Only Her (Haley Cove Book 1)

by Lee Wardlow

  “Thank you,” she replied. Skylar bent over and kissed Ava’s cheek. “You be a good girl for Grammy.”

  Her dress was low cut when she bent over she was facing Luka and Luna revealing the fullness of her cleavage. He cleared his throat. She didn’t bother looking at him. She knew what he was thinking and didn’t care. She would rather swim with a thousand alligators in the Florida everglades than let Luka Shaw back in her bed.

  “I will. Grammy and I were planning to watch a Disney movie together. Daddy was deciding if he was up for something with princesses.”

  “Frozen for the thousandth time?” She asked Luna keeping her gaze focused on his mother not the man still eyeing her intently. She was ignoring him.

  “Probably,” Luna agreed. “Ava is right. You look stunning sweetheart. Have a good time.”

  “Night.” She turned on her heel and walked out the front door. Ignoring Luka completely. She knew he was behind her. The familiar stomp of his boots was obvious on her hardwood floors.

  “Where are you going?” He asked.

  She glanced briefly over her shoulder but kept going. “Where I go every Friday night Luka.”

  “You leave Ava every Friday night?”

  She shook her head at the tone of his voice. The hint of accusation. Well he wasn’t going to get to her. Where the hell was he when she pushed Ava out of her body after fifteen hours of labor? Where was he when Ava broke her arm? Skylar had been terrified at the thought that she could have been killed. The horse threw her when his two idiot brothers had put her on it when she was too small to begin with. She still cringed when she thought of that day.

  He was god knew where enjoying his life; that is where he was. Sleeping with god knew who not that she wanted to think about that part of Luka’s life. She didn’t stop to think that he hadn’t know about Ava. Her attitude wasn’t really fair to him but she didn’t care at that particular moment.

  “Do you have a date? They told me you were dating somebody. Doesn’t he pick you up? What kind of guy doesn’t pick up his girl?’” He kept firing the questions at her until she halted in her tracks. She turned on him suddenly.

  “Stop, just stop.” She was facing him now. He towered over her even in her boots with the one-inch heel. “I do not answer to you Luka not now, not ever again. Got that?”

  He watched as she slammed through the screen door and headed to her truck. That skirt flowed around Skylar’s body giving him a peek of her toned thighs. Luka wanted to push the dress up to her waist and yank her panties down. Then he wanted to paddle her behind. Damn she was an obstinate woman.

  “Do you think it’s a good idea to leave her so much?” He let the screen door slam shut behind him.

  She had reached the truck and opened the door. Skylar grasped the door frame hard. “You don’t want to go there Luka.”

  He took a few steps towards her. “I’m just concerned.”

  “Ava is fine. Have you not realized that we have been doing just fine without you here Luka?”

  He took another step towards Skylar. The pit of his stomach rumbling with anger. She was going to keep trying to push him away and he was going to fight harder to hang onto her. She had to know that. “Is that so?” He asked.

  He was standing so close that Luka could reach out and touch her cheek. He raised his hand and with one finger he caressed the softness of her skin watching his fingers trail across her jaw. He watched her breath catch in her chest. Her breasts rose and fell with the dress that was too damned low cut. Luka glanced up and her eyes were on fire. He pushed her against the truck. “Tell me you don’t need me now,” he whispered.

  “I don’t.”

  “Look me in the eye Skylar when you are going to try to lie to me. I know the truth.” She still didn’t look at him. “Look at me dammit.”

  She shook her head no. He knew that it was crazy. He knew that at any moment she could flip her shit and knee him in the balls because she had done it before when she was pissed at him but so far she hadn’t moved.

  “Let me go Luka.”

  She sounded fragile. He didn’t like it that she sounded so afraid when he was so close he could smell her perfume. He tilted her head up with the finger he had used to caress her. He wondered would she let him kiss her?

  Luka leaned into Skylar pressing her hard against the truck. He moaned. Her body felt like heaven against his. It felt right. She was where she belonged and he was reminding her of that. She was his.

  Then his lips brushed across hers and he felt her body trembling. Luka waited a split second before he captured her mouth again. His hand cupped her face so she couldn’t pull away from him. Her hands were at her side then they slid up his chest. She flattened her palms against his hard pecs like she was going to caress him right before she gave him a hard shove. He took two steps back.

  “Don’t do that again,” she snarled at him.

  She slid into the truck and slammed the door. Her hands were shaking as she tried to get her keys in the ignition. Luka rested his hands on the edge of the door. He leaned closer and whispered, “Oh, I think we’ll be doing that again and again.”

  She glared at him. Then she started the truck. “Move or I’m running over you,” she threatened.

  He threw up his hands in surrender and backed up. “Have a nice night Skylar.” He knew that kiss would be on her mind for the remainder of the night and he was pleased as punch about it.

  She flipped him the bird as she drove around the circle making him laugh. The bastard. She heard him. She floored the truck, spinning gravel on him.

  “Hey,” he shouted as tiny pebbles pelted his chest.

  She watched him get smaller in the rearview mirror. She went from shocked that he was kissing her to pissed off at herself that she didn’t even resist him.

  This was going to be damned difficult since Ava had made it perfectly clear that she wanted to see Luka again. She might be able to tell him that she didn’t need him but she couldn’t tell her daughter that she didn’t need her father so she would be seeing him again and again.

  **

  Skylar was still fuming when she parked the truck in the square and walked across the street where rows of benches faced a podium. Skylar slipped quietly into the back row of one of many, hard, wooden benches. They almost looked like pews in the Baptist church.

  Tag was already making his speech; droning on and on, about the state of affairs in Haley Cove. Hell, not much changed in this small town since last week. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do this once a month and still have more than enough to say. Sometimes she thought he just liked to hear himself talk. She peeked over the heads of the people in front of her. There in the front row was his groupies.

  Three divorced women with three to four kids each. Two single women, no kids. They practically drooled over him. She just chuckled. She knew them all. They knew her. They all knew she was dating him and they were just waiting for her to slip up. Any one of them was eager to step in and take her place. They could have him.

  She cocked her head to the side and listened to Tag. Tan from working outside on the weekends at his house; a big Victorian that sat on the edge of town. It was Daddy’s house and now it was his since his Daddy had passed away last year right before they started to date. His mother lived there too in the guest house behind the main house.

  Tag was just over six feet. He was lean with a muscled chest and biceps from working out religiously. His black cotton shirt was snug to show off just how cut he was. His hair was turning blonder too from being outside.

  The one thing she did like about Tag was his hands. They were beautiful. She had a thing about a man’s hands. He always cupped one side of her face when he leaned in to kiss her whether it was a quick kiss or one meant to ignite passion. He had a way with those hands that always sent a shiver down her spine.

  Yes, Tag was a great looking guy. Yes, he knew his way around the bedroom. Other than that? Tag was a jackass. She never should have gotten involved with h
im but the sex was good. She rarely saw him except these Friday night deals. Until recently she thought they were casual so Skylar hadn’t really seen the harm when he was satisfying an itch that she had.

  The seat next to her suddenly became occupied. She turned her head half expecting to see that Luka had followed her to the square. It wasn’t him, thank you Jesus, she said a little prayer for small favors. It was his brother Brett.

  The funny thing about her and Brett both the same age; they were the best of friends. Had been since Kindergarten. He had a hard time when he realized that she was dating Luka. Not that he wanted her that way. She had assumed that he was afraid that he would lose her friendship when she started seeing his brother.

  He leaned over; his mop of dark hair darker than hers for sure fell across his brow. “I hear Luka is home,” he whispered in her ear.

  She nodded.

  “How pissed is he?”

  Skylar turned her head towards Brett and contemplated telling him about the kiss but thought better of it. “He’s pissed.”

  “Great.”

  “So when did you tell Ava that Luka was her father?” She was giving him that look that would have made a lesser man melt in fear but Brett knew her. She was pint sized tornado without a lot of storm behind her but she died out quickly.

  “She was seven I think. Little mess showed me a picture of Luka and you when you were sixteen and nineteen. Probably before you found out that you were pregnant. She asked me if he was her Daddy.”

  She shook her head at him. She couldn’t blame him for telling Ava the truth. She had preached at Ava enough that the truth was the best policy except when it was not convenient for her and she had forced his family to hide her pregnancy from Luka.

  Now where the hell had that come from?

  She had chosen to withhold the truth from Luka. The image of him holding Ava in his arms this afternoon when he lifted her off the gate of his truck was proof that she should have done the right thing and told him about the baby coming. Skylar knew she should have let him make his own decision about his daughter but she had taken that option away from him.

  “What’s wrong?” Brett asked.

  She leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. “My past is biting me in the ass.”

  He chuckled. “Did Luka bite you already baby?” She glared at her friend, Luka’s brother, Ava’s uncle. So complicated. He met her gaze for a second then they both realized that Tag had finished his speech.

  The groupies were standing and applauding which prompted everyone else to stand. Skylar sighed and glanced up at Brett. He stood and extended a hand to her. She laid hers in his and he pulled her to her feet.

  She could see Tag making his way to her. He had to stop and greet his constituents along the way slowing him down. Brett looked at her. Then he gave her a quick hug.

  “I’m making myself scarce but I’m telling you right now you deserve better than that big bozo.” Skylar rolled her eyes at Brett as he walked away just in time for Tag to reach her. He laid his hands on her shoulders.

  “You were late.”

  “I was.”

  “You missed the best part of my speech, Skylar.”

  “I did. I’m sorry. Something came up with Ava. I spent a little extra time with her before I left tonight.”

  She had spent two hours talking to Ava about Luka. She had questions that she just didn’t feel comfortable answering. She didn’t want to paint him in a bad light. Yes, Luka Shaw had broken her heart but her child didn’t need to know that. She had tried to explain why Luka didn’t know about her. It just went downhill from there.

  “Ava always comes first.”

  Somehow she didn’t think that Tag meant the words that came out of his mouth. A hint of sarcasm perhaps? An edge? Something let Skylar know he wasn’t as understanding as he pretended to be.

  Then his right hand slid up to her neck, his eyes were focused on hers. She gazed up into his hazel-green eyes. They were really pretty. Skylar had to give him that much.

  “So are we heading to the dance now?” She asked.

  His hand moved up to cup her face. He leaned into her and she knew that Tag was going to kiss her. His lips were warm and soft against her own. At first her eyes were wide open. She was afraid to close them.

  She slowly felt herself getting into the kiss. She let her eyes close and there he was. Rakish as hell. Hair that touched well below his collar and fell across his brow in dark, nearly black layers. Her eyes popped open. Did she stiffen too? Tag pulled his lips from hers and checked her out for a moment. “You okay?” He asked.

  “I’m fine,” she squeaked.

  His blonde eyebrow rose suspiciously over his beautiful eyes. “You sure?” She nodded.

  He leaned in and touched his lips to hers again. She kept her eyes open this time but it didn’t stop the heat of Luka’s earlier kiss from flooding her senses. Damn. Skylar laid her hand on Tag’s chest to steady herself.

  “Does Grammy have Ava?” He whispered.

  She hated it when he referred to Luna Shaw as Grammy. Luna wasn’t his Grammy. It was dumb. Just plain dumb. “Yes she does,” Skylar replied.

  “Want to stay the night with me tonight?” He asked.

  Not a good idea. “I uh, she’s keeping Ava at my house.”

  He stepped back. “Why? I thought she was going to Luna’s tonight.”

  Skylar sighed heavily. She didn’t want to tell him. Not here. Not now. Not when someone might hear her. She didn’t know how much more drama she could take today. “Because Luka decided to come home.”

  “What?” He nearly shouted. “What the hell does he want?”

  “Look, I really don’t want to discuss this in the town square where somebody might hear us.”

  “Fine,” he snapped. “Let’s just go to the dance.”

  **

  An hour into the dance she was bored as hell and sitting on a bale of straw off to the side watching Tag make his usual rounds. He was staying gone longer than usual because he was angry that Luka Shaw was home. He’d really have something to be mad about if he knew that Luka had kissed her.

  “Why is a pretty girl like you sitting here all by yourself?” Brett asked her perching on the straw beside her.

  She glared at him over her shoulder. “Don’t you have some little barmaid with big breasts to torment?”

  “I actually was at the bar tormenting Ramona who also happens to have a really great rack.”

  She rolled her eyes at Brett. “That is my sister’s rack you are talking about.”

  “Why doesn’t she like me?”

  “Because you’re an ass to her Brett and you say sexist things about her rack.”

  “Spoken like a woman who loves me.”

  “I do and you know I do but you are an ass to my little sister.”

  “So Little mess’s mom why are you sitting here and not playing the mayor’s leading lady?”

  “Because Mr. Mayor is pissed that Luka is home again. He is giving me the cold shoulder.”

  They both watched him. “Come on,” he said.

  “Where are we going?” Skylar asked.

  “You’re two-stepping with me. Twinkle toes over there wouldn’t know how to dance if a fairy bit him in the ass and injected him with her best magic dust.”

  “This is exactly why Ramona doesn’t like you,” Skylar told Brett as she let him lead her to the dance floor. “You like to cause trouble.”

  They fell in step with everyone doing a perfect two-step. They had plenty of practice as they were always partners in gym class all through high school. His arm rested across her shoulders and he held her left hand. He twirled her in a perfect circle before she stood by his side again under the protection of his arm.

  They continued with their footwork moving in circles at times, then dipping under each other’s arms as they circled each other. Then they were back in a normal pose, this time facing each other before he twirled her again and she was back to his side.
>
  Two-step could be as intricate or simple as you wanted. Her skirt twirled with her as Brett spun and dipped her around the dance floor. Then the song ended and everyone clapped not just for them but for the six other couples on the dance floor as well.

  “I miss dancing with you.”

  “Get rid of the blonde bozo and I’ll dance with you all you want,” he told her.

  She looked up into Brett’s face. “Escape with me.”

  “What?” He didn’t know what she was asking of him.

  “I need to talk. I want to leave. Get a twelve pack and meet me in the back field by the pond.”

  “Un oh. Something Luka said?” Brett asked.

  “Something Luka did.”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” he told her.

  She watched Brett leave. Then she turned to look for Tag. He was slow dancing with one of the divorcees. He wanted to play that game? She was fine with it. The sad part was that she wasn’t even jealous.

  Skylar grabbed her jacket from where she had been sitting and slipped out the side door. Later when she was safely at the pond she would text him and tell him she had a headache but he was busy so she left not wanting to interrupt. He wouldn’t buy it. He would be even more pissed at her than he was now. Skylar took one last look at Tag. She just didn’t care.

  She climbed behind the wheel of her truck and backed out of the spot. She had her windows down so she pulled the band from her hair to let the wind whisper through it as she drove back to the ranch.

  The night was cool but not cold on her bare shoulders. It took less than ten minutes to reach her ranch. She took the service road that ran beside the property and cut through an open gate, across the fields.

  Moonlight cast shadows on the tall grass where it didn’t touch the ground or the pond. She could see tiny diamonds of light scattered across the water when she reached it. Skylar stopped her truck by Brett’s. He was already sitting on the gate with a beer in hand. He held up his hand to salute her.