by C. C. Wood
My brain was still stuck on his first statement about where he and I might be in a year or two, then everything else he said processed and I gaped at him. He thought my attitude was hot? A turn-on? That was a first. The few men I’d dated longer than two months seemed to enjoy my feistiness at first only to set out to change it when things began to get serious. This was the reason I intentionally began dating men who were wrong, as wrong for me as I could find. Men with commitment issues, narcissists, the list went on. Until Patrick, I’d never found a man who truly understood my twisted sense of humor and biting wit.
A small flare of hope warmed my belly and the tightness in my chest relaxed. I hadn’t even felt it before now.
“What are you trying to say, Patrick?” I wanted to be sure I understood.
He smiled a little. Oh, that was the same half-grin Aidan gave Nat and it made my heart pound because it implied something special.
“I’m telling you, Cat, that all your excuses for keeping your distance won’t work with me. I get that you’ve been kicked around by a lot of the men in your life, but all the things about you that are different, the ones other men tried to change, are things that I love. I don’t want to change them.”
I stared at him. He loved my sarcasm, snarky tendencies, and perverse sense humor? I wanted to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t asleep. If I was, it had to be the best dream I’d ever had. A genuinely nice guy who didn’t want to change me into a Stepford bride? In fact, as I thought about all this, I realized Patrick’s interactions with me had been engineered to bring those characteristics out of me. I scowled.
“Are you sure you know what you’re getting into here, Patrick? I’ll never the kind of woman who’s sweetness and light. If anything, knowing that my personality doesn’t scare you will make it worse.”
He chuckled. “Cat, I’ve been around Nat a lot. I’ve also spent a lot of time with you recently. You two don’t exactly hide what you are, especially when you’re together. What you see is what you get. I like that about both of you. I also know I will never, ever, be bored.”
Okay, I was done beating the dead horse. He understood what he was getting into and I honestly thought I might be getting the better end of the deal, but he’d already made his choice.
“Okay, then. What do we do now?”
Patrick leered at me so lecherously I had to laugh.
“Other than that?” I asked.
His eyes were warm, amused, and so green it almost hurt to look at them.
“We keep doing what we did the last week, before you freaked out and ran away. We spend time together, sleep together, and enjoy each other. If things go well, maybe we get a place together, or get engaged.”
Whoa, I backed up a little.
“I think living together would be the next step rather than marriage. I want to be sure you aren’t a complete slob before I promise to spend the rest of my life with you.”
He blinked at me a second then laughed. “Why would you think I was a complete slob?”
Patrick gestured to the room around us. For the first time I noticed that his bedroom was fairly clean, probably even neater than mine. It didn’t have the homey touches that made it seem really comfy, but it wasn’t slovenly and it didn’t smell like a gym locker.
“But I have seen the interior of the truck you and Aidan share for work. It’s disgusting.”
He started laughing harder. I folded my arms and waited. Finally, he wiped his eyes and grinned at me.
“That’s just Aidan and me being brothers. We never clear out the truck, always blaming the other, even though it’s messy because both of us leave crap in there. Now, I think we leave it like that as a contest to see who gets grossed out the most first. Usually, Aidan gets to the point where he can’t stand it and he’ll shovel it out. Although a few months ago, when he knew I’d have the truck for an entire week, he left an empty tuna can in there. After two days, I couldn’t stand the stench any longer and I took it to be detailed.”
I rolled my eyes. Men. I would never understand them.
“Okay, so you’re not a slob. I still want to live together a bit before we consider anything more permanent. You may have habits that drive me nuts.”
I was sure he’d occasionally do stuff to bug me, but my main concern was to give us time to build trust. I didn’t think he was lying to me now, but I knew I would need time to really believe it. It was going to be hard for me to discard four years of wall building.
Patrick tapped my nose with his finger. There was that ESP look again. He probably knew exactly what I was thinking, but, proving yet again he was a pretty good guy, he didn’t push.
“We have plenty of time, Cat. Why don’t we take it day by day for a while, hm?”
I had to make a wise crack. “Kinda like rehab, huh?”
It was his turn to roll his eyes. “Now, how’s your hang over?”
My head still throbbed a bit and I really, really wanted, and probably needed, to brush my teeth.
“I think I’ll be fine after a shower, pain killer, and breakfast. Why?”
Patrick stood, pulling me up with him. “Aidan just called. He and Nat got an earlier flight, so they’re already on their way home. Apparently, she’s been missing you something fierce, so he asked me if we could come over and have dinner.”
I smiled happily. My bestie was going to be here in just a few hours. I couldn’t wait to make a huge batch of mojitos and talk to her. Then, I intended to completely fuck with her head as punishment for trying to throw me together with Patrick. It may have worked, but she did deserve a little retribution. I practically skipped into the bathroom for my shower, my hang over almost forgotten.
At six that evening, Patrick and I were sitting by Nat’s pool, enjoying various alcoholic beverages. Nat was glowing from happiness and a slight sunburn, and Aidan seemed more relaxed than I’d ever seen him. I guessed two weeks of sun, sand, and sex would do that to a person. I was wearing my gifts from my bestie. As a thank you gift for housesitting, she had brought back some gorgeous hand-made silver jewelry for me. A new pair of earrings dangled from my ears, and a gorgeous pendant rested around my neck.
The boys got up and went inside to prep the meat for the grill. Nat chose this moment to pounce.
“You and Patrick seem to be getting along really well.”
I bit back a smile. She was trying so very hard to sound casual and it wasn’t working. I could tell she was filled with glee at the idea that her underhanded matchmaking would have brought us together.
“Yeah, I can tolerate him now. I just wish he hadn’t taken Anya back.”
“What?” Nat was screeching. “No way, he did not take her back. I can’t believe it. After all the prodding I did to make sure he’d come check in on you while Aidan and I were on honeymoon! I’m going to kick him in the shin when he comes out of the house.”
Nat was so indignant that I couldn’t keep a straight face. One look at the shit-eating grin I was wearing, Nat stopped her tirade and scowled at me.
“You’re such a bitch! He and Anya aren’t back together. You’re totally sleeping with him, aren’t you?”
I shrugged and took another sip of my mojito. I wasn’t going to share details until she apologized for meddling. Nat cocked her head, looking at me intently.
“Okay, so I’m sorry I tried to play matchmaker.” She paused. “Okay, so I’m not really sorry. I knew you and Patrick would be good together. I just want you to be happy.”
I smiled into my drink. I knew her intentions were good, but I had also wanted a little payback. I relented when she began to pout.
“It’s okay, Nat. I wasn’t angry about it, well, not too angry. You know I hate it when you meddle.”
She snorted at me. “I always hated it when you meddled, and, let me remind you, that’s exactly what you did when we first met Aidan! All’s fair, sugar pie. Besides it seems like things have worked out for the best, doesn’t it?”
I had to agree. I nodded and
sighed. “I think I love him, Nat. Okay, so I more than think it, I know it. It just seems so fast, it’s scary.”
Nat smiled. “I know exactly how you feel. One week and Aidan had me, hook, line, and sinker. The Hart boys seem to work fast.” She looked out at her pool, watching the water for a second. “Do you think he loves you?”
“He didn’t exactly say the words, but he did mention loving my smart ass comments and twisted sense of humor.”
She giggled. “Give him another day. I’m sure you’ll hear it soon.”
“Okay, enough about my love life,” I said. “I want to hear all about the honeymoon. Even the dirty parts.”
Nat smirked and set down her mojito. By the time she was finished telling me her stories, we were both blushing and feeling very hot all over. I know Patrick got lucky that night, and, knowing Nat, so did Aidan.
One Year Later…
Oh, man, Patrick was going to be so pissed. I was running way late. We were getting together with Nat and Aidan to celebrate their first anniversary. I knew they had already had their own private celebration because Nat had described it to me over the phone the day after and I was surprised my cell didn’t melt. I put the Camaro’s gas pedal down a little more. We were going to grill and swim, which was a typical summer party for Nat and I, but Patrick wanted me to be early because he said he had a surprise for me. Normally, I hated surprises. However, Patrick always gave me the best ones, so I didn’t complain.
I’d already had one surprise that morning. One I hadn’t shared with Patrick but thought he might like. I couldn’t be sure. Things had been going so well the last year. True to his word, Patrick was always honest with me and did seem to find my quirks entertaining and adorable. I discovered he wasn’t a slob. We’d laughed, fought, and taken things one day at a time. I was ready for the next step and had planned to talk to Patrick about it soon. Now, I didn’t have much choice. After a two weeks of feeling tired, bloated, and like I was on an emotional rollercoaster, I realized I hadn’t had my period in over a month. Though I pretty much knew, I took an over the counter pregnancy test. It was positive. Then, I’d gone to my doctor that morning just to be sure, and all the tests there were positive. She said I was almost eight weeks pregnant.
Now, I had to share this with Patrick. I was a little nervous, because he had been giving me signals he was ready to take the next step too, but a baby was not a step. It was a friggin’ leap off the commitment cliff. I drove my Camaro to his house next to Aidan and Nat’s. Patrick was still living next door, though he’d mentioned finding another place soon. As much as he liked that house, he wanted to own his own place and he really didn’t want to live next door to his brother for the rest of his life. I completely understood. When he mentioned it, I’d almost asked him if he wanted to move in with me, but I’d held back. Now the idea was looking pretty good, though we’d have to find a bigger place before the baby came. My condo really wasn’t large enough for that.
I pulled up to the curb and got out. I was halfway down the sidewalk when Patrick came through the front door toward me.
“Let’s go.” He took the keys out of my hand and turned me back toward the Camaro. “We need to go and come back pretty fast since Nat wants us to come over and help set up for the party.”
I had to jog a little to keep up with Patrick’s long strides.
“Where are we going?” I was completely bewildered.
“It’s a surprise.”
I let Patrick put me in the passenger seat and waited until he was settled into the driver seat before I spoke.
“Um, Patrick, speaking of surprises, I have one for you, too.”
He glanced at me as he maneuvered the Camaro down the street from Nat’s. We turned a couple of corners and stopped in front of a house before he spoke.
“What kind of surprise?” he asked.
“One I’m not sure you’re going to like.”
He suddenly focused completely on me. “What do you mean, Cat?”
I took a deep breath and blew it out. “It’s nothing horrible, I’m just a little nervous about what you’re going to think.”
His face relaxed and I realized he’d been worried. “Don’t be nervous. Whatever you need to say, just say it. We’ll talk it out.”
I nodded. Okay, here we go, I thought. I decided to tell him fast and straight.
“I’m pregnant.”
Patrick froze except for his eyelids. He blinked fast several times. I held my breath. Oh, crap, he wasn’t going to take this well. I wasn’t sure what to say. I mean it wasn’t like I got into this condition all by myself.
Suddenly, he whooped and grabbed my face to kiss me. Patrick grinned at me when he pulled back.
“That’s probably the best news I’ve gotten in my life.”
All the air left me in a rush. He wasn’t upset. He was happy. I smiled, glad that he hadn’t freaked.
“Really?” I asked.
He nodded and jumped out of the car. He came around to my side, opened the door, and helped me out.
“It makes my surprise even more perfect.”
I wanted to roll my eyes at his cocky tone but I was also curious. Patrick was leading me up the front walk to a truly beautiful two-story home. I recognized it as one I had pointed out a few months ago because it had a For Sale sign in the yard. Every time we drove past it I thought it was the prettiest home on the block. Maybe even in the entire neighborhood.
“What are we doing here, Patrick?”
He led me up the porch steps and pulled a key from his pocket. After he unlocked the door, he pulled me inside. My question forgotten, I looked around the empty home. It was just as gorgeous on the inside as it was outside. I stared at the huge expanse of wooden floors and large windows. The house was a lot bigger than I’d realized.
“Well, Cat, what do you think?” he asked.
“This place is amazing, Patrick. Did Nat and Aidan buy it?”
He smiled and shook his head, looking as excited as a little boy at Christmas.
“No, Cat. I bought it. For us.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
His smiled widened. “I bought it for us, to live in together.”
“Really?” My voice squeaked.
He nodded and I felt my eyes fill with tears. I wasn’t much of a crier, but these damn pregnancy hormones were making me way too prone to waterworks.
“I was going to ask you to move in with me tonight, Cat, but now I’m not.”
Okay, that snapped me out of my teary haze. “What?”
“What I mean, Cat, is that I want to get married. I wanted to ask you before now, but I knew you wanted to take things slowly. I figured I’d ease you into the idea after we’d been living together a few months and you understood that things were working out between us.”
My head felt light and dizziness invaded. I swayed and grabbed his arms for balance.
“Jesus, Cat. I didn’t think telling you I wanted to get married would make you faint.”
He led me to the staircase and helped me ease down onto one of the steps. I took deep breaths. When my head finally cleared, I just looked at him. This man was amazing and I was so glad I had stopped being a coward.
I touched his cheek. “Yes, I’d love to marry you, but it has to be soon, because I refuse to walk down the aisle as big as a house or exhausted because we have a newborn. I also want us to have a honeymoon. It doesn’t have to be big and expensive, but I want to go somewhere just you and me for a week.”
Patrick leaned forward and kissed me hard. “As soon as you can get everything arranged, we’ll get married. And, Cat, our honeymoon is going to be somewhere fantastic, so deal with it.” He hugged me to him. “I love you so much, Cat.”
I wrapped my arms around him, leaned my cheek against his shoulder, and blinked back more tears. I was so happy that I didn’t think my body could contain it all.
“I love you too, Patrick.”
I squealed when he pulled back and lifted me
into his arms.
“Patrick, what are you doing?”
He leered at me. “I’m giving you a tour of the house, Cat. Starting with the bedroom.”
As he carried me up the steps, I laughed so hard I cried.
Drive Me Crazy
Copyright © Crystal Wood Wilson 2013
All Rights Reserved
The shrieking and banging woke me up from my favorite dream. I lay in bed a moment, trying to figure out what dragged me away from Alexander Skarsgard and a bottle of honey. Another scream pierced through my bedroom wall and I rolled over, burying my face in the pillow. Not again. The strains of a hardcore metal band and what could laughably be called music came blaring from next door.
Jesus Christ, he was at it again. I glanced at the clock and saw it was two in the morning. The asshole had no consideration.
I was going to kill fucking Troy, I thought darkly. I hadn’t met my new neighbor yet, but he had only moved in a few weeks ago and this was the tenth time I had been woken up in the middle of the night because of his noise. Last night, it had been the porn star wannabe who sounded like Betty Boop. She screamed his name loud enough and often enough for me to never forget that my new neighbor was called Troy. I decided she had to be faking it. I never had any man make me want to scream like that.
Then there was the headboard hitting the wall. Why the hell did he decide to put his headboard against the same fucking wall? It sounded as if our headboards lined up perfectly.