Uncontrollable

by Shannon Richard

  “I’d love to. I seemed to have worked up a pretty good appetite today.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Sure is.” He leaned down and kissed her again, his tongue slipping inside her mouth and finding hers. He tightened his grip on her back, holding her firmly to him.

  Grant’s voice behind them had them pulling apart. “Are you two almost done?” he asked, sounding more than slightly exasperated.

  Tripp’s hands fell away from her body and they took a step back from each other. “Yeah, we’re done, buddy,” he told Grant before looking to Beth again. “What time do we need to be at the table?”

  Beth glanced at her watch. It was five forty-nine. “Six thirty.”

  “I think we can handle that. Right, Grant?” Tripp reached over and ruffled the boy’s hair.

  “Yup.” He nodded before turning his head up to Tripp, the unmistakable look of hero worship written across his face.

  Beth’s chest clutched again as she turned away and headed to the house. The happiness coursing through her almost felt too good to be true.

  Almost.

  * * *

  It wasn’t just Monday evening that Tripp joined them for dinner, but every single night that week. Another thing that continued were the evening catch sessions with him and Grant, they’d come in and wash up before sitting down at the table to eat. It quickly became one of her favorite things to see.

  When Beth got home on Friday she found Nora sitting out on the porch. She was leaning back against one of the massive pillars with her legs stretched out and an open book in her lap. But she wasn’t reading the book; no, she was watching Tripp and Grant.

  That wasn’t the only thing Nora participated in. After dinner she actually joined them in the living room to watch a movie. It was Penny’s turn to pick, so of course it was Disney, but thankfully she chose The Lion King and not Frozen.

  On Saturday and Sunday, Beth went over to Tripp’s house at six in the morning. On both days he’d made her come twice before the sun even rose. She didn’t feel even remotely bad about her crack-of-dawn adventures, either. She sometimes went for early morning runs, so it wouldn’t have been that unusual if she happened to not be in her bed when the kids woke up. Besides, they always slept in on the weekends. She’d been back and had breakfast ready before any of them even opened their eyes.

  Beth’s lunch breaks on Monday and Tuesday had consisted of time spent with Tripp. As Monday and Tuesday had been his days off, she’d spent most of her hour naked and with him inside of her.

  Just after three o’clock on Wednesday afternoon Beth’s cellphone vibrated against the desk, letting her know she had a text. She finished updating a patient’s file before she looked at it, seeing it was from Tripp.

  Her stomach did that swooping thing it always did when it came to him, because good Lord this man affected her. And when she actually read his text? Well, her grin somehow got even bigger.

  What are your thoughts on me picking up something for dinner for you, me, and the kids?

  My thoughts are very, very positive, she typed out quickly and hit Send.

  Beth pulled the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth, trying to contain her smile. But containing it was useless, had been useless since the first time he’d kissed her. Which had been twelve days ago.

  Twelve freaking days. What was even happening?

  “Well, look at you, Grinny McGrinnerson.”

  Vanessa was standing in the doorway. She had a piece of folded up paper in her hands that she was fiddling with absentmindedly.

  “Does that current look on your face have anything to do with your new boyfriend?”

  Beth turned in her chair to face Vanessa. “It just might.”

  “He’s good to you.” Not a question, but a statement.

  And it was so damn true.

  “He is.” Beth took a deep breath, her stomach doing that weird flippy thing that was becoming the norm when she talked about Tripp.

  Vanessa took a step forward, handing the piece of paper she’d been fiddling with to Beth. “Well, I was asked to give you this.”

  Beth looked down, unfolding the paper.

  Which appeals the most?

  1) Italian (I’m thinking pizza. Though a case could be made for calzones)

  2) Chinese Smorgasbord (I order ten things and it’s a free-for-all)

  3) Burgers and fries (with enough ketchup to satisfy Penny and Grant)

  4) Mexican (tacos or burritos, or we can live dangerously and have both)

  5.) ________________ (You want something that I haven’t suggested)

  “He’s out in the waiting room.”

  Vanessa had barely finished her sentence before Beth was out of her chair and down the hallway. When she pushed the door open she saw that Tripp was the only person in the room. Her man was wearing a black and white Mirabelle Firefighter T-shirt and his customary navy blue uniform pants. He grinned the second his eyes landed on her.

  “Hey,” he said as he crossed the space to her in four easy strides.

  “Hey yourself.”

  His hands were at her hips and he was leaning down at the same moment that she grabbed onto his arms and stretched up. Their mouths met in the middle, and it was one of those long, lingering kisses.

  “God, I needed that,” he said against her mouth before pulling back to look down into her face.

  “Bad day?”

  “Just long. I needed a pick-me-up.”

  “They out of your pie at the diner again?”

  “Don’t know,” he shrugged. “I came here first. You’ve ruined me for sweets, Beth. They just don’t do it for me anymore. I want you.” He reached up, cupping the side of her face and tracing her cheek with his thumb.

  “That so?” She leaned into his touch.

  “It is. And I think I was especially in need of a pick-me-up because I didn’t see you this morning…or this afternoon.”

  “So you missed me.” Beth lowered her voice, fully aware of Vanessa, who’d retaken her seat behind the receptionist desk…and slid the glass divider pane open an inch or two.

  “That’s a fact.” He pressed his lips to hers again in another lingering kiss. They were only given a moment to get lost in it, though, because at the sound of someone clearing their throat, Tripp pulled back.

  Beth looked past Tripp, seeing the assistant fire chief leaning against the doorjamb, a grin turning up the corners of his mouth.

  Beau was another man of Mirabelle who had been blessed with good looks. Beth had always thought he looked like a guy who’d just walked off the cover of a romance novel. Probably one where the hero was a rogue or something…or maybe a pirate. He’d have to be something a little scandalous with his thick black hair that just brushed his shoulders and the salt-and-pepper beard that covered his very strong jaw.

  The man had a body that rivaled a Greek god’s: biceps that strained the fabric of his T-shirt, a wide and solid chest, and muscular thighs. And these were all observations that were easily made with him fully clothed. It was like knowing the sky was blue…well, except when it came to Penny, and then it was any color she wanted it to be.

  But Beau had a lot more going for him than just looks. He was a supremely nice guy, something that hadn’t changed even though he’d been screwed over—royally so—by his ex-wife. There was also the fact that he was a dad who loved his son more than life itself.

  He was a great package, to be sure, though Beth was partial to the package that she currently had in hand. Well—Tripp as a whole being the package—not his package in particular. Though she was partial to that, too.

  “Hi Beau,” she smiled, hoping that her current train of thought wasn’t written all over her face. “How are you doing?”

  “Pretty good.” He folded his arms across his massive chest. “You kiss him and make him all better?” He indicated Tripp with his chin.

  “I think so.” She patted Tripp’s chest, but didn’t turn away from Beau. “You having a long d
ay, too?”

  One of Tripp’s hands slid around Beth’s back, his fingers spreading wide at the base of her spine. It took some serious concentration to focus on Beau and not the way Tripp was touching her.

  “Yup. We’ve had a day full of inspections. People aren’t all that pleasant when you tell them they aren’t up to code.”

  “Oh, I bet they aren’t. So what are you going to do for a pick-me-up?”

  But before he could answer, the door off to the side opened. Denise was escorting Annette Wharton, an elderly woman Beth had known since she was a little girl, out and over to the receptionist desk.

  Beau’s reaction to the new company was immediate as he pushed off the doorjamb. His back was ramrod straight now, all of his muscles tensed as his body went on full alert. And his eyes? Well, they were locked on Denise.

  Vanessa pushed the sliding glass open the rest of the way and smiled at the patient. “You’re good to go, Mrs. Wharton. There was a credit on your account.” As Mrs. Wharton was a little hard of hearing in her old age, Vanessa enunciated the words loud and clear.

  “No bill? Well, this day just got better,” Mrs. Wharton pretty much shouted, which was the norm whenever she spoke. She adjusted her grip on her cane before she turned toward the exit. But she came up short when she spotted the people in the waiting room…and she wasn’t the only one.

  When Denise’s gaze landed on Beau, her cheeks flushed bright pink. “Beau,” she said, more than a little startled.

  A very different expression was now playing over Beau’s face, one that Beth had never seen on him before. The man’s brown eyes went darker as they focused on the woman in front of him. It was the kind of look that a man reserved for a woman he was interested in.

  “What was that, dear? You know Beaumont Giovanni?” Mrs. Wharton’s booming voice filled the room as she looked between Denise and Beau quizzically.

  Beau visibly winced at being called by his full first and middle name. Very few people ever called him Beaumont, let alone Beaumont Giovanni. It was mainly those people who’d known him when he was a child that did so, and as Mrs. Wharton had been friends with the late Cristiana Culpepper, she fit into that category. And so had Beth’s mother Dory.

  Personally, Beth thought that his name was pretty damn fitting. It went with her whole romance-novel-cover-model theory pretty damn well.

  “I do know Beau.” Denise nodded to Mrs. Wharton.

  “Well, did you know he was single?” Again with the shouting. Really, a person who was so tiny shouldn’t be that loud.

  The pink flush on Denise’s cheeks turned to a bright red and her eyes widened. “I…I did know that.”

  “And Beaumont, did you know that Denise is widowed? It’s a damn shame, really. No woman who has legs like hers should be put out to pasture this early. I’m just saying.”

  Beau put his hand to his mouth and coughed into it. If Beth didn’t know any better, she’d say there was some pink staining his cheeks, too. It was a little harder to tell because of his beard.

  “Well, I just thought I’d point that out.” Mrs. Wharton shrugged as she looked between Denise and Beau. It was then that she turned her attention to Tripp and Beth. “As for you two. I like this.” She waved her hand at them. “Beth, he isn’t too bad to look at. And Tripp—well son, you got yourself a beautiful girl, there.”

  “Yes ma’am,” Tripp nodded.

  “Don’t screw it up. You aren’t going to find yourself a better one than her.” She pointed her finger at him and waggled it a bit for good measure. “Now I need to go. My ride is waiting for me,” she said before starting her slow and steady walk out of the waiting room. As she passed Beau she added in another shout, “Seriously, she’s got the legs of a thirty-year-old,” before she continued on.

  No one said a word, probably waiting for Mrs. Wharton to get a good distance down the hall. The shrill ring of Vanessa’s telephone finally broke the silence. “Atticus County Hospital, Women’s Health. This is Vanessa speaking. How can I help you?”

  “That woman says whatever she’s thinking.” Denise shook her head, more than slightly mortified. “Does having an inner filter diminish with age?”

  “Not when it comes to her.” Beth shook her head. “She’s always said exactly what she thinks.”

  “I can attest to that,” Beau agreed, his eyes returning to Denise. He studied her for a second before he asked, “You guys have decent coffee around here?”

  Denise merely nodded.

  “Care to show me? I think I need a little caffeine.”

  Denise nodded again, lightly clearing her throat. She pointed to the hall behind Beau, in the same direction Mrs. Wharton had just ventured down. “It’s, uh, that way.”

  “I’ll follow your lead.” He turned in the doorway, waving his hand out in front of him for her to pass by. “Carry on, you two. Nothing to see here,” he told Beth and Tripp before he turned and followed Denise.

  “Huh, that’s interesting.” Tripp’s mouth was by Beth’s ear, and he spoke softly so only she could hear him. Which was smart, because even though Vanessa was on the phone, she was no doubt still paying very close attention to what was happening in the waiting room.

  “What? Beau wanting coffee?” Beth turned to face Tripp again, both of his hands now at the small of her back and pulling her in close to his body.

  “He already has a fresh cup sitting in the truck.”

  “So apparently Mrs. Wharton is pretty damn observant, even in her old age.”

  “It would appear so. Looks like I’m not the only firefighter who has a thing for a nurse.”

  “Must be something in the water.”

  “Must be,” he agreed. “So about dinner? What did you decide?”

  “The Chinese smorgasbord.”

  “Good choice.” He reached up, pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead.

  “Stick around, Tripp Black.” She fisted her hand in the front of his shirt and tugged, pulling him closer. “I’m full of them.”

  “Oh, I plan on sticking around. Believe you me.” And with that, he kissed her.

  * * *

  Beth was in an exceptionally good mood when she got off work that evening. She’d had a good day at work—part of that having to do with Tripp’s afternoon visit—and she didn’t need to worry about dinner that night, either. She could go home and just relax.

  Or so she thought.

  Little did she know that her good mood would have an expiration time attached to it—that time being when she walked in the door with Penny at six seventeen. Tripp wasn’t there yet. He’d texted her that he’d gotten a little delayed at work, but would be at the house before seven.

  “Hey, Goose. Whatcha reading?” Beth asked Grant when she walked into the living room. He was lying on the sofa, a book in his lap.

  He held up the book for Beth to see the back. It was the book on baseball that Tripp had given him the other day.

  “You finish all of your homework?”

  “Yes. It’s all done.” He nodded.

  “Good.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his head before ruffling his hair with her hand. “Where’s your sister?”

  “I’m right here!” Penny giggled as she pulled her coloring book and crayons out of her backpack and stationed herself at the coffee table.

  “Nora is in her room,” he said as his eyes went back to the book in his hands.

  Beth headed down the hallway, hearing the faint beat of music echo through Nora’s closed door.

  “Nora?” Beth knocked on the door.

  There was no answer, but the music got louder. Oh, fantastic. Nora was in one of her moods. Well, that was just great. Beth knocked, then reached for the handle but it wouldn’t turn.

  Oh no, she did not lock the door.

  “Nora, open this door now!” Beth knocked even harder, shouting over the music. “You have three seconds before I open it myself and you will not like what happens at the end of that. One…” />
  The music went off.

  “Two…”

  Footsteps echoed across the hardwood floor as Nora crossed the room.

  “Three.”

  The lock was flipped and the door wrenched open. “What?” Nora demanded.

  Beth’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in a horrified ‘O’ as she looked at her niece. Nora had dyed her hair bright blue.

  “What did you do, Nora?” Beth asked when she was finally able to get hold of herself to speak without screaming. “What in God’s name did you do?”

  “It’s my hair. I can do whatever I want with it.”

  “Oh really? Is that what you think?”

  Nora didn’t answer. She just stood there stubbornly glaring, her hands on her waist.

  “Until you’re either eighteen or not financially dependent on me, you actually can’t do whatever you want. Fun time is over, sweetheart. You’re grounded for two weeks.”

  “Two weeks?” Nora’s hands fell from her waist.

  “Or until you de-Smurf. Whichever is longer.”

  “I don’t believe this!” Nora screamed as she slammed the door in Beth’s face, locking it again.

  * * *

  Tripp heard the yelling as soon as he and Duke walked in the front door. Beth and Nora were going at it, their voices echoing down the hallway. With anyone else he would’ve turned right back around and headed out the door.

  But not with Beth.

  Whatever this incident was with Nora didn’t scare him. He’d been around enough in the last week and a half to know the drill at least a little bit.

  “If you think this is acceptable behavior you are beyond delusional, young lady!”

  Or maybe it wasn’t so much a drill as a full-on crisis. Tripp had absolutely no doubt that Beth was beyond furious, so much so that her voice was shaking. It reminded him of that morning with Duke.

  “You can’t do this!” Nora shrieked back. “You can’t take away my phone! I bought that with my money!”

  “Okay. Fine. Keep your phone, Nora. But you don’t pay for the plan, so I will be suspending your service on it. And I’ll be changing the WiFi password for the house. So you won’t be able to use the Internet at all.”