Book Boyfriends Cafe Summer Lovin' Anthology 2015

by Melinda Curtis

  Chapter 1

  One Year Later

  Smitty

  “Can we cut the cake yet?” Emmy, Jules’ eight-year-old stepdaughter, asks.

  Jules’ face lights up and we all start laughing. Jules has always had a special place in her heart for cake, but an even bigger soft spot for Emmy. Her hand extends and she smacks her brother on the leg. “Watch it or no cake for you!”

  J.P. bounces his seventeen-month-old son on his knee and frowns. “You’d withhold cake from your only nephew?”

  Jules laughs and kisses baby Callum on the forehead as Emmy pulls her out of her seat and toward the pastry table. I take a long swig of my ice cold beer, watching Emmy and Jules swipe the frosting before the cake is even cut. Laughing at the two of them, they are a match made in heaven just like Emmy’s stepmom and dad. Yeah, I wouldn’t know what that’s like...

  I shake my head and am just relieved that it’s not a wedding cake. I have a strong hatred for all things wedding-related, although I did grin and bear it for Jules when she and Bentley tied the knot last fall. I have good reason to dislike weddings since I was left at the altar. Slowly, I’m dealing with it, but I’m not sure it’ll ever get easier.

  Bentley joins his girls, sliding his arm around Jules’ waist and kissing Emmy on the head while he playfully scolds them. My hand grips the beer bottle tighter and I have to force myself to look away before I fall into the “it’s not fair” pit I’m prone to finding. When I turn around, Bri, J.P.’s wife who is also Bentley’s sister, has her arms draped over his shoulders as they admire their son. To my other side, Doug is rubbing his pregnant wife’s belly. There’s no escape.

  Any other day, I would love sitting on Jules and Bentley’s back porch and watching the sun set behind the lake on their property, but today it’s too much. Pushing away from the table, I turn as fast as I can, muttering that I’m leaving. The guys won’t try to stop me and Jules is too wrapped up in her own family to notice I’m about to bolt. As my foot hits the bottom step on the porch, someone yanks my hand, forcing me to turn in their direction.

  “Don’t think you’re getting out of here so fast.” Jules stands before me with her hands on her hips.

  I groan. “Jules… I can’t do this… It’s… it’s just too much today.”

  Jules’ lips turn down and she reaches for my hand again. “Come on,” she says and leads us into their two-story, Colonial house that my crew and I built. I met Caroline the night we laid the last brick in place. I thought it was the start of a new beginning, little did I know it was actually the beginning of the end.

  Instead of stopping in the kitchen, she leads us downstairs to Bentley’s man cave where the bar is. Jules puts her hands on my hips and maneuvers me to take a seat on a barstool. Once she’s happy that I’m not getting up, she walks behind the bar and sets two shot glasses in front of us. Her head disappears behind the refrigerator door and when she slams it closed, she holds up a chilled bottle of Absolut and a bowl of lemon wedges.

  “Jules, we’ve done this. Lemon drops are your thing, not mine.”

  She hands me the shot glass. “Smitty, shut up and take the damn shot.”

  Reluctantly, I take the cup and throw back my head, trying to appease her. “There. Happy? Now, get back out there to your graduation party, Dr. Ladner.”

  Jules rolls her eyes, tossing her long dark hair back as she does. “Please, I got my EdD, I’m not a doctor. Besides, I don’t know how much use I’ll even get out of it.”

  She shoves another shot in my hand and pushes my hand upward. I raise my eyebrow, surprised by her comment, and swallow the vodka.

  Jules hand is poised, ready to pour us another. I put my hand over both our glasses. “What’s going on, Jules?”

  “Bentley wants a baby,” she blurts out and I can’t help but laugh. Reaching across the bar, she punches me in the arm. “It’s not funny!”

  “Ow,” I mutter and rub the spot where she hit me. “Jules, why are you freaking out about a baby? Emmy loves you, you’ll be a great mom.”

  “She’s eight, Smitty. A baby is…a baby! So tiny and small and completely my responsibility. I mean, what if I screw it up?” Her eyebrows are creased and the fear in her eyes is comical.

  “Have you talked to Bentley about your concerns?”

  Her shoulders relax and she shrugs. “He says it’s up to me.”

  I pat her hand. “You’ve got a good guy, Jules. Stop stressin’ for no reason.”

  She sighs. “I know. It’s just scary to think about. I mean, I love Callum, but I’m not solely responsible for him either.”

  Standing up, I nod. “You’ll figure it out and you know you’ll have lots of help when little baby Ladner gets here,” I tease and duck as she tosses a coaster in my direction.

  Jules walks out from behind the bar. “What about you? How are you holding up?”

  I groan. Today should be my one-year wedding anniversary. I’d escaped today without anyone mentioning it until now. I should’ve known Jules wouldn’t let me off so easy, even if it is her graduation day.

  “I’m fine, Jules.”

  “Ugh…you always say that! Smitty, you aren’t fine. You never leave your house unless I drag you out or you go to work. I have no idea what you went through, but you have to live your life. I’m worried about you, we all are.”

  She reaches out and takes my hands, giving them a light squeeze. I blink my eyes quickly, trying to keep the tears from falling. It shouldn’t be this hard. I shouldn’t let it still bother me, but it does and all I can picture is Caroline’s face. Every day when I wake up, it’s the first thing I see in the picture frame beside my bed. Anytime I close my eyes, she’s there. This is some realm of hell that I can’t find my way out.

  Jules takes a deep breath and I look up at her. “The voucher for your honeymoon expires this week…”

  I scoff. “Yeah, that’s money I won’t ever get back.”

  “Well…”

  Nothing good ever follows when Jules does that. “Well what?”

  Jules’ grip gets tighter on my hands and she starts to speak quickly, she’s obviously been hanging out with her sister-in-law way too much. “I called your travel agent and booked your trip. I traded in the two plane tickets for one first-class ticket. Your flight leaves at six tomorrow morning and by lunch time you’ll be sitting on a beach in Jamaica.”

  I feel the acid in my stomach getting stronger as she speaks. I pull my hands away and take a step back, shaking my head. “What the hell, Julianna? You had no right to do any of that! None of it is your business. It’s not your life, it’s mine!” I ball up my fists, trying to keep from throwing something across the room. I’ve never felt anger like this before Caroline was a no-show on our wedding day.

  Jules knows me too well and doesn’t back down. She takes a step toward me, her finger digging into my chest. “It is my business, Jacob! You’re like a brother, you’re my family, and I’m going to see to it that the old Smitty, the carefree one who would laugh and love, comes back.”

  I drag my hand down my face and shake my head. She’s right, I need to find that guy I used to be. “Jules, I can’t leave tomorrow. I have to work, I’m the boss. Not to mention, I have to pack. I appreciate you doing all that, but I just can’t.”

  A smile slowly spreads across her face. “Actually…Emmy leaves for her mom’s tomorrow and I’m off for summer so between Doug and me, we’ll run the office. Bentley and J.P. will help too if we need them. I’ll get you everything you need for the trip so all you have to do is pack clothes.”

  Of course Jules has it all figured out and Doug does pretty much know how everything works. Aside from my construction business, I have no other commitments I need to uphold. I shake my head and laugh, it’s hard to stay mad at her. “You aren’t going to take no for an answer, are you?”

  Grinning, she shakes her head.

  “Fine.”

  Jules throws her hands up in celebration and cheers before she flings
her arms around me. I return the gesture and sigh. Thank God for Jules and the guys this past year, I doubt I would’ve made it this far without them.

  Sloan

  “I hope I packed everything. What if I forgot something important, like the wedding rings?” My baby sister stops pacing long enough to rummage through her purse until she finds the jewelry.

  “If you forget something, call me and I’ll bring it when I fly out tomorrow. Relax, Sissy, you’ve marked everything off all your to-do lists. The only thing left is to relax and get married,” I say, trying to reassure her. My sister, Cicily, is the most organized, Type A, OCD person I know. For instance, she already packed my bag for her wedding.

  Sissy takes a deep breath and faces me, putting her hands on my shoulders. “You’re right, Lolo. Of course, you’re right. You’re the big sister, you’re always right.”

  “Hey, what about me? I’m the big brother!” Our older brother Gavin throws up his hands and sticks out his bottom lip.

  I take a step back and put one arm around each of their waists. The three of us couldn’t be any more different from each other. Sissy is the baby, a total rule follower. Then there’s Gavin, the cocky cop who just joined the Dirty Thirty Club a couple years ago. And then there’s me, the easy-going one of the bunch, right in the middle of the two of them. Somehow, we all tend to balance each other out.

  “True, you are the big brother, Gav, and you’re welcome to cover for me as maid-of-honor until I arrive tomorrow,” I tease, raising my eyebrows.

  He shakes his head quickly. “No, no, no… that job is all yours. I’m sure the bride can handle twenty-four hours without you holding her hand.”

  “Hey, not funny!” Sissy leans over and pinches him. Gavin jumps back, acting as though he’s deeply injured.

  “Okay, you three. That’s enough. Sis and Gavin, get in line for security,” our mother, Elaina Talbott dictates. We may all be grown-up, Sissy even a few days away from being married, but our mother still treats us like she did when we were in elementary school.

  My brother and sister give me hugs before following our mother’s orders. When they are out of earshot, our matriarch turns to me. “Are you sure you don’t want to fly with us today?”

  I shake my head, my long honey-colored hair waving against my back as my beaded dangly earrings sway against my ears. “I’ll be fine, Mother. Six tomorrow morning, I’ll be on a flight to Jamaica and will meet you all at the resort.”

  She frowns, not fully satisfied with my answer. “You aren’t going to ‘accidentally’ miss your flight, are you?”

  “Mother! Why would you even say that?” I know why she’d say it, but I still can’t believe she did.

  My mother sighs and takes my hands, my thin silver bracelets rattle as she kisses my knuckles. “You know I worry about you, Sloan. This can’t be easy for you, not after—”

  “Mom,” I begin as I kiss her cheek and squeeze her hand. “It’s Sissy’s wedding. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. The past is the past and you’ve seen me overcome the hardships I’ve been faced. Please have faith in me.”

  Our eyes lock and neither of us look away. Again, we might be grown-up, but Elaina is a very protective mama bear. Finally, she nods and looks away, but I see the tears before she does. “Very well. Do what you need to do and we’ll be waiting for you on the beach.”

  My mother leans forward, kissing my cheek before she turns on her heel and joins the rest of our family. I watch until they make it through security then I head out to the parking lot and my father’s Escalade. Pulling onto the interstate, I roll down my windows and open the sunroof. My hair flies around my face and I crank up the radio as The Sound of Sunshine plays through the speakers. It’s the perfect music to get me in the mood for my Caribbean home away from home that I’ll be at tomorrow, but first things first.

  Thirty minutes later, I exit off the interstate and turn the radio down. Today is June sixth and just like the sixth of every month prior, I pull into the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood cemetery and take the second left. I put the car in park and stare at the same headstone I visit each month. Reaching in the backseat, I pull out the bouquet of peach peonies and a piece of gooey butter cake, making my way to the gravestone.

  After arranging the flowers and taking a bite of cake before placing it next to the floral arrangement, I lay my head on the cool grave. With no one around, this is the only place I can let it all out. It only takes a few seconds for the sobbing to begin and the pain to release. This is why I couldn’t fly with my family. I needed to get this out of my system before I spend the next week in the land of the lovers.

  Chapter 2

  Smitty

  Blinding light hits my eyes and I roll over in bed, my arm covers my head to fight off the brightness. “Rise and shine, Smitty! You leave for paradise in just a few hours.”

  Jules tugs on my sheet. Shit, she followed through, not that I’m surprised. Blinking a few times until my eyes adjust, Jules stands before me with her hands on her hips at the foot of my bed, a frown adorning her face. She motions around the room. “Where is your suitcase?”

  “Um…I was going to pack this morning,” I lie as I get out of bed wearing a pair of basketball shorts.

  “Jacob Smith! We’re leaving in twenty minutes!” She grumbles and walks into my closet. She starts digging through my drawers, but I don’t stick around to watch the madness. I head to the kitchen and wait for the coffee to brew. The clock reads three and I shake my head. What am I doing?

  Carrying my cup of black coffee, I walk back to my bedroom and look into the suitcase. So far everything looks alright—swimsuit, shorts, t-shirts, dress slacks, and dress shirt. Jules came through on her other promise to go to the store for the trip—deodorant, soap, toothpaste, condoms. Wait, condoms?!

  “Julianna, what the hell is this?” I ask, holding up the box of Trojans.

  Not missing a beat, she grabs the box from me and throws it back in the suitcase, zipping it up. “I got everything you could possible need. Soap, toothpaste, Pepto, Pedialyte—”

  “And condoms?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had another preferred method of safe sex,” she quips as she pulls my suitcase off the bed and drags it to my front door.

  “And just who do you think I’ll be having sex with?”

  She shrugs as she walks back to the bedroom and shoves a pile of clothes in my arms. “I don’t know, I don’t care, but you need to get laid. So go to paradise, find some lucky woman, and get some.” I start to protest, but she puts one finger to my lips to silence me. “Smitty, I’m not telling you to find a girlfriend or get married. I’m telling you to forget about things back here for one week. Relax, let loose, have fun. You do remember how to have fun, don’t you?”

  Before I can answer, Jules turns me around and pushes me toward the bathroom. “Five minutes. In and out and we’re on the road, got it?”

  I turn on the shower and wait for the water to warm up. Maybe Jules is right, maybe I do need to get laid. Actually, that’s a fact. It’s not going to be my mission though like Jules is making it sound. I’m going to Jamaica for seven days and I’m going to leave everything behind, just me, the beach, and some Red Stripe beer. That sounds like paradise to me, finding someone to sleep with will just be an added bonus.

  Not even an hour later, I’m checked in and ready for my flight. Walking away from the ticket counter, Jules is pacing back and forth. When I get to her, I grab her by the waist and pull her to me for a hug. “Why are you so nervous?”

  “Smitty, I just… I just want you to be happy,” she confesses.

  I cup her face in both my hands. “It’s going to take time, okay? I’m in a much better place now than I was. I promise I’m working on it.”

  She nods and hugs me again then jumps back. “Shit! I forgot sunscreen!”

  I kiss her forehead. “I’m sure I can get some when I get here.”

  She reaches in her pu
rse and pulls out her iPad. “Take this. I downloaded your favorite movies, including Boondock Saints and now you can at least take a few pictures to prove you actually got on the flight.”

  I laugh. “And you’re worried about being a mom? I think you’ll do just fine.”

  “Shut up,” she mutters, delivering a soft punch to my arm.

  “Love ‘ya too.” I give her another hug and then head through the security line without looking back.

  Sloan

  “Wait! Hold the plane!” I scream at the gate agent trying to shut the door at the end of the walkway. I’m waving my boarding pass in the air like a wild woman. My thin, beige off-the-shoulder long-sleeve shirt falling even further down my arm and my bracelet bangles bouncing up and down.

  The short, middle-aged woman turns around and shakes her head at the sight of me. “You’re lucky the door wasn’t closed,” she snips as she scans my pass.

  I lug my leopard print bag up my arm and kiss her cheek, taking her by surprise. “Thank you, Nancy,” I say, reading her nametag.

  Magically, her frown turns upside down and she nods before she motions for me to enter the walkway. I’m headed to the land of sun and fun, how can anyone be in a bad mood?

  When I step onto the plane, the flight attendant looks at my pass and purses her lips. “Someone has already taken your seat, but we’ll just put you in first class. Will that work?”

  Grinning, I nod. “That sounds fantastic!”

  She leads me to the front of the plane and points to an empty seat. There’s a man with a baseball cap sitting in the aisle chair. I clear my throat, trying to get his attention. I can barely see his face under the cap until he looks up. I can make out his greenish, yellow eyes and his long eyelashes. They are completely mesmerizing and I can’t look away, much less speak. He lifts his eyebrows and I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts.