Holding Huck's Heart (Marco's MMA Boys #3)

by S. M. Donaldson

  I laugh. “Really, what’s so fun about turning twenty-six?”

  She winks at me. “Everything if it’s with the right person.”

  I shake my head. “Mom!” I reach over and help her close the case. “Just please take care.”

  She gives me her soft smile, the smile that always made me feel safe as a child. “I will, sweetie.” Turning to her mirror, she adjusts the ball cap she’s wearing to cover for the hair that chemo robbed from her.

  A little while later I watch as she and my aunt pull out of our driveway. Now I have no clue what I’m going to do this weekend. The past few years Pavel has taken me out for a nice dinner or arranged for us to go away for the weekend. Now, thanks to working twelve hour shifts at the hospital, I’m not due at work this weekend. I only work at the club a couple of nights a week and I made sure my birthday wasn’t one of them, figuring my mom would want to do something. I guess when I go in tonight I can change it. I could offer to work some more nights but I really don’t want to. Maybe Mom’s right, I just need a weekend to myself. Well, myself and a pint, no, a carton of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. She swears I work too hard. She’s worried about the hours I put in at the hospital and the hours I spend on my feet cocktail waitressing. Well, she thinks I’m cocktail waitressing. She’d just as soon die than to find out I was taking off my clothes to have money for her chemo.

  A few short hours later, I’m standing here in my dressing room putting on my make-up. After one last look in the mirror, I sit down and start covering up my tattoo. The words snake around like a small infinity symbol. I was eighteen when I got this, I hadn’t been gone from home very long. Once I’m finished, I stand to start dressing. I take off the short cover up, I’ve already put on the black thigh highs so now I slip the delicate scrap of lace I’m calling panties for the night on. I’m forgoing the garter belts tonight since it’s so damn hot in here again. I look in the mirror and stare at my breasts. I hate doing this, I’d love to leave them alone, but I have to. I reach and take the small hoops I have in each nipple out, placing the small clear spacers in their place. The owners love how responsive they make my nipples but hate the appearance of piercings. Slipping on the lacy black bra, I adjust my breasts, then I slip into the white dress shirt and tie before throwing on the coat. I guess I’m very lucky people are into all things Grey. It makes me plenty in tips, that’s for sure. Leaving my room, I make my way to the side of the stage and wait for my song to start.

  You make it look like it’s magic

  Cause I see nobody, nobody but you, you, you

  I'm never confused

  Hey, hey

  Just over four minutes, that’s all I have to do. Dance for four minutes. Remember to take the pieces of clothing off as practiced at certain key points in the song. Smile at the patrons, graciously accept the tips and work the entire stage. Make every patron feel like the only person in the room for four minutes, just four minutes.

  This is the mantra I repeat in my head every single time I take the stage. It’s the only way I get through it without throwing up.

  Once my song finishes, I collect the extra money from the bouncer that people laid on the edge of the stage and make my way to my dressing room. I know that Liz will be waiting for me when I get there.

  “Good set tonight. I know you’re just going through the motions now, you’ve managed to block them all out. They can’t tell it, which is even better,” she says as soon as I walk in the room.

  I laugh at her candidness. “Thanks. I always appreciate the words of encouragement.”

  She laughs. “So I saw on the schedule that it’s your birthday this weekend.”

  I nod, wiping my face lightly. “Yeah, I was going to do something with my mom but she’s gone to my aunt’s.” I reach and slip on my cover up. “I’m going to talk to the boss about working this weekend, or I may just stay home and eat my weight in ice cream.”

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you come with me to the fight this weekend in Jacksonville? Sloan and Kara will be there. I think Kara’s sister Jade is coming down, it should be a lot of fun. We can have a spa day while the guys train,” she says light heartedly.

  She filled me in on Huck spilling her secrets, but I have to say I agree with him. My father and I may not have had the closest relationship, but he would have never kept me from my mother’s things or made me pay her medical expenses if he were still living. He may not have accepted my choices or preferences, but he wouldn’t have just written me off after the fact.

  “So you up for it?” she says, smiling.

  Can I spend an entire weekend around Huck without losing what’s left of my sanity?

  “Sure, I guess,” I say.

  “Don’t get so excited or anything,” she says sarcastically.

  “I’m sorry, it’s just-.”

  “I know. This thing, whatever it is between you and Huck. I see how you two look at each other.”

  I interrupt her. “Wait, how do we look at each other?”

  She snorts, “Like you’ve seen each other naked.” She waves her hands around dramatically. “Whatever, it’s no big deal. You’ll hardly see him this weekend. He’s so head tripped about this damn match, I’m sure he’ll be training.”

  I take a drink from my bottle of water. “This is the guy he fought before, right?”

  “Yes, this guy has him second guessing himself. It isn’t like him at all. As much as he pisses me off sometimes, Huck’s confidence wins just as many fights as his skill does in my opinion,” she says seriously.

  Moving around my dressing room, I gather my things and start to dress in my street clothes. I think about her offer and finally, I make eye contact. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  She smiles and claps her hands like a seal. “Yay. We’re going to have so much fun. All of the kids are staying with grandparents so Sloan and Kara want to have a lot of fun.”

  CHAPTER 12

  HUCK

  My brother has turned into an idiot. No, he was already an idiot, now I think he could possibly get a check from the state. We are never going to leave here today if he doesn’t get a fucking move on. I’m nervous enough about the fight this weekend. I’m pacing around the room.

  “Sly, come on. We need to get going,” I say, standing at our front door. “The girls will meet us this afternoon.”

  “I’m saying goodbye to my little girl, shut up,” he says, snuggling the little squirming pink bundle.

  Ah hell. I walk back over to her. “Bye, Princess.” I kiss her forehead. “I know you won’t care that we’re gone but your daddy may have a nervous breakdown.”

  Sly looks up. “Kara, why don’t we get your mom a room in the hotel and she can keep the princess there?”

  Kara flops back on the couch. “Damn it, Sly, we need a break. My mom is excited about keeping her. Sloan’s parents are going to be at her place since Slick has a baseball game so they’re all going to be okay. We’ll be back Sunday. If she comes to Jacksonville with us, you’ll have Krista with us all the time. I won’t get a break and you need to concentrate on your fight.”

  He goes stiff and you can tell he’s scared to speak now. I’m just glad he’s finally learned when to shut his mouth.

  He kisses the baby again. “I love you, baby girl. See you Sunday.” He walks over and puts her in the bouncy seat thing, then leans over and kisses Kara. “See you this afternoon, baby.”

  “Yes. You guys be careful driving.” She looks up at me and tilts her head to the side a little. “Love you both.”

  I laugh and shake my head. “Love you, too, Kara,” then I bolt out to my truck.

  Kara has gotten into this thing that she wants to make sure I know how much she loves me and wants me to still feel welcome at the house. She and Sloan are both great additions to our messed up family, and I know they love us all. Kara just worries about me.

  Sly climbs in the passenger side of the truck looking like someone kicked his dog.

  “Sly, she’ll be
okay, it’s only a weekend.” I sigh and think of something to lighten his mood. “Look at it this way, you two have a hotel room all to yourself this weekend. Isn’t she planning a trip to the spa? Sounds like she plans to let you use her body as a playground this weekend.”

  I see a slight grin come up on his face. “I guess.”

  I shove his shoulder. “There’s my brother.”

  He finally looks like he’s relaxed a little. “It’s too bad Gia and Eli couldn’t come,” he says, looking around at the traffic.

  I shrug. “Yeah, maybe next time. They have their last final on Monday and graduation practice.” Glancing over at him as I change lanes, I grin. “I’m kind of glad that you’re warming up to the idea of the twins being around.”

  “It was just a shock, you know? A little bit much to take in at once.” He looks down at the floor board and shakes his head slightly. “Plus, you kept it from me. You never keep shit from me and now you kept this and the stuff about Liz. What else is there?”

  “I’m sorry if I hurt you, man. I was only trying to protect you.” I have to do something. I need to make it clear to him that I trust him. He needs to know that we’re still just as close as we always were. “Okay, man, I need to tell you one more thing I’ve kept a secret for a very long time. Then my secrets file will be empty.” I can tell he’s curious now. “I had sex with Chelsea.”

  He looks at me with his eyes looking like some sort of cartoon character. “What? W-when? Huh?”

  I motion for him to give me a minute. “In high school, man. We, um…we were each other’s firsts.” I rub my hand over my head, getting a little frustrated. I’ve never talked to anyone about this. “It was while she was tutoring me. We kind of fell for each other. I don’t know, she expected more from me than anyone, which was nice, but I was a stupid kid and having one girl just wasn’t enough. She was very sheltered, trying to break free. She did something stupid. We both fucked it up and she left right after graduation.”

  He puts his hands up, stopping me. “Whoa, whoa. She didn’t tutor you until-. I thought you had-.” He shakes his head. “Damn.” He flops his head back on the seat. “Holy shit.”

  “I know, you and Lox were running around sticking your dick in anything that moved at that point. She was the first girl I ever gave that trust to. Those girls back in high school, they were thirsty for attention, for money, which we didn’t even have then.” I let out an exaggerated exhale. “I mean so many of them acted just like Mom, but Chelsea never acted like that, she just truly liked me.”

  “Damn.” He looks over at me. “You know she’s gonna be there this weekend, right?”

  I damn near wreck. “What?”

  “The girls invited her. It’s her birthday or something. Her mom is out of town while she’s in between treatments. That’s why they planned a spa day. Kara still feels some sort of connection with her.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal. “You know, because of her dad and all.”

  I’ve done a great job of avoiding her, I completely missed her at the fight. The cookout the other day like to have killed me. We kept it light and joked, but she still has a smile that makes my dick go hard. I don’t know what I was thinking asking her to come in for self-defense lessons, which she still hasn’t done. That’s the reason I’ve figured out what nights she works at the club. I go sit in the parking lot and watch her car. I’m afraid some perv is going to try and grab her or hurt her on her way out.

  Finally, I decide to break some of the stagnancy between us. “Good. With everything that’s happened, she needs a weekend like that.”

  Sly glances over at me. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with this, man? You can keep your head in the game?”

  I nod knowing if anything, it’ll push me harder. Just like it did at the last one. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  A little while later, we are crossing the St. Johns River. I feel my stomach tighten, it means that we’re getting closer to show time. Looking over at The Landings where the matches are being held tomorrow night, that familiar feeling just intensifies. I make the exit off to the Hyatt where we always stay. Pulling into the hotel, I know the countdown is on. Game on.

  CHAPTER 13

  CHELSEA

  “Sloan, thanks for letting me ride with you guys,” I say as I climb in the Tahoe, sliding into the back seat next to Liz.

  She smiles at me. “No problem. My parents are staying here with Sage, so I decided to use their Tahoe anyway so we had plenty of room. Plus, Liz said you two had planned to ride together, so you’re more than welcome.”

  Kara glances over to me. “Sometimes parking can become an issue. Plus, it gets kinda crazy at these bigger fights, the crowds are insane. The guys put us in hired cars the night of the fight and we only move as groups, so the less cars to deal with, the safer it all is.” She shrugs.

  Wow, they have a system in place for all of this.

  Liz drops her phone in her purse. “So Kara, what time is Jade coming in?”

  She smiles. “She’ll be in tonight around seven. She had a few tests to take before she left school.”

  “How is she coming down?” Liz asks, taking a sip from her Coke.

  Kara shrugs a little. “She’s coming with this guy she’s been seeing.”

  Sloan looks over at her like her eyes are going to explode. I don’t know these people very well, but I see there is something there.

  Kara looks back at Sloan and sighs, “Don’t look at me that way. I can’t tell her not to bring her boyfriend around. They’ve both said that they’re friends, just friends. They tried going out, I’m pretty sure they even had sex, but I guess it wasn’t anything big.” Liz coughs beside me, choking on her drink. Kara laughs. “No pun intended.”

  I finally speak up. “I feel like I’m missing something here.”

  Liz glances over at me. “Gibbs. He and Jade had a thing when they first met, it was brief, but they’re still friends. But everyone around here likes to draw hearts and flowers around everyone’s names who even talk to each other. They’re both adults, Gibbs has been seeing other chicks, I’m sure he’s not going to care that Jade is seeing someone else, too.”

  Sloan sighs. “I guess you’re right. I mean we thought you and Huck were destined to hook up. Well, Kara and I only thought so for like a minute. Once we figured out you didn’t swing that way, we left it alone, but the boys gave Huck hell about it. I just don’t want it to mess with his head during the fight.”

  I start laughing. “You guys sound like the ladies at my momma’s beauty salon.”

  Sloan laughs. “You have no idea. The boys gossip way worse than we do.”

  Kara laughs. “You better get used to it. You’re family, they’ll be all in your business, too.”

  Liz barks out a laugh and I try to shush her. Kara spins around in her seat like a kid. “Wait, what are you two hiding? What’s the story with you and the boys? I know you went to school with them, what else?”

  Liz laughs. “Oh, well since you guys all know about my sideline gig now, I’ll tell you.” I shoot her a look. “Don’t worry, girl, they don’t judge,” she says to me. “Chelsea has the same sideline gig.”

  “What?!” Sloan and Kara blurt out at the same time.

  Liz cackles. “Not only that, the night Huck busted me, he found her, too. Only he didn’t show his ass near as bad about me stripping as he did her,” she says pointing to me.

  The car is filled with oohs and aahs. I flop my head back. “Shut up.”

  Liz laughs. “She’s never had girlfriends so she doesn’t understand this,” she motions around the car. “We give each other shit and keep each other’s secrets.”

  Kara turns around to me again. “So you and Huck, huh?”

  “It was a long time ago. We were a thing briefly in high school, it’s not like that now. Well, I don’t even know if you can call it a thing since no one really knew. To this day, I don’t know if anyone knows. We ran in two completely different circles. He just still
feels like he has to protect me or something,” I say, trying to sound nonchalant.

  Sloan grins in the rearview mirror. “So that’s what I walked up on the other day at the cookout.”

  Kara looks over at her like she just heard the most interesting thing in the world. “What do you mean?”

  She grins. “Well, I walked up on the two of them having a pretty chummy conversation.” She winks at me.

  “Guys, it’s not like that between the two of us. Well, not anymore,” I say, taking another sip from my drink and letting out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding in. “It’s been a long time.”

  Liz pats my arm. “It’s okay, Chelsea. We’re just making conversation, no one is going to say anything outside of this car.”

  Sloan laughs. “Yeah, we talk like this all the time. It’s not a big deal. Oh, Liz, I just finished a great book. I’ll give you the info when we get to the hotel. It was really good.” She looks up at me in the rearview again. “Do you like to read?”

  “Oh yeah, I love to read.” I smile.

  Liz looks over at me. “Have you read anything by Terri Anne Browning?”

  “Oh I love her. I love her and Abbi Glines.” Then I laugh a little. “I also love Chelsea Camaron.” I wink. “I feel a connection, I guess.”

  They all laugh at my obvious joke about our names, until Kara’s phone rings. “Hey. Yeah. Are you sure? Okay, well I’ll miss you. Why don’t you just let Sly get you a plane ticket? You could be here later tonight. Okay, yeah, I get it I guess.”

  Once she hangs up, Sloan looks at her confused. “What’s going on?”

  She sighs. “That was Jade, she’s not coming now. Her boyfriend made other plans for them.”

  Sloan looks at her and seems worried. “Do you think-?”

  Kara shakes her head. “No, nothing like that. She’d beat someone’s ass if they ever thought about putting their hands on her. She’s never been as insecure as me about things. Mom always had to go to the school for her showing her ass. That fiery red hair of hers is what I always said it was.” She chuckles. “I think her boyfriend is just insecure about meeting the guys. He’s a baseball player, so I’m sure the fact that her family is a group of fighters can be a little intimidating.”