Legacy (RiffRaff Records Book 2)

by L. P. Maxa

  He leaned against the counter, clearly not wanting to stray too far from the sugar. “I wanted to ask how you were doing with Jared’s death and everything.”

  I shrugged, pushing buttons on the coffee pot, silently begging it to work. “I didn’t really know the guy. He rarely came around. I don’t think I’ve seen him since my high school graduation. And when he was here, it was always like he was too scared to speak to me.”

  “You talked about him a lot when you were little. You called him your other dad.” He was watching me, always studying. Halen and I had made it a point to be on our best behavior around him. If anyone was going to figure us out, it would have been him. I didn’t even lay a finger on her if Uncle Smith was in the same room. I swear he could read body language like he was trained by the CIA.

  “I know. But the older I got the less I saw him—or talked to him for that matter—and the more I stopped thinking of him as family. I have a father, and it’s not Jared.” Emotion clogged my throat when I talked about what my dad did for me. He rescued me. He saved me. He gave me a family and a home with unconditional love and support. He gave me a life worth leading. Jared just gave me DNA.

  “I know that, bud. We all do.” He popped another cookie in his mouth. “I just wanted to make sure that this whole thing wasn’t stirring up old hurt. I know you’re staying in New Orleans these days and that’s really close to Meraux.”

  Meraux was where Uncle Smith and Jared had grown up, where Uncle Smith’s asshole of a father still lived. “It never even crossed my mind to go back there. It’s not anywhere I want to revisit.” I winced. “And to be honest, I didn’t really have any emotions when dad told me Jared had passed. Good or bad. I mean I feel for you guys. I don’t like that y’all are grieving, but Jared didn’t mean much to me.”

  “It’s been a long time since you were home.” He was back to studying me, gauging my every reaction. I hadn’t been back to the compound in two years. I’d seen my sister and my parents pretty often. We’d meet up wherever I was, spend a few days being tourists. And I’d seen the rest of my aunts and uncles a few times when they’d go to concerts near me. But I hadn’t seen my cousins, and I knew that had confused all of them. “How is it? Being here.”

  I swallowed, stalling, trying to figure out how to answer his question. “It’s great. I’ve missed everyone a lot.” I smiled, trying to go for self-deprecating. “I’ll never stay gone that long again. Everyone is so grown up and I feel so out of the loop.” That wasn’t a lie.

  “You ever going to tell us why you left?”

  I chewed my bottom lip for a minute before answering, “I just needed a change. Different scenery. Different sounds. Different people. I needed to be on my own for a bit.”

  “I guess this place is pretty crowded, huh?”

  I chuckled, going for relaxed. “Yeah, well, you guys all popped out kids like rabbits.”

  “We’re so glad to have you home, buddy.” My dad called me buddy when I was a kid, and it’d stuck. My aunts still used it the most, but occasionally my uncles broke it out too. Like I said, nicknames were big in this family.

  “Thanks, Uncle Smith.”

  “You know I’m here if you ever want to talk, right? No matter what it is, no matter what you’re going through or what you’ve done…I’m here.”

  I nodded. “I know. Thank you.” What I’d done? Did he think I’d killed someone and spent the last two years on the lam? Or did he know about Hales? About the baby, and that I’d broken her heart.

  “Halen was pretty upset when you moved out.”

  I needed to throw him off my trail. I needed to get that sharp observant mind on something else and away from me, and away from Halen too. Her emotions were constantly bubbling too close to the surface when it came to us. I changed the subject, fingers crossed that it would work. “I hear Evie will be home soon?”

  He lit up at the mention of his oldest daughter. “Yeah, she’ll be home for the memorial tomorrow. She hates that she can’t be here with everyone, but she had some sorority fundraisers she couldn’t miss.”

  I found my opening and I chuckled as I spoke, “Fundraisers? The only sorority fundraisers I’ve ever seen involved bikinis and soap suds.”

  His brow furrowed. “What?”

  “You know, like car washes. Girls in next to nothing, and guys stacked in line a mile long.” I was totally bluffing. I’d never seen one naked car wash in my life. But I really needed him to focus on someone else. “Haven’t you ever partied with sorority girls?”

  I watched as all the blood drained from my uncle’s face. “Uh, yeah. Actually, I have.”

  He looked like he was seconds away from having a heart attack. Which was making me start to feel a little guilty. “I doubt that our sweet, sheltered Evie would ever do something like that, though. I’m sure what they say about the good girls going wild once they get to college is all bullshit, anyway.” A little guilty, but not guilty enough to stop. My plan was obviously working. Sorry, Evie.

  “Uh, yeah.” He pulled out his phone, already dialing as he walked toward my front door. “I’m here if you need me, bud.”

  “Thanks.” I shut the door and then sagged against it. Evie was going to claw my eyes out when she got home.

  After I made myself a giant cup of coffee I felt much better. And feeling much better made me feel shitty about throwing Evie under the bus to save myself and Halen. I sighed and pulled my phone out, deciding to be a good cousin and at least give her a heads up.

  Me: Your dad is going to be calling. I may have mentioned that sorority girls were notorious for being whores who did nothing but run around in bikinis. Sorry. Love you.

  Almost immediately my phone dinged, like she’d been typing as I was.

  Evie: What in the holy hell did you do? My dad just fucking called and demanded I come home this instant so that he could check me for tramp stamps and hickeys.

  My eyebrows shot all the way into my hairline. Hell? Fucking? Evie didn’t curse. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I typed out my reply.

  Me: I needed to get your dad’s omniscient eyes off of me and onto someone else. You were like a sacrificial baby lamb. I said I was sorry.

  Evie: You’re going to be sorry.

  Did she just threaten me? Maybe I was right to turn Uncle Smith on to my baby cousin. Cussing and threats? That was not the Evie I’d left two years ago. She was a straight-A, perfect attendance, glasses-wearing, virginal, sweet as pie girl who still wore braids at the age of sixteen.

  Me: See you soon, Evs!

  Chapter Seventeen

  Halen

  I wasn’t ready for school to be out. And for once, there was no dang traffic on I-35. There was absolutely no stalling the inevitable; it was time to go home and see Beau. I’d promised that I’d help him with his upcoming show at the gallery and I would. I didn’t go back on my word, ever. But I’d been parked outside my mother’s studio for five minutes now, putting off going inside. I was afraid to see him again. Afraid for him to smile at me, and to look good in his jeans. Afraid that my walls would begin to crumble and that I’d start to forgive him. Start to forget what he put me through. That was the problem with Beau and me. I loved him. I’d loved him my whole life. If he tried, if he made a play for my heart, not just my friendship…I’d surrender.

  “Hey, you’re home.” When I walked in the door, a smile took over the concentrated look on his face.

  I didn’t really know how to respond. So I didn’t. I just shrugged and strode around the desk, standing next to him to study the images on the large computer monitor. He was scrolling through literally thousands of jpegs at a pace almost too fast for my eyes to keep up with. But he’d stop every so often and then jot down some notes. I read over his shoulder and saw that every image he paused at, he’d write down his idea of another picture to oppose it. Instead of trying to keep up with the computer, I started to point to the paper in front of him and make some suggestions. “This one here, where you need someth
ing that showcases light coming in through a window? Maybe the tree house during sunset?”

  He grinned up at me. “Yeah, you’re right, that’s a great idea.”

  I bit my lip and kept reading. “And this one. You could use our dads and the uncles. We could set them up around a table of scattered music sheets and cookies. Maybe one lone bottle of whiskey to show that not all vices are bad?”

  “See? I knew you’d be the perfect person to help me with this.” He turned and our eyes met. That was the point where I needed to look away. Where I needed to make some excuse to leave, to avoid his gaze. But this time I didn’t. And when his eyes drifted down to my lips, I let myself feel the flutter in my belly. The butterflies that had always taken flight when he looked at me like that. He was close, and for just a moment I shut my eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling his scent. Spicy and outdoorsy at the same time. “Hales.”

  The way he said my name, the reverence in his voice. God, it was perfect. I allowed myself about ten more seconds. Ten more seconds of just being in the present, just being in the here and now with the boy I’d loved. I felt his lips; they were millimeters away. It would take nothing at all to let him kiss me. It’d be easy. And it’d be so good. “Sweets.”

  That nickname against my lips was like ice water to my soul. I took a step away. No, I couldn’t be too close to his smile. His hands. His heart. None of it was safe. None of it was okay. I cleared my throat. “If you want to keep making notes, I can go over them later and give you some ideas tomorrow.”

  His smile fell. “You’re leaving?”

  “I, uh, I have some homework and I need to help my mom with dinner.” I laughed nervously. “You know how bad of a cook she is.”

  He looked back at the screen, like he was dismissing me, and grateful for the pass, I hightailed it to the door. When I had my hand on the knob, ready to make my escape, he stopped me when he said, “We’re all eating dinner at Uncle Smith’s tonight because Evie came home early. Didn’t your mom tell you?”

  I hung my head and slumped against the cool wooden surface. I was stuck with Beau for the rest of the night. And I couldn’t hide how it made me feel. Defeated. “Wonderful.”

  “Hales.”

  “It’s cool. I just, uh, thought maybe I’d get a little time to myself before the craziness of tomorrow is all.” And I thought that I’d get a night away from Beau. It felt like he’d been everywhere over the last few days. There was no escaping him. No ignoring the fact the he was here, that he was in my space. And if I was being completely honest, it was getting harder for me to keep up my walls. Everything about him was familiar, and everything about him…I missed. I was like an addict with my drug of choice just sitting right in front of me. Begging me to use again.

  “You want to stay and go over some more?” He gestured to the computer screen. “Then we can head over to dinner together?”

  Did I want to? Sure. Should I? Nope.

  I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with copious amounts of air. “I’m going to run home and get changed. I’ve been walking around campus all day, and I feel like I need a shower. I’ll see you at Uncle Smith’s.” I ran out of the studio without waiting for him to say goodbye.

  When I got home, my house was full of people. Jett and Marley were playing some video game on the large screen in the living room. Cash and Avory were doing homework at the kitchen table and Crue was sitting on the counter eating a banana and scrolling through his phone. The only one who bothered to look up when I entered was Cash. “Hey. Where have you been?”

  He wasn’t accusing me of anything, he just sounded concerned. It was my guilty conscience that made me bite my lip. Nothing had happened back there between Beau and me. An almost-kiss didn’t count, but I’d let my guard down. Even if it was for just a moment. “School. And then I ran by my mom’s studio to look at something for Beau’s show at the gallery.”

  He narrowed his eyes, studying me for a second. Quietly trying to discern if I’d made it through that encounter unscathed. “We’re having dinner at Uncle Smith’s house tonight—I didn’t know if anyone told you. The parents are all there getting things ready.”

  “Yeah. Which means that Avory and I need to not be in here doing homework.” Crue hopped off the counter, polishing off his banana. He picked my sister up and threw her over his shoulder. “I can help you with your chemistry test later.” He smacked her ass playfully.

  “You’re failing chemistry.” She rolled her eyes, but let him cart her down the hallway to her room. The door slammed a second later.

  I wrinkled my nose. “Is Crue really failing chemistry?”

  “Nah, I think he has a C or something.” Cash closed his textbook and stood up, stretching. “You okay? I was going to head home and grab a shower real quick, but I can stay if you need me to. I can just shower here and then change before dinner.”

  I stepped over to him and placed my forehead on his chest. “You’re the best, you know that, right?”

  He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and relaxed some of his weight on top of me. “Of course I know that. A few of you wouldn’t survive without me.”

  I scoffed but he wasn’t too far off. I pulled back and met his eyes. “You need to stop worrying about the rest of us, and worry about yourself. You for sure need to tell Crue to fudge off.”

  He shrugged. “He’s my brother.”

  “I’m y’all’s brother too. If you want, I can take some of those chicks off your hands.” Jett called out from the living room.

  “Not a chance in hell, kid.” Cash replied over my head. “You look nothing like us. It would never work.” Then under his breath, where just I could hear, he mumbled, “Believe me, I’ve thought about it.”

  I knew he hated what he was doing for Crue. But I also knew that he loved his brother, and he loved Avory, and he’d never stop helping them. “Hey.” I pulled back and waited for him to meet my eyes. “Are you okay?”

  He grinned. “Of course.”

  “You know this taking care of each other is a two-way street, right? You don’t always have to be the one that’s the protector, the guard. I can be there for you too.”

  “I know.” He kissed my forehead and then headed to the door. He turned and yelled out down the hallway. “Uncle Dash, hey, I thought you were at Uncle Smith’s already.” We both watched as Crue came bolting out of Avory’s room with his pants around his ankles, tripped twice and then dove into the bathroom across the hall. Cash winked at me and laughed so loud I heard him even though he was out on the porch.

  I headed to my room, knocking on the bathroom door on my way. “He was kidding.”

  Crue peeked his head out and looked toward the front of the house. “He’s an asshole.”

  I turned around and shot him a glare. “Really? I think we both know who the asshole is in this situation.” I held my hand up when he opened his mouth to, no doubt, argue. “Whether you’re trying to protect my sister or not, you’re in the wrong.” I walked away then closed my bedroom door, forcefully.

  Today at school had been easy. The last two hours, when I’d been at home? Not so much. Beau was slowly worming his way back into my good graces. Cash was crumbling before my eyes, and Avory and Crue were a hot, hormonal mess.

  This whole family felt like it was seconds away from imploding.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Beau

  I was sitting on Uncle Smith’s large front porch. Most of the family was already out back, but I was waiting for Halen. She told her mom she’d run to the pool house cellar and grab some more wine. I knew she was most likely avoiding me, and I hated that. I could have run that errand if she really didn’t want to see me. Or someone could have at least gone with her so she didn’t have to go alone. I was sitting on the bench swing, enjoying the peace and quiet with an ice-cold beer on the railing in front of me and the Texas sun setting to my right. I grabbed the camera from the seat beside me and snapped some pictures. This was drinking alone at its finest. Drinking
alone in a therapeutic, healthy, soulful way. It would make a good counterbalance for a couple of the images I had from Louisiana.

  “Penny for your thoughts? Traitor.”

  I put my camera down as Evie came out the front door. She looked different. She’d grown up, sure, but it was more than that. Her brown hair was shorter, with messy, wavy curls. Her eyelashes were long, like she had extensions, and her glasses were gone. She was wearing makeup, and her dress was so tiny it seemed more like a shirt. “Why don’t you come sit down and tell me what the hell is up with you?” I patted the swing.

  She sat, but instead of talking right away, she took my beer off the railing and drained it. Then she leaned back, sighing. “I always forget how pretty the sunsets are on the compound.”

  “You miss home?” I knew that feeling all too well.

  “Sometimes.”

  Apparently, I was going to have to drag every answer out of her if I wanted to have any sort of meaningful conversation. “You want to share the real reason you didn’t show up before today?”

  “I told y’all, I have obligations at school.” She turned to look at me. “I have a life. I have friends. I have charities I’m part of. I have things to do that don’t involve being one of the dutiful Devil’s daughters, you know?”

  “The charity event?”

  “You were right, bikini car wash.” She laughed quietly. “But we raised over ten thousand dollars for the Big Brothers-Big Sisters organization.”

  “The cussing?”

  “Probably goes along with the drinking and the partying.” She bit her bottom lip and I couldn’t help but smile. That was our family, that was our ultimate tell, and we all fucking had it. See? Blood meant nothing because that nervous trait came from Uncle Luke and Aunt Lexi, and they weren’t related.