Then Came Absolution (Southern Love #3)

by E. L. Todd

  Martha sighed. “I was walking up the porch and my back just went out. Then I fell and my leg went through the stairs. Thankfully I had my cell phone.”

  “Were you in the fields?”

  She nodded.

  Alexandra sighed. “We need to have a serious talk about this.”

  “Here we go…”

  “I’m serious, Martha. We need to sell the property and put you elsewhere.”

  “I’m not leaving,” she said firmly. “That soil holds my blood, sweat, and tears. I won’t abandon it.”

  “Even if it kills you?” Alexandra snapped.

  Martha averted her gaze. “Just drop it, Alex.”

  “No! I won’t let you hurt yourself over and over. You can’t keep this up.”

  “I’ll figure it out.”

  Alexandra shook her head. “I know Blaise will do anything for you, but you can’t expect him to take care of your land all the time. Paul and I want you to come to New York with us.”

  “And do what?” she said quietly. “Stay home all day like an old woman? I’m only fifty.”

  “Paul said you could work for his firm. We’ll find you something. But don’t worry about the money. Paul and I can take care of you.”

  She glared at Alexandra. “I don’t want you to take care of me, Alex. I take care of myself.”

  “Don’t be like this. I didn’t mean to be insulting.”

  “Alex, I won’t change my mind.”

  Alexandra stared at her. “Then I’ll move down here.”

  “Absolutely not,” Martha said firmly.

  “You aren’t giving me a choice. I’ll take care of the fields.”

  “I said no,” she repeated. “Don’t argue with me.”

  “Too bad,” Alexandra said.

  Martha narrowed her eyes at her. “When I get out of his bed, I’m going to give you a beating.”

  “If you can catch me,” Alexandra said with a smile.

  “I’m not bluffing.”

  Alexandra knew this stressful conversation wasn’t good for her Aunt Martha, not while she was healing. “Are you hungry?”

  She shrugged. “Not really.”

  “I’ll make some French toast.”

  Martha leaned back. “I don’t want to be in this room any longer.”

  “Would you like to sit on the porch?”

  “How’s the weather?” she asked.

  Alexandra opened the blinds of the window. “It’s a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky.”

  “Then I want to go outside.”

  “Okay.” Alexandra grabbed the wheelchair and helped her get into the seat. She rolled her onto the patio with the dogs. “I’ll get some breakfast started. Yell if you need me.”

  “Okay,” she said quietly.

  Alexandra walked back into the house but didn’t see Blaise anywhere. She went to his bedroom but he wasn’t there. When she went into the garage, she saw it was vacant of any cars. It was a personal gym with a free weight set and machines. A mirror was on one wall. Blaise was doing presses with a barbell. She watched him for a moment, mesmerized by the swollen muscles in his arms. He finished the set then returned the bar to the rack.

  When he sat up, she saw that he was shirtless. He wiped his face with his shirt then tossed it aside. Frozen to the spot, she stared at him, noting the muscles in his side and his stomach. He was bigger than he used to be, like he increased his weight substantially. His chest was thicker and more prominent. His arms were the size of her head.

  He looked at her but she still didn’t speak. After he left the bench, he walked to her then stopped. Sweat dripped down his chest and to his stomach. Alexandra had the automatic desire to lick away the drops but she stopped herself. His chest rose and fell with his heavy breaths, but he still didn’t say anything. Blaise stared at her lips, waiting for her to open her mouth. She was rooted to the spot, paralyzed by the beautiful sight.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Uh…”

  He smiled. “Did you come down here for a reason?”

  “Yeah…” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  Blaise’s eyes widened slightly while he watched her.

  “I—I was wondering if you were hungry.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “And I can tell you are.”

  “What?

  “Nothing,” he said quickly. He moved around her then walked back inside. The scent of sweat and masculinity wafted into her nose. She inhaled it deeply before she turned around and followed him.

  “I’ll shower first.” He disappeared down the hallway.

  Alexandra stared at his back as he moved, noting the prominent muscles under the skin. They shifted under the skin, changing with every move he made. When he was gone, she still had the image in her head. She focused her thoughts on breakfast instead.

  After she cooked pancakes, bacon, and eggs, she carried the plates outside. Martha was sitting in her wheelchair, looking at the rising run across the land. Workers were in the field, irrigating the soil. A few tractors moved over the land, pulling out unwanted weeds.

  Blaise came out a moment later, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Alexandra eyed him for a moment before she forced herself to look away.

  He kissed Martha on the cheek. “How are you feeling?”

  She shrugged. “It’s a broken leg. It doesn’t feel good.”

  Blaise sat beside her then picked up his fork. “It’ll get better soon, Martha. Just be patient.”

  “Thank you for taking care of me, honey.”

  He nodded. “You’re welcome.”

  She patted him on the back then dropped her hand.

  Alexandra watched their interaction. Sometimes she felt like Martha loved Blaise more than she loved her own niece. She was slightly jealous. They ate quietly together, but Alexandra kept looking at Blaise. He never glanced at her.

  When they were finished, Blaise gathered the plates. “I’ll take care of these.”

  “I can do it,” Alexandra said.

  “I’m not a rude host.” He walked inside.

  Alexandra followed him then moved to the sink. He was scrubbing the dishes and she started helping him. She wiped each plate dry then placed it in the dishwasher.

  “Why are you drying them if they are going in the washer?” he said with a smile.

  “So I don’t get water everywhere.”

  “Okay…”

  She glared at him. “Just be grateful I’m helping you.”

  “I’d prefer it if you just stayed away from me.”

  Alexandra didn’t appreciate the insult. “Don’t hate me, Blaise.”

  “Too late.” He turned off the sink then dried his hands.

  “You really hate me?”

  Blaise turned to her. “What do you think, Alex?”

  “Stop calling me that,” she said automatically.

  Blaise stepped away from her and moved toward the living room.

  “Wait,” she said. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  “What?”

  “Martha.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “Yeah?”

  “She needs to sell the land. But I can’t convince her to. Can you help me?”

  Blaise rubbed his chin. “If she does, where will she go?”

  “Paul and I will take care of her.”

  “Are you getting married?” he blurted.

  “Well…not right away.”

  His face remained stoic. The knowledge didn’t seem to upset him. “I don’t think Martha would ever leave Georgia. This is her home. It’s been her home forever.”

  “I can’t just leave her alone…”

  He came closer to her. “Martha is a second mom to me. I’ll take care of her. Don’t worry about it.”

  “But she won’t let you take care of her.”

  “I can try.”

  Alexandra sighed. “I’m really starting to hate her.”

  He smiled. “She’s very stubb
orn. And she reminds me of someone.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m not that stubborn.”

  “If you say so.”

  “Could you talk to her for me?”

  “And say what?” he asked.

  “Convince her to move with me to New York.”

  He shook his head slightly. “Wasted effort.”

  “Then I don’t know what to do…she can’t live with you.”

  “Why not?” he asked. “It gets pretty lonely around here.”

  Alexandra averted her gaze. “I’m sure you’ll have someone around eventually.”

  Blaise studied her face, watching her reaction. “I would never bring a girl over here that had a problem with Martha. She can get the fuck out.”

  She didn’t like thinking about him with someone else. “Could you just talk to her?”

  He shrugged. “I can try.”

  “Thank you.” She extended her arms to hug him but he stepped back.

  “You lost your privileges.” He stared at her before he walked outside.

  Alexandra stood rooted to the spot, processing what just happened. His rejection hurt her even though it shouldn’t. She wished she didn’t feel anything for him. Her life would be so much simpler.

  When she walked to the porch, Blaise was sitting beside Martha.

  “Martha, we need to figure this out,” Blaise said.

  Martha rolled her eyes. “You are making this into a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

  “I’m not,” Blaise said firmly. “You are the one sweeping it under the rug. I’ve always admired your bravery and courage. You face your problems head on. But right now, you are just in denial.”

  Martha stared at the fields. It was like she hadn’t heard a word Blaise said.

  “I know this is hard for you,” he said gently. “But something needs to be done.”

  “I know,” she whispered.

  “You are welcome to live with me,” Blaise said. “It would be nice to have someone to cook for me, make me stay out of trouble, and tell me off when I need it.” He smiled at her. “We’d have a great time.”

  “You’ll be starting your own life soon, Blaise. I can’t infringe on you like that.”

  “Look at me.” The command in his voice hung in the air.

  She locked her gaze with his.

  “If a girl has a problem with you living with me, then I don’t want anything to do with her. My wife will be understanding.”

  Martha looked at Alexandra and held her gaze for a moment. “I’m sure she will be.”

  Alexandra broke the trance, unable to meet the stern gaze of her aunt.

  “Then stay with me. We’ll sell the property. And we can move your husband here.”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Blaise. I can’t do that.”

  Blaise sighed. “Then what do you want to do?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Alexandra felt the frustration bubble to the surface. “Martha, you have two choices. You can either stay here with Blaise or you can come back to New York with me. Now make a decision.”

  “I’m definitely not going to New York,” Martha said.

  “Then you’re staying with Blaise,” Alexandra said simply.

  “I’m not doing that either.”

  Alexandra stood in front of her and stared her down. “Unless you sell the land and get your own house, you are staying here. That’s final.”

  “You don’t tell me what to do, Alex,” Martha said simply.

  “You’re acting like a child,” Alexandra said. “So yes, I do tell you what to do.”

  Martha stared her down until Alexandra looked away.

  Alexandra left the porch then returned to the house. She walked out the back door and moved to the fence of the pastures. The horses were eating the grass in the field, enjoying the sunshine. She leaned on the fence and stared at them, trying to calm down.

  A few minutes later, Blaise came beside her. “Carrot?”

  “What?” She turned to him.

  He was holding a few carrots. “It’s not for you,” he said with a smile.

  She stared at his hand for a moment before she grabbed the vegetable. She played with it in her hands, feeling the hard grooves on the surface.

  Blaise whistled and all the horses looked up. When they recognized him, they trotted to the edge of the fence. They immediately rubbed their noses against Blaise, practically pushing him over. He laughed while they nudged him. “Quick, give them the carrots.”

  She flattened her palm like he told her and the nearest horse took it into his mouth.

  “She has the food, not me,” he said as he covered his face.

  Alexandra smiled while she watched him. He was always so brooding and angry. It was nice to see him laugh, to actually see him smile. When she looked back at the horses, she saw the while female. She stood off to the side, too proud to fight for the carrots. Her elegance and poise was noticeable to even the other horses.

  Blaise stepped away so the horses wouldn’t knock him over. “Alexandra is a bit of an introvert. She keeps to herself more of the time.”

  Alexandra stared at the mane that flapped in the wind. The dark colored eyes directly contrasted against her fair hair. “We have a lot in common.”

  “And she’s the most beautiful horse we’ve ever had.”

  The horse flicked its tail then pranced away, choosing to stand under the shade of a tree.

  “She seems lonely,” Alexandra said.

  Blaise glanced at her. “I think she’s just looking for something she hasn’t found yet.” He handed her more carrots so she could feed the horses. Alexandra gently rubbed the horses, feeling the soft hair on the surface. She wrapped her arms around the neck of one then hugged it.

  Blaise stared at her. “You’re so cute,” he blurted.

  “What?” She pulled away.

  The playfulness in his eyes suddenly died. “Nothing.”

  Alexandra averted her gaze.

  “Don’t be so hard on Martha,” he said. “The decision may be black and white to you, but it’s not for her. I don’t know if I could ever leave or sell this house because my parents’ spirits are still here. It makes me depressed, but I can’t leave.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “Just be more understanding,” he said. “You’ve never lost someone you’ve loved.”

  She looked at the blue color of Blaise’s eyes. Whenever she stared into them, she remembered all their sweet moments in the heat of the summer. He was a man that she immediately fell in love with, someone she was drawn to on an innate level. But then he disappeared. Everything between them died. “Actually, I have.”

  Blaise locked his gaze onto hers, but his mouth was immobile. He stared at her, the intensity of his gaze drilling holes into her skin. But she held the look, more frightened to look away. “I’m tired of losing people. I can’t do it anymore.”

  Alexandra rested her hands on the wood of the fence. It was warm from the sun, and she felt the heat seep into her skin.

  “I can’t do it anymore,” he repeated. He backed away then headed to the house. Blaise didn’t look over his shoulder or turn around. He just kept going. Alexandra stared at the horses, feeling her heart sink even further.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Blaise couldn’t sleep that night. Knowing Alexandra was down the hallway, sleeping in just a t-shirt made him hot everywhere. But he was also extremely depressed. The only person who should think of her that way was Paul. And he definitely wasn’t Paul. He didn’t want Alexandra to be there. All it did was torture him. Every time she smiled, he wanted to kiss her. Every time she touched him, he wanted to pin her down and make her choose him.

  He turned on his side then stared out his window. The moon flittered through the windows and lit his room. He stared at it for a long time, wondering if she was looking at the same orb. He wished Alexandra had never come into his life. Even the sky didn’t look the same anymore. Now that h
e found the person he was supposed to be with, he couldn’t have her. It made no sense. The bitterness rose inside him. His resentment toward her was increasing, making the hatred start to form. If only he hadn’t met her, none of this would be happening. He would have a random woman in his bed right now. There would be no pain, regret. He would only feel peace.

  But he never would have experienced the happiness he did, even if it was only for an instant. He never would have experienced a love that actually made him shake. He never would have made love to someone. Even though a lot of horrible things resulted from their relationship, a lot of good things did as well. Blaise tried to concentrate on that.

  His phone rang on his nightstand. Since it was late at night, he just stared at it. There wasn’t a single person in the world he wanted to talk to, not even Alexandra. When it rang again, he sighed then answered it.

  “Hmm?”

  “It’s Paul.”

  Blaise sighed. “What?”

  “How is she?”

  “Nobody knows she’s here. She’s safe.”

  “Good,” Paul said. “Keep it that way.”

  “You don’t need to remind me,” Blaise snapped. “But you should be a real man and not let your girl go somewhere dangerous by herself.”

  Paul was quiet for a moment. “Fuck you. I tried to get her to stay but she wouldn’t listen to me.”

  “I didn’t say you should have stopped her. I said you should have came.”

  “Unlike you, I have real responsibilities and a real job. I can’t abandon my family while my dad is recovering from a heart attack. Alexandra was selfish and didn’t respect that.”

  “Don’t blame it on her,” Blaise said. He felt his breathing increase as the anger brewed. “You know how she feels about Martha.”

  “What the hell is going on with that anyway?” Paul asked.

  “Why don’t you ask your girlfriend?”

  Paul growled into the phone. “She says she’s made no progress.”

  “That about sums it up.”

  “Well, make progress. I can’t come down until the weekend.”

  “You know Alexandra. She’s stubborn as hell.”

  “Don’t remind me,” Paul said. “And if you lay a hand on her, I’ll rip your head off.”

  Blaise tried to let the insult go but he couldn’t. “Unlike you, I respect committed relationships. I would never try something with Alexandra. That isn’t my style. But if she came onto me, I wouldn’t say no.”