Panting, Ben and I glare at each other.
Everyone waits for an explanation.
It won’t come.
My mom and Ben’s mom, Aunt Rachel, rush in between the two groups of testosterone, their arms out like they don’t want to get hit if someone gets free.
Aunt Rachel says, “Are we going to get an explanation for this?”
“Or are you going to keep acting like animals?” Mom looks at my girl. “Paige, you want to enlighten us?”
Instantly I’m protective of my girl but as usual, she can take care of herself. Shaking her head once she boldly says, “If Gabriel doesn’t want to say, then I won’t force him. This is between them.”
My father huffs through his nose but I know he respects what she just did, despite how much it irritates him not to know the cause of our fight.
He and Jason let me go with warning looks.
I shake myself out, adjusting my shirt and cutting a quick glance around the party.
Ben runs his hands through his hair and nods to his father that he’s under control now, leave him alone. Jaxson’s nostrils flare but he takes a step aside.
My brother’s voice booms out, surprising us all. “Now that it’s over, can we put this behind us? Or is everyone going to whisper all night long? Are we children or are we Cockers?”
Grandpa Michael regards Elijah with a cool expression, a glint of respect in his eyes for taking charge like he just did. The younger cousins take the cue, nodding and saying they’re Cockers.
If Uncle Jett was here this would not be dropped so easily, so I’m glad he’s not. Same with Sofia Sol. She’d be shouting for an explanation.
And a resolution we’re not ready for.
The group disperses but makes sure that Ben and I are not near each other at the table. Hannah tells Elijah to scoot over so she can sit by me, Paige on my other side. Tobias is next to my twin, his mouth tight.
Hannah whispers as everyone tries to have a normal BBQ, “I had to hold Tobias back. He’s a pro fighter — he would’ve hurt Ben more than you wanted him to.”
“Don’t be too sure about that.”
“You need to let this go. You won.” She locks eyes with Paige.
Inhaling patience I say, “Maybe someday I will, Hannah. But not today.”
“Gabriel,” she whispers.
“All he had to do was pick up a phone.”
That shuts her up.
GABRIEL
As the party winds down, Ben is nowhere to be found. I’ve left Paige with Mom, telling them I was going to the bathroom when I wasn’t.
Dad and Uncle Jaxson corner me in the hallway and we all walk into Grandpa Michael’s office, family photos on every wall. Elijah had snuck in here to finish emailing, so he rises from Grandpa’s chair as soon as we walk in.
Jaxson informs me, “I already made Ben take his girlfriend home before another fight broke out. He was looking for you, too.”
Dad glowers at me. “You want to tell us what the fuck happened with you two?”
“He tried to take Paige from me!”
They exchange a look and Dad mutters, “He gets it from you.”
Jaxson grates, “Fuck you, Justin. That’s not funny.” Locking onto me he says, “Tell me the story.”
I give them the abbreviated one. Elijah nods at certain points when they look at him. When I’m done they’re silent and process it.
Jaxson clarifies, “Shelby was Paige’s best friend?”
“Yup.”
“She was with them the night I got her money back,” Dad tells the room while concentrating on how to fix this. “That’s probably what brought them together.”
I snort with heavy sarcasm. “Oh really? Because he had Paige at his house when I called from London! Shelby is his consolation prize. Probably just called her up ‘cause he didn’t know how to handle rejection for the first time!”
Jaxson’s nostrils flare as he glares at me, protective of his only child. “You need to get a hold of yourself.”
“No, I don’t! Nothing wrong with being pissed when you’re treated like this. I gave him plenty of chances to talk to me and he never called me back!”
Dad crosses his arms. “Your ditching him at that restaurant wasn’t exactly grown-up behavior.”
I shove my hands in my pockets. “Whatever.”
They look at each other. Nobody has a solution. Jaxson shakes his head. “Someone’s gotta fix this.”
A light knocking on the slightly open door makes us all turn our heads. Paige is there, her soothing voice low and respectful. “I’d like to try to talk to Ben.”
“No way!”
“Gabriel, let me help. This is all because of ego, so more ego won’t fix it, I’m sorry.”
My dad and uncle look at each other like they can see why this fight happened in the first place. Dad claps a hand on Jaxson’s shoulder, making a joke for him not to try and take Paige, too. “Sorry buddy, my son called dibs.”
Jaxson chuckles, “Jackass,” and follows him out of the room. Elijah and I share a look, wondering what private joke or story they know about that we don’t.
Paige shuts the door. “Come with me to his farm, Gabriel. I need to talk to Shelby, too.” She takes my hand. “Please do this for me.”
“Just say yes,” Elijah mutters, heading back to the desk. “I’ve got a mess on my hands I need to get back to.”
“Oh, sorry for getting in the way of your ambition.”
“Shut it,” he chuckles as we leave the room.
PAIGE
The Ferrari’s tires spit gravel as we drive up Ben’s driveway. He’s standing on the porch, Shelby leaning against the wall behind him. Everyone looks like somebody died, because when you fight with people you love, a piece of you is dead until you can heal the rift.
“Promise you’ll let me do the talking until you’re calm.” I slide my fingers up Gabriel’s arm in the tenderest way I can.
With his eyes locked on his cousin he mutters, “Promise,” and turns off the ignition, jumping out to open my door.
My instinct is to leap out now just in case they’re going to go at it, but I know better. He needs to show that I’m his. Opening my door and offering his hand is the gentlemanly way that men are taught to behave. It’s a show of respect for both of us. But I’m shaking.
When my fingers slide onto his, he notices and his body loses the tension a bit in order to calm me down.
“Thank you for meeting us,” I smile.
Ben nods. “No problem.”
Gabriel bites back a sarcastic remark which shows great restraint on his part.
Shelby takes a couple deep breaths. She looks like she belongs out here in this quiet place. Her blonde curls are wild, no makeup save for a hint of pink on her lips. Her jeans and yellow, cotton blouse fit right in with Ben’s no-frills style.
We take a seat at the round table he set on the porch. I’m sure they’ve spent mornings here together, sharing life stories over coffee after nights with little sleep.
Shelby pours us all glasses from a pitcher of sweet tea, as if she’s been here forever. When she places mine down I see she’s shaking, too. We lock eyes but only for a second before she sits and starts picking at her nails. Ben and Gabriel are stiff and quiet across from each other. It’s boy girl, boy girl.
Did she go to Ben for the same reason I did? Because she needed his strength? I bet it was her who sought him out because Carter wasn’t equipped to deal with how shaken she was after what happened. Shelby hasn’t seen the darkness I have from growing up in the shadow of addiction. She was always bubbly and silly…and maybe more fragile than I ever realized.
I take a sip of tea, clear my throat and begin. “When we first got to your family’s BBQ I was overwhelmed. But then everybody was so nice and…they laugh so much and are so close!” Ben and Gabriel shift in their chairs at the reminder. “I got a glimpse of how magical what you guys have, is. That you would fight and throw that away is a tragedy.
I think what happened is a terrible misunderstanding. You guys love each other, you both know that.” Touching Gabriel’s arm to let him know I’m his and this is all for him, I glance to his cousin and say, “Ben, I know that’s why you didn’t call. You didn’t know what to say, how to explain yourself. It was probably embarrassing, wasn’t it? So that made it really hard to talk to him about it.” I turn to my boyfriend, stroking his arm. “And Gabriel, you’re hurt because you feel left out so often. And traveling all the time doesn’t help. That feeling got triggered when you felt ignored by Ben, who you’ve always looked up to. It had to hurt. And not just a little bit, but a lot.”
His eyes drop to the table as Ben stares at him, clearly surprised at learning something new.
“I’m sure Shelby is wondering what’s so special about me.”
I hold her guarded eyes as they go wide. That’s what’s been gnawing at her. I can only imagine how it feels to be her in this circumstance.
“This isn’t about me, Shelbs. Ben was ready to meet someone…because I think he was looking for you. It was so obvious as we drove up and I saw you two, how much you belong here. Maybe that’s why he ran into me that day, so you guys would meet. Then it all went wonky. You don’t have to worry. This fighting isn’t over me, it’s become about them — just two guys who got angry and had no idea how to talk about their feelings. It happens to men all the time.” I pause and offer her an apologetic smile. “And we’re no exception, right?”
“Paige,” she whispers, wiping her cheeks.
Ben protectively reaches for her hand and their fingers entwine as she gives him a grateful smile.
He looks at me, frowning, “Fuck.”
Gabriel chuckles with the hurt still tinting his voice. “Yeah, Paige does that.” He leans over to give me a quick kiss. “Cut us all wide open, why don’t you?”
Shelby laughs through her tears, “Ever thought of being a shrink?”
Choked up, too, I laugh and hold her eyes. “I miss you, Shelbs.”
Her cute face squishes up and she croaks, “I miss you, too!” She leaps out of the chair and hurries over to melt into my arms. We rock each other, crying.
Ben and Gabriel sit there, awkward and silent.
“I have some whiskey.”
Gabriel shoots up from his chair. “I’m in.”
Shelby and I crack up laughing from the release of all that tension as we follow the boys inside.
PAIGE
When I wake up in Ben’s guest room with a headache that makes me swear never to drink that much ever again, I blink over to the empty side of the bed.
Padding barefoot into the hall I see the door to Ben’s room closed, and head downstairs to find my boyfriend.
The sound of his and his cousin’s voices slows my steps. Through the front window I see them at the round table, dawn’s golden-blue sunlight on their faces as they easily talk with one another while sipping coffee.
I can’t hear them, but Gabriel hasn’t looked that stress-free since I met him, so I tiptoe upstairs and climb back into bed.
When I’m awoken by his kisses I don’t know how long I was out. Slipping my arms around his neck I smile, “Morning, Handsome.”
“Hey, Beautiful,” he smiles back. “Marry me.”
Quietly laughing like he’s crazy I kiss him again.
He pulls away and says, “I’m serious. I don’t have the ring with me, but we’ll pick it out together. You were so amazing last night and I can’t go another day without telling you I need you as my wife. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m flat out asking you now. Will you marry me?”
Searching his kaleidoscope eyes I see love and honesty shining from them. “We’re so young.”
“So were Romeo and Juliet.”
“Look how that turned out.”
He ducks his head in my neck, shoulders shaking with laughter. Rising up to lock eyes with me again he says, “Even with my proposal you’re giving me a hard time.”
“Only because you love it,” I smirk. “But really, we’re so young.”
“One thing you probably don’t know about my family, Paige, is that when we find who we want, we don’t fuck around.” His hand dips into my panties and he cups me and murmurs against my lips. “I want you. I knew it when I saw you. Love at first sight is real, rare but real. I know because I had it with you.” He pauses and smirks at me. “Even if it took you a little longer to catch up.”
Grinning at him I roll us over so that I’m sitting on top of him, bending down to whisper and keep this conversation private. “But I said I love you first, so we’re even.” He cocks his head to tell me he’s waiting for an answer. “Yes, I’ll marry you. But I want to wait to have babies.”
“What?” He flips me back over, his sexy hair falling in front of his frown. “Why?”
“I want it to just be us for a little while.”
An amazing smile lights his face up. “Deal. We’re getting you on the pill when we get back to Atlanta. And Carrie’s going to have to find a new tenant.” He kisses me before whispering, “But then I want at least four kids.”
Warmth drifts into my chest. “When enough time passes I’ll give you anything you want, Gabriel. Anything.”
We gaze at each other until a smirk tugs at him. “You’re such a pain in my ass.”
Laughing I snuggle closer. “And you say the sweetest things.”
He chuckles and kisses my head. “You’re not going to let me fuck you in Ben’s guest room, are you?”
“Not a chance.”
GABRIEL
Four years later
I stroll into Om This and hear that peaceful music I always give my wife so much shit for every time I come here. Other than that the place feels empty. “Beautiful! Where are you?”
She calls from the restrooms, “Lock the door for me! I’ll be right out!”
Digging my keys from my pocket I shuffle through them to find the one that belongs to this store and not the other two we expanded with last year. “You changing clothes for dinner?”
“Yep! Be right out!”
Shelby clued us in on the fact that the business was up for sale when Jordanna finally told herself she didn’t even like yoga. Paige insists on working even though we don’t need the money.
Human beings need to feel useful.
If we don’t we go insane.
As usual I couldn’t argue with her logic.
Especially after Bobby went back to school to study engineering. It kept his mind occupied and his teacher is the inspiring kind who makes his students respect him because he engages them in new ways. Bobby wanted to impress him, so he worked harder. Then he stopped falling off the wagon and got a sponsor. But my dad still won’t let him come to the Family BBQs.
I’m not a huge fan of Paige running three stores, since I’m a narcissist and want her to myself all the time. But what I could do was hire a large staff so she can skip town whenever I need her to travel with me, and of course she’s always game.
Shelby stopped teaching yoga classes long ago. She does the books for us, but other than that she stays up north working the organic farm with her husband Ben. Weirdest thing to watch her and my cousin get married. But whatever.
I turn the sign over in the window as I’ve done countless times, and wait by the register checking my phone and eyeing the speakers. “Fuck it,” I mutter, walking to scroll through her playlist and put something else on.
To make her laugh I almost choose my own music and act like it’s the only thing I listen to, when she knows that’s bullshit. It’d be fun to fuck with her, though. But on second thought I hit the R&B list for Otis Redding’s song, These Arms of Mine.
Paige calls out from the back studio room. “I love this song!”
“How’d you get back there?” I call back, confused as to how I missed her.
“I snuck.”
“You snuck?” Growing curious my steps pick up speed and I turn the corner with my hand on the doorframe, pa
using as I see candles spread out around a spread of fluffy blankets. “Those are from home.”
“Very good detective work, Sherlock,” she smiles, walking out from the storage room in a black negligee that makes my cock start filling up right away.
“Oh wow, Happy Birthday to me.”
She’s got heels on even though there’s a no-shoes allowed rule in this room. “Figured I’d give you your present before we go eat.” Biting her lip in the sexiest way, she slips a spaghetti strap down her shoulder, letting it hang there where my teeth want to get at it. She bends over and gracefully lands on her hands in Downward-Facing Dog position.
“Oh, you gotta be kidding me,” I groan, unzipping my pants.
“The door is locked for a reason. Take it all off.”
Hissing through my teeth I undress as she cranes her ass higher in the air to tease me.
“I’ve always wondered what it would feel like to fuck you in that position when you’re half-enlightened.”
Stifling a laugh, Paige says, “Look back there.”
I stand behind her and see the crotch has a snap release. “Oh, man, best birthday gift ever.”
“Thought you’d like that,” she whispers with sex in her voice. I pop the thing open with two fingers and slide one up her pussy.
“You’re so wet, Beautiful. Guess knowing you were going to surprise me got you all excited, huh?” I bend down and lick her. She pushes into my mouth and gives this breathy moan that makes me even harder. “You know what’s going to happen, don’t you? Every time you do this position in class from now on you’re going to imagine my cock pressing up in you like this. Filling you. Stretching you. Making your whole torso catch fire as I take you from behind and massage your ass like this. Trace my fingers over your lower back and thighs just like this. Thrust real slowly until you beg me to go faster. That’s right. Moan a little louder, wife. Nobody can hear you.” As I angle my hips and start pounding her I rasp, “Go ahead and make those sexy little noises when you lose control.”
Cocky Rockstar: Gabriel Cocker (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 10) Page 18
