“I wish I could believe that, but….”
His lips silenced my words as he kissed me, his tongue demanding entrance. When he finally pulled back, he said, “You can believe that. No one is better for you than I am.”
“And what makes you say that?” I asked, annoyed that he picked now to show his conceit.
“Because no one is better for me than you, Dara. We belong together.”
“Saying it is one thing. Showing it is something different.”
He caught my chin in his hand and forced me to look in his eyes, the lamplight casting shadows on his face. “I’m sorry about Tiffany. It was a mistake, and it’ll never happen again. I never claimed to be perfect, but I do claim to love you and only you. Now either you forgive me or you don’t, but I won’t talk about it again.
“No one will ever love you more than I do right now,” he whispered.
The way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine, and one glance at his face told me that he meant it. Somehow, it seemed like Stone always knew what I needed, and right now, I needed to be loved.
I think he was a little shocked when I shifted in bed and crawled over him until I straddled his hips. I bent low and brushed my lips against his as my hair shielded us like a curtain. I didn’t think that I had ever loved him more than I did at this minute. To know that he loved me soothed a little bit of the pain that ached in my chest. Nothing could bring Granny back, but knowing that I had someone who would be there for me made everything a little less scary.
I pushed myself into a sitting position, and his thumbs skimmed the tender flesh along my inner thighs. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side. His gaze scorched my flesh, and his hands rose to my ribs, reaching ever higher.
I squirmed as every brush of his fingertips made me want more, and soon, I knew he desired me as much as I did him.
“Make love to me, Stone,” I whispered.
He remained silent as his fingertips skimmed my flesh. Finally, he spoke, “You’re not ready.”
“I am,” I countered.
“I won’t do it like this, Dara. You’re hurt and scared and lonely. You’ve had a difficult day, and I won’t allow you to do something that you’ll regret.”
“But I need you, Stone,” I pleaded, a sob catching in my throat.
“And you have me. Come here, baby, and let me hold you. There’s plenty of time for other things later.”
He guided me down to the bed beside him and pulled my back against his chest, his arm lying over me protectively, his fingers tucked between the mattress and the edge of my ribs.
“You need to rest,” he whispered, his breath tickling my ear.
My eyelids grew heavy as I listened to his breathing. And just before they fluttered shut, I whispered, “I forgive you, Stone.”
I thought I felt his hand tighten his hold on me and his lips brush against my hair, but I couldn’t be sure because sleep claimed me.
Chapter 11
Stone
I woke at the crack of dawn with Dara’s butt snuggled against me. I groaned softly, being careful not to wake her. She looked so peaceful in her slumber, her lips softly parted, her rhythmic breathing making her chest rise and fall. I knew that it was only a mirage, that when she awoke, her peace would be gone and reality would crash into her consciousness. I also knew that she was going to have a hell of a hard time dealing with her grandmother’s death. Granny had been everything to Dara for most of her life.
Her vulnerability last night had been devastating to watch. As much as I wanted Dara, I knew that she was in a horrible place mentally and her judgment had been swayed by her need to feel that she wasn’t alone in the world.
I desperately hoped that her whispered words of forgiveness wouldn’t dissipate in the light of day. I needed this girl who slumbered beside me, and I’d do anything to get her back.
I stroked her silken tresses, needing to touch her, reveling in the fact that she was really here. I had missed her insanely during the last week, and I had to admit that as much as I hated Granny’s passing, I was touched that when Dara had needed someone, she had called me. Watching her sleep, I realized that I wanted it to be this way forever. I wanted to wake up every morning to her sweet smile. I wanted her to depend on me. I wanted her to love me.
A year ago, I couldn’t have imagined feeling this way about someone. It was funny how it just took that one person to come into my life and change every single facet of it. I had never had a problem getting girls, but I was smart enough to know that I would never get another Dara.
I lay still listening to her even breathing, thinking about all the things that I’d done in my life and all the things that I wanted to do. Dara and I were about to graduate from high school, about to enter a new phase of life, and no matter what our lives held, I wanted her to be a part of mine.
And to be able to give Dara the best of everything, I needed to do well in college, find a good job, and be the man that she needed me to be.
I closed my eyes and covered them with my forearm. What was happening to me? I was going from acting like a sixteen-year-old, hormone-driven adolescent to a thirty-year-old, agenda-following…my father. I was turning into my father. I groaned.
Dara stirred beside me. “What’s wrong?” she whispered sleepily.
“Nothing, baby. Go back to sleep,” I whispered as I smoothed her hair away from her face.
She sat straight up in bed, clinging to the sheet wrapped around her. “Stone!”
I could tell she was disoriented from sleep, and I waited for it. I knew it was coming.
“Oh,” she whispered. “Oh, Granny.”
“Come here, baby,” I whispered, urging her to lie back down, so that I could tuck her back into my arms. Her chin quivered, and the silent tears streamed down her face.
“I’m not ready to let her go,” she whispered, her small hands clinging to me tightly.
“I know,” I said, sliding my hand beneath the sheet to touch the soft, warm skin of her back. I hugged her to me as she cried, my heart twisting at the sound of her sobs.
When she finally calmed, I kissed her temple. “I won’t let you go through this alone. I’ll be right with you, Dara. I promise.”
She nodded her head, sniffling.
“Why don’t you get dressed while I go make us some breakfast?”
She nodded again, and I kissed her one last time before I slid out of bed and pulled on my jeans and tee shirt.
I walked barefoot into the kitchen and looked in the fridge. I pulled out some bacon and a carton of eggs. I quietly hunted through the cabinets until I found the skillets, and I fried up the package of bacon, scrambled some eggs, and toasted some bread.
Dara walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. She tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear, and I hated the sadness in her eyes. I fixed her a plate and set it down in front of her, and then I poured her a glass of milk.
“Go ahead and eat. I’ll check on Mr. Milton,” I said.
I knocked on his bedroom door, but he didn’t answer. I finally found him rocking on the front porch.
“I fixed some breakfast if you want something to eat,” I offered.
He looked at me with a sad smile. “You kids go ahead and eat,” he said. “I’ll be along in a little while.”
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“As well as can be expected,” he answered, rocking back in the chair. “I’ll be fine. Just watch after Dara. That would mean a lot to Helen.”
I nodded and watched him a moment more before I quietly went back into the house and joined Dara in the kitchen.
I found her pushing eggs around her plate with a fork.
“You need to eat,” I said softly, as I fixed a plate and a drink for myself and sat down in the chair beside her.
“I’m not hungry.”
“I know, but the next few days are going to be difficult. You need to keep your strength up.”
She took a bite of the scra
mbled eggs, and I felt like I’d won a small victory.
As I ate my breakfast, I kept tabs on how much she was eating. While she wouldn’t be joining the Clean Plate Club anytime soon, she’d eaten enough to keep me from worrying. I couldn’t keep my own mind from replaying the days after Luke’s death. I was well aware of the emotional stress Dara was about to endure, and I didn’t want her physical wellbeing to suffer, too.
“Mr. Milton and I have to go to the funeral home today to make arrangements,” she said, her voice flat and lifeless.
“Do you want me to go with you?” I asked.
“No, that’s okay.”
I took our plates to the sink and unloaded the clean dishes out of the dishwasher. I loaded the dirty dishes and left the remaining food on the table for Mr. Milton.
Dara remained in the kitchen chair, and I cupped her chin, forcing her to look me in the eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I guess so,” she whispered.
“Do you need anything?”
“No, not right now.”
My fingers stroked her jawline. “I’m here for you, Dara.”
“I know,” she whispered. Her bottom lip quivered, and she bit it to hold it steady.
I stooped on my haunches beside her, bringing my face to the same level as hers. “I love you, Dara.”
“I know,” she whispered, covering my hand with her own. “I love you, too, Stone.”
I kissed her chastely on the lips. “Do you promise to let me know if you need anything? Even if it’s just to talk?”
She nodded. “I promise.”
“I’m going to go home and shower, and I’ll meet back up with you after y’all go to the funeral home…unless you want me to stay.”
“No, I’m okay. I need to get ready, too.”
Her hand dropped to her lap, and I kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll call you in a little while. If you need to talk to me sooner, then call me, okay?”
She nodded her head.
I hated to leave Dara, but I knew she could probably benefit from some time alone to sort through things. I also needed to somehow let her mother know what was going on. Now, more than ever, Dara needed her mother. Maybe if I could get her mother to talk to her, Dara wouldn’t feel so alone. Of course, the flip side of that was that if she did have her mother, then maybe she wouldn’t need me. I pushed the selfish thought out of my head and wondered how I could let Dara’s mother know what was going on without having to make the three to four hour trip. I wanted to stay in town in case Dara needed me.
When I arrived home, I immediately jumped into the shower, my mind working furiously to determine all the things that I needed to accomplish.
After talking to Ms. Golding at the hospital, I knew she had no money and no phone. How could I get her to talk to Dara?
After I had gotten ready, I called the hospital and asked for the waiting room. Three rings later, a woman answered, but when I asked for Yvonne Golding, she said there was no one in there with that name.
Frustrated, I hung up the phone and wondered what to do next.
A knock sounded on my bedroom door. “Stone?”
“Come in, Mom.”
“Where were you last night?” she demanded, her voice tinged with anger.
“Dara’s grandmother died yesterday. I was with Dara.”
My mother gasped. “What happened?”
I recapped all the details.
“That’s terrible, but you should’ve called me and told me what was going on. I was worried sick.” The creases in her forehead reinforced her words.
“I’m sorry, Mom. It was late, and I figured you were asleep.”
I watched her face, knowing that she was doing the same thing that I had done, replaying scenes of Luke’s funeral in her mind.
“Is there anything I can do?” she asked.
“Not really.”
“I’ll make them a chicken casserole, and you can take it over there for supper.”
“That’ll be good. I’ve got some things to do today, but I’ll come back and get it in a little while.”
“Okay,” she agreed as I followed her out of my bedroom.
I grabbed my keys and headed to the garage. After tugging on my helmet, I raced down the driveway and hit the highway toward the local shopping center. When I arrived, I went into a small shop that sold cell phones. I had been struggling with how best to help Dara’s mother, and I finally decided that I needed to pick up a cell phone for her. I purchased a prepaid phone, along with some minutes, which would allow Ms. Golding to call Dara.
After loading the minutes and entering Dara’s cell phone number, as well as my own, I slid the phone in my pocket. I swung my leg over my bike, started the engine, and twisted the throttle. I had been deliberating whether I should ride to Oakley and take Ms. Golding the phone. Granny’s death had devastated Dara, and I wondered if hearing from her mother might help improve her current emotional state.
But what if Dara needed me? It would take me no less than seven hours to ride to Oakley and back, and that was if I rode like the hounds of hell were chasing me. It would be early evening before I could make it back to Quail Mountain, and Mom was going to make Dara and Mr. Milton dinner.
Killing the engine, I decided to call Dara and feel her out. If she was going to be tied up most of the day, I just might be able to make it work.
She answered on the first ring. “Hello.”
“Hey, Dara.”
“Hey.”
“Have y’all left for the funeral home yet?”
“No. Mr. Milton’s checking on some things at the store. He said it’ll probably be an hour or two.”
“How’re you holding up? You okay?”
“I guess so. I’m fixin’ to make some phone calls. I need to let Granny’s sister know, and I dread it. It’s gonna tear her apart. And I need to write my father a letter to let him know what happened. Not that I expect to hear anything back from him.”
“Do you need me to come there while you do it?” I asked, concerned how it would affect her.
“That’s okay. I can handle it.”
“Well, I’ll see you this evening then. My mom’s making a casserole, and I’ll bring it over for supper.”
“That’s sweet of her. Tell her thank you.”
“I will.”
“I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Bye, babe.”
I hung up, started the engine, and barreled through the parking lot. I just hoped that I had no trouble finding Ms. Golding when I got to Oakley.
By the time I pulled into the hospital parking lot, my butt was numb and my hands felt like they were vibrating. I’d made good time. Now all I had to do was see how fast I could find Dara’s mother.
When I reached the same waiting room that I’d found her in yesterday, I pushed the door open and glanced around the room, searching for her. She was in the same spot I’d left her in, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling as if she were sound asleep.
I took a seat two chairs down from her. “Ms. Golding?”
She didn’t stir, so I called to her a little louder this time. “Ms. Golding?”
The woman must really be tired. I gently touched her arm, and her eyelids fluttered open. “Stone?” She looked around the room. “Is Dara with you?”
“Dara’s at home. Listen, some things have changed since yesterday.”
“You told her everything, didn’t you?” Ms. Golding asked, an alarmed expression settling on her face.
“No, I didn’t tell her.”
“Good,” she said, obviously relieved.
“But I do have some bad news.”
Ms. Golding’s vibrant green eyes locked with mine. “What is it?”
“Granny had a heart attack yesterday. They pronounced her dead shortly after she arrived at the hospital.”
She covered her mouth with her slender hand. “Oh, no.” She closed her eyes and slowly opened them. “How’s Dara taking it?”
&n
bsp; “She’s devastated. That’s why I’m here. I think you need to call her.”
Ms. Golding gasped. “I can’t call her yet. I need to explain everything to her in person.”
“Why don’t you just call her and tell her that your phone was cut off and you just now got another one?”
“I don’t have a phone.”
I stood up and pulled the prepaid phone from my pocket. “I bought one for you. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s loaded with minutes. You can call Dara and let her know your new number. I’ve already loaded her number in the phone. Mine, too, just in case you need it.”
“You bought me a phone?” she asked in disbelief.
“I did it for Dara’s sake. She’s feeling pretty lonely right now. I think it’d do her good to hear from you. You don’t have to explain everything to her just yet, but at least call her and let her know that you haven’t abandoned her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk to me?” she asked.
“Trust me. She needs her mother. Call her.”
Ms. Golding stood and hugged me. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I paused, wondering how Dara was holding up today. “Well, I’ve gotta run. It’s a long ride back to Quail Mountain, and I promised Dara I’d be there tonight.”
She waved the phone at me. “I’ll call her. Thanks for the phone. I promise that I’ll pay you back.”
I nodded. I wasn’t expecting anything back. I just wanted to help ease Dara’s pain. “I’ll see you soon.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Stone.”
I waved to her and left the room, rushing back to my bike, so I could begin the long trek home.
When I pulled into the garage at my house, I was exhausted. As much as I loved my bike, my body was protesting against being in one position for such a long time. When I entered the house, I could smell my mom’s chicken casserole, and my mouth watered in response.
I found her in the kitchen, wrapping the casserole dish in a thermal carrying case. A coconut pie sat on the counter beside it, and she placed it in a plastic carrying case and set it on top of the casserole. “There you go.”
I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and squeezed her. “Thanks, Mom.”
Devious Page 12