by Jordan Marie
“What you had with Addie could have been,” he cautions.
“Addie is better off without me, Luka.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“Is it? My credit is ruined thanks to Linda and I can’t even manage to rent a damn house. Here I am in my thirties and I’m living with my mother. Trust me, she can find better.”
“You’re rebuilding your credit. Maybe you need to look more long term than rentals.”
“What are you saying?”
“There’s a nice house for sale up above Petal and I. I know the owner and I’m sure Graves over at the bank would give you a loan. I know for a fact you have money squirreled away.”
“I don’t…”
“You don’t know if you want to come back to Mason to stay.”
“I’m not sure,” I admit. “There’s days… I miss being a detective.”
“Then make up your mind and pursue that dream. But you need to make a move soon.”
“Why?”
“Because life doesn’t wait, brother. It just passes you by,” Luka says pouring some coffee in a mug.
“I’ll think on it,” I tell him, opening the door and walking out into the sun. Damn, how did it get so bright so early. Today is going to be a scorcher.
“Hey, Black?”
“Yeah?”
“I had that chance to go to the FBI remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. Surprised the hell out of me you didn’t go—if only for you and Petal to start over somewhere new with a clean slate.”
“Family is important. Petal, River, Rain… they’re happy here. Hell, I’m happy here and I like being in bed with my wife every night.”
“Yeah well, my bed is empty so I’m not sure where this conversation is going.”
“You do, you’re just being stubborn.”
“I told you whatever I started with Addie is over.”
“Guess you don’t care that she’s over at the garage with Hank putting the moves on her then.”
“Don’t care a bit,” I lie.
“That’s good. Hank’s got a way with the ladies, and I heard him asking her if she was single…”
“She is,” I tell him, but I turn around, not wanting him to see my face. The words burn inside of me, too.
I walk out, but like a fool instead of going to my truck, I find my feet walking down the street toward CC’s new garage… the one Hank Raymond manages.
Damn it.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Addie
I hold Kong in my lap as we wait in the small room at the back of the Mason Garage. I may need to talk to a vet about Kong. He shook in my lap and burrowed in my arms the entire ride over. He seems better now, but he’s definitely acting peculiar.
Hank towed my car in, because he said the tire was beyond fixing, so I had Lynn drop me off here at the garage. I’m sure glad Lynn showed up when she did. She was going to stay, but she’s got an interview on a job and I didn’t want to hold her up. I don’t know what I hit, but it made a long slit into the rubber—which means I’m getting two tires put on the back because Hank says it’s bad to run a vehicle on mismatched tires. That’s a hit to my already tight budget, but it can’t be helped. Kong burrows his head in my hand and I grin down at the silly dog. It’s hard to believe I’m already attached to him like I am. Probably because we are both cast offs from Black Lucas. So much in common.
“How you doin’ darlin’?” Hank asks, sticking his head through the door. He’s such a flirt. He’s been flirting with me almost nonstop since I got here. It’s been nice actually. It’s good to know some men find me attractive, even if Black didn’t.
I silently curse myself. I need to stop thinking so much about Black.
I need to stop dreaming about him too…
“I’m good. Are you almost finished?” I ask, hoping the answer is a resounding yes.
“Almost, come on out here, I want to show you something,” he says.
I get up a little nervous. As much as he’s been flirting, I’m a little worried at what he plans on showing me.
Kong whimpers in my arms and I hush him quietly. I don’t want to let him run free in the garage—even on his leash. I just had him groomed and thanks to getting a couple of tires, I sure can’t afford another one this quick.
“What is it?” I ask as we walk around my car.
“I think someone broke into your car.”
“Why is that?” I ask.
“Well the doughnut tire in your trunk looks like it has a jagged slit torn into it.”
“Could that have happened on the road too?” I ask, completely green about these things.
“Well, maybe. You’re really not supposed to reuse these. Have you had to drive on the doughnut before?”
“Why do they call it a doughnut?” I ask, unable to stop myself. I want to giggle at the image of me driving a car with doughnuts for tires. I’d never go anywhere. I’d try to eat the tires.
“You’re cute,” Hank says, dismissing my question and I figure it’s because he doesn’t really know the answer, so I let it slide.
“It could have been driven like that. To be honest, Hank, I’m not sure. I bought the car used when I moved back from overseas.”
“Just be careful. Your trunk lock has some scratches on it—like someone has picked it, or at least tried.”
“I have no idea why they would have done that. Maybe that was from before I bought it,” I tell him, frowning.
I’ve never noticed those tiny scratches before. I have to admit I never took the time to notice either though. So, it could be from before. Still, it seems weird that both my spare and my back tire would have similar slashes.
“Hey don’t get that look, darlin’. It’s probably nothing, but I wanted you to know, just in case. Luka told me you just moved into a rough part of the neighborhood.”
“Jesus does everyone know what a person does around here?” I ask, frustrated.
“It’s a small town and a girl as pretty as you? Let’s just say everyone notices.”
“Whatever. You’re a born flirt, Hank,” I laugh.
“Well when a woman looks like you do, that comes easy,” he says with a wink. I watch as he continues tightening the lug nuts on my tire.
“If you’d quit flirting and actually work, the lady’s car would have probably already been done.”
My head jerks around to the garage bay door and I see Black. My body tightens with tension in reaction to seeing him. I increase my hold on Kong in response, and the puppy whimpers, reminding me he’s there. I rub my chin on his head in apology and loosen my grip, but I don’t take my eyes off of Black.
I’m not sure I can.
He looks good…. Damn him.
He’s got stubble, that wasn’t there before. I got to say that I liked him clean shaven but something about that scruffy look on him looks dangerous—and makes my insides heat. His hair is rumpled too and he’s in his uniform—which is never a bad thing. His eyes are alight with anger and I can’t really tell if it’s directed at Hank or at me. I suspect a mixture of both of us.
“Black. Sheriff told me you’d probably be in,” Hank says, making me blink.
“Luka’s an asshole. What’s wrong with her car?” he asks Hank, ignoring me.
“You could ask me, since you know… It’s my car,” I respond, my voice having a bite to it. I’d like to take a bite out of Black, I’m just not sure if it would be completely out of anger.
“You’re not the mechanic, are you?”
“I’m the owner, and since we’re on the subject, why is it any business of yours?”
“I’m a law officer in this town.”
“Is it a violation of some county ordinance to be broke down?” I ask, crossing my arms at my chest and narrowing my eyes.
“I was simply worried about a citizen of the county. That’s all,” he says, never quite looking at me.
“You forgot one thing.”
“What’s that?”
> “I’m not a citizen of the county. I’m just visiting.”
“I thought you were talking about staying here and being closer to your father?” he asks, and for a brief moment surprise replaces his stoic expression.
“I’m rethinking that decision. Some of the people in this town aren’t quite what I thought they were.”
“It’s none of my business,” he mutters.
“That’s right and neither is my car.”
“It’s finished now if either of you are wondering. It might not be a bad thing for Black here to be aware, honey. Those tires just looked weird.”
“They’ve just been sitting too long. I’ve not been home to drive my car much,” I correct. “I had it in storage.”
“Her name is Adelle!” Black says over top of my words and I sigh and roll my eyes heavenward.
Kong growls at Black then, trying to jump out of my hands to get to Black. Black takes one look at the dog and his eyes glow with anger.
“That damn dog needs a muzzle!”
“So do some people!” I growl back.
I have to get out of here.
I take my keys from Hank, luckily I paid him earlier when he told me I’d have to have two new tires at the least. I almost decided to put on four, but money is tight enough. My savings are going to run out pretty quick at this rate.
“Thanks Hank. I appreciate your help,” I tell him, opening my car door now that he has lowered it from the jack.
“Anytime gorgeous.”
I laugh as he winks at me. Then, I turn to look at Black. In my heart I’m begging him to apologize, take those few steps over here and tell me he’s an asshole, or even kiss me…
I miss his kisses.
He does neither of those and I’ve got to quit wishing he would.
“Goodbye, Black,” I tell him before getting into my car. I put Kong on the passenger side, making a mental note to get one of those totes you can buckle in for him to ride safely. Kong immediately goes to the window, his tiny feet slap up against the window and he snarls at Black as if he was tonight’s meal. It’s cute and well deserved so I give Kong a pat on his little head in thanks.
“I’ll see you around, Addie,” Black says and I’d like to think he sounds sad when he says it, but I’m probably just fooling myself.
“Not if I see you first,” I mutter and slam the door. I don’t bother looking at him as I back out of the garage.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Black
“Don’t you need to get your butt out of bed before the sun goes down?” Mom asks, standing at my bedroom door and looking really pissed. In truth, she’s been looking like that for the last two weeks.
“I just got in bed an hour ago,” I mumble pulling a pillow over my head, to hide from the light she turned on, and from her. If I had my way, I’d hide from the world at this point.
“That’s not my fault. You need to get your ass up and shave that chia pet off your face before you go into work.”
“What’s your problem?” I grumble sitting up.
“Did you really just ask me that?” Mom huffs and in hindsight that might not have been the best come back. I really need to learn to hold my mouth around my mom—at least until I move out.
“Mom—”
“Don’t you Mom me. I don’t think you’re my blood. They switched you at the hospital. It’s the only explanation.”
“That’s kind of hard to believe since Blue and I were born at the same time.”
“Then it’s clear Blue got the brains.”
“Okay, Mom just come out with it.”
“I’m ashamed to call you my son, Black Horn.”
“Mom—”
“Don’t you mom me, boy. You’re dragging your dick in the dirt here and it’s hurting my poor Orchid.”
“I’d really rather you didn’t talk about my dick. I don’t see how I’m hurting Addie… Addie, that’s her name by the way.”
“Orchid is hurting, even if you’re too dumb to realize it.”
“How is it hurting her? We were just dating. It didn’t get serious.”
“Serious for a boy and serious for a girl are two different things my boy. Just because you didn’t slam home base, doesn’t mean it wasn’t serious. A girl like Addie wouldn’t let you even get past first base if she didn’t care.”
“What’s with all the baseball talk?”
“Green called and we’ve been discussing his team. But that’s not your business. Quit trying to change the subject,” she says sitting down on the bed. “Don’t you care about her?”
“I do,” I admit and that nervous, almost painful feeling, hits me as I finally speak the words out loud. “I really do. Probably more than I have for any woman, including Linda but…”
“But, what?” Mom says, surprisingly somber.
“This mess with Linda hurt, Mom. It hurt my bank account, my life in general, it completely left me on my ass and moving back home. I’m too old for that, but here I am. And it hurt…”
“If you say your heart I swear I’m going to grab Green’s bat and knock you up-side of the head.”
So much for somber Mom…
“Hell no. I didn’t have my heart involved… at least not deeply, but it was good enough that I would have stayed in it.”
“Then you do have shit for brains.”
“Not really. I never realized that there was more to relationships, at least not until I saw what Gray found with CC or White with Kayla. I saw how much that shit hurt both Petal and Luka and I never wanted that. Linda was…” I trail off because the words that come to mind sound as lame as I’m starting to feel.
“Out with it,” Mom demands, never one to let me hide—let anyone hide, really.
“She was good enough… safe…”
“Because you didn’t really have anything invested.”
“Pretty much.”
“Is that really all you want out of life? It took me years to find my Jansen. That means I’m not going to get to enjoy that love as long as I want. You need to stop being an idiot and claim your girl now. I know you boys don’t think I know much, but I know one thing, Black,” she says getting up.
“What’s that?”
“If you don’t try to fix this with that girl you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”
I just sit there and look at her. I think about what she says, but there’s one fact that she’s not understanding.
“Mom the last thing Addie needs saddled with is a man whose past includes a psycho ex, destroyed credit and who, at thirty-one, is living with his mother and can’t even get an old battle axe to rent to him. Not to mention the landlord will probably sue me because Linda was sub-leasing under me, even if the court did make that arrangement. You take in the fact that I went from being a detective on a major police---”
“You can come up with excuses until the cows come home, boy. Not going to change the most important thing.”
“What’s that?” I ask, as Mom gets up off the bed. She walks toward the door, saying nothing. “Mom?”
She reaches down on my dresser to a paper I hadn’t noticed before. Mom must have put it there while I was sleeping.
“Mr. Graves has given the okay for you to buy a house. All you have to do is find one.”
“Mom I don’t know—”
“It can be here or in Dallas, Black. You just need to get off your ass and decide what you want.”
“Mom…”
“And if it’s Orchid you might need to get a move on and get her out of that damn apartment she’s living in.”
“Apartment?”
“On North Street, dear. Which you would know if you had your head out of your ass,” she says as she leaves.
Fuck!
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Addie
“I’m fine Dad. My doors are locked and I’m in for the rest of the night.”
“I don’t like you living there, Addie-girl.”
“I believe you’ve mentione
d that, Dad. But, I told you I’m fine here and I’ve got my doors locked and the chain latched too. I’m fine.”
“Stubborn. You’re just like your mother,” he mutters.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I laugh.
“Goodnight, Princess.”
“Night, Daddy.”
I hang up the phone and sigh. The apartment is lonely tonight. Ida Sue came by earlier today and asked if she could keep Kong. She’s really grown attached to the dog. I should probably just give him to her, but we’ve kind of bonded too. If I move to Houston or Dallas though, most apartment rentals there frown on pets and even if they don’t… With my budget, I doubt I’d get lucky enough to live by a park where he could enjoy the day. I’d have to drive to it and my schedule will be grueling if I get the job.
I frown thinking about it. When I first came back from France I was sure of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Coming to Mason… I thought I had found a home again, but now it’s all weird. If Black and I aren’t dating I feel weird hanging out with his family. Which pisses me off, because I liked his family. I’d like them even if I didn’t like Black. The past couple of days I’ve wished I never met Black. That way I could have met Petal and the others naturally and…
And not feel empty because Black doesn’t want to see me anymore.
“Open up, Addie!”
Speak of the devil…
My heartrate accelerates. I can feel it. I hate that excitement is the first thing I feel when I hear Black’s voice. I think about ignoring him. I really should. It’s been two weeks really since I’ve talked to him. I sit there in the chair and wait. Suits him right. He thinks he can just come over here on Friday night and think I’m home! He thinks he can ignore me then come over here and demand I answer the door!
Asshole! Black Horn Lucas is an asshole!
“I know you’re in there, Addie! I see your car. Now open up the door!”
“I could be on a date, asshole!” I yell, before I even think about it. It’s just the fact that he infuriates me so much!