“Callie, sweetheart, would you please join me up front?” Mayor Auggie said, his voice gentle. He held out a hand to her.
My heart stood still as she emerged from under my protective arm. She seemed to move in slow motion, separating from me, rising to her feet. I could almost see the Maya façade fall away, the adopted identity dissolving into the air, leaving her raw, exposed. Real. The Callie I remembered. The Callie we’d all known.
Gasps and murmurs greeted her as she turned to face Bootleg Springs. Mayor Auggie handed her the microphone and gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
She took the mic and met my eyes. I could see her fear. It made me want to scoop her up and carry her out of here. But she took a deep breath and began.
“Many of you know me as Maya Davis. And that name wasn’t a lie. I’ve been Maya for the last thirteen years, since I left Bootleg Springs. But I am Callie Kendall.”
She shifted, re-gripping the mic, while the audience murmured again. I nodded to her. She could do this.
“I ran away and disappeared because I was afraid for my life. I’d been abused at home from the time I was young. The night of my disappearance—” She closed her eyes and a tear trailed down her cheek. It took her a second, but she opened them again. “I was badly injured, trying to get away. Jonah Bodine Sr. found and helped me. He obviously didn’t murder me, or hit me with his car. He found a bleeding, terrified girl on the side of the road and he helped me get to safety.
“I went to a little town in upstate New York where a wonderful family took me in. They loved me and cared for me and helped me heal. When I became an adult, I went out and lived my life. I did my best to move on from my past. I wasn’t Callie Kendall anymore. I was Maya Davis.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?” someone asked from the back.
“Fear,” she said. “I was afraid for my life if my parents ever found me. It hurt me terribly to leave all the good things in my life behind. All the friends and people I cared about.” Her eyes landed on me. “But I didn’t have a choice. I want you all to know I’m so sorry you hurt for me for so long. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell everyone the truth about who I am when I first came back.”
“What kinda danger are we talkin’?”
“Are you saying the judge hurt you?”
“Why are you here now?”
The questions were coming from every direction. I wanted to turn around and tell them all to shut the fuck up and let her talk.
“Yes, Judge Kendall…” She trailed off again and swallowed hard. “The judge is a dangerous man. And he has a lot to lose if I reappear. He wants me to stay missing. Stay dead. He had a man who works for him bribe a lab tech into faking the forensics report on the remains of that girl in New York to say it was me. And that’s not the worst of it. He has a long history of using coercion, threats, bribery, and even violence to get what he wants and maintain his power.
“When I was a girl, I hid the truth from everyone. No one knew what was happening to me. Now, I’m back to face my past. I’m here to clear Jonah Bodine’s name. And to find a way to bring the real wrongdoers to justice.”
That was met with a round of applause. My family and I glanced around, meeting each other’s eyes. This was the Bootleg who’d raised us.
“What about Gibson?” someone shouted. “Did he know where you were?”
“No. Jonah and Connie kept my secret, even from their children. And they didn’t do it just for my safety. They did it to protect their family, and their town. They understood that it would put a lot of people in danger if the truth got out.”
“Gibs, why did you have her picture?”
“Were you running around with her when she was sixteen?”
“Gibson Bodine, how dare you?”
“Weren’t you twenty-five?”
I ground my teeth together and clenched my fists.
“Gibson Bodine was my friend,” Callie said, her voice suddenly clear and strong. “He was twenty, and I was sixteen, but we were just friends. Gibson was respectful and kind. He gave me his friendship without any strings or expectations. He never acted inappropriately, even though we were alone so much, he certainly could have. I trusted him more than I trusted anyone in the world. I still do. And y’all should be ashamed of yourself for assuming the worst of him. Gibson Bodine is a good man. He’s the best man I know.”
I stared at her, my eyes wide. My throat was thick and it felt like my heart might have gotten stuck in my ribs.
“I’m going on thirty now, and I’m plenty old enough to say I love him. I loved him as a friend when I was young, and I love him as so much more now. I’m the luckiest person in the world to be Gibson Bodine’s girl.”
A ripple went through the audience, some people reacting to Callie’s speech with oohs and ahhs. Others with phrases like, how sweet, and they’re just precious, and bless my soul, this is so much to take in.
I rose from my chair and went up to the front. They didn’t need every detail of her painful past. It hurt her to remember it—even more to speak of it—and she’d told them enough. And I didn’t want them getting sidetracked looking for the juicy details of our current relationship. Right now, we needed to deal with the threat in our town.
She handed me the mic and I paused, captivated by her beautiful face. The tip of her tongue darted into the notch in her lip—she did that when she was nervous—so I took her hand before turning to address the town.
“Callie came forward today because we need y’all’s help. Just so we’re clear, the judge is the bad guy. We got that?”
People spoke in low voices to their neighbors, but they nodded.
“We need to come together as a town to protect our girl. That means, for now, she ain’t Callie to anyone outside this room. She’s still Maya. Understood?”
More nods. They were with us.
“Sheriff Tucker is working on things from a law enforcement standpoint. There’s still evidence to gather to make a case against the judge.”
There were sudden calls for Bootleg Justice from several parts of the barn.
“I know. Believe me, I’d love nothing more than to get my hands on that sorry son of a bitch. But this goes beyond Bootleg. And it calls for the kind of justice that ends with him in prison, where he can’t hurt anyone again.”
Shouts of agreement filled the air and several people raised their fists.
“We have reason to believe a low-down, dirty scum who works for the judge is in town right now.”
This time there were boos and voices bordering on outrage.
“It ain’t yet clear why he’s here, and we need solid evidence to tie him to the judge. So no one take this into your own hands. This ain’t a situation for Bootleg Justice, either. But it’s important he doesn’t find out that she’s Callie.”
“We’ve got this, Gibs.”
“You can count on us.”
“Callie who?”
“Never even heard of her.”
I nodded, squeezing Callie’s hand again. “We’re asking a lot of y’all. And it means a lot that you’ll stand by us.”
My brothers rose from their chairs—Bowie, followed by Jonah and Jameson—to nod gratefully at the people around us. Scarlett looked teary when she stood.
This was us. My family. My people. And holy shit if it hadn’t taken Callie Kendall coming back from the dead to make me see it. Make me realize what I had.
“Are y’all gettin’ hitched?” a woman asked from somewhere in the middle. Might have been Clarabell.
“Callie, are you here to stay?”
“Are you gonna marry Gibson Bodine?”
“I can arrange the flowers.”
“We should have it at the park.”
“Do y’all still have the trellis from Bowie and Cassidy’s wedding?”
“What kinda cake do y’all need?”
Callie laughed, touching her fingers to her lips. And what the hell, I laughed too.
“Y’all are getting a
bit ahead of yourselves,” I said into the mic. But I cast a quick wink at Callie. “Let’s just get through the current crisis.”
Sheriff Tucker and Nadine stepped up and took the mic. Callie and I went back to our seats while Harlan gave them a few more details—a description of Lee Williams so they knew who to look out for, and more reminders to stay out of it and let law enforcement do their job. Nadine gave everyone ideas for what to do if they spotted trouble.
Afterward, almost everyone present lined up to say hello to Callie. It was like the longest receiving line I’d ever seen. They gave her hugs, patted her hands, told her how much they’d missed her. There were exclamations of how pretty she’d grown, what a nice young woman she’d become. There was hardly a dry eye in the place as the surprise of the truth settled into acceptance and relief.
Callie Kendall was home.
33
MAYA
I couldn’t remember ever being so exhausted in my entire life. I sagged against Gibson while he unlocked the front door. My legs were heavy and my arms hung loose at my sides because I didn’t have the energy to lift them.
Telling the town the truth about me had been the right call. I felt it deep in my soul. The way they’d responded, rallying around us like that, made my heart so full I thought my chest might burst. And all their tearful greetings, hugs, cheek kisses, and enthusiastic suggestions for engagement and wedding ideas had made me feel like I belonged to them.
But really, I always had.
Cash was excited to see us, as usual. We let him inside, and gave him some love and a toy filled with peanut butter. He plopped on the floor, happy as a dog could be.
“Come here,” Gibson said. He stood near the short hallway and reached out to draw me closer. Tucked my hair behind one ear. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks. I feel good about what we did tonight.”
“Me too.” He leaned down and captured my lips with his.
I slid my hands up his chest, melting into his kiss. His hands sat at my waist and his grip tightened when I brushed his lips with my tongue.
A tingling energy pulsed through my body. A moment ago, I’d been so worn out, all I’d wanted was sleep. But Gibson’s sensual kiss was waking me up, all my nerve endings singing.
The low rumble in his chest made me smile against his lips. I nipped him gently with my teeth. “I love it when you kiss me like that.”
“Honey, I’ve got something on my mind. You wanna hear about it?”
“Tell me.”
His rough jaw brushed the side of my face and he put his mouth next to my ear. “I’m gonna take those clothes off you, real slow. Then I’ll get you on the bed and bury my face between your legs. And I’m gonna lick that pretty pussy until you come in my mouth.”
I trembled and my voice was breathy. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh. I’ll lick you until you beg me to stop. Then I’m gonna turn you over, get you on your knees. And I’m gonna hold those hips and fuck that wet pussy from behind. Maybe smack that ass a few times while I do it. You opposed to a little spanking while I fuck you?”
“No,” I breathed. “Not if it’s you.”
“I won’t hurt you, honey,” he growled in my ear. His hand slid down to cup my ass and he squeezed. “I just wanna get a little dirty with you.”
My eyes rolled back. I was already so turned on, he wasn’t going to have to work very hard to get me to come. “I love it when you get dirty with me.”
He kissed me again, rough this time. I slid my hand down to grab his erection through his pants. He grunted, squeezing my ass cheek harder.
“Bedroom,” he said against my mouth.
Without breaking the kiss, he led me down the hall, walking backward, and I shut the bedroom door behind us. His tongue darted in and out of my mouth a few times, mimicking what he’d promised to do between my legs. Giggling, I unfastened his jeans and shoved my hands inside, wrapping my fingers around his cock.
He grunted again. “Fuck.”
I was messing up his little plan, but I didn’t care. While he kept kissing me, I worked his cock out of his pants. Teased the tip with my fingertips. I took him by the shaft and pumped it a few times, enjoying the way he growled. The way his hips jerked, like he couldn’t help himself.
With my other hand, I shoved his pants lower so I had better access. We both looked down at his thick erection, standing straight up. I stroked it, up and down the shaft, watching as beads of moisture collected on the tip.
I liked where this was going. Me, in control of his pleasure. Making him come was such a rush. He watched with rapt attention while I slowly lowered to my knees in front of him.
With my hand firmly around the base of his cock, I slid my tongue slowly up his length. “Mind if I do this first?”
“Darlin’, I ain’t sayin’ no.” He took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor.
I grinned up at him. “Didn’t think so.”
He shuddered as I slid the tip in my mouth. I started slow, getting him nice and slick. His fingers twined through my hair, his grip gentle.
Every low growl made me want to take in more. His cock slid in and out of my mouth, and his hips started to jerk. His gaze stayed locked on me as I sucked his cock, his eyes glassy.
“Fuck, that feels so good.”
He massaged my head, groaning as I worked his dick in and out of my mouth. His enjoyment made my spine tingle and the pressure between my legs increase. I loved that I could do this to him. I moved faster. I didn’t always finish him with my mouth, but tonight I was going to.
His grip on my hair tightened and his hips thrust faster. “God, you’re fucking sexy,” he ground out through gritted teeth.
I purred my own enjoyment as I felt his dick pulse. He was close. His brow furrowed and he started breathing harder, grunting every time I plunged down.
“You want me to come like this?” he asked, almost breathless, and loosened his grip on my hair.
In answer, I took him as deep as I could. He grunted hard and fisted my hair.
And I felt him unleash.
He drew his cock in and out of my mouth with quick thrusts. Never hard enough to hurt me, but enough that his girth thickened and a low growl rumbled in his throat. His eyes rolled back as he started to come, the thick spurts hitting the back of my throat. His cock pulsed between my lips and his deep grunts and ragged breaths were so sexy I couldn’t get enough.
I swallowed quickly and let his cock slip out of my mouth. He staggered backward, his pants around his ankles, and blinked hard.
“Holy fuck.”
I brushed my hair back from my face and stood. “You like that?”
“Oh my god.” He blinked again, like he was dumbstruck, then his icy blue eyes fixed on me. “Get the fuck over here.”
I giggled while he manhandled me onto the bed. He kissed my mouth, then down my neck. Nibbled on my collarbone. His hand slid beneath my shirt to splay across my ribs, just below my bra.
We’d already decided we didn’t need condoms. We both knew we were clean, and I was on birth control. It was nice not to have to worry about them anymore.
He kicked his pants the rest of the way off, then went to work on my clothes. He’d said he’d undress me slow, but he hadn’t said he’d be soft. He grabbed my shirt in his fist and pulled, jerking it up over my face. With my view obscured, he dragged his teeth over my nipple through the lacy fabric of my bra.
With rough hands, he pulled my shirt over my head, then pinned my arms down. He sucked on my neck, then kissed his way down to my chest. He nuzzled between my boobs, kissing and licking his way from one nipple to the other.
He let go of my arms to unfasten my jeans, then yanked them down my legs. Flipping me over, he unclasped my bra. I pushed myself up onto my elbows and let it fall down my arms.
His hand slipped beneath my panties and I arched my back, lifting my hips and sticking my ass in the air so he could take them off. His mouth followed his hand, kissing down my
back, across my ass cheek, over the back of my thigh.
Finally, he had me undressed. He flipped me back over and settled between my thighs, draping my legs over his broad shoulders.
“Mm,” he hummed. “I love this pussy. So fucking pretty. So good.”
I lay back on the pillow and enjoyed the feel of his tongue making lazy laps around my clit. Up my soft folds. It was rough and wet and warm, and next to his cock when he fucked me hard, it was the best thing I’d ever felt.
He was no quieter licking me than he had been when I’d sucked his dick. He groaned, lapping at me with enthusiasm. Pushing my thighs back, he sucked on my clit, moaning like he couldn’t get enough.
Heat and tension built so fast, it took my breath away. I moved with him, rolling my hips, grinding myself against his mouth. He slipped a finger inside me and I moaned, the extra pressure so good.
His tongue was relentless. I writhed against the sheets, running my fingers through his hair. He didn’t let up. A second finger slid inside, and my silky inner muscles trembled.
“Don’t stop that,” I breathed.
I was so close, my pussy hot and clenching around his fingers. He growled again and the vibration sent me over the edge. Leaning my head back, I rode out my orgasm, the pulses rippling through me in waves.
He still didn’t stop, and my climax stretched out until I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Stop,” I begged, starting to giggle again. “Stop, oh god, Gibson.”
His face lifted, his mouth wet, and he grinned. “Told you you’d beg me to stop.”
My legs fell to the sides and my arms flopped onto the bed. “That was amazing.”
“Good. But I’m not finished with you. On your knees, beautiful.”
I smiled back at him. Gladly. I still wanted to feel his cock inside me.
He muscled me onto my tummy, then grabbed my hips to lift my ass into the air. I braced myself on my forearms and looked back at him over my shoulder.
Caressing my skin, he looked me over. “So beautiful. God, I love you.”
Highball Rush: Bootleg Springs Book 6 Page 26
