Wade: Summers of Love: A Why Choose Romance (Seasons of Love Book 3)

by Pepper Paris

  “Nah, man. Her friend is following us and calling someone. We don’t want to get into trouble,” Henry commented, staring at me through the divider with a pissed off expression.

  Wade had made a few phone calls, so by the time they had me in night court for my arraignment, the judge listened to my attorney, and then to the officer who had arrested me.

  “Young man, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing here, but this is a completely ridiculous charge.” Then he turned to me. “Ma’am, I’d check with your attorney and see what kind of complaint you can file against these officers. It’s a good thing he showed up or you wouldn’t have had a chance in my court. I almost always side with the officers due to the amount of griping we hear from those arrested. You’re free to go.

  “I’ll be watching the two of you officers, and if I catch a whiff of a rumor that you’ve been abusing your power, you won’t know what hit you when your asses land in jail. Case dismissed.”

  He banged the gavel, and the bailiff called the next docket number.

  “It’s a good thing you weren’t picked up on a Friday night, because then you’d have had to wait until Monday before they let you out,” my lawyer commented cheerfully.

  “How do I file a complaint against those two?” I rubbed my arms where the cuffs had been. Feeling dirty from the small amount of time, I just wanted to go home and shower, but I wasn’t about to let those guys do that kind of thing to someone else.

  “Come by my office in the morning and I’ll file the paperwork with you. I’m Everett Crum, by the way.” He held out his hand and I shook it.

  “Yeah, that’ll be fine. I’m betting they’ve raped a few women from what they said when they were putting me in the squad car. If my roommate hadn’t been following me, this would have been a different story.” I walked back to where Sarah and Wade were both waiting for me.

  “Let’s go home.” I wasn’t one to back down from a fight, but I’d been so scared. I was ready to get home where I hoped I still felt safe. Wade put his arm around me.

  “Sarah, we’re quitting that job. It’s not worth that kind of humiliation. That’s the first time I’ve ever felt slutty, and I don’t want to experience that again.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She gave me a salute. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault, but I’m done.” I held open the door for her to go through. “You should look for a desk job.” I took the keys from her hand. “I’m driving.”

  The sooner I got home and showered, the better.

  “You’re staying tonight, right?” I asked Wade before I got in. “Please. I don’t want to be alone, and it’s a long drive in the dark.”

  He nodded. “I’ll meet you over at the house.”

  Relieved, I got into the car and closed the door as my nerves took over and I began to shake.

  Sarah took one look at me and got out of the car, hobbling around to the driver’s door. “Scoot over. I’ve got just the thing for you at home.”

  Numbly, I did what she said, not really noticing when we pulled up at our house.

  Wade opened the door for me, but I didn’t move.

  “She’s in shock. Stay here with her while I go get her something to help.”

  Sarah moved quickly into the house, and returned a few minutes later with a glass balanced carefully in one hand.

  “Drink all of this,” she commanded.

  I did. With a cough as it burned down my throat, I turned to her. “What the hell was that?”

  “Vodka. Feel better?”

  Ready to yell at her, I realized that I did feel a little better.

  “Thanks,” I said as I got out of the car. “I’m going to need more of that when I get out of the shower.”

  “Done.”

  Wade helped me get into the shower, but didn’t join me, which was just as well since I wasn’t sure that I was ready to have sex.

  As the warm water hit my face, I began to feel better. It would never clean away the images of the sloppy drunk as he pushed his face into my breasts. I could still feel the cuffs on my wrists even though they were gone when I looked at my hands.

  I was free, but what about all those who had been accused and weren’t listened to because the officers involved were considered to be in the right? I wasn’t against cops by any means, but I would certainly look at them differently in the future.

  Wade was quietly sitting on the bed, waiting for me when I got out. “Sarah feels really bad. She made you some food and another drink.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled as I looked at the plate full of leftovers. “You mean, she reheated some food that I cooked yesterday.”

  “Well, her version of cooking.” He helped me climb under the cover before handing me the plate.

  “Are you okay?”

  I took a bite and felt my appetite return quickly.

  “Mostly. I’m still processing how fast things went wrong. Those guys just assumed that I was in the wrong. I think they even watched the whole thing, and when I started to fight back, that’s when they stepped in.”

  I hadn’t really had much use for alcohol, considering that my mother was an alcoholic, but what I’d drank earlier had helped. Instead of gulping down the soda with vodka, I took a few sips.

  “Can I press charges against him? Not the cops, but the guy who started it?”

  “We can ask Everett tomorrow. There should be an incident report with the guy’s name. If they put it down, then you can still make it stick. The restaurant will have a video tape unless the cops try to cover up what they did.”

  “That judge didn’t give them much room to wiggle after Everett explained the situation.” I shivered at the thought of what could have happened, and took another gulp of my drink.

  “They’re probably counting on the fact that you’re too traumatized to pursue it. Most people take the win and move on. You’re not going to do that, are you? Let them win?”

  “Nope. This whole situation could have been avoided if they’d taken him into custody. I probably wouldn’t have pressed charges against the drunk guy for assault. He should have gotten in trouble for being drunk in public, and they were so worried about me that they didn’t even make sure that he took a taxi home.”

  “All good points to bring up to the lawyer in the morning, but for now, you need to finish that drink and get some rest.”

  I nodded, feeling really sleepy. I’d drunk more in the last few minutes than I realized, and was out by the time Wade returned from carrying my plate to the kitchen.

  Thanksgiving arrived, and with it the conviction of misconduct by the two officers who arrested me. Once their names had hit the papers, others had come forward to verify that it had happened to them as well. The city had apologized, and while it didn’t erase the occasional nightmare from waking me up still, I felt better knowing that they weren’t going to be harming others.

  I packed up the house in a joyful mood, ready to meet more of my family and spend some alone time with Wade.

  Jay was alone up in Seattle, but was planning to come home for Christmas this year. Kelly and Carter were going to spend the holiday with Carter’s boss in Texas at a ranch, hunting.

  Using my extra key for Wade’s apartment, I let myself in, making a few trips to bring all the groceries inside. I was going to make a few pies to take with me to my grandparents’ house. My dad had offered for me to join them for turkey dinner, but when he realized that I had more family to meet, he changed his mind.

  “This works out perfectly. Ella’s family celebrates on Thursday, and we always get together on Friday with my family. It’s a day late, but the food and turkey are still fresh if you’d like to join us then,” he offered.

  I’d offered to bring homemade pies.

  While I really wanted to bring Wade with me, I could tell that my mom’s family would have a hard time dealing with a boyfriend, so I’d compromised, and he was going to come with me on Friday to my dad’s.

  Using that word still m
ade me smile. I’d dreamt about it for years, and now I actually had one to call my own.

  Dreading the gathering at my grandparents’, I hoped that I’d find an aunt or uncle that would like me. Otherwise, it was going to be a long day, and I’d have to find an excuse to leave early.

  Wade came home and managed to convince me that some time in the bedroom would dispel all of my fears.

  When I parked in front of my grandparents’ house, all of my fears came back. It was a large house that made any family living inside appear to be perfect. I knew that just because the outside looked nice, it didn’t mean that there was a warm heart on the inside.

  I’d gotten out and was trying to find a way to carry the two pies while closing the door, when a much younger, exact replica of my aunt appeared in front of me.

  “Here, let me help you carry those inside,” she offered, taking one of the pies from me. “I’m Jane, you’re younger aunt.”

  “Thanks.” I grinned, feeling better that at least she was smiling at me.

  “They may look like they’ll eat you whole, but it’s just an act. They’re so excited to have you back and with us for the holiday. They don’t know how to show it,” she threw over her shoulder as she walked in through the door being held open for us.

  “This is your Uncle Thornton. He’s a few years younger than your mom, but older than me. There’s a lot of us, so don’t worry if you can’t keep us all straight the first time around,” she warned, disappearing into the kitchen.

  “Roxie, you made it.” My grandmother wiped her hands on her apron before giving me a huge hug. “You’ve brought pies with you. You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I wanted to bring something, and I like to bake, so this seemed to be the best idea. I hope you like pumpkin and cherry pies.”

  “Well, of course we do. I’ve always told mother that we need to eat dessert first while we wait on the turkey to get done, but every year she shoots me down.” Another man, who could only be Marshall, winked at me. “Welcome to the family, Roxie.” He ignored my outstretched hand and gave me a big hug instead. “That’s for all the years I missed out on.”

  “We’re not going to dwell on the past.” My grandmother sent him a look which he paid no attention to.

  “Mom still thinks that we’re all kids and can be kept in line easily,” Thornton piped up behind me.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “It’s okay. My guy friends try to do that kind of stuff all the time.” I laughed, feeling more comfortable by the moment.

  “We want you to feel at home, so expect a little more of that in the future.” He winked at me as he took a bite from one of the platters sitting out.

  “If I’m supposed to make myself at home, what else needs to be done to help with lunch?” I offered with a smile.

  “Mom, I think we should keep this one. She not only cooks, but doesn’t have to be forced into the kitchen.” Marshall laughed when his mother looked horrified.

  “Really, I’ve been cooking for years, and like to keep busy.”

  “Since you want to help, I could use someone to start carrying these dishes and platters to the table. Here.” She handed me a wooden spoon. “That’s to make sure that Marshall and Thornton don’t eat all the food before it gets there. It works best if you hit them on the knuckles.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I collected the spoon from her, as well as the salad dish. “I’ve never had to fend off the savages from a salad, but you must put some really good tomatoes in there. I’ll need your recipe.”

  She blinked for a minute, and then burst out laughing.

  “What’s all this commotion in here?” a gruff voice boomed coming into the room.

  “Ah, it’s our newest member. Roxie, don’t let these guys’ bad behavior affect you. We kept them in cages until they outgrew them,” my grandfather teased. “What else do you need carried to the table, honey?”

  This day was going to turn out okay. I’d found a family, and they seemed to enjoy each other. Mom and Aunt Saundra had liked each other, but there had been none of this relaxed atmosphere between them.

  Chapter Ten

  Wade

  I was feeling a little left out now that Roxie was gone, but I’d already decided to use the time to conference call the other guys.

  “Hey, Jay. Are you ready to FaceTime with the other two?” I asked as I adjusted the laptop.

  “Yep. Can’t wait to hear about this idea you have.”

  “What idea?” Carter’s voice echoed through the camera.

  “I’ll tell you when Kelly’s with you.”

  He turned the computer until it showed his face. “I’m here.”

  “Great. Now, for my secret idea. You know how much Roxie loved having all of us together. When we went apartment shopping, she was always considering it from each perspective of how we’d enjoy it. Never once did she think of what she wanted first. So, I thought that if you three were okay with it, I’d start looking for a place that all of us could call home.”

  “We’ll need a house that has five bedrooms to start with, and then if there are any kids, we’ll have to take those into account as well,” Jay added practically.

  “Which brings me to my next idea. You guys have seen those houses that are built in trees, right? What if we did something similar, but had a main branch that was Roxie’s bedroom, with the eating area and living room. Then there could be branches for each of us to have our own space.”

  Kelly and Carter looked at each other. “Works for us,” they agreed in unison.

  “This way, we can have our own space and alone time with Roxie, but there’s room for us to all be together as well. I’ve been looking around and found a place with the right kind of trees. They’re grown into the hillside, and we can expand as we get more money.” I was getting excited to see it all put together.

  “What if we did the main design, and then let Roxie put the finishing touches of her own on it?” Jay quietly suggested.

  “I think that’s a great idea. I’m hoping that I can have it put together by May next year, and we can present it to her as a graduation gift. I know she’s a little worried about what she’s going to do when she’s done with school,” I confessed.

  “She mentioned that she was looking at jobs in the Denver area so she could be near her dad and her siblings. I think if we concentrate on something there, she’ll be good with whatever we decide,” Kelly added.

  “Okay. I’ll email you some of the pictures and the plans so you can take a look and let me know what you think.”

  “How are we going to pay for this, Wade?” Carter questioned.

  I ran a hand over may face, “I kind of have a lot of money. My grandfather gave me an inheritance, and now that I’m in law school, I get part of it now and the rest when I pass the bar. I’ll never be able to use it all, and this seems like a good way to put it to something beneficial for all of us.” I tried not to blush.

  “We might have to have a conversation at a later date about you paying for everything, but for now, go ahead and get things going, unless you guys disagree?” Kelly left it open for them to respond.

  “No concern from me,” Carter agreed with Jay, nodding.

  “Awesome. Don’t tell her anything when she calls later.”

  “Yes, sir.” Kelly saluted.

  “I’ve got to run to work, so I’ll chat at you later.” Jay signed off quickly.

  “We’ve got to go too. We’re going hunting again after lunch.” Carter waved with Kelly in the background.

  I was alone again, but now it didn’t feel so lonely. If we could surprise Roxie, then it would be the best way to thank her and start our futures together.

  Chapter Eleven

  Roxie

  It was a few weeks before Christmas, and I was decorating the tree in our small house. Even though Sarah and I would be gone for most of the holidays, it didn’t seem right not to have a Christmas tree, even if it was only for a few days.
/>   My phone rang and I walked over to the counter to pick it up. It was Jay calling.

  “Hey, babe. I’m so glad to hear from you.”

  “Roxie, I need you to come pick me up at the airport.” He sounded upset.

  “Jay, what’s wrong? Why are you at the airport?” I questioned as I picked up my purse and keys.

  “It’s my dad. They called me early this morning. He’s had a heart attack and they’ve got him in surgery. I hopped on the plane without thinking to call you first.”

  I paused and walked back to the bedroom to grab an overnight bag from the closet. “I’ve got you. I should be there in about twenty minutes, then I’ll take you to the hospital.”

  “Thanks, Rox. I didn’t want to bother you, but my whole family is there, and I didn’t want to make any of them leave.”

  “Jay, you stop it right now. Of course you should have called me. I’m not going to let you face this by yourself. I love you, and you need me to be there. I can run errands while you focus on your family. I’ve got you, babe. Just stay right there.”

  “Okay.” I could hear the frustration in his voice. “I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I can’t lose my dad.”

  “I’m on my way. Call Carter and Kelly while I’m headed that way. I’ll let Wade know. We’ve got you covered.”

  “Right, I need to let them know too. That makes sense.”

  He hung up on me, but I completely understood that he wasn’t thinking clearly.

  I dialed Wade as I got into the car.

  “Babe, I’m headed to pick up Jay at the airport. His dad has had a heart attack and is in surgery.”

  “Crap! Rox, I can’t get over there until after I take my final in the morning.”

  “It’s okay. I’m picking him up now, and I’ll stay with him as long as I need to. My finals are done. I’ll keep you updated. Do your best.”

  “Thanks. Let me know when you get to the hospital.”