by Tara Lain
“Never stop, my love. Never stop.”
Remy hammered and thrust until his body stiffened and his mouth opened in a silent scream of ecstasy. Just seeing him rocketed Harper into an orgasm so intense it felt like his head exploded—in the very best way.
As Remy collapsed onto Harper’s chest, he chuckled. “Oh man, am I gonna need a lot of sweet tea after this.”
Chapter Seventeen
REMY SIPPED the magic dark-roast elixir Harper had made for him in the kitchen at River Oaks and then took a bite of scrambled eggs with cheese, olives, and tomatoes. The two of them sat on the broad porch, sipping coffee and watching the river flow by.
Remy smiled. “I love this coffee, but I’ll never again say it’s better than sex.”
“I hoped when you made that statement that I’d have a chance to change your mind someday.” Harper grinned. “I must say, you disproved the idea that all men love blowjobs the most.”
Remy’s cheeks got a little warm. He’d taken to fucking Harper like he’d been doing it his whole life. Nothing he’d ever done or experienced even came close. “Yeah. I think because you’re the first and only man I’ve ever had anal sex with, that makes it even more special. It’s just for us. But of course blowjobs are always welcome.” He chuckled.
“I owe you a blowjob and sweet tea later.”
“Right. I said I needed that, didn’t I? Ideas I had about food, drink, or anything else last night got swallowed up in my twelve hours of sleep. But I sure feel good now.” Of course, another round of unbelievable sex with Harper that morning had set him up for the day.
Harper stared out across the river with dreamy eyes. He looked happy—and he looked at home. Harper glanced at Remy with a soft smile. “So I want to take you to meet Mama Two before we go over to my mother’s house. Maybe I can get an early reservation for dinner so we can come home and fuck after.”
“I love your one-track mind.”
They left the dishes in the sink and called for maid service while they were gone. Fifteen minutes later, dressed in a polo shirt and jeans and feeling more relaxed than he had since he was ten, Remy walked down the porch stairs and climbed into the passenger seat of Harper’s car. Yes, he had all the same problems he’d arrived with—minus one. He now had Harper in his life, and that made all the difference. His other problems seemed conquerable, and even if they weren’t, Remy had… it all.
While Harper drove, Remy caressed his neck and gazed out the window at the trees and ramshackle buildings and the bugs and all the stuff he’d spent most of his adult life rejecting. Funny how all of it took on a whole new meaning with Harper in it. He gave a soft snort.
“What?”
“I was just thinking I can even stand cockroaches if you go with them.”
Harper gave him a quick stare. “Uh, I think I came in on the end of that thought.”
He laughed. “I just mean, I like Arkansas a lot better because of you.”
Harper gave him a glance that looked a little sad, but before Remy could ask about it, Harper pointed at an old house ahead of them. “That’s the community center.”
“Doesn’t that place have bad memories for you?”
“Actually, I found out Sylvan lied to them about me. I had an amazing conversation with two of the men. I’ll tell you about it.” He parked the car on the street, and they walked across the sparse lawn to the front porch. As they opened the screen door, a bell rang, and an attractive woman with sandy hair came down the stairs. “Harper, I—oh.”
Harper said, “Mama Two, this is Remy.”
“Remy?”
“Yes, my, uh, friend from California. Remember I told you? I thought he wasn’t, uh….”
She broke into a huge smile. “Remy. Welcome to Windy Pines. On my God, we’re so happy to see you. Come in, come in. I’ll get the tea.”
She guided them into a big room that had clearly been created by tearing down walls between a living and dining room and maybe more. There was a big table in the corner where men and women sat playing cards, the sound of pool balls clicked from someplace beyond an arch into what looked like a sunroom, and through a window, Remy spied a group of kids playing on a playground. It was a bit shabby and oh so comfortable.
They sat at a table by the windows.
Remy said, “Could I have sweet tea?”
Mama Two and Harper looked at each other and laughed. She said, “Remy, in Arkansas, tea is sweet tea. If you want it unsweetened, you have to ask.”
He smiled. “Now why didn’t my mama teach me that?” She went off to what looked like a kitchen and Remy said, “What a great place.”
Harper nodded and looked around wistfully. “Yes, it helps hold the town together. Especially now when so many people are out of work. The center looks for jobs and helps people network as well as socialize. They’re even doing some training upstairs. Our quilting society is becoming the computer club.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“Employment’s really bad?”
“There used to be a dairy and some other agricultural enterprises, but they were rolled into bigger corporations.” He glanced at Remy, then down at his hands. “Both MercedMarts were closed pretty suddenly.” He shrugged. “And when the bigger employers close, the mom-and-pops have trouble surviving.”
Mama Two put tall glasses of ice and tea on the table and sat in one of the empty chairs. “So Remy, how do you happen to be here?”
Harper gave him a shining-eyed smile but didn’t say anything.
Remy grinned. “Harper left his car in California, and I knew he was going to need it, so I drove it to him.”
“Well, isn’t that nice.” She gave Harper a knowing look. “And here Harper was thinking he’d never see you again.”
“He couldn’t get rid of me that easy.”
“So I gather you two are—” She waved a hand.
Remy said, “A couple? Yes, ma’am. If I have anything to say about it, Harper’s off the market.”
She sat back and clasped her fingers across her flat, denim-clad middle. “Well isn’t that just something?”
Remy glanced around the busy room where lots of pairs of eyes were creeping their way every few seconds. “Mama—uh, is there something I should call you besides Mama Two?”
She laughed. “My name’s Frankie Ritter, but everyone calls me Mama Two, and that can include you if you’re so inclined.”
“Well, Mama Two, how about showing me around the community center.”
Harper looked at Remy with a surprised smile, and Mama Two grinned with pleasure. Obviously the center was her baby. She rose. “Bring your tea and we’ll get refills.”
After stopping at the kitchen to top off their tea, Harper said, “Let’s go upstairs while the ladies are still at it.”
They climbed the staircase in the entry to a floor of what must once have been bedrooms. Some of the spaces were obviously used for administration and storage, but when they got to the biggest room, Mama Two led them inside. A group of twelve women of different ages—a number clearly quite elderly—clustered around four old computers as a young woman with tattoos walked from group to group, giving instruction.
Mama Two said quietly, “Wendy has volunteered to teach classes to women in using computers. As you can see, we’re low on hardware, but high on enthusiasm.”
A couple of the women waggled fingers at Harper.
One lady called, “Hi, darlin’.”
“Hi, Emma.” Harper waved back.
Remy asked, “Only women?”
“No. Wendy teaches a men’s class too, but these ladies have been a group for a while, although they’ve grown recently. They wanted to stick together.”
One of the older women separated herself from the group and came over to Mama Two. She looked up at Remy, way up since she wasn’t more than four foot eleven. “You’re quite handsome. Who are you?”
Harper grinned. “Jocelyn, this is my friend Remy.”
“Oh, friend?” She g
ave him an appraising look. “I hope you’re a very good friend.”
“Well, ma’am, usually I’m good, but occasionally I’m naughty.” Remy grinned down at her.
She threw back her head and laughed heartily while patting his arm. “Bless your heart, Remy. Around here we love people who love our Harper.”
“Then, Jocelyn, you must love me a lot.” He gave Harper a long look. Man, he’s adorable.
She nudged him again then said, “Excuse me. I need to go become an IT guru.” She chuckled all the way back to the workstation.
Mama Two pointed to the offices, then walked them back downstairs, where the number of people in the room had increased. They looked into a sun porch where a pool table had attracted a number of men. One huge bruiser of a guy glanced over and nodded at Harper, who said, “Hey, Josiah.”
Josiah raised his eyebrows at Remy and gave a small smile.
Back in the main room, the card players had increased, and a number of them hailed Harper, then looked at Remy inquisitively.
As Remy stood in the middle of the room talking to Mama Two and Harper about the center and all its services, he felt someone tap on his back. He turned to see Jocelyn and behind her a number of the women who’d been in the computer class.
She said, “You said your name is Remy. You don’t happen to be Remy Merced do you?”
He nodded. “Yes, I am.”
It was like someone turned off the sound switch in the room. Silence.
Then the whispers began.
“Merced.”
“Remy Merced.”
“Why’s he here?”
Harper looked around and then at Remy with wide eyes.
A male voice behind Remy said, “So you’re Remy Merced?”
Remy turned and saw the voice belonged to a tall, thin redheaded man who stared at him with serious eyes. Remy nodded.
“So did you come here to reopen the stores or close down more?”
A young woman jumped up from a table where she’d been playing cards. “Oh my God, will you reopen the stores? I could get my job back?”
Harper said, “Judy, Remy’s not in charge of the stores.”
The thin man said, “But if you’re a Merced, you must have some say. You can put in a good word for us.”
Remy held up a hand, palm outward and the hubbub died down a bit. “Harper’s right. I’m not in charge of the stores, but I know my brother had to close locations that didn’t have enough customers around to support them.”
Harper nodded. “We all know how much population has moved away over the last few years.”
The woman named Judy had tears in her eyes. “So the stores won’t reopen?” A woman next to her put her arm around Judy.
Remy said, “Not the way you remember them.”
Jocelyn narrowed her canny old eyes. “What does that mean?”
Remy looked around at the faces of people, all focused on him with skepticism—and hope. If you don’t come through, you’ll kill their trust in your company forever. He took a breath. “I have an idea.”
One of the other women said, “What?”
“Bear with me for a minute.” Harper was looking at him with as much confusion as everyone else. Remy turned to Judy. “Judy, if I called you and said I wanted you to shop for me at MercedMart and I needed lettuce and avocadoes and steak, what would you say?”
She frowned. “What does that have to do with my job?”
“Just pretend your job depends on it. What would you do?”
She shrugged. “Well, I’d tell you I recommend romaine or red lettuce more than iceberg, and how did that sound, and when do you want to use your avocadoes, and what kind of steak exactly do you want?”
Harper reached out and grabbed Remy by the arm, his mouth open.
Remy grinned and looked back at Judy. “Okay.” He turned to Jocelyn. “What about you, Jocelyn? Same question.”
Jocelyn crossed her arms and cocked her head at him. “I think Judy’s answers are good, but I might ask what kind of meals you’re planning on cooking and how much marbling you want on your steak.”
Suddenly, Harper hurled himself at Remy and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Oh my God, you’re a genius, a total genius. Why didn’t I see it?”
Remy said, “Too close. Otherwise you would have?”
The giant man with the bald head and tattoos said, “Whatcha talkin’ about, Harper?”
Harper looked at the roomful of people. “Remy and I have been trying to find a way to solve a serious business problem, and you guys might be that solution. If it works, there could be training and jobs—”
Remy cut in, “—for everyone who wants a job.”
The big man said, “You’re kidding.”
Harper waved his hands. “No. It’s no joke. Everyone would have to train like crazy to learn computer skills, but, oh my God, it could be perfect.” He fanned his hand in front of his face and seemed to blink back tears.
Jocelyn said, “Can you tell us more?”
Remy replied, “Not too much because I can’t act without agreement from our board of directors, but study computers and don’t give up hope.”
Remy’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “Excuse me.” As he stepped out of the circle, everyone closed in on Harper.
Remy walked toward the entry and clicked the phone. “Hi, Mama.”
“Hi, darlin’. How’s your trip going?”
“Better than I could ever have dreamed, Mama. Not only did I find the one I love, I might have found an answer to our online ordering problem. That’s just a little garnish on the main meal, you understand.”
“You sound happy, Remy.”
“I am, Mama. I can’t wait to tell you everything.”
“Before we can settle down and just be happy, we have a little hiccup, and I think you may want to come deal with it personally.”
Remy felt himself frown. “What?”
“I’ve been told that Sylvan Hoag is giving a press conference tomorrow afternoon in which he plans to tell the world you’re gay and that Merced Enterprises is about to crash and burn, ending the future of brick-and-mortar retail.”
“Well shit.” He ran a hand through his hair. “The bastard.”
“Um-hum.”
“How did you hear about this?”
“I’m proud to say I was told by Felicity Worksman.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“So darlin’, you want to come home?”
“Yes, Mama.”
“Good. Go get the company plane in Fayetteville.”
He hung up and stared at the phone. Just when he’d taken his first relaxed breaths in years, all hell was breaking loose. He looked up toward the main room of the center and saw Harper gazing toward him with a soft smile.
Remy smiled back. Whatever comes, he’s more than worth it.
Harper must have seen the worry on Remy’s face because he rushed in. “You okay?”
“That was Mama.” He took a breath. It would be great if Harper didn’t have to know or worry about this mess, but he’d find out for sure. “Hoag’s having a press conference where he’s going to out me as gay and declare MercedMart as washed up and unable to meet the challenges of the new economy.”
Harper planted his hands on his hips. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
Remy gave a snort. “Wish I was.”
“I’ll kill that fat bastard.”
This time Remy did laugh. “I’ve got to get to the airport in Fayetteville and take the company plane home. We’ll decide what to do when I see Mama and John Jack.”
“Think again, baby.”
“What?”
“We’re taking the company plane.” His angry expression and pugnacious posture were only slightly dampened when he had to shove his glasses back up his nose.
Chapter Eighteen
REMY GAZED out the window of the limo as they approached the yacht club. “I’m glad he decided to hold his pre
ss conference here. At least we won’t have any trouble getting in.”
Mama nodded, but she looked focused and intent. “They won’t keep a Merced out. Not if they know what’s good for their damned treasury.”
John Jack leaned forward and put a hand on Remy’s knee. “Are you sure we want to be so bold with your promises? You haven’t even tested your support team yet.”
Remy looked at Harper. “Do we want to be so bold?”
Harper nodded once. “Yes. We’ll make this work if I have to take every support call myself.”
Mama put her hand on Harper’s shoulder. “I think the idea’s brilliant and inspired. I can’t wait to fly to Windy Pines and meet all these people. And I think we need to let Nora Mae help with training everyone.”
John Jack looked from Remy to Harper to Mama. “Okay, I’ll trust your judgment, but damn Remy, don’t let me down. Starting up online ordering operations is a huge investment. The warehouses, the inventory, the software—your little support operation is a drop in the bucket by comparison.”
Harper said, “But it’s the secret sauce that makes the rest of the bucket work, or some such mixed metaphor like that.”
Mama stretched out her legs in tight leather. “Besides, darlins’, we’re Merceds. Harper, you’re almost a Merced. And we don’t take the safe side of the road. Never have. Never will. Got it?”
All three men said at the same time, “Yes, Mama.”
As the limo pulled in front of the club, Harper took Remy’s hand and squeezed. He said softly, “How are you feeling? It’s always a stressful thing to come out, no matter how it happens.”
Remy smiled. “I’m proud to tell the world I love you.” He leaned in close. “But the F/A-18s flying in my stomach are about to go into the missing man formation.”