Fight Dirty: A Dawson Family Novel

by Goodwin, Emily

  Three chapters later and I’m feeling sleepy. I trade the book for a blanket and lie down. Mom left to go to the store and Dad is at work. The house is quiet, save for the birds chirping outside the open window. With the ceiling fan on high, things are set for prime napping time.

  My eyes fall shut and I start to drift to sleep faster than I expected, slipping into a hazy dream where I’m walking through Eastwood and run into Owen again. But this time, we don’t go to the park.

  This time we go back to his house, which is technically his parents’ since that’s the last place he lived during college when we were still together. We’re sitting in the kitchen and suddenly he’s holding a baby again, but instead of the little blonde-haired newborn he was holding before, this baby has thick dark hair…just like he does.

  Then the dream shifts and suddenly we’re upstairs in his bedroom. He’s on top of me, and his kisses feel just as good as before. My clothes just melt off in a way that can only happen in a dream. Owen rolls me over so I’m straddling him. I buck my hips, feeling his big cock rub against me.

  “Charlie,” he moans, looking into my eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too,” I pant and lean down to kiss him. I grind against him, needing a release. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything this good.

  My eyes fly open. Oh, shit. My hand is between my legs, and my body is still craving the release my dream didn’t give. I push myself up, eyes wide. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stride into the bathroom and turn on the sink, set on splashing cold water on my face.

  Because having a sex dream about Owen is the last fucking thing I need.

  Chapter 9

  Charlie

  I bring my hand up to my face, covering my nose. Mom does the same and takes a step closer to the door. She offered to help me look at rentals around Eastwood today since I didn’t put the deposit down on the apartment yesterday. There are a whole three houses up for rent in Eastwood right now, and we’re on house number three already.

  The first was nothing more than a trailer parked in someone’s yard. I’d share my propane hookup with the house, so that was an automatic no. The next house was rather large for one person, and looked promising from the outside…until we saw the water damage in the basement. Turns out it floods during bad rainstorms.

  And this current house is small, tidy, but smells terrible, like cigarettes and cat pee. Looks like I’m stuck with Mom and Dad for another month and a half…and that I’ll be dropping off the deposit to hold my spot at the apartment complex.

  Mom and I do our best not to gag as we walk through the rest of the house, which is actually cute and has potential if only it didn’t smell so bad. After leaving the house, we go into town and get lunch.

  As we’re leaving the restaurant, Carly calls and asks if we want to go see her lot in the neighborhood today. The builders started to mark stuff off and she’s excited.

  “Do you want to go?” Mom asks. “I know it’s not the most exciting thing in the world, but your sister is just tickled over this.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go see it. I think it’s cute she’s so excited.”

  “Five people in her little house…” Mom shakes her head. “Plus those dogs. I couldn’t have done it. The two of you took up enough room in our house.” She gives me a wink. “The only downfall about older houses is the lack of bathrooms. In this new neighborhood, every bedroom has a bathroom.”

  “That is nice, especially when the kids get older.”

  “Definitely. There were many mornings before school where you and Carly would be fighting over the bathroom.”

  “I remember. Carly took forever to do her hair.”

  Mom laughs and pulls her keys from her pocket. I roll down the windows as soon as I’m in the car, choking from the hot summer air. It doesn’t take long before the air conditioner starts blowing out cool air, at least.

  “Oh wow,” I say about ten minutes later when we pull into the new development. “This is huge.”

  “It’s really taken off over the last few years. It’s nice, rather upscale houses too. You-know-who’s father developed this.”

  “Mom, you can say Owen’s name. He’s not Voldemort.”

  Mom looks at me sideways. “All right.”

  Carly’s lot was one of the last left in the neighborhood and butts up to a pond with a fountain in the center. The houses are cookie-cutter without being too similar, and almost every lawn is neatly landscaped. This place looks perfect for my sister and her family.

  “Hi, Aunt Charlie!” Libby comes running over to me as soon as I’m out of the car. She’s four and is the spitting image of Carly. I pick her up and kiss the top of her head.

  “Hey, kiddo! Are you excited to have your house go in here? I’m excited for it!” I flash a big smile, remembering Carly tell me that Libby is scared of moving. “I bet your new room is going to be perfectly pink, right?”

  “Yes, with princesses!”

  “Mine is going to be green,” Matt says. He’s two years older than his sister and is all about the jungle and dinosaurs right now.

  “Oh my gosh, it’s going to be so cool!” I set Libby down. That kid is surprisingly heavy for her size. “And what about baby Jack?”

  “Mickey Mouse!” Libby says, raising her hands up over her head. “He’s just a baby, though.”

  “Mickey Mouse is always a good choice.” I take her hand and follow Carly through the empty lot. She takes photos of the orange flags and sends them to her husband. Libby wants to walk down the street and look at the geese by the water’s edge. I go with her, but stop before we even make it two houses down.

  Because of all the people in this town for me to run into—again—it’s Owen fucking Dawson. And this time, he’s shirtless and sweaty and pushing a lawnmower. I remember my dream from yesterday and hate the rush of heat that goes through me.

  His kisses probably aren’t that good anymore. And I bet he’s slept with so many people he’s gotten lazy in bed. Which makes sense, don’t tell me otherwise.

  Hoping we can hightail it down the sidewalk before he sees us, I wait a beat before starting forward again, watching him turn the lawnmower around and head away from the street.

  But, dammit, he sees me and stops mowing.

  “Charlie,” he says and my name floats off his tongue like velvet. “Are you stalking me?”

  “You wish,” I spit back, keeping a hold on Libby’s hand.

  “Then what are you doing here?”

  “My sister bought the lot a few houses down. She wanted to show me.”

  Owen nods. “I didn’t know we were going to be neighbors.”

  “You live here?” I don’t mean to sound as surprised as I do. My eyes go to the house in front of us, thinking this place is better suited for a family of five like my sister’s, not Owen.

  “What, did you think I was just here mowing lawns or something?”

  “No, it’s just not…not what I expected.”

  He gets that irritatingly sexy cocky smirk on his face again. Fuck, I want to slap it right off. “So you expected things from me. Does that mean you’ve been thinking about me?”

  “No,” I say pointedly. “Not at all.”

  “Who is that?” Libby whispers.

  “That’s Owen,” I tell her. “An old friend.”

  “We were much more than—” Owen cuts off when I glare daggers at him. “I’m Owen,” he says to Libby and offers his hand to shake.

  “You’re all sweaty.” She recoils and I laugh.

  “I am. It’s hot out. Are you excited to move in here?”

  Libby wrinkles her nose. “Yeah, but I’m sad to leave my old house. Heidi lived across the street and we played.”

  Owen crouches down to Libby’s level and points to a house down the road. “Two little girls live there, and I know there are a handful of other kids about your age here. I see them up and down the street on their bikes all the time. Actually, the girl who live
s right next to me just got one of those princess Power Wheel cars. It looks like it can seat two and she never has anyone to ride with her.”

  Libby’s face lights up and I’m hating Owen more and more. Not only is he amazing with his own niece and nephew, he just made my own niece’s day.

  “Well,” I say, tugging Libby forward. A bead of sweat rolls down Owen’s chest and slowly makes its way over the ridges of his abs. He was in good shape when we were together, but he’s in even better shape now. “We were going to see the geese.”

  “They’re mean,” Owen warns. “Don’t get too close.”

  “We’ll be fine.”

  “Bye!” Libby waves and jogs to keep up with me. I slow once I realize I’m making the poor kid run. The geese hiss and shake their heads at us as soon as we step off the sidewalk. “They are mean. That man was right.”

  “Geese usually are. Maybe we can bring bread or something for them next time and try to be friends.”

  “Okay!”

  I pick up Libby and carry her down the sidewalk, moving fast and instantly regretting it. I’m sweating by the time we get back to Carly and my mom.

  “Who were you talking to?” Mom asks, though by the tone of her voice, she clearly knows.

  “Just one of the neighbors,” I say and set Libby down.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. He lives a few houses down from here, which makes him one.”

  Mom and Carly exchange glances, but before either of them can get on me about it, Jack picks up something off the ground and sticks it in his mouth. After a moment of panic, we pull a dried-up worm from the kid’s mouth and decide to call it a day. I help load the kids into the car, and right as Carly gets Jack’s car seat buckled, her phone rings.

  “Oh my God,” she says, stepping away from the car. I watch, worried at first that something is wrong. Then I see her smile, and a minute later she comes back.

  “You’re never going to believe this!”

  “What?” Mom asks.

  “Someone just put an offer on the house. Full asking price! And they want to close as soon as possible!”

  “That’s amazing!” I give my sister a hug.

  She puts her hand to her chest and lets out a big sigh. “I was so panicked about having to pay for two houses if the first didn’t sell. This is such a—oh shit.”

  “You said a bad word, Mommy,” Matt points out.

  “What’s wrong, honey?” Mom starts Carly’s car so the kids don’t get cooked in there.

  “This house won’t be ready for another few months. I know we talked about moving in with you guys to patch the time, but that was with the assumption it would take our house through the summer to sell, not the day after we put it on the market.”

  “We’ll make it work.” Mom’s smile doesn’t falter. “It’ll be fun having us all together. And it’s only temporary.”

  My smile, however, does falter. My situation was only temporary too, and now I’m cursing this stupid small town and its lack of rentals. My eyes go to Owen once more, and my heart skips a beat in my chest.

  “It’ll be fun,” I flat-out lie. My parents’ house is decently sized, but cramming my sister, her husband, three children, and two golden retrievers in along with Mom, Dad, me, and Tulip…we’ll be lucky if we all make it out alive by the end of the summer.

  Chapter 10

  Owen

  Maybe I should get a cat.

  Seriously. What the fuck is wrong with me? I shift in the chair, trying to get comfortable. I fell asleep watching reruns of The Office and my dream was about Charlie.

  Again.

  It’s been a week since I’ve seen her, and it’s not for lack of looking. Eastwood seems like a small town until you try to find someone amongst all the residents…and corn fields…and cows.

  I want to fuck her. Feel her pert nipples against the rough palms of my hands as I cup her supple breasts. I want to push my cock into her tight little pussy and feel it contract around me as she comes.

  That’s all. Fuck her, and forget about her.

  Which is what I should have done tonight. Well, not fuck Charlie. But someone else. I could have, and even got two numbers handed right to me at the bar tonight. Yet those women weren’t doing it for me.

  Were they pretty? Yeah.

  Would they have been a good time? Yeah.

  But were they Charlie? Hell no.

  I think it’s time I admit it to myself. After years of denying it, years of pretending it didn’t matter because I liked hooking up with a different girl every night…I think it’s time to—nope.

  Not doing it. Not sober, at least. Stretching my arms out in front of me, I get up with a yawn and go into the kitchen, flicking the light on above the sink. I rub my eyes, stare at the dirty dishes on the counter, and then go to the fridge to get a beer.

  It’s way too late—or too early, depending on how you look at it—to be drinking, but I have nowhere to go tomorrow and know there’s no way I’ll fall back asleep unless I have something to dull the pain.

  Because that’s exactly what I’m feeling: pain.

  I fucked up. I’ve missed Charlie all these years and I’ve lived with repressed regret. I broke up with her because I wasn’t what she needed, and I wanted her to go find her own happiness. But I’m not the same guy, not at all.

  Bringing my beer to my lips, I chug a few mouthfuls and then set the bottle on the counter. I have to show her I’ve changed. Give her a reason to take another chance on me. Because no one can love her like I can.

  No one will please her like I have.

  I want nothing else but to make her happy.

  I turn on the sink and grab a rag, washing the dishes that wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher. I suck down the rest of my beer and go upstairs to shower and brush my teeth. Naked, I pass out in bed.

  No surprise, I dream about Charlie.

  * * *

  “What aren’t you telling me?” I narrow my eyes at my twin, able to sense that he’s withholding something secret.

  Logan smiles, looks out at the bar, and motions for me to join him in the office. He’s sitting at the computer and has been working on the schedule for the next few weeks.

  “Danielle’s pregnant.”

  “Shit, congrats!” I clap him on the back. “Your boys can swim!”

  He laughs. “We already knew that, jackass. Don’t tell anyone yet. Danielle wants to wait until she gets her first ultrasound, ya know, since the last one didn’t stick.”

  “Your secret is safe with me. And this one is it. I have a good feeling about it.”

  His smile grows. “I hope so. It was really hard on her—and Mom—last time.”

  Danielle had an early miscarriage only a few months ago, which we were told was totally normal, yet still devastating for everyone.

  “When does she go into the doctor?”

  “Next week. She thinks she’s already six and a half weeks so we’re past where we got last time.”

  “You’re gonna give me another nephew, I can feel it.”

  Logan laughs. “I’d love a son. Fuck, that’s weird to say.”

  “Don’t start the dad-jokes just yet.”

  “I’ll try my best.”

  It’s Friday evening, and Getaway is busy as usual. I’m in a good mood, happy for Logan and Danielle. It’s the first time since seeing Charlie over a week ago that I felt this good. The night is going by fast…until she walks in.

  I don’t know what makes me look up, but I do the moment she steps through the doors. Her hair billows around her face and it’s like everything moves in slow motion, including my heart.

  Charlie steps into the bar and stops, looking around. She’s alone but isn’t uncomfortable. It’s easy to forget she’s a lawyer, that she’s ruthless when she has to be and isn’t afraid to find her own voice. She’s wearing a black top and tight jeans and looks so fucking good. Her blonde hair is pulled up in a bun on the top of her head, and her red lipstick is making me want t
o kiss those lips.

  She catches my eye and gives a small smile as she makes her way over to the bar

  “Miss me?” I reach under the bar for a wine glass.

  “Keep dreaming,” she says, and I wonder if she’s able to read my mind. I have been dreaming about her.

  I turn and go to the mini fridge, getting out a bottle of sweet red wine. I fill up her glass and slide it over. She takes it but looks at the liquid as if there’s poison inside.

  “Then what are you doing here?”

  “Can’t a girl come get a drink?” She brings the wine glass to her lips. I swallow hard, talking down my cock. God, this woman is gorgeous.

  “Of course she can. But why come here of all places?”

  She takes a big drink of wine. “There aren’t any other places to go after ten PM here.” Setting the glass back on the bar, she looks around. “This place is nice.”

  “You sound surprised again. Are your expectations that low?”

  She cocks an eyebrow. “Do you want me to answer that?”

  I roll my eyes and shift my attention to another female customer who comes up to the bar, tits popping out of her top. She makes a point to lean over and show them off, making me think she just got them done and wants everyone to notice. The surgeon did a fantastic job, but even Ms. Designer Tits falls short next to Charlie.

  My Charlie.

  “Really, though,” she starts, taking her eyes from me to the woman next to her. “I just need some quiet.”

  “You came to the wrong place, sweetheart.”

  “Don’t call me sweetheart,” she shoots back.

  “What, will you sue me?”

  “I would love to.”

  I round on her, leaning against the bar. “And I’d love to see you in a tight skirt and button-up blouse. Oh, wait. I have. Remember when you used to play sexy librarian with me? I had overdue books all the time.”