Curves in the Road (The Southern Devotion Series Book 2)

by Amy K McClung

  “I think Dad laughed harder than any of us, especially at the horrified look on Gavin’s face when it happened.” Ashton states with laughter.

  Gavin shook his head, “Yeah, Yeah. You guys are just jealous because mine was bigger than any you had caught.”

  Ashton retorts, “That only counts if it’s edible and in one piece!”

  We laughed for a while before it grew serious again. "You should bring MJ here, Derrick," Ashton said, pressing the subject once again.

  "I don't know that there will ever be anything between MJ and me again, Ash. She wants me to take time away from her to deal with dad's death. She wanted me to move on while she did her internship. Then she pulled me back in to drop me again to have a baby and lie to me about it. Her actions don’t seem to display any hope for a future with me. She pushes me away every time we get together." Saying it out loud was the first time I really thought it all through and came to that conclusion. Everything Mary Jane has done in her life has kept us apart; perhaps that's what she's trying to tell me.

  After a few minutes of quiet, Gavin spoke up, “What MJ did for us, I can’t even repay the sacrifice she made. Don’t hold it against her Derrick for not telling you about it. We tried to talk her out of it, that girl has a heart of gold. She's putting her body through hell to give Cameron and me a child we may never have been able to have any other way. And it's Cameron's biological child which is even more amazing for us. She loves you and she put her dreams of a life with you on hold, possibly permanently, to make this sacrifice. She's something special.”

  My stomach clenched with different emotions; anger, grief, heartache, but most of all, love. “She’s definitely amazing. I’m not holding anything against her. She's the most unselfish person I know. All I'm saying is that she doesn’t seem interested in being with me and I don’t want to push her.”

  Gavin clicked his tongue and then asked, “What about Lanie? Anything there, is that holding you two up?”

  I scoffed, “Hardly. She’s cool, not bad looking, and we had a semi-nice date but there wasn’t much chemistry there for my part at least.”

  “You think she felt more?” Ashton asked.

  Shrugging I say, “Maybe. She said something to MJ that hurt her feelings but MJ wouldn’t tell me what exactly was said; apparently it was something to do with me not being attracted to her. I’m not sure how I feel about that, not knowing what was said and all. Besides, she’s Katelyn’s teacher and it seems wrong to pursue her almost. Katelyn doesn’t know we went out though and I plan on keeping it that way. I try to keep my relationships off her radar so she doesn’t grow attached. Mary Jane was one that couldn’t be helped.”

  Ashton nudged me with his elbow, “I still think you guys will work things out.”

  “You think Mom’s going to be okay? They’ve been married a long time. She seemed to be holding up alright, I guess.” I said staring off into the clear water, purposely changing the subject from my love life.

  Ashton shrugs his shoulders, “It doesn’t seem to have hit her yet. Gracie’s been checking on her for me while I made all the arrangements. Autumn seems to keep her occupied and strong.”

  “We shouldn’t have left her alone today.” I said feeling regretful that we didn’t include her.

  Ashton responded, “She’s got her two sisters, Aunt Miranda and Aunt Iris, she’ll be fine. You know how those women are when they get together.”

  The song Rainbow Connection started playing on Gavin’s phone. Ashton smirked, “Did Cameron choose that to be funny?”

  Gavin nodded with a smile before answering, “Hey babe, are you having a good time with the girls?” Gavin laughed at whatever Cameron’s response was then said, “Yeah, we’re doing good. Just having a few beers and fishing out on the boat. The guys said you should come along sometime.”

  Gavin pushed the speakerphone button when Cameron responded, “Honey, you know you ain’t ever getting me to hold any fishing pole or go anyway near a body of water that has a creature of any kind in it. I need an indoor pool with hot lifeguards to save me if I pretend to drown for attention.”

  Gavin gave us a look of ‘I told you so’ before responding, “I know, it never hurts to ask.”

  Cameron replied, “You boys have fun now, love you Gav,” he said with a kissing noise before Gavin took him off speakerphone and said, “Love you.”

  Ashton sighed, “It’s peaceful out here. Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter more than life itself but sometimes I need a break from the crying.”

  “You’re preaching to the choir, man. You’re lucky you have Gracie but I was lucky that I had mom and dad to help me too. I miss Katelyn every second I’m away from her, but I still need a break even now. She has gotten so girly lately,” I pointed at Gavin, “I blame your husband for that.”

  Gavin gave a sympathetic smile, “I know. I am going to have a handful with him and our daughter striving to be fabulous all the time.” He reeled in his line, and then set his pole to the side of him on the floor of the boat. He ran his fingers through his faux hawk and said, "She's never going to know the man who saved my life." Ashton and I followed suit, reeling our lines in to sit back and let Gavin speak. "I never told you this, mostly because Ashton had enough to deal with at the time. When Addison died, my parents came to the burial site after it was all over. They hadn’t spoken to her since the day I had come out and she'd defended me along with Ash. Your dad…our dad…offered to help me take some of the flowers that had been delivered to my house over to her grave. When we arrived we saw them standing there embraced at her temporary placard. I asked him to give me a moment to speak to them alone. That was a mistake."

  Ashton could see the emotion welling up in Gavin's eyes. He leaned forward, placing his hand on his shoulder and said, "You can tell us later if this is too hard for you."

  Gavin continued, "No, I want to share this with you both. As soon as my parents saw me, my father went into a rage of insults again. He blamed me for Addison's death, for the fact that they hadn't spoken to her in several years. My mother fell to her knees in tears screaming that I stole her children from her, that I was the devil in disguise. My father couldn't calm her down so instead he lunged for me. He knocked me to the ground, wrapped his arms around my neck and began to choke me. I heard our dad screaming my name and my vision was starting to blur at the loss of oxygen. Dad pushed him off me and they fought until I was able to get to my feet. Dad knocked my father down and then stood in front of me as a barrier. He told them both to stay away from me or he'd call the police. Something scared them in the way he said it, like he knew something that could really hurt them, but he never told me what it was."

  "Damn, Gav, how did you and Addy come from such terrible people?" I asked. Addison was one of the kindest women I'd known growing up, I sort of had a school boy crush on her myself when she was dating Ash, not that I'd ever admit that to him or would have acted on it either.

  Gavin shakes his head, "I have no idea. They took their religion to a dangerously ignorant level. You know that cult that protests funerals of soldiers, or homosexuals?" Ash and I nod. "They never understood why people thought it was wrong of them to do that. They would defend it saying it was God's will. Too many people use their faith as an excuse to hate. Those same people are the ones that cause others to lose their faith. Your mom and dad actually restored my faith in religion. They went to church every week, prayed at every meal, even read the Bible nightly, and they never once judged me based on my sexual preference. My biological parents never even gave me a chance. I'm tired of this crap. I'm tired of being hated by the people that brought me into this world; the ones that turned their back on me when I needed them most. And then after all that pain and suffering I lose the only father I've ever really had in a freak accident only weeks before my child is born? What makes this fair?"

  By this time, Gavin had gone from his normally calm demeanor to having tears run down his face as he yells out in frustration like a scared c
hild. Ashton and I exchanged a look hoping the other knew what answers to give but we didn’t. We'd grown up with amazingly loving and accepting parents.

  Gavin stood up, moved to the side of the boat and began to heave over the edge of it, losing the contents of his lunch as he released more emotions. He had placed his phone on silent and it was buzzing now. Ashton went to comfort Gavin while I answered his phone. "Hey Cameron. Gavin's fine, he's having a moment right now but I'll have him call you back. I promise you, he's in good hands."

  When I turned, Gavin had collapsed against the boat with his back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest, head resting on his knees. Ashton knelt in front of him with a bottle of water. "Let it all out, Gavin. You know you're not judged by us."

  Gavin took a swig from the water bottle, close the top and set it down. He waved me over. I took the empty floor space beside him and he put one arm around my neck, pulled Ashton in to wrap his other arm around. We were now sitting with our heads together as if in a football huddle. "I love you guys. You really are my brothers. Even though it seems like a creep factor since Ashton dated my sister." We all three laughed at his inappropriately timed but much needed humor. "Seriously, I'd be shit without you."

  "Your breath smells like shit from puking," I said jokingly. He responded by blowing air in my face then laughing as we pulled apart from each other. "Let's get the hell up off this boat and go home. I think I need to carpe diem something before it's too late." I said.

  Ashton grinned, then headed to the driver's seat of the boat, "I hope that means what I think it means."

  It took two hours to get back to the dock, pack up our gear then get on the road. Two hours later we were back at Ashton's house. I ran in the door anxious to find Mary Jane but found the house was empty. The dry erase board on the fridge had a note that said, "Gone out for Chinese, be back soon." So I sat down to wait for the girl of my dreams to walk back in that door so I could grab life by the balls the way my dad always did.

  Chapter Fourteen

  **Mary Jane**

  Our day of fun with Tristan and Cameron turned into an afternoon of bonding. We were only out for a few hours; we went to paint pottery together. Gracie chose to paint a spoon rest for Ashton; she painted it a baby blue with a ladybug to match the decorations in their kitchen and then wrote 'Spoon Me' on it. Cameron chose a picture frame that he painted for Gavin. Across the top he wrote, 'This is what Fabulous looks like'. He said he was going to put a picture of their wedding day in it. Tristan and I decided on making coffee mugs for each other since we didn’t have significant others.

  We wouldn’t be able to pick them up for a few days, so Gracie said she'd run by and get them one day and save it for when we moved back home. Afterwards we picked up some wine and went back to Ash and Gracie's. They drank wine while I slipped my shoes off and propped up my swollen feet.

  "Aw, baby girl, do your feet hurt?" Cameron asked, sliding over to rest beside me.

  "They look like stuffed sausages so yeah, you could say they hurt. I'm retaining water like crazy but also peeing more times a day then Cameron looks in the mirror."

  Gracie gasped, "Wow, that's a lot of peeing." We all thought Gracie's comment was hilarious, well all except for Cameron who flipped us off playfully.

  "Want me to rub your feet?" Tristan asked.

  "Ooh, girl. You should keep this one around if he's willing to do that kind of stuff without getting laid. It's alright though Tris-stud, I'll take care of my baby momma today. I never get to do that, nor did I think I'd ever say that." Cameron said, shaking his head. He started to rub my feet. At first I cringed at the pain, then the more he rubbed the better they felt. I laid my head back and began to moan in pleasure. Cameron cleared his throat, "Whew, honey. I never thought I'd make a woman make those noises."

  Tristan and Gracie go to the kitchen to grab a few snacks for the four of us. While they're gone, Cameron starts in with the heavy talk. "So, Derrick knows about the baby now. Are you two going to work through things?"

  "I don’t know. He deserves better than me, Cam."

  "Why would you say that? Who could be better than you?" Cam asks sincerely.

  "Anyone." I sat up, placing my feet back on the ground. Cameron moved to sit next to me, placing his arm on the back of the couch behind my shoulders and turning so that his body is facing me. "I keep pushing him away. Yesterday, I pull him in for a passionately intense kiss only to pull away a moment later and tell him that it isn’t the right time for us to be together."

  Cameron places his hand under his chin and leads forward with a grin, "Tell me more about this passionately intense kiss." He winks at me then reaches forward to run his fingers through my hair, "Sweetie, you're scared. You and Derrick had a short but powerful relationship. You two have been through crazy things that most couples do not have to deal with. The man was shot saving your life and the lives of your friends. You're pregnant with his brother's baby, which is like a Jerry Springer moment no couple needs."

  I toss my head back in frustration but give a faint laugh when I beg him, "Stop saying it like that."

  Cameron scoots closer, laying his head on my shoulder. "I was trying to make you smile. Seriously though, what you did for Gavin and me…well you are the true definition of fabulous in my book."

  "It's been my pleasure. Seeing how happy you two have been for each new moment of this pregnancy has been worth it for me. In a few weeks you are going to be a dad. How are you feeling about that?"

  "What if she hates me? What if she hates both of us? What if people are mean to her because of the fact that she has two dads? The closer it gets, the more terrified I am that I am going to ruin her life." Cameron is being completely serious, which doesn’t happen often with him. When these rare moments arise you know that it's important to pay attention. "I haven't told Gavin any of this. It started getting really bad lately and then his father died and well, it didn’t seem right."

  "Call him. Call Gavin and talk to him about it." I grab his cell phone off the table; find Gavin in the contacts under 'hubby' and hit send.

  He takes the phone from me and sits up. Sounding confused he asks, "Um…Derrick? Hey where's Gavin?" He sits up straighter with panic on his face. "Is he alright? Do I need to be there?" Relaxing a little he says, "Thanks for taking care of him. I'll call him later."

  "Everything okay with Gavin?" I ask.

  "Derrick said he was having a moment. He said that they've got him taken care of though. I know that Ash and Derrick will make sure he's fine. He's got a lot to deal with right now. I will rely on my girls to help me through my fatherhood worries for the moment."

  "You're right." His words resonated in my head, reminding me that I needed to give Derrick time to deal with his father's death. Sitting up, I slip my shoes back on as Tristan and Gracie come back into the living room. "Tristan, can we talk a minute?"

  Gracie speaks up, "We were thinking about going to get Chinese for dinner. So don't be long."

  I drag Tristan back to Gracie's room and shut the door. "Are you up to driving back tonight?"

  Tristan's brow crinkles, "Why? What did I miss?"

  "Nothing. I need to leave before Derrick gets back. He and I cannot keep going round and round about whether we have a relationship or not. He has more important things happening right now. We can stop and spend the night in Atlanta, my treat. I need to be away from here though."

  "Ok, let's go." Tristan starts packing while I go to explain to Gracie and Cameron.

  Gracie was in the kitchen writing a note to Ashton on their dry erase board that let him know they were going for Chinese. "Hey girl, I'm starving. I thought we could pick Autumn up on the way to grab some dinner. I've had a mad craving for sesame chicken here lately." She turns to face me, noticing the serious look on my face. "What's wrong?"

  "Tristan and I are going to head home tonight…right now actually."

  "Why?" Gracie asked, moving closer to me. "Derrick will be back tomorrow, don’t you
want to say goodbye?"

  "I can't. All we do is end up fighting and he needs…he deserves better than that right now. The last time we spoke I told him we'd figure things out when I move back. I'm sticking to that. I can’t handle seeing him again or I'll give in to him."

  Gracie wraps her arms around my neck, "I'll miss you. I'm so glad you're going to be home in a month. It hasn’t been the same since you left. I love you."

  "I love you, too."

  Tristan and I drove away, waving at Cameron and Gracie as they watched us from the front porch. Leaning against the door, I press my face to the window to watch my surroundings speed by. We were pulling into the hotel in Atlanta when I get a text. When you guys get back from dinner, I want to talk. I'll wait for you at Gracie and Ash's. ~Derrick. He's waiting for me? Maybe I made a mistake by leaving? It’s too late now; I have to stick to my plan. I didn’t go to dinner with Gracie and Cam. Tristan and I are on the way back to Florida. We'll talk when I move home in a month or so. Give Katie a kiss for me. I'm sorry; I couldn't handle another goodbye from you. ~MJ.

  My phone notified me that he was typing a return text, and then it would stop; alert me again he was typing to stop once more. Whatever response he was typing, he never sent and that was the last communication we had for a while.

  ###

  It's the last day of my internship with Disney and they offered me a full time position. It was a fantastic opportunity, one that I'd dreamt about for many years. The problem is I’d have to stay in Florida, away from everyone. It was a lot to think about. They gave me some leeway since I was about to give birth. If I wanted the job it would be here for me in three months when I was ready to start.