“Still nothing?” Zac asked, coming up behind him, drinking a cup of coffee.
“No,” Garret groaned. “She’s locked herself in there, and won’t say shit.”
“Well then, that means leave her the fuck alone,” Zac quipped harshly.
“But I want to say I’m sorry.”
“She doesn’t want to hear that, Garret. Just leave her alone. She will come out when she is ready for her pound of flesh,” Zac said, walking away.
Garret really hated Zac sometimes. Leaning his head against the door, he pleaded with her, “Please, Mary Jane, open the door. I’m sorry, baby. I shouldn’t have done it. You can yell at me, kick me, hell I’ll even let you whip me with the flogger, but please open this door.”
He waited, listening for any movement within the room and still he heard nothing. Getting angry he yelled, “Fine! Stay in there for all I care!”
Storming past Zac, his brother said, “There ya go, asshole. Make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. That’s sure to get her to open the door.”
“Fuck off, Zac,” Garret mumbled, slamming his bedroom door.
* * * *
Day Two…
Garret sat at the kitchen table eating a bowl of Fruity Pebbles, never taking his eyes off her door. It had been twenty-four hours since he had seen or heard her. He knew she was still in there because on occasion he could hear the shower running. Though he had tried relentlessly yesterday to get her to open the damn door, she refused. He’d even made her her favorite meal, trying to persuade her with food, but nothing. He woke the next morning to find the tray still sitting on the floor, with the food he had prepared still on it.
He wondered if she was feeling all right, was she hungry, scared, worried? He wished she would come out and talk to him. He was willing to help her in any way possible, but her stubbornness was interfering with his need to help. He had to find some way to get her to voluntarily open that damn door.
“Looking at that door ain’t gonna make it open any faster.” Zac chuckled, sitting down next to him.
“Shut up.” Garret growled.
“Just sayin’, bro. You’d have better luck watching the river run than watching that door.”
“Shut up, Zac,” Garret said again.
“You know, since she ain’t comin’ out any time soon, we could head out and do some huntin’? We haven’t done that in a while.”
“No.”
“But the weather is gonna be pretty today,” Zac said cheerfully.
“I said no.”
“Wanna go skeet shooting?”
“No.”
“How about helpin’ me chop wood?”
“No.”
“So you’re gonna just sit here all day and stare at that door?” Zac asked.
“Yep.”
“You’re an idiot.” Zac sighed, stomping out of the kitchen.
* * * *
Day Three…
Garret was lounging on the couch when the door blew open. Only it wasn’t the door he wanted open and he surely didn’t wasn’t ready to see the person who had just walked in. Jumping to his feet, he stared at the floor, knowing that shit was about to hit the fan. He had done some crazy, fucked-up shit in his life, and every time he paid for it, but God help him, he didn’t know how in the hell he was going to get out of this mess alone.
Quickly looking around, he searched for Zac, but as usual, his wayward delinquent brother was nowhere to be found. Swallowing hard, he was faced with the outcome that death was imminent, and it would be best to just let it happen swiftly, because when he looked up, his eyes stopped and stared at a little five-foot-two woman with piercing blue eyes.
“Explain yourself.”
“Momma, it’s not what you think!” he quickly said, backing away from the woman who’d raised him.
“Don’t you tell me what to think, Garret Anderson Riley. I know you better than the back of my hand. So you best be coming clean so I can decide if you’re still one of my boys or not.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he muttered quietly.
“Speak up, boy! I didn’t raise you to cower. Stand up and be a man. Take charge of what you’ve done.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied more clearly.
“Now, where is my new daughter-in-law?” Momma Love asked ,taking a seat across from him.
Shit! Garret cringed when Momma asked that question. How was he going to explain to Momma that he and Zac were living in sin with Mary Jane, and that there was a damn good possibility she was pregnant, but refused to come out of her bedroom, because he’d manipulated and deceived her? Just thinking about all that made him cringe even more. He had royally fucked up and no matter how he looked at things, it all seemed very, very bad. “Um, well, Momma, Zac and I haven’t technically married Mary Jane yet.”
“Why not?”
“Well, she’s kinda locked herself in that room over there,” he said, pointing at the room in question. “And she’s refusing to come out.”
“Why?”
“Because I kinda did something that looking back was stupid, and well, she is really mad and is refusing to talk to me.”
“I see,” Momma Love said, leaning back. She crossed one leg over the other, and Garret watched as she made herself comfortable before continuing. “And just what did you do this time, Garret?”
“Why do you think it was just me? I just said that Zac and I did something.”
“Because I know my boys,” she said forcefully. “Zac may have had a hand in whatever is going on, but you tend to take things to the extreme. So what did you do?”
“Well, I may have kinda switched Mary Jane’s birth control pills with fake ones, and there might be a good chance she might be pregnant right now, and I’m pretty sure that when Mary Jane comes out of that room, she’s gonna castrate me or something to that effect,” Garret quickly said.
“I see,” Momma said, too quietly for Garret’s nerves. He hated when her voice got that low, where he could barely hear her. When Momma’s voice grew that low, Garret knew she was holding onto her temper by a thread, and any sudden movements would make her blow. Not moving an inch, he froze. He barely blinked as Momma stared blankly at him. It was in that moment that Zac walked in the back door whistling “Dixie,” and that was all it took.
“You did what?” Momma roared, getting to her feet. “Of all the low-down, dirty rotten, bonehead moves, you impregnated sweet little Mary Jane without her permission? Boy, did you hit your head at that fancy job, or have you just plumb lost your mind!”
“Was that a question?” Garret asked.
“I wouldn’t get smart with me, boy! I raised you and I didn’t raise no deceiver. What were you thinking?” she asked furiously.
“I didn’t want her to run away anymore,” Garret replied.
“You what?” Momma yelled. “Garret, that young girl has been after y’all since she was in knee-pants, but you never gave her an eye, until you boys were ready to skedaddle outta here. Since then, she has been goin’ all over this land to try to find ya. Did you know that? I bet ya didn’t.”
“What are you saying, Momma?” Zac asked, standing next to him.
“What I’m sayin is that girl went to Florida looking for you. She worked at some diner there for months, waitin’ for the right time to call on ya. Then, you boys up and left, and she tried to follow. It was just by the grace of God y’all ended up in the same place up in cattle country. And did ya even think to ask what she was doin’ there? No! You boys assumed you knew everything, and then left her there. She told me she came to see y’all that night. Now, I didn’t ask any particulars, but you,” Momma roared, pointing at Zac, “got mad at her, thinking she was runnin’ away again, but she wasn’t, Mr. Smarty Pants. She was working and had to get back to her job. And well, after what you said to her, Zac, she left, and who would blame her? Then finally, she heads to Chicago, to the big city, looking for the big man standin’ next to you who apparently impregnated her because he didn’t want her to run away again! Oh
, lords give me strength. Jeb was right. He said I should have taken in girls, that boys were the most troublesome, stupid…”
Garret gaped openmouthed as Momma continued her rant about adolescent boys needing to be horsewhipped more often. Turning his attention to Zac, who was also standing in shock from the words coming out of Momma’s mouth, Garret asked, “Did you know any of this?”
Zac silently shook his head no.
“What are we gonna do?”
Zac shrugged his shoulders, never taking his eyes off Momma, giving her his full attention as she started to pace back and forth across the living room, ranting and talking to God for help with her wayward boys.
Garret slowly backed away from the room and turned just as Mary Jane opened the door, and stood there, looking at him.
Finally!
Not making any sudden movements, he stood stock-still, waiting to see what she would do. When she blushed and stepped toward him, Garret sighed, and met her the rest of the way, hugging her tightly.
“Oh God, Mary Jane, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I’m stupid and there is nothing to be done,” Garret pleaded, holding her tight. When her arms came up around him and hugged him back, Garret knew she was ready to listen. Well, he prayed she was.
“I heard Momma Love. Do either of you have any hide left?” she asked, pulling away from him.
“No. Momma took our pound of flesh, and is now getting ready to get out her woodchopper for our remaining carcasses. Apparently she wants her cut, too.”
Mary Jane chuckled. “Then I guess I better go rescue what’s left of y’all, huh?”
“Only if you can forgive me for being selfish and stupid.”
“I’m not ready to forgive you yet. But this isn’t all your fault either.” With that, Mary Jane stepped around him and walked into the living room. Garret didn’t feel any better, but he followed willingly and cringed when he heard Momma Love screech, “Oh, my sweet honey child. Come give Momma Love some sugar.”
Walking back into the room, Garret instantly prayed to anyone that was listening up there, that the punishment was swift and painless.
Then he stubbed his toe.
* * * *
Later that night when all the drama had fled, Garret felt drained. He lay on the couch looking up at the rafters, wondering if he was ever going to find a way to make everything up to Mary Jane and Zac. Not only had he gone behind Mary Jane’s back, but he had also lied to his brother. He had done some stupid stuff early on in his life, but he thought he had left all that behind when he’d moved away. For the last couple of years, he had done everything right. He had followed all the rules and done everything that was asked of him, without question. But one day, out of the blue, while on assignment, she was there, and his world turned upside down.
The U.S. Marshal Service waited patiently to do a hand-to-hand exchange for a person in the witness protection service. It was supposed to be a simple hand over, but Garret was not expecting Mary Jane Delany to walk off the bus and into his arms.
That day, everything changed.
All reason had fled and in its place was mine, mine, mine!
He should have known instantly when she didn’t put up a fight and agreed to whatever he suggested. She never interfered when he insisted that she live with him, nor when he started dominating her. Mary Jane smiled and did whatever he asked, without question. The one time she was gone when he got home from work, he could honestly look back now and felt like cringing. She wasn’t running from him, she was grocery shopping down at the corner market. That’s where he’d found her, with her hands full. All he saw when she smiled up at him was rage, and before she could utter a single word, he’d yanked her out of the store and drug her home. Even after that awful display, she’d never contradicted him. She’d stood there, and taken what punishment he dished out and never said a single thing.
God, he was losing his mind!
He was an animal, a beast, a heartless cad who let his greed take over. Ashamed and sick to his stomach, Garret closed his eyes and prayed. For the first time in years, he really prayed.
A buzzing sound interrupted him, and he groaned. Reaching for his cell, he didn’t bother looking at the caller ID and answered, “What!”
“Well, I see your vacation hasn’t dimmed your temper, Riley. I guess it’s a good thing that you’re going to be on vacation for a bit longer.”
Garret groaned. His boss. Fuck! “What do you mean, McMillan? Am I reinstated or not?”
“Sorry, Garret. I tried everything I could. The girl’s father was well connected. He was threatening to sue the Service and our office personally. We were left with no choice. I did manage to get you a severance package. It’s not much, though,” McMillan said.
“So I’m fired?”
“Not fired, just let go,” his boss replied. “Look, man, this shit sucks big-time. For what it’s worth, everyone here is on your side. Any one of us would have done the same thing. That girl is a spoiled little brat. I wish I had better news.”
“It’s all right. I shouldn’t have been on the phone. It’s my entire fault,” Garret muttered.
“I did some scouting, and if you’re interested, there’s a sheriff’s position in that town you and Zac were in last year. Do you want me to send them your name and tell them you’re interested?” McMillan asked.
Garret cringed. Treasure Cove? Oh, God help him. Treasure Cove wasn’t so bad, but the town next to it, well, that was another story. The small town of Celestial harbored the craziest people on the planet, and just the thought of being that close to them gave him the willies. However, with no other options before him, he swallowed hard, and did what he had to. “Sure, why not.”
“I’m sorry, Riley. I wish I could have done more. You were a really good agent.”
“Yeah, thanks, Mac. I’ve gotta go,” Garret said, wanting to get off the phone quickly.
“I’ll e-mail you the information on the sheriff’s job tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Garret said, and hit the end button. Closing his phone, anger boiled up in him to the point and he blew. Hurling the phone across the cabin, he watched as it smashed into pieces.
“Fuck!”
Chapter Twelve
Zac and Mary Jane sat on the front porch, rocking away on the porch swing, watching the sunset over the mountains. Neither one said anything, the both of them just enjoying the magic of the Appalachian Mountains.
Crickets sang a soft song as birds chirped and flittered around. A soft cool breeze blew through the trees, adding to the harmony of the music of nature surrounding them, but it was the light show of the mountains itself that held them captive. Golden streams of light burst through the trees, illuminating and highlighting the forest, as critters of all shapes and sizes burrowed and moved around, getting ready for bed as the creatures of the night slowly woke, beginning their day. The beauty surrounding them was a wonder unto itself, and both knew that nowhere else on earth would they find the serenity of the Smoky Mountains.
“It’s beautiful here,” Mary Jane whispered as a fawn meandered out of the forest.
“Yes it is,” Zac whispered in reply, watching the fawn’s mother and another deer make their presence known.
“I wish we could stay here forever,” Mary Jane added.
“We can, if that’s what you want. I have money saved. I can ask my brothers to sell me this cabin.”
“No. They worked hard to build this place for themselves.”
“Where would you like to live?”
“Somewhere where we can have this at night.”
“Well, that narrows it down a lot.” Zac chuckled, and then added, “I’ve been offered a job up in Treasure Cove. Apparently Braxton Connelly is looking to retire and spend time with his family.”
“I liked Montana. The Rocky Mountains are beautiful, but they are not the Smokies.”
“You’re right about that, baby,” Zac said, kissing the top of her head, and then asked, “Why did you stay? I mean, Ga
rret gave you the perfect reason to run, but you didn’t. You stayed, why?”
Sighing, Mary Jane sat up and looked out into the forest. “I’m tired of running. It feels as if I’ve been running my whole life. Yet, all I’ve ever wanted is you two. I know I’m not perfect, and neither is Garret, and I get why he did what he did, but how could I punish him for that one mistake, when I want a baby, too?”
“Are you going to forgive him?”
“I was never really mad at him, Zac. Shocked, yes, but never really mad. Would I have liked to be in on the decision? Yes, but what’s done is done. I can’t change it anymore than he can take it all back. I figured the best thing to do is to accept it and move on. I knew a while ago I wanted kids, I just thought we’d have a little more time alone before we started trying.”
“Do you know if you are?”
“No,” she replied. “And honestly I don’t think I am, but I will have to wait and get a test to make sure.”
“How can you tell?”
“Just a feeling, I guess. Babies come from love, not from deception. And if I am wrong, then, this baby still came from love, because I loved Garret when we made it, and though I’m still upset with him, I still love him now.”
“You know, it could be mine,” Zac said, grinning.
Mary Jane chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake. After all Garret’s deviousness, I get pregnant and you’re the biological father.”
“That would be funny.” Zac laughed, but then sobered. “Maybe we shouldn’t find out who the dad is going to be. I wouldn’t want Garret castrating me in the middle of the night.”
“Good idea.”
Neither said anything after that as the sun finally set, spraying the sky and the mountains in a kaleidoscope wash of colors. Enjoying the peace and quiet, their reverence was disrupted when they both heard a crash followed by Garret cursing.
Sighing, Mary Jane snuggled deeper into Zac and whispered, “I didn’t do it this time.”
“Neither did I,” Zac said, looking through the window. “So much for our quiet time, here he comes.”
Deception [The Masters Series 1] (Siren Publishing LoveEdge) Page 11
