“Fine. I can fucking play by your rules.” He smirks, his eyes flare and his voice is strained. “As long as I get to see her.”
“Thanks, man,” Caleb speaks for the first time, nodding his head in greeting. “We appreciate it. We don’t want any trouble.” Caleb looks at me blankly, clearly trying hard not to say something wrong.
Cole looks over at his brother, and a look passes between them. “We appreciate this more than you know.”Caleb smiles the kind of smile that’s created by hurt and shame.
“Cool...nothing about knowing Meadow. She’ll ask questions. Keep it simple. It’s her birthday, and I want her happy.”
“Daddy!”
They both flinch. An arrogant grin slowly spreads over my lips as both of their eyebrows shoot up in shock. For the first time since the motherfucker got here, he’s finally speechless. I bet I know what they’re thinking right now, and I’m fucking glad. Daddy is me, the way it’s been for four years. Cole’s gaze darts from Lily and back up to me. His eyes are cold and hard like fucking ice. I don’t give two shits how he feels about the situation. He gave up everything four years ago, and I’m not about to hand anything over without a fucking fight.
Lily skips up next to me, tugging at the leg of my jeans and holding up a bag of peanut M&M’s. “I got these for you because I know they’re your favorite, and I got Uncle Micah his favorite, Kit Kats!” she exclaims, her voice light and pure like a petal of a lily.
“Thank you, sweetie.” Taking the bag of chocolates, I shove them into my pocket. I scoop her up into my arms, not wanting to let her go. “I want you to meet a couple of friends of mine.” I cringe at the word “friends”.
I gaze between Cole and Caleb and notice she has the same bluish-green eyes, picking up the green in Cole’s eyes and the blue in Caleb’s along with the dark hair. It fucking makes my gut twist. Cole swallows hard and rakes his hand through his hair, and Caleb just smiles, entranced by Lily.
“How do you know my daddy?” Lily’s eyes travel from Cole to Caleb as if she’s trying to decipher a riddle.
“From school a long time ago.”
He’s quick on his feet. Good lie. I wonder how many lies he told my sister.
“Did you play sports? I love basketball. Uncle Micah plays basketball.”
“Yes, we play basketball.” Cole smiles.
“What’s your name?”
“My name is Cole, and this is my brother Caleb.”
“Hi, Lily.” Caleb winks, his eyes filled with equal parts confusion and happiness.
“Hi! I’m four today!” Her voice floats above us like a fluffy cloud as some early fireworks pop in the distance and Disney princess music fills the backyard.
“I know. Happy birthday, pretty girl. We came to give you this.” Cole hands her the envelope, and her little finger wraps around it as she peers up at him through her long lashes.
I’ve had enough of this shit. This was more than enough time for him to talk to her. I’ll never like the idea of Cole hanging around Lily. I hope his ass returns to Florida. I know it’s a selfish thing to wish for, since Lily gets to meet her father, but I can’t help how I feel about this. If anything, Cole is being the asshole for showing up after all this time.
“I’ll take that, baby.” I pry the envelope from her hand and slip it into my back pocket. “We’ll open it later.” I give her a kiss and set her down in front of me. “My friends have to go. Right, guys?”
Cole’s eyes fly to mine, and there’s a flicker of rage in them.
“Yeah, sorry,” he forces out. I can see the muscle in his jaw tick. “We have another party to go to, but I’ll be in town for a little while,” he states as he kneels down in front of her.
“Okay,” she murmurs.”Thank you for the present.”
Lily gives me a look that fractures my heart to pieces, and then she wraps her arms around his neck. The warm summer wind whips her hair into a mess of chaos that tickles Cole’s face and makes him laugh. I’m dying inside watching all of this. All I want to do is snatch her away from him so that he can never see her again, but I know it’s wrong.
“I’ll be moving in with my brother for a while. Maybe I’ll see you again,” he whispers as he pulls away from her and straightens up, smiling down at her.
Motherfucker!
My eyes shoot wide open, connecting instantly with Cole’s. I scowl, my heart hammering against my ribs, affirming what I knew the instant this jackfuck showed up that night. I should have gone with my gut and fucked him up right on the spot.
“Lily, why don’t you go play with your friends? I have to talk to my friends in private.” I swallow thickly and press my lips together, glancing down at her.
She pouts and her shoulders droop. “Are they going to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ and stay for cake?”
“No, baby. They have to go.”
She peeks up at Cole and Caleb and back at me one last time, and my heart lurches at the sadness that fills her eyes.
“Maybe next time,” Caleb reassures, flicking his eyes to me for a second.
“Okay,” Lily says in a gentle voice.
I let out a relieved sigh and gently nudge Lily toward Micah who’s waiting for her near the picnic tabled filled with gifts and snacks.
I don’t fucking think there is going to be a next time, fucker!
I redirect my eyes to Cole when Lily is out of earshot and say, “You better fucking leave now.” I have to force my eyes away. The thick tension simmering between us sits heavy and ready to detonate like a bomb. My eyes fall on Brie standing across the lawn, taking pictures of us. Sighing, I force a smile in her direction and wave. She never stops snapping pictures and doesn’t acknowledge me. I turn my attention to Micah. I wish I had a heavy wooden Louisville Slugger, so I could use it on this punk. Catching the expression on Micah’s face tells me that he knows shit is not going in my favor. I have never been good at concealing my emotions. Shaking my head, I return my attention to the situation at hand.
“This is the last time you’ll be seeing her.”
“We’ll see about that. I have fucking rights. We have fucking rights. We’re her family as much as you are,” Cole says with a hard edge to his voice.
What a fucking prick. This is what I get for being nice. He fucking just ruined my day.
“This is not the time and place for this,” I reply, keeping my voice low.
“Agreed. We’ll be in touch.”
I want to pummel him to the ground and rip his fucking limbs from his body like he’s going to rip my heart out if he takes my Lily. Fuming inside, I watch them leave without saying another word. The most infuriating aspect about this whole fucked-up situation is that I know I can’t keep him away from her. It’s his right as the father. For the first time in my life, I’m truly scared. I’m not going to let this fucker take her or play me in the process. After this weekend, I’m calling Brandon Trent to get the ball rolling.
The warm caress of someone’s hand on my arm breaks my inner turmoil. I glance down and a pair of sexy almond-shaped brown eyes connects with mine.
“Is that him?” Brie murmurs. “Lily’s father?”
“Could you tell?”
“I can read every emotion on your face.”
“I’ve never been good at that. I need to learn how disguise them somehow.”
Like you do.
I sigh heavily. “I need to work on that, especially when I’m around Lily. When I love someone, I’ll do anything to protect them, and most of the time, I’m a bit extreme. I guess because I’ve already lost so much in my life I want to protect what I have left. Keep them close to me.”
“You really had me fooled.” Her eyes widen, and the smallest smile plays on her lips.
“What do you mean?”
“Seeing you this way...the way you are with your niece.” She fidgets with the lens of her camera. “It’s how I imagined James would be with our child.”
“Someday, Brie, you’ll have that.” God, I want
to comfort her and to tell her I would give her the world if she were mine.
“I’m staying positive.”
I stand in front of this beautiful woman, an unknown riddle to me. Even though I have my own problems, I feel this need to help her. I can’t force her to share more of her pain. It was so hard for her the first time. I want to grab her and hold her against me, let her know things will work out, and that she has me as a friend to fall back on anytime.
“If you have time, I hope you can hang around after the party,” I offer. “We can chat.”
“I would love to, but I can’t. I’m expecting guests for a party that I’m having at my place this evening.”
“And I wasn’t invited?” I lift a brow, regarding her as a blush flames her cheeks.
“Well, considering you and James have not been able to work through your issues...” she trails off, mysterious thoughts parading in her eyes that I wish I can be privy to.
“I wouldn’t call it that.” My mouth grows dry at the thought of that asshole.
“I just hope you can be friends…someday since I consider you a friend.”
“Why would I want to be friends with him if you think he’s cheating on you?”
“He’s... still my husband,” she stammers, toying with strap of her camera.
I’ve never been this confused in all my life. Asking me to be friends with that idiot throws me for a loop. She still loves him. Plain and simple.
At this moment, though, I couldn’t care less about being friends with James. The fact she acknowledges that a friendship is growing between us makes hope flicker in my heart like a million burning candles. Perhaps over time she will open up a little bit more and put her trust in me, because her reluctance to talk is pissing me off. I know she wants to talk; I can see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice. I hope that when she finally decides to open up, it’s not too late.
“Daddy!”
My gaze is pulled over Brie’s shoulder as my niece comes barreling toward us, pulling Micah behind her.
“Hey, birthday girl! Why are you so excited?” I bend down to swipe a silky curl from her face.
“Come and sing ‘Happy Birthday’! I love it when you and Uncle Micah sing!”
“Yeah, this birthday girl is full of demands today,” Micah says, winking at Lily and acknowledging Brie with a mega-watt smile.
“Okay, baby. Let me get my guitar.” Lily takes my hand, lifting her eyes to mine and smiling like an angel.
“Ms. Brie is coming, too. I want a million pictures to share with my friends.”
“Of course.” Brie shifts her eyes from me to Lily.
I feel my body reacting to her gentle touch as her hand wraps around my bicep and her body brushes up against mine. She smells like honey and vanilla swirled together. I feel her steady pulse against my arm. The rhythm soothes me, and her touch tempts me and has my mind spinning in a million different directions—almost all of which end with her naked. I know what I’m feeling is wrong, but it feels so fucking perfect with her. This woman is becoming a magnet to me. Any awkwardness that has existed between us is slowly disappearing. Excitement swirls through me having her here on such a special day with Lily.
“Whenever you’re ready, Bro. We’ll be waiting.” Micah lifts Lily into his arms and retreats to the table full of kids. “Just don’t take too long,” he calls over his shoulder.
“We’ll be right there.”
When Brie looks up, her eyes meet mine again, and I can’t break away. There’s a depth to them that makes me want to drown in them. I’ve never seen them this close up. I want to know what she wants.
“What is it? Did I do or say something stupid?”
“Sing?” Her eyebrows pop up in surprise. “You sing?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Yes, not only do I fix things and serve drinks, but I can also actually carry a tune.” I offer her an elbow, and she doesn’t hesitate in sliding her arm through mine. “Come on. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Mason Marks.” She shakes her head in wonder and smiles, lighting up her entire face. I want to kiss her so badly, but all I do is return her sweet smile. “There are so many layers to Mr. Fix It.”
“I’m just getting started, Bam Bam.”
I smile down at the very moment she looks up. Christ, she is gorgeous. No one can possibly describe her as anything else. My rule regarding messing with or falling for a married woman is slowly slipping out the window.
She left. She had to go back to her life, to her shaky marriage. I don’t want to make this my business, but the more time I spend time with her, the harder it is for me to stay away from her. Nothing could have prepared me for Brie coming into my life. It’s been close to a month since I met her. I’m overstepping my boundaries, but the pull is too strong. I feel alive when she’s around.
“Hey, man. Where did you find that hot-looking photographer that you never introduced me to?”
“Why?” I ask, grabbing a couple of beers from the refrigerator. “You try to hit on her?”
“Umm...I thought about it, but then I saw the ring on her finger.” He frowns, shrugging his shoulders. “All the good ones are taken.”
“Yeah.” I hand him a beer as he lounges on the couch. “She’s married to James Fleming.”
“No shit? I remember that dude. Didn’t Meadow have a crush on him for a minute in high school?” He looks at me to gauge my reaction. He knows how much I fucking hated James. Still kind of do. Maybe if he changed… ah…probably not. Not with the shit I know.
“Yeah, and then I threatened to kick his ass if he laid a hand on her.”
“High school was crazy.”
“Shit’s still crazy.”
He eyes me suspiciously at the awkwardness of my tone.
“Is there something you’re not telling me, Bro?” he asks, throwing his feet up on my expensive coffee table. His question is not accusatory or judgmental. It’s born from concern. It’s written all over his face.
“Nope, not really.”
What the fuck am I going to tell him? That I may have feelings for a married woman whose husband is messing around on her?
“She was taking an awful lot of shots of you and the Foster boys.”
“She’s a photographer. I hired her to take pictures, idiot.” The volume of my answer makes him jump. Shit, it evens surprises me.
“Damn.” He raises his arms in defense. “If I didn’t know any better, I would think that someone has feelings for her.”
“She’s a friend, man,” I say, my voice calmer now. I lean against the counter, taking a pull of my beer, savoring the bitter and the cold as it races down my throat.
“Dude, you couldn’t take your eyes off her the whole damn time she was at the party. If it wasn’t for Cole showing up, you would have been gawking at her for the whole two hours.”
“Like I said...”I huff, swallowing back more beer despite the fuzziness clouding my head.
“I don’t know. I think there’s more to it.” A small smile forms in the corner of his lips as he takes a gulp of beer. “I haven’t seen you like this since—”
“Don’t even go there,” I cut him off.
“Just saying...”
“That’s over with. So, I’d appreciate it if you don’t bring it up again,” I snap, collapsing onto the couch. Grabbing the remote, I flick on the TV to try to watch the Yankees play the Devil Rays in Tampa, where Cole should be taking his ass.
“Fine. What’s the deal with the Foster boys? I know it can’t be anything good.”
With one last swig, I finish my beer and put it down on the side table. “Let’s just say that legal representation is required,” I answer honestly, staring blankly at the TV.
“Fuck. I knew it,” he fumes, throwing his head back on the couch and closing his eyes. “He wants Lily,” he whispers harshly, scrubbing his hand over his face. “He wants Lily.”
I glance over my shoulder as I walk to the car. Pink birthday balloons still float fr
om the mailbox, and the laughter of the children fill the air, squeezing my heart one last time before I slip into my car. All of it becomes a distant picture in my rearview mirror as I drive toward the center of town where the park is decorated in red, white, and blue streamers and lined with refreshment stands.
I quickly pull my sunglasses from my eyes and watch couples and families scurry for spots on the grass to lay down blankets in anticipation for the fireworks show that is happening at sundown. I’d give anything to be sitting under the stars on a warm July night than entertaining guests all night. Just James and me. Maybe next year.
Will we make it to next year?
This get-together at our home will be a test for me, something new since we tend to find ourselves at monotonous functions like this at other homes. With James’ position, his presence is sought out. He doesn’t mind them so much; he’d rather not be invited to so many of them, but it’s a necessary evil in his line of work. Having his name constantly out there can only benefit his career that he’s worked hard for. As his wife, I have to support him.
A few minutes later, I pull up to my home and notice an unfamiliar white Lexus parked in the driveway, quite possibly one of his friends arriving to celebrate early. Maybe Michael, his “golfing buddy.” I smirk to myself and grab my things to head inside when my phone chirps. I dig through my purse to fish it out.
“Hey,” I answer.
“How come you weren’t at yoga class this morning?” Ava asks in greeting.
“I had a birthday party to shoot this afternoon.”
“Taking the business to the next level?”
“I don’t think so. The way my feet and back are feeling right now, this is going to be a onetime deal.”
“So, who was the lucky customer to have your services on the weekend?”
“I prefer to call them clients.”
“Whatever. Just tell me already, or I’m gonna come over there and beat it out of you.”She gripes in a good-natured tone.
Love Is Louder Page 21
