Martinis & Moonlight (A Country Road Novel - Book 3)

by Andrea Johnston

  I’m not even sure why Owen is on my mind right now. I’m using my lunch hour to run errands. I have already grabbed a sandwich that I ate in the car wash and am now at the grocery store attempting to finish this week’s shopping without the girls. I’d prefer sitting in the warm sunshine reading a book but found if I handle my errands on my lunch, the evenings are a little less chaotic. Plus, tonight is our Skype call with Dakota. Ari is thrilled to see her mommy even if her attention span is only three minutes long.

  One of the benefits of small-town living is the fact that in an hour’s time, I’m able to finish shopping and drop the groceries at the house before returning to the office. I’m almost to the stairs of the office when my phone rings. It’s Mrs. Larson, the girls’ babysitter. She had taken the girls to the park while I unpacked the groceries to allow me enough time to get in and out of the house quickly. I hope I remembered to lock up the house when I left. I’ve had a little “mommy brain” the last week with Cali teething.

  “Hello?”

  “Minnie, I’m sorry to disturb you.”

  “It’s okay, Mrs. Larson. Is everything okay?” She doesn’t sound upset but I can hear Cali fussing in the background.

  “Yes, dear. It’s just that Cali is running a little bit of a fever and it seems she has a bit of diarrhea. I’m sure it’s the teething but I wanted to let you know I’m going to go ahead and give her a little medicine.”

  “Oh no. I’m just getting back to work but I’ll just tell Jameson I have to leave. I can be home in a few minutes.”

  “Oh my, I don’t think that’s necessary. I’m sure it’s just teething. My kids always ran a little fever when they were teething. We’ll be just fine, dear, but I wanted you to know.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Still, I’d feel better coming home to check on her.”

  “Okay, if you think you need to. I’ll see you soon.”

  Great. A fever. And, diarrhea? That doesn’t sound fun for any of us. I hope it’s just the teething and not a bug. What do you do with a baby if they start vomiting? Hold them over the toilet? That can’t be right.

  I toss my phone in my purse and open the door to the office to find Jameson and Owen at the conference table eating. I hear my name and know they’re talking about me. My hackles rise and I’m ready to put them in their place when I hear Owen ask what my name is short for. I’m so not in the mood for this and, frankly, don’t have the time to deal with it so I answer for Jameson.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but it’s short for Minnesota. Jameson, I know we’re swamped this afternoon and making progress, but I just got a call. I need to go home really quick but I’ll come right back.”

  “Take the afternoon. No worries. Text me if you need tomorrow off also,” he replies with a smile.

  “Thanks, I appreciate it. I’ll let you know but I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

  Cali has been asleep for a while and I know that means she’ll be up later than usual tonight. Ari and I enjoyed a nice dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches on the back deck. She regaled me with her tales of the park and I enjoyed every minute of it. And my glass of wine. Bath time is moved up a little so she’s ready to talk with Dakota on Skype.

  I hear the telltale sign of the Skype call as I’m pouring my second glass. I swore I’d never have more than one when I was caring for the girls, but this has been a shit of a day. Literally, who knew a little girl could go through so many diapers.

  “Arizona, you can answer that, it’s your mommy. Touch the green phone button,” I instruct as I walk into the room.

  “Mommy! Look! I have princess jam jams!”

  I can hear Dakota snicker as I walk around to the couch where Arizona is sitting with my iPad. I smile and wave at Dakota while Ari begins telling her mom the same stories I heard at dinner. As usual, her attention span is short-lived and she’s losing interest in the call within minutes.

  “Ari, why don’t you go play for a little while before bed?” I ask her, taking the iPad from her little hands.

  “K, love you, Momma. You coming to our new house soon? Auntie says your owies are better.”

  I run my hand over Arizona’s hair as she looks at her mom, hopeful.

  “I’m doing my very best. I love you, sweet girl. Will you give your sissy a big kiss from me?” I hear the quiver in Dakota’s voice and know tears are imminent.

  “Uh no way, Jose! Cali is pooping all over the place! I’ll tell her ‘morrow! Love you, Momma, gotta go!”

  Before I have a chance to remind her to be quiet for her sister, Ari is gone and down the hall to her room. It’s probably best she wakes up Cali so I can give her a bath.

  “Hey,” I say, smiling at Dakota, who is letting the tears fall.

  “I hate this, Min.”

  “I know, but you’re doing great. You’ve got what, just a couple more weeks there before you transition? How’s the rehab going?”

  “It’s all rehab, Min.” The eyeroll and sarcasm are but a small glimmer to the version of my sister that’s been missing for months.

  “I know that, smart ass. I meant the physical rehab. Give me a break, I’ve been elbows deep in shit all day. You failed to tell me Cali gets explosive diarrhea when she’s teething.”

  “Oh, yeah and a low-grade fever. Sorry. Probably her molars.”

  “That’s what Mom and Mrs. Larson said. I took the afternoon off and although I promised one glass of wine, this is glass two. I’ve earned it.”

  Dakota agrees with me and spends a few minutes catching up before she goes a little silent on me.

  “What’s wrong? You got quiet all of the sudden.”

  “Have you heard from Kent?”

  “Uh, no. That asshole has probably moved on to some new girl that is mesmerized by his love of all things beige. Why?”

  “I hate that you’ve given up everything in your life to help me. Your relationship, your friends, your job.”

  I snort in response. “Please, I had like two friends and if they were really friends they’d be here, wouldn’t they? My relationship wasn’t meant to be if the asshole wasn’t even willing to step up when we needed him most.” Bravado for the win. Truthfully, I miss my relationship. Well, I miss the companionship and having someone in my life. “As for my job, I love my job here. Jameson is a great guy and I basically have run of the office. I’m able to implement my own ideas and he listens. Do you know what it’s like to have a boss listen to you and then say, ‘Sounds good, Min. Have at it’? I sure as shit didn’t. Not before.”

  “So, tell me about this Jameson. Is he hot? Are you going to bang him?”

  “What? Bang him? Since when do you say things like ‘bang’?” I ask, taking a drink of my wine before settling into the corner of the couch, balancing the tablet on my knees.

  “I don’t know, but I know you and Kent didn’t exactly have a porno-style sex life and since you’ve basically been living the life of a nun I figured maybe this guy would be the one to break up the monotony.”

  “Nah, he’s a nice guy, but there’s no vibe there. Besides, who has time? Seriously, how do single moms do it? Between the kids, constantly cleaning the house, and work, I barely have time to shave my legs let alone date!”

  “Wow, you’ve found time to shave your legs? You’re really kicking ass!”

  “Do not mock me, Dakota Michelle,” I admonish my sister. I’ve missed this. Seeing her smile, even at my expense, only confirms this is what she needed to do.

  “Seriously, Min, you need to get out there. The best thing Kent ever did was let you go. It’s time you found your person.”

  I laugh and take another drink of my wine. Yeah, I’m not finding anything any time soon except maybe some root touch up at the store because I’m not sure when I’ll fit in time for an actual salon appointment. This blonde isn’t as natural as it used to be.

  “I did agree to let Mom and Dad take the girls for their Nana and Papa time. Maybe I’ll go out or something.” I shrug.

>   “That’s great, you should totally do that. Make friends, Minnie. Maybe find a yoga studio or something. Don’t be a recluse. That’s not you.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “No, promise me. I want you to promise that by this time next month, you’ll have gone out. You’ll try. Please. I can’t stand the thought of you giving up your life for me.”

  I hear the hiccup in her voice and know she’s fighting more tears. My sister has never asked me for anything and the least I can do for her is make her one little promise. This is Lexington, it’s not like I’m going to find my true love here.

  “I promise. I think your time is about up. We’ll talk tomorrow night, okay?”

  “Okay. Have a great day tomorrow and just make sure Cali has enough fluids so she doesn’t get dehydrated. Love you!”

  “Love you back.”

  I wave goodbye to my sister as she ends the video chat. I hear Cali stirring and Arizona talking to her. On my way to the girls’ room I drop my wine glass in the sink. I’ll try to do something social over the next few weeks. She’s right, I can’t stay holed up in the house forever.

  Jameson had the bright idea of having a cookout today. He was all about it and texting me last night to see if I’d come by and help him move some shit around his yard. Yeah, no problem. He failed to say we couldn’t do anything until noon because Ashton was sleeping, that his to do list included mowing the damn yard, and I’m on beer duty. Which is Jameson’s way of asking me to bring some of my brew and stop by the store for some everyday kind of beer.

  But, because I know J and his grand plans—and poor execution- I opt to go straight to his house instead of the store first. I figure Landon and I can go to the store while he and Ashton bicker and dance around whatever it is they’re “not” doing. Once he went in the house and was talking to Ashton, Landon and I hightailed it out of there and to the store.

  “J said he invited that new office manager he hired. What’s her story?” Landon asks me as I pull in the parking lot of the grocery store.

  “No idea. She’s hot as fuck but cold as ice. She is somehow immune to my charms.”

  “What? There’s a woman in town who isn’t dropping her panties at your feet? Say it isn’t so!” Landon teases, but since Jameson decided he wasn’t interested in dating or whatever, I haven’t been spending many nights alone. And while it’s great in the moment, I’d like to meet someone I could have a conversation with and not just a round of tonsil hockey.

  “Her name’s Minnesota, she is really organized, has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, a tight ass, and the most delectable tits I’ve seen.”

  “Minnesota? What’s that about?”

  “No clue. She’s a little sensitive about it, too.”

  Landon and I finish our shopping in record time and head back to Jameson’s. Ben and Piper are pulling in the driveway when we get there and before long we’re all hanging out in the backyard playing a game of cards, poking fun at each other like always. After about an hour of cards, we’re taking a break when the doorbell rings. Jameson excuses himself and when he returns I am leaning down to the cooler to grab a beer when I look up into a pair of big brown eyes.

  “Hello,” I say slowly, dragging out the last part of the word. Who brought a kid? None of our friends have kids. Well, sometimes Jameson has his niece, Hope, but this isn’t Hope. This little rugrat is shorter and looks to be a bit younger.

  “Arizona, please come here. Sorry, Owen.”

  I recognize that voice, but it’s the long, tan, and gorgeous pair of legs that have my attention. I instantly think of how they’d feel wrapped around my shoulders. My gaze lifts and settle on a pair of tits I’ve come to appreciate over the last few weeks. Minnie. By the time my eyes meet hers, she looks less than impressed with my appraisal of her body.

  “No worries. Who’s the squirt?”

  “My name is not squirt. I am Arizona Leigh Jennings,” the little tot says matter of factly.

  “My middle name is Lee too,” I say, extending my hand formally. I like kids fine, so long as they don’t cry or need me to hold them.

  “Auntie, why does this boy have a girl name?”

  Minnie and I both laugh. I stand to my full height and take in the woman before me in a less assuming way. Minnie is simply beautiful. Today she is wearing her wavy blonde hair pulled away from her face which makes her seem more youthful than she does at the office. Her big cobalt eyes dance each time she smiles and that only adds to her beauty. There’s more to Minnie than her beauty. Something tells me there’s a lot more to Minnesota Walker than meets the eye.

  “Ari, the name is for both boys and girls, just spelled differently. And, Owen, this is my niece, Arizona, and that little one that has taken a liking to Jameson is my other niece, Cali.”

  “Cali and Arizona? I’m sensing a theme with your family, Minnesota.”

  I note a slight shudder from Minnie when I speak her full name. I’m not sure if it’s a shudder of disgust or lust but either way, it causes her cheeks to pinken and I like that.

  “Well, it was, uh, nice to see you. I should…” Unable to complete her sentence, she’s being pulled away from me by her little niece, who shoots me a look of contempt. Lovely, a shorty with attitude.

  “Yeah, sure, see ya.”

  I watch as Minnie walks away and I allow my eyes to drop to her ass. I’d like to send a thank you note to whoever designed those shorts, even if they’re responsible for my own shorts feeling a little too tight.

  About two hours ago, Jameson left with Ashton on some sort of family emergency. That left us to finish up their cookout. Which is fine by me, it means more food and beer for us and less awkward tension from them. I don’t know what is going on with those two but seriously, their drama is filtering over into the rest of the group and it’s making it less fun to be around them.

  Minnie started rounding up the girls when Jameson and Ashton left but Piper convinced her to stay longer. Although she’s been talking to everyone, I think she felt awkward at the idea of being at Jameson’s house after he left. I’m probably the only other person she knows here but even that is limited to the few times we’ve talked in the office. Okay, she talks and I flirt.

  I add more ketchup to my plate to dip my burger when I feel a pair of eyes on me. It’s not a creeper feeling like when I’ve slept with a girl and then run into her again the next weekend but can’t remember her name. Stephanie? Shelly? Stacy? I never really remember. I’m horrible with names. Now, if all girls had an original name like Minnie, I’d remember. Her parents had the right idea. Not only did they create a goddess of a daughter, but they gave her a name no man will forget.

  But, this feeling of being watched isn’t like those girls from the bar. Nah, this is something different. I take a bite of my burger as I look around the yard. Everyone seems to be deep in conversation, Piper and Minnie bonding over their love of reading, and Ben and Landon playing a game of horseshoes. The little baby, Cali I think is her name, is napping on a blanket. Then I see the person responsible for the stare, that little squirt from earlier. Standing right next to me.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Why do you have so much ketchup?”

  “Excuse me?”

  The little girl climbs up on the chair next to me, crossing her arms over her chest as she sits on her knees. The look on her face is less interest and more evaluation. It’s a little unnerving.

  “You already have ketchup on that burgler.” Her tone is a little accusatory for as little as she is. “I can see it all over the places but then you got more. It looks like your burgler has an owie.”

  I look down at my plate, and sure enough, ketchup is dripping from the bottom of the bun and onto the plate. Not one to waste, I take the end I’m eating from and scoop up the dropped ketchup and take a huge bite while smiling at her.

  “Mmmm. I love ketchup.”

  “You’re silly.” She begins giggling before she finally uncrosses her arms and, hopefully,
her judgment of both me and my ketchup use is over.

  The squirt and I talk for a few minutes about nothing and everything important. She explained that she is four years old, a big sister, and has grand plans of being a princess. I explained why ketchup is the best condiment on the planet and agreed princesses were pretty cool.

  Just as we were about to discuss her love of ponies, Minnie swooped in, offering apologies for the kid bothering me. My initial reaction was to agree but then I realized the kid wasn’t bothering me. That’s weird. Of course, I’d had a few beers and not much annoys me at that point.

  And, although the sun was beginning to set and a slight breeze picked up around us, unfortunately for me the breeze didn’t cool off what was happening to me. No, the breeze was to blame for my body temperature rising. That and the fact that Minnie’s bra didn’t conceal how her nipples reacted to the cooler temps.

  Thankfully, before I had to hide what was happening in my pants at the sight of her nipples, Minnie excused herself and the kid. Shortly thereafter she left with the kids and the party started to disband. Landon and I offered to stay and clean up so Ben and Piper could head for home.

  Once all the food was put away and the chairs stacked, Landon and I let ourselves out and headed for our apartment. While apartment living isn’t ideal, especially since both of us rely on our parents’ homes for our hobbies, it’s where we need to be for now. Each of us is saving up to buy houses and if we’re lucky those purchases will happen this year. Landon is looking for something with land with enough space for him to have a workshop. He woodworks in the evenings and having a designated space for his equipment and pieces are priority one for him.

  Myself, I need a space with a cellar or basement. Brewing my own beer requires I have a space that is free from outside light and stays cool but not freezing. While we are lucky enough to have seasons, winter can be frigid and I would like to be able to brew and ferment all year long.