Sweet Dreams (Sweetwater Book 2)

by Rivi Jacks

  I moan, gripping the front of his T-shirt, quickly following his lead. We cling to each other as our tongues thrust and tangle in the most erotic dance. It’s delicious and sensual, and deeply connecting.

  His hand tangles in my hair, holding me right where he wants me as his other hand cups my bottom pulling me in tightly against his growing erection. His tongue darts out to stroke my bottom lip and then his teeth are gently nipping at my lips.

  I want to touch his skin and run my hands up under his shirt, but I don’t dare let go of the grip I have on him. It’s the only thing keeping me anchored to the ground.

  He raises his head, and I slowly open my eyes to look into pools of green. I feel slightly drugged as his gaze holds mine.

  “If you’re trying to make it difficult for me to leave,” — his voice has an undeniable sexiness to it — “it’s working.”

  I answer his sexy teasing with a strangled laugh. “Good.”

  His eyes crinkle at the corners with his smile.

  My cell phone rings and I know it’s Diane. “I think I’m late,” I say.

  He rests his forehead against mine, and my arms slide up around his neck, my hand delving into his silky hair.

  “Lucas — Oh, excuse me,” Max suddenly says after stepping into the room.

  Lucas raises his head pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “It’s okay, Max. I was just making Sofie late for church.”

  A sharp, short laugh escapes me, and Lucas smirks. Grabbing up my handbag, I give Max a quick look catching his smile.

  “Max, give me a moment while I walk Sofie out.”

  “Bye, Max.”

  He nods. “Enjoy your day, Miss Sofie.”

  “I really like this dress,” Lucas says as he helps me with my coat.

  “Thank you.” I smile up at him.

  He raises his fingers to stroke the side of my face. “Please be careful while I’m gone.”

  “I will, I promise. Please don’t worry about me.”

  He leans around me to open the front door. “Impossible,” he murmurs under his breath, shaking his head.

  “It’s impossible for me not to worry about you too,” I retort in a teasing manner.

  He smiles, reaching out to gently tug a lock of my hair. “I’m going to miss you, my sweet.”

  I nod fighting the urge to beg him not to go. “Just… stay safe and come back as soon as you can, Lucas.”

  I start out the door and then impulsively turn back, launching myself into his arms. He lifts me off my feet, holding me tightly. My arms encircle his neck as I bury my face against his shoulder.

  “The week will fly by, baby. I’ll call as often as I can,” he murmurs.

  I nod against his shoulder and then look up, meeting his eyes. “I know. I’m just going to miss you. A lot.” I lean in, my lips meeting his in a soft kiss. I start to pull away, knowing I need to let him get on his way, but he pulls me back, his hand going to the back of my head, kissing me deeply before letting me go.

  I kind of wobble going down the steps to my car. As I drive away, I glance in the rearview mirror to see Lucas still standing in the doorway watching me leave.

  Chapter Thirteen

  After church, Diane and I head straight to Ben and Lucy’s for Sunday dinner. Both Sam and Sawyer are already there with Aunt Pat, and Sam has brought Rose. Within minutes, the rest of the family arrives, and we’re just sitting down to eat when Emma Rae joins us. She gives me a look as she takes her seat next to Sawyer. I’m sitting on Sawyer’s other side, and she leans forward to catch my eye again, giving me another something’s up look.

  What now, I wonder.

  The talk around the table centers on the demise of Sawyer’s Jeep. Lucas suggested it would be best if Sawyer told everyone that it was a faulty electrical system that caused the fire. So, that’s Sawyer’s story, and he’s stickin’ to it. My big question, to ask later, is how the remains ended up outside the shotgun shack, and how they made it look as though it had burned right there.

  “I meant to tell you your new Jeep looks sharp, Sawyer,” I say.

  “Thanks,” he says. “But it’s a rental until I can shop for a new one.” He takes one of the hot rolls Lucy is passing around. “You wanna go shopping with me for the new one since you were there for the death of—” He doesn’t finish the sentence, realizing he’s said too much.

  Everyone that has been listening looks at us.

  “I thought you said the Jeep burned during the night, parked outside the shotgun shack?” Ben questions.

  Emma Rae snorts softly.

  “It did,” Sawyer says, stuffing his mouth with mashed potatoes.

  “Sawyer means he called me and I consoled him,” I say, lying through my teeth.

  I am such a bad liar.

  “Sofie, are you going back to work this week?” Jordanna asks, changing the subject.

  I smile gratefully at her. “I’m not sure; I need to talk to Murphy.”

  “Why don’t I ever see your Jeep parked at your place, Sofie?” Ben asks.

  Holy shit! His question catches me off guard. I give a quick glance around the table looking for an answer to this potential catastrophe. For the first time, I’m grateful Lucas couldn’t make it to Sunday dinner because I know if he were here, he’d be telling Ben that I’m living with him. But I can’t. I don’t want to lie to my uncle, but I just can’t tell him I’m living with a man. I couldn’t bear it if I disappointed him.

  “Well,” Jake begins, “that’s my ——”

  “Because I’m still staying at Lucas’,” I interrupt, deciding to be honest. I quickly add, “We discussed it and decided it might be the safest thing for me to do. I can go to work or… whatever else I need to do… and before it gets dark, I’ll go back and stay the night there.” Well—partially honest anyway. Is omitting part of the facts really being dishonest?

  I am such a coward.

  I know I have to tell Ben sometime but today’s not that day.

  “I think that’s a really smart plan.” My uncle Billy says. This surprises all of us since Billy rarely puts his two cents in, but he is one of those people that when he speaks, you listen. Actually, he and Lucas seem a lot alike now that I think about it.

  I glance at my uncle Ben to gauge his reaction. He has always respected Billy, and I know there are times when he goes to Billy for advice.

  I look at Jordanna, who winks at me and then back to Ben.

  Ben nods in agreement. “It probably is the best place for you” — he gives me a pointed look— “for now.”

  Okay, so maybe I’m not fooling him.

  Diane giggles and I know it’s nerves because I feel like giggling too.

  Dinner ends and Emma Rae, Diane, and I clear the table and load the dishwasher before we leave on our planned trip to Springfield for a movie. We try to convince Rose to go with us, but I can tell she wants to spend time with Sam. Jake, who’s leaving for an out of town trip, says his goodbyes right before we leave. He’s being awful tight-lipped about his trip, I can’t even get an answer out of him about where he’s going and if Nick’s going too. Very suspicious.

  On our way out, Sawyer pulls me aside. “What happened in Wyoming?”

  I grin. “Too much to tell you right now, I’ll call you later, and we can plan on when to get together.”

  “Sofie!”

  “Shhh.” I glance around. All I need is for Ben to overhear and start asking questions. “I’ll tell you everything later.” He gives me his best scowl.

  As soon as we’re in the car, I turn to Emma Rae, sitting in the back seat.

  “What’s up?” I ask her.

  She puts her hand over her eyes and shakes her head. Emma Rae doesn’t usually do theatrics.

  “What?” Diane ex
claims.

  “Last night—Reenie and Calvin got married,” Emma Rae says with a thoroughly baffled expression.

  “What?” Diane screeches.

  My mouth drops open, and it feels as if my stomach drops too. “Oh no,” I say in a shocked voice.

  “Oh, yes,” Emma Rae states with disgust.

  I turn back around. I don’t know what to say. Reenie had broken it off with Calvin after his meltdown in January, but when Eli and Dawn married a couple of weeks later, she’d arrived at the wedding with Calvin in tow, to everyone’s dismay.

  Please God, help her, I pray.

  The news of Reenie has put a damper on our day, but we still manage to have a good time. On a chance, I call Maryanne when we arrive in Springfield and invite her to go to the movies with us. When she informs me, her dad is out of town, I invite her to stay in Sweetwater with me. I can’t help but wonder if Walter is with Lucas.

  “That movie stressed me out,” Diane says as we exit the theater and head for the car.

  I laugh.

  “That dude was a crazy old coot,” Emma Rae says.

  “Are we going to eat while we’re in town?” Diane asks.

  “How can you be hungry after Lucy’s meal and then all that popcorn and candy you ate?” Emma Rae asks.

  “I just am. What do y’all think? Are you hungry, Maryanne?”

  “I could eat,” Marianne says.

  I hit the key fob unlocking the Jeep’s doors. “It’s going to be dark soon. We need to head on home, but we can pull through a drive-through,” I offer.

  “That’ll work,” Diane says.

  “Give me a moment,” I say as they settle into the Jeep. I cross the parking lot to the SUV parked several cars down from us in the next row. I knock on the driver’s side window, and I’m pretty sure I startle Lucas’ men, Cal and Stevie as their attention is directed toward a couple of girls in the next row.

  When Cal rolls down the window, I hear Stevie mutter, “Oh, man.”

  “Miss Sofie!”

  I try to keep the smile off my face. I hope they don’t think I’d tell Lucas they were flirting with a couple of girls instead of keeping their eyes on me.

  “Hey, Cal.” Cal and I initially met on my first visit to the arena. He was working high up in the ropes and didn’t see me and I didn’t see him, and when he swung down on one of the ropes, he hit me so hard I catapulted across the arena, knocked out cold. Ever since he’s held a special place in my heart. And it didn’t take me long to figure out the big guy has a soft spot for me.

  “I thought I’d let you know we’ll be stopping on the way out of town to pick up some fast food.”

  “Okay,” Cal says sheepishly.

  “Just thought I’d let you know.” I step away, and on second thought, I turn back. “I also want to say, thank you for accompanying us today. I feel much safer knowing you’re here. Thanks.” I head back to the Jeep.

  It’s dark by the time we pull off the interstate onto the state highway that will take us right into Sweetwater. We’ve chatted and caught up with what’s been going on with each other. Of course, I don’t tell them most of what happened in Jackson Hole or the trip we made out to the Zelts.

  Maryanne is sitting up front with me, and I’m half listening to the song coming through the stereo and to Emma Rae and Diane’s conversation in the back.

  “Sofie,” Marianne says softly, leaning toward me. I quickly glance over at her. “Something is running through the woods keeping up with us, on my side of the road.”

  It takes a moment for what she’s said to register. Her voice is way too calm. My eyes widen, and I quickly glance out her side window to the woods beyond and then back to the road in front of us. I glance up in the rearview mirror looking for the SUV that’s been following us.

  It’s no longer there.

  Marianne leans back, and I give her a quick look. She has her eyes closed. “Sofie” —she opens her eyes to look at me— “don’t stop for any reason.”

  Holy shit!

  No way in hell am I stopping.

  “How good of a driver are you?”

  I glance at her again. “Good enough,” I answer slowly.

  “What’s going on?” Emma Rae asks.

  “There’s someone—something,” —I correct myself— “running along, keeping up with us.” In the rearview mirror, I see both Emma Rae and Diane look out the Jeep’s windows. “Shotgun side, in the woods,” I tell them and watch as Diane, who’s sitting on that side of the Jeep, scoot closer to the middle of the backseat.

  Where the hell is Cal and Stevie?

  “Something else is out there,” Maryanne says softly, and when I glance over at her, she has her eyes closed once again.

  “What?” Diane screeches.

  Maryanne leans forward, and I look over at her. “I think it’s Wolf,” she says.

  “Look out!” Emma Rae shouts.

  My attention flashes back to the road just in time to see a huge Kihn crossing the road in front of us, and he’s hauling ass. I hit the brakes in reflex.

  “Don’t stop!” Maryanne warns.

  I have no intention of stopping. I swerve to miss the Kihn, partly on the road, partly in the ditch.

  What’s happened to Stevie and Cal? When did they stop following us? My next thought is—Was that a coincidence, the Kihn in the road or was he waiting for us?

  “Diane, call Sawyer and tell him what’s going on. Tell him—” As I follow the road around a long curve, Maryanne has more bad news.

  “Sofie! There’s several—”

  And there they are.

  I brake the Jeep to a squalling stop. About 300 feet ahead of us, blocking both sides of the road, is a fallen tree.

  But that’s not the real problem.

  Maybe a half dozen Kihn are standing in the road on both sides of the tree. They’re just standing there, and I’m sure they’ve been waiting for us. I immediately know they’ve done something to waylay Cal and Stevie. I just hope the guys are okay.

  “Emma Rae, my shotgun is in the back behind you, can you hand it up here, please?”

  “Sure thing,” she replies.

  I unbuckle my seatbelt and reach over to the glove compartment to pull out two boxes of shells, keeping my eyes on the terrifying sight up ahead on the road. The shotgun won’t do me any good from this range, but a shotgun’s short-range firepower is—devastating. And I just bet the Kihn are planning on getting up close and personal.

  “What the hell do you think you’re going to do, Sofie?” Diane asks in an alarmed voice.

  “What I have to. I don’t want any of you hurt. It’s me they want.”

  “What?” Diane cries. “No, Sofie! You need to turn the Jeep around, and we’ll go back to Marshfield.”

  “Did you reach Sawyer?” I ask, knowing it won’t do us any good to turn around.

  “He didn’t answer. I’ll keep trying on our way back to town.”

  “It won’t do any good to head back to town, Di, they’ll only be waiting for us somewhere along the way,” Emma Rae says. She opens her door and steps out of the Jeep about the same time I do.

  “Leave the doors open,” I say. I know the Kihn don’t need light to see us, but I’m hoping it will help others find us—in case they come looking. Surely they will since we didn’t return by dark. “Diane—keep your eyes on the Kihn.”

  I take my eyes off the Kihn as I reach for the shotgun Emma Rae holds out to me. I glance up quickly in surprise when I see the crossbow pistol she’s holding.

  “Andy gave it to me,” she states with a shrug.

  “Awesome. That Andy’s a keeper,” I say, catching her grin before looking back at the road.

  “I wonder why Jake doesn’t give me somethin
g like that,” Diane says from inside the Jeep.

  “Probably because you close your eyes anytime you shoot a weapon,” Emma Rae answers.

  I can’t help but smile as I load the shotgun, keeping my eyes trained on the Kihn.

  “Well—” Diane says, “I guess I need to stop doing that.”

  “It might help,” Emma Rae says.

  Why are they just standing there and how did they know we were going to be out here on the road?

  Shit—they’re watching every move I make. The episode in Wyoming clearly stated that but this—right here, right now—really brings it home to me. It adds a little more fuel to the growing anger.

  Maryanne, who has been silent since we came to a stop suddenly calls out my name. I hate taking my eyes off the Kihn. “Watch them, Emma Rae.” I bend down to look in the car.

  “We need to do something—there’s more coming,” Maryanne says.

  My heart, which has been in danger of pounding right out of my chest, gives a hard lurch. I glance back at Diane. “Call Lucas’ house phone, Di.”

  “More? As in more Kihn?” Diane asks, her eyes growing wide.

  I look back at Maryanne. She has her eyes closed again. “Yes,” she says and then she looks at me, her eyes large. “There’s a group of maybe ten coming through the woods. They’re almost here.”

  Diane gives a little squeak and then frantically starts punching in a number on her cell phone. I hope Max answers, but I already know it’s too late.

  I straighten and glance around. I need to make a decision—right now. I reach in and turn off the interior lights, leaving the headlights on hoping the glare of the lights will give us some cover. “Out of the Jeep. Slide out on this side.” Both Diane and Maryanne quickly climb out.

  “What are you thinking?” Emma Rae asks.

  “We need to hurry,” Maryanne warns.

  Shit. “Okay.” I hope I’m not about to make a huge mistake, but the way I see it, we don’t have much of a choice. “Follow me.” We stay close to the Jeep as we move behind it. I’m hoping the Jeep will provide cover for us as we head back the way we came on the road. I hear a noise behind us after we’ve traveled about a hundred feet. “Head for the woods!” I whisper.