Down & Dirty 3_A Shameless Southern Nights Novel

by J. H. Croix

  "Just about…" I didn't want to come across as a complete loon by telling him that I replayed our time together on a loop in my head, so I stuck with being vague. "You know, tee-ball on Saturdays and those kinds of things."

  Jeremy chuckled, a genuine, rumbling sound that made my heart clench. "You’re lying. You were thinking about all those nights after tee-ball practice when Austin went for sleepovers at Tommy's, weren't you?"

  "Maybe," I murmured. Just thinking about those nights now was making me hot and bothered, so I changed the topic. "How was your day?"

  "It was okay." He sounded distracted. "It was pretty damn boring actually. I think seeing another piece of paperwork is going to make me pass out from boredom. Yours?"

  "It's better now," I told him honestly, not wanting to replay my depressing days here without him. "What are you up to now?"

  "Went for a beer with Evan. I'm on my way home now. Thought I'd check in before it got too late."

  Evan was his middle brother, if I remembered their order correctly. A mechanic or something. I hadn't met him yet, at least not in any kind of capacity as Jeremy's girlfriend. But I remembered him from way back when. He was a looker, but then again Jeremy’s entire family was blessed in the looks department.

  "Speaking of my brothers," Jeremy said. "Tyson is in the process of filing charges. I'm hoping he gets it done this week."

  "Me too." I sighed, letting my eyes flutter shut as I sent up a quick prayer that just maybe his brother could help us sort this out faster. "Tell him thanks from me again. I really appreciate all his help."

  "Will do, but you do remember this is his job?"

  "I know, but it still makes me feel better to know that he’s on it."

  "It will all be okay, Marie," he assured me soothingly. "Just hang in there, but if you want to talk about it, I'm right here."

  "I know, I can't wait to see you this weekend."

  "Me either. It sucked this morning when I realized it was only Tuesday." I could hear the smile in his voice and it brought one to my lips. A feat only Jeremy and Austin could manage these days.

  I suspected in Jeremy's case, it was because I was falling in love with him. We talked for a little while longer and at the end, I had the urge to tell him that I loved him, but I held back.

  This was hardly the time or the circumstance for a declaration of love. If we were going to last, I hardly wanted this to be the way he remembered it.

  "Sleep tight, love." My heart stuttered a little as he said the word, sending a curl of happiness through me. It wasn't the first time he'd called me that, but I wasn't even sure he realized he was doing it.

  Running through a million different ways to end the call, I settled for the marvelously mundane. "You too, Jeremy. Sweet dreams."

  I bit my tongue from adding “I love you”, quickly disconnecting the call before I said it anyway.

  Chapter Three

  Jeremy

  "How is it that it takes me a week to get an appointment with my own brother?" I asked, walking into Tyson's office.

  The carpet beneath my feet was threadbare and the furniture he'd inherited from his predecessor was dinged up, but usable. Tyson might be a high-flying, well-respected lawyer, but the DA’s office was what it was. As the district attorney, he'd been given the corner office, but in a town the size of Cypress that didn't mean all that much. Two of his windows provided a decent view of the town center and his walls were lined with books.

  Tyson rolled his eyes, motioning for me to take a seat. "You tell me. I've been trying to get a hold of you since Monday."

  "I called you back. I even stopped by, but you weren't available." Twice this week we'd missed each other, but at least I was finally getting to speak to him about those charges against Wesley.

  Running his hand absently through his light brown hair, it came away without leaving a single hair out of place. I often wondered how he managed that, but knowing Tyson it was probably by sheer willpower and determination to always be, look and act like the utmost professional.

  "Yeah, I heard about that,” he said, unbuttoning the jacket of his suit and hanging it on a rail nearby before taking his seat. "Sorry, I had to run to court. Let me not keep you waiting any longer."

  It didn't surprise me Tyson wanted to get straight to business. Personal stuff usually came second to business with him. "Good idea, what did you want to speak to me about?"

  Tyson pulled a thick file from a neat stack on the corner of his desk and pulled it closer, but he didn't open it yet. "As you know, I’ve been in contact with the district attorney in Savannah. Since Wesley already has a record there, I wanted to coordinate with them. I'll be filing the charges for threatening in the Cypress Creek Court, but it's always useful to know what's going on in other jurisdictions."

  "I don't mean to question you, you know I know nothing about this stuff, but isn't it better to file everything in one place?"

  “Cypress Creek may be small, but the town is the hub for the area. Plus, we charge for crimes that happen in our jurisdiction," Tyson said, his intelligent deep blue eyes sweeping over the file as he opened it. "Since the physical act of threatening happened here, it's better for us to file this one in town, especially since I understand from her attorney that Marie would like to move back here as soon as possible."

  "That makes sense." Raking a hand through my hair, I leaned back. "Anything else?”

  Exhaling a deep breath, Tyson placed his elbows on his desk and looked me right in the eye. "Yes, I wanted to give you the update on our case here and that I'd been in touch with the DA in Savannah, but that isn't all. I thought you should know this isn’t his first rodeo. The police in Savannah have been monitoring him because he's been threatening another ex there as well."

  "Are you serious? If it's not just Marie, then how the fuck is it possible that this guy hasn’t been charged with something else? What the hell does it take?”

  "They’re working on it. As am I," Tyson said, a warning flashing in his eyes.

  I knew that if there was one thing he absolutely detested, it was being accused of not doing his best. It didn't matter whether he was doing chores as a kid, or now prosecuting the baddest guys in our county, Tyson went balls to the wall in everything he did and didn't appreciate anyone second guessing that. Ever.

  Holding my hands up, I lowered my voice and let just a bit of the worry I was feeling shine through. "I know, man. I didn't mean to imply that you weren't. Sorry, I'm just really worried. Don't get me wrong, I'm relieved and ecstatic about the charges, but will they actually stick this time?"

  Tyson sat back in his chair, his eyes are staying on mine. "I can't guarantee anything, but I can tell you that both myself and my colleague in Savannah are doing the best we can to make sure they do."

  "Stop your bureaucratic bullshit, Tyson," I snapped, then dialed it down a bit. "Just give it to me straight. What are we looking at here?"

  "Situations like this are messy," he said sincerely. His features were set in a serious expression and his tone dark. "It may take a while and as shitty as it may be to say this, things would actually be better for us all if Wesley did something more serious."

  "Fuck." A string of much worse curses fell from my lips. Tyson's brow furrowed, not because he hadn't heard me curse before, but if I knew my brother, because he was curious about my strong reaction to this news. "I'm worried about her, okay. You all keep saying we have to wait for him to do something again or to do something worse, but I'm the one who has to live with the fucking fear about what that might be."

  Searching my eyes for a long minute, Tyson shifted to rest one foot on his knee and leaned forward with his forearms on his thighs. "Sonny told me how serious things were getting between you and this girl. Not gonna lie, I was kind of surprised to hear it."

  I tilted my head, letting my eyes drift to the clock tower in the center of town beyond his window before sliding them back to his. "You and me both, brother. I swear, she came out of nowhere."
<
br />   "Well, technically that’s not correct. She came out of Savannah," Tyson offered with a grin before straightening his features again. "But seriously, after everything that went down with Dad… Wasn't sure we'd ever completely get you back."

  "Yeah," I said with a nod, releasing a heavy breath. "I was feeling pretty bitter about everything that happened with him. Kind of felt like it wasn't worth hoping for good things to happen because they would never happen again anyway."

  Tyson's eyes jerked to a spot above my head, far away in thought as he slowly nodded his agreement. "I get it. That was a pretty shitty time for us all."

  He knew quite well what a mess that was for our family. Out of all of us, he was the only one who was forced to publicly pick a side and given his job title, it wasn't like he had any real choice in the matter.

  Given a choice, I wasn’t sure he’d make a different one though. "Tell me something, Jeremy. I've been wondering about this. I'm going to be honest with you here, I was surprised that you gave Marie a shot considering that she has a son."

  A flash of defensiveness rose inside, but I bit it back. "He's a great kid okay. Sure, I hadn’t expected to see myself latching onto a single mother, but it’s what happened. His dad is a grade-A asshole, and they don’t deserve that in their lives. Marie is the best girl I've ever met and her having a son doesn't change that. In fact, seeing her with him makes her even better."

  "Whoa there, cowboy." It was Tyson's turn to throw up his hands in surrender. "I'm sure she is and I'm sure her son is great, but it wasn't them I was asking about. You were damn cynical as hell about the world after what went down with Dad. I could’ve sworn I remembered you swearing off all children after that."

  "Yeah well, Austin’s already in this world, isn't he? And just look at how it's treating him. Least I can do is to be there for the kid when his own father is making his life a living hell."

  I wouldn't say it to Tyson, but once or twice when I was with Marie and Austin, I'd found my mind drifting to a picture of what we might look like in the future. Another kid or two of mine, possibly with Marie's belly swollen with another, was definitely a part of that picture.

  "Who better than you? You know a thing or two about your very own dear old dad making life hell."

  An understanding of mutual loss flowed between Tyson and me. We were in agreement about our dad. We both knew that he fucked up and we both knew he deserved to be where he was now, no matter how much it hurt us. Unlike Sonny, I didn't harbor any resentment towards Tyson for having been in the position where he had to prosecute the case against our father.

  It was his job.

  I didn't think Sonny even knew what else he would have had Tyson do. If he’d refused to be a part of that team, his integrity, dedication and loyalty would have been questioned. I have no doubt that he ultimately would have lost his job. Tyson was born to be a lawyer and believed strongly in the legal system. If he’d shirked that duty, it would have eaten at him.

  He'd been cross-examining me since I could talk, and he dedicated his life to becoming a prosecutor. Our father was the one in the wrong, therefore he was the one who should have been, and was being, punished. Not Tyson. It wouldn't have been fair for him to lose his life's work over our dad's idiotic choices.

  "Dad really pulled a number on us didn't he?" Tyson said grimly. He didn’t dwell though and moved on swiftly. "I need to get back to work. I'm sure you do too. I'll keep you updated, try not to worry too much?"

  "I can't promise that, but at least I know the situation is in good hands."

  I completely trusted Tyson to handle this, which was one of the few factors that helped me breathe easier whenever I worried about Marie’s situation. In the meantime, it was finally fucking Friday and I was headed up to Savannah to see her.

  For the first time all week as I left Tyson's office, it felt like there just might be light at the end of the tunnel. Marie was that light for me.

  Chapter Four

  Marie

  "Is he here yet?" Austin yelled from his room, probably about the tenth time I'd heard that very question in the last hour.

  Sliding a small silver earring into my ear, I gave myself one last look in the mirror and deemed myself ready for dinner. "Not yet. Soon!" I promised, popping my head into his bedroom to give him an assuring smile. Austin was brimming with excitement to see Jeremy again.

  It had taken me an hour to decide what to wear. Since we were staying in so we could spend some quality time together, I didn't want to dress up too much. But I also didn't want him arriving, taking one look at me and finally realizing that I, in fact, wasn't all that he'd cracked me up to be in his mind.

  After an inordinate amount of time for choosing such a simple outfit, I decided on a flowy white skirt that fell a few inches above my knee with a soft, fitted green top. Jeremy had commented more than once he thought my eyes were beautiful. I was shameless enough to hope my top brought out the green in them.

  Being a single mother had all but cured me of thinking about my appearance, if only because I didn’t have time to fuss over it. Perhaps since I was a hair stylist, I managed to keep my hair halfway fashionable, but catch me on a rough day, and my hair would be pushed back with a headband. Thinking about how men viewed me hadn’t been high on my list. Yet, Jeremy drew that out. It didn’t help that he was so handsome, it wasn’t even fair.

  He could have his pick of women and I damn well knew it.

  A nervous flutter went through my belly when a soft knock came at the door, followed by Jeremy's quiet voice. "It’s me."

  Austin must've heard it too because he practically came flying out of his bedroom and reached the door at the same time I did. After taking a quick breath, I turned the doorknob.

  "Jeremy!" Austin shouted, jumping into his strong arms. “You’re here.”

  Jeremy caught him, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Little man! Have you grown? You feel bigger."

  It had only been two weeks since we’d seen him, but those two weeks felt like forever. Jeremy winked at me over Austin's head as he set Austin down. As it always did, my heart clenched at the sight of the two of them together. Keeping it appropriate in front of Austin, Jeremy opened his arms and hugged me next. He buried his face in my hair on the side away from Austin and dropped a kiss on my neck, sending a hot shiver through me.

  "You're really here," I whispered, wrapping my arms around his waist and letting myself feel the steady beat of his heart under my ear for just a second before I pulled away.

  "I really am,” he said, his low voice sending a jolt through me. The heat in his eyes when they met mine sent my belly spinning. Our gazes locked, electricity passing between us. Warmth flooded me, arousal tingling my nerves.

  The moment between us was broken when Austin pulled at Jeremy's hand and led him into our apartment.

  "Would you like the grand tour?" Austin asked, looking at Jeremy with the same reverence in his eyes I'd gotten used to seeing from him back in Cypress. There was no denying that Austin was growing as attached to Jeremy as I was.

  That thought used to scare me, but Jeremy had assured me time and time again that he was there for us and would protect us. I trusted he would never intentionally hurt Austin. While I still worried sometimes about our future, I had faith he would do right by Austin. I knew it in my bones.

  "Sure, buddy. This is quite the place you have,” Jeremy commented, meeting my eyes but not saying anything about the size of the cramped place. I'd mentioned to him how tight our quarters were here, yet I doubted it had quite sunk in for him.

  "So, this is our living room,” Austin said, not letting go of Jeremy's hand as he tugged him around. I didn't want to interrupt Austin's fun, so I didn't say anything as he continued his tour.

  Seeing Jeremy after our weeks apart was a mix of heady anticipation and relief. The consuming desire I experienced whenever I was near him hummed under the surface, but I was also profoundly relieved to have him here. Though our relationship was still n
ew, I’d become accustomed to the sense of protectiveness he exuded. I’d managed to let my memories of the ever-present tension and anxiety I felt being anywhere near Wesley fade. Returning to Savannah and having him almost immediately resume his habits of stopping by unannounced, even in the face of a protection order, had me on edge and weary.

  Jeremy’s mere presence eased that anxiety instantly. I wanted to lean into him and absorb his strength.

  Distantly listening to Austin chattering to him, I glanced to Jeremy. His shaggy black hair framed his handsome face. Neatly trimmed stubble peppered his strong jawline. If I closed my eyes, I could still feel the scrape of that stubble against the soft skin on my thighs, or on my cheeks as he kissed me. Heat bloomed through me, and I gave myself a mental shake.

  We had an audience, a very curious audience. I did not need to be letting my mind wander into naughty territory. His hazel eyes flicked to mine briefly, and he winked, his mouth curling at one corner in a grin. Sweet hell. Just that, and I almost melted on the spot.

  In our tiny apartment now, he seemed larger than life. My greedy eyes mapped over his chest. Though he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, my mind flashed to the feel of his hard, muscled body against mine. Get a grip.

  I nudged my mind back to the moment.

  "This is Mom’s bedroom," Austin was telling Jeremy, quickly tugging him along the short hallway to show off his bedroom and undoubtedly the new action figure I'd bought him just after we moved to town.

  As expected, Austin showed off the toy with a proud smile. “This is Steve.”

  “Steve, huh? That’s a great name, buddy,” Jeremy offered, his enthusiasm enough to bring a wide smile to Austin’s face.

  "While you boys finish the tour, I'm going to check on the spaghetti,” I said with a smile as I turned away and hurried to the kitchen.

  Walking down the hallway, I heard Austin telling Jeremy excitedly, "Spaghetti is one of my favorites, so I asked Mom to make it for you. You're gonna love it."