“Carter,” she whispered.
I caught the look in her pretty blue eyes and threaded my fingers in her hair. She held on to my arm as I kissed her, digging her nails into my flesh. It didn’t take long for our rendezvous to become heated, passionate. She pulled me down on the bed beside her and lay against me.
I wrapped my arms around her as we made out in a rush of euphoria. Her kisses felt frantic and urgent. But when she rolled on top of me, I was down for whatever she wanted. She took control, dominating my every thought, gifting every kiss. My hands slid down her body as she buried her face in my neck.
Someone cleared their throat, and Bailey looked up in bewilderment.
Parker stood in the doorway with his luggage. “Am I interrupting something?”
“Sorry.” Bailey slid off my lap and headed for the door. “I’ll be outside.”
I sat up as Parker narrowed his eyes in my direction. “You can’t keep your hands off each other,” he said.
“Yeah, I know.” I grabbed my bathing suit and headed for the bathroom. It was en suite style, so there was no escaping his presence. Once I’d changed into my swimming trunks, I came back into the room.
“Well, where am I going to sleep?” Parker asked. It felt like a test.
“I can sleep on the futon.” I glanced at it by the window. “I don’t mind.”
“Do you care about her?” He was smoldering at me.
“Of course I do,” I said. “I would never—”
“Because she’s been through a lot. I don’t know what she’s told you. But if you hurt her—”
“I love her,” I said, glaring right at him. “If anyone should be worried about getting hurt, it’s me.” I brushed past him and went downstairs. He didn’t like me. Then again, I wasn’t sure if he liked anyone. Except for Bailey.
When I walked out on the beach, Bailey was waiting for me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the water, where Penny and Savannah were lounging on a gigantic pink float. There was a blue one just like it. I helped Bailey get on and then jumped up beside her. She lay against me with her head on my chest, stroking my ribs. I lowered my sunglasses and saw Parker in the distance. Watching us.
“Everyone can see,” I said.
“I don’t care.” She kissed me and I held her in my arms, leaning my head back to soak up the sun.
Josh disappeared on the beach, returning twenty minutes later with a bunch of surf boards. Bailey swam out with him and caught the first wave. I was impressed. She couldn’t stop smiling.
“I didn’t know you could surf,” I said when she came to shore.
“Yeah. We went to Australia a few years ago. That’s when I learned.”
“Wow.” I sat down with her in the sand. “Australia.”
“Yeah.” She caught her breath. “It’s beautiful there. Have you ever been?”
“No.”
“I loved it.” She bumped her arm against mine. “You would, too. We’ll have to go there some time.”
I looked at her and smiled. I felt so lucky to be with her. What did she see in me?
“You ready?” Josh walked up with a surf board.
Bailey stood up next, helping me to my feet.
“Ready for what?” I asked.
Bailey giggled. “It’s your turn to catch some waves.”
“I don’t know.” I hesitated, dragging my feet.
But she pulled me into the water anyway. “Come on, Louisiana.”
I proceeded with reluctance, but it wasn’t so bad. Josh helped me learn how to balance on the board, while Bailey looked on with a smile. I wiped out a few times, beat and exhausted by the end of it.
We had lunch in the shade, hanging around in lounge chairs. After we ate, I sat down in the one beside Bailey and Austin handed me a beer. Then Bailey got up and climbed onto my chair, practically lying on top of me. And that’s when Parker took the lounge chair next to us.
“She dumped me,” he blurted out, nursing a beer.
“What?” Bailey said.
“Yeah.” He was still smoldering, hiding behind his sunglasses.
“Why?” Bailey put her hand on my chest and listened.
“You know how long we’ve been together,” he said.
“Two years,” she replied.
“Turns out, she wasn’t as in to me as I thought. It was all about the money.”
“But Nicole, she felt like a part of the family. She seemed so—”
“Honest?” Parker raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, I thought so too.”
“I’m sorry,” Bailey said. “I really liked Nicole.”
“Well, I loved her.” He stood up. “It just shows you. You think you know somebody. But sometimes, you’re wrong.” He slanted a glance at me and walked across the sand, looking out at the sea.
“I can’t believe that,” Bailey said. “Parker was crazy about Nicole. We all thought he was going to marry her.”
I didn’t say anything. Because I didn’t really like him anyway.
“Can I have some?” Bailey eyed my beer.
I handed it over and watched her take a sip. “I should probably go talk to him,” she said. “Dad wants him to be more involved with the business and they had this huge blow out about it. I had no idea Nicole broke his heart on top of it. No wonder he’s been such a jerk.”
Well, I agreed with her on that front.
“I’ll be right back.” She left to talk to Parker, and I watched her walk away.
“How’s it going?” Ben walked over and took a seat. It was strange to see him out of a suit and tie. He was a celebrity I was used to seeing on the news, not in a bathing suit.
“Fine.” I took a sip of beer. He was still Bailey’s father. And the richest man in town.
“He’s a trooper.” Austin pulled up a chair. “Don’t you remember my welcome to the family?”
“Oh, yeah.” Ben laughed. “Claire was great about it. But Sharon—”
“I thought that woman was goin’ to murder me,” Austin said. “She’s like the Wicked Witch of the West. I’ve been married to Amy for how many years, we have a daughter and I still feel like she hates me.”
“Sharon?” I asked. “Is that—?”
“Benny?” Claire walked up in a sheer cover up. Amy was right behind her.
“Yeah.” Ben looked at his wife, but she didn’t say anything.
“What?” Austin held his hand out to Amy. “What is it, darlin’?”
The sisters looked at their husbands and said, “Mom’s here.”
Chapter 13
Carter
Austin shot up and darted for the beach. Ben was right behind him.
“Austin, wait!” Amy ran after her husband, and he made a game of it. She chased him in circles until he finally picked her up in his arms and carried her into the ocean. She was squealing and giggling the whole time, running her hands down his back.
They were like two teenagers crazy in love. And that gave me hope for what Bailey and I could become. Maybe Austin’s footsteps were the kind I should follow. Tarzan was my new role model.
Bailey was still out on the shore talking to Parker. So Ben walked over to join them while I wondered if the Wicked Witch of the West was about to ride in on her broomstick. Claire sat down in Ben’s chair and finished the rest of his drink. She didn’t say much. And I didn’t know what to think. Only, now I understood what Bailey had meant about me meeting her whole crazy family.
“So your mother... is she kind of—?”
“Difficult,” Claire said. “Yeah, you could say that. At least I get along with her new husband.”
“That’s good.”
“You should have seen the last one. He hated us. Todd is a million times better.”
I nodded, looking out at the view. Bailey was coming back to me. It put a smile on my face.
“Grandma!” Bailey opened the sliding glass door and out walked who I presumed to be the Wicked Witch. She had short dark hair and a slim figure. There was an older man wi
th her. He smiled at me and I returned the gesture, the friendly way you do when you’re about to meet someone for the first time.
“How are you, dear?” Her grandmother gave her a hug. “And who is this fine young man?”
Bailey took a step back as I stood up. “This is my boyfriend, Carter.”
“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” I shook her hand, and she looked pleased.
“I didn’t catch your last name,” she said.
“Boudreaux.” I smiled as Bailey put her arm around me, putting up that shield again. She had the innate need to protect me, like my armor. When I was with her, I felt like I could take on anything.
“And where are you from, Mr. Boudreaux?” she asked.
“Baton Rouge.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know Jackie Boudreaux, would you?”
“Yeah.” I was surprised. “She’s my aunt. Great aunt, actually.”
“And how is she?”
“She passed away several years ago.”
“I’m really sorry to hear that.” She leaned back. “This is my husband, Todd Everett.”
“Hi.” I shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too.” He smiled with a nod, friendly enough.
“Well, where are the rest of my grandbabies?” Sharon gazed out at the blue waters.
I looked back and Savannah ran into her grandmother’s arms. Josh and Penny were next, while Parker stayed by the water talking to Ben. I searched the shore line, but Austin and Amy had disappeared.
Ten minutes later, Sharon and Todd went in the house to get settled in. And everything else pretty much returned to normal. I wondered what all the fuss had been about. Sharon seemed fine to me.
Savannah darted across the sand as her parents came out of hiding. They were wet, hair dripping even though they’d been out of the water for a while. Austin had a beach towel wrapped around him, and he pulled Amy under his arm so she wouldn’t get cold.
“There is an outdoor shower around back,” Bailey said.
“Oh.” I nodded. “That explains a lot.”
She giggled and circled her arms around me. “I promised Savannah I’d take her out for ice cream.”
Savannah came towards us and grabbed Bailey’s hand. “Mommy and Daddy said I can go!”
“Be careful!” Austin yelled. “Stay with Bailey and Carter!”
“Yes, Daddy!” Savannah leapt into Bailey’s arms. All I could do was laugh. That little girl was adorable.
Austin waved and then led Amy across the sand. They walked by the water while he kept her under his wing. It was pretty cool how crazy they were about each other. Even after all these years.
“I want to ride my bike!” Savannah jumped up and down.
“Okay,” Bailey giggled.
Savannah took off and ran along the side of the house. We went inside and met her out front, where she was riding her bicycle on the driveway. It was a pink bike with purple tassels, perfect for a girl her age.
“Bailey! Watch me!” Savannah cried.
“I am.” Bailey smiled at me as I took her hand.
“Carter!” Savannah yelled. “Are you watching?”
“Yes,” I said.
“He’s watching you, sweetie,” Bailey said. “We both are!”
We followed Savannah on the sidewalk, keeping a close eye on her from behind.
“So what’s the deal with your grandmother?” I asked. “She didn’t seem so bad to me.”
“What do you mean?” Bailey swept her hair out of her face.
“I mean, the minute she showed up everyone bolted. Especially Austin and Amy.”
Bailey looked at Savannah up ahead. “From what I hear, Grandma didn’t exactly approve of Uncle Austin when they first met.”
“Why not?” I asked. “Austin seems like a pretty decent guy to me.”
“He is. But Aunt Amy was eighteen when they met.”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s not like she was underage.”
“Well, Uncle Austin was twenty-three at the time. And he had a motorcycle. And he wasn’t from around here. Grandma was probably just being overprotective. I’m sure she didn’t want Aunt Amy to get hurt.”
“So why is there still tension between them?” I asked. “After all these years?”
“I don’t know. I guess they never got over it. I’m not sure what all happened back then.”
“Hmm. So when his mother-in-law shows up, Austin just sneaks off to take a shower with his wife?”
Bailey blushed. “What are you implying, Mr. Boudreaux? That my aunt and uncle snuck off to—”
“Get it on? Yes. In a manner of speaking.”
“You’re bad.” She shoved my arm playfully. “And who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised. I met Uncle Austin when I was eight. He looked like a giant. But I always liked him. They used to babysit for my parents sometimes. And we would always have the best time. Uncle Austin loves kids.”
I wrapped my arm around Bailey to pull her closer. “Well then, maybe that’s what they were doing.”
“What?” she asked.
I nodded towards Savannah. “Maybe they want another one.”
Bailey’s face fell. Her eyes looked round and soft. Weepy. “Yeah, maybe.”
Savannah spotted an ice cream truck and took off after it. She was like a cheetah closing in on a gazelle.
“Hey!” Bailey ran after her. “Savannah, wait!”
But the little girl giggled, pedaling harder and faster. She was first in line when the truck pulled over.
I stopped once we reached her, resting my hands on my hips. We were both out of breath. But Bailey was worried, because she didn’t want to let Savannah out of sight. Austin would kill her if something happened to his little girl. Probably me too.
“Don’t go so fast next time, okay?” Bailey patted Savannah on the head.
Savannah nodded as the ice cream man handed her a strawberry cone. Bailey ordered a large cup of chocolate ice cream for the two of us to split. She tried to pay at the counter, but I beat her to the punch. Part of being a man was taking care of your girl. And I had every intention of doing just that.
“You didn’t have to do that, you know,” Bailey said.
“I know.” I grabbed two spoons and some napkins. “I wanted to.”
Bailey beamed, leaning up on her toes to kiss me. I rubbed her back and kissed her gently on the cheek, just happy to have her. I’d never found someone who made me feel the way she did.
“Tell Carter thank you,” Bailey said to Savannah.
“Thank you, Carter,” Savannah chimed.
“You can ride around some more, but you have to finish your ice cream first. Okay?”
Savannah blinked up at Bailey, deciding it was a fair deal. “Okay.”
There was a park nearby, so we walked over and found an empty bench. Savannah gobbled her ice cream up as fast as her mouth would let her. Bailey laughed at the mess her little cousin had made, wiping pink goo off her lips and cheeks. Then Savannah cleaned her hands and got on her bike.
“That child is a mess,” Bailey said.
“She’s somethin’ all right.” I handed our dessert over, since she hadn’t eaten much.
“I’m afraid they’ve got a pistol ball on their hands.” She took a bite of chocolate ice cream.
“Come on, she’s not so bad,” I said. “She’s just a kid. Everything is still new to her.”
Savannah parked her bike and walked up to a little boy on the playground. They swung on the monkey bars and took turns down the slide. She was full of life, because it hadn’t let her down just yet.
Bailey laughed when Savannah hit her head and looked confused instead of upset. “Aww... Poor thing. Isn’t she adorable?”
“Yeah, she’s pretty darn cute. And tough, too. I’m not even sure if she knows what hit her.”
Bailey laughed until she couldn’t breathe. Then she nibbled some more at the ice cream. “She’s spoiled rotten,” she confessed. “But I love her to d
eath.” She watched Savannah and looked sad all of a sudden.
I stared at the playground, but couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. “What’s wrong?”
“What you said earlier about them having another kid...”
“Yeah?”
“Well, Savannah may be all they ever have.”
I looked at the little blonde girl. She had green eyes like her father. She kind of looked like Bailey.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I don’t know that they would risk getting pregnant again.”
“Why?”
Bailey filled her mouth with ice cream, maybe thinking she’d said too much.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. It’s none of my business.”
“Aunt Amy was born with a heart defect. So she has artificial valves. They have to be replaced every so often. And it put her last pregnancy at high risk. I don’t know if Uncle Austin could go through that again. The chance of losing her...”
“Oh. I see.”
“Other than that, she’s perfectly healthy. It’s not that she wouldn’t be able to get pregnant.”
“No, I understand.” I saw Savannah in a whole new light. “I had no idea.”
“You didn’t notice the scar on her chest?” Bailey asked.
I shook my head.
“Well, she’s really self-conscious about it. That’s why I love Uncle Austin. You should see how much he goes overboard to show her that it doesn’t matter to him. I think he’s been a good husband to her.”
“That’s good,” I said.
“Yeah, it is. He’d do anything, I’m talking anything, to make her happy.”
Funny. I felt the same way about Bailey.
“So what about you?” She turned to face me.
“What about me?” I asked.
“Do you want kids?” She licked her spoon and threw the empty cup in the trash.
I looked her in the eye, not afraid anymore. “Yeah. I do.”
“Me too,” she grinned. “Not right now.”
“Oh, I know.” I curled her body into mine. “I get what you’re sayin’.”
She gazed up at me bashfully.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” I touched her cheek. “You couldn’t run me off if you tried.”
“That’s good to know.” She put her head on my chest and sighed, running her hand down my arm.
An Agreement (Summer in New York Book 3) Page 14