Wallflowers: One Heart Remains

by CP Smith

  His shoulders sank, and he suddenly looked ten years older. “I should have kept you with me.”

  I grabbed his arm and turned him. He crushed me to him and I could feel him vibrating. I couldn’t imagine what was going through his head. He was an agent. He served and protected the rest of us from bad guys, and he’d thought he failed me. “If you’d kept me with you we’d never have found Sienna. I’d never have found Nate. And there’s no way of knowin’ if it would have kept me safe from some other predator. Considerin’ how it all turned out, I’d say I’m exactly where I needed to be.”

  He didn’t answer at first, then let go, touching his forehead to mine. “Just like your mother. She could turn the shittiest situation around.”

  “Promise me you won’t blame yourself.”

  “Oh, I’ll blame myself. It’s what parents do when their child is hurt,” he explained.

  “Then promise you won’t kill anyone.”

  He tilted my head back so he could look at me. He searched my face to check I was truly okay before answering. “I have a feeling Jacobs will beat me to it.”

  Well, that wasn’t ominous at all.

  “Then promise me you won’t let Nate kill anyone. I don’t think he’d look good in prison orange, it would clash with his skin tone.”

  His mouth turned down. “Fuckin’ uncanny. It’s like she’s right here.”

  “So, I take it she was right all the time?”

  His lips twitched.

  “Did she have ADD?”

  He smiled.

  “Sarcasize?”

  _______________

  “You okay?” Sienna asked.

  Define okay?

  “I don’t know. Let’s rehash for a moment,” I began, leaning against my car. “Our father is back. My mother is dead. My grandfather killed her.” With each point I made, I ticked off a finger, “My aunt fibbed to me my whole life, leadin’ me to believe my father walked out on me. The boys are on the hunt for the dragon and our father knows about him. Did I leave anything out?”

  “You forgot the YouTube video,” she replied, oh-so, helpfully.

  Pfft. That was nothing in the grand scheme of things.

  “I’ve decided to let that go. If Nate doesn’t want me because some hussy gets in his face, then he’s not the guy for me.”

  Her eyes grew wide at that statement. “Well, that’s very adult of you. Are you sure?”

  Was that astonishment or doubt?

  I narrowed my eyes. “Is that a trick question?”

  “Not at all.”

  “It sounded like a trick question.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I was just pointin’ out that, even though you have reasons to be intimidated by the whole situation, you’re handlin’ it like an adult. I’m proud of you, if that’s how you really feel.”

  “So, you’re not upset by the whole thing?”

  “Nope. Like you, it’s a matter of knowin’ where you stand with your significant other and trustin’ him.”

  I bet I knew something that would change her mind. Heh heh, this should be fun.

  “So,” I began. I’d forgotten to give Cali a heads-up this morning about the boys getting texts from women, and now seemed like the perfect time. I loved watching Sienna’s face turn red. It’s the little things you know? “If I told you Nate said he and the boys have been gettin’ texts from women in their past, as well as bein’ hunted at the bar, you wouldn’t be upset?”

  3 . . . 2 . . .1.

  “WHAT?” she shrieked. There’s that color I love so much. It’s a shade darker than outrage, but just shy of murder.

  I jerked my head around to make sure no one heard her. “Inside voice, Sister.”

  “I’m gonna kill him,” she seethed, pulling out her phone.

  “But . . . I thought we were bein’ adults about this?”

  Having a big sister was so much fun. I’d found a new life’s purpose: torment Sienna.

  She must have caught on how much I was enjoying her reaction because her expression changed. She looked almost smug.

  Ruh-roh. I had a bad feeling about this.

  “Would you be an adult if you knew Natalie hung at the bar last night, waitin’ on Nate, and then ambushed him with her mother?”

  Son of a cyclops.

  It killed me, but I remained calm. I was setting a precedent here. If I showed weakness, Sienna would scent it in the water like a shark. And like any little sister, I wanted the upper hand.

  “I might. What happened?”

  She was astonished again. I’d have been insulted she thought I couldn’t hold my ground in the face of battle, if it weren’t for the deflated look on her face. It was great!

  Poppy 1 Sienna 0.

  “He crossed his arms when they walked up,” she explained in defeat, “then turned to her mother and said, ‘Good to see you, Mrs. Rhodes, but I’m gonna have to ask you to leave my establishment.’”

  My eyes bugged out. “He didn’t?”

  She nodded. “When she stuttered and asked why, Nate said, ‘’Cause Natalie here isn’t welcome. I told her not to come near me and she didn’t listen.’”

  “What did her mother do then?”

  Sienna smiled. “Grabbed her by the arm and marched her outside. Then ten minutes later, she marched Natalie back inside and made her apologize to Nate. It was awesome!”

  Southern mothers did not mess around. If you didn’t mind your p’s and q’s, there’d be heck to pay, no matter your age.

  “So you’re really not upset about Natalie?”

  I thought about it and realized I wasn’t. “Nate’s been pretty adamant about how he feels. I think the only one who could mess this up between us is me.”

  She considered that as she stared at her phone. “Guess my little sister has grown up,” she stated, then put away her phone. “Where’re you headed from here?”

  That was a good question “Not sure. I need to think.”

  “What about?”

  “It hit me when I told Knox I could have been abused, even if he’d been around, that by not sayin’ anything I’d probably sentenced another girl to my same fate.”

  Sienna reached out and took my hand, squeezing it. “You were a child.”

  “I know, but I could have said somethin’ later.”

  “Do you even know where this man is?”

  I shook my head. “He’s just the dragon. That’s all I remember. Honestly, I’m not even sure if that’s correct after all this time. It’s how I thought of him in my head. Some of the other men who came over had a single name like Knox does, so I may have heard him called that or I made it up. I need to go see Shirley and find out if she remembers anyone by that name.”

  “What about a sketch? Maybe Bo could bring in a sketch artist.”

  I bit my lip. “I never saw his face. He made sure my room was dark.”

  “So even if they caught him, you wouldn’t be able to ID him?”

  “I don’t think so,” I sighed. “It was a long time ago. Almost seventeen years. I remember it happened. I remember the name Dragon. And I remember being afraid when I heard men yellin’.” I looked around the parking lot for an answer I wouldn’t find.

  “Go see Nate and tell him what you remember. Even if you aren’t sure, it can’t hurt. They’re graspin’ at straws at this point.”

  I raised a brow. “You knew they were lookin’, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah. Bo told me last night.”

  I nodded. “Okay, I’ll go see Nate and tell him what I know.”

  Sienna gave me a hug and I held on a little longer than I normally would. “Love you,” she whispered.

  “Ditto,” I mumbled back. I started to turn to my car then I remembered about our Breaking and Entering Mission that night. “Wear all black tonight.”

  “Why black?”

  I blinked. Guess I needed to loan her my Karen Rose books too. “Breakin’ and enterin’ requires black.”

  “We’re goin’ in right befor
e they close and one of us is hidin’ in the bathroom. We’re not breakin’ anything. More like unlockin’ the door from the inside.”

  “Well, that’s not very Mission Impossible,” I grumbled.

  “Plausible deniability. If we get caught, we have a good excuse for bein’ inside.”

  My mouth curled into a smile. “You learn that from Bo?”

  She nodded. “Heard him talkin’ on the phone the other day.”

  “So plausible deniability it is,” I answered.

  We waved off and I pulled out my phone to call Shirley. She didn’t answer, so I left a message asking her to call me. With nothing to do until that evening, I dialed Nate.

  “How’d it go?” he asked without saying hello. I could hear traffic in the background, so I knew he wasn’t at the bar.

  “My world’s upside down,” I answered. “I think Knox is a good guy, even though he screwed up, and my aunt has some explainin’ to do.”

  “You talk to her?”

  “She’s not answerin’. I’ll catch up with her later and try to get her to open up to me. Where are you?”

  I heard a bike rev its engine and looked over my shoulder. Nate was sitting cool as a cucumber on his bike a short block away. He was parked on a side street, facing my father’s apartment.

  “Are you stalkin’ me?” I giggled.

  Instead of answering, he hung up and let off the clutch, then pulled into traffic and made his way toward me, parking next to my car.

  I held my breath as he climbed off the bike and moved with purpose toward me, pulling me into his big body. “I don’t stalk. I’m here in case you needed me.”

  I melted into him. “You’re good at this whole relationship thing.”

  Black as pitch eyes sparked intensely. “I’m good at protectin’ what’s mine. Nothin’ else.”

  I had a feeling he was talking about his father. In the middle of Savannah wasn’t the time to bring it up, so I rubbed his back to tame the intensity, determined to support him. “Are you headed to the bar?”

  He rested his cheek on my head. “I’m headed to get my dog, or I’ll never see her again.”

  I internally sighed. I needed to grow some courage and go with him. Was I a biker babe princess or not? Biker babes didn’t run scared from mothers, they puffed out their hair, straightened their Harley tank, and mounted a bike. I could do that, couldn’t I? Truthfully, I was more Wallflower than biker babe. Wallflowers always had your back. And no one’s backside was more important than Nate’s. Especially when it was sans clothes. A tiny shudder ran through me at that reminder.

  I leaned back and looked at him. “I’ll go with you,” I said, swallowing hard against a hint of anxiety. “Since, you know, Gertie doesn’t ride a bike.”

  His mouth pulled into a devilish grin. “Good. ’Cause that’s the other reason I was standin’ guard . . .”

  Petunias!

  Twelve

  DON’T FEED THE WOLF

  EVIE JACOBS LIVED IN AN older neighborhood filled with cute Arts and Crafts homes, painted in bright coastal colors. Hers was butter yellow with white trim and black shutters. It was a single story with a wheelchair ramp built on the front, leading to a huge open porch. Nate’s mother was seated on the porch when we pulled up, with what looked like a large lemonade resting on a wood-topped table next to her chair. And Gertrude was lying at her feet.

  I hesitated before getting out of my car, checking to make sure my makeup and hair were in order. Her eyes kept darting between Nate and me, a small smile playing at her lips, while she waited for me to exit my vehicle.

  Here goes nothing.

  Nate reached out his hand when I opened my door, helping me to my feet. I tucked my hair behind my ears, fidgeting, stalling, instead of walking the few feet it would take me to meet his mother. “Maybe you should go talk to her before you spring me on her,” I recommended under my breath.

  “Why are you whisperin’?”

  “So she doesn’t hear me.”

  “Kitten, I called her before I swung past Knox’s apartment. She knows about you already.”

  I sighed. Of course, he did. Neanderthals didn’t leave anything to chance. They divided and conquered. He knew I was nervous about meeting his mother, so he took matters into his own hands.

  “You gonna stand in the driveway or come up here where I can hear what you’re whisperin’? I didn’t hold Gertrude hostage for my health, you know. I knew if I didn’t return her you would show up.”

  Nate grinned, tugging on my hand until we were walking up the ramp.

  “Mom, this is Poppy,” he introduced.

  I wasn’t sure if I should shake her hand or wave, so I just smiled and said, “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard nothin’ but wonderful things about you.”

  Eyes the color of Nate’s sparkled brightly at me. Her skin was a deeper tan than his, her Native American heritage obvious. Her hair was long, straight, and jet-black with gray hairs threaded here and there. I guessed her age at mid-fifties, based on Nate’s age, but her skin was smooth of wrinkles. She was a stunning woman, which explained why her son was the most beautiful man I’d met in my life.

  “Not as nice as it is for me to meet you. I’ve heard nothin’ but the tales of Nate and Poppy for the past two days from Martine.” She smiled. “You seem to have given my son a run for his money.”

  I dipped my head with a grin. “He’s kinda bossy. He needs to be put in his place now and then.”

  She threw her head back and laughed. “Don’t I know.”

  Nate had kneeled to give Gertie a thorough belly rub. He looked up at me and winked, his dark brown eyes twinkling.

  “Sit,” she ordered, sounding bossy like her son. “Nate, get Poppy some lemonade while we talk behind your back.”

  His smile disappeared. In its place was one of extreme wariness. “We really don’t have time to—”

  “Lemonade or I’ll pull out the old photo albums,” she threatened.

  I snickered at anyone telling Nate what to do. I also giggled when his granite jaw ticked in frustration as he opened her door and disappeared inside. Nate might be a man’s man, but his mother was still the queen of the castle.

  “We women have to stick together,” she whispered conspiratorially, “or that boy will run roughshod over you. He thinks he knows what’s best in all situations, so hold your ground when you know you’re right. He’ll eventually see reason, because he’s a smart man.”

  “So he’s been bossy all his life?” That wouldn’t surprise me. In my head I had visions of Nate ordering all his little friends around the neighborhood.

  She regarded me a moment. “Has Nate told you about his past yet?”

  I shook my head. “I was told the basics by Sheriff Moore. About his father being abusive. How he died and you,” I glanced at her wheelchair then looked back with a sad smile, “bein’ in a chair.”

  Her mouth slid into a hard line. “So he won’t talk about it with you at all?”

  “He told me he didn’t want it in my head.”

  She nodded with a resounding sigh. “That sounds about right. He always kept things to himself,” she stated. “In his mind, there was no problem he couldn’t solve, no crisis he couldn’t overcome. Baring his soul would be admittin’ to a weakness.”

  The front door banged opened, so I held my tongue. Nate walked out with a glass of lemonade and handed it to me, looking between his mother and me, as if he could read our minds and knew what we’d been talking about. “She doesn’t need a recount of the life and times of Nate Jacobs,” he mumbled, scowling.

  I almost choked on my lemonade, convinced he could read our minds until I saw the open window. He’d heard us talking.

  His mother pulled an identical scowl on her face. It was almost comical. “Considerin’ you’ve never brought a woman home to meet your momma, I’m thinkin’ she’s the only one who does need a recountin’ of the life and times of Nate Jacobs.”

  A warm and fuzzy feeling hit my stoma
ch. I was the only woman Nate had ever brought home to meet his mother? I wanted to jump for joy. Twirl in triumph. Get my groove on with Nate that I was important to him, but he went and killed the mood.

  “That may be, but she’s had a rough forty-eight hours and I don’t want her upset—” Nate began, but I held up my hand to stop him.

  “Nope, no way, mister. First, I’m not some fragile flower who needs . . . Wait, wrong descriptive . . . I’m not some doormat . . . That’s not right either . . . Look, I don’t need protectin’, so don’t use me as an excuse. If you’re not tellin’ me because you think I’m too weak to handle the truth, then I should probably let you know that’s gonna ruffle my feathers. It might even perturb me a lot. Like, I don’t know, oodles.”

  His mother giggled. It was either the word oodles or the fact I’d shut him up that made her smile.

  “Kitten,” he sighed. “It’s over and done with. I’ve moved on.”

  That may be true, but he still needed to let me in, so I could be there for him. What if he had a moment of weakness? I couldn’t very well be a rock for him if I didn’t know what his demons were. I held my opinion though; it really wasn’t the time or place for him to open up about what happened. “Another time then,” I answered. “Just know I can handle anything you need to tell me.”

  Nate seemed to be gauging the truth of that statement. He shook his head as if resigning himself to some fate, then mumbled, “Speakin’ of time, I need to get back to the bar. I’ve got a meeting with a supplier and later with Devin and Strawn, so I need to get Gertie home.”

  I looked at my car then his bike then his mother. I didn’t need to leave right then, only Nate. And it would give me a chance to learn more about Nate, in case he remained closemouthed. “I’ll bring Gertie to the bar for you. You can go on and I’ll be there shortly.”

  He started to open his mouth to argue, but his mother silenced him. “I would dearly love the company. With you and Martine workin’ so much, I end up sittin’ here all alone most days.”

  Oh, she was good. I could see the guilt lining Nate’s eyes as he bit his lip to keep from calling her bluff.