I nod, pleasure unfurling within me. I wasn’t sure if he would want to stick around, because most men don’t. But for the first time in a long time, I want to try dating the same man more than once.
“Yeah, although, I worry what happens when we break it off?”
His cocks an eyebrow. “No heavy questions until after I’ve had coffee.”
Something loosens in my chest at his light tone. “Okay.”
“Now, shower, then food. For some reason I’m starving.”
I laugh as he leads me into the bathroom. He’s right. We need to shower and eat, then we can deal with everything else.
Chapter Thirteen
We decide to have breakfast at a little hole in the wall place that makes the best breakfast burritos and kolaches on this side of San Antonio.
“Do you always eat this much at breakfast?” she asks as I start on my third kolache.
I shake my head. “No, and I will definitely have to make my run tomorrow.”
She rolls her eyes as she finishes off her one kolache. She studies me while she drinks her coffee, then her phone dings.
She looks down at it and smiles.
“Let me guess, Allison?” I ask.
“No. My grandmother. She’s asking when I’m coming to Charleston.”
“Wait, I thought you were from Savannah?”
“I spent my formative years there until my parents divorced. We moved back to my mother’s old hometown of Charleston.”
“You had to change schools?”
I nod. “I was okay with that. Mom was…” she sighs. “The divorce almost broke my mother. She had put up with a lot from my father over the years, and the last part was the worst.”
Now, this was telling me something. EJ avoided relationships and had a bastard of a father. I know EJ has a tight relationship with her mother, but she rarely mentions her father. In fact, in the decade I have known her, I haven’t heard her talk about him, at least until right now. I knew her parents were divorced, but I have no idea why.
“Like what?”
“Let’s just say that my father leaving her for a younger woman was a surprise only to my mother. At the time, my mother cared about appearances, not so much for herself, but for me.”
“For you?”
“Oh, I forget you didn’t have the southern experience as I like to call it. I had a debut, did the whole circuit. Every young woman must be presented to society.” She adds a little more to her accent and fuck it’s sexy. What am I saying? EJ is sexy no matter what. “It went way back in my family—well in Charleston. That’s where Mama’s family is from.”
“Your father is the one from Savannah?” She nods. “His family didn’t do those kinds of things?”
She shakes her head. “Daddy’s family was not part of society. He got accepted because of his marriage to Mama.”
“So, your grandmother wants you to come back for a visit?”
“No. She’s asking when I’m moving back.”
I blink as panic sets in. It steals my breath and leaves me lightheaded.
“Move back?” I ask, knowing it makes me sound like an idiot just repeating her words back to her.
“Yeah. Gran’s still mad I stayed in Texas.”
“You’re not moving back, are you?”
She studies me, then her mouth curves. “Harry, are you worried I might run away?”
Yes. But I don’t say that because if I do, I would shout it and totally embarrass myself. Right now, I’m trying not to break out in a cold sweat. I shrug, trying to be nonchalant about it.
“I just never heard you talk about moving back.”
Her smile turns into a grin. “Because I’m not.”
“Oh.”
“Harry?”
I shake my head. “I just didn’t know…well, that’s stupid.”
“What?”
“It makes sense your mother and gran want you to move back. They miss you.”
She nods. “But there’s no way I would move back there. Too much…family I guess is the best way to describe it. I have tons of family there. In the Deep South, if you share blood, then you just have to have a conversation. It would be so exhausting. On top of that, they still refer to my parents’ divorce as a mistake. That just pisses me off.”
Damn, she’s something when she gets mad. The righteous anger colors her voice and leaves a flush to her skin.
“Your mother doesn’t think that, does she?”
EJ shakes her head. “Mama says she doesn’t regret her marriage and doesn’t regret the divorce. It was hard at the time, but she came out stronger.”
“Of course, she doesn’t regret the marriage.”
“What do you mean?”
“She got you, right? That’s the reason she doesn’t regret it.”
For a second, she stares at me, just long enough to make me nervous. The clank of dishes and silverware fills the air around us and the longer she studies me, the more I worry.
“What?” I ask when I can’t take it anymore.
“That’s exactly what she said.”
I smile. “I know mamas.”
She laughs. “That just sounds wrong.”
When I realize what she means, I start laughing with her. “Yeah.”
“So, you wanted to stop by your place and then on to your parents’?”
I nod. I get the check, and she steals it out of my hand.
“Hey.”
“Hey, yourself. You paid for dinner. I pay for breakfast.”
I so badly want to grab it back. It’s stupid and chauvinistic to think that I should pay for everything because I’m the man. EJ is an independent woman who runs a successful business. She has no problem with paying for things. Still, I have to curl my fingers into the palms of my hands to keep myself from grabbing it back.
“Fine,” I say with a smile and she relaxes. I feel as if I just jumped a hurdle with her, giving her back some of the control by letting her pay. Simple, but so effective in letting her know I’m not the control freak she believes I am.
After we settle the check, we run over to my apartment so I can change. I realize in that moment, I would rather take Elliana back to my room and spend that week I talked about last night. Granted, skipping out on dinner with my folks might get me a lot of shit from everyone, but I just want to spend time with EJ alone. It isn’t only the sex. It’s the whole package. Yesterday had been fun. Even if we hadn’t had sex, it would have been the best date I’d had in a year. She’s funny, sharp, and damned beautiful.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks. We’re in my car because I thought it was silly that we would show up in two cars. If we’re going to let everyone know we’re dating, this is the best way.
“Nothing. Well, other than I would rather go back to my apartment or your apartment and skip dinner altogether.”
She laughs, the joyous sound filling my car. Damn. “I like you, Harry, and let me say, you might have a magic penis, but your Dad’s ribs are to die for.”
For a second, I don’t react, then I chuckle. “Please, keep that to yourself.”
She snorts. “Yeah, like I’m going to say that in front of your Mama. I don’t want her to know I’ve been corrupting her baby boy.”
“I have a feeling she’s going to know. At least, she knows I’ve been lusting after you for a while.”
“What?” The alarm in her voice makes me smile. She might seem bold and in charge, but meeting the parents is a different matter. For sure, she knows my parents, but this is different. She’s coming to their house as my date.
“If anything, my mother will probably warn you away from me.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
I glance at her as I pull behind my dad’s pickup. She’s kind of freaking out. “Are you okay, love?”
She takes off her sunglasses and looks at me. “I date a lot. Like you say. I don’t go to parents’ homes for dinner.”
“Ah. As I said, you were already inv
ited.”
She closes her eyes. I let her gather herself up and get back under control. Plus, she’s a joy to look at, especially today. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I know what she looks like naked—like a Titan goddess if you’re wondering—or the way she’s dressed today. She threw on a pair of jeans—and those leave nothing to the imagination—and a pink sleeveless blouse. She’s tied it at her waist so every now and then I get a peek at that gorgeous skin.
“It’s going to be different if your mom knows I’m doing decadent things to you.”
“First, thanks for that. I really appreciate the decadent things. And I see it as an equal opportunity kind of thing.” I lean across the console and brush my mouth over hers. “It’s going to be okay.”
She takes another deep breath, nods, then slips out of the car, just as my sister and Ed pull up on the street in Ed’s SUV.
“Hey,” Allison calls out. She’s all smiles and excitement. For as long as I can remember, she has always been that way. Even when our mom went through breast cancer, she was always there with a smile. I should have known she would become a chemo nurse. She’s perfect for it.
She hurries up to EJ and gives her a big hug. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming with Harry.”
“Yeah, well, we had a date yesterday.”
A beat of silence passes. “Yesterday?”
“Yeah, we went to Russo Winery.”
Allison gasps as if EJ told her we had killed babies and feasted on their flesh. My sister tends to overreact to being left out of things that include food or wine. Ed chuckles because he gets her.
“You went without me?” Allison asks, her voice filled with horror.
“You and Ed haven’t had a lot of time together. I knew he would be off work by noon yesterday.”
Allison smiles again. “Okay. Come on, I wanted to talk to you about colors for the wedding.”
They walk off arm-in-arm, chatting about the wedding, without a backward glance in our direction. Dammit, maybe we should have faked food poisoning and stayed in bed. No, fuck, my mom would show up and try to take care of us and, Jesus, I didn’t want to deal with that problem. Mom has the worst timing.
“So, you said it was a date yesterday?” Ed asks, his deep voice filled with humor.
“Yeah.”
“And you went back and picked her up this morning?”
“What are you getting at, Ed?”
“Nothing.”
I hear a car door slam. It’s Savannah, the third of the trio that always seem to be together. She has dark glasses on, and she’s grumbling to herself. She waves at us but doesn’t stop.
“Nice to see you, Savannah,” I call out.
“Fuck off, Harry,” she says with no heat as she continues up the driveway.
“I wasn’t sure she would show today,” Ed says.
“You weren’t?” I ask.
“Well, Allison wasn’t. Savannah’s been exhausted lately, and Allison thought she might have to go in again tonight.”
I grunt because I’ve realized what’s starting to happen. Ed and Allison have been dating for almost four months now and they constantly finish each other’s sentences. Now, I’m sure Allison states theories by Ed about other things. They are a unit. Don’t get me wrong. As much as it pissed me off to begin with, I see how much Ed loves my sister. Like worships her. And I would be a dick if I didn’t want that for my sister. Still, it’s that thing couples do that makes everyone else feel like outsiders. They have their own jokes, and every now and then, I feel jealous. Yeah, okay, maybe I am a dick. I envy my best friend and my sister falling in love.
Fritz’s Harley rumbles down the street, breaking me out of my stupid thoughts. He parks in the driveway beside my car and pulls off his helmet.
“Why are you two standing out here?”
Ed crosses his arms over his massive chest. The tallest of the three of them, Ed is built like a Ford-150, big all over with what Allison calls a “growly” voice. Most people would be intimidated by the former soldier. I know—and everyone else who knows him well—that he only looks intimidating these days. Sure, when we were all in the Army, there was no one else I would want by my side—well, other than Fritz. I know that in any fire fight, those two would always have my back and would do anything to get us all out of the situation. Now, after finding his love of baking and falling for my sister, he’s more like a Teddy bear—or so I hear my mother say.
Right now, though, he’s giving me a shit eating grin. “Harry’s trying to avoid giving me an answer.”
“Go get bent, Cooper. I don’t kiss and tell.”
“So, your date went well?” Fritz asks as he joins us.
“Well enough that they came here together,” Ed says.
“Shut up,” I say. “Not now and not about EJ. Don’t gossip about her.”
Ed blinks, then a sly smile curves his lips. “Oh, even better.”
Fritz claps me on the shoulder. “Yeah, you’ve been stuck on EJ since forever. I remember her from our visits to UT.”
Fritz was another Texas boy who would sometimes meet up with Ed and me when we visited my sister.
“Yeah? And why is that important?”
“Because she was stunning then too. I thought more than once about asking her out when we went to visit. But your sister warned me off.”
“Wait, what?”
“Yeah, she threatened to cut my dick off. She said EJ didn’t need a cheater like me.” He snorts. “I don’t cheat.”
Yeah, that’s true. He might sleep around, but Fritz is always up front with the women he dates. He isn’t into long-term. This is making more sense now. If Allison knew about EJ’s father, it was understandable that my sister that would warn off a guy like Fritz.
“So, back to the whole, showing up here together…” Ed says.
I frown at him. “Drop it, Ed. We’re dating.”
“And sleeping together,” Fritz points out. “You need to be careful there.”
I blink. “Excuse me?”
Fritz glances at Ed, then looks back at me. “Listen, we know you’re a good guy. Only, just be careful with EJ. She’s your sister’s best friend and she’s sweet.”
I can’t respond right away. I can usually control my anger, but for some reason, this pisses me off.
“Is that a fact?” He nods. “And why do you feel the need to tell me this?”
He shrugs. “Her dad isn’t around and her family’s all the way in Georgia.”
“South Carolina.”
“What?”
“Her mom and grandmother live in Charleston.”
“Oh. Well, anyway, just, you know I have four sisters. Just be careful. You make a good couple, but…you two could also fuck each other up.”
There’s a moment of tense silence, then Ed laughs. “Sorry, dude, but you giving relationship advice is kind of funny.”
“Get bent, Cooper,” Fritz says. “You know I’m right.”
“Yeah, but if there is one thing I know about Harry, it is that he’s careful, right?” he asks me.
I nod. “Don’t worry Fritz. We’re taking this slowly.”
“Well, not that slow because you already slept with her,” Ed says.
“Seeing that the DFH was over a year ago, I guess they are taking it slow,” Fritz says chuckling.
“Fuck off,” I say with little heat. “I guess we should go in.”
“Sure. Let’s go in because there are definitely some ribs with my name on them,” Ed says as he starts up the driveway.
“We cool?” Fritz asks. “I just don’t want either of you getting hurt.”
I stare at him. A lot of people see Fritz as a player. He is to a point, but he cares about his friends and family. The guy loves hard, and I know from experience he’s dependable in the best ways.
“Yeah, we are,” I say. “I know you don’t mean anything by it.”
He nods and starts off after Ed. I follow them into my parents’ house realizing that Fritz
is right. I need to take everything slowly, make sure we don’t hurt each other.
Unfortunately, my heart is already involved, so if this doesn’t end in the happily ever after EJ likes to read about, I know I’m going to be wrecked.
Of course, even knowing that, I know I don’t want to give her up.
Chapter Fourteen
The moment we step into the house, Allison grabs my hand and drags me down the hallway to her old room. I know that both Harry and Allison spent most of their childhood in this house, and I’ve been here at least once a month for the last decade or so. She pulls me into her room, shutting the door behind us, then finally letting go of my hand. She might be smaller than I am, but damn, she has a grip.
The room hasn’t changed in all the years I’ve known her. Her parents have left up some of the posters from her teenage years, the same ruffled comforter covers her bed, and the same little jewelry box with the hidden compartment sits on her dresser. I’ve always thought it was weird that her parents kept it that way with her living in the city, but my family is kind of screwed up, so I can’t really pass judgement.
“Tell me.”
I blink, her face coming into focus. “Tell you?”
“Yeah. What’s going on with you and Harry?”
“Nothing.”
Her eyes narrow and she frowns. “I don’t buy it.”
“I’m not selling anything.”
“Elliana James!”
I shrug trying to figure out how much to say. Truthfully, I had been more worried about Mrs. B than I was of my best friend.
“I’m just telling you what happened. Nothing. We went to the winery, then we had dinner.”
“And you came here together. That’s big.”
My heart hammers so hard against my chest, and I hope she can’t hear it. She doesn’t believe my explanation and I don’t blame her. The way Harry was looking at me when I talked…Jesus. I wanted to drag him back in the car and do all those decadent things I was referring to.
She opens her mouth to say something, but the door bursts open revealing Savannah.
“What the hell?” she demands.
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