Willow (The Willow Series Book 1)

by Cheri Lewis

  “Who’s that?” Heath asks.

  “Brantley.” The look on his face tells me he doesn’t know who Brantley is. “You know, Brantley, bounty hunter,” I whispered the last part. “I dated him a while ago.”

  He leans over to get a better look at him. “He’s beefed up.”

  “He’s always been that big. He’s got a beard now.”

  “Oh I knew something was different.”

  We nurse the pitcher of beer and shoot a couple games of pool and play a game of darts. I notice Brantley left thirty minutes after we arrived. I didn’t see any ruckus take place or if he left with anyone. I’m a tad bit disappointed he didn’t say bye I’m sure he has a good reason but still that slap on my ass left a tingle in other places and now she’s ready to mingle.

  We already ate through a basket of hot wings and just placed an order for a basket of fries when I see Heaths face shift to a look I recognize as, ‘oh shit this isn’t going to be good’. I wrinkle my nose and glance over my shoulder. What in the hell? There’s Wade… and damn if he doesn’t look good. Light blue button down shirt untucked with sleeves rolled up, relaxed fit jeans and work boots. Oh his brother is here with him… and so are two girls.

  I turn back fast so he doesn’t see me and most certainly doesn’t see me looking at him. “Hey, Willow, let’s go,” Heath says and it’s filled with too much sympathy. My alcohol riddled brain has drank too much to need anybody feeling sorry for me right now.

  I pick up my beer and drink the last few inches in the glass. “Nah, I’m good.”

  He leans forward. “No picking a fight. Okay?”

  I place my hand on my heart and pretend to be offended and that I don’t care. “Who me? He can fuck whoever he wants to Heath. It’s fine by me.”

  Our french fries arrive and Heath squirts ketchup all over them. We both dig in getting ketchup on our fingers. I stick a fry in my mouth and lick the ketchup from my finger. “Hey, Heath?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Just give me a heads up if he spots us or if he comes over.”

  “You got it. You sure you’re okay?”

  I shrug. “It’s my fault I haven’t talked to him yet and we weren’t really dating or anything. We’re both free to see who we want.”

  It was if I’d spoken the magic words because right after I said that in walks Brantley and I was happy to see him and my lady down below was even happier.

  I watch as he marches over to our table and pulls a chair out turning it around to sit down. Something else I forgot he does that’s always driven me nuts. Why can’t he just sit in a chair a normal way? I asked him one time and he said he’s able to get to his feet faster. Dumb logic to me but I haven’t done any scientific testing to see if he’s right. I’m past tipsy and know I need to stop drinking since I’m thinking such stupid rambling thoughts. Scientific testing. I roll my eyes at my own thoughts.

  Our waitress comes up asking if Brantley would like anything. He orders two shots of something. I missed it when someone at the pool table beside us started yelling after he lost the game. I ordered a shot of whiskey. Brantley smiles at me with a glow in his eyes. Heath doesn’t. He frowns, leaning back in his chair shaking his head. As the minutes begin to pass and Brantley seems to let his guard down or the shots help him lower his guard. We all chat and laugh talking about different cases we’ve had and some of the craziest shit we’ve ever seen. Wade became a distant memory. Well a distant memory until he walks up behind me leaning down placing his head between Brantley and me interrupting our conversation. Complete alpha male move. I glance over, my eyes are heavy and his eyes are searching mine. “Hey, Roscoe,” I say softly.

  I sit tall when I feel his hand on the back of my chair and his thumb strokes my back. “I’m still waiting to have that conversation when you’re ready.”

  I look down at the table in front of me. All the good times from the last hour have disappeared. When Brantley begins speaking I look over because I know this can’t be good. Two alpha males in a tiny confined space. I then find out exactly how fast he can stand from a chair when it’s turned around backwards.

  “I don’t believe we’ve met,” Brantley states with his normal cockiness. Wade stands meeting his challenge. They’re toe to toe and nose to nose.

  I’d never really paid attention before to how big Wade really is, I mean I knew he was big but when you have him next to somebody like Brantley and there’s not much difference you realize it to be a fact he’s pretty damn big. The stare down is intense. It’s almost like good versus evil but I wouldn’t classify Brantley as evil. It’s just they’re the exact opposites. Wade is clean cut, shaven, tattoo-less and Brantley is bearded, leathered up and covered in tattoos. Heath is now on his feet looking between the two. Only an idiot would step between them and that’s where this idiot steps in. I wiggle between them and turn my back to Brantley looking up at Wade. “Roscoe, this is Brantley and Brantley this is Roscoe.” I sound like a moron but I don’t know what else to say.

  Wade looks down at me and I see it in his eyes. All the assumptions he said he wouldn’t have about me before he now has. I’m placed immediately into a scumbag, slut and handcuffed wielding fool category. It hurts, I won’t lie and I won’t bother pretending I don’t want to have that conversation he’s ready to have, right now. But any apologizing I do right this second will seem like I’m guilty of doing something tonight that I’m not guilty of. Yes I shouldn’t have handcuffed him and left him but that’s the only thing I feel I need to apologize for. And we’re drunk. Serious conversations shouldn’t happen when you’ve been drinking. Besides he’s not here by himself, so who is he to judge me? I look around Wade to wave a cute finger wave at his date then look back to him and say, “Say hello to your date for me.”

  His smile is more of a snarl. It wasn’t directed toward me or I didn’t feel that it was. He steps out of the way to the side and around us. I sag back leaning against Brantley and he asks, “Old boyfriend?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Want me to make you forget about him?” His husky voice just said exactly what I needed to hear. Yes… yes I do. I grab his hand that’s resting on my shoulder and lead him out of the bar.

  *****

  The next morning my alarm clock blares from my cell phone. I raise my head about three inches off the pillow. It swims and aches but I feel extremely relaxed. I push my hair out of my face so I can see and grab the phone hitting the snooze then push the covers back. My nipples harden at the cold morning air. Sitting on the side of the bed I look around at the evidence of what transpired last night. Clothes on the floor, several torn condom wrappers lie on the nightstand, the lamp shade on my beside nightstand is way off center.

  I yank on the sheet, pull it up and over my back and hold my head. Joe paws at the door. I hadn’t realized my door was shut until then. He scratches again not used to being put out at night. The bed wasn’t big enough for the three of us last night. Plus Joe had no idea what we were doing and kept jumping up and licking me or Brantley demanding attention. Brantley’s words echo in my head from last night. “Babe, the dog licking me while I’m trying to fuck you is wrong on so many levels.” I laugh as I remember the thorough job he did after I put the dog out. I ease off the bed taking the sheet with me to let Joe in. My body is sore and aches from Brantley taking care of business. If it wasn’t for the damn headache and puking sensation I’d be feeling pretty great. My alarm goes off on my phone again. This time I hit the awake button. Joe sniffs around the floor then jumps up beside me wanting to be petted, so I do.

  I take a long, long hot shower then make my way into the kitchen where a full pot of coffee is waiting on me. There’s a note beside it.

  Fun as always. I’ll fix the hallway next time I’m in town. Made me a pot of coffee and you one too. - B

  I pour myself a cup of coffee and pop two aspirins before I take a sip. I notice my toaster has been moved and a knife in the kitchen sink. I turn around leaning against
the counter taking in the quietness of my home. I take a few more sips of the hot coffee then turn back and walk into the hallway. I stare at the wall. Him leaving before I woke up, doesn’t bother me. Him using me for sex, doesn’t bother me. Me using him for sex, doesn’t bother me. Him taking a whole pot of coffee and even fixing himself breakfast while I sleep, doesn’t bother me. Not remembering how a big ass hole about six feet up my wall got there, bothers me. I walk over and touch the edges. Nothing comes to me as I try to remember. I’m even having a hard time imagining what could make that big of a hole that high. I shake my head and turn back around to let Joe out the back door.

  *****

  When I arrive at the Sanitation Department I see a couple of the faces that I recognize from Friday. My headache is better but I still feel like hell and even though part of me, a big part of me is glad I went, the sensible adult side of me is questioning why I went out drinking the night before I was going to have to work all day and in the heat. Thank God, it’s cooling off and quickly. Ten degrees makes a huge difference here in Alabama with the humidity we fight daily. I make my way over to Paula who’s sitting on a picnic table outside smoking a cigarette. She didn’t smoke a single one Friday that I remember.

  “Ready for another day?” she asks in her normal crazy voice.

  “Not really.”

  She blows out a lung full of smoke through her nose. “You look like hell.” She leans over pulling her flask out of the smock she’s wearing. I don’t think twice about taking a sip or gulp today. I know it will help me sober up and I need to be sober.

  “I didn’t know you smoked.”

  “I do when I ain’t got the patch. I ran out of money and had cigarettes left from when I quit. Figured why waste them. I already spent the money on them so I might as well use them.” Backwards logic but it works somehow for her. She flicks her ashes and takes another drag before standing and stretching. “Come on, buttercup, and stand by me so we’re on the same team.” I hand her back her flask and she shoves it back down in her pocket. “Penny’s here already but Hector ain’t I was hoping we’d have the same team again. You guys know how to work and I ain’t left doing it all.”

  I follow behind her going inside, glad to be out of the sunlight for a few minutes. Penny is standing in her corner again. She smiles when she sees me and nods her head to the other side of the room. I guess that’s code to meet her there. She dressed up again wearing a different belt but today her shoes are a little more sensible, to her anyway. The heel isn’t as high as the ones she wore Friday. Hector still isn’t here yet and Chuck has started calling roll. We line up to get our uniform and I feel like I’ve found the routine already even though this is only the second day. Penny and Paula are several people ahead of me for some reason I prefer being the last. I get dressed and sit on the bench. Penny comes and sits by me and I ask, “Where’s Paula?”

  Penny points with her thumb backwards. I look over my shoulder and spot her sitting on the floor with her back to the wall wearing headphones bobbing her head as she sings along to music playing the air drums. I shake my head and wait for Chuck to assign our teams. Penny introduces herself and me to a black woman named Velma. We all assumed she’d be in our group since she was also sitting on the same bench as Penny and I but Chuck has another plan. He comes into our area pulling a young teenage girl who has attitude written all over her by the look on her face and rigid body language, arms crossed, scowling, she totally doesn’t think she should have to be here. Well, neither do I, honey. Suck it up buttercup. I find myself amused at using Paula’s nickname for me.

  “You three and her,” Chuck said to me, Penny and Paula who’s still drumming out behind us, giving the teenage girl a light push in our direction. I had news for this young bundle of joy. I have a headache. I’m hungover and I hate spoiled rotten entitled attitudes and she reeks of one of those.

  Penny tried talking to attitude girl asking her name but she ignores her and rolls her eyes. We get our orders and our assigned truck, again an S-10. I hand the keys to Penny, who is the team leader today, and she takes them. I’m in no shape to drive. Paula damn sure doesn’t need to and who knows why our newest addition is here but she’s playing the part of angry teenager so well she might decide to drive us into a tree just to prove to the world she’s in charge.

  Once we get to our spot I unload the truck. Paula is dancing by the road and waving as horns blow adding fuel to her dance fire. There are four buckets and three picker sticks. I know when I looked into the truck earlier there were four. I cut my eyes to the new girl I’ve dubbed AG. It’s short for ‘angry girl’. I do my best to ignore AG who stands on the outside of the area we’re working holding her empty bucket not even attempting to do her part.

  The temperature rises as the day creeps by and the humidity is so thick with promises of afternoon thunderstorms you can practically see it hanging in the air. I’ve kept myself in check pretty well today considering the circumstances. When we reach the end of street we’re working on and Penny informs us, next, we’re working alongside a main highway my temper begins to simmer. The three of us stare at the highway as far as we can see. This stretch of road hasn’t been picked up in years it looks like. It’s a slow process but we make good progress the three of us work side by side for a while then cross the street and do the other side. If AG was helping we’d have two on each side of the road and moving a lot faster. I yell back to AG asking her to bring us a new roll of trash bags. She doesn’t move from her perch leaning against a stop sign. I ask her again in case she didn’t hear me the first time. When I see her eyes roll mine begins to twitch. I stalk toward her and Paula is skipping alongside of me like she couldn’t wait for me to take this girl down.

  I walk right up to her. “We need trash bags, now!” It comes out a growl.

  Penny is now beside me. “Willow, let it go. She’s just a kid with a lot of growing up to do.”

  I look back to her. “I will not let it go. She’s old enough to be out here with us. Somebody thought she needed a lesson taught to her.”

  “I ain’t scared of none of y’all,” AG finally retorts.

  “You have no idea how much you should be,” I warn her.

  “I ain’t scared. I done warned you once. I ain’t warning you again. You can ask my momma I told her the same thing.” The girl crosses her arms over her chest like she’s tough.

  “What’d you do to your momma?” I ask getting closer to the girl.

  She drops her arms starts pounding her fist into her other hand.

  Paula sounds surprised as she asks, “You hit your own momma?”

  All we got was an eye roll and a lip smack.

  “I guess that’s what makes you grown,” I say to anybody listening.

  I catch movement out of the corner of my eye when I see a bottle being hurled through the air. Paula screams in pain and I’m suddenly covered in some type of wetness. I grab Paula pulling her away from the highway, shoving her toward Penny then race across the street jumping in the S-10 going after the truck that just sped through the stop sign. The smell of burning oil becomes more evident as I press the accelerator all the way to the floor. I’m sure it’s never reached eighty miles an hour before. I spot the assholes who threw the bottle a little ways down the highway. I get the tag number off their truck knowing that it will have to do at the moment. I turn the truck around to go back and check on Paula. As I drive back much slower than I went I notice I’ve got some black sludge all over me. What the hell is this? Stupid, I know, but I pull my arm up and smell my sleeve nearly gagging on the first whiff.

  When I get back and Paula is sitting down with her head between her knees. Penny is on the radio. AG is standing off to the side of them crying and also covered in black sludge. Some tough girl she is. Gets a little dirty then boo hoo hoo. I do notice though that AG smells worse than I do so I go stand on the other side of Penny while we wait for Chuck and the police to arrive.

  Two patrol cars arrive and of c
ourse I know three of the four officers, and just my luck, one of them is Riley. Penny stands behind everybody gathering around Paula after she tells them she didn’t witness the actual assault just what happened afterward. I tell them what transpired and give them the license plate number from the truck, even though I know he won’t get but a slap on the wrist. The bottle that hit her was full of liquid goop, chewed tobacco spit. It was full too until it hit Paula then it busted and went all over her, AG and myself. I know its mean but I find it a little bit satisfying that AG got it worse than me or Paula.

  I pretend not to notice all the staring they’re doing at me in my pink uniform and working with the litter patrol. Thankfully, all of them are smart enough not to say one single word or smart comment. Riley does give me a sympathetic smile and I find myself wishing I didn’t do him the way I did. He’s a good guy. There are some men who are okay with just casual sex, like Brantley. But Riley-is-a-date,-marry,-have-babies-kind-of-person and I knew that before I called him.

  I have this internal nag to try to fix what I did and a small part of me wishes I could go back to the person who doesn’t give a damn but I can’t as hard as I try it pokes me in my chest saying ‘fix it, fix it.” Deep down I know I don’t want to be that person anymore but my life sure was easier. I wait until the other officers are doing paperwork or busy talking to other people and I pull Riley to the side.

  “What’s up Willow?” I can see the hurt, humiliation, and rejection still lingering in his eyes even though he’s trying hard to hide it by looking anywhere and everywhere but me.

  “Riley, I was a bitch to you and I’m truly sorry. I know I apologized on voicemail but I wanted to do it where I could look you in the eyes and tell you I’m sincerely sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” he says looking down at the ground.

  I stare at him and call his name softly, “Riley.” He finally looks up. His eyes meet mine and I whisper, “I am sorry.”