Fumbled Love

by Lila Rose

  “Let me through,” Dad snapped.

  “You let me through,” Tom barked.

  Brooke entered the living room, caught sight of Tom and Dad struggling and started laughing. Dad finally managed to get through first and made a dash for the front door. On the way, he glared at Brooke. “We’ll be having words.” Before she could reply, he was off outside with Tom on his heels.

  Brooke looked at me and Mom. “What was that about?”

  I rolled my eyes. “He’s upset with you for telling Tom Carter’s moving in.”

  “Oh.” She grinned.

  Mom sighed. “Come on, we better get out there before they start fighting over either carrying Carter inside or his things.”

  “Good thinking.” I nodded, and quickly finished off my coffee before making my way out the front just behind Brooke. Only Brooke stopped abruptly, so I crashed into her and then Mom into me. We all stumbled forward. A giggle erupted from my previously tense body when I realized what had Brooke slamming on her brakes. Dad and Tom were in front of Carter, trying to talk at the same time. Clearly bewildered, Carter’s gaze switched back and forth quickly to each man, like he was at a tennis match. However, I didn’t think it was that scene that stopped Brooke. It was the fact Dustin stood beside Carter.

  Tom and Dad were also fawning over him. Heck, Dustin was even blushing from something one of them said, which had Carter chuckling.

  “We need to save them,” I whispered to Mom and Brooke.

  “Let’s do it.” Mom nodded and cracked her fingers, like she thought she was going to be in for a fight. She strode forward first. I followed, only to turn around to see Brooke remained in one spot. I took her hand in mine and dragged her with me.

  “His loss, remember?” I mumbled to her as we approached.

  “Yes.” She nodded.

  “Morning,” Mom called cheerily. “Herb and Tom, do you think you two can step back and let the fellas through?”

  They did, complaining under their breaths.

  “Hey,” I said with a lame wave. “Ah, my parents made me realize I have no idea what you’re bringing. Do you have a truck coming with some more stuff?”

  His truck seemed to be loaded full, but I was sure a man like Carter would have more items. Like furniture.

  “Nope, this is it. I presumed your house would be furnished, so I didn’t bother with anything except a few personal items. When I find a renter, I’ll store my furniture and then after I’m in my own place, I’ll shift it all then. That was okay, right? You do have furniture?”

  Smiling, I rolled my eyes. “Yes, even a spare bed so you don’t have to sleep on the floor.” Now I wished I didn’t have one. Then I could have offered to share mine like the good housemate I was going to be. With a shake of my head, I clapped. “Let’s get started then, and it should be done in no time.” I wondered if I could keep Brooke and my parents, even Tom, around the whole day after he was settled in so I wouldn’t have to be alone with him.

  Then again, I did have to get used to it.

  I was sure, however, I could find other things to keep me occupied and out of the house like going to the movies, or perhaps I could start a dog walking business. Actually no, Fozzie put me off that idea. I had a few hours to think of something else though.

  “Hi, Dustin, did you come to help?” I asked.

  “Sure did, but I didn’t realize you’d have so much help already. Hey, Brooke.”

  Out the corner of my eye, I noticed Brooke tense. Her face shaded red and she blurted, “How’s Benjie?”

  Dustin smiled. “He’s good. With his momma this weekend.”

  Brooke nodded.

  Everything went silent.

  “Right,” I said. “Tom and Dad, since you’ve met both guys, how about you start unpacking Carter’s truck.” They got down to work and only fought a couple of times on who was going to unhook the tarp. “Dustin, this is my mom, Elaine. Mom, Dustin. Also a football player.”

  Dustin stepped up, took hold of Mom’s outstretched hand and then brought it up to his lips and kissed the back of it. Mom sighed dreamily.

  “Lovely to meet you, Elaine.”

  Mom giggled. “You too, Dustin.”

  “Elaine,” Dad barked. “Come here.” For the first time, Dad glared at Dustin. To my horror, Mom curtsied to Dustin and headed toward Dad. He glared over her head at Dustin.

  Carter laughed. “Guess I’m still his favorite.”

  “Damn,” Dustin commented with a smile.

  Dad knew Mom was a looker. He’d told me it was his burden to bear since he’d managed to snag her as his; he knew he’d have to put up with every man and his dog drooling over her. But it didn’t stop him from turning into the possessive male we saw before us.

  Dear God… he just ran a finger across his throat at Dustin.

  “Dad,” I yelled. “Stop threatening him.”

  He huffed, grabbed a box and followed Tom and Mom into the house.

  “Dustin, whatever you see or hear here today, please don’t be scared. My family is a little—”

  “Crazy,” Brooke said with a grin. “It’s why I love them.” She then swatted me on the ass and trotted off to the back of Carter’s truck.

  “All good, babe. As long as that’s a thing in the family, slapping butts, I could get used— Fuck.” He coughed as Carter elbowed him in the side. “I’ll keep my hands to myself.” He shook his head, scowling at Carter as he passed him.

  We stared at each other.

  “Um, are you still okay with staying here?”

  Please say no and run for your life.

  “Yes.” He smiled. My knees wobbled.

  “Okay. Then, ah, let’s do it.”

  “As in me move in?” he asked.

  I tilted my head to the side in confusion. “Yes, what else would I mean?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head and then went to grab his own box.

  Following him, I asked, “Where will you store your things when you rent your place out?” His truck was stacked full and high. I took a smaller one and then a pillow from the back seat.

  Which was a bad, bad move.

  The pillow smelled like him.

  I wanted to lift it to my nose and inhale deeply.

  Just one sniff.

  No, Reagan, you’ll look like a weirdo.

  However, when Carter started up the path before me, I took the chance to bring it up to my nose and drew in a breath.

  My belly swirled.

  Carter Anthony’s scent was one any woman would masturbate over.

  “Dustin was— Did you just smell my pillow?”

  Oh, snap.

  He must have looked over his shoulder.

  In a panic, I laughed nervously, snorted, scoffed, and rolled my eyes. “No,” I said, and then threw the pillow to the ground guiltily. Then I remembered it was his pillow and that was rude, so I quickly adjusted the smaller box to my hip and picked it up. Only I held it down at my side.

  While heat rose on my face, Carter grinned at me. He then chuckled, before turning and continuing. “What I was saying was Dustin’s offered or I might just get a storage unit.”

  I took the chance to move past my stalker move and quickly offered, “I have a garage with hardly anything in it. You could use that also when the time comes.”

  “Thanks.” He nodded with a warm smile.

  We entered the house, and the hostess in me took over. “The house isn’t that big. This is the living room. Through to the left are the dining room and kitchen. Then right down the hallway are the bedrooms, bathroom, and laundry. I’ll show you your room.” I made my way through the living room to the hall and down past the bathroom to the second bedroom of the house.

  “—he told me once he doesn’t like his testes being restricted, which is why he’s a boxer guy. I prefer a tighter type of boxer… just in case anyone was wondering,” Dustin said, picking up some boxers from within a box.

  “We weren’t,” Dad replied.

 
; “Jesus Christ, Dustin,” Carter cried. He lunged for his boxers and snapped them out of his hands, shoving them back in the box and closing it. “Is nothing sacred with you?”

  “What? We’re all guys here—”

  “Hey!” Brooke snapped.

  Dustin winced. “Oops, sorry, forgot you were in the room.”

  Brooke clenched her jaw, threw the box she was unpacking to the floor, then stormed out. How freaking dare he upset her. After stalking over to Dustin, I placed the box on the bed and then slapped Dustin upside the head.

  “What was that for?” he cried.

  With a glare, I shook my head at him, then spun to follow Brooke out. Only to quickly return and place Carter’s pillow, which I’d been clutching to my chest, on the bed.

  “You two don’t know what you’ve got yourself into hanging with them,” I heard Tom say.

  Dad snorted.

  “What did I do?” Dustin asked.

  “Is he always stupid?” Dad asked.

  I caught Carter’s, “Yep,” before I stepped into the living room. With no Brooke in sight, I went into the kitchen. She was standing in there with Mom.

  “How come you’re not unpacking, Mom?”

  She scoffed. “Your father didn’t want me in the room while Dustin’s in there. I got demoted to coffee and snack duty.”

  “Maybe it’s for the best. He’s a douche.” I glanced to Brooke; her eyes were down on the floor. “You okay?”

  She huffed out a breath. “Fine.”

  “What happened?” Mom asked. I shook my head slightly. She nodded. “The only advice I can give you both, without knowing fully what’s going on, is that men can screw up, a lot, and sometimes it’s good to just forgive their stupidity. Other times it’s better to make them pay while they grovel for forgiveness.”

  Brooke straightened. “Another thing to do would be to go out tonight, get tanked and sleep with a random to get over everything.”

  Mom gave me wide eyes. “Ah, maybe. I mean, you’re not attached to anyone, but be sure he’s not a criminal and will use protection.”

  Sheesh, Mom sure gave sound advice… sometimes.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Carter

  We all stared at Dustin after Reagan left. He glanced from each of us and finally stopped on me. “How am I stupid?”

  “If you weren’t on the Wolves, I’d hit you myself,” Tom stated.

  He threw his hands up in the air. “Why?”

  Herb opened his mouth to reply when Tom placed his hand on Herb’s arm and then shook his head. Herb nodded. “You’re right. He needs to learn on his own.”

  “And if he doesn’t, we kick his ass. Just not too much. He’ll have to play still.”

  Chuckling, I placed my box on the bed and straightened. “Where are you going?” Dustin was moving toward the door.

  “Obviously I need to figure out what I did. I’m going to ask the women.”

  Herb laughed.

  Tom snorted.

  I shook my head at him. He wasn’t gone long when I said, “Maybe I should check on him.”

  “Could be wise.” Herb nodded. “He is entering a kitchen full of women, and they have weapons close by.”

  Shit.

  I rushed out of the room but stopped when I spotted Dustin at the end of the hall. I could also hear Herb and Tom following me. I stepped behind Dustin and whispered, “What are you doing?”

  “They’re talking,” he hissed.

  “So?”

  “Listen,” he ordered.

  Leaning in—Herb and Tom close to our backs—we heard Elaine say, “The only advice I can give you both, without knowing fully what’s going on, is that men can screw up a lot. Sometimes it’s good to just forgive their stupidity. Other times it’s better to make them pay while they grovel for forgiveness.”

  Brooke replied, “Another thing to do would be to go out tonight, get tanked and sleep with a random to get over everything.”

  “Ah, maybe. I mean, you’re not attached to anyone, but be sure he’s not a criminal and will use protection,” Elaine said, her voice steady.

  Then Reagan said, “While sleeping with someone could be nice—” I didn’t hear the rest, my ears started ringing at thoughts of Reagan sleeping with some random. It didn’t sit right in my chest or gut.

  Hands grabbed my arms. I tried to struggle free, to run into that damn kitchen and order Reagan that she wouldn’t be joining Brooke and most definitely wouldn’t be sleeping with anyone but me.

  “Christ, it’s like working with a train. Calm down, son,” Herb ordered, backing me down the hall with Tom’s help. “Hey,” he snapped in my face. My eyes fixed on his. “Sorry for snapping, son, but you can’t go in there half-cocked and ready to take charge. I know my girl, and her back will come up. There’ll be a fight because she doesn’t like anyone telling her what to do.”

  Hell, I’d just lost it in front of her dad.

  He must have read the panic on my face because he laughed. “Elaine’s good at reading people and even Tom mentioned you liking my daughter.” He sniffed and patted me on the shoulder. “Even though you’re a brilliant football player, who’s a god on the field, you won’t win me over until you’ve won my daughter. She’s our world, and if you hurt her in any way, I’m going to have to make you pay. I won’t enjoy doing it, but I will for Reagan.”

  “And I’d help him,” Tom added. “But are you sure you don’t want a psychological evaluation first?”

  “Hey,” Herb barked. “That’s my daughter.”

  Tom raised his brows and waited.

  Herb rolled his eyes. “She takes after her mom. She’s unique, but has the biggest heart out of anyone I know.”

  “I know,” I said. It was why I wanted to be in her life. She was smart, loving, playful, funny… just amazing.

  Loud voices caught our attention. I started back down the hall once again with Herb and Tom at my back. We stepped into the living room.

  “Quiet,” Reagan yelled. The room fell silent. She put her hands on her hips and gave a stern look to the newcomers. “I thought I told you no one was to come over.”

  “Sorry, Miss, but we were in the neighborhood, and we were like, ‘Hey, Miss Wild lives just there. I bet she’d like a visit from her favorite students.’” I recognized Bradly at the front of three other kids from one of Reagan’s English classes.

  Reagan groaned, her head dropping back, eyes to the ceiling. Walking to her side, I noticed the guys spotting me.

  “Hey, Mr. Anthony.” Bradly smiled.

  “Hi, Mr. Anthony,” Wesley said with a wave.

  “S’up, Mr. Anthony.” Michael gave me a chin lift.

  “Carter, I didn’t—”

  I placed my hand on her lower back, and she stopped talking. I’d never noticed if she’d done it before or not, but it sure could come in handy for the future. If she ever got pissed at me, all I had to do was touch her, and she’d stop ranting.

  “It’s okay,” I reassured her. “Glad you guys popped in. We could use some help.”

  “Really?” Wesley asked, excitement in his voice.

  “Sure.” I nodded. “You can help me and Dustin unload the truck while the others unpack stuff inside, yeah?”

  “Dustin?” Michael muttered.

  I nodded, just as I heard the bathroom door open. “Whoa, I wouldn’t go in there for a while.”

  “Holy—”

  “Bradly,” Reagan snapped.

  “Ah, holy cubical, that’s Dustin Grant.”

  “Hey,” Dustin said.

  “I think I’m gonna pee myself,” Wesley mumbled.

  “Wesley—” Reagan started, but I ran my hand up her back.

  “It’s all right.”

  She turned to me. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded.

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  Winking, I left her there and walked past the guys. “Come on, let’s get me moved in.”

  By lunch, we had all b
oxes out of my truck and in the house. Herb and Tom thought it’d be a good idea to grill some meat out back, and I was surprised at the size of the outside space. There was a back patio where the ladies sat and watched, and Dustin and I were down one end of the lawn while we tossed the ball to the other end with Reagan’s students.

  Dustin was standing next to me when he said, “What do you think of Brooke?”

  After tossing the ball to Wesley, I said, “She’s nice. Funny.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed.

  “Dust, don’t fuck around with her.”

  “I won’t. I think I hurt her feelings earlier.”

  I gave him a dumbfounded look. “You think?”

  “Yep. She hasn’t spoken to me since. She’s good with Benjie.” He threw the ball, and it landed in Wesley’s arms, but not before smashing into his face. Blood poured out of his nose.

  “Wesley!” Reagan cried. She was up and out of her chair running for him. “Let me see,” she ordered as he tried to fight her off. But she cupped both cheeks and lifted his head.

  Damn. It was a scene I could see her doing with our kids.

  Our kids?

  I was already jumping into having kids with her when she didn’t even know I wanted her.

  Jesus.

  “You okay?” I asked Wesley, stopping at their side.

  “Yeah,” he mumbled, and when he did, blood splattered around his mouth.

  Reagan paled and swayed.

  “Ree?” I questioned.

  “I-I’m good,” she whispered.

  “Sorry about that, kid,” Dustin said.

  “No worries,” he replied, and more blood splattered down onto his tee.

  Reagan again swayed.

  I closed in to her back and took her hands in mine, a giddy little thrill spreading throughout me at touching her. I pried her hands off Wesley’s face and tucked her into me. Jesus, she felt so right in my arms. “Dustin will get Wesley cleaned up. Let’s get you sitting down.”

  All she managed was a nod. With my arm around her shoulders, I walked her back up to the patio, turned her and sat her between Brooke and Elaine.