The tension and emotion in the room could be cut with a knife. All four of us were standing at this point, while Lexie and Maggie sat, watching us, waiting to see if we were going to come to blows. Our chests heaved, and it felt like a damn saloon showdown from an old western. I swallowed the bile rising up my throat and took a breath.
“I thought I did…”
“Do you recall falling on your face on the way up the stairs? That you missed more than one beat in one of our first songs ever released? Or the fact that you threw up backstage while we waited to go out for our encore?”
“I stumbled a little, but I didn’t…” I stopped mid-sentence when I saw the looks I was getting.
Had I really done all that and not remembered? How was that possible? Stunned, I fell back into my chair. A collective sigh seemed to fill the room. There was one thing that I wanted to set straight, though, something that the media had blown out of proportion.
“I’m not a playboy,” I informed them, after the guys sat back down.
“Sure,” Chris muttered, a snicker escaping him.
“Seriously,” I promised. “I’ve only slept with a handful of women. Ones I actually thought I cared about.”
“That’s not possible. You had them constantly coming and going,” Evan argued.
“I didn’t say I didn’t take pleasure from them,” I chuckled. “Blow jobs and hand jobs were frequent. I needed the release after a show, but I wasn’t stupid enough to put myself or my swimmers at risk for a lawsuit. They signed waivers and Mikey has copies of them.”
Now they were speechless. Mikey Finn was my bodyguard, and he had been my savior more times than I could count. Aside from the guys, he was the person I was the closest too. I hadn’t realized that he hadn’t shared this snippet of information with any of them. Maggie was the only one that didn’t seem as taken aback as the others, though I wasn’t surprised about that. He probably had her help with the paperwork.
“Well, damn,” Matt laughed.
“Now that all that is out in the open,” Chris said, looking directly at me. “When are you coming back to Nashville?”
“I’m not sure I am.”
So $1,476.89 needs to be reclassified,” I murmured to myself, as I sat on my father’s couch, surrounded by papers and files, my computer on the coffee table in front of me.
The numbers soon started to swim and swirl. Sighing, I put down the papers I had been holding on my lap and rubbed my burning eyes. I had been attempting to work since eight o’clock and it was now closing in on lunchtime. My body was exhausted. Deciding my productivity wasn’t up to par, I packed everything up and logged off.
Dad’s chemo seemed to be taking everything out of all of us. The night before had been his worst so far. I couldn’t get him to eat anything at all and even then, he had been up every two hours, going back and forth between vomiting and dry heaving. I could tell his energy was fading more and more each time he got up, and was grateful when six o’clock in the morning came and his body fell into a fitful sleep.
I had no recollection of him being this bad the first time around. Granted, I had been a teenager, and I’m sure I was kept in the dark for the most part by my brother and Marcia. Now, I was the one hiding things, even though I had promised my brother I wouldn’t. My father had made me swear I wouldn’t tell Keegan about his rough night because my brother was supposed to go meet with a new customer, two hours away. Dad didn’t want him worrying or canceling. I was stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place.
Stretching, I got up and headed to the kitchen. I hadn’t heard any movement from my father’s room, but it was time to try to get some food in to him. I had prepared some broths earlier in the week to give him something of nutritional value that would be easier on his stomach. I pulled one of the containers from the refrigerator and popped it in to the microwave while I fished around in the cupboard for a travel mug. We had found that using a travel mug not only made it easier for him to hold it, but also kept it warmer longer when he couldn’t drink it right away.
As the broth continued to heat, I pulled a bottle of water and a yogurt out of the refrigerator as well. I tucked them both in the front pocket of my hooded Grind sweatshirt, along with a spoon. When the ding came, signaling the microwave was done, I filled the mug. With the broth and his pill box, I made my way to his room. I was extremely grateful it was the weekend so that I didn’t have to try to get him moving to head to the hospital.
I knocked lightly before entering and was surprised to find my dad watching TV, and slightly elevated. He smiled at me weakly, but made no effort to move. I handed him his pills and the bottle of water. While he swallowed his doses, I placed everything else on the nightstand and sat down near his feet.
“How ya feeling?” I asked hesitantly.
“Better than last night,” he told me, reaching to put the water down and taking the broth; that effort alone leaving him winded.
“That’s good,” I said, forcing cheer in to my voice that I didn’t feel.
“You’re so full of crap, young lady,” he chuckled, making himself comfortable once again. “I’m sorry you had to see your old man like that.”
“It’s all part of it,” I reminded him. “I get it.”
“Doesn’t make it any easier on either of us,” he responded, taking a sip from his mug. “Did your brother make it down to meet with Carlisle?”
“In other words, did I tell him?” I laughed. My father had always turned words around to find out what he really wanted without actually asking. “Yes, they made it down there, and he and Abby are using it as an excuse to spend some time together.”
“Good for them.” He nodded approvingly. “They deserve it. You should get out soon too.”
“I’m fine, Dad,” I assured him. “You need someone here with you.”
I got the stink eye for that comment, but he backed off and let it go. I made sure he was all set with everything else before returning to the kitchen to make my own lunch. It was a cold rainy spring day, and soup sounded perfect. While I warmed up some chicken noodle, I rested my head against the cupboards and closed my eyes. An afternoon nap was sounding pretty good too.
A few minutes later, my phone vibrated on the coffee table just as I sat down with my soup and a bottle of water. It was a text message from Jen that was a simple ❤, and it brought tears to my eyes. The message was meant to let me know that she was there if I needed her, and that she loved me. I was so lucky that I still had her in my life after all these years. She was one of the things I missed the most in Maine, other than my family.
I returnd her back a message in kind and set the TV on the Hallmark Channel. One of my favorite movies was on. It was about a woman who returned to her hometown after years away, and finds that her high school sweetheart is now widowed with a son. If only real life was as simple as it was on the big screen.
After eating my soup, with my belly full and warm, I grabbed the throw blanket from the back of the couch and snuggled into it. The sweet down-home air on the screen lulled me into a catatonic state. I was just about asleep when I thought I heard something. The second time it happened, I knew I wasn’t imagining things.
Thump. Thump.
“Dad!” I hollered, jumping off the couch, nearly tripping over my blanket in my haste to get to him.
The bedroom door stood open, but the bathroom one was closed. Without thinking, I barged in. What I found had my heart in my throat and tears instantly pricking my eyes. My father was on the floor on his side with one arm and one leg tucked under him at odd angles. I couldn’t tell if anything was broken, and the look on his face was one of pure defeat. Before I could get to him, his words stopped me.
“Call Cooper,” he rasped.
I turned around and ran back to the living room to grab my cell phone. I could barely see through my tears as I searched in my contact list for his number. When I had found it in my jacket after that night with him and Evan, I had almost thrown it away. I want
ed nothing to do with him again, yet something had told me to put it in my phone just in case. Now, I couldn’t be more glad that I had it. I clicked on his number and stumbled back to my father.
“Cooper Hall,” came his greeting, seconds later.
“Coop,” I rushed, my voice shaking. “I need your help, now.”
“Avery?” he questioned. “What’s wrong?”
“My dad…he fell…I can’t lift him,” I sobbed, crumpling next to him on the bathroom floor and gripping the hand I could reach in mine.
“Baby, it’s okay,” he crooned into the phone. I could hear him conversing with what sounded like multiple guys while he kept me on the line, and then his truck starting. “We’re coming. Do we need to call rescue? Is he breathing and conscious?”
“He’s conscious,” I answered, looking down at Dad as he shook his head slightly to the rescue comment. “No rescue.”
“Keep talking to me, Ave,” Cooper requested. “How has he been?”
“Last night was rough for both of us, but he seemed to have been feeling better when I brought lunch in to him,” I told him, the fear slowly starting to subside and the tightness in my chest loosening.
“Almost there,” he said. “God, when did this drive get so long, dammit!”
I couldn’t help but giggle a little at his exasperation, and I saw the corners of my dad’s mouth lift a bit. I squeezed his hand as we waited with Cooper on the line to drive the last couple of minutes to our house. He squeezed back and closed his eyes. There was no sign of pain on his pale face, just complete fatigue.
Finally, after what felt like hours, I heard multiple vehicles pull in the driveway. The sound of doors slamming and boot-clad feet echoed in my ear as I still held my cell phone. When four large, tattooed, rugged men filled the bathroom doorway, I brought it down at last. They were all wearing well-worn jeans with hooded sweatshirts, and I then realized I knew what guardian angels looked like. Cooper tucked his own phone in his pocket before coming over and pulling me to my feet.
“Go make sure his bed is ready for him,” he said in a low soothing voice as he gathered me in his arms and kissed my temple. “We’ll get him up and bring him in.”
I wanted to argue as he moved me toward the door, but I knew my father wouldn’t want me to see them wrestling to get him off the floor. I trusted all four of these men, and had no doubt they would take care of him just as they would their own family. Rushing to the bedroom, I heard their murmured voices behind me and shuffling as they shifted around. I made sure the comforter and sheets were turned down enough that we wouldn’t have to jostle him to cover him back up. Then I waited.
Again, minutes felt like hours. Evan came into the room first, with a reassuring smile. Chris followed at an angle with one of my father’s arms slung around his shoulders while the other was over Cooper’s. The three were laughing about something and Matt followed, making sure that the other two were all set. They had a good grip on my dad, but they let him shuffle his feet, so he didn’t feel completely helpless; for that, I was grateful.
Somehow, they got him into bed and covered without my help. The chatter never stopped. While they had him occupied, I cleaned up the empties from lunch and returned with a new bottle of water and a sleeve of saltines. When I returned, the guys said their goodbyes and filed out.
“How you doin’?” I asked my father, fussing over his blankets as he settled in to sleep.
“I’m fine,” he assured me, closing his eyes. “I just lost my footing and my energy.”
Shaking my head, I kissed his forehead and headed to the door. Taking one last look at him, I stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind me. I could hear the band in the living room talking quietly. When I entered the room, they stopped, and all eyes turned on me.
“Thank you guys, so much,” I gushed, clasping my hands in front of me. “I appreciate the help more than you will ever know.”
“Anytime,” Evan assured me, as he came over and gave me a hug.
“You have Coop’s number. Use it if you need us,” Chris ordered, kissing me on the cheek and squeezing my arm.
“Maggie and Lexie are home too,” Matt let me know, when it was his turn. “Call my parents’ house if you need them.”
The guys headed out the door and I was surprised when Cooper closed it, coming back to stand in front of me. I was trying my hardest to keep it together until they had all cleared out. My hands were shaking as I wrung them together and my eyes were burning with unshed tears. I kept them trained to the floor and slowly swallowed as my stomach threatened to send the soup back up. If he reached for me, I was doomed. I wanted to stay mad at him. I didn’t want to need his comfort.
“Ave,” he whispered, the sound settling on my skin like a gentle caress.
“Don’t,” I choked, bringing one hand up to cover my mouth and hold in a sob.
“Let it go,” Cooper soothed, bringing me against his chest and wrapping me in his arms. “Let it all go.”
The words and his warm body against mine was all it took for my resolve to break. Tears came streaming down my face and sobs tore from my body. I brought my hands up and gripped his sweatshirt in an effort to keep myself grounded. I felt like my whole world was crashing down around me. Everything that I had cherished and worked so hard for was falling apart, including my vow to stay away from this man.
“I got you, baby,” he murmured against my temple as he ran his hands up and down my back.
“That’s what scares me,” I sniffled when I could breathe again.
Despite the years I had worked at building a wall around my heart to protect myself from men, it took just one to bring it all down. The same one who had caused me to build them in the first place. He needed to return to Nashville or I needed to go to Massachusetts. Things needed to go back to the way they had been. I had been happy, at least I thought I’d been. Now I didn’t know. One thing I did know was that I wanted to forget about everything going on. I wanted a couple hours to just forget that my dad was sick and that I wasn’t sure where my future was heading.
I pushed on the solid wall that was Cooper, catching him off guard, and sent him stumbling back onto the couch. I followed, straddling him and bringing us core to core. His eyes grew dark and wide, while his member danced against the denim and cotton between us. My panties grew damp just from the friction of his pelvis’ involuntary reaction to my body. Cooper’s hands came up to rest lightly on my hips, holding me in place, confusion written all over his handsome face.
Putting one hand behind his head on the couch to brace myself, I leaned in and used the other hand to cup his bearded cheek while my mouth crashed down on his. There was no hesitation as his mouth opened and his tongue dueled with mine. He met me lick for lick and my core pulsed against his from the heat of it. This was no sweet, getting-to-know-you-again kiss; it was hot and mind-blowing. His fingers dug into my hips as I rocked against him, trying to ease the need that was building.
I sucked his tongue into my mouth, eliciting a moan from deep within his muscled body. He pressed his dick against my core in response. I ran my hand down his defined pecs and the six-pack I knew were hiding beneath his Carhartt sweatshirt, to cup him through his jeans. Even though his body was happily obliging to my caresses and my mouth, I could sense Cooper’s brain start to kick in and pull back.
“Please, Coop,” I pleaded in a whisper when he pulled his mouth away from mine and loosened his grip. “I want to forget everything that’s going on right now.”
The pleading must have broken his control because the next thing I knew, he was picking me up and carrying me to the loveseat on the other side of the room. He set me down and I knew that from where I was, I couldn’t be seen from the hallway and neither could he until someone actually entered the room. Cooper was making sure my father didn’t see us if he got up. When I reached up to grab his sweatshirt and pull him back down on top of me, he shook his head.
“Pants off,” he demanded, as he pulled h
is sweatshirt off over his head.
It took me a minute to register his request as I had caught sight of his happy trail where his t-shirt rode up. I itched to touch it, but quickly pulled my leggings and underwear down while Cooper got down on his knees between my legs. He wasn’t going to give me exactly what I wanted, which was for him to bury himself inside me and screw me until I forgot who I was, but his mouth on me was the next best thing.
Cooper grabbed some of the throw pillows and helped me brace myself up, moving me so that my ass was on the edge of the cushion. He picked up my legs and placed my feet on his shoulders while he slid his sweatshirt underneath me. I wiggled in anticipation as his warm breath danced across my thighs. Never being one to wait, his fingers quickly found my folds and opened them for his exploration.
“So wet,” he murmured, trailing kisses up my left leg and stopping just short of where I needed him.
“Cooper,” I moaned, clenching fists beside my hips.
More kisses, this time up my right leg. I lifted my pelvis toward his mouth to get him to move faster. His chuckle vibrated against my lips as he adjusted my legs and brought his mouth down to where his fingers still held me exposed. Tingling in my lower back and belly signaled that my orgasm was ridiculously close for how little he had touched me.
The first stroke of his tongue against me had my hips soaring off the couch. One of his hands came up to hold me down while the other slid under to cup my butt cheek, bringing my body up so he could feast on me. His licking became more insistent, every once in a while sliding up to twirl against my clit. I pumped against his hand and his mouth, deliriously searching for the thing that was just out of reach.
“You taste so fucking good, Ave,” he growled into my folds, as he removed his hand that had been holding my hips in place.
I purred in response as I felt him slip a finger inside of me while he gently sucked at my sensitive nub. Moving my hands between my legs, I gripped his hair and held him to me. I could feel the pressure building and didn’t want him to let up. Cooper obviously had no intentions of slowing down, as his sucking became stronger and one finger turned into two.
The Return (The Comeback Series) Page 6