Stand (Southern Heartbeats Vol. 1)

by Jennifer Rebecca

  “You cannot be serious.”

  “As a heart attack, mister,” Cody says back. “We were just out celebrating. Fixing to go give my mama and Ms. Mable the good news.”

  “Oh, God! Mable’s here?” Joe asks scooting lower in his seat. And if I’m not mistaken, Cody sits just a little taller. “That crazy old bat has had it out for me for forever. The first thing I’ll do when we’re married is lock her away in a home,” he smirks at me.

  “You will do no such thing, you son of a bitch!” I scream at him as I lunge across the table. “Mable is only fifty four you tool!”

  “Now, now, darlin’,” Cody says sweetly as he tightens his grip on my body pulling me back across the table into the safe zone. “If you get arrested for assault we can’t go give Mable the good news.”

  “You’re right, baby, I just got a little carried away in the moment,” I smile at him.

  “Well, I know all about how you can get swept away in a moment,” he says as he gives me a look that’s meant to tell everyone he’s seen me naked and liked it. I feel my cheeks heat and I look away, smiling. “But let’s just make it the right kind of moment,” he winks at me. Joe narrows his eyes on us again.

  “If you’re really engaged, why don’t you have a ring?” He asks looking like the cat that just caught the canary.

  “Oh, that’s easy. It’s in the safe at my mama and daddy’s place, just up around the bend from ours,” Cody says.

  “But you didn’t give it to her when you proposed?” Joe asks trying to catch us in our lies.

  “Well, I’d tell you how I proposed, but it was when we were both over swept by a moment and not fit to share,” Cody says with a smile and a look at me. My whole face has to be bright red.

  “This is beneath you,” he looks pointedly at me. I just shrug. “Fine. Prove to me that you’re engaged. I guess I’ll be staying here for a while,” he challenges. Oh, shit.

  So we do what any normal people caught in important lies do, we lie some more and hope we don’t get caught. So, Cody pays for our lunch and walks me to the jeep. Jackass climbs in the front passenger seat before I can and I am reminded of some of the things that drive me nuts. Like his always taking the better seat everywhere. The better meal choice. The better side of the bed. What the fuck? Cody looks annoyed but just shakes his head.

  He climbs in the driver’s seat and leads us home, to hopefully find some kind of a ring before we get caught in this shit show. At least we’ve been staying together for a while so it’s not going to be awkward when we fake close quarters interactions.

  We reach the big gate of the ranch and pass through the arch way that I have come to love. Cody pulls the jeep in front of his parent’s big farm house on the left. Before Cody even opens his door, his mama is opening the front door and stepping out onto the big, white porch. Steve is bolting out of the house and jumping on me. Joe makes a disgusted noise in the back of his throat.

  “Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?” I ask him as his tail wags back and forth. “Oh, my good boy. I always miss you. I wonder if I could take you to school with me.”

  “Hey, baby,” Mrs. Reynolds says to Cody. “What brings y’all by?” She asks but she winks at him. That sly fox knows. I don’t know how but she knows.

  “Well, mama, Angel and I are getting married,” he tells his mom with a proud smile on his face. She pauses two point five seconds before she gives the best excited squeal ever and jumps up and down wrapping her arms around Cody and giving him a huge hug.

  I can’t help but be a little jealous that I will never have a moment like that with my mom, even if she was still alive. She would have hated that I settled here and loved to see me married to a rich asshole like Joe. Mrs. Reynolds walks down the porch steps and wraps her strong arms around me in a real hug and whispers in my ear the words I have always wanted to hear, even if they are fake.

  “You are the daughter I have always wanted. I could not be more excited that you are joining our family. Ooooohhh, and won’t your babies be pretty!” She jumps up and down, clapping.

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here,” I tell her, but Cody is nodding in full agreement, traitor!

  “I agree. Babies. Lots and lots of babies,” he smiles at me. “I can’t wait to see you with a big round belly and my baby in it.” And I almost believe him.

  “Well, let’s go get your ring!” Mrs. Reynolds claps. “Now, I was thinking of a little something different,” she tells us as she leads us all into the dining room where there are little velvet boxes lined up on the table.

  “Is that what I think it is, mama?” Cody asks softly and I can swear there are tears in his eyes that he is holding back. They match his mother’s as she answers.

  “If you mean the Williams ring, then yes it is,” she says softly.

  “Mama,” Cody whispers.

  “You could use that ugly little thing you got, but our Angel is the next woman to wear the Williams ring. It chose her. I swear it. I opened the safe and it fell on my head. If that’s not a sign, then I don’t give a hoot what is,” she declares.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Cody says as he gives his mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then he slowly grabs the black velvet box in his hand and closes his eyes as he tips his head ever so slightly forward in thought.

  “Cody?” I ask. But he gently grabs my left hand as he drops to one knee and says the words I wish with all my heart he was saying to me for real.

  “Angellica Andrews, I come to you a humble man who is madly, desperately in love with you. You have woven yourself into my life so strongly, I cannot imagine the rest of my life without you. You are so amazing, so smart, so beautiful, great ass, and so, so loving. Please, say you’ll marry me and let me give you babies and a long, beautiful life.”

  “Yes,” I say, with tears streaming down my face. Because I’m a decent enough person, but who says no to all of their hopes and dreams in one perfect package. I’m strong but not that strong. So it’s with tears and laughter, and not just mine, Cody puts a large diamond on my finger and kisses the hell out of me.

  “What the hell is a Williams ring besides a big piece of glass?” Joe barks, breaking us all free from the magic spell we’ve woven.

  “The Williams ring is an engagement ring that was commissioned by my grandfather for my grandmother in 1900,” Mrs. Reynolds explains calmly with narrowed eyes. “It is a nine carat oval diamond surrounded by another carats worth of smaller diamonds including a delicate leaf pattern on each side that leads into the band.”

  “Are you sure you want me to wear this ring? It’s so special. And Valuable,” I ask.

  “Yeah,” Cody says softly.

  “The Williams ring was left in trust to my mother and me for Cody. It was always intended that he have this ring to give to his wife. That is as long as we were sure she was worthy. And you are so worth it. Take care of my boy,” she tells me. I just nod. “Well, then. I suppose you’ll be off to show Mable. Bring her back here for supper and we’ll all celebrate with a big dinner at the main house.” She claps her hands and dismisses us.

  So we all pile back in my jeep. Cody growling a little when Joe shoves me in the backseat of my own car. They keep shooting side eyes at each other. Me, on the other hand, am wondering what the fuck just happened as I sit and stare at the giant fucking ring on my finger. I feel eyes on my face so I look up and catch Cody’s golden gaze in the rear view mirror. He winks at me and I give him the best smile I can muster. I am so fucked.

  Cody

  Thank fuck the drive from my parents’ place to Ms. Mable’s is all of about ten minutes on a bad day because I keep vacillating back and forth between thinking this Joe character is a huge douche bag and watching Angel in the rear view mirror look at my great-grandmother’s engagement ring with wonder and hope in her eyes.

  And if that doesn’t make a man feel good to see his girl fall in love with his grandmother’s ring. Angel is the first girl I have ever been serious about that really f
it, clicked with my family, with my town, my life. Hell, even my dog. My parents love her. Like really love her. She makes my Gran laugh and laughs at the crazy shit my Gran says back. And these are the thoughts I can’t stop from running through my brain while I drive this circus back to town.

  I should have known my mother would call Mable and give her the skinny on this fake engagement bullshit. When I pulled the jeep to a stop, Mable ran down the porch stairs, and down the walk, throwing her arms around Angel so hard she had to take a step back to keep her aunt from taking her to the ground. It was a good move. I was proud.

  “My sweet girl! I’m so happy for you,” she tells Angel with her palms on either of her cheeks. She takes her niece’s left hand in hers with tears in her eyes as she looks at the ring. “I’m so, so happy. Now, how about those babies?” She asks and I just laugh. Sounds like a good idea to me. A brief thought flits through my brain, that I know where Angel keeps her birth control pills in the bathroom drawer, and I should just flush them down the toilet, but that would probably piss her off.

  I take a good look at Angel. She’s still not one hundred percent, so she’s in these weird jean legging super hybrid pants she seems to fancy, and they make her ass look fantastic, so I have no complaints. A light pink and a white ribbed tank tops one over the other skim over and hint at her beautiful body. She’s got these little black shoes on her feet that look like slippers. They’re kind of ridiculous but she’s so cute I can’t help but smile. There is no makeup on her face, and honestly, she doesn’t need it. Her blue eyes are bright and her cheeks pink with excitement. I love seeing it. The best part is, she’s left those wild blonde curls down. I just want to grab them and wrap the springy coils around my fingers. Yep, I got it bad. But Sam was right. I’m ok with it. Let’s see where this adventure takes us.

  “Do you need to grab a dress for tonight from your closet here, or do you have something at the house you can wear to dinner?” Mable asks Angel.

  “I didn’t realize we were dressing for dinner,” she tells her grandmother.

  “Oh yes, Cody’s grandmother is putting together a lovely dinner party in your honor, sweethearts. You’ll love it. And she really knows how to do it up.”

  “This is true,” I tell her.

  “I have that silk dress I wore to church a few weeks ago….” But everyone is making a face at me.

  “What about that white flowy dress?” Aunt Mable suggests.

  “Is that the low cut one?” Cody asks. He knows which dress it is. I’ve only worn it once when we went out to dinner.

  “You know it is,” I tell him giving him my best school nurse glare.

  “Wear that one but with no underwear,” he tells me and I just roll my eyes. I should have gone for my ER nurse glare. Clearly, I’m losing my touch.

  “I am most definitely wearing panties to your grandmother’s dinner party,” I tell him, but he’s giving me big sad puppy dog eyes.

  “She always was a spoilsport,” Aunt Mable tells him. “She gets that from her mother.”

  “You two are incorrigible,” I tell them both, shaking my head but smiling at them as I do it.

  After Aunt Mable rushed upstairs to throw on a gorgeous soft pink, pleated, sleeveless silk dress that tied in a bow at a modest but sexy vee, and with a hem came to her knees. She paired it with a beige, braided leather belt and matching pumps. Mable is still gorgeous. Still turning heads. Her blonde curls are smoothed into a 1940s wave that only she can pull off. Paired with soft pink makeup, she looks very mother of the bride. It stings my heart to think it, but if I was really getting married, I would want Mable to give me away.

  Mable is the only parent I really ever had. My mother travelling all around the world with her rich husband was never there, and who in the hell even knew who my father was. He sure enough hasn’t shown his face in my life in the last twenty five years.

  We all pile back in the jeep and again, Joe takes the front. Mable narrows her eyes on the back of his head, Cody just shakes his head, as if he’d said Joe is such a moron, and I just shrug when they look at me. He’s not my problem anymore.

  The short drive back to The Reynold’s ranch is tense and done silently. Each of us lost in our own thoughts. When Cody pulls the jeep up in front of his cabin we all hop out and head for the front porch.

  “Y’all go on upstairs and hurry up. I’ll get the good doctor something to drink,” Aunt Mable says on an eye roll. I am seriously hoping this drink doesn’t include arsenic or rat poison.

  Cody and I take off up the stairs. He’s headed straight for the shower and I head for my makeup and hair stuff to get this mess looking decent. Before I make it a foot away from him, Cody is swinging me up into his arms and I shriek.

  “What are you doing?” I ask a little breathless, seeing him shirtless.

  “Join me in the shower?” He asks with that sexy smile on his face. I think about it. If I pin my hair up now, it’ll probably be ok and if it’s not I’ll just put it up in a bun. It would work with that dress. So I offer him up my sassy smile.

  “Okay,” And before I have even finished saying that one little word, my top is off, my bra is flying. “Hey. I’ll need that later!” I shout but he doesn’t care. He is pulling my jeans and panties down my legs and his fingers are taking some serious detours.

  Cody picks me up again in a fireman hold over his shoulder and drops his own jeans and underpants as he walks us both into the shower. I can’t help the laughter that comes out with his playful side. When he hears me and all my laughter, he swats my butt. Hard. My laughter is cut off as he walks us into the warm spray.

  He slowly slides my body back down his and I take a step back when I see the look in his eyes. It’s…intense. But he’s right there crowding me in. His palms against the shower wall on either side of my head. I get one more look at him before he kisses me. Hard. Before sliding one of his hands down my body, over my belly. I can’t help the shiver that racks my body when his hands trail between my legs. I know Cody feels it because he smirks at me.

  “We don’t have a lot of time,” I tell him.

  “Then we’ll just have to be fast,” he answers as he turns me around so I’m facing the wall. Cody glides his palms up my spine and then down each of my arms, one by one lifting my hands so they brace me against the stone shower wall, running his thumb over the ring on my left hand.

  Cody skims his nose down my neck, behind my ear. Nipping as he goes. He takes my hips in his Strong hands and gently tips them back. I have a second to prepare before he plunges in deep. I call out. His strokes are hard and fast. His hands will no doubt leave bruises on my hips and I love it.

  There is nothing sweet or gentle about what is happening here. But that doesn’t make it any less amazing. Or hot. But it dawns on me that Cody is marking his territory following the sudden appearance of my crappy ex-boyfriend demanding I follow him home.

  My fingernails are not finding purchase on the stone wall as I try to find something to grab on to. Not that it matters. I’m already gone. We fall to the shower floor as I lose my grip but Cody never separates from me. We land with me cradled in his arms, his knees taking the brunt of the fall. My ass the rest. As we settle on the ground, me balanced on my ass, my shoulders held off the tile floor by Cody’s strong arms, Cody balanced on his knees with one palm on the floor for support. He manages to bring his thrusts to a crescendo. Harder and faster. Both of us there. I feel the sting as the power of Cody’s movements scrapes my ass against the tile floor but it does not stop me. I call out again as I come. Cody shouts my name as he comes with me.

  We lay there for a minute lost in each other’s arms as we catch our breath. When our hearts slow down, he kisses me long and sweet on the mouth before pulling from my body and standing up. He reaches a hand out to help me up off the ground and I take it.

  “There’s no other woman like you, Angel,” he says as he kisses the tip of my nose and then quickly washes both of our bodies.

  By the t
ime we dry off and step out of the shower, we need to hustle. Cody runs to the closet and throws on a navy blue suit, black dress shoes and socks, and a white dress shirt, no tie, opened at the collar. Holy, shit he’s hot. I gawk as I watch him in the bathroom mirror.

  I run the opposite way to the bathroom and quickly pin my unruly curls up in a bun on top of my head. I’m doing my makeup in the mirror when I notice him behind me. I have my foundation and powder on already and I’m using a big fluffy brush to apply my pink blush to my cheeks.

  “What?” I ask. But he doesn’t answer me.

  “Mable, you still here?” He shouts down the stairs. When he is greeted with no answer back from either Aunt Mable or Joe, he looks at me again. “We’re going to be a little late.”

  “No, we’re already late.”

  “Okay, we’re going to be more late,” I give him my best stern look but he just carries on. “You should of thought about consequences before you stood there gloriously naked, bent over my bathroom counter doing what you’re doing.”

  “It’s just makeup,” I shout.

  “It might be, but it’s really you naked, bent over my bathroom counter,” he tells me. I turn around and look at him. Really look at him. His hazel eyes are glowing as he looks at me. His suit is perfect for his body, in fact, I’d bet it was custom made it fits him so well. As I continue to take stock of how handsome he is I notice the front if his slacks is appearing to have some problems.

  “Well, I guess the day a man gets engaged, real or fake, is an important one,” I say as I skim my fingers down the row of buttons on his shirt, stopping only at his belt to unbuckle it.

  “That, it is. That it is,” his retort is husky.

  I unhook his pants and slowly lower the zipper, tucking my fingers into the waistband as I push his slacks and boxers down to his knees. His erection springs free. I scrape my nails down his thighs as I lower myself to my knees. I take him in my hand and slowly stroke him before leaning forward to take him in my mouth. Cody runs his fingertips over my jaw and I look up and into his eyes as I take him all the way into my mouth. I decide then that this will be the best blow job of my life. Hollowing my cheeks, I move up and down his cock. He leans forward, gripping the edge of the countertop behind me.