THE HOPE BROTHERS: The Bad Boys of Sugar Hill

by Honey Palomino

  I woke with a start, my body dripping in sweat, despite the cold March afternoon. I’d slept all day, the sun beginning to set in the distance. I checked my phone, saw that it was almost six o’clock, and that my parents had called and texted several times. I turned my phone off and vowed not to turn it back on for a good, long while.

  My stomach was still churning and I grabbed the bottle of whiskey and poured half of it down my throat as quickly as I could. Ignoring the thoughts swimming around in my head, I started the truck and set out in search of the nearest bar.

  It didn’t take long. This was Texas after all. After guns and country, us Texans love our booze the most. My truck rumbled slowly down a crowded street and I remembered that it was Saturday night. Just as well, I thought. I wasn’t in the mood for a party, but a lot of alcohol and the company of a pretty girl would do well to help me forget everything, if only for a few moments.

  After circling the block several times, I finally found a space big enough to park my pick-up. I sat behind the wheel, looking at the trendy restaurants and bars with all the trendy people spilling out of them. I looked for the least crowded one.

  I needed something to eat, if I was planning on drinking for the rest of the night without puking. I spotted JR’s Bar and Grill a block away. Run down, with an older crowd pouring out of it, it looked like just what I was looking for. As I made my way down the street, I passed several clubs with loud music pouring out of them, with tons of folks spilling out onto the sidewalks, most of them smoking and flirtin’ with each other.

  Women dressed up, men dressed down, and people of all ages streamed around me. Everyone seemed to be getting younger, and I couldn’t help but wonder when I began feeling so damned old.

  The worn, wooden bar was a welcome sight and I took a seat at the end of it, ordering a burger and fries and a beer. They arrived quickly and I devoured them, realizing I hadn’t eaten since dinner at my folk’s place last night. I could still conjure up the smell of Mama’s meatloaf.

  Mama. I sighed when I recalled the look of shame on her face as she tried to explain everything to me last night. Or this morning. Whenever it was. Everything was a blur and the food wasn’t doing anything to help my head from spinning like a top.

  Somehow, I had to find a way to make sense of everything. But not now. Not yet. The only thing I was sure of was that I didn’t want to go back. Not anytime soon.

  By the time I finished my second beer, I had a plan. I’d stay in Houston, find a job, find a place to live, and see where it took me. I wanted quiet, more than anything. But the voices in my head wouldn’t shut up and no matter where I went, I knew they’d be there. At least here, in Houston, I was away from the Haggards…and the Hopes. For fuck’s sake.

  My mind drifted away as I thought of the Hopes. They were good people, even if there’d been plenty of friction between me and the Hope brothers over the years. Hell, I had friction with everyone, so why would they be an exception?

  Crit Hope was the oldest and a good man. I was happy to see him with Ruby these days, and more than happy that that asshole Lincoln LaCroix hadn’t succeeded in hurting her or keeping them apart. They’d moved into Olly LaCroix’s place, and by all appearances, seemed to be doing well. That was good for Crit, who’d endured more than his share of hard times after his parent’s died in a horrible car accident.

  His parent’s. I thought of Goldie and Ward Hope, and tried to conjure up Ward’s face. My biological father. Did I look like him? This shit was just crazy, so far out of left field, I didn’t really know what to do with it. It was so completely out of character for Mama to have had an affair, but if she was going to have it with anyone, I could see how it would be with Ward.

  He had been extremely charming, a man’s man, handsome. In fact, he reminded me of my own father.

  I groaned out loud, shaking my head, trying to will the relentless thoughts away. I was here to forget all that.

  The booze wasn’t helping with that so well. I knew what I had to do. It was time to turn to my other companion, the only other thing that took me out of my head.

  My eyes trailed around the bar for the first time since I’d walked in. In a dark booth, I spotted a gorgeous blonde sitting alone. I picked up my drink and began walking towards her. She seemed lost in thought and I hoped this would all go down smoothly as I sidled up to her booth.

  “Howdy, ma’am,” I said, tipping my hat at her. She looked up quickly, her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly.

  “Hello,” she replied, a slow grin spreading across her face. I took that as an invitation and I slid into the booth across from her.

  “Lee Haggard, ma’am, nice to make your acquaintance,” I said, tipping my Stetson again. Her smile grew bigger as I grabbed her hand and kissed the top of her palm. I could have sworn I saw a slight blush creep up her neck, but it was dark. Really dark. I could barely see that her eyes were bright blue. Her low cut black sweater hugged the curves of her breasts and I forced myself not to linger too long on the deep V of her cleavage. My cock swelled and I shifted in my seat.

  “I’m Sally. Nice to meet you, too, Lee,” she drawled. Blonde curls cascaded around her round face. “I’ve never seen you here before.”

  “I guess you could say I’m new to town,” I replied. “Born and raised in Sugar Hill.” The thought of Sugar Hill and all the misery it held made my stomach churn and I pushed it away as quickly as it had come.

  “That so?” she asked. “What brings you to Houston then?”

  “A new beginning, Sally. Just figured it was time to start over,” I replied, keeping my responses deliberately vague. I wasn’t here to go over my life story. I was here for a different kind of therapy.

  “I see. Well, you’ve come to the right place, cowboy,” she said, winking at me. “Houston is full of opportunities, if you know what you’re looking for.”

  “I reckon you’re right, Sally,” I said. “Can I buy you a drink?”

  “I’m good,” she said, raising a half-full bottle of beer. I nodded, leaned back, took a drink from my own beer, and let my eyes rake over her curves.

  “You look good,” I said, winking back at her.

  “What’s your game, Lee?” she asked abruptly.

  “Game? I don’t play games,” I replied. “Like you said, Houston is full of opportunities, if you know what you’re looking for. I think you might be exactly what I’m looking for.”

  She raised her eyebrows, and titled her head.

  “Is that so? And what did you have in mind?”

  I laughed, shaking my head.

  “How about a dance, Sally?” I gestured to the full dance floor behind her.

  Her smile parted as she started to say something, then she closed it and nodded. “I’d like that,” she said.

  “Excellent,” I replied, standing up and offering her my hand. I led her to the dance floor silently and then pulled her into my arms as we began swaying to the music. Her body slid against mine, the curve of her breasts pressing against my chest, the hardness between my legs growing between us.

  I leaned down and whispered in her ear.

  “Do you know how fuckin’ beautiful you are, Sally?” I whispered, my lips grazing her ear. I felt her nipples harden against me. “In fact, the feel of your body against mine is making me so hard that I can’t ignore it.”

  A small gasp escaped from her red lips and I smiled to myself.

  “Are you always this direct, Lee?” she asked, her eyes twinkling up at me.

  “Yes, I am, actually,” I replied. “Did I offend you?”

  A slow smile spread across her pretty face, and in a silent reply, she pushed her hips against mine, discretely swaying her hips against my hard cock in time to the music.

  “No,” she replied with a secret smile. “I like it.”

  “Maybe there’s somewhere around here where we can go to be alone?” I whispered in her ear again. My suggestion was met by a slow moan of approval and I knew she was ready.<
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  “Let’s go,” I said, as I reached for her hand and pulled her out of the bar and into the darkness of the Houston streets.

  ***

  “My truck is around the corner,” I said, zipping up my jeans. “I can give you a ride somewhere if you need one?”

  Sally smiled up at me through her tousled hair as she buttoned her blouse.

  “I’m good. I have my own car, thanks though.”

  I grabbed her hand and led her out of the alley behind JR’s.

  “Would you like to go back in? Get another drink?” I asked. She looked over at me as we strode hand in hand down the sidewalk, her lips puffy and still wet from my kisses. She’d felt amazing and the quick fuck had done wonders for my brain.

  A simple reset that put everything into perspective because it made me forget that I was supposed to be hurting. It was damned hard to hurt when you were inside a warm, quivering pussy.

  “No, thanks, cowboy,” she said, squeezing my hand. “But you can walk me to my car.”

  “My pleasure, ma’am,” I replied, tipping my hat.

  “You always call a woman you just fucked, ‘ma’am’?” she asked, leaning into me, her voice light and teasing.

  “I never pass up the opportunity to show a woman respect, ma’am,” I teased back. I liked her. She was easy-going and undemanding, just what this night called for.

  We walked down the block and around the corner, passing several other bars along the way. If it had been any other night, I’d have been casing the other bars for the best looking women so I could go back for round two, but tonight, my heart just wasn’t in it. I’d enjoyed my few fleeting moments with Sally, but the thought of starting all over again left me feeling tired before I’d even begun.

  “Oh, my god!” Sally whispered beside me. She stopped dead in her tracks and peered down an alleyway between two buildings. It was dark but I could make out the figures of two half naked men, completely going at it like a couple of jackrabbits.

  “Looks like we weren’t the only ones with that idea,” I whispered, as we watched them. They were oblivious to anyone around them, the taller man spread eagle up against the brick wall while the other man pounded into him from behind.

  “That’s fucking Brock Tyler!” Sally cried, her hand flying up and covering her mouth as she began giggling.

  “Who’s Brock Tyler?” I asked.

  “You don’t know? He’s a huge rodeo star, he’s in all those ads, you know?” she asked.

  “Oh,” I replied, a vague recollection of a man in a Wrangler’s ad in a magazine flashing in my head. I squinted my eyes to see if I recognized him, but it was useless. My brain didn’t retain things like that. “If you say so.”

  We stood silently watching them fuck, and I looked over at Sally amused at how enthralled she was. As far as I was concerned, this was no big deal. So the guy needed a quick fuck in the alley. Sounded familiar.

  “I just can’t believe this!” Sally exclaimed, as Brock turned the man around to face him, before shoving his tongue in his mouth.

  “What?” I asked. “So he’s gay, no big deal.”

  “He has a girlfriend!”

  “Oh, yeah?” I asked, even more amused now.

  “This isn’t good. I can’t believe this!” Sally cried.

  “Why? Who cares?”

  “Oh!” I whispered, reality dawning on me. “You’re freaked out that the golden rodeo boy is fucking a man?”

  “Yes!” she said.

  “Well, looks like he’s having a good time. Can’t judge that. Different strokes for different folks,” I replied wistfully.

  Sally looked over at me in surprise and then laughed loudly. Maybe a little too loudly. Brock and his companion snapped their heads our way.

  “Oh, shit!” I said, laughing, grabbing Sally’s hand and pulling her away. “Come on, we’d better get you to your car and leave these gentleman to their dirty deeds.”

  “I guess so,” she said, laughing. We got to her car, she kissed me goodbye, and that was it.

  Moments later, I was standing on the sidewalk, watching her drive away, thankful for just a few stolen moments of sweet distraction.

  I walked back into JR’s with a smile on my face and the smell of Sally still on my fingers.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  LILY

  “He did what?!” Vivian looked as shocked as I felt the other night. I’d invited her over to my apartment for the evening, unable to spend the night alone with my thoughts again. I couldn’t help but tell her what had happened.

  “Yep. I couldn’t believe it either.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do if a man called me the wrong name during sex. I’d probably have cut off his dick and then tarred and feathered it. You must have been so upset, Lily.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “Well, what did you do?”

  “I shoved him off me. Hell, he was still inside me, Viv! It was humiliating. And then I slapped him. And then I kicked him out. What else could I have done?”

  “Again, castration comes to mind…” she shrugged, a sympathetic smile spreading across her face.

  “I’ve never been curious about seeing the inside of a prison,” I replied.

  “If you got an all woman jury, you’d never get convicted. That’s like the worst blow a man can strike against a woman, without actually hitting her. I can’t fuckin’ believe it. And who the fuck is Alex?”

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” I replied. “And honestly, I don’t even want to know who she is.”

  “Probably some tart from the ‘burbs. Yeah, fuck that guy. He’s always been more trouble than he’s worth. You’re much better off without him, Lily. Who cares how much money or fame he has when he’s such a prick?” she said, as she began opening a second bottle of wine. We’d gone through the first one pretty quickly, which is what made me open my big mouth and confess what had happened, even though I’d promised myself I wouldn’t.

  It was good to tell Vivian, though. I trusted her completely and I knew she wouldn’t tell anyone else and that she’d be completely on my side. Her support for me never wavered.

  “So, how’s school going?” she asked, twirling her hair as she threw her feet up on my coffee table.

  “It’s going. Never seems to stop. I have to get my application in by the end of this week.”

  “You’re going to be the best horse vet in all of Houston!”

  “I’m going to try, that’s for sure. I just wish it didn’t take so long. The years seem to be dragging by, and I’m just getting started.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Lily,” she said. “No matter what, you keep going. You’re strong. You’re a warrior. I love that about you.”

  “I don’t feel like a warrior,” I scoffed. “I feel tired.”

  “Well, that’s to be expected. But you stay strong, darlin’, and don’t let this shit get to you. Men are stupid, and honestly, they’re only good for a good fuck or opening a jar of pickles. Outside of that, they’re useless.”

  “I’m inclined to agree with you on that,” I said, filling up my glass and taking another drink. Vivian was right and my energy was better spent taking care of myself instead of waiting by the phone for some prick who was only going to take advantage of me.

  “To the future!” Viv said, holding up her glass.

  “To the future!” I clinked my glass against hers and sank down next to her on the sofa just as my phone rang.

  We looked down at it and groaned at the same time when we saw his face.

  “Fuck that guy,” Viv said, her voice seething with anger as she hit the reject button.

  “Yeah,” I agreed, “fuck that guy.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  LEE

  I slept in my truck again, waking to the bright sun shining on my face, the numbness of the night before having faded into an early morning awareness that I couldn’t wait to shake off. I reached under the seat of the truck and pulled out an empty bottle.
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  “Fuck!” I yelled to the empty cab. I pulled out my wallet and looked inside. My cash from Eva’s business venture of me fucking old women was dwindling fast. I needed a job, a place to stay, and another bottle of whiskey or two - quick. I had no idea how I was going to find those things, though.

  I’d come to Houston with such a vague plan and I hadn’t thought past last night. I was glad the night had played out like it had, though, even if it would have been nice to have another taste of Sally.

  Women only complicated my life and it would probably be in my best interest if I kept my dick in my jeans for a while.

  I needed to focus on finding a job first. Work first, play later. I started up the pickup and began driving around the city, trying to come up with ideas of what I could do. I spotted a grocery store and figured that was as good a place as any to start.

  Of course, the manager took one look at me, with my long hair and tattoos and promptly told me they weren’t hiring. I thanked him and walked around the store to collect a few groceries.

  My head was killing me, last night’s booze forcing me to pay for its sweet escape this morning. I was used to it, but it hurt every single fucking time. My phone was still turned off in my pocket and the guilt of what it must be doing to my parents was beginning to seep into my consciousness. I couldn’t think about that now - it was time for me to man the fuck up and take care of myself. I’d talk to them when it was the right time. If that ever came at all.

  I was in the cookie aisle, trying to decide if sugar would be beneficial to my headache at all, when I heard a voice call my name.

  “Lee? Lee Haggard?”

  I turned and looked into the prettiest pair of green eyes I’d ever seen. Standing in front of me was a pretty little petite woman, with a heart-shaped face and long strawberry blonde curls bouncing around her face. Her lush pink lips were turned up in a curious smile and I had a sudden urge to lick them.

  “Yes?” I asked, looking at her curiously.