Love Found a Way (Hell Yeah! Book 0)

by Sable Hunter

  “What are?” T asked, taking a seat right beside Glory on the porch.

  “The fireflies.”

  He looked out and saw them. “They really are. I guess I’ve just gotten used to them. I don’t really see them anymore.”

  The yard was lit with a soft green glow. Fireflies danced around in the tall grass just off the driveway, a few venturing in close enough that Glory could almost touch them. It was a beautiful night. The stars were out and Glory was counting the ones that had been lucky for her.

  T wasn’t mad at her.

  On the contrary, he seemed content as he sat there beside her, rubbing her back with a big hand.

  “Mmmmmmmm,” Glory sighed. His touch made her feel like she’d died and gone to heaven. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?” The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them. Glory just couldn’t help herself, finding T-Rex at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting had been a shock to her system.

  T’s hand stopped moving and Glory could feel the sudden chasm spread open between them. She put her hand up over her mouth, even she couldn’t believe she’d ruined this picturesque moment.

  T sat back on his hands. “I guess it was bound to come out, eventually.” He looked Glory straight in the eye. “I’ve had problems with alcohol in the past. Years ago, I met my guardian angel. She convinced me to go to treatment at a very low point in my life.”

  “Your guardian angel?” Was this someone to be jealous of?

  “Yea, you met her the other day. Lauren Middleton. I owe her my life.”

  Glory recalled the older lady. “Teagen’s mother.”

  “Yes, she got me involved. I’ve been in AA ever since. It helps me stay sober. It reminds me how easily I can fall back into the life I was living before and I don’t want to do that.”

  “Why did you drink?”

  “Geez. You are quite the little investigative reporter, aren’t you?”

  She offered a shrug in return. Perhaps she was being nosey, but she was in deep with T. Glory was totally head over heels for this man and she wanted to know everything about him, the good and the bad. She considered apologizing for the intrusion, but realized this might be her only chance of finding things out about T, so far he’d been Fort Knox.

  “It’s not something I like to talk about, Glory.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m ashamed. It was a very bad time in my life. I did a lot of stuff I’m not proud of. I’ve shared with others in the program and my friends know my story, but there is still this shame that never goes away. Shame at the things I’ve done. The people I’ve hurt.”

  Glory placed a gentle hand on top of his. Was this what he’d been hiding from her – the why he didn’t date? “Tell me. I want to know everything about you. Please.”

  Fear gripped his heart. What if he told her and she left?

  He knew this wasn’t a permanent thing. T could never be with a woman forever. No matter how much time passed, no matter the progress he made, T could never allow someone he cared for to be put in danger by being with him long term. Glory now knew one of his secrets, all she needed now was an internet connection and she could find out all about his sordid past.

  What the hell.

  “Like Danny, I grew up in an abusive household. My father was an absolute monster. When he wasn’t drinking or spending the family money frivolously, he was beating on us.”

  “Oh, my god. I’m so sorry, T. I had no idea.”

  “He had a fierce temper. A temper that was passed down to me.” It felt good to unburden himself, to share this with the woman he was probably falling in love with, but T was only willing to go so far.

  “And this is why you warned me about making you mad?”

  “Yea, I lose my temper easily. I developed OCD as a child. I used to run around and clean up the house when my old man was on a tear. I still have it to this day.”

  “I’ve noticed, everything in your place is in perfect order.”

  “My socks. The books on my shelf. The utensils in my kitchen all have to be in just the right order or I get anxious and my temper flares. The OCD isn’t as bad as it used to be, but it’s still there. The therapist said it’s my way of dealing with all the chaos I grew up in.” Seeing the sympathetic look on her face, he unburdened a little more. “I got into a lot of trouble when I was young. I’ve spent some time in jail. I almost killed a woman and her young daughter one night when I got behind the wheel of my car while I was drunk.”

  Things were beginning to make sense to Glory. “Lauren Edwards Middleton and Teagan.”

  “Right. I should’ve gone to prison for it, but Lauren refused to let me rot in jail. She came to me and offered me a way out. I took it and I’ve been straight ever since.”

  “But how did she keep you out of prison?”

  “The Edwards’s are very prominent in these parts. Her little brother is the District Attorney for Iberia Parish. He wanted to throw the book at me. Bury me under the jail, but she had other ideas. She got me into rehab and kept me on the straight and narrow. I owe that woman my life and I will never forget her. Even if I don’t necessarily want to be sober for myself, I owe it to her and her little girl to stay straight. They keep me motivated to stay sober. To keep going to meetings and working the program.”

  Glory wished she was reason enough for him to want his life to be straight. “Don’t you see? Someone was looking out for you. You could’ve run into anybody in the world, yet you crashed into the one woman who could help you.”

  Her magical outlook on things touched T. Maybe she was right, which led him to the next logical step in the thought process. Maybe his meeting Glory was also meant to be. T shook his head; he couldn’t let himself think like that. A man could only expect so many breaks in life, and he’d already had more than he deserved. “I’m not a good guy, Glory. There are other things about me I never want you to know. Things about me you never want to see. I couldn’t bear it if you did.”

  “You have a temper. We all have a temper, T-Rex. I’ve never seen you be anything but gentle.” She strained to make him see himself as she did.

  “That may be so, but there’s bad in me. I can’t ever trust myself not to hurt someone I care about. You’re putting yourself in danger just by being around me. I’m weak, Glory. I just couldn’t push you away.”

  “I didn’t want you to push me away. And you’re good, you’re the best man I know!” Glory repeated something she’d told him before. Something she believed with all her heart.

  “Sure, I’m good the majority of the time, but I’ve seen the other side of me. I’ve seen the side that was passed on by Rex senior. If you were smart, you’d put as much distance between us as you possibly could.”

  “But I don’t want distance between us, T. I just want you.”

  “It’s not safe for you.”

  “You had a problem with alcohol, but you beat it, T. Your father may have had a bad temper, but that doesn’t mean you’re dangerous. I know you.”

  “You don’t know anything about me.” He was beginning to get agitated.

  “I know you are kind and protective. If you were such a monster, you’d have been locked away by now.”

  He couldn’t hold it in any longer. “I killed my father, Glory!” His words echoed loudly over the still open waters of the dark bayou. T stood up from his seat on the porch. The air between them had grown heavy with his declaration.

  Glory couldn’t believe her ears. “But…but…” Words didn’t come to her. She was shocked.

  T stalked off the porch. “You can’t have me, Glory. It’s for your own damn good. I’ll never marry and I’ll never have children, I saw to that when I had the vasectomy. Even though having a family is my greatest desire in life, I can’t allow it to ever happen.”

  Glory went to him. She never thought a man this big could be so vulnerable, but she could see it in him. T’s eyes were glassy, but he did his best to hide it from her.

 
; Wrapping a hand around his arm, she tried to pull him toward her. “Don’t say that, you’ll feel differently someday. I know how hard it is to be alone, you don’t want that. I know you have good friends, you’ve got me beat there, but it’s not the same. You need somebody, T. You deserve to be happy.”

  T jerked away from her. He didn’t want to hear what she was saying. He wanted what she described too much. Sharing his secrets with her was hard, but not nearly as difficult as telling her to get lost was going to be. He wanted Glory Hudson in his life for now and forever, but he cared too much about her to allow it. “Maybe it would be better if you got away from me right now, Glory, while the getting’s good.”

  “We’ve been through this before, T. We’ve tried being apart, we’re better together. You know that.” Glory touched his back. “I don’t care what you’ve done. If you killed your father, it was either an accident or you did it protecting someone.”

  “How would you know?”

  “Because I know you.” Suddenly, all the warnings he’d given her made sense. They weren’t necessary, but now she understood what he was talking about.

  “You can’t know any of that.” Maybe he should just run her off right now, once and for all. Tell her to scram. To leave him alone, that he didn’t have feelings for her…only it would be the greatest lie of his lifetime. “If you’re expecting a future with me you’re barking up the wrong tree. This thing with us is what it is and it has a time limit. If you’re hoping for more, you’re going to be disappointed. You might as well get over it or move along, Glory.”

  She stood by his side, small and serene, wrapping a caring hand around his forearm. “It’s okay. I understand how you feel. I feel the same way.”

  T was confused. “What?” She didn’t seem upset at all. “You do?” She’d teased him about not falling for her, but he just thought she was playing hard to get. Women did those things, he knew. Only…Glory was different.

  “Yes. You see. I have my own reasons for not planning a family or a future.”

  “Why?”

  “I have a chip in my head.”

  “What?”

  “It’s true. The government implanted it there when I was born. If I get married, get pregnant, or even fall in love, my head will explode.” She made a popping motion with her fingers and a similar one with her mouth – showing him the explosion. “So, you have nothing to worry about.”

  He pulled her close for a big hug, not wanting to talk about it anymore. “You’re crazy.” He took a deep breath. “I guess we’re okay for now, then.”

  A tear ran down Glory’s cheek. “Yeah. I guess we are.”

  T squeezed her to him tightly. Glory wasn’t telling the truth.

  Maybe he wasn’t the only one who had secrets.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “Smile!” Glory held the phone out in front of them, snapping another photo. “Oh, that’s a good one,” she murmured, admiring the image of them together. “You’re so handsome.” She giggled. “My hair’s standing up, I look like a pygmy hedgehog. Do you want me to email this one to you?”

  T looked at her indulgently. “Yea, send it to me.” He looked at the photo closely. “I don’t think you look like a pygmy hedgehog, I think you’re a stone cold fox.”

  “You need glasses,” she teased. Nestled against him as they sat at the kitchen bar, Glory punched buttons on her brand new phone. “Thank you for getting this for me.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll pay you back soon.” She paused, thinking. “I have to get my prescriptions refilled in the next few days. I’ll give you what I have left, then the rest when I can. Okay?”

  “I don’t want to be paid back, Glory. The cell phone is a gift and it’s not a fancy one. It wasn’t expensive.” T frowned down at her. “Everybody needs a phone, especially a woman. I couldn’t believe you didn’t have one.” He felt her stiffen a bit and shrug against him.

  “I couldn’t afford one and I didn’t have anyone to call if I did.” She ended her sentence on a teasing note. Since the subject made her uncomfortable, she sought to change it. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

  “You can call me.” Her not being able to afford a phone worried T-Rex. One of these days he wanted to sit down and discuss her circumstances, he knew she took medicine but he didn’t know about insurance. With the health care situation in such a turmoil after the election, he had no idea if she was covered or not.

  “Really?” she asked, a big smile on her face. “Our situation has really turned around hasn’t it? Not too long ago you were telling me to get lost.” She stood next to him and ran her finger down his nose, then squealed when he pretended to nip at her. “I grew on you, didn’t I?”

  He didn’t answer her provocative little question. Yes, she’d grown on him. Glory didn’t know it, but somehow she’d not only gotten under his skin, now she was firmly rooted in his heart. “As for the agenda, I have another surprise for you.”

  Her amethyst eyes grew wide. “I don’t think I can handle another surprise.”

  “Come on, this isn’t what you think. It didn’t cost money.” T laid his phone down on the bar, then stood up from the stool and took her by the hand, leading her back to his room. “I stubbed my toe on your backpack this morning and it made me think.”

  “I’m sorry. I try to keep it out of your way.”

  “No problem.” And she wasn’t a problem. T understood that Glory had done everything she could to be as unobtrusive as possible in his life. She’d literally been living out of her suitcase, keeping the backpack pushed under his bed, only taking it out to remove and replace clothing as she wore it. Anyone who knew T-Rex well would know what a concession he was making, creating a place for someone else in his space – in his world. No matter how temporary.

  Glory held her breath, she couldn’t imagine what was about to happen. What kind of surprise could he be talking about? Once they were in his room, she couldn’t help but smile. “This is my favorite spot in the whole world.” Not only did she feel at home here, but this is where she soared through the heavens and touched the stars – in the arms of her lover.

  He didn’t add anything to her summation. T felt the same way. His dwelling place would never be the same again. She might not leave a physical mark on his world, no trail of feminine underthings on the floor, no stacks of lotions and makeup in the bathroom, she hadn’t taken over his kitchen, his den, or any other room. Glory was the perfect guest. No, the mark she would leave wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye, she was altering the very fabric of his existence, transforming his house into a home and his empty days into a celebration.

  “I want you to have a drawer,” T announced solemnly, gesturing toward his dresser and the middle drawer that was pulled out and waiting.

  T’s announcement might sound simple. He didn’t speak very loudly. But the ramifications of his declaration set off an invisible earthquake – shaking the very pillars of beliefs that supported his personal reality.

  Glory held her breath. “A drawer?” T-Rex was making a place for her. She walked toward the bulky oak dresser. The piece of furniture might not be expensive, but the gesture he made was priceless. “For me?”

  “Yes, you have room for all your things, it’s a wide drawer.” He stood a few feet back, watching her stare into the empty expanse, as if the wisdom of the ages was indelibly printed on the sides.

  “Thank you.” She whirled around to hug him. “I will keep it neat.”

  Her offer amused him and T chuckled as he hugged her back. “I won’t be doing any inspections, so feel free to jumble your undies, just don’t go pilfering in my sock drawer. You know how I am.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “While you unpack, I’m going to run down to Revel and Harper’s. I’ve already apologized to Revel for how I acted at the festival, but I still need to apologize to Harper.”

  “Okay.” Her eyes followed him as he left the room. “I’m sure they understood and forgave you the moment it happened.”


  As T left, taking Buford with him, he wished he could learn to see the world through Glory’s eyes.

  After he left, Glory got busy. A week had passed since she’d followed T to his AA meeting and since then Glory had begun trying to put the puzzle of T’s life together in her mind.

  You know how I am.

  He was right, she did know him. She might not know all the details of his life, especially the ones that tormented him so, but she didn’t have to, she knew the man. She knew his heart.

  As she knelt in front of the dresser, sliding open the drawer to put her meager possessions inside, Glory saw something she hadn’t noticed before, there was an envelope in the corner. Her name was written across the front. Inside a piece of paper had been folded neatly. Unfolding it, she saw the simple sentence scrawled across the top.

  Make yourself at home. T.

  The little note gave her butterflies. He’d written her a note. It wasn’t really a love note, but to Glory it was as meaningful as if he’d hired a skywriter to pen her a message in the heavens. At that moment, Glory made an important decision. She was going to be the mirror into T’s soul. If it was the last thing she ever did, Glory planned on proving to him that he deserved to be happy.

  “Home sweet home,” Glory muttered as she shut the drawer, then slipped her empty backpack beneath the bed. “Just look at you, Glory Bee. You’re coming up in the world.”

  With a light heart, she went about her chores, doing her best to make everything as nice for T as she could. The weather was turning cooler, so she put the makings for a pot of soup in the crockpot. Thanksgiving was drawing near and Glory couldn’t help but smile, thinking of the amazing possibility that she might be here for Christmas. For the last few years, she’d either spent the holidays with roommates she barely knew or in a soup kitchen if she was on the move.

  Grabbing a dust cloth, Glory began to dance around the room, smoothing the rag over the surfaces of the furniture, humming a little tune. When she came to one of the front window sills, Glory knelt to individually dust a group of tiny figurines. She’d never examined them closely before. “My goodness, what have we here?” There were thirteen of them, and each one was different. She was amused to see that some of them were werewolf figures, others were women dressed as witches, while others were trees or other props like a lampstand and a tiny bridge. They reminded her of components in a diorama, only they were freestanding with no backdrop. “Strange. Rougaroux.” She knew T was fascinated with the old legends. Several times since she’d been living with him, they’d taken long walks in the swamp at night. He’d told her more stories, tales so fantastic that she’d clung to his hand as she listened, her eyes cutting into the shadows, half expecting to see a black figure peering at them from behind a tree. Why was he so fascinated by them? Something told Glory there was more to it than she knew.