by K. C. Lynn
After I finish and start changing I hear the most beautiful laugh erupt from the gym, the familiar sound washing over me and making my chest pull tight. “Sawyer, put me down or I’ll have Bandit sic you.” Anna threatens with a giggle.
Shit! I’m not ready to see her again. Oh what the hell am I saying? I fucking crave to see her, but every time I do it ends badly, and I hate causing her pain.
I finish pulling on my shirt then take a deep breath before walking out into the gym. Like always, my first glance of her hits me like a blow to the chest and sucks the oxygen right out of my lungs.
Jesus, she is fucking beautiful.
Her soft yellow tank top and jean shorts compliment her warm skin tone and tight, lithe body. A body that I’ve missed almost as much as the girl herself.
As if feeling the weight of my stare she looks up and her gaze collides with mine. Her soft brown eyes flare with surprise and something else, something that I can’t decipher. I break eye contact first, not wanting to see the pain and anger I know is to come, then head over to the ring and grab my stuff. As I’m shoving my shit into my bag I feel a soft finger trail down my arm. I look over and have to bite back a curse. Shit. This chick does not give up. Lindsay is her name, I think. No wait, Lana. No…Lauren? Oh who gives a fuck—the bitch is relentless.
“Hey, Logan.”
I want to cringe at her whiney voice but manage to hold back. “Hey.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Heading home.”
“Want some company?” She tries to sound seductive but it comes out annoying and grates on my nerves.
“Nope.”
I feel her tense next to me but I don’t bother to look up. “Well maybe I could leave my number in case you change—”
“I’m not interested.” Just like the last four fucking times.
With a huff I hear her walk away or at least I thought so, but when I feel a hand on my arm again a moment later I fucking snap and turn on her. “Look, I said to fuck…” I trail off when I look into the face of an angel, the same one that haunts my dreams every night.
“Sorry,” Anna apologizes softly, releasing my arm.
“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was you.”
“It’s okay.” I wait for her to say something, bracing myself for a confrontation. “So I was wondering if maybe you wanted to…um, well…” She releases a frustrated breath at her stammering and shakes her head. “Did you want to come with me to Grace’s pie bakery down the street to…talk?” Her offer renders me speechless and she takes it the wrong way. “Yeah, okay, never mind. Forget I asked.” She turns to walk away but I grab her arm before she can escape and it’s like a bolt of fucking electricity straight to my system. I can tell she feels it too, if her slight gasp is anything to go by. She glances down at where I touch her but I don’t let go.
“Yeah, Anna, I’ll go with you.” I’d fucking go anywhere with her.
“Okay, let me just say goodbye.”
With a nod I step back and watch as she goes to retrieve her purse, my eyes glued to her incredible ass. When I finally pull my gaze away, I look up to see Jaxson glaring at me like he’s about to take me out. It’s a glare that I remember well, but I don’t let it deter me and shrug unapologetically.
Anna walks over to him and wraps her arms around his waist. That sight used to really piss me off when we were first together. Actually, their entire relationship bothered me. She’s always had a hero worship thing for him. Don’t get me wrong, I was glad the guy was there for her, I just hated that someone else was that for her because I wanted to be the only one she turned to. But then I pulled my head out of my ass and accepted their relationship for what it was, and I’m glad she has him. Especially since I ended up fucking up and couldn’t be there for her anyway.
I’m pulled from my thoughts as she walks over to me, and I realize I’ve been staring at her like an idiot. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” I decide to leave my bag for now and gesture for her to go first.
Just as we make it to the door Sarge calls out to her. “Hey, Anna girl, bring some pie back for Bandit and me, will ya? Just tell that sweet woman to put it on this guy’s tab,” he says, pointing to Sawyer.
“That dog is not eating any fucking pie while under this roof,” Jaxson says.
“Why the hell not?”
“Because he will have the shits and that is the last fucking thing I want in my gym.”
Sarge’s argument gets cut off when Anna opens the door with a giggle and walks out. I follow suit, getting a whiff of her incredible scent from the slight breeze in the air and it instantly turns my dick hard. Silence settles between us as we walk side by side. I get the familiar urge to grab her hand or touch her in some way, so I reach into my pocket and pull out my smokes in an effort to keep my hands busy. I light one up, hoping to take some of this edge off.
“When did you start that up again?” She tries to keep her tone light but I can detect her disapproval. I quit the first time for her because she fucking hated it, said she didn’t want me to die.
“Four years ago.” It was pretty much the one luxury I could have and it helped ease the tension that constantly coiled inside of me while being locked up in that fucking place. It gave me a small sense of choice and freedom that I no longer had. I glance over to see her nod but can tell it bothers her just as much now as it did before. Taking one more pull, I toss it to the ground and under my boot.
“You didn’t have to do that,” she mumbles softly.
Instead of responding I decide to change the topic. “So what’s with Sarge?”
“What do you mean?”
I shrug. “I recognized him from that night when you walked out of the shelter. When I asked Jaxson where he came from he gave me some vague shit about the things he does for you.”
A smile graces her face. “I met him when I first started volunteering at St. Mary’s and we clicked right away. I was pretty much the only one whose head he didn’t bite off. He’s a kind man but he can be grumpy at times,” she explains with affection but her easy demeanor slips with what she says next. “He’s a former Marine, and his story of how he ended up here is heartbreaking. I came out the other night to see him in the rain because the shelter was full. I just couldn’t leave him like that, and since I can’t have him in the dorm I called Jaxson.” Her smile returns and so does that hero worship. “It sounds like it’s going all right, minus the obvious differences about Bandit,” she says with a chuckle.
“Yeah, it seems like he fits in with them. He’s quite the character. He was trying to be my manager today.”
“Manager?”
“Yep, he thinks I’m a machine and that after this is over I can make us loads of money. His words not mine,” I add with a smirk.
“After what is over exactly?” she whispers, making me realize my mistake too late. She immediately cuts a hand through the air. “Never mind, sorry I asked. I’ve already been informed that you can’t talk about it.” Her tone is light but I can sense her frustration.
I don’t want her to know. I don’t want her caught up in any of this shit. “You’re right, I can’t talk about it, but I’m sure you have a good idea what I’m doing and who I’m doing it for since I’m out early.”
She looks up at me with even more questions burning in her gaze, but thankfully I don’t have to elaborate because we make it to the bakery just in the knick of time. A pink, little, Victorian-styled shop with white trim that’s called A Slice Of Hope With A Sprinkle of Grace.
We walk in to see it’s quite busy and I’m not surprised. I’ve had the pleasure of eating Grace’s pies many times before at the gatherings Anna was invited to. They are the best this world has to offer.
“Anna, Anna, Anna.” A little girl squeals as she runs over to us and jumps into Anna’s waiting arms. By her blonde hair and bright green eyes I have no doubt that this is Sawyer and Grace’s daughter.
“Well hey there, little Mi
ss Hope, are you helpin’ Mama out today?”
“I sure am. Parker and Beckett are havin’ a play date so Mama said I could be her helper for the day. We made Daddy a special pie called Daddy Love Pie, we’re gonna surpwise him with it tonight after supper.”
“Well I’ll bet it’s delicious and we both know your Daddy will try to eat it all without sharing.”
“Pwobably.” She giggles but it trails off when she looks over at me. Curiosity sparks in her eyes.
Anna quickly introduces us. “Hope, this is Logan. Logan, this sweet little thing is Hope Evans.”
“Hi, Hope, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi.” She waves with a shy smile.
“Oh, Anna, what a pleasant surprise,” Grace says, walking out of the back. She slightly falters when she sees me but recovers quickly. After giving Anna a hug she turns and pulls me in for one, too. “Logan, it’s so good to see you.”
I tense without meaning to, uncomfortable with her affection, but I pat her back awkwardly, not wanting to be an asshole. “Thanks, Grace, you, too.”
“Why don’t y’all go take a seat at the far back table while Hope and I get you guys some drinks.”
“Sounds good.” Anna puts Hope back to her feet and I quickly notice that the little girl is dressed exactly like her mom, wearing a yellow ’50s-styled uniform with a little white apron. She even has her name embroidered on the top left of her chest. Other than Sawyer’s green eyes she looks exactly like Grace.
Both Anna and I order a soda then go to take a seat at the only table in the back. Anna ends up sitting in the chair that’s against the wall, which means I will have to sit with my back to the entire place. The thought has my stomach churning and my heart racing. “Would you mind if we switched seats?”
She’s caught off guard by my request but quickly obliges. “Sure.”
I take the seat and breathe a little easier at feeling the wall against my back. Anna watches me with an assessing gaze and I fucking hate it.
Thankfully, we are interrupted before she can think too much about it. “Here are your sodas.” Hope holds one cup in both of her tiny hands while Grace carries the other. I get the glass that Hope had, which has sticky liquid dripping all down the side of it, but Grace is there to quickly wipe it off.
“Sorry,” she apologizes quietly, but I wave away her concern.
“Awight, what can we get for y’all?” Hope says, pulling a little notepad out of the front of her apron and a pen from behind her ear. “Would you like to hear our special of the day?”
“I would love to,” Anna responds, biting back a laugh.
“The special is True Wove Pie. You want some of that? It might make ya fall in wove,” she says with a giggle.
Anna’s smile dims. “I’ll just have some warm apple pie with ice cream please,” She requests her order quietly.
Hope scribbles on her note pad with a bunch of squiggles then looks over at me. “Uh, I’ll have the same.” I don’t know what else there is and I don’t want to drag out the awkward moment that everyone can feel but Hope.
“Okay, comin’ wight up.”
We’re left alone while they go collect our order. Anna looks down and fiddles with her hands nervously. I can tell she has something on her mind but doesn’t know how to start. I hate seeing her like this around me, and finally, I can’t take the strain any longer. Reaching over, I cover her twining hands with my own and notice how cold they feel. “It’s me, Anna, whatever you have to say you can say it.”
She stops fidgeting and looks up at me, her gaze vulnerable and it tears me up. It also makes me fucking nervous for whatever she has to say.
“I just want to say I’m sorry.”
My brows furrow in confusion, not expecting her to say that. “Sorry for what?”
“For how I spoke to you the other night, or rather for every time that we’ve run into each other. Obviously, I’m still hurt about the past but I don’t want to be any more. I just want to forget about it all. If we run into each other I don’t want it to be a fight or uncomfortable, especially for the people around us. I understand the guys are helping you do whatever it is that you’re doing and that’s okay.” She lets out a breath and shrugs. “I just wanted to say that and clear the air.”
I watch her silently, trying to absorb everything she just said. “I understand what you’re saying but there’s just one problem.”
“What’s that?” she asks hesitantly.
“I’ll never forget a second of our time together, and I don’t want to.”
Her lips part on a subtle gasp, her eyes remaining locked with mine. The air suddenly fills with a different tension than it was five minutes ago. It’s the kind that always surrounded Anna and me, no matter how long we were together.
“Here is your pie and ice cweam.” Hope’s voice penetrates our moment and Anna quickly slides her hands out from under mine.
“Can we get y’all anythin’ else?” Grace asks.
We both shake our heads and they leave us once again. Things are quiet while we eat, and I figure now is probably a good time to bring up the one thing that I’m dreading to address but needs to be done. “I went and saw my sister and mom the other day.”
Her head snaps up in surprise. “Oh?”
I hold her stare. “I wasn’t expecting to see them like that. I expected shit to be the same, if not worse.”
Her eyes fall to her plate again. “Jaxson wanted to help,” she whispers.
“Yeah, because of you.” She continues to watch her food. “You didn’t have to do that, Anna. I never expected you to shoulder any of my responsibility.”
She shrugs. “It’s not a big deal. Your sister was hurting and I knew your mom was in no shape to help her through it.”
“I disagree, it’s a very big deal. I hate knowing that you dealt with that shit, but thank you, I appreciate you helping. More for my sister’s sake than my mom’s, because you’re right, she wouldn’t have been there for Janey the way she should have been.”
She glances back up at me. “She’s different now.”
“So I hear.”
“You don’t believe it?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what to think right now and I don’t want to talk about it either.”
My tone doesn’t deter her but she respects my answer. “Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah.” I brace myself for what she’s about to ask.
“Do you have to go back?” My eyes narrow in confusion so she elaborates. “After you’re done doing whatever it is that you’re doing here. Do…do you have to go back to prison?” She looks petrified for my answer.
“No, I’m out for good.”
She visibly relaxes and nods. “That’s good.”
Yeah, it’s good, but out here won’t be the same as before. I have a lot of trials ahead of me once this is done, like a job. Who the hell is going to hire an ex-convict? What Sarge said earlier replays in my head, but I push it aside for another time, I have enough shit on my plate right now.
We finish the rest of our pie in silence. As we get ready to leave Anna grabs her purse to pay.
“Put it away, Anna.” My tone is harsher than I intend for it to be and she stiffens at the order.
“I invited you, Logan, remember? I can pay for it or at the very least pay for myself.” When I continue to glare at her she rolls her eyes and puts her wallet away with a huff. “I see you’re still stubborn,” she mumbles under her breath.
Her irritation makes me smirk. In the end it doesn’t matter because when I go to pay Grace refuses my money. So instead I leave a generous tip and make sure to give it to Hope, which she excitedly stashes in the front of her apron. Grace hands Anna a to-go box filled with enough food to feed an army to take back with us, including a separate one for Bandit. It seems she has taken a liking to Sarge, too.
After we say goodbye we make our way back to the gym. I try to walk slow, not wanting our time to come to an end, because I don’t know
when I’ll get to see her again.
“So, I saw that you know Sara Claiborne,” she says, breaking the silence.
“Who?” I ask, confused.
“The girl who was trying to go home with you.”
Oh, so Sara is her name. Fuck, I was way off with Lauren.
Anna scoffs. “Don’t tell me you’ve slept with her and don’t even know her name?”
I glance over to see her staring straight ahead, trying to act unaffected, but I know better. “Jealous, Anna?” I get a sick satisfaction at the thought.
“Yeah right, I don’t think so.”
Her sass has my cock turning rock hard. Just as we make it outside the gym I grab her elbow to swing her around, and back her up against her car. She sucks in a sharp breath, her eyes flaring as I brace my hands on either side of her head, caging her in.
“Good. You should never be jealous of anyone because there’s no one on this earth who could ever compare to you.” Her expression softens and time seems to stand still as we stare at one another. Before I can stop myself I lean in close and drag my nose along the side of her soft cheek, bringing my mouth to her ear. “And no, I haven’t slept with her, there’s only one pussy I want, Anna, and I think we both know whose that is.”
Her chest heaves beneath mine as her breathing becomes short and uneven. I’m an asshole and I know it. I have no right to make her feel this, but I fucking crave it. I need to know she still feels this as much as me.
“Logan.” My dick jerks at the breathless sound of my name falling past her lips, but by the tremble in it, it’s hard to tell if it’s a protest or welcome. I’m hoping for the latter.
I lean back to look down at her, needing the reassurance, when a prickle of unease runs through me. It’s a feeling I’ve grown accustomed to and one I always trust. Taking in my surroundings, my attention is immediately drawn to a black SUV that’s parked across the street. The person in the driver’s seat is staring directly at me. I squint to get a closer look at the guy but he’s wearing a hat that shields the top half of his face, raising my suspicion.
