At twenty-three, I made my intentions clear but lost it all. At thirty-five, I’m not making that mistake again. It may not be perfect as I always envisioned, but I’ll make it up to her.
My lips glide across hers, and I finally say the words I’ve wanted to since I walked up to the gorgeous seventeen-year-old girl who stole my heart.
“Marry me.”
Chapter 25
Darby
“Mom!” I burst into the house, searching frantically around. “Mom!”
“In here,” she calls from the kitchen, sounding oddly serene.
I rush in expecting the worst and screech to a stop when I spot Lynda and Jill sitting at the island, casually sipping what look like Mom’s French Martinis. Mom is at the bar filling a shaker, her hair and make-up done, perfectly coifed. More importantly, she’s not in a heap on the floor in agony or lying in bed surrounded by family.
Perfectly fucking fine... I’ve been set up.
“I’m going to kill Dad!” I scream.
“Quit being dramatic.” Mom quirks her eyebrow and side-eyes Jill.
“Dramatic? He sent me a text saying to get home for an emergency. Then, he refused to answer my calls. The last fucking time I got a message like that, you were seriously injured.” My gaze snaps to Lynda.
“For the record, I wasn’t a fan of this plan,” she tells me.
“Plan? What plan?” I rub my chest where my heart is still racing.
“You’ve been avoiding me, and Stephanie is locked up, so I had to take drastic measures.” Mom shakes the container vigorously and pours two more glasses, setting them on the island. “Now, come sit.”
I don’t want to sit. I want to suck down that drink, scream a little more about how scared I was, and then find my dad to strangle him. These women are up to no good.
I should have been more alert, ready for this. Stephanie warned me that Mom was hounding her for personal details about my weekend. I’d evaded most of her inquisitions, dodging her all week. The only consolation is hearing Stephanie remained strong and didn’t give anything away. As if she’s reading my mind, she waves her phone in the air.
“I’m ready to get her on speakerphone if you try to run.”
“Dirty play, especially for an old bat.”
“Live and learn, babe. One of these days, when you have kids, you’ll need these tricks in your arsenal to get to the bottom of things.”
At the mention of kids, I jerk to catch Jill’s lips curling into a knowing grin. Fucking Pierce, he told his mom. He’s in on this.
As soon as I get out of this mess, he’s getting an earful. He’s lucky I don’t drive to Kiawah and hand him his ass.
“You done stewing? We’re waiting.” Mom sighs as if I’m the nuisance here.
I stomp to them, slam my key and phone on the counter, and slump into the only seat left, which ironically is between Lynda and Jill. Deja vu rolls in the pit of my stomach, remembering the same position a few weeks ago when I lost my tongue and rattled on to them. I’m guessing this is going to be much the same but with martinis substituting margaritas.
I draw in a deep breath and decide to play along, pasting a smile, and saccharine-sweetly chirp, “If you ladies wanted to have an impromptu cocktail hour, I respond much better to invitations than sneak attacks.”
“You’d have to talk to me to respond to an invitation,” Mom points out. “And, so far, the only communication in days has been through technology. You’ve been home four days and are intentionally hiding. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“I haven’t been hiding. I’ve been busy. It’s called work.”
“Yes, Pierce is very unhappy you spent last night at the bakery. He asked me to offer my help if you’re that swamped.” Jill slides the lone martini my way.
“I didn’t deliberately fall asleep at the bakery. I finished late, and it was supposed to be a power nap. Runner curled up with me, and the next thing I knew, Pierce was calling this morning.”
“Cut the crap, Darby Rose. You’re not an amateur. Long days and nights are your forte. We want to know how the weekend went.” Mom scolds me like a child.
Why, oh why, do I love this woman?
“I already told each of you when you called. It was terrific.”
“That is a very generic and PC answer,” Lynda counters back.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Yours and Pierce’s. This was a big deal, and terrific isn’t going to cut it.”
Dammit! Why do I have to love this woman, too? At least, she’s gentler in her approach. Three sets of eyes bore into me, and I take a very unladylike gulp of the martini. “Fine, it was more than terrific. I drove up with nervous knots in the pit of my stomach. At one point, I’ll admit to looking at the clock and calculating the hours until I’d be coming home. But in true Pierce style, he had other plans. You know I was ambushed, and my day trip turned into the weekend.”
I tell them everything they want to know. Mom perks up at the mention of Martin and Dave, having met them several times. The dinners, the donuts with the kids, the days at the beach and pool, the games we played and movies we watched. Cole and Maya’s success at hunting shells and shark teeth gets a proud smile from Jill. I don’t mention the call with Connie that upset Maya because that is for Pierce to discuss. I also leave out the creative sexual escapades Pierce came up with when the kids weren’t around and the fact that he blurted out, “Marry me,” in the middle of the kitchen, then took me to bed that night, making love to me tenderly and saying it over and over again.
He still doesn’t have his answer, which has made him even crazier.
“That sounds more than terrific. You bonded with the children and showed them normalcy like they’ve never had before. Their father has never had a woman in his life, and the masquerade Connie plays is unhealthy. I’ve been a nervous wreck since you drove there. When I heard you were staying, there was concern he pushed too hard, but obviously not.” Jill resembles a woman who’s been given the best news in her life.
“Yes, I guess you’re right if you put it that way. But this wasn’t all Pierce. He graduated from his typical coaxing and dragged the whole Kendrick Clan in. Miller, Maya, Cole… they were the plotters.”
“You are kidding!” She howls. “Pierce hasn’t been very forthcoming, except for…” She trails off.
Shards of ice prickle my flesh, and I throw back the rest of my drink, jumping up to make another. Screw the mix. Maybe I should drink straight from the bottle. Then, I’m going to call Evin to save me from theses wolves.
“Except for what?” Mom presses.
“Well, Pierce… he is… his vision… Umm…” Jill’s so tongue-tied I take pity on her.
“What she’s trying to say is that Pierce was pleased with the outcome of our weekend and has set his sights on the future.”
“Are we talking in politically correct jargon again? What does this mean?” Mom loses her patience.
“I think Pierce wants to marry me.”
She stares at me blankly. “Everyone’s known that forever. This is not news to anyone who’s been watching. Did he finally ask?”
“In his own way.”
“Hot damn!” She slaps her hand down with a loud clap and shoots the rest of her martini back. “It’s about time.”
“I haven’t answered him.”
Her eyes twinkle, and her lips curl into a playful grin. “That’s okay. It took the boy long enough to do it; you can keep him on the hook for a while. Just don’t make it another sixteen years.”
“Mom, it’s been a matter of weeks since we rekindled a relationship. This is too soon. A few great days with his children doesn’t mean we need to rush anything.”
“Pierce disagrees. When I spoke to him this morning, he was crawling out of his skin. I’m here to warn you; he says he’s done waiting,” Jill informs me with a hint of humor.
“I think it’s safe to say we’re all done waiting. Let’s not drag it out too long, Darby.” Lynda slides her
empty glass toward me. “Now, let’s have a drink of celebration.”
“I’m on it. My girl can’t make them right.” Mom jumps up. “Gotta have the right portions to make that extra special pop.”
“Yes, I can make them right,” I defend. “And what do we have to celebrate?”
“Your ‘in-his-own-way’ proposal and eventual acceptance,” Lynda answers.
“Not to mention, Darby’s fantastic weekend with my family,” Jill adds.
“And we never got to celebrate the record-breaking day at the bizarre a few weeks ago,” Mom chimes in.
“You ladies need to get a life,” I grumble, even though, secretly, I’m ecstatic with all these things, too.
“No, you, young lady, need to get an attitude adjustment. When you hit our age, you find the time to appreciate and celebrate everything good in this life,” Mom snaps back.
I glance around at three of the women I love most in this world. It wasn’t thirty minutes ago that I wanted to throttle each one of them, but that’s the way it is. The nagging, nosiness, and inappropriate methods of butting into my life aren’t going to change.
Reality explodes in my mind. Twelve years ago, they stood by and kept their mouths shut, letting me sort through things the way I thought best. And I lost so much.
This time around, they aren’t going to let that happen. They’re taking matters in hand. All the irritation I’ve been holding on to evaporates into thin air, and I swallow the sting at the base of my throat.
“Maybe we could celebrate my non-proposal from Pierce.” I give in with a shy grin.
“That’s a given, Darby. What I want to know is when can I expect grandchildren?”
This time, I can’t stop myself, losing the last ounce of self-control. I slam back the drink my mom hands me and groan into the room.
•—•—•—•—•
“More,” Pierce demands, squeezing my breasts so hard I whine.
“I can’t,” I reply breathlessly, my arms shaking as I balance on his chest.
“Ride me, baby. Give me another one.” His hips slam up, and I cry out at the sensation.
“It’s too much.” I try to rock gently.
“Then say yes.”
My eyes snap open, and I glare down, tempted to slap the cocky grin off his face. My exhaustion is gone, having been replaced with a new motivation. I press hard on his chest, strengthen my thighs on his, slip upward, and then slam down.
His grin falls, and his eyes blaze before rolling back in his head. “Fuck,” he growls when I continue the movement over and over.
He swipes my nipples, sending pleasure everywhere, but I’m not giving in. His grunts grow louder as I pummel up and down, enjoying the view of watching him come undone. He tries to slow me by gripping my ribcage, but I stay focused.
“Say…” grunt… ”fucking…” groan… “YES!” he screams when I reach behind and grab his balls.
“Maybe,” I repeat again, referring to his constant insistence that I marry him. He’s not happy with my non-commitment, and this is getting fun.
His jaw locks, the veins in his neck and forehead tick, and when he opens his eyes, they are smoldering. My energy intensifies as I drive harder, fucking him like never before. Control is mine, and it’s a powerful drug that makes me want more.
He tries to roll us, but in this instant, I’m stronger, tightening my grip on his balls and thrusting forward with my hips. His teeth grind together, and he tries again only to howl when I scrape my nails, clenching every muscle in my body.
I’m sure the windows rattle and quake when he knifes up, screaming my name and jerking furiously. He thrusts up twice, and I’m crying out with him, giving into the fourth orgasm of the night. Sweat covers our bodies as he holds me close and unloads on shallow breaths.
“Welcome home, Pierce Kendrick,” I say hoarsely, finding it hard to breathe.
“Thirty-five years old. Jerked off to the image of you in that bathing suit for four days, multiple times, preparing for this night. No mercy, no excuses, you were going to say yes. Then, I let you take over and lost my goddammed mind.”
“Rookie mistake. I know how to play your game.”
He bites, actually bites, not nips, nibbles, or snips, the tendon in my throat, and I yelp. His tongue moves along the area, kissing gently. “I want an answer.”
“I want time.”
“I want you.”
“You have me.”
“I want everything with you.”
My heart melts, and I nuzzle into his neck. “I love you, Pierce. Give me some time.”
“I want it all, Darby, and you are the only one who can give me that.”
“Then, you’ll wait… and maybe give me a real proposal,” I throw in.
His head shoots up, and I know I’ve gotten through.
“If I kneel right now, worshipping you as I do, would that be the perfect proposal?”
“No, because I know your agenda. I need time, and,” I draw out, “we have more to conquer.”
He scowls, clearly disapproving. “You aren’t leaving this town without a ring on your finger. Six months in Aspen is going to be hard enough.”
I take advantage of our position, leaning to the side and bringing him with me as we fall. “Baby, you just got home from a great vacation. Let’s not focus on when I move.”
“Temporarily move,” he corrects.
A change of subject is in order. “Why don’t we discuss you sic’ing your Mom on me last night?”
“I told you already, that had nothing to do with me. Annie was the ringleader. All I wanted was for Mom to offer to help you with anything so you didn’t spend the fucking night in that bakery again.”
I study him closely and decide he’s telling the truth, or at least the half-truth.
“It wasn’t intentional, and in a way, I did it for you. Well, as a surprise. With the exception of a few hours on Sunday to fill my orders for the Fourth of July events, I’ve arranged to be off through Wednesday.”
His eyes light up, and like always, my heart melts at the blue beams staring back. The Fourth of July was always one of our favorite holidays. The Kendrick’s have a huge bash that rivals most of the celebrations around town. Back in time, Kendrick Construction employees and all of our family and friends would start our day partying around the pool and break off when it got close to dusk. Miller always had the boat hitched and ready to go, and we’d ride out to watch the fireworks from the water. Sometimes, Miller brought a date; sometimes, he didn’t. But Pierce and I always watched the fireworks with me on his lap, kissing and whispering.
His gaze grows soft, and I know he’s remembering the same things.
“You know my parents upgraded that old boat. Bought one with a cabin.” One side of his lip curls up.
“Why do you think I took the next day off?”
This earns me a full out, blinding smile.
Chapter 26
Pierce
I sip my beer and take in the scene of my parents’ backyard. Runner lays snoring in the shade, worn out from a day of doggy entertainment. There is no telling how many treats and snacks that dog has been given. Next to Darby, this dog is one of the most popular guests of the day. In his own canine way, he’s charmed everyone he’s met.
Every year, Mom barks orders at us until Dad, Miller, and I have everything set up. It’s a pain in the ass, and I’ve hated every second.
Until today. Today, I have a new appreciation for the grueling, backbreaking, and sweat-soaking hours of work.
The reason is the stunning brunette, shagging to the tunes of beach music with my Dad on the dance floor under a tent. They are surrounded by friends doing the same. Huge misting fans stand in the corners, but no one seems to care about the heat.
Edward dances with Annie, Evin with my mom, Miller with Maya, and Cole is cannonballing his way to a Guinness world record with a few other kids. The only thing keeping me from stealing Darby from Dad is the phone in my hand, weighing
me down like a boulder. Connie is supposed to let me know when she’s on the way to pick up the kids, and I want to have them ready to meet her at the front.
Not surprisingly, she’s late, even after insisting she wanted them to spend the holiday with her family.
Edward shimmies Annie over to Miller, and they exchange partners, Maya’s voice exploding in giggles when Edward takes her little hands in his and swings her out.
My girl is happy. She’s having the time of her life.
I’m about to say fuck-it and join them when Runner jumps up, growling fiercely. I slash my head to him, then follow his line of sight to find Connie standing inside the back gate, glowering at the dance floor. He jets past me, over the pool deck, and through the crowd until he’s circling Darby. She’s also laughing but glances down and stops dead, crouching to him. Miller turns, sees Connie, and heads our way.
“Connie, stop,” I say low enough for her to hear.
She shoots a death glare my way.
“You were supposed to let me know when you were coming.”
“Wouldn’t that be convenient?” she snaps.
“That was the point, to make it convenient.”
“So you could make me the bad parent? Taking my kids away from the big party to spend the holiday with their own mother, instead of having the decency of inviting me?”
“Don’t cause a scene, Connie.”
“Why? Because Queen Darby may be embarrassed?” She throws her hand out to the direction of the dance floor.
“No, because our kids don’t deserve it.”
“We need to talk,” she fumes, changing her direction toward my parents’ patio doors.
“Don’t,” I bark.
“Why? Am I not allowed in the family home anymore? Jill and Warren have been brainwashed as well?”
“Hello, Connie,” Mom soothes the air, appearing at my side.
“Jill.”
“Pierce, why don’t you take Connie to the kitchen, and I’ll get the kids ready to go? They are very excited about going downtown with their mom for the festivities. It shouldn’t take long.”
I nod, noticing out of the corner of my eye, Evin and Miller already walking inside.
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