Wrecked by Her (Like a Hurricane Duet Book 1)

by Kristie Leigh

  My mom looked up with a big smile around that Tootsie Pop. “Yes, ma’am, you are. The staff here are amazing, and Doctor Naughty is nice and easy on the eyes.”

  The nurse laughed. “That he is. I’m glad you’re happy with our staff. Can I get you ladies anything before I head out on my rounds?”

  “We’re all right, Susan, but thank you.”

  “It was nice meeting you, Julianne.”

  “It was nice meeting you as well, but please, call me Jules.”

  “Will do. Enjoy your visit, dear.”

  I sat down beside my mother’s bed. “So, Ma, what are you working on there?”

  “A crossword. You want to help? It’s been a long time since we’ve done one together.”

  “I’d love to. We used to be so good at them when I was younger. I do the LA Times daily puzzle, most days I have to cheat though, those things are damn hard.”

  She laughed. “All right, let’s get to work. Eighteen across is Exploding stars. Five letters.”

  “Novas.”

  “That was quick, Jules. Nineteen across is Lady’s Man. Four letters.”

  “Beau.” I smiled, knowing that I’d gotten much better since I was eighteen.

  “Wow, Jules, have you done this one before?” She narrowed her eyes.

  “Hilarious, Mom. You can’t insult me. I’m just that good.” I reached over and took her hand. “I’ve missed you, Mama. I should’ve been here this whole time. I’m so sorry.” A tear rolled down my cheek, but she brushed it away.

  “Baby girl, don’t you dare apologize for living your life. I’m happy for you. I wish we’d seen more of each other over the years, but you’re here now, right? That’s what matters.”

  I leaned over and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Mama.” She hugged me back. “I love you, too, baby girl. Now let’s finish this crossword.”

  I sat back down, and we finished not one but five crosswords over the next hour. When the nurse came back, I knew it was time to say goodbye so she could have her meds and rest. I got up to say goodbye.

  “You bring my grandson to see me soon; you hear me? Or there will be hell to pay.”

  I started to say something, but I was interrupted by a sexy chuckle behind me.

  “Stephanie Davis, always with the demands.”

  “Why, hello there, Doctor Naughty. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Tsk tsk, you and your nickname.” I turned around and the sexy-as-hell doctor winked at me and reached out his hand for me to shake. “Can the beauty in this room get any more astonishing?”

  I knew I was blushing.

  “Doctor, you met my daughter, Julianne, yesterday. She’s single. You guys should go on a date.”

  “I’m sorry, Doctor. She can be a little insane at times,” I said exasperatedly.

  “Are you saying it would be insane to go on a date with me? I’m a little insulted.” He was smirking, so I knew he was kidding, but my face was on fire.

  “I’m not insane, and by the way, your face is turning red, I think you like the idea of dating Doctor Naughty here. So, stop messing about and agree to go on a date already.”

  I put my head in my hands. “Mom, please be quiet. You’re so embarrassing. It’s freshman year all over again.” I composed myself and looked up at my mother, who I could’ve strangled right then. “Mom, I’ll see you soon, and I will bring your grandson if you promise to stop messing with the doctor.” I turned to Bradley. “It was great to see you again. I’m heading out now. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

  He laughed softly. “I can’t wait. It’s always entertaining when you’re around.”

  I laughed and turned to head for the door.

  “You kids are so stubborn. Just date already. Will y’all never learn that your elders always know best.”

  I rolled my eyes and shook my head as I continued to leave. “Goodbye, Mother. I’ll see you tomorrow. Be prepared for the holy terror.”

  9

  Jules

  When I arrived back at the house, Taylor was passed out on the sofa, so I headed upstairs to peek in on my little man. He was sound asleep as well. I decided I should take a nap too, so we were all fresh for some afternoon fun.

  I woke what felt like minutes later, but after checking my phone, it’d been an hour. Calum had always been a good napper, and while I was always grateful for that fact, today it was nothing short of a miracle. It was so needed.

  I lay there for a moment and listened, but the house was still silent. Rolling out of bed, I grabbed my phone and headed downstairs to make a coffee and sit out on the porch until they woke up.

  My phone pinged with a text just as I got comfortable.

  Hunter: Hey, how are you?

  Well, that was unexpected. I stared at my screen for a few minutes before it pinged again.

  Hunter: You do realize you have a read receipt, right? I know you read my message. What gives?

  Shit.

  Me: Sorry. Just woke up from a nap and sitting down with a coffee. How are you?

  Hunter: Good. I hear you’re back in town. Are you here for a while?

  Me: Yeah, here for Mama. Speaking of which, I have a bone to pick with you.

  Hunter: She swore me to secrecy. I wanted to tell you, Jules, you know me.

  Me: Ugh, that woman is so frustrating. She was trying to hook me up with the doctor today. LMAO!

  I saw the bubbles pop up and disappear a few times.

  Me: You there?

  Hunter: Yeah, so, what are you up to today? I would love to see you. It’s been so long.

  I wasn’t ready to see him yet. I would have to see him sooner or later, and I really wanted to see him, but I was so nervous that it made me sick to my stomach. What I worried most about was that I had built everything up in my head to be more that what it truly was. I knew it’d been almost a decade, but I missed him all the same. I just needed time. Apparently, eight years wasn’t enough. I rolled my eyes on that one.

  Me: I went to see Mama this morning, came back to Taylor and Calum passed out, so I took a nap. The jet lag still is messing with us. Their lazy asses are still asleep, but once they’re up, I plan to spend the rest of the day with them. It’s been a little hectic since I’ve come back. Rain check?

  Hunter: Of course. Just let me know when you’re free.

  Deciding to leave it at that, I put down my phone. If I continued the conversation, I’d cave and invite him over now. As much as I was dying to see him, I was genuinely not ready. I jumped up and ran inside. I needed some girl talk, and it’d been too long since I’d been able to have it face-to-face.

  She was still out cold, and I couldn’t wake her up in good conscience without making her a cup of coffee at the very least. I was such an amazing best friend.

  After making her coffee, I sat down on the ottoman and cleared my throat to try to rouse her, but she didn’t move. I leaned in forward and blew lightly in her face. She still didn’t move.

  “This bitch still sleeps like the dead,” I whispered to myself.

  “No, this bitch just doesn’t want to get up and was hoping you would leave me the fuck alone if I stayed still.”

  “Oh my God.” I laughed. “You’re such a dick. I need to have a serious conversation with you, and I was trying to gently wake you and even made you coffee.”

  She opened one eye and checked out the coffee then put out her hand for the mug.

  I rolled my eyes. “Wake the fuck up. Calum will be up soon, and I need to talk to you.”

  “All right; I’m up.” She sat, sipped her coffee, and sighed in contentment. “That’s a damn good cup of coffee. So, what’s so important that you needed to interrupt my beauty sleep?”

  “Hunter just texted and wants to see me. I’m not sure how I feel about that, and I’m kind of freaking out.” My words came out in a rush.

  “Holy shit, how long was I out for?” This bitch was laughing at me.

  “Taylor, be serious,” I groaned.

&nb
sp; Smirking, she adjusted to a cross-legged position. “Okay, let’s talk. How do you feel?”

  I sighed. “Promise not to laugh?”

  She nodded.

  “Okay, so I feel like I’m fifteen again. My stomach is doing summersaults. I’m excited but really fucking scared to see him, too.”

  She didn’t laugh, but she had a huge grin on her face.

  I put my head in my hands. “I know. I know. Ridiculous. It’s been eight years. I can’t believe I’m acting this way. I’m not a teenager anymore, but I can’t help my feelings. What the hell is wrong with me?”

  I looked up to find that she still has that same smile on her face.

  “Why the hell are you grinning like the fucking Cheshire Cat?”

  “Sorry, it’s just that you’ve been gone for eight years, and I’ve dreamt about you moving back home. I’ve always known Hunter was the key to my happiness, and you just confirmed that for me.” She sounded a little triumphant.

  “What are you blabbering on about?” I was genuinely confused.

  “You just confirmed that your feelings for Hunter are even more real than I previously expected. My mind jumped forward to you and Hunter being back together, and you have no choice but to stay. Is your brain caught up yet?”

  I burst out laughing. I mean, tears streaming, falling back, legs in the air, couldn’t breathe laughing. “You’ve completely lost your mind. You do know that, don’t you? I have zero plans to move back. I’m here for my mother. Shit, Hunter even asked if he could see me, and I told him no.”

  She eyed me.

  “Okay, I told him I was busy, and I needed a rain check, but that’s the same thing.”

  “I can see you’re in denial. That’s common. I believe it’s the first phase of any process, right? But, mark my words; it’s only a matter of time before you’re back together.” She got up like that’s that. What the fuck? “But, until you catch up to the acceptance phase, go ahead and keep lying to yourself. But the faster you move to acceptance, the faster we can all move on with our lives.” With that, Taylor walked out of the room.

  “Seriously, Tay? That didn’t help me one bit. Ugh.”

  “Oh, and, Jules, the keys to your mom’s car are on the counter, Jim from the garage dropped them off this morning.”

  I heard my little monster moving around upstairs, so I hopped up to grab him. I peeked in and saw him playing with his teddy bear. “Hey, little man. Perfect timing. I could really use the distraction after the conversation I just had with Aunty Taylor.”

  “You only need a distraction because you’re still in denial,” Taylor yelled from downstairs.

  “Damn baby monitor,” I muttered to myself.

  “So, buddy, what do you want to do?”

  “Swim, swim.”

  “Swimming it is then.” I changed Calum out of his pullup and into a swimmer. “Buddy, I can’t wait until you’re completely potty trained, this has been the longest three months ever.”

  He smiled up at me. “Potty!”

  I’d been trying everything to potty train him, but I was at the point where I had to wait until he was ready. Being patient was not one of my many talents.

  Next, it was my turn to get ready. I threw on a suit, and we headed downstairs and out to the pool house to grab some towels. Taylor was already floating in the pool, so I put Calum in his Puddle Jumper and tossed him in the pool.

  He popped up laughing. “Gain, Mommy, gain.”

  Calum’s favorite thing to do in the pool was to be thrown in. It got quite tiring after a while. My friend, Josh, got him hooked on it back in California.

  Calum kicked to the edge, so I could pick him up and throw him in again. I heard my phone ping, but it was a longer sound than usual. I ignored it.

  “I wonder who’s texting you.” Taylor piped up with a smirk on her face.

  “That wasn’t my text tone, must be an app or something.”

  She rolled her eyes and went back to tanning on the floating lounger. I picked Calum up and moved closer to Taylor and threw him in right by her head, so she got soaked. It scared the shit out of her, and she fell over quickly before coming up for air. I doubled over laughing.

  “Roll your eyes at me, bitch,” I said triumphantly.

  “I can’t believe you just used your son to splash me. You’ll get yours.” She wasn’t bluffing; she was going to get me back for sure.

  I jumped in, splashing her again. I looked over at her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.” I batted my eyelashes in false innocence.

  Taylor splashed me in the face, and while I was wiping the water from my eyes, she pounced and dunked me under. I came up to the surface quickly and sputtered on the water I’d swallowed. “Ugh, you bitch.”

  Looking over, I saw Taylor was holding Calum, and they were both laughing their heads off. “Mama cough.”

  “You know, Jules, you really should watch your language. Calum here is very impressionable.”

  I splashed them both, and Calum laughed. I heard my phone ping again, and Taylor smirked.

  “That was definitely a text. Wonder who it is.”

  I rolled my eyes and dove under the water.

  We spent the next couple hours swimming and playing outside. We finally started to dry off when our fingers pruned, and our stomachs growled. I finished drying off Calum and set him down before turning to Taylor.

  “Thank you for today and yesterday, Tays. It’s been so great having you around.”

  “Aw, anytime, hun. You know that, right?”

  “I do. You’re the bestest best friend ever.”

  “I know.”

  I laughed at her and turned to head inside. “Hey, buddy, what do you want for dinner?”

  “Me want roni.” This kid loved his macaroni and cheese.

  “Sounds good, monster. Let’s get all cozy in our PJs, and then we can make some roni and maybe watch a movie.”

  I heard Taylor chuckle behind me. I looked back to see her holding my phone and waving it around.

  “Not a text message, huh? Looks like Hunter was trying to get in touch with you.”

  I snatched my phone out of her hand and looked down at it. Sure enough, I had a few missed texts and a couple missed calls.

  “Whatever, it didn’t sound like my text tone.” I rolled my eyes.

  “Yeah, because your phone was blowing up in quick succession, Miss Popularity.” She walked past me still laughing.

  I took one last look at my phone and decided I would deal with that later. Tonight was about my boy.

  10

  Jules

  Closing the door to Calum’s room, Taylor and I both sighed. He gave us a bit of a hard time going down tonight because Taylor told him she’s going home. He was too young to understand that she’d be back and not months later as usual.

  We walked downstairs and out the front door. I was just as sad myself that she was not going to be staying here.

  “It was so nice having you here, Taylor. Sucks you have a life to live.”

  She laughed humorlessly. “It really does. I love having my bestie back and hanging out with Calum is the icing on the cake!”

  Hugging my best friend tight, I didn’t want to let her go. “I’m going to miss you.”

  She pulled back. “Hey, how about we make plans now?”

  She took out her phone. “Let’s have dinner on Tuesday, and I think we really need to go to Tipsy Cattle on Saturday. It’s been so long since we’ve been out together. The girls usually try to go on Saturdays. You up for it?”

  “With my boy issues, I think a girls’ night sounds perfect, but I don’t have anyone to watch Calum.”

  “I can ask my mom. She would love to have him. No excuses, girl. We need to dance and drink, just have a good time!”

  We hugged again. “Love you, bitch.”

  “Love you, whore.” She blew me a kiss before walking away.

  I watched her drive away, closed the door, and sighed as I leaned against it. Then I rememb
ered that I had some texts to answer. I locked the door and bolted up the stairs like a teenager.

  Grabbing my phone, I sat cross-legged on the bed. Unlocking it, I saw quite a few notifications. I decided to tackle the easy texts before I listened to Hunter’s voicemail.

  Taylor had already started a group chat.

  Bestie: Tipsy this Saturday, Jules is home and we’re going out!

  Macy: Hey, girl, I’m so in for Tipsy on Saturday, let us know the deets. Miss your face.

  Carley: For sure. Wouldn’t miss it. XOXO

  Courtney: No excuses. We need to do this. Love you, whores.

  I quickly texted them back.

  Me: Hey, bitches. I’m so in. Can’t wait to see everyone. Miss y’all <3

  Bestie: YES!!!! Let’s do this.

  Me: Don’t text and drive.

  Bestie: I’m at a red light…MOM.

  Me: Still…

  Me: TTYL

  No closer to being ready, I stared at my phone and took a deep breath, preparing myself to listen to Hunter’s voicemail. Hearing his voice always got to me. A few deep breaths and I was as ready as I’d ever be. I flipped over to the phone app and pushed play.

  Hey, Jules. It’s me, Hunter. Uh, sorry to bother you but just wanted to talk. Um uh, I hope you’re doing okay. I miss you. Sorry, I just, I don’t know. I can’t even seem to talk. I, uh, I don’t, um, I really want to, shit. Sorry, I’m just going to text you instead.