by Holly Jaymes
When our groans finally subsided, and our breathing returned to normal, I held her as the afternoon light filtered into my room.
“I’m boneless,” she said softly as she rested her head on my chest.
“Do you have to go again?” I rubbed her back, wishing we could spend the rest of the night right here.
“I told them I’d bring dinner. They wanted to go out, but I’m worried about unleashing them on an unsuspecting Eden Lake.”
I squinted a brow at her.
She blew out a breath. “I’m afraid they’re expecting a hero’s welcome home. I know people are more likely to remember them than they did me, but I’m not sure their memories will be such that they gush over my parents, which is what I think they want. I think they miss being the king and queen of Eden Lake.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. “How is it you didn’t turn out like them?”
“I had a friend growing up who kept me grounded.”
Okay, so that made my heart swell a bit in my chest.
“And I’m not outgoing. I don’t need attention.” Her fingers ran a circle around one of my nipples, and my dick took notice. “The upshot is I told them I’d bring food, and we would cook in that lovely kitchen of yours.”
I rolled her underneath me. “Do you have a little time before you have to go.”
Her eyes flashed with excitement. “Why?”
I slid inside her, loving how her eyes closed and her head tilted back, exposing her long graceful neck. “That’s why.”
I hated to see her leave again that evening, but I was sure she’d be back after dinner with her parents. I took the evening to go for a run along the lake. After a shower and dinner, I called my brother Tucker.
“Hey, Tuck,” I said when he picked up.
“Mason, what’s up, man?”
“Just checking in. I know your season starts soon. Are you ready?” I went out onto the deck with a beer to enjoy the evening.
“Of course. I’m back to clean living.”
I snorted. “You mean clean eating. I’m sure you’re still living a debauched life.” To look at us today, I think most would think Tucker and I were alike. But in reality, we’d always been different. Growing up, I’d been scrawny, introverted, and nerdy. Tucker was the opposite. He was strong, outgoing, and cool. He was the epitome of the high school popular jock. He was cocky, but he had a good heart.
Today, we looked more like brothers than we did growing up, but I was still an introvert, and he was still a golden boy.
“Sex is exercise, right?” he asked.
“I suppose it is.” I knew I was getting a good workout with Willa these last few nights.
“Ah…what’s that I hear in your voice? Are you getting some, Mas? Who’s the lucky girl?”
My brother and I were close, but that didn’t mean we were the type to share our deepest secrets.
“You’re a pervert.”
He snorted. “Now I know you’re getting some. Seriously. Are you seeing someone?”
I inhaled a breath, not sure how to describe my relationship with Willa. “For the moment.”
“I have no clue what that means unless it’s just a fling. You don’t seem like the fling type.”
I wasn’t. Or I hadn’t been. No, I wasn’t. I didn’t want a fling, to be honest, but I wanted Willa, and she wasn’t sticking around. “It’s complicated.”
“Aw man, you can’t say something like that and not explain.”
I took a long swig of my beer, trying to decide how much to tell him. I wasn’t worried about how he’d react or any fallout. But historically, Willa and I were a secret. Our entire childhood, we’d been friends, and no one had known. We’d told a few people recently, but for the most part, our relationship, such as it was, was still a secret. It felt weird to talk about her to anyone, including my brother. He’d never known about our friendship either.
“Come on, Mason. What’s going on?”
“It’s Willa.”
“Willa from our childhood?”
“Yes.”
There was a long pause. “Willa Haynesville?”
I scrapped a hand over my face at the cool tone of his voice. “Yes.”
I waited through another pause, wondering what he’d say. The laugh that came through the phone surprised me.
“What’s so funny?”
“It wasn’t until I thought about a McLean fucking a Haynesville for once.”
“Jesus, Tuck, it’s not like that.”
“If it’s a fling, what else could it be?”
I took another drink from my beer, annoyed to find the bottle empty.
“Why is she there anyway? I thought she lived here in L.A.?” Tucker asked.
“She was laid off, and she came here to stay at her folks’ place, but it got caught up in the recent fire.”
“And Mason being a nice guy offered poor little Willa Haynesville a shoulder to cry on? I’m surprised she didn’t blame you for burning it down.”
He didn’t know about my friendship with Willa, I reminded myself. Maybe if I was going to admit to sleeping with her, I could confess to our secret friendship.
“She’s not like that.”
“All the Haynesvilles are like that.”
I understood his bitterness. After all, Willa’s father nearly cost him his scholarship.
“Not Willa.”
“Mason—”
“Listen, Tuck. Willa and were friends growing up.”
He was quiet for a moment. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, she and I were friends. Good friends. Best friends.”
“No. How was that possible?”
Deciding I needed another beer, I went inside to get one. “You mean because she’s a Haynesville, and I’m a McLean?” I wondered if he felt like I betrayed the family.
“That and how no one knew about it. I didn’t know about it? Eden Lake isn’t that big of a town. Everyone knows everyone’s shit.”
Perhaps he was upset that I hadn’t confided in him sooner. As much as I loved Tucker, I wasn’t sure I could trust him to keep the secret. I could imagine him having blurted it out to Mr. Haynesville during the whole scholarship debacle. Besides, part of what made my relationship with Willa special was that it was just us. It was ours. It was our secret.
I popped the top off of my beer and went back outside. “When you’re a nerd, no one notices you.”
“Come on, Mason.”
“It’s true. No one paid attention to us. Not that we hung out in the open. We knew what the families would think. There’s lots of wilderness around here. It’s ideal for hanging out in secret.”
“So, were you and her going out then?”
“No. We were just friends, but I liked her. She was all hung up on Wyatt, though.”
“Her and all the other girls.”
“Except the ones hung up on you.” I reminded him.
“So you were friends then, and now you’re having an affair?” He said it in a tone like he was trying to sort out what I was saying to him.
“She was visiting, but with the fire, she didn’t have a place to stay, so I let her stay with me and…well…as it turns out, she was into me too.”
“Well yeah. You’re a magnet for women now.”
“It’s more than that.” I knew it had to be the same for her as me. Yes, we both blossomed into attractive people, but we saw each other on a deeper level than that. “Besides, you should see her. Wyatt about trips over his tongue each time he sees her.” I figured my brother would think I was biased, but if Wyatt had the hots for her, Tucker would know how stunning she was now.
“If it’s more than that, why is it complicated? Haynesvilles are gone, and mom and dad aren’t there. Each time I’m home, it seems to me no one gives a shit about the family feud.”
“She’s just passing through on her way east for work.”
“Huh. Well…I don’t know what to say.”
“Do you think I’m betraying the
family?”
“Me? Nah, but to be honest, I’m seeing this more as a McLean sticking it to a Haynesville…literally—”
“It’s not like that.”
“I know, but I also know if her parents found out, their heads would explode, and there’s a perverse sense of satisfaction at that. Imagine if you got married and had babies.” He laughed. “God, I’d love to see her folks take all that in.”
I gritted my teeth. “You might get your wish. Not the married and babies part, but they’re in town dealing with the house.”
“No, shit. And she’s staying with you? Where are they?”
I swallowed as I realized he probably wouldn’t like this part. “The condo at Eden Meadow Park.”
There was another long pause. “So, they’re okay staying at a McLean property?”
“Not exactly.”
“What the fuck, Mason? You let them stay in our place, but they don’t know it’s ours?”
“You and I agreed to help fire victims with housing. They’re fire victims who needed housing.”
“Sometimes I don’t understand you. Those people did terrible things to us. I nearly lost my scholarship. As it was, you sacrificed your meager college fund so I could go to college.”
“It wasn’t a sacrifice. And yes, they did terrible things, but Willa didn’t. She never did.” Well, that wasn’t exactly true. She had sided with her parents when they blamed us for their financial fall. “I’m doing this for her, not them.”
“Either you’re in love, or she’s good in the sack.”
“Don’t be vulgar,” I snapped.
“In love, then.”
I sighed. “I care for her. I always have, but it’s not love.” Not wanting to talk about it anymore, I asked, “I saw you on a tabloid with a supermodel. Is that love or—”
“Definitely not love.”
We chatted a bit longer, and by the time the call ended, I was glad to have connected with him. I wondered how long it would be before he told my parents about me and Willa and what they’d do? Would they see it like Tucker, that my being with her was a slap in her parents’ face? Or would they be upset and feel like I betrayed them.
I shrugged. It didn’t matter. I spent my entire childhood believing the feud was stupid. I wasn’t going to let it dictate what I did. As I went back into the house and tossed my bottle into the recycling bin, I wondered if Willa would be able to do the same if her parents found out. If it came to them or me, what would she choose?
Them. Of course, she would. Her parents would be in her life forever. I was just a pleasant side trip on her way east to the rest of her life. I would have to enjoy my time with her while I could and accept that she was not only going to leave but that if her folks found out, they’d come after me, and she’d likely side with them, as she had before.
Chapter 17: Parents Can Be So Clueless
Willa
Leaving Mason’s bed that afternoon was one of the hardest things I’d done in a long time. He was total perfection. It wasn’t just how good he could make me feel when he touched me, but also how good it felt just being around him. I didn’t always like how he pushed back at me, and at the same time, I liked how I knew exactly what he was thinking. I also admired his “fuck the feud” attitude. For the most part, I agreed, although when it came to my parents, I wasn’t able to put it into practice. I was glad he respected that part of me and didn’t push for my parents to know he was the one helping them.
After an afternoon in bed with him, I showered and dressed, hating how sexy Mason looked lying in the messy bed. He had the sheet low over his waist, his arm under his head, and his dark hooded eyes watching me as I got ready to leave.
“You’re not making this easy,” I said.
He smirked. “I’m not doing anything.”
“You don’t have to. All that sexy beefcake and satisfied smile—”
“I am satisfied. For the moment.”
“Will you be right here waiting for me when I get back?” I asked, slipping my ballet flat on.
“I promise that we can have more time here if you want.”
I leaned over the bed and kissed him. “I want.”
He grabbed me and rolled me under him, making me yelp. He kissed me thoroughly, stealing my breath.
“If you keep doing that, I won’t be able to leave.”
“That’s the point.” But he released me.
“I just thought you might like a little something for the road.” He gave me his cocky smile.
I was grinning like a loon as I walked out of his house and to the car. I stopped by the grocery store to pick up food and then brought it to the condo.
When I arrived, my parents were on the balcony, finishing up the wine Mason had left for them.
“Whoever owns this place knows wine,” my father said as he offered me the last of it.
“Oh?”
“I bet he’s a city man, maybe from up north in wine country. He seems to have class and taste.”
“No, kidding?” I so badly wanted to tell them that their classy, tasteful man with a knowledge of good wine was a McLean.
“What did you bring, honey? I’ll help you cook it up,” my mother said, getting up from her chair.
“Why don’t you two enjoy the evening and I’ll cook for you. It’s just pasta, so it won’t be long.”
“You’re a good daughter,” my father said, giving me a wine-hazed grin. “Not sure how you got that way considering your family.”
“Speak for yourself!” my mother blustered.
I kissed my dad on the head. “Thank you for noticing what a good girl I am.”
He grinned like a Cheshire cat at my mom. “She likes me best.”
Shaking my head, I headed inside and started cooking. Twenty minutes later, we moved the dining table closer to the window so we could continue to enjoy the view and evening air while we ate.
“I noticed a second room, but you’re not staying with us?” my mother asked as she sat at the table.
“Ah…no…I found an Airbnb in town.”
“I thought you were staying with a friend?” my father said.
Oh yeah. “As it turns out, it’s owned by someone I went to high school with. In fact, our ten-year reunion was this last weekend.” I handed my father the garlic bread.
“Did a lot of people attend?” My mother mixed the salad and filled most of her plate with the leafy greens.
“I guess.” I filled my plate with pasta because, as far as I was concerned, there wasn’t anything better than that.
“Have some salad, Willa.” My mother looked disapprovingly at my plate.
“I will. I need to make room first.” As it turned out, there were some things I could push back on with my parents, or at least my mother.
“Anyone we’d remember there?” my father asked, running his bread through the wine and cheese sauce I made.
“Ah…Wyatt Dalton was there.”
“You had such a crush on him, didn’t you, Willa?” My mother gave me a teasing grin. “Did he keep his good looks?”
“You could say that. He works for the sheriff’s department now.”
“It would be nice to go into town, wouldn’t it, honey, to see old friends?” My mother put her hand over my fathers.
A part of me was sad for them losing all their glory days, first from financial ruin and now in a fire. But I knew them well enough to know they’d expect people to gush over them and treat them with the importance they’d held before. The problem was, I doubted anyone would do that. Not that they’d be rude, but I don’t think my parents would be given more special treatment than anyone else.
“We could go to that firemen picnic,” my father said. “Seems like that would be the easiest way to see the most people.”
“We should let the mayor know we’re in town. Maybe they’d want you to say something,” my mother said, poking a tomato with her fork.
“Why?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
&n
bsp; My mother narrowed her eyes at me like she didn’t like my question.
“I mean, this is for the firemen and…well …you’ve been gone.”
“We can still express appreciation for their work on behalf of the Haynesville legacy.”
I held my tongue, pointing out their house burned down. The truth was, they didn’t want to show appreciation to the firemen, they wanted the spotlight.
I ate my pasta as my mind twisted in knots trying to figure out how I could dissuade them from walking into Eden Lake like the town owed them something.
“The town is a lot different now,” I finally said, not sure where I’d go with that.
“Oh, how so?”
“There’s some of the same people and places, but there’s a lot of new too. There’s a new coffee place where the old soft-serve ice cream place used to be. There’s even a yoga studio.”
“Change is good,” my father said. “But Eden Lake is part of Hayneville DNA. It doesn’t feel right that no Haynesville is there anymore.”
My mother patted his back, and I felt bad for him that he thought he’d let the town down.
“The town knows its history. The visitor center has all that information. They don’t need you there to feel the impact the family had on the town,” I said, hoping that assured them.
“I bet the McLeans were sure to wash us from the history,” my mother said with bitterness under her breath.
“I don’t think so, mom. They’re not in town either.”
“I thought the son was here?” My father looked at me like he was catching me in another lie. I wasn’t lying per se. It just didn’t seem like a good idea to talk about Mason.
“He doesn’t care about the feud.” I scooped my pasta, hoping I looked nonchalant.
“All of them do,” my father said sternly.
“How do you know?” my mother asked simultaneously.
Crap, I was cornered. “I meant no one in town cares. The feud is folklore now.”
“I told you they’ve forgotten us,” my mother said, inhaling breath like she was trying to hold back tears.
For pete’s sake. “I don’t understand you two sometimes,” I said. I loved them, but sometimes they were a disappointment.