The Wandering Caravan (Forever and Always #8)

by E. L. Todd

She was quiet for so long I didn’t think she heard me. “Why do you keep asking me that?” Her voice was monotone. I couldn’t tell if she was upset or mad.

  “Because I want to know.”

  “It’s just so random. We just made love and you want to hear about my ex?”

  I knew it was odd. “I’m just curious.”

  “Cortland, I didn’t want to talk about it last time you asked me. I still don’t want to talk about it. And I never want to talk about it.” There was finality in her words.

  “You know everything about my ex’s. Why can’t you tell me about yours?”

  “You volunteered that information. I never asked. So I don’t own you anything, Cortland.”

  She never said my real name, unless it was in bed. Now I knew she was upset.

  “I just don’t understand what the big deal is. The fact you don’t talk about it makes me worry. You were engaged to this guy then you took off. What went wrong? Five years is a long time to invest in someone just to break up.”

  “Drop it,” she snapped.

  I knew the conversation was over. “I’m sorry.”

  “No, you aren’t.” She turned her back to me then ignored me.

  I didn’t mean to be so pushy, but I was desperate to know why. If the breakup was simple, wouldn’t she just tell me? Was she not over the relationship? Was he the one that got away? I was probably thinking about it too hard, but I realized she and I hadn’t been together very long. Within a few months, she moved in with me. Now we were moving across the country and we hadn’t been together for a year. Did she not take that seriously? Did she just jump into relationships without thinking? How long were she and her ex broken up before we got together? Was I a rebound?

  I couldn’t directly ask any of this. That would be incredibly offensive, and she could just lie to me. Knowing the reason behind their breakup would give me a lot of indirect information. But she wouldn’t give it up.

  There was only one other person who could get it for me. It was wrong to trick Monnique into revealing her secret, but I was desperate. I had to know.

  When Monnique finally fell asleep, I walked outside and called Scarlet.

  She was asleep when she answered. “Muh?”

  I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry to wake you but I need your help.”

  “Hmm?”

  “I need you to get some information out of Monnique for me.”

  “Like what?” Scarlet asked.

  “Information about her ex. I want to know why they broke up. They were together for five years and engaged. Then they just went their separate ways.”

  “Why does it matter, Cortland?”

  “It just does,” I said quickly. “Will you help?”

  “Umm…Cortland, you’re my best friend and I’d do anything for you, but Monnique is a good friend too. I feel uncomfortable preying on her trust to get information out of her just to betray her. She’ll tell you when she’s ready.”

  I rolled my eyes. Scarlet always had to take the high road. “Whatever.”

  “Don’t get mad at me.”

  I knew I was being unreasonable. “Could you do something else?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Could you persuade her to tell me?”

  “I can try,” she whispered. She was probably trying not to wake Sean.

  “Thanks.”

  “Cortland, if I were you, I’d just let it go.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why?” she asked.

  “I’m scared she’ll do the same thing to me.”

  “You two are killing me.”

  I had no idea what that meant. “What?”

  “First, Ryan was insecure in his relationship and now you are. You two need to just calm down. Your women love you and want to be with you forever. Just be happy. Monnique wouldn’t be moving across the country if she wasn’t certain of her feelings for you.”

  “She seemed certain when she got engaged but she still left.”

  “Cortland, knock it off. You have no idea what happened so don’t make assumptions.”

  “The fact she won’t tell me just bothers me even more. I tell her everything.”

  “So she knows we slept together?” she snapped.

  She caught me. “No…”

  “Some secrets are meant to stay secrets. Take my advice. Just let it go.”

  I sighed. “Easier said than done.”

  “When she’s ready, she’ll open up to you. You’ll have to be patient for the time being.”

  “Okay.”

  “You feel better now?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “A little.”

  “Well, I can’t stay awake any longer. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night.”

  She hung up without saying goodbye.

  I stood in the frigid air for a moment, just my briefs on. After I felt a little better, I went back inside. I crept to the sleeping bag and snuggled beside her.

  “Where were you?”

  I flinched at her voice. “Outside.”

  “Doing what?” The anger was evident behind her words.

  I never lied to her so I wasn’t going to start now. “Scarlet.”

  “Why?”

  “I was upset. She talked me down.”

  Monnique fell silent. Her back was still to me. She never turned around.

  I couldn’t sleep so I stared at the ceiling. I wanted to hold Monnique but I knew she didn’t want me to touch her. I let her be.

  7

  Ryan

  “How are you and Sean?” I asked.

  Scarlet was sitting beside me on the plane. Sean was on the other side of her but he was in the restroom. I took advantage of the opportunity to have a chat with her. “We’re better. We talked it out. He just felt guilty for what happened.”

  “And the honeymoon is going again?” I asked even though I didn’t really want to know.

  She shook her head. “He keeps avoiding it. I tell him I’m fine but he ignores me.”

  “He seems more scarred than you are.”

  “Completely.”

  “Maybe you just suck in bed and he’s tired of you.”

  She glared at me then hit my shoulder. “Of course not.”

  “I don’t know…he probably took advantage of the first excuse he could find to get away from you.”

  She continued to glare at me. “Janice told me she’s had better.”

  I eyed her face, looking for a lie. I didn’t see one, but I didn’t need to. “She did not.”

  “Yep.” She flipped through her magazine without looking at me.

  “That’s not possible,” I said firmly.

  “You sound doubtful.” She had a smirk on her lips.

  “I’m not. I know how to please my women.”

  She shrugged.

  “Nice try, brat.”

  “If you want to play dirty, we’ll play dirty.”

  Sean returned from the bathroom so our conversation ended. He rested his hand on her thigh, his wedding ring shining bright. I couldn’t imagine wearing one. I wondered if Janice would be upset if I refused to. It would get in the way of my work, and I couldn’t afford that.

  Janice leaned back in her chair then closed her eyes. “I’m excited to go home.”

  “Now you can see your family every day.”

  “And they can see you.” She squeezed my hand then rested her head on my shoulder. She was extremely clingy with me but I liked it. As long as I was the only man in her life, she could do whatever she wanted.

  “I’d like to get to know your family better.” Since I was going to propose, I had to pay a visit to her father. I hoped I’d get his permission. If he said no, I was going to ask anyway. Nothing would stop me from being with Janice for the rest of my life.

  The flight stewardess approached our row then looked at me. She ignored Janice like she didn’t exist. I could tell she was into me. I also knew she didn’t care that I had a girlfriend. A quick fuck from a ho
t guy was all she wanted. Years of experience taught me how to read people well.

  “Can I get you another drink, sir?” she asked, giving me the eye.

  Janice wasn’t very confrontational with other people. If a girl showed interest in me, she usually didn’t care. But that wasn’t the case today. “My boyfriend doesn’t need anything.” She grabbed her empty glass and shoved it into the stewardess’s stomach. “But you can refill mine.” Janice gave her the death stare until she walked away.

  As soon as she was gone, I let the laugh escape my mouth. “Baby, you’re crazy.”

  “What?” she asked incredulously. “She was hitting on you right in front of me. That shit isn’t going to fly.”

  “You’re cute,” I said. “I like it when you get mad.”

  “Well, you’ll see it again if she’s dumb enough to try anything.”

  “Ooh. I need to get some chocolate sauce.”

  She glared at me.

  “You know I’m kidding, baby.” I kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go in the bathroom and we’ll fuck really loud. That’ll teach her a lesson.”

  “That’s tempting…” Her beautiful smile was back.

  Scarlet looked at us. “The same thing happens with Sean all the time. I just ignore it.”

  “Because you’re a pushover,” Janice said.

  “I am not!”

  I laughed. “Scar, she’s right. You are a pushover.”

  “No.”

  Sean nodded. “Baby, you are.”

  “I hate you all. I am not.”

  “Then say something next time a girl hits on me,” Sean said.

  “I will,” she said firmly. “I’ll tell her to keep her hands off my man.”

  “Sure…” Sean laughed then stared at the TV in the front.

  Scarlet was the least confrontation person I ever met. I couldn’t see her standing up to anyone. She was the person who was bumped into at the mall, but she ended up apologizing for it. She needed to grow a backbone.

  When the plane landed, we grabbed our luggage then boarded the cabs. We took separate ones because Scarlet thought we were going different ways. Cortland and I kept our silence and did as Sean asked.

  When Janice and I were inside the cab, she cuddled so close to me that she was practically sitting on my lap. “I wish we took advantage of the plane when we could.”

  I ran my fingers through her hair. “I’ll rock your world tonight. Just be patient.”

  “I don’t understand how we have sex all the time but I’m never satisfied.”

  “Because I always leaving you wanting more.” I winked at her.

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re so cheesy but I love you anyway.”

  “You want something to hold you over?” I whispered in her ear.

  She bit her lip and nodded.

  I moved my hand down the front of her shorts then into her underwear. Janice was a pro at being quiet since we fooled around everywhere and anywhere. It was another reason I loved her so much. I was practically a sex addict and she kept up with me.

  When I felt her clitoris, I rubbed it in a circular motion. I knew she liked what I was doing when her nails dug into my skin. She snuggled next to me then pressed her lips to my ear, breathing deeply. I rubbed her for a moment then inserted my fingers inside her. I knew Janice’s body better than she did. I knew how to ignite both her trigger spots at the same time, giving her an orgasm more intense than usual. I didn’t do it very often because I wanted it to be a special treat.

  I knew when the explosion happened because she whimpered in my ear, breathing so loud I couldn’t hear anything else. But she stayed quiet and didn’t attract any attention. My fingers were soaked in her juice. Now I had a huge hard-on in my jeans. I was looking forward to fucking her at the first opportunity.

  When she was finished, she clung to me as she caught her breath. I pulled my hand out then stuck my fingers in my mouth, sucking her juice. She had a unique taste. It was sweet like melon. She moaned when she watched me. I knew how to turn Janice on in a million ways. It was a gift.

  We snuggled together in the back for the rest of the drive. She clung to me like she never wanted to let go. After we were intimate, she was especially clingy. She always wanted more than I could possibly give. After a few minutes, she returned to normal.

  But I liked it when she was clingy. It reminded me I was the only man in her life. And I would always be the only man in her life. As soon as I asked the big question, she would be mine forever. She was stuck.

  8

  Sean

  As the cab took us further into the pastureland, I felt my nerves get to me. I spent a lot of time picking out the house and I hoped she would love it. We’d be far enough away from the city to have peace and quiet, but she was just a fifteen minute drive from her family. It was where we would raise our family.

  I know Scarlet said she didn’t want a big house, so I downsized from the house I originally selected. But it was still big, in her eyes at least. It was two stories with six bedrooms. I wasn’t sure how many kids she wanted so I prepared for any accidental pregnancies down the road. Since I was inside her so often, it was a real possibility.

  Every time I thought about having sex with her, I felt sick. Knowing I hurt her was unbearable. How could I do that to my wife? I was always gentle with her but I guess I wasn’t gentle enough. I only wanted her to feel pleasure and joy, especially from me. I promised myself I would never hurt her again, not after everything I put her through. And I already messed up. I hated myself.

  We came closer to the house and I felt my heart race. I sincerely hoped she would love it. My parents were just a few miles away so she wouldn’t be alone when I was at work. But I wasn’t sure if she would be happy about that since she always butted heads with my mom.

  Ryan said she wouldn’t like anything I picked out because Scarlet was trashy and preferred shacks to things of quality. As funny as it sounded, it was true. She thought she deserved only the bad things in life. I would have to convince her she deserved the house.

  When the car pulled into the paved driveway, Scarlet looked up and examined the house. “What are we doing here?”

  “I wanted to take a look at it.”

  “Now?” she asked incredulously.

  “Yeah. Come on.”

  We got out of the cab when the other two pulled in behind us. “They are coming too?”

  “I texted them and told them to look at it with us.”

  Scarlet accepted the explanation. Every decision we made involved them anyway. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at it. I waited for to say something. Our friends got out and stood beside us.

  “Wow,” Cortland said. “This place is nice.”

  “Really nice,” Ryan said. “I would love to live here.”

  I rolled my eyes. They were trying way too hard.

  “If Cortland bought me a house like this, I’d be very happy,” Monnique said.

  They were the worst actors in the world.

  “Are you seriously considering buying this house?” Scarlet asked.

  I still couldn’t tell if she liked it. “Yeah. I would like to live here. It’s close to the city but far enough away for some peace and quiet. It has six bedrooms and…”

  “Six bedrooms?” she asked incredulously. “Why the hell do we need that many bedrooms?”

  “Here we go again…” Ryan rolled his eyes.

  “Well, I need an office, you need an office, and then there’s our bedroom, plus the rooms for the kids. We can’t forget them.”

  “Still, that’s excessive.” She shook her head gently. “And it’s two stories. I’m fine living in an apartment.”

  I shook my head. “I want to buy a house to raise our family. You really want to raise kids in the city?”

  “We don’t need to worry about that right now,” she said firmly. “We aren’t having kids for a few years.”

  “I’d still rather get settled now.”

 
“Sean, I don’t know...We could never afford this place.”

  “Yes, we can,” I said firmly. “I can afford anything you want to have. There’s a pool in the back and a nice backyard. The beach is just a few feet away. French doors lead to the back entrance. There’s a garden for you to write in. Scar, it’s perfect.”

  “It’s just so big…” She stared at the front door then shook her head. “Let’s get something smaller.”

  This is not how I wanted to show my wife the house we would spend the rest of our lives in. She was so afraid of wealth and money because it’s what ruined her family. She stayed away from it, associating it with evil. If money didn’t change a single person in the world, it would be her. But she didn’t trust herself.

  Ryan wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Scarlet, just say you like it, okay?” he whispered.

  “It’s too big. I don’t want to live here.”

  Damn.

  Everyone looked at Scarlet with wide eyes. I knew they thought she was being ungrateful. I should have picked out the house with her. I was just trying to be romantic. “Well, I already bought it.”

  Her eyes widened when she looked at me. The embarrassment and shame flooded her cheeks. “I love it…”

  “I just wanted to surprise you. We can sell it.”

  “No.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me close. “I love it. Don’t sell it.”

  “You don’t seem like you like it very much.”

  “No, I do,” she said quickly. “Sean, you’re so sweet.”

  “Scarlet, it’s really not a big deal. I should have just done this with you. But I knew you wouldn’t let yourself have anything nice. I thought if I made the decision for you, you wouldn’t feel so guilty about it.”

  Her eyes coated with tears. “No, I want to live here. It’s beautiful, Sean. Thank you so much. I’m so sorry for being so ungrateful…I didn’t know.”

  “It’s okay,” I whispered.

  “I want to have our babies here.”

  “Are you sure?” I brushed my lips against her forehead.

  “Yes. I’m sure.”

  I studied her eyes for a moment, seeing the sincerity. “Okay.”

  Ryan shook his head while he rolled his eyes. “Only Scarlet would ruin a surprise like that.”

  “Shut up,” she said. “I didn’t know.”