Keeping Her: The HEA Collection

by Rena Marks

  Damn. Damn. Double damn. I meant to wake up in the middle of the night crying, complaining of a nightmare. I figure maybe I can share Nick’s bed for another night—if I get to stay another day that is. But instead I crashed hard and didn’t remember a thing until morning.

  Probably if the storm really hit, it’ll make the roads impassable. I’ll get one more night. I cross my fingers that’s it as I use his bathroom. But then I can’t think of that, because the sick feeling that makes me breathe hard and fast invades my stomach whenever I think of going home.

  He’s left a wrapped toothbrush for me, so I brush my teeth quickly and set it in the holder next to his. Then I open the bedroom door a crack. I can hear noises in the kitchen, voices talking, the smell of bacon. My stomach rumbles. Oh, god, I smell biscuits baking, too, and the aroma gives me a visual of fluffy, steamy bread. Someone pinch me.

  “You’re awake!” Molly comes to me and hugs me tight, her hands on the side of my face as she smoothes my hair down. She’s careful with me, and I know her brother mentioned my bruises. I’m embarrassed for not telling her…but how could I?

  Nick turns around from the stove, popping something into his mouth. He’s in pajama bottoms and a dishtowel is thrown over his shoulder. He grins at me.

  “Pajama day was declared. No one is allowed to dress today. If you get cold, we curl up on the sofa with blankets and Netflix it.”

  “We take turns picking what we want to see.” Molly grimaces. “Nick’s turns are hell.”

  “They are not.” He flicks the dishtowel at her, and she squeals at the contact. My eyes are glued to his pecs—his tight abs. His biceps as they flex.

  “Sometimes we have slasher movies.”

  “Those are on ban,” Nick says. “Molly’s going off to the dorms soon. I’d hate for her to have a psycho roommate…one who watches her while she sleeps.”

  Molly’s face is priceless and I snicker just a little because I can’t help it.

  “Yeah? You’re gonna be in a great big mountain house alone. The Hills Have Eyes, Nick.”

  “Not alone anymore,” he says, a huge smile plastered on his face. “I’ll have little bird here. I’m gonna plump her up so the hill-people eat her first.” He swats me with the towel. “Go sit, ladies, and I’ll dish up.”

  Molly and I head over to the dining room and sit. The table’s already been set for three and there’s a pitcher of orange juice in the center.

  “Are they coming for me?” I whisper quickly to Molly, knowing my stomach will be sick unless I know.

  “No, Rach. I don’t think they’ve even reported you missing.”

  “They will,” I warn. Otherwise, what would they tell the church? “And I don’t want Nick to get in trouble.”

  “I won’t, sweet thang.” His voice comes from behind me as he sets pancakes and bacon on the table with the steaming biscuits and gravy. “When the storm clears, I’ll meet your parents at the station along with Sheriff Archockee. You don’t have to worry about a thing. You’ll never have to go back there again.” He drops a kiss smack dab on the top of my head and goes back to the kitchen. This time he’s got toast and scrambled eggs, and Molly gets busy pouring the juice into everyone’s glasses.

  For the first time in my life, breakfast is normal, even though I’ve never seen so much food in my life. I had no idea what it was like not to rush through eating to escape the table. I have to fight with myself to chew normally and not inhale my food, aware of their eyes. Everything is fine as we laugh and eat and I know I’m not going to be hungry for the rest of the day. Molly laughs, complaining that Nick always makes too much food. Later, there’s a couple of hours on and off during the day when there’s a couple stints when I actually forget about my home life. Where my stomach doesn’t ache constantly from anxiety at having to return. Where I actually forget how true life is.

  The next day it’s just Molly and me. Nick disappeared early in the morning and returns in late afternoon. I was napping on the couch—my stomach in knots. I know where he must be. All day I’ve wondered what takes him so long. Did they threaten him? Did the law say I belong to them and I have to go back for my spankings?

  “You’re ours,” he announces.

  Molly squeals. He dumps armloads of bags down.

  “Where’d you get all this?”

  He snorts. “I called ahead to the mall down in Broomfield and had them shop for stuff in your size. And Molly’s, of course.”

  Molly gives him a kiss and starts digging through the bags.

  “This one’s yours,” she grins, tossing me a cute, off the shoulder top.

  Nick raises his eyebrow.

  “Boobs,” Molly says, and he rolls his eyes. It makes me giggle. There’s a definite difference between us. Molly is lean and athletic. I’m built for birthing babies with my wider hips and heavier boobs.

  But I’m still a little nervous. “So they showed up? Both of them?”

  “Yep. And Sheriff Jeff gave them hell for not reporting you missing. It’s another charge—murder. You could have died, Rach.” He takes a deep breath. “They denied it. They claimed you were in your bed sleeping and they had no idea you’d ‘snuck out of the house.’ Like you were a naughty teen. So I produced the injury pictures. Jeff told your stepdad that he was about to request a search warrant for his shoes to match the footprint that’s in the middle of your back. It was enough to make them back off. Jeff pointed out that in eight months, you’ll be of legal age to move out anyway. This way, you can be free without charges being brought against them.”

  “They always threatened me with foster care.” I gulp. “They said lots of bad people do horrible things to children in foster care. Use them as slaves. And then they begin to…” I can’t even say it. I’m so disgusted.

  “You’re safe now. Let’s enjoy the rest of our holiday before school starts up again.”

  Chapter Five

  Nick:

  “Rule number one, no texting while driving.”

  Rachel turns toward me and gives me that look that makes me want to pull her onto my lap and squeeze her close to me. It’s been four months and I’ve hardly had any time around her, preferring to give her and Molly time together. But today, Molly is down in Boulder checking out CU, and this day is a prequel of life to come as soon as the new school year starts. A life of just Rachel and me. My cock grows hard just thinking about it. Her eighteenth birthday will pass over the summer—just when Molly goes off to campus.

  “The key isn’t even in the ignition,” she says before returning her attention to her glowing phone. I bought her the phone a week after she came to live with us and the only ones who have the number are me and Molly. “Molly says the campus is amazing and huge. She’s glad Jeff brought her. I told her you were giving me driving lessons.”

  Neither of them realize Jeff and I agreed that he should take Molly to check out CU. Molly had talked about going to college after graduation, and I wonder if Rachel plans on going here when she’s done with her senior year, too. When I ask her what she wants to do in the future, she’s less than forthcoming. I don’t know why, but it feels like she’s keeping her dreams from me. Especially because Molly’s told me that Rachel plans on heading to CU and rooming with her. Maybe she’s embarrassed by them, or maybe she doesn’t really know which way she wants to go. I knew at her age what I wanted to do because I had it laid out in front of me. It was easy, but I had supportive parents. Even though she has counseling sessions still, she’s not excited that the world is big and wide for her and she can do whatever she wants. Go anywhere she wants. She seems a little terrified.

  The thought of her moving away makes my chest ache, and I have to rub the pain away. I can’t wrap my head around what I would do if I didn’t get to see her every day, see her smile, or hear her laugh. It would be like a death sentence. I’d seriously consider renting a house in Boulder for four years to keep the girls with me.

  And for now, having a cop on command will keep all those pot
-smoking, eyebrow-tweezed, metro-sexual punks in skinny jeans at a distance from my baby sister. I start to say something about that, but Rachel holds her hand out expectantly.

  “Keys, please,” she says sweetly. God, I can’t resist that smile and those big, golden-brown eyes. I’d never noticed her eyes before, but that was because she always looked down at the ground when she was spoken to. Counseling has really helped with that.

  “Joke’s on you. It’s a push start, sweetheart.”

  “What? Wow, it’s like magic.” She gives me a grin that melts my heart. A slender finger with a perfectly shaped, unpolished, dainty and oh-so-feminine oval nail pushes the ignition and for some reason, that small touch makes me hard.

  We’ve come to the parking lot of the dog park near the house. I want to spend every moment I can with her. These past weeks have been the best of my life. I feel like Rachel and I are growing a bit closer now that Molly’s checking out schools and doing more stuff with Jeff. For the last few months, I’ve completely avoided Rachel but now those days are done. I can’t stand when we aren’t together. Even if it’s moments like this, where we are just being happy and playful. I know it’s wrong to want more from her, and I know she’s young. I hate the part of myself that knows better, but I can’t seem to stop. While I know I can’t touch her, I still have to be with her. I try to be as platonic as I can with the small touches I’m able to get until her birthday. I keep a distance from her. We’ve become so familiar that it’s natural to be close. But there’s a line I don’t want to cross. Not until she’s legal. And once she’s finished with high school, I’m going to make her mine. I just have her senior year to go.

  “OK, foot on the brake and push the button. Got it,” she says, cranking up the truck and gripping the wheel.

  “Take it easy on my truck. I happen to love her like a wife.”

  “Not as much as you love me,” she says with a wink. She’s come such a long way, able to tease me like Molly does. So unlike the frozen little girl I’d rescued so long ago.

  “You can cook, all right. But there’s something about Nellie’s purr…”

  “I can purr while I cook, Nick. Pick me.”

  “I don’t know. This baby has heated seats,” I say, petting the space between us.

  She rolls her eyes and eases her foot off the brake and starts to drive in the empty lot. “Who names a truck Nellie? I can’t compete with that.”

  “I’ll keep you in mind for second wife,” I tell her. “Though we might have to move to Utah.”

  Her vivacious giggle makes my heart sing. She’s finally come out of her shell.

  “I insist on naming the kids. You show some serious lacking in that area.”

  “Nellie was my mom’s name.” I pretend to be insulted.

  “Your mom’s name was Marie.”

  “It sounds like Nellie.”

  “It’s not even close.” She rolls her beautiful eyes at me. “So what are we gonna do for dinner?” she asks as she circles and then goes down another row of empty parking spaces.

  “Hmmm. Why are we going out again?” I’d asked her before insisting on the driving lessons. I’d made it sound important, but it’s because I want to get her so used to me that by the time she starts with school after the summer, she’ll have no need to make other friends. She’ll look forward to hurrying home to be with me.

  “Nick!”

  “Oh, yeah. Where do you want to go?”

  She hesitates as she turns and goes down the edge of the lot. The spaces are laid out in big rows that are separated by lights. She’s driving up and down each one smoothly, but I expect nothing less from studious, careful Rachel. She’s the perfect kid and I don’t know how her parents didn’t appreciate that.

  “I don’t know,” she finally answers and shrugs. But there’s something in her voice that makes me think she knows but she doesn’t want to ask for it.

  “If you don’t tell me, I’m going to get you greasy Mexican fast food.” I reach out and pull her ponytail, and she glances over at me.

  “That’s not a treat. Taco Bell is poison, Nick.”

  I laugh at her. “Tell me where you want to go. Someplace where you’ve never been.” I’ve seen her eyeball a fancy restaurant down the mountain that holds a killer view. It’s only open in the late spring and summer months because of the winding mountain paths. But she knows it’s expensive and my little girl still won’t ask for what she needs, always afraid to put someone out.

  “Come on, Nick.” She licks her lips and hesitates. “You choose.”

  “Nuh-uh, sweetpea.” I shake my head.

  “Where would you take a woman someplace fancy? I mean, like, where would you bring a girlfriend?”

  “Don’t know. Never had one,” I say flatly, thinking that if she were my girlfriend this would be a very different conversation. Hell, I’d fuck her senseless and she’d demand that I take her somewhere nice to show my appreciation of her. But she doesn’t know I’m priming her to be mine.

  “Oh,” she mumbles, and her cheeks flush. “Too busy to settle down?”

  “Never found the right one before,” I answer, not taking my eyes off her. She stares straight ahead. I’d like to say ‘before now,’ but I can’t. No matter how badly I want to. Not yet. She’s not even eighteen for a few months yet. These next few months are going to kill me. But when I finally get Rachel alone, I’m going to let her know she’s mine and as soon as school is done, I’m gonna fuck her every goddamn day.

  “I guess I get to be your first.” I feel the truck jerk when she slams on the brakes. “I meant the first woman you get to take to eat. Not girlfriend. Sorry, I don’t—”

  I lose the seatbelt that’s tightened around my chest and ignore the heartbeat thumping in my ears. “It’s okay. I got you.”

  We look at each other, and she looks away embarrassed. She should be having fun with people her own age. She should be with Molly right now. Fuck, she should probably be with a boy, getting that exploration shit out of her system, the way I did, the way countless others before us have. But I grit my teeth at the thought of another putting his hands on her. Hell, no. She can explore with me, as long as she remains a virgin until she’s out of school. What’s one year? I can wait for her to graduate.

  She clears her throat and tries to push away. “It’s just food. It’s not a big deal. Taco Bell is okay, Nick.”

  “It is a big deal,” I tell her. “I’m trying to get you to tell me what you need. You just can’t seem to do that. So here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to take you home, we’re going to get dressed up and I’m going to surprise you.”

  I unbuckle her seatbelt, and ignore her squeal as I hoist her delectable ass out of the driver’s seat and into mine. It’s then and there that I make the decision. What the fuck am I waiting for? I’m not going to wait for Rachel to finish her last year of high school before I touch her. Hell, she’ll be eighteen soon. She’s going to spend every day of her senior year going to school well-fucked. She’ll have all the exploration she needs—not with a schoolboy, but with me. A man.

  Her man.

  I let her sit on my lap for a few moments as we stare into each other’s eyes, my dick growing hard under her. Before she can feel it, I give her a light peck on the lips and slide out from beneath her, though it’s harder to maneuver with the rod in my pants.

  I adjust the seats and mirrors and pull the truck out of the parking lot. “Here’s what’s up, baby doll. We’re taking a break from life. You’ve never been out on a date, correct?”

  “Nope.” Her voice is an unsteady squeak of embarrassment.

  “You’ve never had a boyfriend?” I’m shocked because Rachel is a raving beauty.

  “Not since the third grade,” she mumbles, making me grin.

  “Well, we’re going to pretend this is a date. You have to be prepared for the world. You’ll get to see how a man should treat you. And if you’re ever around a man who doesn’t do what I do tonight—like ho
lding doors for you and paying for every item that catches your eye—then he’s not worth it. Got it?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Okay. I left a dress hanging in your closet. Put that on, fix up your hair and we’re heading down to Boulder.”

  I almost change my mind when Rachel meets me in the living room. Gone is the young, innocent girl I know. In her place is a sexy, curvy woman with cleavage and a tiny waist I can span with my hands. Shit, a whole year of waiting is going to be hard.

  “You look handsome,” she says.

  I reach for her hand and bring it to my mouth to kiss. “You are a dream, Rachel.”

  I help her into her coat, because even though it’s spring, there’s still a mountain chill in the air.

  * * * * *

  Rachel and I sit back, replete. Dinner was wonderful. The food was excellent, the service superb. Every man in the restaurant had eyes on my gorgeous date. I’m not ashamed to admit I pretended this date was real. That Rachel was legal—that Rachel was my wife. The fantasy went on and on.

  Our food was cleared away, but I didn’t want to return to reality. Instead, we sat enjoying the view down the mountain landscape.

  “I’m sad this coming to an end,” Rachel says. “This has been a perfect date, Nick.”

  “You don’t have anything to compare it to, lovely,” I tell her, tugging on her hair.

  “You set the bar too high. I’ll never find anyone as wonderful as you.” Her eyes are huge and besotted as they stare at me.

  I curse my weakness earlier. I knew I should leave Rachel alone for her senior year in high school, but then I gave into temptation and decided I’d leave her alone for a few months until she turned eighteen, and then I’d fuck her every day she went to school.

  But with the way she’s staring at me, I can’t take advantage of her. Not like this. She’s got a crush on me, and it’s to be expected. I’m her savior, her hero. Little does she know, I want more than that. I want her undying devotion.

  I seriously need to avoid her until she’s legal. Only then will I show her what normal exploration will be like with a man. But I won’t make her mine until she loves me like I love her.