Repercussions (The Hot Mess Duet Book 1)

by B. L. Olson

  I blink and Wyatt is across the room, his tense and chorded arms gripping my shoulders too tight for comfort, "Why the hell did my grandma stop by work to yell at me for not telling her about me," and here he releases me to air quote with his fingers '"nice new neighbor girlfriend'?

  I look at him like he's a complete nut and tell him as much, "Uh for starters I had no idea your grandmother lives around here or even close enough to hear the gossip, let alone who she is. I've also been passed out in my room from almost the moment you left and minutes before you came home from work." I jab a finger in his shoulder, but I doubt it gave the same punch as his biting grip, "Besides the fact that you were the one who was shouting to the whole neighborhood that I am your freaking girlfriend just a few hours ago!"

  He lets out a dejected sigh and pulls me into his arms for a hug. All the while the Katy Perry lyrics You're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no are playing on a loop in my head. Pushing the boulder of a man before me as far away as he will allow, I peer up into his eyes and question his motives, "Would you like to explain to me what is going on in that mind of yours?"

  Wyatt rolls his eyes at me but answers, "I believe you when you say you weren't out telling the town about the dating thing. Especially since you only made it as far as the porch before puking your guts out this morning."

  I shake my head at him, "Okay, well that is not what I meant. But thank you for trusting me." Maybe it is the fact that I have no food or water in my system, but a light bulb flashes above my head as I get a sudden realization, "My mom was watering the plants in the living room when I went inside and the windows were open this morning to let the cool air in before it got hot."

  He squints his eyes at me in question, "Do you think-"

  My bark of a laugh cuts him off, "I don't think because this has Natalie written all over it. And I know she knows that we aren't really dating. But that sneak went off and told everyone in town anyways! I bet the only reason she left for soup was to spread some gossip." I plop back on my bed and eye my ceiling.

  The bed dips next to me as Wyatt sits down, "Now what?"

  "Well, the rumor train is really traveling if your grandma heard about this. It'll blow over, so don't worry about it. Something else will replace the rumor in a few days."

  Wyatt is quiet for a long moment before he lets out a deep sigh and turns to look at me, "That might be true, but my grandma told me that I had to bring you to dinner tomorrow night when you're feeling better, or I would be written out of her will. Considering I am being left with her collection of stolen hotel toiletries and various sauce packets from restaurants, I thought about letting her do it. But then she also told me that my sister would never cook for me again. And subjecting you to family dinner is worth it if it means I can keep eating her cooking."

  I scoff at him, "Yeah thanks for that. And what would be in it for me?" I don't need to mention that I had already sat through so many of my own awkward dinners that another wouldn't matter. Besides the fact, I am curious to learn just a little bit more about Wyatt, meet his family, and observe how he acted around them.

  Standing back up from the edge of my bed, Wyatt wanders around my room and peers at all the random things that I have collected and abandoned in my childhood bedroom over my lifetime, "Well with my grandma, you are guaranteed a laugh. That woman knows how to keep you on your toes and surprise you with her shenanigans. My sister who is in culinary school like I mentioned will also be there, and of course, cooking. If this were Alabama, I would probably marry that girl just so she could never leave me without her food." He chuckles, "And you get my company for the evening."

  Holy freaking cow, is Wyatt asking me out on a date?

  "But just to be clear, this isn't a date." I deflate slightly at his declaration but give him a smile to let him know I'm not bothered.

  "Well then, what time are you picking me up for this non-date tomorrow Gunslinger?"

  Chapter 11 - Wyatt

  Repercussion #689: Always remember who you are talking to. Your buddies may laugh at your shark week jokes, but your woman is sure to shark attack you on land if you attempt that joke with her around. And Jaws ain't got nothing on her.

  When my grandmother Hazel first shows up on my job site around lunchtime, my first thought is to run and hide before anyone can associate me with the old woman in the lime green colored tracksuit and the bubblegum pink hairdo.

  When she starts asking the other crew members where her "honey poo grandson Wyatt Haynes" is, well I have no choice but to step in so she talks to as few people as possible. Little did I know that she tracked me down to berate me for sitting through our last family dinner and not telling anyone that her little honey poo has his own little honey bear.

  I seriously cannot make this shit up.

  I try to speak the words explaining to her that it is all just a misunderstanding. That I had been standing up for a soul that cried out to me for help when I accidentally started this rumor. Looking down at the smile on my grandmother's face, and feeling my heart in my chest that seems to beat out Annie's name, has me saying otherwise, "I'm not sure what it is."

  Annie doesn't need to know that I suggested they meet her at dinner, scheduling it tomorrow to give her time to prepare and get over her hangover. Or that I schooled my grandmother and called the remaining members of my family to keep their mouths shut about what had occurred back in Philly. Annie doesn't need to know my baggage.

  I am going to look at this like a case. It isn't entirely because it satisfies the shame and guilt of thinking about another woman, but also because I need to do some research and satisfy my curiosity about this woman who has caught my attention. Spend time with her and question her in a subtle way. Find out what makes her tick as well as all her deepest secrets and dreams. Only then could I make an informed decision on whether she has lured me in or if maybe it is I who is letting the walls crash down, allowing me to move forward.

  I am good at guarding my heart and not giving anything away. I could extract information from Annie and come to a conclusion before either of us gets in too far. Or hurt. Maybe moving to a new area and out of my old routine is helping me let go a little of the woman that is gone. What I am starting to feel towards Annie however, is not something I can shake and it's not like I haven't been trying. She seems to be everywhere I go, and even when she's not, her presence is still very much there.

  Hell, she was right when she said I was the one who announced to the world that we are dating. While that is certainly a stretch, I know without a doubt that until I can figure out exactly what about Annie's siren song is pulling me in, I won't be able to shake her.

  Her laugh causes shivers up my spine, her smiles give me goosebumps. And when she opens her mouth to sass me, the only thing I can think of is kissing those same lips to shut her right the hell up. I can see now that she has dealt with her own sort of heartache and experienced an entirely different kind of pain. The last thing either of us needs are even more repercussions to bite us in the ass.

  ****

  The next afternoon I run home after work, shower the sawdust and sweat away, and walk over to the Ellis house to grab Annie. The whole way there I am yelling at myself in my mind and trying to convince my heart that this isn't a date. That the guilt I am feeling at taking another woman to dinner with my family isn't justified. This is an investigation to satisfy my curiosity regarding the paradox of a woman that I can't shake. Nothing more.

  Knocking on the front door, it opens almost immediately to reveal Natalie. She is smiling like the cat who ate the canary and I just know she's the one who told the town we are dating. Annie may be a storm but this woman is straight up Mother Nature. I give her a polite smile and ask, "Is Annie ready to go?"

  The woman herself appears down the stairs, and my breath constricts in my throat. Not a date Haynes. But fuck if I didn't want to start treating it as one. She isn't dressed up by any means, but the feminine look of it and the way the light shines on
her honey-colored hair has me in complete awe of this woman.

  Her flowy floral skirt that hits mid-thigh and heeled ankle boots give me the perfect look at her toned legs. A sudden flash of them wrapped around me passes across my vision before I make myself beat it back with a stick. Don't freaking go there, Wyatt. She is still short enough that if she stands real close, I will still be able to see perfectly down her burgundy colored blouse.

  Clearly, I've made a mistake in pushing for this dinner because here is Annie looking all sorts of sinful and I can't recall why I am standing in her parent's foyer in the first place.

  Dinner, yes that's it. With my family. Looking like that.

  Fuck if this isn't going to be a long night.

  Blinking a few times and trying to clear my mind of the filthy thoughts that are filling it up to the brim, I lecture myself to school my face to go back to not caring and gesture to the truck behind me, "You ready? My dad will kill me if we stall dinner."

  Shaking her head at me and grabbing her purse from the side table by the door, she gives her mom a hug and follows me out front to my vehicle. Opening the passenger door for her, I silently wonder how this tiny thing is going to climb up into it with a skirt on. She manages to do it though, and no ripped underwear to boot remembering the last time I had seen her wearing one.

  I walk around the front of my truck and clamber up into the driver's seat, turning the key in the ignition. I could see Annie fidgeting in my peripheral vision, clearly as nervous for this dinner as I am. I'm hoping like hell that my grandma doesn't say something to embarrass me or that they won't bring up the one woman I have yet to get over.

  I pull out onto the street and am halfway to my dad's house when I finally speak to her, "Since I didn't get any sort of warning about your family, especially your mom, I should probably warn you about my grandma."

  She turns to me and cuts me a scathing look, but I am more distracted with how the twist of her body gives me the perfect view of her tits in that blouse. Eyes on the road there buddy.

  She retorts, "When we met I was stuck to the fence and you were pointing a gun at me. Did you think it was really a good time to say hey, don't let my mom pounce and sink her claws in?" She rolls her eyes at me and turns back to face forward, "Besides, you're the one who accepted her invitation and still showed up. So that's on you buddy."

  She has a point, but I'm not about to tell her that. I give her a grin, "Well you accepted mine, and now this dinner is on you." She shakes her head and gives me a smile in return, before I continue on, "Grandma Hazel is in her eighties but acts like she's decades younger. She says ridiculous shit and wears outfits in shades that no one should ever wear. But she's a hoot if you can get past all that."

  "She sounds like my kinda woman."

  I let out a laugh, "Yeah, I imagine you two will get along pretty well. I do have to let you know too, that my sister lives at home and will be there. She's the one cooking dinner. She uh, has some issues following her time overseas. So no loud noises or anything that could sound like gunfire."

  I feel her studying my face, my expression already schooled back to my usual cold demeanor. Maddie and I are one in the same, experience a traumatizing event and shut out the world as a result. She is feeling the consequences of what happened to her while I am dealing with my own as well. I can't help but feel a certain kinship to my younger sibling, in that we both know what it's like to lose the ones you love.

  Turning onto my father's street, I pull into my dad's driveway behind my sisters Subaru and place the truck in park, letting out a sigh, "Here's hoping they don't embarrass the shit out of me."

  I turn to climb out of the truck but feel a tug on my arm. Peering into her face, I can see a myriad of emotions. Nervousness, humor, and dare I say curiosity that rivals my own. She gives me a wink and a grin, "Considering how many embarrassing moments of mine you have witnessed, I hope they do so we can even the playing field a little."

  I let out a chuckle and pat the hand on my arm, "Stormy, there is no way we will ever get close to being even on that." Breaking away from her grasp, I open the door and jump down. Annie is out of her side before I can get the door for her, and I feel my grandmother shooting daggers with her eyes at me from her usual perch at the window.

  So it begins.

  Grandma Hazel whips open the door, has one hand on her hip, and a look aimed to kill directed right at me. Her gaze softens when she sees Annie hovering behind me. My grandmother, despite being your typical frail looking old lady, manages to shove me over in an attempt to get to her and I have to catch myself from smacking into the side of the house.

  "You must be Annie! I would say I have heard a lot of you, but this one," she jabs a finger over her shoulder at me, "isn't a big talker. But what he lacks in the brains department he has in the brawn. I'm sure a beautiful woman like yourself has already discovered that for herself though."

  "Grandma, Jesus! What did we talk about?" I shoot Annie a look of apology and the rat is trying her hardest not to laugh. I can't be mad at her for long though, because the sight of her standing there with the sunshine accentuating the gold in her hair, I know my grandmother is right.

  I had realized she is beautiful, but I'm slowly discovering that everything about this woman is downright gorgeous and real. Not just her looks, but the way she battles and fights for her beliefs, her dedication to her family despite the way they push her. She is a beam of light cutting across the darkness, and right when I started to feel like my path would always be to trudge alone in the shadows, this woman, this fucking light of a woman, shows me that maybe it doesn't have to be that way.

  This thought slams me back into the moment, the usual self-hatred for myself at daring to think so creeping in and souring my mood. Why did I suggest this dinner? I know it is because I am curious, but it is that same curiosity that will kill me in the end. And if not me, my heart. Gesturing to the front door I growl out, "Can we get this over with?"

  Grandma Hazel whirls around and is back to trying to murder me with her eyes. That's fine, I am descending into a shit mood now and I just want to get this night the fuck over with so I can get Annie home and separate myself from her. Forget about this endeavor to figure out what it is about her that keeps pulling me back for more.

  My grandmother stomps into the house, clearly upset that I am behaving this way, and I try not to bark out the fact that she is acting like a toddler with all her stomping. You would think my moods and anger would be new to her, but apparently not.

  Before I can follow behind her, Annie grabs my arm and stops me short. Turning to look at her, I see that usual fire in her eyes that means she wants a fight. I am right when she squeezes her grip and spits out, "If you brought me here just to be an asshole all night, we can just head back to the truck and you can take me home."

  "If you want to leave, then we can leave."

  "That's not what I mean and you know it."

  I lean against the siding of the house and give her face a searching look, "If I am such an asshole, why did you come tonight?"

  Crossing her arms across her dress, she ponders her response a moment before murmuring, "I came because I'm curious. I know nothing about you and you have all this blackmail material on me." She glances to her right, and takes a steadying breath before making eye contact with me again and continuing, "And also because I can tell that deep down, like almost to China it's so deep, is hidden a sweet and teasing man. Not this image of being an uncaring jerk you try to put out."

  Well shit. Annie can see right through me, and that thought chills me down to the bone. No one has ever called me on my bullshit quite so quickly. It is as if she knew the man I was before everything happened. Before I lost my mom, my woman, and my career. The one who had an actual social life and didn't lock himself away from the world to be alone with his remorse.

  The kind of man I wonder if I can ever be again.

  Instead of voicing that aloud I say, "I'm sorry Annie. If I promi
se to reign in my inner asshole for a bit, do you want to stay?"

  She narrows her eyes at me and reaches up to tap a finger against her chin as if she's actually pondering her answer, "I suppose so. Let's, as you say, get this over with."

  I roll my eyes at her and gesture for her to walk into the house ahead of me. Which is a freaking mistake because now I have to watch her ass sway in that skirt. I have made the gravest of all errors and it's too late to abort mission now because my father is already introducing himself and towing Annie to the dining room with his arm snug around her shoulder.

  "For the record, I heard her call you out on your bullshit." I lock eyes with Grandma Hazel, who is behind me leaning against the door jamb. I wisely choose to say nothing and trail after my father and Annie, my sister sure to be busy in the kitchen.

  As I cross into the dining room, I see the table is already set and dishes have begun to make it out to the table. I can smell the savory pot roast and salivate at the sight of the heaps of mashed potatoes in a bowl placed in the center. Noticing the plates they chose to use, I decide to make a comment, "You're using yours and moms wedding china?"

  My father finishes his discussion with Annie and turns to address me, "It's a special occasion Wyatt. It's not every day you bring someone with you for dinner."

  "Considering I lived in Philadelphia up until last week, that's not too surprising."

  He shoots me a look that seems to say 'give it up already', "Even before that. You had how many high school girlfriends? And did we ever get to meet one of them?"

  "None of those were serious and you know it. I just wanted companionship after mom died. And you were too busy chasing after Maddie and bailing her out of jail anyways."