The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection

by Alexis Winter

  “Montana? So you’re a country man?” Daddy inquires, squinting his dark eyes in his direction.

  Nate nods. “My family has had a cattle ranch for the last hundred years—passed down from generation to generation. So, yeah, I know a thing or two about the country life.” Nate’s smile widens.

  Dad looks at me. “He seems like a good man, Bre. Why didn’t you ever tell us about him?”

  I shrug as I move my hands behind my back and clasp them together. “It just never came up. It wasn’t anything serious.”

  “Bre, come and help me with dinner, will ya?” Mom yells out.

  I glance from the back door where she’s standing to Nate and back. “I should get going. How long are you going to be in town?” I ask him, confused by the fact that he’s here to begin with.

  “Actually, I was hoping to talk to you a little more.” Nate nods towards me.

  Dad nods his head toward Mom. “Go on in and help with dinner. Nate here can help me in the garage and stay for supper. That is, if it’s okay with you?” Dad asks him.

  Nate smiles and nods. “Yes, sir.”

  I don’t bother saying anything. There’s no arguing with my father. I walk into the house and find Mom standing in front of the stove, frying some chicken.

  “What do you need help with, Mama?”

  “I need you to wash your hands and get busy on that pie.”

  I look at the island and see the pie crust sitting empty with a least a dozen apples setting nearby ready to be peeled and sliced.

  I’m really not feeling up to making a homemade apple pie from scratch, but again, there’s no use in arguing.

  An hour and a half later, the four of us are sitting around the dinner table. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and garden-grown green beans adorn the center of the table.

  Nate rubs his hands together. “This all looks and smells delicious, Mrs. Crawford.” He gives my mom that same flirty smile that got me to agree to our first date.

  Mom’s cheeks turn pink and she giggles. “Thank you, Nathan. It is alright if I call you Nathan, isn’t it?”

  He nods. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Mama says a quick prayer and Daddy picks up the potatoes, giving himself a healthy serving before passing the bowl.

  “So, what brings you around these parts, Nathan?” Mom asks, taking a biscuit and passing the basket.

  Nate looks up at her with a shy smile. “Well, Brennan does, ma’am.” His eyes flash to me and his cheeks flush. I know it’s all a ploy, but my mom falls for it, hook, line, and sinker. “I was hoping that she’d take me back. I’m more than willing to relocate. I just gotta find a place to stay and a steady job.”

  “Isn’t that wonderful?” Mom says around a wide smile, looking at me.

  I pick up my biscuit and take a bite, so my mouth is too full to answer her. In all honesty, I wanted to move on from Nate. He wasn’t exactly the best for me. This little act he’s putting on for my parents is the same act I fell for time and time again. But deep down, I know that’s all it is: an act. This isn’t him. He’s mean, verbally abusive, and always pushed me for sex. Being twenty-four and living out on my own, you’d think sex would be normal for me. However, my V-card is still intact. While I’ve done plenty of other things with him and a couple other guys, I’ve never gone all the way.

  Don’t get me wrong. I’m not the type of girl that feels that her virginity is special and is only meant for the man she’s going to marry. I just never felt a strong enough connection with anyone to want to go all the way with them. Out of all the guys I’ve dated, Nate came the closest…until he showed me his true colors. One night in particular, we’d gone to a party. He got a little too wasted, and when I tried to pull away, he got angry. He called me a tease, said that there wasn’t anything special about me, and that he could get what he wanted from any other girl on campus. His words hurt, but I blamed it on the alcohol. Since then, I’ve tried pushing him away and keeping him at arm’s length, but he’s always managed to weasel his way back in. I thought moving back home would put an end to it, but now, here he is again.

  I stand up quickly, so quick the chair skids across the hardwood floor. “Please excuse us,” I say, grabbing Nate’s hand and pulling him toward the door.

  I walk down the porch steps and into the yard with him following along behind me. When I turn around, I’m surprised to find him pulling me against his chest.

  “Finally, we can be alone,” he whispers, moving his mouth to mine.

  Three

  Colton

  “THERE’S my girl,” I say, walking into the house and finding Milly jumping up and down on the couch.

  “Daddy!” she squeals, launching herself into my arms.

  I catch her and take a seat on the couch.

  “How’d the interviews go?” Celeste asks from her place in the recliner.

  “HA,” I laugh out. “None of those women were any good.”

  “None of them? Not even Brennan?”

  My eyes cut to her. “She’s like twelve!”

  Her mouth drops open and her eyes widen. “She is not! She’s a college-educated woman who just moved back home and is trying to get her life in order. You need to cut her some slack.”

  I roll my eyes. “She’s just not my type is all, Celeste.”

  “I think she’s exactly your type, Colton. And not only that, you need to pick who’s right for Milly, not you. She’s the most qualified, and I’ve known her personally for a while now. She’s got a good head on her shoulders. She’s country born and raised, she goes to church every Sunday, and she’s super sweet. Milly already loves her,” she points out.

  “When did Milly meet her?” I ask, feeling anxiety rise in my chest.

  “Last week when I had to babysit. I had to take her with me to a few appointments. She played in the yard with Brennan and the ducks while her father and I went over a few things for his legal work. Milly loved her. Didn’t you, Milly?”

  Milly stands up and starts jumping again. “Bre! Bre! Quack, quack, ducks!”

  We all laugh. “Alright. I’ll think about it.”

  “No thinking. Just do it. Hire her on for a thirty-day trial. You won’t regret it, Colton.”

  “Fine. Whatever,” I finally agree.

  Milly squeals and jumps around some more and Celeste giggles and claps her hands. “Yay!” she says, looking at Milly, only making her jump around even more. Her blonde ringlets go crazy as she bounces around.

  “Come on, Mills. Let’s get home and find something for dinner.” I stand and pick her up.

  “Should I call Brennan or will you?” Celeste asks as I’m heading toward the door.

  “I will,” I say, slightly annoyed that I have to do this. Celeste is right. I need to pick the right person based on what Milly needs. I shouldn’t let my fears, worries, and insecurities get in the way. Mostly, I shouldn’t let my dick get in the way. I don’t know what it is, but I haven’t been able to get her out of my head since we touched. She went from a girl that wasn’t old enough to care for my child to a woman that could tease me with a single, simple touch.

  I put Milly in her car seat and climb behind the wheel. On the drive home, Milly talks and jabbers the whole way, but my mind is stuck on Brennan. I wonder if she’ll even take the job after our meeting today. I wasn’t exactly the nicest, especially when I implied that she’s too young to understand the responsibilities of a child compared to her party lifestyle. If she takes the job, how will I control this sudden urge to make her moan my name? Clearly, I won’t be able to be around her much. I’ll need to stay as far away as possible. Fuck that. I told Celeste I’d give her thirty days. That just means I have to chase her off in thirty days, make her hate me, make her quit. Then I won’t have to worry about my body’s natural reaction to her. I’ll never see her again, and I’ll never have to worry about it again.

  When we get home, I put Milly in her high chair and make her mac and cheese. I
pour her a cup of milk and give her some peas and carrots on the side. While she eats, I sit at the table, spinning my cell phone in circles, trying to work up the courage to call her.

  “Screw it, right?” I say, looking at Milly for confirmation.

  She smiles as she crams more mac and cheese into her mouth.

  I pick up the phone and dial her number.

  “Hello?” she answers on the fifth ring.

  “Brennan? This is Colton.”

  “Oh, Colton. How are you? I wasn’t expecting your call.” She sounds surprised.

  “I was talking with Celeste, and we think before offering you the position full-time, we’d like to see how well you get along and click with Milly. So, what do you think about a thirty-day trial period?”

  She’s quiet for a long time. I almost start to wonder if she’s hung up. Finally, she talks again. “A trial period?” she questions. I hear whispering in the background. It sounds a lot like Celeste.

  “Yes!” the whispering voice says. “Say yes!”

  “Ouch, don’t pinch me,” Brennan whispers back.

  “Uh, Brennan?” I ask.

  “Yes, I’m here and yes, that’ll be fine. When do I start?”

  “Yes!” the mysterious whisper cheers in the background.

  I laugh. “Is that Celeste?”

  “Celeste? What? No, she isn’t here,” she says, but I can hear the lie in her tone.

  I shake my head, not caring. “Tomorrow work for you? Seven a.m.?”

  “Seven, tomorrow. Sounds good. See ya then.” Without another word, she hangs up the phone.

  I let mine fall onto the table, and I look at Milly. “Looks like Brennan will be here tomorrow, Milly. Are you excited?”

  Milly claps and cheers but doesn’t stop shoving food in her mouth.

  “Did auntie Celeste feed you at all today?” I joke, knowing that she did. My child has always had a big appetite—that’s the one trait she gets from me.

  When Milly finishes dinner, I give her a quick bath and tuck her into bed. I lock the house and turn the lights out for the night before heading to my room. I toss my clothes into the hamper and climb into the shower. My eyes close as I let the hot water pour over my sore, stressed out, and tired body. In the darkness of my mind, Brennan appears. Her strawberry blonde hair, her green eyes, her ivory skin and freckles. I imagine how tiny she would feel against me, how tight she’d feel around me. My body comes to life with a need I haven’t felt in a long fucking time.

  “What am I supposed to do here, Ashley?” I whisper. This is something I do a lot—talk to my dead wife like she can actually hear me. “Fuck, I miss you. I need you. Milly needs you.” Tears build up behind my eyelids, but I refuse to let them fall.

  I sit down in the shower, letting the water pour over me. I lean my back against the back of the tub. The water washes over my chest and stomach. My eyes close. “I can’t do this without you,” I tell her.

  Then, a thought floats into my head like it was sent directly from her: maybe Brennan was sent to me for a reason. Maybe Ashley sent me the person I need, that Milly needs. My thoughts drift off to Brennan once again. I picture her with Milly, talking, laughing, and playing. Then, I picture her with me. I imagine ripping that tight, white top off of her and exposing those creamy breasts of hers. I picture holding them in my hands and covering her pink nipple with my mouth. I imagine the way her back would arch into my touch, the sounds that would fall from her lips at my hand.

  The fantasy goes further, and before I can think about what I’m doing, I’m emptying myself into the shower floor. My heart is racing, and my breathing is labored. My anger at myself is through the roof. I haven’t touched a woman in years. I haven’t even thought about it until now. And of all people, it’s my daughter’s nanny? A woman who is completely off-limits. I’m mad at myself for allowing my mind to go there. I’m mad at myself on Ashley’s behalf. I promised to never want another, to never love or touch or be with another. And here I am, jerking off like a fucking teenager while imagining a woman that isn’t my wife.

  I wash off quickly and angrily and get out of the shower. With the fury that’s pumping through my veins, I know sleep won’t find me easily. Wearing nothing but my boxers, I go in search of that bottle of liquor I hid from myself. I find it pushed back behind all of Milly’s snacks and take it back to the bedroom with me. I sit on the bed with my back against the headboard. I open the bottle and take a long drink that burns its way down. I pick up the picture on the end table of me and Ashley. It’s old, taken before Milly was even born, back when everything was perfect.

  She was a kindergarten teacher who was always happy and smiling. She was it for me. She was my world. In the picture, she wears a wide smile that makes her blue eyes shine bright. Her alabaster skin is flawless, not a blemish or freckle in sight. Her long, dark hair is pushed over one shoulder while my chin rests on the other. My arms are wrapped around her stomach, holding her back against my chest. I can feel her warmth like I’m holding her now. I can smell her favorite body spray: sweet pea. I can hear her whisper “I love you.” I can hear her giggles, her moans, and every word she ever said to me. It’s all burned deep in my memory. How can I ever get over a woman so perfect? Why would I want to?

  “I’m sorry, baby,” I say, running my finger over her face. “I don’t know what I was thinking in there.” I shake my head, disgusted with myself and with Brennan for fucking tempting me. “You’re the only one for me.”

  In times like this, I used to pretend she was sitting in front of me. I would talk to her and imagine the things she would say in response. I knew it wasn’t healthy. It kept her alive in ways it shouldn’t have for me. I finally had to let that go. Imagining her here now, it hurts too much. I still talk to her, but now, it’s more like a prayer. Instead of talking to myself or to God, I talk to her.

  I set the picture frame back in its place and take one last pull from the bottle before setting it on the nightstand. I sink down into bed and pull the blanket up around my shoulders. “I love you,” I say as I shut off the light, just as I always did when she was lying next to me. Only now, there’s no response. There’s only emptiness.

  Four

  Brennan

  THE sun is just peeking over the horizon as I’m walking up the sidewalk to Colton’s house. I raise my hand and knock twice. The door opens quickly, and Colton is standing in the doorway with his index finger over his lips, shushing me. He waves me into the living room.

  I step in and close the door behind me, then follow him into the next room. In the kitchen, he turns to face me. “Here’s a house key.” He drops it onto the table. “You have my cell number, but just in case of an emergency, the shop’s number is on the fridge along with the numbers for Milly’s doctor, poison control, and the local police station. Milly should wake up in an hour or so,” he says, moving around the kitchen and preparing his coffee. “When she does, she won’t eat for at least an hour. She usually wants cookies, but please make sure she eats something healthy first. I’ll try my hardest to be home before six, but sometimes I get stuck and won’t make it out on time. If you have any questions, just give me a call. Sound good?” He finally turns to face me, but it seems like he’s trying his hardest not to look me in the eye.

  I nod. “Sounds good.”

  “Great. See you tonight.” He grabs his coffee and lunch box and heads for the door.

  When I hear it close, I look around the room. Dirty dishes are stacked up in the sink, the high chair is covered in what looks to be some kind of cheese sauce, and everything seems to have a layer of dust on it. I wonder how long it’s been since this place has been properly cleaned. Immediately, I start running the water in the sink to wash the dishes; I’ll leave cleaning the high chair for when Mill wakes up.. In the next hour, I manage to get all the dishes washed and put away, all the mail and magazines cleaned off the table, and the floors swept and mopped.

  Milly comes walking down the hallway just as I’m abo
ut to go check on her.

  “Good morning, Milly. You remember me?” I ask, sitting on the couch beside her.

  She pulls her blanket over her body and nods, then points to the TV. “Mickey.”

  “You wanna watch Mickey Mouse?” I pick up the remote and turn on the TV.

  She nods and claps when I find the right channel.

  “You want something to drink?” I ask, running my hand through her messy blonde hair.

  “Milk,” is her only request.

  I go to the kitchen and pour her a sippy cup of milk. I take it back to her, and she holds it in her tiny hands. She takes a sip then lays her head down to watch TV.

  “What do you want to do today?” I ask, but she doesn’t answer. Instead, she watches Mickey and his friends dance around on the TV.

  “Do you want to have a tea party?”

  Again, no answer.

  “Do you want something for breakfast?”

  “Shhh, Mickey.” She points at the TV again.

  “I get it. I don’t like people to talk to me when I first wake up either,” I whisper, snapping my mouth shut and laying my head back to watch Mickey. Thirty minutes later, Mickey is over and Milly is fully awake. “Breakfasssst,” she says as she jumps from one couch cushion to the next.

  “Okay, come on. Let’s see what we can find.” I take her hand and lead her to the kitchen. I open the fridge, but she stands in the middle of the floor with her little fists on her hips.

  “What happen in here?” Her brows are drawn together, and her lips are pooched out as she looks the room over.

  I laugh. “I cleaned. What do you think?”

  “It okay, I guess.” She shrugs one shoulder then goes to climb into her high chair.

  “You think your dad will like it?” I ask as I pull out the carton of eggs.

  “He just mess it up again. Daddy very messy,” she says, kicking her little feet.

  I laugh. “Well, if he does, I’ll just clean it again. What do you think of that?”