While she greeted everyone, Lorrie relaxed, excited that they’d come to see her. In the back of her mind, she started wondering what Curtis had gotten her for her birthday. And it had nothing to do with the fact that she even wanted something, more because she didn’t want anything. But she knew Curtis. He always said he wanted to give her everything, but he never seemed to realize she already had it. Him.
“Happy birthday, darlin’,” Curtis whispered in her ear as he pulled her against him. “I’ve got another surprise for you. But you’ll have to be a really good girl to get it.” His voice lowered more. “And you’ll have to wait for all these people to leave, ’cause it requires you to be naked.”
Her face flamed instantly as she leaned back and looked at him. Luckily no one was standing close by, and the conversation carrying on around her likely made it impossible for anyone to have heard him, but still, she was embarrassed.
And turned on.
She quickly shook off the thought.
“Come on, let’s get some cake.”
“Happy birthday, Lorrie.”
Lorrie looked over at the sound of her mother’s voice, and she nearly burst into tears. She had briefly noticed that her brothers and sisters were all there, but she hadn’t seen her mother.
“Momma.” A sob ripped from her throat as she went to give her mother a hug.
“My little girl’s all grown up.”
To hear those words from her mother’s mouth made her insides shake. She’d spent the better part of the last six years wishing her relationship with her mother could be better. They hadn’t spoken since Kathy and Celeste’s funeral, and for a while, she had wondered if they ever would.
“Thanks for inviting me,” Dorothy said to Curtis.
“You’re welcome here anytime.”
Suddenly, the thought of whatever gift Curtis might have in mind wasn’t quite so bad because as she looked around, seeing her family and friends there with her, nothing else mattered.
“Let’s get some cake for the birthday girl,” someone shouted.
After they did an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday,” David offered to cut the cake, and as he passed it around, Lorrie spoke to her friends from school. Although she saw them from time to time in town, or at church, it was still exciting to know that they’d come over to celebrate her birthday.
As the conversation continued to flow while everyone enjoyed cake and ice cream, Lorrie had finally started to relax when Curtis came over and put his arm around her. “You ready for your gift?”
“Maybe.” Depended on what it was.
“Come on, everyone,” Curtis announced. “It’s time for Lorrie’s present.”
The chatter ceased, and everyone started following as Curtis led Lorrie out to the front porch.
The first thing she noticed was a car coming down the narrow dirt drive toward the house.
It was a fancy car. Shiny and new.
She really, really hoped he hadn’t bought her a car.
“Oh, my goodness,” Lisa whispered to Daphne. “Do you think that’s her car?”
Daphne squealed a little bit.
Lorrie shook her head. She really, really, really hoped he hadn’t bought her a car.
Trying not to get nervous because the thought of driving a car petrified her, Lorrie stood beside Curtis, waiting for him to explain what was going on. Though she didn’t want to look, her eyes were glued to the pretty, shiny car that she absolutely didn’t want.
Would she have to break Curtis’s heart? Would he be upset with her that she didn’t want a car?
He should know her better than that. She didn’t know how to drive, and though she wanted to learn one day, she didn’t want it to be now.
The car stopped in front of the house, and Lorrie fought the urge to squeeze Curtis’s hand.
For a second, it didn’t register who had stepped out.
“Mayor Clark,” Curtis greeted the man walking toward them.
Why in the world would Mayor Clark be driving her car?
“You remember my beautiful wife,” Curtis said, putting his arm around her shoulder.
Lorrie shook the mayor’s outstretched hand.
“So nice to see you again.” He was beaming as he gripped her hand firmly.
“You, too.”
“Are you ready?” Curtis asked.
No. “Yes,” she said nervously.
The mayor handed a folded sheet of paper to Curtis, and he released her so that he could take it and open it. He glanced over the page briefly before handing it over to her.
Hesitantly, she took the paper, glancing at the faces around her before looking down at it.
Only two words on the page registered: Coyote Ridge.
She looked up at Curtis. “What is this?”
“It’s the official document reflecting the new name of our town,” the mayor explained.
“What?” Lorrie knew her eyes were as big as saucers, but she couldn’t help it.
Curtis’s smile grew even wider.
“Your husband came to me a while back with the request to change the name of Granite Creek. In order to do something such as this, it requires a vote from the town. We are happy to say that we will no longer be known as Granite Creek. Officially, our new name is Coyote Ridge.”
Lorrie couldn’t breathe as she stared at Curtis in complete shock.
“Happy birthday, darlin’,” he said, pulling her into his arms.
They were surrounded by applause, but the only thing Lorrie heard was the beating of her own heart as she hugged Curtis fiercely.
Her husband had changed the name of their town.
For her.
chapter TWENTY-EIGHT
“Thanks for comin’,” Curtis told David as his brother headed down the porch. “And thanks for all the help.”
“No problem,” David called back, waving as he headed toward the big house.
Finally.
David was the last to leave, and though he’d thought the house would never be quiet again, Curtis now had Lorrie all to himself.
Closing the door, he turned to see her standing there, staring back at him, the same way she’d been doing for the past couple of hours. Ever since Mayor Clark had delivered the paper showing that they had officially renamed the town to Coyote Ridge.
“I thought you bought me a car,” she blurted.
He grinned, closing the distance between them.
“Yeah?” He stopped in front of her. “Were you disappointed?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. The last thing in the world I want is a car.”
“No?”
“No.”
“So, did you like your gift?”
“I can’t believe you remember that,” she said, her eyes locked with his.
He took her hand and pulled her over to the couch, then had her straddle his lap so that she was facing him.
“It’s funny. The day my mother told me that the Walkers owned all the land in Granite Creek, I knew that one day I would rename the town. I had no idea what that entailed at the time, but I remembered a little blond-haired, blue-eyed girl telling me that it would’ve made more sense to be called Coyote Ridge.”
“I’m pretty sure you made fun of me for that,” she said, grinning. “Was it hard to do?”
“It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be.”
“What does it entail? Changing a whole town’s name?”
“Let’s just say, there are some new land owners in Coyote Ridge.”
Lorrie smiled. “I really like the name. It’s perfect.”
“It is perfect,” he agreed, reaching up and framing her face with his hands. “Just like you.”
Curtis pulled her face to his until their lips met. He’d been wanting to do this all damn day, desperate to feel her against him. Her mouth was pliant as he slipped his tongue inside. When she started to squirm on his lap, his dick roared to life between them.
“What do you say we take this to t
he bedroom?” he asked, pulling back and looking at her.
Lorrie shook her head.
Okay, so maybe he’d misread her intentions. Rather than show his disappointment, he watched her.
“I want to stay right here,” she whispered, her lips returning to his mouth.
He damn sure couldn’t argue with that.
As she kissed her way along his jaw, Curtis’s dick throbbed behind his zipper. This woman made him wild for her, and she seemed to surprise him at every turn.
She nibbled his ear, and Curtis’s hips bucked upward as he gripped her hips in his hands, pulling her down to him. “I need to be inside you,” he growled.
Lorrie nodded.
“Right here?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“Undo my jeans, Lorrie,” he instructed.
She sat up straight, her eyes meeting his. He saw heat and hunger swirling in the glistening blue hue. When she reached between them and undid the button, he never took his eyes off her. It didn’t take long before she freed his dick, though it required a little help on his part, forcing the denim midway down his thighs.
“Do you have panties on?” he asked.
Lorrie nodded.
“Take them off.”
Curtis stroked himself as she climbed off his lap. He laughed when she teased him, lifting her dress high enough to give him a little peek before she allowed it to fall back to her thighs as she lowered her panties down her legs and kicked them to the side.
“Now the dress.” He smirked. She only thought she was the one in control.
Cupping his balls, he continued to torment himself while he watched the seductive little striptease that didn’t last nearly as long as he would’ve preferred.
“Bra,” he commanded.
Lorrie unhooked her bra and tossed it away, leaving her standing naked in the middle of their living room.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “So fucking beautiful. Now come here.”
He helped her back onto his lap, straddling his hips, but before she lowered onto his thighs, he stroked her pussy with the head of his dick, the wet heat sending electrical currents firing through his veins.
“You’re wet for me,” he said.
Lorrie nodded.
“I want you to ride me, baby.”
She moaned when he pressed the head against her entrance, then, using his other hand, he pulled her hips so that she took him inside.
A rumble echoed in his chest as he groaned. She felt so damn good.
When he was fully seated inside her, Curtis released her hips.
“Ride me, beautiful. Ride my cock.”
Her nipples puckered instantly, and he reached up to tweak them as she began lowering and lifting, taking him inside before pulling away.
“Rock your hips,” he urged. “Take me all the way inside and rock them back and forth.”
She did as he instructed, taking him deep as she rolled her hips. Her eyes closed and she moaned softly.
“So tight. So wet. I love the way your pussy grips me.” He knew how much she liked when he talked to her. His sweet girl was definitely naughty, and he had no problems telling her what he liked most.
He watched her for the longest time, enjoying the friction of her smooth pussy walls along his dick. Her head tipped back as he sucked one nipple into his mouth, her whimpers only heightening the sensation.
“Curtis… I need more…”
“What do you need, darlin’?”
“I…” She whimpered again. “I need … more.”
He smiled, then gripped her hips to still her movements. Her eyes snapped open, and she met his gaze.
“Let me do the work now,” he said. “But I want you to touch yourself.” He brushed his thumb over her engorged clitoris. “Right here.”
Her throat worked as she swallowed.
“Come on, baby,” he encouraged. “I wanna see you touch yourself.”
Taking her hand to help her along, Curtis placed her finger over her clitoris. When she didn’t pull away, he gripped her hips again and began gently thrusting up into her.
“Oh … yes…”
He’d known she’d like that.
Before long, he was entranced by the way she was rubbing her pussy while he fucked her from beneath. Her beautiful tits bounced before him, and she was by far the most captivating woman he’d ever met.
“That’s it,” he urged. “You like that?” He groaned when her pussy walls tightened around his dick. “Oh, yeah. Do that again. I love when your pussy grips my dick.”
Again, her walls milked him.
“So sexy,” he said, continuing to watch as she pleasured herself.
It wasn’t long before her moans grew louder, her breaths fast and labored.
“Curtis…”
“Tell me, Lorrie,” he insisted. “Tell me when you come.”
Her body clamped around his cock, a desperate cry escaping her as he slammed his hips upward, driving deep.
“Yes… Oh, yes… Curtis…”
He couldn’t look away as her climax ripped through her. Curtis continued to hold her hips, fucking her until he was blinded by the pleasure, and only then did he give in to his release.
chapter TWENTY-NINE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1969
Oh, my goodness, I can’t believe it. I’m an aunt. Mitch and Janice are now proud parents. Their little girl, Beth, is so beautiful. I got to hold her. And just that little bit made me want a baby of my own so much. Curtis and I haven’t started talking about kids, but I’m thinking we should really start thinking about it, because we could get pregnant at any time. I can’t wait!
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1970
Curtis talked to Gerald today. He’s finally coming home. I know this makes Mrs. Walker happy. He’s been gone so long, and though she talks to him several times a month, I know she wants him home for good. There’s only one teeny tiny problem. It doesn’t look like Gerald is moving back to Coyote Ridge. According to what Curtis told me, Gerald met a woman, and he’s moving to El Paso to be near her. This might be interesting.
chapter THIRTY
FRIDAY, JULY 26, 1970
Curtis bought me a car for my birthday. It actually made me laugh because he knows how much I didn’t want one last year. I still don’t necessarily care to have a car, but he did tell me that when we have babies, I’ll need to know how to drive. That’s true, so how can I be mad at him?
“Where are we going?” Lorrie asked for at least the third time since he’d gotten her into the new car.
When he’d opted to buy her a car for her birthday, Curtis had had to remind himself that it wasn’t his car. It was hers, so it needed to be practical for her.
Yeah, well, picking it out hadn’t been all that easy. It was a hell of a lot easier to tell himself not to buy a cool sports car than it was to actually do it. So he had compromised. Although he would’ve preferred to snag one of the impressive new Dodge Chargers, he had ended up getting her a 1968 Mercury Cougar. A little big for her, maybe, but he felt safe with her behind the wheel.
Or rather, he would feel safe with her behind the wheel once he taught her to drive.
“Curtis!” Lorrie squealed from beside him. “Tell me where we’re goin’.”
He turned on the dirt road that would lead to the perfect spot for her to get some miles under her belt. It would be her first time driving a car, and he was taking that into consideration.
Rather than answer her question, he stopped the car, put it in park, turned off the engine, opened the door, and got out. He walked around to the passenger side, opened her door, and stared down at her.
“What?” she asked, eyes wide.
“Your turn.”
“My turn?” Her eyebrows darted down. “For what?”
He cocked an eyebrow. “To drive.”
She started to laugh, which only made him laugh.
“No way,” she said when she caught her breath.
“Yes way,” he told her, helping
her out of the car. “Now go get in.”
She was frowning at him, which only made him laugh more.
Rather than let her sweet-talk him out of this, he climbed in and closed the passenger door, leaving her standing on the side of the road while he waited patiently for her to get in.
Lorrie huffed when she finally dropped into the driver’s seat. “I can’t even reach the pedals,” she complained as soon as her cute little butt hit the seat.
“Move the seat up.”
“I don’t know how,” she argued grumpily.
Underneath that sweet exterior was still the feisty girl he’d fallen in love with, so Curtis had known as soon as he’d had the idea to teach her how to drive that she would do this. Which was why he had mentally prepared himself beforehand. He could do this as long as she wanted. “It’s electric, baby.”
She fumbled around for a minute, and then the chair started to move forward, bringing her closer to the steering wheel. And then closer. And closer. He laughed when she got too close and had to move back some.
“Don’t laugh at me,” she warned, her tone serious, which only made him laugh more. “Now what?”
This wasn’t quite how he’d seen this playing out, but it worked.
“Start the car,” he instructed.
She started the car without problems. That was a good thing.
“This is an automatic, so you won’t need to shift gears,” he explained as he walked her through the gadgets and levers near the steering wheel. He showed her where her turn signals were, which pedal was the brake, which was the gas.
“What about the radio?” she asked.
“We’ll worry about that later.” That was the last thing they needed to deal with now.
Curtis (Coyote Ridge) (Volume 1) Page 16
