“I’ll have Jordan take me to the grocery store when we close today. Your kitchen is barren and I can improvise with the best, but if I’m gonna be cooking dinners and making lunches, I need supplies. I made Cody some chicken wraps and a pasta salad for lunch today. It’s all I had here in the shop. I hope he likes it. I can whip something else up for him quick if he doesn’t. You could ask him before you get here so I don’t have to rush and keep him waiting.
“It’ll probably take me a few hours at the store to shop for everything I need. I mean I don’t wanna overstep or anything. If you wanna shop with me, you can. I promise I won’t buy you pink plates or flowery cups. Although, the image of you drinking out of a daisy glass makes me smile. Can you just pick me up there?” she finishes when a timer dings.
I love it when she rambles.
“Cody’ll be happy with whatever you made him. Don’t buy too much shit at the store because Cody and I are gonna start remodeling tonight. I’ll put in a range and leave you some cabinets so you can cook easily while we work. It should only take us a few weeks. And Sugar, if you want me to eat off hot pink plates and drink outta daisy glasses, I’ll do it as long as you’re sittin’ next to me while I do. I’ve gotta get off here so I can shower.”
“Bye, Garrett,” she whispers sweetly.
“Bye, Sugar,” I say hoarsely, feeling her warmth through the damn phone.
I hang up and take a quick shower, trying not to imagine getting Emily in here with me. My dick still stands at attention the entire time. I don’t jerk off like I normally would though. I’ll wait until I’m back inside Emily. Fuck, I hope I end up back there.
I thud down the stairs to find Cody searching for his keys. He’s got on a hoodie and jeans. It’s not too cold, but I’m guessing he doesn’t have a coat. I’m glad Emily’s taking him shopping. I have no desire to take him on that adventure. Cars, yes. Clothes, no. I’ve barely shopped for myself since I’ve been out.
“I’m gonna drive you. Car’s shot. You’re gonna drive Emily’s ride until I can pick up somethin’ for you,” I inform him.
“Huh?”
“We gotta move, kid. You’ll be late.”
He nods jerkily and follows me out to my ride.
“Emily’s okay with this?” he asks with concern in his voice as I drive toward town.
“She offered to walk home and get her fuckin’ car for you, bud,” I scoff. She’s a piece of work.
“She shouldn’t be walkin’ alone. Adam’s not gonna leave her alone,” he mutters.
“She’s not walkin’. Don’t worry about Adam. I’ve got that shit covered,” I assure him with a protective growl.
“Good,” he grunts.
I really like this kid.
I park on the street and quickly climb the river rock stairs to Emily’s Coffee & Cakes. I’m almost annoyed when I find the front door unlocked, but when I’m hit with Jordan and Emily’s laughter, I push it down.
The bells over the door announce us and Emily comes barreling out of the kitchen, cheek-creasing smile in place. I expect her to come to me, but she wraps Cody in a big hug before tugging him into the kitchen. I follow and try not to act like a disappointed toddler.
Jordan bumps my fist and goes back to doing something with dough. Knowing the life he comes from, I’m pretty fucking curious how he ended up working for Emily. It doesn’t add up for me.
“I made pumpkin and cinnamon muffins this morning. Do you want some? I stuck a few snickerdoodles in your lunch. I told Garrett to ask you if you like chicken wraps and pasta salad, but I know he didn’t ask. Is that okay for lunch? I can make you something else if you’d like,” Emily says, running her hand over his buzzed head.
Cody stands a head taller than her, but when she touches him like that, he looks like a little boy, leaning into her touch. When he does that, her face glows and I steal her warmth.
“I eat anything, Emily. You didn’t have to go to so much trouble. What do I owe you?” he asks, digging into his back pocket.
“Cody, I know she looks sweet, but if you try to pay her right now, you’re gonna meet the business end of that spoon,” Jordan informs him with a nod at a long wooden spoon.
“It’s too much,” he says quietly, dropping his chin to his chest.
Fuck.
Emily wraps him in her arms tightly and whispers into his ear. He nods a few times before crushing her against him. They hold each other for a long while until a timer dings.
“Can’t burn the pumpkin bread,” Emily announces, wiping some stray tears from her eyes.
Cody keeps his back to us, composing himself.
I don’t pay attention to him because Emily’s ass is in the air as she bends down to pull out bread. Fuck me I’m becoming a pervert. And apparently, I have a thing for jeans.
“Okay, you take a couple muffins and eat them while Garrett drives you to my house. I’ll make you breakfast tomorrow that way you don’t have to come here. I’m headed to the store after I close up so I’ll see you there. Do you think you could make me a list of things you like? I’ll grab it from you before I start shopping,” Emily finishes, while she fucks with bread, muffins and other baked shit.
It smells fucking awesome in here.
“I’ll eat anything,” Cody says roughly.
“Okay, sweetheart,” she coos, letting him off the hook. “Take these and get moving. I don’t want you to be late.” She leans up on her toes and kisses his cheek before shooing him toward me.
Once she within arm’s reach, I snag her wrist and pull her into me.
“Mouth,” I grunt.
She rolls up on her tiptoes and complies instantly. I tangle and dance with her tongue until she moans just like I want her to. When I release the nape of her neck, I lean my forehead against hers and say, “I’ll pick you up at the grocery store at five. Don’t fuckin’ pay for shit.”
“’Kay,” she says sweetly.
I love that my gruffness never seems to faze her. That’s a good thing because I don’t think that part of me will ever go away.
“I made you coffee and packed you some muffins too,” she informs me, tugging me by the hand out of the kitchen.
She hands me a to-go cup with her logo on the side of it. Emily’s Coffee & Cakes formed from the steam of a mug below it. I press a hard kiss to her mouth before turning on my heel to leave.
Cody and I drop into my ride, immediately digging into our breakfast.
Holy. Fucking. Shit. That’s good.
“You’ve got a good woman,” Cody says around a mouthful of awesomeness.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t fuck that up or I’ll have to kick your ass,” he threatens seriously.
“Yeah.”
“You don’t think they’re cute?” Jenna asks Cody, shocked by his clear disdain.
Cody turns pleading eyes to me, wearing an interesting pair of tight purple jeans.
“I don’t think Cody wants to look cute, Jenna,” I try to appease both of them. “Maybe he’d be more comfortable in these.”
I toss him a pair of dark wash jeans that I grabbed the moment Jenna insisted on the feminine jean choice. Relief washes over his face before he sprints back into the changing room.
“Still no sex?” Jenna questions, flopping down on a plush chair.
“No,” I grumble as I take the seat next to hers and wait for Cody.
“He’s givin’ you time. I think it’s sweet.”
“And if Caleb wouldn’t have sex with you?”
“Meat grinder for sure,” she snorts.
I snort my own agreement.
I understand that Garrett’s giving me time. It’s unnecessary though. The only thing I’m struggling with is a deep need to strangle Daryl and Angelique. I felt physical pain the entire time Garrett spoke with those sad blue-grey eyes. When he told me what happened with Tanya, I lost it. I cried so hard I almost threw up. What a horrific experience. I can’t imagine the damage it caused Garrett. I can see it when I look at
him now. He carries the guilt of those deaths. None of them belong to him though. Not as I see it anyway.
Daryl and Angelique are the perpetrators and they’re the murderers. I can’t understand how anyone could do that to their own child. How can any man be that heartless? It makes me sick. And it makes me furious.
Garrett took a life. A life that was ending in a torturous way. I keep thinking about his story and how differently it could have gone. He could have just walked away and left Tanya in anguish. He could have taken off the moment Daryl killed Nico and saved himself. But he didn’t do those things. He didn’t abandon his horrible excuse for a father. He didn’t turn his back on a woman pleading to join her son and her man in the afterlife. He made a decision that clearly haunts him. But it wasn’t the wrong choice. It was the right thing to do. Respect filled my veins and flooded my soul as Garrett spoke. He’s not a monster. He’s not a murderer.
Well, he is a murderer. But I see him the same way I see my father. My dad took lives. Still takes lives sometimes. Growing up with a sniper for a father has made me look at the world differently. I view life and death differently. Garrett carries guilt about Tanya and her family. He doesn’t carry guilt about other lives he took because those lives didn’t matter to him. I guess I see it the same way. It’s how I was raised. It’s how I’ve lived. Maybe that makes me a little warped, but I’m okay with that.
Laying in Garrett’s arms after he finished telling me about the night that changed his life, I realized I’m in love with him. I love hard and I love quick. There’s also no question in my mind that my mother sent him to me. She wanted me to have a man like my father. I’m not cut out to be a military wife. There’s a strength to those women that I don’t possess. But if I’m honest, I crave the dominant alpha types that fill our military. Garrett is that type of man magnified and while that may make some women uncomfortable, it brings me an intense sense of safety and peace. His past is his past and this week I’ve been able to see he’s more than the violence. I can see the shadow of what he used to be, but he’s grown beyond that. I wish I’d been able to watch him more closely over the last six months. Because I thought he was remarkable before, but up close, he’s astonishing.
Watching Garrett from afar didn’t teach me that he loves football. It didn’t show me that he knows cars like the back of his hand. It didn’t let me see that he’s patient as he teaches Cody about working with wood. It didn’t gift me the moments he lingers to make sure Clyde’s truck starts at the end of the day. It didn’t give me the cranky scowl when Arlene tries to mother him, that I know actually means he appreciates it. It didn’t allow me the gift of waking up in his arms every morning.
We needed this time. I’ve watched him and now I’ve experienced him. I’m ready to be with Garrett again. I refuse to be in another relationship that’s not complete. I want everything with him. I won’t wait another night. His chest says that time’s an illusion and I agree. I won’t waste another second.
Cody strolls out of the changing room in a deep green cable knit sweater that matches his eyes, sporting my jean choice. The small smile on his lips says he’s happy.
“Cody Matthews, you’re gonna break some hearts,” Jenna declares. “Sorry I put you in purple pants. Can’t blame a girl for tryin’.”
With that, she climbs to her feet and circles the store like a mad woman, piling massive amounts of clothes in her arms as she does.
Cody sits on the arm of the chair I’m in and I rest my head against him. I love Garrett, no doubt about it. I’m not surprised by it. I get him. I want him. I feel like I need him too. I didn’t know that I’d love Cody like I do though.
Being an only child, I never experienced all the sibling stuff. I know a lot of it can be a pain in the butt. I have Jordan after all. And while Jordan is highly annoying, he’s always got my back. I know someone having my back in a non-parental way is something I missed out on before Jordan. Cody missed out on that too. I feel protective and loving in a way toward him that fills a void I didn’t know I had. The big sister role.
“She’s nuts,” Cody whispers before we both snicker under our breath.
“So what’s the plan for tonight?”
“I’m goin’ as a condom,” he drones painfully.
Cody’s been trying to convince Hunter that they should go as something else. Unsurprisingly, Hunter seems to have won the battle.
“You’ll have a good night,” I assure him with a pat to his knee.
He snorts with a small smirk, telling me he’ll have fun.
“Okay,” Jenna announces. “I think all of this should do. You wanna try stuff on or trust my amazing skills?”
“Did you pick pink pants and polka dot shirts?” Cody asks with a quirked brow.
“I did. And you’ll wear ’em with a fuckin’ bow in your hair,” she deadpans.
“Awesome!”
“You two,” I interject, shaking my head. “Did you get him a coat?”
She shakes a navy parka at me with a look on her face that says don’t question the professional. Then she strolls away to the counter to check out.
“It’s too much,” Cody grunts, watching the pile of clothes being folded.
“Not even close,” I say softly as I climb to my feet and kiss his cheek. “Go change and I’ll pay.”
“Em,” he starts to argue.
“I’m not paying. Garrett is and you know neither one of us will win that argument with him. Let him take care of you, sweetheart. It means something to him.”
He nods jerkily before retreating into the changing room.
“That’s two thousand, eight hundred thirty-two dollars and four cents,” the sales woman announces when I stop at the counter.
Jenna turns giant eyes at me in apology for going overboard. If I start having them put stuff back, Cody will come out here and feel guilty. Garrett gave me a thousand dollars in cash this morning with a warning that he’d know if I didn’t spend it.
Time to fire up the credit card.
“I’ll pay part in cash and the rest on my card if that’s all right?”
“Absolutely,” the woman responds brightly, happy for a big commission.
Cody comes out as I pass my card over with the jeans and sweater he tried on under his arm.
“Oh, these too,” I say grabbing the clothes from him.
She adds them to the total and Cody’s eyes almost bug out of his head when the new amount flashes on the register.
When the woman passes me my card back, Cody’s face goes pale. I start gathering up the bags, but he yanks them from my hands. As we hit the sidewalk Cody growls, “I’ll just take it back tomorrow. Jenna, you shouldn’t have gotten so much.”
“You need new clothes. Don’t worry about it,” I try to reassure him.
“Get used to bein’ spoiled, kid. I plan on doin’ it a lot,” Jenna retorts with a perky tone.
She links her arm with Cody and drags him toward the parking lot.
“Shit,” he mutters.
Once all the clothes are loaded in the Mini, we say goodbye to Jenna. She’s doing something with Caleb tonight. I have to admit I was worried when I realized Caleb is involved in drugs. It’s not safe. It’s not legal. It’s also none of my business. Caleb would never put Jenna in danger. I’m certain of that. She’s a smart girl. I may not have known about how Caleb makes his money, but Jenna does. There’s no way she’s with him without knowing.
She also knows the whole story about Garrett. Caleb told her after I took off. We’ve talked about it a little and she agrees with me. Garrett’s not a murderer. Jenna had quite a few choice words about Daryl and Angelique and even more threats about what she’ll do if she ever sees them. She’s not judging my man and I’m not judging hers.
Garrett told Jordan his story the day we helped move Cody. He didn’t give him the detailed version I got, but he laid out the important points. Jordan wasn’t fazed in the least. Coming from the life he does, I’m not surprised. Crime and dea
th are nothing new for Jordan. So my friends are okay with Garrett, I’m okay with Garrett and now I have to make sure my dad’s okay with Garrett.
He’ll be a tougher sell, but I believe my dad will see what I see when I look at Garrett.
A good man.
A delicious man who’s currently leaning against the door of his car with his ankles crossed and his hands in his pockets. I park next to him and he quickly retrieves me, pressing a long kiss to my lips.
“Looks like you did some damage,” he comments, spying all the bags in my car.
“Three fuckin’ grand worth,” Cody huffs, stalking around the hood.
“Not now,” I whisper to Garrett before he starts grilling me about paying.
He looks down at me and I expect to see brown eyes, but I find them concerned blue. They stay blue when he looks at his little brother and how uncomfortable he is.
“Jenna didn’t make you buy pink pants did she?” Garrett asks seriously.
“She made me try on purple jeans,” Cody groans. “Thank fuck Em was there. She saved me.”
“She’s good at that,” Garrett responds sweetly, squeezing my shoulder.
“Yeah,” Cody agrees.
I’m nothing but a big pile of goo as Garrett directs me into Crest Point Steakhouse. The young hostess stumbles at the sight of my man, causing me to snicker. She quickly gets it together and seats us at a table. After helping me out of my coat and scarf, Garrett nudges me to slide into the booth. He follows and Cody takes the seat across from us.
Garrett interlaces his rough fingers with my icy ones. When he feels how cold they are, he pulls both my hands up to his mouth and blows warm breath across them before rubbing vigorously. Then he settles our sandwiched palms on the table.
I’m still gooey.
“So no purple jeans then?” Garrett asks Cody.
“You should’ve seen ’em. They were bright as fuck and skintight. My balls still hurt,” he scoffs.
Garrett’s lips twitch, but there’s no smiling in public.
“All set for tonight?” he changes the subject after we order our drinks.
“Yeah,” Cody grumbles, studying his menu.
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