by Magan Vernon
These Paper Walls
Book 4 in the My Paper Heart Saga
Magan Vernon
Text copyright© 2015 by Magan Vernon
All rights reserved
www.maganvernon.com
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form by or any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author.
For information visit www.maganvernon.com
Summary: Starting a life and family? Check
Getting Offers for higher paying jobs? Check
Turning down a hottie from the past...Um...not so much.
Blaine Crabtree never considered himself a lucky man until Libby Gentry came into his life.
Now, he isn't sure if he is lucky or just the biggest sap in the parish.
To be fair, he is a married man now with a baby on the way, but that doesn't stop old habits from dying hard.
With his friends calling for him to go out and a job relocation out of town, he isn't getting to see much of Libby, but a certain ex keeps finding her way back to him.
When Blaine feels like the walls are closing in around him, will he break out and go on his own path or are he and Libby meant to be?
First Edition, October 2015
Cover Design by Sharp Cover Designs
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Cover photography by Michael Meadows Studios
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Cover model: Brandon Lane
https://www.facebook.com/Brandonromance2846
Edited by Kellie Montgomery at Eye Candy Bookstore
http://www.eyecandybookstore.com/
To Alissa
Without you, I wouldn't be able to write these stories. To do all that I do. You're my right hand and the ying to my yang. Best assistant and author duo ever!
Praise for The My Paper Heart Saga
[Vernon] is an eloquent writer and knows how to really develop her characters! I look forward to more of her work! - Heather at Nightly Reading Reviews
Her sassy female lead, Libby, puts the 'fun' in funny and makes My Paper Heart an extremely entertaining read!- Candace at Lovey Dovey Books
I really enjoyed this story of finding love and discovering who you truly are. - Laura at Bookish Treasers on My Paper Heart
I love Magan's honest style of writing. Her characters have flaws and make mistakes. And her love scenes are a mix of sexy and sometimes hilariously awkward!
- Amy at The Reading Realm on On Paper Wings
I love a book that stays with you even when it's over. Blaine and Libby's unconditional love left an unforgettable trail on my heart! A must read!
- Heather at Books, Chocolate, and Lipgloss on A Paper Trail
Prologue
One Year Ago
"Come on Crabtree, you can't tell me you still think LSU is going to pull through this season." Butch Sinclair chugged the last of his beer and then threw it on the floor.
It felt like we did the same thing every single night: went to Jackson's parents' place, drank, and then Butch and Jackson argued with me about LSU. Not like there was much else to do in Small town, USA. We either hung out at the trailer and some random girl took me into her backseat, or I stayed home and waited for another girl to call. My life was what some guys dreamed about, but honestly, it was getting real old, real fast.
I laughed. "And you really think Ole Miss can do shit? You're crazy."
"Crazy as that night you did Layla Duggar in the church parking lot?" Jackson elbowed me in the side then him and Butch cackled like two hyenas in heat.
Once they were done with their laughing fit, Butch looked up and his eyes practically bugged out of his head like a cartoon character. "I see something I'd like to bang in any parking lot."
My eyes trailed up, way up a pair of long, tanned legs to what Butch was staring at. Or should I say who. I'd never seen the girl before and I would have know; not only is Elsbury tiny, but she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I couldn't have missed her. Ever. She was wearing nothing but a short skirt and a tiny white tank top that hugged every inch of her curves. Long, blonde curls traveled down her back and all I could think about was running my fingers through her hair while she wrapped those legs around me.
Then it was as if time stopped. Her chocolate brown eyes locked on mine and everyone else in the room disappeared. It was just me and those eyes. It sounds cheesy as hell, but right there, I saw my future with her. She wasn't just another girl that I wanted to bang, but I wanted to talk to her. Buy her flowers. Take her to meet my mom. Have her be the one walking down the aisle toward me. People tell me love at first sight is just a crock of shit, but when I saw those eyes, I knew they were wrong.
She broke our stare down, biting her bottom lip and looking at the floor before Jackson's sister and Dee Badeaux's granddaughter, Brittany, started talking to her again. They were like two hens in a hen house flapping around her.
"Who is that?" I glanced at Butch, who was licking his lips and straightening out his trucker cap.
It was Jackson who answered. "That's Dee Badeaux's niece, Libby Gentry. She failed out of college so her parents sent her down here to get some Southern learning and straighten her out."
"I'd like to straighten her out with my dick." Butch clicked his teeth, staring at her like she was a piece of meat.
I opened my mouth to say something, but then the beginning of "Pour some sugar on me" blared through the speakers. Butch's jaw practically dropped to the floor and I followed his gaze. There was Libby, swaying her body to the beat of the music and trying to pull Brittany along with her. She moved her long legs to the floor and back up again, her ass practically staring me in the face. I felt my jeans tighten. The girl could definitely move.
"Well, it looks like it shouldn't be too hard to do that. Looks like I'm getting lucky tonight." Butch wiped his mouth.
I couldn't let him try. I couldn't let him spoil the one ray of sunshine I thought could possibly poke into my life. I had to get to her first, and not let her end up being some conquest of any other guy. I knew at that moment that I wanted Libby Gentry to be mine.
"The hell you are." I shot up from the couch and ran over to the blonde goddess. Her back was to me, but I could already smell her shampoo or perfume. Whatever it was, it smelled like summertime: sunshine and strawberries, and I had to adjust myself again before I grabbed onto her arm and stopped her dancing. If I didn't end up with her that night, I didn't want anyone else to. The moment I met her, I fell in love with her and if I had to make her hate me first, then so be it.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Chapter One
Present Day
I couldn't sleep.
Don't get me wrong, I was tired as hell from working my ass off all day on the road crew, but the further Libby got into her pregnancy, the more uncomfortable she got in bed.
I'd dreamt of sharing a bed with her. I had all these fantasies that didn't involve a giant pregnancy pillow in my face or all of the covers on the floor.
Since sleeping wasn't an option, I got up early and started working in the kitchen.
I'd always been set to inherit my meemaw's house, I just didn't think it would be so soon, or that it would need a shit ton of work, especially when my new wife wanted a lot of upgrades.
I'm not saying Libby was spoiled, but the girl had a champagne wish list and we were working on a cheap beer budget.
At least knocking down some cabin
ets early in the morning was a way to work off some steam.
I'd just gotten the last of the upper cabinets down when I turned around to see Libby standing in the middle of the hardwood floor, wiping her eyes. I'd have to say, even at seven months pregnant, the girl was still gorgeous. Instead of looking heavy, she had curves that filled out every inch of her little nightgown. But with the scowl on her face, I had a feeling that she wasn't standing in the kitchen, hoping to fulfill some counter sex fantasy.
"What are you doing? Do you know what time it is?" she asked.
"I'm just knocking down these cabinets so Dad and I can get working on the new floating shelves to replace them. I think it'll look real nice once we get it painted and the tile backsplash up." I rubbed the now bare wall.
"And you think it's a good idea to do that at five in the morning? Lucky we don't have neighbors or I'm sure they'd go all Disturbia on us and think we'd murdered someone."
I shook my head. "I think you're using the wrong reference, but I get what you mean. I'll stop. I should get ready for work anyway."
"Yeah, I have classes today. Did you call the internet guy again to see if he can come out here? I really hate having to go to Aunt Dee's to work on school stuff."
I winced. No, I didn't call him, I was busy working my ass of everyday in the blistering Louisiana sun while she sat with her feet up. Okay, so it was dickish of me to complain. She was pregnant, like really pregnant. I couldn't imagine what that was like. "No, I haven't. Do you want to try calling them today?"
She blinked then nodded. "Okay. Yeah. I guess I can do that."
I wiped my face with a towel; I was already dripping in sweat, but hardly noticed it. It was a hazard of always working outside in the bayou heat. "I guess I'll go shower now that you're up. Want to make me breakfast?"
She smiled, raising an eyebrow. "You mean pour your cereal and milk in a bowl since we still don't have a working stove?"
"Hey, Meemaw never complained about using the toaster oven."
Libby shook her head. "I don't know if your Meemaw used the stovetop for anything other than lighting her cigarettes, which was probably really scary when you think about it. You know, since she was always attached to that oxygen tank."
I shrugged. "Meemaw was Meemaw."
"So...does this mean we can go appliance shopping soon?" She chewed on her bottom lip, which always got me going. There was something about the little nip at that plump pink skin that made me have to adjust myself.
I put my arms around her and pulled her close. "Soon, baby. I promise. We've got other things we need to take care of first."
She traced the lines of my bicep. "You know...if we did need the extra money..."
I stepped back, shaking my head. "I thought we agreed on this? We don't need to be asking your parents for money. I get paid next week and you should start getting paid from Dee soon. We can maybe talk about using some of that for a new stove."
She sighed. We'd had the same argument hundreds of times. I expected her to put up more of a fight but instead she just yawned. "Okay. We'll talk later then."
***
The parish was widening one of the many two lane roads that headed out of Elsbury and into New Orleans. We'd been working on it for a few weeks and it looked like it was going to get done, which meant finally getting paid.
Then I wouldn't have to ask Libby's dad for money.
Not that I'd thought about it.
Okay, I'd thought about it occasionally, but the guy thought I was the biggest piece of shit on the planet. I could still remember the moment I called him to ask for Libby's hand.
"Dr. Gentry." His voice was arrogant. Snooty. It was the kind of voice that CEOs always had in bad movies.
I swallowed hard. "Hi, Mr. Gentry, sir, it's Blaine Crabtree, Libby's boyfriend."
I somehow just knew he had that cocky smirk on his face. Maybe it was because he did that like 'hmph' thing that guys like him tended to do. "Well, I can't say I was expecting your call. I thought you might have run over state lines by now."
So I guess Libby told him...
"No, sir, I wouldn't do that."
"Really? Because last time I had an upset phone call from my daughter it was because you broke her heart. Now I find out that after sending her down to live with her aunt to grow up and continue her education, she's pregnant. Pregnant with your child I assume. What are you going to do about that?"
I scratched the back of my neck, my hand trembling. I never backed down from a challenge, but there was something about the guy that intimidated the hell out of me, especially when I was about to ask him something really important. "Well, sir, I was hoping I could get your blessing to ask Libby to marry me."
He laughed but there was no humor in it. "You think that's what my daughter needs? Do you really think you can provide for her? A guy that still lives with his parents and works on some road crew in a Podunk Louisiana town?"
I clenched my fists, counting backwards from ten. This was the same thought that had been plaguing me since the moment I met Libby. I never thought I was good enough for her and now I had confirmation that her dad knew it.
"Well sir, I can sure as hell try."
When I pulled up to the site, my buddy Jackson was already there, so I parked next to him.
"Hey man," I said as I got out of my SUV. I missed my truck. I missed it a lot. It was the first thing I ever bought myself that was a big ticket item, but I needed something that could fit a family in.
"Hey, Crabtree, you talk to the foreman yet?" Jackson had a full red beard and bright red hair. When he wore the yellow work vest he looked like some kind of cartoon character.
"No, not yet."
Jackson nodded. "He's already given me my new assignment. Potholes off Main. Shitty little few week job, but it could be worse."
"Yeah, at least you'll be close to home and near Dina's work. You could probably stop in for a quickie every day."
He laughed and smacked my back. "Yeah, maybe you'll get the same thing. How is pregnant sex anyway? Feel different down there?"
"Why the hell do you want to hear about my wife's parts, man?"
He shrugged. "Hey, a guy's gotta ask."
I shook my head. "She's fine. We're fine."
Jackson cocked an eyebrow. "You don't sound fine, man. Everything okay?"
"Yeah. I'm good."
"So, she's going to let you off the leash and you can meet some of us for drinks after work?"
I licked my lips and smirked. "Naw, man. I gotta head home."
He laughed, smacking his knee. "I knew you were whipped. What's Libby want you to do now? Go shopping for more baby stuff? Maybe install some fancy new granite in your Meemaw's bathroom?"
He was half right. We were going to go look at new countertops to install with my dad, but I wasn't about to tell him that, so I just patted him on the back. "I'm going to go see the foreman."
Daniel Vance was the kind of no-shit-taking man that just looking at him, you knew he did some time. He was talking to one of the other guys, looking through some papers attached to a clipboard.
He gave me a nod then patted the guy on the back before he took off. "Blaine, Jackson tell ya I was looking for you?"
I nodded and stepped closer. "Yes, sir."
He smiled. The guy looked like an older, tattooed version of Santa. I had a feeling that beneath the crude tattoos and hard exterior, he may be a teddy bear. "This project is set to end Friday. You ready for the next one?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. You know you've always been one of my best workers. You're young, take initiative, and I'm expecting that in a few years when your back's about to give out, you'll be in for my job."
"Wow, thank you, sir. That's an honor."
He flipped through his papers. "And it's because of your hard work and dedication that I put you in for the Crescent City Connection job."
I widened my eyes. "The one in New Orleans?"
He smiled. "The very one. It's a bi
g opportunity. Any of these guys would kill to get their hands on that project."
Yeah and I normally would have too, but that was almost an hour away, on a good day. With traffic, it could be an hour and a half.
I rubbed the back of my neck. "That seems like a great opportunity sir, but it is kind of far out from Elsbury."
Daniel put his big bear paw on my shoulder. "Son, I know you have the new wife and baby on the way. Don't you want to do something that's going to provide for their future?"
I swallowed hard. There was no way in hell I could say no to this, even if I was afraid of what Libby was going to say about it.
Chapter 2
By the time I got off work for the day I was dead tired. I thought maybe I'd get to see Libby before she went off to her summer night class, but when I pulled up to the house, it was dark.
She only had another week of this class then she would be done, but, of course, she signed up for another set of classes in August. I felt like the only time I ever saw her was when we crashed into bed at night.
I guess it wasn't all bad. She'd be done by the end of August and then be home for a semester with the baby. And, by her not being home at that moment, I had more time to think about how the hell I was going to tell her that I was going to be away from home even more.
I walked inside the house and as the cold air hit my face, my eyes immediately started to drift. I never went inside while I was working because I knew how the cold air had that effect on me.
I set my keys down on the table and walked into the living room. We still didn't have much for furniture, since we decided to donate my Meemaw's. I would have kept it, but Libby complained that the floral print was outdated. That, and Meemaw died on her old chair. I guess it was better to get rid of it than to have bad Gris Gris.