Crossing Boundaries (Miles for Love Book 1)

by Sandra Alex

  “Oh my God! You’re the best!” she leans over and hugs me tightly. “I can’t believe this!”

  Her smile is contagious. “It’s nice to see you smile again.”

  “Thanks.”

  It’s time to change the subject. “So, you wanna be gay with me? We can form like the new ‘Gay Team’, you know, instead of ‘A-Team’?”

  She rolls her eyes. “It’s relationships. They suck.”

  “They do suck.”

  “This guy at work, he gets hit on every night…I mean EVERY night, by multiple women, sometimes even men,” she chuckles at herself, “he never goes home with anyone,” she slices a hand through the air, “Never gets involved. I hear he’s a basket case, so that’s moot, but whatever, he stays away. That’s what I should do.”

  The voice inside my head says don’t ask. Don’t ask about Eyelashes, whose body I haven’t been able to get out of my mind for the last hour.

  “I feel bad for him, kind of. Not sure why he’s even working there, really.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  Sighing, Liz drops back down on the pillow. “Oh, who knows. I don’t want to get into it right now. I’m beat. Good night.” she says and turns off the light.

  As I turn over in bed, fully dressed, I’m biting my tongue with a burning question.

  …How come you’ve never told me about him before?

  Chapter 4

  Colton

  It’s the bucket laying on the ground by the stables that gives it away, proving how stupid Cheetah and his three-cent-cigar loser friends truly are. The bucket had been filled with cold, cooked oatmeal and placed on the top of the stable doors, rigged to fall onto the head of any intruder. The stupid part was that I’d done the same thing the last time we had a run-in with him and his friends. My stable and my house are booby trapped in several places. Overhead cameras catch the idiots on tape every time. The tapes make for great entertainment with guests, but Wade and Charles get the biggest kick out of it.

  The ranch, when I found it, had been abandoned. It was nothing but a pile of wood put together like matchsticks. With my brothers’ help, six months later, it was what it is today. Maya and Rebel, my horses, are mother and son. I bought Maya from a friend of Charles, and then I bred her, and Rebel was born. With four other stalls, I can have myself a team of horses, but so far, I don’t have the time to care for them. I ride as often as I can, but it’s never enough.

  Maya and Rebel are down for the night. The drive-by oatmealing didn’t seem to disturb them. They didn’t even stir when I entered the house. Setting my keys on the console table by the front door, I walk over to the fireplace and toss in a log and some kindling. It was when I put the kettle on for tea that I heard a recognizable knock at the front door.

  “Sorry for the disturbance earlier.” I say to Charles as I open the door and let him in.

  “It’s no trouble.” The old man says. “I won’t stay a minute. Just wanted to make sure that the horses were okay.”

  “They’re fine. Sleeping. I suppose they’re getting used to these clowns passing by. They’d sense if there was trouble. I don’t think there’s much of a threat there.”

  “Nah. They’re just drunks.” Charles giggles. “One of them tripped…” he motions with his fingers, “on the damn oatmeal. Funnier than hell. He slid on his ass like he was Bambi learning how to walk. Right up in the air and then down, flat on his fanny.” The old man lets out a belly laugh, his face red. It’s infectious. We both stand there laughing like Charles had just told the best joke.

  “We’ll have to watch the video tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, we’ll have to.” Charles is still laughing, shaking his head as he turns towards the door.

  “See ya, Charles.”

  “Yeah, see ya, Colton.”

  ***

  Sipping my tea, I hear the phone ring. I know it can only be Wade at this hour. “What’s up, bro?” I answer.

  “Have we got some cool footage to watch tomorrow?”

  “Looks like. Charles got an eyeful.” I look at my watch. “You got company, or are you…um…done?” I half-joke. Wade does well with the ladies. Most nights he goes home with someone from the bar.

  “Na, I’m alone. I was going to hit on that chick we saw earlier by the bathroom; the one with the smoking hot rack. But I saw her leave shortly after. Slim pickin’s tonight.”

  “My heart bleeds.”

  “I bet it does. Hey, um, Bingo says you were talking to some girl outside the bar tonight. What’s going on there? I didn’t know you talked to girls.”

  “Very funny. She was there to pick up Liz. I went to give her the message.”

  “Was she hot?”

  Suddenly, I feel irritated. “She’s off bounds, little brother. You know the rules. No sleeping with coworkers or anyone who’s got any connections with coworkers.”

  “I believe those are your rules, not mine.”

  “Your rules are you don’t have any rules.”

  “And you’ve got too many rules, big brother. That’s why you haven’t been laid in…oh, God, how long has it been?”

  “Wade…” I warn.

  “You haven’t slept with anyone since…well, since Pam left, have you?”

  “You’re on thin ice, Wade.”

  “It’s true, isn’t it. That woman wrecked you for other women. She was either really hot in bed, or really bad in bed.” He keeps prodding and teasing. If it wasn’t for the fact that the kid had been there for me at a time when I needed him the most, I’d knock his head off.

  “Wade. Quit acting like a bratty little brother and shut the hell up. Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

  “Fact is, you’re afraid, aren’t you? You’re afraid of getting hurt again. You’re afraid to find another perfect woman, make a life with her, only to find out that she doesn’t want what you want, and that she told you that she wanted the same things you did just to string you along. Isn’t that the truth? You can’t trust women anymore because of Pam.”

  Pam was perfect. Beautiful, successful, sweet and kind to all. I was lucky to have even met her. I was lucky that she loved me, warts and all. Messed up and hopeless, if it weren’t for Pam and Wade, I wouldn’t be here today.

  “She never lied to me.”

  Wade guffaws. “She lied through her teeth.” His voice raises an octave. “She lied through her teeth, and you know it.”

  “Why are we talking about this…now? It’s almost two o’clock in the morning. We’re both tired.” And the truth is, I don’t want to talk about this…ever.

  “Always an excuse.”

  “Wade, I have to go. Come over tomorrow and we’ll watch Cheetah and his stupid-ass friends slip in oatmeal.”

  “Fine. But we’re not through.”

  “Fine.”

  The truth is, in the ten seconds that I’d spoken to Julia, knowing nothing about her, except that she was from Florida, something deep inside me opened up. I’m not saying I believe in love at first sight, because I’m no fool. I’ve never believed in that. But if given the chance, I’d want to speak to her again. Something in me senses that she is someone I’d like to get to know a lot better. That’s more than I can say about any other woman I’ve known since Pam. Not sure if it is in her cadence, or the way that she addresses me without the typical leer, but something about her makes me want to reach out to that part of me that has been asleep since Pam left.

  Should I break my own rule and reach out to her? Should I take a chance and take the plunge?

  …who is she? And what is she doing to me?

  Chapter 5

  Julia

  Two Weeks Later

  “And you wore this out in public?” Liz asks as she scrolls through pictures in my phone from ‘Tube Top Tuesdays’. “I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that.”

  “That’s exactly what I said to Mary. I didn’t want to wear the thing, but she made me.”

  Pressing her lips together, avoiding a smirk, I know
Liz doesn’t believe me. “Okay, I caved. Mary is a bad influence and it’s probably not a horrible thing that I’m four hours away from her right now.”

  Liz’s cell phone rings from her purse and she picks it up. A brief conversation ensues, and she doesn’t look impressed.

  “What’s up?”

  “Nelly’s sick. I lost my ride.”

  “I can drive you.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t like you coming out that late to get me.”

  “Oh, and you think I’m okay with you working all hours of the night in that place?”

  She clucks her tongue and chooses not to pursue the argument. “You decide how long you’re staying?”

  “Are you trying to get rid of me already?”

  Rolling her eyes, Liz places a hand on her hip. “I’m just asking because I can make up the spare room for you. It’s small; I used to use it as a laundry room, but it’ll be yours. No offence, but I always hated sleeping with you. You snore.”

  “And you’re a bucket of roses, too. Blanket hogger.”

  Giving me a slap on the rear end, she walks past me. “Nate’s school is hiring if you’re interested. I’d check with him first to make sure that you’re not disobeying some cardinal teenage rule about relatives working in close proximity to your hangout. He’s not there much, so I’m not sure if he’ll care or not.”

  It bothers me that Liz is so cavalier about her son. She lied and told him that Grant had gone to visit a sick Aunt in Raleigh, instead of telling him the truth. Does she think Grant is coming back? Is she too ashamed to tell him what’s going on? I’m not sure and I don’t want to press. I’ve made headway with her; she applied to the local college for the fall term, and she seems rather excited about it. I am too.

  “Give me a hand with the extra bed in the basement.” Nate is out with friends, so he can’t help her. “There’s a spare dresser down there, too. I used it when Nate was a baby. We can clean it up and it’ll be like new.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll give you some money towards bills, too.”

  “You paid for the groceries. You’re good.”

  “Don’t argue with me. Remember, I get benefits while I’m off during the summer. I can afford to help you and I’m going to.”

  “Have your friends from work asked what you’re up to?”

  That is a topic I don’t wish to cover. There is a lot Liz doesn’t know about what happened before I left, and now isn’t the time to share. “They know I’m here. Mary’s away with Chris, anyway, for summer vacation.”

  The basement is what I would call an organized mess. It is clear that Grant left a bunch of stuff down there; half the area is his things, half is Liz’s things, based on marked boxes. A small area holds Liz’s exercise equipment: a recumbent bike, a set of dumb bells, and an inversion table. There is a tube television against the main wall, adjacent to the equipment. An old crib is disassembled and leaning against the wall, along with a folded stroller and a bundle buggy. “I use that when I go shopping.” She points to the wire bundle buggy with worn wheels.

  “You know something? I need to teach you how to drive. If you’re going to go to school, you’ve got to have a way to get there, and I’m going to be working all day, so there’s no way I can take you.”

  “I could never afford a car, anyway, Julia, so the point is moot. I pay Nelly fifty bucks a week to drive me. With her shifts, she should be able to pick me up, and I can take a bus there.”

  “What are you so afraid of?”

  “I’m not afraid, I just never had the time or a reason to learn. And I could never afford it, so why bother?”

  “Well, what if you could afford it?”

  She shrugs as we approach the small, single bed and frame that is leaning up against the wall with the crib. “Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t.”

  I smile. “Your first lesson is tomorrow.”

  ***

  “How about I French braid your hair for work tonight?” I ask Liz as she applies makeup in the bathroom. Nate is wolfing down a sandwich as he walks down the hallway towards his bedroom. “Remember? Like when we were kids?”

  Liz pauses from applying mascara and shoots me a glare. “Newsflash…I hated that.”

  “You…did…not!”

  “Yeah I did.”

  Her blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun. Only my sister can pull off making a messy bun look nice. With my jungle hair, I don’t stand a chance. My buns are more like mammoth Kaiser rolls and look ridiculous.

  “Hey, I know this is a shot in the dark, but, with Nelly sick we’re short-staffed. It’s Saturday night and we could use some help. You don’t have to have your server’s license or anything if you’re just delivering the drinks or cleaning off tables. Would you mind?”

  “Oh my God, Liz, I have no idea how to do that! I’m so clumsy…more drinks will end up on the floor than on tables!”

  She waves at my comment. “Please…do you know how many drinks I spill? It’s not rocket science. Plus, the tips are great on Saturdays. Please?” She doesn’t wait for a response. “I have spare shirts in my second drawer.”

  ***

  We arrive at Mingles early so Liz can give me a crash course in waitressing. There is nobody there except for King Kong, who is setting up for the band. “Oh, God, I can’t do this!” I whine as I practice carrying beer bottles on a tray, starting with one, then working my way up. It is like playing a game of reverse bowling; where the object of the game is to keep the pins from falling.

  “You’re doing it! Quit being a drama queen.”

  I am up to six when we switch to mixed drinks, which Liz mimics with simple water glasses. That is easier because the glasses balance on their own; the challenge is not to let the liquid spill over the side. “I’ve gotta hand it to you, Liz. This takes talent.”

  “It’s a piece of cake. You’re already a pro.”

  We hear someone come in the back door, but I have my back turned, walking to a table. When I turn around, the same guy who I saw on my first night is standing by the bar. Our gazes lock for just a second, and then he averts his eyes to Liz. “This is my sister, Julia. She’s covering for Nelly tonight. I’m just giving her a crash course. This is Colton.” Liz addresses me as Colton takes a couple of steps towards me and offers me his hand to shake. His grip is firm, but his hand is soft and warm.

  “Nice to meet you, Julia. Sorry if I put you off a few weeks ago. We seldom see Florida plates here.” His blue eyes seem impossibly blue. His eyelashes seem even longer. Now that I know his name, I can stop calling him Eyelashes when I think of him…if I’m honest with myself, that is often. When he finishes his sentence, he adds a gentle, sexy giggle.

  Liz shoots him a look that I can’t decipher. “That’s no problem. You weren’t off-putting. It would have been if you weren’t wearing that shirt with the logo on it.”

  He glances down at his chest and smiles. “True. Well, anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise.”

  The night started off well. It was slow, so Liz and two of the other waitresses took care of most of the patrons. I was mostly responsible for cleaning tables. It wasn’t until after ten o’clock, when Colton’s brother Wade’s band came on, that the place really heated up. “Julia, we need you to take some tables. I’ve got to cover the dance floor for the next couple of hours, while we’re at our peak time. Can you handle it?” Liz asks me.

  “Sure, I think I’ll be fine.”

  She points out which tables I’ll be looking after, and I go to work. All is going well until some biker chick steps on my toe. The tray, which is full and being carried above my head, keels over on her head, and all hell breaks loose. Biker Bitch must have taken the tray falling on her as a sign of aggression, because the next second, I’m on the ground, and she’s on top of me.

  The first punch goes to my gut, winding me instantly. The next hit would have gone to my face, but Colton grabs her hand, pulling her up, and locks her arms behind her. One of the oth
er bouncers swiftly removes her from the bar, while Colton helps me up. “You okay?”

  I can’t answer at first, trying to catch my breath. It has been years since I’ve been bread-basketed; grade two to be exact, when a fat kid thought I stole his last Joe Louis and rounded me with his chubby fist. “I think so.”

  Wade’s band has silenced, and all eyes are on me. I never felt so embarrassed in my life. If there was a hole in the ground, I’d be crawling into it. Instead, I do the next best thing: once Colton helps me to the ground, I bolt, well, I don’t exactly ‘bolt’ holding one arm over my injured belly, but you get the gist, I run for the first door I can find: behind the bar.

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