by Lily Graison
“Mick…”
“Tell me there’s somewhere to go or I’m going to fuck you right here in front of every hick in town.”
Faith inhaled sharply when Mick’s hand snuck under the edge of her shirt. She opened her eyes, looking to her right to see if anyone was looking. There was, of course. She dropped her legs from around his waist, struggled against him and grabbed his hand, trying to dislodge it while trying to get him to drop her. “Mick, let go!” she hissed in his ear. “People are watching.”
His hand stilled and he lifted his head, glancing at her face before turning his head.
“Mrs. Pritchard!” Faith said, breathlessly. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
Mrs. Pritchard pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. “And what exactly is it then, missy?”
Faith laughed nervously and squirmed in Mick’s arms, hoping he’d get the hint. He didn’t. “Put me down,” she whispered. His hold on her stayed and she was left to dangle between the wall and his body.
“Faith Weston, if your father saw you right now—”
“I know,” Faith said, blushing. “But it isn’t what you think—”
“Oh, I think it’s exactly what I think…”
Mick leaned toward her, his lips caressing her ear as he whispered, “Tell her to go away or she’s going to get an eye full.”
“Where is Jacob?” Mrs. Pritchard asked. “I saw him not ten minutes ago.”
“He’s down at the diner,” Faith said. “He knows where I am.”
Mrs. Pritchard shook her head. “He might know where you are, dear, but I’m almost positive he doesn’t know you’re over here with…” She paused and gave Mick a disgruntled look before shaking her head again. “I think I’m going to go find Adam.”
“No!” Faith yelled. “Please don’t do that.” It was useless. Mrs. Pritchard rounded the corner and was gone before Faith could say another word. “Great,” she said. “You probably should put me down, Mick, before Adam gets here.”
“Who the hell is Adam?”
“My brother.”
“And who’s the kid who punched me in the face?”
“Uh, also my brother.”
Mick grinned, his hand once again crawling under her shirt. “Jessi said you have five.”
“I do and I can already tell you none of them are going to be happy to see you right now so please, put me down before Adam gets here.”
“Can’t do,” he said. “I’ve been celibate for three damn months now and I need you to do your wifely duty and see to my needs.”
Faith stared at the top of his head as he peeked down the front of her blouse. His fingers skimmed the underside of her left breast and she sucked in a breath when his fingers wormed under the material of her bra and brushed her nipple. She could feel his cock against her thigh, hard and needy. Had he really been celibate since Vegas? “Are you lying?” she asked.
He kissed her throat, his tongue working against her skin as those talented fingers tweaked her nipple and sent sparks shooting straight to her core. “Lying about what?”
“About being celibate.”
His fingers stilled and he lifted his head, looking up at her before smiling. “No,” he said, softly. “I may not have known I married you until the day you left but I do know what marriage is, and I’m almost positive there’s a vow in there about forsaking all others and keeping only to your wife.”
She nodded her head. “There is,” she said.
“And what about you?”
“What about me?”
He tilted his head slightly and locked eyes with her. “Have you kept your vows to me?”
His hold on her tightened and Faith saw his throat work as he swallowed. She smiled and lifted her hand, laying it on his cheek. “I have.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss her only to stop when someone rounded the corner.
“What the hell is going on?”
Mick nearly growled as they were interrupted again and turned his head to see who this new person was. His eyes widened when a uniformed police officer stood on the sidewalk staring at him. “That old bat called the cops?” he whispered to Faith.
Faith groaned and struggled in his grasp again. “Put me down, Mick.”
As much as he loathed doing so, the look on the cops face left no room for argument. He sighed and eased Faith to her feet. He turned and faced the officer as Faith straightened her blouse.
“Faith, you have five seconds to explain.”
“What did Mrs. Pritchard say?”
“She said you were getting raped by some tattooed hoodlum but I can tell by that tender moment I just witnessed that isn’t the case.”
Mick raised an eyebrow and glanced between the officer and Faith. Less than fifteen minutes in this town and he’d been assaulted and had the cops called on him. He could already tell his trip to Nowhere, Georgia was going to be one for the record books.
“This is Mick,” Faith said, taking a step back and closer to him. She smiled hesitantly before looking up at him. “Mick, this is Adam. My oldest brother.”
Mick’s eyes widened as he looked back over at the officer. “Your brother is a cop?”
“Uh, Sheriff, actually.”
Mick laughed. He couldn’t help it. His new father-in-law was a minister and his brother-in-law the sheriff. What other surprises was he in store for?
Adam crossed his arms over his chest and stared at him. His eyes narrowed while his gaze bore into him. Mick cut his laughter off with a chuckle and shook his head. “Faith, I’m beginning to think you were sent to me as payment for all the bad shit I’ve ever done in my life.”
She snorted a laugh and said, “You’re probably not too far from the truth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? What other surprises do you have for me?”
“This is the man you married?” Adam asked, interrupting their conversation.
Faith sighed and nodded her head. “Yes.”
Adam stared at Mick, his gaze lingering over the tattoos and the facial piercing. “Has dad seen him yet?”
“No,” Faith whined.
Adam stood silently for long minutes before he grinned and started laughing. He looked between the two of them and was bent over double, hands on his knees when Faith looked away. Mick saw her eyes tear up and his chest ached at the sight of it. When Adam continued to laugh, he bent and leaned close to Faith’s ear. “Can I punch him out?”
She grinned but shook her head. “No. He’ll lock you up.”
“For how long?”
“Long enough for your dick to fall off waiting to be released.”
Mick straightened and waited, along with Faith, for Adam to stop laughing. By the time he had, the sidewalk behind him was packed with people.
Adam swiped a hand over his eyes and shook his head. “Faith, please don’t tell dad until I’m there to witness it. I’ll tear up all your parking tickets if you do.”
“You’ll go to hell for lying, Sheriff Weston.”
He grinned. “I’m not lying. I swear. They’ll disappear if you let me sit in on it.”
“No,” she said. “If you’re there then the others will want to be too.”
“So?” Adam said, grinning. “Mick here is our brother-in-law now. It’s only fair he meets the whole family.”
“Forget it,” Faith said. “I’m not letting you anywhere near daddy until I can talk to him first.”
Jacob stepped around the corner and stopped beside Adam. He grinned before saying, “I already called dad. He’s waiting for you both at the house.”
“Need a lift, sis?” Adam said. “I can take you in the squad car. With the lights on I can have us there in less than ten minutes.”
Faith lifted her hands, covering her face and groaned. Mick’s irritation level was near breaking point at the whole scene and as the laughter and taunts from Faith’s brothers continued, and he saw the obvious distress Faith was under, he snapped. He let go of her shoulder and
stepped in front of her, bending at the knees and hoisting her up over his shoulder fireman style. He turned to startled gasps and leveled his gaze on her brothers. “Nice meeting you,” he said, “but Faith and I have things to talk about before anymore family reunions so, catch you later.”
He walked around the people on the sidewalk and started down the street toward the Bed and Breakfast they were staying at. He listened to the crowd behind him, all of them shouting for him to put her down but he ignored them and kept walking. Faith gasped and tried to straighten up before saying, “Mick! Put me down.”
“Can’t do, Tink. I’ve had enough talk for one day. The only thing I want to hear out of you is you screaming my name.”
“Mick, please!”
“That was real close but I want you naked when you say it, now, stop squirming before I drop you,” he said, nearly doing it anyway when someone grabbed his arm.
“Put her down,” Jacob yelled, his face red.
“Go to hell,” Mick said.
Someone gasped in shock and Mick turned to see nearly everyone who had been watching the little scene by the sidewalk was now behind him. The old woman, Mrs. Pritchard, had a hand to her chest, her face nearly white. Mick shook his head and sighed.
“Put her down,” Jacob said again.
“No.”
Jacob’s face turned crimson, his hands clenching into fists. Mick raised a pierced eyebrow and watched him. “What? You’re going to hit me again? I’ll surely drop her then.”
“Mick, put me down.”
“Make them go away, Faith,” he said, tightening his hold on her legs.
Faith’s brothers had to be the dumbest men he’d ever met. They both grabbed at his arms, trying to wrestle Faith from him and Mick was shocked at their persistence. When Mrs. Pritchard stepped into his line of sight, he almost rolled his eyes until she yelled, “Stop! If you make him drop her how do you think the baby is going to like that!”
Everything froze, even the blood rushing through Mick’s veins. His lungs seized and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. Baby? Did she just say baby?
“Put me down, Mick,” Faith said, softly. “Please.”
Mick stared at Mrs. Pritchard and didn’t fight Adam when he lifted Faith from his arms. When she was on her feet, he looked down at her. Her complexion had turned pasty white and the look on her face answered every question rattling through his head. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a shaky breath. “You’re pregnant?”
She gave him a sad smile and nodded her head before saying, “yes.” It was the last thing he heard. The world went black as he passed out.
Five
He saw a bird chirping from its perch in the tree above him when he opened his eyes. The branches were swaying in the breeze and soft voices were heard somewhere off to his right. Mick blinked and turned his head, Faith’s face coming into his line of sight.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
He stared at her, seeing in her eyes a foreign look. They were glassy still, and the same sadness he’d seen earlier was there, but something he couldn’t identify dulled her emerald eyes. He sighed, sinking into the grass. “The baby… is it mine?”
She nodded her head again and looked away. He stared at her profile for long minutes until the voices grew louder. Turning his head, he saw Adam, Jacob and another man near a row of hedge bushes arguing. The new stranger was tall and looked a lot like Adam. It had to be another brother.
He watched them for long moments before turning away and sitting up. The voices stopped and he didn’t have the strength to look at Faith’s brothers to see why. He stared across the street, looking at nothing in particular with one thought running on repeat through his head. Faith was pregnant. The girl he’d married while so drunk he couldn’t even remember it, was having his baby.
He raised his hand and ran it through his hair, pulling the strands to feel something other than the numbing sensation that had taken over his limbs. What was he going to do now? He’d come to Georgia to get Faith to sign the divorce papers and now this. Is this why she didn’t sign them?
Turning his head to her, he watched her stare down at the ground and saw a tear slip down her cheek. His heart clenched in his chest and felt his own eyes mist while looking at her. “Faith…” She looked up and his heart broke at the look on her face. He knew what that foreign look was now. It was fear. He reached for her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap. She buried her face in his chest and cried.
“Shhh, don’t cry, Tinker Bell,” he said, raising his hand to her head. He stroked her hair and tightened his arms around her, hugging her to his chest. “It’s going to be okay.”
He held her as she cried and glanced over at the men still by the hedges. They were watching them with blank faces. Jacob turned and walked to the sidewalk and headed back to town while Adam and the other man remained. When Faith’s sobs turned to small sniffles and she lifted her head, he turned his attention back to her.
She wiped her face with the back of her hand and sighed while looking at her brother. “Daddy said since I was pregnant that I shouldn’t sign the divorce papers.”
Mick’s blood ran cold at her words. His vision clouded and everything around him went fuzzy white. He saw his ex, Jennifer, in the haze, her mocking laughter while she screamed that he got off easy only giving her half of his money. If her attempts to get pregnant had been successful, she’d own his ass for years.
His throat tightened until he found it hard to breathe past the lump forming. His heart was racing and a dull ringing sounded in his ears. Wrapping his arms around Faith, he lifted her off his lap and stood up, taking a few steps away from her before stopping when she said his name.
“Where are you going?”
He shook his head and stared across the road. “Not sure,” he said. “Away.”
He left her sitting under the tree in someone’s lawn and each step away from her left him feeling a little bit colder, his heart aching a little bit more.
Faith stood up, her shaky legs barely holding her, and watched him leave. The tears returned and she wiped angrily at them. “Damn hormones,” she hissed, ignoring the clenching pain in her chest. She watched Mick walk down the sidewalk, away from town. He looked beaten, like he held the weight of the world on his shoulders and she knew she was the reason. His joy in seeing her again washed away in an instant with the news that their irresponsible behavior had more serious consequences than a hasty marriage. Her elation at seeing him again tarnished at his obvious disappointment at hearing the news of the baby.
She turned, looking over at Adam and Seth. They were watching her, the look on their faces she knew matched her own. When they started toward her, she turned her head and looked back down the sidewalk to Mick.
“He’ll be back,” Adam said.
Faith sighed. “I’m not so sure.”
“He will,” Seth said. “He’ll do it on his own or we’ll hunt him down and drag him back kickin’ and screamin’.”
She grinned despite her mood and looked up at him. “You’re going to force him to be a man and make him own up to his mistake?”
“Of course,” Seth said, grinning. “What are brothers for if not to make sure the man who stole our sisters heart treats her with respect.”
She laughed and leaned her head on his arm. “By the time he meets all of my brothers he’ll be running for the state line.”
“He should have thought about that before marrying you without our permission.”
“And knocking up our baby sister,” Adam added.
“Oh Lord, you make it sound so sordid,” she laughed.
“It is. You ran off to Vegas and married a rock star while drunk and ended up with a reminder that will be with you until the day you die. How sleazy can you get?”
She smacked him on the arm and shook her head. “Take me home,” she said. “I think my lunch is going to come back up.”
They laughed as they walked to the sidewa
lk, and Faith resisted the urge to look back at Mick one last time. Her heart screamed to run after him but the rational part of her brain told her he just needed time to sort it all out in his head. Lord knew she’d needed it when she found out and thankfully, her family had been there to help her through. She just hoped the guys were there for Mick when he needed them.
****
It was dark by the time Mick made it back to the Bed and Breakfast Inn. He climbed the steps of the three-story home and opened the front door, wincing when the door hinges squeaked. Christian peeked around the corner of the first room when the door shut behind him.
“Damn man, where the hell have you been? Roxy was ready to call the police.”
Mick laughed and shook his head, turning the corner and walking into a large sitting room. “Don’t,” he said. “The good Sheriff Weston is the last person I want to talk to tonight.”
“Weston?” Christian said, shocked.
“What? Jessi didn’t tell you Faith’s brother was the sheriff?”
“The sheriff?” Jessi said, surprise showing on her face. “Which one?”
“Adam.”
Jessi grinned. “Figures,” she said. “He always was the bossy one.”
He snorted a laugh. “You could say that again.”
“Did he do that to your face?” Roxy asked.
Mick raised his hand to the side of his face, feeling the raised skin near his temple. He hadn’t seen it but knew a bruise was there by how sore it was. “No,” he said. “That would have been Jacob.”
“So you got into a fight with one of Faith’s brothers and her other brother locked you up?”
He shot a glance at Devin and threw himself in a vacant chair. “He didn’t lock me up,” he said. “But I’m kind of wishing he would have now.”
