Over the past few weeks, Marco had easily won over each and every one of my siblings, including my baby brother, who was usually fussy about who he showed his affections to. In a daze, I took Lee and held him to my chest, my breathing becoming labored as Marco bent at the waist and hoisted Holly onto his shoulders. I stared at the two of them together like that as my chest grew painfully tight. It might not have seemed like much to some people, but it just went to show how amazing Marco was. He did things like this on a regular basis, and every show of affection and thoughtful gesture was like a battering ram to that wall around my heart.
Catching the look on my face as I turned back to the parade, Rory offered me a soft, supportive smile. She knew what a struggle it was for me, letting Marco in. All my friends did. And while they were excited, they remained cautious in their optimism.
Ignoring the way my heart was beating against my ribs at that very moment, I continued cheering for my sister, silently berating myself for allowing another man to sweep me away from my real life.
I knew to my bones that Marco was a good guy, but there were times when he didn’t know I was looking that I’d see shadows float across his eyes. The few times I tried to bring up his childhood since that day in the diner, he’d use his hands or his mouth or other parts of his body to distract me. I still knew nothing about him; meanwhile, he was burrowing himself deeper and deeper into not only my life but my brothers’ and sisters’ as well.
They were coming to depend on him, which meant that when the time came and he left, I was going to have to pick up the pieces of yet another of my mistakes.
After the parade, Sunny had come running up to us, her face still glowing as she asked if she could hang out with some of the girls she’d met on the squad and have one of their parents drop her back home later.
My chest ached as she took off once I’d agreed. Realization that she wasn’t a little girl anymore filled me with melancholy.
“It gets easier, doll,” Nona said, hooking an arm over my shoulders and pulling me into her side as our group wandered toward the town square where all the food booths were set up. “Hurts like hell the first time you realize they aren’t your little babies anymore, but the pain eventually becomes manageable.”
Feeling sorry for myself, I rested my head on her shoulder and grumbled, “I know I’m being ridiculous, but this sucks. Rhodes graduates next year, and Sunny the year after. Then they’ll be gone.”
“Yeah, but at least you still have Ray, Holly, and Lee to fill that void. And your kids adore you. I doubt they’ll go far. You’ll probably still see them so much you’ll get sick of them.”
“Doubt it.”
She laughed at my surly tone just as Marco’s soothing voice penetrated the haze of sadness surrounding me. “What’s going on here?”
Nona turned me in a half circle and pushed me toward Marco. His arms immediately circled my back, wrapping around me like a security blanket. “Someone’s having themselves a little pity party is all,” she answered, her voice full of humor.
“I’m not having a pity party,” I snapped, staring daggers at my friend before turning to pout at Marco. “I’m depressed. It just hit me that Rhodes and Sunny are almost grown up, and now I’m terribly sad.” I poked my bottom lip out for emphasis.
“Aw, poor Gypsy,” he cooed, his eyes glinting with amusement. “You think a frozen lemonade would make you feel any better?”
I scrunched my lips and stared to the side in mock thought. “Maybe. If that frozen lemonade had a couple deep-fried Oreos on the side.”
He let out a chuckle as he bent to place a kiss on the tip of my nose.
“Gross!” Ray yelled, and when I looked over at him, his face was puckered in disgust. “You guys promised not to be all mushy and kissy today.”
He was right. Before leaving for the festival, he’d made us swear up and down that we’d keep the PDA to a minimum. I hadn’t realized just how tactile Marco was with me until my brother caught us making out in the kitchen earlier that morning and retched like he was going to puke.
“One of these days, you’re gonna realize kissing a girl isn’t nearly as gross as you think it is now, and I’ll be there to tell you I told you so,” Marco said to Ray with a laugh.
“No way,” Ray asserted. “Girls are disgusting, and I’m never kissin’ ’em.”
Trick came over right then and clapped Ray on the shoulder. “Famous last words, kid. Come on, help me find a spot to set up the picnic blankets. That way you don’t have to see all the nasty kissing.”
Ray was all too glad to join Trick, and when I turned my face up to Marco’s, he was staring after my brother with a soft expression on his face that made me all warm and gooey inside.
Not good.
I couldn’t think about that look, or that Marco had indicated he planned to still be around once Ray was old enough to start appreciating girls. Thoughts like that would only lead to a world of hurt.
“Hey, big man,” I called, intentionally shattering the moment and shifting his focus back to me. “You promised me a frozen lemonade and deep-fried Oreos, remember?”
“On it,” he murmured, grinning down at me. “Think Ray’s head’ll explode if I kiss you again?”
“I’d say that’s a likely outcome.”
“Should we risk it?”
The smart decision would have been to say no and step away. But when it came to Marco, I was discovering that I led with my body and my heart, not my head. “Hmm.” I lifted my finger and tapped my chin. “Think you can be quick about it?”
His response was to bend his neck and press his lips to mine.
“Knock it off!” Ray’s shouted words were quickly followed by the sounds of our friends’ laughter.
Marco
An afternoon spent in the sun surrounded by her friends and loved ones had loosened Gypsy up in a way I’d never seen before. She laughed openly and freely. Her guard lowered when she was surrounded by her friends, the hardness melting from her eyes and making them shine brighter than usual.
I could have stared at her all damn day, but movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I turned as Rhodes shifted on the picnic blanket we were spread out on. Like mine had been, his focus was on his sister, and an emotion I couldn’t quite read worked its way across his face.
“Haven’t seen her like this in a long time,” he said quietly. Even though he kept his gaze trained on Gypsy, I knew he was speaking to me and that whatever he was trying to communicate was important. “She thinks I don’t know how hard it is for us. She tries to hide it so I won’t worry, but I notice things.”
My stomach twisted into knots as I said, “Of course you do. You’re one of the smartest kids I know.”
He finally turned his attention to me, and the darkness swirling around in his gaze left an acidic taste in my mouth. “Our parents were assholes. She ever tell you that?”
“Not in so many words, but I’ve been able to piece it together on my own.”
A bitter snort bubbled up from his throat. “Of course she hasn’t. She doesn’t talk about it. If she did, she’d have to admit to us how hard she’s struggling.” He turned his head, staring off at nothing as he continued to speak, ripping my heart into pieces with every single word. “I remember one time, when I was nine or ten. Our dad had come home, already drunk as hell, and went to the fridge to grab a beer, not that he needed it. When he saw we didn’t have any, he started yelling at Gypsy so loud his whole face turned red. She’d gone to the grocery store earlier that day because there was hardly any food in the house, and she used the money she’d earned to buy us bread and milk and baby formula instead of beer for him. He backhanded her so hard, she flew into the table and cut her forehead on the corner. He slapped her,” he seethed, his jaw clenched so tight it had to hurt. “For buying his kids food, he slapped the shit outta her.”
A silent rage was building up inside me, desperate to get out and find that asshole so I could hurt him worse
than he’d hurt Gypsy.
“She isn’t gonna let you in,” he continued before I could say a word. “Not all the way. Not unless you force your way in.”
“Rhodes—”
“Force your way in, Marco. Please.”
Gypsy suddenly flopped down at my side, leaning in to me until I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She beamed at me and her brother, no walls up whatsoever. “What are you two talking about all quiet over here?”
“Nothing,” Rhodes answered, shrugging carelessly. “I think I’m gonna go get a turkey leg.”
“Another one?” she yelped, bugging her eyes out as Rhodes stood to his feet. “That’ll be your third one! How do you fit so much damn food in your stomach?”
The shadows fell away as he smiled down at his sister. “I’m a growin’ boy.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes, then reached into her pocket to pull out some cash for him.
“I got it, babe,” I tried, stilling her hand so I could pull out my own money.
“No, Marco,” she stated firmly, her gaze growing hard. “You do too much for us as it is. I can get my brother a stupid turkey leg.”
I wanted to argue. I wanted to shake her until she realized she didn’t always have to control everything, but when Rhodes caught my eye and gave an indiscernible shake of his head, I knew this wasn’t the time or place to put up a fight. There would be plenty of opportunities, so I let her have this round.
I watched his back as he disappeared into the huge crowd of people, thinking of everything he just said and knowing for certain that there was no way I was letting a single member of the Bradbury clan walk out of my life. I’d force my way past the walls around Gypsy’s heart. I’d scratch and claw until I finally got in there.
Because the days of them struggling were done.
Chapter Fifteen
Gypsy
Butterflies were rioting in my stomach. The longer we drove, the antsier I got, until it was almost impossible to stay in my seat.
I couldn’t believe I’d actually let Marco talk me into this. A night away from home, away from the kids. The thought had terrified me, but when he’d looked down at me with those sweet hazel eyes and told me he wanted to do something special for me, I hadn’t been able to resist him.
We’d been together for a month and a half now, and while that niggling of doubt was still firmly tucked in the back of my head, I’d gotten pretty good at ignoring it. Whether that was the right choice or not, I couldn’t find it in me to care whenever he was around.
Looking toward the driver seat, I took in Marco’s gorgeous profile. He was completely at ease, one hand lazily gripping the steering wheel, his other forearm resting on the center console. Meanwhile, I was fidgety from being in such close quarters and wondering where he was taking me.
“So, you really aren’t gonna tell me where we’re going?” I asked over the music playing softly from the speakers.
He turned his head and hit me with that beautiful white smile. “I’m really not, girasol. Like I said, it’s a surprise.”
I flopped back in my seat with an annoyed huff, crossing my arms over my chest and pouting out the windshield. “I hate surprises,” I grumbled sullenly. “They give me anxiety.”
His warm chuckle coasted over my skin like the softest blanket, and when he reached across the console and rested his big palm on my thigh, a shiver worked its way through me. No matter how many times this man touched me—and he seemed to need to touch me whenever I was near—I reacted the same way. Marco Castillo was just so potent, so intoxicating in every single way, that I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get used to it, because the truth was, I loved the heady feeling he aroused in me. I relished the loss of control, like I was free-falling into him and never wanted to land. But what was more, I loved that I seemed to bring out the same feelings in him.
Stripping could sometimes make you feel powerful. But getting a reaction from the men in the audience was nothing compared to the knowledge that I could drive Marco wild with need. I’d never felt anything like it.
His thumb began tracing lazy circles on my inner thigh, and it took everything in me not to combust on the spot. However, my mind was pulled away from his touch when we passed a freeway sign.
“Um….” Worry began to tug at my subconscious. “Marco? Did that sign just say we left Virginia?”
His thumb never stopped its motion. “Uh-huh.”
The prickling along my skin now had nothing to do with his touch and everything to do with the panic beginning to choke me. “And why exactly are we leaving Virginia?”
“’Cause we’re staying the night in DC.”
“What?” I screeched, spinning toward him so fast my hair slapped me in the face. “Marco! I can’t spend the night in DC. I have the kids! I thought… I thought you were just taking me to a B&B or something, not leaving the state!”
His firm fingers clenched, squeezing my leg tighter. “Baby, relax,” he ordered gently.
Relax? How the hell could he expect me to relax? “You can’t just boss me into relaxing, Marco,” I snapped. “I have responsibilities, namely five little people who count on me to take care of them!”
“It’s one night,” he said, his tone never swaying from its easy nonchalance. “I already got it squared away with Detty. She’s staying at your place with the kids for the night, and Linc and Eden are on backup duty if necessary. We’ll be less than two hours away. If something happens, they’ll call, and I’ll get you back in no time.”
“But what about my stuff?” I continued, not ready to give up on my stubborn argument just yet. Letting go of control was hard for me. “I didn’t really pack appropriately for this trip.”
“Already taken care of.” He tipped his head toward the back of the SUV, and I turned to find two duffel bags sitting on the back seat.
“How did you…?”
“Sunny and Detty,” he answered my unfinished question. “I told them where we were going, and they packed everything they thought you’d need.”
Damn, he was good. Not only did that undoubtedly win him points with Sunny, but teaming her up with Odette guaranteed that my bag would have everything I needed for a mini road trip and then some. My Sunny was all about clothes and makeup; she’d definitely do right by me. And Odette was practical, so she’d make sure I had stuff like face wash and toothpaste.
“You just thought of everything, didn’t you?” I asked, my voice holding a hint of awe as I turned to look back at him.
Marco’s hand left my leg, coming up to take my own and lacing his fingers through mine. “You deserve a night where you don’t have to worry about anything,” he stated casually, bringing our clenched hands down on the console. “You might not need anyone to take care of you, but that doesn’t mean I’m not up to the task. I like taking care of you, Gypsy. Especially when I watch you run yourself ragged.” My heart swelled so big it hurt, and I worried there wasn’t enough room in my chest to contain it. “I know you’re all about controlling every aspect of your life, but you need a break, baby. And I’m gonna give you one, even if I have to cart you around over my shoulder while you’re kicking and screaming.”
My head fell back on a burst of shocked laughter. God, he was incredible. “So what you’re saying is you’re willing to kidnap me in order to force me into having fun.”
He shot me a wink that made my nipples hard and my heart rate spike. “Pretty much. You’ll learn one of these days.”
“Learn what?”
The playfulness fell away, and when he turned from the road, those hazel eyes sparked with such intensity they stole my breath. “That you can trust me. I’m not going anywhere, girasol. One of these days, you’re gonna give me all of you.”
A whole new wave of panic crashed into me with that statement. We still hadn’t discussed labeling what we were. Hell, we hadn’t even been out on an actual date. But his declaration told me he was gearing up to take us somewhere far more
serious than I thought myself capable of.
I’d already given more of myself to Marco than I had any other man, and he still wanted more. He wanted everything.
Straightening in my seat, I gave no response as I shifted my eyes back to the windshield and worked to regulate my breathing.
He might think he wanted all of me, but he’d change his mind. He was perfect, and I was… just me. He’d get tired of the baggage that came with my life and eventually walk away, moving on to something better and easier. It was only a matter of time.
The unhappy sigh that radiated from him grated at my skin and made my stomach sink. His disappointment killed me, but I somehow managed to push the pain it caused to the back of my mind.
This was all he was going to get. Incredible sex, good times, and lots of laughs. It was all I could afford to give him. I’d already given too many pieces of my heart away in the past. If I gave him anything more, there’d be nothing left when he was finally done with me.
Marco
The rest of the drive had been made in silence after she shut down on me earlier. I shouldn’t have said what I did. I knew goddamn good and well she’d close herself off, barricading herself behind that fucking fortress she used to keep me out, but I hadn’t been able to help myself.
Rhodes’s words from weeks ago kept beating into my brain.
“Force your way in, Marco.”
“Force your way in.”
“Force your way in.”
That was exactly what I intended to do. But no matter how hard I beat at those walls, no matter what I did to try and dispel those shadows in her eyes, she was determined to keep me at arm’s length. She’d given me just enough of herself to tie me up in knots, making me desperate to have it all, but she refused to hand over the rest.
Stubborn woman.
She might not have realized it yet, but I’d do anything and everything in my power to protect her heart.
Wrong Side of the Tracks (Hope Valley Book 4) Page 12