by C. M. Owens
So he noticed it, too.
“Yeah. I saw that. What happened to your mother?”
Melanie Prize is… not easy to get to know. She seems as scared of me as I am of Wren.
“She went to buy some things. I apologize in advance. Just remember that Angel is the granddaughter she has always wanted. Right now I’m in deep shit for making her miss so much of Angel’s life. I couldn’t stop her, so don’t get mad at me.”
I start to question what that means, when three trucks roll up. One looks like a moving van, similar to the three Wren rented for today’s move. Even though we only used two. I wondered what happened to the third. Two are just pickup trucks, both weighted down by things I can’t make out under the freshly darkened sky.
“What’s that?” I ask as Wren starts walking toward the new arrivals.
“The things my mother bought you. Again, I’m sorry.”
I stumble over my own feet. What the hell?
People hop out of the trucks, and the guys inside move to the outside, carrying our sofas and chairs.
“What’s going on?” I ask, catching back up with Wren.
“Your sofas and chairs were falling apart. Mom wanted to replace them. And Angel told her she wanted a bunk bed for her new room so she could invite friends over. Allie, if you want her to stop, I can put an end to it. I’d rather have her pissed at me than you.”
I have to remind myself not to melt when those words leave his mouth. But I can’t accept so much stuff from a woman I don’t—
“Okay…” Melanie’s uncertain voice startles me as she appears from the shadows, her eyes warily gauging me. “I realize you probably like me about as much as you like my son, considering the dickhead move he pulled all those years ago, but I didn’t do anything wrong. I’ve been unsure and feeling like I couldn’t cross a line all day, but I’ll be damned if I treat you any differently than I do anyone I care about.
“Before you reject my gifts, you should know that I’m as stubborn as they get. I don’t hear no, which is why I’m a very successful and extremely rich woman. What I spent today doesn’t compare to what I wanted to spend, so I did show some restraint. Wren begged me not to do this, but I had to. I’m sorry if you don’t like it, but Angel gave me your dream magazines, so I went to the local stores and matched everything up the best I could.”
My jaw falls. My dream magazines? Angel and I play around with those. I’ve circled things we would buy if we ever won the lottery. Those things are just ridiculous ideas. There’s no way she—
“And I hope you’ll let her see me more. Maybe even consider letting me babysit some. You can have lunch, dinner, breakfast… as many meetings as you need to have with me until you feel comfortable enough for that. I just… She’s my granddaughter, Allie. And I really want to know her.”
Even in the moonlight, I can see her unshed tears. She’s the most genuinely sweet person I think I’ve ever met. My own foster parents kicked me out when I came home pregnant. If not for the government grants, rooming with Bella, and small scholarships I had, I would have never gotten through college. They didn’t want to be grandparents, so Bella and I have been all Angel has ever had.
“I’d really like for her to have a grandmother.” It seems ridiculous to say that to a woman who doesn’t look like a grandmother.
Her whole body visibly relaxes, and she surprises me with a strong embrace. Wren smiles before stepping off to the side, moving toward the house to help with the rearranging.
“We all make mistakes, Allie. If you can ever find a way to forgive him, I hope you do,” she whispers against my ear.
Taking a deep breath, I steel myself for the road ahead. I’m starting to wonder if I didn’t accidentally forgive him already.
Chapter 8
WREN
“The new furniture looks great, but tell your mom to do this before we move the crap in next time,” Rye says while clapping me on the back.
Angel is at my side, nodding her approval. “Do you like your bed?” I ask her, smiling when she looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Yep. Your friend says he sucks at girly stuff.” She tugs me down by my sleeve, and I lean over for her to loudly whisper, “He didn’t say stuff, though.”
My eyes turn toward Rye whose eyes widen. “Forgot about her being six,” he says with a shrug.
I glare at him before heading into the bedroom, ignoring Rye as he playfully scolds Angel for selling him out. Dane Sterling is finishing up the last of it. This bed was a bitch that brought all three of us to our knees. The pizza is probably cold by now, but I wanted the moving done before everyone started leaving. No way was I staying and trying to do it by myself, because Allie makes me nervous as hell.
I’ve done good to avoid her for most of the day. Hearing her laugh made me smile. Angel said she never laughs like that, which is a little sad. I didn’t want to ruin it by showing my face too much. Luckily, Angel spent most of the day with me, and it was so much better than the awkward time we’ve spent at my house.
She was relaxed and at ease with me. A huge leap from our usual encounters.
But Allie… I’ve been staring. It’s impossible not to. When she smiles at me and talks to me like she doesn’t want to see me burning at a stake, she’s so amazing. She’s beautiful on the surface, but when she gives me a peek at what’s underneath… I can’t believe I’d just walk out on her. I must have been too drunk to even know my damn name that night.
“So, just for the record,” Dane says, moving away from the ladder he has just secured very tightly to the bed, “you’re so helping me at every family function on yours and Rain’s side from now on.”
I laugh while nodding. “Deal. Consider me your bitch for a while. Thanks for coming.”
He claps the side of my shoulder with his hand. “Come on, bitch boy. Let’s start with beer and pizza for the slaves.”
I chuckle while heading out, giving one last look at the princess room that has been thoroughly upgraded, thanks to my mother’s inability to pass up anything with sparkly shit. The greatest thing about today was all the pictures Angel gave me of her growing up. She promised me her mother had doubles. She only gave me the pictures that were hers to keep.
I’m debating whether or not I should tell Allie. This is something Angel wanted me to have, and she might get pissed if Allie doesn’t wholly agree. But then again, Allie has acted completely different with me all day. In fact, every time I’ve been brave enough to face her, she seems to be in a good mood and sincerely happy to talk to me. She’s even acted like I wasn’t the asshole who treated her like shit all those years ago.
I trip over my own feet when I see Ray Drivel sitting next to my mother on some of the new patio furniture Mom bought for Allie. How did that fucking conman sneak in without me knowing?
“Did you know about this?” Kade Colton drawls, amused as he leans against the side of the house and gestures toward the man who is kissing my mother’s hand.
I turn my glare on him. “I found out when he walked out in my mother’s robe the other morning.”
“Oh no,” Raya groans from behind me while coming to bury her head against my arm. “Her robe? Why didn’t you tell me?”
The memory assaults me, and my nose turns up in disgust. “It was a pink robe. And it was short. Very short. And he neglected to put on underwear.”
Kade bursts out laughing, and Raya groans again, burrowing her head further into my arm.
“Sorry. He’s still adjusting to so much… freedom.”
“He didn’t tell you he was dating her?” I ask, curious as to why he’d withhold that information if he has good intentions with my mother.
Angel moves to sit with them, and in an instant, Ray has her spellbound with his charm. At least he’s wearing a suit instead of a damn pink robe.
Brin and Rye also seem to gravitate toward them, sitting down within range of whatever story they all find so riveting.
“We have a don’t ask, don’t tell po
licy. I don’t ask who he’s sleeping with, and if he wants me to keep visiting him, he doesn’t tell,” Raya finally says.
I curse, prompting Kade’s laughter to start up again, and Raya snickers as well.
“Sorry,” she mutters insincerely. “You aren’t worried he’d con her?” she asks more seriously, looking up at me with those please-don’t-hurt-my-feelings eyes.
I hate it when Raya looks at me like that, because I don’t want to say the wrong thing.
“You think he would?”
Raya tends to see the best in him, but she always admits his faults, too. Maybe she can help me at least try to deal with this.
“Hell no. Even if he were still conning—which he’s not—he wouldn’t mess with any of my friends or their families. You know how much he loves me. That alone should give you peace of mind.”
Kade smacks my back, grinning like the asshole he is. “Don’t worry, Wren. The only thing he’s conning her out of is her underwear.”
Raya groans, I curse him, and Kade laughs all the harder. Dane comes up, chuckling like he caught the tail end of that.
“That’s priceless. Really. And as much as I’d love to stay, Rain and I have to get back. Eleanor is babysitting for us, but Rain is ready to go get our girl. We’ll see you guys later.”
Rain comes up, laughing as though she’s enjoying my torture as well, and she hugs me before moving over to hug Kade. She and Raya talk for a moment longer, and Raya promises to fill her in on anything she misses, which earns a glare from me and elicits more obnoxious laughter from the guys before Rain and Dane make their exit.
Bella goes to sit closer to my mother and her attention-hog of a companion, apparently just as entranced by the charismatic man as everyone else.
“He can do about fifty different accents with effortless ease,” Allie says, startling me from behind.
When did she go inside? And why didn’t I hear the door when she walked out here with us?
She closes the door behind her, and Raya moves to Kade’s side so that Allie can stand beside me. I try not to tense, but I feel like I’m constantly walking on eggshells.
“He can speak a lot of languages, too,” Kade inserts, taunting me. “Women love a man who knows French.”
I growl. Literally growl. And Kade’s mocking laughter turns brutal.
“Did I miss something?” Allie asks, looking at me like I’m something other than the enemy.
Deciding I’d rather be friends than enemies, I keep the conversation going, including her and filling in the blanks. Raya quickly interjects all throughout the story, making sure everyone knows her father is a good man who made some mistakes, but that his past is far behind him.
“O…kay,” Allie says in a long breath. “Wow. And you don’t like them dating,” she surmises, looking at me again.
I shrug, trying not to freak the hell out the way I want to. “I don’t, but it’s her life. Mostly, I really don’t want Raya for a sister.”
Raya slaps my arm, and I laugh lightly while Allie smiles.
“Josh wouldn’t deal well with not being her only brother. Maybe he’ll take you out shooting,” Kade says, grinning when Raya shoots him a glare.
Rye moves from the table to make his way toward us, tilting his head.
“Two parties? How about we consolidate the crowd?”
I shrug while ushering Allie out in front of me. She takes the lead, and I let my eyes drop to her ass. Damn. Those jeans have been torturing me for most of the day. Her blonde hair is loosely bound on her head in a way that shouldn’t be as sexy as it is.
“Saw that,” Kade whispers, and I flip him off as Allie sits down.
Deciding to be bold, I take the chair next to her. Before I know it, we’re in one big circle around a large outdoor, bronze colored table, while Ray spills on about his traveling days, omitting the cons along the way.
Rye Clanton curses, spitting beer from his mouth, and everyone looks at him.
“Sorry. Beer got hot,” he grumbles, standing to go grab another.
“Language,” I remind him, pointing out there’s a kid here.
“She hears worse from kids at school,” Allie whispers. “Believe me, she knows what words are off limits.”
I think back to her saying, “He didn’t say stuff.” She really does know the difference.
“He still should be cautious of what he says around our daughter,” I murmur absently, still looking in his direction.
Brin is biting back a grin, but I don’t question it. Instead, I turn back in time to see Allie’s eyes darting away from me.
Was she just checking me out?
When blush rises to her cheeks, I’m the one fighting back a grin. She was.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Having a daughter with someone sort of makes things… Hell, I have no idea. Being attracted to my daughter’s mother is one hell of a conundrum.
Rye returns with a fresh beer, returning his attention back to Ray, but I’m lost in my own haze of confusion. Allie should be untouchable in my mind. Angel just came into my life, and I royally fucked up with Allie already. Thinking of her as anything other than Angel’s mother is dangerous territory. But it’s really hard when she’s being like this. And checking me out.
My dick twitches in my pants, trying to offer me its opinion, which forces me to shift uncomfortably.
Rye sputters beer again, drawing our attention once more as he tries to censor his words in front of Angel.
“Stupid beer. How did it get hot so fast?”
He stands again, returning to the cooler once more, and Brin snickers softly. It’s then I start to piece together the puzzle.
“Kode and Tria never returned,” Raya says idly, not paying attention to the scene Rye is making.
I look over as Raya snuggles into Kade’s side. “Figures,” I say with a shrug.
Kode and Tria should become dual hermits and live their lives naked. I’m shocked they came out today and made it without attacking each other as long as they did.
Rye sits back down, sipping his cool beer, double checking it to be certain he’s not wrong about the temperature, and then he turns his attention back to Ray. I watch as Brin leans over and pulls back a towel, finding a beer next to her feet.
The top is missing, and she sneakily replaces his cold beer with the hot one, putting the cold one under the towel in its place. Rye’s head is turned, so he never sees the swap. Crafty girl. Apparently they’ll prank each other until the day they die.
I look back at Allie’s questioning green eyes, and I lean over to whisper in her ear, trying not to get distracted by how damn good she smells.
“Prank war. They never break even.”
She’s grinning when I lean back, and I feign interest in Ray’s story until Rye starts spewing again, coughing and cursing, then censoring and apologizing for cursing.
Everyone snickers as he glares at his beer, but when his eyes cut toward Brin, she bursts out laughing hard enough to give herself away.
“I should have known. We called a truce for today!”
She can’t stop laughing, and he fights back his own smile, proving just how perfect they are for each other. I didn’t even know he knew how to smile like that until he met her.
“Fine. Game on.”
He stands, and she squeals while leaping to her feet and attempting to run. She makes it maybe three steps before he has her scooped up and hauled over his shoulder. She yelps when he slaps her ass with one hand, and locks his arm around her legs to keep her in place.
“Save me! Don’t just watch him! Wren! Please! Kade! Someone!”
I wave at her over my shoulder, and she starts to say something foul before remembering there’s a six-year-old within earshot. She settles for a death glare that really can’t intimidate anyone, and I grin while leaning back in my seat.
“Where are they going?” Bella asks when they head through the back gate.
“Probably to their house where he’ll
make her life hell for the rest of the night,” I say dryly.
Allie laughs while getting more comfortable, but Bella tilts her head in confusion. “Is that normal?”
“To them, they’re as normal as anything can be. Whatever works,” I say while shrugging.
Allie has had a lot of insight into my life and my friends’ lives today, but I’ve had very little into hers. Deciding to use what warmth I’ve felt to my advantage, I capitalize on our smaller crowd and try to ask some questions.
“What about your parents? Does Angel visit them often?”
She bristles beside me, and I hold my breath, wondering if I’ve already messed this up.
“Um… no. Not at all, really. They… They were my foster parents for the last eight years of my life, but… I think me getting pregnant gave them an excuse to cut ties with me, since I was old enough for the government to stop sending them checks. But I don’t want her knowing that.”
I wince just hearing that. And I’m shocked that she told me.
“I’m only telling you because it’d take very little to find it out on your own, and lying to you isn’t a habit I want.”
I almost wonder if she just read my mind or if I said that aloud.
“You don’t have to lie, Allie. That’s shitty of them. It makes me even more pissed for not being there when you had no one else.”
We manage to keep our voices low as Ray continues to wow everyone else. Well, Kade seems to be more interested in doing something with his tongue on Raya’s neck than listening to his soon-to-be father-in-law.
Allie sighs hard, her head angled in a slant as she studies me. “You mean that, don’t you?”
Unsure what she means, I shrug. “Of course. And we need to talk about some other stuff, too. Like financial stuff. But not here.”
She motions to the house, and I stand, offering my hand to help her up. She eyes it for a second before accepting it. It’s amazing how perfectly her hand fits with mine, as though mine was meant to shield hers.
Wrong frame of mind.
She hesitates to release my hold, and I fight not to protest when she does. What the hell is wrong with me?