Whiskey Lullaby

by Dawn Martens

Warmth fills my stomach. How does he know exactly what I need to hear? "It’s always been you for me too. I just got lost for a while. Thank God, you found me." Jase's arms tighten around me and he kisses the top of my head. For just a moment, I feel peace for the first time in nine years. Please God, please let Brandon be okay.

  *****

  Jase

  I walk out of Mack and Angie's back door and pull out my phone to call Pop.

  "What's wrong?" It's three in morning, so Pop knows that me calling means something bad has happened.

  "Brandon's hurt. I don't know any specifics, but I know it's bad." It must be real fucking bad for the Army to call in the middle of the night.

  "We need to get over to Mack and Angie's. Where are you now? I'll pick you up on the way," Pop offers, immediately ready for action. It’s times like these, that despite my past with my pop, I know that I can always rely on him.

  "I'm here already. Just get over here as quick as you can. The girls are all falling apart, and Mack's not much better."

  "I'm on my way.” He says, before the line goes dead.

  I slide my phone off and put it back in my pocket. Just as I turn to walk back in the house, Mack walks out the door.

  "Son, we need to talk." I hate that he always talks to me like I'm a damn kid. I'm thirty-one years old, and I'm not his fucking son. I sigh a little, but figure I deserve whatever shit he's getting ready to throw at me.

  "I know you love her. She loves you too. I think you'll do right by her this time. With that said, you need to know that if you her hurt again, I'll cut off your dick and shove it up your ass."

  I'm not really sure, but I think that was Mack's ass-backwards way of saying he trusts me. "I won't. I can't. If I lose her again, it'll kill me."

  He looks at me for a moment then sticks out his hand. "Enough said. Let’s get inside and take care of our women."

  We walk through the back door just as Matty's coming through the front door. Kristen goes right to him, and he wraps his arms around her. He places his mouth near her ear, and I can see him whispering to her. Then he raises her face to his and places a soft kiss on her lips. What the fuck?

  Julie comes over and puts her arms around me. She leans forward on my shoulder and whispers, "See, I told you there was never anything between Matty and me." She's right. If I ever had any doubt in my mind about Matty and Julie, it's gone now.

  I stay quiet, wrap my arms around her, and give her a little squeeze.

  Julie looks up, her face full of concern. "What do you think is taking so long?"

  "I don't know, baby, but I do know that Brandon's strong, so don't worry yet. Just wait for them to call. We’ll worry then if we have to." I kiss her on the forehead and hope to God that it won’t come to that.

  Pop and Shane arrive a few minutes later. We all spend the next four hours pacing, drinking coffee, and trying to keep the women calm. When the phone rings, everyone goes still. I think we’re all afraid to pick it up, terrified about what we may hear.

  Finally, Angie answers, "Hello?"

  Chapter 21

  Julie

  Brandon will be in the hospital for a while, but then he's coming home. He’s coming home with a piece of metal floating around in his chest, but at least he's coming home. The doctor says one wrong move and Brandon could die. A big part of me wants to cry, but I know what could have been and I'm just thankful he’s coming home at all. There were five other soldiers in the Humvee with him, and all five of them died. So right now, I'm thanking my lucky stars that my brother is alive.

  Jase and I left Uncle Mack's a few minutes after the doctor called. I just couldn't be around everyone. I felt like I was being smothered. Everyone kept asking me if I was okay. Did I need anything? Could they get me something to eat or drink? They kept hugging me and telling me how much they loved me. It was all just too much. I wonder if this is how Jase felt after his mom passed away?

  Jase turns the truck right when we should have turned left. I figure he's probably taking me to get something to eat, but that's the last thing I want right now. "I'm not hungry, Jase. I just want to go home."

  "We're not going to get something to eat. I'm taking you to our place. You need some rest, and you’re not going to get it at your house with Jenny running around all over the place." I want to correct him. I want to tell him that he’s taking me to his apartment not ours, but I'm too tired to argue. So I just close my eyes and lean my head against the window. Within minutes, I'm out.

  I wake up in the bedroom that I used to share with Jase. Everything's the same. The book I was reading the night before I left is still sitting on the bedside table. The picture of us at my senior prom is still on the wall. Then I notice the sun light bouncing off something on the dresser. I get out of bed and walk over to it. It's Jase’s Grandpa's dog tags. I pick them up and run the cool metal across my cheek.

  "I never put them back on. They weren't mine anymore. It didn't feel right wearing them. I've kept them right there waiting on you to come back," Jase says from the doorway. He walks over to me, takes the dog tags from my hand, and slides them over my head. "This time they stay forever."

  I place my hand on the dog tags and smile. I love the way they feel around my neck. The weight of them makes me feel whole again.

  Jase starts kissing me, lightly at first, then harder. He picks me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me to the bed and lays me down, coming down on top of me. We take it slow. Both of us becoming reacquainted with the other’s body. When Jase runs his hand over my C-Section scar, he stops and looks at me. "What's this?"

  "I had to have a C-section with Jenny. She was positioned upside down, and the doctor couldn’t get her to turn. I needed help to get her out."

  Jase looks at me with sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry I wasn't there," he says, then starts placing soft kisses across the scar.

  “I’m sorry that I didn’t give you the chance to be there,” I say, meaning every word.

  Slowly, his kisses move lower than his hand and join his mouth. He’s taking his time, savoring every moment of it, but it’s killing me. The last thing I want right now is soft and gentle, and I have a better idea. I can’t help but lick my lips at the thought.

  "Come here, Jase." I say, needing his cock instead of his mouth.

  "No, baby. You come in my mouth first, then I'll make you come on my dick."

  He sucks on my clit as his fingers work inside of me. It feels so good that I can’t remain still. I raise my hips towards his mouth, and he starts to twirl his fingers inside me. He uses his teeth to add a little pain and my body explodes. I'm still coming when Jase slides in to me. He grabs hold of my hips, flips us over and uses his hands to guide me into the rhythm he wants.

  "You feel so fucking good. I swear your pussy was made just for my cock." His words urge me on, and I start moving faster. I grind down hard on each thrust, trying to get him as deep as I can. I'm about to go over the edge when Jase grabs my head and lowers my lips to his. He kisses me and flips us back over.

  "I love you, baby. I love you so fucking much," he grunts, as he pounds into me. His second thrust sends me into orgasm. I feel him get close and tighten my muscles around his cock. He growls into my hair and thrusts once more before finding his own release.

  He lays on top of me for a few minutes, breathing deeply. Slowly, he pulls out, causing me to shudder. His hands travel to my back and he is pulling me against him. He looks at me with a smile. "Fuck, baby! You keep doing that shit with your pussy and you'll kill me."

  I start laughing; laughing like I haven't laughed in nine years. "I love you, Jase."

  "I love you too, Julie."

  ******

  Jase

  We lay quietly for a while. I am just about to fall to sleep, when I hear Julie’s voice.

  "I need to get home to Jenny," Julie says through a yawn. “She’s probably up by now.”

  "Okay, baby, you want to hit the shower first? I'll wash your back, if you
wash mine." I smile and give her ass a squeeze.

  She giggles and swats my hand. "I don't have any clean clothes, but you can take a shower now. I'll grab one when I get home.”

  “There's stuff in the closet. It's your old shit, but it'll do until we get you home. If it won’t fit over your belly, you can wear some of mine. I probably have some sweats that we could tie tight." I like the thought of her in my clothes. I can’t help it; a grin appears on my face.

  Julie pulls back and looks at me. "You kept my stuff. I saw some of it, but..." She looks around the room. "Why would you keep all my things for so long?"

  "I always hoped you'd come home, so I never got rid of anything. Hell, even that basket of crafty shit you used to work on all the time is still sitting right beside the couch." I give her a gentle kiss. "Having all your stuff around made me feel closer to you."

  Julie has a funny look on her face. She probably thinks I’m some kind of whack job. I know it sounds fucked up, but it’s the truth. Shane and Matty have been on my ass forever about packing up all her shit, but I just couldn't do it. Getting rid of her stuff seemed like giving up.

  "What did all your women think about that?" she asks quietly.

  Shit, I should have known she would think that I’d had a ton of bitches here. Even my own brothers didn’t believe me when I told them about the ‘no bitches in the house’ rule.

  "You’re the only woman that's ever been here, Julie." She gives me a look that says she thinks I'm lying. "I swear, baby. Yeah, I fucked around a lot. But I’ve never brought any women here but you. This is our place. It’s where we were happy together. I just couldn't taint it with that shit." God, I hope my face looks as sincere as my words. I can’t let any more history fuck things up for us. Not now that I finally have her back. I’m not sure what the look on her face means, but I hope to hell that her eyes tearing up is a good thing.

  Julie brings her lips to mine. "Did I mention how much I love you?" she whispers into my mouth. She kisses me. Kisses me in a way that makes my dick hard again. She pulls away and crawls from the bed. She walks towards the bathroom door, buck-ass naked.

  "Thought you wanted a shower?" she says over her shoulder.

  Hell yeah! I jump out of the bed and smile all the way to the bathroom.

  Chapter 22

  Jase

  It's been almost three weeks since Brandon's accident, and he's getting better every day. He's in a military hospital in California. Angie's there with him. Julie wants to go, but her doctor doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Her blood pressure has been running a little high. The doctor says that he doesn't think that it is anything to be worried about, but he still doesn't want her flying across the country.

  She's been real antsy, knowing he's there, so close, yet she can't go to him. I need to distract her to help take her mind off everything. I figure I'll take her out tonight and do something special with her. Plus, I want to talk to her about moving in with them. I have no idea how that will go down. To be honest, I’m terrified she’ll say no, but I’ll still try.

  I want to be with Julie and Jenny all the time, but that’s not all of it. That fuckwad Dean has been calling all the time. She’s had to change her number more than once. Both women are on edge, and I'm starting to worry about them being there on their own.

  Bethany is watching Jenny for us tonight. We’re at Mario's Italian Restaurant, seated at our table and looking over the menu, when Brittany saunters over.

  “Well, well. Nerd girl and Jase back together again. How sweet!” she says with fake cheeriness.

  “What do you want, Brittany?” I spit out.

  She looks at Julie. "I heard you were having another kid, so I came to congratulate you, and see if Jase wanted to hook up later. They got extra big bathrooms here." She has some damn nerve. How could I have ever fucked such a bitch?

  “Walk away, Brittany. Now. I don’t know how many damn times I have to tell you, I’m not fucking interested!” I say in a near shout.

  She doesn’t walk away, instead she decides to share some information with Julie. “You should probably know, Jase here has slept with every female member of the waitressing staff and probably half the women dining here tonight. So, have fun,” she says laughing, sauntering off.

  Stupid cunt! I look at Jules and notice that her face is pale and she’s clenching her teeth. I reach my hands over to hers, noticing they are also clenched. “Baby,” I say quietly.

  She takes her hands out of mine. “Please, Jase, just take me home.” Her voice is sad and she is refusing to look at me.

  “Julie, don’t let Brittany or any other girl here ruin tonight for us. Please,” I beg.

  “Fine. But Jase, if one more of your women comes up to me, I’m leaving with or without you.” Her voice is firm.

  I nod in agreement. “If it happens again, we’ll leave.”

  Julie looks over at where Brittany is sitting. She then looks back at me. “Does she talk to you like that with Jenny around?”

  I hesitate in my answer, but I need to be honest. “Yes, she has a time or two.”

  She throws the menu down and storms over to Brittany. Her hands are clenched to her sides. Shit. “If you ever go near my daughter again, I will kick your ass. Do you understand me?” Julie screams, but Brittany just laughs. “I’m funny, huh? How about this? If you don’t leave us alone, I’ll make sure Kristen finds out everything you’ve been doing.”

  Oh shit! Everyone in town knows that you do not cross Kristen. She can be one bad-ass bitch when she wants to be. I don’t even bother to look at Brittany’s reaction to Julie’s words, but when Julie comes back over, she is calm and collected.

  ******

  Julie

  Tonight isn’t quite going as I planned. I know that Jase wanted to make tonight special, but yet again, shit happens. I can’t believe that I just went up to Brittany in the middle of a busy restaurant. I can’t deny that threatening her felt good. Was it a good idea? No. But it needed to be done. It’s one thing for her to come up to me or Jase, but it’s not going to happen when Jenny is around. I also hope with that little scene I just caused, any other woman thinking of coming over here tonight, will think better of it.

  Plus, I’m getting sick of all this. I'm tired of everyone trying to cause trouble for Jase and me. We haven't even been back together for a month yet, and I have had the pleasure of meeting a ton of women that Jase has screwed. They want to share all the seedy details of their time with him. I'm not sure why, because it all just sounds sad to me. Is it too much to ask that if Jase and I go out, we get to have a nice time together without some woman he has slept with ruining it? Can't they just give us a break?

  I'm also getting a better idea of what it was like for Jase while I was gone. And I hate it. Every story I hear starts the same: Jase was drunk off his ass...

  I know Jase has been trying. He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol since we got back together, but I can tell it’s hard on him.

  The waitress finally shows up to take our order. She looks a little nervous, so I smile at her to let her know that I am not going to freak out again. She walks away, but comes back with bread sticks a few minutes later. I am just starting to take a bite when Jase breaks the silence.

  "I want to talk to you about something. I know this isn’t the best time, especially after all that shit," he adds, looking towards Brittany's table, shaking his head. "But I think that I should move in with you."

  What? Oh my God! Is he serious? "Don't you think that would be a little too fast?"

  I must have looked scared out of my mind, because Jase starts to laugh. "Yeah, baby, it is fast, but I have my reasons. Now, just hear me out." He takes a deep breath and continues. "I don't like the idea of you girls being there all alone. That dickhead you were married to has been calling damn near every day. Bethany is a fucking basket case. You're on edge. Even Jenny looks nervous. I can't protect you from across town."

  I think about what he's saying, and it makes sens
e, but I'm just not sure I'm ready for this.

  "Baby, it doesn't have to be permanent. When the shit with that bastard calms down, I can move back home, but I'm hoping that you won't want me too." He ends with a wink.

  He's right. Dean's calls are coming daily, and each time he calls, his threats are worse than the time before. The thought of Jase moving in, despite the reason, thrills me a little. Maybe it would be for the best? I look up at Jase and smile, my mind set. "Okay, we can give it a try."

  Jase gets up and walks around the table, he leans down and gives me a kiss. “I promise that you won’t regret this.”

  Chapter 23

  Jase

  I’ve been living at Julie’s for two weeks, and I fucking love it. Learning to live with a house full of women is kind of hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. The only thing I miss about living on my own is watching TV. I swear if I have to watch one more episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives or Sex in the City, I will turn into a bitch myself.

  But I’m alone today. Julie, Kristen, and Bethany are Christmas shopping, and Jenny’s with Mack. My plan is to watch an Ultimate Fighter marathon. I’m going to do it while drinking beer and eating pizza without a plate. I laugh as I knock crumbs off my lap. Bethany will hit the fucking roof if she sees crumbs on the couch. I really like that woman, but she is really fucking anal when it comes to shit like that.