by Nicole Hicks
As she started to close the door, he cleared his throat. Crap!
“Yes?” The query came out slightly uppity sounding, but she didn’t care how it sounded. Despite the fact that the stranger looked good enough to eat and that thought having quickly passed through her mind only a time or three in the five minutes they had stood at the door, she was not a morning person in the least! And he was already on her last tightly strung nerve.
“I apologize,” he started slowly in a voice deeper than she expected. His tone was snidely consolatory and yet strangely appealing. “For waking you. You obviously need your beauty sleep, but I thought you would appreciate a word of warning. There’s a large cat out here, seems to mainly hunt in the early hours of the morning or in the evening. It hasn’t attacked a person, yet, but livestock and pets seem to be considered fair game. But I am sure you’re a smart lady who knows to look out for predators in the woods, so I’ll let you get back to your much needed rest.”
As he calmly turned and walked off the porch, his words sank in. He’d just insulted her! Of course she had started it, but still.
“Hey, thanks, kid…” she called after him.
“Travis Matalark, ma’am, or Tee if you prefer, not ‘kid.’ Now you have a good morning.”
She watched him walk toward the woods…no, the road. Hmm, the kid was strange. Quite a puzzle. The difference between his youthful face and those old eyes intrigued her. Could he really be a ‘backwoods country boy’ with that quick wit? Or was he more than that? She shook her head as she closed the door. A puzzle with an ass that begged to be squeezed. Screw it, she would think on it later. After she had a shower and a couple of cups of coffee her head would be clearer.
* * *
An hour later, she was still flabbergasted. She couldn’t believe her own behavior let alone Travis’. Well, his she could understand, he was just playing off the tone she started with, but her own was atrocious. Not at all worthy of the woman she wanted to be again, the woman she used to be. As she looked out the kitchen window, she wondered if she would ever see Mr. Travis Matalark and that delicious tight ass again.
And if she did, would she get a second chance for a first impression?
Sighing, she turned her gaze to the two piles of things she had made the previous night. The one for the bonfire seemed huge! Well, that will make the bonfire even more satisfying! And she knew just what she was going to use to start that fire! Those silk boxers she had bought for him, the ones he had left behind. Hmm, yes, silk does burn rather nicely. She knew the lopsided smile on her face was a mixture of sadness and vengefulness.
Saying goodbye to a part of her life she’d never thought to leave was hard. Finding the strength to walk away with her heart intact was harder, but not impossible. And she had shed enough tears of loss. It was her turn to start over, to start fresh. Rebirth, remember you are a phoenix now. Rise from the ashes a renewed woman. And to hell with that bastard! A true smile crossed her lips as she took another sip of her coffee and contemplated how to stack all her fodder for the fire.
“Maybe after this cup I’ll go out back and check on that burn pit I saw yesterday. Surely it’ll do for torching one’s past!”
Nodding in satisfaction, she lingered over her coffee and made plans on what to burn first.
* * *
Travis watched her scrambling between the house and fire pit, still reeling a bit from his reaction to her. She had quite a pile going, and looked a bit like a mouse making a nest, the way it seemed to mound up. The pile was full of knickknacks, odds and ends, clothes and what appeared to be picture albums. He was tempted to run to the pile to see what she was getting ready to burn when she walked out with a small bundle of clothes in her arms and a self-satisfied smirk plastered on her face. As she dropped the pile of laundry at her feet, she withdrew a pack of cigarettes and a Bic lighter.
God she’s gorgeous.
Lighting a smoke, she cocked her head this way and that, seemingly contemplating the overflowing pit.
“Hmm.” He heard her muttering as she continued to act like an insane raven with head twitching movements. “What should start the blaze? Hmm? Should we use his favorite shirt? No.... I think that should go on last…. What about the tramp’s underwear I found jammed in the couch? No, I think that should go on while the flames are newly started, to help heat them up like they heated up that asshat in my home…”
She continued murmuring to herself as she handled something that suspiciously looked like…. Were those boxers in her hands? As she shook them out, holding them by the waist, he could tell they definitely were some poor slob’s underwear. Did he want to know? He wasn’t certain, but was pretty sure if he stuck around, he would find out the whole story with the way she muttered like a witch, as if placing a curse on the idiot who must have done her wrong.
He watched more intently as her muttering slowed and she stepped forward.
“This is the right thing to do…. Burn you out,” she said, facing the huge pile of junk before her. “You cheated. You lied. You are the one who did this family wrong. And even if I no longer love you, I haven’t been able to move past you. You’ve overshadowed me long enough. You have hurt me enough…”
She raised the silky boxers toward the lighter. Almost ceremoniously, she lit the bottom of the crotch area. He covered his balls in sympathy as she gleefully watched the fabric catch fire before tossing it on top of the picture albums. As the bonfire started in earnest, he watched her more closely. She smiled, yet cried…. He didn’t know the story behind what she was doing, but she obviously felt it needed to be done. That didn’t mean she had to do something so apparently hurtful by herself. His parents had raised him better than that.
She seemed entranced by the flame’s dance as he stepped from the tree’s shadows, unaware of his approach. Yet when he stepped beside her, she didn’t jump. Instead, she warily looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
“How long have you been here?”
He saw her smirk when his hand moved to cover his crotch.
“That long, huh?”
Tee straightened, sidled closer and stared at the flames saying nothing.
They stood in silence for a bit. The crackling of the flames as they consumed the offerings within the pit was the only sound before he heard her take a breath and release it in a sigh.
“I suppose you wanna know—”
“None of my business,” he interrupted. “But if you want to share, feel free. One thing I can tell is he tee-otally ticked you off.”
He watched as she bent to pick up a handful of the laundry at her feet before casually tossing it into the hungry flames, one article at a time. Displaying a sad smirk, she asked, “How can you tell?”
He bent to pick up the remaining articles of fabric, offering them to her as her hands came close to empty.
“It takes a lot for a woman to be willing to burn away her past. It takes a lot of hurt to cause a woman to sequester herself away to work through that pain. I can’t imagine the amount of anger it would take for a woman to begin a fire with the crotch of a man’s boxers. But most of all, it takes a bastard a lot of years to cause all the grief I see in your eyes as you watch the flames destroy everything that holds his memory.”
At his words, tears trickled from her eyes. Shit, I didn’t mean to make her cry again.
He tossed the clothes to the ground and pulled her shoulders into his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
“Shh…. It’s all over. Whatever happened, whatever was said, it’s done. You’re making him disappear, right? What could he have said that would possibly bring you down so much?”
He wasn’t prepared for her to force his arms from around her, or the fire that was back in her eyes. He stared at the blue irises, noting not even the flames from the fire could come close to that intense heat.
“I want to see other people,” she started off with making air quotes with her fingers, “I want to fuck other women. If you were enough, then
I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else, would I? If you made me happy, then we wouldn’t be having this talk…. If we try to work it out, then know I will fuck other women. And since you would know, it isn’t cheating.”
Her voice didn’t get louder, just more despondent. Almost as if it were a litany she had repeated over and over. For how long? How long had she been dealing with this pain?
“Over a year,” she answered.
Had he asked that out loud? Apparently, he had. He looked at her, seriously looked at her. Her shoulders were slumped, head bowed as if defeated, her shoulder-length hair hiding her face and the pain he saw there only moments ago.
“For over a year we had fights. For over a year, he’d given his number out. And stupidly, I was led to believe the women’s voices I’d heard were that of his friends’ for over half of that year. But then, he was on the phone more and more, and with the kids and me less and less. When I confronted him, it became a full-blown fight. One evening, when I was cleaning, I found a pair of women’s bright-red underwear in our couch.”
She slumped to the ground, then tossed in some more clothes that lay in a heap at her side. When she came to a pair of red panties, she gave a sad huff of derision as she held it up high.
“I found these,” she said, waving the underwear in the air before chucking them into the fire,” in my house, buried in my couch. But they’re not mine!”
She got quiet again and he took a seat next to her, near the small pile of remaining clothes. Her hand brushed by his a couple of times as she reached for more fuel for the fire in the pit, which ignited one in his loins. Down, stupid. She thinks you’re a kid, remember? Besides how can you get excited by her pain?
When she stilled again, he brushed his fingers over the back of her hand and up to her elbow. Slow strokes against her soft skin that made him think about naughtier ways of making her happy. Ways of making her forget the prick who caused her so much grief. He rubbed her back and shook the thoughts from his head. He would not take advantage of the situation. But when she sighed heavily and put her head on his leg, his good intentions flew right out of his head and landed in his lap. Deviant.
“How do you mend a broken heart? How do you say that final goodbye? How do you find the strength to walk away from a life you treasured, even if it was a lie? All questions I’ve asked and don’t know the answer to. All things he made seem so simple.” She sighed. “This just isn’t fair…”
When she didn’t saying anything else, he replied, “Life isn’t.”
She jerked up as if he had tried to throw her in the fire. Leaning on her hand and turning toward him she said, “How dare you! You’re only a kid. How would you know anything about life? Or love? Of letting go? You have no idea the hell—”
Her anger only turned him on more. He shut her up the only way he could. He knew closing his mouth on hers may be a mistake, but consequences be damned. This was a mistake he wanted to make since he’d first caught her scent.
Soft, she was soft everywhere. Her lips were full and met his in anger at first before softening with a groan. He grabbed her arms to drag her closer. Her anger only enhanced her natural smell. Catnip, she’s like catnip. He wanted to roll in her. That slight, woodsy scent that had enticed him this morning, even masking the stench of old wine. The feel of her had him echoing her groan. Just as her arms went to circle around his neck, her phone rang. Strains of “My Give a Damn’s Busted” made her freeze and then flinch.
Chapter Three
Well, you filled up my head with so many lies, broke through her sensual haze. Had she really just been making out with the asshole who had woken her up so rudely this morning? Twisted my heart ‘til something snapped inside…. Earl’s ringtone had her jumping up, digging out her phone and moving away from Travis in a hurry. She flipped it open with a scowl.
“Yeah?” She couldn’t help how short she sounded. Yes, she tried to remain friendly for the kids’ sake, but that did not mean she had to be his doormat anymore.
“Hey, babe, what’s up?” His voice didn’t hurt as it used to, but the pet name still drove a stake in her heart.
“Earl, you lost the right to call me ‘babe’ seven months ago when you left. And you called me, remember?”
The kid walked into her line of sight, his eyebrows crinkled in question. Travis, not kid. You are not a weirdo. Only weirdos mess with kids.
“Sorry,” he seemed to sound contrite. Yeah, as if I can trust anything that comes out of his mouth? “Old habits die hard.”
“Whatever…. What do you want, Earl? I am kind of busy at the moment—”
His snort of derision came through the line loud and clear and she could tell by the tightening of Travis’ muscles that he had heard it.
“Look, ba…Bree, I just wanted to know when I could get my things that accidentally got packed with your stuff.”
Bree glanced at the fire before snickering to herself.
“Don’t you think seven months is a bit long to expect me to still have that stuff?”
She paced closer to the fire.
“Come on, Bree, we both know you’re not the type to throw things away, especially since it was mine. I just want what is mine back…”
She snickered. Just want back what is yours? What about what I want? What about wanting the family to still be together? To not have to tuck the kids in and hear them ask where Daddy is? Or when he’s coming home? Or when we’ll go back to our old home? How about that! The last ten years were all about what you wanted. Now it’s my turn, damn it! She eyed Travis with a smile before turning toward the woods.
“You’re right, Earl. I didn’t throw it away…not even that bitch’s panties. You want it back? Fine, tell me where to have the ashes delivered.”
“Ashes?”
“Yes, Earl…ashes. You know, the remnants of a fire. If you want that stuff back, then that is how you will have to get it. Of course it will be a couple of days before its cool enough for me to collect them—”
“Sabrina!” he hollered loud enough she had to take the phone from her ear, but then lowered his voice as he continued, “why would you do that to my things? To the memories attached to them? Why?”
“Exactly that. The memories. And you know what, Earl? It felt so good! It felt like a little piece of heaven to watch your shit go up in flames.”
She jumped as Travis came up behind her and nuzzled his face next to the phone.
“Baby,” Travis said just loud enough to carry to her ex, “come back to bed. I’m not through with you yet.”
She whipped around and saw the malicious grin on his face and returned it with one of her own.
“Who the hell is that?” Earl growled.
“None of your damned business, but I’ll tell you, anyway. That is someone who has decided I am enough for him. I need to go take care of him, now. He’s quite demanding, you know.”
“Baby, come on. There’re still a few things we haven’t tried…yet.” The smile on Travis’ face was feral.
“Coming, hon! Look, Earl, text me where you want me to send the ashes. I’m a bit busy at the moment.”
She hung the phone up before letting her laughter out.
“Oh my god, that was great! Thank you. “
Travis tipped an imaginary hat and bowed.
“Purely my pleasure, madam. Purely my pleasure,” he replied before joining in with her laughter. “I just hope I didn’t make it worse for you.”
Bree waved the thought off.
“Nah, that was the most joy I have gotten out of one of his calls since all this began. So really, thank you.”
Her phone started in again with the opening lines from Jo Dee Messina’s song as she put it back in her pocket.
“Going to get that?” Travis asked with a smile.
“Nope,” was all Bree replied before turning back to the fire.
She used the quiet to draw her courage around her. Could she do it? Would he be interested? Was the kiss earlier just pity? Was
she too old for him? Only one way to find out.
She began, “You know…. The one thing I’ve always prided myself on has been my honesty.”
He stood there, his hazel eyes watching her intensely. She felt her palms sweat as her nerves got the better of her.
The man could teach a tree how to stand still.
“Yeah?” Travis finally answered.
“Yeah…and well, I would hate to…that is to say…you seemed interested…I mean…damn it all…”
She was no good at this! She knew she wasn’t! She could never tell when men flirted with her, so what in the world made her think she could proposition a near stranger? And a kid at that…. I am absolutely pathetic! She took a breath and turned to face him. That bastard smiled!
“Never mind!” she huffed as she stalked past him. When he grabbed her, she made a small attempt at slapping his hands.
“Are you asking me to make an honest woman of you? If so, it would be my pleasure and I will ensure yours.”
Cocky twit! Ensure my pleasure? God, were all men that far removed from reality?
“Well,” Bree said, looking into his eyes, “if you can’t, I can finish myself after you leave.”
He laughed so hard tears streamed from his eyes before replying, “Darlin’, if I don’t accomplish what I set out to do, then I will just have to try harder next time, won’t I?”
“Who said you’d get a second shot, Mr. Cocky?”
But she figured if the banter with him turned her on, he should have no difficulty fulfilling his promise. And the look in his eyes said he was a man of his word. He gazed at her lips with longing. She looked at his, remembering the taste of him. That small taste had her moaning aloud. It had been too long since she had a man hold her, entice her, want her. Just as his lips brushed hers, a gun shot rang out, shattering the silence and jerking him away.
* * *
“What was that?”
Tee heard her ask the question, but ignored it as he turned his head, trying to catch the direction of the shot. When she smacked his chest, he looked at her.