Life After Wife : Small Town Romance (Balsam Ridge Book 1)

by Amber Kelly

  “I won’t ever leave my mom,” he says.

  I ruffle his hair. “Give her some grace about coming here. She’s been through a lot these past few months, and she’s trying her best.”

  “I know.”

  “Now, let’s get this motor put back together and take this machine for a joyride through the valley,” I suggest.

  “Yeah,” he agrees.

  We cruise up and down the valley a few times when I decide to pull into the festival grounds. The space is an eight-acre venue, fully equipped with water and electricity, internet connection, restrooms, concession stands, a large stage, and an ample parking lot. It’s home to many classic car and Jeep shows, motorcycle rallies, craft fairs, holiday markets, an autumn concert series, and much more, but today, it is empty.

  I pull into the center of the grounds and park. I take the keys from the ignition and hand them to Caleb.

  He looks from the keys to me.

  “What are we doing?” he asks.

  “I’m going to give you your first driving lesson.”

  His eyes go wide. “What?”

  “Switch places with me,” I say as I open my door and exit the car.

  He does as I asked, and he climbs behind the steering wheel and me in the passenger seat.

  He is so nervous that he white-knuckles the steering wheel before I even get settled beside him.

  “Are you ready?” I ask.

  He shakes his head. “What if I crash it?” he asks.

  “That’s why I brought you here. There’s no traffic. No lines to stay in. It’s just a big, open field. You aren’t going to hit anything or anyone. We’ll just go over the basics.”

  He relaxes a little, and I show him how to adjust his seat and mirrors and give him an overview of the controls.

  When he is comfortable and ready, he slides the key into the ignition. A huge smile spreads across his face as the engine roars to life.

  For the next few hours, he gets used to driving, uses the signal to make right and left turns, and backs up in a straight line. We end with a few head-spinning doughnuts, and the kid has a blast.

  I’m fairly sure he didn’t miss his video games for a second.

  Taeli

  When I pick Caleb up from Graham’s workplace, he is like a completely different kid. He is glowing, and I don’t get two steps from my vehicle before he starts chattering away about his day.

  “Wait, you did what?” I ask.

  “I drove the Trans Am! It was so cool, Mom!” he cries.

  I look at Graham, confused.

  “I took him to the festival grounds and let him drive it around for a while. It was all safe,” he assures me.

  I’m not completely convinced letting my twelve-year-old behind the wheel of an expensive classic car was a good idea, but the excitement in Caleb’s voice is so beautiful to hear that I bite back my concern.

  “I’m a great backer-upper,” he proudly declares.

  “Backer-upper, huh?”

  “Yeah, Graham says I’m a natural. I could do it in a straight line after only three tries. He said it took him a long time to master a straight line,” he babbles.

  Pride fills me as my little man brags on himself.

  This. This is the kind of thing he should be doing instead of staying on a tablet all day.

  I look up to Graham and mouth the words, Thank you, and he winks at me.

  “Are you ready to go back to Granna’s? I’m sure Graham would like to get home himself.”

  He looks over to Graham and grins, and then he brings his eyes back to me.

  “We want to make you dinner,” he says.

  “We who?” I ask.

  “Graham and me. We want to make you dinner at Graham’s house.”

  I bend down and look him in the eyes. “Since when do you cook?” I ask.

  “I don’t. Yet. But I learned how to drive today, so I figure cooking can’t be that hard.”

  “Well, you’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” I say as I tug a piece of his hair from his eyes.

  He nods.

  I stand and look at Graham. “Are you sure about this? Or did the kid here talk you into it?” I ask.

  “It was all my idea. I agreed to keep Langford’s boy tonight. He and Caleb are close to the same age. The three of us will cook you the best meal you’ve ever had,” he swears.

  “Okay. Let’s see what kind of culinary skills you guys have.”

  I call Mom to let her know of our dinner plans. Instead of sounding put out, she sounds thrilled with the idea.

  We follow Graham to his house, and Langford is there, dropping his son, Tucker, off. Graham introduces us, and Tucker looks back and forth between us.

  “Is she your girlfriend, Uncle Graham?” Tucker asks.

  Caleb’s eyes go round, and he looks between us with curious eyes.

  Graham clears his throat.

  “We’re friends,” he says at the same time Caleb says, “No, she’s married to my dad.”

  Tucker shrugs and looks at Caleb. “Race you to the backyard?”

  He takes off running, and Caleb immediately sprints off after him.

  “He thinks we’ll get back together, like before,” I utter.

  “Even with the new baby on the way?” Graham asks.

  “We haven’t told him yet,” I admit.

  Graham looks confused. “Isn’t he or she due in a couple of months?”

  “Yeah, next month.”

  “Don’t you think you should tell him before he comes home to a sibling one day?” he asks.

  “I just didn’t want to ruin his summer any worse than I already have,” I admit.

  “He’s more mature than you realize, Taeli. I think he can handle it. I’m not saying he’ll like it, but I think he deserves the truth.”

  “I know. I was hoping Damon would have the conversation with him, but I’m going to tell him soon.”

  He wraps an arm around my shoulders and guides me toward the house.

  “How do you feel about bacon?” he asks, changing the subject.

  “Bacon?”

  “Yes.”

  “Totally pro-bacon over here,” I answer.

  “Good.”

  We walk inside of his home, and my mouth drops open. It’s as stunning inside as it is outside. I walk to the living room and to the large glass wall that overlooks the mountain. The view is breathtaking.

  “I would stare out this window all the time,” I tell him.

  He comes up behind me. “I do a lot of that. It never gets old.”

  “I bet not.”

  “Would you like a glass of wine?” he asks.

  I nod, and he leads me over to the massive kitchen.

  There is a set of sliding glass doors that lead from the kitchen out onto a deck with a built-in gas grill, a griddle top, and a charcoal pizza oven.

  Impressive.

  I can see the boys skipping stones in the small stream tucked behind the house.

  They’re talking up a storm and laughing.

  Graham opens a bottle of red and hands me a glass.

  Then, he opens one of the doors and calls to the boys, “Chef Graham needs his sous-chefs to come wash up.”

  They drop the rocks they were holding and come running.

  I watch as they wash their hands. Graham starts grabbing supplies from the large stainless steel refrigerator and instructs the boys to gather what they need from the pantry.

  I offer my assistance, but Caleb banishes me to the living room, so they can cook for me.

  I sit on the plush, large sofa and enjoy the view of the three of them moving around in the kitchen.

  Graham is patient with them and lets them help with every detail of the meal, except for the grilling of the steaks themselves. They chop up vegetables for a salad and fry bacon and shred a block of cheddar for the twice-baked potatoes. He even teaches them how to make an Italian apple cider vinegar dressing from scratch.

  When the food is ready,
they set places for us out on the deck and proudly escort me to my seat. Tucker pours us all glasses of water, and Caleb helps Graham load our plates. He sets mine in front of me with a look of overwhelming pride.

  “Thank you so much, buddy. This looks delicious,” I praise.

  He grins at me and stands there, patiently waiting as I pour dressing over my salad and take the first bite.

  “Mmm,” I moan.

  His eyes light up, and he hurries over to the seat beside Tucker.

  We take our time eating the tasty meal and talk about everything from soccer to fishing to the next time they will cook together as the sun sets behind the mountain.

  The boys discuss the Independence Day picnic and parade.

  Tucker tells Caleb how amazing the fireworks display is in the valley and invites us to park with them in his church parking lot because it’s the best viewing spot in town.

  It’s a lovely evening, and my heart is full and grateful as I watch my son make a new friend.

  Taeli

  After we finish eating, the boys have no problem letting me help Graham clean up while they take off downstairs to the game room to shoot a game on the red-top pool table.

  Once we’re done, we curl up on the couch with our glasses of wine.

  Tucker comes bouncing up the stairs and eyes the two of us. We are facing each other, and Graham’s hand is resting on my knee. He quickly pulls it back when we hear Tucker enter the room.

  “Lame,” Tucker says as he shakes his head.

  “What?” Graham asks.

  “Seriously, Uncle Graham? You have no game,” the kid teases.

  Graham straightens his back. “I have game. I have an entire Sunday lineup of game,” he protests.

  “Keep telling yourself that,” Tucker says as he heads to the kitchen to grab sodas before running back down to the game room.

  I burst into laughter as the door shuts behind him.

  Graham’s amused eyes come to me. “You think I have game, right?”

  “Oh, yes,” I say.

  He pulls me into him for a kiss, and I think to myself, He doesn’t need game. He just has to be himself.

  We make out on the couch until my lips are bruised and he is so worked up that he looks like he is in pain. He stands to answer the knock at the door an hour later.

  Langford comes in and smirks at us as Graham calls down to let Tucker know that his dad is here to pick him up.

  “I take it, you guys had a good time?” Langford asks when his son and Caleb appear.

  “We did. We made the best supper ever for Taeli. Steaks and cheesy potatoes and salad,” Tucker tells his dad.

  He looks at Graham and grins. “I bet I know what you had for dessert.”

  Tucker’s brows furrow. “We didn’t make dessert,” he says, confused.

  Langford laughs and tousles his son’s hair.

  “Are you ready to head home?” he asks Tucker.

  “Can Caleb spend the night? I want to show him my fishing gear. He wants to learn how to fly-fish,” Tucker asks.

  “He does?” I ask.

  Caleb looks over at me. “Yeah. Tucker says we can catch trout and make you dinner again with the food we catch with our own hands. How cool is that?”

  “Very cool,” I answer.

  “Please, Dad, can he stay over?” Tucker asks again.

  Langford looks at me. “It’s okay with me if it’s okay with you.”

  “He doesn’t have any of his things,” I begin.

  Langford cuts me off. “They’re boys and about the same age. I’m sure I have an extra toothbrush, and Tucker can find a pair of pajamas. Besides, you two might want to finish dessert,” he says as he looks at Graham.

  Graham gives his older brother a look that says, Shut the hell up.

  “I want dessert,” Caleb quips.

  “We can stop at the Dairy Barn for ice cream on the way home. If your mom lets you go,” Langford tells him.

  “Please, Mom,” Caleb pleads.

  “Okay. You be good and mind Tucker’s dad,” I instruct, and he promises he will.

  The boys get their shoes on, and we follow them to the door.

  “I can pick him up first thing in the morning, or you can drop him off to me at the office later if you’d like,” I tell Langford as they make their way out to his truck.

  “I’ll call you. I have a light schedule. I might take them fishing.”

  “Yay!” the boys holler at the news.

  “All right. See you tomorrow. I love you,” I call to Caleb, and he just waves as he follows Tucker.

  We watch as they pull off, and then Graham turns to me.

  “About that dessert …”

  He doesn’t even get the words out of his mouth and the door shut behind us before I throw myself into his arms.

  We continue our make-out session on the couch until he suggests that we have a sleepover ourselves.

  I call Mom to tell her that we will be out all night, and she doesn’t even question me as to why. She just tells me to enjoy my night.

  “I don’t have an overnight bag either. Do you have an extra toothbrush and pajamas I can sleep in?” I ask Graham.

  He shakes his head.

  “Oh well. Guess I’ll have to sleep naked, then,” I say as I walk off toward his bedroom.

  I remove my shirt and toss it on the bed as I make my way to his bathroom, where I pull off my jeans and underwear and let them fall to the floor.

  I turn on the shower without looking back for him, and I step into the warm spray.

  I don’t turn around as I hear him enter the bathroom.

  He stands there for a while, just watching me as I take the shampoo and lather it in my hair.

  “Are you coming in?” I ask over my shoulder.

  The shower door opens and closes.

  Finally, I feel his heat at my back. Then his lips on my ear.

  I lean my head back onto his chest, and I blink up at him as the soap rinses out of my hair and slides down our bodies.

  He reaches up and runs his fingers through my long locks, and it feels so damn good.

  I grasp the knob and slowly turn it, and the spray gradually gets warmer.

  “What are you doing?” he asks as he moves my hair and touches his lips to my shoulder.

  I open my eyes to a cloud of steam licking its way up the shower door.

  His hands rest on my hips as he pulls me back into him. He slides his hands around my stomach as he begins to gently suck at my throat.

  A whimper escapes me as his hands continue to explore my bare skin.

  He strokes the underside of my breasts before taking their weight into his palms. My knees grow weak as the pads of his thumbs begin to circle my sensitive nipples.

  “Graham,” I moan his name as I sink further into him.

  “Does that feel good, baby?” he asks as he rolls the tender peaks between his fingers.

  “Yes, ah.”

  He wedges one of his knees between my legs to steady me, and the contact sends a shudder through me.

  I reach out to the tiles for support and bear down on him to get better pressure where I want it. A needy sound rises in my throat, and then all of a sudden, Graham picks me up and spins me around. My back hits the shower wall, and his mouth covers mine.

  His control finally snaps, and his kiss grows wild. His teeth sink into my bottom lip, and I gasp. He takes the opportunity to hungrily suck my tongue into his mouth. I feed my arms around his neck and tug at his wet hair. I can’t get him close enough.

  He tears his mouth from mine, and the passion in his eyes sears me as they move down my body like a physical touch. His hands begin kneading my swollen breasts again, and I lean my head back. His mouth finds the curve of my neck and kisses a trail down my collarbone. I close my eyes and just feel as his teeth graze one of my nipples. I throw my arms out wide and brace myself on the wall. He sucks it into his mouth and begins to pull gently at the other. Heat pools in my belly as one of his
hands moves up the inside of my thigh.

  I cry out at his touch when his fingertips find my swollen entrance.

  His mouth releases my nipple, and his head comes up to look at my face as I tremble. His forehead comes to mine as he sinks a finger inside of me.

  “Taeli,” he half-breathes and half-moans my name.

  I grab his shoulders as he adds a second finger.

  “So hot,” he murmurs as he brings his head to my shoulder and gently bites into my flesh.

  “Please,” I beg as I dig my nails into his skin.

  I need more. More of him.

  “I want to taste you,” he says as he pulls away and then goes to a knee.

  He kisses a path from my breast down to my stomach as he continues to pump his fingers in and out of me at a maddening pace.

  When his mouth reaches his fingers, he spreads me open, and his tongue circles my entrance. A jolt of electricity climbs up my spine as he sucks my clit deep.

  He slips one of my legs over his shoulder to give himself better access, and he holds me steady against the shower wall before he buries his face in my warmth and starts to lap at me like a starving man. I grab handfuls of his hair and hold him where I want him. Where I need him.

  His tongue finds my opening, and he begins to thrust in and out of me. I bring my hips up and start moving to meet him. My hands in his hair tighten as I hold him in place, and I ride his tongue. I’m so close. He pinches my clit, and I fall over the edge.

  One minute, I am screaming his name as I come, and the next, I’m being lifted and hoisted up and out of the shower. He carries me into his room and drops me to my feet, turning me to face the dresser. I grasp the edge of the wood and hold on as he pulls my hips back and pushes a knee between my legs. My knees fall apart, opening me wide to him.

  “So damn beautiful,” he says as his eyes meet mine in the mirror.

  I watch as he takes his cock into his hand and brings the tip to my entrance.

  I close my eyes as he slides it through my folds, coating it in my wetness. Then, he releases it and grabs the side of the dresser, enveloping me before pushing into me fully from behind.

  I groan and then whisper, “You feel so good inside of me.”