by J. E. Parker
If this isn't horrible timing, I don't know what is.
Hendrix smiled when his eyes landed on Maddie. “There’s my pretty girl.”
Maddie melted on the spot. "How did you find us here?" She asked as he took her in his arms and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. “Did you track my phone again? I’ve told you not to do that, Hendrix. It’s an invasion—”
Hendrix silenced her with another kiss. Then, "Pop got a call that Shelby was chasing an old lady down the street with a baseball bat. He thought she was trying to kill somebody, so we all jumped in the truck and came over. He’s out there now, trying to find her." He looked over his shoulder at Kyle, who wasn't even trying to hide that he was staring at Carissa, a hungry expression on his face. "You already know why Kyle came." Hendrix looked at Carissa. “He’s got Spidey sense or some shit when it comes to C. He always knows where to find her. It creeps me the hell out.”
Behind me, I heard Carissa whisper, "Oh my God, kill me now."
Slowly, as if he was a predator stalking its prey, Kyle moved toward her.
He stopped when three feet separated their chests.
Carissa looked up at him with wide eyes. "Uh, hi," she said, her voice meek. "Fancy seeing you here."
The embarrassment in her tone didn’t go unnoticed.
Kyle raised his hand and pushed a stray hair out of her face before rubbing his thumb along her jaw. "What are you doing here, princess?" It was one of the few times I'd heard him speak. Every time I'd been around him in the past, he'd been quiet, preferring to silently observe the people around him. "Answer me, Carissa."
"We came to get stuff for Shelby's party," she whispered so quietly I barely heard her.
"Yeah?" He asked, his eyes never leaving hers. "You planning on buying lingerie for her?"
Carissa shook her head. "No. That's for me."
Kyle's eyes heated. Dropping his arm, he clenched his hand into a fist. His bicep flexed and Carissa's eyes followed the movement. I expected her to start drooling at any moment.
Yep, she's got it bad.
He pulled his gaze from her to look at the lingerie hanging on the rack, and said, "Get something blue." Licking his lower lip, he dipped his gaze before trailing over every inch of her body. "You should always be in blue."
Beside me, Maddie smacked my hand. I looked over at her, and she mouthed, "Holy crap," while pointing at Kyle. Then she raised her hand and began to fan her face.
I was close to doing the same.
The sexual tension surrounding all of us was so thick it was almost suffocating. Because of that, I was thankful when the bell above the door once again rang.
Our entire group turned to see who'd just walked in.
"Swear to God, I am going to strangle that woman one day!" Shelby all but growled as she stormed toward us. "Do you believe she tried to run me over with the car? Seriously, Maddie, she jumped in your Jeep, started the damn thing, and tried to run me over!"
Did I believe it? Yeah, I did.
"Well," Maddie said, leaning against Hendrix, "in her defense, you were chasing her down the road with a giant dildo."
Hendrix's, "What the fuck," coincided with another deep, masculine voice, all but growling, "Bee! Get your ass over here right now."
"Crap," Shelby said at the sound of her father's voice. "He's gonna be pissed."
Spinning around, she headed for the door where Pop, her dad, stood, his big arms crossed over his broad chest.
He must’ve walked in right after her.
Eyes dancing with amusement, he asked, "Want to explain what you were doing chasing Grandmama down the sidewalk with a”—he nodded toward the monster that Shelby still held in her hand—“with that? She's an old woman, Bee. You could've given her a heart attack.”
Shelby's mouth dropped open. “So, I guess we're all just going to ignore the fact that she threw a giant dick at me first? I mean, this is Grandmama we're talking about. It's not like she's innocent!”
Pop's upper lip twitched. "No more chasing old ladies around with sex toys, yeah?"
Shelby nodded. "Not making any promises, dad."
Pop's eyes twinkled when Shelby called him dad. He’d come into her life late, and since then they’d been working on forming a relationship. From everything I’d seen, it was going well.
Really well.
In fact, they acted as if they’d always been together. All it took was one look at Pop for anyone to see how much he loved Shelby and by extension Lucca. One glance at Shelby and you’d see she was a daddy’s girl through and through.
Even at twenty-four, she had Pop wrapped around her little pinky.
But it wasn’t just Pop she had wrapped around her finger.
No, she had Hendrix, her one, and only big brother, in her grasp too.
Just like I used to have Ryker in mine.
The thought made me smile, even if it hurt.
Eyes filled with pride, Pop looked from Shelby to Hendrix and then to Maddie. “Come on, you three. It’s almost supper time. I’ve got some ground beef in the fridge that needs to be cooked. We can pick up Lucca and Melody from daycare and then we’ll head over to my house and fire up the grill.”
Maddie looked back at me. “What about Hope, Clara, and Carissa?”
Pop smiled at all three of us. “They can come too. They all know they’re welcome at my house anytime. The fridge is always stocked, and the door is always open.”
My heart swelled with happiness at Pop’s words. He’d had come such a long way over the last few years. Where he’d once been an abusive drunk that almost destroyed Hendrix and Maddie, he’d turned into a loving father, grandfather, and reliable friend to anybody who needed him.
The man was living proof that people had the power to change.
And knowing that gave me a whole heck of a lot of hope for Evan and I’s future.
“Thanks for the offer, Pop,” I said, smiling, “but I’ve got a date.”
He quirked a brow. “With Evan, I hope.?”
I nodded.
He blew out a breath before sliding his hands into his pockets. “Good,” he replied, laughing. “Because I’m too damn tired to help him dispose of a body tonight.”
I gasped, and Shelby laughed. “Don’t worry, daddy,” she said, her eyes dancing with amusement. “I’m pretty sure no other guys will come within twenty feet of Hope. Not after what happened the last time she almost went on a date with somebody other than Evan.”
Keyword being almost.
A little over a year ago I’d had the stupid idea that I’d go on a date with a guy named Ty Jacobs to make Evan jealous. It was stupid, it was juvenile, and it backfired big time.
When Ty came to pick me up at my apartment—this was before I moved in with Evan—the big guy was waiting on the front stoop. Things didn’t go well after that.
Their altercation didn’t turn physical—Thank God!—but it came close.
I hadn’t been asked out by a guy since then.
Guess word spread around town that I was off limits fast.
Pop’s gaze jumped to Clara. “You want to come over for dinner, red? I can pull out the dirt bikes, let the boys ride for a while we get everything ready.”
Clara smiled. “Sure. Count us in. Maybe it’ll tire the boys out enough, so they go to bed early tonight.” She snorted before continuing. “Though, I doubt that’ll happen. I swear those boys have more energy in their pinky fingers than I have in my entire body.”
Pop chuckled before swinging his gaze to Carissa. “What about you, C? Do you want to come? We can pick up Heidi.” Maddie asked, leaning her head back against Hendrix’s chest
“Thank you for the offer, but I need to get home. My dad is supposed to be coming in tonight and Heidi, and I haven’t seen him in over two weeks.”
Maddie smiled. “Okay, sweet girl. Not a problem. I’ll drop Hope off, and then I’ll drive you—”
"I'll take her home," Kyle said, cutting her off.
I spun around
ready to tell him he didn’t have to do that because Maddie didn’t mind. But one look at his face and I thought better of it. Kyle wasn't a bad guy—in fact, I'd venture to say he was the opposite—but he still intimidated the crap out of me.
"That okay with you Carissa?” Hendrix asked, unaffected by Kyle’s hard demeanor. “If not, just say the word.”
“It’s fine,” she squeaked, her eyes wide. "I need to pay for this first though."
I smiled because whatever she'd picked from the rack was blue.
Oh yeah, she's lovesick.
I held the pink negligee in my hand as I looked over at Maddie. "I'll meet you outside in a minute. I need to pay for my stuff too."
She nodded. “See you outside.” Dropping her gaze to the gown clutched between my fingers, she winked. “Good choice.”
After winking right back, I headed for the front of the store.
Twenty-Five
Hope
It was a little after six when I made it home.
The moment I stepped through the apartment door, I heard the shower running. Dropping my purse on the table beside the sofa, I walked down the hall, coming to a stop in front of the closed bathroom door. Not hearing any movement on the other side, I tapped on the closed door three times
Tap, tap, tap.
“Can I come in, big guy?” I asked, my ear pressed to the door. When he didn’t answer me, I opened the door. Steam washed over me, coating my entire body with a fine sheen of damp moisture. I blinked, trying to clear the fog from my eyes. The dang room was so full of cloudy water that I couldn’t see more than a foot in front of me. “Evan?”
Still no answer.
Panicked, I stepped closer and pressed my face against the foggy shower door after wiping away the steam with my arm. What I saw on the other side of the glass made my heart stop.
Crap!
Scared out of my wits, I jumped back and jerked the door open. I stuck my head inside and looked down at Evan, who was sitting on the floor of the stall, his muscled back pressed against the tiled wall. Arms hanging at his sides, his eyes were closed, and his mouth was set in a thin line. The steaming hot water beat down on his chest and belly, scalding his coffee-colored skin, turning it a deep red hue.
I scanned for him any injuries but saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Evan,” I snapped loud enough for him to hear me over the roar of the shower, “what happened?”
His eyes popped open; his gaze locked on me.
“Big guy, talk to me.” It was obvious therapy hadn’t gone well. “Please.”
Eyes never leaving mine, he lifted a hand in the air, reaching for me. Then, he whispered, “I need you.”
He needs me.
Three little words.
Without thinking twice, I stripped my clothes off in a flurry. Flip flops, shorts, t-shirt, panties, bra; all five were gone in the blink of an eye. Careful not to fall and bust my butt on the slick floor, I stepped into the shower and ignored the burn of the scorching hot water as I moved beneath the forceful stream. Then, I stood before Evan, nude.
Unsure of what to do next, I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip.
Evan crooked a finger. “Come here.”
His deep, rough voice sent shivers racing down my spine.
This isn’t the time, Hope, I told myself. So stop it.
Nodding once, I stepped forward, placing my feet on each side of his muscular thighs. “Drop down and straddle me,” he demanded.
My body moved on auto pilot.
I dropped to my knees and rested my butt on the top of his thighs, pressing my wet skin to his. Trying not think about which body parts almost touched, I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck.
Chests touching, I slid my fingers through the hair on his nape.
My heart rate skyrocketed when he closed his eyes and groaned.
I wiggled, shifting my weight from side to side.
Afraid that I was trying to get away, Evan gripped my hips with his hands, holding me in place. “You’re not going anywhere.”
I couldn’t have moved away from him if my life had depended on it.
“Wasn’t planning on it,” I assured him. “Now talk,” I whispered, massaging his scalp with the tips of my fingers. “What happened at therapy?”
Evan’s jaw clenched. “Talked about shit I didn’t want to talk about.” His gaze dipped to my belly where it stayed. “Relived a lot of bad memories.” He was silent for a few beats before continuing. “Relived a few good ones too, though.”
“Yeah,” I replied, smiling. “Tell me about the good ones.”
“I told Beth about the first time I met Ryker.” He paused. “And you.”
Smiling, I slid my fingers out of his hair and ran them down the sides of his face and across his jaw. “I remember that day. Ry was scared too even though he wouldn’t admit it,” I said, chuckling. “And him being scared made me scared. I kicked up a fuss until daddy agreed to bring me along while he dropped him off at school. I know it sounds silly, but I needed to see his class.”
Evan’s eyes danced with humor. Still, he didn’t smile. “And what were you going to do if you didn’t like the looks of his class?”
I snorted. “Well, I thought I’d throw myself onto the floor and start kicking and screaming. Figured I’d see where that got me.” Evan chuckled. “But then he spotted you.”
Long as I lived, I’d never forget the moment Ry saw Evan.
Nor would I forgot the moment I first spotted him.
In the blink of an eye Ryker’s had vanished as he pointed at Evan and said, “I’m gonna go play with that kid.” Without saying anything else, he walked in his direction without giving me nor daddy a backward glance.
As for me, all I could do was stare at Evan.
I was only four, almost five, but there was something about him the drew my attention. It could’ve been the light up, Power Rangers shoes he was wearing, or it could’ve been the way he smiled at me when I smiled at him. Regardless I knew there was something special about him.
And I hadn’t been wrong.
“Want to know something? I asked, leaning closer.
Evan nodded. “When I saw him with you that first day, all my fear and worry disappeared.” Again, I smiled. “Call me crazy all you want, but I knew he was safe with you.” Evan’s eyes changed, taking on a darker hue. “I was just a little kid, but I never doubted that you’d take care of him for me.”
Evan’s eyes slammed shut and his entire body tensed.
I’d said the wrong thing.
Wanting—needing—to comfort him, I placed my thumbs under his chin and tilted his face to meet mine. “Evan, look at me.” His jaw clenched, but he didn’t open his eyes. “Come on,” I plead. “Please.”
To my surprise, his stubborn butt looked at me.
The small move went a long way in strengthening the kindling of hope that flickered deep in my chest. While my mind was still wary of the action, my heart swelled at the small progress.
Baby steps, I told myself.
“You trusted me to take care of him,” Evan said, his gaze fixed on mine.
It wasn’t a question; it was a statement.
“I did.” It was the truth. “I trusted no one with him the way I did you.”
Evan’s bruising grip tightened on my hips. I barely contained a wince as a streak of pain rocketed through my sides. Breaking our stare, he looked down at my belly. “You shouldn’t have trusted me because, in the end, I couldn’t protect him.” His calloused fingers dug into my sensitive skin. “And he paid for it.” He paused. “With his life.” My heart clenched at the guilt-riddled expression that crossed his face. “How can you even look at me?”
“Evan—”
Stormy brown eyes met mine. “I promised you I’d bring him back.”
Oh God,I thought. We cannot fall down this rabbit hole.
“I lied to you. I didn't keep my promise, and in turn, I broke your heart.”
I laid
my shaky hands on his chest, dipped my face and pressed my forehead against his. Closing my eyes, I inhaled. “It’s not your fault.” And it wasn’t. It didn’t matter what happened in Iraq, Evan didn’t shoot the gun that killed Ryker. Therefore, in my mind, he was innocent. Promise or not, there wasn’t a single thing in this world that could’ve made me blame him for Ryker’s death.
I mean, had I been angry when he first showed up in Georgia? Yes, I had.
Why? Because I was angry at everyone.
I was angry at Evan for breaking his promise, angry at Mama for letting Ryker join the Marines in the first place, and I was angry at myself for not being able to save him. Ryker, he and I, we were each other’s protector. We had been since we were kids. Yet I hadn’t been able to save him when it mattered the most.
Like Evan, I’d failed too.
Evan’s hands relinquished their hold on my hips and slid around to my lower back. “You don’t know everything.” His words sounded like a confession. “If you did, you’d never talk to me again. It isn’t just about Ry, baby. I did some bad shit, failed more people…”
My nails dug into his shoulder blades. “It sounds like you’re trying to tell me something, big guy.” My voice was soft and steady. “Are you?”
He inhaled before shaking his head. “I won’t risk losing you,” he whispered as his hands pressed down on the base of my spine. “Some things are better left unsaid.” He pulled back before burying his face against the side of my neck. “I can’t change the past. The only thing I can do is fix the present and try to change the future.” His hot breath ghosted against my sensitive skin, distracting me. “Because I’m done pushing you away and treating you like shit."
Pulling his face from my neck, he looked at me with determined eyes. “You deserve the world, and come hell or high water, I’m going to give it to you.”
Tears, happy ones for once, filled my eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said, pressing a kiss to the side of my jaw. “You’re my girl, Hope Peterson.” The first tear slipped free. “And like I already told you, I plan on keeping you forever.”