We make the drive out to the house and to my surprise, Clay’s truck is already in the drive. We hop out, and Bryce runs to the front door.
“Wow!” he exclaims, checking out the foyer.
“You like it?” I ask, walking up behind him.
“Yeah, it’s cool. I love this house!”
“Check out the living room,” I tell him. Just as he runs to the living room, Clay steps out of the kitchen.
“I didn’t know you were going to be working today.” I offer up a small smile.
“I didn’t know you’d be visiting today,” he replies.
“Bryce wanted to take a hike. Figured we could explore the land.” I shrug.
He nods as Bryce comes running back in. “Can we check out the barn? Can we, can we?”
I laugh. “I don’t know how sound it is yet, buddy. We haven’t even been in there.”
Clay bends down to eye level. “We can check it out, can’t we?”
“Yeah! Let’s go.” Bryce grabs Clay’s hand and tries pulling him toward the door.
“Alright, alright,” Clay says, getting up off his knee.
“I’m going to grab my speaker out of the kitchen, and I’ll be out,” I tell them as Bryce pulls him down the front steps.
I head into the kitchen and find my speaker right where I left it. To my surprise, I find the kitchen is coming along nicely too. The cabinets are all back up and look beautiful. The dark stain will look amazing with the white tile. I check them out, opening each one and running my hand across them to check their smoothness. It’s all perfect and falling into place. I’m smiling to myself when I walk out and find Clay and Bryce standing outside the barn, talking.
“Well, was it all you hoped it’d be?” I ask Bryce.
“Clay’s brother has a horse! Can we go ride it, Mom? Can we?” His eyes are wide with excitement.
I place one hand on my hip. “That’s not up to me, Bryce. That’s something Clay will have to talk about with his brother. It’s not polite to invite yourself places.”
Clay waves him off. “Nah, it’s my brother. He has to put up with me,” he jokes. “But seriously, any time you guys are free. They don’t have kids so I’m sure they could use all the attention they can get for the horse.”
“Okay, I guess we can go ride him sometime.”
“Now?” Bryce asks. I want to shake my head and roll my eyes. He looks at Clay, and I know he will fall for those big puppy dog eyes in a second.
“Sure. You care?” he asks me. “I don’t want to ruin your hiking plan.”
“No way. Horses are way cooler than hikes,” Bryce says.
Clay laughs. “Alright, load up.” He motions toward his truck, and Bryce takes off in a sprint.
As we follow Bryce across the grass to the truck, Clay takes my hand in his. “I hope this is okay,” he says, looking over at me.
“It’s fine, Clay. Thank you for being so sweet with him. I’m sure he’ll be talking about this day for a while. I don’t know what his obsession is with horses.”
I keep walking, but he holds me back. “Hey,” he says softly.
“Huh?” I ask, turning to face him.
Quickly, he presses his lips to mine. “I’ve been wanting to do that since you walked in.”
I smile and turn to make sure Bryce didn’t notice, but he’s under his tree, playing with his cars, not paying us boring adults any attention.
Twelve
Clay
The minute I pull the truck into Drake’s drive, he’s stepping out of the house. He waves his hand at us as we all pile out of the truck. We head up to the porch, and he walks down the few steps.
He offers up a smile. “And who do we have here?”
“This is Bryce.” I ruffle his dark hair. “And his mom, Autumn. Bryce here has a fascination with horses, so I thought I’d bring him by to see yours.”
“Cool. Let’s go to the barn and check him out,” Drake says, looking down at him. He looks up and holds out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Autumn. I’m Drake, Clay’s older, cuter brother,” he teases.
I laugh and casually scratch my nose with my middle finger so the kid doesn’t see.
“It’s nice to meet you, Drake. And not to disagree with you the first time meeting you, but I think Clay is definitely cuter.”
I laugh loud.
Drake shrugs. “I bet my fiancée will be glad you said so. Come on, shorty, let’s check out the horse.” He leads the way, and Autumn and I follow along behind. “Either of you want a beer or anything to drink?” Drake asks as we walk into the barn.
“Nah, I’m good,” I reply. I turn and look at Autumn.
“No, thank you.” She walks over and leans against the railing with Bryce. He sucks in a loud breath, and his eyes stretch wide when he sees the horse.
“Where’s Celeste?” I ask, reaching over and petting the horse’s nose.
“She just ran to the office. I wish I would’ve known you were coming. I would’ve had her wait so she could meet everyone,” he says, watching how excited Bryce gets over the horse.
“There’s plenty of time,” I tell him. “Unless she plans on packing up and running in the night.” I shoot her a wink when she looks over her shoulder at me.
“Can I ride him?” Bryce asks, looking up at Drake with hopeful eyes.
“How about I take you for a ride? If that’s okay,” he adds, looking at Autumn.
“Yeah, Mom! Please?”
She rolls her head from one side to the other. “Okay,” she nods and Bryce cheers.
Drake gets the horse out of the stall and gets her all ready to ride. He takes his place in the saddle, and I hand Bryce up to him. He sits him up in front.
“I’m going to take him through our ATV trail. We’ll probably be about twenty minutes or so.”
“Alright,” I say, waving him off.
Drake turns the horse around, and they go galloping across the field. Autumn and I go sit on a stack of hay in the barn. I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “You know, we have twenty minutes all to ourselves,” I tease.
She laughs and playfully smacks my chest. “I’m not having sex with you in your brother’s barn. I mean, what if he has cameras or something?”
I chuckle. That does sound like him. “I was only teasing. Plus, with the way you scream, they’ll hear us for sure,” I add, earning another firm smack.
“Ouch, that one stung,” I say, rubbing the spot on my chest that’s surely red.
“You deserved it,” she replies in her best mom voice, giving me a serious look.
“I was only joking,” I say, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her into my lap. “I love the way you scream my name,” I whisper, moving in for a kiss—a real kiss this time where there are no kids to see. She snakes her arms around my neck and kisses me softy, deeply. My hands tighten on her hips, switching from a firm grasp to a soft caress as they make their way up her back. She lets out a soft whimper against my lips, and it causes my dick to twitch against her. She breaks the kiss and leans back, looking at me questionably.
I laugh, feeling my face redden. “I can’t help it. That’s quickly becoming my favorite sound.”
She rolls her green eyes but moves back in and presses her lips to mine. I cup her jaw with my right hand, keeping my left on the small of her back, pulling her closer—needing her closer. As my tongue dances with hers, I breathe her in, savoring every moment.
“We should stop before they get back,” she whispers against my lips.
“We have at least ten more minutes.”
She giggles but crawls off my lap, taking her place next to me. She crosses her legs and places her hands on her knee. I notice that tan line again on her ring finger.
I reach over and run my index finger across it. “When are you going to tell me about this?” I ask.
Her fingers curl up. “Maybe one of these days,” is all she says, and I don’t push for more. She’ll tell me when she’s ready. I won’t try to forc
e it out of her.
Drake and Bryce are back soon after, and he’s going a mile a minute about how awesome the ride was, how fast the horse went, and about how cool my older brother is. This annoys me a bit. I want to be the cool brother, not Drake. Drake is old—well, he’s not that old, but any time I can hold that over his head, I do.
The three of us hang out and talk for a bit and thank him for the ride, but Autumn says she needs to get back because it’s getting close to Bryce’s dinner time.
“You care if I come with?” I ask. “I’m starving.” I shoot her a smile.
“I don’t know, Bryce? What do you think?” She looks down at him.
“Yeah, he can come,” he says, suddenly too interested in the game in his hands to care about anything else.
We head back to the house, and I pack up all the tools for the night. I’m locking up just as Autumn gets Bryce in the van.
“I’ll follow you?” I ask, wanting to double check to make sure it’s okay.
She smiles and nods. “See you in a minute.” I stand there, watching as she climbs behind the wheel and drives away from me. That pull in my stomach gets stronger, urging me to follow, and I do.
The three of us meet at the diner, and we sit, and talk, and eat. I talk to Bryce mostly, wanting to know more about the kid. He seems mature for his age. He talks about video games, his daycare, and new friends he’s made, and about how cool Drake is because he has a horse. I tell him a few stories about us growing up together and how I’m the much cooler brother. Autumn laughs at my stories and frowns jokingly when I try swaying him my way instead of Drake’s.
After we’re done, I pay the ticket and walk them outside. Autumn places Bryce in his seat and buckles him up. She closes the door and spins around to face me. A serious look is suddenly painting her features.
“Look, Clay…” she starts.
“Oh, no. You’re not backing out of our date,” I tell her.
She laughs and shakes her head. “No, I’m not trying to. But things with us need to stay casual. I mean, I’m new here. I’m just starting out and I have Bryce. I’m not ready for anything serious. We can have our little date. We can work together and be friends and laugh, but as far as starting something up…”
I shrug. “I agree. I’m not trying to rope you into something you’re not ready for.” I laugh. “Hell, I’m not looking to be in a relationship either.” I reach out and open the driver’s side door.
She slides into her seat, letting out a breath of relief.
“The crew will be joining us on Monday, so things should start going at a much faster pace now.”
She smiles. “Good. Maybe Bryce and I will be able to move in soon and have our own home again.”
I offer a smile, knowing how much it means to her. “We’ll work as quickly as we can. See you Monday.” I shut the door and step back. She waves and starts the van up. I watch as she backs out and takes off down the road.
When she’s no longer in view, I turn to head toward the truck but bump into Tessa. She’s just walking inside for the night shift.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asks, leaning in and hugging me.
“Just finished eating.” I hug her back but pull away as I begin digging my keys out of my pocket.
“You’ve been silent for a few days. That new B&B keeping you busy?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve been there every day since we started.”
“Well, how about dinner tomorrow night?” She bats her dark lashes at me and offers up a flirty smile.
“I wish I could, Tess, but I’m busy and I’m beat. Think I’m just going to stay in and rest up for the upcoming week.” I start back toward the truck. “But I’ll call you,” I say, knowing damn well I won’t.
I climb behind the wheel, and Tessa holds up her hand, waving me goodbye. She stands in the parking lot and watches me drive away. Deep down, I wonder if maybe she’s beginning to get attached, despite our agreement. Fuck, I hope not. I’ve never wanted a relationship with anyone, let alone her. But Autumn, she’s something different. She’s something I can’t seem to get a handle on. I want her even though I don’t know why. It’s just that when I envisioned my future before, I was always alone. Now, it’s so easy to see myself with her, it scares me. I have an urge to pull away, to put as much space between us as I can, but deep down, I don’t want to. I want to see how this goes.
Annoyed by not even understanding myself, I push all thoughts away and head for the house. I take a quick shower and then build a fire in the fireplace—not for the heat, but for the relaxation. I like to kick back, put my feet up, and watch a fire burn. I love the smell of the wood and the crackle of the fire. It lulls me into a deep sleep.
Thirteen
Autumn
Bryce is asleep before we make it back to the motel. He’s had such a busy, exciting day that he just couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. I pick him up and carry him into the room. I kick the door closed behind me, place him in bed, and then remove his socks and shoes before tucking him in.
Walking back into my room, I head directly for the door to lock it up. That’s when I notice the postcard lying on the table by the door. Fear consumes me. I know I didn’t leave that on the table. It feels every one of my hairs stand on end as I slowly walk toward it. My hands are shaking by the time I pick it up.
The picture on the front is of the countryside, with mountains and a blue sky. It reads, “Welcome to Colorado.” I flip it over and handwritten on the other side is the message:
Daddy’s home. See you soon.
Your loving husband
I suck in a deep breath and begin tearing the card to shreds. I toss every last piece in the toilet and flush it. Tears sting my eyes and fall down my overheated cheeks. My heart is pounding, and numbness takes over every nerve ending. Is he really here? How else could the postcard have gotten there? He’s been here, in our room. Or maybe he paid the cleaning lady to place it there for him. If he’s here, what is he waiting for? Is he just sitting back and watching us, learning our routine so he can strike at the perfect time?
I’m so confused, I don’t know what to do. I can’t run, not right now. Not with the B&B in the condition it’s in. I don’t have any friends or family that I can run to, I wouldn’t want to bring his mess into their lives anyways. The only choice I have is to stay, to make him understand that we’re over and that Bryce and I are not coming home. I have to make sure he sees that I’m not afraid of him anymore. I know Lidia will fight for me and Bryce. She knows how he is and knows that Bryce isn’t safe with him.
That postcard has me so worked up, I have no choice but to take a long, hot shower in hopes of relaxing. I take my time, washing my face, shaving my underarms and legs, and then conditioning my hair. I put on a face mask and moisturize every inch of my skin. I file and cut my nails before exiting the bathroom an hour later. Keeping myself busy is the only way to keep the thoughts away. As I’m crawling into bed, I decide to make myself a warm cup of tea. I fill a mug with water and then put it in the microwave. When it beeps, I drop in the tea bag and add a little honey. I sink down into bed and pull the blanket around me. I turn on the TV and start channel surfing until I stumble upon some romance movie. It’s enough to calm the anxiety and I fall asleep.
“Damn it, Autumn. I can’t believe you’d embarrass me like that in front of my boss and everyone that I work with,” Glenn says as he climbs behind the wheel.
I don’t understand why he’s so upset. I didn’t do anything wrong. Tonight was the office Christmas party. I went above and beyond to make sure the night wouldn’t end like this. However, I’m now beginning to see that nothing I do can stop this from happening.
“I swear we were just talking, Glenn. I wasn’t hitting on him!”
“Don’t you raise your voice at me,” he grits out, swinging his hand through the air and smacking me across the face.
My hand flies to my cheek, cupping it. I can feel the warmth radiating off my skin. Tea
rs sting my eyes. This time, I can’t stop them from falling.
“I’ve never in my life been more embarrassed.” He scoffs and shakes his head as he turns out onto the street.
Fear consumes me. What’s going to happen when we get home? If we get home. Glenn has had entirely way too much to drink to be driving.
The rest of the drive is spent with him stewing while I’m silently praying. When we get home, he goes straight to the kitchen for another drink. I head directly up the stairs to get ready for bed. I remove my dress and pull on a pair of pajamas before going to the bathroom to wash my face and take the pins out of my hair. I hear the bedroom door close. I hear the sound of his belt being pulled from the belt loops—it makes a smacking sound when it passes each loop. I hear the bed creak as he sits down, and then his shoes hit the floor as he tosses them into their usual corner.
I’m hoping, praying, that he’s calmed down. I know I don’t have long before he demands I join him. I wish I could just wait him out, wait until he falls asleep, but I know he’s too angry to let that happen. I place my shaking hand on the doorknob and turn, pushing the door open. The moment my foot hits the carpeted bedroom floor, his head turns in my direction. His eyes seem twice as dark as they usually are, and he’s frowning, causing wrinkles to form across his forehead and between his eyes. He stands up and turns to face me, his mouth tilted downward.
“Glenn, I—” I start, but am silenced when he reaches out and smacks me across the face, this time with much more force than before. I fall onto the bed.
“You think you can disrespect me?” he yells, grabbing his belt off the dresser and swinging it. It smacks me across the legs, immediately leaving a welt behind. I call out as hot tears run down my cheeks.
“In front of my friends?” Another swing of the belt. It hits my thighs, and I cry and beg for him to stop. “In front of my boss?” He swings, but this time, much higher. I see the belt coming toward my face in slow motion, but I don’t have time to move. All I can do is brace myself.
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