Ethan stalked toward me and I retreated until my back hit the fridge. His hands came to my face like they always did when he wanted my undivided attention.
“Will you please do me the honor of going on a date with me?”
“Since you asked so sweetly, handsome, I’d love, too.”
“Smartass.”
Then in his parents’ kitchen he kissed me. He hadn’t looked around to see if anyone was watching or where Carson was, he simply devoured my mouth.
“Get a room,” Ethan’s cousin Jackson said.
Ethan slowed the kiss and pulled away, flipping Jackson off he stepped away from me.
“Did Quinn leave?” Ethan asked.
“Yeah. She had a date.” Jackson’s face turned to stone.
I’d already been told that Jackson Clark and Quinn Walker were the best of friends. They had been since they were in diapers. By the look on Jackson’s face I guess he wasn’t happy she was dating someone. Ethan had told me he was overprotective of her, but I hadn’t fully understood just how much.
“With whom?” Ethan joined in Jackson’s distaste.
“Bobby Reynolds.”
“Bang ’em Bobby?” Ethan asked.
“One in the same. I already warned him I’d break his fucking legs he tried any of his normal shit with Quinn.”
“Who’s trying what with my daughter?” Jasper Walker asked.
“Banging Bobby Reynolds,” Jackson told him. The name alone told Jasper the who and the what. Everyone in the area knew Bobby’s reputation.
“Did you give him the talk?” Jasper asked.
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Jackson sneered.
“Good man. Thanks for always watching out for her.” Jasper clapped Jackson on the shoulder and opened the fridge. “Honor would you like a beer?”
“Yes, please.”
He twisted the top off before he handed it to me.
“Em told me she invited you and Ethan over for dinner next week.”
“She did. I haven’t had a chance to talk to Ethan about it yet.”
“Ethan?” Jasper lifted a questioning brow.
“We’ll be there,” he answered.
“Good. We’ll see you guys outside.”
“What, you’re not gonna offer us a beer, Uncle Jasper?” Ethan laughed.
“You got two arms.”
“Funny how ‘the look’ works just as well now as it did when we were kids,” Ethan joked.
“Damn right. I’m going to eat before there’s nothing left.” Jackson made his way to the back door.
“He’s right. We better hurry.”
I was sitting on the back deck, beer in hand, watching the guys throwing a football around, Carson chasing whomever had the ball. I don’t think she cared much about what team she was supposed to be on. As long as she could jump on whoever caught it, she was smiling.
Lily, Emily, Reagan, Blake, and the Walker girls, minus Quinn, all sat down at the table I was sitting at.
“This feels familiar,” Lily commented.
“It does. Only the first time we sat on this deck together we were watching the guys put together a swing set,” Emily mused.
“It was a nice sight wasn’t it? If I remember correctly, Jasper had his shirt off and was flexing, trying to get your attention,” Lily continued.
“He got it all right. It was hot as Hades. Jasper had sweat . . .”
“Gross. Please stop,” Delaney Walker complained.
“My ears are bleeding, Mom,” her sister Hadley added.
“I’ll need therapy for many years if I hear how hot my father is,” Adalynn Walker put in.
“Sorry, girls, but your father is pretty hot,” Emily poked.
The older women all laughed when the Walker girls groaned.
I had to agree with Emily, Jasper was hot. So were Clark and Levi. If the men looked this good in their fifties I couldn’t image what they’d looked like when they’d met their wives.
“Kayla’s cancer is back,” Emily whispered.
“No!” Lily gasped. “How long?”
“Awhile. They told us last night, but they’ve known for a bit. She’s decided not to do treatments this time.”
I heard the Walker girls sniff, and I felt like I was encroaching on a very private family discussion. When Carson gave me the Cliff Notes version of her family as she knew it, she’d mentioned that Jason Walker’s wife, Kayla, was very sick when they got married, but she’d gotten better and all was well. Sadly, Carson’s intel was out of date.
“What? Why? She fought so hard the first time,” Blake said.
“And second,” Adalynn reminded them.
“That’s exactly why. The doctor told her that at this point there’s nothing left to do,” Emily informed them. “She wants what time she has left not to be spent in the hospital.”
“How long?” Reagan asked.
“Not long. Maybe a couple of months. Tops.”
Tears pricked the corner of my eyes, and I mentally went through the pictures I’d taken today. I knew I had some of Jason and Kayla but made a note to take more.
The women continued to talk, however I’d gone back to watching the football game. Carson was slowing down, the ball was being passed, and she was no longer running after the receiver. When she looked over at me I knew something was wrong.
I stood but before I could go to her she was running straight for me.
“Honor,” she panted.
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t feel good,” she whined.
“All right. Let’s go sit down.”
That’s when it happened, my introduction to motherhood—sort of.
Carson sat on my lap, cuddled in, and then threw up all over me. All. Over. Me. Everything she’d eaten all day was on my chest and lap. Pieces of vomit where in my hair as well.
She retched again, and I was able to move her to the side, and, luckily, most of it hit the concrete, but my shoes were now covered as well.
Chairs scraped all around us. The Walker girls bolted before they got hit. Someone ran inside the house, and Lily stood beside me.
“Shit,” Ethan mumbled when got to us. “I’m so sorry, Honor.”
“You feeling better, darlin’?” I asked Carson, ignoring Ethan.
“A little.”
“Good. We’ll sit here a second before we clean you up.”
“I’m sorry,” she cried.
“Nothing to be sorry about.”
I couldn’t hug her without smooshing the vomit covering us but I wanted too. I hated that she was crying.
“Here,” Lily handed me a wet wash cloth, and I wiped Carson’s face.
“That was for you.” Lily chuckled.
“You wanna come with Gran, and I’ll get you in a bath and all cleaned up?”
“No. I want Honor to do it.”
Lily recoiled and placed her hand on her chest as tears started rolling down her cheeks. Lenox came to her side and tucked her in close. But through her tears she was smiling. Ethan looked from me to Carson and to his parents. A look passed between him and his dad.
And in some weird Lenox language only they knew, Lenox said, “Bone-deep.”
Lily buried her face in Lenox’s chest and her body shook. I felt like I was missing something big and maybe if I hadn’t been covered in vomit, I would’ve been able to decipher their family code, but I was, so I couldn’t.
“Bone-deep,” Ethan echoed.
After I’d cleaned up and changed into gym clothes Delaney had in her car, I gave Carson a bath and helped her into a pair of jammies and we called it a night.
I said goodbye to everyone and was overwhelmed by their kindness. Ethan was lucky he had such a great family.
We were finally at the door when Lily pulled me in for a hug and held on tightly.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“You, sweet girl, have done everything.”
Before I could answer she pulled aw
ay and moved into her husband’s embrace.
“Thanks, guys. We’ll see you later. Sorry for the mess.”
“Not the first, won’t be the last,” Lenox responded.
“Ready to go home?” Ethan asked Carson.
“Yes.”
But instead of taking Ethan’s hand she grabbed mine.
“Will you lay down with me when we get home?”
“Sure will, darlin’, right after you drink down a special cup of tea to make your tummy feel better.”
Lily sniffed, Ethan cleared his throat, and Lenox smiled.
There was something in the water, they’d all gone batty.
13
“You sure you still want to do this?” Honor asked.
“Carson is fine,” I told her for the tenth time. “No fever. She hasn’t been sick since yesterday. It was all the crap she ate then the running around.”
“Okay. If you’re sure. You know better than me.”
“I’m sure. Carter will be here any minute and he wants time with Carson, anyway.”
With all the commotion last night I hadn’t been able to tell Honor why my brother wanted some one-on-one time with his niece.
I still wasn’t sure what to make of last night and how Honor had handled everything like a rock star. She hadn’t missed a beat. Most women who’d just been thrown up on would’ve had a fit. Not, Honor. She calmly sat with my daughter on her lap and comforted her. Even though I knew she probably wanted to gag. God knew I did. That shit was gross, and had been everywhere.
As soon as Carter walked in the door I’d ushered Honor out. Part of me had been afraid I was going to be stood up, and she’d opt to stay home to make sure Carson was okay. That wasn’t happening, though. Honor had disappeared into her room about an hour ago and had emerged looking stunning. She always looked great, but, tonight, she had on a little extra makeup and her hair was pulled up in a fancy twist, showing off her sexy neck. It would be a bloody miracle if I could make it through dinner without sporting a hard-on. She even wore the bracelets Carson had given her to wear for our date.
I’d been scared shitless to tell my eight-year-old I was going out with Honor. It would’ve been laughable the way I’d stumbled over my words had the situation not been so serious. Carson had simply shrugged like it was no big deal. When I’d asked her if she had any questions, she’d asked if we’d bring home ice cream if she was good. Against my better judgement, I said yes. Call it guilt for going on my first date since she was born.
“This is really nice, Ethan.” Honor noted when I pulled up to the valet.
“Let me open your door,” I warned when she went for the door handle.
The valet opened my door, handing me a ticket, and I rounded the hood to Honor’s side.
“Thank you, handsome.”
The lighting in the restaurant was dim, the dark blue walls making it even more so.
“Have you been here before?” she asked.
“No.”
After a quick exchange with the hostess we were seated and greeted by our server, an older gentleman, who’d flirted shamelessly with Honor. He took our drink order, and we looked over the menu.
“Ethan—”
“Don’t, Honor. Don’t look at the prices, just order what you want. And I swear to Christ if you order a salad because it’s inexpensive I’m introducing you to spankings when we get home.”
The thought of my hand smacking her ass had me inhaling through my nose, trying to calm my very perverted thoughts.
“You can’t say that to me.”
“I just did.”
“But—”
“Honor.” I heard from behind me. Her eyes left mine and she directed her gaze over my shoulder. The color drained from her face, and she sat up straighter. “If it isn’t my wayward daughter.”
Daughter? Honor’s father was dead. I scooted my chair back and stood. I couldn’t have been more shocked if Buck Sully had come back from the dead and was standing there himself.
Standing I said, “Congressman Harris.” When I noticed his son standing beside him I added, “Sam.”
“Officer . . .”
“Lenox,” I supplied.
“That’s right. Officer Lenox. Honor, aren’t you going to come say hello to your father?”
What the fuck? I shot a look at Honor and she looked worse than Carson did last night after she’d puked all over my parents’ patio. She stood, nearly knocking her chair over, then walked around the table and stopped by my side.
“Hello, Frank,” she offered.
“You know, your fiancé has been trying to get a hold of you. I must tell you, I’m disappointed in your behavior. I thought you’d have more class than to abandon your duties.
“Don’t you ever call him that again.”
Congressman Harris’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You seemed to have forgotten your place, young lady.”
He stepped closer, and I pulled Honor back. “I think it’s time you leave, Officer Lenox. This is a private family matter.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” I informed him. Sam was still standing in the same place; his eyes had not moved from Honor.
“You will if you don’t want me calling your captain.”
“You can call whoever the fuck you want, but I’m not leaving here without my woman.”
“Your woman?” Sam spoke for the first time.
“What are you, a Neanderthal?” the congressman asked. “Disappointed, indeed, Honor. This is the type of man you consort with?”
“Please leave, Frank. I made myself clear when I moved out. I want nothing to do with you. Ever.”
“You mean, ran away. Leaving your poor fiancé to worry about you.”
Honor’s face went from white to red, and she snapped. “I told you to never to call him that again. I never agreed to marry that man. That was your plan. I told you then, and I’m telling you now, I will never, ever marry him. I don’t care about your political games. I don’t care about you, and I never cared about your son. Leave me alone, Frank, or I swear I’ll scream from the rooftops about what a piece of shit Congressman Franklin Harris really is. If you think I don’t have pictures of you sneaking your whores in before my mom was dead, you’re wrong. What do you think your adoring public would think about the hookers you brought home the night you buried my mother?
“Consider this our final goodbye.”
“You’ll be sorry.”
“The only thing I’m sorry about is that my beautiful mother married you. Stay away from me. Please take me home, Ethan.”
“I’ll give you twenty-four hours to rethink your position.”
“You’re done.” I stepped between Frank and Honor. “She’s made herself clear. She doesn’t want to hear from you or your son again. You will respect that.”
“Ethan Lenox. I know all about you—low-class trash. You knocked up your high school girlfriend, dropped out of school shortly after, and later joined the police force. You do not want to go up against me. Cut your losses, kid, and move on. Honor has an obligation to this family. One she will fulfill.”
“Like hell she will. Now move out of the way and don’t contact her again. She doesn’t need twenty-four hours to think about anything.”
“We’ll see.” The smug bastard crossed his arms over his chest and stepped to the side.
“Yeah. We will.”
I reached behind me and Honor took my hand, when I brought her to my side and tucked her under my arm she pushed close and tried to hide her face. I wished like hell we were someplace private and not in a restaurant full of people. Frank needed to be taught a lesson, one I was more than happy to teach him. But nothing good would come from me delivering the ass whooping he deserved in a crowded room full of witnesses.
I didn’t know what the fuck family obligation meant, but I didn’t like the way my woman was shaking and was so scared she was trying to disappear.
My truck was pulled around, and I had to peel her arms from around me to g
et her into the Yukon.
“I’m sorry, Ethan. I’m so sorry.”
“Let’s just get you in, smalls.”
“Ethan—”
“Give me a minute.”
I was trying to get my temper in check. I didn’t want to say something I’d regret later and with how angry I was, nothing nice was going to come out of my mouth. Not wanting to go home yet, I drove around until I found a semi abandoned parking lot and parked.
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
Fucking hell, she obviously wasn’t going to respect my need for silence.
“Wanna tell me what that was about?”
“No.”
“Right. So, all the talk about honesty, even the uncomfortable stuff was bullshit. You want the truth from me while you keep secrets, like the fact you’re fucking engaged.”
“I’m not engaged. I said I didn’t want to talk about it, not that I wouldn’t.”
“Let’s have it, Honor. Tell me why Harris said you were engaged. And don’t fucking lie to me. I want the whole truth.”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think he’d ever be a problem.”
“So, there is something to tell?”
“No. My mom married Frank. From the beginning I didn’t like him or Sam. At first, I thought Sam was gay, then I caught him watching me. It was weird and gross. I told my mom about it, but she blew it off and said he was just a spoiled, lonely kid who had a crush. I knew he went into my room when I wasn’t home. I could never prove it, but I just knew. We were teenagers, and I didn’t want to think about what he did in there.”
“Your mom never talked to Frank about Sam’s behavior?”
“Not that I knew of, and even if she did, it wouldn’t have done any good. Sam was perfect in Frank’s eyes. He has been grooming him for politics since he was a kid. What Sam wants, Sam gets. No one will stand in Frank’s way when it comes to giving him anything and everything.”
As a police officer, I didn’t like what Honor was telling me. I’d witnessed firsthand how Sam looked at Honor, and it was creepy as fuck. Adding that to what I already knew about him from my shifts on his protection detail, I had a bad feeling.
“And the man who you’re supposed to marry? Who is he?”
Chasing Honor (The Next Generation Book 2) Page 11
