by Stacy Borel
“Before he graduated from college, he worked two jobs and opened a garage. He named it after himself, but later when my uncle took over, Mac renamed it. Gramps had run it for a couple of years while they lived here, but eventually, he moved farther south where homes were cheaper and where my grandma was from. They started their family, and the rest was history. I’d always wondered why he kept that fucking garage, and I think it was because it’s where he first saw Grandma and because my uncle needed a purpose.”
His words gave me warmth. My grandpa had fallen head over heels and wooed my grandma. Their love was for the storybooks. Crew’s eyes seemed so far away. He’d drifted off into his memories, and he was taking me for a stroll through them. When he blinked, he focused on me, and I gave him a sweet smile, coaxing him to continue.
“About six months ago, Gramps passed away. I know it sounds weird, but that old man was my very best friend. Without him here to say ‘Boy, focus on what’s in front of you and dream big,’ I feel unsure about every move I make. I thought I always knew what I wanted to do with my life, but now that he’s not here, everything feels … muddled.” He swallowed audibly. He sounded like he was getting choked up. “Grandma died a little over a month ago. She was healthy but was completely heartbroken when my grandfather passed. I’m certain it was because she simply couldn’t live without him.”
“It’s entirely possible. I’ve wondered if that’s what will happen to my own grandparents when it’s their time. But then again, both are too stubborn to leave the rest of us behind. As if we are incapable of being good little humans in this big, big world without their say.” I tried lightening the mood.
That thought made him chuckle.
We both remained quiet for what seemed like forever. The sky was now so dark that not even the moon was providing enough light to filter onto the empty field in front of us. If I was here by myself, I probably would be terrified of the blackness. A few crickets chirped, but it was beginning to get a little too cold for even them. The reticence was making me hyper aware of my surroundings and the man lying next to me.
He yawned, and I felt him settle in a little closer to stay warm.
“Tired?”
“Hmm … kind of. You?”
There seemed to be so much more on his mind, but I wouldn’t push. If he wanted to share with me, he would. His uncle was hard on him. I had yet to meet Mac, but I already knew I didn’t want to. Crew was right; I didn’t have to even look at him to know that I hated him. It was shitty how miserable he appeared when he came back to the apartment after a full shift.
Beaten and tired.
“I’m okay,” I answered. “You know what you never told me?”
“What’s that?”
“You said you’ve gone to college, but what do you want to be when you grow up.”
He snickered at my childish wording. “Well, Ashton Brooks, when I was three, I thought I wanted to be a Pokémon. And not that lame shit, Pikachu thing either.” My body shook next to his, and I burst out laughing. “And when I was seven, I wanted to be a firefighter. Hoses were cool, especially my own.” He wagged his brows, and I giggled. “At the age of fifteen, being a singer in a heavy metal band was the dream. I even rocked the long hair and rode my skateboard all over town to fit the part. And at eighteen when I graduated, I didn’t have a damn clue aside from not wanting to be the jackass using Mom and Dad’s money and pissing around not doing homework and playing video games. Finally, around twenty-one, I decided to go to school for … drum roll, please … accounting.”
I gaped at him. “Accounting? What in the what?” My brows came so close together they felt like they were touching. How could it be that this tattooed guy was going to be a suit-wearing stuffy accountant? Here I go with my stereotyping again.
He gauged my reaction, clearly entertained. “What? You don’t think I can be one?”
“No. Of course, you can. It’s just that … Well, I mean you …”
He gave a full-bellied laugh. “I’m giving you shit. I’m good with numbers, but I geared it more toward chemical engineering. I’d hoped to work in a laboratory. Whether it was working in a petrol plant or environmental, I hadn’t decided beyond that.”
I was flabbergasted and completely enamored. Smart, sexy, and driven. I wasn’t sure there was a combination more lethal to my heart. I didn’t think he was even the slightest bit aware that I had been letting go of a piece of my heart. Day-by-day, beat-by-beat he was beginning to mean something so much more to me. It was beyond attraction and curiosity. Here I was, looking across at him, and the pitter-patter in my chest was different from that of a crush. It wasn’t so simple. It was complex, and I wanted to maneuver my way through every day as though he was giving me a gift to grow closer to him. I felt ashamed that I looked down on him for being a mechanic.
Because he wasn’t … not really.
Crew’s dancing eyes watched me. “What are you thinking about?”
Was this feeling even real? “That you surprise me every day at nearly every step.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Take it how you want,” I taunted.
He tapped the tip of my nose with his finger. “Smartass.”
I sat thoughtfully for a moment. I knew I was springing it on everyone, but I figured now was as good a time as any. I’d give my mom a heads-up, but Dad could just deal. “Come over for dinner tomorrow.”
As he stared at me, his expression went from wistful to completely blank. “Like at your house?”
I nodded. “Yes, of course at my house.”
“Have you told your parents?”
“Well, no, not exactly. But it shouldn’t even matter. I want you to come have dinner with us, so please come.”
Crew drew his brows together. “Pretty sure Goliath won’t like it.”
I laughed. “He’s not that big. Besides, David said it was fine.”
He caught my reference. “Okay, I’ll come on one condition. You stay with me.”
I blinked. I didn’t want to explain to my parents or anyone, for that matter, why I didn’t come home after work, where I was during the evening, or why I would be in the same clothes I left the house in. But there comes a point when I needed to simply not care. Sorry, Mommy and Daddy, your baby girl was having sex. Wonderful, incredible, mind-blowing sex and I liked it. They weren’t perfect, and neither was I. Mom slipped and told Dad that I had lost my virginity to Cooper, but by that point, he and I were broken up so it wasn’t like my dad could go all caveman on him at a family dinner about deflowering his daughter. I knew this wasn’t the best idea either when I’d just asked him to come over, but it was time for big girl things. I refused to be a naïve child. Camden Brooks was going to have to suck up his disappointment and realize nothing was wrong with me. I wasn’t tainted and scarred. I was happy and flourishing into a woman. And one he could still be proud of at that.
I squared my shoulders. “Only if I get to sleep in one of your T-shirts and take this leather coat home with me.”
Crew chuckled. “Why the jacket?”
Boys … they had no clue. “Do we have a deal?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Done.”
I slid off the car and stretched. “Then let’s get this party started.”
His laugh was boisterous and magical in this open field as he hopped down. “Settle down, Miley. I run this show.” He approached me and bent down, bringing his mouth to mine and nipping my lower lip. “You’re mine tonight, and I don’t think either one of us will be getting any sleep.”
A thrill shot through me at all the possibilities. A simple yes made me feel free. I loosened my noose a little bit more tonight. We drove out of the airfield, and I let those little butterflies in my stomach free.
Ashton
CUTTING MY SHEET PAN brownies into precise small squares was an art. I was making it an art because I intended to serve them to Crew and my parents. Frankly, my nerves were shot, and this was all I could do not to go stir-cra
zy. Besides, a meal wasn’t complete without a little dessert. I even went as far as to add a dash of pink sprinkles to the top while they were still cooling. It took every ounce of willpower not to stress eat the batter.
It was time for me to get cleaned up and wait. Since I asked Crew to be here by five thirty, that meant I had an hour. I jumped in the shower, and when I’d gotten out, I wrapped myself in my robe. Heading down the hall, I’d heard my parents’ hushed voices at the bottom of the stairs. Ever since I was a little girl, I’d sneak around so I could eavesdrop. I learned which parts of the floor creaked as I tiptoed around and which doors squealed if I needed to open them a crack.
I stood at the corner just before the stairs. My mom was flustered, and my dad’s voice was low and harsh.
“What’s he coming to dinner for? And I thought those brownies were for me.”
I guess Mom just spilled the beans about the plans for tonight. I told her this morning while we sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking about my classes for next semester. She knew I was reluctant to let Dad know, but I left it up to her to ease him into it.
“Camden, she likes him. She asked him to come over, and we will open our door to him just as we would anyone else.”
“How do you know she likes him? Did she tell you this?”
“I wouldn’t tell you if she did or didn’t.” My amazing mother, never betraying my trust. “I wouldn’t even have to tell you if she did. It’s obvious, isn’t it?”
I heard my dad scoff. “Is this her acting out? We got off pretty easy during the teen years. So maybe she’s making up for lost time.”
“Honey, I’m sure he’s a good boy. If we all judged each other based on what we did for a living, or how we looked or acted, I’m sure plenty of people would have never given their soul mates a chance.” She was implying herself in that statement.
I was holding my breath. Why was my dad so adamant that Crew wasn’t right for me? He barely knew him. And what little he did took place sitting with the rest of my family who obnoxiously controlled the conversation with mindless chatter.
“Ashton’s different, Keegan, and you know it. That’s my baby girl, and she doesn’t need to end up with some tattooed kid who tinkers with cars all day and can’t support her. God forbid she winds up taking care of him.”
“And so what if she does? We’ve always taught her to be an independent woman. Love is love, Camden. We can’t help who our hearts want.”
My eyes burned, and my chest felt constricted.
“Love has nothing to do with this,” he hissed. “She doesn’t even know him.”
I could picture my mom now with her hands on her hips, giving him a face that dared him to defy her. “Camden Brooks, you listen to me. Our daughter asked someone to come into our house, to share him with us, and to allow us the opportunity to get to know him. Whether it’s love or not, He means something to her, and you will not shut it down because he’s not the rocket scientist you imagined him being. If I stuck with the type I wanted to marry before I met you, I’d be with a travel blogger in South Africa on some flipping safari watching the lions. Instead, I’m here with you, happily living my ever after and watching our daughter grow into a beautiful young woman. So when he knocks on the door, you will open it, and you will let him in. The rest of the night will be full of cordial conversation.”
It was quiet for longer than I expected, and I wondered if my dad didn’t get so pissed that he stormed off. “Since when did you want to be with a travel blogger?”
I heard my mother chortle, and my dad growled. Gross, they were flirting. “Hush, you know I love to travel.”
I didn’t need to hear any more. Briskly walking to my room, I shut the door behind me. My mom certainly wore the pants in the house despite my dad’s grand appearance. If she said jump, he’d say when and where? I hated hearing the animosity in his voice about Crew. He truly had no idea how great he really was and that he treated me well. The book didn’t match the cover, and it kind of hurt that he wore blinders. I could only hope that my mom’s words meant something to him, and he would be on his best behavior. I get that he didn’t graduate from Harvard Law or Yale Medical School, but that didn’t make him any less capable of being a good man. And rocket scientist? Wasn’t a chemical engineer basically the same thing?
I tugged the towel off my head and started brushing through my thick hair. My nerves were rattled, and I didn’t want anything about tonight to embarrass me. My hands were shaky as I put on my subtle makeup. The evening was already bound to be strange, so I didn’t need to give my dad more reasons to set him off with extra color on my face or an outfit that would garner Crew’s attention. I settled on a natural look. A cream-colored sweater and light jeans cropped at the ankle. Gold stud earrings are all I used to dress up my appearance.
Before heading downstairs, I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. All I saw before me was the same Ashton. A little girl with no opinions besides those told to me. My shoulders dropped, and I frowned.
Crew
I had just pulled up in front of the Brooks residence at five thirty on the dot. Shutting off the car, I got out and went to the front door. I tried my best to be a little cleaner and not look like I’d just came from under a car all day even though I had. My fingertips were red from scrubbing them till they almost bled, and I smelled like an ad for an Old Spice commercial. I wasn’t trying to impress Ashton; I knew she was good with me even being a sweaty mess. Nor was I trying to impress her dad. It was momma I wanted to leave a lasting impression with. In the South, while the fathers were important in a girl’s life, their mothers were the ones whose opinion typically mattered most.
Knowing this, I’d stopped at the store to get a bouquet. Something a little “wintry” as the sales clerk stated. No idea what they were, and I didn’t fucking care, but they were pretty and would make a good impression. I knocked on the door and waited. I heard Ashton yell, and moments later, I was standing face to face with Camden.
Christ, I swear the man got bigger.
“Mr. Brooks.”
“Crew.” He raised a skeptical brow and looked down at my hand. “Those for me?”
Uhhh. “No sir, they are for your wife.”
“My wife? Why would you get flo—” He was interrupted by Keegan when she stepped around him and beamed at me.
“Camden, would you let the boy in. You’re probably making him nervous.”
I wasn’t nervous. Not even a little bit. I knew exactly what to expect being here tonight. Camden was going to grill the shit out of me and try his hardest to assert his dominance over me. Which was fine. I’d let the man believe his dick was bigger if it made him feel better about me seeing Ashton. I’d gladly take one for the team. Besides, I also liked Keegan. She seemed like a good-natured, warm kind of mother.
Keegan’s aqua blue eyes dazzled in the porch lighting as she spoke to me. “Please, come in.” The three of us moved into the entry, and she continued. “Ashton ran upstairs to get something for me, but she will be down in a moment. Can I take your jacket?”
“Actually, that would be great. Thank you.” I slid the coat off, switching the bouquet from one hand to the other. “Here, these are for you.”
“For me?” She sounded shocked. “I would have guessed they were for my daughter, but I’ll gladly accept them. Thank you so much. They’re beautiful!”
I smiled at her. Camden’s jaw clenched, and he blew a puff of air out of his flared nostrils. Settle down, big guy, I’m not flirting with your woman. The only female I was interested in was gliding down the stairs looking every bit a fucking wet dream. I looked at her and was certain she probably tried to tame herself for the sake of her dad. She was stunning nonetheless.
“Hey, you made it!” she said as she approached me.
Standing next to me but not touching, she peered up through her thick, nearly black lashes. “You smell nice,” I complimented.
“Thanks, probably from the brownies I bak
ed.”
If she was trying to impress me, it was working. My mom always made brownies for me when I’d had a bad day at school. She’d press chunks of caramel into the half-baked batter and let it melt into all the chocolatey gooeyness. She’d tell me that the stickiness with a glass of milk made everything better. And it did.
I grinned. “I can’t wait to try them.”
Keegan was standing next to a very rigid Camden. “Dinner is just about finished, so let’s go have a seat, and we can eat.”
All four of us walked to the dining room like a little marching squad. Everything about this felt formal and awkward. The last time I remember being on a date like this and meeting the parents was with my first girlfriend in high school. The girl’s father had made a show out of having his guns out on the coffee table as if he were cleaning them. His point was made loud and clear. And thankfully for me, it was the last time I went over to their house. She dumped me a week later, saying she had to focus on school.
Ashton’s house was clean and orderly. It was minimalistic but still warm. The scent in the air suggested we were going to be eating some kind of roast, which made my stomach roar to life. A home-cooked meal by a seasoned cook was always one of the best things in the world. I’d barely eaten all day, so I’m sure whatever it was, I would gladly eat a few servings. There was also the smell of a candle or warmer burning somewhere around the house, and it was like a baked sugar cookie. While their house wasn’t as sprawling as her grandparents’, it was still quite large for a family of three. I let my eyes roam as we walked through the entry, which opened to a staircase. To the left was the dining room, and to the right was a formal living space currently set up as an office, probably for Camden. A few photographs of Ashton hung on a wall as you walked into the dining room. They were her senior pictures. She was so fucking adorable with her hair shorter and a younger face. She had certainly become a beautiful young woman.
