by Leaona Luxx
I round the corner with Doc's things in a bag of their own. "Hey, Mark. Did Charlie pack a bathing suit? Ya know what, I'll let her surprise me when we get there."
"You're going to get your ass beat, ya know that?" Mark's impersonation of me is ridiculous, but Quinn gets a kick out of him, buckling over with laughter until he falls over into my couch.
"Maybe, maybe not. You've gotten kinda old, I think I can take you. I believe we might need to start calling you, Muffin." I grab my bag off the floor, hightailing it toward my SUV with Mark hot on my ass.
"Where you running to you little shit!" He yells, barreling out behind me.
Quinn stumbles out, cackling. "His face is so red; I think he's going to blow!"
"How about you blow me?" Mark whirls around, his face glowing from our banter. I may have to bite my tongue to keep from bursting into laughter, he's so mad, goading Quinn on more.
"Oh, no, thank you. I'm a Ladykiller, not a sparkly ass vamp." Quinn smirks, knowing he's flipped the switch. Meanwhile, I'm doing my best to suppress my snickering, to no avail.
Mark turns on me, cocked and loaded. "What's so funny?"
"You two, squabbling like teen girls." I set my bags in the backseat and close the door. I turn around to find them both staring at me. "What?"
"Like you can remember how a teen girl acts?" Quinn fights a smile, thinking he's cracked a joke.
"Ha. Ha, ha! Hardy har!" I lay my hand on my stomach, pretending to find him funny.
Mark stretches his hand out in front of Quinn. "Hold up now. He can't help he's afflicted in the brain."
"You're right, I shouldn't joke in that manner." Quinn chides.
Mark's solemn, his brow pulled low. "Did you fix your GPS?"
"Yeah," I say, quirking my brow.
"Good." Mark nudges Quinn with his elbow. "I wanted to make sure we didn't need to give you breadcrumbs to find your way home."
I shake my head, parting them as I go back for Doc and lock up my place. As soon as I round the corner of the house, they jump apart. I struggle to keep a straight face; I have no doubt they're going to run this into the ground. I open the back-passenger door, allowing Doc to jump in before shutting it.
"Let us know when you arrive, so if we need to come find you again, we can get the team ready." Quinn's the biggest smartass there is, but then again, there's Mark.
"No need to worry, honey." Mark slaps Quinn on the back. "I put a kid finder app on his cell, so we can track him everywhere."
"Yeah, I've heard old people do that to young bucks." I flex, kissing my bicep.
Quinn's mouth curves at the corners. "And the first thing to go is their balls."
"At least I have them, married man."
"Yeah, you do and they’re blue from not getting any pussy for the last thirty years." Mark crosses his arms, making his muscle twitch.
Quinn nudges him. "Leave the kid alone, it's not his fault he can't remember how to get laid."
"Oh, I have no problem with blue balls or getting laid. Ashton squirms every time she's under me." I wink at him.
"I call time! The kid has a long trip, and a hard day ahead, we need to give him a break." Mark's right, but I enjoy this kind of banter. Once I came home, I was lost, and these guys took me in. They're my brothers, and this stuff makes me feel at home.
"Imma give him a break if he doesn't keep Ash's name out of his mouth."
I wave my hands in front of me, taunting them. "C'mon, I can take it. Pile it on, so I can go already."
"Don't forget to... oh, you probably will anyway." Quinn doubles over.
"Please don't go off on your own, if you start to go down memory lane, you'll never find your way back home." Mark holds his midsection, fighting off the laughter.
I take my keys from my pocket, spinning them on my finger as I walk around the front of my vehicle. I pause by the tire, leaning over the hood. "But if I do any of those things, Charlie and Ashton gave me their numbers, so they can come to me."
"Fucker!" Quinn flashes me his middle finger.
"Listen here Scarecrow, you might only have half a brain, but you're going to wish you had magic shoes if you don't get your ass out of here." Mark narrows his eyes at me. I can't help it; I have to poke the bear. One. More. Time.
"You're probably right." I rub my chin with a nod. "So, Jackson must be the wizard, right?"
"Huh?" They say in unison.
I grab the handle on my truck, ready to run. "If I'm the scarecrow, obviously Twilight needs love, and Ladykiller wants some courage. Wait, I know... you're the lollipop dudes!"
They dart for me, and I jump into my seat, locking the doors before starting my SUV. I pull away with them, yelling something about giving me something to suck on. Apparently, they've been lied to because we all know Jackson gets all the action in this crew.
The second I'm on the interstate, I crank some old rock-n-roll and do my best to not think about what I'm about to do. I didn't call my parents to tell them I was coming because I knew I'd chicken out if there was a discussion.
The drive down the east coast is stunning; the scenery helps the hours to pass quickly. Almost too fast. My breath hitches the minute I spot the exit sign to my hometown, and for a split-second, I think about driving past.
"Nope! You can do this. You have to do this, not just for them, but for yourself." I don't even touch the switch when I veer right onto the ramp. Sweat builds on my brow, and I begin to struggle. My lungs burn and constricts my air. I know I need to slow my breathing, but I can't gain control over myself.
Once at the bottom of the exit, I spot a clearing on the side of the road. I pull off, barely putting my SUV into park as my breathing becomes labored. I grip the steering wheel, gasping, as I try to fill my burning lungs.
Doc climbs over the seat, laying her head on my shoulder. Her presence alone immediately begins to help. I focus on her heartbeat, hoping to slow mine. She's the only thing in the last two years with the power to calm me enough to regain control.
As my breathing slows, I loosen my hands from the wheel. Doc nuzzles my neck until I can lift my arm to wrap around her. She's genuinely my lifesaver, I'd be lost without her.
"Thank you, girl." I kiss her head, running my hand over her as I struggle to regain my bearings. "Love you, Doc."
Slowly, I pull myself together. My mouth is as dry as the desert. I reach for my water, taking a few big gulps to quench my parched throat. Any movement I make throws me into agony. I realize if I don't move forward now, I may never.
"You ready, girl?" I glance back at her, smiling as I do, and she responds with a bark of encouragement. "That's why you're my number one lady."
As I pull back onto the road, my fears quickly return, but I keep them at bay by cranking the radio and singing to the top of my lungs. Soon, I'm calm and focused enough to pull the directions up for my destination.
Now that I'm a few blocks away, I can't help but think a surprise visit may not be the best thing. Drew might've been right when it comes to the devil being in the details.
The simple thought of me coming back freaked me out. My parents will probably be thrilled. As I scan the house numbers, I hit my brakes hard when I spot theirs and banish every thought of turning back.
"We're here Doc, let's hope this goes over without a bang." I take a deep breath and flip on my signal light. It's as though my SUV makes the turn into the driveway without my help. Exactly what I needed.
I come to a stop in front of a sprawling, ocean side mansion with black hurricane shutters and wrought-iron railing. The two-story home backs up to the beach, with sounds of the surf crashing to shore as I step from my car.
Palm trees scatter the well-lit grounds, and immediately I'm filled with warmth. Radiating through the center of my chest, calming me and helping me to acclimate to my new surroundings. Or are they old familiar signs I'm home?
"Creed?" The sound pulls my attention from the house, over to the corner gate, and what appears to be the inlet. Ther
e's an entrance to the beach on the other side. The second my eyes lock with his, I think I'm staring into a mirror. He gasps, stepping back before he rushes forward. "Creed, I'm happy to see you."
"Hey, Crawford." I wave as the man whom I've come to know as my father approaches me. He comes to a stop at the end of the car, smiling as I help Doc from the back.
He meets her halfway, bending to kiss her head, followed by lots of petting. I can see she's going to be spoiled. "Hello there, Doc. How's my favorite girl?"
"She's great." I chuckle thinking about how we both say the same thing to her. "She loved the trip down, never even dozed off once."
"Creed?" A beautiful woman says my name with such reverence, a pang in the pit of my stomach takes my breath away. She rushes down the steps, throwing herself at me. I wrap my arms around her out of instinct, but I'll never tell her because no mother needs to hear something like that. "You came home."
I swallow hard, forcing a smile. "Yeah, it was past time. Don'tcha think?"
"Time means nothing where love is concerned." Kathryn steps back with a heavy sigh. I know she's hoping for more excitement from me, and I'm trying, but I'm not there yet.
Crawford takes her hand, easing her to his side. "I'll help with your bags, and Kathryn can show you to a room."
"That'd be great, thanks." Doc walks with us to the back of the SUV, waiting for me to set our bags out. Crawford holds his hand out for mine with a smile, never crowding me, before turning to the steps of his house.
Kathryn joins me as Crawford walks ahead. She's close, but just outside of my comfort zone. Leaving no doubt, they both listened and understood my boundaries.
I follow them through the front entrance into a grand foyer. Soft coastal colors paint the house with a glow as the sun sets in the distance. I have to catch my breath when there’s a pull deep inside of me, a yearning of which is no more familiar than the home itself.
"Kathryn will show you the rooms upstairs, and I'll get the grill started. Surf-n-turf okay with you?" Crawford asks as he hands off my bag.
"It sounds amazing, thank you."
He waves me off, rubbing Doc on the head. "No worries girl, I'll toss an extra steak on for you too."
"Oh, her things are in here." I hold up her bag of bowls and food to show them. "I'm assuming she can eat in the kitchen, like at my place."
"Absolutely." Kathryn chimes in the sing-song way of hers. "Come on, I'll help you two get settled."
She continues up the stairs, turning to the left at the top without hesitation. We pass several rooms, stopping at the last one on the left. She turns the handle, swinging the door wide as the evening sun streams through the windows.
"Wow." I'm drawn to the opposite side of the room, and the sound of the ocean. Kathryn steps around me, walking over to the double doors and unlatches them. The breeze coming off the water hits me in the face, pulling me over. "This is stunning."
"One of our favorite views." Kathryn's voice trembles as she turns to the room. "The bathroom is well stocked if you've forgotten anything, make yourself... welcome."
I faced her, winking when I catch her eyes. "I appreciate the thought, it dawned on me on the way here I didn't pack my toothbrush. Thank you."
"I'm sorry," she hangs her head. "I wasn't thinking."
I ease over to the bed, dropping my bag on the floor. Doc lies beside it as I walk past Kathryn and toward the bathroom, and I touch her arm as I do. "You're fine."
"I'll go see if Craw needs any help, while you two freshen up." She darts out before I can say another word.
"Well, that was interesting." I scratch my head as Doc's ears perk up. "Did she call him Craw?"
I toss my suitcase on the closet floor, and head into the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I don't want to linger, but I'm in no rush. Everything's still so new and unexpected, I'm thrown off a little.
After a few minutes, an incredible smell wafts through the open doors into my room. My stomach growls, yelling at me for food. With all the excitement, I forgot to eat today.
"C'mon Doc, I think it's time for food." She hurries to my side as we wander down the hall, retracing our steps to the foyer.
Just as I start around a corner, Kathryn strides by us. We peek into the room, seeing the kitchen that leads out onto the back patio. She's busy setting out dishes and counting silverware as we enter from the side.
My heart pounds in my ears, the closer I am to her. I swallow past the knot forming in my throat to utter the simple sentence. "Can we help?"
"Of course," she picks up a stack of plates, holding them out in front of her. "these go outside, Craw can show you."
I pause, wanting to ask but not sure I should. I do, anyway. "Craw?"
"Everyone calls him Crawford, I wanted something for me, so I started calling him that while we were dating in college." Her face softens with the memory, and then I realize I have her eyes.
"Maybe I should start calling him Craw-daddy." I side-eye her, grinning. We both begin to laugh as she grabs the glasses. "Or I can stick with Crawford."
She nods as we walk out to the deck. "I think that's best."
"What's best?" Crawford's brow quirks when he glances at us.
"This one, wanting to call you Craw-daddy." She begins to giggle before long she's full-on belly laughing.
"I was just throwing it out there."
"Throw that shit back, it was well underweight." Crawford cracks on me, making us all burst with laughter.
"Whatever old man." I slide up to his side. "Let me see what you've got going on over here."
He spins the fork between his fingers. "You don't have a thing on me, kid. I'm the grill master around these parts."
"Are you challenging me to a grill off? You're on ole man." I hold up my hands, stepping back.
He motions to the refrigerator at the end of the bar. "Grab us a beer."
"Alright." I lean down, pulling two cold ones out and turn to Kathryn. "How about you?"
"I have wine chilling, but thank you." She continues to set the table while we wait. "By the way, I set Doc's bowls out for her by the kitchen counter. I hope it's okay?"
They're both trying so hard right now, I wish I could unplug and let my guard down, but even now, my body tingles with tension. I'm working hard on not showing my jitters, but I'm sure they can tell.
The sun disappears as we sit down to dinner, talking late into the night as the stars hang overhead. They tiptoe around me, dodging subjects and purposely avoiding the biggest questions of all.
Does he remember anything?
Why now?
Chapter Six
Creed
The day dawns, rousing me as the soft light breaks through the window. Doc is stretched out beside me, snoring her ass off. As I run my hand over my face, it hits me I didn't have a dream last night.
"Dang, I slept like a baby." I sit up, slowly dragging my ass from the bed. Since my injuries, early mornings tend to cause a few more aches and pains, simple reminders of the last two years. I nudge Doc, prompting her to climb onto my lap.
"I'm feeling the need to hit the beach for a run this morning." She perks up, jumping off the bed and runs to the door. "I'll take that as a yes."
Doc sits, waiting on me as I stretch and loosen my stiff limbs. I stumble to the closet and pull out some shorts. Then I turn my attention to finding a toothbrush, which I find in the bathroom cabinet.
After I've washed my face, I head out, grabbing my shoes before we hit the shore. At the bottom of the stairs, I take a quick look around. The house is quiet, allowing me to have a look around.
"I suppose they're still in bed." I murmur to Doc, as we peek into a room on the right at the bottom of the stairs. "I mean, this is my childhood home."
They have a piano in the far corner next to a wall of glass, allowing the light from outside to showcase it. The back wall is laden with bookshelves, filled from side to side. I ease over, checking out the selection.
"I mean, I
'm more of a puzzle guy, but I suppose I could've been a book nerd." I shrug, tapping my leg for Doc to nuzzle my hand. The entire house has such a great laid-back vibe, definitely the beach style I like.
"I'm like a duck outta water, nothing makes sense." As amazing as the place appears to be, something is off--my guts twists with anxiety. I spin around, searching the rest of the room. A tightness in my chest builds, and I struggle to slow my breathing.
"Wow, what is going on with me?" I'm overcome with sadness as I walk with her around the house and into the family room. A chill races through me, making the hairs on my body prickle.
"What am I missing?" I roll my shoulders, easing the tension building in my body. We're taught early on to read the room, one of the easiest ways to stay alive. Trusting your gut and being able to place what's amiss.
A sound behind me draws my attention. Kathryn stands in the opening between the rooms. She wets her lips, as though she's gauging her words before uttering them.
"Drew suggested we remove old photos, and other things so your visit wouldn't be uncomfortable or cause you harm." She averts her eyes on the last few words, I can understand why.
I hold my hand up, hoping to save her further explanation. "I... I appreciate it, but I hate you had to go to the trouble."
"No trouble at all, Creed." Her eyes tell me more than her forced smile does. "Such a small price, considering the one you've paid."
"Were there a lot... of us as a family?" I have no idea why I'm asking. I feel like I'm responsible for all of her pain, the way her life has changed since that day, and for losing her son.
She crosses her arms when she begins to tremble, I guess she's hoping I won't notice. "You could say that, but I enjoy photography, so it wasn't unusual. We're not trying to be weird, just doting."
"No, of course not. Nothing crazy at all about me standing here talking to my mother like she's a stranger." I chuckle, hoping she'll join me.
"Oh, I'm sorry. The doc told us it was a brain injury, we assumed amnesia, not insanity." She winks and turns to the kitchen.