She’d mistimed her abilities.
“Fuck, Liddy. I told you to stop.”
“No, you clearly said don’t stop,” she politely corrected.
“But you know I wanted to do this when inside you.”
“You were in me,” she said, smiling.
“I meant . . . in you. Not inside your mouth.”
“You’ll get your chance, Jake. Just wait.”
“Wait? Dear Lord, Liddy, I haven’t any strength left. Are you’re trying to kill me?”
Somehow she didn’t think he was all that close to the grave; the man smiling as if the devil had earned his due.
Liddy moved so she was now straddling his hips. Jake’s cock under her ass was a little limp, but soon it would be hard again and she would be more than ready for him when this happened. Until then, they were going to kiss and touch and rekindle what they once had. Remind themselves of all the good that had been between them when they’d first met.
They were about to embark on a lifetime of new memories, and all those that had ever been bad between them were going to be locked away; drowned, if at all possible.
He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.
Liddy bent forward and kissed the man.
Chapter Twenty
“You’ve been avoiding me.”
“No, I haven’t!”
“Then why is it you’ve been in town for a week, and I am only now getting to see the whites of your eyes?” Julia Hillard asked.
Liddy sheepishly looked away. Stubborn Humphrey pride refused to fold.
She then turned her gaze back, very slowly, and answered, “Okay. So maybe I have been avoiding you,” while setting her fork on the table to lean back in the booth.
“Why?” Julia asked.
Rachel moved out of earshot to get another customer’s order, giving Liddy the opportunity to tell Julia the truth.
“Because I wasn’t at all certain on how you would react to seeing me again. I was afraid of my past ghosts.”
“Why would you be afraid of me? I was your best friend. Still am, if you’ll have me.”
“Under the circumstances, I kind of thought my not calling you for ten years would’ve been the final nail in the coffin of our friendship. I wasn’t so sure my pride could take such a huge hit if you’d told me to ‘go fuck myself’.”
“It wasn’t the damning nail. And you should have called,” Julia warned. “And when, pray tell, have I ever told you to ‘go fuck yourself’?”
“Never.”
“Exactly.”
“But if I had called, you would have then told Jake where he could find me,” she admitted.
“And would that had been such a bad thing, Liddy? It would have saved a whole lot of people a whole lot of heartache. I, included on that long list.”
“I know. Point taken. I’m a jerk. I should be horse-whipped. I’m the worst friend in the whole world.” Her sigh was heavy toward what could not be changed. “At the time . . . I was confused. And hurt. I was really scared about what to do. Leaving seemed like the right thing to do; the only thing I could do—except kill the bitch. But I would’ve probably maimed Jake unintentionally, then killed the bitch.”
“I would have helped you through the rough patch. We all would have helped you get through it.”
“I know that now, but I hadn’t wanted to get through it back then. I’d wanted him to suffer as I’d been suffering.”
Liddy caught sight of Jake making his way toward the Café, frowning to her thoughts. She knew Jake suffered the most. His scars were hidden deep. And she could also see Julia was wondering how to bring up the past, without bringing about devastating consequences to their friendship or their future—if they even had a future.
“No one would’ve ever had to suffer,” Julia said.
“I know. Really, I do.” Liddy’s eyes trapped to the swaggering man. Crown to heel he was even more handsome today than yesterday.
She dared not wish for tomorrow until she could settle her longing for him right now.
Jake was happy. Liddy was happy. Life was good.
“Did he, um, did Jake ever tell you . . . ,” Julia started.
“Yeah, I know all about you and him dating,” she told her, reducing the humiliation to at least tolerable.
Julia’s eyes widened. “And you’re not mad at me? Hate me even? I would more than understand if you want me punished.”
“Yes. I was mad, but I’d never be able to hate you, or punish you for something you couldn’t control,” she reminded Julia. “And believe me, all one has to do is look at Jake and one loses control. But I was more than mad at myself, and I took out my frustrations with this wretched place by locking those frustrations inside of me, where they could do the most damage—and had. I can’t blame either of you for what happened. It was my fault for not being here. You and he were lonely. I understand.”
“It never went that far, Liddy. I don’t even remember what his kisses were like.” Julia’s face turned beet red while telling her this. She added, to appease her delicate conscious. “Trust her. He wouldn’t let it go anywhere.”
“Well I should certainly hope not!” Liddy chuckled out. “He was a married man.” Her brain suddenly stuck in the only gear of ‘is a married man’, she couldn’t help but add, “And don’t you dare tell me you’ve forgotten what his kisses were like. I’ll believe it hadn’t gone anywhere, but I’ll not believe you could forget that man’s lips.”
“Okay. So I haven’t forgotten. But I will. On my honor, I’ll forget every square inch of him.”
“But you just said . . .”
Julia held up her hand quickly. “I said I’ll forget. I didn’t say I hadn’t looked.”
They both allowed a small giggle over the minor slip. Each then watched Jake move through the doors and walk toward their booth.
“Good morning, ladies,” he smoothed out from his devilish tongue.
“Good morning, Jake,” they offered in unison, giggling.
Liddy could see Julia dart a glance at Jake’s lips, but it didn’t bother her anymore.
Jake slid her over to sit down without invitation, stabbing one of her pancakes, and then shoving it directly in his mouth.
“What’s got you two very lovely ladies giggling so early in the morning?” The man possibly frustrated by how women within his life could keep so many secrets from him.
“Nothing,” they again spoke in unison.
Swallowing the piece of stolen breakfast, he added, “Then I suggest you get your sweet, tempting ass over to Reverend Mohr’s and pick us a date.”
He lifted up her hand to graze a lingering kiss across her knuckles. A kiss that sent tingles all the way to her toes.
She’d kept her left hand under the table; Julia not wise to the fact, until now.
“A date? For what?” her dear, forgiving friend harped out, shoving her plate forward. Her eyes slammed into Liddy’s for the answer.
“For our wedding,” Jake supplied, grinning shamelessly at the red hair, red-faced woman.
“You’re getting married?” Julia gasped. “I mean . . . married again?”
“Yep, just as soon as she picks out the date.”
“Oh! This was wonderful news.” Julia added. “Damnit! Lidia Rose Humphrey-Giotti. We’ve been sitting here for ten minutes and you did not think to tell me this news before now?”
“I was waiting for Jake. Then I was going to tell you,” she promised.
“But unless she gets her gorgeous rump moving, she could be waiting for quite a while,” he concluded. “This town is going to get pretty full with a rodeo coming our way. There won’t be much room to spare. If my wife doesn’t go over today to see Reverend Mohr, ASAP, we might not be getting hitched for at least another two weeks.” A wink made at her face to say this wouldn’t sit well with him. “And I, for one, won’t wait two weeks. That’s just too damn long.”
“You will have to wait, if that’s what the good Reverend sa
ys,” Julia declared. “Exactly how does one go about getting remarried if you’ve never been unmarried, might I ask?”
“I’m not sure. But I do know this time it will be for keeps,” he told their mutual friend.
Liddy smiled at his face. “Yes, it will be, Jake. This time it will be for keeps.”
“I should certainly hope so. Having one Jake Giotti on the loose for ten whole years was more than Preacher’s Bend could handle. Having him on the loose again will just about do this town in.” Julia’s thoughts had come out uncensored. “Besides, Debra has been gunning for two whole hours to put the both of you back inside that holding cell. Something about indecent exposure late last night down in the abandoned quarry. Or, so the story goes. You two didn’t go down there. . . Oh, God! You didn’t, did you?” She eyed the two of them seated opposite her with what looked akin to shock.
Liddy simply figured how in the world could Julia be shocked about it? Julia knew them. She and Jake did things they weren’t supposed to do, all the time. That was the one constant that hadn’t changed about her and him.
Julia then shook her head; must have figured there were certain things about them she didn’t want to know, past what never would change.
“Let me be the first to warn you there are cameras down in the quarry. Ceril put them in when there’d been a rash of kids getting out of hand and underage partying. What you might or might not have thought about doing down there, will be, or has been caught on tape. There are video surveillance cameras in the police station, too.”
Both their eyes widened quickly at this terrible news. “There are?” they said in unison.
Julia’s grin grew by leaps and bounds. “Why? Did the two of you do something in that holding cell that you shouldn’t have done? Put a little heat in the kitchen? A little sausage in the bun?”
The heat crept to Liddy’s face. “Um, sort of,” she supplied. She caught Jake’s muttering it wasn’t a ‘little’ sausage.
His face then turned as white as a ghost right in front of her as she tipped her head toward his and whispered, “You said there were no cameras in the police station, Jake.”
His answer came back in a matched whisper. “Ceril must have put them back in. He told me he’d removed them. Honestly. I would not have . . . we would not have . . . Jesus, Liddy . . .”
The darling man was unable to finish his thoughts, yet Liddy knew his mind was racing at how he would now have to ask Ceril for the tapes of those seventy-two hours before they got into the wrong hands.
She sat next to him, gasping at her own mental reckoning of those seventy-two hours.
“Oh, this is bloody priceless!” Julia giggled. “Debra Wesley and Ceril Berken will now have a sex tape of the two of you going at it in their holding cell. Isn’t that a hoot? I hope to God you kept on at least some of your clothes.”
Jake cleared his throat. “Ah, not exactly. And not just one tape, I’m afraid,” he offered.
“Multiple tapes, from multiple times,” Liddy continued with, “in every way, shape and form, and we were completely nude.”
Julia Hillard’s eyes widened. She then started to laugh so hard tears rolled down her face.
A slow turn of her head, Liddy eyed her husband with utter dread. They joined in on that laughter, minus the tears, at a much slower pace; while a restaurant of early morning customers stared at them and wondered if they’d completely lost their ever-loving minds.
“Do you know what this will do to your reputation, Mrs. Giotti?” Julia asked.
“Extend it?”
“Um, no, not quite what I was going for.” Julia was trying as best she could to compose herself. “You will never get the opportunity to call Theodora Rosebud just Theo . . . ever again. And you, Jake? I won’t even begin to tell you what that vile, old woman will do to you if ever she finds out you’d made a sex tape while locked in our police station.”
“But it was a sex tape with my wife!” he blurted out— loudly. “How much of that can she hold against me?”
“This is Theodora Rosebud we are talking about. That old hag will hold it against you for . . .Damn, she might just do it this time for forever. I should know. She’s still pretty sore about what I did twelve years ago. The woman has absolute memory recall. Nothing slips by her, nothing is ever forgotten. I actually wonder if she keeps a daily log of our activities to be used against us at a later date. I’ve heard gossip running about that this could be true.”
“Today is Sunday, right?” Liddy hastily interrupted.
“Yeah, why?” Jake moved his attention onto her.
Liddy, at that very moment, was staring out the window. “Is there a back door to this place?” Her head then turned to Julia.
“Yeah. There’s an exit over there.” Julia pointed at the clearly marked exit sign behind the counter.
“Good . . . because here she comes!”
Three sets of eyes darted toward the large picture window of Rachel’s Café; with matching groans accompanying the sight of one very old, very angry Mrs. Theodora Rosebud headed their way.
“Does she know about you two tying the knot again?” Julia asked.
“No. Not yet. I only put the ring back on her finger last night,” Jake said.
“Then I would suggest, for the betterment of all, you be the first to inform the old hag. Mrs. Rosebud doesn’t look to be in a very forgiving mood. I’m sure she’d found out about the quarry incident. She just came from the police station.”
Jake hung his head, waited his fate, flaring his nostrils as the door to the café pushed open.
“Jake and Laura Giotti!” Ms. Rosebud barked. “Care to tell me why it is I am the last person to know about you staying together?” Her heavy strides brought her closer to their booth. Each one emphasized with the pounding of her cane on the crumb-filled floor.
“You’re not the last. I am,” Julia offered, with any hope to take some of the wrath off of them by way of a lie.
“Did I ask for you to answer this question, Julia Margaret?”
“Um, no, Ma’am, you did not.” Julia clamped her mouth shut, smiling over the table at Liddy.
“Then let the ones’ being asked the question answer it, my dear.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” She started to giggle under her breath.
“And please stop that incessant giggling, Julia Margaret. Next thing you know, you’ll be the one listed at the top of my most-watched for all of ten years. I do keep a list you know.”
Julia’s head bobbed. “Yes, Mrs. Rosebud. I’m sure you do.”
The three sharing the booth were barely able to hold in their amusement. Then Theodora Rosebud turned her attentions directly onto Liddy.
“Where are those terrible annulment papers, Ms. Humphrey?” Mrs. Rosebud held out her aged hand, likely expecting her to be able to produce them out of thin air and somehow place them in her palm.
Yet she, Mrs. Lidia Giotti, raised her gaze proudly at the old hag. “I burned them last night. I needed something to make fire out of to keep warm.”
Jake shoved her knee under the table just to keep her tongue from elaborating on exactly why she had needed a fire to keep warm with.
“Would that be late last night, while down in Mr. Peabody’s old quarry, Ms. Humphrey?” Theodora wondered aloud. The fact of the matter still fresh in her mind, apparently.
All three of them seated within the booth busted a gut the second these damning words were voiced, while a very angry woman caught up in a relentless cycle of bitchiness, beyond anything they could have ever imagined—on an early Sunday morning, no less—strode away to have words with her carelessly foolish granddaughter who’d dropped a plate of scrambled eggs onto the floor.
“To keep warm, huh?” Jake teased.
Under her breath, she whispered, “If you hadn’t taken off all of my clothes while we were down there, I would not have had any need to stay warm.”
“I would have warmed you. And I do believe I did, more than that. Not once had
I heard any complaints about how it was done, either.”
He nudged her shoulder with his, reminding her of their long, eventful, sweaty night.
“Yes. You did keep me warm, didn’t you? And now it is probably caught on tape.”
“Yeah. It probably is. Just think, we’ll have something to tell our grandchildren about.”
Liddy rolled her eyes at the dear, sweet man. “Yeah, just think.”
Somehow she couldn’t quite picture telling grandchildren about her rather active sex life with their grandfather, however.
Julia Hillard giggled so incredibly hard she could barely see straight.
Liddy could see Jake Giotti reliving the moment in his head, grinning shamelessly from ear to ear, and darting glances at the seam in his jeans.
And she, Liddy Humphrey-Giotti, knew life with this wonderful man would be anything but boring. Likely, it was to be as lively as it had been ten years past. Whenever she with a man sporting a boa tattoo, with her name on it, how the hell could it ever be dull?
The End
A teaser except from Book 3
Seduction of Saber
Saving the Sinners of Preacher’s Bend
Women don’t normally grab Saber Patterson by the upper arm to stop him from leaving.
Normally there was never a reason for him to leave.
Normally, they grabbed him in a whole lot of other places. Then each would apologize quite convincingly afterwards, followed by the sly handing over of a phone number and a twirl of the hair in case he hadn’t noticed the desire in their eyes.
If he was lucky, the bat of the eyelashes came last as though it would help their cause.
Yet there was always a first for everything these days; a first to be shocked at the action of a very attractive woman; a first to even consider that it mattered; a first in a very long time for Saber to even care.
And the woman was definitely attractive: long red hair, startling blue eyes, and a cute little mole on her left cheek.
He had to ignore the sudden pull of heat that pulsed through her fingertips, as best he could, while clearing his throat. Such an intense heat was heading straight to his insides—right where it could do a man some pretty hefty damage.
Roundabout Road (Saving the Sinners of Preacher's Bend Book 2) Page 19