by Rye Hart
“Four million dollars. Is he nuts?”
“He’s a real piece of work is what he is.”
“And if I refuse to give him the money, he’s still going to try to take Lanie from me?” I asked, an ache in my gut at the thought of it.
I pinched the bridge of my nose as I turned my back to the girls.
“Looks like he’s willing to do just about anything to get what he wants,” Luther said.
“Fuck,” I said, groaning.
“Think on it and give me a call. Say, tomorrow?”
“You want me to have an answer for you by tomorrow?” I asked.
“Any longer of a timeframe and you look like you’re floundering. Quick answers come from sure fathers. I’m not just working your defense, I’m also painting your image to the jury. Remember that.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said.
I hung up the phone and shoved it into my pocket. I made my way back to the kitchen table, my mind elsewhere as Amanda’s eyes followed me. I could smell her body spray as I sat down at the table, the smell pulling my eyes up to hers as she grinned at me. My eyes hooked onto her lips before I sighed.
It didn’t matter how attracted I was to her, I had to control my urges. She was still a stranger, and I knew there was no way in hell she was sticking around. Childhood home or not, the inherited property that had been dropped into her lap was in rough fucking shape. It wasn’t suitable for anyone to live in safely, and by all I’d seen, she was not exactly a handy woman. There was no way she could take on those repairs herself, nor did it seem like she had the money to fund them.
The last thing Lanie needed was to get attached to someone who was going to leave.
CHAPTER 5
Amanda
“Hey there, Sarah.”
“Hey, stranger! You forgot to call me, you know.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ve just been so busy cleaning up this place, and I forgot. You got my text message though, right?”
“I mean, yeah, but I was really hoping you’d call. So, how’s the cabin looking?”
I glanced around my grandmother’s home before I leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Not gonna lie, it’s a mess,” I said.
“How much of a mess are we talking?” Sarah asked.
“It’ll take me hiring someone to come in and do some of the repairs.”
“Oh, shit. What’s wrong with it?” she asked.
“For starters, it hadn’t been dusted in years. I’ve had the windows open trying to create crosswinds to blow some of this shit outside while I wipe everything down.”
“What do you mean by ‘everything’?”
“All my grandmother’s stuff is here. Well, mostly. Some of the furniture is gone, but the bedrooms are still furnished and so is the living room.”
“You’ll have to have all that furniture steam-cleaned with all the dust that settled,” she said.
“Yep. That’s one of the things I have on my list.”
“You have a list?’
“Oh, yeah. And it’s extensive. The staircase has to be completely redone. The wood’s so rotted and flimsy that I put my foot through it when I first came in.”
“Holy shit, Manda. Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My neighbor rescued me and helped bandage me up.”
“You have a neighbor? Please tell me it’s a male neighbor.”
“It is,” I said, grinning. “And before you ask, yes. He’s fucking hot.”
“Ooooh, yes! Amanda, it’s about damn time you hooked your claws into someone,” she said.
“And he’s strong. Picked me up like I was nothing. He’s got these piercing eyes and rippling muscles. When he found me in the staircase, he was shirtless, Sarah. Shirt. Less.”
“Fuck. Does he have a beard? Please tell me he has a beard.”
“He does,” I said, giggling. “I figured you would like that.”
“I love facial hair on guys. Have you seen him since your accident?”
“I have. He invited me over for dinner last night, and it was a wonderful evening.”
“You went on a date, and you didn’t call me!?”
“Well, it wasn’t really a date. He had his niece with him.”
“Niece? He a babysitter or something?” she asked.
“I don’t really know the story, but she’s adorable. She couldn’t be more than three, though she talks really well so she might be older. I’m not really sure.”
“Have you learned much about him?” she asked.
“Not much. I mean, I kind of deduced that he’s a recluse. Not used to being around people. His niece, Lanie, is the one that always wants to come around. It’s almost like she drags him along.”
“A three-year-old dragging around some burly man with a beard? That’s adorable..”
“It s just about the cutest thing ever,” I said.
“Are you attracted to him?”
“I just told you he was hot,” I said.
“You can find someone good looking and not find them attractive. Remember Michael from our sophomore year?”
“Oh, fuck yes. He was beautiful.”
“But a raging cockhead. So, he’s hot but not attractive. Got it? Are you attracted to him?” she asked, again.
I paused for a second before I hopped up onto the counter. I heard something creak and groaned, hoping the entire damn thing wouldn’t give way underneath my body weight. I could still see some dust floating around in the streams of light coming through the window, and I tried to swat them away.
Was I attracted to him?
“Manda?”
“Yeah? Sorry. Dust and shit. I mean, I am—I think. I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?” Sarah asked.
“Well, he can be standoffish. I’d call him a dick if I couldn’t throw the same treatment back at him.”
“Ah, so he’s tugging at your sassy side. Okay, but he’s not, like, bullying you or anything.”
“Hell, no. Nothing like that. It’s almost like he’s being mean so I’ll leave him alone. Except Lanie keeps destroying his plans.”
“Yep. That’s a recluse if I’ve ever heard of one.”
“I like his looks more than his attitude. Let’s just put it that way,” I said.
Sarah laughed in my ear, and it pulled a smile across my cheeks.
“You ready to move on from Daryl?”
I sighed into the phone as the counter creaked underneath me again.
“I don’t know if I’m ready to date, but I know I’m over him,” I said.
“That’s better than what I expected. Daryl was a dick, and I had no idea what you saw in him from the beginning.”
“He was sweet to me at the beginning, and that's all that mattered at the time,” I said.
“But he was never supportive of your art.”
“I figured he would come around eventually. I mean, that’s what people always said about my art. Everyone would have to ‘come around’ to it. I figured he was the same.”
“Manda, you’re smarter than that,” she said.
“I know. At least, I am now.”
“Are you okay living in that house alone with all the issues it has?” she asked.
“Oh, I didn’t tell you my list of stuff. Okay, the furniture needs to be cleaned, the staircase needs to be repaired, the entire kitchen needs an update, but I would settle for just repairing the things that are broken.”
The counter creaked underneath me again, and I slid off before I caused any more damage.
“Do you have that kind of money?” Sarah asked.
“I’m trying to figure it out. I need to go into town and price some things out, but if I can find the right contractor, I should be able to get the bigger things fixed.”
“Do you at least have electricity and running water?” she asked.
“Oh yeah. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Actually, my grandmother’s bathroom has one of those walk-in sh
ower-tub combination things. The bath has a fucking seat in it. I’m going to go take one now.”
“Sounds like you need it with all that dust. I can hear your voice already getting scratchy.”
“Yep, allergy meds are on my list too! Call you later this week?” I asked.
“Manda, are you sure you’re okay staying there by yourself?”
I sighed as I looked around the room, allowing the silent memories to crash to the forefront of my mind.
“It’s weird, being here without her. And it’s definitely bringing back memories. But I’m okay. They’re all good memories once I get past the custody battle years. There are some pictures still hanging on the wall that haven’t been damaged, and those make me smile.”
“Your grandmother always knew how to take a good picture,” Sarah said.
“Hell yeah, she did.”
“Well, let me know how your trip into town goes. Some things happening at work, so I’m not sure if I can get to you this weekend or next. But, if I can’t get out this weekend then I’ll ship you your art stuff.”
“Don’t worry about it. With the cabin still in disarray, I don’t want to taint my art supplies with the dust and shit just yet. Thank you, though. When I’m ready for them, we’ll figure it out then.”
“Sounds good. I’ll talk with you soon.”
“See ya, Sarah.”
I could hear the hot water calling my name as I made my way to the back of the house. My grandmother, in her last years before the nursing home, couldn’t get up the steps. So she had a back portion added to the cabin which had become her new master bedroom and her bathroom. I stripped myself of my clothes and stepped into the tub, then turned on the hot water and let it flow. I didn’t have any bubbles to make it nice or anything, but what I did have was a seat to lean back in as the water crept up my body.
I closed my eyes and the steam wafted around me. I loved hot baths. The kind that turned my skin red and made me sweat. I tossed my leg over the edge of the tub and stretched, allowing the water to wash away the sweat and grime from my day of cleaning. I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting memories bombard me as I thought about my grandmother.
But soon the memories gave way to Brian, and I felt my body humming.
His bright blue eyes looked right at me as his shirtless form stood in front of me. I reached out and ran my fingertips over his abs, tracing their chiseled outline as he grinned. I felt his arms wrapping around me and drawing me into him, my cheek pressed into his chest. I could feel his lips descending onto my neck as I opened my body for him. I could feel his hands undressing my layers as I fiddled with the buckle of his belt.
My hand traveled down my body, squeezing my tits as I imagined him sucking on them. I could feel his strong arms pulling me close to him as his teeth raked down my stomach. My fingertips parted my pussy folds and found my swollen clit, but what I felt was his tongue flicking me expertly as I slid down into the hot water.
“Oh, shit,” I said in a whisper. “Oh, yeah.”
I gazed down at Brian’s blue eyes, watching them darken with lust. He moaned with the satisfaction of lapping me up. His tongue jumped my body as my fingers worked their magic, my hips bucking in the water as my head lolled back.
“Brian. Oh, fuck yes.”
Sliding my fingers deep within me, I imagined them to be his. I imagined him fucking me with his thick, callused fingers while his tongue devoured me whole. I thought about what it would feel like to dig my heels into the muscles of his back. Making him moan into me as I coated his beard with my juices. My nipples puckered and my skin began to heat. My mind swirled with thoughts of his shirtless form as I imagined him devouring my body.
“I’m so close. I’m so close. Brian, don’t stop.”
I came so hard I made myself light-headed. I screwed my eyes shut and allowed myself to shake, imagining Brian holding me close to his face. I could feel his beard tickling my thighs as his hands slid up my body, cupping my breasts and massaging them until I came down from my high.
But when I opened my eyes, I was alone. The water was about to overflow the tub, and I could smell the scent of my sex in the air. I reached my shaking leg up and turned off the water before I sank underneath and wet my hair.
It had been a long time since I’d come that hard. And all because that asshole couldn’t put on a shirt.
CHAPTER 6
Brian
“Uncle Bwian, do you like Amana?”
I whipped my head up at Lanie’s question as I ran the soapy washcloth over her stomach.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Don’t friends come over?”
“She came over for dinner,” I said.
“One time,” Lanie said.
“You want her to come over more often?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
It was like this little girl could read my mind. I had been thinking about Amanda all day and how her leg was doing. The dinner we had shared together had been pleasant. She got along well with Lanie despite the fact that I didn’t enjoy having company over, and she seemed to have embedded herself in my thoughts. Even though she was a stranger and I told myself I needed to be wary of her, my mind wouldn’t let her go.
“Amana come over soon?” Lanie asked.
“How about I think about it?” I asked.
“Please?”
“I said I’ll think about it, Lanie.”
The little girl sat down in her bath and began to pout. I was concerned that Lanie was already getting too attached. The last thing this little girl needed was to get attached to another woman before she left. She had already lost her mother. I was coaching her through those nights where she woke up crying and wanting her. She wasn’t at an age where she understood death, but she saw enough children going into town to notice they were with women. Women they called “mother” while she only called me “uncle.”
“All right,” I said as I unplugged the tub. “Bedtime.”
“Movie?” Lanie asked.
“No, bedtime.”
“Snack?”
“No, sweetheart. Bedtime,” I said.
“Snuggle?”
I chuckled as I wrapped a towel around her and picked her up from the tub.
“Maybe a little snuggling.”
I dried her off and dressed her in pajamas before I tucked her into bed. I climbed beside her and pulled out her favorite book while she cuddled into me. Lanie loved it when I read to her, especially this new book her nanny had brought over the other day. It was a book of Dr. Seuss stories, and Lanie giggled at the silliness of the rhymes.
I read through two entire stories before the little girl drifted off to sleep and I kissed her forehead. I turned on her nightlight that cast stars onto the ceiling, then I turned everything else off and closed her door. It had been a long day of business calls, and figuring out what the hell was wrong with my truck.
Needless to say, I was ready to fucking crash.
But then, a knock came at the door. It was faint, like the person on the other side knew someone was sleeping. The only person I figured it could be was Tanya, but she had a key so why would she knock?
I opened the door and despite myself, my heart hammered in my chest as I saw Amanda standing on my porch, holding a big pot in her hands.
“Hello,” she said, smiling. “I brought soup.”
She set the pot in my hands as my brow furrowed deeply.
“To return the favor of you cooking chili?” she said.
“Amana!”
I spun around and saw Lanie sprinting down the hallway. She launched herself into the air and right at Amanda, who was poised to catch her in her arms. Why the hell was Lanie up? I just left her damn room, and she was snoring, for crying out loud.
“Hello there, pretty girl,” Amanda said. “I thought you were sleeping.”
“Nope. I was pretening,” Lanie said.
“Pretending, huh?” Amanda asked as she winked at me. “Well, looks like you got yo
ur uncle good.”
“I did,” Lanie said, smiling. “What’s that?”
Lanie pointed to the pot in my hands as it began to burn my palms.
“Soup,” Amanda said. “To repay your uncle for dinner.”
“You stay? I have some?” Lanie asked.
“One question at a time,” I said as I set the pot on the stove.
“Amana you stay?” Lanie asked again.
Her eyes were pleading with Amanda to stay as her hesitant stare turned toward me.
“I don’t know. Can I?” Amanda asked.
“I was going to make a grilled cheese for dinner, but this is better. Lanie, you can have some, but afterward, you need to go to bed. You didn’t have your nap today, so you have to go to bed early.”
“But I’m not tired,” Lanie said.
“Says the girl who was snoring a moment ago. Come in, Amanda.”
She stepped over the threshold of my house with Lanie in her arms. I started spooning the warm soup into bowls for everyone while Amanda settled with Lanie at the table. I heard them giggling and whispering to each other, and the smile on Lanie’s face was larger than I’d ever seen it. Her eyes were sparkling as she played with Amanda’s hair, and she was giggling when Amanda tickled her.
Yes. Lanie was getting way too attached to this woman.
“Oh! I brought you something,” Amanda said.
“What?” Lanie asked. “What is it?”
“It’s something I drew the other day. I figured you might like it.”
I set the bowls of soup on the table as I watched Amanda pull a folded piece of paper from her back pocket. She handed it to Lanie, unfolding it carefully so my niece could see. I grabbed all of us drinks as Lanie gasped at the picture, then suddenly the small girl was at my feet.
“Look, Uncle Bwian! Look! It’s a bird!”
I set the drinks on the table and took the picture from Lanie’s hands.
It wasn’t only a bird, however, it was an entire scene. The bird was perched on a windowsill outside, and it was backdropped with the forest. The detail was incredible, and the shading of the pencil was expertly done.
“Did you draw this?” I asked.
Amanda’s eyes connected with mine, and I felt my voice catch in my throat.