“New place?” Jax’s expression is perplexed. “Why do y’all need a new place?”
“Daddy doesn’t have room for all of his stuff and mine. Plus, he’s sleeping on the couch so I can have his bed,” Ella tells her quickly and starts writing ideas down.
“I want Ella to have her own room and, while I do have a two bedroom apartment, it would be really nice if we could have a three bedroom place. I want her input, so I told her to write down everything she wants. That way I can try to find what makes us both happy.” I lean toward Ella and kiss her head.
“What about where she and her mom were living?” Jax poses.
“I don’t want to stay there,” Ella replies, her lips trembling. “I didn’t like it before the accident, and I really don’t want to be there now.”
“The only thing we need to go back there for is to clean it out. I’ll see if the guys will help me with that tomorrow, so you don’t have to go back. Okay?” I offer, wrapping my arms around her.
“Thanks, Daddy.”
The three of us discuss features Ella would like our new place to include, and possibly adding a pet to the house. For the most part, Jax doesn’t add much to the conversation. Her presence is calming, though, which is helpful. We get the list completed fairly quickly, and Jax gives us some pointers on ways to make the transition between my place to the new place easier, as well as advice about adding Hallie and Ella’s stuff from their old place. Ella gets teary as we discuss Hallie, and says, a few times, that she doesn’t want any of her Mom’s things in the new place. Jax gently reminds her it will help as the days go by, and Hallie’s not here.
Ella even fills Jax in about her dream this morning. Before Ella finishes the story, Jax has her in her lap, and she’s rocking her. If the moment hadn’t been so emotional for all of us, I would’ve taken a picture of the two of them. The sight of them together fills my heart, even though I haven’t had either of them in my life for very long. And really, I can’t even claim to have Jax.
“Jax, will you go out with us tonight?” Ella pipes up as we gather our belongings.
“Oh Sweetie, I’m not sure that would be appropriate since it’s just family,” Jax remarks, kneeling down to hug Ella.
“Please?” Ella begs, hugging Jax tighter.
“Join us,” I encourage, reaching my hand out to help Jax to her feet. “No one will mind. Then we can talk about another cook-off and dinner tomorrow night.”
Jax smiles mischievously. “How can I say no to discussions of a doughnut cook-off? Fair warning, there will be trash talk. I promise you. As for dinner, let’s see how tonight goes with your friends. Then maybe we can make plans for tomorrow night.”
Damn, I’m screwed! Jax may very well have me wrapped around her finger before the end of the night. What am I going to do with these two precious ladies? Both of them have stolen my heart in only a few short days.
Epilogue
Wes
It’s been a hell of a long ass two weeks. The only week that seemed longer was when Calla found Torrance with another woman. We didn’t get anything cool out of that bullshit like Forest did out of this, though. It’s hard to believe, but Forest finding out he has a kid brought some overdue life back into all of us. Now if we can just get back to some kind of normal, things will be good.
Well, having Ella in the family now will be a little different, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. Except that Zoe keeps hinting she wants a baby, and I just want to kick her out of the fucking apartment. Why the fuck did I want her living with me? At least she’s not with us this afternoon. Hell, she’d probably be hanging all over Ben, or one of my brothers if she was.
Someone pats me on my back, and I blink out of my thoughts of Zoe. For the last hour Ben and my brothers have been talking about training camp. I’ve zoned out, I’m not sure how many times. It’s not that football doesn’t interest me. It does. Hell, growing up in Texas, how could it not? It’s practically a religion down here. Until I got hurt in college, I would have tried to follow in my brothers’ footsteps, but blowing out my knee killed that dream. Plus, I wouldn’t be working with Calla if that hadn’t happened.
“This is a pretty cool place,” Ben remarks as he places a new Dubbel Nutz in front of me.
“Yeah. Chris and Whitney have created a fucking awesome hangout. We don’t get to come over here that often, but when we do we have a great time,” I state before taking a sip of my beer.
I glance around the table. Everyone seems relaxed, and I’m fucking greatful Calla suggested doing this after we closed for brunch.
Ben looks at his sister. “I’m glad you came out tonight. You work too hard, and I worry about you becoming a hermit.”
Calla flips Ben off. “I’m allowed to be a hermit if I want.”
“Calla, it’s been a year. Torrance was an asshole, and I never should’ve approved of him. I honestly didn’t think you two would last as long as you did. I know he was one of our frat brothers, but still... he was a tool, and I didn’t realize it until it was too late.” Ben frowns.
“None of us realized he was a tool,” Sam, my oldest brother, adds.
The rest of us that know Torrance nod in agreement. Hell, if Trey, Rex, or I had known he was a douche back then, we would have stepped in and kicked his ass. Some days I still want to. Bastard.
“I worry about you when I can’t visit,” Ben asserts before he drinks more of his beer.
The shareables we ordered arrive at the table, and they look fucking amazing. I can’t decide if I want to try one of the Brat-Stickers, a Pot Sticker, or the Mac and Beer Cheese. Calla always wants the soft pretzel, but she never gets one because it’s something she and Ben used to get when their parents were alive. I made sure to order one so she can share it with Ben.
Calla sighs. “I’m not ready to date again, Ben. I’m happy just being one of the boys right now. I don’t have to get dolled up or act happy to be out with a guy. I can just... hang.” She pulls a piece off the pretzel and pops it in her mouth.
I seriously hate that Calla thinks she’s just one of the guys. Yet, that’s how we all treat her, because Ben would kick our asses, and my brothers would help, if we treated her any other way.
However, Ben isn’t wrong. Calla does need to get out, date, and move on. And if I wasn’t such a chicken shit, I would’ve stepped in before Torrance could hurt her. But I am a chicken shit, and I didn’t want Ben to kick my ass for touching his sister. He fucking threatened all of our frat brothers during our undergrad years. Now, because of that, Calla and I are stuck in this friend zone, and I’m living with a woman I can’t stand.
“I just don't want you to give up because of one asshole,” Ben tries again, his expression thoughtful.
Trey bumps my elbow and gives me a stern look. Yep, Trey knows. We’ve been talking about getting Calla out of the kitchen for a night or two. It’s not like that would hurt us. Hell, ever since Torrance cheated on her, Calla’s cooking has been... lacking. Well, lacking isn’t the right word. It’s been downright horrific, as if she never learned to cook in the first place. But I have to admit, this morning when we did the mac and cheese cook-off for Ella, Calla fucking kicked ass. I’m glad Ella was the judge because, hands down, I would have picked Calla’s dish. It was the first time in almost a year I could taste the magic that is Calla’s cooking. We fucking need that back. Now.
“How about when you stop serial fucking every piece of ass that walks by, I’ll start dating? Deal?” Calla’s eyes shift down the table to where Ella is sitting between Forest and Jax. Ella’s working on something, or at least pretending to. I can just make out the smirk on her cute little face.
“Damn it! Sorry, Forest. Remind me to pay the jar on Tuesday.”
Forest chuckles. “I swear she’ll be able to go to any college she wants before we stop cursing around her.” He ruffles Ella's hair.
“What the hell Calla? Do you really think I do that? Pay what jar?” I hear Ben ask but my attention is elsewhe
re.
“I need another beer. Anyone else?” Calla stands from the bench.
Jax holds up her glass, as does Nessa. With a nod, Calla marches away from the table in a huff. Even when she’s in this pissy of a mood, I want to yank her into my arms and kiss the hell out of her. But I can’t. Ben would freak the fuck out, especially since he knows some of my more... erotic tendencies. Yeah, making Calla mine isn’t in the cards. But I fucking want her. No other woman turns me the fuck on like Calla. She doesn't even need to be dolled up to do that. She just needs to be herself.
Ben shifts on the bench so he's facing Trey and me. “Seriously, I need you guys to get her out of this shell,” Ben says, glancing around the table and dropping his voice a bit more so no one hears him. “I hate that she’s still not herself. I want my baby sister back.”
“We all want her back, man. The question is, what can we do that won’t make you kill us afterwards?” I mention, staring Ben down. His voice isn't low enough for this discussion to be just between us.
“Wes, I don't care what you have to do, just don't fuck her,” Ben replies, taking a long pull of his beer.
My eyes travel down the table as I hear my brother’s laugh followed by Trey’s, Forest’s, and Adam’s as Nessa just shakes her head. The only eyes not on us are Ella's, and I’m thankful. Shit. This is not a conversation I want to be having with Ben while surrounded by all my friends.
“You just gave Wes free rein to date Calla. You realize that, right?” my jackass middle brother, Noah, says.
Sam slaps the back of his head. “Asshat."
“No, I didn't, because if Wes ever dated my sister, he’d try to fuck her. And I think we can all agree that Wes wants to live.” Now Ben’s voice does drop, so no one but me can hear him. “We both know she's not a sub, and you like your subs along with your kink.”
I swallow hard. He’s right. I do like subs and kink, but Calla is different. Even if all we ever had was vanilla sex, I’d take it. But only for her. Throat now dry, I pick up my beer and finish the pint.
“I just have to ask... why not let her find herself again?” Jax is curious as she finishes her beer.
It’s a good question, and since she’s the only one that hasn’t known Calla long, I understand why she’s asking. And the way she’s looking at me then glancing at Ben, I know there’s another question she wants to ask but isn’t going to. At least not with Ben around.
“Because that tool broke something in Calla, and I’m not here to fix her,” Ben replies.
“So pushing her friends to fix her is your answer? Have you asked her how she feels? Does she have confidence in herself anymore? Why don’t you tell her how wonderful she is instead of trying to ‘fix’ her?” Jax uses air quotes when she says the word fix. Damn. Forest needs to keep this woman.
Jax is a fucking smart one. She fits into our group like she’s always been here. She might even bring the fucker out of his shell, and if Ella gets her way, she’ll make sure they keep Jax.
I fucking want what Forest has, and dammit, I want it with Calla! How the fuck am I going to go about getting it? And more importantly... keep Ben from killing me in the process?
Need more sweet stories that donut contain carbs? Check out:
Donut Be Shy by FG Adams
Love and Donuts by Amy Briggs
Donut Leave Me by Teresa Crumpton
Donut Swipe Right by Tracie Douglas
11 Enticing Donuts by Fifi Flowers
Donut Go Breaking My Heart by Felicia Fox
Donut Hole by Regina Frame
Donuts Dilemma by Jessika Klide
Donut Tease Me by Kristen Luciani
Donut Be Easy by Kristen Hope Mazzola
Donut Tucker Out by Mayra Statham
Donut Overthink It by Shantel Tessier
Five Alarm Donuts by Winter Travers
Find all of the Donut Day Collaboration books here: http://www.kristenhopemazzola.com/donuts.html
About the Author
Teresa Crumpton writes dark supernatural thrillers, along with contemporary romance, poetry and short stories. She started writing when she was young, never thinking one day she'd turn her passion into a career. Teresa’s first novel, Her Legacy, is a haunting ghost story with a little rumored family history within the pages.
Teresa obtained two degrees, Government with an Emphasis in Legal Studies, and English Lit, hoping to get into law school. In 2004 she married the man of her dreams. As they moved around the country her dreams changed. She once again went back to school, this time obtaining a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and her writing became not only her passion, but also the fulfillment of a promise to her father before he passed.
Teresa Crumpton grew up in Cincinnati and Dallas/Ft. Worth, making her a hybrid midwest and southern girl. She has five siblings (all half or step), which always made for a boisterous Christmas while traveling.
Stay Connectioned with Teresa Crumpton:
http://www.teresacrumpton.com
Acknowledgments
Lucas, love, what can I say? You’re my rock. I couldn’t do this without you.
Along with my Mom, Charla, I need to thank my dads, Chip and Dennis, and my stepmom, Lynda. You guys have loved and supported me through it all – Love you guys.
My editor gets a big thank you! Steph, love you babe.
Annessa, thanks for keeping me sane. And Allen, thanks for making sure I roll my eyes and smile at least once a day. You don’t know how much it actually helps.
Clyde, Chris R, Whitney, and Brewtorium – thanks for... well, you guys know. I hope you enjoy!
Kristen... girl thanks for all the support and everything you do. It’s time to go celebrate once again!
Mayra and the rest of the Donut Day Authors - This was a blast ladies! Thanks for letting me join in the fun.
Donut Be Easy
Sneak Peek
By Kristen Hope Mazzola
Prologue
Jack
“Hey, man. Where’s Skye?” Noah asked under his breath.
Checking my watch again, I shrugged. “You know how she is, probably still getting her hair done or some shit like that.” Another lie successfully pulled out of my ass.
The truth of it was that I had no flipping clue where my wife actually was, and she was embarrassingly late. It was getting to the point that I didn’t know if I was more worried or mad at her selfishness.
I ambled over to the drink cart and looked around at all of my friends who had shown up to help me celebrate the big four-zero. Skye had planned the whole damn thing, insisting that I needed to lighten up because you only turn forty once. All I wanted was to have a low-key night with a fifth of Jack Daniels to help me forget that my youth was a thing of the past, and now there I was making excuses for why my wife wasn’t at my own fucking party.
Fucking bullshit.
Me: Babe, where the hell are you?
I sent off my fourth text to her. Still no response.
We ate the catered hors d’oeuvres, cut the stupid cake that had my scruffy smiling face screen-printed on it, they all sang happy birthday off key—and Skye was still nowhere to be found.
The party dwindled, though everyone tried to stay as late as they could to get the scoop on where Skye really was. It had turned into almost a game for most of the guests. They even started making bets on how long it was going to take her to show up and where she had actually been all night. I couldn’t blame them. If it hadn’t been happening to me, I would have been laughing and speculating right along with them.
Noah and Izzy were the last ones left, helping me clean up, and pissed didn’t even begin to describe the rage I was feeling at that point.
“I hope she’s all right,” Izzy muttered to Noah, her husband and my best friend, as she started to clean off the dining room table.
Pouring myself three fingers of single molt scotch, I slumped onto the couch with a forced sigh. “Don’t even worry about that shit. I’ll get it in the m
orning.”
“It’s no bother, Jack. Besides, you shouldn’t have to clean up from your own party.” Izzy was a sweetheart, and the three of us had known each other since we were in elementary school. Noah and Izzy were the closest thing I had to family, and in that moment, I was thankful they were there.
Just as I was about to call my wife again, the front door slammed.
Skye stumbled in, ripping off her red-soled heels. “Fuck,” she exclaimed as she threw her purse onto the table in the foyer.
“Where have you been?” I asked, rushing to her side. The smell of liquor emanated from every pore of her tiny body as I caught her in my arms.
“I’m gone!” she yelled, her words slurring as she forcefully pushed me away.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I started to follower her as she stomped into our bedroom.
“It means I am leaving your sorry ass once and for all!” she shrilled, pulling her larger-than-life suitcase out of the closet.
“Skye, you need to explain to me what the heck is happening right now. Why are you doing this? Is there someone else?” I couldn’t believe the words that were leaving my mouth.
Tossing her panties and bras in first, my wife nodded her head vigorously. “Brock and I are finally going to start our life together.”
“Brock? Your twenty-five-year-old man-child of a personal assistant?” My entire body burned red hot as rage started to replace my disbelief.
“He’s more of a man than you’ve ever been. He’s got charisma.” Skye started pulling all her clothes off their hangers.
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