by L. A. Fiore
“Jasper gave me his approval and Lauren couldn’t dote over him enough. Abel took it all in stride, but he hardly cursed while there. A conscious effort.”
“No way.”
“I brought the man who has claimed my heart to the home of the man who claimed it first and yet, it felt right. I love him.”
Rylee’s expression went soft. “I know you do.”
“He loves me too. Said he never had anyone tell him that before and didn’t know how it was supposed to feel.”
Tears filled Rylee’s eyes. “He never had anyone tell him they loved him?”
“No.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“I know. It’s like this time I’m Jake offering to Abel what he never knew he was missing.”
“I love happy endings.”
“We’re not at the ending, not by a long shot. He asked me to look at the spaces for the new Pipes and there’s something else he wants to discuss, but he wouldn’t talk about it over the phone.”
“What do you think he’s got on his mind?”
“I honestly don’t know. I couldn’t get a read on him.”
“Interesting.”
“So what’s going on with you and Jayce?”
“The man drives me crazy. He’s opinionated, a flirt and reckless and I adore him.” She leaned up, excitement turning her eyes bright. “I remember watching you with Jake, the beauty of it, and how I secretly wished I could find that. I’ve found it.”
“Oh, Rylee.” My own eyes were bright; thrilled that Rylee had found a love like that.
“It’s like we’re the same person, but different enough to keep things interesting. He knows every part of me. Even the parts that are less than beautiful, but all he sees is beauty.”
“Smart man.”
She reached for my hand and squeezed, a small smile playing over her lips. “He’s still living at home, and with the home he has I get it, but he’s been dropping hints about moving in.”
“Here?”
“Yeah, but I’ve been avoiding the subject because this is your home too.”
“He can move in. It’ll be a little tight, but we’re all friends.”
“You seriously don’t mind?”
“You’ve found the love of your life, of course I don’t mind if he moves in with us.”
She unsuccessfully tried to pull off nonchalant; she was practically hopping in her chair. “Do you want to call him?”
“Do you mind? I won’t be long.”
“Go, but tell him he cleans up after himself or he’ll have to deal with the animals and me.”
“Will do.” She kissed me on the way to the door and then disappeared inside. A few seconds later, her happy voice carried out to me. Cain and I stepped off the deck to give her privacy. I wondered if that was what Abel wanted to discuss, our living arrangements. When he was here, we spent every minute together so it would make sense that I’d stay at his place, but I had Cain and the cats. If I was going to be away that long, I’d want them with me. I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about that.
“Keith’s band is playing at the Brass Bull tonight, a last minute schedule change. Want to go?” Rylee called from the deck.
A night out with friends, music and drinks. “Sure.”
I only had one other amateur band for reference, the garage band down the street from the Millers who had screamed more than sung and in keys that hadn’t yet been discovered. Keith’s band, Gray Matter, was amazing. So good in fact I was surprised he wasn’t doing more with it. Not only was their music good and the lyrics poetic, but the band had a presence and energy on the stage.
“I don’t understand why he isn’t doing more with his music.” Rylee voiced my thoughts exactly.
“There was a time he was hard-charging with the band but that kind of fizzled. I don’t know why because clearly they’ve still got it,” Jayce said.
Duncan returned with our drinks, taking the seat at my left. “Did you hear that Carly is coming home?”
“She is?”
“Yeah, she finished the program and has spent time in a halfway house kind of place, but the doctors think she’s ready to come home. She’s going to stay with Dad and Marnie for a bit until she figures out what she wants to do.”
I couldn’t help thinking of Connor and how if he had more people pulling for him, would he have been able to kick his addiction? “That’s wonderful, really fantastic news.” Leaning into Duncan slightly, I asked, “And you? What are your intentions?”
The boyish smile was one I had never seen on his face. “I won’t rush her, she’s got enough to deal with, but when the time is right.”
“I’m happy for you.”
And he continued to surprise me when he blushed, just the slightest coloring of his cheeks. “Thanks.”
The bellow from the door turned all our heads as Ichabod and Jeshaiah entered. “You need another round?” Ichabod called.
“Get one anyway,” Jeshaiah said before he pulled over a chair and joined us. “Evening folks.”
“What brings you out?” Jayce asked.
“Heard Keith’s band was playing. It’s been a while since we heard them last.”
“They’re only on their first set, so you haven’t missed much,” Lorelei said as she dropped the plates of loaded fries and nachos on the table.
Ichabod joined us, his eyes landing on the necklace. “You’re wearing it.”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. And thank you again, though it was completely unnecessary.”
“Spike is still here because of you. It’s the least we could do, besides what the hell are we going to do with it?”
“Maybe if you stopped collecting junk.” Lorelei said but her attention was on me, more specifically the necklace, and honest to God it looked as if she had seen a ghost.
“Lorelei?”
“Ichabod, where did you get that?”
“I don’t remember. Hey, Lor, you okay? You don’t look so good.”
“Belinda Kramer had a necklace just like that.”
All eyes turned to me, but I was already unfastening the necklace. The thought that I was wearing the poor dead woman’s jewelry was horrifying.
“You need to remember, Ichabod, and tell the sheriff.”
But Ichabod was the one who looked ill. “All this time I had that, I didn’t even think. It could have helped her, maybe even found her before…fuck.”
Lorelei rested her hand on Ichabod’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “You didn’t know. I only knew because I was surprised to see something so dainty and pretty around her neck.”
“I’ll call the sheriff now. Can I use the phone in the office?”
“Sure thing, hon.”
“What’s going on over here? You look like someone just ran over your dog.” Keith’s band had finished playing their first set and he’d jumped down to join us. He gestured to the necklace. “What’s that? Why are you all looking at it like it’s going to grow legs and crawl away?”
“It’s Belinda’s.”
Keith’s head jerked to Lorelei, his expression suggesting he thought she was teasing him. “Seriously?”
“Yeah.”
“How did you get it?”
“Ichabod found it. He gave it to Sidney here as a thank you.”
I felt more than saw his attention shifting to me; it was rather intense. “That sucks.”
He summed that up perfectly, I had nothing more to add.
Ichabod remembered where he’d found the necklace, it had been on the ground near the dumpster in the alley behind the bakery. The sheriff tracked down what landfill the dumpster’s contents were delivered to and had men searching it for possible evidence. He’d lucked out that the fill was a fairly new one, so though there was a lot of trash to comb through, it wasn’t a mountain like it could have been.
Back in New Jersey, Ichabod would have been brought in for questioning, but here everyone knew of his propensity to collect things. And being someone
who knew him the least, even I couldn’t imagine he’d have the stomach for murder.
I was at the clinic working on converting our records to electronic; something that was taking far longer than I’d anticipated since there just wasn’t time to dedicate to it, when the door opened and Abel came breezing through. Instinct was to jump up and throw myself at him, but instead I leaned back in my chair and just looked my fill.
“Doc.”
“Abel.”
“I heard you had some excitement here this week.”
“A little. I got to tell ya, I’m growing really tired of having to wait a week between visits.”
He leaned against the doorjamb as his hands found the pockets of his jeans. “You don’t say.”
“Um. Like that, right there. Making a woman wait a week when she has all of that is cruel.”
“Wait a week for what?” A wicked grin curved his lips suggesting he knew exactly what it was I didn’t want to wait a week for.
We were alone, so I answered honestly. “To touch, to taste, to feel the whiskers of that beard on my skin. To pull my hands through your hair, fisting it when you’re doing something I really like.”
Devilishness faded into hunger. “Keep talking like that and I’ll give you a reason to fist my hair right here.”
Lock the door almost escaped my lips and as much as I wanted him to do just that, the clinic was open and there could be an emergency. We’d have to wait until later. “Tempting. Very tempting.”
Abel changed gears so quickly I nearly got whiplash. “I need to talk to you.”
Unease moved through me. “Okay.”
He moved from his spot and paced a lot like how Cain used to in his shelter. “What’s going on Abel?”
“My father paid me a visit.”
“Your father?”
“He makes a habit of just popping up, but this time he had a purpose. He’s been living back east and saw a picture in the paper of Lauren, you and me entering the hospital.”
Something ugly twisted in my gut; Abel said the man was a con man and the Stephenses were loaded. “What did he want?”
“By your expression, you know. I went to see the Stephenses earlier in the week to warn them.”
My body tensed as chills of foreboding danced down my spine. “You went to see the Stephenses to tell them about your father?”
“Yeah.”
“By yourself?”
“They needed to be made aware and since it’s my shit bleeding onto them, I had to do it alone. I didn’t want to put you in the middle.”
The man continually surprised me; like a well of just so much goodness wrapped up in a seriously hot package.
He shifted his feet and though he spoke out of anger, there was concern weaved through his words too. “If you’re pissed about me going without you, fucking get over it.”
“I am so glad I walked down that alley.”
I’d surprised him; his expression was adorable. “You’re not mad that I went without you?”
“No. That had to be hard though. I know how much you dislike your father and having to share him with them. What did they say?”
“Just like that.”
“What?”
The grin was classic Abel; the lowering of his head and the slight shake that followed wasn’t. “I thought you’d be pissed that I went behind your back. I would have anyway, but the idea of losing ground with you did not fucking sit well with me.”
“What happened?”
“Jasper has a team of investigators and lawyers on retainer. And as good as I know my dad is, I think he’s met his match with Jasper.”
“Likely. The man hasn’t gotten to where he is without dealing with the likes of your father, but the fact that you were concerned and went to them speaks volumes.”
“Lauren said as much, even let me drink my Corona from the bottle.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“She really likes you if she allowed that. That’s a first.”
“No shit.”
“Um. So are you going to kiss me?”
He was already halfway to me and I didn’t waste any more time and met him the rest of the way. His fingers slid into my hair, tilting my head for his kiss. His lips lingered when he asked, “Are you still going to check out those properties with me?”
“Yes.”
“We need to talk about living arrangements when I move back. I like your place, but three’s a crowd.”
“Four.”
He pulled back slightly. “Four?”
“Jayce is moving in.”
“He and Rylee are at the move in stage?”
“Yep.”
“Shit. There must be something in the fucking air.”
“Why do I have the feeling you’re talking about more than them and us?”
“Duncan’s finally making his play, fucking Garrett and Marnie have been a thing for years. No one knew.”
I had wondered; they acted like peas in a pod. “How were they discovered?”
Abel grinned. “Jayce walked in on them having sex. Serves him right, thirty-something year old man still living at home.”
“It’s a huge home.”
He blew that observation off and added, “And Tiny.”
“Tiny?”
“He’s been sharing a bed with Stella.”
“The Stella. Oh my God, she bakes for him doesn’t she?”
Abel’s expression went blank for a second before he threw his head back and laughed, the thick muscles of his neck drawing my eyes. I wanted to kiss him there. Later I would.
“What?”
“I asked him the same thing.”
“Great minds and all.”
He cupped my ass and pressed me tight against him. “Fucking great everything.”
God, I loved this man.
“You finish here, I’ll swing by for you at closing time and we’ll check out those buildings.”
“Sounds perfect.”
He was halfway to the door when I called to him. “Thanks for warning Jasper and Lauren.”
He grinned an Abel grin. “See you soon.”
If someone told me six months ago I’d be this happy, I’d have told him or her they were full of shit. Maybe fate wasn’t so bad after all.
“You’re thinking this one.” Abel stood on the other side of the empty building; one that was located a street over from Main Street, but there was still decent foot traffic. What I liked about the space was that it didn’t get lost in its location. The other three options were closer to the heart of town but they had no street appeal and looked as if they were tucked in at the last minute. This place felt open even though it wasn’t that large a space.
“Yeah. The others were too cramped, lost in all the other stuff going on around them.”
“I like this one too.” He’d been checking out the small glass enclosed office that would be Tiny’s, but now he was walking toward me. I hadn’t a clue what he was thinking until he wrapped me in his arms and touched his lips to mine. “Do you know what else I like about this place?”
“What?” That may have come out a bit breathless.
“The room upstairs.”
I actually quivered with lust.
“I see you’re getting me. It’s certainly faster than dragging your ass home. Think of what we could do with all that extra time.”
He chuckled, probably because I went a little weak in the knees. “What’s the timing for this move?” I asked, since the alternative reply was something altogether different.
Abel dipped his chin, those pale eyes on me. “The LLC is setup and I’ve contacted my friend, who helped me setup Pipes, and am on his schedule. I’ll want to be here when he starts working. I just need to list my apartment and move my shit.”
“Do you want my help with packing?”
“Sweet, babe, that you offered, but you saw my place. There’s not much. I’ll get a couple of guys to help me load the shit into a truck. I
n two weeks my address will be Sheridan.” His chin dipped again, even lower, as he curled his back so we were nearly eye level. “We never did finish the discussion about living arrangements. I want you at my place.”
“What about my animals?”
“Are they a part of you?”
“Yeah.”
“So what do you think?”
“Even Sandbar?”
“Even that little shit.”
“Then yes, I would like to move into your place. And the timing is perfect. You’ll be home just in time for Christmas.” Really only days to spare but at least he’d be here.
“You’ll want a tree.”
“Yes.”
“Never had one.”
A sharp pang twisted in my gut thinking of him as a child, alone and neglected. I understood all too well. “We can pick one out together.”
He touched me, a slight brush of his fingertip from my jaw to my chin. “I’d like that. Your bedroom furniture is kick-ass. If you want to bring it over, I’ll make arrangements to get rid of mine.”
“Yeah, I’m taking you up on that.” My bedroom set was kick-ass, a mahogany mission panel bed with matching dresser and TV armoire—rustic and beautiful. Plus, I spent the money on a high-end memory foam mattress that I’d kill to keep. Well, maybe not kill but certainly maim. “As for the rest of the house, I will be adding the missing touches like pictures and stuff.”
“Whatever you want as long as I get to wake up with your hair on my pillow.”
He wasn’t shy about sharing how he felt and still he took my breath away every time he did. Touching his bearded chin, I ran my thumb over his cheek. “And yours on mine.”
He made a sound from deep in his throat, but it was the heated look that accompanied that sound which had that quiver of lust moving right down my body to settle between my legs. “Let’s wrap this up and get something to eat.” He lifted my chin and pressed his mouth to mine. “And later, I’ll eat you.”
The quiver became an ache. “I like this plan.”
The realtor was ecstatic to have made the sale since the property had been on the market for almost a year; understandable because outside of being turned into a garage like Abel needed, it would require a lot of work to make it an inviting retail space.