by A J Love
I check through the fridge and cupboards, in search of something I can cook. My grandma always said that the best way to comfort is to feed. So that’s what I’m going to do.
I’ve just lifted the casserole out of the oven when I feel him behind me. I close my eyes briefly, letting the usual wave of sensory overload pass through me. His hands gently take my hips as he presses his face into the back of my neck, kissing softly.
“You’ve been busy,” he murmurs.
“I didn’t want you or your mom to have to deal with it,” I turn to study his face. “You still look like you could sleep.”
“I will, later, with you.”
“Is Lori up?”
He nods. “She’s in the lounge with Colin. He said the police will be here in about an hour.”
“Okay,” I take a deep breath. “Well, go tell them both to come and sit at the table.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
I laugh a little as he goes, then focus on getting everything set out for dinner. The three of them are quiet as they come in, Lori automatically coming to me in the kitchen. I’m about to tell her to go sit her ass down when she pulls me into a tight hug. I let her, preparing myself for another round of sobbing, but she holds it together.
“Thank you,” she murmurs.
“Not necessary.”
She pulls back and holds me at the shoulders. “You’re good for him. He told you, didn’t he?”
“He did,” I nod. “And it changes nothing.”
“He’s a good man. Look after him, even on his darkest days.”
Emotion swells in the back of my throat as I take her words for what they are—her blessing.
“Always.”
Layton
Why on earth am I doing this to myself?
Money, Layton. You’re doing it for money.
Internally, I groan, and then follow Karie down another aisle of Hatton Fabrics. I suggested it would be a good idea for her to come and look at some different materials, so she could see what sort of thing she wanted for her wedding dress, but so far, she’s picked just about everything. Thankfully, there is only one store like this in town so at least I won’t have to go through this again. It’s taken us a while, but we’ve finally got a basic design down for the shape of the dress, now we just need color and fabric.
“Lay, it’s all so wonderful,” she sighs, clutching a soft lace. “I'm having trouble deciding which would be best. I need your help.”
“Mine? It’s your dress,” I smile, “so it’s really up to you.”
She huffs. “I just want it to be perfect. Like I want to have something different, something that is completely mine, but I don’t want to look stupid.”
“You won’t.” I take a deep breath. “Okay. So, you loved the pale gray, right?”
“Yes,” she nods. “But the bride should wear white.”
“The bride can wear whatever the hell she wants,” I laugh. “How about we get the gray and then get a nice white lace to overlay it? That way you’re getting the color you want, and the lace will give you the white you feel you need to have. Plus, we can get a real pretty one that you like.”
I grab the lace she’s clutching from her and stroll toward the colored satins. I can hear her rushing behind me. When I reach the gray she all but cried over, I pull the sample out and layer the lace over it. “Here. You can see, sort of, how it will look.” I glance around the space until I find what I’m looking for. I place the fabrics flat on a surface and then press the strip of pearls I just grabbed over them.
“If you want,” I say, motioning Karie to look, “We can pinch the dress in at the waist like you want and make a kind of belt with the pearls like this.”
“Yes,” Karie coos, stroking at the material. “Oh yes, Layton. That would be perfect. Can we do that?”
“If you’re happy for me to make a start, and you’re one hundred percent happy with the design we put together, I can get the fabrics now.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
I sigh, relieved. “Okay, I’ll get it all together.”
When I pull up at the store, having bought a ridiculous amount of material for Karie’s dress and then dropped her off, I stop and stare at the front window. No matter how many times I see this, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it. I really need to figure out a name for this place.
From the entrance to the auto shop, I watch Kane walk out and stop to stare at me in his truck. He leans against the wall and offers me an earth-shattering smile.
I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this either.
Since telling me about Tommy, and all the stuff with his dad, Kane seems to have mellowed out a little. I mean, he’s still no ball of sunshine, and he still bosses me around like he owns me, but when it’s just him and me, he’s different. He’s the Kane I normally only see when he’s with his mom. He’s not so guarded or moody. And he smiles at me now instead of growling. Mostly.
It’s progress, and right now I couldn’t be happier.
He makes me stronger, makes me believe I can stand up for myself. He forces me to be who I want to be and not to hide under the radar or accept what is handed to me. Watching how he fell apart at the news of his father’s death was eye opening. He’s not untouchable, he has a heart, and despite being the strongest person I know, that heart can and has been broken. But he’s still standing. He’s still bossing his business and taking charge of his life, despite the hand he’s been dealt. This business, the one I’m trying my hardest to build, is only possible because he makes it possible. Kane Thatcher is a force to be reckoned with, and he’s showing me, ever so slowly, that so the hell am I.
Craving him, needing the strength that only he can give me, I climb from the truck. He’s looking at me like he wants to both protect me and devour me as I approach him. He doesn’t move to greet me but doesn’t take his eyes off mine. They’re locked, like they always are when I see him. I’m lost in them, in him.
We’re hungry.
We’ve been starving for each other since we separated this morning, our appetite never filled.
Automatically, I press my palm to his chest and reach up, slanting my mouth against his. He kisses me back, placing his hand on the small of my back and pressing me closer into him. I feel him hard against me as my lips move feverishly, desperate to taste more of him.
I force myself to pull back, sucking in air. He replies with a frustrated groan. Emotion floods through me, drowning me in everything I feel for him.
It’s right there. Right on the tip of my tongue. I could say it. I could tell him how I feel right now and then get it over and done with. It’s no big deal, not really. Only it is. I haven’t felt this way about anyone before, haven’t ever wanted to feel like this. He’s my first and last thought, the one person in the world I would trust with my whole heart. This wasn’t supposed to happen; I wasn’t supposed to get so attached to someone like him. It wasn’t in the plan, wasn’t something I wanted. I didn’t ask for this, but it’s here.
I look up to meet his eyes, and I can see it. He may never admit it, it’s not his way, but I know he feels the same way. I know he feels what is between us, what has grown and blossomed into something neither of us ever expected. We’re both broken in different ways, but neither of us are quite what we were supposed to be. Our hearts don’t quite beat the right way, the normal way, but when I’m with him, the only thing I care about is that it’s beating just for him.
“Kane,” I breathe, “I—”
“Don’t,” he whispers, and then takes my mouth again.
All thoughts of telling him anything fly out of my mind as his tongue invades, tangling with my own in slow torturous movements.
I need more.
I grip his shirt in my hand as he brings his other hand to the back of my neck.
“I need you,” he says against my mouth, “now.”
I nod. At this point I’d let him lead me to the edge of the earth without a second thought.
“Well, hot damn,” we both hear to the side of us. I drop my head to his chest and groan. Fucking Grip. I swear this MC has the worst timing. “You guys are hotter than the seventh circle of Hell. Don’t stop on my account. I was just getting into it.”
“What do you want?” Kane barks.
He shifts but doesn’t release me. Instead, he turns me, so my back is against his chest. It doesn’t take me long to realize that his reason for this is because of what is currently poking me. I have to fight my giggle.
“Well, don’t mind me,” Grip smirks. “I just figured y’all would be working in the middle of a Thursday morning.” He might have a point. “But if y’all are busy, I can come back.”
“Asshole,” Kane mutters. “I’ll be in there in a minute.”
Grip throws me a wink and then walks backward into the shop. I start to turn, but Kane stops me with his hands on my hips. He lowers his head and presses a soft kiss against my neck.
“Tonight,” he whispers, and then pushes me slightly.
I watch as he walks away from me without a second glance, and then I blow out a long breath when he disappears in the direction of Grip.
I pull my cell out as I walk back over to Kane’s truck and dial Jackson, confirming I’ll meet him when he finishes his shift at the store, so we can go to yoga class. Lord knows I need something to distract myself until I get home later. Once I’ve finished the call, I begin the task of heaving all the fabric into the store, so I can begin working on Karie’s dress. Kane helped me move my sewing machine and other bits into the store, so I could work from here, so any spare moment I have is being spent on building up stock. Jackson thinks I should do some kind of grand opening, but I don’t know if I want the pressure. What if no one turned up? Or—God, help me—if they do? They may come just to tell me how bad my stuff is. My own mother couldn’t even drum up a compliment about it when she was here, not that I was expecting one. She’s never really been the supportive type, not even before I left.
Forgetting thoughts of my mother, I head over to the counter and drop into the desk chair. I have a few things to do for Kane before I can get started on Karie’s dress. I’ve come to like working for him—mostly.
I open the auto shop appointment book, grinning to myself as I listen to Grip messing with him next door. We never shut the adjoining door between the two businesses; have never felt the need to. With how busy Kane is getting now, I’m constantly running back and forth anyway. He might have made this whole job up on the spot for me, but he definitely needed some kind of assistance. The man is a machine, but he can’t do everything, no matter how hard he tries.
Sighing, I take note of the work he has due in this afternoon. It’s going to be another busy one, but at least that means he’ll be occupied next door, so I can get started on this dress. I’m excited to create something new and beautiful. Besides, she’s only left me with about four weeks to actually make the damn thing.
“Why are you trying to kill me?” I ask Jackson as we leave the community hall.
He laughs and rolls his eyes. “It was Zumba class, not Chinese torture. Besides, I thought it would be a nice change from yoga.”
I groan. “But I was just starting to get the hang of yoga.”
“Just because you don’t get paid for it anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t shake your ass every now and then,” he looks over my shoulder and frowns, “speaking of shaking your ass, Sleaze City is approaching from behind.”
Confused, I turn, and come face to face with Vinny. My stomach drops, a pit of unease swelling there. I pull my jacket tighter around myself as he approaches and force what I hope is a breezy smile.
“Vin, hey.”
“Layton Parks,” he grins wide, “as I live and breathe. How are ya, baby?”
“I’m good, thank you,” I nod, “you?”
“Missing my favorite girl,” he pouts. “Are ya sure I can’t convince you to come back to me? We all miss you.”
I laugh nervously. Not a chance in hell, buddy. “Sorry, Vinny. I’m happy with the new job. It just works better for me.”
He shakes his head. “You’re breaking my heart, gorgeous. Look I gotta bounce, but it’s a small town so I’ll be seeing ya.”
I offer a half wave, then all but push Jackson in the opposite direction. I’d almost managed to forget the impending shitstorm that is Liquid with everything else going on. It had very nearly become just a distant memory, but now there it is, slap bang in the center of my thoughts. I need to shake it off again.
I grab a quick lunch with Jackson before leaving him to head back to the store. Before I came out, I managed to cut the fabric for Karie’s dress into the separate pieces I need, now all I need to do is put the damn thing together. I’m going to be putting a lot of late nights into it; though it's not like I’m not used to hard work and long hours.
I make a call to Kane’s mom when I get back to check in. His dad’s funeral was a few days ago and I know she’s still reeling, but she assures me that she’s doing okay. Kane now seems to be coming out the other side of it too.
Shutting it all out, I get everything I need together and get to work.
Kane
God, she’s beautiful.
Even if she is driving me crazy with how long it’s taking her to get ready for this stupid damn wedding.
Still, I think, as she walks toward me in some flowery kind of dress that shows off those killer legs of hers, worth it.
“You finally ready?” I grunt, but mostly for form.
She rolls her eyes, “I wasn’t that long. Come on, let’s go. I want to make sure Karie’s dress is one hundred percent perfect before she makes the walk.”
“She seemed happy with it when she was screaming the fucking place down when you finished it three days ago.”
“Yeah, well,” she frowns, all nerves, “a lot can happen in three days.”
She stops dead. “Maybe we should stop by the store on the way, so I can grab some things just in case.”
“No.”
“But.”
“Layton,” I sigh, “Just move.”
She huffs a breath, then lets me lead her out of the apartment and down to the truck. The past few weeks have been long, and I’m just finally glad she’s fucking done. She’s all but breathed that dress since she started it and has barely slept. I was about ready to sedate her when she finally declared it was done, and practically collapsed into an exhausted heap. It was a good job really, because I was honestly getting to a point where putting a bed into her store was going to be a real-life possibility. I’m hoping the money she has brought in from it is worth it; plus, as she’s officially opened now, she’s getting other orders coming in as well.
Layton isn’t the best with the financial side of things, and when she tries to organize it, I can see her eyes swim in confusion. So, I’m helping her. I just wish she’d listen when I tell her she should quit working at the grocery store, because she definitely doesn’t have the time for it and the store is doing better than expected. But I guess she still wants that security, that safety net for if things go bad. She just won’t take that step, take the risk.
It pisses me off, but then so do most things.
She’s just about managed to calm herself when we arrive at the compound, thank fuck, and with only minimal coaxing, I get her to head straight round to where the wedding is set up instead of rushing to go and check on the bride. That’s the thing with Layton, something I discovered first hand when Dad died. She cares. About the little things, about making sure everyone else is taken care of. I just wish she’d care about herself a bit more. She’s better, stronger than she was when I first met her. We’ve both changed plenty. I don’t always like it; finding myself annoyed with the way she forces me to share my shit with her, but Ma says it's good for me. And if she’s gotten the Lori Thatcher seal of approval, then who am I to argue?
Besides, I wouldn’t want to get between the two of them anyway. Ma has taken Layton under her wing, al
l but forced her to be part of the family. And Layton, well, she’s made it her mission to make sure my mom isn’t doing too much. It’s probably a good thing they get on, but I don’t know how I feel about my girl getting any influence from my mother. One woman nagging at me to be on time and stay in touch is enough. The second I come home to Layton being all pissed at me about forgetting to let her know when I was on my way is the day I split the two of them up.
I watch Layton now as she sits nervously, waiting for the arrival of the bride. She’s got her hair loose and keeps twisting it at the ends. The sun is getting lower and the burnt orange of it is lighting up her face. She turns, as if sensing me, and offers a smile. And just like that, the earth stops spinning and everything fades. There’s just her.
And she is everything.
I keep my eyes on her for the entire night, watching as she embraces Karie, and plays with the kids running around the place.
“You’re real soft on her, aren’t you, brother?” Grip jokes, as he comes to stand beside me. “I can’t blame ya. She’s a good girl that one.”
“Yeah, she is,” Nolan adds, clapping me on the back as he joins us. “Don’t fuck it up.”
I grunt. “You’re worse than my mother.”
Grip laughs. “Have ya had any trouble from Michaels?”
I growl a little. “Nah, but I keep seeing him around town. Funny how I never saw his ass before all of this though. Town’s getting smaller, huh?”
“Smaller, my ass,” Nolan snorts. “He’s keeping an eye out.”
Grip nods his head a little. “You just remember we’re right here if it gets any smaller. Don’t handle this shit alone.”