by Bijou Hunter
His lips nibble at my throat while his fingers slide up my shirt. Before he can take control, I push him back and climb off the bed long enough to turn off the stove. Once back on the bed, I straddle his muscular hips. Emmett smiles at my attempt to be in charge. We’ve tried this routine before, and my efforts to ravage him always end with me flustered and him back on top.
If it’s not broke…
26 Train Wrecks - Emmett
A proud Poppy introduces me to her family, even though I already know everyone. They still act as if I’m new people. Court and Donovan shake my hand and tell me to treat Poppy right. Journey threatens me with something called a dick and knee double tap, if I ever do her sister wrong. Christine tells me I’m very lucky to know her daughter. Jared says he never ever wants to hear anything about my dating life. Deaf, dumb, and blind is how he plans to play the situation.
Justice remains quiet during the introductions. She sits on the couch and stares at the TV. I’m not worried about anything she might have planned since Poppy will no doubt keep me safe.
Except my girl wanders off with Felix at one point, and I find myself alone in the living room with Justice.
“Big man, come sit and look at a little treat I have for you,” the blonde waif says, patting next to her on the couch.
I’m wary of Justice’s smiling face. She and Poppy share the same devious grin, and I know her treat will likely cause me a little pain.
Wary isn’t the same as scared, though. Joining her on the couch, I wait for her treat.
“This photo album is very special because it’s only filled with pictures of our sweet Poppy. Would you like to see her as a darling baby?”
Nodding, I’m still unsure about Justice’s plan. Despite my wariness, I can’t help grinning when I look down at the album and see Poppy’s round baby face smiling up.
“She had such chubby cheeks,” Justice says. “Fat, pinchable cheeks not at all related to her father’s glandular problem.”
Having sensed her sister causing trouble, Poppy appears from outside and stomps her foot.
“No! Stop looking!”
“You were a pretty baby,” I tell her.
Poppy grins and coos, “I know, Em. Now close your eyes before the demon woman tricks you.”
“I just want to show off how cute your babies will be,” Justice says.
The sisters simultaneously narrow their eyes and growl at each other. I’m waiting for a cat fight. Instead, Court appears, and I assume he’ll play peacemaker. Instead, he takes a toy sword and taps Poppy’s head.
“On guard.”
“Don’t try distracting me.”
Court smacks her butt with the sword and then offers her a weapon of her own. Poppy looks at me and then frowns at her sister. She’s ready to blow off Court. I know she is, but the asshole whispers a challenge about how he’s too fast for her to catch anyway.
“I hope your will is in order,” Poppy says, grabbing the weapon and chasing him out of the back door.
“Let them play. Here’s a picture of Poppy in first grade.”
Justice flips pages, showing me various photos of my girl. I can’t figure out her end game until she reaches the pubescent shots of Poppy.
“Her periods are legendary. Sensing evil in their presence, animals have fled the property. People have mysteriously died. For a week, the entire family lives in abject terror.”
“Is that it?” I ask.
“Is what it?”
“You want to embarrass Poppy. I get it. I just figured your plan was more elaborate.”
“I’m trying to warn you, Emmett. Run far away before it’s too late. My sister has praying mantis written all over her chubby cheeks. Soon, her period will strike, and she will consume you in a fit of the hormonal munchies.”
“I can think of worse ways to die.”
“You’re really into her, huh? Why? I ask as a curious bystander to your disgusting relationship.”
“Why is it disgusting?”
Justice lifts an irritated eyebrow. “You’re thirty-something and probably a day or two away from going through a midlife crisis. Poppy, on the other hand, is a kid in a million ways. You can’t see that because you’re too focused on the age on her driver’s license and that fine Earlham ass.”
“Is that the way you see this?”
“Poppy likes you, and you like her. That’s nice and stuff, but why can’t you like someone your own queefing age?”
“Because there’s no one in the world like Poppy.”
Justice studies me and then looks down at a picture of Poppy covered in what I suspect is puke.
“You’re not wrong about that,” Justice finally says. “She’s an original.”
“I have no intention of hurting Poppy.”
“Of course you don’t. That’s not the problem. The problem is Poppy might fall in love with you, and she’s the kind of person who loves someone despite all their crap. She misses her dad even though she doesn’t even like him. She loves him, though, and can’t stop. Her heart latches on and won’t let go. If that happens with you, you could hurt her without intending anything.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Which part? Her falling in love with you or you hurting her? Because you can’t control either of those outcomes.”
“I can too.”
“Neither of you’ve been in love. I can tell you haven’t because you act like love is easy. In reality, it’s scary as hell, but you wouldn’t know that. You’re strong enough to fuck up your heart, but Poppy hasn’t lived enough to rebound from you hurting her. She’s always been loved by anyone worth loving. Even her father doesn’t fuck her over more than she allows. If you hurt her, she’ll have no resistance. You’re like a virus waiting to kill her.”
Hating that her words have any power, I mutter, “Being a little overdramatic, aren’t you?”
“The fact that you think I’d ever be overdramatic about anything makes me think you don’t pay enough attention. I’m the mature sister.”
Shaking my head, I stand up and stretch. “I like those pictures, but I don’t want to see them unless Poppy shows them to me.”
“Whipped much?”
“I’m trying to be a good guy.”
Frowning, Justice looks severely pissed. “You dated her for like a week before you popped her cherry. How in the hell are you the good guy?”
“She was in control the entire time.”
“With her first boyfriend? You’re delusional,” Justice says, standing up and poking me in the chest. “You better watch yourself. Legal or not, Poppy is the baby sister in this family. If you wrong her, I’ll find a way to hurt you.”
“I’m not going to wrong her.”
“Good.”
“Then we’re on the same page.”
“I don’t know what page you’re talking about and I’m grumpy now. You’re on my nerves. Never talk to me again. Wait, one more thing,” Justice says, poking me again. “My anger at how you rushed my little sister into your bed doesn’t change how much I appreciate your loyalty to Court. He knows he can trust you, and he needs people like that in his life.”
“Well, okay.”
“Yeah, okay. You remember that,” she says, pointing at me as she slowly walks from the room.
Left in the house with two bitchy cats giving me death stares, I go out the back door where I find Poppy sword fighting with Felix.
Pausing on the porch, I watch my woman act like a kid. The sight of her laughing so effortlessly makes me feel like an asshole. The guilt hits me hard. While I’m not a good man, I normally treat my friends and family well. I always thought that meant I wasn’t a monster. Have I just been fooling myself?
Poppy is still a child in a hundred ways, just like Justice said. I watch her fighting with Felix who is closer to her age than I am. What the fuck was I thinking by claiming her as mine when she isn’t ready to be out of her ma’s house yet?
This isn’t who I want to be.
>
Not for Poppy.
When she looks at me, I want her to view me better than others do. My ma thinks I hang the moon. She believes I’m a good man because I’m so damn good to her. I do right by my ma. I want to do the same thing with Poppy. Be the kind of man she deserves, but I got greedy. My dick seized control of my thinking, making me blind to everything else.
“I’m an asshole,” I say when she runs over to me.
“Oh, Em, I already knew that. Is this where I point out something obvious about me like I’m a bitch?”
Poppy reaches out to touch me, but I dodge her hands, even if it kills me.
Frowning, Poppy asks, “Did Justice show you a gross picture and now you don’t think I’m the sexiest thing ever?”
“That ain’t it.”
“Spill it, boy.”
“I’m worried you’re too young.”
“Too young for what?” she asks.
“For me.”
Poppy stares at me for a moment before slapping me upside the head with her sword.
“Oh no, you don’t,” she growls while holding the toy menacingly. “No way are you pulling this shit now that we’ve had sex and you’ve gotten what you want. If I wasn’t too young when you left me limping, I’m nowhere near too young now!” she yells and then hits me again. “Bleeding anal wart!”
“I was thinking with my dick. Now I’m thinking with my heart. You were all I wanted for so long and then you were legal, and I just wanted what I wanted. Now I’m thinking about what you need.”
“Do you want me to hurt you?” she asks, and the words cut me. “If you were only using me for sex, I’ll get a real blade and remove the dick that caused all this trouble.”
“I’m not talking about ending things. I’m just talking about slowing things down until you’ve lived more.”
“Anal wart!” she hollers, hitting me repeatedly until I take away the sword and hold it over her head. “Cheater!”
“I’ll wait for however long you need. No one else is gonna distract me from you.”
“Stupid shit,” she says reaching down to find something to use as a weapon. Finding no rocks on the ground, she takes off her flip-flop and slaps my arm. “First, you’re a greedy bastard wanting pussy. Now you’re a bossy bastard telling me what I need. I’m not your whore or your child, so stop telling me crap.”
I grab the first flip-flop, so she takes off her other one and hits me in the ass. I back away while she swings the shoe.
“You’re still so young.”
“I’m older than I was when you put your dick in me. Oh, man, am I going to kick your ass.”
“I feel like you’re misunderstanding me.”
“Poor misunderstood Emmett is going to bleed tonight,” she says, chasing me with her flip-flop. “I’m going to hurt you so bad.”
I shouldn’t laugh, but her pissed expression is hilarious. Also, she’s using a puny piece of rubber as a weapon, so I can’t even pretend to be afraid.
“Poppy, I’m trying to be a nice guy.”
Pausing her attack, she frowns for a minute. “Is that why you’re failing so badly? Are you so unaccustomed to being nice or smart that you’ve instigated your death?”
“You’re not going to kill me.”
“No, but I’m going to threaten to kill you, and that’s almost as good.”
“I’ll be patient.”
“Now, you will,” she says, fighting a pout.
“It won’t be any easier now than it was before we had sex. In fact, now that I know how sexy you are, it’ll probably make me crazier to wait, but I will for you.”
“Ah, that’s sweet. Now give me back my sword, so I can bust open your ass.”
Grinning, I hand back her flip-flop first. She tosses aside the shoes and waits for her sword.
“Those were some pretty baby pictures,” I say, holding the sword just out of her reach. “You grew up to be one helluva beautiful woman.”
“I know. Now gimme,” she says, jumping for the weapon.
“Only if you promise to be nice.”
“Never.”
“I’m still wrapped around your finger, baby. No need to get mad if I’m willing to give you the time to grow up a little more.”
“Don’t care. Gimme the sword,” she says, and I swear she’s about to cry.
“Say please.”
Poppy gives me one terrifying scowl, but I know she’ll say the word. I never get to find out if I’m right because Jared decides to play father by cooling down our argument.
The hose sprays me first, but Jared turns it full blast on Poppy when she tries to make a run for it.
“War!” she cries while laughing against the water stream. “You’re dead, Stache! Dead, I tell ya!”
Poppy turns her amused wrath on Jared, running toward him. The water barely slows her before she grabs a super soaker from the porch. One of the founding members of the Rawkfist MC and a grandfather of four takes off running with a little blonde girl in pursuit.
27 Train Wrecks - Poppy
Chasing Jared into the garage, I finally corner him with my sword. As much as his smug smile irritates me, it’s also a welcome distraction from the conversation with Emmett. My initial anger kept me from the painful brunt of his words. Now I’m soaking wet, cold, and defenseless against the fear of losing him.
“Emmett wants to break up,” I mumble, fighting tears behind my wet hair.
Jared nods, pushing aside my sword. “When you called him an anal wart, I knew he was probably saying something stupid.”
“He thinks I’m too young.”
“You are, but that can of worms is already open. No closing it now.”
“I’m Mom’s age when she hooked up with you.”
“That you are.”
“Do you think she was too young?”
Jared runs a hand through his wet hair. “Yeah, but I was ready for her and I didn’t want to wait.”
“Are you saying Emmett is right to dump me?”
“He isn’t dumping you. He’s full of shit. If he left you today, he’d be back here tomorrow on his knees begging for another chance.”
“Do you feel bad about hooking up with Mom when she was eighteen?”
“No. We had two great kids.”
“Yeah, and then she ditched you, moved away, married a boring guy, had an amazing daughter, and came back to town decades later only to hook up with you again.”
Jared gives me a dark little frown. He no doubt wonders how the conversation got focused on him.
“If I had chased Christine, she never would have ended up with your dad. No, we’d have figured things out back then, but I got pissed when she left and didn’t know how to handle her being gone. I guess I expected her to come back without me having to do anything. When she didn’t, I just settled.”
“Of course, if you guys fixed things back then, I wouldn’t exist. Can you imagine the bleak world you’d live in without me?”
“No, you’d exist. The only difference is you’d be my kid and have no glandular worries.”
“Funny stuff, Stache.”
Jared grabs a towel from the pile Journey leaves in the garage for her workouts. He tosses it to me while glancing into the yard where the kids play with the dogs and a wet Emmett waits to finish our conversation.
“You shouldn’t worry about Emmett running. You ought to worry about if he stays. That man’s ready for marriage and kids. You’re not there yet.”
“I could be.”
“Well, that’s between you and him. I just think you ought to focus on that problem and not if he’ll leave you. I know men like Emmett. Hell, I am a man like Emmett. I remember how I felt when I met my forever woman. I took one look at Christine and got whipped fast. If she’d run in those early days, I’d have locked her in my bedroom and fucked her compliant.”
“That’s a real romantic story.”
“I’m a real romantic guy,” he says, giving me a sly grin. “So is Emmett. He might want
to be selfless and let you grow up. He might think that’s what he’ll do, but he’s fucking lying to himself. Don’t let him lie to you too.”
Drying my hair, I think about Jared and Mom meeting and hooking up and dealing with my shitty grandparents hating their relationship. At least with Emmett, my family is supportive. Well, except for Justice with her ugly baby pictures. And Journey might kill Emmett in his sleep to ensure I remain nearby to be her babysitter. They’re still nicer than my grandparents were with Mom and Jared.
“Thanks for the words of wisdom,” I say, throwing the towel at his head. “Hey, do you think if you were my father that I’d have bushy eyebrows like Journey?”
“Maybe. You’d probably have a decent mustache coming in by now too.”
Rubbing my upper lip, I try to decide if I’d prefer a life of waxing my mustache or working off my dad’s chunky hips.
“Of course, you look pretty much exactly like your mom,” Jared says. “Except for your cheeks which I assume you got from Paul.”
“Do you hate him?”
“Sure.”
Smiling, I poke his arm. “It’s not his fault you guys broke up.”
“That’s not the point. He slept with my woman. For that, he’s the enemy.”
“Sounds about right for a small-town redneck.”
“Like Emmett,” he reminds me.
“I’m a small-town redneck most days too.”
“That explains a lot. Now go tell your man what you’re thinking instead of telling me. I already know, but I think Emmett probably needs shit dumbed down a little.”
“He’s not an idiot.”
“Isn’t he, though?”
“Yes, but it’s my job to defend him.”
“Unless you want me to hose you down again, you better defend him over that way.”
Though I consider messing with Jared longer, Emmett is waiting. I see him stepping closer to the garage every few minutes until he and Jared switch places.
“You’re not a kid,” Emmett says.
Still drying my hair, I sigh. “Neither are you.”
“I see the way you are and I think you’re too young, but maybe you’re just wild.”
