by C. A. Harms
I took the opportunity for a quick shower before everyone started showing up. I dried my hair and slipped into a pair of shorts and sifted through my drawers looking for my favorite white tank top. Not being able to find it in any of my drawers, I opened Carson’s sock drawer. The last time I couldn’t find it, he had it mixed with his whites. It was buried at the bottom beneath his white t-shirts. I pulled it out and spun around when I heard something hit the floor and bounce. I knelt down, looking around on. Swiping my hand under the edge of the dresser, I found his stopwatch just under the edge. My fingertips had connected with something else back a little farther. I reached under once again and wrapped my fingers around the square box. The moment I pulled it out, my heart leaped into my throat.
“Oh shit,” I whispered. I ran my fingertip along the edge, debating if I should peek inside the box. My hands shook with anticipation, and I closed my eyes tightly. My heart was racing, and I cursed my inner devil for pushing me to take a quick look. Just as I was about to lift the lid, I heard someone’s feet slapping against the hardwood floor outside the door. I quickly slid the ring box back in place and stood up, turning toward the bed with my back to the door.
There was a light knock before the door opened. “Damn, hooker, I thought you drowned. What the hell is taking your ass so long?” I spun around and grabbed Riley’s hand. Once she was inside I closed the door and leaned against it.
“Um, okay, Kate. Honey, are you high?” I looked up, and my heart was still racing. I took a deep breath and then let the smile spread across my face. Riley looked at me with one eyebrow raised. “You’re kinda freaking me out. Seriously, are you stoned?”
I laughed. “No, dumbass, I am not high. I am freaking out just a little.” I took a step toward her. “Look under the dresser.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?”
I let my head hang and rolled my eyes before kneeling once more. I grabbed the box and lifted it up toward Riley. I heard her gasp, and she took the box in her hand. “Oh my god, Kate. Did you look at it?” I shook my head. “You can’t look. You can’t ruin the initial shock when he shows you the first time.”
“I know. That is exactly why you are going to look for me.” She started dancing around like she was on fire, squealing as quietly as possible. “Stop stalling. We don’t have much time. Look at it and tell me how much I’m gonna love it. Hurry.”
I watched as she held the box close and lifted the lid. Her eyes got huge, and a grin spread across her face. “Damn.”
“Good damn, or oh shit, no frickin’ way in hell will she wear this thing damn?” The suspense was killing me slowly. “What, Riley? Good damn or bad damn?”
She closed the lid and held it out for me to take it back. “Very good damn. It’s so you, it’s like you handpicked it yourself.” I let my eyes close briefly as relief washed over me.
I placed a kiss onto the closed lid in excitement before sliding it back into its hiding spot.
We wiped the crazy girl grins from our faces and made our way out to a backyard full of people. I found Carson near the grill as Max schooled him on how to cook the best burger. After giving him a kiss, I walked off to sit with the girls near the fire pit.
Chapter Twenty One
Kate
After we ate, the guys all got involved in a competitive game of bags, and all the girls continued to enjoy the warmth of the fire. The alcohol was flowing, and Lily for once let lose. I had never seen her like this. She was always so quiet and reserved. It took forever for her to open up and relax around me. Not tonight, though. She was a little spitfire. She had no problem speaking her mind, and the laughter she caused felt good.
I noticed Bree kept stealing looks at Max out of the corner of her eye. It was always so weird with them. One minute they were going strong and appeared to be hot and heavy. Then the next time it was as if they never knew one another. Like they were just two people who happened to be at the same place at the same time.
I casually watched Bree, and she looked so lost tonight. I had only seen Max talk to her once, and that was to have her pass him the mustard. At one point she let herself stare a moment too long, and the tears in her eyes were hard to miss. I wanted to shake her and ask her why the hell she let him make her feel this way.
Bree was gorgeous. She was one of those girls who drove the rest of us insane with jealousy. Her skin was flawless and naturally tan. She had long, dark hair, and her eyes were a unique shade of green. They almost glowed, they were so damn beautiful. When she smiled, her perfect, white teeth gleamed. I found myself wondering how Max couldn’t fall at this girl’s feet begging her to be his. Instead, she continued to take what he gave her, which at this moment was pretty much nothing.
I heard a phone ringing in the distance and looked in its direction. I watched as Max held his hand up, telling the guys to give him a minute. His voice carried across the yard, and my heart sank.
“Hey, babe. What are you doing tonight?” I quickly looked over to find Bree staring at him. “No, I’m hanging at my brother’s.” Another pause as he chuckled. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll call ya tomorrow and we can hang.” He ended his call and made his way back to the guys.
I looked at Riley and motioned toward Bree, who still watched Max closely. My heart was breaking for her, and dammit, I wanted to hug her and convince her to tell him to fuck off. Max needed a strong dose of reality. Okay, I’ll admit the man was hot. He was solid, thick, and had a mouth-watering body. Throw him into his fireman clothes, and dammit all to hell, your knees were weak with nasty, kinky, dirty-ass thoughts. I used to drool every time I was near him until I found out how big of an ass he could be. His ego was a major turnoff. He knew he was a walking wet dream for most girls, and it had gone straight to his head.
“Hey, Bree, what’s going on with you two?”
Riley. She had no problem at all laying into any of her brothers. I sensed a bitch fight coming.
Bree grabbed the bottle of tequila from Lily and tipped it up high. After she lowered it, she winced. She shrugged and let her eyes wander around to all of us as we waited for her to answer Riley’s question.
“He, uh… well, last night he stayed over, and things seemed okay. Normal for us, anyway. You know us, nothing serious, just having a little fun. His words, not mine.” Bree picked at the label on the bottle. “I guess tonight I am once again invisible.” She stood from her chair, tipping the bottle high once again and taking one long pull after another. After she let the burn die, she held the bottle out to Riley. “So fuck it, right? I wanna dance. Who’s in?”
Lily jumped up and grabbed her hand. She wobbled back and forth a little before steadying herself and laughing. They started shaking their hips and rubbing on each other. I know my mouth dropped open because Lily had a slutty side she hid behind her glasses and cardigans. Wow, she was freaky hot when she got a little tipsy. We laughed as the two of them put on a personal floor show for our group.
“Okay, so really, I am totally straight, straight as a fucking board. I mean it, I seriously I love dick. But this shit is kinda turning me on a little.” Riley and I both looked over at Beth, who was leaning forward with her mouth slightly open. I busted out laughing and held my stomach.
“Holy fucking hell.” I heard a tense growl from behind me. I turned to find Tanner walking in our direction. He stood a few feet away, watching Bree and Lily grind on one another as he drank his beer. Before long the guys all joined us, and Max appeared tense. His eyes narrowed in on Bree, and his jaw began to clench and release.
Cody, who was one of the few single guys here, was salivating as his eyes followed Bree’s every move. I silently laughed as Bree threw Max’s shit right back at him. Damn straight, girl… fuck his mind up.
The song ended, and I had no idea if it was the alcohol or what, but Bree lifted Lily’s shirt seductively as she raised up from the ground and ran her tongue over her exposed stomach. Almost every guy behind me groaned, and Riley laughed be
fore jumping up out of her chair. She took Bree’s hand and pulled her toward the back doors.
Carson walked up behind me and leaned toward me as I looked up. His lips hovered over mine for a brief moment before he kissed me. “Did I miss something? What just happened?” He sat down in the chair next to me. I looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear.
I leaned closer to him. “Well, I would say Bree is finally opening her eyes. In my opinion, Max has a big ol’ plate of ‘go fuck yourself’ about to be served into his lap.” Carson leaned back and shook his head. “You knew it was coming one day. Looks like that day is getting closer and closer by the minute. He can’t have it both ways, Carson. He honestly can’t expect her to wait around while he continues to flaunt other girls in front of her. She shouldn’t have to.”
Carson knew I was right. Max had always been a guy who thought it was easier to avoid commitment. No ties and no drama. What the ass didn’t comprehend was that Bree was a fucking gift, and his ass should be treasuring her, not breaking her over and over.
Chapter Twenty Two
Carson
The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Bree had finally reached a breaking point with Max, and I was pretty sure it was fucking with his head. He was doing everything he could to hold his shit. That was one task Max had a real hard time fulfilling.
Cody was making a move, and Bree was eating that shit up. They were by the fire and appeared to be really enjoying each other’s company. I think it was the first time all night I had heard her laugh. Max hadn’t taken his eyes off them since they sat down. I lost count of the number of beers he had put away. He buried himself, and the feeling was not foreign to me. I had been there once; I knew how that shit felt.
Zander and Mark were setting up the equipment in the garage. They were going to play a little for us, and I hoped it would lighten up the mood. Zander had this whole thing planned out, and I hated to see anything ruin this moment for him. The murder of Cody could seriously fuck up the night for sure.
I walked toward Max and squeezed his shoulder. He looked over at me briefly before flipping back to Bree and Cody. “What’s wrong, bro?” I watched his jaw tick and attempted to lighten the mood, because a ticking jaw from Max was never a good thing. Someone needed to clue Cody in. He was like an eighth grader compared to Max, and that shit couldn’t turn out well. “You do know she is pushing you to make a move, right? Seriously, dude, she has been aching for you to acknowledge her all night. It’s a head game. Let it go.” He never said a word, just continued to stare.
“Max, don’t fuck this up for Ry. You know there is a purpose for tonight, and we can’t let anything get in the way. Zander and Riley deserve this. Leave the head games alone. Just for tonight, man, please.”
He shoved his hand in his pocket and retrieved his phone, jabbing at the keypad before bringing it to his ear. “Hey, Emma.” He paused and looked straight at me before continuing. “I changed my mind. Get your hot ass over here. Carson’s place, and wear something tight.” He flipped his phone shut and shoved it back in his pocket. He tipped his beer, finishing off the contents before tossing it into the nearest garbage can. “My diversion is on the way. No worries, bro.” He reached into the cooler and grabbed another beer. “No worries at all. Emma’s been nagging me for the last month to give her a shot. Now is as good a time as any. Right?” He shrugged and headed toward the garage.
Here we fucking go. Why the hell didn’t the asshole just admit Bree meant more than he put on? The fucker needed to hang up the tough guy act and stop being a bitch.
Zander hollered out to Cody, and he and Bree made their way to the garage. Riley and Kate were sitting in chairs just inside the door, and Lily sat on the ground in front of them. Kate looked up and smiled. I winked at my girl before mouthing, ‘love you.’ Her face lit up, and my stomach tightened. I really regretted not making her smile like that more. It did some crazy shit to me when she looked at me the way she was right then.
She stood up and walked toward me, her hips swaying from side to side. Damn, my girl was hot as fuck, and I was one lucky son of a bitch. She ran her hands up my chest before placing them together behind my neck. She pulled me down, taking my mouth with hers. Pulling back, she looked up in to my eyes. “I love you too.” I smiled and gripped her waist, pulling her tightly against me. Taking her mouth once more, running my tongue along her lip before she brought hers to meet mine. I sucked the tip of her tongue softly before pulling back. “You are so beautiful, baby. You still make my knees weak.”
She stared up at me as her cheeks turned red. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. I mean every word. I told you this time I’m not holding back. You’ll always know what I feel. You’ll never again question my love for you, baby.” I brushed my lips across hers. “They’re getting ready to play. Go sit by Ry. I need to keep Max in check.” She nodded in agreement as she made her way back to Riley’s side, shaking her ass all the way.
Zander took his place at the mic, and Riley watched his every move. She had no clue what was about to happen. Zander let Max and me know last night. Mason and Kelly overheard when he was clueing Mark and Beth in about an hour ago. Other than that, no one knew what he had up his sleeve.
When the music started, Riley and Kate looked at one another with confused expressions. The song was not the normal pace for Zander and his band. I fought the chuckle which threatened to escape. She really had no fucking clue. Zander watched Riley intensely as he began singing the words of Marry Me by Train. About three-fourths of the way through the song, Zander took a step toward Riley and dropped to his knee in front of her. Her hand immediately flew up to cover her mouth, and Kate gasped. Everyone watched closely. Every girl there had tears flowing down her cheeks, and the guys were all smiling, even Max.
Once the song ended Zander lifted his hand to Riley, brushing his fingers over her cheek. I could see her lower lip tremble, and my chest tightened. She deserved this moment. My sister was un-fucking-believable and Zander treated her like a queen. I knew with him she was safe. He cherished her.
“Riley, baby, you are my best friend. You’re the best part of my world. You make everything so much brighter. You’re so full of life, and every day with you is an adventure. I have run this moment through my head a million times. Wondering what I would say, how I would explain the depth of my love for you.” He took a deep breath before taking her hand. “The thing is, there are no words to describe how much you mean to me. You are and will always be the one person I can’t live without. You complete me, Riley. I love you so deeply there are no limits. People say one person holds their heart for life, but it is so much deeper than that for me, Ry. You holds my soul, sweetheart, and I want to spend my life with you. Every day making you laugh and smile. I want your good times and your bad. I want you at your best and your worst.” Zander brought his other hand out from behind his back and lifted the lid to the ring box he held. “Riley Joann Parks, will you marry me?”
At that moment a deep sob escaped her as she wrapped her arms around Zander’s neck and held him close. You could hear muffled cries and jumbled words against his neck. Sniffles rang from around the garage as the girls continued to cry with happiness. Zander pulled back and placed the ring on Riley’s finger and laughed as he looked over her shoulder.
“She said yes.”
Yeah, like we all didn’t know that already. I chuckled and knew I had to rethink my pending proposal. I had to top this shit, because Kate deserved her heart stopping moment too.
***
A lot happened over the next hour. Riley and Zander disappeared. I had no desire at all to imagine past that thought. The subject was closed. The rest of the band packed up and loaded everything into their van before saying a quick goodbye. Kelly and Mason snuck away to enjoy the rest of their kid-free night. Tanner and Lily were over in the corner getting a little too close for comfort, and I saw Kate keeping a close eye on them. I knew what she was thin
king, and I felt the same way. Lily was not the kind of girl Tanner went for. She was better than that, and deserved more than a one night fling with my douchebag brother.
I heard someone yelling from the side of the house, and I headed in that direction. What I walked up on was two girls in each other’s face while Max attempted to pull them apart. This could not end well.
Bree and a short blonde girl I assumed was Emma were glaring at one another. “So this is your new toy, Max? I mean, really, couldn’t you find someone less sleazy? I actually thought you had better taste than that. Where did you meet her? Let me guess… on the corner of Main and Ripper.” Bree laughed. “After all, that is where the cheapest whores work.”
Bree was on a roll, and Max was fighting against them both as they bounced off him with each attempt.
“Fuck you, bitch. You don’t know me. He must not have found you too appealing if he went looking for something better. You must be a lousy lay. Probably felt like fucking a blow up doll,” blonde girl taunted over Max’s shoulder.
I walked over and grabbed the girl around the waist and pulled her to the back yard. Just before I disappeared around the corner of the house, I turned back to face Max. “Get this fucking shit under control now, Max. Clean up your fucking mess.”
Kate caught sight of me carrying Emma and glared at me. “Hell no, don’t even think about it, babe. This girl needs to chill the fuck out. Max got himself in a fucking mess, and I’m only attempting to diffuse the situation.” I turned back to face Emma as she flopped down into the chair. “You stay put right there. Those two have shit going on that you have no clue about. If he wants you, he can come get you.”
Kate crossed her arms over her chest, and I pulled her close. “Get the thoughts out of your fucking head right now, babe. It was carry her back here or let Bree rip her hair out. I didn’t want Bree getting in trouble over this head trip.” I let out an exhausted breath. “This fucking shit ain’t worth it, and I’m off duty. I have no intentions of arresting anyone tonight.”