by Evan Grace
“It’s really none of your business. Go away.” I turn from him and feel him follow me into the kitchen.
“Whatever it was upset you. Tell me what was in the box.” He crowds me until I’m against my refrigerator. “What. Was. It?”
I try to shove him away, but he’s like a freaking rock. “It was one or more of my books, and the asshole completely shredded them.”
“Did they leave a note?” I shake my head. “What about the return address?” Jack’s voice is softer, gentler, than he’s ever used with me before.
“It was a P.O. Box.” I look down and realize my hands are still on his chest. I go to move them, but he puts his hands over mine, holding them there. “If you’re wondering why I was crying, it’s because they took my hard work and destroyed it like it was nothing, and I was pissed.”
Before I can react, he palms the back of my head and pulls me toward him. My arms automatically wrap around his waist. I begin to cry again as he comforts me. “I could j-just scream I-I’m so mad.”
“Has something like this happened before?”
I start to shake my head, but then I remember the emails. “A woman named Martha, she emails me sometimes. She tells me I’m a sinner. I should repent…yada yada yada. It’s harmless.”
“If she sent the books, she knows your address. Darlin’, is your real name and address listed anywhere that a reader could get ahold of?”
“I don’t think so. No one knows me by my real name. You guys are the only ones who know that I’m Eva.”
“Do you have the emails?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t see a reason to keep them.”
He pulls back and looks down at me. My fingers itch to stroke his square jaw that’s covered in just enough scruff. “Promise me if you get emailed again you keep it and let me take a look. People are crazy and not everyone can be trusted.”
I nervously lick my lips, and I don’t miss the way his eyes land on my mouth, watching my tongue wetting them. I nod. “I promise.”
“Good,” he whispers just before his lips are on mine. It’s a surprisingly soft kiss that makes my toes curl, and my pussy clench. I let him set the tone, and he doesn’t disappoint. He increases the pressure and coaxes my mouth open. Our tongues dance together, and I moan against his lips.
I grip his t-shirt at his sides as I tip my head to allow him deeper. A warm feeling spreads through me, and I want to be as close as I can to him. Jack must be able to read my thoughts because he wraps an arm around my waist, hugging me to him. I don’t miss his erection that’s pressed against my belly.
All too soon Jack ends the kiss. He cups my chin and strokes his thumb back and forth across my lower lip. “Fuck me, you’re pretty,” he whispers, and then leans down to kiss my lips again before pulling back. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“Okay, I’d like that.” I’m trying to remain cool when all I want to do is jump up and down screaming, but he’s been so hot and cold with me.
“I’ll be here at seven.” He leans down until his breath tickles my lips. “I’d really love it if you wore that black dress.”
I nod, and he grabs my hand and then walks me toward my front door. He kisses me one more time, and then he’s gone—just like that.
I can’t help but wonder if I made a mistake saying yes to him. Is this going to be one of those times where he acts like he’s into me but then pushes me away? Only time will tell.
Chapter Six
Jack
I pull my Expedition into my garage, kill the engine, and hop out. I’ve got an hour to get ready for my date. Fuck, I can’t remember the last time I went on a date. Hell, I think it was shortly after Becky and I got divorced. I was too fucked up to really give myself to someone.
I swore I was over it, but when everything happened with Delilah and Charlie, it brought it all back to the forefront. I swore I was planning on staying away from Harley. She’s made me think about things I never planned on thinking about ever again, but the moment I saw her crying in her front yard I knew I couldn’t stay away from her any longer.
My daughter has been hounding me since last night asking questions. Earlier today she came into my office and tried to pump me for information. She’s definitely my daughter, and she’d make a hell of an interrogator, but I told her nothing.
I know she’s been worried about me, and I’ve tried to convince her I’m fine, but my daughter is living on her happy cloud, which makes me glad. Her life wasn’t always the best, and as much as I know it’s not my fault, a part of me will always feel like it is, or it was. But now that Delilah is on her happy cloud, she wants everyone else on it with her.
I can’t believe I have three grandbabies…well, two and one on the way. Their house is chaos, but they don’t care. As her father I made so many mistakes, but seeing what a wonderful mother she is makes me feel like I’m not such a failure.
Shaking off those thoughts, I hop in the shower, and when I’m done I wrap a towel around my waist. I grab my shaving cream and proceed to shave my face. I slap on some aftershave my daughter convinced me to buy. I grab the jar of hair shit and run my fingers through my hair.
In my bedroom I throw on a pair of my dark jeans, a fitted black t-shirt, and my black motorcycle boots. A thought hits me: I can’t really pick her up—I don’t want Delilah to get the wrong idea. This thing with Harley could go really wrong, and I’d hate for my daughter to lose her friend, and it seems that Harley doesn’t have a lot of people in her life, either.
I’m an asshole, I know this, and there’s a huge possibility that I’ll hurt Harley—not intentionally, but it could happen. I don’t want to destroy their friendship because I’m a dick. No, I can’t not go pick her up—now that would be a dick move.
I shove my wallet in my back pocket and grab my keys before I head out.
Pulling into Harley’s driveway, I don’t miss the curtains move in my daughter’s living room. I want to shake my head and laugh, but instead I pretend that I don’t see her or Charlie peeking out the window. God, I love my girls.
When I reach Harley’s door I hit the doorbell and wait for her to answer. Always watchful, I look up and down the street, but I don’t know what I expect to find. Harley doesn’t know I took the box out of her trash. I have a buddy on the police force that’s going to check it for fingerprints and then run them in the system.
The front door opens, and I turn to look. Harley is standing there, in front of me, and I feel my dick twitch in my pants. She’s fucking stunning. Her auburn hair is pinned back, my guess at the base of her skull, and her makeup is soft except for the red gloss on her lips.
She’s wearing the little black dress and black strappy wedges. Harley pushes open the screen door. “Hi, Jack.”
I step through the door, and her sweet, floral scent wraps around me. I watch her walk toward the kitchen, my eyes immediately going to her perfect ass. I would give my left nut to have her cheeks in my hands.
I follow behind her like some lovesick fool. She fills up a water bottle and then I watch her bend over as she sticks it in her damn bunny’s cage. That thing…I’ll admit it’s cute, and my granddaughter loves it, but what does a bunny do? It can’t protect you. What purpose does it serve, except to be snuggled?
When she stands up I place my hands on her hips and fit my front to her back. At first she holds herself stiff, but then she relaxes against me. I lean down and put my lips to her ear. “You are fucking gorgeous.”
“T-Thank you.” She turns in my arms. “You look handsome.”
I reach behind her and quickly pull the pins out of her hair until it tumbles around her shoulders. “I like it better down,” I tell her as I sift my fingers through the soft strands. The scent of coconut hits my nose, and I know it’s her shampoo. “We better go or we’re never going to leave.” She looks at me with confusion, but then she must realize what I’m talking about because her eyes widen, and she begins to nod.
I let her go, and grab her
hand before leading her outside. We’re silent on the way out to my SUV. I open the door for her and help her inside, and again I feel eyes on us. “Don’t look now, but we have an audience.”
Her eyes immediately go to my daughter’s house and she laughs softly. “If they’re trying to be sneaky, they’re really bad at it.”
I close her door and walk around to my side, giving my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter a wave. Shaking my head, I climb in and we head out, and out of the corner of my eye I watch Harley wave to my family as they watch us from the window.
“Where are we going?” she asks.
“Do you like Chinese? There’s a great restaurant that’s kind of a hole in the wall, but their food is fantastic.”
“I love Chinese food.”
I park half a block down from Ying’s. I discovered this place while I was doing surveillance and became addicted to it. It’s a little family-run business, they have no sign and do no marketing, but the place is always packed.
I climb out, moving around the front to help Harley down. I lace my fingers with hers as we head down the street to the red door. As soon as we step inside, the smells hit me and make my mouth water.
“Oh my God, is it wrong that I want to lick the air?” she says, looking up at me with a smile that takes my breath away.
I can only laugh, and it feels fucking good. I wrap my arm around her shoulders and hug her into my side. The matriarch of the Ying family, Li Liu, comes over smiling. “Hello, Mr. Mackenzie. I see you brought a pretty lady tonight.” She grabs two menus and leads us to a table in the corner. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you, Ms. Liu.” She nods and then disappears. I pull out Harley’s chair and then take the seat across from her. Ms. Liu returns with a pot of tea, and then leaves us.
I pour myself a cup of tea and lift the pot in her direction and she nods. “This is obviously a frequent haunt. It’s busy, but you managed to get a seat right away.”
“I was doing surveillance nearby when I discovered, and became addicted, to this place. They had a break-in a year and a half ago, and my crew installed a security system and more secure doors for them. I charged them for materials only, and at a discount. They’re a busy restaurant and I’m sure they make good money, but they send a lot of it home to their family in China.” What in the hell is wrong with me? Why am I nervous? I’m babbling about shit she probably doesn’t care about.
The Yings’ granddaughter comes to takes our order, and then disappears to grab us waters. “Tell me about your family?” I turn back to Harley and ask.
“Ummm…there’s not much to tell. I don’t really have one anymore.”
That answer has me curious, but before I can ask what that means, our waitress brings our drinks out. When she leaves us, I open my mouth to ask Harley about her family, but she asks me about my grandkids. Everyone who knows me knows those kids are my everything.
“The kids are good. You’ve seen them in action. They wear Delilah and Reece out, but they’re both always smiling.” They bring our food out, and conversation is stalled while we eat, but Harley’s appreciative moans are making it hard for me to concentrate.
“You’re right. This is the best Chinese food I’ve ever eaten.” She smiles at me and takes a big bite of her rice and vegetables. “Thank you for asking me to dinner. I was beginning to think that you didn’t really like me much.”
I set my chopsticks down and reach across the table to grab her hands. They’re soft, and I drag my thumb across the top of her knuckles. “I’m the first to admit I’m a dick. I was attracted to you, and to be honest I didn’t want to be.” I shrug. “It was easier to be an asshole than admit that I wanted to get to know you better.”
“Thank you for telling me that, and even though you were a dick, I still had a crush on you.” Her cheeks turn a deep shade of pink, and she lowers her head.
“Don’t be embarrassed. I like that you’re into me.”
Harley shakes her head and rolls her eyes. “Oh brother, you’re too much.”
We’re both quiet as we finish eating. After we finish, I pay the check and we head out. I’m not ready to call it a night yet, and I hope she isn’t, either. “Do you want to grab a drink?”
“Sure, I’ve got beer at my place if you want to come over.” I’m frozen; I don’t know what to say, but I’ve obviously stood here for too long because suddenly Harley’s walking toward the exit.
“Harley, wait up?” I follow her out to the street. “I’m sorry, I was just surprised that you were inviting me back to your place.”
“Okay, sorry.” She surprises me and pokes me in the stomach. “If you weren’t so hot and cold with me, I wouldn’t be so sensitive.”
I really like that she’s honest, telling me exactly how I made her feel. “See…I told you I was a dick.”
“Well, stop being one.” She smiles up at me.
I grab Harley around the waist and bring her flush against me. “Come home with me?” I sweep her hair out of her face. “I’ve got a really nice back deck.”
“Okay, sure. I’d like that.”
I lean down and kiss her forehead. “Let’s go.” I grab her hand, leading her to my SUV.
We make our way toward my place. Before the grandkids I lived in an apartment in the city, but after, I wanted a place closer to my daughter. My house had been kind of a dump when I bought it, and the in-ground pool had been a mess.
It took about six months and a lot of work to make it a home. I pull into the driveway of my bungalow Craftsman. The siding is gray with navy shutters, and the front door is red—Delilah picked that out. All the landscaping was done by Delilah and my mom when my parents were here visiting last summer to spend time with their granddaughter and great-grandbabies. Mom and Dad moved to Florida as soon as Dad retired from John Deere.
“Wow. I really love your place,” Harley says as I lead her inside. My dad, Reece, his dad, and I had gutted the place and worked with contractors to give it an open layout. We went with light beige walls and laminate flooring throughout. My daughter and Mom decorated the place, giving it an arty, but manly, look.
The kitchen and dining room are a pale yellow. The kitchen has granite countertops and a matching island. The dining room table is long with plenty of room for my grandbabies. In the corner is a highchair and booster seat.
Hand in hand, I show her around. Harley stops and picks up a baby doll sitting in a basket next to the couch. “Yours?” She strokes her hand over the brown hair of the doll.
I hold up my hands. “You caught me. I love to play with dolls.”
She places it gently back in the basket. “I knew you were a dollaholic.”
“Dollaholic?”
Harley moves to stand in front of my bookcase, looking at pictures. “Yep, I just made that word up. I bet you play dollies with Charlie, don’t you?”
I step up behind her and grab onto her hips. She picks up one of my favorite pictures. It’s from last Christmas and Delilah’s tucked into my side with her head on my shoulder. She’s got my namesake sleeping on her lap, and Charlie is sitting on mine. “Your family is beautiful, Jack.”
My dick gets hard whenever she says my name, and this time is no different. “They are. Del didn’t have a very good momma, but that didn’t stop her from being the best.” She sets the frame back on the bookcase.
“Let’s finish the tour and then we’ll go sit out back.” I take her upstairs and show her the room I have set up for the kids. I take her into my bedroom; the walls are a grayish-white and my bed is a California king, but my room is big enough to hold it. My furniture is all distressed pine.
“Wow, that’s the biggest bed I’ve ever seen.” She walks up to it, turns around, and falls backward on it.
I walk toward the bed and fall back on it too.
Harley turns toward me and smiles. “It’s comfy.”
I turn so I’m lying on my side, and she does the same. “It is.” I grab Harley’s hand and bring it to my lips, k
issing it. I want nothing more than to strip her bare and kiss every inch of her body, but I don’t—instead I get off the bed, grab her, and pull her to standing. “Let’s go get a drink.”
Downstairs I grab us both a beer and lead her out the French doors in the dining room that open to the back patio and pool. Once I flip on the lights, I don’t miss her softly said, “Wow.” I follow her as she walks down to the pool.
She pulls her wedges off and sits at the top of the stairs, sticking her feet in the water. “This feels so good.”
“I keep it lukewarm for the kids.” I take off my boots and socks, rolling up my jeans enough to dip my feet in the water as I sit down next to Harley. I grab the beers that I’d sat down and hand her one.
I watch her throat work as she takes a drink from her bottle before I take a drink of my own. The night is quiet around us, but it’s nice. I spend most of my days on the go, so it’s nice to be able to just sit and be.
“Earlier you said you didn’t have a family anymore. What did you mean by that?”
Harley looks down at her lap. “I meant that I don’t have a family. My mom died when I was little. Dad couldn’t handle it, so he dumped me and my brother with our grandma, and we never saw him again. My brother turned into a drug addict and a monster. I finally cut him out of my life, and when I was eighteen my grandma passed away, and now I have no one.”
She says nothing more, just staring out across the yard. “I think I’d like to go home now,” she murmurs.
I shouldn’t have brought them up—I should’ve just left it alone. “I’m sorry.” Harley just shrugs her shoulders, but I can tell she’s shutting down on me. She stands up and slips her shoes back on. I grab the beer bottles and follow her inside.
As soon as I pull on my boots, we head out to my SUV. Harley’s quiet while we head back toward her place. I grab her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. Thankfully she squeezes it back. I pull into her driveway, climb out, and come around to help her out.
Harley holds my hand as we walk toward her front door. “I’m sorry I ruined our night.” She looks up at me, and her eyes are shiny under the porch lights.