“Mother!”
Oh boy.
“Oh Landon, is that you?”
“Who else would it be? You have two sons and the other one is here,” he says sarcastically but with humor in his voice.
“Oh hush. Well, who do we have here?” Willa Montgomery is just as Dr. Burning warned. A slow smile takes over her face, and her eyes dance with excitement as she notes our joined hands. I instantly drop my hand and step forward to greet her.
“Mrs. Montgomery, very nice to see you again.”
“Willa, please dear. I’m so glad you changed your mind about dinner. I wasn’t necessarily expecting you to come with my son.”
“Mom, drop the act. We’re here for one hour. Dinner and then we’re leaving. I’ve already had to change some of our plans; you are not monopolizing our entire night.”
Willa rolls her eyes and turns to loop her hand through my arm and begins walking me toward what I assume is the kitchen or dining room. “Don’t pay him any attention. It’s been a while since he’s had a lady in his life. He’s a little grumpy.”
That sets me off into a fit of giggles, and at the same time Landon groans behind us. As we enter the large great room, I take in the people filling the room. There’s an older gentleman pulling something from the oven, a man near my age standing with a beer in his hand, talking to a beautiful blonde woman, while another woman is trying to wrangle two small children, who are running in a circle around her.
“Everyone, Landon’s here. And this beauty is his date, Addy.”
The room stills for an uncomfortable beat before everyone covers with a chorus of hellos, and I feel Landon walk up behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder as his mother untangles her arm from mine and walks to help his father. When he leans down to whisper in my ear, his breath tickles my neck and a chill runs down my spine.
“Ignore anything and everything they say about me. We’ll eat and run, I promise.”
When I turn to face him, Landon doesn’t remove his hand from my shoulder, and the movement only shifts so I’m more nestled into him than standing beside him. Damn, he smells good too. Like leather and citrus combined.
“Addison, are you okay? You’re flushed.”
“Just dandy. Food. I’m hungry.” And apparently, incapable of speaking in complete or coherent sentences.
Everyone takes their seats at the table, and I’m quickly introduced to the family by Landon, who says more than once that we’re friends, I’m new to town, and Mason works with him. I note he says “with” and not “for” which makes my momma heart happy. I love that he and Mason have become friends, and Landon is taking the time to teach him.
Dinner is a delicious spread of salad, enchiladas, and roasted vegetables. When I contemplate a second helping, Landon reminds me we have dessert on the agenda, and I quickly push my plate aside. I’m not one to turn down a good dessert, I don’t care how cheesy and gooey the enchiladas are.
“So, Addy, Mom said you’re working at Doc Burning’s office?” Landon’s sister, Sarah, asks.
“I do. I was lucky to be moving to Lexington at the same time he was looking for a nurse.”
“What brought you to Lexington, Addy?” This time it’s Landon’s dad, Dale, who asks the question.
“A lot of factors, but mostly, my brother lives here, and I wanted us to be near family.”
“Her brother is Taylor. He owns Country Road.”
“Well, we’re very glad you took a chance on our little town. What do you think of it so far?” Willa asks while Wyatt, his fiancée, Raquel, and Sarah stand to begin clearing the dishes. A piece of squash flies through the air and hits Landon in the head before he stands and begins helping. I move my chair slightly to join them when Willa places her hand on mine to stay seated.
“I love it. When I was little I always loved when we’d take road trips and stop in smaller towns like Lexington. My parents had jobs that kept us in larger cities, but in my heart I always believed a small town was a better fit for me.”
The rest of our time at the Montgomerys is quick and relaxing. I stay seated at the table with Landon’s parents while everyone clears the table and whispers in the kitchen. The chatter is low enough I can’t make out what they’re saying, but by the way they each glance my direction, I assume the topic is me. I suppose that’s to be expected. What I didn’t expect was to feel so at home here with Landon’s family. I’m glad I came with him though and not on my own with Mason. That would have been awkward.
I startle when Landon slaps his hands together and announces we’re leaving. “Ah, man. Come on Uncle Lan, I want to shoot the Nerf guns. Please!!!”
“No can do, little man. We’re outta here. I’m taking Addison out for a special dessert. Next time, okay?”
“No fair.”
“Steven,” Sarah warns, and the little boy mumbles an apology.
“And on that note, we’re out of here. Family, thank you for not being too embarrassing. Kids, I owe you a Nerf war. Addison, ready?”
Just like that, Landon places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out the front door. The moment the screen closes behind us, he grasps my hand and quickly walks to the truck, flinging the door open and gesturing me inside. Once he’s settled behind the wheel, he turns the ignition and is pulling his seatbelt on as he’s putting the truck in drive.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” I question while tugging on my seatbelt to make sure it’s tight.
“Sorry. I saw a lull in the interrogation they were giving you and took the opportunity to get you out of there. I am so sorry, Addison. They are ridiculous. My mother has been on a mission for over a year to find me her next daughter-in-law. I love my family, but sometimes the word boundary isn’t in their vocabulary.”
“You can’t be serious? That was nothing. They were amazing, and your mom clearly adores you. And from another mom and someone who has lost her own mother, never take for granted those dinners and moments with your parents.”
Landon drops his right hand from the steering wheel and grasps mine, bringing it to his lips and kisses my knuckle. “Noted. Thanks for the reminder. I’m sorry about your parents.”
“It was a long time ago. I just miss them sometimes. But your family is really great and you’re lucky to have them. Now, let’s talk about this dessert. I don’t see a cooler so no ice cream. Is it cake? I love cake. I could go for cake. Or pie. Ohhh is it pie?”
“Whoa there, dessert aficionado. You’ll see. We have a bit of a drive and may lose cell service. If you need to check on Mason you may want to do that now. Then settle in, and enjoy the scenery.”
I do as instructed and make sure Mason is okay. I’m glad I’m able to trust him and leave him alone here. The last few months before we moved, I didn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone even for an hour. The poor decisions he was making with his friend choices and how he spent his free time was one thing, but it was also the brooding when he was home alone. Locking himself up in his room and not coming out except to shower was making me nervous. But, here in Lexington, he’s not wallowing, and I’m grateful.
When we pull onto a dirt road, I laugh a little as the music changes to a song about a dirt road but I stop the moment Landon starts singing, and all my nerve endings activate. Wow.
“You sing.”
“No, I sing along.” He corrects me and I smack him in the arm like I did earlier.
“Well, I was going to try and call you that nickname you’re so fond of, but now I won’t. I’ll have to think of a new nickname since you don’t like me using your name.”
I don’t correct him because I’ve asked him repeatedly to call me Addy. Truth be told, I don’t mind him calling me Addison. It’s true, only my parents called me Addison and after their deaths, I didn’t want anyone calling me Addison. But Dan hated Addy and would only call me Addison. Except his tone made it sound more like a frustration than anything. When Landon uses my name, I don’t mind. In fact, I like the way it rolls of his tongu
e, and each time he says it, which he does often, it’s almost melodic.
“Pumpkin. No, I don’t like that. Sunshine is out because J calls Ash that. Princess is all Ben and Piper. Turnip? What do you think of that?”
“Turnip? Why would anyone want to be called Turnip?”
“Why wouldn’t they? The turnip is highly underrated, if you ask me.”
“You eat a lot of turnips, Landon?”
“Nah but I don’t know many people who do. See, underrated.”
I shake my head and laugh as I look out the window. I’m not certain why I bother, it’s far too dark to see anything, but regardless, I know it’s beautiful out. Clear and crisp with a sky full of stars. I’m pulled from my thoughts when Landon parks his truck but leaves it running.
“I’m going to get the fire going really quick, just hang tight.”
Before I can respond, he hops out of the truck and makes his way toward a large pit with various Adirondack chairs surrounding it as well as a few wooden stumps. This must be the bonfire area he mentioned. In only a few minutes, the flames of a fire begin sprouting out in all directions. Turning the radio down, I crack the window a little and can hear the crackle of the flames and smell the smoke.
I’m so enthralled with the flames I don’t hear Landon open my door, and I’m startled. “Oh shit! You scared the living daylights out of me.”
“Sorry. Fire’s going so it’ll be warm near there. I don’t know if you want to grab your coat too. I have a few blankets for us as well.”
“I’ll leave it here and get it if I need it.”
“Well then, let’s get this party started,” he says, offering me his hand. As I hop out of the truck, I see in Landon’s other hand a grocery bag and two metal pokers. I must look confused because when he sets the bag down and pulls out a box of marshmallows he smiles and says, “S’mores. Best dessert for a fire any day of the week.”
“I’ve never had one.”
“Addison Sinclair! If I knew your middle name, I’d use it now. You cannot be serious. Not having a s’more is tragedy; one I’m about to correct.”
Giggling, I sit in a red chair and wait patiently as my date runs back to his truck and turns off the ignition before returning to my side as he begins my education on how to roast the perfect marshmallow. I wish things were different, that I wasn’t so much older than Landon. I wish I didn’t have trust issues. And, I really wish I didn’t want to reach over and kiss him until he begs me to stop.
“Turnip, you want another?” I was joking when told her I planned to call her Turnip, but she didn’t seem to care when I teased her with it earlier. It was the same time her fourth marshmallow caught on fire, and she handed me her stick in defeat.
“If you make me one more, I will not only need to be tested for diabetes, I’ll be ready for a nap.”
“Jameson has a cabin just over there,” I say, gesturing to the far distance where a small cabin sits. “We could stay the night if you want.”
A small smile skirts her face, and I decide to let that comment linger between us. Maybe her willingness to let me call her a silly nickname is a sign she’s moving beyond the age difference she’s brought up multiple times tonight. I know she was trying to prove a point with some of her pop culture references, but she forgets I have two older siblings, and while I may have been young, they were the ones babysitting me.
Although I didn’t plan on our date including the third degree from my family or dinner with anyone but the two of us, this night has been pretty great. Addison is opening up more and laughing a lot. That’s what I wanted more than anything, for her to have a good time. I see how she sacrifices for Mason, and from what he’s mentioned a time or two, she’s doing it alone because her loser ex isn’t around. How anyone could choose to not have Addison and Mason in their life is beyond me. I’d love to meet this Dan idiot and tell him what a mistake he made. But the reality is, there’s a chance he’ll figure it out one day and then what will happen? Will they leave?
“You’re pretty quiet over there,” Addison says.
“Just enjoying the quiet. I love it out here. We see a lot of stars in town, but out here it’s almost like we’re seeing them up close.”
“Thank you for bringing me here. I’ve had a really good time. I didn’t realize how much I needed a night to just hang out and decompress.”
I turn my head to take her in before responding. She’s curled up in the chair, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The light from the fire has cast a fiery glow around her and I wonder if I’ll ever stop thinking she’s the most beautiful woman in the world. The playlist is set to random, so I don’t know what songs are playing next, but when the opening chords of the perfect song begins to play, I step in front of her chair.
“Dance with me.”
To my surprise, Addison takes my offered hand and rises with the blanket still around her shoulders. I slide my hands around her waist, resting them when my thumbs touch at the small of her back. The movement pulls her close to me, and her hands, still clutching the blanket, rest on my biceps. The lyrics of the song don’t escape me as words about a “take back home girl” repeat, and I realize this song is everything I feel right now. Tonight with Addison, she is that girl. That woman. The woman you take home.
We continue to dance and like a magnet, we slowly draw closer to one another. Her hands move from my biceps to the back of my shoulders and her gaze shifts so she’s no longer looking off into the distance but peering up at me through her lashes. Unblinking, she slows her sway, and I lift one hand from her back, slowly until I’m cupping her cheek.
The fire crackles behind us, but it isn’t the heat of the flames making my mouth dry, it’s the fact that right now, in this moment, I need to kiss Addison. I need to show her how much I care for her and how the years between us mean nothing, the baggage we both bring to the table is just that, baggage and part of the past.
I could ask for permission. I could hesitate and give her an out. I don’t want an out, and I sure as hell don’t want to give her one. In one fell swoop, I pull her to me, her body flush with mine, and I capture her lips with mine. The small gasp she makes when our bodies connect is enough for me dip my tongue in her mouth. Without hesitation, Addison reciprocates. The moment her tongue touches mine, my skin is on fire. It’s as if the fire’s embers jump on us and nothing can stop the burn. The ache from needing more.
We kiss and kiss, her hands dropping the blanket and tugging on my hair, pulling me closer. Fuck, I wish there was somewhere to lie down. To lay her below me, to kiss more than her perfect mouth. My dick is hard, and I know she can feel it when I bend my knees a little to get closer to her. When a small moan is released from deep in her throat, I pull my mouth from her lips and move them to her neck. Nipping and kissing down and up her neck until I make my way to her mouth. We go on like this for what seems as much like forever, as not enough.
Slowly, I pull away from her, ending our kiss but keeping her in my arms. When I open my eyes, hers are still closed, but it isn’t the loss of her beautiful browns looking at me that has my attention, it’s how swollen and red her lips are. As her eyes flutter open, I smile gently and brush a piece of hair from her face.
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“I . . . I have no words. You’ve kissed me stupid.”
“You could never be stupid, babe. If you don’t believe me, I’m happy to do it again to prove my point.”
Addison laughs at me, the fine lines around her eyes appearing and I can’t help myself as I steal a few more kisses from her. These are less intense but with no less feeling and need. Instead of continuing our assault on each other’s mouths, I pull her to my lap as I sit on one of the chairs. Reaching down, I lay the blanket she was using over us as she cuddles into my lap, resting her head on my shoulder.
“Don’t overthink it, Addy.”
“You called me Addy.”
“I did. Don’t overthink it. Let’s just have tonight.
We can figure it all out later.”
“I’m still too old for you.”
“We’ll agree to disagree. Now watch the fire burn out with me, and as soon as your lips are up for it, put them back on mine, so I can taste you again.”
Her laughter wraps me up warmer than this blanket or the fire, and I know I’m falling hard for this woman.
Since our night at Jameson’s property, Addison seems more open to spending time with me. Of course, a few of the times we’ve hung out have been sharing a pizza—and salad—with Mason while he and I battle it out on the Xbox. It’s been what one may call domestic and I don’t mind it all.
I think in the grand scheme of things, I’m the one who is supposed to have the issues with dating a single mom. I don’t. I also don’t have a problem with our age difference. It’s eight years not thirty. When we’re together, only us or with Mason, there is no age difference, and there is no baggage. There’s just us, and we’re good together. We laugh, we talk, we tease, and we make out like a couple of horny teenagers until my balls can’t take it anymore and I have to go home to a cold shower or a little self-love. As much a I would love to have Addison in my bed, naked and begging me for more, we aren’t there yet. Well, she isn’t there yet. I was there on New Year’s Eve.
“Tonight counts as our third Friday night dinner,” Addison says as she hands me a napkin and settles into the far end of the couch from me.
“I don’t think so. Hanging out at your house eating street tacos and drinking beer is hardly the same thing,” I scoff.
“It counts. What happens now?” Addison asks me quietly before taking a bite of her taco.
“What do you mean, Turnip?” While Addison takes three bites to eat one taco, I manage in two and then take a swig of my beer as I wait for her to respond.
“That nickname is truly awful,” she says, rolling her eyes and smiling. I shrug because I know it’s awful, but it also makes her smile. “I mean, Landon, you said three Friday night dinners. This is the third, our third Friday night.”
I take another drink from my beer before placing it on the coffee table followed by the tray of tacos separating us before grabbing her hand and tugging her to me. She feigns surprise, but she can’t be. Having her on my lap, in my arms, is my preference and she knows it.
Bourbon & Bonfires Page 11