by Heather Long
There were also a few weeks of graduation practice. The walk at the elementary schools. The preparation of speeches. Final class ranks would be posted, and the valedictorian and salutatorian would be picked. The top twenty students in the class would be awarded grants and scholarships. There would be more.
I had every item written down. I’d been tracking all of this for years, prepping for the final senior stretch, and here we were, not even nine weeks away, and I couldn’t care less. Wittaker had called the evening before to confirm our court time. He wanted me there at least thirty minutes early. Rarely were times pushed up, though they could be delayed. However, the number of cases rolling through the court meant we had to be in the courtroom and ready to go when it was our turn.
Positive thoughts. Focus on them right now. My homework for Erin included making notes when my mood dropped and why it dropped as well as what I did to recover. The weekend had been all but perfect, and my mood had seesawed so wildly, I wasn’t even sure if what I wrote down would be useful.
It was still dark when I woke, well before the alarm. Ian slept on one side and Archie on the other. Hopefully, today would help purge some of the demons for him too. At least when he slept, the tight lines between his eyes smoothed. Tiddles moved as I shifted my legs, and I crawled out from between them. Shockingly, neither moved. They had to be even more tired than I thought.
Smothering a yawn, I went to the kitchen and fed the cats before they woke up the whole house. After getting the coffee maker brewing, I headed for the shower. Better to start the day right. I snagged my phone off the charger and pulled the bedroom door mostly closed before I got the shower started. Once the water was on, I brushed my teeth real quick while the water heated, then cued up Torched’s latest album. By the time I was shampooing my hair, I was singing along.
I was really jamming out to the third song and pivoted to find Jake leaning against the interior bathroom door, eyes bright and a smile on his face as I sang. Heat flooded my face, and I faltered on a note or two, then just went for it. Jake’s grin widened when I curled my fingers to beckon him.
He shed his shirt, and his boxers landed right next to it before he slipped into the shower with me. I was already warm and soapy, so I contented myself with a good morning—Oh hello, he tasted all minty and fresh. His groan answered my own, and the stubble on his cheeks stung a little. I didn’t care, except…
“Can I shave you?” I asked as I leaned my head back, and Jake gave me a sleepy look.
“Shave?” He scratched at his stubble. “I guess it’s probably not too pleasant.”
Biting my lower lip, I fought to keep my smile tucked away. “I don’t mind it, though I don’t want beard burn today and I want to shave you.” I kind of always had wanted to. It was a little thing, but the guys had helped me with my legs when my wrist was broken. Not something I ever imagined having them do, but Jake hadn’t even cracked a joke.
“Sing me one of your songs with Bubba, and I’ll be putty in your hands.”
This time, the heat hitting my face was scorching. The guys had all listened, but I hadn’t been able to watch them listening to me. Of course, after the evening at the studio with Coop and Ian, I didn’t think I’d be able to listen to myself sing again without getting turned on.
“One sec.”
I leaned out of the shower and wiped my fingers on a towel before grabbing my phone. I switched to the list of songs Ian and I had recorded. I had all of them on there, since he always made sure I had copies when he was done mixing them.
After hitting play, I snagged the razor and shaving cream from by the sink. “This one okay?” The sound of the first strum of the guitars sent a needy little wave through me. That, coupled with the cooler air, had my nipples tightening.
“That’s fine.” He moved back a little and leaned against the wall. It put his shoulders and head a little lower. I took the time spreading the foamy shaving cream over his cheeks. “Down first,” he murmured. “Follow the grain. Up second, if it’s not smooth.”
I grinned. “Trust me?”
He didn’t even blink. “Absolutely.”
I had no idea why that settled my jangling nerves, but everything quieted, and while I’d only been half-listening, I caught the part in the song where my voice was supposed to come in and started singing. Jake never looked away as I worked the razor over his cheeks and along his jaw. He tilted his head back so I could get beneath his chin and just to this throat. The mustache area was tricky, but he rolled his lip down and stretched it, then winked when he stole a kiss that left me with shaving cream on my face.
We made it through two full songs before I had it almost as smooth and soft as he could make it. He ran a hand over his face, then rinsed it off before he took the razor from my fingers. One moment, we were standing there, and the next, he had me lifted up and pressed against the now much cooler than my back tile.
A hiss escaped me, but it had nothing on the wave of heat crashing through me as he rubbed his very interested dick against my slit. “Baby Girl,” he murmured against my lips as he stroked one hand down my side and fisted himself so he could adjust the angle.
“Yes.” I didn’t even care how he wanted to ask the question. I had missed Jake a lot the last several days. Timing and opportunity hadn’t been on our side. More than once, he’d just slipped aside because Archie needed me or I needed him. More than once, it had been Coop that tucked in with us at night, Coop whom Ian had insisted I needed, and they were both right. “I need you.”
Between one heartbeat and the next, his mouth slammed down on mine as he pushed in, and we both shuddered. I didn’t know where his groan ended and mine began. Slick and wet, I locked my thighs around his hips and trusted him to not drop me as he thrust his tongue in time with his dick. The pressure was perfect, and the angle even better.
Cupping his smooth cheeks, I rocked forward to meet his thrusts, and he lifted me a little higher and then dragged me down so he controlled the speed and the force of the thrusts. Little syllables escaped me in a litany of curses because it hurt in the best possible way, striking sparks across my vision as I kissed him with the same consuming force he used to try and devour me.
The bite of his fingers on my hips and the surge that pressed me into the wall over and over held a frantic edge that didn’t slow as he pushed me up and over. I came with a scream he couldn’t even smother with a kiss, especially when he grunted and pushed against me clamping down on him twice more before he came in a rush.
Panting, we clung to each other, and Jake pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “I love your voice, Baby Girl, and you can shave me anytime you want.”
A laugh bubbled up, and I giggled. The hot water had gone warm, and even as Jake eased me down and we cleaned up, we interspersed it with little kisses and gentle touches. He didn’t even slip out while I dried my hair. Instead, he parked himself behind me and took over the back, combing it.
“Up or down?” Fair question since I had court.
“Half up, half down,” I said, meeting his gaze in the mirror.
“Braid?”
I hadn’t considered that, but now that he mentioned it, I liked the idea. He tapped my fingers out of the way and braided the single long strand in the center so it pulled my hair back from my face but left the rest to fall in neat lines. The blowing drying it straight helped. Though, if it got rained on, it was going to be unruly as hell when it dried.
When we finally left the bathroom so I could get dressed, the scent of coffee and something far sweeter assaulted my senses. My mouth was watering by the time I scooted into panties and a bra, then pulled on a pair of nice slacks and a button-down shirt. I even had a blazer to go with it. The dark green looked great on me, and though I didn’t wear it often, it definitely fell in the professional category.
Jake dressed silently while I did, and then he attached the clasp on my bracelet before sliding the class ring on my finger.
“How do I look?” I still had to put on s
hoes, but I was starving. Thankfully, the top was black and I had a jacket to wear with it.
“Like a million bucks,” Jake told me. “Come on. We have a surprise for you.”
“That is French toast I smell,” I said with a little squeal and then hurried around him and down the hall, tugging him with me. Sure enough, the guys were all crammed into my kitchen with Jeremy.
I paused on the threshold at the sight. Jeremy had been in here cooking while Jake had been getting me off in the shower and I’d been screaming.
Ian watched me from across the room as he sipped his coffee. His bright blue eyes were warm and full of humor. Coop practically smirked next to him, but it was Archie who said, “Come and eat, babe. Jeremy wouldn’t let us have a damn thing until you got yours first. No matter how much we yelled at him.”
Relief swarmed through me, and when Jake chuckled next to me, I jabbed my elbow into his stomach hard enough to make him ‘oof.’ “Just be glad I don’t have my shoes on,” I warned him, and he grunted.
“Duly noted.” Even if he rubbed his stomach, I doubted I hit him that hard. He was carved out of stone.
“Good morning, Jeremy,” I greeted him as I moved past, and he smiled at me.
“Good morning, Miss Frankie. I’ve prepared your favorite, as well as bacon. Do you want fruit with your French toast, or powdered sugar and syrup?”
“Hmm…yes please?”
He chuckled. “The works it is.”
On impulse, I went up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “You’re the best, Jeremy. Thank you.”
The indulgent smile he gave me made the action seem a lot less awkward, thank God. “My pleasure, truly. You sit, and Mr. Archie will get your coffee. The boys will finish making a space.”
“On it,” Ian said as they shifted the chairs around. Jake was still laughing as he followed me over.
“Can Mr. Archie get my coffee as well?”
“Considering you took your job to an extreme?” Archie told him with a bland look. “You can wait for the next pot.”
I laughed but took the chair next to Coop, who leaned over to nuzzle a kiss and then sighed when I gave him a real one. “Good morning,” he murmured.
“Hi.”
“Good shower?”
“All out of hot water I think,” I told him without an ounce of apology.
“Good thing we used the other one.” He winked, and I laughed.
It wasn’t long before we had stacked plates in front of us. Despite his teasing, Jeremy had most of it ready, so I had three thick pieces of the perfectly cooked French toast, dusted with powdered sugar and a lovely dollop of butter, as well as a plate of strawberries with bacon. Yeah, I’d pretty much died and gone to heaven.
There was coffee and juice and even eggs for the guys. Far more food than had been in our fridge, because we’d skipped shopping this weekend while I indulged Archie’s ordering in fetish, and the five of us had dug in and just made the most of our alone time.
Across the table, Archie smiled at me and I shook my head, but I couldn’t hide my own smile. This right here was the way to kick off our day.
“Now,” Jeremy said, “you finish up, and let me know if anyone wants seconds. I’m going to take care of the housekeeping here today…”
“Jeremy, you shouldn’t have to—”
But he didn’t let me finish, instead, he fixed me with a very stern look with those gray eyes. “There is nothing about shouldn’t. I have offered, Mr. Archie accepted on your behalf, and I would be very pleased to do these tasks because you have enough to think about. Also, you provided me with excellent pictures of Mr. Archie cleaning the bathroom last month.”
Laughter circled the table, and I spread my hands. “Well, when you put it that way…”
“Excellent. If there is anything specific you all require from the store, please add it to this list.” He set the pad and paper on the table. “Otherwise, I shall just stock the usual.”
The usual.
I fixed Archie with a look, but he gave me a look of such innocence that I rolled my own eyes and then let it go. After this was settled, Mr. Archie and I would be having this argument. It could wait until then. For now, I’d accept the gifts and the offers exactly as they’d been made—with love.
It didn’t take long for us to finish up. I glanced at the list and pursed my lips. There were a couple of things I needed, but I wasn’t adding tampons or pads to the shopping list. I just wasn’t. It was bad enough he had my brand of deodorant on the list. Thankfully, we weren’t buying condoms anymore. I didn’t want to even think about that one.
Nope.
Nope.
Nope.
It wasn’t long before I had my wallet tucked into the inner pocket of my jacket. I snagged my backpack. I had no idea why I might need it, but you never knew. Ian dropped his letterman jacket over my shoulders, and Archie had his umbrella.
Oh look, it was drizzling and gross outside.
I was over winter in Texas. It wasn’t even pretty. Just gray, gloomy, and wet. All at once, I was homesick for Colorado. How bizarre was that? I missed the lodge and the fire and all the snow outside. I missed how cozy and warm it was, and most of all, I missed how safe it had been for all of us.
No bad meatloaf. No hearings. No stupid DNA tests or paternity questions.
“Almost to the finish line,” Archie murmured to me as he caught my hand, and I blew out a breath.
“This is just one finish line,” I reminded him. We had a plan. He and his grandfather had a plan, and I was going to do my part as best I could. It didn’t mean I didn’t want to slap his father though.
“Just the first of many,” he whispered, then kissed me. “No more worrying. We got this.”
Even as much as I believed him, I couldn’t stop the quivering on the inside. Nerves. Jitters. They were all bouncing around inside me. We took Jake’s SUV, and I was in the back between Coop and Archie, while Ian sat shotgun and Jake drove.
We stopped for coffee, and we played the music loud. Ian actually put us on and grinned back at me as I laughed. Coop squeezed my thigh when it played the song we’d recorded the other day.
“You guys sound amazing,” Archie admitted during one lull.
“Don’t they?” Jake agreed, and I blushed for real, all over.
I caught Ian’s gaze, and he winked at me. Yes, he was right, we sounded good together, but I didn’t think I would ever sound that great. He could probably do so much better without me, but at the same time, I loved that he wanted to do this with me.
Just as long as I didn’t hold him back. Though I wouldn’t say that aloud again. The last time had earned me a spanking of the stinging kind, and it had been far less fun than the others. For the drive, at least, I was able to forget about where we were going or why we were going there.
For the drive.
The minute we pulled into the parking garage across the street from the courthouse, all of my nerves resurged. Even though Coop clasped my hand and let me squeeze his tight, I couldn’t quite shake the trembling. Jake took charge of my backpack, and Ian moved in front of us as Jake came behind, while Coop and Archie flanked me. I swore they moved in a way that meant no one got near me.
We had to go through security one at a time, and then waited while they scanned my backpack. Mr. Wittaker was already there, waiting for us in the lobby.
“With fifteen minutes grace,” he said almost as a compliment. “Well done, Miss Curtis. Let’s go sit and talk, shall we?” He took the lead and found us a small bench across from a courtroom, and the guys formed a barricade of sorts as Mr. Wittaker and I sat together.
“All right, Frankie, this is what’s going to happen. We’re going to go inside and sit. We’re on the docket for Judge Andrew Novak. He’s in his fifties, married—second wife. He has two children from his first marriage and two from his second. His oldest, a girl, is pregnant with his first grandchild.”
I opened my mouth to say something, but Wittaker shook his
head.
“Just listen for now.” He didn’t wait for me to nod, just continued on. “His oldest is in her last year of college. He’s a blunt-spoken, straight shooter, who sees more abused kids in his courtroom than he can help. While he’s not a man on a mission, he does do what he can when he can. This is all good for us, because he’s going to like you. When we get in there, we’ll wait until we’re called, then you and I will move up to the table at the front. He has a copy of the briefs and the affidavits, and he will likely have questions for you. Just answer them. Don’t worry about how it sounds or trying to make it sound better, just tell him the truth.”
Okay.
“As of…” He checked his watch before continuing, “an hour ago, your mother’s attorney had not withdrawn their objections, however, they have also not filed any evidence or briefs on why they want to deny you emancipation.”
So, Maddy wasn’t fighting me per se, but she wasn’t helping either.
“The judge will be looking for her in the courtroom. If he calls for her, don’t react, don’t get upset. He’s going to have questions for her, and if she isn’t there, that’s even better for us.”
I knew we’d talked about this a few times already, but the quick pace of his recitation actually settled my nerves.
“In all likelihood, it will be fifteen minutes from start to finish, but don’t be dismayed if the judge wants to take longer or if he postpones making an immediate decision.”
My stomach sank. “Why would he postpone it?” Coop asked, and I glanced up to find him focusing on us grimly.
“To give it all due consideration, or he could simply want to have a couple of hours to think about it. He has been known to withhold judgments until the end of the day. Not always,” Wittaker cautioned me, “but it does happen.”
That sounded awful. “Do we have to wait?”
“No, the court clerk will call me. Once we’ve been excused from court, you’re done here. Now, if things don’t go our way for whatever reason, I’ve already got a second brief ready to file and keep your temporary emergency order in place,” Wittaker said. “So, no panic. We’re going to take care of this, Frankie. Are you ready?”