Expect Me (Rivers Edge Book 3)

by Lacey Black

  Expect Me

  Rivers Edge - Book 3

  By Lacey Black

  Copyright © 2015 Lacey Black

  Cover design by Ginny Gallagher

  Website: www.ginsbooknotes.com

  Photo Credit/Copyright Attribution:

  Gelner Tivadar/Shutterstock

  Format by Brenda Wright

  This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved.

  Index

  Praise for Trust Me

  Praise for Fight Me

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Praise for Trust Me

  Rivers Edge, book 1

  “Lacey Black is amazing with her debut novel!!!”

  -Amanda of Crazy Cajun Book Addicts Blog

  “This book had my emotions all over the place, I loved it.”

  -Author Ella Emerson

  “This is a debut novel by Lacey Black and it was f*cking amazing with a capital A!

  One of the best debuts I have ever read and I can’t wait for more. She has gained a huge fan!”

  -Sandra of Two Book Pushers Blog

  Praise for Fight Me

  Rivers Edge, book 2

  “This was a hot, fun and emotional read.”

  –Sandra of Two Book Pushers

  “It’s another beautiful love story with a good balance of drama and reality based situations as well as showcasing Lacey’s sterling reputation as an Indie Author on the up-and-coming list of one’s to watch out for.”

  –Nicole McCurdy of Nic’s Novel Idea

  “Can Erin get past her insecurities with Jake and his past treatment of her and embrace the undeniable connection that they’ve had since they first met when they were kids?

  I loved reading this story to find out!” – Lisa McGuire

  Dedication

  To my two beautiful children.

  You are the reason I get up in the morning and the reason I rush home every night.

  I love you to the moon and back.

  Prologue

  Travis

  I can’t seem to fight the desire to find her, watch her. I know this is going to sound semi-stalkerish, but I’m drawn to her. The way she moves, the way she smiles, the way she studies the room. I continue to watch her from a distance, taking everything in. It doesn’t matter where I’m at - sitting at the table, standing up at the bar, talking to one of my brothers in the back of the small reception hall - my eyes are seeking her out as if they have a mind of their own.

  “Earth to Travis! Where the hell did you just go there?” Will asks as he takes another drink of his beer.

  “Nowhere. Sorry. What were you saying?”

  Will sighs dramatically and rolls his eyes under his wire rimmed glasses. “I’ve said the exact same thing three times now.”

  My brother, Will, is the middle child. I am the second to youngest of the five Stevens kids born to Michael and Elizabeth. Jake is the oldest and hasn’t left the dance floor in the past half hour. I heard my mom telling my dad that Jake is moving in with his girlfriend, Erin. They haven’t been dating very long, but that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. Jake is a cop here in Rivers Edge and best friends with the groom, Maddox. Both guys swore off relationships years ago, but today was a day of epic proportions. Today, we saw Confirmed Bachelor Number Two, Maddox, marry my little sister, Avery, and Confirmed Bachelor Number One, Jake, ask his girlfriend to move in with him.

  Next comes Nate who is a year younger than Jake. At thirty-one, he’s fighting relationships just as hard as Jake always has. Nate is a volunteer fire fighter in our small hometown of Rivers Edge, Missouri, nestled along the Missouri River, where everyone knows everything about everyone – even if it’s not true. His full time job is a fireman in St. Charles, about thirty minutes away.

  Will comes next - middle child like I mentioned. He’s two years younger than Nate and two years older than me, and a paramedic at Rivers Edge Health Center, our local small town hospital.

  I come next. I was the fourth Stevens boy in five years which made for a rowdy childhood, to say the least. I work with my dad at our family construction business, Stevens Construction. Ever since I was a child, I knew what I was going to do with my life. The smell of the wood. The sound of the saw. The hard work and dedication to turn a pile of wood into a beautiful house. It’s in my blood, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

  Avery is the baby of the family. She was born five years after me and wasn’t exactly planned. But, we love her just the same and decided not too long ago that we’d go ahead and keep her.

  Today Avery is marrying the man she’s loved for years. My three year old niece, Brooklyn, isn’t Maddox’s daughter, though. No, that honor belongs to her douche bag ex, Drake Connor. What an asshole that guy is. I can’t believe one of my two oldest brothers hasn’t killed him yet. He basically dumped her the moment she told him she was pregnant just out of high school. And to top it off, he had been cheating on her pretty much the entire time they were together. Today, though, she receives her happily ever after as they become the Jackson family of three.

  “Seriously, Trav. What the hell is wrong with you? I’ve been trying to talk to you for ten minutes now, and I’ll bet you haven’t heard a word I’ve said.”

  “Sorry. I guess I’m just distracted.”

  “Would it happen to have anything to do with a certain brunette walking around that you haven’t taken your eyes off of all night?”

  My cheeks flush pink. “What are you talking about?” I ask nonchalantly and without making eye contact.

  “Seriously? You think you’ve been doing a good job at hiding it? You’ve been watching that girl all night. Everyone’s noticed. Why don’t you just go talk to her?”

  “She’s working, Will. What am I supposed to do, walk up to her and say ‘You’re hot. Let’s go out?’” I ask and take another drink of my beer.

  “Why not? It’s better than just standing around and watching her all night like a scared pussy. Invite her to coffee after the reception or something.”

  “Maybe,” I reply knowing full well that it won’t happen. Besides, there isn’t exactly a coffee shop open this late in our small town. My eyes find her, again, as she busses empty glasses and bottles off of the round tables on the other side of the reception hall. Her long brown hair is pulled back in a tight, neat pony tail at the nape of her head. She has beautiful hazel eyes that look green when the lights are on like earlier during the reception and brown when the lights are low like now.

  She may very well be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Scarlett Johansson has nothing on this girl, and that’s saying something. The few times she approached the table I was sitting at, I caught a whiff of something floral with a hint of vanilla. Though I have yet to speak to her – besides to say “Yes” and “Thank you” when she collected my plate after dinner – I took note of her name tag which says Josselyn.

&nbs
p; As I watch her from afar, her striking hazel eyes land on mine. My heart stops and then speeds up again as we stare at each other for a few moments from opposite ends of the room. She quickly looks away and goes about clearing the rest of the table. I’m not the sensitive type or a metro man as Avery would say, but for a second there, I swear I felt the Earth move or stop spinning when our eyes met. That moment, that connection, felt like something monumental and epic.

  Holy shit, my brothers would kick my ass if they could read my thoughts.

  Josselyn heads towards the back room area where the kitchen is located. For a brief few seconds, I actually consider following her and striking up a conversation with her – work be damned. I decide instead to get back into my conversation with Will. However, when I turn to where Will was once standing, I see that I’m alone. Where did he go? And how long has he been gone?

  I decide to step outside for a few minutes. I could use a little fresh air. As I step through the double doors, the chilly March air helps cool my heated body. Every time I see Josselyn my body temperature seems to rise a few degrees.

  I take another drink from my beer and head towards the quiet alley next to the reception hall. Music is pouring out of the front of the building, and I could really use a few quiet minutes alone.

  When I step around the corner, I see that I’m actually not alone in the alley. Josselyn is there. She has her back against the rough, red brick wall, relaxing, and appears to have her eyes closed.

  I take in the sight of her leaning against the wall, wearing a zip-up hoodie jacket over the top of her uniform. Little puffs of steam come from her slightly open mouth as she breathes in the cool, crisp night air.

  As I watch, I try to decide whether I should interrupt her break or if I should just leave her alone. I decide to turn around and give her space, but she must sense my presence. Her eyes open and she turns her head to face me. Our eyes collide and the same Earth shattering moment happens again. We are standing about twenty feet apart, but it feels like she’s right next to me. Like she’s pressed against me.

  Her face takes on a startled look as she realizes that she’s not alone out here in the dark alley. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to surprise you. I was just coming outside for some fresh air,” I tell her as I get ready to turn and head back towards the front door.

  “It’s okay. I am just on my break. I’ll be going back inside in a few minutes,” she says.

  I continue to watch her, not really knowing what to say next. Was she inviting me to stay out here with her?

  “So, how long have you worked for the caterer?” I ask. Stupid. Yeah, I actually said that. You’d think this was the first time I talked to a girl.

  “Ummm, I guess only a few months.”

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s okay. It helps pay the bills, I guess,” she replies as she looks down at the ground in front of my shoes. “Are you in the wedding?” she asks as her eyes finally find mine again.

  “Brother of the bride,” I tell her casually.

  “That explains the tux,” she says with a small smile. Her eyes look tired as if she didn’t sleep much the night before.

  “Yeah. My name is Travis,” I tell her as I step forward and extend my hand towards her.

  “Josselyn,” she replies as she places her soft hand inside of mine. The moment we touch, it’s like lightning shoots straight through my entire body rendering me immobile. My entire body is alive and my blood is pumping at an alarming speed. I’ve never had this reaction to a woman, from the slightest touch.

  “Well, my break is over. I need to head back inside,” she says and looks down. I realize I’m still holding her hand inside of mine. I don’t want to let it go, but I do before this moment crosses over the creepy line. “It was nice to meet you, Travis,” she says with another small smile.

  “Nice to meet you, Josselyn,” I reply as she turns and heads back towards the door used by the catering and reception staff. As she pulls the door open, she glances back one more time over her shoulder. Our eyes meet and I have to fight the urge to move towards her; fight to not grab a hold of her and press her between my body and the rough brick wall; fight to not hold her in my arms and kiss the hell out of her.

  Before I can act, Josselyn steps back inside, the heavy door closing behind her, and I’m left alone in the alley with my thoughts. Thoughts that are now completely consumed with Josselyn’s hazel eyes and brown hair. Thoughts of what her lips would feel like against my own. Thoughts of what her soft skin would feel like under my callused hands.

  What is it about this girl? I know nothing about her except her name and her occupation. But, it’s enough to leave me intrigued and wanting more. Oh yes, she definitely leaves me wanting more.

  *****

  How I got roped into helping clean-up after the wedding reception, I’ll never know. Well, actually, I do know. Mom. Right before she and Dad left for the night with Brooklyn, she cornered Will and “encouraged” him to grab his brothers to help clean up and tear down the decorations. Will is the good one and will never tell our mother “no” which is why she learned years ago that if she wants something done, she starts with Will.

  So, here I am with Jake, Erin, Will, and Nate as we remove white Christmas lights, some centerpiece candle thingies, and tons of confetti sprinkled on every possible surface in the building. The caterers are busy removing all remnants of food and cake, plates and cups. I’ve caught sight of Josselyn a few times as she busies herself with her own clean-up duties.

  “Travis, grab those chairs and start stacking them in the closet,” Jake hollers from across the room, breaking my thoughts away from Josselyn again.

  “Yep,” I reply as I fold up the white chairs and start carrying them to the closet. Nate’s already inside stacking the chairs neatly against the back wall, making sure they’re all lined up evenly so we can get them all back in the way we found them.

  “‘Bout time you did something besides check out that hottie with the brown hair,” he says as he takes the chairs from my hands.

  My blood instantly starts to boil, but I don’t want to show weakness – especially to one of my brothers. “Not sure what you’re talking about, Nate. I’m just cleaning up,” I say through gritted teeth.

  “We’ve been watching you all night, Trav. Jake and I have a side bet on who is going to make the first move. My money’s on you, so I’d appreciate it if you could grow some balls and go talk to her. I could use the fifty bucks. Especially when it’s Jake’s fifty bucks.”

  “What? You’ve made a bet? With Jake?”

  “Yeah, he doesn’t think you have the stones to make the first move. He thinks that girl’s gonna have to get your number since you’re too much of a pussy.”

  “What the fuck ever, man,” I mumble as I quickly head back out of the closet to retrieve more chairs.

  As I hurry out of the closet in an effort to escape my asshole brother and his running mouth, I collide into a shorter brunette carrying a basin of glassware. The impact sends her flying backwards, dropping the basin and spilling the contents all over the floor with a loud crash. Glass and ceramic fly everywhere, but all I can do is react to the woman tumbling backwards. I grab a hold of her waist as she goes down in an attempt to keep her upright, but ultimately it just causes me to lose my balance and go down too.

  I land on top of soft flesh and gentle curves with a loud exhale of breath as the wind is knocked out of the both of us. I roll to my side to take my weight off of the beautiful woman underneath me, rolling onto a little glass in the process.

  “Jeezus, Travis! Watch where you’re going, would you?” Nate hollers as he comes out of the little closet and sees the mess around us.

  “Are you okay?” I ask as I look straight into a pair of shocked hazel eyes. I instantly start checking her over for injuries.

  “I’m fine. You just knocked the wind out of me a little,” she replies as she stares up into my eyes. Josselyn finally looks around as everyone approache
s and starts to pick up the glass spread all over the floor.

  I quickly get up, mindful of the broken glass around us, and reach my hand down to help Josselyn up off the floor. As soon as our hands touch, that same jolt of electricity I felt earlier in the night sores through my body. I know she feels it too if the surprised look on her face is any indication. Her mouth forms this perfect little ‘o’ and she inhales a quick, audible, deep breath. Shit. The things I want to do to that mouth of hers.

  “Oh, no! You’re bleeding,” she exclaims as she makes a grab for my arm. Sure enough, my white dress shirt has a tear and bright red blood on it. Josselyn immediately starts to unbutton the cuff of my shirt and gently sliding it up. Her gently touch sends more electricity coursing up my arm and straight down to my pants.

  “It’s okay,” I tell her. “It doesn’t hurt.” I look down at my exposed forearm and watch silently as Josselyn runs a clean white rag over the small cut on my arm. It really is small, nothing for her to fuss over, but I’m enjoying the hell out of her taking care of it. So I keep my mouth shut.

  Around us, the staff is busy clearing the broken glass, my brothers are finishing putting away the chairs, and Erin has the rest of the table thingies boxed up.

  “You need to get this cleaned up. Do you live far?” Josselyn asks with a look of worry on her beautiful heart-shaped face.

  “I’m a few minutes away. My brother was my ride so as soon as he’s done, I’ll head home and throw something on this.”

  “I think you should do it now. I have my car out back. You can ride with me.”

  I look deep into her hazel eyes which are more of a dark brown now. The concern and worry laced in her voice is enough to stop my heart. I get cuts and scrapes all the time. Hell, when you work outside in construction, you have a new injury almost daily. But the fact that this beautiful woman wants to take care of me, is having anxiety over my little injury, makes me want to throw her over my shoulder - caveman style - and take her home with me.