Count on Me (Petal, Georgia)

by Lauren Dane

  Anne zipped her pants up and sat to put her socks on. “You’re mad and you should be. He’s with you. I knew it was a bad idea before I even came over here.”

  “So why did you? He’s gone. You let him go. You can’t undo that.”

  “Why not?”

  Caroline huffed. “A few reasons. To start with, because I’m not going to let you, silly. Royal is a fantastic catch. But he’s mine. You know it too. He’s moved on. Which is another big one. Like before I’d even come to town.” Caroline raised a shoulder. “Lastly, you don’t even want him.

  “See the first few reasons are fine. I mean, they suck for you, but not for me. But it’s the last that pisses me off so much. You come in here with this half-assed plan that Lucy Ricardo could be proud of and you don’t even want him. You just don’t want to lose him in your life. And I’ve been trying to give you the time and space to get yourself together. But I have to tell you, between you and me? You’re being a selfish bitch.”

  Anne gasped.

  “What? Do you have something to say? Because you know I’m right. He’s a good guy. The best I’ve met and he’s a good friend to you. He cares about you and puts you first, and I’m over here waiting for you to finally get yourself handled so you don’t keep pushing him away. He’s miserable when you do that. I’m staying out of the way, but this is where I will step in and say no. This is not a game I’ll be playing. He’s not yours anymore. Not this way. You have essentially had a platonic marriage since you two broke up. No sex, but he’s been your husband. Flirting and helping you out and still putting you first, even when you two dated other people. No more.

  “But he’s your friend. He loves you and as far as I can tell, being loved by Royal Watson is pretty fucking awesome. He’s not a toy you discard and then suddenly want back when someone else recognizes his value. But you’re playing with him and that’s gross.”

  Anne crossed her arms over her chest. “Who are you to judge? You don’t know any of us.”

  “I’m someone who loves Royal. And if you loved him you wouldn’t be yanking on his chain this way. You don’t want him. Not really. Don’t keep this up.

  “I don’t have an issue with anyone else in your group. Though there again you’re being a selfish bitch. I’m inclined to be forgiving because I know what it means to feel alone, or that you’re losing someone who understands you so well. I know what that feels like. But you don’t have to lose him. I’m not standing in between you in any other way but this one.” Caroline pointed at the bed. “I haven’t gotten in between you and Royal, and I don’t care to. But I will absolutely get in between you when you’re in his bed. You get me?”

  “You want to be around the group? You never come to any of our events.”

  “No. I’m rarely invited because you are there, and everyone is tiptoeing around you and how you feel. If freezing me out is what you’re aiming at, you’re pretty good at it. Your friends are always nice to me, but the only times I’m around them is when you aren’t around. And you generally are. So yeah, you don’t get to use that one.”

  “You’re a super bitch.”

  “I should have a big B on every sweater and shirt I own.” Caroline nodded.

  “I’m a super bitch too.”

  “Yeah, I’ve heard. I’ve only seen the unpleasant side of that though. That’s the lazy bitch game. Easy enough if you substitute meanness for bitchiness.”

  Anne sighed. “I’ve been a dick to you.”

  “Yeah, you have.”

  “I’m sorry. I haven’t given you a chance and I’ve cockblocked you with my friends and family too. But for Christ’s sake, do you have to be so perfect?”

  “What?”

  “Look at you! You’re petite and gorgeous and super smart and accomplished. I can’t compete with that.”

  “But you aren’t competing with that. Royal already loves you. There’s no competition there. Also, yeah, this from a nearly five-eight Amazon with great hair.”

  Anne did a decent hair flip. “I do have great hair. So do you, but you need a trim.”

  “Yes, I have an appointment early next week with a new stylist.”

  “Not at my salon you don’t. I have the new client roster and you’re not on it for next week.”

  “As if I’d let you near me with scissors. Are you fucking insane?”

  “You have a foul mouth.”

  “I do.”

  “Great, add it to the face and the body and the letters behind your name.”

  “Wow, I’m really a great catch.” Caroline snickered.

  “Everything okay?” Royal called out from the hall.

  Anne spoke up first. “Your girlfriend and I are having a discussion, Royal. No one is bleeding. But a beer when she’s finished with me would be good.”

  “Are you okay, Caro?”

  Nicely played, Caroline thought. She called back, “Right as rain.”

  “He really digs you.” Anne snorted. “Also, even if I hated you, I’d never butcher hair. That shit gets out quick in a town like Petal. I have a reputation to protect at the very least. Cancel your other appointment. I’ll get you in with Tate. She’s almost as good as I am with scissors.”

  “I’ll need to think on that. But for the rest, do we understand one another?”

  “Look, you don’t know me, and that’s my fault. But I’m actually an okay person. I think we could sort of be friends, maybe.”

  “Don’t flatter me so.”

  Anne laughed. “I do like that you’re bitchy. At first you were so nice and avoided being crass and stuff. I wondered if you were strong or cowed. I should have known Royal wouldn’t have gone for anyone who was the latter.”

  “Partly I did it because it made you even more aggravated. When I didn’t rise to the bait and respond back in kind. Really, I just come off looking nice while you look like you ate a whole bowl of sour grapes.”

  “That’s brilliantly devious. Since it appears you’re a long-run sort of addition to our group, I suppose you should hang out with us more. On Sunday we do a big meal at my sister’s house. You should come with Royal.”

  “We have plans, but in the future? I’d love to be included.”

  “All right. Well you should come along on Wednesday night. No bowling this coming week, but we get together, drink beer and eat too much while we talk over movies to agitate my brother Nathan.”

  “All right. I think I can do that. Thanks.”

  “So, you’re in love with him.”

  Caroline nodded. “I am.”

  “All right. Well, be careful with him.”

  “Yeah, I can manage that.”

  Royal, feeling very smug about how smart the comment about the chocolate cake and then all sorts of itchy to watch her eat it while he fucked her, keyed off the truck, and they headed inside.

  He allowed her to pause to put her stuff down before he began to tug her toward his bedroom. First he’d get her naked and then he’d make her come. Then he could relax, they could have cake and champagne and way more sex.

  Only to walk into his bedroom and find his ex naked in his bed.

  Caroline was pissed off. He got off, just a little, okay a lot, with the way she’d taken control and staked her claim on him.

  Spike remained at the far end of the hallway. He didn’t blame the cat at all. Royal wanted to run and hide too. But he stayed close. Pretending he wasn’t eavesdropping when he totally was.

  Caroline could have ripped Anne to shreds. It was her job, after all, and one she was obviously very good at. But she didn’t.

  Oh she didn’t exactly go easy on Anne. No, Caroline held a mirror right up to her and made her take a long, honest look at herself.

  She wasn’t petty, or cruel.

  But she marked her territory in no uncertain terms, and he liked that a whole lot. He planned to tell her exactly that as soon as he got the chance. Caroline had told Anne he was Caroline’s man.

  And then she’d given Anne just the smallest o
f openings, and thank goodness Anne had come to her senses and took it, making a genuine overture of friendship.

  It would take Caroline a while before she truly trusted Anne. Or hell, maybe everyone else too because of how everyone had been holding their breath to see what Anne was going to do.

  Finally Caroline opened the door and he didn’t spare a glance for Anne, instead moving to Caroline. “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah. I think so. How about I go get beers while you two talk.”

  He pulled Caroline up to her tiptoes to kiss her before she moved down the hall, talking to Spike, who followed her.

  Anne put a hand out to stay his words. “Before you say anything, let me first tell you I am so sorry. I was such a dick to Caroline, who probably needed a friend more than she needed me to be a bitch.”

  He leaned against the doorjamb. Things had shifted between them, but he still cared about her.

  “And I was a dick to you too. Putting you between us all the time. Playing with your feelings about me. I’m truly sorry for that too. Because you were never anything but honest and forthright with me. You still are. Maybe I was testing to see if you’d choose because I just wanted someone to look at me like that. But the thing is, it’s so special because she looks back at you the same way. You two click, and I got scared and sad and mean. I felt like she was stealing you away. That’s not the case, I know.”

  “You’re important to me. I love you. I always will. But she’s someone to me now. My future, I think. It’s early days yet, yes. But whatever anyone thinks, it’s different. I know it. She knows it. I don’t want anyone getting hurt. Her feelings matter and I’m putting them first. You had no right to do this tonight. I’m really angry you’d try to cause a rift between me and Caroline. It’s fucking shitty. I didn’t resent you. All those years when I worked so hard to make you love me and you just never quite could. Not enough. And I never resented you. I understood what it was. And when we finally broke up, and you said, essentially, that you couldn’t commit yourself to me permanently. And at last I was like, okay then, so this is never going to happen. Our relationship didn’t change that much except the sex we were having was with other people. We stayed friends. We stayed connected to one another’s lives and I truly appreciate that. But this was so rude of you. Cruel and hurtful. Imagine if I had said, oh my God, I love Anne, it’s over, Caroline. Huh? Imagine I’d said that and how she would have felt. And for what? The outcome of this stunt could have done her damage, and I don’t know, it makes me feel like I have to be extra protective around you now. She didn’t change how I felt about you. But you changed the way I feel about you.”

  “Ouch.”

  “I know your parents were shit at being parents. And they’re shit at being married. And they’re shit at being human beings too. I know growing up like that gave you some pretty strong ideas about marriage, and I respect that. But I want a wife and I want kids and I want to go camping and go to daddy/daughter dances and all that stuff. I wanted that with you once. But then I didn’t. And fine, you didn’t want that. I respect your opinion and your choice not to commit to anyone. I need reciprocity here. I let go. Because that’s what you wanted. And now I’ve found someone who might be the person I make babies and go camping with. I need you to understand that. And I need you to respect and accept that.”

  She nodded. “You’re right. I was mean and she didn’t deserve it. You didn’t deserve it either. I’m sorry.”

  “All right. So, we good in the Caroline department?”

  Anne nodded. “I think I could actually like her. Though you know, Royal, it would be easier on a girl if the woman you fell for wasn’t so freaking ridiculous. Not even an overbite or a zit. And she totally uses bad words. Like a boss. I’m unwillingly and yet quite frankly impressed.”

  “Sorry not sorry about that part. She’s pretty fun. Plus when she gets tipsy she makes up the best nicknames for things and people. It’s the best party trick ever. Come on. There’s beer. You can probably stay an hour or so. But then, scram. Because I have plans of an extremely graphic nature to concoct with my lady friend.”

  Anne wrinkled her nose.

  Out in the kitchen, Caroline had opened three beers and a cat sat on her shoulder as they both looked out the windows.

  “I can’t believe he’s taken to doing that.” Royal grinned at the sight.

  “He essentially steers me with a helpful prick of his claws.” She looked at him carefully. “We all straight now?”

  He moved to Caroline, grabbing the cat and setting him down so he could get close. “All straight. Thank you for being so awesome.”

  “Not that awesome. But you’re welcome.”

  “What do you have to eat?” Anne started to poke around in the fridge.

  Caroline rolled her eyes but picked up her beer. She didn’t seem angry or even upset. But she was wary, he could see that much.

  “Are you two hungry? I can make sandwiches.”

  “No thanks. We just had dinner at El Cid. I am stuffed full of carbs and margaritas.”

  To her credit, Anne didn’t stay more than her allotted hour. By the time she left, there was a little more ease between her and Caroline, and Royal was beyond happy about that.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Royal came back to the house after he’d been working all morning. She watched as he pulled off his work boots in the mudroom off the back porch. He dropped his pants and tossed them into the washing machine, along with his shirt and socks and underwear.

  He looked up then to catch her staring. And grinned.

  “I’m going to shower so I’m respectable when we go to your grandparents’ for lunch. On the way out, we’ll stop by my aunt and uncle’s place.”

  “Okay. But all the soap in the world isn’t going to clean you up, dirty man.”

  He waggled his brows as he sashayed his cute naked ass past where she was sitting at the kitchen table getting work done.

  She’d already gotten dressed and put on makeup while he was out working. She’d taken over not his bathroom, but one attached to the guest room across the hall. He was so messy and used to living alone that his stuff spilled across every surface.

  She briefly considered jumping into the shower with him but realized that would cut it too close because she’d have to get ready all over again, and she didn’t want to have to rush out on his aunt and uncle.

  And it was important. She wanted to meet them and was glad they wanted to meet her too. She finished up her work as Royal got ready, finishing about five minutes after the water turned off in the master bath.

  Spike hopped up so he could walk over her files and notes, plopping his butt onto her keyboard. He meowed and gave her a you may pet me now face so she gave in to his terroristic threats and even kissed his head because the crazy cat was as charming as his person was.

  “Just toss his butt down if he gets in your way.”

  Spike snorted and moved to her shoulder, which had become his favorite perch. He rode around on her shoulder all the time.

  Caroline turned to tease Royal and ended up struck totally silent as she took him in from his black trousers to the pale blue oxford shirt.

  But the belt. Well. She stood. “Your cat is an extortionist so I have to be careful with how much I deny him. Also he’s cute and furry. You, however, look good enough to thoroughly muss up. Is that a new belt?”

  Pleasure washed over his face. “Thank you, sweetheart. Please feel free to muss me up for hours and hours anytime you wish. Belt isn’t new, but I haven’t worn it in a while.”

  “I really like it.” She didn’t even know why. But it made her hot. Wide, honey-tanned leather leading to a big-ass belt buckle. She slid her fingertips over the metal of the buckle.

  “I have this fantasy.” Royal shook his head. “Never mind. We don’t have the time, and if I think about it too much, I’ll be hard and useless for hours.”

  She was flushed all over. She grabbed a file folder and used it to fa
n her face. “Be sure to revisit this topic with me. It’s relevant to my interests.”

  “Who knew you’d have a belt-buckle fetish?”

  “I don’t think I did until just right now. It’s the whole look. You’re so long and lean, and that belt sort of makes your shoulders look wider and accentuates your waist. I don’t know exactly, cowboy, but I’ll gladly take it.”

  He grabbed his keys. “I’m driving. So you can have wine.”

  “That just isn’t done. They don’t drink in the daytime. That’s what layabouts do, don’t you know? Oh and me and my friends when we go on our annual vacation. But Abigail would frown at every single detail of those vacations, so.”

  “Are there pillow fights or pudding wrestling?”

  She barked a laugh. “Sure. Day-drinking while on vacation with your girlfriends clearly paves the road to dancing until four in the morning, or skinny-dipping. Though to be totally fair, I’m fine blaming skinny-dipping on four margaritas by two in the afternoon.”

  “I think I need to go with you on this vacation. Keep an eye on all this action.”

  “Ha. Nope.”

  She freshened her lipstick after kissing him quickly. Her hair was held back with a headband. Her grandmother approved of headbands rather than her hair being loose. She also liked to put it in a bun, but Caroline had a love bite at the back of her neck. Right at her hairline.

  “Should I bring something for your aunt? I can run to town and come right back.”

  He rolled his eyes. “No. This is just us stopping by on our way out. Fifteen minutes at the most.”