by C. J. Welles
Krystal looks to me with such a serious face, I turn away and look at the table. I can’t look at Jane, and I know Jace is most likely sitting there laughing silently.
“What, you don’t have anything else to say?” Krystal asks, and I shake my head.
I hear someone cough and smother a laugh and someone moving. I look up and Jace has walked away and is bent over at the waist with his hands on his knees laughing. I look at Jane and her shoulders are shaking. Next, I turn to Krystal and her lips are curved into a smile.
“God girl, you are so easy to embarrass. For someone who strips for a living, you flush way too much when it comes to talking about sex.”
“You’re a bitch.” I push her sideways on the seat. Then I quietly say, “His mom is right there.” I tilt my head towards Jane.
“Oh, I know, Jane and I have had a lovely two-hour talk, while you two have otherwise been preoccupied,” she says, and she laughs again.
Jace walks to me and picks me up then sits on the chair and pulls me onto his lap.
“Don’t worry, Angel, I’m sure Ma isn’t worried.”
“No, I’m not,” Jane says. “Now dear, come with me. I want to talk to you for a minute.”
I follow her inside and into the office, I’ve only been in here a few times. Usually, if Jace is in here, he’s busy working.
She pulls out the chair behind the desk “Take a seat darlin’,” Oh dear God, what does she want to talk about? “Don’t stress, I just wanted to quickly show you some things about what I do here.”
“Oh okay, cool.”
“Look, don’t stress about just earlier. I know all about my son’s reputation. I’ve walked in on him and the boy's plenty of times talking about it when they were teenagers. It’s not something you want to hear your son talk about, but he and the others have always been too open. Bry is the worst. Oh God, he doesn’t hide anything.”
“You poor thing, it’s not the same, but my sister was never shy either. She was seven years older than me and didn’t care what I heard. I walked in on her and her boyfriend one day when I was younger. Oh God, it was enough to put me off sex.”
“Yes, I’ve heard Jace and Kaylee once or twice-” she stops. “Oh God, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that.”
I shrug my shoulders. “It’s okay. I know all about it, it’s in the past.”
“Yes, but it’s definitely something a lady never wants to hear about her husband. In your case, your boyfriend.” She gets a faraway look in her eyes. “Anyways, what I wanted to show you were a few things on here.”
She turns on the computer and spends an hour showing me the basics and the things that must happen that Jace always forgets about.
“I have a list written up for if you need help to remember anything. I will also be here for the first week that you are here.”
“That’s great, I doubt I will remember it all.”
“You will be fine, I have faith in you.” That makes me cry. My mother never showed me any attention and was never proud of anything I did or could do.
I am so lucky to have a mother-in-law like I do. Well, hopefully, one day she will be my mother-in-law.
∞∞∞
Chapter 24
Jace
“HEY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY for yesterday,” Bry calls out as he walks to me.
“Thanks. How are things going?” I haven’t seen him much. That’s only due to him being away and me being crazy busy. I’m keeping out of his and Callie’s argument.
“Good, won first place last weekend. I’ve moved up to fourth on the leaderboard.”
“That’s great,” I say, as I look around for Callie. For a supposedly small party, there are people everywhere. Mom has overdone it again.
“So,” Bryson drawls out “I hear Callie is movin’ down here. Things are moving forward then.” I settle my gaze on his face. He holds his hands up “I ain’t having a go at you, I’m happy for you.” He pauses. “I was actually wondering if Callie will talk to me.”
“You’ll have to find her and ask, I’m keeping out of this Bry.”
He sighs, “I know.”
“If you head inside she’s probably with mom.” He nods and slaps me on the back, then heads for the back door.
I get a beer and settle down in a chair near the fire pit. Being early fall, the days are slowly getting warmer, but the nights are still cold as hell. I watch as my friends all talk and catch up. I’m happy just having a quiet moment. Yesterday was my first birthday without my dad. I hope he is proud of what I am doing to the place. If not, he will be up there mumbling to himself about it.
I can just imagine him.
It’d take a bit for him to get over the racehorse training that Jackson and I have got up and running.
“Hey, you seem deep in thought,” I hear Krystal say from next to me. I didn’t even hear her sit down.
“Yeah, just thinking. Where’s Callie?”
“Well, Bryson came inside so I thought I’d come out here away from it.”
“What did Callie say to him?” I groan, this could either be good or really bad.
“I don’t know, your mom called out to Callie that he was looking for her, so I came out here.”
“Probably best, if I’m being honest.”
We sit and talk, and I don’t hear any yelling or screaming coming from the house, so I stay out here. If things get too heated, I will step in, but until then I am staying well away from it all.
I am not a coward, but it’s not my fight and if I get involved that then means I’m picking a side, and I can’t do that. I don’t want to lose Callie, she is my future. I’m going to marry that girl. But I also don’t want to say goodbye to my friendship with Bry. God, I’ve been friends with the shithead for twenty-seven years.
“I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you, but thanks for giving Callie this opportunity to work with you. When I first introduced her to stripping, I didn’t know about her past. All I knew was that she was living on the streets. And the other stuff she did for money, I didn’t know about that at first. It wasn’t until a month or so before…” She pauses. “You and I-” she whispers, “that I found out about it. We actually had our first argument that night after she walked in on us.”
“It’s okay Krystal, she doesn’t blame you for it. She knows it’s all on her.”
“I know, but still.” She sits there quietly, looking out to the fire for a minute. “I still feel bad.”
“It’s okay, honestly, don’t stress,” I say, then skull the first half of my drink.
“Anyways, I just want to thank you. Most other people would run the other way when they found out about everything. A lot of men are okay for a guy to be sleeping with lots of chicks, but can’t get past it when a girl does. I’m glad she has you and you can care for her. I’m being totally honest here, you are a very lucky man and don’t destroy it. There aren’t many people around like Callie.” She finishes her drink and stands.
“I won’t. Callie is everything to me now. I’m just waiting for the right time to ask her to marry me. I want it to be special, and I want for her to know I am serious.”
Krystal goes to talk but stops and looks behind me. “She will know that,” she says quietly, then steps away.
“Hey babe,” I hear Callie say as arms wrap around my neck. “What are you two talking about?”
“Just how lucky I am to have you,” I answer, then kiss her hand.
“And how he better look after you, otherwise he’ll have me to deal with,” Krystal adds.
“Ain’t you so sweet? As long as you two don’t start arguing over me and the time you get to spend with me.”
“Never, Angel.” I stand up and grab her hand “Now, do you want to come and meet some of my friends and family?”
She nods and walks along next to me. I look down and like always, I feel like a fricken giant.
*
Callie
OH, DEAR GOD, there are so many people here and I only kno
w half of them.
Jane said that she invited all her friends as well because she wanted to be able to say goodbye to everyone.
Everyone has been lovely to me and have been happy to meet the one who captured Jace’s heart.
Bryson came inside earlier to talk to me. I stayed polite and am slowly thawing out a little towards him. We will never be best buddies though.
No matter how many times he says sorry, he still treated me like crap.
Yeah, I forgave Jace quickly, but that is different. I should have been upfront with him. But Bryson, it had nothing to do with him.
“Hey chicky,” Makayla says, as she skips towards me. “I hear you’re moving down here with us.”
“Yeah, I am. I make the big move in two weeks.”
“It’ll be great. We’ll be able to catch up more often. I only work part-time, so have plenty of spare time to come visit.”
“I think I will need all the visiting I can get. I will be stuck here with just Jace and the other workers”
“You’ll be fine. Everyone is nice.”
“I know, I’ve met them all. But not having any females around and a place full of guys. Bye-bye painted toenails and lazy days watching chick flicks. It’ll be hello muddy clothes and horse talk. Not that I really care.”
“You’ll be too busy working to worry about that stuff. But I won’t let you get so bad that you forget who you are and start rolling around in horse shit with them.”
I burst out laughing.
“We don’t always roll around in horse shit. Only on Monday’s and Thursdays,” I hear Jace say, as he comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.
“What about the other days?”
“We do work. Those horses don’t feed themselves.”
“You mean the others work. You’re hardly here to do anything.”
“Ha-ha, you’re funny. Oh, talking about feeding and work. Mom said she has left recipes and lists of meals that we all like. She thought it would help you out.”
I think I pale. “You want me to cook for everyone?”
I feel him nod. “Yeah, mom has always cooked lunch and dinner for everyone.” Is he serious? I can’t even cook toasted sandwiches for myself, let alone whole meals for a dozen people.
“Jace, I can’t cook. I can’t do that.”
I feel him shaking behind me and turn my head. He’s got a megawatt smile on his face.
“I’m joking. I know you can’t cook. I’ve talked to all the guys and they’ve decided we’re going to hire a cook. She’ll live in the downstairs bedroom and will cook during the week for everyone then have Saturdays off and every second Sunday. “
I feel my body instantly relax and Makayla notices. “You’re serious? You can’t cook.”
“Yeah. I’ve given up on trying to teach her. The last time I got her to help me cook she burnt croutons in the oven. The time before that, she let the pasta boil dry.”
“Hey, that time was your fault. You distracted me, and I forgot about it.”
“How about the time you were attempting to make roast chicken and veggies? The veggies were overcooked to a crisp and the chicken was half raw.”
“That can happen to anyone.” Jace continues to list my cooking failures and Makayla just laughs harder with each thing he says.
Eventually, Jace finally gets sick of entertaining us all with my horrid cooking skills and we chat with the twins that have joined us.
Nath tells us of the job he has picked up at a ranch a few hours away. He will be head of a trial they are doing for some new wheat crop thing. I don’t know anything about it and don’t understand half of what he says. I’m not dumb, I just don’t know anything about the subject.
When Jace finishes his drink, I go inside to grab us some more drinks. I’m halfway along the hall when I see Kaylee coming down from upstairs. There is no need for her to be there.
“What are you doing?” I growl. I hate the idea of her being anywhere inside this house. I don’t like her one bit. I don’t care who she is, she’s not welcome in here.
“Are you still here? Hasn’t he got rid of his play toy yet?” she asks.
“Yeah, he did. He got rid of you, didn’t he?”
“You won’t last. I hope you know that.”
“Oh, that’s funny, considering I’m moving in with him in two weeks.”
“He will eventually come to his senses and when he does, I will be waiting for him.”
Oh, my God. She is delusional.
I lean in close. “Sweetheart, you’re going to be waiting a long fucking time,” I growl, then spin on my heel and walk to the kitchen. I’ve got better things to do than argue with her.
“That’s what you think,” I hear her reply with a bitter tone.
How does she think Jace still wants her? He barely even talks to her anymore. He spends all his free time with me.
I grab Jace’s beer and my Jack, then head back outside.
She just does not give up. Kaylee is standing next to Jace, her hands wrapped around his arm as she talks to him.
I walk around the fire and sit next to Makayla who is talking to some girl I don’t know. I look over to Jace and Kaylee just smirks at me.
What is her deal? Does she really think I’ve given up or that she has achieved anything? I’m over here because she is only an annoying piece of shit and I’m not playing her stupid games.
“What are you frowning about?” I turn and see Ethan sitting next to me.
“Nothing. I wasn’t frowning. Just thinking.”
“You know, they are just friends,” he says, and nods his head towards Jace and Kaylee and I look over to see them still talking.
“I know. It’s not bothering me. They have known each other since before I was born.”
He cocks his to the side. “If it was me I would be pissed.”
I sigh. I’m not someone who runs and tells. I fight my own battles. “I don’t care if they are friends, that doesn’t bother me at all. I’m not going to stop him from talking to her. But Kaylee needs to back off.” Ethan raises his eyebrows at me and smirks but then he must see I am serious.
“I thought you were joking. What has she done now?” he asks with a frown.
“Nothing,” I lie. I don’t want to cause trouble between everyone. I will deal with Kaylee myself. “I’ve just seen the way she looks at him. She loves him still, but she needs to realize he’s taken now.”
“They never loved each other. As much as Jace likes to pretend I don’t know, all they have done is use each other for sex for years.”
“Serious. You had to point out the obvious, why?” I grumble.
“Hey, I don’t like the idea either. That’s my sister.”
“Yeah, well as much as you like to think it was nothing serious, your sister loves him.”
He sits there looking at me like I am crazy. He can think whatever he wants. I know she loves him and I know she is after him. She basically warned me earlier that I wouldn’t last long.
∞∞∞
Chapter 25
Jace
I WALK INTO the living room of the girl’s apartment with pizzas and drop them on the coffee table. “Dinner’s ready,” I call out to everyone.
Callie and Krystal are moving tomorrow. I’m way too keen to have Callie at the ranch with me. Sometimes I feel like a girl for how much I want her around.
Bry and I are helping the girls move. First thing tomorrow we’re moving Krystal into my place and get her set up. There’s already most of the furniture already there that she will need. But she wants her own bedroom and side table set and the lounges from here.
After that, we’ll be packing up Callie’s stuff into both the trucks before we head to the ranch and it will be bon voyage to this shoebox apartment.
“What’d you get?” Bry asks, as he walks out from Krystal’s room.
“Pizza. Now eat and don’t argue.”
“Oh, yes boss,” he says as he salutes me.
Callie comes strolling out from the bathroom and leans up to kiss me. “Hey, babe. How’s the packing going?” I ask.
She slumps down onto the couch “Argh, it’s shit. You don’t realize how much crap you accumulate until you go to move. Just as I nearly finish, I find more shit to fill several more boxes.”
“We’ll get it finished soon. I can help you now.” I grab a plastic plate and pile bits of pizza on top.
Lifting Callie off the couch, I sit down then sit her on my lap.
“I’m just so tired and over it.” She sighs and cuddles into my chest.
“Eat something then go lay down. I can do the rest.” She nods, then has a piece of pizza before going to her room.
“Have you talked to her about Christmas?” Bryson asks me from across the room.
“Nah, not yet, I will tonight. I don’t see that she’ll have a problem. I just want to ask first because it will be our first Christmas together.”
Bryson’s parents have asked Callie and me over for Christmas day. They said since it’s our first Christmas without dad, did we want to go over there.
Mom’s also not going to be there. She’s leaving next week to move into her apartment in Austin and has said she’s going to spend the day in her pajamas, watching old movies.
I don’t like the idea of her being alone, but she is adamant that she will be fine.
“She was talking to me.”
“Who?”
“Callie. She has been fine with me today.”
“Well, that’s good. I’ve come to learn if she doesn’t want to do something she won’t. So, if she’s talking to you, it’s because she wants to.”
“Yeah, I guessed that.” He stands up and takes the dirty dishes to the sink. “I’m going back to help Krystal.” I watch him as he walks to the hallway. I swear there is something going on between him and Krystal. But I can’t get him to reveal anything.