Drive Me Crazy (Shady Falls Book 3)

by Shelly Davis

  Harlan started to say something, but my mother stopped her with a hug. “Harlan, I’ve heard so much about you. It’s great to finally meet you.”

  Harlan wrapped her arms around my mother, awkwardly, but she relaxed into the hug. She hadn’t been hugged by a mother figure in so long, I was sure she was transported back to memories of her mother, for just a moment.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you also,” Harlan said through a sniffle. She composed herself. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’m sorry I look like this though, Cade didn’t tell me you were coming.”

  I grinned, sheepishly. “Well, you can’t go to the race with me and I didn’t want you to be alone here with Dillon for the next four days, so I called my mom.”

  Harlan’s eyes widened, a cross between being horrified and angry. I suddenly worried that this was a big mistake.

  My mother drew her attention. She always had a way of calming people and situations. She took Harlan’s hand. “He’s just a big softie,” she said, patting me on the chest. “I’ve been dyin’ to come meet y’all. I almost hopped right in the car and showed up in your hospital room right after the accident, but Fred thought that might not be the best place to meet. So, when Cade said y’all were here at his place, I decided it was high time I meet the woman who stole my boy’s heart.” She glanced from Harlan to me and nodded. “I must say, I do approve.”

  She turned back to Harlan and gave her a warm, motherly smile. “I do hope you don’t mind us comin’ and spendin’ the weekend with y’all.”

  Harlan instantly relaxed. “No, I’m pleased.”

  The two women turned and walked toward the kitchen at the back of the house, talking about everything Harlan had done to the house since she wasn’t able to go anywhere, while my mother told her about me living with lawn furniture when I first moved in. I laughed to myself.

  “I’ve gotta tell ya, son. I approve too. That little lady is pretty special, ain’t she?” my dad asked.

  “She sure is,” I said, my grin spread. “Come on, I’ll show you which room I set up for you.” We walked up the steps, and for the first time in my life I felt like I had everything I could possibly ever want. A beautiful woman, a great kid, and a home that had welcomed my family.

  My father gazed into the room Dillon was staying in now. “The famous tent. You and your brother loved havin’ the tents over your beds when y’all were kids. How’s Dillon like it?”

  “He loves it. Hasn’t complained about sleepin’ in there at all. He also loved when we camped out. It was cool gettin’ to watch him experience and explore somethin’ new.”

  “Fatherhood looks good on ya, boy.” He smacked me on the back and continued to follow me down the hall. The wonderful thing about having an old farm house was having so many rooms. There were four bedrooms, along with a huge living room, a den, a dining room, and a large kitchen. There was always room for lots of people.

  “I’m not his father, unfortunately.”

  “Dillon will know who loves him and who doesn’t. He already knows. You may not be his blood, but you know as well as I that blood doesn’t always mean family.” He paused, sat on the foot of the bed, and observed me for a moment. “Maybe you should do somethin’ about makin’ these two your family permanently. You can play house all you want, but at the end of the day, all three of you need somethin’ solid and pure.”

  My dad didn’t hold any punches. He always said exactly what he thought, and he was always right. It took a long time for me to realize and admit that he was always right.

  “Actually, I’ve been thinkin’ the same thing.”

  ***

  “What would you say if I told you I didn’t want you to go back,” I said one evening as we sat outside on the wraparound porch, relaxing and watching the stars flicker.

  My nerves were on edge. Since getting cleared by her doctors, four weeks after the accident, she changed a little. She made comments to Dillon about going home soon. She appeared unfocused, like she had a lot on her mind. The whole situation made me nervous.

  “I can’t just take over your house, Cade,” she insisted. “It’s bad enough that I’ve already completely rearranged your home and life as much as I have.”

  “I love that you rearranged my life,” I said. “And the house feels more like home that ever before.” My tone was matter of fact, she needed to know that I was serious about this. I leaned toward her and held her gaze with mine. “Harlan, I love comin’ home to you and Dillon. I love makin’ dinner together, puttin’ Dil to bed together, sittin’ together and just plain relaxin’. I would love it if y’all would be a permanent fixture here with me. Move in here, with me.”

  She was quiet for a long time. Her eyes darted around the porch and into the darkness, but she never glanced my way. She was probably going to shoot me down, I could see it in her posture. I wished I could read her mind.

  “I don’t think that’s the best idea, Cade. I’ve loved being here, but I think this is too confusing for Dillon. He calls your mom and dad his grandparents. He says you are his daddy. What’s he going to think if we move in here?”

  “He’s gonna think we’re a family,” I told her. “He’s gonna think that he has a mommy and a daddy who live together and love each other. He’s gonna think that, because that’s what we are, a family.”

  Eyes wide and glossy, her lips turned up slightly, but her eyes still held worry. I’d been thinking about how to make life with Harlan and Dillon more permanent and I kept going back to one thing. Surprisingly, it didn’t make me nervous or anxious, it only brought me a sense of peace. This was what I wanted.

  Harlan shook her head and looked at me, her eyes conflicted. I couldn’t let her turn me down, not until I showed her that I was in this for life. She and Dillon were everything to me, and I hoped this would show her just how serious I was about them.

  “Marry me, Harlan,” I said, pulling the ring out of my pocket and handing it to her.

  “Cade, when?” she asked, staring down at the small box in her hand. She gently opened it and gasped. Her whisky eyes widened and when they found mine, they sparkled.

  The ring was a simple, antique, one carat diamond solitaire on a white gold band. The ring had been my grandmother’s and my mother had been keeping it for either Jake or me. Jake decided to get something different for Mia, so when my mother asked if I wanted it, I was thrilled. It wasn’t flashy or overstated, it had a classic beauty, just like Harlan. She was a quiet beauty with elegance and sophistication. You couldn’t help but look at her when she walked into a room, whether in a pair of jeans, a fire suit, or a beautiful dress.

  She sat silently and stared down at the ring.

  “Harlan, you and Dillon make this house feel like a home, our home. I liked you the moment we met. I started to fall in love with you during our first plane ride. You’re the first person I want to see when I wake up and the last person I want to see before I go to sleep. You and Dillon are my world, you’re everything to me.” I took her hand and knelt in front of her. I gazed deep into her tear-filled eyes and whispered, “Marry me.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Harlan

  I leapt into his arms, knocking us both to the porch. My kisses were frantic and full of need. The buildup was almost unbearable as he lightly kissed from my mouth to that spot behind my ear that made me quiver and shake. My whole body was on fire with need for him.

  “Is that a yes?” he whispered, kissing down my neck to my collarbone.

  I nodded and moaned gently when his lips were on mine again. I shoved my hands up the back of his shirt, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles as they flexed and warmed under my touch. I pushed the shirt higher, just wanting to feel his skin against mine. God, this man was perfect in every way. Tanned skin and hard muscles covered in a light layer of blonde hair just across the top of his chest.

  He pulled back and took my hand. He slid the ring on my finger easily. “Now, it’s official. You and Dillon are gonna be w
ith me forever,” he whispered.

  Hands wrapped under my thighs, he guided my legs around his waist and held tight as he stood. He wasted no time taking us into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. Our bedroom.

  My back hit the bed before he yanked his shirt off. He slowly peeled my tight jeans from my legs. He looked down at me, my hair fanned out around my head. I pulled myself up and grabbed the waistband of his jeans, pulling him down on me. My legs around his waist once more, I rolled my hips into his to feel his hardness barely confined by his jeans. He moaned and wrapped his arms under me, pulling me closer to his chest. My breasts pillowed against is hard chest so that I could feel the steady rhythm of his frantic heartbeat.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered before his lips were on mine. That spark that had always burned between us, exploded into an inferno. I matched him breath for breath as we both lost control.

  Before I knew what was happening, I was over him, straddling his hips. His sensual gaze made my body temperature rise, warming me all over. The sensation was so intense, I felt vulnerable. Overcome by everything, I started to cover myself, but Cade grabbed my hands. The hunger in his eyes was something I’d never seen before.

  “Baby, don’t hide from me,” he whispered. He pulled me down to him, taking my mouth in a deep kiss. He worked his way from my mouth, kissing my jaw, down my neck, across my collar bone, stopping at my breasts. My breaths came out in short, excited bursts. My chest rising and falling quickly as my heart hammered. When his mouth covered one nipple, I melted.

  My whole body felt liquid above him. I leaned back into his arousal, creating friction between us, fanning the flames. Cade had broken down all my walls, demolished every hurdle I’d thrown in front of him, and managed to show me that love was worth it, that he was worth it. And he was.

  When the last barrier was gone, and nothing separated us. I felt like my world finally made sense. Any remaining clothes were tossed across the room. It felt like we were in a world all our own.

  Lips and hands were everywhere, and when he finally entered me, it was like a dam burst. We moved together, bringing each other pleasure and becoming one.

  We laid together for hours, curled under a blanket, talking and just being together. When the touching became more, we made love again. I wanted this every night for the rest of my life. Feeling him over me, covering me, as we made love all night long. Being with Cade was better than anything else I’d ever known.

  Just before I fell asleep, I lain next to Cade, his arms wrapped protectively around me. I stared at the beautiful ring on my finger and sighed.

  “What’re you thinkin’?” he whispered in my ear. He caressed my stomach under the blankets, moving his fingers lightly from just below my breasts to just above my pubic bone.

  “I have no idea how I got this lucky,” I murmured, more to myself than him.

  “It’s not luck, sweetheart. It’s love.”

  ***

  The next morning, we made love one more time before dressing and going to Margie’s to get Dillon.

  “Mom, Cade!” Dillon shouted running up to us. “I missed you.”

  Margie didn’t say a word, as Cade crouched down and lifted Dillon into a tight hug.

  She looked down at my finger, her eyes widened, and she grinned. “Congratulations,” she said. “Y’all are good for each other.”

  “Thanks,” I said, staring at my man and my son. “We’re perfect for each other.”

  Epilogue

  Harlan

  Three months later – Christmas Eve

  Cade came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, feeling the slight bump that was just below my belly button. My hands instantly found his and held tight. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Ever since we found out the news. I was worried he would be upset, but his eyes just lit up with excitement. He wanted to run out and tell everyone, but I convinced him to wait. I didn’t think he’d wait much longer though.

  “All right, you two,” Toni complained. “It’s almost time to make your entrance. You’ll have time for that after the reception.”

  When Cade suggested we get married on Christmas Eve in the barn behind the farm house, I thought he was crazy. I worried Toni would be upset because it was only a week before her wedding, and it only gave us three months to plan. It turned out that Toni was thrilled, especially when I asked her to be my maid of honor, and everything came together easily, especially when Dottie and Fred came to help.

  All our family was there, both race teams, and their families. My grandpa and Dillon walked me down the aisle. And when it came time to say our vows, Cade surprised me with vows that he and Dillon prepared.

  “I Cade, take you Dillon to be my son. I promise to love you, care for you, and argue with you when you’re older. I promise that we will be a family, no matter what, forever.”

  “I Dillon, take you Cade to be my daddy. I promise to love you and help whenever I can. Can I call you daddy now?”

  Cade picked him up and hugged him tight and agreed that Dillon could call him daddy if he wanted. Tears streamed from my eyes as I watched my two men embrace. My heart swam with more love than I ever thought.

  Flashing back to now, I looked around the tack room and smiled. It had been a perfect day, and it was just going to get better.

  “We’ll be there in a minute,” Cade said. “Could you send Dil in here for a minute though?”

  “Sure,” Toni said, then turned to find the little boy who was running around playing with Kyle’s son.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “We need to tell Dillon the news. I want to share our happiness with everyone, but Dil needs to know first.”

  “Here?” I asked. “Tonight?”

  He leaned down, so he was eye to eye with me. His blue eyes shined with love, and I could see his resolve. “Yes,” he insisted. “Please.”

  Cade wouldn’t tell anyone if I didn’t want him to, but he was excited. He loved Dillon, and now he was excited to bring another little person into our lives.

  Dillon came running into the tack room where Cade and I hid while the caterers switched out the chairs for tables and a dancefloor. Jake had tried to convince us that he would cater, but we refused. He and Mia had enough to worry about. Instead of finding out just the sex of their baby at their reveal party, they found out they were preparing for twins.

  “Momma, Daddy, Aunt Toni said you wanted me.”

  Cade released me and picked the little boy up and set him on the work bench, so he could look us in the faces easier. Cade looked to me and smiled. “Dil, momma and I have somethin’ to tell you.”

  “What?” Dillon asked. He fed off Cade’s excitement. If Dillon saw that we were happy, I was sure that he would be happy too.

  “What would you think about being a big brother?” I asked. “Have a little brother or sister to play with?”

  “Like little cousins from Uncle Jake and Aunt Mia?” he asked.

  “Yeah, just like that,” Cade said. “But a little brother or sister would live with us, your cousins won’t.”

  Dillon bounced excitedly. “I want to be a big brother.”

  “Well,” I said. “Momma has a baby in her belly. We’re going to have a baby in a couple months.”

  Dillon’s eyes were wide with wonder. “How’d the baby get in your belly?”

  Cade snickered, and I was tongue tied. We’d had a little conversation about babies coming from mommy’s bellies when we told him that Mia was pregnant, but he didn’t ask how they got there. I didn’t know what to say.

  “How about we talk about that tomorrow,” I promised. “For now, we have to go and eat.”

  “Can I have cake?” Dillon asked.

  “Definitely,” Cade said. He picked Dillon up off the bench, took my hand, and the three of us entered the main part of the barn to applause and cheers.

  After our dance, Cade took my hand and led me over to the DJ table, taking the microphone.

&
nbsp; “Hey, everyone,” Cade announced, getting them to stop talking and listen. “Harlan, Dillon, and I just wanted to thank y’all for comin’ and sharin’ our day with us. Y’all mean the world to us, so we wanted to share some news with you.” He looked at me and wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his side. “In about seven months, we’re gonna have another little person to add to our family.”

  The room erupted in cheers and congratulations. Dottie was the first to run up to us and wrap us both in her arms. Tears streamed down her face, her excitement evident. She had just gotten a grandson, and in a matter of months, there were going to be three more grandchildren.

  As we made our way around to our guests, we received loads of congratulations, but I got the one gift I was hoping for the moment I found out I was pregnant when I talked to Axel.

  “So, I guess we’ll be lookin’ for a substitute driver for next season,” he said.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, Axel. We weren’t planning to get pregnant so quickly, it just happened.”

  Axel wrapped me in a hug. “Don’t worry, Darlin’. Everything will be fine. I’ll expect you in the garage, leading and helping whoever we bring in. The sixty-five car is still yours. You proved yourself this season by getting into the playoffs despite your injury and being a rookie. I couldn’t be prouder of you.”

  “Thanks, Axel,” I said. Tears staining my cheeks once again.

  Cade and I danced the night away, and when it was time for Dillon to go to bed, Grandma Dottie and Grandpa Fred took him into the house, so Santa could come. Cade and I would have a honeymoon eventually, but for now, we were happy to have our first family Christmas in our home.

  THE END

  BONUS JULIUS & TONI SHORT STORY

  Julius and Toni’s Wedding

  Shady Falls, North Carolina

  December 31st