Wayward Son (Jensen Family #3)

by Michelle Day

  “Thanks for believing me when I told you I’d done nothing wrong.”

  “Even when you were a pain in the arse and getting arrested every five minutes you were always honest about what you’d done, so believing you is easy. I could tell just from the expression on your face that you were innocent.”

  “Thanks all the same. I’m going to shoot into town after work so I’ll be a little late back.”

  “No problem.”

  Gavin did his stint at work, helping Liana through her swimming lesson then he called into a local mobile phone shop and purchased a new phone with the intention of giving it to Angel the next time he saw her. He spent the evening with Novak and James at the nearby bowling alley. Novak had borrowed one of Paul’s cars while Gavin was at work to take Kiera home, so it turned into a real boy’s night out leaving Gavin happy and slightly inebriated upon climbing into bed.

  Having always been a reasonably early riser, Gavin was up, dressed and had had breakfast long before either of his friends began to stir. After cleaning the pool, therefore avoiding a nagging from Paul, Gavin decided to tackle his dirt covered car. He was on his knees beside the car cleaning the dirt Angel’s wet and dirty clothing had left on the passenger seat when Novak shoved him.

  “Arsehole.” Gavin swung an arm backwards, connecting with Novak’s knee.

  “Twat.” Novak replied grabbing Gavin’s hand and hauling him to his feet. “James and I are going to pick up the girls and head into town, do you want to come?”

  “Nah, I’ve got to do the car, besides, with you two all loved up it’s hardly going to be a barrel of laughs for me is it?”

  “Guess Not. I asked your Dad if it was ok for me to stay for the week, he seems fine with it. I may even sort out getting another car.”

  “Cool,” Gavin grinned. “It’ll be good to have you around.”

  “I know,” Novak laughed, bigging himself up. “Plus it gives me some more time to work on Kiera.”

  “Ultimately though, this thing with Kiera isn’t going to go anywhere if you intend going home eventually,” Gavin pointed out

  “It’s early days bro, I like her a lot but before I can offer her anything in the way of a relationship, I’ll have to end things with the girl I have back home, that shouldn’t be a problem though, it’s going nowhere fast,” Novak admitted.

  “I told you, no bouncing on then off again,” Gavin warned.

  “I’m not, honestly, I think we can make this work despite the distance,” he shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  “Just don’t involve me.”

  “Of course I won’t. Have you heard from Angel?”

  “No, not a word.” Gavin gruffed.

  “So, why don’t you call her?”

  “I don’t want to push things, she’ll call me when she’s ready,” he said, making an effort to sound more confident than he felt.

  Novak wrapped an arm around Gavin’s shoulder. “It’ll be ok you know, everything will work out,”

  “I wish I was so sure...” Gavin stopped when Novak’s phone rang.

  “Gotta go,” Novak told his friend. “We’ll pick this up later.”

  “Sure.” Gavin answered and returned to his car.

  “Mum?” Angel called as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Would you mind dropping me off at Gavin’s on your way to work?”

  “No problem.” Linda replied. “Shouldn’t you call first and make sure he’s home?”

  “I want to surprise him. Someone will be home even if he’s not, I can always wait there.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

  “I’m a bit sore but I’m fine, I even found some foundation that hides the bruises on my face,” she smiled. “And if I wear my baseball cap it’s hardly noticeable that I’ve put my make up on with a trowel.”

  “You really want to see him?” Linda laughed at her daughter’s description of her makeup.

  “I really, really want to see him,” Angel confirmed. “He’s the one,” she said more quietly.

  “I had the feeling he might be.” Linda hugged her daughter. “At least we won’t have to worry about whether or not he’ll look after you, he’s already proved himself more than capable of that.”

  Pulling into the Jensen driveway, both women caught their breath at the sight of the youngest Jensen male. In the middle of a session of wax on, wax off on his car, the wire for his headphones stretching from the rear pocket of his jeans up his naked back and into his ears, Gavin was oblivious to their arrival and could be seen moving his cleaning cloths in time to the beat that pounded through his head.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way sweetie but he really is a sight for sore eyes,” Linda blushed slightly.

  “Mum!” Angel pretended to be shocked. “How could you?” she giggled. “He is pretty though.”

  “I can look,” Linda protested, laughing with her daughter. “The girls at work have a manic preening session the ten minutes before Gavin is due in, it’s most amusing. They all sit there and go Hi Gavin, while fluttering their eyelashes and pouting. He doesn’t even appear to notice their efforts which is even more amusing. They are disappointed every time he walks by them with just a Hello ladies.”

  “At least I know he isn’t flirting with anyone at work.” Angel leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Thanks for the lift, see you later.”

  Walking up the side of the Supra, Angel waited for Gavin to notice her. He was waxing the bottom of the passenger door, bent over, the skin stretched over his back, muscles moving with every swipe of his cloth.

  Rubbing off the wax that had dried to a haze, leaving a beautiful shine, Gavin noticed a pair of bright red Converse. He straightened up, a smile spreading across his face as he removed his headphones.

  “Hi,” he greeted her, she stepped forward. “Don’t touch me, I’m sweaty and probably smell a bit,” he warned. Angel ignored him, placed one hand in the centre of his chest and pressed her lips firmly to his before stepping back again.

  “Hi,” she grinned.

  Gavin ran his tongue over his lips, tasting her. “Not that I mind in the slightest,” he said. “But what was that for?”

  “I just wanted to show you that I’m grateful for everything you did the other night and hopefully that also goes somewhere near an apology for getting you arrested.”

  “I’ve already told you that wasn’t your fault. I’m fine about it. How are you?”

  “I’m ok, I didn’t bruise as bad as I thought I would. Is it ok if I hang out with you today?”

  “Of course,” he replied, unable to stop smiling.

  “Can I do anything?”

  “You could grab my speakers from the garage and plug my iPod into them, I think it’s about to die.”

  “So I get to grope your bum?” she jested, he turned his back on her and stuck out his denim clad bottom.

  “Grope away, I’ll try not to enjoy it too much.” he told her. “I’m nearly done here, I’ll have to grab a quick shower then I’m all yours for the day.”

  While Gavin was finishing his car, Angel coiled the hose and put the Hoover and buckets in the garage, leaving him to put away the rags and the wax.

  “Did I ruin your seat with my wet clothes?” she asked.

  “Not at all,” he opened the passenger door. “See, its fine.”

  “Thank God. When I realised yesterday that I was wet and muddy when I got in your car I was mortified.” She heaved a sigh of relief. “You didn’t whine once.”

  “My priority was to get you home, I didn’t even consider the seat,” he shrugged. “I have something for you, come with me,” after locking the car, he led her to his room, opened his desk drawer and pulled out a box. “If you don’t like it we can go and change it,” he said as he handed it to her.

  “A new phone? I can’t accept this, you’ve already done enough Gavin, and this is too much,” she protested.

  “Do you have a phone already?” he asked.

  “No,” came the
reply.

  “Then don’t be daft. It’s a gift, I’ll be offended if you don’t accept it.” he answered. “You have a play with that. I’m going to have a shower.”

  Dropping her baseball cap onto the coffee table, she made herself comfortable on Gavin’s over stuffed sofa and delved into her bag for her SIM card, slotting it into the phone, she smiled when it came to life. A different colour and an upgraded version of her wrecked phone, she loved it immediately and was happily setting it up to her preference when Gavin came out of the bathroom, a dark red towel wrapped around his hips.

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  “I love it,” she turned in her seat and wondered if she would ever get enough of looking at him. “I’d love to draw you,” she said watching him as he moved about the room.

  “Draw me?” he questioned, not at first understanding, then, “Oh,” he said as the realisation dawned. “I’ve told you about that before. I don’t look this way to pull girls you know. Being fit is advantageous to the sport I play, that’s the only reason I work out,” he protested.

  “I, on the other hand, did it purely to pull girls,” Paul’s voice joined in as he entered the room.

  “That’s because you’re a whore,” Suzanne told him as she handed Gavin some clean towels.

  Paul crossed the room to where Angel sat, reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet cupping her face with his hands, his eyes scrutinizing her.

  “You don’t look as bad as I’d imagined you would,” he told her.

  Angel felt her heart skip a beat on recognising that Paul possessed the exact same features she found so attractive in Gavin. Paul’s skin had more of an olive tint to it and his eyes a darker shade of brown but, like Gavin’s, they were almond shaped and edged with long, thick black lashes, the straight nose and full lips were identical.

  “The wonders of makeup,” she said, eventually finding her voice.

  Suzanne softly tapped her husband’s side, “put her down, you’re embarrassing her,” she told him off then turned to Angel. “You’ll have to excuse Paul, he likes to touch.” She linked her arm through his, “we’ll see you two later. Do you want anything from the supermarket Gavin?”

  “No thanks,” Gavin, now fully dressed, had seen the whole charade, he chuckled as he heard Paul protesting at having to go shopping as Suzanne guided him from the room.

  “Sorry about that,” Gavin commented.

  “That’s ok, they have a unique relationship don’t they?”

  “I guess that’s one word for it, I keep telling Dad that I think he’s battery powered, the guy never seems to stop.”

  “He’s a very attractive man,” Angel voiced her observations and noticed Gavin’s frown as he sat next to her.

  “Can’t say I’ve noticed.”

  “You look very much like him.” she finished.

  “Thanks, I think.”

  “It’s a good thing Gavin, it means that you are also a very attractive man.”

  He smiled then, a little embarrassed and changed the subject, “I got my carpet back.”

  “Yeah, I noticed,” she had moved along the sofa to the next seat.

  “Angel? Are you ok? You seem a little....tense?”

  “I was just remembering the last time I was in this room,” she answered, dropping her head so that her hair covered her blushes.

  He smiled. “Don’t be embarrassed, we didn’t go too far, besides, it’s a perfectly natural thing.”

  “You are so sweet,” she smiled and sank back into the sofa. “What do you fancy doing?”

  “That’s a loaded question,” he replied, laughing when she threw a pillow at him. “The others have gone into town, we could catch up with them,” he suggested, Angel pulled a face. “Or not,” he continued.

  “You could show me just how bad you are at video games,” she said holding up the case for ‘Need for Speed.’ “You know I don’t believe a word of it don’t you?”

  “I’ll only play if you give me a head start,” he conceded.

  Chapter 11

  Two and a half hours later, after lots of shouted protests, Gavin finally gave up and dropped his controller onto the floor.

  “Wow. You really do suck at that,” Angel laughed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes, “I whooped your arse.”

  “Thanks for pointing that out” he replied but he was laughing too.

  “Next time you tell me you can’t do something, I’ll believe you,” she said. “What’s that noise?”

  “My phone,” Gavin bolted into his bedroom to answer his phone and was still talking when he came back to the sofa. “Novak wants to know if we feel like meeting up with the rest of them in the park?” he asked Angel, she nodded. “Yeah, we’re up for it,” he spoke to Novak.

  “Bring a ball,” Novak answered before hanging up.

  Gavin left a note for Paul before locking the house, picking up his rugby ball on the way through the garage and going out to the car.

  “Do you want to drive?” he asked Angel.

  “You’re actually going to let me drive your car?”

  “Trust is a two way thing,” he told her. “You keep telling me you trust me, it’s time I showed you some.”

  “I’d love to drive,” she answered, taking the keys from him.

  Once in the car, Gavin tense in the passenger seat, Angel did herself proud with her driving skills and found she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as the car responded to every slight touch.

  “I think I’m in love with your car,” she grinned as they pulled through the gates of Richmond Park.

  “I know I am,” he replied, he pointed out Paul’s BMW that Novak was currently using and Angel guided the Supra into the adjoining space. After parking the car they crossed the road to join the other four youngsters and Kiera’s three dogs.

  “Bloody charming, you won’t let me drive your car,” Novak protested.

  “That’s because you are in insane driver,” Gavin pointed out.

  “He must think you are something quite exceptional,” Novak smiled as he addressed Angel “How are you?”

  “I’m good thanks Novak.”

  “Dad will go nuts if you’ve had dogs in his car,” Gavin told his friend.

  “Gabby, Kiera and the dogs came in her car, James and I followed in the beamer.” Novak replied “I may be stupid at times but I don’t have a death wish.”

  “That’s a matter of opinion,” Gavin muttered as he threw the ball to a waiting James. “Hello Ladies,” he smiled as Gabby and Kiera joined them.

  “Hi Gavin,” both girls chimed then promptly turned their attention to Angel.

  “What’s the plan?” James asked.

  “Kiera suggested walking up to the lodge for a cuppa then coming back to the cars via the lower route,” Novak said. “Sounds like I know what I’m talking about doesn’t it?” he grinned.

  “Heads up!” James called as they began to walk, throwing the ball straight up into the air causing Novak and Gavin to look up, following the progress of the ball all three dogs also paused to watch.

  With both boys being star rugby players at their former school, the air of competition between them was immediately obvious as the ball began its decent, there was a fair amount of shoving going on as they each vied for the best position under the ball.

  Being the taller of the two, Novak reached up with his left hand and plucked the ball from the air while shoving Gavin firmly away from him, causing him to stumble over one of the dogs, while Novak took off like a bat out of hell with the rugby ball tucked securely under one arm.

  Righting himself from almost flattening Monty, Gavin turned in pursuit of his friend. Had Novak not paused to hurdle an errant Labrador, Gavin would never have caught up with him, as it was, leaping over the dog disturbed Novak’s momentum enough for Gavin to be upon him swiftly, throwing himself through the air at full pelt, his arms wrapping around Novak’s torso, his forward motion toppling Novak, slamming him into the ground with
Gavin having the softer landing across Novak’s back, both boys were breathless and laughing.

  “That’s what you get,” Gavin laughed.

  “Fuck,” Novak breathed, “I forgot how hard you tackle.” He struggled under Gavin’s weight. “Get off me.”

  Scrambling to his feet, Gavin pulled Novak up and tossed the ball to James, who promptly threw it back causing Novak to lunge for the ball. Gavin dodged every move Novak made before once again passing the ball to James.

  “And that’s why I was Captain,” Gavin gloated. “You may have the speed but you lack manoeuvrability.”

  “Oh I do, do I?” Novak grinned sticking out his foot and tripping Gavin. “Say that again,” he said, looking down as Gavin lay flat on his back.

  “Bastard” Gavin laughed.

  “Boys,” Angel mused as the three girls approached. “Never get any older than age fifteen.” She swung her hair over her shoulder and cast a pitying look at all three of them as she strolled by.

  After rounding up the dogs and having a brief respite in the gardens of Pembroke Lodge, they set off on the long route back to the car park having all agreed to spend the evening together at one of the local Chinese restaurants. Not wanting to overstep that mark, Gavin walked by Angel’s side, his hands in his pockets.

  “Shit,” she whispered stepping behind a tree. Gavin looked at her questioningly before following the direction of her gaze.

  “Is that Quinn?” he asked on catching site of the rear end of a white Range Rover. Angel nodded. The others had stopped and followed suit, instantly recognising Quinn’s car.

  “Come on Angel,” Gavin cajoled. “He didn’t see you, don’t let it spoil your day.”

  “Yeah, we’re all here, even if he did happen to walk past us, there’s no way he’ll try anything,” Novak re-assured.

  “Even I could take him,” James put in, making Angel smile.

  “And he’s a lover not a fighter,” Novak grabbed James in a head lock and proceeded to noogie him. Angel laughed and stepped out from behind the tree.

  “Sorry, I guess I’m a bit paranoid,” she said.