by Lee Wardlow
Skylar opened the door and took off her boots; tossing them over her shoulder onto the floor by the passenger side of the cab. Grabbing her jacket and her phone she walked through the grass to Brett. She hoisted herself up beside him which wasn’t an easy task since her legs were short but her arms were strong. She picked up her phone when she was settled beside him. Two text messages from Tag.
Where the hell are you?
Did you leave with Brett? I notice he’s gone too.
She realized Brett was reading her message over her shoulder. “Tell that…well tell him to fuck off,” he told her.
It really was time that she broke this thing off with him but not in a text message. It was just poor timing now because with Luka home Tag would assume it was because of him.
Had a headache. Left. Not sure where Brett is.
“Liar,” Brett teased.
They sat in silence for a while. The sounds of bullfrogs and crickets making their normal ruckus for an early summer night filled the air. Skylar took the open beer Brett handed her and tipped it to her lips. It was the beer they drank as teenagers when they weren’t old enough to drink. It was cheap and Brett knew how to get it. They could afford better stuff now but the old stuff still tasted the best. “So are you ever going to tell me what Luka did?”
“First let me just say that he’s trying to make a point.”
“That would be?” He asked knowing his brother that he wanted Skylar back now that he was home and Ava only sweetened the deal.
“I challenged him inadvertently.”
He snorted. “I did.”
“Okay, so you didn’t mean to challenge the man you know is a hot head. What did he do?”
“He pushed me against the truck and kissed me to prove a point.”
“And all your girly parts stood up and took notice,” Brett said in a high-pitched voice.
“As crass as that sounds it is partially true.” Skylar rolled her eyes at Brett. He chuckled at her.
“So what is the problem? He’s Ava’s father. You two had something magical before.” Skylar sucked down half the bottle.
“Affected you that much?” He was staring at her half empty bottle in awe. She nodded her head.
“I can’t let him in again Brett.” He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. She laid her head against his shoulder and he gave her another squeeze. “I wouldn’t survive if he walked away again.”
“Mom said he’s home for good. That was his plans before he found out about Ava. Now it is certain.”
She glanced up at him. Then she sat up straight and downed the rest of the bottle. “I need another.”
He opened the second bottle and traded with her. He put the empty in the carton and sipped on his beer. He had to drive. Not far but he still had to drive. She just had to drive across the field and be sure to not hit the house. Brett watched her down half the second bottle.
“Momma, you keep that up and I’ll be driving you home and carrying you in the house. What will Ava say?”
“She’ll be in bed.” She burped loudly.
“Now that was lady-like.” He rolled his eyes in disgust.
Skylar glared at Brett. “Like I have to be a lady with you.”
“Just relax. Avoid Luka if he makes you that crazy. Make it only about Ava.”
She stared at him for several seconds as if he had lost his mind. Finally, he said, “What?”
“You know Luka,” was all she said.
They were quiet again. Staring out over the pond. A place they had frequented since they were young kids. At eleven and twelve it was to fish. She didn’t even mind bating her own hook with the wiggly worms. She was thrilled when she caught a fish and he didn’t. They always had been competitive with each other.
At fourteen it was to hide from Jacob Shaw. He was in a drunken rage and Brett had shown up with more than one black eye or his backside covered in welts because he had beat him with his belt. She was shocked. Crushed. She had comforted Brett until Luka showed up looking for him.
People didn’t understand the relationship she had with Brett. Sometimes, even Luka had struggled with it. There was even talk that Ava was not Luka’s but Brett’s child and that is why Luka had left town. She hated all of it. Small town gossip mongers.
Skylar didn’t know why they had bonded but they had. More often when his Daddy wasn’t home she would go to his house so she could see his mom. She had always liked Luna. Jacob Shaw was abusive but John Bradford was aloof. Neither of them had great fathers.
John and Nancy Bradford were more interested in their country club, their horse shows and their friends than their four girls. She had heard on more than one occasion that they kept having kids hoping for a boy to carry on the Bradford name. John had finally given up when Chloe was born; his fourth daughter. Maybe her mother was tired of being a brood mare. Skylar didn’t know which.
So when she and Brett needed somebody they turned to each other. They did love each other but more as brother and sister. They had never crossed that line into anything more than friendship. Not once. Never.
He was her rock when Luka up and left, shattering her. The whole Shaw family had gotten behind her and supported her through her pregnancy. It was Luna who took her to her doctor’s appointments and paid for them telling her not to worry. She and Ava would always be taken care of. She had been by her side when Ava was born. Her mother had helped Luna throw a baby shower but otherwise Nancy Bradford had taken the stance that Skylar had made her bed.
Brett had held Ava first. Then the other brothers. Again, he tried to convince Skylar to tell Luka that he had a daughter. She had refused. She didn’t even want to hear his name then. The pain was still too fresh and too raw. She finished her second beer and handed him the empty. Her body felt warm and tingly. “Turn on the radio,” she requested.
He handed Skylar her third beer then hopped down and went to the truck’s cab. He turned on the popular dance music station that he knew she was looking for while he preferred country music himself. When he returned she had already finished half of the third beer.
“You need to slow down.”
She shook her head no. “Brett, I just want to forget.”
He hopped up beside her and settled in. “That isn’t the way.”
“Why not?”
He shook his head. He opened his second beer and sipped on it. He should have gotten a six pack instead of a twelve. She was going to be drunk if she kept downing beers the way she was. Skylar wasn’t used to drinking. She rarely if ever drank more than an occasional glass of wine.
“Why don’t you date?”
He chuckled. “Where the hell did that come from?”
“I worry about you,” she told him. “You don’t date.”
“Don’t worry about me,” he scoffed.
“Don’t get pissy with me. Why don’t you date?”
“Because the girl I like won’t give me the time of day. I’m not settling for second best.”
“Who?”
“I’m not telling you,” Brett told her. “You have a big mouth.”
“I have a big mouth?” She snapped. She took a big gulp of her beer. “You, who told Ava who her father was and didn’t bother to tell me that you had told her.”
“I didn’t want to upset you. Sky, you didn’t even want to hear his name. She took one of the pictures that you keep under your bed and kept it for herself thinking that he was her daddy. I know you think she’s fine without him but she’s not.”
Skylar’s eyes met Luka’s. “Why not? Why am I not enough for her?” Skylar sounded so sad it nearly broke his heart. Brett took a sip of his beer.
“Sky, it doesn’t work like that. Little girls need their daddy. I couldn’t lie to her.”
“She’s too smart for me. What am I gonna do when she’s a teenager?”
“God help us all,” he mumbled. “She has four uncles who all have hunting rifles. We’ll be happy to greet every one of her dates at the fro
nt door.”
After downing the remainder of the third beer, Skylar handed it to him. She wanted another. “I think you really have had enough. Sky, you aren’t used to drinking.”
“Give it up. I can take it.”
He handed her the beer and took her empty. “You’re going to be so sorry in the morning.” He was shaking his head at her. Skylar just scowled at him in return.
“Do I know this girl you like?” She asked then she took a huge gulp of her beer.
“Why do you care?”
“Because you’re my best friend in the whole world and I want you to be happy. I love you Brett.”
“Like you with our illustrious mayor who has a stick up his ass. Seriously, what do you see in Tag Richardson? He has no personality.”
“I agree.” She did think Tag often acted like he had a stick up his ass. He was formal, almost too much so. He was rigid. The only time he cut loose was in the sack. The beer was going to her head. “Don’t you love me?”
“What?” Brett looked at her with confusion. “Why are you with him if you agree with me? And yes, you know I love you. I kept a mighty big secret from my brother for you,” he informed her.
She swallowed a huge amount of the fourth beer.
“It’s going to come between you, isn’t it?” She asked him.
“What?” He was confused again by her question.
“Keeping my secret.” She looked at Brett. She finished off the fourth beer and asked for another. Brett was right; Skylar wasn’t used to drinking but she felt light as a bird right now and she wanted the feeling to continue. Her head was spinning like she had been twirling around for minutes when they used to play ring around the rosy as kids.
They were quiet while Brett thought about her question. He and Luka had always been close. All five brothers were close to each other and their mother but he and Luka were especially close. Brett stared over the pond. A bullfrog hopped off the bank into the water.
“I hope not. So, why are you still with Tag if you also think he has a stick up his ass? It’s not like he has anything in common with you. He doesn’t like Ava…”
Skylar sucked down half the beer. She glanced at him uncertainly. Then she gulped down more. She needed liquid courage to answer this question. Her reasons sounded asinine in her head so saying them out loud was going to sound even more ridiculous. She knew that.
“Because I have needs,” Skylar interrupted Brett.
She took another huge gulp of the fifth beer. Then she realized Brett was looking at her stunned by her admission that the only reason she was still seeing Tag was he was great in the sack.
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
She shook her head no and burped loudly. “Gosh, that feels good. You know that beer makes me gassy.”
“You can’t possibly tell me he satisfies your needs,” Brett sounded incredulous.
She nodded eagerly. “He might have a stick up his ass in public but behind bedroom doors he’s amazing in the sack. He is good with his hands and his…”
“Give me that,” he yanked what was left of the beer in her hand away and poured it on the ground.
“Hey, why did you do that?” She asked.
“Because the beer is loosening your tongue way too much for my comfort level.”
She threw her hands up and let them slap against her legs. She had nearly finished five beers in a short amount of time. There was just a little that Brett had dumped out onto the ground. “I’m going home.”
“Good idea,” he snapped.
“I still love you,” she said and slid off the gate of Brett’s truck. They both heard the rip. Her dress had caught on something and ripped and she just kept going so the dress continued to rip. “My it’s cold out here.”
He was laughing so hard that he almost fell off the gate. “You ruined your dress,” he pointed out the obvious reason for her sudden coldness.
She loved this dress. Skylar reached behind herself and came into contact with bare skin. “Shit.”
“Nice panties.”
She was wearing a hot pink thong. “Shush. Hopefully I can just slip inside,” she staggered a little, “and your mom won’t she me until I’ve changed.” She was stumbling over all her words.
He laughed even harder. “I shanged my mind. I don’ love you anymore Brett Shaw.”
Skylar marched to the truck and climbed inside. She almost fell backward but caught herself with the steering wheel. “Are you sure you can make it home?” He asked looking over his shoulder at her.
“I manage,” she mumbled.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He was standing at her door now. “You might want these,” he told her handing her the jacket and her phone that she had left in the back of his truck. “I put the empties and the rest of the beer in your truck,’ he told her. “I don’t want to be driving around with beer in my vehicle. I don’t need an open container ticket.”
“Fine.” She just waved her hand at him.
He leaned in and pecked her cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Sky and I still love you.”
“Whatever.” She scowled at him.
He shut her door and watched her drive away.
Chapter 4
Luka was sitting on the swing, in the dark of Skylar’s front porch. The shadows were hiding his presence. He was waiting to see if she came home. If she didn’t he might just have to go Tag’s house and drag her ass out of there. The thought of her with him made his gut twist into knots. He was home now things were going to change. He just had to convince Skylar.
What could he say to her for having someone in her life? Luka had never had a serious relationship after Skylar. He got what he wanted and made it very clear that his heart wasn’t in it. His heart was still in Haley Cove with Skylar.
What exactly was Tag to her? Ava didn’t like him. She had made that abundantly clear to Luka tonight. His daughter also told him that she didn’t often see Tag. Usually it was because he had just stopped by the ranch. He assumed then they weren’t serious or the guy would be more involved in Ava’s life.
He turned on the swing. Luka thought he heard a truck coming from behind the house. He watched Skylar’s truck round the corner of the house and not stop until the concrete fountain in front of the house stopped her forward progress. Rising from the swing, he hesitated; shock kept him rooted to the spot.
He heard her shout so she must be all right. Then she climbed out of the truck and looked at her front bumper. “Son-a-bitch,” she muttered.
She walked back to the door and slammed it shut. Was she drunk? She had to have been at the pond. The question was who had she been with? The only person he had ever known her to go to the pond with was him or his brother Brett.
She walked barefoot around the back of the truck clutching her jacket and her phone to her chest like they were her lifeline. Skylar walked to the front of the truck on the other side and bent over to look at the damage to her truck.
“God damn,” he said under his breath. Her perfect ass cheeks were hanging through a rip in the back of her dress. She was wearing a hot pink thong. The thin strip of material went up the perfect crack of her perfect ass. She stumbled backwards then turned heading towards the house. She couldn’t walk a straight line if she tried. Luka shook his head in disgust.
He watched her fall up the steps and decided that was enough. Luka walked to the porch steps and stepped down one. She was now looking at his boots. She looked at them for a moment then Skylar leaned back to look up into his face.
“You still here. Oh goody.”
“You’re drunk.”
“Not me,” she replied then proceeded to lean back too far and fall straight on her ass at the base of the stairs.
“Yep, you’re drunk. You were at the pond,” he said almost accusing. “Your boyfriend, go with you.”
“No he’s mad at me,” she replied. “He wouldn’t lower himself to go to da pond anyway,” Skylar snarled at Luka.
She just sat t
here with her flouncy skirt surrounding her in mounds of material that she continually fluffed. Her hair was wild and almost curly. She must have been riding with the windows down, he decided.
Luka sat down on the top step. “Why is he mad at you?”
“Because you are home,” she said continuing to play with her skirt. Then she glared at him.
“Feels threatened, does he?”
“Pshaw,” she said. “He has nuffin to be freatened about,” she mumbled.
“Then why did you end up with Brett at the pond getting drunk?” He asked.
She looked up at him sitting on the step. “Because,” she hesitated for the longest time. He wasn’t sure she was going to say anything else. “You kissed me.”
He chuckled. Beer always did loosen her sweet lips. “It is not funny, Luka Shaw.” She rose to her feet and not so gracefully. Skylar smoothed her skirt. “Let me by.”
Luka rose to his feet and stepped aside so she could slip past him careful that she didn’t touch any part of his body as she did so. She got to the door and laid her head against the wooden frame around the screen.
“Luka, why did ya come home?” She asked. Even tipsy she knew he had stepped behind her. He was close, too close. Her self-preservation kicked into overdrive. The alcohol was making her brave. She turned and leaned against the door. She turned her glazed eyes up to his face. “Why Luka? Just tell me please.”
He leaned one hand against the wall beside her head. He was so damn close to her. His breath was hot on her face. It smelled like mint while she smelled like beer.
“For you,” was all he said. His gaze was just as intense as hers was bleary from drinking the beers so quickly.
“No,” she gasped into her hand.
Luka drew Skylar against him with his hand that was free. She could feel the hardness of his body. The hardness of his erection through his jeans now pressed into her stomach. His hand went down her spine and over the curve of her ass. He cupped her bare ass cheek in his big palm.
“This is mine Skylar Bradford. You have always belonged to me. I own you.” She was shaking her head no.
“Oh no,” he argued.
Then he pressed his lips to hers not the sweet gentle kiss that he had given her before she left for the town meeting and the dance. This kiss was demanding. He was showing her that he still owned her body, her heart and her soul.
