The Fix (Carolina Connections #1)

by Sylvie Stewart

  “I’ve been trying to call you and I was worried you never wanted to see me again.” Her eyes filled with tears.

  “What?” I pulled my phone out of my pocket. Dead. “Shit. My battery’s dead. I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry – so sorry, Nate, I–”

  “Alright let’s not give the neighbors a show – get your asses inside,” Gavin directed. Laney didn’t even spare him a dirty look. Huh. We proceeded indoors and Gavin shut the door behind us.

  “I was mad at Gavin and I totally took it out on you and I shouldn’t have. I said some awful things and I didn’t mean any of them. Well, some of them I did but those were more about Gavin, not you.” Laney stood facing me with her hands to her cheeks.

  I stepped closer and took her hands in mine instead. “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have stuck my nose into a situation I didn’t fully understand. And I probably said some things I shouldn’t have either. Can we be done fighting now?”

  “Yes, please.” She pulled her hands from mine and threw them around my neck. I squeezed the living hell out of her in return and kissed her temple.

  “Okay, okay, let’s stop while we’re still at a PG rating. I have a few things I need to say,” interrupted Gavin.

  Laney and I pulled apart and she turned to face him. I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.

  “I have some things I want to say to you too,” confessed Laney.

  “I’ll let you go first if you promise it won’t involve yelling. Or punching me in the junk.”

  She crossed her heart. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to – Rocco’s just down the hall. Look, I know we fight and that’s kind of our thing, but I owe you an apology. I haven’t been very sympathetic these last couple years and it probably has more to do with my own issues and insecurities than yours, or so my fairy godmother told me. And–”

  “Your fairy what?” I had to interject. Was she high?

  “Never mind – that’s not important. Anyway, Gavin, you’re important to me and I love you. And I really appreciate all of the help you give with Rocco and I will try to be more supportive and less judgmental from here on out. I promise, and I’m sorry.” She released a breath like it had been weighing her down like a ton of bricks. Okay, not high.

  “Wow,” Gavin began. “That was…kind of unexpected.” He laughed self-consciously and scratched his head. “Um, I was gonna tell you that I’m sorry too.”

  He backed up and leaned against the wall, gathering his thoughts. “After our fight on Thursday, I went over to Brett’s to get drunk and I started ranting to him about my pain-in-the-ass sister, and he kind of hit me in the face with the same truth-stick you did. Nobody besides you has ever gotten on my case about getting my act together and to hear it coming from him was kind of a kick in the nuts.

  “You’re my sister and you’re supposed to nag me and be full of shit, but he’s been my best friend through all of this and he said he couldn’t keep his mouth shut anymore. So I’ve been thinking a lot about it the last couple days and I’m finally coming to terms with the fact I won’t play ball for a living. But that doesn’t mean I can’t play at all – which I know you’ve been trying to tell me so just shut up, okay.”

  Laney relaxed back into me as Gavin continued, “Anyway, I made a few calls and then I received a few more. It seems your fairy godmother has some connections because I have an interview for a job at the Baseball Academy coaching high level teenage players. It wouldn’t be full time, but Nate said I can still work part time with him so I think I’m gonna go for it. Hell, what is it they say – those who can’t do, teach?”

  “Something like that,” she responded.

  Gavin’s hands went to his hips. “And, Laney, I know you worry and you’re afraid of making mistakes, but you're not a screw-up and I shouldn’t have called you a slut either.”

  My ears perked at that one. It was one thing to get into a fight but another entirely to call my girlfriend a slut. Laney must have felt my body tense because she moved one hand to my thigh to keep me in place.

  “The same night you and Dominic were getting your drunken deed on, there were hundreds of other couples on campus doing the same thing. The only difference was that yours resulted in a pooping, crying, booger-laden, eighteen-year-long commitment while everybody else got to sleep off their hangovers and move on with life.”

  We all smiled a bit at that one, and Gavin continued, “If you asked anyone what kind of mom you are to that kid, there isn’t anybody who wouldn’t sing your praises. You didn't screw up his life and you’re not going to. You're the love of his life and that is pretty fucking awesome. So, that’s it. That’s all I’ve got.” He threw his hands to the sides.

  “Get your ass over here and give me a hug, you big boob.” She said in a tight voice and I let her go to Gavin.

  “Boob?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m trying it out,” she said as she enveloped her brother in a bear hug.

  Gavin smiled over her shoulder. “I like it.”

  ***

  Gavin took Rocco to the park to give us some alone time and we made the most of it, combining a much-needed shower for me with some unbelievably hot make-up sex. Laney came at me like a sex-crazed wild cat and I had the marks on my back to prove it. It made the last miserable day almost worth it. We lay in bed afterwards, her cheek resting on my chest and her arm thrown over my waist.

  “You know, I’ve been doing all of this thinking about Gavin and his ruined dreams, and I think one thing that has always bugged me was that I didn’t have a dream that could or couldn’t be fulfilled. I guess I felt like you get what life gives you and you move on, but that’s not really the best attitude, is it? I guess I could learn something from you and Gavin. If there’s something I feel passionate about, I shouldn’t let anything stop me without trying my hardest to get it.”

  “And what do you feel passionate about?” I gave her a quick squeeze.

  She reached down and copped a feel of my ass. “Besides your hot ass, you mean? I don’t know – maybe owning an alpaca farm?”

  “Seriously?”

  “No, but it sounds interesting, doesn’t it? I don’t like to shovel shit, though, so that’s probably out.”

  “Probably. What else?”

  “I don’t know. But I do know I’m only twenty-five and I’ve got time to figure it out.”

  “I forgot I was dating jailbait.” I pretended to push her away.

  “Whatever, old man.” She smacked my chest.

  “So, there’s something I’ve been thinking about too,” I said.

  “What have you been thinking about?” She snuggled back in my crook again.

  “You.”

  “What about me?” I could feel her smile against the skin of my chest.

  “Well, there’s that awful temper of yours. And then there’s your hoarding habit – don’t get me started on what I unearthed in your hall closet the other day. And then we have the issue of your cooking – I have to say it’s only slightly better than my mother’s and I’m worthless in the kitchen too, so we’re kind of screwed. Oh, and of course there’s your habit of rubbing your cheeks like you’re trying to summon a genie–”

  “Is this going somewhere?” she asked, raising her head to look at me.

  “Yup. What I’m trying to say is that I love you.”

  Her cheeks pinked. “You’ve got a strange way of expressing yourself, big guy.”

  “I figured it’s easier to list the things that are so very wrong about you than to list the ones that are so very right – I can’t really count that high.”

  “Well, if that wasn’t the most romantic thing ever – you big jerk.” She smacked my chest again and started coming in for a kiss.

  “I guess I forgot to add your violent streak to the list. I’ll make a note.”

  “You do that.” And her lips met mine.

  Epilogue

  Laney

  One Month Later

  “This
was such a great idea, Laney. We should make this a tradition.” Erin linked her arm in mine as we stood enjoying the sunny afternoon on the back porch – oh, excuse me, back deck.

  Nate and I had compromised and I’d agreed to let him build me a deck instead of the screened-in porch he wanted. I’d told him he could always finish it off eventually, but for right now I was sticking to my guns. He’d spent so much time and money fixing up my house that I had to draw the line somewhere. Of course, he couldn’t make it just any old wood plank deck – he had to add built-in seating and a nook for his kick-ass grill he’d finally brought from Austin.

  It was the day after Thanksgiving and I, like any sane person, was avoiding all retail locations. We’d decided to host an open house of sorts and had invited practically everyone we knew to drop by throughout the afternoon to hang out and snack on leftovers which we supplemented with burgers and brats. Maybe Nate couldn’t cook all that well, but the man could grill. He’d explained that grilling was a skill that came along with having a penis – and something else about cave men cooking meat over a fire, a topic which his dad had been strangely enthusiastic about discussing. Not that Erin would allow Riordan to have any of the grilled meats.

  After a token protest, Riordan had summoned Rocco to the deck. “Come on Rocco. I’m going to show you how to clean a fish. Then maybe I’ll be allowed to use the grill.” With the unseasonably warm weather, they’d gone fishing on Thanksgiving morning and had had a bit of luck. So fish had been added to the menu for the day.

  I looked over at Erin and said, “Actually, it was Nate’s idea, but I agree. It feels like more of a holiday when you can spread it out over a couple days. But I’m kind of shocked I got Fiona to come over. I figured she be in retail heaven.”

  “I heard that.” Fiona approached. “I was up at 5:00 this morning, thank you very much, and I may have even bought a few things for you, my friend – of the sexy variety, if you know what I mean.” She winked.

  “Uh, yeah, I think we all know what you mean. And thank you for talking about this in front of my boyfriend’s mother.”

  “I was young once too, so don’t worry about me. And besides,” Erin said and squeezed my arm, “Rocco could really use a sibling, don’t you think?”

  Danger! Danger! Need immediate rescue from the crazy lady!

  As if reading my thoughts, Nate walked up and stole me away from his mother. “Leave her alone, Mom. Go bug Bailey about having babies. I think I saw her flirting with someone inside.”

  “Really?” Erin’s eyes lit up and she couldn’t get inside fast enough.

  “Thank you.” I hugged Nate back. “Who is Bailey flirting with, just out of curiosity?”

  “Nobody. She’s stuffing her face with pie.” He grinned.

  I laughed and looked around the yard where some of our friends and family mingled. My parents were here, having come back to town to celebrate the holiday with us. Rocco was over the moon. They were staying in a hotel, an arrangement that I predicted would never be repeated if Erin had anything to say about it. Our families had spent Thanksgiving together and were getting along great. Thankfully both of our families had a high tolerance for crazy.

  Some of the guys and gals from Nate’s work were here too and I recognized a few of them, specifically Mark with the cock-sure smile and Doug who, for some reason, was wearing a Hawaiian print shirt for the holiday. I noticed that Mark hadn’t taken his eyes off of Fiona since she’d walked outside. Oh my.

  Nate made his way back to the grill and announced that the food was ready. We’d set up a couple tables outside as supplemental seating and people gradually made their way over to fix a plate. It didn’t escape my notice that Rocco wasn’t among them. I spied his little head through the treehouse window along with that of Aiden and one other little girl from their daycare. If that view wasn’t a balm to my soul, I don’t know what would be.

  “Hey, Shortcake.” I heard a male voice behind me. I turned around to see Mark leaning back on the deck railing next to Fiona, doing the oh-so-casual arms crossed to show off my big biceps thing – hey, it’s a thing, trust me. He was also giving her that super cocky smile and I almost felt sorry for him. He had no understanding that the phrase “big things come in small packages” was coined with Fiona specifically in mind.

  “You talking to me, Meat-head?”

  Oooh. This was going to be fun.

  Gavin came over, draped his arm around my shoulders, and whispered in my ear, “Excellent. Dinner and a show.”

  “Hey, I was just trying to say hi. You don’t need to be insulting,” Mark said to Fiona.

  “I was just returning the favor. Run along now.” She shooed him away.

  Ouch.

  “I was also gonna tell you that the kids’ table is inside, Tinkerbell.”

  Not bad.

  “What a coincidence because I was just going to tell you to go eat a bag of dicks.”

  Hmm, an odd choice, but it hit its mark anyway.

  “Are you always such a bitch to people you just met?” His casual stance was long gone and they were in a face-off, both with hands on their hips.

  “Only to complete morons.”

  “What is your problem? Jesus, I don’t need this crap.” Mark stalked into the yard and away from my charming little bestie.

  Fiona remained un-phased and grabbed a plate. “Oooh, are those sausages? I love sausage. Give me a big one, Nate.”

  Gavin and I both started snickering and Nate shot us a death glare.

  ***

  After we’d all eaten and most of the crowd had dispersed, I sat on Nate’s lap – he insisted and I’d learned not to question him on his opinions about my body. I sighed the sigh of a completely contented Laney.

  “I love this day.”

  He kissed my temple.

  “Oh, hey,” Nate said suddenly. “I forgot to tell you. We rented the last space in the Old Oak Ridge property.” The project was wrapping up and they’d already signed rental agreements with a financial planning firm and some tech firm but there had still been one space left.

  I mentally crossed my fingers and turned my face to his. “Oh yeah, what’s it going to be?”

  He smiled that smile and I got the dimple. “A doughnut shop.”

  “Oh my God! I love you!”

  ~THE END ~

  Stay tuned for Fiona and Mark’s story.

  Coming soon from Sylvie Stewart

  Visit my website for updates: www.sylviestewartromance.webs.com

  About the Author

  Sylvie Stewart is an author of Romance and Romantic Comedy and this is the first book in her Carolina Connections Series. She loves hanging out with her husband and kids in Greensboro, North Carolina and can’t get enough of the great weather and fun adventures NC offers. Sylvie enjoys reading, Romance being her favorite genre, of course, but life wouldn’t be worth living without a lot of laughter, friends, and wine!

  Thank you so much for reading my book – I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I’d love to hear from you, so please drop me a line at sylvie.stewart.romance@gmail.com or stop by my website to see the latest news at www.sylviestewartromance.webs.com.

  You can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sylvie-Stewart-Romance-1063966356975828/

  You can find me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/sylvie_stewart_

  Also, don’t forget to review my book on Amazon! We indie authors can use all the support we can get!

  Thanks! XOXO,

  Sylvie

  Book Description

  The Fix by Sylvie Stewart – Book 1 in The Carolina Connections Series

  How do you take a chance on love when every other decision you’ve ever made has been the wrong one?

  Laney Monroe’s life looks nothing like she’d planned. She certainly hadn’t pictured herself as a twenty-five-year-old single mom with a boring job, a freeloading brother, and an exhibitionist son who worries more than Shaggy and Scooby Doo put together. When her
brother finally steps up and applies for a job, Laney never imagines it might lead to an opportunity for her as well – an opportunity at love.

  Nate Murphy has always been about family. When you come from an Irish family, it’s hard not to be. But when a family emergency brings him home to North Carolina, Nate is faced with some difficult choices. Can you choose what you want over what your family needs? Then Laney Monroe walks onto his construction site and Nate decides that she just might make those choices a hell of a lot easier – or maybe this girl will make life more complicated than ever.

  The Fix is the first book in The Carolina Connections Series from Sylvie Stewart. It can be read as a standalone with a HEA.

  This book contains adult language and explicit sexual content. Not appropriate for readers under 18.