He moved with the same grace as one of the big cats at the zoo. His slight limp did nothing to detract from the confidence and strength that showed in each step he took, like there was nothing the world could throw at him that he couldn't handle. She shivered slightly, but for once her reaction was based not on fear but on something else equally primitive-a feminine appreciation for a dominant male in his prime. Oh boy, she really needed to get moving.
As she drove past him, he stopped long enough to wave one last time. She responded in kind and started counting off the hours until Monday when she would see Ricky again.
And, with any luck, Jack.
Chapter 5
Jack punched the heavy bag, hitting it six times in rapid fire, shifted his stance, and then attacked again with his other hand. He'd already worked up a good sweat from jumping rope and doing calisthenics. After another few minutes on the heavy bag, he'd finish up by lifting weights. He'd been slacking off lately on his normal workout, but his conversation with Caitlyn had left him restless-not to mention horny.
There was just something about those soft gray eyes that drove him crazy, wanting to know what made her tick. For one thing, she always wore dressy slacks with a tailored blouse. Very fitted, very neat and tidy. Stylish was the word to sum up her attire. But then there were her earrings. Today they were a dangling pair of elephants in the same shade of blue as her shirt. The other day, she'd worn a brightly colored pair of clown fish.
Maybe she wore the silly things as a way to appeal to her younger students, but he suspected they really represented a whimsical side to her nature that she normally kept under lock and key. Regardless of the reason for her taste in jewelry, he got a kick out of seeing what she came up with next.
If anyone would have ever told him that he'd get turned on by a woman with honey-gold hair worn in a long braid and a pair of elephant earrings, he would have said they were crazy. And he would have been wrong. It had been all he could do to keep his hands to himself when they'd walked out of the house together.
After she drove away, he'd tossed the mail on the table inside the front door where his mom would see it and then headed straight for the small gym he and his brothers had put together on the first floor of their garage apartment. He'd stripped off his jeans and replaced them with a loose pair of gym shorts to allow him greater freedom of movement.
The ache in his leg made it clear that he'd regret not taking it a bit easier, but ice and aspirin would help with that. Right now he needed to burn off excess energy more than he needed to baby his fucked-up knee. If he gave in to it every time the damn thing acted up, he'd end up spending the rest of his life parked on the couch with a beer in his hand. He'd take it easier on himself tomorrow, but today he needed to go all out.
A knock at the door broke his rhythm. He considered ignoring the summons but then rejected the idea. After another quick series of jabs, he walked over to open the door. Ricky was just lifting his hand to knock again. He jumped back as if Jack had startled him.
"Need something, kid?"
"Yeah, your mother said to tell you that some guy named Gabe wants you to call. He tried your cell, but it went straight to voicemail."
While he relayed the message, Ricky angled his head trying to see past Jack. He was no doubt wanting to check out the gym. Jack stepped back. "Come on in if you want to."
Ricky reached the center of the compact gym and looked around. "Is all of this equipment yours?"
Jack walked over to the small fridge in the corner and pulled out two bottles of water. He started to toss one to Ricky before he remembered the kid only had one functioning hand and carried it over to him instead. "My brothers and I started off with that set of weights when we were teenagers and have added to the collection over the years. We all stay here in the annex when we come home for a visit. It only made sense to have a convenient place to work out."
He took a swig of water and then wiped the sweat off his face with a towel. "It pays to stay in shape anyway, and that's especially true when you're in the military. I'm no longer in, but I guess the habit stuck."
Ricky stared at the wraps on Jack's hands. "Were you punching the bag?"
"Yeah, I was." Unsure how much to share with the kid, he added, "Hitting something helps knock the edge off when I get bored or frustrated."
"Do you like to fight? You know, like boxing?"
Jack shook his head. "No, I never went in for the sport. The heavy bag is just part of my normal workout. I skip rope to warm up, do an exercise routine I learned in the army, hit the bag for a while, and then lift weights."
"Is that how you built up all that muscle?"
Jack recognized envy when he heard it. Ricky still had the lanky build of a teenager who hadn't come into his full growth yet. The fact that he probably hadn't eaten regularly for a while before coming to stay with Jack hadn't helped matters, either.
"Yeah, pretty much. I was a beanpole when I entered high school, but the weights helped with that." He looked around the room to see what advice he could offer his young charge. "You're welcome to use the equipment, although there's a limit to what you can do until you get that cast off."
Ricky wandered over to study the free weights, picked one up, and flexed his good arm several times before setting it back down. Then he sat down on the end of the bench and tried a few leg exercises. Jack left him to it while he did a few more rounds on the bag. He hadn't forgotten about the message Ricky had delivered. What did Gabe want now? Jack had taken a few jobs that his old friend had thrown his way, mostly bodyguard work for American businessmen traveling overseas.
He had a break in his construction schedule for the next week, so now would be a good time to do a quick job for Gabe. If it was any longer than that, though, he'd have to turn it down. His mom wouldn't mind watching over Ricky for a short time, but the kid was really Jack's responsibility.
His reps on the bag done, he headed for the weight bench since Ricky had moved on to the treadmill. He'd do a shortened version of his usual program and call it good. Afterward, he'd go upstairs and take a quick shower before calling Gabe.
The whole time he was lifting weights, he was aware of Ricky's scrutiny. "Something on your mind?"
"No."
Then a second later, Ricky changed his story. "After dinner, I'm going to take off for a while to see some friends."
Okay, that wasn't good news, but Jack forced himself to think things over before responding. He didn't like the idea of Ricky taking to the streets on his own. Yet Jack knew from his own experience as a teenager that if he were to forbid Ricky to see any of his friends, the kid was likely to go anyway. Worse yet, he might not come back, at least not on his own.
Jack stayed seated on the bench with his eyes focused on the floor. Ricky might be more willing to listen to reason if he didn't feel like Jack was using his size to intimidate him. They both knew Ricky had every reason to fear someone stronger and bigger than he was.
"I'm not your jailor, Ricky, but I also have to say that I don't like the idea of you being out on the streets by yourself." He slowly lifted his gaze to meet Ricky's. "Whoever attacked you could still be out there."
Actually, for sure the guy was out there. Judging by the way Ricky just flinched, he knew it, too. That seriously pissed off Jack. How was he going to keep the kid safe if he insisted on protecting the identity of his attacker?
Jack didn't miss the fact that Ricky had stepped off the treadmill and was slowly making his way around the edge of the room. He took care to stay out of Jack's reach as he headed for the door. "I'll be hanging with my friends. It's no big deal."
"Okay, like I said, I'm not your jailor. Having said that, there will be some rules when you leave the house. I want to know where you're going and when you'll be back. Also, you'll take a cellphone with you and answer anytime my mom or I call. We won't make pests of ourselves, but we need to be able to reach you at all times."
He finally stood up, still making no move to get closer to Ricky. "Understand? My mom will worry."
So would Jack, but the kid might care more about how Marlene would feel. Ricky shuffled his feet and stared out the window. If he were anything like Jack had been when he first came to live with Joe and Marlene, the whole idea of anyone giving a damn about what happened to him was a foreign concept. Jack had chafed against their restrictions at first, but he had gradually come to appreciate the fact that someone actually cared.