Sweet, Sexy Heart – the Bradens & Montgomerys (Pleasant Hill – Oak Falls)

by Melissa Foster

  They fell to the mattress spent and panting, and he gathered her in his arms. Her heart thundered against him, her breath coming in short, warm puffs against his slick skin.

  “Are you okay, baby?”

  “Uh-huh,” she panted out. “So much for not losing control.”

  He touched his lips to hers. “That’s just one more reason to love you.”

  “Because I lose control?”

  “No. Because you can’t help but lose control when we’re together. Neither can I. But don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” He held her tighter, kissing her softly. “I’ll always have you.”

  “And I’ll always have you.” She snuggled closer. “Like in the shower as soon as I catch my breath.”

  He gazed into her eyes, heat stirring between them again. “You’re going to make it even harder for me to leave, aren’t you?”

  “That’s my evil plan.” She fluttered her lashes innocently. “What was it you said to me? Buckle up, hot stuff. We’re just getting started.”

  THEIR TIME TOGETHER flew by too fast, but as Dash put his bags in the trunk of his rental car, Amber knew even if they’d had all day, it wouldn’t have been enough. They’d spent much of the last three hours talking about how much they’d miss each other, going over Dash’s travel schedule, working out time-zone differences, and making plans to call each night. She had no idea why she was getting so emotional over his leaving. She’d never needed a man to be happy, not even a man as wonderful as Dash. But she knew those twisted up feelings were driven by want, not need. Her parents had drilled the difference into her and her siblings’ heads when they were young and they had little money to buy extras.

  But now the difference between want and need didn’t seem so cut-and-dried. She may not need Dash in the true sense of the word. She wouldn’t die without him. But if the emptiness burrowing into the pit of her stomach was any indication of how she’d feel while they were apart, and if being with Dash soothed that ache, couldn’t her wanting to be with him be considered a need?

  Dash closed the trunk, and her throat thickened. Suddenly twelve days felt like a lifetime, which was absolutely ridiculous. She reached down to pet Reno, trying to push those feelings away as Dash embraced her.

  His sexy dark eyes gleamed down at her. “You okay?”

  “Of course. I can totally handle this.”

  He studied her face, like he wasn’t buying it.

  “Stop looking at me like that. I’ll be fine. I can’t help it if I’ll miss you. Just kiss me and leave. The longer it takes, the worse it is.”

  “Kicking me out again, huh?” He kissed her, slow and sweet. “Sin’s coming over tonight to post signs in your yard that say BACK OFF, COWBOYS. THIS WOMAN’S TAKEN.”

  God, she loved his sense of humor. “I’m not sure why you’re worried about cowboys when you know Zac Efron is my hall pass.”

  He scowled. “Seriously? You’d hall pass all this”—he puffed out his chest and flexed his biceps—“for Efron?”

  Sweet baby Jesus. She’d have to be crazy to do that. “I guess we’ll see.”

  “I’m canceling the tour.” He went for his phone.

  She threw her arms around him, pressing a kiss to the center of his chest, knowing he really would cancel his tour to be with her. “I wouldn’t hall pass you for anyone. Now, get out of here before you miss your flight.”

  “You really do enjoy kicking me out.”

  “Not as much as I enjoy dragging you into my bedroom.”

  “Canceling is sounding pretty damn good.”

  “I get to watch you on Good Morning America tomorrow. You’re not canceling.” She went up on her toes, and he lowered his lips toward hers in one of his incredible kisses, leaving her weak-kneed and tingling from head to toe.

  He brushed a kiss to her forehead. “It’s not too late for you to come with me.”

  “I wish I could, but we both know I can’t.”

  “It doesn’t hurt to try. I’ll text you when I get to my place.” He kissed her again. “And I’ll miss you every second of every day.”

  “Me too.” Tears stung her eyes, and she nudged him toward the car. “Now go before you make me cry.”

  He loved up Reno. “Take good care of our girl, buddy.”

  Amber petted Reno as Dash climbed into the car and started it up. He rolled down the window, reaching for her hand. “I better not find out Efron was here. I’d probably get hefty prison time for killing a celebrity.”

  Reading between the lines, she said, “I love you, too.”

  He pulled her in for one last kiss, winked, and waved as he drove away. Twelve days. It’s only twelve days. When his car disappeared around the corner, Reno whined, and she reached down to pet him. “I know. It’s going to be the longest twelve days of our lives.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “STOP BEING SO stubborn! He loves you. He just doesn’t know how to tell you!” Amber shouted at Keira Knightley in Pride and Prejudice, which was playing on the television, just as she’d done the dozens of other times she’d watched it. It was one of her favorite movies.

  Reno lifted his head from where he lay on the floor beside her.

  “He’s not wrong for her. Look at me and Dash.”

  Reno tilted his head at the mention of Dash’s name.

  A pang of longing washed over her. Her body hurt from her seizure, but she’d wanted to go to work this afternoon anyway to keep her mind off Dash and the seizure, both of which had thrown her for a loop, but Phoenix had threatened to quit if she showed up at the bookstore. So here she was, having a picnic on her living room floor, watching a movie she knew by heart. She surveyed the plethora of half-eaten foods from the diner surrounding her on the blanket. Dash had been gone for only two hours, and she’d tried to eat her way past missing him.

  Comfort food wasn’t nearly as comforting as having Dash’s arms around her.

  She scooped macaroni and cheese onto what was left of a hamburger and shoved it into her mouth as a knock sounded on the front door. Before she could get up, the door flew open and Brindle, Sable, Morgyn, and Lindsay charged in.

  Brindle shifted Emma in her arms and stopped in her tracks, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head. “Whoa. Houston, we have a problem.”

  “You keep eating like that, and Dash will have to roll you out of here.” Lindsay sauntered over to the blanket.

  “Roll her into the bedroom is more like it.” Sable put her hand on her hip, her cowgirl hat perched on her head. “Something tells me he won’t mind.”

  “Cut her some slack, you guys. Can’t you see she’s missing him? She’s even wearing his sweatshirt.” Morgyn hurried closer, bell bottoms swishing along the floor, bangles jangling on her wrists as she knelt beside the blanket and tossed her long blond hair over her shoulders, her expression softening. “Are you okay, Amb?”

  “I’m fine.” She didn’t want anyone thinking she was lost without Dash, even if she felt like a piece of herself was missing. “I was just hungry. What are you guys doing here?”

  “Hello?” Brindle said sarcastically. “You had a seizure yesterday, your boyfriend told you he loves you, and he left today. We were worried about you, and from the looks of things, we have reason to be.”

  Amber turned off the television. “I’m really okay.”

  “Did you hear that?” Sable raised her brows. “That was my bullshit meter going off.”

  “You guys have already done so much. You took care of me yesterday, and all of you took over the signing, and Morgyn and Brindle even went to dinner with Shea and Hawk.”

  “Dinner was hardly a hardship,” Morgyn said. “We had fun.”

  “Fun drooling over Hawk. That man is hotter than all get-out,” Lindsay said.

  “You’re not kidding,” Brindle agreed. “He and Shea nearly combusted at dinner.”

  “I’m glad you had fun.” Amber leaned forward and hugged Morgyn. Then she pushed to her feet to hug the others.

  S
able rolled her eyes. “Why are there always hugs?”

  “Because I love you.” Amber hugged her tight. “Dash said all of you guys were wonderful at the signing.”

  “Aren’t we always?” Brindle said. “He did great, by the way. But he must have asked me a hundred times if I’d heard from Mom or Sable to see how you were.”

  “He was a wreck when he got here yesterday,” Sable said. “He was worried he’d caused her seizure.”

  “He didn’t cause it. You know that.” Amber tried to ignore the smirks her sisters were exchanging, and reached for Emma. She was adorable in striped leggings and a long-sleeved shirt Sable had given her, which had BOYS DROOL, AUNTIES RULE across the front.

  “Of course he didn’t,” Morgyn said.

  “His goal post did.” Lindsay laughed.

  “Amber’s not used to all those late-night touchdowns,” Brindle added.

  “Would you tell your mama to stop?” Amber said to Emma, and nuzzled against her cheek, earning drooly motorboat noises. Emma squealed, reaching her grabby hands toward the food. “Is she hungry? Can I give her something?”

  “She’s always hungry. That girl can eat her daddy under the table.” Brindle tickled Emma’s tummy, and Emma’s giggles filled the air.

  Lindsay nudged Amber. “I heard Daddy likes to eat Mommy under the table.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “What can I say? My man is good on his knees,” Brindle said with a laugh. “You can give Emmie some macaroni noodles, but I didn’t bring a bib.”

  “It’s a little scary how you can go from sexy talk to baby talk so easily.” Amber sat with Emma on her lap and handed her a noodle. Eyes wide with delight, Emma shoved it into her mouth.

  “Wait until you have kids,” Brindle said. “You learn to fit your sexy in every which way you can. It’s a good thing babies don’t remember when they’re this age, or our baby girl would have all sorts of naughty stories to tell.”

  “How about you keep those stories to yourself. I don’t want to lose my appetite,” Sable said, and she and Lindsay sat down on the blanket.

  Brindle grabbed Amber’s laptop from the end table and joined them, her fingers flying across the keyboard. “I promised Pepper and Grace I’d get them on a video call when we got here. Axsel had band practice, but he said he’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “Don’t forget to add Trixie and Jilly to the call,” Lindsay said.

  Brindle gave her a deadpan look. “Like I could forget them? They’ve been texting all morning.” Trixie Jericho and Jillian Braden, Graham and Nick’s younger sister, lived in Pleasant Hill, Maryland.

  As Amber gave Emma more noodles, which Emma immediately fed to Reno, she looked around her at the women who had been there for all of her trials, tribulations, and celebrations, and she felt monumentally blessed. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a seizure, I forgot how everyone huddled around me afterward. I’m really glad you’re here.”

  “Oh, darlin’, this is about much more than your typical seizure aftercare. Your man told you he loved you when you were bleary-eyed from a seizure.” Lindsay rubbed her hands together. “We want all the juicy lovesick details.”

  “After we talk about your seizure.” Pepper’s voice came from the laptop as Brindle set it on the coffee table so they could all see it. Pepper might be Sable’s twin, but she was as proper and careful as Sable was brash and risky.

  Amber braced herself for an inquisition as Pepper, Grace, Trixie, and Jillian said hello to everyone and gushed over Emma. While Grace, Sable, Amber, and Axsel were brunettes like their mother, and Morgyn and Brindle were fair-haired like their father, Pepper was a beautiful mix of both.

  “Amber, how are you feeling?” Grace asked, and a seriousness fell over the room.

  “I feel okay—a little tired and a little sore, but that’s to be expected.” Amber gave Emma more noodles and kissed her head.

  Pepper’s brows knitted. “You’ve gone through so many changes the past couple of weeks. It’s not surprising that you had a breakthrough seizure.”

  “Nobody gets much sleep when they’re in a new relationship,” Trixie said. “If you’re not making out, you’re thinking about making out or reliving things you’ve done or said together. Sleep is just not a priority.”

  There was a murmur of agreement.

  “Plus, you had the signing to deal with.” Jillian tucked her mahogany hair behind her ear, leaning closer to the screen. “That’s a lot for anyone.”

  “Are you worried about having more seizures?” Grace asked.

  It took everything Amber had to admit the truth, because saying it aloud made it real. “Yes. It’s been so long since I’ve had one, and I got used to not having them. The seizure really threw me off, and I hate that it happened at Dash’s signing. And not just any signing, but his very first signing of his writing career. Do you have any idea what it’s like to wake up from a seizure and not know what happened? To see everyone looking at you with a mixture of worry and fear? Or to realize that you’ve peed yourself in front of your boyfriend and a crowd of people? I swear I felt like I was thirteen years old again.” It was as if she’d opened floodgates that had been held shut for too long, and she was powerless to stop the unexpected anger from coming out. “And don’t get on my case about not being embarrassed about my medical condition. Who wouldn’t be embarrassed if they’d wet themselves?” She scoffed. “Seriously. It’s a good life rule not to be embarrassed about a medical condition, but when you’re lying there with your boyfriend’s shirt over your pee-soaked clothes, feeling like you’ve been run over by a truck, who has the energy to try not to be embarrassed? It just happens, like breathing. And now I can’t drive, which means relying on Uber or one of you.”

  “We don’t mind driving you,” Brindle insisted.

  “I know you don’t, but that’s not the point. It’s all so annoying. I didn’t even know I was so mad until just now. I’m sorry for dumping it on all of you.”

  “Please dump it on us. That’s what we’re here for. You have a right to be upset.” Morgyn put her arm around her. “I’m sorry this happened again.”

  “The whole thing fucking sucks,” Sable said vehemently. “If epilepsy were a person, I’d beat the hell out of it.”

  “Me too,” Brindle said, and everyone else agreed.

  Amber struggled against the lump forming in her throat.

  “Does having one breakthrough seizure mean you’ll have more?” Trixie asked.

  “It doesn’t always mean that,” Pepper answered before Amber could respond. “Amber, Mom said you’re seeing the doctor tomorrow. Maybe your meds just need to be adjusted.”

  “They might, but even if they need adjusting, we all know that stress and lack of sleep is an issue for me. That’s why I live my life the way I do. I’m usually in bed by ten, and I don’t think I’ve fallen asleep before two in the morning since Dash and I got together.”

  “Damn. The man has stamina,” Jillian said.

  “Apparently so does Amber.” Sable reached for Emma, who babbled as she went to her.

  “No wonder Dash requested ‘Wild Thing’ last weekend at JJ’s,” Brindle added.

  “The bottom line is that Amber deserves to be loved until she’s too exhausted to move,” Morgyn said reassuringly. “So this needs a solution.”

  “That’s for sure,” Grace agreed.

  “I know,” Amber said vehemently. “But the reason we’re up late isn’t just sex. Sometimes we just lie in each other’s arms, whispering about whatever’s on our minds.” She laughed a little, thinking about those times. “Silly things sometimes, like how the color blue makes him shiver, and every time he sees the color peach, he thinks of me because I was wearing a peach sweater the first time we met. And how he has to put his left shoe on first for good luck, because before his first touch-football game when he was six, his grandfather told him to watch what the other boys were doing and to do it different and better. He meant his position on the football
field, of course, but even little Dash was an overachiever. I love knowing those types of things about him and sharing that time together. When it’s late like that, it feels like everything is still except the beat of our hearts. It’s special, and it makes me feel closer to him. I don’t want to fall asleep and miss any of it.”

  “That’s true intimacy,” Morgyn said. “Those are some of my favorite times with Graham, too.”

  “It’s what I’ve always dreamed of having,” Amber admitted. “It’s finally my turn to go on dates and be with a great guy. Dash brought more than love and affection into my life. He brought the excitement I’ve spent my life avoiding, but with him, I want more of it. I want more nights at JJ’s with everyone, where he holds my hand and takes me to the dance floor, embarrassing me and making me feel like a princess all at once. That’s exhilarating, and I loved it. I want more walks and slow dances at the creek, collecting acorns and writing down our memories, and doing nice things together like what we did for Hellie at the park. I want it all with him.”

  “I totally get wanting to take his hand and let him lead you out of your comfort zone,” Morgyn said encouragingly. “Graham showed me a whole world I’d been missing out on, and I’m happier than I ever imagined possible.”

  Brindle snagged a cinnamon bun. “How funny is it that I was the girl who wanted to see the world, and all it took was one trip away from Trace to realize that everything I wanted was right here in Oak Falls. Who would have ever thought I’d be married with a daughter and happy as a peach staying home most nights?”

  “Or that I’d end up back in Oak Falls madly in love and married to Reed?” Grace chimed in.

  “I always knew Brindle would end up with Trace one way or another,” Amber said. “And once I saw you and Reed together, I knew he was your soul mate. But I never thought I’d want to step out of my safe little nest for anyone or anything. Dash is even talking about going to Maui. Maui! Can you believe it? You guys know how freaked out I get by flying, but I want to be the girl who can jump on a plane with the guy I love and just go. I don’t want to give up, or limit, my time with Dash.”