The Perfect Stroke

by Jordan Marie

  “Can you promise me one thing?”

  “Depends on what it is,” she says, smiling a little.

  “If you can’t work it out that you will at least consider taking the money from me, it can be a loan. You can pay me back, if you insist.”

  “Gray, you don’t even know how much it is.”

  “I don’t really give a fuck, CC. You’re important to me. Not the money. And if I win the tournament in Georgia, I can buy three garages once I put that with the money I got from signing the Riverton contract.”

  “You’d really do that?”

  “Definitely. You don’t seem to have grasped it yet, sweet lips, but this thing between us is special. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here and I’m staying here.”

  “Sometimes, life throws curveballs that are beyond our control, Gray.”

  “Good thing for you that I’ve become a master at learning just how to hit balls so they curve the way I want them to.”

  “Ouch. That was a really bad pun.”

  “They can’t all be gold. How about you give up pretending to eat and I take you back to the hotel and ravage you.”

  She drops her fork in her plate and grins at me—and this one almost reaches her eyes. “I was hoping you would suggest that.”

  I throw some money on top of the bill the waitress left earlier, then get up and walk over to her seat, pulling it back and helping her up.

  “I do aim to please,” I tell her, kissing her lips gently. “It’s going to be okay, Cooper. I promise. I will always be here for you.”

  She hooks her hand against my jaw and looks into my eyes. Then she burrows her head into my neck, placing a gentle kiss on my chest.

  “I could love you, Grayson Lucas,” she whispers, and it feels so close I can almost taste it.

  “I’m counting on it, sweet lips. I’m counting on it,” I tell her, trying to swallow down the emotion that’s choking me. CC doesn’t know it yet, but I’ve made it my goal that she falls in love with me. I’ll do everything in my power to make it happen. I’m keeping her.

  Forever.

  “I’m sorry, CC. There’s nothing I can do. The contract clearly states the terms of the loan and I’d say the pictures you described would sway a jury or a judge.”

  I hold my head down, the phone away from my ear. Mack is a local lawyer in town and, as lawyers go, he’s about the only one I trust not to rat me out to Riverton. He is new to the area, having moved here after marrying Belinda, a local girl who’s a few years older than me.

  “So I’m royally fucked?” I ask, my eyes still closed.

  “The only alternative is to take out a loan on the bank again. The garage would clearly be worth that.”

  “You forget one thing, Mack.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Riverton owns all the local banks. You don’t think he’s already put word out against me?”

  “You really think he’d go that far?”

  “I know so.”

  “What about an online lender? Or a national bank?” he suggests.

  “I’ll try it, but my personal credit rating isn’t that great.”

  “I’m sorry my news isn’t better, CC. Hell, I’m even sorrier I wasn’t around to keep you from signing this ridiculous contract.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Back then… even now, I would have signed anything if it meant making sure Banger would keep from worrying and be able to die in peace.”

  “He was a lucky man to have you. There’s still a small chance we can go to court and win because of the outrageous contract terms and your age.”

  “Yeah,” I answer him, but I know that’s not going to happen. For one, I don’t think I could handle court and having my mom’s sordid past out everywhere. For another, I doubt there’s anything like a fair trial around here.

  “I do my banking in Lexington. Go talk to a Jim Graves there. Tell him I asked you to contact him. See what he can do.”

  I write the name down with little hope, then Mack and I say our goodbyes.

  I’ve only been back in Kentucky for a couple days. I’ve had trouble breaking away from Gray to try and figure out what to do with the garage. If I told him, he’d buy it. That’s tempting. Fuck, it is. But, I can’t let him do that. This is my problem, not his, and I’m not about to ask a man I… care about… to bail me out of a mess I made. That reeks of something my mother would have done and that’s not who I am—or ever will be.

  I need to talk to Jackson and warn him. He deserves a heads-up. I’m just not sure I know how to tell him. Telling Mack was bad enough. It made it sink in deeper. It made it real. I’m going to lose Banger’s garage. I don’t care so much for myself, but the thought of his legacy being gone… of giving up my home for Riverton to tear down and put another Cash-n-Dash store or something else equally stupid kills me. I feel so stupid for signing that damn contract. I wasn’t lying to Mack; back then, I would have signed a deal with Lucifer himself if it meant making sure Banger could die in peace. Too bad that’s exactly who Riverton turned out to be.

  “Woman, you’re making us late!” Gray says, sticking his head in the door. He looks so happy and he says I’m the one who makes him that way. What happens when I fuck this up, too? What happens when he discovers I’m not worth sticking around for? I do my best to plaster on a smile. I can’t let on to him that my whole world is crashing down around me.

  “I told you I had business to do, Crayon Man.”

  “I know, I’m just anxious,” he says, coming further inside. He walks over by my desk and sits on it, ignoring the papers that litter it. “Hey, you okay, sweet lips?” He bends down to study my face.

  “Just tired,” I tell him, trying to joke it off. “You’re wearing me out.”

  “Well, I was pretty spectacular last night, if I do say so myself. What was it… three or so world-shattering orgasms?”

  “Stop bragging. Nobody likes a show-off.”

  “That’s not what you were saying last night,” he grins, and even as down as I am, I have to smile a little. He’s crazy. “Seriously, are you okay? All joking aside, you don’t look happy or tired. You look like you… want to cry. And that’s not a look I want my woman to have ever.”

  “Your woman? Careful, Tarzan is showing his loin cloth again.”

  “I’m serious, Jane… I mean CC.” He winks. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  “It’s just work, Gray. I told you the garage was having some financial issues. I’m just trying to wade through and figure out how to fix it.”

  “Let me give you the money.”

  “Yeah, that’s not happening. I’ve been in business a long time and weathered some pretty rough storms. This is just a minor bump,” I lie. “I’ll get through it.”

  “My beautiful CC. Always so independent. Are you ever going to let your guard down enough to let me take care of you?” he asks, pulling our faces closer. I close my eyes and let his warmth and the feeling of having him nearby combine and cocoon me. His words are beautiful and he’ll never know how much I wish I could trust them enough to try. But though Gray is one hundred percent honest in his offer, he doesn’t know me yet. Not really. It’s just a matter of time when he finds out what my mother, and everyone else I’ve loved, had already discovered. I’m not the kind of girl worth a forever commitment. Even my own ‘father’ knows that. I might be Riverton’s biological daughter, but what kind of monster would do this even to an illegitimate child?

  “You took care of me last night. Remember?” My thoughts are bordering on self-pity and, though it’s tempting, I can’t go there. It’s time to stiffen my back. I don’t want Gray to see how low I really am.

  “Oh, sweet lips, I definitely remember.”

  “We have thirty minutes before we’re meeting your mother at the airport. If you were to hurry, I’d say you could take care of me again.”

  “You sure, C?” He pulls away to look at me again. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t love to, but you don’t actually seem in the mo
od for sex.”

  “I am,” I assure him, reaching down to massage his already half-hard cock through his pants. “I’m more than sure. When you make love to me, Gray, I forget everything else around us. Everything in the world stops and it’s just you and me. I really need that right now.”

  “CC…”

  “Come on, Gray,” I urge him, standing up and taking my clothes off while he sits there and watches. “Show me that nine-iron the world brags about.” I grin. When I have my clothes off, I look up at him. “Besides, there’s something I’ve always wanted to try and never have.”

  “Fuck,” he groans as I reach over and pet the hard outline of his cock, squeezing it. “What’s that, baby?” he asks, his voice muffled because he’s standing up and undoing his pants.

  “Being bent over my desk and fucked hard,” I tease him, leaning over and sticking my ass out to tempt him even more.

  “Christ. You’re perfect, CC. Have I ever mentioned that?” His hands bite into the cheeks of my ass, pulling them apart.

  A few seconds later, Gray gives me what I need, and I was right. Everything but the two of us ceases to exist as he slides into me and makes the world disappear.

  “Please tell me you did not just have sex on CC’s kitchen table,” I state, already knowing they did and just hoping someone can deny it so I can try and live in ignorance.

  “It’s a strong table, dear,” Ida Sue says, buttoning up her shirt.

  “Almost as good as the one back home,” Janson agrees as I hang my head down in shame. I would be completely humiliated if I didn’t hear CC’s muffled laugh. I look over at her and her head is hiding in the back of my arm, her body moving in mostly silent laughter. She’s been so down that, just like that, I forget the fact that my mother just had sex on my girlfriend’s table and I’m thankful they’ve cheered her up.

  “Don’t laugh. You’ll just encourage them.”

  “Janson doesn’t need encouragement, dear. They make those pills now that do that.”

  “Mom! For Christ’s sake.”

  “You know how I feel about you bringing the Lord in your foul language,” she grumbles.

  I love my mom, but her mind constantly leaves me scratching my head. If the Lord would be upset with me for using his name, I’m not sure how he’s supposed to feel about my mom having sex on a kitchen table with her boyfriend.

  “Lovey, damn it. You aren’t supposed to tell anyone about those damn pills.”

  “Relax, Jansen. Gray and CC are family and there’s nothing wrong with having to prime the pump. If Gray isn’t already doing it, he’ll probably have to soon. He’s not getting any younger either.”

  “Mom, do you think you can reel it in before you scare CC off?”

  “Dear, CC is not going anywhere. Are you CC?”

  “Well, I mean…”

  “A blind man could see that she loves you,” she says. I hear CC’s gasp and squeeze her into me encouragingly. “Please tell me you’ve told that girl how you feel about her,” Ida Sue scolds.

  “I haven’t wanted to scare her,” I try to explain.

  “Horse shit. I ought to set your ears on fire, son. A woman likes to know how a man feels about her. She needs to know she can depend on you. That she matters.”

  “She matters, Mom.”

  “I know that, son, but it’s not me you’re knocking boots with. You need to tell her,” she says, crossing her arms.

  “I think I’d better go. I’m going to be late. You sure…” CC starts, her body tense.

  I might want to strangle my mother right now, but the door is open and not saying anything will give her the wrong idea. I turn her to me, holding her neck gently, letting my thumb sweep across her chin.

  “You matter, CC.”

  “Gray, come on. Your Mom means well, but you don’t have to say…”

  “I love you, Claudia Cooper. I’ve loved you forever.”

  Her face goes white, and she trembles a little in my arms.

  “Gray…”

  “I love you, sweet lips.”

  “About damn time,” Ida Sue says, slapping me on the back and jarring my attention from CC, but not before I can use my thumb to gently drag away a couple of the small tears that have fallen from her eyes. “Now, I want to see this garage I’ve been hearing so much about.”

  “Ida Sue, are you sure? It’s liable to be pretty boring,” CC tells her while trying to clear her throat and button down the emotions that are showing on her face.

  “Nonsense. I get to spend the day with my new daughter. How can that be boring?” Ida Sue counters. CC’s eyes jerk to mine and I just smile to try and calm her as best as I can. Ida Sue is a tornado; it’s best she learns that now.

  “Well… if you’re sure,” CC says, sounding a little lost.

  “Definitely.”

  “We should head out then. I have a phone conference I can’t miss this morning. Gray, I…”

  I kiss her before she can say something I might not want to hear. It’s a brief kiss and nothing like I would give her if my mother and Jansen weren’t around.

  “Jansen and I will pick you up around three this afternoon. We’re going to look at the scenery and maybe go out on the course for a bit. I need to keep my stroke in perfect form before the big tournament.”

  CC hugs me tight, her lips get close to my ears. “I can confirm that your stroke is more than perfect, Crayon Man.”

  I kiss her gently on her forehead with a laugh. “Always busting my ass. See you soon.”

  “See you soon.”

  I stand beside Jansen as CC and Mom head out. The door has been closed for ten minutes before I finally shake off the feeling of contentment that thrums through my veins and I only do it then because Jansen demands my attention.

  “Let’s get a move on, son.”

  I nod agreement, but I’d rather follow my woman to that garage and spend the day with her.

  I stare at the phone as the last amount of hope I had fades. Mack’s bank wouldn’t help at all. I kind of expected it, but I was still… dreaming. I was dreaming. There’s going to be no magic way out of this and there’s not one to blame but me. Would Banger be as disappointed in me as I am in myself?

  “What the hell are you doing here?” I hear growling outside my office. At first I’m afraid Ida Sue has done something, but that’s Jackson yelling. With a deep breath, I go outside, wondering what my next catastrophe is. “I asked what the fuck you were doing here?”

  “Do you have a problem with this man, Claudia dear?” Ida Sue asks. I don’t turn to look at her, though. I’m busy staring into the eyes of David Riverton. He’s here, at my garage. He’s with three other men, all dressed in suits, though the other three don’t look nearly as expensive.

  “What are you doing here, Mr. Riverton?” I ask, doing my best to keep my voice civil, but not entirely successful.

  “I’ve brought by the company engineers.”

  “And why the fuck would you do that?” Jackson growls.

  “Because they want to get some early measurements in.”

  “Why would they need measurements?” I ask, fear curling tight in my stomach.

  “Oh. I forgot to tell you the plans I have for this place, didn’t I?”

  “You can take your plans and stick them up your ass where the sun doesn’t shine. That’s what you can do with your plans. Claude isn’t about to sell this place to the likes of you,” Jackson yells, and that sick feeling in my stomach only gets worse. I know the color is gone from my face.

  “Oh my, it seems you’re keeping secrets from your employees, Claudia. I take it he doesn’t know. I completely understand. Though, you might want to explain it to him soon. That way, instead of showing up here to a job he doesn’t have anymore, he can go straight to the unemployment office. Honestly, he might want to go there sooner. However, I suppose I will be hiring a few when I take over.”

  “You’re going to run a garage? I have trouble seeing that,” I tell him, ignoring the
way Jackson is staring at me.

  “A garage? Good heavens, no! I’m going to be demolishing the garage. I’m going to be turning this place into a landfill station.”

  “You’re what?”

  “It seemed apt that it becomes a place for garbage, since that’s exactly what built it to begin with.” His verbal blow is delivered hard, striking me and momentarily robbing me of breath. He’s never been a father to me. The fact that he’s putting me through all this is proof enough of that. Still, it’s hard to hear the man who fathered you call you garbage.

  “I think you’d better leave,” Ida Sue says, coming to my side and wrapping her arm around my shoulders as if to protect me. She can’t really, not from the cold hate that lies between me and David Riverton, but it’s good she’s here. Right now, I’m not sure I could keep standing if she wasn’t giving me support. I feel Jackson move in on my other side. He has to know I’ve fucked up, but he’s still here. I try and hold on to that.

  “Oh. Gray’s mother, right? Ida Joe, Right? Perhaps you can see now just what type of woman your son has gotten himself involved with.”

  “I can, and I completely approve. His choice in business partners, however, I’ll definitely need to talk with him about.”

  “I have heard that your past is rather colorful. I guess your reaction shouldn’t surprise me,” Riverton replies. “Bad blood always shows. Maybe I need to find a new face of Riverton Metals before your offspring can tarnish it.”

  “Why, you son of a bitch! You want to lock horns with me? Feel free. But you better be ready for what you’re inviting. I can’t–”

  “Leave,” I order him, interrupting Ida Sue.

  “I don’t think I want to right now,” he retorts. “I’m finding this is kind of fun.”

  “Leave or I’ll have you arrested for trespassing.”

  “Fuck, yeah,” Jackson grumbles.

  “This place is mine. The paperwork is a mere formality.”

  “You don’t have possession of it yet, and if you don’t leave, I’ll call Sheriff Tykes and press charges for trespassing,” I tell him, proud that my voice is firm. For some reason, I’m feeling stronger. I’m intent on Riverton, and for that reason, I don’t even notice that Ida Sue isn’t beside me anymore. And because I’m not watching her, I’m completely taken by surprise when she blasts Riverton with the water hose that’s hooked up.