by Vivian Arend
Laurel hung up before he could make a comment about the pet name she’d started tossing his way. The term wasn’t really what he’d expected, but damn if it didn’t make him grin every time she said it.
As if she were the one taking care of him. Him, who towered over her, and outweighed her, and could easily pick her up with one arm. And she called him baby?
It was twisted enough to make him grin.
He headed into his place to wait to see what new mischief she was concocting.
Laurel raced through a few ideas of how to redeem the day for Rafe, and ended up calling her best friend.
“Hey, you. Done stuffing yourself like a turkey?” Nicole asked.
“Just. What are you and Troy doing? You okay to get together with Rafe and me to do something? He needs a bit of a pick-me-up.”
Nicole made a rude noise. “Let me guess. Family dinner?”
It was sad everyone jumped to the correct conclusion so quickly. “Yup. Tell me you’re free.”
“Sort of free. We had the Thompson family meal yesterday and the Adams’ one isn’t until tomorrow. We’re joining Vicki and Joel Coleman for a bonfire. Want to come?”
“Perfect. Need me to bring anything, or call to warn them?”
“Nah. Joel and Rafe are family, and Vicki always cooks enough for a crowd. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
As much as she’d enjoyed the time with her own family, Laurel was eager to go help Rafe feel better. She stepped back into the dining room and offered a reassuring smile.
“Sorry for disappearing like that. If you don’t mind, Mom, I’m going to head out early.”
“Is anything wrong?” her father asked.
“Nothing much, but Rafe and I are getting together with some friends for a bonfire.”
Her mom nodded, rising to her feet and offering a hug. “I’ll save you a piece of pecan pie for later this week.”
“Thanks. I’ll promise I’ll eat enough at the bonfire to make up for missing dessert.” She kissed her mom’s cheek then her dad’s. “Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.”
“Pass on our good wishes to Rafe,” her father said.
Laurel left the family at the table, gathering her things from the living room before hurrying to the front door. She pulled it open and jerked to a stop.
Jeff stood in the doorway, an armload of flowers on one side, his free hand raised as if to knock.
Drat. She’d forgotten about him.
“Hi.” His smile partially vanished as he took in her outfit, car keys dangling from her fingers. “Running out to get something? Need a hand?”
“Date with Rafe,” she said clearly, stepping aside so he could enter the house. “Mom. Dad,” she called over her shoulder, since he hadn’t had a chance to ring the bell or knock. “Jeff is here.”
“Wait.” Jeff stopped her before she could escape. “These are for you.”
He held out a bouquet of white and yellow blossoms.
Frustration roared back to high. What did he think he was doing? Only hours back in town, and already trying to get together with her?
Before she could blast him, her mother entered the room. “Jeff. So glad you could make it. Everything go okay with your move?”
“Yes, thanks.” He adjusted position to grab another set of flowers. “Happy Thanksgiving. These are for you,” he said, offering a batch to her mom.
“Why, isn’t that sweet? Thank you.” Corrine took the bouquet, glancing at the remaining sets in his hand and under his arm.
“Your other daughter is here, isn’t she? Leslie?” Jeff asked, pulling out the third bunch. “These are for her.”
Laurel sighed. He’d brought a bouquet for each of the Sitko women, which meant if she refused hers it would look bad. To everyone else he was being friendly, that’s all.
She didn’t believe it for one minute. He’d tied her hands. Asshole echoed in her head loud enough she was sure her parents would hear it as the rest of the family filed into the living room.
She escaped in the middle of the chaos after a simple thank-you to Jeff, racing out of town to where Rafe waited.
She pulled the notecard from the bouquet, tempted to trash it, unread. But maybe she’d misjudged him. Maybe he’d realized the error of his ways while he’d been gone…
And maybe pigs would fly.
See, this is me being optimistic, she pointed out to God, but if Jeff’s still being stupid, I’d appreciate a little more backup support.
She pulled the card from the teeny envelope, glancing around to be sure she wasn’t going to run anyone over if she took her eyes off the road for a second.
Giving thanks for the good memories we have, and the better ones we will make in the future. I’m glad God brought our paths together again.
And…no. So much for optimism.
It was wrong but had to be done. Laurel rolled down her window and dropped the flowers one by one, pulling them from the bouquet with sharp jerks before letting them fall to the asphalt.
Organic material wasn’t littering, was it?
She crumpled the note and the empty paper wrapper that had been around the stalks into a ball and tossed them on the backseat. Then she pursed her lips and whistled a happy tune in the hopes the music would be enough to change her mood before she arrived.
Rafe was sitting on the front steps waiting for her. He rose as she put her car in park, all long and lanky and sexy-to-the-max as he strode forward.
Maybe they should forget the bonfire. There were a few other ways they could heat up the night. A few key things on her agenda…
Only, Jesse might be out of the house now, but he’d be back soon enough, and while Laurel was getting used to the idea of the other man guessing she and Rafe were fooling around behind closed doors, the first time they had sex, she did not want an eavesdropper.
Rafe caught her in his arms, squeezing tightly. He buried his face against her neck and took a deep breath. “Hmm. You smell delicious.”
His lips skated over her skin making it tough to concentrate. “Eau de la turkey?”
“Sweeter.”
“Can’t be the pecan pie, I didn’t get any—”
He swallowed her teasing words, and kissing him back was far better than baiting him.
Distraction finally set aside, she shared their plans. Rafe looked so pleased her momentary thoughts about a private party were forgotten.
He took the back roads to the trailer where Joel and Vicki lived, pulling into the yard at the same time as Troy and Nicole. Noisy greetings and hugs followed—gentle ones for Troy who was recovering from his accident.
“You okay grabbing the drinks?” Joel asked Vicki. “We’re going to get the bonfire going.”
“We’ll be out in a few minutes,” Vicki answered waggling her fingers at him as the door closed firmly behind the men. “I love that fire pit area,” she said, turning back to Laurel and Nicole with a smile. “Wait until you see the changes Joel made.”
Laurel didn’t bother pointing out she’d never attended a bonfire there before. Not that she wasn’t welcome, but…
She considered the friendship she’d made that summer with Nicole as a turning point. She’d always been on good terms with everyone in town, but that label of preacher’s daughter made more than a few people shy away from asking her to social gatherings, especially those of a wilder variety.
Nicole’s previous party-girl rep might be gone, but the fact she and Laurel were now tight had made a few people less prone to avoidance.
“Do you want me to put beer bottles in the bucket?” Nic asked, “or are we doing something different?”
“I offered to make Joel something more festive, but he said anything other than beer was wasted on him.” Vicki glanced at Laurel. “And I wasn’t sure if you drank, and I know Troy doesn’t, so I limited our options. Hot cider, wicked or otherwise, and beer for those who are too boring to get into seasonal joy.”
“I do drink, but not much,” Laurel said. “Definitel
y a lightweight, so if you’re spiking anything, pretend I’m about the size of a pixie, and top me up accordingly.”
Nicole eyed her. “Maybe we need to get you tipsy so we can see what happens.”
“I’ve been tipsy. That’s how I know I’m a lightweight, and trust me, you want to keep it that way.”
“Do tell,” Vicki ordered. “I take it this is part of your wild and wicked past?”
“Would that be during Bible College, or librarian training?” Nicole teased.
A laugh escaped Vicki. “Because both those strike me as wild and wicked endeavours.” She offered a wink along with the words, but Laurel already knew she was joking.
“See, there’s your problem. What you don’t understand is exactly how much mischief the supposedly good people get into.”
Vicki’s smile twisted slightly. “I know exactly how much trouble people assume a person can get into when they’re not, so it wouldn’t surprise me to find out the badness is actually occurring somewhere else.”
“Kind of like a karmic teeter-totter?” Nic asked.
Vicki shrugged. “The world’s gotta stay in balance.”
Maybe there was something to that. It stayed on Laurel’s mind as she joined the girls, obediently carrying everything put into her hands to where the guys had the bonfire blazing cheerfully.
Instead of lawn chairs, long benches with thick cushions were arranged in a circle around the pit. Sitting room for more than a dozen people was available, but the guys had arranged themselves on the upwind side in a semicircle. Rafe patted the spot next to him, tugging her closer as he wrapped an arm around her and held her.
A long sigh of satisfaction escaped him.
She glanced into his contented face. “Happy?”
“This is what I needed. Thanks.” He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before joining in the conversation, his grip on her sure and possessive.
Good call on her part—giving him a positive dose of family and friends to fill the gap he’d felt that day.
Small talk. Quiet conversation. Laughter and gossip flowed, but it was positive stuff for the most part. Friends who wanted to enjoy a night with people they cared about and trusted.
“When’s the Six Pack gathering?” Rafe asked Joel at one point. “Jesse never mentioned.”
“Today.” Joel poked the fire.
Laurel frowned. “This morning? You had a brunch?”
“No, right now.” His expression grew more sober, but he seemed satisfied. “Vicki and I aren’t going this year.”
Beside her, Rafe tightened like a spring being wound. “Did Jesse—?”
“Oh, it’s not his fault,” Joel insisted quickly. “This was my idea. I know Vicki and I didn’t do anything wrong, but I don’t want Jesse left out of family events because he’s avoiding us.”
Vicki laid her head on his shoulder, her expression a mix of adoration and sadness.
“I suggested to my mom that we’d come over for dinner this week so Jesse could join in the family dinner without us.” He pressed a kiss to Vicki’s temple. “There’s enough mayhem in the place they won’t really miss us, and Vicki made me a pumpkin pie, so it’s all good.”
“That was sweet of you,” Laurel said. “He’s lucky to have family who care so much about him.”
Joel offered a cocky grin. “Don’t go hanging too big a halo on me. My oldest brother told me he’s kidnapping Jesse for the night. Seems there’re boxes of junk left in his old room. He’s been putting off the job for years, and Jaxi’s not letting him leave the house tomorrow morning until he deals with the mess.”
“Good for Blake,” Rafe said. “Jesse’s notorious for leaving his shit everywhere.” He paused. “I’ve tried to get it out of him what’s wrong, but it’s like talking to a brick wall.”
Laurel slipped her fingers into his and gave them a squeeze.
“Hey, he’s better than before,” Vicki pointed out to Joel. “He talks to you sometimes. And you’ve worked together more this past year again—those are all good things.”
“Fine, I’ll be happy about the cup being half full.”
Laurel was impressed with Joel’s efforts, but the serious moment was making Rafe’s contented mood slip away—probably worrying about his father and family.
So she leaned forward and deliberately made a fool of herself. “That phrase always confuses me. I mean, one of the best things about a cup is that you can always refill it.”
As she’d hoped, Rafe snickered. “Way to mess up a motivational saying, Sitko. Want to go and rip a few silver linings out of the clouds while you’re at it?”
“Not motivational, but why do people searching for lost items always tell us they found it in ‘the last place they looked’? Of course it’s the last place…they found the stupid thing. They don’t need to look anymore.”
Nicole and Troy exchanged glances. “She’s as bad as you,” Troy proclaimed.
“Why do you think we’re best friends?” Nic demanded.
A shot of pure joy hit hard. Rafe had relaxed, pulling her into his lap as the fire blazed higher. The others were talking with each other, lost in private conversation.
“You’re grinning,” Rafe murmured.
“I’m happy,” she admitted. “Nic’s my best friend.”
“I caught that,” he said. “Good. I’m glad too. If I have to give up the title, I can’t think of a more worthy person. I’ll get the trophy off the shelf and give it to her later.”
“Goofball,” she teased.
He took a deep breath, nuzzling her neck. “Still can’t figure out what you smell like, but it’s making me hungry all over.”
“There’s more pie,” she offered, a shiver racing over her skin as he nibbled on her ear.
“Hungry for something sweeter,” he murmured, the words rumbling up from deep in his chest. A sexy, needy tone that made her entire body ache, and a rush of heat strike deep in her core.
An idea grew rapidly—tempting and dangerous.
Tempting, and perfect.
Except…she was missing one key ingredient.
She cornered Nicole alone for a minute, blushing furiously as she quietly stammered the question. “Do you have any condoms?”
Nicole’s eyes widened. “Whatever are you planning? I know! You want to make balloon animals for a late-night activity.”
“You know exactly what I’m planning, but I need to have one on me when I…” She made herself finish. “Well, I don’t want us not to have one, okay? And I bought a box, but they’re at my place, and I didn’t think to bring any with me to my parents’.”
“You’re killing me here.” Nicole was fighting her amusement hard. “I’m not laughing at you, really. But I’m sorry, I can’t help you. We stopped using condoms when Troy moved in with me.”
Well, now. “That’s exciting.”
She grinned. “Scary and exciting, but it doesn’t help with your issue. Don’t you think he’s got some at his place?”
Laurel frowned. “What if he doesn’t? He’s not about to go buy some at the 7-Eleven with me in the car.”
Nic snorted. “Yeah, that would end well.” She hesitated. “Give me a second. There might be a backup stash still in the truck.”
Her friend vanished, and Laurel slipped back to the fire, settling beside Rafe who curled himself around her instantly. Nicole returned a few minutes later, giving her a secret thumbs-up that set her cheeks heating.
It was nearly midnight before they gathered the bowls and glasses and called it a night. Laurel gave the girls hugs, the guys did that pound-each-other-on-the-back thing, and all three couples headed in different directions.
Nicole patted the pocket of Laurel’s coat on the sly, and she slipped her hand inside to discover a half-dozen thin, square packages.
Oh boy.
The lights were out at the rental—and Jesse’s truck was nowhere to be seen.
“Think Blake and Jaxi tied Jesse to something to keep him there for the night?”
Rafe asked with a laugh.
“They probably just offered him food.”
“Ha, yeah. You’re right.” Rafe slipped her out the door and headed toward her car. “That was a great evening. Thanks for making my day end better than it started.”
He had no idea what she was planning. “No prob.”
“You want to get together tomorrow?”
“Why don’t we decide when we wake up?” Laurel suggested.
Rafe shrugged. “Sure, I guess. I’ll call you then.”
She took a deep breath. She ignored the open door he held for her, slipping into his arms instead. “How about you roll over and tell me? Since I plan to stay the night.”
Chapter Nineteen
For that spilt second before his brain caught up with his hearing, he must’ve looked like the dumbest son of a gun, staring as if he’d lost his mind.
“What?”
She didn’t answer with words. Instead she wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck, tugging him down until their lips met.
The sweet taste of her slipped into his system and raced through him as if she’d pulled a starting cord. He’d heard what she said, and he was pretty certain he knew exactly what she intended.
Sleeping?
Sex.
Even as his brain fought to decide if this was the right time, his body was shouting it was the most perfect fucking time, and he needed to stop with the brain bullshit and let the smarter parts of his anatomy take control.
Hallelujah and amen. Yes to the hell, yes on sex.
Rafe picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips, kicking the car door closed before he raced toward the house. The heat of her body against his fried his senses. He’d wanted to go slow, not just getting to this moment, but once they’d reached it.
Slow? What the hell did he know about going slow? They were rubbing together like two crazed animals as he stumbled his way into the house, slamming the door shut behind them. He whirled and jammed her against the wall. Holding her there with his body, frantically kissing his way down her neck. Laurel dug her fingernails into his shoulders, scratching hard. The most amazing noises escaped her lips as she encouraged him on.
