“It’s done too. All we gotta do is wait for the grout to dry, clean everything up, and put on a fresh coat of paint.”
I jump up and down. “So you think I’ll be able to move in by the end of the week?” I ask, looking up at Clay.
He smiles and nods. “I think so.”
I squeal and jump into his arms. He catches me easily.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” I say, feeling my body come to life from something as simple as being pressed against his.
He sets me on my feet, and his hands move up to cup my cheeks. “I’ll be installing a security system soon,” he says, moving his mouth to mine. For a moment, I completely forget all about Jerry standing next to us—until he clears his throat.
I pull away, and heat washes over me from embarrassment. Clay turns and gives him a look. “Jerry, you got some place to be?”
Jerry smiles. “Nah, not really.” He scratches his head.
Clay slowly turns in his direction and gives him a look that says, Beat it. Jerry shrugs and leaves us alone. I giggle quietly to myself and turn and walk around the island to fully check out the kitchen.
“You like it?” Clay asks.
I nod. “It’s beautiful. Your guys are quick.” I turn to face him, leaning against the island.
He reaches out and picks me up, setting me on the counter. “I’m serious about what I said earlier. Call me for anything.” Slowly, he leans in and presses his lips to mine.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips. Even though we’ve spent the day connected, I can’t think of anything but him taking me right here, on this island. I add it to my mental to-do list.
I leave the house a little before five and head into town to pick up Bryce. He’s as happy as can be. I load him up, climb behind the wheel, and head toward the dinner for our usual dinner. I should be paying more attention to the road than I am, but I can’t stop the thoughts of Clay, how we spent the day, how sweet and caring he is. A silver car is driving down the road in the opposite direction. When the car gets closer, I swear it’s Glenn behind the wheel. The man has dark hair, cut short and styled the way he always wears his. He’s wearing dark sunglasses, and his gold wedding band gleams against the setting sun as his hand rests on the top of the steering wheel.
My heart and breathing automatically pick up as I try catching another glimpse out of the rearview mirror. Panic sets in. Is he really here? Was that him? Or is my subconscious just playing a trick on me? I’ve been with Clay a lot lately, something I said I shouldn’t do. Is this just my mind trying to trick me into sticking to my word? I can tell by the license plate on the car that it was a rental. I wouldn’t expect him to drive his Chevy truck all the way here, not with its gas mileage. Maybe he flew in.
I stop at the diner so Bryce can eat, but also as a way of surrounding myself with people. Glenn isn’t the kind that will attack in broad daylight. He prefers to have no witnesses, no one to stop him from doing what he wants to do.
While Bryce plays with the little juke box on the table and the cars from his pocket, I dig my cell phone out of my purse. I want to call my old next-door neighbor, Judith, but instead, I text her so Bryce doesn’t hear the conversation.
I quickly type out: Hi, Mrs. Smith. This is Autumn. I was just wondering if you’ve seen Glenn around the house today.
Moments later, she sends back: Sorry I haven’t called in a while. I’ve been down with the flu. But now that you mention it, I did get woken up around three this morning by a slamming door. I peeked out the window and saw him leaving with a bag. He threw it into the back of his truck and left. It hasn’t been home since.
My heart pounds harder. Glenn isn’t up at three in the morning. The only time he ever got up that early was when he would travel for work. And I know the bag she’s talking about. It’s the one he would take any time he had an overnight trip. He never used it for anything else. Glenn is here. He was up early to catch his flight.
Thank you, I respond. I grab the waitress and ask her to pack the food to go. I no longer want to be out in the open. I want to be locked up safe. My foot doesn’t stop tapping until I have my hand on Bryce and our food as we leave the diner behind.
16
Clay
The guys have already left for the night, but I stuck around a little longer to put the finishing touches on the bathroom paint. I want Autumn and Bryce out of that motel. I want them in their own house, where they will feel safe. Hearing about her ex made my blood boil and now, hours later, it’s finally calmed to a simmer. What kind of man does that to a woman? How could you hit someone weaker than you, someone you’re supposed to love and take care of? I don’t care if I have to set up a tent in her front fucking yard, I will protect her.
I turn off the lights for the night and make sure all the windows are shut and locked before heading for the front door. I lock it up tight and climb in the truck. The windows have been down all day due to the rising heat. Something on the dash catches my eye. It’s an envelope. No stamp or address. Only my name scribbled across the front. I reach forward, picking it up and examining it.
I wonder if one of the guys left it. With a shrug, I open the envelope and pull out a single sheet of paper. My phone rings from inside my pocket, and I set the paper aside as I dig it out. Autumn’s name is flashing on the screen.
“Hey, beautiful,” I answer with a smile on my face.
“Clay, I’m sorry to do this. I wasn’t intending to, but I think I saw Glenn. Would you mind coming over?”
“I’ll be right there,” I say trying to remain calm, hanging up the phone and tossing it onto the seat next to me. I start the truck and peel out of the dirt driveway as fast as I can. As I drive toward the motel, I hope and pray he’s in town. I want to find him. I want to beat the shit out of him like he did her. I want to make sure this son of a bitch learns his lesson. I want him to know that what was his is now mine. And he’ll never get them back.
My heart pounds the entire drive over as I pray he doesn’t beat me to them. When I pull into the parking lot, nothing looks out of place. Her van is parked in front of her door and there are only a few other cars in the lot. It’s still light out, despite the sun going down for the day, and the birds are singing high in the trees.
I climb out and walk across the gravel toward her door. I knock twice and I see the curtain quickly move before it’s opened. I can see the fear on her face the moment my eyes find hers. I pull her to my chest and hug her close.
“Thank you for coming,” she says into my chest.
“Thank you for calling,” I reply, loosening my hold on her. “Come on. Let’s get inside.”
We walk into her room, and I close and lock the door behind us. Bryce comes running in from the connected room.
“Hey. What are you doing here?” he asks, giving me a strange look.
“I came to talk to your mom about the house. I think you’ll be able to move in soon. What do you think about that?”
“Yay!” he yells as he bounces up and down.
Autumn laughs. “Bryce, why don’t you go get your stuff ready for a bath?”
“Okay,” he says, running back into his room.
“Let me get his water started and I’ll be right back.” She follows after him.
I take a seat at the table and watch whatever is playing on TV, but it doesn’t register. I can’t think of anything but what I’ll do if he has the balls to show up tonight. I made sure I parked far enough away from the van so he doesn’t think anyone is here with her. To anyone passing by, it just looks like the motel has two guests tonight.
Minutes later, Autumn walks back into the room an sits on the bed in front of me. She pulls her legs up under her and picks up a throw pillow, hugging it to her chest.
“So, where’d you see him? Are you sure it was him?”
She shakes her head. “I only saw him for a second. I wasn’t sure if it was really him or if my mind was playing tricks on me. But I asked my neighbor back home to
keep an eye on him for me. She said he left at three this morning and hasn’t been back. I think he flew here and then rented the car I saw him in.”
“Well, if he’s just now getting into town, that means he couldn’t have been the one to deliver the letters you got before,” I point out.
She nods. “I think it was the cleaning lady. I don’t know if she just thought she was delivering the mail or if he somehow paid her to deliver it…” She shrugs, obviously tired of thinking about it.
“Either way, if he shows his face, he’ll regret it.”
“I’m really sorry about all this. I never wanted to drag you into my mess. That’s why I didn’t want things to get serious with us.”
I fall onto my knees in front of her and wrap my arms around her. “You didn’t think that I’d be able to take him?” I joke.
She rolls her green eyes and cracks a smile. “No, I just didn’t want you to have to do that. I know you’re not the kind of guy that wants to settle down.”
I lock my eyes with hers. A tingle starts in my stomach that lights a fire in my blood. “I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do, Autumn. And it doesn’t matter what kind of guy I am. I’ve belonged to you since the first day I met you.” I press my mouth to hers and run my tongue along her bottom lip. She opens for me slightly, giving me only a moment to enjoy her taste before she pulls away.
“Bryce,” she whispers.
I nod, understanding, and take my seat. I completely understand her wanting to keep him out of this. So much has changed for him already. He lost his dad, his home, his friends, his regular routine. He doesn’t need things shaken up for him anymore by thinking that I’m trying to replace his father or something.
When Bryce gets out of the bath, the three of us sit in his bed and watch some kid movie while eating popcorn. By the time the credits are rolling, he’s dead to the world. I take the empty bag of popcorn and leave Autumn to tuck him in.
Autumn walks back into her room and wraps her arms around my neck. I glance downward, finding that familiar fire burning in her eyes again.
“I need a shower,” she says.
“Okay, go ahead. I’ll wait right here.”
She shakes her head. “No, I want you to join me.” She releases her hands from around my neck but takes my hand in hers as she pulls me toward the bathroom door. When I step into the tiny bathroom, she pushes me back against the wall, moving her mouth to mine.
I don’t hold back or ask what she’s doing. Everything else is gone. Now, it’s just me and her, doing what we do best. My hands immediately get to work on removing her dress and bra while she unfastens my belt. She pulls it through the loops, making a smacking sound. I tangle my hands into her long dark hair, angling her chin upward and giving me more of her mouth—a mouth I desperately want to feel wrapped around me.
She breaks the kiss, leaving me wanting more as she reaches into the shower and turns on the water. With her eyes on mine, she shimmies out of her panties. I can’t help but to lick my lips as I watch her naked body move in front of me, daring me to touch it. I push my jeans down my hips and kick them off as I reach for her and pull her against my chest again. Her naked breasts press against my pecs, making my nipples harden from feeling her rubbing against them.
I pick her up and carry her into the shower, pressing her back to the wall.
She giggles and pushes my chest lightly. “I really do need to shower.”
My mouth drops open from surprise. I clearly thought this was something it’s not.
She smiles up at me. “We’ll have plenty of time for that later. Right now, let’s wash off the grass and dirt we were rolling in earlier.”
I can’t hold back my smile when I think about our picnic. I stand back and watch as she washes off. I squirt a little shampoo into my hand and massage it into her hair. Her eyes flutter closed as she relaxes and enjoys my hands on her. She leans her head back and allows me to rinse her hair before adding conditioner. I wash off while she shaves her legs, and then we switch to allow her to rinse. I reach out and grab a towel for both of us. I wrap mine around my waist and wrap one around her shoulders. I rub her my hands up and down her biceps up and down, warming her.
I pull my boxers back on and join her in bed. I slide my arm beneath her pillow, and she curls into my chest. I breathe her in deeply, allowing her scent to wash over me. Her smell, it’s relaxing and comforting. It’s teasing. It’s everything all at once.
“You should probably go,” she says, eyes already falling closed.
“I will,” I reply, getting wrapped up in her heat and her soft skin, which teases mine.
The next thing I know, my eyes open and the sun is rising. I check the clock beside the bed and see that it’s going on five. Shit.
Autumn has one leg thrown over both of mine. Her head is on my chest and her arm is wrapped around me. I try wiggling free without waking her, but her eyes flutter open and land on me. She smiles sleepily at me. I put my finger over my mouth. Her wide eyes tell me that she remembers. I was supposed to leave last night.
We both sit up and move to get dressed quickly before the kid wakes up. I have my boots in my hands as she’s pushing me out the door. Her hand on my chest turns into a fist in my shirt, pulling me closer and giving me one last kiss.
“Mommy?” Bryce says from somewhere in the room.
Our kiss breaks, and she gives me one final shove before closing the door between us. I laugh as I turn and head for the truck. I open the door and sit sideways in the seat while I pull my boots on. Finally turning to face the front, I close the door and turn the key. Sitting in my seat is that strange letter from yesterday that I forgot all about. I grab it and unfold it. It reads:
You have something that’s mine and I want it. I’m coming for it too.
My first thought is that now Glenn is sending me notes. I shake my head as anger burns its way through my veins. This guy sure does have a set of balls if he thinks he’s going to scare me off with a fucking letter.
I toss it to the side and shift into drive. As I drive around, I wonder if he’s really in town. I mean, we only have one motel and I didn’t see his car there. Where the hell is he staying? Why bother with fucking letters if he’s here? Why not just try taking what he wants? I don’t pay any attention to where I’m going until I find myself pulling up to Drake’s. Colton steps out of the barn and waves me over.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I ask, stepping into the barn to find Drake digging around in the toolbox.
“We’ve started work on the new house. I needed another saw. I burned mine up,” Colton says.
“Here it is,” Drake says, pulling the saw out of the bottom cabinet and passing it over. He looks at me. “What brings you here?” He leans against the work bench.
“Autumn has this ex,” I start. I tell them about her taking Bryce and running. I tell them that he’s been abusive in the past and that he’s back in town. I tell them about the letters he’s sent to her and about the one I got yesterday.
“Where is this letter? Do you still have it?” Drake asks.
“Yeah, it’s in the truck.” I motion toward the truck.
Colton walks out without another word.
“What’s up?” I ask, but Drake doesn’t answer.
Seconds later, Colton is back, looking at the note. He hands it to Drake to inspect.
“Guys, mind telling me something?” I ask, but neither of them look at me.
“You think it’s him?” Colton asks.
Drake looks up. “It does look like the same handwriting,” Drake replies.
“Guys! What the fuck?” I ask, getting both their attentions now.
Drake takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Look, I didn’t want to tell you this…not until I knew for sure anyway, but we may have a half-brother out there.”
“What?” I ask, taking a step back.
He nods his head. “I got a letter a while back. It was from a guy claiming to be our half-brother
. I did some digging and I found some evidence. I confronted dad about it and while he fessed up to the affair, he swore up and down there was no child.”
“What? An affair?” I ask. My mind is spinning too much for this right now.
Colton nods. “Look, it’s a long story, but basically, Dad had an affair with a woman from the office back when Mom fell ill. It’s nothing to judge the guy over. His wife was sick and dying. He was just trying to survive.”
Drake cuts in. “Anyway, I’m thinking that the woman didn’t tell Dad about the baby. She quit and moved away once she realized that Dad had no plans of being with her.”
I crack my neck and lean against the work bench. “So, what’s this guy want? Why send me a letter like that?”
“He wants his share of the brewery,” Drake says. “But before I give him anything, I want to make sure he is who he says he is.”
“You’re seriously considering this?” I ask, a little perplexed.
Drake shrugs. “I mean, if he is who he says he is, doesn’t he deserve it…just the same as we do?”
“No,” I laugh out. “We got it for putting up with Dad our whole lives. This guy doesn’t know what it takes to be in this family.”
Drake shakes his head. “Look, ultimately, it’s up to all of us. In order to give him a share, we all have to let go of a small piece of ours. But if he is our brother, I think it would be nice to bring him home. Meet him, get to know him, treat him like family. Family is hard to come by these days.”
Annoyance eats at me. “You can’t just show up with the same name and expect to be family. That takes time and trust.” I turn to walk away. “Trust that I thought I had for the two of you. But apparently, you didn’t think I needed to be brought in on this decision.”
“Clay, don’t be like that, man,” Colton says, but I don’t stop on my way to my truck.
“Nothing has been done yet, man. There’s no sense in getting angry until we get to the bottom of this,” Drake says as I’m climbing behind the wheel. I twist the key and the truck roars to life, drowning out anything else they feel like they need to say.
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