Hope stared at me for a long time and I stared back, wondering just how much that pink dye had seeped into her brain because she was not acting like herself. Head tilted to the side while she tapped her pencil on her chin, she stared like she was trying to suss out my motives. Hell, good luck to her, because even I didn’t know. Finally, she groaned and shook her head as she leaned in close enough that I could see the bright blue of her bra. “Fine, Will. You can come over tomorrow. Then you can tell me that we shouldn’t see each other anymore. Sound good?”
What? It took a second for her words to register and dammit, I was offended. I was offended as hell.
And Hope just shrugged it off like it was no big deal to insult a guy she’d known all her life. “Clearly you have a problem with the fact that I ended things between us, so sure, you can come over and give me the speech you had prepared for when you grew tired of our situation.” She straightened and took a step back, smiling bright because this was Tulip and at least half the patrons were watching. “In fact, you can do it here. Right now.”
She was crazy. That was the only explanation that made any sense. “That’s really what you think of me? All this time, I thought you actually liked me, but you don’t. Not if you think I could do that.” Was my reputation really that bad or was this a case of a scorned woman rewriting history?
“What else should I think, Will? You never, ever paid any attention to me and then we started sleeping together. Still, you didn’t give me much, or any, attention. Until I ended things.” She shook her head, disgusted with me or herself I couldn’t tell. Honestly, I didn’t want to know. “I’ll be back to take your order.”
I watched Hope walk away, this time paying less attention to the sway of her hips and those shapely legs, and more to the words that wouldn’t stop echoing in my head.
Had I taken her attention for granted? Instead of brushing off her words like I normally would, I sat back and thought about it. Coming by every Friday night at the last minute, even with food, was kind of a dick move. But was it mean-spirited?
No, I brought her food and I never pressured her to do anything she didn’t want.
But that’s not what she said, my conscious accused and I couldn’t ignore the truth. Hope had been convenient, and I never made her feel like anything more than that. “Dammit.” I hadn’t treated Hope like she was a friend, someone I’d known my entire life. I treated her like she was a girl I picked up in a bar. “Double dammit.”
“Problem?” A different waitress appeared at the table with an amused smirk on her face.
“You’re not Hope.”
“Nope, I’m Ginger. Hope had to leave because somethin’ happened to Big Mama. She called from the hospital and Hope tore outta here like she was on fire.” Ginger stared, pad in hand. “Hope said you needed to place your order.”
There was no way in hell I would sit here and order food knowing something was wrong with Big Mama. And knowing Hope was handling it on her own. “No thanks. I gotta go.” Stubborn woman rushed off to the hospital and sent a waitress to take my order when she should have come out herself and asked me for a ride.
My conscious nagged again. Why would she when you’re not that guy?
I really hated when my own reputation came back to haunt me.
Hope
“What do you mean you sprained your wrist dancing?” Suddenly I had a hint of what Big Mama must have felt like all these years, raising me and my three brothers and sisters, because I very much felt like the adult. “Were you breakdancing?” That thought alone was enough to cause a heart attack, but the other alternative was unthinkable, as in I absolutely refused to think about it.
“I was just shakin’ my groove thang.” And she continued to shake said groove thang from the hospital bed in the ER. “The floor began to tilt and I stuck my hands out to break my fall, and wouldn’t ya know that was the exact wrong thing to do?” Big Mama shook her head like she’d just taken a tumble and ruined her favorite pair of jeans.
“I swear you’re gonna give me premature gray hairs.” I was happy as hell to see that it wasn’t anything more serious than her wrist. “That phone call from Derek shaved at least ten years off my life.”
She snorted. “Like you need it. Your skin is like milk—pale and creamy. I’d do terrible things to good people for skin like that.”
“No you wouldn’t and we both know it. At least you weren’t twerking because I don’t think I could handle that.”
“That’s it! That’s what it’s called. None of us could remember.”
Kill me now. Why did I even open my mouth? “I’m going to pretend you’re kidding. How’s the pain?”
“Just fine. That handsome Dr. Cahill gave me some of the good stuff and he gave me hot pink.” She held up her cast, face suddenly looking like an eager ten-year-old. “Wanna sign it?”
“You bet.” Inside the room, I took my time getting over to the bed, noticing every detail while my heart rate slowed to normal. The entire drive to the hospital, I’d thought of very worst-case scenario imaginable and it hadn’t been pretty. After a side of the road freak out, I saw for myself she was fine. I was just waiting for the rest of me to realize that. “There you are.”
She read it and grinned. “Grounded for six whole weeks?”
“Yep. After the cast is removed though.”
Big Mama snorted. “I was never that tough on you.”
“The student has become the teacher,” I told her with a smile, relieved she really was all right. A sprained wrist I could deal with. It wasn’t ideal because it meant I’d have to put the lingerie on the backburner for a while, but it was manageable. “I’m sure Derek told you to take it easy?”
She looked everywhere but at me until I bore a hole into the side of her face. “Yes, okay, Nosy Nancy? He said a few weeks.”
The door opened and Derek Cahill, ER doctor, Hometown Hero, and total hottie walked into the room. “I said six weeks. At least.” He leveled Big Mama with a look that actually made her blush and I made a note to learn that look right away. “Hope, how are you?”
“Better now that I can see for myself she’s all right. Is it really just a sprain?” He nodded and told me all about her injury and her restriction.
“It’s nothing serious but there are other health concerns given her age so let’s be extra careful.”
“I won’t argue with you on that.”
“Music to my ears.” He flashed a beautiful smile. It was truly spectacular. Heck, he was a spectacular-looking man with big blue eyes and thick wavy black hair, plus those dimples. Good Lord, the man was a snack, but there were zero sparks between us. “And that’s about it. Prescription and after-care instructions.”
I hadn’t heard a thing he said but I’d read everything later. “Thanks, Derek.” He flashed a kind smile and went on to the next room to make someone else’s day better. “Ready to go, Big Mama?”
“Not yet. Come have a seat.”
“Big Mama, we don’t have time for this. Let’s talk about it on the drive home. I still need to get back to the diner.”
“Child, sit your butt down!” When she used that tone, my body reverted back to being a child and immediately planted itself in the first chair it found. “That’s better. Now.” She patted the blankets around her legs with her good arm, flashing her best Sunday smile. “I can supervise the diner with one arm tied behind my back so in a cast should be a cinch. Don’t go thinking about ignoring this new lingerie business of yours. I won’t hear of it.”
“But—”
She shook her head and slashed a hand through the air. “I mean it, Hope. You’ve put it off too long already and shame on me for lettin’ you, but not this time.”
“You heard the doctor say you need to take it easy for the next six weeks. Standing up all day in the diner isn’t taking it easy.”
“So I’ll sit. I’ll be one of those owners who spends most of the day just chatting with the customers. And I’ll ask for help when I need
it.”
That was fair and it was more than I was expecting. “Deal. But if you even look like you’re tired, you go home. No arguments.”
“You’ll make a good wife, bossy as you are.” She laughed and patted my cheek. “It took your grandfather at least five years to get used to me bossin’ him around but I swear to you, after that, he learned to love it.”
He had. You saw it in his eyes, the way they sparkled at her words and at the way she looked at him, like he was the only man on earth. “Not sure if that’s a compliment or not, Big Mama.”
“Who’s your secret boyfriend?”
I froze for just a moment but it was too long and I knew Big Mama hadn’t missed it. “Not a secret. Not a boyfriend. I’m thinking of signing up for a dating website.” The key to avoiding these kinds of conversations was to throw a grenade like that in and watch the chaos.
“A dating website? What’s wrong with dating the old-fashioned way? I swear, you young people keep trying to take the people out of living.” She shook her head and continued her mini rant while I helped her into her hot pink sneakers and matching windbreaker.
“Just because something is new doesn’t make it bad. Think of how useful that new POS is in the diner and how much of a big baby you were when I suggested the upgrade.”
“Ringing up orders of steak and potatoes ain’t the same as finding a man now, is it?”
“It’s all about convenience. Besides, I know all the men in town and this way I can meet someone new.” Someone who didn’t run from the possibility of more, maybe even someone who also wanted marriage and children, Friday night football games, and Saturday afternoon cookouts. It wasn’t how I wanted to find my future husband, but beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that. “So are we ready to get outta here?”
“Yeah, let’s make like a banana and split.”
“Knock, knock!” The door opened slightly and the last person I was expecting to see poked his head into the room. “I heard there was a hard-partying chick in here who danced herself into the ER.” He winked at Big Mama and she blushed like a school girl.
“What can I say, I intend to enjoy every day of my old age.”
“You’re an inspiration to us all, Big Mama. What can I do to help?”
“Nothing. We’ve got it taken care of,” I told him before Big Mama could bat her eyelashes and invite him to stay for lunch. Or dinner.
“Nonsense, child. When a big strong, handsome man offers to help, you accept it.” She turned her gaze to Will who beamed a smile right back at her that made me want to puke. “Thank you, Will. Some help would be appreciated. I’m too much woman for Hope to handle on her own.”
He laughed. “I have a feeling you might be too much woman for most of us, Big Mama. But the brave try anyway.” He winked at me over his shoulder like we were conspirators and I glared back. We weren’t anything and I didn’t need his meddling.
“I like the way you think, Will Landon. You’ll be the perfect escort home.”
I should’ve been put out that I’d come to her rescue and she’d left with Will but I was grateful for the reprieve from both of them. My heart still hadn’t fully recovered from getting a call from the ER about my grandmother, and it wasn’t quite ready to deal with another up close and personal dose of Will.
* * *
Maybe it seemed cruel to make deli sandwiches after bringing Big Mama home from the hospital, and maybe it even seemed like it was some act of unspoken retaliation for inviting Will to stay. To make up for the perception of evil intent, I took my time and cut the loaves into bite size pieces.
Even though she totally didn’t deserve it.
“Will wants extra pickles,” she called from the dining room because apparently when a penis showed up for a meal, we ate fancy.
“Then Will should’ve brought more pickles.” It was petty and they couldn’t hear me, which made it okay in my book. What the heck was he doing here, anyway? Pretending to care? Acting like we were friends? If we were friends, he would leave me alone. “I’ll see what we have,” I called out instead.
It took three trips because I refused to answer Will’s constant requests to help, but finally the table was loaded up with sandwiches, chips, pickles, and fruit. “Dig in.”
This was my favorite part of meal time, those early minutes when everyone was too focused on the beauty and the scents wafting from their plates to care about little things like etiquette. The table was mostly quiet and there was zero tension because no one was truly aware of anyone else.
The problem with those minutes? They never lasted long.
“How do you like being one of the lucky Hometown Heroes, Will?”
The question caught him off guard but he recovered quickly because that was Will, always ready to take the stage. “It’s a great honor to help get the tribute fixed up, and to hang out with my friends, but sometimes it’s a little much.”
“Because it takes up too much of your free time?” To Big Mama, nothing was more important than family and servicing the community and she was already gearing up for a lecture.
“No, ma’am, because some of the women not from Tulip get a little handsy. Even some of the locals, honestly. It’s hard to know how to back off without anyone’s feelings getting hurt.”
A snort filled with derision erupted out of me, startling each and every one of us. “Sorry. Bubbles in my nose,” I said and pointed at the offending glass of pop in front of me. He could ply my sweet trusting grandmother with his pretty little lies, but not me.
“That doesn’t sound all that pleasant. Maybe you ought to talk to Mayor Ashford. He’s a fair man.”
Will gave his best aww, shucks shrug and I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. “Maybe I will, but I guess I kind of signed up for it, didn’t I?”
Whatever Big Mama said next, I had no idea because I was on my feet with dishes piled in my arms as I made my way into the kitchen. He enjoyed every moment of attention he got from women of any age, color, or size. It never mattered to him.
And that should’ve been my first clue, and maybe it would have been if I hadn’t been so blinded by emotions. Stupid, useless emotions.
“So deep in thought.” Will’s deep voice sounded right beside my ear a second before his hands landed low on my waist, gripping me and pulling me against his hard body. “Remember how explosive you are when you’re in my arms, Hope? Because I can’t forget.”
My stupid traitorous body betrayed me once again, letting out a rapid shudder at his warm breath and manly scent. Yeah, I remembered exactly the way he knew just how to detonate me, and when, to maximize our pleasure. That was hardly the point. “I’m sure I’m not the only one.” I said it more for my benefit than his, and even though I knew it was a low blow, it felt all right since it also had the benefit of being true.
He rubbed the hard ridge of his cock against my butt and groaned from somewhere deep in his throat. The sound was dark and guttural, almost feral in its need. My mind easily filled in the blanks of the soft skin I knew covered his long thick erection, the musky scent of his arousal, and the way his lips and tongue felt between my thighs. His touch fired me up, pissed me off, and confused the heck out of me. “But you, Hope, are the one I want.”
“For now,” I told him, my tone as harsh as it could be when I was wrapped up in his arms, his scent invading my senses, and his touch making all my neurons misfire. “Tomorrow night we’ll have our first and last date, and then you can break up with me.” I stepped out of his grasp so I could make sure I was thinking straight. “Then things can go back to normal.” He would ignore me unless it would seem rude to do so and I’d pretend watching him date every single woman in Texas didn’t rip another hole in my heart.
“Normal is overrated.” His deep voice practically purred as he reached for me but I took another step back, squarely out of his grasp.
“Good to know.” Where Will wanted a never-ending string of women, I wanted a normal life with
a man who was satisfied with me. Only me.
Will
To say I was prepared for my date with Hope would be a gross understatement. I was beyond prepared. Armed with a big fancy bouquet of tulips and roses plus a bottle of Maker’s Mark, I had my sexiest smile ready for when she opened the door. The chime of the doorbell sounded and I let out several deep breaths, reminding myself I had no reason to be nervous. This was Hope. She’d always liked me, and we had excellent sexual chemistry. I’d show her how much and then she’d forget about this “us not seeing each other” nonsense.
The door swung open and I damn near swallowed my tongue at the sight she made in a long light pink dress that hugged her tits before dropping to the floor, blue tipped toes peeking beneath the hem. The pale pink of the dress made the pink in her hair look more vibrant and her eyes greener. Like emeralds. The cuff just above her elbow gave her a goddess-like quality that had my mouth watering, my fingers itching to worship her body. “Hey, Will.” A small smile lit up her face before it dipped into a frown. “Why are you so dressed up?”
Damn but this woman knew how to keep my ego in check. “This is how I dress for dates.”
“Oh.” That one word conveyed so much. Was it shock that I actually made an effort? “Okay, well come on in.” She took a step back, giving me a wide berth to step in and kick my shoes off. “Dinner will be ready soon. Are we drinking that tonight or do you want a beer?”
I held up the bottle of Maker’s and handed it to her with a smile. “Might as well drink something as good as that food smells.” And it smelled damn good, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten anything but a sandwich all day.
“Sounds good.” Her tone was so fucking polite. It was pissing me off. “So how was your day, Will?”
Was she serious? I’d play the game with her. For a while. “Pretty uneventful … just two calls and both were hikers who’d gone out without enough water and gotten lost. Yours?”
Undesired: A Best Friend’s Brother Romance Page 6
