He let out a huge sigh. “I know and I’m sorry, but I’m getting help. Libby is calling the rehab center right now so I can go back in and get clean.”
“You used again?”
His face flushed red as he slid his hands down the legs of his sweat pants. “Yeah. After I ran into you yesterday. I couldn’t handle seeing you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not you, Lissa, it’s me. I have to figure out how to deal with stress. My relief is heroin, but I need to find something better to take care of it rather than using.”
“I wish I could help you. I wish we would have been able to deal with this together. I wish Andrea could have had the father she’s always talked about.”
“She doesn’t know about me?”
“No, not really. I’ve told her a few things, but nothing to connect you to her.”
“When I get out this next time, I want to meet her.” He sat down next to Melissa and took her hands in his. “I promise I will get clean. We can be a family.”
Melissa shook her head. “I don’t think that will be possible. I’ve moved on, Lee. I have a life now.”
“Is there someone else?”
“Yes.”
Enough of this shit. “I think you need to leave, Melissa,” she said as she stepped into the room. “Haven’t you caused enough heartache?” Her hands trembled from the anger rushing through her. “You should have kept this to yourself. Lee is trying yet you throw it in his face he has a daughter he doesn’t know and you won’t let him get to know.”
Lee climbed to his feet. “Lib, it’s okay.”
“No it isn’t. She only came over here to torture you with this. She never had any intention of letting you see your daughter.”
“I’m sorry. Seeing you earlier sent me into a tailspin. When I went home and saw Andrea, I couldn’t get you out of my head. She looks so much like you.” Melissa grabbed her purse and stood. “I’ll go.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. “Here is my phone number. When you get out of rehab call me. I don’t know if I’ll be okay letting her meet you or not, but we’ll see.” She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll always love you. That will never change,” she whispered before she turned and walked out the front door, letting the screen bang shut behind her.
“That went over well.”
“You should have stayed out of it, Lib. It was between me and Melissa.”
“To hell with that! You are my brother. She’s been keeping a secret from you for over ten years, and you are going to let her get away with it?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is my daughter. I want to be a part of her life and to do that, I have to get clean, get a job, and make myself dad material. Maybe this is what I need to make me take responsibility for my life, Libby. I don’t know, but I do know she has to come first.”
At this point Libby didn’t know what to do. She wanted to support her brother in his decisions, but it felt wrong to let Melissa keep his daughter from him. I just need to stay out of it and worry about my own life. “Are you hungry? I’ll make some lunch while we wait for Brock to get back with your new clothes.”
“Sounds good and, Lib…?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Lee.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Ham or Turkey?”
Chapter Seven
Later that day Brock watched from next to the door as Libby helped Lee check into the rehab facility. The place seemed nice with its soft palette of colors in peaches, orange, and rose as well as the long couches and water fountain in the corner. A young woman with long brown hair pulled back in a ponytail greeted them. She was pretty, tall, curvy, with beautiful green eyes. If he wasn’t so enamored with Libby, he might be attracted to her, but Lee seemed to be a little in awe of her.
“My name is Amber Gillette and I am one of the counselors here. You must be Lee.” She held out her hand.
“Yeah.”
“No need to be worried. We’ll take good care of you.”
“I was here before.”
“I know. I’ve read your file. I didn’t work here when you were a resident before.”
Libby stepped forward. “I’m Libby Reynold’s, Lee’s sister. It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you. It’s great to see families who are willing to be supportive of their loved ones in their recovery.”
“How long have you been a counselor?”
“Several years, but I was an addict myself before I became one.”
“Wow.”
The woman blushed. “It’s nothing really. I realized after I got clean that I wanted to help others get passed their addiction, so I went to school and got my degree.”
“You aren’t old enough to have went through college and everything, are you?”
Amber laughed. “Thank you, but yes I am. I’m actually in my mid-thirties. I am working on my doctorate now.”
“Nice.”
Amber turned toward Lee, a slight blush to her cheeks giving Brock the idea she was quite taken with him too. “Lee. You and I need to talk about what you want and how you want to go about getting clean.” She tilted her head slightly as she nodded. “Are you ready to begin?”
“Yeah.” He turned toward Libby. “I guess I’ll see you in a couple of months.”
“Call me if you need me, and I’ll come right over.”
Amber stepped forward. “Actually, for the first month or so, he won’t be able to contact anyone outside of the facility. We require that of our residents now simply to keep them focused on recovery. As I’m sure you are aware, there are family members who enable the behavior that led to addiction.”
Libby’s shoulders stiffened. “I’m only here to help him.”
“I understand, but it’s best for him.”
“I’ll be okay, Lib. I trust these guys.”
The frown on Libby’s face made Brock want to smooth it with his fingers, hold her to his chest, and run his hands down her back. She would need him this evening.
He moved toward her and took her hand. “Let’s go. We have an errand to run.”
“We do?”
“Yes. Trust me.” She glanced back as he led her out the door, letting it close softly behind them. “He’ll be fine, Lib.”
“I know. It’s hard to leave him here though after the way he looked this morning.”
“He’s a grown man. He needs to take responsibility for his actions, something he hasn’t done until now.” He took her to the truck, opened the door, and gave her a questioning look. “Do you want me to drive?”
“Sure. I’d rather not have to think right now.”
He helped her into the passenger side, closing the door when she was buckled in. The truck turned over with a twist of the key. With a glance in her direction, he put the vehicle in drive and slowly moved out through the driveway and onto the street leading back toward Bard. “Do you want to get something to eat?” I probably shouldn’t ask that since I don’t have money to pay for anything.
“I really don’t feel like going out, Brock. Let’s go home.”
Home. I like the sound of that even if it’s not my home. “Sure, darlin’.”
She smiled at him, a sad look that said she was overwhelmed by everything that had went on the last couple of days.
Need reflected in her eyes. The need to be held and comforted, not taken advantage of in her vulnerable state. He could do that, he would do that for her.
Thirty minutes later, they pulled into the driveway of her house. She’d left a small lamp on in the living room and the porchlight on as well. The house looked cozy and warm, something he’d been missing the last several years.
A sigh escaped her lips.
“What are you thinking?”
“Nothing really.” Her gaze moved back to him. “I missed being able to snuggle with you last night. I like it when you hold me.”
“I like it too.”
“Wil
l you tonight? Hold me, I mean.”
“If that’s what you want.”
“More than anything.” She reached over and ran her fingertips over his bottom lip. “I like it when you kiss me, too.”
“If we kiss, I won’t be able to keep my hands off you.”
Her lips lifted in a secretive little smile. He had a feeling she wanted more than snuggles.
“Would that be so bad?”
“No, but you’ve had a rough couple of days. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“I really need you right now, to make me forget.”
He couldn’t tell her no, didn’t want to in fact. He wanted her more with every breath he took. Once wasn’t enough with her, would never be enough he was afraid, even if he knew he wasn’t good for her.
Seconds later he pulled open her door, scooped her up in his arms, and headed for the house.
She giggled as she said, “We need to shut the door on the truck.”
“Shit. Sorry.” He headed back to the side of the vehicle and gave it a shove with his hip.
“Anxious?”
“Hell yeah. I want to be inside you so bad, I hurt.”
“I do hope you’ll be up for a little foreplay beforehand.” The door to the house opened with a push of her hand.
“Don’t worry, darlin’. I will make sure you are wound up so tight you’ll be afraid the top of your head will blow off the minute I’m inside you.” He kicked the door closed with his foot before heading down the hall with his precious bundle.
Once inside her bedroom, he gently laid her down on the bed. Her hair spread out around her like a halo. He couldn’t believe he was here with her, his fantasy girl, the one who had saved his soul more times than he could count while he rotten away behind bars. He touched her cheek. “So soft.”
She sat up before running her hands up his chest. On her knees, she wrapped her hands around behind his head and drew him down until their mouths were a scant centimeter apart. Her breath warmed his lips. Her eyes were bright and sparkling in the dim bedroom light coming through the window. “I want you.”
“I want you too, more than anything on this earth.”
“Make love to me, Brock. I need you to surround me.”
He pushed her back on the bed with his hands on her shoulders. His lips found hers in a kiss so soft, he thought he’d imagined it until her tongue touched his lips. She wanted him to surround her, and he would with everything inside him.
Their tongues danced from his mouth to hers while he slid his hands down her arms. Her skin was as soft as rose petals under his palms. He linked their fingers, bringing her hands up beside her head as he continued to devour her mouth. Her whimpers made his dick hard enough that it strained against the front of his pants, tenting the material. He trailed his lips over her cheek to her ear, nipping at the lobe for a moment before moving on down her neck. He left little love bites on her skin, marking her as his even if it was only temporary.
The small straps of her shirt did nothing to stop his assault on her senses as he made his way across her chest. Her tank top had a built in bra so she hadn’t worn one. The fabric moved easily out of his way with a brush of his nose over her skin. Her left breast appeared, the nipple rosy and pulled into a tight little nub.
She arched her back as he blew a breath over the tip. “Oh God.”
When his mouth closed over her nipple, she whimpered a low sound that came from deep in her throat. He sucked lightly on the nub, giving it a small nip of his teeth to bring her back to the here and now. He didn’t want her coming too soon. He had plans for them tonight and it meant she needed to hold off her orgasm as long as possible.
After he disengaged their fingers, he worked the top down further on her torso so he could feast on her breasts. They were perfect, soft to the touch, and fit just right in the palms of his hands. The peaks were pink and standing straight up, waiting for his mouth. He wouldn’t disappoint her.
He encircled the tip of the right one with his mouth, pulling on it with a strong suck until he had the entire areola in between his lips. He rubbed his tongue back and forth over the tip, up one side and then the other, until she was tossing her head on the pillow.
“Please, Brock.”
“Easy, baby.”
He worked the button loose on her jeans, pulled the zipper down, and then followed a path with his tongue down her abdomen as he pulled her pants down until her jeans pooled at her shoes. “Shit.”
She giggled as he worked the boots off her feet so he could get the pants off. “So sexy.” She laughed again as he grinned up at her.
“Smooth, right?”
“Yes, sir. You are one smooth operator.”
He tossed the jeans in the corner of the room before slowly sliding her panties down her legs. Her sex glistened, and the scent of her arousal filled his head.
Sliding his lips up the inside of her leg brought out the goose bumps on her skin. He could feel them as he slicked his tongue over her flesh, crawling ever closer to her center. Her taste was a high he didn’t want to come down from.
The crease between her thigh and her pussy brought the memory of a few days ago. Good God, it had only been a few days. They’d made love for the first time in fifteen years, but again it seemed like forever ago. He wanted to be with her for so long, he’d almost made this whole thing up in his mind. That’s it. I’m dreaming. I’m really still back at the pen and this is all a dream.
He lifted his head and looked deep into her eyes as he hovered over her lips. “Is this for real? Am I really here with you like this?”
“Yes. God, yes. I’ve waited for you for so long, I thought we’d never be together again when you went away, but you’re back and here with me.”
He brought their lips together gently. He was terrified of scaring her off. If she saw the real him, the one he’d become in prison, she would run screaming from the room. He’d been hard in there. He’d become someone else to survive, someone people he knew wouldn’t recognize.
“Brock, look at me.”
His gaze fixed on her. Her beautiful face reminded him of times gone, the life he’d had before all hell had broken loose, and of how things should have been.
“You aren’t there anymore. You’re here, with me, in Bard. Things can go back to the way they were before all of that.”
“Libby. My beautiful, Libby.” He pushed her hair back off her forehead. “You are so good and kind. You should be with someone who will love you like you should be loved.”
She fisted his shirt in her hand. “Damn you, Brock. Don’t you dare turn your back on me. I love you, damn it, and I refuse to let you walk away from us.”
He reeled back as if she’d slapped him. She loved him? Oh hell.
Libby sat on the back deck of her house the next day, soaking up the sun on her face as she sipped ice tea. After she’d returned from the clinic, she’d changed back into her soft cotton t-shirt and a pair of shorts. Her kick back and relax clothes included no bra.
She didn’t know what to think today. Brock had walked out on her the night before, leaving her half-dressed and so aroused she could have probably shot a dildo across the room when she came.
When she’d told him she loved him, he’d been so shocked, he jumped up, and walked out, slamming the front door behind him as he left.
The rest of the evening she’d been lost, wandering around her house as if she had no purpose. The stillness of the place had almost driven her crazy while she’d wondered where he’d gone.
He hadn’t come back last night at all.
She did realize he’d become a big part of her life in a very short time.
She’d went to the clinic this morning for a bit, to check on the collie and do a little bit of paperwork, but her mind wasn’t on the tasks at hand. Brock was the center of her thoughts.
Well to hell with him. If he can’t come to terms with our relationship then he needs to move on.
Her heart stopped in her che
st for a second. Yes, she was a bit pissed at him right now. That didn’t mean she wanted him out of her life. She wanted him here with her, but he had to want that too. He had to need her as much as she needed him.
The problem at hand seemed to be his need to be a man. He’d only had himself to rely on while he was in prison, and no one else. She could understand that. She was pretty independent herself now that she had her own business, her own home, and her own life.
The gate to her back yard creaked open then closed. Who was invading her peace and quiet?
When she glanced up, she was surprised to see Dean Carlton. “Hey, Dean.”
“Hey, Libby.” He glanced around before shoving his sunglasses up on his head. “You didn’t answer the door, so I took a chance and came around back.”
“No problem. I haven’t seen you in a long time. What brings you away from Fort Mavis?”
“Brock Callahan.”
Her gaze narrowed on the sheriff’s badge on his chest glinting in the sunlight. Was Brock in trouble? It wasn’t like Dean to get involved in something outside of his jurisdiction.
“Do you know where he is?”
“Actually, no I don’t. He left last night and I haven’t seen him since.”
The lines around Dean’s mouth deepened as he looked at her. His hand rested on the butt of the pistol at his side.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No. I ran into him in Fort Mavis yesterday at one of the stores. A taillight on your truck was out, so I stopped him. He said he’d tell you about it.”
“He didn’t, but then again, we didn’t talk much last night.”
“I need to talk to him. If you see him, tell him to call me.” Dean handed her a business card.
“Uh, okay.”
Dean pulled his sunglass back down to cover his eyes. “See you around, Libby.”
“You too, Dean.”
As the gate slammed shut behind him, she tapped the card to her lips. The whole conversation was really weird, and she couldn’t figure out what the hell Dean Carlton needed to talk to Brock about. She didn’t even know they knew each other, much less had business together. Of course, she might not even see Brock again. He might have high-tailed it out of the county by now.
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