Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors)

Love, Laughter, and Happily Ever Afters Collection (Eight Fun, Romantic Novels by Eight Bestselling Authors) Page 156

by Violet Duke

  Wrong thing to say. “You Jesus freaks amaze me.” She crossed her arms. “But you do give good lip service.”

  Irritation rose, making his jaw clench before he answered. “Was it lip service to let you drive off with my truck all those years ago?”

  “Let me?” She shook her head and smiled. “Angel, you had no idea what I was going to do that night.”

  “Really?” He crossed his arms and stared down at the lovely face highlighted by the moonlight. “Let’s think about this—the gas pump only takes pre-pays. I chose to go inside to buy a bottle of Cheerwine.”

  Her smile faltered and a pink tongue licked at her lips. “So, you’re saying…”

  “I’m saying I’d give anyone in need the clothes off my back.” He uncrossed his arms. “Including you.” Especially her. Always her. No matter how much it hurt when she threw it back in his face.

  “I don’t want your pity or your charity. I don’t need anything from anyone, especially you.”

  White-hot fury rose, but he remained calm. He had to, or he’d lose control of the situation. “I just need to know why you’re here. I know what you said, but honey, you’ve never stayed longer than a year at a time, since you turned eighteen.”

  If he had a time limit, he could stay away from her. Keep his personal life going—one that didn’t involve the woman standing in front of him. The woman with pretty, dark eyes and pale, blond hair. The woman who’d clawed his heart out at every turn, yet he kept offering it up on a platter.

  A frown pulled down the corners of his mouth.

  “Why do you care?” She leaned forward, placing a hand on his cheek. “Afraid I’ll steal you away from Elise?”

  Yes. Only it wouldn’t be stealing. More than likely, he’d go with her, willingly. Some things never changed, but he could. “You know what—I don’t care. Stay as long as you like. Do whatever you like. You don’t need my permission, and you’re not that damn irresistible.” Turning, he marched away from her.

  Summer’s eyes grew wide. Oh God, no. His disapproval she could handle. His infuriatingly calm manner she could handle. But an indifferent Gabriel? The one who’d been ignoring her all week… “Wait.”

  Still, he strode away.

  “Gabriel, please.”

  That made him stop.

  She ran to him, and then around to face him.

  A cool night breeze whispered through the pine trees. The sound of crickets chirping and the steady rattling of locust blended to create a symphony so soothing that Summer almost forgot where she was. Almost.

  In a loose tie, button-down shirt, and khaki pants, Gabriel was her fantasy come to life. Not that she’d ever let him in on it. No, she preferred to let him think that her type rode into town on a Harley and out of it, with her on the back.

  He gazed at her, expectation on his face. But what could she say—don’t leave me? Please keep caring about me, because you’re the only one in the entire world who does?

  Maybe she needed to be truthful for once. Maybe she needed to quit saying the most outrageous and hurtful things to him.

  Taking a leap of faith, she said, “I’m sorry.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You heard what I said.” No way would she repeat herself. It was bad enough she’d apologized in the first place. It was bad enough that she was lowering her defenses.

  “I forgive you.” Simple, but powerful words.

  “The reason why I’m here is because I miss my family. I’d like to be a part of one again.” Growing up with a mother like Azalea, a woman who came and went as frequently as the tides, Summer had always dreamed of a home. Of family meals at a table set for four. A husband that would come in the door with a kiss for her, while he tried to navigate the room with two rugrats stuck to his legs.

  After dinner, this fictional man would ask about her day while they did the dishes. Then they’d make love… in a bed with a mattress made of down feathers.

  Yeah, she was all kinds of screwed up for her deepest, most guarded, secrets to be so traditionally boring.

  “Nothing wrong with that at all. I’m happy you want to reconnect with Rose and Ivy.” Taking her hand, he said, “Let me drive you the rest of the way home.”

  “Okay.” But she pulled her hand away.

  His dark brows drew together, but he didn’t say anything, merely started walking to the edge of the woods. She followed him.

  The moon might be as bright as day in the field, but the forest was another matter altogether, so she stayed close. Close enough to touch him. Tempting her to slide her arm through that triangular gap between his elbow and lean body.

  If she was really honest, she was even more tempted to slide her hands all over him, to learn the hard planes and new muscles that hadn’t been there when they were teenagers, or even four years ago, when he would have held her hand while they walked. Back when he looked at her like she’d hung the Corn Planting Moon in the sky.

  Now Elise would be the one who hung the moon for Gabriel.

  Stopping at the edge of the highway, she glanced at him. Gabriel stood, phone in his hand and his thumbs moving. “Carlos is on his way.”

  There was a tiny prick at her heart, but she breathed through the pain. Besides, it was ridiculous to think he would want spend more time with her. She never made it easy for anyone to be around her, not even her sisters. Turning away, she eyed the silver truck idling in the middle of the road.

  “Taking your truck?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  Beams of light made her eyes squint. She put up a hand to shade them.

  “Gabriel, let’s go! We don’t have all night,” a man called out.

  “Yeah, can’t have Carlos out too late, or Shelia won’t be able to display his nuts in her trophy case tomorrow morning.”

  “Watch it, Noah. There’s a lady present,” Gabriel laughed, and then looked at her. “Sorry about the language.”

  For some reason, the thought of him classifying her as a lady gave her pleasure, maybe even a little pride. “I’ve heard worse.”

  He stepped closer to her, brushing the strand of hair that kept falling in her face. “Doesn’t matter. You deserve to be treated with respect.”

  A thrill ran through her body. Hugging him seemed exactly the right thing to do, but she gave him her brightest smile instead. “Have fun, angel. Don’t forget to tip your stripper in singles.” Then she turned, but a warm hand on her arm guided her in the opposite direction.

  “Truck’s this way, sweetheart. I told you I’d drive you home, but Carlos showed up before I could. ” Another thrill at his touch, at his endearment. She was losing her ever-loving mind. This was Gabriel: he was like this to everyone.

  Opening the door, he waited for her to climb inside. She stared at him, then the truck, and then back at him. Her brows were practically a part of her hairline. “But—but I thought y’all were taking your truck.”

  “We are.” He grinned and pointed to the red truck a few feet in front of them. “What do you think I’ve been driving all this time?”

  Speechless, she climbed in the cab and let him shut the door behind her. As the interior lights dimmed, she mouthed a ‘thank you’ to him. His grin widened before he jogged to his waiting friends. She could hear them laughing and calling each other names as he jumped inside.

  The red truck took off, leaving her behind. She gripped the steering wheel, staring after the tail lights until she couldn’t see them anymore.

  “One day I’ll pay you back, angel,” she said softly, with absolutely no malice in her words or meaning. “One day you’ll see me and only smile, the
n go on with your life.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  PELLUM & FOSTER WAS the newest and smallest law office in Holland Springs, but had an extremely large and powerful branch down in Wilmington, which was exactly why Summer had chosen to make an appointment with them.

  “I’ve reviewed the adoption paperwork, and frankly, Ms. Holland, you don’t have a case,” Ms. Foster began. “The minor child—”

  “Ivy,” Summer corrected.

  Ms. Foster smiled. “Ivy has been visited by DSS over the years, and they’ve found no evidence of negligence or abuse. In fact, the—Ivy is very-well taken care of, but I suppose this isn’t news to you.”

  “No, it’s not.” Summer shook her head. “I wouldn’t have asked Rose for help if I’d thought otherwise. But I was desperate and most likely suffering from post-partum depression.” At least, that was what Gabriel had told her. He had also given her the name of a therapist, but she’d torn that card into pieces. Why should she go talk to someone when she was perfectly able to solve her own problem?

  “Be that as it may, you have limited resources, no place to stay, and you’re unmarried. Three very big strikes against you.” Ms. Foster wasn’t unkind as she said this. She was to the point, which was exactly what Summer had wanted. “You also swore you weren’t under duress when you signed away your parental rights to Ivy.”

  She’d lied. Oh God, she had lied. She had been under so much duress that she was about to crack, but at the time, it was the right thing to do for Ivy and for herself.

  “I realize that, but you can see for yourself that I’ve never been fired from a job, and I only quit when I had to move.” Summer brushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. “My references are all there, and they’re really good. Finding a permanent place to stay shouldn’t be a problem, and it’s not like I want to take my daughter away from here. I plan to live in Holland Springs, but as Ivy’s mother, not her aunt.”

  Ms. Foster said nothing.

  “Please, just give me the best case scenario of getting Ivy back. What would I have to do on my end?”

  “Find a permanent residence, one that you don’t mind being inspected by DSS, the Fire Chief, and a whole host of people who will work in the best interest of Ivy. You already have a job, but do you think Mrs. Holland will allow you to keep working there once she finds out what you’re planning?”

  “Rose made me co-owner.” Ms. Foster blinked, and Summer had the grace to blush. “I helped start the company.”

  “Interesting,” the woman said, and then continued. “Even with all of those taken care of, there is still the matter of your relationship status.”

  “Single women raise children all the time.”

  “The court isn’t concerned with other single women. They will be concerned with you. Short of finding a man who walks on water to be your husband, I’m afraid your odds of getting custody of Ivy are slim to none.”

  A man who walked on water? Summer smiled. There was only one man who fit the bill—Gabriel Edwards. “That shouldn’t be difficult at all.”

  Without missing a beat, Ms. Foster said, “Can’t wait to meet him.”

  Summer shook the woman’s hand and headed outside, her mind full of plots to get Gabriel to help her.

  She could trick him into marrying her. No, that was too 1800s.

  She could pay him to marry her. With what money? Besides, he wouldn’t take it anyway.

  So deep in thought, that she almost walked past the man she was plotting against.

  “Summer,” he said, in that deep voice of his that sounded like a caress.

  Unfortunately, he’d caught her off-guard, and she had no time to put on her mental armor. “Gabriel.”

  “Join me for lunch?” He gestured to the empty spot on the park bench. “I packed extra.”

  Wary, she sat down, but as far away from him as possible. “I am hungry. My meeting took longer than expected.”

  A dark brow rose. “Meeting?”

  Crap, she should’ve kept her mouth shut. “Yeah, my monthly home-wreckers not so anonymous meeting. Though can one call it a meeting when I’m the only member?”

  He scowled at her. “Stop putting yourself down like that.”

  “I’m just saying what everyone else does.”

  Gabriel handed her half of his sandwich. “Honey, you haven’t lived her in almost three years. So, how do you know what anyone around here is saying?”

  He had a point, and Harrison had said the same thing. “Do you remember when we used to meet under the second set of entwined dogwoods, and eat lunch during the summer?”

  He smiled, a far-off look appearing in his beautiful eyes. “You’d always bring me lemon pound cake.”

  “You’d bring me Pringles—the cheese flavored ones.”

  “Azalea wouldn’t allow processed foods in the house,” he said with a grin. “I remember your fingers and mouth would be yellow-orange by the time you were finished.”

  “And you tasted like lemons,” she giggled, and then smashed her lips together. Why did she have to bring that up?

  “Cheese and lemons, who would have thought it?”

  “Sorry, that was—”

  “Nothing wrong with reminiscing. We were childhood sweethearts, Summer, no matter how much you wish it wasn’t true.”

  “I never said that.” She’d never wished that either.

  He smiled sadly at her. “You didn’t have to.”

  Summer fell silent, and Gabriel did the same. It wasn’t uncomfortable, and that bothered her all the more. It was easy and sweet and—

  “I need your help,” she blurted.

  His blue eyes turned hard. “I’m listening, but I’m not promising anything. Elise needs my full attention.”

  “I want you to help me get Ivy back.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  WAS SUMMER OUT OF her mind? Of course she was. How else could they have had a civil conversation for longer than a minute, besides insanity or divine intervention?

  “You wouldn’t have to do anything beyond marrying me, and then we can get a divorce or an annulment after whatever requirements the state has is met,” she said in all seriousness.

  “We’ve known one another for eighteen years, and in all that time, have I ever said I’d get married just so I can get a divorce? And a planned one at that,” he growled. He threw his lunch in the nearby trashcan. It was a good thing he’d shared it with Summer, because his appetite was completely gone.

  “You owe me,” she said, her voice just as hard as his.

  “Owe you?” His jaw clenched. “I have done nothing but bend over backwards for you. I’ve lost perfectly good relationships because of you. I put people who matter last because of you.”

  “People who matter?”

  “Yes, people who matter.” He exhaled. “I have gone against advice from my friends, my parents, my ex-girlfriend, and even your sister to help you. It’s cost me everything at times to help you, but do you appreciate that? Hell no.”

  Brown eyes grew wide, but her mouth turned stubborn. “I didn’t make you choose to help me.”

  “What was I supposed to do—let you starve, freeze, and go homeless?”

  Birds in a nearby tree flew away, wings beating loudly.

  “You were supposed to believe me, yet you didn’t. You believed what everyone else said about me, and not until you found out it wasn’t true, did you apologize.”

  “That still bothers you?” He threw his hands in the air. “The act of a dumb, insecure teenager not taking your word for something s
till bothers you?”

  “It was more than something.” She fisted her hands in her lap. “I was called a whore and a slut. I was accused of sleeping with the entire football team, with teachers if I made a good grade, and if a couple broke up, it was because I screwed their boyfriend.”

  “Damn it, I wasn’t there, then. I was in college.”

  “I know where you were, but you could have stopped it when the rumors first started,” she pointed out.

  “When I found out what Patrick Johnson did to you, I made him pay…I broke his arm and knocked out three of his teeth.” He jumped to his feet. “Does that make you happy? I beat the living hell out of another human being for hurting the girl I loved.”

  Shock registered on her face. “You did?”

  He nodded once. “Does that make you happy?”

  “No—yes.” She beat a fist against her thigh. “I don’t know.”

  “Say it makes you happy. Say that knowing what I did makes up for it,” he demanded. “That it makes up for everything.”

  Tears made her eyes glisten, and her lips trembled. “You promised to be there for Ivy and me. You promised,” she shouted. “But you left, because—because…” She shook her head. “I don’t know why, but you left me there, in the hospital with that woman. Azalea said you couldn’t handle the pressure.”

  His anger ebbed away. Summer truly believed he’d left her? Then again, why wouldn’t she believe the woman who had raised her? “I didn’t leave you,” he swallowed. “Azalea told me I was no longer needed. She had an orderly escort me out, and when I went to see you after you were discharged, she said you moved away.”

  Summer stood, eyes glistening. “I swear to you, I did not want you to leave me.”

  Gabriel scrubbed a hand across his face. “I want to believe you, I really do, but it’s hard. Thing is, even if I do believe, even if you believe I owe you, I have to put Elise first. I have to concentrate on her. She has to come first.”

 

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