by J. L. Leslie
“Hi, Mom,” I answer.
“Sweetheart, it’s so good to hear your voice! How’s Europe?”
The guilt of lying to her hits me. We have a good relationship. We don’t lie to each other. Well...
“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”
“Okay, honey. What’s going on? Did you run out of money because I can wire you some?”
“It’s not that,” I reply. “Mom, I know.”
“I’m sorry, honey. I’m not following.”
“Mom, I know,” I repeat. “When I was cleaning out dad’s office, I found the papers. The adoption papers. I know you and dad aren’t my biological parents.” The line is quiet for what seems like a lifetime. “Mom, say something.”
“We are your parents. It doesn’t matter if I gave birth to you or not.”
“How could you keep that from me?”
“Sweetheart, it’s not like that. You are our daughter.”
“I have brothers. Do they know?” Again with the silence. “Do they know, Mom?”
“Not that I’m aware of. We don’t speak with the Steeles about this. We all signed an NDA. This was a closed adoption. I never should’ve written that letter. I’m sorry you found out this way.”
I realize I’m crying, tears streaming down my face. I hadn’t meant to confront her. Thought I would figure everything out before going back home and then decide what to do. But when I heard her voice, I knew I couldn’t keep lying.
“Sorry I found out this way, or sorry I found out at all?”
“Lillian, you should come home. Let us all talk about this.”
“I’ll come home soon. I have to go.”
I disconnect the call before she can say anything else. I can’t talk to her anymore right now. Can’t listen to her tell me it changes nothing. That we should pretend it never happened because I can’t live like that.
This secret they kept all these years has already changed me. I’m already a completely different person. The old me wouldn’t have had the courage even to come here.
Maybe not confronting my parents, at least my mom, was holding me back from talking to my brothers. From telling them the truth about who I am. I feel more compelled than ever to do what I came here to do. They have a right to know.
I get dressed and head down for my shift at the bar. Jade opened this morning, so she’s already here.
“Morning!” she says. “I see you managed to get all the mud out of your hair.”
Pretty sure I blush at that, remembering the hour Brady and I spent in the shower before we crashed.
“It took forever,” I admit. “By the way, you were great yesterday. The guys didn’t see that coming.”
She shrugs as if it was nothing. “I honestly didn’t have a lot of female friends when I was growing up, but the guys loved me. I picked up a few things.”
“Well, you have female friends now.”
“That’s right. But I’ll have one less when you head back home. We’ll have to do a big get together before you leave.”
That reminder is looming over me like a storm cloud, threatening to rain on my Hollis parade any moment.
“I’d love that,” I say and see our crew coming in. “I’ll go take care of them real quick and then help you with the ketchup bottles.”
I walk over to my favorite table and make small talk with everyone before taking their order. Landon is clearly itching to get out of here, and it seems he has talked Amelia and Keegan into leaving after lunch. They have business to take care of at Steele Industries.
I set myself a deadline. Next time they’re in Hollis, I’m telling them the truth.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Brady
I watch Lilly as she makes small talk with Keegan and Amelia. I don’t want to stare and draw attention to myself, but it’s hard not to imagine what she’s wearing beneath her long-sleeved pink t-shirt. I bet it’s the lacy, white bra I saw on her dresser this morning.
“Did you hear me, asshole?” Landon laughs, and I realize I completely zoned out.
“I swear, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think Caleb was still here,” I reply with a smirk.
“We’re leaving after lunch. When we come back next weekend, will your construction job be done?” he repeats.
“Probably. We’re ahead of schedule,” I answer.
“We have an idea for a new display at the store. We want you to take a look at it,” he explains. “I’ll get up with you when we get back in town.”
“Sounds good,” I say. “You know, you might as well plant your roots here at some point. You’re starting to stay here more than Dallas.” Landon snorts at this, and I add, “Keegan and Amelia are already renting a place for when they’re here. Madden and Jade are going to get tired of you crashing on their couch.”
“Hollis is the last place I want to plant my roots,” Landon assures me.
“It hasn’t been that bad,” Lilly puts in, and I smile up at her. “And Madden likes it.”
“I do, and I think Hollis is wearing Landon down,” Madden agrees.
“Nope. Not even close,” Landon argues.
“See, Landon, even the city girl is enjoying herself.” I grin. “Well, she looked more like a country girl yesterday.”
“Jade’s wearing off on her,” Keegan says. “On Amelia, too. Pretty sure my wife has purchased cowgirl boots.”
“They were cute,” Amelia defends herself.
Lilly comes to stand beside me and leans against the table with a smile on her face. The scent of her perfume makes my dick jump, and I can’t wait until the next time I’m buried deep inside her.
I usually don’t have any issue being around a woman I’ve fucked and keeping my shit together. I play it cool and do my best to drive her crazy. But Lilly isn’t even doing anything, and I’m on edge.
“I know one thing, I definitely don’t mind Jade wearing off on me if I can wind up kicking your asses in a four-wheeler race like she did.” We all burst out laughing, and Amelia gives Lilly a high-five. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”
I shake my head as she walks off, stealing a glimpse of her cute little ass in her jeans. It dawns on me that I haven’t bragged about winning the bet with the guys yet. That I haven’t told them the whole thing is off because I nailed her. What happened between us last night was more than that. She isn’t like the other women I’ve been with. Bragging about it just seems wrong.
I hear the bell on the door followed by laughter from a group of women and internally groan as Kelly walks in with some of her friends. Her incessant texting from last night hasn’t ceased. Despite the fact that I was wrapped up with Lilly, my phone buzzed until the point that I turned it off. When I turned it back on after I left this morning, my voicemail was full, and I had over a hundred text messages. I deleted them all without bothering to read them.
Kelly and her friends saunter past our table, all four of them giving me the evil eye. I guess that’s better than her making some kind of scene and coming over and plopping down in my lap. I wouldn’t put that past her, though.
“Somebody looks pissed. She mad because she didn’t get to go riding yesterday?” Madden jokes. He has no idea what ride she missed out on.
“I broke things off with her,” I inform them all. “She’s not too happy about it.”
“I’m sorry to say this, Brady, but it’s about time,” Amelia comments. “She just doesn’t seem that nice.”
“Okay, everyone. Here are your drinks, and your food will be up in a few minutes,” Lilly announces.
She stands beside me, and when she leans over, I’m unable to resist the urge to run my hand up the inside of her thigh. I feel her tense a moment and then relax. I drop my hand before anyone can see us, but damn, the contact felt incredible. As she walks around the table, she brushes her hand across my shoulder. I know it was no accident, even though no one else sitting at the table seemed to notice.
I take a sip of my coke and steal glanc
es at her as she walks over to Kelly’s table to take their order. I try to listen to the conversation going on at my table, but my mind is in a Lilly haze as I watch her walk off to get their drinks. Her legs wrapped around my waist. Her nails digging into my skin. Her tongue tasting mine.
“Hey, sweetie, I got your usual.” Talk about a boner killer. My mom sets my plate in front of me and gives my eagerly waiting friends their plates as well. “I don’t see how in the world you can eat anything after all the breakfast you had this morning. It was like you’d worked up some kind of appetite.”
My mom pats my back, and I feel my cheeks heat to a deep shade of red. I choke a little on the cheeseburger I’m chewing.
“So, Kelly’s out, but someone else is in,” Madden remarks.
“Oh please, Kelly didn’t have to be out for someone else to be in,” Landon comments.
I open my mouth to reply, but Kelly’s high-pitched voice pierces the air. “I said diet coke! This isn’t diet!”
Kelly proceeds to pour the contents of her glass onto the floor, causing some soda to splash onto Lilly’s shoes. Several patrons stop eating and stare at the spectacle Kelly is making of herself.
Jade quickly comes to Lilly’s side with paper towels, and I can hear her telling Kelly that’s not the right way to send a drink back in her sweet voice, obviously trying to diffuse the situation before it escalates.
Jade and Lilly clean up the mess while Kelly laughs with her friends. Lilly brings her a new drink, obviously a diet coke, and Kelly accepts it with a sarcastic smile. If Casey were here, she’d be wearing it in her lap. That’s how she would diffuse the situation.
“Everything okay over here?” Lilly asks, coming back to our table, but the cheeriness from a little while ago is now gone.
“Yeah, everything is good here, Lillian,” Madden answers. “You won’t get any hissy fits from us.”
When she heads toward the bar, I stand up and hurry after her. “Lilly, I’m sorry about that. You know that was because of me.”
I notice Jade give us a curious look, but she doesn’t say a word. She knows how Kelly can be, so I’m sure she understands. And if I had to guess, she probably knows something is going on between Lilly and me. She’s one of the few people here who know me well.
“It’s fine, Brady. I can handle a fussy customer.”
I take her cue and go back to my seat. I don’t want to cause a scene any more than I want Kelly to cause more of one. I dig into my cheeseburger and ask the guys to tell me more about this display they’re wanting. As we’re talking, another outburst from Kelly interrupts our meal.
“Are you fucking deaf or something?” Whoa. “I ordered a grilled chicken salad with the dressing on the side! You brought me a fried chicken salad, and ranch dressing is all over it!”
I frown at the scene, and anger starts setting in. I don’t want this to be the new normal at the bar, but it looks like Kelly’s ridiculous antics are just beginning. Fucking hell.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Lillian
I don’t need to look at my order pad to know what Kelly ordered. She ordered a fried chicken salad with ranch dressing. It’s precisely what I brought to her. Everyone is watching us to see how I’ll react. To see if I’m going to behave as badly as she is. I will not sink to her level.
“I will take this back and get you a new salad.”
“You’re damn right, you will!” she screams. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. You know, some of us actually belong here.”
I quietly take her plate, refusing to play into her antics. I know her jab means she’s from Hollis, and I’m just passing through. That I’m a passing fling for Brady, and when I leave, he’ll come back to her. Maybe he will. I hope that isn’t true, but I can’t control what he does when I go back home.
I take the plate and leave her table, ignoring the snide remarks she continues to make as I walk away. Brady pushes his chair back as I walk past, but I shake my head at him, not wanting him to get involved. She’s angry and hurt. Him saying something to her will only make things worse.
“Marlene, I need a grilled chicken salad, please.”
She doesn’t ask me to explain. I’m certain she could hear Kelly yelling in here. She simply takes the fried chicken salad and gets to work on a fresh one.
“I can take over there if you want,” Jade offers, coming up beside me.
I shake my head. “It’s okay. Don’t want her to think she’s run me off.”
“You are handling this like a pro,” she says with a wink, grabbing her order and heading off to one of her tables.
I wait on Marlene to finish up her food, not wanting to give her any other reason to show out. She’s caused enough trouble.
“Order up, honey,” Marlene says and hands me the newly made salad.
“Thanks.”
I carry it over to the table and place it in front of her, watching as she looks it over. “Here you go.”
Kill her with kindness. I’m trying my mother’s way of thinking even though what I would really like to do is slap the shit out of her. She glares at me, clearly not caring for my happy attitude.
“Finally.”
“Do you ladies need anything else?”
“A waitress who actually knows what she’s doing,” Kelly remarks, and her friends snicker.
I simply give her another polite smile and go back to taking care of the few patrons that are left from the lunch shift. Luckily, she and her friends don’t give me any more trouble as they eat and then eventually leave. No tip.
I roll my eyes at how predictable that was and head over to Brady’s table. They’re the last ones here from the lunch rush. Jade has taken a break and is sitting on Madden’s lap, munching on some of his French fries.
“I think after that, you deserve a break as well,” she says, motioning for me to sit.
I grab a chair and slide it over beside her because it’s the only open space at the table where I can squeeze in a chair. At least this way, I can watch Brady across the table and not look suspicious.
“I told you that girl wasn’t nice,” Amelia says.
“Nice?” Landon says. “Bitch is crazy. What the fuck was her problem?”
I shrug. “Just having a bad day maybe.”
Brady shakes his head. “Sorry, Lilly. Pretty sure it’s my fault. I broke things off with her, and she’s not handling it well.”
I nod as if I had no idea that happened. “Guess being dumped would put anyone in a bad mood.”
“Maybe she won’t take it out on every woman in town,” Brady says, grinning.
“Shouldn’t be too hard to get over you,” Landon jokes.
“So funny. Thought you were heading back to Dallas. I’m sure you won’t be missed around here.”
Landon checks his phone. “You’re right. This shit town has taken up too much of my time.” He turns to Amelia and Keegan. “You guys ready to hit the road?”
“What’s the rush?” Amelia asks, clearly not ready to go.
“You do realize we’ve been here since Thursday. I have an early meeting in the morning.”
“Yeah, me too,” Keegan says.
The three of them say their goodbyes, and I remind myself of my deadline. Next time they’re here, I’m telling them everything. I should tell them right now, but the timing feels wrong when they’re about to leave.
“Okay, so we have the evening off,” Jade says. “What do you have planned?”
I glance at Brady to see if I can read him. We didn’t really discuss any plans when he left this morning, but I know what I had in mind. Me. Him. Naked. Bed. Still, since we didn’t schedule anything, I don’t want to assume I’ll be seeing him later.
“Nothing really,” I answer.
“I’m meeting Casey in Redbud to see a movie. You want to come?”
“Is Madden coming?” I ask and notice Brady frown at my question.
“Nope, just us girls,” she answers, standing up.
&
nbsp; “Sounds fun. Just let me change my clothes after we clean up.”
I stand, too, glancing at Brady again. He’s gotten up and is taking a sip of his soda. He seems annoyed for whatever reason. Maybe I should’ve told Jade I was busy?
“You feel like heading over to the store?” Madden asks Brady. “We can go over those plans.”
“Sure.”
“You do realize it’s Sunday,” Jade says.
“That means it’s a good day for a side job,” Brady replies. “Besides, I didn’t have anything else planned.”
Okay. I definitely should’ve told Jade I was busy.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Brady
“Well, if I try to put another shelf here, you won’t have room for the hanging merchandise,” I argue with Madden.
“If we don’t add another shelf, we don’t have enough room for the merchandise, period,” he counters.
“A 5x8 display for all the shit you have in mind is ridiculous,” I mutter and run a hand through my hair.
We’ve been discussing the setup for the new display the Steele brothers have in mind for Amelia’s jewelry section since I arrived at the store over three hours ago. Hell, maybe it’s been four hours now. I’ve lost count.
Madden started out by telling me Amelia’s jewelry has been selling out, which I figured it would, and that she needed a larger area in the store. There aren’t any stores in Hollis that sell jewelry like Amelia’s. I knew once I saw that she was setting up a small display stand that her items would sell just as much as the tools and shit. Probably more.
The problem is, they didn’t exactly clear enough room for her display. He showed me the boxes of merchandise she has in storage, and they expect all of it to fit on a 5x8 display. Not going to happen.
The other problem is that the Steele brothers are control freaks. They cannot stand the thought that someone else might actually be able to do something better than them. They drew up a draft of the display shelving they had in mind. Any time I’ve tried to make suggestions of changes, Madden has shot me down or explained why it wouldn’t work.
