“Keep it up, woman!” he threatens with eyes so dangerous, like a dog about to attack.
Mack and Bash sit back in their chairs looking from Patch to me and back, as if they’re watching the most dangerous tennis match being played with a grenade. Perhaps they’ve never witnessed a woman taunt Patch in a battle of wills.
“I don’t want to play right now,” I say with conviction. “If or when I do, I’ll let you know. But I’ll talk to you with whatever attitude tickles my fancy and you can do nothing about it. You will not touch me against my will, I know that for a fact. So, maybe you’ve met your match. Back down, you won’t win with me.” I have no idea where this strong-willed, tough-ass woman came from, but I love her!
He leans back in his chair and takes a deep breath, letting it out very slowly. What’s he thinking? I can almost see the raging inferno in his eyes. The seething dominant within him must be twitching with a need to punish me for my, what did he call it? Sassy backtalk? He’s rubbing his palms together, no doubt his way of easing the need to crack my ass a dozen times while I count each one.
“I’ll let you win this battle, Goldilocks, but I will have you over my knee one day soon, and you’ll be begging me to spank you before I fuck you hard.”
“If I ever do, you’ll thank me for giving myself to you, won’t you?” Who is this woman speaking out of my mouth?
His eyes twitch but as he grips the edge of the table, he calmly replies, “I’ll be honored for the privilege of being allowed to touch you.”
I smile proudly as if I’ve just won a glorious battle. I suppose I did, in a sense. Bash and Mack are still looking at him and then me, both wearing shocked expressions.
Mack says, “Hey Patch, it looks like you’ve met your match.”
Patch glares at him but looks down at his plate, forking half of a pancake and ramming it in his mouth. Bash sits quietly chuckling to himself.
Chapter 10
“Are you sure you don’t want to go see your parents?” Bash asks as he turns into the parking lot of the grocery store. He pulls into a spot and shuts off the truck. “Maybe Patch is right, you should try to settle this.”
“I haven’t decided.”
He takes my hand and lifts it to his mouth, kissing the back of it. I smile and open my door. He hops out and runs around the truck, holding the door as I step out. He puts his hand up to help me, but I opt for the assist handle instead. He shuts the door and then puts his hand out for me to take. When I only look at it, undecided whether I want to hold hands or not, he lets it drop to his side.
“It’s okay if you’re not ready for that yet,” he says with an understanding smile.
We walk side by side through the automatic doors. They still open with the same irritating swooshing sound that hurts my ears. Bash walks over to the carts and separates one from the others. He spins it around and then quickly catches up to me. I look to him to lead the way and then follow as he makes his way toward the fresh vegetables section.
Bash doesn’t seem to care at all that the middle-aged woman holding two cucumbers has her attention on us, not the vegetables. She’s rudely staring with her mouth gaping.
“Goldie, how much do you want to bet she’s going to take one of those cucumbers home to fuck herself? Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
Bash strides over to the woman. He says something to her and then proceeds to choose a cucumber from the display and examines it. He says something else to her and I watch her expression change from curiosity to shock. As he’s walking back to me, he grins and waves his eyebrows.
“What did you say to her?”
“I said I was picking you a cucumber for later. And then, I said that you like the fat ones as opposed to the long, thin ones, and how you like them juicy and hard. Before I walked away, I told her I prefer to have mine thinly sliced with salt and a little cayenne, but women tend to like them for other reasons. Then, I looked at her cucumbers and told her to have a pleasant night.”
“No, you didn’t! Tell me you didn’t!”
He’s laughing.
“I did! Look, people stare at me all the time in this town. I’m sure most of them think I’m a badass who might steal their wallet if they don’t watch me closely. Others, especially women, see me as a bad boy they secretly want sneaking into their bedroom to have sex with them.”
“You can’t possibly know what people are thinking.”
“True, I’m not a psychic, but I’ve seen the way some women look at me and when they think I can’t hear them, they say nasty shit to their friend who is also looking at me with that same expression.” He tosses a bundle of apples into the cart before leaning on the handle. “Look, for some reason, people either hate us Bears or they want to have sex with us. Everyone has their perceptions, but nobody takes the time to get to know us. We may have been wild when we were young, but we’ve matured. So, when we get the opportunity to fuck with those who stare at us, we do. You should stop worrying about what people think of you. Odds are they’re talking about you behind your back anyway. Why not give them something to talk about?”
“I can’t just pretend nothing bothers me. Maybe you don’t care what people think, but I do.”
“Well, I think your reputation is tarnished now that you’ve been seen with a Bear. You might as well fall to your knees and beg their forgiveness.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I hiss.
Bash shrugs and then continues pushing the cart toward the oranges. We’re being watched by a teenage stock-boy, the middle-aged cashier, an older man with a cane, and Mr. Abler, the store’s owner. It’s creeping me out. The cucumber woman couldn’t wait to get far away from us.
I hate being the reason for gossip. He’s right, I shouldn’t worry about what people think of me. My parents drilled it into me that I have to be pretty and well-behaved, intelligent as well as ladylike. If I didn’t act accordingly, I was given a very long talking to that bored me to tears. To avoid it, I learned how to behave properly in public.
We finish food shopping and drive down the street to the drugstore. Again, he attempts to assist me as I’m getting out of the truck.
“Look, you don’t have to run around the truck to open the door for me or take my hand to ensure I don’t fall. I’m quite capable of doing these things for myself. I appreciate that you’re a gentleman, but it really isn’t necessary.”
Too matter-of-factly for me to argue with him, he states, “I was raised to be a gentleman and I’m not about to change now. You’ll just have to get used to it.”
He opens the heavy glass door and waves his hand for me to take the lead. I enter the family-owned drugstore, the only one in town. Bash follows me in and walks down the first aisle in search of something without a care in the world. I’m busy looking around to see if anyone is watching.
The owner, Mr. Baneck, is a pharmacist and his wife does everything else, including passing along gossip regardless of the content of which may be false rumor. She has a talent for embellishing stories until they resemble only a shadow of the truth.
They have twin daughters which are about the same age as Patch. It’s rumored that one of them partied with Patch one night and ended up in his bed, but it’s never been confirmed nor denied by either person. The townsfolk like to believe the girls are innocent and polished young ladies who would never have given away their virginity before marriage, especially to a vulgar, no-good, piece of shit like Patch. They were actually quite slutty but pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. I hate how most people in small towns are so incredibly naïve and judgmental.
I notice Mrs. Baneck at the counter writing something in a book. She glances up casually but quickly takes a sharp notice of Bash. Her eyes follow him as he walks down the aisle. The look on her face is one of disgust. I can’t believe it. Maybe I am naïve. Did I really not notice how people look at Bash? If they only took the time to have a real conversation with him, they’d know he is an intelligent, well-spoken man who has had more educat
ion than most of them. People are assholes!
I walk up to her with a smile that could light up a room. “Hello, Mrs. Baneck. How are you this morning?”
“Oh, hello dear. I’m just fine. When do you leave to go back to school?”
“Soon. A few days,” I say before looking toward Bash.
“You’d be wise to keep your distance from that boy. He’s trouble,” she warns.
I’m so disappointed in her. I smile again and ask, “Mrs. Baneck, do you think I’m a smart woman?”
“Yes, of course you are.”
“So, you think I’m wise enough to make smart choices for myself and not be easily swindled by a snake.”
“Yes, dear. What is this about?”
“If I said it looked like rain will be rolling in soon, would you go to the window to take a look for yourself or would you trust my assessment?”
She sighs heavily. “I would trust your assessment.”
“Hmm,” I nod thoughtfully.
Without another word, I walk right up to Bash and throw my arms over his shoulders, planting my lips on his for a very lengthy, romantic kiss. The woman gasps so loudly I fear she might be having a stroke.
He wraps his arms around my waist, holding me against him. He didn’t even hesitate to kiss me back. How shallow am I to have been so concerned that people would judge me for being with him. He’s more honest and worthy of my affection than anyone in this damn town, or the ten towns surrounding it. Damn her for judging him!
“Oh, my god!”
Bash pulls his lips from mine and we both turn to see who said that. Mindy, the oldest of the twins, is staring at us with a shocked expression.
I’ve had enough of being nice. “Really Mindy? Have you forgotten who you gave your virginity to?”
“Pfft!” she scoffs, glancing nervously at her mother. “My husband on our honeymoon.”
Bash corrects her. “Wrong! You might have everyone else fooled, but I know you begged my brother Patch to make you a woman when you two were in your senior year of high school. If I’m not mistaken, it happened after Vinny Lexor’s beach party.”
Her eyes open wide, confirming his statement without saying a word. She looks again at her mother, whose mouth is gaping. Mindy’s skinny finger points at Bash as if she’s going to shoot electricity from it if she can only purse her lips hard enough.
Bash takes my hand and walks up to Mrs. Baneck, dropping a bottle of lubrication on the counter in front of her. For a split second, I’m horrified. I had no idea what he came into the store for. Now she’s going to know we’re having a sexual relationship. I have no doubt that she’s going to call my father the instant we leave the store. Without hesitation, the rest of the town gossipers will get their ears full as well. I’m quiet on the drive out of town. Bash is kind enough not to disrupt my thoughts. I appreciate his patience.
“Can I ask what that was all about?”
I shrug. “I had enough. She was nice to me but so rude when it came to you. I didn’t want her to think it was okay to talk about you like that when she so obviously doesn’t know you.”
He sighs. “I’m used to it. You don’t have to defend me. They mean nothing to me. Therefore, their opinions and judgments are irrelevant. But I appreciate your concerns for my honor.”
“Will you take me to see my parents?”
He looks over at me as if to ask if I’m sure. I nod and he smiles nervously. The remainder of the drive is spent in silence, lost in our own thoughts. No doubt he’s wondering if my father is going to chase him away with a shotgun. I keep running conversations over in my head, trying to decide how I should start the dialogue once we get there. If I tell him to have a conversation with Bash before passing judgment, maybe that’ll be best. Perhaps I should tell him he’s being a fool just like the ignorant people in town. Maybe not.
When we pull up and get out of the truck, I’m still not sure of what I’m going to say. Bash follows closely behind me as I make my way up the porch and up to the screen door. Before we reach it, my father slowly pushes it open and makes his way through it. I can’t read what he’s thinking, but he isn’t happy, that I’m sure of. He looks tired, as if he’s aged overnight.
“Dad...” I can’t find the right words, any words!
“Goldilocks, sit down,” he calmly says. He looks at Bash and asks, “And you are?”
“Hello, sir. My name is Bash Bear. It’s nice to finally officially meet you.” Bash stands before my father with his hand extended.
My dad looks him head to toe and then reaches for his hand to briefly shake it before offering him a seat as well. They sit opposite one another. My mom leans out the door to see who is here. Her face lights up with a smile but she quickly pinches her lips together before waving at me to go in the house with her.
“I’m going to go say hi to Mom,” I say softly before standing quickly and scurrying inside before either Bash or my father have a chance to protest.
Mom whispers, “Let the men talk. There’s a lot they need to work through.”
“Why does Dad hate him so much?”
Mom takes the jug of cold lemonade from the fridge while I line up four glasses on the counter. She begins to pour.
“Well, he doesn’t hate Bash, he doesn’t know Bash. You can’t hate someone you don’t personally know, at least, that’s what your father has always said. You know, he’s always saying that you might hate the actions but not necessarily the person.”
“Then why did he kick me out of the house when I told him I was spending time with Bash?”
“He was upset, that’s all. Your father doesn’t want you to be with someone who is known to have a bad reputation. He only knows what he’s heard. And that’s why I asked you to come in the house. Let them have some time to talk to one another.”
“Dad doesn’t have his gun with him, does he?”
She jokes, “No, I hid it yesterday.”
We sit at the kitchen table looking at one another. “I really like him.”
“I can tell just by looking at you. Last night when your father wouldn’t stop yammering on about how awful the Bear brothers are, I told him about Patch helping me during that storm.”
“I’m sure that didn’t go over very well.”
Her eyes widen. “No, not at first. He was angry I’d kept it from him for so long. But after he calmed down, he wanted to know what Patch was really like. So, I told him that he was a perfect gentleman, very cordial. I also told him about the intelligent conversation we had while we waited for the storm to pass. I know he didn’t go to college because he had to be home to raise his brothers, which is honorable. I told him that Patch said he’s read at least one book a week since he was twelve years old. He loves to read because learning helps to keep his mind sharp.”
She stands and takes a prepared tray of cheese and crackers from the crisper in the refrigerator. I’m not surprised. She must have cut up the cheese and laid out the crackers when my father was otherwise occupied. She knew I’d be coming home today and bringing Bash with me.
“Oh, these?” She points at the tray. “I knew you’d show up at some point today. I raised you to know better than to let things stew for too long.”
I look toward the door while chewing the hard skin beside my fingernail. What are they talking about? I don’t hear any yelling. In fact, I don’t hear anything.
Mom calmly takes my hand away from my mouth. “Don’t worry, Goldilocks. They’re getting along wonderfully.”
“You can’t possibly know that.”
“If they weren’t, your father would have been rushing through that door in search of his gun. Trust me, it’s going to be okay. Now, grab those glasses and follow me.”
I take three of them and follow Mom outside. After handing one to my Dad and one to Bash, I sit beside him while my mother sits in the lone chair closer to my father.
Dad seems calmer and Bash doesn’t look as nervous as he did when we first got out of the truck. They aren’t t
alking though and that concerns me.
“So did you two work out your issues?” Mom blurts out, cutting through the silence.
My father sighs heavily before taking a sip of his lemonade. “Well, Goldilocks, do you plan on continuing to see this man?”
“I do, yes,” I reply, not liking the direction this seems to be heading in.
“And what about school?”
I clear my throat after taking a gulp from my glass. “I’m still going back in a few days. My plans for school haven’t changed. I’ll get my degree before I make any life-altering decisions pertaining to my future. But, as for dating Bash, I hope to continue seeing him.”
“Hmm,” he grumbles. After setting down his glass, he sighs again. “Bash, you seem like a decent enough young man, but I suppose time will tell that to be true or not. Your past reputation isn’t a good one, but you already know that. You seem to have your head squarely on your shoulders now and you aren’t afraid to work hard for what you want. In my book, that shows character. As long as Goldilocks finishes her education, I won’t interfere with your relationship. If you hurt my little girl, I will not hesitate to riddle your backside with buckshot.”
“I’d have it no other way,” Bash replies with a smile. “Goldie is a very smart, independent, and stubborn woman. I know nothing will stop her from achieving what she sets out to do and I would never stand in her way of reaching her goals. That, sir, would be a pity.”
“Bash, tell me about your brothers,” Mom asks. She always knows when it’s time to change the subject. She’s a wise woman. I aspire to be just like her.
We sit on their porch until late in the afternoon discussing everything from childhood memories to future plans. Dad laughed hard a few times when Bash told stories about dumb things he and his brothers did as children. Some of the stories he tells us are the much more innocent versions of the terrible falsehoods the gossiping townsfolk had spun to further ruin their reputations. Bash isn’t surprised to hear the false stories told about them.
Goldilocks and the Three Bear Brothers Page 9