The Blue Collar Bachelors Box Set: The Complete Blue Collar Bachelors Series

by Miller, Cassie-Ann L.

  I chuckle. “How's that working out for you?"

  She rolls her eyes. "It's working out just fine.”

  Out of nowhere, one of the little monkeys lunges at her in his attempt to escape the friend who’s chasing him. Overwhelmed by excitement, the boy hooks his little fingers on the stretchy fabric of Sophia’s yoga pants and he lifts both feet off the ground. The leggings tear away from her body.

  She just mooned the entire park.

  Now, I’m not complaining, obviously. Because that ass is one of my favorite things ever created but still, I’m sure that mooning the group of seniors doing Tai chi over by the pond was not on her list of things to do when she rolled out of bed this morning.

  She barely even seems to register what just happened, like it’s a regular, everyday occurrence. "Gaston!" she says patiently, "We don't pull each other's pants down. Please." She hikes the stretchy fabric back up over her curves then turns her attention back to me.

  “It’s working out just fine, huh?” I hike a brow.

  She grunts with exasperation. “Why are you out here questioning me? Don’t you have to be at work?”

  I grin sheepishly. "Quit..."

  Her eyebrow jerks up. "You quit? You quit Charlie's worksite?" Humor and incredulity dance in her pretty irises.

  "I quit..." A big shoulder of mine pops up to my ear and then falls back down.

  “Why did you quit?” she laughs. “What? Is Charlie a dictator boss?”

  I shake my head. “Nah, Charlie’s been good…” One corner of my mouth lifts into a smile. “…I sort of…” I rake my fingers through my hair. “…I sort of punched one of my coworkers in the face so…”

  Her mouth drops open. She covers it with her fingers. “Oh my god. You did what?” Levity twinkles in her eyes. “Which coworker? It was Melvin. Wasn’t it?”

  “Which one’s Melvin?”

  Now, she can’t fight her smile. “I’m sure it was Melvin. God, that guy is such a jerk.”

  My heart soars beyond the confines of my chest when she smiles like that. “Whoever it was, he really deserved it.”

  “I’m sure he did.”

  “So, I quit.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “I have that luxury. I’m as free as a bird. Nothing to tie me down.” I say the words with humor but my heart sags at the knowledge that I don’t really belong anywhere. I come and go as I please but when I leave, there’s no one behind to miss me.

  Instead of laughing at my lame joke, something passes over Sophia’s expression, some unpleasant emotion I can’t label.

  “Uh…you okay?” I reach out to touch her but she shrinks back.

  She gestures to the kids. “We've got to get back to the daycare. It’s almost lunchtime.” Right before walking off, her eyes do a sneaky, out-of-the-corner sweep down my sweaty body.

  She may try to act unaffected by me, but I have an inkling that I’m not the only one thirsty for another taste.

  I bite back a grin. She catches it anyway.

  She rolls her eyes. "Goodbye, Archie."

  Making another attempt to hustle the rowdy kids into order, she turns toward the park's exit.

  I stride in step with her. "Let me walk you guys back." I glance down at the stroller.

  She moves in front of the thing like a shield, panic on her face. "That's not necessary. Ramona and I can get them back just fine.”

  My hands rise to her hips and I hold her in place. “Sophia, let me just put this out there,” I say. “I get it. I’m a stranger and it’s your job to take care of these kids but I’m not going to hurt them. I’m a soldier. I don’t even know them but I’d jump in front of a speeding train to save any one of them. That’s the way I’m programmed. So, you can stop trying to guard them from me.”

  The baby girl on Sophia’s chest reaches up and grabs at my stubbly chin. She’s so beautiful. The most beautiful little thing I’ve seen. I don’t know why my heart goes at tight as it does at the sight of her snotty face. Grinning, I reach down and pinch her chin right back. We share a smile.

  Looking alarmed, Sophia steps away and my hand falls to my side. Her face flushes. The prettiest shade of pink. She stutters. “I-I know you wouldn’t hurt them, Archie. I just, I just don’t need your help. Okay?”

  I'd forgotten how stubborn she is. I growl deep in my chest. "Let me rephrase that—I'm walking you back to the daycare, Sophia. No arguing with me."

  "Yay!" Grass Eater yells as her little fingers find my right hand and she latches on. Nose Picker grabs hold of my left hand.

  I don't wait for Sophia's smart-ass protests or her searing death glare. I take off toward the road with the two little rugrats in tow.

  Her harrumph floats on the air but she follows after me anyway. I try my best to walk confidently, without limping. But my leg hurts like hell after that run. It’s slowing me down. Self-consciousness burns up my chest. At the edge of the park, we stop and get all the kids buckled into the stroller. Sophia and Ramona walk ahead of me, leading the way back.

  We don't have to worry about making awkward small talk as we go. The kids take care of carrying the conversation. I can’t understand eighty percent of what they’re saying but it’s adorable.

  As we’re crossing the highway on-ramp right by the gas station, a sleek black luxury car comes speeding toward us. My eyes hone in on the massive puddle just a few feet away. My instincts snap into gear. With a gentle shoulder check, I push Sophia out of the way and fold my body over the stroller like a human barrier. When the vehicle bops into the pothole, dirty water sprays all around but I bear the brunt of it.

  Wet to the bone, I puff up my chest and turn to Sophia. I grin heroically. She squints her eyes at me and her mouth falls open in laughter.

  “Uh, that was a bit extra,” Ramona says in that petulant teenager way.

  I glare at her. “You’re welcome.” I wring cold water from the back of my shirt.

  “You acted like a speeding train was coming at us,” she argues. “It was just a puddle. We’ve gotten drenched in this exact spot a zillion times.”

  Sophia glares at her, too. Then her eyes flash to mine. “Thank you, Archie. I appreciate not getting soaked with dirty water today.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Archie

  Once we cross the gas station, there isn’t much further to go. We get to Sophia’s charming cottage-style home with about three or four more minutes of walking. My leg is killing me . I know I need to get off my feet. Sooner than later. If not, I’ll pay the price for a week.

  Sophia unlocks the door and sets the children free of the stroller. Ramona and the kids wander into the house, while I help get the stroller up onto the porch.

  "Thank you for walking us back,” Sophia says reluctantly as she stands in the doorway, stroking the head of the baby strapped to her chest.

  "It's no problem," I say barely resisting the urge to brush back the dark curtain of wind-blown hair covering her eyes. I open and close my tingling fingers as a static electric burn dances beneath the skin.

  I want to ask her out. I want to spend some time with her before I leave town. The invitation is sitting on the tip of my tongue despite all the reasons why I should walk away. For once, I listen to the voice of reason instead of the reckless devil on my shoulder who’s always looking for trouble. I turn, dragging my broken body back toward the street.

  I hear her call after me. “Archie?”

  My heart spasms with stupid, goddamned hope at the sound of my name on her lips. “Yeah?” Slowing down, I spin around to face her.

  She closes the door behind her and then, she’s coming down the cobblestone path toward me. Her cheeks are pink and there’s this shy, girlish look on her face. “How are you?” There’s a softness in her voice. A hesitation. But beneath it, there’s kindness. That same kindness that had my heart trying to beat its way out of its cage the night I met her.

  Something in my chest unclenches. With her standing in front of me, staring up at me like this. It’s
like someone sets free a hummingbird in my chest.

  Sophia sticks out a hand appeasingly. “I mean, I don’t want to pry but…you’re limping…”

  That hope deflates inside of me. She’s noticed the goddamned limp. I paste on a fake smile and knock my knee with my knuckles. “Ah, that limp? It’s nothing.”

  She swallows and locks her fingers around my wrist. “And why do you keep closing your fingers? You got hurt…” She lifts my hand and examines the ugly, jagged scar running between my thumb and pointer. Her eyes lift to mine and her voice goes so soft I can barely hear it. “What happened to you out there?”

  I want to hide. I want to fucking disappear. If this were anyone else touching me like this, asking me questions, I’d push them away. I’d tell them to mind their own goddamned business. But this is my Daisy. And for some reason, it feels like she has a right to know.

  I clear my throat and stick my tongue into the flesh of my cheek. “An explosive,” I tell her, my throat closing with shame. “Was on foot patrol. Stepped on it. Everything went boom!”

  There’s so much more to say to give her the adequate explanation she deserves but I’m having a hard time stringing words together. It’s tearing me down, having to admit to her that I’m a broken man. Having to see that look of sheer horror on her face.

  I glance down at my fingers and try to make light of the situation. “It’s not that bad now. At one point, my thumb was literally dangling off my hand. Guess a piece of shrapnel sawed it off.” I exhale roughly. “The doctors stitched me back together. But I think they got some of the wires crossed,” I joke. “That’s why the nerves still bother me now and then.”

  That’s the understatement of the day. The nerve pain is agony and I live with it every single day.

  She chases tears from her eyes with her knuckles. “And what about your leg?” she forces out.

  I draw my tongue across my lips and then purse them for a second. My forehead wrinkles. Shame. Regret. Anger.

  “Oh my god…” she whispers.

  I can’t say the words but she knows. She knows my leg is gone, half of it blown out right below the knee.

  My mortification strangles me, lodging itself into my throat. My eyes hit the cracked pavement in front of me.

  She steps closer and I smell her. That gorgeous floral scent makes my head light.

  I wanna be with her.

  But I can’t. I cut the thought off in its tracks. “I caused some real drama at work the other day. I can’t be doing that sort of thing, y’know? I can’t just stomp into town and start causing trouble for Charlie and Leo. They went through a lot of shit to get their lives in order. I can’t just come here and flip everything upside down.” Finally, I look up at her sorrow-soaked face. “So, I’m gonna leave.”

  Her arms fold tighter around the dozing baby on her chest. “Leave? As in leave town?”

  I rock back onto my heels. “Yes…”

  Her chin trembles slightly. Her dark eyes well with tears.

  I reach out and softly pinch her chin between my fingers. “Hey…Don’t you fucking cry.”

  The tears come, anyway. They flow faster than I can push them away.

  “God—I don’t…” Her words trail off but her eyes tell me she has so much to say.

  She checks over her shoulder, glimpsing the children playing inside through the front window. Then slowly, she comes closer. Her tongue pokes out and wets her lips. One soft, small hand comes up, tenderly clasping my cheek. She rises onto her toes and presses our lips together.

  My inhale is sharp and her scent overwhelms me with longing. Wildflowers. A field of wildflowers. My hand slowly slides down her hip. I squeeze softly and she hums low in her chest. She responds by running her hands down my shoulders and arms as I suck her bottom lip into my mouth.

  My mind takes off, toying with possibilities. I could stay. I could just stay in Copper Heights. And claim this woman. Make her mine the way I should have the very first night we met. Because heaven knows, she’s the first woman who’s ever made me consider putting down roots. She’s the only woman who’s ever made it seem worth it to fight my demons, just so I could come out on the other side and see the smile on her face.

  But the truth is, while I might act tough on the outside, I’m no match for the bully inside my head who keeps telling me that a woman like Sophia would never settle for me. Especially now that she knows the whole truth about my mangled body.

  When she pulls back from the kiss, I know this is goodbye. This can’t end any other way.

  My eyes move over her features one last time, memorizing every inch of her face as if they aren’t already indelibly tattooed on my brain. The wisps of hair falling over her face. Her fair skin, so smooth and perfect. Her full lips and trembling chin. Her dark eyes swimming in tears.

  Fuck…

  A stuttered breath works its way out of Sophia’s lungs when I stroke the head of the beautiful, dark-haired child sleeping on her chest. So much innocence. I remind myself that it was all worth it. Yes, I suffered. I lost parts of myself that I’ll never be able to get back. But all the things I endured during and after my last overseas mission were worth it if it means that a precious, little kid like this can live in a safe neighborhood.

  Despite what it cost me, it was worth it.

  I nod slightly and bring two fingers to my temple in salute.

  “Take care, Daisy.” I turn toward the sidewalk to limp away from the person who forever holds my heart.

  There’s a stutter in her breath when she says, “Take care, Tony.”

  And then, I jog off before my heart explodes right here on her front lawn.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sophia

  Las Vegas

  Two years ago, 9:50 P.M.

  Most people wear a grin to mask how much they hate their job. Some people don't even bother.

  The surly waitress slaps down a cloudy glass of room-temperature water in front of me and one in front of Tony. "Your food’s comin’.”

  The rubber soles of her running shoes squeak loud as hell when she turns on her heel and stomps back toward the kitchen.

  The décor in here is basically dirty lawn furniture that I’m 100% sure was stolen from somebody’s backyard in the middle of the night. This place isn’t even rated on Yelp. Let alone Zagat. That’s what I get for letting this handsome, wayward man choose the restaurant.

  But Tony swore I’d love the burritos at this hole-in-the-wall shack located on a sketchy side street just off the Strip. I’m holding out hope that he’s right. Because the shitty customer service and ugly décor definitely take a backseat to the spicy aroma of steak and grilled chicken wafting in the air and hitting my nostrils.

  When he goes off to use the bathroom, I pull my phone out of my purse and check my notifications. Seventeen missed calls and thirty-eight new text messages.

  My stomach flips. What did I expect? Everybody and their grandmother wants to know why Copper Heights’s under 30 power couple canceled their much-anticipated wedding at the last minute. I can only imagine the rumors that have started to fly.

  I scan through the names in my ‘missed call’ list.

  Three calls from Nova.

  One from my father.

  Seven from Reese.

  One from Charlie.

  Two from that damn social media company I paid a crapload of money to to blog the shit out of my epic fail wedding. I want to slam my face on a table but the one in front of me is so grimy, I’m sure my forehead would get Krazy-Glued to it.

  Anyway, the rest of the calls are from unknown numbers.

  Without opening the text messages, I delete everything. Every-goddamned-thing.

  I shouldn’t have gone this long without letting my friends know that I’m all right, though. It’s been three hours since I last showed signs of life. Knowing Reese, she’s probably already had a meltdown and forced Charlie and Nova to sweep every inch of the hotel looking for me, forensics investigator style.
<
br />   I find Nova’s number in my contact list. She’d be the more reasonable one to talk to and she’s more likely to take me at my word when I tell her that I’m okay but just need some space.

  Her voice booms through my speaker after two rings. "Sophia? Thank god! We left you at the bar for two minutes and you just snuck out on us. Reese was convinced you'd gotten kidnapped.”

  “Oh boy,” I squeak out.

  I imagine Nova nodding her head as she speaks. “Yup. She already started demanding the security tapes. She was about to go all C.S.I.: Las Vegas on the hotel desk clerk. Apparently, she saw some big, hot guy breathing down your neck at the bar earlier. And then, you just disappeared.”

  I glance up just as Tony is lowering himself into the plastic chair across from me. “Um, no. No big, hot guys for me tonight.” I chuckle awkwardly and Tony gives me a look of exaggerated offense.

  I wince. “Sorry,” I mouth and grin.

  In retaliation, he leans across the table and nibbles on my ear. A shock of pleasure runs through me and a little, uncontrolled whimper flies out of me. Satisfied, he smirks as he settles back in his seat.

  Nova’s voice rings out again. “Oh, hun. Don’t cry. I’m so sorry that douchebag hurt you.” Her words soothe the part of me sorely in need of comfort.

  I sigh heavily. “I should have known better. None of my friends ever liked him. That was a warning sign. I should have paid more attention to your reasons.”

  She makes a sympathetic sound. “Do you need company?” she asks. “We’ll come up to your room right now. Then we can raid the newly-wed goodie basket and trash the hotel suite.”

  “Um, no.” I shout quickly. “The hotel suite is on my dad’s credit card.” My parents already have reason enough to be disappointed in me. I don’t need to add to that.