by C. M. Owens
“This isn’t my specialty,” Tracy yawns in agreement.
“Allie!” Bella yells while running toward me, her eyes wide. “What are you still doing here? You were supposed to be at the school already.”
Panicking, I check my watch, but it’s just barely ten after two. And why would I go to the school? She knows I meet Angel at the bus stop on my days to get her.
“Bella, calm down. What’s going on?”
“Career day,” she prompts. “You took a half day today.”
“That’s next week,” I say dismissively.
“No. It’s today. I wrote it down on the calendar myself.”
My stomach lurches when I think of Angel sitting there and waiting for me, only to have me not show up.
“Shit. I’ve got to go.”
I rush out of the doors, and flip off the guy who blows the horn at me when I run in front of him. It takes me too long to find my car and crank it, and I swear the red lights conspire against me, each one turning red just as I near it.
This day is slowly getting worse by the minute.
I almost squeal tires when I pull into the school parking lot, but just as abruptly, I jerk to the same halt my car does. The doors are opening, and kids with their parents are filtering out. It’s already pickup time. Damn.
As the parents move off to the side, I notice a lot of them are wearing suits, mostly men. They’re all walking away, leaving behind another crowd that is coming out. My heart sputters to a near stop when I see one man I wasn’t expecting.
Wren is smiling at the flock of women and kids who are talking, and Angel is happily attached to his hip, her smile forcing me to grin against my will. She’s been having a hard time trying to socialize. She’s so standoffish that it makes it hard to be friends with new kids. But right now, it seems like she’s the Belle of the Ball.
Another familiar face emerges, and much to my surprise, it’s Tag Masters who is carrying a small boy that is less than a year old. He’s cradling him with care, as a woman with long, dark hair comes up to his side and kisses the boy’s head.
They pause to talk amongst the group that has flogged Wren, and Tag nods in his direction before they head off. I slowly get out of my car and wade through the after-school traffic to reach the assembly.
“Mommy! Here!” Angel calls, grinning when she sees me and waves from her high position on Wren’s hip.
Taking a few extra breaths, I manage a smile, prepared for the worst. I’m sure Wren is going to let me have it after what I did to him the other day.
A few envious, and somewhat evil, glares are sent my way from the women he dismisses on his way to me. I ignore them, because they’re seriously misreading the situation.
Angel shakes her head with a small smile playing on her lips. “Wren gets asked on a lot of dates,” she declares, and Wren’s throaty laughter tingles in places on me where I wish it didn’t.
“Oh?” I muse.
She nods, sighing as though she’s putout, and Wren laughs more before putting her down between us.
“I was going to give her a ride to the bus stop where she meets you. I figured you must have gotten waylaid at work.”
Still waiting on his outburst, I try to sound calm and collected, even though I’m close to being in tears. I can’t believe I let Angel down. Not me. I’m supposed to be the one she can always count on.
“I got the dates for this mixed up. I… messed up.”
His lips twitch, but other than that, he doesn’t express any emotion. “It happens. That’s why there’s two of us. One can be there when the other can’t. Angel called me. I didn’t have anything else going on at the time, and I was close by.”
That’s it? That can’t be it. He owes me a severe lashing in retribution for the way I treated him.
“Can Wren come with us for dinner?”
Wren smiles down at her, and he kneels before pressing a sweet kiss to her cheek. She quickly wraps her arms around his neck, and he hugs her to him. Damn, that’s sweet.
“It’s fine, Angel. I should probably get home. Thanks for calling me today.”
“Thank you for coming,” she says sweetly. “And for giving everyone candy.”
He laughs again before standing, and without looking at him, I find myself talking before I can stop. “Come to the house. It won’t be a special dinner, but it’s the least I can do.”
Angel waits very impatiently for him to answer, and I chance a look at him to see he’s studying me with a partial grin.
“Okay. Let’s go to your house.”
My heart pounds in my chest, and Wren picks Angel up to place her on his shoulders. She giggles with childish abandon, and I watch as they head to my car.
I came to this town worried about how I could be around Wren Prize without hating him. Now I’m terrified that I might fall in love.
Chapter 12
WREN
“That was great,” I say to the two girls who are finishing up their cleaning routine. I’ve offered to help, but Angel insists I’m a guest.
Instead, I head to the sofa where I promised I’d sit and watch one of their favorite shows. Angel has yawned at least ten times, but Allie is letting her pretend as though she’s not sleepy. It’s already after seven now. I’ve been here for a few hours, and I’d hate to wear out my welcome.
“I’m going to get on my pajamas, and then I’ll be right back,” Angel announces before running to her room.
Allie laughs softly while coming to sit beside me on the sofa, turning her body so that she’s facing me.
“You’re better than me,” she says guiltily.
I think she keeps waiting on me to lash out after the way she did me. But I’m not going to. Not my style.
“I’m not better than you, Allie. I have less to be pissed about. You’re a good mom who made an understandable mistake. Things happen. Sit back. Relax. Let me pretend this girly show isn’t going to ruin my manhood.”
Her laughter warms me, and she eases in closer before pressing a small kiss on my cheek, startling the hell out of me, but I manage not to flinch. Her lips are so fucking soft.
“Thank you,” she whispers, pulling back so that our eyes meet. When she looks at my lips, everything in me forgets why this would be a bad idea. I want to feel how soft those lips of hers really are.
Instincts take over, and I reach up and stroke her cheek, slowly pushing my hand into her hair. Every strand feels like it’s made of silk, and she leans into my touch, making it easier for me to lean forward and… jerk the hell back like a scolded kid when Angel comes bouncing back into the room.
Allie scoots over, putting distance between us, and Angel quickly takes the seat in between us. “Both my parents. I like this,” she says softly, and I suck in a sharp breath that matches the same one Allie takes before our eyes nervously find each other’s.
Playing with fire… Never a good thing.
“I need a hand,” Bella says as she comes through the door with armloads of groceries.
I leap up, quickly going to her aid. After grabbing several of the bags, I head to the kitchen, putting everything on the closest countertop. Bella is laughing when I pull back a sticky hand, my nose wrinkling in disgust.
“Sorry. I think my strawberry jam broke in there. It’s all over me and the car.”
I chuckle softly while moving toward the sink, and both women yell, “No!” But it’s about two seconds after I turn the water on and get sprayed in the face by a vicious and unrelenting stream.
Laughter rips through the air as I blindly scramble to turn the water off. I groan when I feel my shirt is as soaked as my hair.
“Sink messed up?” I ask dryly, ignoring the sound of three feminine laughs as I keep my eyes shut, trying to keep the dripping mess out of them.
“Sorry,” Allie says, trying to smother her laughter with what I assume is her hand on her way over to me. “We called a plumber, but he’s running behind.”
“I’ll grab the towels,” Bel
la says through her snickers.
“Can I borrow one?” I ask just before one is gently pressed against my face, and I take it, accidentally brushing the soft fingers still attached. I swear a jolt of electricity rips through my body from that one single touch. Christ.
After my eyes are dried, I open them to see Allie smiling softly up at me.
“I’ll throw your shirt in the dryer, but you should probably keep your pants on.”
She bites back a grin, and I try to pretend she’s not flirting with me.
Fortunately, the water shot high, so it’s just the top half of my shirt that took the brunt, and my jeans are dry.
“Thanks,” I say, smiling while start tugging my shirt up.
I don’t miss the gasp Allie releases, and I take my time working the wet shirt over my head, knowing exactly what her eyes are doing.
A loud, appreciative whistle fills the air—Bella’s, not Allie’s—and I laugh while getting rid of the shirt finally. Allie takes it, her lips parted just barely as she stares at my chest, and Bella claps slowly with a cocked eyebrow.
“Angel, your daddy has a great workout routine,” Bella says, forcing Angel to laugh and Allie to blush crimson before glaring at her best friend.
Even though she tries not to, Allie lets her eyes rake over my body one last time before scurrying off to put my shirt in the dryer, and I begin helping Bella clean up the floor from where the sink went rogue.
“Any chance you can only come over here shirtless from now on?” Bella asks with shameless guile.
I burst out laughing while Allie groans from the back. At least the tension seems to be broken. Bella takes the towels when we’re done, and I head back toward the living room that is just across from the kitchen.
Settling in on the sofa shirtless makes me feel a little too cozy in their small home, but I don’t have much of a choice. Allie resumes her seat beside Angel, and she works hard not to look over at me, just like I work hard not to look at her.
Angel snuggles up to me without hesitation, and I wrap my arms around her and hold her to me while enduring their show.
After a while, Angel’s breaths become even, and she starts snoring adorably.
“Are those coming from her?” Bella whispers from the chair across from us.
Allie nods, grinning as she looks over at us. Her eyes lock with mine, showing me a new depth of something I wish I wasn’t too scared to explore. But I don’t want to lose this.
“She never sleeps hard enough to snore unless you’re around, apparently,” Bella says, her eyes landing on Angel as I slowly stand up with her cradled to me.
That means more to me than she realizes.
Very carefully, I tuck Angel into bed, and she grips my hand when I kiss her forehead. After gently withdrawing my hand, I back away from Sleeping Beauty.
Both women are standing in the doorway when I turn around, and I smirk while tucking my hands into my pockets, feeling a little on display.
They both clear their throats and flee the room, and I snicker to myself while following. Bella abandons us, heading back to her room, and Allie sits down on the sofa where I join her.
“Your shirt is taking a while to dry,” Allie says nervously. “Sorry. The dryer is a little outdated.”
I shrug, playing it cool. Honestly, I feel like a fucking teenager hanging out in the living room while the girl’s parents listen from their room.
“Since my shirt isn’t ready, let’s kill the time with you telling me about you. I don’t know a lot. You know a ton about me. I think it’s only fair.”
She grabs a bottle of wine that Bella deserted on the coffee table, and pours us two glasses before settling back on the sofa and propping her feet up.
“Long story short, my dad left when I was little, and my mom raised me until she couldn’t take it anymore. I was ten when the Johnsons took me in. It was a loveless, cold house, but I was luckier than most kids my age. I didn’t have to bounce around to several houses or endure physical abuse. There were others who came and went, but they would be too rowdy, and the Johnsons would have them extracted.
“I was always perfect because I was scared of what else was out there. The other kids always had horror stories. I never missed school. If I was sick, I suffered in silence, never letting myself be a burden. And if I was hungry, I kept my mouth shut until they were ready to serve food. It gave me the longest placement of any kid to ever travel through there.”
Holy shit. I wasn’t expecting that, and I can’t believe she just told me.
“Allie, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
She shrugs, not looking up from her glass of wine, as though she needs it for strength to continue.
“Bella was my saving grace. We met sophomore year in high school, and I started spending the night with her all the time. Her family was nice, for the most part—well, compared to what I knew. It showed me that there’s more out there. That week in Cancun was the closest I ever got to being a normal teenager.”
And I stole it from her by making her an instant mother. Fuck.
“Sorry. I guess meeting me was—”
“Don’t,” she interrupts, smiling over at me. “Angel was honestly the best thing to ever happen to me. Why do you think I named her that? My life could have gone wrong in a lot of ways, because I was about to break free and go into the real world. I had spent a lifetime being perfect, and rebelling seemed so much easier.
“I quit drinking when I… um… well, when something was missing on the next month. And when it was confirmed that I was pregnant, I took better care of myself than anyone else ever had. Bella’s parents rented a house for us that was near them, and we stayed there together through college. I had government grants and various scholarships, so I managed to escape without student loans. Her parents didn’t feel comfortable helping with Angel, because they didn’t condone my behavior. They thought I was a bad influence on Bella.
“Unfortunately, that created a rift between her and them. I hate that. It’s one of my biggest regrets, but Bella says they’ll come around one day. We’re from a very religious community, so pregnancy before marriage is frowned upon no matter what the circumstances.”
Sighing deeply, I lean my head back. “So I didn’t just impact your life that night, but Bella’s as well. Christ, Allie, I don’t know what to say.”
She puts her hand on my arm, drawing my eyes open as my gaze moves to her. “I’m not blaming that on you. I wouldn’t lose Angel for anything. Bella was her own person by then, and they would have eventually disagreed with her own chosen lifestyle. Marrying a sweet boy and settling down isn’t high on her priority list. She enjoys her freedom. She’s said more than once that having Angel in her life keeps her from doing something too stupid. She gets to walk the line between wild and reserved. She loves her life.”
She can put a good spin on anything.
“Mom loves her. You know? And she’s never one to judge. In case you haven’t noticed—not that she has a right to judge you. That’s not what I’m saying. If anything, it’s me she’d judge, never you. But she’s a good person. She took in Tag when his father ended up being a piece of shit. She only dated him for a while because of Tag. Once she basically had him, she let his bastard father go. Tag was essentially living with us. She always fights for us. She’s never going to let you down. Just want you to know that.”
The way she looks at me always slays something within me. “I think she’s great. Can I ask why she still uses Prize? She said your dad left when you were little. Just like mine did.”
I grind my teeth discreetly. I never speak about that greedy bastard, but after all she’s shared, I can’t just drop it.
“She wanted to keep the same last name as her sons, and she’s never remarried. She also didn’t want to change our names, so she turned the Prize name into something admirable. My dad wasn’t a skilled conman like Ray is, but he was a con who used her and her millions. He took as much as he could before he broke her heart. Bu
t Mom’s so damn tough that she went on just fine. It made me stay tougher for her. That’s why… It sickens me to know I did someone the way I did you—the way my dad would have done someone.”
She leans into me as a new show starts, and I absorb her touch. “Then that makes you better than him, because he never apologized to you.”
Taking a calming breath, I slip my arm over her shoulders and get comfortable. “Thanks for that.”
She nods, trying to keep her attention on the TV, and I lean back, ignoring how heavy my eyelids feel as she continues to talk. We settle into comfortable, less heavy conversations. And I find myself riveted by every word out of her mouth.
Chapter 13
WREN
“I put a cover over them,” Angel says, though it barely registers that anyone is speaking.
“Come on. I’ll get you to the bus. Let your mom and dad sleep,” Bella says, making me almost positive I’m not dreaming.
The door shuts, prompting me to open my eyes and register the light pressure on top of me. Strawberry blonde hair is smoothed back, and soft lips are lifted in a pretty smile despite her sleeping. Allie is going to kick my ass for this.
“Allie,” I whisper, trying to wake her, but she moans and shifts on me, forcing me to turn my body when she moves on top of my early-morning arousal. She moans again, this time making it sound like she’s in the middle of something heavenly, and I tilt my head, intrigued.
She moans again, and her body slowly starts grinding against mine, forcing my eyes to roll back in my head. Ho…ly… shit.
Torn between waking her up and enjoying the ride, I refrain from moving. I decide she’ll hate me less for waking her up, even though other parts of my body will hate me for doing this.
“Allie,” I whisper again, trying to coax her awake, but it only seems to fuel whatever dream she’s having, and she’s suddenly grinding harder, using my leg as her tool of pleasure.
Fuck. Me.
Her hand slowly slides over my bare stomach, and I groan when she uses her nails to lightly scrape down my skin. Her rhythm quickens, and saying her name only seems to inspire her to grind harder.