A Pinch of Salt

by Bethany Lopez

  “Kayla,” I spoke softly, encouragingly. “What’s going on, honey?”

  “It’s just no fun over there anymore,” she whispered. “Mama’s always sad, and Papa’s always angry.”

  I sighed, mentally berating Julie for the negative effect she was having on everyone’s lives, even a year later.

  “They don’t mean anything by it, they’re just missing your mom.”

  “I know, but it makes me sad to be there.”

  “Do you want me to talk to Grandma and see if you can stay with her and Grandpa?” I asked, talking about my parents.

  Kayla shook her head.

  “Do you want me to stay home? I was going to meet up with Rob and Ty, as well as Millie and her sisters, who I haven’t met yet.” I watched Kayla’s face pinch at the mention of Millie, but I wasn’t going to hide my relationship from my daughter. She’d have to come to terms with it eventually. “I could have Millie come here instead, and we could hang out. It would give you the chance to get to know her better.”

  Kayla’s head popped up and she said, “No, that’s okay. I mean, I don’t want you to miss out on your friends. I was thinking, maybe we could ask Jess’s mom if I could stay over there. There’s no school on Monday, so . . .”

  And, there it was . . .

  I had no doubt that Julie’s parents were having a hard time adjusting to Julie’s disappearing act, but the real reason why Kayla didn’t want to go there was because she wanted to be with her friends. I guess at nine, she was getting to the point where hanging out with her grandparents all the time wasn’t as exciting as it used to be.

  I’ve been played.

  “You could have just come out and asked me about staying with Jess, you know.”

  Kayla watched me closely, probably trying to figure out if I was angry or not, then sighed and asked, “So, you really like this Millie person?”

  I got up, walked around the table, and crouched down in front of my daughter.

  “Yeah, Kayla, I really like her. You have to know that things with your mom and me are through, and after all this time, and the way she left, that’s never going to change.”

  I watched her face fall as my words sank in and her eyes filled up.

  “I’ll always love her for giving me you, but it’s time for me to move on. I know you aren’t thrilled about me dating Millie, but I hope you’ll give her a chance. I’ll call Jess’s mom and go out, and we won’t have her over this weekend, but, Kayla, I do want to do something, just the three of us, soon, okay?”

  Kayla frowned, but nodded slowly, and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and she probably wouldn’t welcome Millie with open arms, but at least it was a start.

  “Okay, how about we finish up here, then order pizza, pop some popcorn, and catch up on Fuller House?”

  Kayla grinned, because she knew I hated Fuller House almost as much as she loved it, and said, “Yay!”

  Millie

  “I’M SO EXCITED THAT WE’RE doing this,” I said as my sisters and I drove to O’Reilly’s, the Irish pub.

  The event had run a little longer than expected, which happens more often than you might think, so I’d texted Jackson and told him I’d ride with Dru and Tasha and meet him there. It gave us the rare opportunity to get ready to go out together, something that didn’t happen as much anymore, and I’d forgotten how much fun it was.

  We’d “pre-gamed” with Dru’s blackberry margaritas, and done each other’s hair while trying on different outfits. It reminded me of when we were younger. The only thing missing was our mother sitting in the corner laughing as we paraded through the room in our different outfits.

  “Me, too,” Dru admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I went out to a bar.”

  “Yeah, it’s been a minute,” Tasha agreed. Her bright-red hair was down in pretty, beachy waves, and she was wearing a simple, but sexy, black dress.

  “I’m a little nervous about you guys meeting Jackson, though. Promise you’ll go easy?” I asked, mostly talking to Dru. I knew Tasha would go in with an open mind and be nice, but Dru was a wild card.

  “Who, me?” Dru asked with mock offense, which made me groan.

  “Yes, you, dear sister. I want you to go into this thinking you’re going to like him, instead of expecting to hate him, like you’ve done with everyone else I’ve dated.”

  “In my defense, everyone else you’ve dated has been an idiot . . . You can’t really blame me for that.”

  I shut my eyes, shook my head, and wondered if I should just jump out of the car now . . . save myself the embarrassment.

  “Relax, Mills,” Dru cajoled, and I opened my eyes to look at her almost identical ones. “Everything you’ve told us about him makes him sound pretty great. I’ll give him a shot, all right?”

  Of course, as soon as we walked in and joined Jackson, Ty, Rob, and who I assumed was Rob’s wife Jan, Dru walked right up to Jackson and asked, “So, have you unloaded the wife yet?”

  “Dru,” I hissed as I grabbed her arm, then looked to Jackson, face flushed, and said, “Sorry.”

  Jackson just laughed and stood, then shocked my twin when he wrapped his arms around Dru.

  “It’s great to finally meet you.” Jackson let her go and pushed back so that he could look down at her. He looked a little shocked when he looked from me to Dru and back again. “Are you sure you guys are fraternal twins? The likeness is uncanny.”

  We’d gotten that question our entire lives. Yes, we were fraternal twins, although even though that was the case, I couldn’t count all the times we’d been mistaken for each other over the years.

  “And . . . I’m working on it,” Jackson added with a grin, answering her initial question.

  “Good,” Dru managed, then pushed back and said, “Now, stop touching me.”

  “My sister’s not a big hugger,” I informed Jackson with a grin, then allowed myself to be enveloped into his arms and sighed happily. After a moment of goodness, I tilted my head back to look up at him and offer him my mouth for a hello kiss.

  Jackson complied, and within seconds I was putty in his arms.

  A chorus of, “Get a room,” was shouted by our group, so when Jackson released me, we were both laughing.

  “Um, hello, aren’t you going to introduce me, or is Dru the only sister that matters?”

  “Sorry.” I moved out of Jackson’s arms to let Tasha step up. “Jackson, this is my sister, Tasha. Tasha, Jackson.”

  “It’s great to finally meet you,” Jackson said, and I could tell he was unsure whether or not he should hug her, since Dru hadn’t been a fan, but he needn’t have worried because Tasha threw her arms around his middle.

  “Tash is a hugger,” I said with a grin.

  “I am,” she said, pushing back and looking at him like I did, except her face was serious when she added, “But if you hurt my big sis, I’ll cut you.”

  “Noted,” Jackson chuckled. He let my sister go, then turned to the table and said, “My buddies, Ty and Rob, and Jan, Rob’s wife. This is Tasha, and Dru, and, of course, Millie.”

  We walked around saying hi and introducing ourselves more intimately, as the waitress came up and took our drink orders. We had all just taken our seats around the table, with me sitting in between Jackson and Ty, with Dru and Tasha across from me, when a pretty blonde with a stylish outfit and nerves flitting on her face approached the table.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late,” she said quietly.

  Ty and Rob looked surprised, but Jackson jumped up and said, “You’re just on time, Rebecca,” then he looked around the table before saying, “Ty, why don’t you scoot down one and let Rebecca in.”

  “Ah, sure,” Ty said, still seeming surprised, making me wonder what was going on.

  Rebecca took the seat next to mine, and I could see her hand shaking slightly as she picked up the menu. Jackson made introductions again, and once he sat, I turned to Rebecca and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Rebecca. So, you work with Jackson?”<
br />
  Rebecca turned her head toward me and smiled briefly, then said, “Yes, I’m a teacher.”

  Ty leaned on the table to peer around Rebecca and shook his head.

  “She’s not just a teacher, she’s the smartest teacher at the school. Teaches history while going for her doctorate in Education. Rebecca’s brilliant.”

  Rebecca was still facing me, back to Ty, so I saw the pleasure suffuse her face and her breath catch at his words, and I understood . . . Rebecca had a crush, and my sweet guy was playing matchmaker.

  I reached over to place my hand on Jackson’s thigh and squeeze, then turned to kiss him lightly on the cheek.

  He didn’t know it yet, but he was totally getting lucky tonight.

  We both were.

  Jackson

  THINGS WERE GOING GREAT.

  Millie’s sisters seemed to like me, Ty and Rebecca were chatting each other up, and Rob’s wife even gave in and let him eat the corned beef. We were all enjoying the drinks, atmosphere, and each other’s company.

  Then Jericho Smythe walked in.

  I didn’t notice at first. I was enjoying the feel of Millie pressed up against my side, her hand in mine as we laughed over Dru and Tasha’s worst clients ever stories. I saw Ty shout a greeting and stand up out of the corner of my eye, but it wasn’t until the three sisters stiffened and stopped talking that I looked up to see what was happening.

  Jericho, normally self-assured and affable, was standing next to our table with his hands in his pockets and eyes wide as he took in our group.

  “Glad you could make it,” Ty was saying. “I know Sundays can be busy for you.”

  Jericho didn’t hear him though, his eyes were frozen on Tasha, while she sat aghast, staring back at him.

  Dru was rising, and from what little I knew about her, I figured she was about to tear my friend apart, and by the look on his face, I wasn’t sure if he’d let her, or strike back. Wanting to keep the peace was part of my nature, and I really didn’t want what had been a great night out to end with bloodshed or tears.

  “Let’s go grab you a drink,” I said too loudly as I practically leapt out of my seat and grabbed Jericho by the bicep. “Another round?” I shouted over my shoulder, not bothering to wait for an answer.

  I saw Dru and Millie gather around Tasha, while the rest of the table looked from them to Jericho and me in utter confusion.

  “Are you okay?” I asked first. He was my friend, after all, and I didn’t know what happened between him and Tasha, but it was obviously something painful for both of them.

  Jericho looked to me, running his fingers through his hair as he leaned against the bar.

  “Maker’s neat,” he told the bartender, then sighed and said, “Not really. I’ve done my best to avoid her . . . It was a shock, walking in and seeing her there.”

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  “Ty invited me, said you guys were getting together for a night out. I figured it’d be like the others, I didn’t know . . .”

  It wasn’t unusual for Jericho to meet up with Ty, Rob, and me on one of our nights at the pub. This was the first time we invited anyone other than the group of us, so I could see why Jericho was blindsided. And, since the plan had only changed this week to include the women, Ty had probably invited him beforehand. Heck, he wouldn’t have thought anything of Jericho being included with the women, since Jericho had never mentioned Tasha or any kind of past relationships to us before.

  “Sorry, Ty didn’t tell me, or I would have given you a head’s up.”

  And I would have, to both Jericho and Millie.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Jericho began as he took a healthy swig of whiskey. “If I leave, I look like a pussy, but . . . I don’t know if I can be at the same table as her.”

  My eyebrows rose at that. Whatever had gone down between them must have been pretty bad, if they couldn’t even stand to be in the same room.

  I looked over my shoulder to see Millie hugging her sisters before they grabbed their things, said goodbye to my friends, then left the bar. Thankfully, Millie sat back down and smiled at something Jan was saying.

  “Looks like you don’t have to worry about it, Tasha and Dru left.”

  Jericho swung his head around, as if searching the bar to make sure they weren’t hiding somewhere, then muttered, “Fuck.”

  We went back to the table, with Jericho taking the seat that Dru had abandoned and me sliding next to Millie.

  “I hope it’s okay that I stayed,” Millie whispered, her hand warming my forearm. “I told them you’d give me a ride home.”

  “Of course it is,” I replied with a smile, dipping my head to run my nose slowly against the length of hers, before dropping a quick kiss on her lips. “I’m glad you stayed.”

  “They’ve been like this all night,” I heard Rob joke.

  I lifted my hand and gave him the finger, then tucked Millie as close to me as I could and looked at my friends’ smiling faces. Well, everyone except Jericho, that is; he still looked like he’d been hit in the gut with a crowbar.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you guys were going to be here. Your sisters didn’t have to leave, I would have,” Jericho told Millie.

  “No, it’s my fault,” Ty put in, his face showing his regret. “I didn’t know there was a history. It never occurred to me to tell you guys that Jericho was coming, or him that you were . . .”

  “It’s okay,” Millie said softly, her face kind as she addressed not just Ty, but Jericho. “Tasha will be fine, she was just surprised. You guys should probably stop avoiding each other and hash things out, especially since not only do we own businesses across the street from each other, but now, we share friends.”

  Her hand found my thigh again as she spoke, and while her words warmed my heart, that hand was bringing something else to life.

  “I know,” Jericho said, his eyes dropping to the amber liquid in his glass.

  “Great,” Millie replied, then I almost jumped out of my seat again when her hand began to move upwards at a slow, torturous pace.

  When she hit the top of my thigh and began to move closer to where my cock was getting harder by the second, I tried to school my features and keep my tone light as I said, “Whelp, it’s been fun, but it looks like I need to get Millie home.”

  Millie

  THE RIDE HOME WASN’T FRENZIED, with groping hands and heated looks. I thought it might be, after the way Jackson’s body had reacted to my touch at the pub, but no. Instead, the cab of his truck was filled with anticipation.

  It was like twenty minutes of foreplay, with barely any touching. Just the soft stroke of his thumb over the top of my hand, the rapid beat of my heart, and the occasional flash of his dimple when he clenched his teeth.

  After we parked, I took Jackson’s hand and led him up to my apartment. I didn’t even spare a glance at my sisters’ doors, even though I knew Tasha was upset about Jericho. I wanted to be there for her, I did, but she had Dru, and I’d go to her first thing in the morning.

  Tonight, was about Jackson. Me and Jackson.

  I closed the door behind us, locked it, and turned to him. My arms went around his neck as he lowered his face toward mine and brought his hands to clutch my waist, bringing me flush against him as our lips met.

  He was hard, yet gentle, and the way his mouth worked mine had me moaning softly against his lips as I pressed my body closer to his.

  I hadn’t felt this in . . . ever. The rush of heat in my veins, the way my bones seemed to soften as my body became pliant and ready for him. The kiss was smooth and sweet, long and deep . . . It felt like we could stay that way forever, kissing in my entryway, but I wanted more.

  My hand trailed down his arm, feeling the muscles bunched there, then moved lower until I reached his hand, pulled it from my waist, and captured it in mine. I broke away slowly, loving that look of desire on his face, the wetness on his lower lip, and the way his eyes were practically glazed over.

  Smi
ling softly, knowingly, in what I really, really hoped was a sexy come-hither look, I guided him toward my bed.

  I maneuvered him until he was sitting on the edge of bed in front of me, then I backed up a step, my eyes never leaving his. I was wearing a sleeveless button-up white blouse with a teal skirt that flirted above my knees, which swayed a bit with each movement. I pushed my long brown hair off of my shoulders, behind me, then started with the top button of my blouse, which was even with my cleavage, and began to free each button slowly.

  Jackson’s gaze was rapt on my fingers, his chest heaving with each breath he took.

  I left my shirt hanging there for a moment, open but showing only a strip of skin, before slowly revealing my lace, see-through bra underneath as I pushed the shirt off and let it fall to the floor.

  Then, bending at a torturing pace, I reached under my skirt and slid the matching lace boy shorts down my legs and stepped out of them.

  “Come’ere,” Jackson said gruffly.

  So, I stepped in between his legs, until my breasts were even with his face. Jackson’s hands hit the back of my thighs and slid up under my skirt until his fingertips hit the curve of my bottom.

  We both groaned at the contact, and I became even louder when Jackson’s lips sucked my hardened nipple through the lace in front of him, his hands caressing as he explored me. He moved to the other breast, and I widened my stance when he moved his exploration lower. Deeper.

  “Jackson,” I whispered, my head falling back as he teased my clit.

  “Like velvet,” I heard him say softly as he stroked the fire that had lit within me.

  I was starting to float, getting swept up in the moment, as his finger entered me and my body began to rock in response. I reached around for the clasp of my bra and removed it quickly, then braced myself on his shoulders as another finger joined the first.

  Finally, his hot, wet mouth was on my breasts with no interference. Licking, sucking, nipping across my sensitive flesh. The assault on my senses was almost too much; it had been too long, and never this good, and I was already fighting the need to come after just minutes of his ministrations.