Chapter Eleven
Drake
It was past midnight, and I sat on the back porch of my parents’ place drinking a beer and unwinding. Lex was already asleep—she hadn’t stirred when I opened the bedroom door to check on her. She’d wanted me to wake her when I got there, but after seeing how peacefully she was sleeping, I couldn’t do it.
Once I’d gotten to the bar, it didn’t take long to get things sorted. But I ended up staying to make sure things remained that way. Bernie and Mac had gotten into a fight about who’d caught the bigger fish. Fuckin’ stupid. They’d probably both been so drunk they’d only caught some tiny perch.
I was still pissed they’d interrupted things with Lex. I’d wanted to tell her how much I still loved her, but twice that night, something had gotten in the way. Is fate stopping me from moving too quickly? Fuck if I knew.
I took another swig of my beer, thinking about Lex’s letter from Lloyd, which was still in my back pocket. Since the moment she handed it to me on the dock, I hadn’t let it out of my sight. What are we going to do about it? How do I prove Lloyd didn’t write it? Lex believed me, but this still had to weigh on her. Shit, it weighed on me and I knew it was a damn lie.
Maybe I’d talk to Dad and see if he had any idea how to sort this out that wouldn’t take forever.
As if he’d known I was thinking about him, Dad walked out the back door. “Thought I heard you come in.” He sat and scrubbed a hand down his face with a yawn.
The blackness of the night calmed me. “Sorry, Dad. I thought I was quiet. I needed to decompress.”
“Something on your mind, son?”
“Lex.” There wasn’t a moment she didn’t consume my mind.
“Are you regretting getting back together?” Dad asked hesitantly.
I looked him straight in the eye. “No. Never. She’s it for me. Always has been.”
The tension in Dad’s shoulders relaxed. “Then what’s going on?”
It had been awhile since I talked—truly talked—with my father. For the last two years, I’d bottled everything up and pretended I was okay. But I hadn’t been. I’d forgotten how much talking helped. I pulled out the note from my back pocket. “You know I asked Lloyd to marry Lex. And he gave his blessing.”
“I remember. You had the ring and were going to ask her that Christmas.”
Before I’d asked Lloyd, I’d talked to my Dad, wanting to make sure I did things right. I handed over the note. “Well, I found out why Lex broke up with me. She got a note at the reading of his will. I remember the lawyer handing her the envelope, but she didn’t open it. The letter was supposedly from Lloyd and told Lex to break up with me.”
Dad swore as he read it. “I never understood what happened. But that would make sense. Her dad’s last piece of fatherly advice. They were close. How could she stay with a man her dad didn’t approve of?”
The thought made my blood boil. Lex had been all sorts of messed up and feeling guilty for not being home when he died. And then she gets the letter from her Dad… Yeah, it would fuck with anyone’s head.
“Exactly.” I took a deep breath. “I told her I asked Lloyd for his blessing to marry her and what he’d said when he was dying. I do not believe Lloyd wrote that letter.”
Dad kept starring at the note. “I don’t, either. Lloyd wasn’t one to be underhanded. His word was his bond. And he wouldn’t have asked you to watch over Alexa. He would have told you to leave her even with his last breath.”
It was true.
“Who would do this, Drake? Why?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face and sat back in the rocking chair. “Raquel is the first name that comes to mind. She paid a visit to us at the clinic tonight. Still filled with hate and piss. Or Chazz. Maybe Irene. She’s always thought the sun shined out of Raquel’s ass and was harder on Lex. And neither liked me. All I know is someone needed access to the will. Maybe it was the lawyer. Hell, it could have been Teagan, considering how weird she’s been acting. But she’s always been that way. As for why, I have no fucking clue.”
Dad refolded the note and handed it back to me with a shake of his head. “You’re going to have to be careful if you start accusing people.”
“I know. But whoever it is nearly fucked up my life.” I sighed and took another pull of my beer. “Something just isn’t sitting right with this. I don’t know if Lex has put much thought into it, but someone went to a lot of trouble to break us up. Now that we’re working things out, I wonder what they’ll do.”
“You sound worried.”
“I am. This person has remained in the shadows for two years. Now Lex is home, and we’re back together in less than forty-eight hours.”
“Has Lex mentioned anything out of the ordinary happening?”
“Not that I can think of.”
Before Dad could respond, the door swung open. Lex walked out in a T-shirt—no bra—and tiny-ass shorts. My dick was not going to survive this going-slow stage, which we really hadn’t defined.
“Ike, do you still chop wood in the same place?”
Oh shit.
Dad pointed across the yard. “Same spot. There’s wood there now.”
“Thank you.”
Lex took off across the yard, her ass shaking as she threw her arms in the air, obviously talking to herself. By the way her volume rose and then lowered, it was clear she was pissed off. She looked like she was asking the world a question and then answering it. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I knew it was best to not suffocate her. Something had added to her fury with Raquel earlier. Her body grew more animated the more she got worked up, and then she disappeared behind Dad’s shop.
“Boy, something got her agitated.” Dad chuckled. “I forgot what a firecracker she could be.”
The fucking grin on my face wouldn’t disappear. I had Lex back, and she was still the same. Crazy antics and all.
“I’m going to see what happened. Say a prayer she doesn’t take a swing at me.”
Standing, Dad patted me on the back. “Good luck, son.”
When I was halfway down the stairs, Dad stopped me. “You know… We could ask Butch if he knows anyone who could look at the letter. Maybe compare the handwriting.”
Butch was ex-military intelligence who’d moved here a year ago to start over. He was a good guy and came to eat at the Red Onion from time to time. He preferred to stay under the radar. I’d totally forgotten about him. “You’re a genius.”
Then, it occurred to me… if Lloyd had written the letter, I might lose Lex forever. This was uncharted territory. I heard the wood splinter off in the distance and glanced that way. I couldn’t lose her. And I’d fight like hell to keep her.
Dad touched my shoulder. “From experience, it’s always best to know rather than wonder.”
Yeah, except if it ruins your life. “Probably.”
But it wasn’t my call to make. This was something Lex and I needed to discuss together. As I made my way across the yard behind the shop, my phone vibrated.
Hollis: The rumors aren’t true. Don’t hunt me down and punch me again. We city folk don’t fight with our fists.
I chuckled. Hollis was growing on me. He was a fish out of water up here, but he wanted to make a difference. The man couldn’t swing a hammer, cut wood, or use a tape measure for shit, though. Alaska would be an interesting match for him. I typed back a response.
Me: What happened?
Hollis: Something to do with the Twiner sisters and their newsletter. You Alaskans are nuts. Seriously, code red release? It’s nearly one in the morning. They called me looking for a comment.
Me: Welcome to Skagway, Doc.
Hollis: I’m going to have to raise my rates.
Me: Probably smart. Going to check on Lex.
Hollis: Good luck. She’s quite irritated.
I put my phone away and walked to the side of the shop. As long as I had Lex in my life, I’d weather any storm with her.
Chapter Twelve
> Drake
The floodlight outside the shop had been turned on. Lex had a log up on the block and was mid-swing. As I watched, a piece of wood splintered off.
My Alaskan firecracker.
With each swing of the ax, Lex growled, “I hate her. I hate her. I hate her.”
This wasn’t good. We’d gone straight to hating whomever. I kept my distance and leaned against the wall. “Who do you hate?”
Lex swung again and broke off another piece of wood. “Raquel.”
Raquel most likely deserved it. “What’d she do?”
“Apparently, she called the Twiner sisters, probably to vindicate her name and take revenge on me for the dirty water. Then she proceeded to tell Elvira that it was her and Chazz’s idea to bring Hollis here. Stupid, stupid Chazz. I’ve never even met him, and I can’t stand the sound of his name.”
Whack!
Another piece of the log split off. Sylvia and Elvira must have struck gold with this newsletter. Lex loaded another piece of wood and swung, but this time she missed. “It was not her idea. At all. She told me I was an idiot when I left for New York with this idea. Ugh!” She gave the log another whack. “Then Sylvia chimed in and asked what it felt like to be Raquel’s sister. I tried to remain calm. I really did. But then, on top of that stupid-ass, ridiculous question, they asked me for a quote for their newsletter regarding my opinion of how wonderful Raquel and Chazz were for the community. How wonderful they were for finding Hollis Fritz.”
I was afraid to ask, but I did anyway. “And you said?”
She gave four more angry swings before she placed the ax down and turned to me. She put her hands on her hips, fury radiating from every pore of her body. “That Raquel had nothing to do with Hollis Fritz coming to town. Nothing. He doesn’t even know her. He’s my friend, and I asked him to come here. And then the sisters called Raquel, who said I was cheating on Hollis with you. My mother confirmed that I was dating Hollis. My mother! She knows I’m not.”
Now I was getting fucking pissed, too. These two were trying to make waves where there weren’t any. Which definitely made them letter-writer suspects.
“Drake, I have never, ever dated Hollis. I swear it.”
“I believe you.” I wanted to take the ax to a few logs myself. Motherfuckers. “What happened next?”
Lex began to pace. “They called me back and asked about us. What Hollis thought about me and you rekindling our romance. Would I break up with Hollis. I tried to calmly explain the situation. Then they said they needed to finish gathering the information and would let me know. This is my fucking life. I know who I’m seeing. I seriously want to—”
My phone rang, cutting off Lex. It was Sylvia, one of the Twiner sisters. I held up my finger. “You’re going to want me to take this. It’s Sylvia.”
Lex marched over and grabbed for the phone. “I’d like to finish where I left off.”
I tried to reason with Lex while barely keeping the phone out of reach. Going back and forth could take all night. I was fucking exhausted and just wanted to focus on us. “Let me talk to her.”
For a second, Lex looked like she wanted to argue, but she stepped back with her hands up. “Be my guest. So stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” She grabbed the ax and took another swing, muttering, “It’s been two freaking days, and I’ve been in three newsletters. Three. Three. That’s got to be a record.”
I pressed Accept on my phone, trying to hide my smile. “Sylvia, how are you?”
Lex stopped and watched me, her eyes narrowed, and I swore steam was coming out of her ears. She set another log on the stump and began to swing again.
“Hey, Drake. We’ve got a code red newsletter we want to get out to the people of Skagway, stat. Seems we may have uncovered a scandal. We’d like your side before we send it out.”
A scandal would put Lex in a fourth newsletter. A record, for sure. I chuckled. “What scandal would that be?”
“Does the name Hollis Fritz mean anything?”
Oh good. I was going to be able to nip this shit before it started. “Sylvia, get your pencil or turn on your recorder. This is going to be good. You’re not going to want to miss any of it.”
Lex stopped swinging, put down the ax, and walked my way. On the other end of the phone, I heard a flurry of activity. The Twiner sisters lived together and had never married. I swore they took shifts sleeping so they wouldn’t miss anything. I heard Sylvia say, “Oh, dear. Elvira, this is going to be good.” There was more noise, and then she came back on the line. “Go ahead, Drake.”
I stepped closer to Lex, watching her face to make sure she understood how serious I was. “Lex has never been involved with Hollis. And she’s the reason Hollis is here. So the people of Skagway can have a doctor. Raquel and Chazz had nothing to do with it. And I hate to say this, but Irene knows that Hollis and Lex never dated.” And because the Twiner sisters needed something else to focus on, I said, “Rumor has it from a very reliable source that Chazz wants to run for mayor next year. I think that’s probably a better addition to your newsletter than Lex and me dating again, don’t you think?”
I could hear gasps on the other end of the line.
“Oh, this is good stuff. What, Elvira?”
They began to whisper. “Okay. Okay. Give me a second and I’ll ask. Shh… this isn’t my first time, Elvira.” Sylvia cleared her throat. “So, Drake?”
“Yes.”
It was hard not to smile. Lex’s mouth was still a thin line.
There was more commotion on the other end. “Yes, I know. I’m asking. Stop it.” She cleared her throat again. “Tell me, Drake, for the record. Are you and Alexa back together? Like together, together? The people will want closure.”
I got the impression the sisters were going to move onto Raquel if they were talking closure. A-fucking-men. I put my arm around Lex’s waist and brought her to me. Slowly, we walked back toward the wall. So many emotions passed over her face: love, fear, desire, irritation. Once her expression softened a little, I said, “Lex is mine. Always has been. And I plan for her to always be.”
Lex sucked in a breath, and her eyes flared with desire, while the sisters giggled like little schoolgirls. “Oh dear, this is going to be good.” I was pretty sure that was Elvira.
The sisters had enough for another red-hot newsletter. Chat time was over. “Okay, ladies, I need to go kiss my girl now.”
They continued to giggle. “Bye, Drake. Thank you for the tip on Chazz. Do you want to stay anonymous?” they asked in unison.
“Sure.”
With that, I ended the phone call. Lex was leaning against the wall. I braced my hands on the wall on either side of her face, caging her in. Hell, I wanted her bad. But I needed to remember not to rush things until we had some answers. I leaned in closer.
Quietly, she asked, “Always has been?”
I searched her eyes as she licked her lips.
“Yes. And I hope always will be.”
“Me, too.”
That was all it took for me to press my lips against hers. She moaned into my mouth, and instantly my dick hardened. I knew I’d be jacking off to this memory later, wishing things could have gone further. All too soon, Lex pulled back, and I pressed my forehead against hers. Everything just felt right. “I’ve missed you.”
She leaned her head against my chest with a gentle sigh. “Missed you, too.”
Chapter Thirteen
Drake
I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling. In the room next to me, Lex was asleep. Outside her room earlier, I hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her, but when she finally opened the door to her room, she hadn’t asked me to follow. With the restraint of a fucking saint, I’d stayed outside. But hell, I wanted to hold her, just have in her my arms. I sounded like a sap, sure, but I missed her lying next to me at night. Kane and Hayden would give me hell if they knew how far gone I was—had always been—for Lex. On more than one occasion, they’d called me pussy, whipped, whatever they could thin
k of. But it had never fazed me. And if they ever met the right person, I was going to give them hell.
The memory of her lips brushing against mine made me hard again. Shit. A cold shower and jacking off twice hadn’t helped. Maybe a third time would do the trick—that or five stiff drinks.
Creak.
I froze.
“Drake?”
I shot up, my dick stiffening further at the sound of her voice. “Yeah, I’m awake. What’s going on?”
“Can I come in?”
If she turned on the light, she’d see the tent I was pitching with my blankets. Thank God she didn’t. I adjusted myself with a wince. “Of course. Come here.”
The door opened wider before closing again, cloaking us in darkness. I heard Lex’s feet on the carpet as she padded over to me.
“I can’t sleep.”
“Me either.” I swallowed hard before I asked, “Do you want to join me?”
“Yes,” she breathed on a whisper.
I pulled back the covers. “Come here.”
I was hit with all-too-familiar sensations as she joined me. The peach smell was nearly my undoing. If we hadn’t been in this awkward limbo, she would have snuggled into my side and placed her hand across my abdomen. Instead she kept some space between us and lay facing me. Our breaths mingled. I wanted her. All of her.
A few minutes passed in silence.
“Drake?” I could hear the worry in her voice.
“Yeah, baby. I’m still awake.”
She took a deep breath. “What if my dad really did write that letter?”
Her sadness tore through me. I knew this wasn’t over yet. There was no way it could be. The situation had my heart and mind warring with each other, which meant it had to be a full-scale war for Lex. I’d hoped to have more time to make us stronger as we dealt with this. But time hadn’t been my friend for a while.
Intoxicated By You_An Exposed Hearts Novel Page 7