by Cee Bowerman
Grocery shopping went quickly and it was great to have a few moments with my favorite cousin, but soon, I checked out and was on my way home. Sonny had called ahead and then told me that Jace would be there in just a little bit. He followed me as far as the turn off to his street and then I made my way home. I pulled into the garage and waited in my car until the door shut behind me before I got out. I hadn’t seen Jace’s motorcycle out front so I assumed he would be here shortly.
Once the groceries were carted into the house, I started putting everything away as my mind worked out what needed to get done today and the rest of this week. As I moved around the kitchen, muscles that hadn’t moved in years like they had this weekend protested and I could only smile at the memories.
Mace and I had made love in the boat, then at the house. After his brothers had all passed out on Friday night, we made love on the porch and then again in the bedroom before we were both so exhausted we had to sleep. He’d woken me up on Saturday morning by sliding into me slowly from behind and I’d started out my morning with two orgasms before I’d even gotten coffee.
We’d snuck away from his brothers a few times on Saturday and then after they’d left the cabin and we had it to ourselves again, Mace had made slow love to me on the rug in front of the fireplace.
Considering I’d known the man a little more than a week, I already had way too many feelings for him to be healthy. I had to resist the urge to call him more than once in just the few minutes I’d been in my house putting up groceries.
I needed to take a few steps back and reassess. I had children to consider and I couldn’t rush into a relationship without thinking of how it would affect my kids.
I turned to put the large bottle of soda in the pantry when something moved beside me. I spun around and screamed, dropping the bottle to the floor. Jace had just enough time to put his hands up to cover his face before the bottle hit the ground and exploded. Both of us were covered in Dr. Pepper.
“I’m here,” Jace said softly before he stuck his tongue out to lick the soda that was around his mouth.. “Sorry I scared you.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I assessed the damage to my kitchen. I was drenched in the sticky liquid and so was Jace and the majority of my kitchen. There was Dr. Pepper dripping off the ceiling, the cabinets, and the refrigerator.
“Okay.” I huffed out a breath and reached up to move a strand of wet hair out of my eyes.. “First, let’s both get cleaned up, then I’m going to need your help getting the Dr. Pepper off my ceiling.”
“Yeah.” Jace looked down at his soaked shirt and then back up at me. “Do you have something I can wear?”
“Your jeans aren’t really wet.” I looked down and saw that there wasn’t even a spot on them. “Take off your shirt and I’ll toss it in the washer with our stuff. I bet I can control myself at the sight of you shirtless for at least a little while.”
“Try hard.” Jace laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head and handed it to me. I did have to stare at his very defined chest for a second before I shook my head and walked over to the washing machine. “I’m going to wash my hair in the guest bath if that’s cool with you.”
“Okay,” I nodded as I tossed his shirt into the washer. “I need to do the same.”
I loaded the washer so that I could turn it on when I was done showering, grabbed the aloe vera gel I’d picked up at the store, and headed off to my bathroom. One last glance up at the ceiling and I knew there was no way we were going to get those spots off without repainting.
I’d been wanting to redecorate my kitchen anyway, I thought to myself. I guess now is just as good a time as any to start that.
◆◆◆
MACE
Once I was finished with my shower, I threw in a load of laundry and grabbed my keys. Reba had mentioned that her kids wouldn’t be home for a few more hours and I wanted to see her one more time before reality kicked in and we had to join the real world again.
On my way out the door, I picked up the plant I’d been nurturing for years and carried it to the garage with me. My family was all redheaded and we burned easily in the sun. We’d learned from an early age to always use sunscreen, but inevitably there was a spot we’d miss or we’d wait too long and get burned anyway. In turn, my mom had taken to growing aloe vera plants so she always had some fresh during the summer to soothe our burns. I knew that every one of my brothers had a plant or two in their house. I could get another clipping to start again, so it wouldn’t hurt to pass my plant on to Reba.
It would also give me a good excuse for dropping by to see her again before our lives took over.
The drive to her house was quick, Sunday traffic not too bad this early in the afternoon. The only problem I had on the way over was some woman in a small SUV who tried to take my truck out when she ran a stop sign a block over from Reba’s. I honked the horn and she flipped me off. I could tell by the look on her face and the movement of her mouth that she was not saying she was sorry for her error.
Asshole driver.
I pulled up into Reba’s driveway and shut off my truck as I watched the woman drive by slowly. I wondered for a second if she was going to stop and cuss me out, but she sped up once she got past the house.
I grabbed the plant and hopped out of my truck, ready to see Reba again even though it had only been an hour or two since we’d left each other. I rang the doorbell and waited for a minute, then I rang it again. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to text her just as the door flew open.
Jace Duke was standing in front of me, shirtless and dripping with water. His pants were unbuttoned, and his feet were bare, as if he’d just jumped out of the shower to answer the door. I’d met him a few times before and knew his older brothers, but I didn’t realize Reba knew him.
And I didn’t realize she knew him well enough from him to be in her house, shirtless and barefoot.
“Hey, man. What’s up?” Jace asked me with a smile.
“Is Reba around?”
“She’s still in the shower.” Jace looked down at the plant in my hand and then back up at my face. “Come on in. She should be out in a minute.”
“Nah.” I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
I stuck the plant out and handed it to Jace before I turned around to walk off the porch.
“You want to wait on her to get out, man?”
“Nope, just give her that for her sunburn.”
I got into my truck and drove away, a sense of calm coming over me that I knew was just the first wave before I got pissed off. My twin brother was a yell and scream first kind of guy, but I was like a tea kettle. It took me a few minutes to build up steam before I exploded and lost my shit.
And right now the steam was building.
◆◆◆
“Is your phone broken?” Seconds after my sound system shut off, I heard Ronan yell at me from the top of the stairs leading down into my basement. I ignored him and kept pushing myself. I had 10 more burpees to go before I’d let myself hit the heavy bag. I needed to blow off some of this steam or I’d hurt myself trying to use my hands. “Hello, asshole. Talking to you.”
I didn’t say anything, just grunted with the strain of my workout.
“Hello!” Royal said from just a few feet in front of me.
“What?” I growled.
Royal tilted his head and stared at me. Ronan walked over and stood by his twin. I didn’t miss how their heads were tilted at the exact same angle as their identical faces stared at me in confusion.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” I finished my burpees and walked over to the wall to get the tape so I could start on the heavy bag. “Is there something in my fucking beard?”
“Angus?” Royal said quietly.
“Not it,” I said sarcastically, realizing now that they had been looking for the little bead my twin brother kept in his beard so people could tell us apart.
“Acting like it,” Ronan laughed. “What the hell got into you?”
/>
“Go away.”
“It’s a woman.” I glanced up at Royals words and saw his and Ronan’s heads nodding in unison. “What happened after we left?”
“Do I look like I want to have a conversation with you right now?”
“Wow, so he and Angus are really twins.” Ronan laughed.
“Go away. And quit fucking laughing at me, asshole, or I’ll use you instead of the heavy bag. No one will have trouble telling the two of you apart when I get done with your face.”
“Oh, really,” Ronan growled at my threat. “If that’s the way you want to play it, then I’m all in, fucker.”
“Let him work it out on the bag. If he keeps running his mouth, then you can beat his ass,” Royal told his twin. “And then I’ll beat his ass.”
“Go. Away.”
“Nope.” Royal leaned against the wall and crossed one foot over the other. “Not until you talk. I need to see how bad you fucked up with Reba so I know how to approach her when I ask her out.”
“You better stay the fuck away from her!” I pointed at Royal and roared.
“Okay, so he’s not done with her,” Royal nodded toward Ronan. “That’s a starting place.”
10.
“This is a memory I will cherish forever.”
Reba
MACE
“Is one of you going to make tea and biscuits for our little chat or can I drink a fucking beer?” I snarled at the two men who had followed me up from my basement into the kitchen.
“Thanks, I’ll take one too.” Royal smiled brightly at me and I had to hold myself back from punching his smiling face. “You want one, Ro?”
“Sure. Beer me.” Ronan pulled out a chair and flopped down at the table.
“I had a great weekend with Reba.”
“Obviously,” Royal nodded as he slid a beer across the table to his twin before he took a seat. “You guys were all gross and happy Saturday. And I heard you two on the porch communing with nature on Friday night by the way.”
“Whatever.” I leaned over the kitchen sink and splashed cold water on my face for a second before I stood up and wiped my face with a paper towel. “We came back to town and parted ways at her car. I came home and showered and then took that aloe vera plant over to her for her sunburn.”
“Awww,” Ronan grinned. “That’s sweet.”
“Fuck you.”
“Continue,” Royal waved his hand.
“Sam and Zeke’s little brother opened the door, fresh out of the shower. Said she was still in the shower.”
“That’s all he said?” Ronan looked confused.
“I handed him the plant and told him it was for her sunburn and then left.”
“No, hold on. That’s all he said?”
“He asked if I wanted to come in and wait for her, but why the fuck would I do that if she’s already got a man?”
“I get why you thought that, but look at the facts here.” Ronan put his hand up when I started to argue. “Hear me out, okay?”
“Whatever.” I grabbed a beer and leaned against the counter while I opened it and took a long draw.
“Now, Ro, if you were living with a woman and some strange guy brings over a plant for her what would you say to him?”
“Well, I’d ask him who the fuck he was, what he was doing there, and why in the hell he was bringing my woman a gift,” Royal answered his twin. “Did this guy do any of that?”
“No, he did not.” Ronan looked up at me with wide eyes. “I wonder why he didn’t do any of those things, Mace.”
“Oh, pick me, pick me!” Royal raised his hand like he was a first grade teacher's pet.
“Royal, why do you think he didn’t do any of those things?”
“I’m going to guess he’s a friend, maybe a relative. What do you think, Mace?”
I took a deep breath and let my head fall back, thinking of Jace’s reaction when he saw me on the porch. He was friendly, invited me in, didn’t seem offended that some man was bringing Reba a gift. He acted like he was just a houseguest, not a significant other.
My front door opened and I heard Lena’s crutches on the tile before I even heard her voice.
“What did you do, Mace Conner?”
“He was stupid,” Royal chuckled.
“Yup. Jumped right off the cliff of redhead temper tantrum into the abyss of dumbass,” Ronan explained.
“Did you talk to her?” I asked Lena, ignoring my smartass brothers.
“No, I didn’t talk to her,” Lena scoffed as she reached over and snatched Ronan’s beer off the table. She chugged what was left of the bottle, let out a delicate belch, and then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Sorry, kids are making me fucking crazy right now with their screaming.”
“What makes you think I did something?”
“The Ros texted me,” Lena explained.
Ronan and Royal told her the conclusion the two of them had come to and I cringed when Lena stared at me with a furious expression.
“What?” I growled at her.
“You think I’d let you get all hot and bothered for a woman who’s already dating someone? Living with someone? In a relationship? Really?”
“Now, I didn’t…”
“What sort of person do you think I am that I would encourage that? Really?”
“Lena, now listen…”
“You’re a dumbass and I can’t even tell you why because I told her I would stay out of her business.”
“So you knew there was a man staying at her house, but you didn’t say anything because it’s just that unimportant.” Ronan pointed out. “Hmmm.”
“Would you just shut up for a fucking minute?” I growled at Ronan. “Jesus, the two of you are like little gnats buzzing around my head. Just shut up.”
Ronan and Royal both smiled and I saw that Lena had to bite her lip so she didn’t join them.
“I fucked up.”
“No!” Lena jumped right on that sarcasm boat my brothers had been in for the last hour.
“How do I fix it?”
“Well, she doesn’t know you’ve fucked up, right?” Ronan asked me. “I think we just keep this little hiccup here between us and you give your girl a call to say hello and make sure she got the aloe vera.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re the smart set of twins in the family?” Lena asked Ronan and Royal conversationally. “Because I think you might be.”
“Well, yeah, we’re the best looking ones too,” Royal touted. “Hands down, we’re just the all around perfect Conners.”
Even Lena rolled her eyes at that one and then she looked over at me, “Where’s your phone?”
“In my truck, I guess. I don’t know.”
“Find it,” Lena’s eyebrows went up and she used her ‘mom voice’ on me. “She’s probably already sent you five messages thanking you for the damn plant and now she wonders why you aren’t responding. Seriously, how has no woman just stabbed one of you guys yet?”
“Oh, have you not heard about Jennifer?” Ronan said in a whisper. Lena was interested now and she sat down next to my brother so they could gossip about one of Royal’s crazy exes. Just like that, they were done with my little problem and onto more fun things, leaving me standing in my kitchen feeling like an idiot.
I finished my beer and walked out into the garage to find my phone. I saw that the light on it was blinking the second I picked it up. I had three missed messages and one missed call. All of them from Reba.
“Shit.”
The first message was a simple ‘Thank you for the plant.’ The second message was, ‘Can you give me a call?’ The third message said, ‘I’d like to talk to you, please. Call me or come to my house.’
I decided to just go there and face my idiocy head on. I shot her a text that said, ‘Be there in 20’ and then walked back into my house.
“All you fuckers go home. I’m going to shower and then go see Reba. I’ll explain how much of a dumbass I was just so none of you
three think you have ammunition to use later.” I told Lena and my brothers as I walked through the house toward my bedroom. “Bye.”
Their laughter just irritated me even more., I hoped I could find a better frame of mind before I headed over to see my girl.
◆◆◆
REBA
“You’re sure he didn’t say anything?” I asked Jace from the floor. He was on the ladder trying to scrub Dr. Pepper off the ceiling, but it seemed like all he was doing was dislodging those little texture balls from the paint and letting them land in my hair.
“Nah, I asked him if he wanted to wait and he said no.”
“Well, damn.”
“I mean, he knew I was here, right? Why would he be mad?”
“Well, I didn’t exactly tell him that I’ve got a bodyguard staying at my house with me.”
“Oh,” Jace said, drawing that one little word out over about five syllables. “Did you text him?”
“Yeah.” I sat back on my feet and reached up to brush the hair out of my eyes. Just then my phone beeped, so I snatched it off the counter to look at my incoming message. “Oh! He’s coming over!”
“Want me to make myself scarce?”
“No. I’m going to tell him why you’re here. I don’t want him to think I’ve got something to hide. I should be honest.”
“Yup.”
“Does your girlfriend know you’re staying at a woman’s house?”
“Don’t have a girlfriend. That’s why I’m the one staying here.”
“Makes sense.” I laughed. “Less explaining to do that way.”
I put my phone back on the cabinet and then stood up to rinse my rag out in the sink. I’d tackled one set of cabinets already, but had plenty more to go along with a portion of one wall. I was trying to look at this like a sudden opportunity for some deep cleaning rather than a chore caused by me being a jumpy fool.
