by Brynne Asher
Why is he holding goats? The poor man, they stink.
I head to find my boots so I can figure out what everyone is doing, but when I step into my empty garage, memories of gunshots riddling my minivan fill my head.
Does insurance cover drive-bys? I’ve never thought to look for that clause when buying insurance. Hail—sure. Collision—yes. Cracked windshield—of course. A million bullet holes riddled through my mundane family car?
No way in hell.
My stomach sinks wondering what I’ll do if it isn’t covered. Even if it is covered, I’m sure it will be totaled. It’s an older model and I’ll have to find something new, which probably means a car payment I can’t afford.
I should’ve stayed in bed where I could smell Asa on my pillow and not have to think about real life.
I make my way out to the pasture and Asa sees me first. After he puts the goats down, his hazel eyes meet mine and a brow raises right before his gaze drags the length of my body.
Saylor breaks through my haze when she yells, “Momma! We got all our chores done already. Asa and Levi helped and Emma played with the babies.”
“Your goats are a riot, Ms. Lockhart.” Levi looks over his shoulder after he passes the ball to Knox, but it was intercepted by a sneaky black and white goat.
I don’t have a chance to answer when Asa interrupts. “You sleep good?”
I look back to him and his eyes on me tell the tale—and that tale is all about him making me hot and sweaty.
“I did,” I admit. “Better than I thought I would. I don’t remember the last time I slept that long.”
If the smirk on his face means anything, Asa is pleased with himself.
Just when I was about to ask why he was holding goats and what they’ve been doing all morning, I remember the construction on my house. “Has Jimbo been by? He’s my contractor. He usually starts working early on Saturdays.”
“Yeah, Jimbo.” Asa raises a brow. “He’s an interesting guy. I told him to take the day off. I wanted you to sleep.”
I open my mouth to protest him butting in on my home refurb plans, because it’s already taking forever. I can’t afford to send Jimbo home if he’s willing to work, but before I open my mouth to argue, Jasmine and the goats turn up the volume. I look toward the front of my house and from around the corner, an SUV on steroids appears. It’s tall, wide, long, and all silver—from the paint to the shiny chrome. Asa walks past me, brushing my hip with his fingers for no one else to see. When I look closer, the man I met among the chaos last night, Crew, is driving and Grady is following in another big, black monster of a vehicle.
I jump when Asa whistles, the shrill causing a tingle to crawl up my spine, and points to my driveway where Crew pulls up and parks.
I walk up beside Asa. “What’s everyone doing here so early?”
I don’t get an answer because Crew climbs down and tosses something to Asa. “Sweet ride. Extra set and paperwork are in a folder on the passenger seat.”
Asa catches whatever Crew tossed. “Thanks. I hope it didn’t take too long.”
“Not bad,” Crew says as he moves toward the back of Grady’s vehicle. “Took longer to get there and back.”
“Are they staying?” I lean in and whisper to Asa. I’m still in Asa’s shirt from yesterday, I haven’t put on a bra, and my hair is a rat’s nest.
“Nope,” Asa answers and keeps talking to Crew. “You get what else I needed?”
Grady is still sitting in the black, behemoth Cadillac Escalade. Crew appears from behind it carrying a box and my eyes get big when I see what it is.
I can’t take my eyes off the box and whisper, “You got Saylor a booster seat?”
Crew interrupts and plops the big box down between us. “Maya talked to Addison and Addison talked to me and made me promise to invite you out. She says you need to visit your barrel, but even more, she wants to meet you. You should come by today.”
I look back and forth between Asa and Crew, frowning. “Come where?”
“Whitetail. Bring the kids, there’s plenty for them to do.” He looks to the pasture and shrugs. “We don’t have goats but we have cows. They don’t play soccer though. They just get in your face and want attention.”
“We’ll be there,” Asa promises.
Crew nods and looks back to me. “Addison will be happy. She’s dying to meet the woman who got Asa off his ass.”
I look up to Asa and widen my eyes.
Not a man who wastes time on idle chit-chat, Crew heads to the passenger door of the Escalade and just as fast as they entered, Grady makes a U-turn, leaving us in a small cloud of dust.
I look to Asa and repeat, “You got Saylor a booster seat?”
He crosses his arms and his eyes frown even as his smirk grows into an incredulous smile. “There’s a new car sitting in your driveway and all you see is a booster seat?”
My face falls and I look back to the shiny, silver, steroided monstrosity sitting in front of us. “What do you mean new car?”
He leans into me and I feel his breath on my ear at the same time my kids come running. “Yesterday left you without transportation, and, no offense, I looked like a freak driving your minivan. There’re six of us and if we want to go somewhere at the same time, there’s no point in taking two cars. This fixes all of those issues.”
If my expression is anything similar to how I’m feeling—I’m sure me looking horrified would be the understatement of the century.
“What’s this?” Knox asks.
Saylor, who appears even more miniature than normal next to the SUV, reaches up and with all her might pulls open the back-passenger door to climb in. “It smells funny!”
“You bought this?” The blood drains from my face and all of a sudden, I feel the effects of me picking over my dinner and skipping breakfast. I’m a little woozy.
Asa’s arm comes around my back and he pulls my good shoulder into his side. “Granted it’s not bulletproof, but it does have every safety feature on the market today. I didn’t know what color you’d like, but I noticed your bathroom was gray, so I figured it was a safe bet.”
“What is it?” I breathe.
“Infiniti—the QX80. I told them top of the line, so it better be able to communicate with the International Space Station.”
“It has a TV!” Saylor shouts from inside the car.
Knox sticks his head out the door and corrects his sister. “Two TVs.”
Levi climbs in the driver’s seat and looks to his dad. “Nice.”
“It smells good,” Emma adds as she climbs in, speaking at will for the first time since we got to my house last night.
I shake my head, not knowing what to say or how to argue. He can’t just buy me a car. A booster seat for Saylor, sure, I’ll accept that. Him thinking about a booster seat is sweet, thoughtful, and very dad-ish, which makes my stomach flip again.
But a vehicle?
An enormous one, at that?
No fucking way.
I shake my head and open my mouth to argue, when he gives me a squeeze, speaking first. “Go get ready and get something to eat. We’ll give it a spin.”
“This is ridiculous. I can’t accept this.”
“I figured you’d say that.” He waves his hand like my refusal is a pesky fly he’s shooing away. “Consider it a loaner for now and know you’re doing me the favor of not having to be seen driving a minivan.” His hand travels south, landing low on my hip where he gives me a squeeze. “Go get ready.”
I shake my head and watch all four kids spanning the ages of five to eighteen climb around, checking out my new loaner. I shrug out of Asa’s hold and flop my arms to my side, feeling my stomach grumble.
I need coffee, food, and a shower. I’m not sure what I need most at this point, but that decision seems easier than dealing with Asa and his top of the line Infiniti.
I look up at him and mean it with all my heart when I say, “Thank you for the booster seat.”
“Y
ou’re welcome.” A vast grin spreads across his face and he starts to shake with silent laughter when he adds, “For the booster seat.”
Whatever. I’ll thank him for the loaner later—once I’ve had coffee, food, a shower, and after I’ve had the chance to call my insurance to see if drive-bys are covered under my policy.
Chapter 15
Day Drinking
Keelie
“That doesn’t surprise me. Asa Hollingsworth is a giver,” Addy Vega notes as she reclines in her cushioned patio chair with her feet propped on an ottoman. She takes a sip of her water. “Don’t get me wrong—Crew is, too. And Grady. They all have their gifts, but Asa just sees things other men don’t. He’s sort of the silent type that sits back and watches, then when you least expect it—boom. He provides and lavishes—and not just with stuff. His time, too. It’s who he is.”
“He’s not that way with everyone.” Maya shakes her head, peeking under the blanket where little Chloe is nursing and adjusts her shirt before bringing the sleepy five-month-old up to her shoulder. She leans back and pats her baby’s back without missing a beat. “I thought Grady had a small circle, but the more I’ve gotten to know Asa over the years, he takes the cake. It’s basically his kids, Crew, Grady, and now, by default, our families. As much as he and Grady go head-to-head about work stuff, they’d do anything for one another.”
“This is true,” Addy notes.
“I’ve never thought about it before, but I see it now,” Bev agrees.
“Asa’s the hottest older guy I’ve ever seen. Even more so than any famous person,” Mary points out, leaning forward and gestures to my glass.
I sigh and hold it out for her. I hardly ever day drink and will pay for this later.
Addy laughs. “Asa isn’t old—you’re just twenty-five. Anyone over thirty is old to you.”
Mary smirks unapologetically and fills glasses.
Bev is a friend of Addy’s. Her husband works at Whitetail and they live here on Addy’s vineyard. It seems Mary is everyone’s hairdresser and is married to Evan, the manager of Whitetail. They followed us to Addy’s house after my wine tasting. Addy is newly pregnant and Maya is nursing. Between the two of them, it’s baby central around here, but thanks to Bev and Mary, I might as well be a dog sleeping in the sun—loose, relaxed, and sprawled in my chair. They haven’t allowed me to see the bottom of my wine glass all day.
It took an act of congress, but Asa managed to get all six of us out of the house. Emma was still barely speaking and I’m worried about her, but Asa insisted we needed to keep on about our day. Levi, who has always been an agreeable kid up until now, finally put up a stink about Asa’s plans. He wanted to spend the day with his girlfriend. Asa wasn’t about to allow anyone out of his sight the day after his house was shot to hell and put his foot down, insisting that everyone stay with him.
Knox and Saylor, on the other hand, were all too excited to go and they didn’t even know where we were going.
We all loaded up in my loaner and I made another mental note to call my insurance company right when we got home. I tried to ignore the luxury surrounding me, but it was hard. There are so many this-and-that’s, it had me wanting to mess with everything. Asa drove us a hop, skip, and a jump in the smoothest driving machine I’ve ever experienced, and pulled into Whitetail Farms.
I’ve driven by Whitetail a million and a half times and always dreamt about having the time to stop in, relax, and throw back a couple bottles—but my hectic life never allowed the extravagance.
But today it did. Today, I got the VIP-backstage-pass-royal-treatment. I’m not sure if it’s because there’s a barrel of wine aging with my name on it, or if it’s because I’m here with Asa, but the winemaker, Van, showed me around, taught me about the fermentation process, and introduced me to my barrel. We had a lunch that rivaled any other establishment in the area, and now I’m pissed I never made time to come sooner.
Crew insisted his newly-pregnant wife take a load off, so we all made our way back to Crew and Addy’s old farmhouse. It’s about the same size as mine, but I don’t have an Ordinary. At first, I was drooling over the quaint centuries-old portion of her home until Mary started telling me stories of ghost sightings from previous owners. If there’s one thing I do not have the time and energy to worry about, it’s ghosts.
So happy I don’t have an Ordinary.
My kids are hanging out with Addy’s cows and feeding them so much molasses, they’re sure to get a bovine-sized stomach ache. Levi and Emma must come here often enough because they threw themselves in front of the TV and continued to brood. Last I saw, Levi was busy communicating with his girlfriend on his phone.
The wine has turned me into a talker. I’ve talked a lot—about how I met Asa, all the shit going on at school, his kids, my kids, getting shot at and actually getting shot, Asa holding me in the ambulance while I got stitches, and finally, him sleeping with me last night.
I talked and talked and talked.
“I’ll take her.” I jump at the deep voice and look up to see Grady reach over the top of his wife and pluck the sleeping baby out of Maya’s arms.
Maya hands her husband the blanket and sighs. Grady returns to where the men have segregated themselves on the other side of the patio and I watch him scoot down in his chair low enough to settle his sleeping daughter on his wide chest.
“It’s no wonder Chloe can’t sleep on her own. Grady will pick her up from a nap just to hold her while she’s sleeping.” Maya shakes her head. “He’s going to spoil her rotten.”
“Vivi always wants Crew over me.” Addy looks over with a sweet smile on her face toward her husband who’s swinging their daughter around. But all of a sudden, her eyes jump to me and her face falls. “Oh, Keelie. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking—” her eyes dart to Maya and then back, “—we weren’t thinking. Asa told us about your late husband.”
“I’m sorry, Keelie.” Maya’s voice becomes soft and apologetic.
Well, dammit. I just met them, but I know how this is going to go. Now comes the awkward part, where they feel bad and will forevermore tip-toe around me.
I take another sip of my wine. It’s been almost two years and David was no model husband. He kept secrets from me, he lied to me, and he left me with a mountain of debt he racked up gambling. But he was a decent enough dad and our kids have no knowledge of their father’s sins. They lost him, and even though conversations like this were a knife to my gut in the beginning, it’s become a part of my life I’ve gotten used to. “It’s fine, really. I’d never want you to be sorry for being happy. You should shout that from the mountain tops.”
“Life happens.” Bev motions around our circle with her wine glass. “I’m older than all of you and have been around the pasture a time or three. You live your life, Keelie, and don’t feel bad about it. When you get to my age, you’ll look back and thank your younger self.” Her voice is chipper and light as a fluffy, fucking pancake, and I’m grateful. It’s a relief when I find people who don’t treat me like a china doll. “Just so you know, Asa is a wonderful father on top of being a looker. I do believe I’d keep him if I were you.”
I can’t hold it in. I’m so grateful to her for breaking the tension, I laugh and try not to slosh my wine. “Oh, he’s a looker, alright.”
Addy, Maya, and Mary are smirking and Bev tips her glass before taking another long drink of her red and argues her case for Asa further. “See? You and your babies will be just fine, Keelie. That man sitting over there is smitten—I’ve seen it play out on this land too many times to be mistaken. We do specialize in weddings, don’t we girls?”
The women grin at Bev and Addy reaches over to squeeze her friend’s hand. “That we do, Bev.”
I’m not sure about a wedding, but I’m eternally indebted to Bev for breaking the ice.
“We’re on a vineyard and it’s a beautiful day,” Mary points out the obvious. “And we have to make up for these baby makers who aren’t drinking. Sit back and
enjoy the wine, Keelie.”
I sink farther into my patio chair and roll my head to find Asa looking straight at me. He’s not relaxed like I am. His eyes are intense and heavy, and that gaze creates an instant warmth I’m starting to get used to when it comes to him. I was too tired last night to think about it. Instead, I let myself cling to him and found comfort in his touch.
I liked him in my bed and I haven’t thought about wanting anyone there since I kicked David out of it.
Asa leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees and lifts his beer to his lips to take a swig, never taking his eyes off me.
My mouth goes dry but my panties are plenty damp.
“Yeesh, the eye-fucking out here on the patio is making it humid.”
My eyes dart to Mary and she’s grinning. Maya and Addy laugh, but Bev gives her a little frown.
I look over at Asa one more time and he rubs his clipped beard before directing his attention back to the men.
Humid—warm and wet is a good description for the climate right now.
*****
Asa
I look away from Keelie and have to beg my dick to relax. Especially after last night.
I’m forty-three and way past fucking around. I’m particular about where I put my cock and it hasn’t been anywhere but my hand for a while. The idea of Keelie interested me the minute she put her small hand in mine to introduce herself when I changed that guy’s tire on the side of the road. Every bit of contact I’ve had with her since has built on that exponentially, and now my craving for her is off the charts. To be in her bed last night just about did me in.
On top of all that, I’ve got Emma to worry about, whoever shot up my house, and I still don’t know why someone set up Levi. My ex-wife is freaking the fuck out about what happened to Emma and wants the kids to come to California. And there’s no way I’m leaving Keelie and her small children alone. No fucking way.
