by Ali Parker
He checked his watch. “It’s a little early for a beer, but I guess it’s five o’clock somewhere.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was thinking coffee.”
“Party pooper.”
I shook my head and led the way inside. With two cups of coffee, we sat down outside in the rockers, which was my favorite place to be. “I left because I didn’t think I could commit to the farm. My grandfather left it to me, but I think he would have preferred to leave it to Alex. I felt like he was obligated to leave it to me.”
“Is it because of what I said?” he asked.
“No. I found out directly from the attorney that handled the estate that Alex would have inherited the farm if I would have turned it down.”
“But the inheritance you really wanted was in a bank,” he said.
“Yes and no. Obviously, the money would have been nice, but I really thought I could do the farm thing. Then I got here and I don’t know. I felt unsettled. I couldn’t quite get my head around me making Geraldine my permanent home.”
“Fear of commitment,” he answered.
I laughed. “Like you would know anything about that.”
He held up his left hand. “Do you see a ring on this finger? Hell no. It ain’t for lack of the ladies trying. Trust me, I know a commitment-phobe when I see one. You are. Rather, I think you were. You’re back. What brought you back?”
“Oliver.”
“Oliver Senior or Junior?” he asked with confusion.
“Junior,” I said with a laugh. “That kid was furious with me. He was pissed. He didn’t want to leave. I tried to bribe him with a new house and a fancy school and he just wasn’t having it. He really dug in and gave me hell. If I wasn’t on the receiving end of his wrath, I would have been proud of the kid.”
“Hmm,” he said, appearing thoughtful. “Here I thought you came back because you wanted Alex.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
He laughed. “I didn’t hear a denial in there.”
“Oliver needs to be here. This is a great place to raise a kid. He was happy here and I had no business yanking him back and forth across the country. It is official. I am here to stay, and I have no plans to leave again. I don’t care about the inheritance or any of it. I’m going to live the life of a farmer. I’m stepping into the very large shoes my grandpa left behind. I just really, really hope I don’t completely fuck it up.”
He smirked. “And Alex had nothing to do with it.”
I grinned, shrugging a shoulder and saying nothing.
“Ah, I see you’re taking the fifth. That says everything. Not having an answer is the answer in itself.”
I avoided his gaze. “How have you been?” I asked, doing a very poor job of smoothly changing the subject.
“I’m good. Have some time off and trying to stay busy. If I’m not chasing women, I’m drinking. Both activities get me in trouble.”
“I could see why,” I said with a laugh.
“Maybe I should go on over to New York and see what trouble I can find,” he said.
I groaned. “Trust me, you don’t have to look far to find trouble in the city. It’s there. It’s everywhere. You can’t get away from trouble.”
“You seem to have done an okay job of it.”
I shrugged. “Not when I first got there. I was a country boy released into the wild with no parental supervision. I went a little wild.”
His deep laughter made me smile. “I cannot imagine you wild. You seem a little uptight. No offense.”
“I’m not wild—not now. I got it out of my system.”
“Ah, you had a kid. That’s why I’m never having kids. I don’t want to settle down. I like being a little on the wild side.”
“Until that wild side gets you in serious trouble,” I warned. “Drinking and women tend to lead to kids.”
He chuckled. “Not with me. I don’t care how drunk I am. I’m not making babies with no one.”
I looked over at him. He talked a big talk, but he had a gentle nature about him, kind of like a teddy bear. There was something about him that made me trust him. He didn’t try to hide who he was or pretend to be anything other than who he was.
I laughed, getting a wild idea. “How are you with kids?” I asked him.
He curled his lip. “I don’t want to have your babies, Damion. I appreciate you coming back to town and all, but this thing we’ve got going, it’s strictly platonic.”
I almost choked on the coffee. “Thanks for clearing that up for me. You may be right about Alex being a motivating factor in my return.”
“No shit? Color me shocked.”
“Ha. Ha. I need a sitter so I can take her out.”
“I don’t babysit.”
“It’s not that hard. He doesn’t need diaper changes or much of anything. Your job would be to keep him alive.”
He scoffed. “That’s a lot harder than it sounds. I’ve seen kids play before. Hell, I was a kid. I’m surprised I’m alive. My mother always said she expected to bury me before my tenth birthday.”
“That’s awful,” I replied. “Trust me, Oliver isn’t that kind of a kid. His biggest danger is a papercut from one of the books he reads. He’s not exactly the outdoorsy, adventurous type. Not yet anyway.”
“There are plenty of people who will babysit for you,” he said.
“I’ll pay you double what I would pay a sitter,” I offered.
He groaned. “You have to have his food ready. Feed him before I show up. I don’t cook kid food.”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s a human kid. You don’t have to spoon-feed him. I’ll have dinner made.”
“When is this supposed to happen? I might have plans.”
“Saturday night work for you?”
He shrugged. “Can I bring a six-pack?”
“No. You’re babysitting. That means you can’t drink.”
“Well that’s stupid,” he muttered.
I shook my head. “You’ve really never been around kids?”
“Nope. A few of the ladies I’ve dated have had kids, but they’re smart enough not to leave me alone with them.”
I laughed. “I trust Oliver. He’ll keep you in line.”
“I sure as hell hope so. Is this going to be an overnight thing?”
“No. Definitely not. We’re not there yet.”
He blew out a breath. “Thank god.”
“Thanks for watching him. I really do appreciate it.”
“I hope I don’t fuck up the kid,” he warned.
“I hope you don’t either. I’d have to bury you under that big ol’ tree in the backyard.”
He burst into laughter, slapping his hand on his thigh. “Holy shit. I didn’t think you had it in you.”
“When it comes to my kid, I’ve got it in me.”
“Good man,” he said in a serious voice. “All right, unlock that shed for me and let me get that mower out of there.”
“Thanks for doing it for me. I’ve got my hands full with the other stuff.”
“Why not have Alex do her thing?” he asked.
I grinned. “Because she doesn’t like to mix business with pleasure, and as it turns out, when she’s around, very little work gets done.”
He chuckled. “I knew there was a reason you were back, and it has nothing to do with the kid throwing a fit.”
I winked. “A little bit because of the kid.”
We both laughed as we headed for the shed. I was happy he was still willing to come around and help out. It was well worth the beer it was going to cost me. With him happily mowing, I got started on the multitude of other tasks requiring my attention. It would have been nice to have Alex’s company, but it was better if she wasn’t there.
Chapter 56
Alex
I greedily took a bite from the massive cheeseburger on my plate. Sadie was watching me with a strange look on her face. I watched as she daintily took a bite of a French fry. I grabbed my soda, sipped on it, and washed d
own the food in my mouth.
“What?” I asked her.
“You’re eating like you haven’t eaten in weeks.”
I shrugged. “I haven’t. Not really.”
“I take it things are going well with you and Damion?”
I smiled. “They are.”
“Did you guys talk, like actually talk with words, or was it all horizontal?”
I wasn’t even offended. “Yes. We went fishing yesterday and hung out for a bit with Oliver. It was nice.”
“Did you tell him how you felt?” she pressed.
I grimaced. “Not exactly. I did, but I didn’t. He told me how he felt and then things kind of got heated.”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, they did. You turn into a sex machine when he’s around. It’s really quite gross. And I’m completely jealous.”
“It’s more than sex. It’s so much more than that. We don’t always get along, and I do want to shake him silly sometimes, but it’s a lot like how I want to shake you silly. It isn’t like I want to shake him to his death, but more of like me and you.”
She scowled at me. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“I love you,” I told her. “You know you’re my best friend and the closest thing I have to family. But sometimes you really piss me off, just like I know I piss you off.”
“Like right now?”
“You know what I mean. That’s how it is with him. He makes me crazy, but I love him.”
She shook her head. “You’re so weird. I blame your childhood.”
I laughed. “Me too. It is what it is. I am crazy. I know it, but it doesn’t seem to scare him. Isn’t that even crazier?”
“I’ve never seen you giddy. It’s weird. In a good way, but weird.”
I giggled, reaching for the soda and taking another drink. “I do feel giddy. I was under such a cloud of misery for so long and I’m not talking about the last few weeks. It’s been forever. I’ve always felt half-alive. I had the little dream of owning my own farm one day, but it was never passionate. I feel passionate now. Life is good. I want to enjoy it. I want to spend my days making Oliver smile and Damion laugh.”
“You’ve got it bad,” she said.
“I do. All those people I made fun of over the years and laughed at for being sappy, I owe them an apology.”
She laughed. “Nah, we had fun making fun of those couples.”
“Yes, we did.”
My phone vibrated next to my plate. I snatched it up, hoping it would be a message from Damion. It was. I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading over my face.
“I take it that’s from lover boy?”
“It is. He wants to go out tomorrow.”
“Do you need me to babysit Oliver?” she offered. “I was going to go out with Benny, but I’m not totally sold on the idea.”
“No, actually he says he has someone,” I told her.
“Really? Who? Did he bring a New York nanny back with him?”
“Not that I saw, and if he did, there will be a very long conversation about that. I know the stories about nannies and their hot bosses. I will beat her ass if she messes with my man.”
She hissed. “Damn girl, you’ve turned violent.”
“I’m possessive,” I said with a shrug. “Trust me. If you had a taste of his—well, you know what I mean. You would be very possessive as well. He’s mine.”
I quickly texted him back, letting him know I would love to go on a real date. I put my phone down and suddenly got a horrible case of the what ifs.
“What’s wrong?” Sadie asked. “You look like you want to vomit.”
“Why would he want me if there is a hot nanny at his house? I know there isn’t anything special about me. He’s used to those women in New York. Have you seen him? He could be with a Victoria’s Secret model. What the hell am I doing?”
“You just switched gears so fast, I’m dizzy. I have seen him, and he is a very attractive man, but you’re not exactly hideous.”
I scrunched up my nose. “Thanks, I think.”
“You’re gorgeous and you know it. He chased you across the country. That says a lot.”
I ran a hand over my short hair. I had washed it that morning, but that was it. I didn’t style it or add products. I didn’t put on my makeup and I didn’t even think twice about what I put on. I was not one of the kind of women that snared a man like Damion. I had been fooling myself.
“I can’t do it,” I breathed, panic welling inside me.
She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Take a breath.”
I inhaled through my nose, closing my eyes. “Am I being crazy?” I asked, looking into her eyes.
“Yes. You are being crazy.”
“I knew it,” I groaned. “I fell hard and fast and he’s going to break my heart into a million pieces. My heart can’t handle it. I can’t handle it. I don’t want to feel like I did last week. That was not fun. I should end it.”
“If my arms were longer, I would slap you.”
My mouth fell open. “That was rude.”
“You’re ridiculous. Damion is crazy about you. He is so into you. Did you ever stop to think that maybe he doesn’t like those city girls? Maybe he doesn’t like the glitz and glamour. He was raised here. He’s a country boy.”
I wanted to believe her. “I should show him I can clean up. The last time we were supposed to go on a date, I wore one of my old dresses and put on a little makeup. I want to do it right. I want him to see I can be pretty.”
“You are pretty.”
“Thank you. So, what are you doing for the rest of the day?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. Why?”
“I need to go shopping and I need your help. You need to make me sexy.”
She grinned. “Oh my god. Do you know how long I have waited to hear those words?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Nothing too over the top. I need to maintain my dignity.”
She waved a hand. “Totally overrated. Let’s go.”
We hopped in my truck and headed north. It wasn’t like there was anywhere to buy a hot little number in Geraldine. I was willing to splurge. I wanted to impress him. I wanted to knock his damn socks off. Asking Sadie to help sex me up was dangerous. I would have to keep her in check without pulling her too far back. I had to trust her.
“No,” I said, vehemently shaking my head. “That looks like something that a dominatrix would wear.”
She winked and grinned. “I have this in red.”
“If your boobs weren’t so damn big, I would just shop in your closet. Unfortunately, that kind of dress is not going to do much for me.”
“It will do a lot for you, trust me,” she said, putting the black leather dress back on the rack. She grabbed a red dress that was very short and very small in general.
I shook my head. “Where’s the rest of it?”
“This is perfect. It’s hot. It’s sexy. It’s not slutty. You can totally pull this off.”
She thrust it toward me, holding it against my chest. I looked down at it, noticing the hemline fell significantly above my knee. It was an upside-down V, which meant there was a serious risk of a wardrobe malfunction with a slight breeze.
“This terrifies me,” I told her.
“Good. That’s what we want. Go try it on. I’m going to look for some shoes.”
I took the dress and walked into the dressing room. I stripped down to my bra and panties and put the dress on. I was not going to be wearing a bra with the dress apparently. I zipped it up before looking at myself in the mirror. It looked ridiculous with the bra, but I needed one size smaller before I dared take off the bra.
“Let me see,” she hollered.
“It’s too big,” I shouted through the door.
“Come out,” she demanded.
I opened the door and stepped out. She was holding a pair of strappy, very high-heeled shoes. “What are those? I am not wearing those.”
“Yes, you are,�
�� she said, completely ignoring me. “Turn around.”
I turned around. She grabbed a fistful of the dress, yanking it back before turning me around again. She sized me up before walking away without a word. She returned a minute later with the same dress. I took it from her along with those shoes.
“Take off the bra this time,” she ordered. “And put on the shoes. I need to see the whole thing.”
“Yes, mom,” I mumbled.
I popped off my bra before putting on the dress. It was snug, very snug. I couldn’t help but plump my breasts. The dress revealed plenty of cleavage. I sat down and put on the sandals before taking another look in the mirror.
“Don’t you dare take it off before I see it,” she barked.
I felt sexy, but it didn’t feel like me. I walked out of the dressing room, a little worried about what she would say. “Be gentle,” I told her.
She let out a low whistle. “That is hot. I forget you have a smoking body. You always keep it so covered up. I almost forgot you had boobs at all.”
“Ha. Ha. I have boobs.”
“Turn,” she ordered again.
I slowly turned. “Well?”
“That’s it. That’s absolutely perfect. He is going to want to bang you hard. There is not a woman in the world that could outshine you.”
“Thank you,” I said sheepishly.
“You have to get it,” she ordered.
“I feel kind of naked in this, so exposed.”
“You wear those little shorts and tank tops all the time. The dress isn’t any less different. It’s just more fitted.”
“Fitted is a nice way to put it.”
“So?”
I smiled. “I’m going to do it. Now, I need some perfume. Something that is expensive. They do sell those tiny little bottles, right?”
She laughed. “Yes. We’ll get some makeup too. I know that crap you’ve got lying around is as old as dirt.”
“It’s probably dried up.”
I paid for the dress and shoes, hating that they were the kind of thing that could only be worn once. I was too frugal for the dating world I decided. We went to another store and smelled way too many perfumes before settling on something that was ridiculously expensive. Then it was on to the makeup counter.