by D. A. Young
Noelle shook her head in exasperation at Jack as he placed a heaping plate in front of her, before looking at Guiles. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Guiles.”
The other man smiled at her. “My friends call me Guy. Forgive me for starin’, but it’s a pleasure to meet the beautiful woman that finally captured ol’ Serious Sullivan’s heart. I wasn’t aware such a gem was hiding in New York.” The last was said in a lower tone rife with sensual promise that Noelle instinctively knew was meant to irk Jack. Jack walked back over to the table and placed the steaming mug of coffee in front of Noelle, who murmured thank you while cautiously taking a peak at him. He didn’t even notice as his hard eyes were trained on Guy who was staring back at him with amusement as he sat down across from Noelle.
“Do you remember when we were kids and we jumped out of that big tree on Huckleberry Lane? And your britches got caught on a branch? How you were stuck cryin’ and hollerin’ because of that mighty wedgie you were gettin’?” Jack asked pleasantly, watching as Guy’s skin flushed red with embarrassment and his smile disappeared. “Who would believe that your lady-catchin’ voice could have hit a note so high-”
“Rude, Jack! Rude!” Guy shouted as Noelle laughed and dug into her meal. Jack snatched a piece of bacon from her plate only to have it disappear as she snatched it back twice as fast, putting it on the far side of her plate.
“Do not play with me when it comes to bacon,” she said in a serious tone, shaking her head at his gall. Guy laughed at Jack’s puppy dog look, and Noelle took pity on him and scooped up some egg and grits, offering him a bite.
“So tell me about yourself, Noelle,” Guy said in a friendly tone. “Never thought I’d see the day this one here would settle down. Hell, you’re the first girl he’s ever brought home. Congratulations on the wedding by the way; how’d you two meet?”
Noelle blushed, and Guy was enchanted by the heightened color in her cheeks. A sharp pain in his ankle made him wince as he broke his gaze from her and looked over to find his childhood friend giving him a death glare. Silently, Guy vowed retribution as he leaned down to rub his injured ankle.
“Well, I co-own an event planning company with one of my best friends. I’m sure you know Jack’s partner Ian?” At Guy’s nod, she continued, “I’m his goddaughter, and my family are clients of their firm. We met four years ago at my birthday party.”
“Was it love at first sight for you?” Guy asked teasingly, and Noelle shifted uneasily in her chair. Now how exactly was she supposed to answer that? With the truth? Jack would freak and divorce her if he thought she harbored any type of feelings for him. Jack, sensing her discomfort, responded for her.
“What’s with the twenty questions? All you need to know is that she is married, married, and married. Got it?” he said in a hard tone as he held the pot of coffee towards his friend. Guy shrugged and held his cup out to be filled.
“I’m just sayin’. How many southern boys do you know, Noelle? We are a unique breed to experience and savor. You can’t just up and marry the first one you meet and…owww shit!” Guy yelped and yanked his leg out from under the table to rub his ankle furiously while glaring at Jack who was innocently eating his breakfast. Noelle hid her grin behind her coffee mug as she took a sip.
“So…how far do you guys think the Grizzlies will get in the playoffs?” Noelle asked.
The conversation quickly turned to the Grizzlies, then football, and finally hockey. Noelle was surprised to find out that Darby played with the Nashville Predators for four years before a knee injury forced him into retirement.
“Wow, I didn’t know that about him, but I guess I could see it,” she said easily picturing the largest brother causing mayhem on the ice and talking shit to opposing teams.
“Oh, you shoulda seen “The Blade”, Noelle. He was quick on his skates. We used to all go down to his games and, there would be rink bunnies wanting to party with us. Man, Jack, remember that one girl …” Guys voice trailed off at Noelle’s raised eyebrow and Jack’s pointed look. “Of course that was waaaay before he met someone of your beauty and caliber. Thank you again for upgrading my friend,” Guy backtracked with a sweet smile at her before turning back to Jack.
“Anyway, it’s good to have you home, Jack. Been way too long. When you get a moment, I’ve got some new wood for you to take a look at, some sand-blasted Manzanita and Tectona Teak that is amazing for furniture making. People are going to go crazy for it,” Guy said confidently as he finished his breakfast. “The pieces you requested are out on the porch, coffee table, end tables, and-”
“Wait a minute. Are you a carpenter? Did you design this table?!” Noelle interrupted him, excitedly tapping the table they were sitting at. Guy looked at Jack in confusion. Jack ignored him and scooped up another forkful of eggs from Noelle’s plate for himself.
“I am a carpenter and designer-” Guy said slowly, but she interrupted him.
“This table is fantastic! You did the coffee table and bookshelf that my Uncle Ian gave me didn’t you?” Noelle asked enthusiastically. “I’d love to see more of your work. We were just talking about decorating last night and I think-”
“Yeah, I am familiar with the pieces,” Guy said, interrupting her as he tried to catch Jack’s eye again; but he was too busy drinking his orange juice. Noelle looked at Jack who smiled pleasantly at her and then back at Guy whose brow was furrowed in concentration as if trying to figure something out.
Abruptly, he stood up. “Well, I’d better get going. Thanks for the breakfast, man. Like I said come, check out that wood. Noelle, it was a pleasure to meet you. See you around.”
Noelle murmured, “Likewise.”
Jack stood up as well. “I’ll walk you out.”
Hmmmm, the people in this town are as weird as they are good-looking, Noelle thought. She reached for her phone to call the girls. They were coming to visit at the end of the week, and she wanted to reassure them that the people in Whiskey Row weren’t like the hillbilly friends from the Looney Tunes cartoons.
***
Outside of the house, the two men walked in silence until they reached Guy’s red vintage Chevy pick-up. It was a classic that he’d spent many hours restoring and never allowed anyone else to drive.
“Hey, thanks for not saving me back there. You were as useful as a trap door on a canoe. You wanna tell me why your pretty little wife has no idea that you’re the one who made that furniture as well as hers? That you own a quarter of Americana Traditions?” Guy asked curiously.
“No, I don’t. Mind your own business, Pippy,” Jack warned. Growing up, they occasionally gave Guy shit and called him Pippy, as in Longstocking, when he wore his long hair in two braids to show pride for his Cherokee ancestry. “I would prefer that it not be disclosed until I’m ready.”
“Well, you better get ready, son. We’ve got orders pouring in, making us busier than a one-eyed cat watching five mouseholes, so we’re gonna need to expand our crew. Holt’s not complaining about the amount of work he’s doing, but we’re only a six-man team. I’ve got some interviews lined up this week; can you do them?” Guy asked. Holt was their other partner and childhood friend. Where Jack was charming and Guy was friendly, Holt was quiet. He only said what was necessary and never spoke more than that. Aside from the three of them, they had one more carpenter that worked for them and two office staff members.
“Yeah, not a problem. Let’s do them in groups at Hooligans,” Jack said.
“Cool; and by the way, we’ve also got a shipment of Blue Mahoe and Golden Spanish Elm coming in from Jamaica. Thinking about making a sample modern furniture collection with it,” Guy said casually.
“Since when do we buy from Jamaica?” Jack asked with a raised brow, not liking Guy’s way too innocent smile.
“Since we can justify it as a buyin’ trip with our accountant and write it off,” he said wiggling his eyebrows.
“What were you doing in Jamaica, bro?” Jack asked curiously. “You don’t even like a
nything remotely tropical.”
Guy’s face turned serious. “I was chasing a lead that Casey’s detective friend had for me. Supposedly Fern was holed up down there with the kids,” he grimaced. “Unfortunately, the trail ended there. Ran into an acquaintance of hers that said she was runnin’ a little gift shop, but she got spooked and took the kids again.”
Jack’s face was serious as he clasped his friend’s shoulder in support. “Damn, I’m real sorry to hear that. Do you think she’ll ever stop running? She has to know that your brother passed right?”
A flash of pain crossed Guy’s face. “I would think so. I just want her to know that they’re safe, but maybe it’s just too much for her to deal with.”
Jack still couldn’t imagine Miguel, Guy’s easy-going, older brother transforming into the manic depressive, violent man he’d become since coming back from his tour in Iraq and was diagnosed with PTSD.
“Let us know if you need anything, man. We’re family and will do all we can to help. Don’t try to carry all the weight on your shoulders,” Jack offered.
Guy raised a sardonic brow at him. “Hi Pot, I’m Kettle. I remember how it was for you after Ma passed, may she rest in peace, and how you refused to break down. You’ve stayed away from this place because of what happened; but I gotta say, you look really happy right now.” He turned to look back at the house and so did Jack. They could see Noelle on her cell phone talking and laughing as she washed dishes. “This girl is really good for you, brother.”
Jack smiled and hoped he didn’t look as pussy-whipped as his brothers suggested he was. “I’ve got no complaints, but I did want to let you know one more thing. Noelle’s girlfriends are coming down this weekend, so be on your best behavior.”
Guy’s eyes lit up, and he rubbed his hands together gleefully. “Girlfriends? As in plural? Do they look anything like her?”
“Down, boy.”
Chapter Nineteen
The drive to Nashville was a smooth one; albeit longer than Noelle expected, but the gorgeous scenery more than made up for it. They spent the better half of the day shopping at home décor stores such as Remix Furniture, Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie, Williams-Sonoma, and Z Gallerie. For lunch, they went to the Firefly Grille where Noelle had the buttermilk battered shrimp po’boy, and Jack ate the grilled flank steak; they split a plate of sweet potato fries.
Afterwards, Jack took her to the famous Bluebird Café, and Noelle loved the performances of all the up-and-coming singers. She watched in admiration as Jack chatted up a famous, married country singing couple who came in. He was so at ease laughing and joking with them and their daughters. When he introduced her as his wife, they warmly congratulated them, making Noelle beam with pleasure. It was a great day; and by the time they started heading back to Whiskey Row, she was exhausted, falling asleep before they even hit the highway.
The next morning, Noelle was busy making breakfast when Guy showed up with a big, muscular man in tow. The giant, who matched Darby in height, had wavy, golden blonde hair and a matching beard that complimented his deeply-tanned skin. His eyes were a very deep blue like the bottom of the ocean. He nodded at her in a friendly fashion, his lips forming a half-smile. Noelle just shook her head in disbelief; and Guy, knowing what she was thinking, bust out laughing.
“Ms. Noelle, I’d like you to meet another childhood friend of mine and Jack’s, Holton Brammer. You can call him Holt.” Guy swiped up a sausage patty and bit into it as he gave his friend a contemplative look before nodding and turning back to Noelle. “Or Thor. Yep, Thor will do also.”
Noelle rolled her eyes at him, but secretly admitted that Holt did resemble Chris Hemsworth as the Marvel Comic character. She smiled and held out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you, Holt.”
“The pleasure is all mine. Congratulations on the weddin’.” Holt’s southern voice was deep, and his handshake was firm. “Please pay no attention to my demented friend. I’m not sure exactly how many times he was dropped as a baby, but I’m pretty sure it was more than ten.”
They all laughed, and Noelle gestured for them to have a seat at the table. “Breakfast is just about done. Have a seat, fellas. I’m about to make some coffee, or would you prefer cappuccinos?”
Guy said yes to coffee with a shot of espresso, and Holt opted for a cappuccino. Jack came downstairs as Noelle was making his cup. He greeted his friends before coming to kiss Noelle’s cheek. “Smells delicious. What are we eatin’?”
“Baked French toast casserole with fried apples, cheese grits, and sausage,” Noelle said, resisting the urge to press her hand to her cheek where she could still feel his ice cold lips. So his shower had been a cold one. This morning, she’d found herself laying on top of him with a raging hard on pressing into her belly and his hand on her butt to hold her in place. Holding her breath, Noelle slowly raised her head to sneak a peek at him, only to find him looking at her with a sexy, heavy- lidded gaze. His black curls sticking up around his head and the beard growing in were fast becoming her favorite look on him; and Noelle hadn’t been able to resist lifting her hand and rubbing it across his coarse cheeks. The heat in his hazel eyes intensified as he grabbed her hand and kissed the center of her palm.
“Don’t start somethin’ you can’t finish, baby.” His voice was low and gravelly from sleep. Jack placed her thumb to his lips and slowly licked it before giving it a gentle nip, causing spikes of pleasure in her nether region. She smiled and rubbed his lips with her thumb.
With a quickness that was dizzying, Noelle found herself beneath him with his face nuzzled in her neck and his groin grinding into her core. His lips trailed kisses down her neck as his hands slid up her torso to palm each breast. Noelle’s breathing was ragged in his ear as she tightly gripped his head to her neck and frantically rubbed herself against his long hardness.
“Noelle. God, Noelle I need you so bad,” he groaned; his fingers teasingly plucked her rock hard nipples through her cami, and he bit her shoulder as his hips thrust his erection against her core. “Feel what you do to me.”
Jack could feel her wetness through her boy shorts and knew it would be so easy to nudge them aside while freeing his cock through the hole of his boxers and “accidentally” slide into her. The way she was working her hips was driving him crazy, but he wouldn’t do that to her. Couldn’t do that to her, no matter how bad he wanted inside of her delectable body. It still had to be her choice.
“Shit!” he groaned in frustration, pressing his face into the mattress next to her face and beating his fist into its softness. She froze beneath him as he struggled for control. Suddenly he lifted himself off of her completely and left the bed walking out of the room, mumbling over his shoulder, “I need a cold ass shower.”
Jack grabbed cups for the orange juice and brought them to the table as he sat down with his friends to talk. When Noelle brought the tray of coffee over, they all stood up and Jack quickly pulled her chair out as they waited for her to sit down before returning to their seats. Man, I love a southern gentleman, she thought to herself with a pleased smile.
“To what do I owe the pleasure so early this morning, fellas?” Jack asked before taking a long sip of his chicory coffee. Damn, Noelle could make a great cup of coffee.
Holt and Guy glanced at Noelle before Guy said nonchalantly, “We wanted to know if you could give us your feedback on two new applicants that are applying for office management. Any chance you could sit in on some interviews this afternoon? Got two lined up for twelve and one.”
“Yeah, I think I can swing it. Me and the missus got plans to go into town anyway, and then hiking. That all right with you, baby?” Jack asked casually, as he took the last sausage and cut it down the middle. Taking one half he put it on Noelle’s plate. She smiled at him brightly, and he felt it in his soul among other places as he discreetly adjusted his lower half under the table.
“This right here is serious business,” Guy said through a mouthful of food as he waved his fork at hi
s plate. The other two men nodded in agreement as they concentrated on their own plates. “Screw Wheaties, this is the real breakfast of champions.”
“Thanks, guys. I’m glad you like it. Guy, what are you doing?” Noelle asked as he made a big show of checking the time and programming his phone. He shrugged and smiled sweetly at her, before grabbing his fork and devouring the rest of his food.
Jack narrowed his eyes at him. “Pippy, I swear to goodness if you set an alarm to be here in time to eat breakfast, it ain’t happenin’.”
Holt turned to give Guy a frown of disapproval. “Is that what you were doin’?”
“Maybe,” Guy said noncommittally and looked at the last of his casserole with sadness. Holt too, looked down at his own empty plate and empty cappuccino mug remorsefully.