The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection

by Alexis Winter

  “Hey,” I say, forcing a smile.

  “How have you been?” She picks up the seed packets and starts scanning them.

  “Great. Just got back into town.”

  Her eyes double in size. “Really? Isn’t that strange.”

  “What? Isn’t what strange?” I hand over my card and she swipes it.

  “Oh, just that you got into town around the same time as our Wyatt.” She hands my card back.

  I feel my brows pull together, wondering what she’s getting at.

  “Have you two seen each other yet?” she asks. I can tell from her smile that she’s expecting me to say “no.”

  “Yeah, he came straight to my parents’ house almost the minute he got into town,” I lie.

  Her face pinches. “Oh, I didn’t realize you two had kept in touch all this time.”

  I would walk out, but she’s still holding my seed packets. I motion for them, but she doesn’t catch on, or she isn’t done with me. I don’t know which.

  “Oh, well, we hadn’t. We lost touch completely there for a while. I guess he’d just been asking about me. Julie told him I was back home, and the next thing I knew, he was pulling into my drive. I actually really need to get going. Can I—?” I’m about to ask, Can I please have the items I paid for? when she cuts me off.

  “So you two are, like, together again?” Her eyes narrow on mine.

  I nod. “You could say that. Can I have that?” I ask, pointing to the packets in her hands.

  “Oh,” she says, finally handing them over. “Well, you know, Wyatt and I sort of had a thing there for a while after you two split up. I hope that’s okay.” She offers her sweet smile, hoping to get to me.

  I wave my hand through the air. “Hey, what’s done is done. No sense in dredging up the past, right?” I give her my overly-sweet smile. Yeah, bitch, I have one too. “Have a good day,” I say, heading for the door.

  When I walk out, I let out a long breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My heart is pounding a mile a minute, and the only thing I can think about is telling Julie how I stood up to the big bad cheerleader who made our lives a living hell in high school.

  I get everything my mom requested and take the items home before getting ready for my date with Wyatt. I dig through my closet and find a short miniskirt for myself and pull it on, matching it with a white tank top and wedge sandals. I find a darling pink dress that has little yellow flowers on it, and toss it on my bed while I finish getting ready. About an hour later, I’m pulling up to Wyatt’s house, pink dress in hand.

  He opens the door and smiles, but when he sees the dress I’m holding, the smile falls away as he lets out a groan. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack,” I say, brushing past him. “Come on, we have to do your hair and makeup.”

  He lets out a sound that’s something between a laugh and a groan, but he doesn’t argue as we head toward the bathroom to get ready. I set my bag on the counter and start digging through it , pulling out an old Halloween wig I’d found in my closet. I brush the brown hair out and set it on his head. A snicker leaves my lips. For the next 25 minutes, I work to curl the wig hair and paint his face as best I can. Other than his muscles, height, and jaw stubble, he really does look like a woman.

  As he approaches the mirror, I step back, holding in my laughter. His eyes find himself. At first, he looks a little afraid, but then he seems to warm up to the idea.

  “Actually, I don’t look that bad,” he says, spinning to check out his backside.

  This only makes me laugh harder. “I’m glad you approve. Now let’s go on our date.” I try to exit the bathroom, but he grabs my hand, stopping me.

  “I was just thinking that maybe we should skip the date. We could stay here and have some girl-on-girl action,” he jokes, offering up a goofy smile.

  I laugh and push him away. “Sorry, Krystal, but I only like men.”

  “Krystal?” he asks, confused.

  “If you’re going to be a girl, then you need a girl name. You look like a Krystal to me,” I joke, smacking him on the ass. “Let’s go!”

  “Come on. Look at me. Don’t make me leave the house like this.” He motions down his body.

  “A deal is a deal. Time to pay up,” I say, heading for the front door.

  Thirteen

  Wyatt

  When I try heading for my car like usual, she stops me. “Oh, no. A woman never drives on a date,” she teases, opening the passenger-side door of her car for me.

  I roll my eyes but climb in. When she gets behind the wheel, I say, “Well, at least I don’t have to pay.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” she says, reaching over and pinching my cheek.

  I smack her hand away. “Don’t get handsy.”

  When we get to the diner, I order a double bacon cheeseburger with fries and a shake.

  She looks up at me with wide eyes and a smile.

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “Nothing. I love a girl who can eat,” she teases.

  “Ooooh,” I say, leaning my head back from her wicked burn. I pick up the napkin on the table, wad it up, and throw it at her, only making her laugh harder. The subject of how I’m dressed falls away, even though I get a ton of strange looks from everyone else, until we finish up and head to the bar for a couple drinks. When we walk in, Destiny is immediately rushed by some guy. He picks her up and spins her around. Finally, I catch a glimpse of his face and see that it’s my old buddy, Mark.

  He sets her on her feet then shoots me a smile and a wink. “Hey, Des, who’s your sexy friend over there?”

  “Man, fuck off,” I say as he lets out a long laugh. Finally he pulls me in for a hug. “I didn’t realize that life’s been so hard on you that you had to change sexes,” he teases.

  “Well, life’s been great, but this one won’t let up,” I say, pointing toward Destiny.

  “Oh, are we going to stand here chatting like little girls, or are we going to get drunk?” she asks, smacking my ass as she walks toward the bar.

  I shake my head as Mark laughs, but we both follow after her.

  The three of us get a table and a pitcher of beer to split.

  “When’d you get back in town, man?” Mark asks me.

  “About a week ago, but I haven’t really been going out or anything.”

  He looks offended. “You’ve been here a week and you haven’t bothered to let your best friend know? Been too busy sticking it to this one, huh?” he asks, motioning toward Destiny.

  “Um, excuse me, but I’m sticking it to her.” She smiles and winks at me, causing us all to laugh.

  “So, what’s the deal with the getup?” he finally asks.

  “I won a bet,” Destiny clarifies.

  Mark nudges me with his elbow. “If I were you, I’d stop betting.”

  “No shit,” I agree.

  “I was really sorry to hear about your dad, Des. How’s he doing?” he asks her.

  She nods. “He’s healthy but has a lot of physical therapy to do. He’s not getting around as well as he once did.”

  “Oh. Wyatt, how’s your dad?” he asks me.

  “What’s going on with your dad?” Des asks.

  “He’s fine. He had a heart attack a couple weeks ago, but he has a live-in nurse who’s not allowing him to have any alcohol, so he’s doing well and is expected to make a full recovery.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Mark says, pouring another beer.

  Destiny leans forward. “Why didn’t you ever mention it?” she whispers.

  I shrug. “It’s not a big deal. He’s fine.”

  She lets the subject go, but I can see she’s still thinking about it by the way she studies me.

  After a few minutes, our conversation goes back to being easy and fun. Mark tells us about all the women he’s been with now that he’s divorced, but I feel like it’s all a lie—just something to make himself feel a little better. He asks about what Destiny and I have been up to and he see
ms genuinely interested. We share another pitcher before we go our separate ways.

  I slide into the passenger side of Destiny’s car and she gets behind the wheel. I have a feeling that something’s off given how quiet she’s being.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, reaching over to rub her leg.

  “I’m just confused as to why you’ve never mentioned your dad. I remember the two of you always being close. Have you even gone to see him?”

  I shake my head as I divert my eyes. “Not yet.”

  She lets out a loud breath. “Wyatt, you’ve been home for over a week. Why haven’t you seen him?”

  “I’ve been busy at the brewery. I just haven’t found the time.”

  She gives me a sidelong look.

  “It’s just hard to see him like that, you know? My whole life, he’s always been strong, and now he’s frail and sick.”

  “Trust me, I know first-hand how hard it is to watch someone you love go through something like this. I mean, my dad was always big and tall and he did nothing but hard work every day, and now he can’t do anything but sit. Every time I look at him, I want to cry. But he’s still your dad. You need to go see him.” She glances over at me. “Just not dressed like that. You’d give him another heart attack for sure if he saw his son in drag.” She smiles wide and I roll my eyes.

  When we get back to the house, she insists on opening the car door for me. She takes my hand and helps me out of the passenger-side seat before walking me to the door. Turning, we face each other for a long kiss.

  “Have a good night,” she says, pulling away.

  “Hey.” I grab her wrist, stopping her. She looks up with a questioning look in her eyes.

  “Why don’t you stay?”

  She shoots me a grin. “A lady doesn’t hook up on the first date, Krystal,” she teases. “Plus, I think you have something to do.” She leans forward, gives me one last kiss, then heads for her car. I can’t do anything but stand there, watching as she gets farther and farther away.

  When her car is no longer in sight, I head inside and go straight to the bathroom to strip out of these girly-ass clothes and wash off all the makeup. I toss the clothes into the hamper and step beneath the flow of hot water. Taking a bar of soap in hand, I lather it up well before rubbing it all over my face. A little soap gets in my eye and it stings, but I’ll take the pain if it means this shit will be off my face.

  I take extra-long in the shower—making sure I let all the makeup wash off. By the time I get out, it’s going on 11 p.m. I pull on a pair of boxers and climb into bed. I’ll just have to swing by my dad’s place tomorrow. I know he’ll already be in bed with it being this late. The best I can do is stop by after I leave the brewery. I pull the blankets up around me and think about Destiny. I drift off to sleep within minutes.

  Mark and I are outside the school, playing basketball to kill some time, when I notice Julie heading over with another girl.

  “Hey, who’s that girl with Jules?” I ask, noticing how beautiful she is, the way her blonde hair catches the light, and how bright blue her eyes are.

  “That’s Destiny Parker. You’ve never noticed her before?”

  I shake my head. “Nope, but I hope she’s single.”

  He laughs as he bounces the ball. “You been under a rock, my friend?” He glances up at me. “She’s definitely single.” He shoots me a grin just as the girls are closing the space between us.

  “Mark, Destiny needs a ride home,” Julie says, glancing over at her.

  Mark looks at me, tosses over the ball, then looks back at Julie. “I’m sorry, I can’t today. I was just waiting on you. My dad wants me home right after school. If I’m not there, he’ll kick my ass again.”

  Julie gives him a confused look. “For what?”

  Mark shrugs. “He wants help cleaning out the garage. I dipped out on him last time. He won’t let me this time. Hey, I bet Wyatt could take her home.” He smacks me in the chest with the back of his hand.

  The two of them look up at me. “Uh, yeah, I guess I can.”

  Julie smiles. “Great! Thanks, Wyatt.”

  I hold out my hand to shake. “I’m Wyatt.”

  She slips her small hand into mine. “Destiny.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.”

  She smiles and nods. “You too.”

  I toss the basketball back to Mark, look at Destiny, and motion toward the parking lot. “Come on. My car is over here,” I say, trying to hide my excitement.

  When we approach, I open the passenger-side door for her and she slides in. The slight breeze catches her hair and I get a whiff of her perfume. It’s sweet and makes my mouth water. I close her door and rush around to get behind the wheel. I start the car and turn to look at her.

  “Where do you live?”

  She gives me directions and I start toward her house. “How have I never noticed you before?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “You always seem so busy. I’ve been in at least one of your classes every year. You always sit in the back, next to your buddies or with a group of cute girls. I’m always up front, you know, paying attention.” She smiles and it makes my heart skip a beat.

  I laugh. “You’re one of the smart girls; that’s why I never noticed you. I knew you were too smart to fall for any of my pick-up lines,” I joke.

  She giggles and it’s the most beautiful sound in the world.

  On the drive, we casually chat about people at school and events that happened throughout the day. When I pull into her driveway, she moves to take off her seatbelt. “Well, thanks for the ride, Wyatt.”

  “No problem,” I reply, trying to talk myself into asking her out. Come on, Wyatt. Just do it. You’ve never been nervous when it comes to girls.

  She steps out, and just as she’s about to swing the door closed, I blurt, “Go out with me?”

  She bends down. “Excuse me?”

  “Oh, um, I was just wondering . . . if you’d like to go out with me sometime.”

  Her brows furrow together. “Like on a date?”

  I nod. “Yeah. You seem cool. I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

  “Really? You and me?”

  I laugh. “Why does that seem so weird to you?” I ask, turning my upper body so I can face her directly.

  “I don’t know. It’s just that you’re Wyatt Slade—popular, cute. You could have your pick of any girl. Why me, the dorky, unpopular ‘smart girl’?”

  “Because you’re beautiful and I like you,” I answer.

  Her cheeks turn the slightest shade of pink and she attempts to hold back a smile but fails. “Okay,” she finally agrees.

  A smile of my own breaks free now. “How’s Friday night? About 8 p.m.?”

  She nods. “See you then, Wyatt Slade.” She slams the door and I sit in the car and watch as she crosses the gravel driveway and enters the house.

  Fourteen

  Destiny

  I wake up bright and early and head straight to the kitchen to start breakfast, wanting to give Mama the morning off. I put on a pot of coffee then get busy cooking bacon, eggs, homemade buttermilk biscuits, and gravy from scratch. I’m just putting everything on the table as Mama enters the kitchen.

  “What do we have here?”

  “I made breakfast. You needed to take a morning off.”

  “Isn’t this lovely!” She picks up a piece of bacon and pops it into her mouth as she goes to pour a cup of coffee.

  “Want me to get Daddy?”

  She looks at her watch. “He still has another half hour before he wakes up. Let’s sit and eat, then I’ll get him cleaned up before bringing him around for breakfast.”

  I take my seat and start making my plate.

  “So, how are things going with you and Wyatt?”

  I laugh. “Good, Mama.”

  “You think things might work out this time?”

  “I haven’t given it much thought yet. I mean, I don’t want to count my chickens before they hatch. Right now, w
e’re just becoming friends again.”

  “But you love him, right?”

  “Mama,” I groan.

  “What? It’s a simple question. Do you love the man or not? It’s easy to see that he loves you.”

  I have my fork in hand, ready to dig in, but I freeze. “I do love him, Mama. I always have, even when we were apart. Every guy I’ve dated since him, I’ve compared to him. They can’t live up to his memory.”

  She smiles sweetly. “Sounds like you have your mind made up.”

  “Shouldn’t you be telling me to slow down—to think things through? Not to rush into this?”

  She shakes her head as her eyes fall to her cup of coffee. “At this point, I couldn’t imagine telling you to wait one more day, Destiny. I’ve been with the love of my life for nearly 40 years, and if I could get one more day with him before his stroke, I would do anything for it. You’re so worried about the future that you don’t see what’s right in front of you: a man who’s head over heels in love with you—a man who would do anything for you. Don’t waste that by worrying about what the two of you will become. The two of you are here—together—now. Take advantage of that, honey.” She reaches over and rubs the top of my hand.

  As I sit and pick at my breakfast, I wonder if she’s right. I guess I know she’s right. She’s my mother. She’s always right. But can I do as she says? Can I let go of my worry about the future to enjoy today? Can I let go of my concerns from the past? I know one thing: I’m going to try. I’m going to be with him today and not think about tomorrow or remember our past. I’m going to live each day with him, one day at a time, and see where we end up.

  After work, I waste no time in going to him. After the talk with my mom today, I haven’t been able to think of anything but him. Us. Together. I knock on the door and he answers it wearing nothing but a loose-fitting pair of basketball shorts. He’s shirtless and his hair is a mess like he’s been sleeping.