by Dylann Crush
“No.” I jumped to my feet, drawing everyone’s attention. “You set the rules. I played your game for fifteen years. Now, just because you want something out of him you want to claim Rodney as your own? Hell no.”
Judd rose to his feet, too, towering over me. He took a step toward me and Theo got up, plastering himself to my side.
“It’s not like that.” Judd’s voice sounded rough, raw, more emotional than I ever imagined he could be.
“It’s exactly like that. Would you feel the same if Rodney wasn’t poised to be your all-star quarterback? Would you be showing him the same attention if your other sons had any athletic ability at all?”
“Hey now, you better be careful about the way you talk about my family.” Judd’s finger wagged in my face.
He didn’t scare me. Not anymore. His threats had terrified me in high school. But we’d all come a long way since then. “Tell the truth, why don’t you? The only reason you’re interested in Rodney at all is because of football.”
April swiped at her nose with my towel again. “Is it true? Is that the only reason you want a relationship with Rodney? Because our own boys don’t take after you when it comes to sports?”
Judd’s head dropped. He put his hand to his temple and slowly shook his head back and forth. “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Well, I think you’d better figure that out.” April got to her feet on shaky knees. “If you want to be a part of Rodney’s life because it’s the right thing to do, then I’ll support you. But if you only want to get to know him because of the potential payoff when it comes to that damn game…” her voice trailed off.
Theo’s hand rubbed circles on my lower back. Poor guy had probably gotten so much more than he bargained for by showing up tonight.
“Scarlett, I’m so sorry for barging in here.” April wadded up the tea towel and shoved it in her purse. “I’ll wash this and get it back to you.”
“That’s really not necessary, I can—”
“It is necessary. I hope we can talk sometime.” She nodded her head, pulling herself together. “As for you”—she cast a frosty glance at her husband—“I suggest you find somewhere else to sleep until you can answer my question.”
“April, baby—”
Her palm silenced him as she turned to me. “I’m sorry to intrude on your plans. You and Theo have a wonderful evening.”
April walked down my front steps, her spine straight, her face a mask. Judd stood on my porch, shaking his head, wiping his cheeks. Theo guided me to the front door. “Why don’t you go check on Rodney? I’ll clean up out here.”
Grateful for his presence, I nodded and moved down the hall. Rodney wasn’t prepared for all of this. I had to protect him. Instead of going into Rodney’s room, I veered into the guest room where I stored the things I’d saved from my dad. That treasure map was here somewhere. If I could find it, maybe I could cash out and find a new life for me and Rodney. Far away from Judd and his threats.
29
Theo
“You okay?” I sat down next to Scarlett on the couch and set the bottle of whiskey and our glasses down on the coffee table.
She folded up a piece of paper she’d been studying and reached for her glass. “I’m not even sure what ‘okay’ means anymore.”
“Want to start at the beginning? If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. But if you do, I can be a really good listener.”
The glass tipped toward her mouth as she drained the amber liquid. “I guess I could use a listener right now.”
“Okay”—I set my arm along the back of the couch behind her—“start talking.”
She sighed, a long, drawn out exhale that seemed to hold a world of emotion. “So I guess you’ve figured out that Judd is the mystery man I spent that evening with in the cave.”
I gave a slight nod.
“Well, evidently it’s possible to get pregnant your first time, even when using protection. I didn’t want to believe it. I’ll never forget the day I finally broke down and bought a pregnancy test, at the dollar store of all places. I had to wait until we went over to Nevada. God forbid I buy anything around here. My mom would have heard all about it before I even reached home.”
“The joy of small-town living, huh?” I moved my arm so it settled across her shoulders.
She snuggled against my side, her gaze still on her hands. “No kidding. Once I knew for sure, I waited after football practice one day to talk to Judd. He and April had gotten back together by that time. He’d only asked me to Homecoming to make her jealous after she broke up with him because he was too immature and she wanted to date a college guy. Anyway, he said he’d pay for my abortion and that was that. I almost went through with it, too. Jaylene drove me to the appointment and I even got into the gown. But I couldn’t.”
I didn’t know how I was supposed to react. All I could do was be there for her as the words spilled out. “So what did Judd say when you told him you didn’t go through with it?”
“He wanted his money back. Told me that if I kept the baby I was on my own. And if I tried telling anyone it was his he’d make my life a living hell.”
What a dick. Scarlett deserved someone better back then. Hell, she deserved someone better now, too. For some reason, I felt an urge to be that man for her. “That’s a lot to deal with. What were you, eighteen?”
“Seventeen. I was scared. Looking back, I should have told him to go fuck himself. But at the time, I was terrified. I figured the baby and I would be better off without him.”
I tried to imagine her all those years ago. Scared. Lonely. Ashamed. Let down. “What did you tell people when they asked?”
“I told them it was none of their business and that the father wasn’t around and didn’t want to be part of the baby’s life. After a while, they stopped pestering me.”
“And you raised Rodney all by yourself.”
She leaned her head against my arm. “Pretty much. My mom helped. I would have been lost without her. And Jaylene pitched in from time to time when she was home from college.”
My heart ached for the girl Scarlett had been back then, the girl who’d had to grow up overnight. “I know my opinion doesn’t count for shit, but I’d say you’ve done a pretty awesome job. Rodney seems well adjusted and you’ve both come a long way.”
“Thanks.” She glanced up at me. “That means a lot. I think we have done pretty well as a team. I just wish…”
“What?”
“All those years watching Judd and April with their perfect life and their perfect house and their perfect family. It ate me up inside. I couldn’t help but think Rodney deserved to know his dad. Even then, if Judd had come to me and asked to be a part of his life, I probably would have said yes. Not for me, but for Rodney’s sake.” Her voice grew softer. “But now, now it seems the only reason he’s interested is because Rodney’s got potential to play football. It’s not right.”
I brushed my fingers against the top of her arm. “I’m so sorry, Scarlett. It’s not fair.”
“No, it sure isn’t. I want Rodney to have every opportunity. But if I let Judd work with him as his dad, it feels like it will be a lose-lose situation.”
“How so?”
“If he does go on to play football, I’m afraid Judd will push him into the choices he would have made for himself, not try to figure out what’s best for Rodney. And if he ends up not going on in football then I’m afraid Judd will lose interest. I don’t want Rodney to get hurt.”
“Well, Rodney’s got one thing going for him that Judd won’t ever be able to control.”
“What’s that?” She turned to me, tears threatening to spill over her bottom lashes.
I pressed my lips to her forehead. “You.”
Her tears started, coursing down her cheeks in silence. They soaked through my shirt as I held her against me. In that moment, I wished for the right words to say but I was clueless. All I could do was hold her, be there to
support her, and help her live with whatever decision she made.
“I’m so sorry.” She pulled away and wiped her fingers over her cheeks. “You must think I’m a hot mess.”
“No. I think you’re amazing.”
“Stop.” She put her palm on my chest and pushed.
I wrapped my hand around hers. “Do you have any idea what I see?”
Gazing down at her lap, she shook her head.
Nudging her chin up so she’d meet my gaze, I smiled at her. “I see a woman with a spine of steel. Who’s always put her son first, who won’t be threatened or cow down before some schmuck who’s finally decided what he wants.”
“Stop, Theo.” She tried to look away.
“Hey”—I rubbed my nose against hers—“I know we haven’t known each other very long but you’re one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met. Don’t let Judd take that away from you. Don’t let him make you feel like less than you are.”
She took in a slow breath and kissed along my jawline. “Where did you come from? Where have you been all my life? Where were you when I needed a man like you?”
My heart skittered around in my chest as she moved closer, turning herself to face me, straddling my lap. I put my hands on her shoulders, sliding my palms up the sleeves of her T-shirt. “I’m here now.”
Her mouth slid over mine, her kiss urgent, like she could undo the past fifteen years if we loved hard enough. I couldn’t erase time, couldn’t go back and find her when she was the lonely, scared, pregnant teen who didn’t have anyone to help her. But I could remind her of what an incredible woman she was today. As her hips ground against me, I moved my hands under her shirt, running my fingers along her ribs, tracing the ridge underneath the band of her bra.
“Should we take this to the bedroom?” I whispered against her ear.
She nodded as she climbed off my lap then held out her hand. “I need to go check on Rodney first. Why don’t you take your bag to the guest room and I’ll be in after a few minutes?”
I stood and faced her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sounds good.”
She walked away and I bent down to pick up my bag. The folded piece of paper she’d been looking at had fallen from the table. I grabbed it by a corner and it opened as I set it down. It was some sort of hand drawn map. The edges of the page were yellowed like it had been sitting around for a long time. I’d have to ask her about it. Squinting, I read the sloppy black print marked “Jesse James Treasure.” This must be the joke of a map April had referred to at the reunion.
I folded it up and left it where Scarlett had set it. She was already running on low tonight. There was no way I was going to rub in the crazy talk about her dad. Grabbing the handles of my duffel, I tiptoed down the hall in search of the guest room.
30
Scarlett
By the time I checked on Rodney, who’d appeared to have slept through the entire commotion, and tried to make myself a bit more attractive in the hall bathroom, I found Theo in my room, lying across my bed. He was skimming through the pages of a book I had on my nightstand. “Everything you never wanted to know about bats, huh?”
I grinned. “Somebody told me once that bats are a pretty special kind of mammal. I wanted to see if he was right.”
He let out a laugh and set the book back on the table. “So you were trying to prove me wrong with your choice of reading material?”
“Not exactly.” I climbed on the bed and crawled toward him. He opened his arms and I nestled into his side.
“I can tell you anything you want to know about bats. Just ask.”
“Hmm.” I raised my finger and traced the length of his nose. “So are bats really blind?”
He nipped at my finger then grabbed my hand and touched it to his lips. “Like the saying blind as a bat?”
“Yeah.”
“You sure you want to talk about this? I kind of liked the direction the conversation was taking in the other room.”
“You thought you were going to get laid again.”
He bit back a smile. “A guy can hope.”
“Maybe if you tell me what I want to know, I’ll reward your knowledge.”
“In that case, bats aren’t really blind. They navigate with sonar, not by sight. Now, can we kiss?” He tried to roll me onto my back, but I resisted.
“What do they do during the day?”
“They sleep. At dusk they typically leave the cave and go out to hunt all night long. They come back before sunrise and spend the whole day sleeping.” His finger traced the outline of my cheek, sparking a warmth inside my core.
Why wasn’t Theo taken? Had I overlooked some major flaw? Something that was going to come back and bite me in the ass someday? He seemed perfect, too perfect. Things in my life didn’t come this easily. There had to be something wrong with him that I was too blind to see yet.
“Did I answer all of your questions? Can we do a little less talking and a lot more kissing now?”
“One more.”
“Fine. Hit me with it. But make it a good one.”
“A good one, huh?”
He nodded.
“Okay then. How do bats fuck?”
He laughed, a deep, hearty belly laugh that had me clamping my hand over his mouth. “Shh. Rodney’s asleep across the hall. Are you trying to get us in trouble?”
His tongue ran across my palm. The spark inside burst into flame, making heat flare out to my limbs. “I’ll be quiet, I promise,” he whispered as he scooted his butt down and stretched out on my bed.
I hovered over him as I reached out to switch off the bedside light. “You’d better be. No more talking, okay?”
“Words aren’t required.” In one smooth move he flipped me onto my back and relieved me of my pajama bottoms.
I squirmed against him, ready for him to provide an escape. The events of the evening were still pulling at me, making my heart heavy. Theo couldn’t fix that. No amount of talking or joking or flirty bat banter could relieve me of the fear Judd’s threats had caused. But, as Theo’s fingers moved over my skin, tracing a path down my navel, thoughts of Judd and Rodney and April faded away. As he followed the trail with his mouth and his tongue, my brain emptied and my focus zeroed in on the magic happening south of my waist.
Theo slid my panties down my legs and tossed them over his shoulder. I shivered. Even though it was dark I still felt exposed. He settled between my legs, his shoulders nudging my thighs apart. I fisted the sheets in my hands as he lowered his head, making contact with the sweet spot at the apex of my thighs.
“You don’t have to…”
“Shh.” The warmth of his breath played over me, making the hair on my arms stand on end.
Anticipation seized me, holding me captive as I waited for him. I moaned, wanting nothing more than to feel his mouth on me, his tongue inside me. He didn’t make me wait very long. I arched off the bed as his lips made contact. The whiskers on his cheeks rubbed against my inner thighs as he gently sucked and kissed away all of my inhibitions.
He could have laid there for hours or it might have only been a few minutes. I lost all track of time as his finger slid inside me, joining the efforts of his tongue. My orgasm hit me hard, catapulting me into a free fall. The only thing that kept me from losing complete control was the firm feel of Theo’s hand gripping my hips.
As I came down, my breath stabilizing, my heartbeat slowing, Theo climbed up and rested his head against my stomach. My fingers curled in his hair. I didn’t have the energy to do more. He’d wrung me out—physically and emotionally.
“You okay?” he asked. The scruff on his cheeks rubbed against my stomach.
“I think I’ll live. Give me a few minutes and I’ll let you know for sure.” I loved the way his head felt on my navel, the weight of him pressing down on me, grounding me again.
“If you did pass, would you go happy?” His finger ran up and down my hip.
I let out a laug
h, making his head bounce. “Ecstatically so. Do I even want to know how you’re so good at that?”
“It’s not practice, that’s for sure.” He lifted his head and crawled up my body a little farther, nestling his cheek between my breasts.
“Well you can’t get to be that good at something like that without trying it a few thousand times.”
“You’ll laugh if I tell you.”
Laugh? At the amazing oral he just performed? “There’s no way I’d laugh. Whatever you did to learn how to do that, you need to share your wisdom with the world.”
He smiled against my chest and continued to move his fingers up and down my ribs. “Okay, if you promise not to make fun of me.”
“I promise. Cross my heart.” I executed a perfect cross over my left breast. He caught my fingers in his.
“I watched a video online.”
“Like a Gigi Goes Down on Her BFF kind of video?” I bit back a laugh. “I’m not sure watching porn counts as instructional. Although, in this case, that must have been high quality porn.”
“No. An instructional video. I’ve always found that if I want to get good at something, I do best by studying up on it.” He lifted his head slightly and peered up at me, probably trying to gauge my reaction.
Dear God, thank you for blessing me with the perfect man. Okay, jury was out on whether or not he was totally perfect, but anyone who was committed enough to learn how to do something like that to my body was a keeper.
“You think I’m a total nerd, don’t you?” He let his head fall back to my chest.
“Yes, I think you’re a nerd.” I tried to tug him up to me by getting my hands under his armpits. It didn’t work. “But I think you’re an adorable, kind, caring, sensitive nerd. And guess what?”
“What?” He finally budged a little, slowly giving in to my efforts to get his face closer to mine.
