by Heather Lyn
The driver drops Hollie off first. Giving me a hug, she promises to call me later tomorrow to make plans for a double date. Waving goodbye, I watch her stumble into her house and then we’re on our way to Brody’s. Ten minutes later when we pull into his driveway, I pay the driver and climb out, heading toward his front door. But it’s only as the driver leaves that I realize I made a huge mistake.
I don’t have a key.
Shit, drunk Lindsey is really stupid.
Pulling my cell from my purse, I swipe through the apps and pull up FaceTime, plopping onto the chair on his front porch. Thankfully he left his outdoor light on, so I’m not in total darkness. A few seconds later, he answers the call.
“Well, hey there, beautiful.” Smiling at me through my phone, he looks so heart-stopping gorgeous, his dark hair a mess.
Waving, I giggle when I realize that I can’t keep the phone steady. “Hi, hot-ass boyfriend.”
“You feelin’ good, Linds?”
“Yes, yes I am. So, I’m in kind of a predicament, Brody.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m at your house.” Turning my phone around, I show him his house, as if he has no idea what it looks like, giggling like a hyena at my own stupidity. “I forgot I don’t have a key and now I’m locked out. Some wildebeest will probably come eat me and you’ll find my half-eaten skeleton lying on your porch.”
“Jesus, Linds, what the fuck did you drink? There’s a spare key under the plant next to you. We’re closing at twelve, so I won’t be home for a while. Are you gonna be okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just need a water and your bed. I’m starting to not feel so good.” Finding the key where he said it was, I stand on shaky legs and stumble to the front door, unlocking it on the fifth try. Brody laughs at me, and I look at my phone to see it’s aimed at the ceiling. “Oh, sorry.” Righting the camera angle, I blow him a sloppy kiss and he laughs again.
“Okay, I gotta go. The bar is crazy tonight, but call me if you need anything, okay?”
“Okay, Brody. I’m gonna go lie in your bed now.”
“Sounds good, baby. I love you. See you later.”
Blowing another kiss, I end the call and head into the kitchen to get a water and some Tylenol. Swallowing the pills, I drain the bottle and grab another to bring to the bedroom. Picking Brody’s side of the bed, I pull the covers back and adjust the pillows. Stripping out of my tight jeans and blouse, I crawl into the bed in just my tank top and panties, burrowing under the blankets. Looking through his end table, I find the remote for the television and switch it on.
Settling on the last couple innings of a Braves game, I hunker down, eyes already starting to feel heavy. Too much alcohol and not enough sleep the night before is taking its toll on me, and in minutes I fall asleep, knowing I’ll feel like absolute garbage in the morning.
§
The first thing that registers when I wake up is it’s too motherfucking bright in this room. And then I notice that I’m completely wrapped in Brody’s arms, who is asleep behind me. Yawning, I move around until I get comfortable again, checking the clock on his end table: eight in the morning.
“Shit,” I grumble, maneuvering out of the bed as gently as I can, not wanting to wake Brody. Snatching my cell from where I left it, I quietly pad to the bathroom off his living room, not wanting to disturb him. Surprisingly, I feel fine. Once I’ve relieved my overly full bladder, I wash my hands and face and head out to the kitchen. Starting a large pot of coffee, I plop down at the kitchen table to wait for it to brew.
While I wait, I check the notifications on my phone and find a missed call from an unknown number with a voice mail. Not thinking, I pull it up and press my phone to my ear. At first there’s nothing, and then a distorted voice begins speaking, my skin going clammy as I jump up from the chair.
“Listen here, you bitch. You think you’re so fucking smart, but you don’t know shit. You’re gonna fucking get what’s coming to you. You owe me.”
“Brody!”
Tears fall down my cheeks as I drop to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest when my back hits the wall. Not knowing if he heard me, I cry harder and yell even louder for him.
“Brody! Please….”
My forehead on my knees, I shake my head back and forth, the sound of Brody’s footsteps echoing down the hallway until I see his bare feet in front of me.
“Linds, what happened? Baby, what’s wrong?” Dropping to his knees in front of me, he reaches for me and I throw myself into his arms, burying my face in his chest. Unable to talk over my cries, I start the voice mail again, this time putting it on speakerphone. My hand shakes as it plays, the horrible voice loudly blasting around the empty room. When it’s over, Brody paces in front of me, pulling at his hair.
“Son of a fucking bitch!”
“We need to call the police,” I force out, brushing at the tears on my cheeks.
“Fuck. Let me grab my phone. I’ll be right back, baby.” Pressing a fierce kiss to my lips, he rushes from the room. In moments I can hear him shouting on the phone, to who I presume is either his brother or a poor emergency operator. Either way, he comes back out a few minutes later, fully dressed and looking pissed off.
“Garret will be here in a few minutes. Can I see your phone for a sec?” he asks, holding his hand out to me. Nodding, I place it into his open palm and he scrolls through it.
“What are you looking for?” I ask, moving to sit in a kitchen chair.
“Garret wanted to know what time the call came in. It must’ve gone off before I came home, because I never heard it ring. Here we go, it says the call was missed at eleven twenty.”
“Lovely. Do you mind if I borrow a pair of sweatpants or something? I want to get changed before your brother gets here,” I say, gesturing to my underwear and tank.
“Yeah, of course, Linds. Whatever you need, okay?”
Softly padding to the bedroom, I put on my jeans from yesterday and rifle through his drawers until I find one of his navy hoodies, pulling it over my head. It’s huge on me, but it smells like him and I need that at the moment. I need him.
Turning for the living room, I find Brody standing right behind me, leaning against the doorframe, a stressed expression on his face.
“My clothes look good on you, baby.”
“Well, duh. I look good in anything,” I joke, my smile not quite meeting my eyes.
He opens his arms to me, and I wrap mine around his waist, gripping the material of his shirt tightly. I breathe him in as he rest his cheek on top of my head, his breath blowing my hair around.
“I thought this was over. What does that mean, I owe him? What could I possibly owe him?”
“I don’t know, baby, but I don’t like it. Don’t freak out, but I wanted to run something by you.”
“What?” I ask, pulling away from him so I can stare at him.
“Until they get him behind bars, what would you think about staying here with me?”
“Move in with you? Brody, that’s way too fast. It’s only been three—”
“I don’t mean permanently, at least not yet. Just until this asshole is caught. Please, baby, I’d feel so much better if I knew you weren’t alone in your apartment, fifteen minutes away from me every night. And then when they get him, then you can go back. But I really think it’s smart, okay? The longer this goes on, the harder it is to let you stay there every night.”
“Okay,” I agree, going up on tiptoes so I can kiss his scruffy cheek.
“Thank you.”
Before I get a chance to respond, I hear a vehicle turn into his driveway, signaling Garret is here.
Reaching for my hand, Brody presses a soft kiss to the back of it, holding eye contact with me. “I love you, Linds.”
“Love you too. Let’s get this over with.”
We make it to the living room as Garret starts knocking on the front door, and I stride over to the couch and drop down, knowing this is going to be a long day.
§
Garret left about twenty minutes ago. He took my statement and took off, wanting to get back to the station as soon as he could.
Running my fingers through my wet hair, I finish drying off from my fast shower and get dressed in a pair of Brody’s sweatpants and that navy hoodie. I hope he realizes it’s mine now. Grabbing a hair tie from my purse, I pull my hair into a knot on top of my head and walk out to the living room.
Brody is pulling on his black boots, dressed in a simple black T-shirt and jeans. He looks up when I enter the room and flashes me a smile.
“Ready to go grab some stuff?”
Nodding, I slip my feet into my shoes and sling my purse over my shoulder, following him out to his truck. He drives us the fifteen minutes to my apartment, parking next to my car.
“So, you took an Uber to and from the restaurant? Such a party girl,” he jokes, rolling his eyes at me. I swat at his chest and he laughs.
“No, I just wanted to be able to go out and enjoy myself for once.”
“Oh, you wound me. Do you not enjoy yourself when your hot-ass boyfriend takes you out?”
“Brody, you have to know that I always enjoy myself when I’m with you.”
“Linds, I was joking, baby.”
Running my hands over my face, I look at him as he pulls the keys from the ignition.
“I know you were joking, but I’m being serious. I hope you know that, Brody. Whether we’re at home or out, no matter what we do, I’m happy as long as it’s with you.”
“Same. Now let’s go get you a few things. And if you only want to pack sexy panties and bras, I’m completely okay with that.”
“Yeah, you wish, Walker.” Leaning over for a kiss, I hop down from the truck and, hand in hand, we walk to my apartment. The sun is shining, birds are singing, and I’m with the man I love. Absolutely nothing in this world could bring me down right now.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Brody
“Hey, Mom,” I greet, answering her call. I’m lounging on Lindsey’s couch, waiting for her to pack some things, happy she agreed to my idea.
“Hey, sweetheart. I was wondering, do you have any plans today?”
“Nope. Hanging with my girl is all I have planned.”
Mom laughs. “Oh, you’re so gone over this girl, and I can’t wait to meet her. Why don’t you kids come by? Your dad and I are just hanging around, so I thought I’d invite you over for lunch.”
“Yeah, shouldn’t be a problem. Let me ask her real fast.”
Standing from the couch, I head to Lindsey’s bedroom, finding her tossing some clothes into a duffel bag.
“Hey, Linds, you up for meeting my parents today?”
Her eyes widen but then she nods, smile growing on her face. “I would love to. Ask if we need to bring anything.”
Winking, I turn from the room.
“Nope, don’t bring anything,” Mom says, obviously having heard Linds. “We’ll have sandwiches and I’ll make a pitcher of iced tea. You kids just come over whenever you’d like.”
“Okay, Mom. I’ll text you in a little while to let you know when we’re on our way.”
“Perfect. See you later. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
Ending the call, I lock my phone and stuff it into my front pocket. Lindsey walks out of her bedroom a few minutes later, duffel thrown over her shoulder and a smaller bag in hand.
“Ready to go?” I ask, taking the bags from her.
“Yup. I only grabbed a few days’ worth, but I figure I’ll come back on Wednesday after work to get some more stuff.”
“Sounds good. Let’s roll, baby.”
When we make it down to my truck, I toss her bags in the bed and we get inside. Lindsey surprises me and scoots over to the middle seat, pressed right up against me. After we get buckled up, she leans her head on my shoulder, her left hand on my leg.
Kissing her forehead, I start the truck and we’re on the road, heading back toward her temporary home for the next week. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can convince her to make it her permanent home after.
Just maybe.
§
“Baby, you look fine, I promise. You’re stunning, even if you had on a plastic bag.”
Lindsey is running her hands over her jeans, worried she’s not up to par as we sit in my parents’ driveway. Not a hint of makeup on her gorgeous face, blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders in waves.
“I just want them to like me,” she says, wringing her hands together.
Reaching over to calm her hands, I brush a strand of hair off her face and tuck it behind her ear, softly kissing her neck.
“You’re the woman I’m in love with, and they’ll love you too. All I’ve talked about since we started dating is you. They’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a while now, okay?”
She nods briskly. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Getting out of my truck, we walk hand in hand to my parents’ large farmhouse-style home of almost thirty years.
“Brody, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, Linds.”
“Do they know? About Jeffrey and everything?”
Stopping halfway up the stairs, I look down at her. “Yeah, they do. Not everything, but they know enough. But they won’t bring it up, I can promise that. Okay?”
She nods and give me a smile, squeezing my hand. Walking the last few steps, I usher her inside the house, closing the door behind us with a bang.
“Mom, we’re here. Where are you guys?”
Moving down the long hallway that will take us to the large eat-in kitchen, I find both parents sitting at the breakfast bar. Mom gets off the stool and I open my arms to hug her, but she bypasses me and goes straight for my girlfriend. Raising an eyebrow, I look to my dad, who laughs.
“Um, hello. Your son is here too,” I say to my mom, waving at her to announce my presence.
She hugs Lindsey tight, then turns to me. “Oh, honey, I know you’re here. But it’s been so long since we’ve had such a beautiful young lady in the house, I figured you could wait.”
“Ouch,” I reply, pretending I’m wounded.
Mom chuckles and comes over to hug me tight. I squeeze her to me, knowing there’s nothing better in this world than a hug from your mom.
Dad gets up and holds his hand out to Lindsey, beaming down at her.
“Lindsey, I’m Keith Walker. So nice to meet you, my dear. This is Angela. You’ll have to excuse my wife, she’s just excited.”
“Oh, that’s okay. My mom was excited to meet Brody too. I get the feeling you guys would get along just fine.” Lindsey tucks her hands into her back pockets and gives me a sly grin.
“Oh, baby, that’s not funny. We are never putting those women in the same room. Ever. That would be trouble from the get-go,” I groan.
Mom puts her hands on her hips and fixes me with her patented mom glare.
“Excuse me, Brody Walker, but what if you marry this beautiful woman? We’ll have to meet one day.”
I shake my head, trying hard to keep a straight face. “Nope. Negative. Separate ceremonies, on different days, in different counties, with—”
“Brody!” Mom shouts, causing us all to start laughing.
With the initial meeting going well, Mom ushers us over to the kitchen table where she has lunch all set up. Lindsey and I sit across from my parents, and I don’t miss Linds scooting her chair closer to mine so she can rest her hand on my leg.
While we wait for Mom to grab plates, she turns her head and whispers in my ear. “Your mom is the best.”
I have to agree, and I place a chaste kiss to her lips and wrap my arm around her shoulders. From the other side of the room, I see Mom watching us with a smile, clearly happy with the events of today. Coming over to the table, she passes around some paper plates and sits across from us, brushing her blonde hair off her face.
“So, Lindsey, Tell us all about yourself. I want to know everything.”
> I reach for the loaf of bread as Lindsey begins talking and offer it to her. She shakes her head at me while talking. Shrugging, I go about making my sandwich while she chatters on. Her voice and happiness are music to my ears, and I soon zone out, watching her animatedly go on about her job at the hospital.
I can’t help thinking about what a lucky son of a bitch I am. I love this woman so fucking much.
§
“Aw, Brody, you didn’t tell me you were such a cute baby!”
Lindsey is sharing the love seat with my mom, who’s placed the giant baby book in her lap, showing as many embarrassing photos as she can manage.
“Baby, I’ve always been cute. You should know this by now.”
Dad comes in the room with two beers in hand, offering me one. I accept it with a nod and take a pull, staring at Lindsey over the bottom of it.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Sticking her tongue out at me, she goes back to the photos, laughing at one Mom shows her a moment later.
Groaning, I get comfortable in the chair and take another sip of my beer when my cell starts ringing from my pocket. “Shit.”
Grabbing it, I check the screen and see it’s my brother.
“What’s up, Garret?” Mom looks up when she hears me and waves at the phone. “Oh, and Mom says hi, by the way.”
“Yeah, hi, Mom. Brody, where are you? I’ve called Lindsey like three times.”
I stand from the chair, placing my beer bottle on the coffee table.
“We’re at Mom and Dad’s. I told you, Mom was saying hi.”
“I thought you were fucking with me. Listen, something happened.”
“What? What happened?” Lindsey looks up at me with concern in her eyes, and Dad comes to grab my shoulder, everyone staring at me. “Garret?”
“We got him, brother. Jeffrey Lake is in police custody.”
I let out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding, my knees almost buckling underneath me. I can hear Garret giving me the details, but his words don’t register. My eyes are locked on Lindsey, hers filled with concern and worry.
