working about three hours a day for her, helping with setup. I’m designing the layout of her menu. I found this beautiful antique oak display case that we’re going to use for the front counter. Candy’s letting me make some design decisions and told me I have excellent taste. She—”

  “So you haven’t found full-time employment.” He cut her off, already scratching his pen furiously across a piece of paper inside the file. His lips were pulled tight and Tanyalee wondered if the man was rowing with one oar these days. Lord-ee! She decided to hold her tongue. At least for the moment.

  “And your community service hours? What’s the status with that?”

  Tanyalee reached into her bag and retrieved the approved application. “I’m a one-on-one mentor to a preteen girl. Here’s the paperwork.”

  Temple Smathers’s hand stopped its movement. The pen fell from his grip, landed on the paper, and rolled onto the cluttered desktop. He glanced up at Tanyalee with a scowl on his face. “You actually accepted their offer to volunteer?”

  Tanyalee extended her hand. “Here’s the paperwork from the Girls Club of Cataloochee County. You should have everything you need, and Mrs. Stockslager said she will be happy to send you a weekly summary of my hours.”

  Mr. Smathers snatched the papers from her, studying them. “You’re kidding me,” he mumbled. “I thought for sure you wouldn’t follow through. Mentoring takes actual work.”

  Tanyalee felt her spine stiffen. She grabbed the armrest of the old metal chair and willed her breathing to slow down. She heard Dr. Leslie’s words in her head: “Just because someone behaves like a complete ass doesn’t mean you have to stoop to their level.”

  “I’m not sure I understand, Mr. Smathers,” she said.

  He laughed, and Tanyalee couldn’t help but feel he was laughing at her. “So who’s the lucky girl?”

  That did it. Tanyalee rose from the metal office chair, grabbing her bag as she stood. She looked down at Temple Smathers and smiled politely, though inside she was positively boiling!

  “Where are you going?”

  “I need to be at work. After that, I’m going to show Fern the bakery, then take her out to do a little shopping.” She made sure her voice sounded sweet as pie. “And I assumed we were through here.”

  Smathers smirked at her. “We’re through when I say so.”

  “Of course,” Tanyalee said, nodding. “However, there is something that’s puzzling to me, Mr. Smathers. Maybe you can help me understand it.”

  He tossed the Girls Club papers into the file folder and shut it. “What?”

  “Is there a problem you wished to discuss with me?”

  Smathers rocked back in his office chair, surprised by the question. “No. Why do you ask?”

  Tanyalee smiled again. “Because you’re behaving like the damn ass-end of a horse today. You are insulting and rude and I may be on probation but I don’t believe I deserve to be treated in such an outrageously impolite fashion.”

  His mouth fell open.

  “In fact, I have done everything you’ve asked me to do, and I’m truly happy to do it. I found a job. I found a young girl who’s been through hell and needs someone to talk to. I’m going to meetings. I’m living an honest life, trying to clean up the messes from my past. And do you know why? Because I want to change! I want to be a better person! I am sick and tired of wondering what people are saying behind my back and being afraid of who I’ll run into at the Piggly Wiggly. Now…” She tugged her bag onto her shoulder. “Unless there’s something else you need from me today, I would like to go to my job.”

  Tanyalee turned on her heel, a sense of pride welling in her chest. It felt good to respectfully set boundaries for herself. She didn’t throw a tantrum. She wasn’t trying to get anything or manipulate anyone. She’d simply been honest and direct and taken care of herself, just as Dr. Leslie had taught her to do. Tanyalee strode out of the probation offices and down the hallway of the county courthouse, hearing her heels echo on the worn tile of the old building.

  “Good afternoon, miss,” a bailiff said to her as he passed.

  “Hello. Have a nice day, now.”

  Tanyalee smiled the whole way out to the car. She got behind the wheel and took a big, deep breath of warm autumn air.

  Now that felt mighty fine, she decided. And before she could put the Cadillac in drive, her cell phone rang. She grabbed it from her purse. It was Temple Smathers.

  “Miss Newberry.” His voice was soft.

  “Yes?”

  “I apologize,” he said. A long silence followed, but Tanyalee decided to give him all the time he needed, because she knew it was hard sometimes to say you were sorry. “I … my wife left me last night. We’ve been together six years. It was unexpected. I took it out on you and—”

  “Oh!” Tanyalee put a hand over her mouth. How awful for him! “That’s terrible, Mr. Smathers.” She got out of the car and practically ran back into the building, up the steps and down the second-floor hallway. She met the same bailiff on her return trip.

  “We meet again,” he said, his eyebrows raised but a friendly smile on his face.

  She waved at him while continuing her cell phone conversation. “Can you take a break, maybe go have a cup of coffee and talk?”

  Temple Smathers sputtered out a reply she couldn’t quite make out. But it didn’t matter, since Tanyalee was already back in his doorway. She threw her cell phone into her bag and waved for him to get out from behind his desk. “Fifteen minutes isn’t going to matter one way or the other, especially since your mind obviously isn’t on your work. Let’s go to Lenny’s. It’s on me.”

  “I couldn’t possibly … it’s not, well…”

  Tanyalee crossed her arms over her chest and lowered her chin. “I think you need a friend.”

  He laughed, taken aback. “Thank you, but you’re my probation client.”

  “I can still be a friend.”

  Mr
. Smathers rubbed his face with an open palm, sighed, and grabbed his jacket. Within minutes they were the only customers in Lenny’s Diner, home of Bigler’s best grilled cheese and pimento on Wonder bread, the place where Candy Carmichael had resurrected her baking skills when she’d first come back to town. Tanyalee ordered two coffees and leaned against the red leatherette seating of a window booth. “Are you all right?”

  Smathers shook his head silently, waiting until the coffees were placed on the tabletop and the waitress was out of earshot. “I’m not all right, Miss Newberry. I feel like the world’s off balance, like I don’t know where to put my feet in order to keep from falling over.”

  She nodded. “Oh, I understand that feeling completely.” Tanyalee watched the small man methodically pour cream into his cup and add a precisely measured teaspoon of sugar, each movement dainty and reserved. She couldn’t help but smile, thinking how different he was from Dante, who was all masculine and muscular and could eat half a ham in a single sitting. Though she tried not to smile, she couldn’t help but think of seeing a wiener dog next to a Great Dane and having to remind herself they were the same species.

  She forced herself to focus. “I’m a good listener,” she said, knowing that technically, she had no way of knowing whether that was true. She’d never thought much about listening to others. She’d never really tried. But she figured it was never too late to develop new skills.

  Smathers looked up at her, his eyes misty behind his thick glasses. He cleared his throat. “Uh, I don’t mean to sound, you know, rude again…”

  Tanyalee folded her hands in her lap and did her best to be patient, since she figured listening required patience in addition to focus. “Go ahead. I’m just here to listen and be a friend. Whatever you have to say is fine.”

  “Okay,” Smathers said. He took a dainty sip of his coffee and set the cup in the saucer. “What I was going to say is, well, I never figured you for the type who’d care about another person’s problems.”

  Tanyalee smiled. All right, then—being a good listener might be more of a challenge than I thought.