Chasing Carson

by Amanda Bennett

  “Ah you know. Just taking everything one day at a time. You look well. How are things out at the farm?”

  “Things are good, I suppose. I actually took some time off from work to fix the place up and get it back to normal, after what happened and all. Speakin’ of which, Mr. Caverly I never got a chance to apologize to you.”

  “For what, son?”

  “For not bein’ able to protect your daughter the way I should have. I’m sorry that I let her and you down. It was never my intention to let her get hurt the way she did, and for that I apologize.”

  “I see.” Mr. Caverly seemed to get a bit uncomfortable after I apologized and then I felt even worse. “It’s my understanding that if you wouldn’t have removed the bullet and sewn her up the way you did, that my daughter would no longer be with us. Is that correct?”

  “Well, yes but-“

  “Let me finish. Look, I’ll tell both of you. My daughters mean more to me than my own life, and I hope one day the both of you have children so you can fully understand what I am about to tell you. The love you feel for a child is like nothing you’ve ever felt before. It is exhilarating and challenging, and it pushes you to be the best version of yourself. It’s also daunting and exhausting, but completely worth it. Now, I know I can come off a bit, hostile, but you have to understand that these are my babies, and I only want what’s best for them. I come off the way I do at first so I can weed out the bad seeds. I don’t look at what happened to either of my daughters as a bad thing. Do I want situations like that to ever happen again? Of course not, but it’s situations such as that, that show you just how much you love somebody. And Ruger, I believe that there is no end to how much my daughter loves you. The question is, do you feel the same about her?”

  Wakely and Mr. Caverly sat there starin’ at me as I contemplated my answer. I had never had someone’s father sit me down and put it all out there like he just did. It was refreshin’ and unexpected. “Well Sir the truth is, I do love your daughter, more than life itself. There is no one else I could ever imagine wakin’ up to every mornin’ and goin’ to sleep with every night. Your daughter has brought somethin’ out in me that I had thought was long gone. I know that I’m a bit older than her and that it bothers you, but your daughter is wise beyond her years. She challenges me every day and I absolutely adore her. So the answer to your question is yes. I absolutely feel the same about Carson. Unfortunately, I don’t think she still feels the same way about me any longer.”

  Mr. Caverly let out a loud throaty laugh as he stood. “Oh my boy, the things you still have to learn about women. Of course she still does, she just pushed you away because she didn’t want you to reject her first.” And with that, Mr. Caverly walked away.

  “What the hell just happened?” Ky still look dumbfounded as he sat in his chair starin’ out the back doors.

  “I’m pretty sure, that right there, was Mr. Caverly givin’ me permission to be with his daughter.”

  “No fucking way.” Ky uttered under his breath.

  “Right.”

  “No, I mean no fucking way. He didn’t even sit me down and give me his blessing. This is some bullshit.”

  I let my mind wander as Ky sat there, whinin’ like a little girl. I didn’t even know what to do next. What was I supposed to do? She made it perfectly clear that night that she no longer wanted to be with me. How was I supposed to fight for someone who didn’t want to be fought for? She was absolutely infuriating. I pushed my hands back through my hair in frustration, and it suddenly dawned on me how I could get her back.

  I slammed my hands down on the dining room table and jumped up from my chair. “Wakely, don’t be so hard on yourself. You get to marry her for cryin’ out loud. I’d say that’s blessing enough, wouldn’t you?” A large smile formed on my face and I suddenly felt a million times happier than I ever have before.

  “What is your deal?” Ky looked at me as though I was an alien.

  “Nothin’ at all. So you wanna show me to my room for the week or what?” I laughed.

  “Sure.”

  We started to make our way upstairs when Lyndley came boundin’ down in our direction. “Where are you two headed?” She asked in a singsong voice.

  “Just showing Ruger to his room.” I smiled and waved as Ky said my name, causin’ Lyndley to break out in a fit of giggles.

  “Okay, well when you boys are done, can you please meet me and Carson downstairs so we can go over the schedule for the rest of the week?”

  “Of course. Be down in a minute.” Ky answered for both of us.

  “All right man, this is your room.” I was stayin’ in a nine thousand square foot house and they just so happened to put me in a bedroom that was at least five bedrooms away from Carson’s room? No chance, this wasn’t a coincidence; this was completely on purpose and most likely Mr. Caverly’s doing. I couldn’t help but laugh at the entire situation.

  I finished puttin’ away the minimal amount of clothes that I brought with me, and then headed back downstairs where Ky, Lyndley and Carson were waitin’ for me. Ky and Lyndley were sittin’ next to each other, so I took it upon myself to sit next to Carson and put my plan into motion. Lyndley started talkin’ to all of us about the plan for tomorrow when I turned towards Carson and noticed the gold medallion I had seen on her earlier, hangin’ around her neck and I knew that was my openin’.

  “Nice necklace.” I whispered as I leaned into her.

  “Thanks, some guy gave it to me.”

  “He’s got good taste.” I teased.

  “In jewelry or women?”

  “Both.” Carson glanced over at me as a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Yep, this was gonna be fun.

  Thirty Four

  Carson

  “Okay, so everyone know what they’re supposed to be doing the rest of the week?”

  “I don’t know if I can remember all of what you said, sis. Do you think maybe you could type it up for me?” I tried to keep a straight face, but only ended up holding it for about three seconds before Ruger and I broke out in fits of laughter.

  “You’re funny. You better sleep with one eye open tonight, missy.”

  “Oh, I’m so scared.” I held up my hands and feigned horror.

  “Whatever. I’m sorry. I know this all seems so tedious, but we only have six days until the big day and I really would like to prevent any disasters, because lets face it, our group is prone to disasters.” We all laughed at the truth behind her statement, even though I secretly wished that we were part of a different group, any other group.

  “Well I’m glad you’re staying with us Ruger, maybe now Ky will show up on time to things.”

  “Ruger’s the wrong guy to put in charge of keeping me on track.” Ky joked.

  “Just please don’t forget to get your tuxes tomorrow, and try them on there. Knowing my luck, they’ll give you both the wrong size and we won’t know it until five minutes before you’re supposed to walk down the aisle.”

  “Lynd, you need to chill just a bit. Take a deep breath and relax. Everything is going to go smoothly.” I grabbed her hand from across the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

  “I need comforting too. I have to babysit Wakely, doesn’t that buy me some hand holdin’ time?” Ruger was back to his old annoying self and I suddenly couldn’t wait for this week to be over.

  I slapped his hand hard, as it lay flat against the wood table. “How’s that? Comforting enough for you?” I winked as I stood from the table.

  “Where are you going?” The panic in Lyndley’s voice hit an all time high as she asked.

  “Holy hell, Lyndley. I’m just going to get a glass of water. Anybody want anything?” I glanced around the table as everyone but Ruger shook their heads no.

  “I would love some iced tea, if you have any.” He sat back fluttering his eyes at me.

  “Get it yourself, lazy ass. You know where the kitchen is.”

  “Geez, what crawled up your ass in the
last two hours?”

  “Don’t you wish you knew?” I laughed as I turned the corner, and was out of his sight.

  I took the minute I had alone to catch my breath and to try and slow down my pounding heart. I leaned back against the pantry door and took in a deep breath as I let my eyes flutter shut. What was I doing? Why couldn’t I just tell him how I was feeling and skip all the messy and completely pointless cat and mouse game that we both loved to play so much? God he looked amazing. The way his jeans hugged his ass as they sat low on his hips and the way his shirt stretched over each bulging muscles had visions of the one time we had been together, flash through my mind like an old movie. My body yearned for his touch, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to hold out.

  “Oh sorry, I was just comin’ to get my iced tea.”

  Ruger’s voice broke through the silence and my eyes instantly shot wide open in embarrassment. “It’s totally fine. Sorry.” I wasn’t sure what I was apologizing for.

  “Carson, can we…”

  “Hey Ruger. Oh shit, sorry. Was I interrupting?” Ky glanced back and forth between the two of us as he asked.

  “No. Nothing to interrupt.” I grabbed my glass of water and quickly made my way back out to the dining room.

  “Hey, you look all flushed. What’s wrong?”

  I rubbed my hands against my neck and cheeks as though I could rub off the embarrassment. “Nothing is wrong. Are we done here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay, I’m just going to go for a run.”

  “You care if I come with?” Lyndley was already standing, ready to head up stairs and change regardless of my answer.

  It was actually a good idea. I needed someone to talk to, and these days, she was all I had. “No, I don’t mind at all. Meet you down here in ten?”

  “Sounds good.”

  I was just about to head up the stairs when Ruger and Ky came walking out of the kitchen, laughing about something I’m sure I didn’t want to know about. “Hey where ya goin’?”

  “Lyndley and I are going to go for a run. We’ll be back in a little bit. You guys can go out and keep the ladies company while we’re out.” I laughed.

  I ran straight up to my room and slipped out of my dress. I tugged on my running gear, and put my hair in a ponytail. I was about to take my necklace off, but instantly changed my mind. I hadn’t taken the necklace off since the night I left Ruger’s, and I wasn’t about to take it off now. I heard low voices in the hallway as I tied my shoes. I tiptoed to my bedroom door, and quietly opened it just enough for me to hear. The funny thing was, it was just Ruger standing in the hallway. Was he seriously talking to himself? I pulled the door open and stepped into the hallway as if I hadn’t heard a thing.

  Before I even made it to the first step, Ruger grabbed my wrist in his hand, spinning me around and pressing my back firmly against the wall. His lips were merely inches away from my ear, and I could feel his warm minty breath tickle my skin as he began to speak.

  “You looked beautiful in that dress.” His voice was barely above a whisper, causing a very distinct reaction between my legs. “I’m glad you’re wearin’ the necklace, it suits you.” His hand was slowly moving up my bare thigh, and the closer it got to the hem of my shorts, the faster I began to breathe. “Oh what I wouldn’t give to be inside of you, right now.”

  My chest fell in excitement as I let out a low moan. I pressed my heaving breasts against his chest as I became more and more turned on. His finger was now tracing tiny shapes over my shorts on my most needy part. Desire pooled between my legs as I tried to control the urge to tell him to take me right where I stood. Just as he pressed his fingers against me, I let out another moan, this one much louder than the first. I could feel his excitement for me pressed against my thigh as he ran his tongue across my collarbone and up my neck, stopping just below my ear.

  “Lyndley’s waitin’ for you downstairs, you better go before she comes up here.”

  My mouth dropped open in shock and anger as he adjusted himself and started to walk away. “You are unbelievable.” I whisper shouted at him as I pushed past him and down the stairs.

  “So I’ve heard.” He laughed.

  I turned in anger, ready to give him a verbal lashing, but stopped myself. This was exactly what he wanted. He wanted a rise out of me, and he knew exactly how to get it. What a manipulative asshole. If teasing is what he wanted to do, then teasing was what he would get in return. Two can play this game, and from what I was told, I was very good at it.

  Thirty Five

  Ruger

  I watched with a shit eatin’ grin as Carson tugged Lyndley out the front door. I could practically see the smoke billowin’ out of her ears. I honestly wasn’t goin’ to take it that far, I just wanted to tease her a bit, but makin’ her squirm was turnin’ me on beyond belief. It was the closest I had been to her in a little over a month, and I just couldn’t tear myself away from her.

  “What the hell did you do to her? She looked livid.”

  “Oh don’t be so serious. She’s not livid. She’s just sexually frustrated.” I laughed.

  “You didn’t?”

  “Oh but I did.” I smiled.

  “You are cruel.” Ky was tryin’ to make me feel bad for what I did to Carson, but there was no way I was goin’ to feel bad for touchin’ the one girl I was banned from touchin’ for so long.

  “She’ll get over it. Let’s go back out to the party, shall we?”

  As we made our way out back, I caught a glimpse of Mrs. Caverly talkin’ with a little old lady that I had yet to meet. When Mrs. Caverly held her hand out to shake the other woman’s, I noticed the tremblin’ in her fingertips. I kept watchin’ as she reached over to hold on to the chair to help balance herself, that’s when I noticed her knees startin’ to wobble. I quickly ran over to her just as she collapsed to the ground. I caught her tiny body in my arms and yelled for Ky.

  “Wakely, get Mr. Caverly. Now.”

  Wakely gave me a nod, and ran inside. I brushed Mrs. Caverly’s hair away from her face so I could get a better look at her. “Anna, can you breathe okay?” She nodded into my arm. “Can you move at all?” She nodded again. “Anna, do I need to call 9-1-1?” This time she shook her head no vigorously. “Okay, your husband should be here in a minute.”

  Mr. Caverly came runnin’ out a few minutes later. He told all the ladies that the party was goin’ to have to be cut short, and politely asked them to make their way out to their cars. When he got over to me, Mrs. Caverly was sittin’ slightly upright.

  “What happened?”

  “I saw her legs start to wobble and I ran over to catch her before she hit the ground. She doesn’t want us callin’ 9-1-1, and I’m not sure if I feel okay with that decision. Mr. Caverly, I used to be an EMT and I know what she’s goin’ through, but I really think she needs to go to the hospital.” I was tryin’ not to overstep my boundaries, but I knew I was close to the line.

  “I appreciate your opinion Ruger, but if she doesn’t want to go, I’m not going to make her go.”

  “Okay.” I held my hands up so Mr. Caverly could pick up his wife.

  “Thank you, son.”

  I nodded as Mr. Caverly carried Anna inside. I stood up and brushed my pants off as Wakely came walkin’ towards me. “Hey, let’s not say anything to the girls unless Mr. Caverly brings it up first, deal?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  ~~~~

  The rest of the day went by at a glacial pace. We all basically sat around and watched TV while Mrs. Caverly napped in her room, and Lyndley and Carson talked about nothin’ but the weddin’. I swear if I had to hear one more thing about it, I was goin’ to blow my own head off. As much as I loved Lyndley and Ky, I couldn’t wait for their big day to be over with already.

  “I’m gonna call it a night guys.” Carson stood and it took everythin’ in me not to follow her up those steps.

  “Goodnight.” I made sure to keep my eyes on the T
V as I spoke.

  “Night.” Her tone of voice and demeanor had completely changed from just a second ago.

  “You know what, I think I’ll walk ya up. I’m kinda beat myself.” Night guys. See y’all bright and early.”

  Ky gave me a weary look, but I shrugged my shoulders and started climbin’ the stairs with Carson’s perfect ass swayin’ in front of me. It took everythin’ in me not to reach out and give it a squeeze. When we got to the top of the stairs, Carson stood in her bedroom doorway with a mysterious look on her face.

  “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

  “You want to come in and talk for a bit?”

  Oh did I, but I knew myself, and bein’ alone with Carson right now was more than I could take. “I would love to, but honestly Carson, I don’t know if I can control myself around you. You do somethin’ to me, somethin’ I can’t quite explain and unfortunately if I can’t have all of you, then I don’t want any.”

  “So basically you’re telling me that if you can’t sleep with me then you don’t even want to be around me?”

  “No, oh god no. That’s not what I meant at all. I just meant…”

  “Ruger just shut up and get in here.” She grabbed me by my sleeve and yanked me into her bedroom, shuttin’ the door behind us. Lucky for me, her parent’s bedroom was downstairs.

  I plopped myself down on the recliner that sat across from her bed, and started playin’ with some doll she had on her shelf. I could tell that she wanted me to continue with what I was sayin’ before, but a part of me wanted her to ask me to finish. For some reason it made me feel better about talkin’ about my feelings when she actually pried them out of me.

  “So, are you gonna tell me what you said?” She was sittin’ on the edge of her bed in a small nightgown that kept ridin’ up her thighs.

  “Carson, I don’t know what you want me to tell you. We play this push and pull game over and over, and I’m just sick of it. I want off the ride already. I can’t just be friends with you. I want it all or nothin’ at all. I gave you your space. I gave you time. Hell, I have basically given you everything you’ve ever asked from me, and somehow or another, I still come up empty handed.” I stood and started to pace as I became more and more agitated.