Bound (Bound Hearts #1)
Page 14
“It’s perfect.”
I got her size and I paid for all my purchases before I headed home. When I got there, I set the back cap on top of the bed, and locked it. I waited for her to call or message me and when she didn’t I went ahead and texted her. After our conversation, I rang up JR.
“What’s up bro?”
“Hey JR, wanna go to the beach tomorrow? Is it your day off?”
“Yes, it’s my day off before I work the next few weeks. I got today and tomorrow off before a long stretch. I have a vacation coming up too. I don’t know what I’m gonna do, now that I’m single. Galveston sounds like a winner. What time?”
“I’m picking up Addy and Gram about ten. Spend the day out there.”
“Sounds good. But Courtland?”
I got inside, set the alarms and went to the kitchen for a bottled water.
“Yeah, JR?” He sounded wary and I didn’t know what he was thinking.
“Dude, you think this is a smart move? Hanging out with her so much?”
I was not getting into this with him. “Chet. Don’t.”
“Courtland. I’m serious. You know she’s not gonna be here, but just this week? I knew you fell hard for her when she lived here.”
“What? She was just a kid. I was a man. I did not-”
“My ass. After a year of her hanging out with us you got her name inked on your chest while mine was on your back. I know you only put my name because you said I was your family. And hell if I’m not. You’re like a brother to me. Always will be. After you both were arrested, you were different, and don’t fucking bullshit me. Shit changed. She was seventeen and a young woman. You always treated her with kid gloves, but never like a sister as I did. I don’t think you slept with her, I know you would never do that with her without thinking shit through, but you came out of jail different. It was like your eyes opened up and you were seeing shit different. Then you left.”
I guess we were getting into it after all.
“Listen man-
“When did you realize you were in love with her as more than a best friend Courtland?”
That stopped me cold. I knew he wouldn’t let up either. We were both stubborn ass mules. No wonder where Addy got her stubborn ways.
“That night. Something was just different about her. Whatever happened between Geoff and her, it was bad and when I went to go pick her up, she threw herself into my arms like I was her lifeline. It started creeping up from behind that I knew she was different than any other woman I’ve ever known. I knew I could look deep inside of her. I don’t know if she ever told you, Chet or Maggie, but if you looked deep into her eyes, there was a hidden agony and a pain so deep inside that maybe someone who was equally feeling that pain or felt it before, could see. I saw it. I don’t know what happened that night, she never told me and she sure as hell never told me since I’ve seen her. She’s different than she was before, but then the same. She’s all edgy, but innocent. I can still see that same girl who hid behind a mask as a teenager and I can tell she’s still hiding behind it. But damn if I don’t see her as a flesh and blood woman now, Chet. She became my world ten years ago.”
“Then what the hell happened? You left that summer, and man, she was like barely a human being. Like she was just a shell. She came over only a few times. She got a job and worked at much as she could, then right before she would start classes at San Jac Community College, she took off. Just like that. No bye. No note. Nothing. A week later, dad gets a call from her saying she moved to Georgia with Aunt Peggy’s parents and that’s where she wanted to stay. Nothing anyone could do about it, she’d just turned eighteen. She was an adult and could do as she pleased. You were supposed to come home on leave but you made up an excuse not to come visit. So tell me Courtland, what the fuck happened?”
“She mailed me a letter that changed the course of my life. The love I felt for her became bitter and I hated everything she wrote. It broke me, knowing she thought so fucking little of me. I never would have thought she’d say I was nothing to her.”
“Bullshit, Courtland. Some letter made you never want to hear about her? Never think about talking to her? Dude, she thought you hung the fucking moon. There’s no way she could have written that you were nothing to her. When she realized you left, she just closed up. There was a wall that no one could get over. Her eyes seemed to dull out as if she didn’t want to be there. Man, most if the time, whenever I tried to get her to do something remotely fun, she shut me down. Said she had to work and boy she fucking worked after knowing you left. I never told her where you went because you asked me not to, but dammit if there wasn’t times that I wanted to. I was almost to my breaking point of getting tired of seeing her so down and out. Then she upped and left. Like a damn ghost. I never had an issue with you leaving. I’m a dude and I knew you would always be a brother to me, but Adelaide was my best friend too. She always came to me with her problems. She’d get into arguments with Uncle Geoff and I guess I never thought anything by it. I mean he’s a pastor, she was in a totally different circle of living. I knew she rebelled against him and maybe that’s where those problems lied. Hell. She left and it damaged not only me, but mama felt it too. Uncle Geoff acted devastated. Aunt Peggy, well, she was always a quiet one.”
Hell. I didn’t know what to think.
“I don’t know what I’m doing. Honestly, Chet. I just know I wanna spend as much time with her as I possibly can. My feelings are only intensifying, man. I can’t stay away from her. I wanna be where she is. That first time I saw her in the bar, I wanted her.”
“Alright. I’m not gonna say anything else.”
“Ugh. Just be ready at nine.”
“Later, Courtland.”
I took a quick hot shower, dried off and went to sit on my bed to set the alarm. Hopping into bed naked, I wrestled with the thoughts of the conversation I had with JR.
Did Adelaide only write that note ten years ago because she felt abandoned when I left? I didn’t know how to feel about that. She had been such a big part of my life at that time. Maybe I shouldn’t have waited to tell her how I felt. I should’ve kissed her. When I tried calling her, Geoff always had an excuse. Nothing now could change the past.
JR was right about one thing. (Well about a lot of things, but he was always an insightful fucker.) I wouldn’t have slept with her. Especially when she was seventeen. I honestly hadn’t even thought about sex with her. I knew I’d never treat her like one of the fly-bye’s I usually screwed. I definitely would’ve waited for the right time. Waited until she was ready or waited until I put a ring on her finger and changed her name from Hunter to Phillips. Seeing her always brought me a peace I couldn’t describe. She had become my best friend, just as JR had. It was different because she was female and I never shot the shit with her. Our conversations were quiet and most of the time we sat in a comfortable silence. The few times she came by the house by herself, had been for my birthdays. Usually, JR was always present.
Even when she hid stuff. Hell. I hid a ton of shit about my youth. Growing up under the thumb of one of Houston’s big time pimps and a mother too weak to save me, made me keep to myself. I didn’t want to let anyone in. I didn’t think I needed to let anyone in. I hadn’t told her about my mother being a hooker until the night we were arrested. She didn’t think that was so bad. She always saw the good in me. Anytime I had ever thought negatively about myself and actually said it out loud, she usually popped my head, telling me never to talk about her best friend like that, or else she’d have to beat me up. She was such a beautiful girl. An angel among us humans.
I knew I was being eaten alive with bitterness and when my mother died, I got the chance to get over my anger. After a while from working with Joe, getting to know him and his wife Mildred, becoming friends with JR, I started letting go of all what my mother had represented. She explained in the letter her roommate, Foxy, one of the Jane’s she knew when she was younger, gave me. Somehow my mother, Chloe, found out where I w
as living and told her to give it to me upon her death. She must have known she wasn’t going to be living much longer. She was really young when she had me.
Needless to say, I forgave any-and everything about how she was towards me. Life was way too damn short to be so angry about shit we couldn’t change.
She would be forty-eight right now to my thirty-two. I can’t really say I missed her, because I never knew her. When I was real young and Roth wasn’t around, she had been affectionate towards me. Always holding me and singing to me. Her voice sounded real pretty. That had always stuck with me. But as soon as I started going to school, all that changed. From the letter Foxy gave me, Chloe stopped hooking when she was about my age. Roth was in and out of prison and somehow at one point in his serving, the other prisoners found out about him molesting and selling children, and he ended up being murdered in his prison cell.
Can’t say I wasn’t glad to know he was out of the picture for good. He was a nasty sonuvabitch and never would get sympathy from me. Not after everything he did.
I really hoped Adelaide would give me a chance. I only had a few more days to get her to fall in love with me. I wanted her bound to me in every way possible. We’ve been having unprotected sex, but she has an implant in her arm. I actually felt that shit. Weird. Getting her preggars was out of the question. Unless I got like extremely lucky. I knew I’d be a good dad. I had Chet Senior and Joe to look up to. They were awesome parents. When Joe and Mildred’s boy passed away, and I came into the picture, they pseudo-adopted me and he taught me what a good man I could be. What a good man I needed to be.
I wasn’t gonna think about it now. Next thing I knew, it was morning.
Fifteen
Courtland
I had everything I needed packed for the beach and I made my way to go pick up JR. I had helped him pack all his shit from the place he shared with the cheating Sylvie, and he moved back in the small guest house he and his dad built when JR was eighteen. He was back at the ranch and he came out wearing a pair of UH board shorts and a UH shirt. He was all about sticking to his alma mater. He had a duffle bag of crap with him and tossed it in the back with the rest of the beach stuff I bought last night.
We knuckled bumped and I made my way to the hotel.
“I can’t wait to see Addy. We might have seen her the other night, but after she dropped you on your ass, she split. Never even got to say hi. I missed her man.”
“She’ll be glad to see you too. Gram is real nice. A real fine lady.”
“Yeah, that time I spoke with her on the phone, she was hella nice and sweet.”
“Sylvie try getting ahold of you?”
JR leaned his elbow on the window and rested his head on his hand. “A few times. I kinda had to get a little rude with her.”
That really surprised me. I never saw JR get really mad that often. In the sixteen years I’ve known him, he only got mad probably not even two hands worth. He never got rude or disrespectful with a female. Very bad manners and all that. He was always a good negotiator and a gentle soul to boot. I knew if he had to get rude with her, she must have said something really hurtful to him to lose his temper.
“What did that bitch say to you, Chet?”
“Just a bunch of BS dude. I’m not gonna ruin this day. Haven’t been to the beach since last year. I don’t want to bring Sylvie into my day. She’s a sour note.”
The fact he didn’t correct me when I called her bitch, was telling. He would talk to me when he was ready. That’s the thing about being a guy. If we wanted to talk about something, we would get it out in the open. Not hint around about shit. We had deep conversations when we needed to hear what was good for us. Like last night. That was as deep as it goes. He knew how I grew up. I had no problem telling him and he never showed me pity like some people were wont to do. Not that I wanted him to either. I didn’t need that crap. That’s what made him such a great guy and friend.
We pulled up into the visitors parking and when they didn’t get up in a hurry, I sat there looking straight at Addy. She was looking at the space we occupied and she probably could only see our shadows in the truck. I had the windows tinted dark when I bought the truck. She couldn’t see the lascivious glare I was sending her way. I could see by the scowl on her face, she was either getting suspicious or was waiting for us to get out.
“Are we gonna get out now? Or do you wanna stare at her some more?”
“I could stare at her all day.”
“Yes, well, she’s family and it’s starting to make me feel all big brother like, so stop thinking about her naked would ya?”
“Ha. Yeah, sure,” I said, but I knew as well as he did, that him pulling the big brother act wouldn’t get me from picturing what I already knew was the most perfect masterpiece ever created under Heaven. I knew what that body looked bare and just thinking about it made my board shorts tighten around my arousal. I shifted in the seat and hurried to open the door before he noticed my lack of ease. We saw Addy and Gram stand up as we had stepped away from the truck doors.
“ADDY!” JR hollered and Adelaide dropped her stuff to the ground and ran over to him as he caught her and hugged her tight and close. I knew he missed her. They were not only great cousins, but friends too. Those two years, the three of us had such a great time. Nothing, but good memories.
“JR! I missed you so much.” He put her short frame down and she leaned back and held on to his upper arms. “Whoa. You surely filled out! I bet you’re a real ladies man huh?”
He blushed like he normally did when someone mentioned the way he bulked up over the last few years. Not that he was ever overweight, but growing up and in college, he was just tall and lanky. He did fill out over the years. JR shrugged, and ruffled Addy’s tousled hair. Damn, did she look beautiful or what? She was wearing flops, another pair of cutoff jeans and a tank top, braless. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“I know, girl. I missed you too. So you write love stories, huh?”
Laughing, she nodded and said, “Yeah, I write love stories. Although I’ve never written about cowboys, looking at you boys, I’m thinking maybe I should.”
Rolling his eyes, he looked around and saw Gram perched with a little backpack. He walked over to her, took her hand and gave it a quick kiss. However, she wasn’t satisfied with that. She grabbed his cheeks and reeled him in for a hard smack on the lips. Both Adelaide and I cracked up laughing.
“I might be old, but I ain’t eva’ kissed a cowboy who looked like you.”
“Gram, be still my heart. Marry me.” JR got on one knee, and clutched his heart.
“Oh posh! Silly even. You go on now. Let’s get to the beach.” JR had Gram put her arm around his elbow and he led her to the back seat of the truck. When he got her all settled in, he came back to the front asking, “You want me to sit in the back with her so Addy can sit up front with you?”
“Oh, no JR! I couldn’t!”
At the same time I said, “That’d be great.”
Adelaide gave me her death glare and I shook my head. “It’s whatever you want, babe.”
“I’ll concede in sitting in front on the way home.”
“That’s cool.” JR slapped my back and went to the passenger seat.
I walked to grab Adelaide’s duffle bag and she was waiting in front of the truck for me. Her eyes were glued on mine. “Nice view?”
“Ha. Of course it’s a nice view. Always has been.” That last part I almost didn’t hear. She liked mumbling a lot. I decided not to say anything since a blush was sneaking up her neck.
I opened the back lid and fixed her belongings, then went to open the back seat door for her. She knew I would open the door for her. That’s why she waited patiently for me. She tried to grab the top handle so she could boost herself inside, but she was still too short to grab onto it, so I just lifted her up myself and planted her down nice and easy behind the driver’s seat. I was leaning in to strap her belt, but she smacked my hand out of the way.
I whispered back, “I don’t care what they think. I just want to know you’re safe and secure.”
There was a click of the belt latching and she said, “See? All attached. Let’s go please.”
I couldn’t help, but take her hand and kiss the back of it. Her hands were so soft and velvety. Most likely from a lotion she used. When we were younger, Maggie always bought her pomegranate lotion and it seems that hasn’t changed.
“Did I ever mention I love pomegranates?”
She snatched her hand out of mine and I laughed as I shut the door and got in the front seat.
We were making our way to Galveston and Chet was chatting to Gram, who still insisted us to call her that instead of calling her by her first name. Which we still didn’t know. She really was a wonderful woman. She told us about Addy’s grandfather and how he was in the Marines when he was a younger man. About all the places they lived. She really was a woman totally in love with her husband, and even after his passing, she still sounded like a young girl in love.
I looked at Adelaide in the rearview mirror and caught her looking at me. She hurried and looked away. That was fine. I continued to look at her for another moment before concentrating back on the road.
That’s when I felt my neck tickle for the first time. I bent my neck, trying to ease it. Then a few minutes later, I felt it again. I shifted my shoulders and heard Addy giggling in the back.
“Everything okay Addy?”
With a hand covering her lips, she looked back at me in the rearview. “Yes, of course. You?” Then her eyes moved to look at the back of my neck as I felt another tingle scratch at my neck.
Silly woman was tickling me. When I got her to look back at me, my look was molten lava. She thought she could tease me?
“Go ahead.”
“What?” Chet asked, as he pulled out his phone.
Addy hurried and responded with ‘nothing’ and she stopped tickling the short hairs on my neck. Chet made a heavy sigh, and in my side view, I saw his jaw clench as he tucked his phone away.