Demanding All Of You

by Ali Parker

  She smiled. “I do love Oliver,” she said. “Probably not like you love him, but I love the kid.”

  I nodded. “I know you do, and he loves you.”

  “Do you really think he does? Are you sure it isn’t just about him being fond of me?”

  I laughed. “Trust me, he loves you. We both love you.”

  “You say the sweetest things,” she cooed.

  I leaned over and dropped a kiss on her lips. “I speak the truth.”

  “I would really like to have a family one day. I’m not sure if that day is tomorrow, but I like the idea of having a baby.”

  “Good,” I said with a smile. “Very good.”

  “Are you saying you want to impregnate me, Damion?” she asked in a playful way.

  “I would love to keep practicing for when that day comes.”

  She laughed, slapping at my arm. “Down boy. Let’s get this pipe fixed before we have a real crisis on our hands.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  We got to work, falling into our usual routine. She was always teaching me, whether she meant to do it or not. She was a natural teacher, which would make her a very good mother. She taught without being bossy or condescending.

  With the pipe fixed and the system working properly, I felt accomplished. “I need to get going,” I told her.

  “Do you mind if I tag along?” she asked.

  I smiled. “I wouldn’t mind at all. Oliver will be thrilled to see you—as always. I’m starting to get a little jealous, I think.”

  She burst into laughter. “I’m all yours.”

  “Let’s get cleaned up and we can go.”

  “Are we taking your fancy new rig?” she teased.

  I helped her onto the tractor. “Damn straight.”

  “I can’t believe you actually bought it. It seems a little fancy for farm work.”

  I shrugged. “I’ll use my grandfather’s truck for farm stuff, but the SUV is comfortable for those road trips. Plus, if any more kids pop out of bodies and want to live in the house, I need a family rig.”

  She burst into laughter. “Those popping babies can be a real problem.”

  Once we’d cleaned up, we loaded into the SUV. It was a nice ride with the leather seats and all the extra safety features. I didn’t bother telling her it was the safety features that had truly sold me. She’d think I was being too protective. One day, she would understand.

  We got to school a little early. We got out and leaned against the hood of the SUV. I turned to my right to look at her, really look at her. I still couldn’t believe she was with me. Out of all the men in the world, she chose me.

  “What are you looking at?” she asked.

  “You. Always you.”

  She leaned over, her shoulder brushing mine. “You keep looking at me like that and I’m going to take you into the backseat.”

  I closed my eyes and groaned. “You kill me. Absolutely fucking kill me.”

  Chapter 62

  Alex

  I couldn’t stop smiling. I loved teasing him. I didn’t feel the least bit guilty about doing it. I always followed through with my promises. I always made sure to take care of anything that came up while we were together. Our relationship had evolved a lot in the last couple of weeks. Once the no sex in the barn rule had been established, we had managed to get a lot of work done.

  He tried to pay me on more than one occasion, but I didn’t want his money. Truthfully, I wanted his company, and spending a few hours working on the farm every day was worth it. In the back of my mind, I knew I would eventually need to take a job, but for the time being, I liked what I was doing. I liked the freedom to come and go as I pleased.

  “Looks like they’re done,” Damion said from behind me.

  I looked toward the doors. The first couple of kids came out of school. I stepped away from the vehicle, waiting for Oliver to make his appearance. When he came out of school, he stopped when he saw the both of us. I waved. He burst into a full run, launching himself at me. I had learned to brace myself when it came to Oliver’s hugs. The kid was small but mighty and nearly sent me falling on my ass every time.

  “Alex!” he shouted, completely ignoring his father. “You came to pick me up!”

  “I did,” I said, hugging him back. “With your dad.”

  I hugged him tightly before patting his back and gently pushing him toward Damion, who was patiently waiting. “Told you,” he whispered over Oliver’s head.

  I grinned. “I guess you’re right.”

  “You both came to pick me up!” Oliver exclaimed, clearly very excited. I didn’t want the excitement to end. I loved seeing him smile. I loved making his whole face light up. An idea sprang to mind, one I wasn’t sure Damion would be thrilled with, but I was going to suggest it anyway.

  “We should stop at the store before we go home,” I said.

  Damion raised an eyebrow. “Store? The feed store?”

  I nodded, still grinning. “The candy section.”

  “I don’t know,” he said, looking down at Oliver. “I don’t think Oliver likes candy.”

  Oliver shrieked. “Dad! I want candy. I love candy!”

  “See, Dad, he loves candy,” I said with a wink.

  “I think this is bribery,” he muttered. “You don’t play fair.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe, but it’s effective. You have DNA. I have candy.”

  He chuckled. “Ah, I see. You like to play dirty.”

  I waggled my brows. “I think you already know that.” Talking in innuendo around Oliver had proven to be a challenge. He was always listening and always asking questions. It was tricky, but that was what made it more fun.

  “Let’s go! Last one in the vehicle is a rotten egg!”

  Oliver squealed and raced for the door. We loaded up and headed to the store that was so much more than a store. It was where people went to gossip and meet their friends while picking up anything from a screwdriver to a box of cereal. It was the hub of the town. People stopped by the store whether they really needed anything or not. It was like checking the pulse of the town. I loved it.

  When we walked in, there were already several kids from the school packed inside. Oliver said hello, but stuck with Damion and me. “Over here,” I told him, leading the way to the candy area.

  There was a glass counter with round glass jars lining it, just like it would have been fifty years in the past. It was nostalgic and had been one of the few good memories I had with my mom. Granted, she took me to the candy department to get me out of her hair while she shopped for her liquor, but it was still some fond memories.

  “Wow!” Oliver exclaimed. “Look at all this candy.”

  “I used to come here when I was little.”

  “Me too,” Damion added. “Although I didn’t get to come in here very often.”

  “My mom used to bring me in here. She’d give me a dollar and send me on my way.”

  “They used to sell root beer floats here if I remember,” Damion said.

  I smiled. “They did. I wish they still did. That would be so good right now.”

  “We can go across the street and get ice cream if you’d like,” he offered.

  I looked at Oliver, who was eyeing up the blue candies in the jar. “I’m good. Candy is on the menu for today.”

  “All right, buddy, you can pick a few pieces and that’s it.”

  “I want the blue one and a sucker.”

  Damion looked at me, giving me the go-ahead. I lifted the lid on the jar and held it down for Oliver to reach inside. The kid looked like he had been given a winning lottery ticket.

  “Any for you?” Damion asked.

  “No thanks. I think I am going to grab a cold soda.”

  “Can you get one for me too?” he asked.

  “I’d love to.”

  I moved to the cold case and grabbed two bottles before walking back to the boys. Oliver was talking to Damion about the next time he got to pick candy. Damion always looked so ha
ppy when he was talking to his son. It was easy to see the love they had for each other. I smiled and watched them. I wasn’t a part of their family in an official capacity, but it could happen.

  Damion looked up at me and smiled. I held up the sodas as I walked toward him. The phone in my back pocket vibrated against my ass. I pulled it out and saw it was Wayne. “I need to take this. I’ll be outside.” I walked out of the store and answered my phone. “Hello, Wayne.”

  “Hello yourself. How are you?”

  “I’m good.”

  “How are Oliver and Damion?” he asked.

  I turned to look through the window and saw them both laughing about something. “They are doing very well. Oliver is enjoying his time at day camp. It works out great. Oliver gets to hang out with other kids and it allows us to get some work done on the farm.”

  “Why don’t you hire a team to take care of that?” he suggested.

  I scoffed. “Because that is expensive and unnecessary.”

  He laughed. “When you have that much money, you don’t need to worry about stuff like that. Enjoy your time together.”

  I frowned, wondering if Wayne was losing his faculties. He’d said a few odd things during our visit, and just now, he wasn’t making any sense. “The farm isn’t exactly making money hand over fist.”

  He chuckled again. “As if that matters.”

  Now he was truly worrying me and kind of irritating me. “Of course, it matters.”

  “It shouldn’t. You all should be set.”

  “Set how? Wayne, have you been working outside today? Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m feeling just fine.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He was quiet for a second. “I’m sorry, I forget my manners sometimes. I shouldn’t discuss money matters.”

  “It’s okay,” I assured him.

  “I suppose you guys want to stay humble. I like that. Damion is like his grandfather in that respect. I respect a man that can do an honest day’s work and not walk around with his nose in the air acting like he’s too good to mingle with the rest of us. It’s rich people like that that make me crazy.”

  “Damion isn’t rich,” I corrected.

  Wayne laughed. “Girl, you’ve got some pretty high standards if you don’t think he’s rich. A billion dollars isn’t enough for you?”

  “What? Who has a billion dollars?”

  “Damion,” he answered. “I don’t know if it’s a billion dollars or just under or just over, but Oliver was a very wealthy man. We never talked about it, but I knew. I almost forgot about it altogether. He never acted like he had money. He was just an average guy. Just like the rest of us.”

  My head was spinning. Things were starting to make sense. I felt a tightening in my gut and bile in my throat.

  “I see,” I said, my mouth dry as a bone. “I guess Damion is very good at hiding his wealth. He likes to work the farm and act like a regular guy.”

  He had been acting. Everything fell into place.

  “Tell Damion and Oliver hello for me. I hope you guys will come for another visit soon.”

  “I’ll let them know. I have to get going, Wayne. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Take care, Alex,” he said before the call ended.

  I held the phone in my hand. I needed some time to think. I went back inside the store and found the boys. Damion handed me my soda. Oliver was chatting with one of the kids from his school. “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Actually, I’m going to go home.”

  His brows shot up. “What? Right now?”

  I shrugged. “No point in going back to the farm only to have you bring me back to town.”

  “I thought you were going to stay over?” he asked in a low voice.

  “No,” I answered, unable to look him in the eyes. “I’m going home.”

  “Let me get Oliver and I’ll take you home.”

  “No. I’ll walk.”

  That got his attention. “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I said I’ll walk.”

  He frowned, rubbing his head. “What did I miss? One minute, things are fine, and now, you’re telling me you’ll walk home. What the hell, Alex?”

  I managed to look him directly in the eye. It looked like the Damion I had known ten minutes earlier, but I realized that man was not real. He’d been faking it. How much he had been faking, I didn’t know. Lying by omission was still lying.

  “I’ll say goodbye to Oliver,” I said, ignoring his question. I walked around him and went back inside. I quickly said goodbye to Oliver before giving him a quick hug.

  When I walked out of the store, Damion was still standing in the same spot, staring at me like I had grown a second head. I walked by him without saying a word. I couldn’t speak. If I did, things would be said that I could regret later. I doubted it, but I wanted to give myself a few minutes to mull over what I had just figured out.

  “Alex!” he hollered at me.

  I kept walking. I wanted to be home. In my safe place. Without him. Without him lying and deceiving me. I kept walking, my stride growing longer and my pace quickening. I was so damn pissed. I grew more pissed the longer I walked.

  Once again, it wasn’t just pissed, but it was hurt that fueled my anger. Why would he lie to me? Why would he tell me he came back for me? It had nothing to do with me. It was all about the money. A billion dollars was a pretty serious incentive. I had been a fool to think it had been little old me that brought him back.

  “Idiot,” I mumbled under my breath. “You’re not that good in bed.”

  I had been fooling myself into believing his pretty words and blushing under his compliments. I was a side piece. I was the bonus. He was stuck in Geraldine and figured he may as well get laid while he was forced to serve out whatever sentence he’d been given.

  Harvey’s words echoed through my mind. He had a lot riding on making it work at the farm. Of course, he did. About a billion fucking dollars.

  Chapter 63

  Damion

  I rather unenthusiastically slid the bacon onto the plate of scrambled eggs before calling Oliver to eat breakfast. I wasn’t feeling all that hungry myself and stuck with my coffee. Because I wanted to give him the idea of normalcy, I sat down at the table with him.

  “You’re not hungry?” he asked curiously.

  I shook my head. “No. I had some toast earlier.”

  “Did you already feed the horses?”

  I nodded. “I did, while you were sound asleep, snug as a bug in your bed.”

  He grinned. “I’m not a bug.”

  “I think you’re the cutest bug.”

  He took a bite of bacon. “Did you make a plate for Alex?”

  Hearing her name made the burning in my gut more intense. “No. She isn’t eating breakfast here today.”

  “Is she going to be here for lunch?” he asked.

  Listening to his questions about her whereabouts only fueled my own anger. She had flipped on a dime the day before. She’d been fine and laughing one second and then her phone rang. Instead of telling me what was bothering her, she’d run away from me. I was getting really tired of all the running. She had ignored my texts and phone calls last night and was obviously pissed at me.

  I did nothing wrong. I was confident I had done nothing to warrant her wrath. If she wanted to cut and run again, she was damn well going to tell me why. It wasn’t just me I was thinking about; it was Oliver as well. She’d been a part of our lives for two straight weeks, spending the bulk of her time with us. She didn’t get to up and leave because she got a wild hair up her ass. Not again.

  “No, I don’t think so. Justin is coming over soon, though.”

  “We get to shoot guns today?” he asked.

  “BB guns. You can only ever shoot your BB gun if me or Justin is with you.”

  “I know, Dad,” he said as if I was a real pain in his ass.

  “Guns are not toys, not even BB guns. You always have to have a
n adult with you. A responsible adult.”

  “What about Alex?” he asked. “Can I shoot it if she’s with me?”

  It was a valid question. “Maybe. We’ll have to see about that.”

  “Alex told me she has a BB gun and a real gun,” he said with admiration.

  I didn’t want to talk about Alex. I didn’t want him dwelling on Alex. I didn’t know what she was mad about and felt the need to shield him from whatever it was that was happening. “Finish eating and then get dressed. Justin will be here soon.”

  He finished eating and bounced down the hall to get ready. I wished I had his energy and his innocence. He had no idea the world he had come to love was on the brink of imploding. He was blissfully oblivious to the stresses of adulthood and the relationships that went along with being a grownup. I was almost wishing for that same blissful ignorance. While I loved being with Alex, I didn’t like the roller coaster feeling.

  I didn’t like feeling positive and getting comfortable with things only to have them ripped away. It left me feeling like an empty shell. I kept telling myself I was overreacting and it was just a spat. A mood that had soured and would be all better in a day or two. I just had to ride it out.

  Fuck that. I was not going to be a spectator of my own life. I was not going to sit back and wait for something to change.

  Justin showed up not long after breakfast. “Hey,” I greeted him, trying to be as normal as possible.

  “Hey, yourself. You look like hell. Alex keep you up late?”

  I turned to look behind me, making sure Oliver wasn’t in the room. “No. Yes, but not because she was here. She wasn’t.”

  He grimaced. “Trouble in paradise already? Damn, you two fight a lot.”

  “We’re not fighting. At least, I don’t think we are.”

  He chuckled. “Men are always the last to know when they fucked up.”

  I let out a groan. “There should be a clear guide with all the rules.”

  He had a cheeky grin on his face. “They like to fight because they like the men to know who’s really the boss. Then we grovel to make things right, even though there is a good chance we never really did anything wrong. Then there’s the making up, which is always fun.”