Broken by Love

by C. A. Harms

  “You’re a cop?” Emma squeaked.

  Before I could answer her, Kate spoke for me. “Yes he is, so shut the fuck up.”

  I shook my head and kissed her to contain my laughter. Damn, my girl was feisty.

  Five minutes later Bree wandered out from the side of the house, tears freshly staining her rose colored cheeks. “Do you guys care if I crash here? I can’t drive, and I can’t get ahold of my friend Cary.”

  Kate wrapped her arms around Bree and pulled her close. “Of course you can stay. Come on, I’ll get you something to wear.”

  I found Max sitting on the side of the house, leaning back with his eyes closed tightly. “Do you mind telling me what happened?” He just shook his head and kept his eyes closed. “Max, you’re the one pushing her away, man. You have the upper hand, and you need to wake the fuck up.”

  He rolled his head forward, opening his eyes to meet mine. “She’s going out tomorrow night with the douche from Z’s band.” I laughed because envisioning Cody with Bree amused me. She was gorgeous, and next to Cody it was like a freak show. He had to be four inches shorter than she was, and I could bet they weighed about the same. “You do know she only agreed to the date to push you over the edge. She is shoving the same shit you do to her all the time back in your face.”

  “Game over man. Just fucking let the shit go, Carson. Tell Emma I went home.” He stood from the ground and braced himself against the house with his outstretched hand.

  “You aren’t driving anywhere.”

  He looked at me with a cocky grin. “No fucking shit, bro. You think I’m gonna give my brother the chance to arrest my ass? Hell fucking no, pig. Get T, tell him he’s my ride.” I walked off to find Tanner, and Max yelled after me. “Remember what I said, man. I already left. Emma needs to take off without me.”

  How the fuck did I get myself in the middle of this? Max needed to pull his head out of his ass and work his own shit out. I had a girl inside who I could be devouring right now, and his ass had me cleaning up his drama.

  I found Tanner snuggled up against a buzzed Lily. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Enough, man. This girl right here is not your fucking Friday night hook up.” He glared at me and jerked his arm back. I stepped up to him and got in his face to prove I had no fucking patience left to deal with him. “You are going to back the fuck up. Lily is not like all the girls you fuck with. She is a good girl, and tomorrow she will wake up hating herself if I let this continue. Tomorrow morning you won’t even remember her name, and that shit ain’t gonna be sitting on my conscience.” He relaxed a little and lowered his shoulders. “What you are gonna do is take your very drunk and emotionally fucked up brother home and make sure he gets inside safely.”

  Tanner looked back toward Lily as she let her head rest back against the wall. “What about her?”

  “She’s staying here with Bree. You get Max out of here, and I’ll take care of the rest.” Tanner nodded in agreement and walked off to find Max.

  I guided Lily toward the house. “Hi, Carson.”

  I laughed as her words slurred heavily. “Hey, Lil, how you feeling?” Her head lobbed from side to side, and she shuffled her tiny feet in an attempt to keep up. “I am so drunk. Drinking makes me horn…”

  Okay, enough of that. “Okay, Lil. Let’s get you inside.”

  Kate met me at the back door. “Hey, baby, get her settled, and I have everyone else handled. I’ll be inside in a few minutes.” She nodded as she led a very loaded and too verbal Lily inside.

  After I had allowed enough time to pass for Max to leave, I walked over to the fire to talk to Max’s other date. “Max took off. I’m sure he’ll call you or something tomorrow.”

  She smiled sadly. “He loves her, doesn’t he?”

  I nodded as I watched her closely. “Yeah, he does. He just isn’t ready to admit that to himself.”

  ***

  After she was safely in her car and backing down the driveway, I finally made my way inside, finding both Bree and Lily tucked in on the futon Kate had folded out from the couch. I wandered to our room and reached over my head, pulling my shirt off. I looked toward the bed and took in the beautiful view before me.

  Kate was lying on her back with her hands stretched out above her head. Her hair was spread out over her pillow. She had one leg hanging out from under the covers, and she wore my Arizona State t-shirt. She looked absolutely stunning.

  I crawled in under the sheets and pulled her back against my chest. I kissed her temple softly, and she sighed. “I love you, baby.”

  Mumbling back in a sleepy voice, she whispered just barely loud enough to hear. “I love you too, Carson... always.”

  I allowed the exhaustion to consume me as I held her, breathing in the soothing scent of her strawberry shampoo.

  The night’s events running through my mind, I finally let go and reminded myself that the shit would all still be there tomorrow.

  Chapter Twenty Three

  Kate

  “So, last night was full of surprises and quite entertaining, if I do say so myself.” I looked up into Carson’s sleepy eyes as he rolled toward me, pulling me closer to his chest.

  He flashed that grin I found so hard to resist. His hair was tousled and standing straight off the top of his head. Even with bed head, the man was so damn sexy it made me ache deep in my stomach.

  He placed a soft kiss against my lips. “That is the understatement of the year, babe.” He chuckled and closed his eyes like he was deep in thought. “Let’s see if we got it all. There was a girl on girl porno clip, a meathead asshole who pushed a girl too far. A proposal and an all-out catfight next to our house. Followed by me almost beating the crap out of Tanner when he thought I would actually let him take advantage of Lily. Wrapped up by me being the one to tell Max’s distraction that he left, and she would be going home alone. I would say the night was definitely not boring.”

  Carson gripped my hip, pulling me closer. “And you, my spunky-ass girl, got pissed about me carrying Emma. What the hell was with that? After everything we have been through, you should know better.”

  I looked down at his chest and swallowed hard. He was right; I did get pissed. I had just come outside after helping Bree get settled with a change of clothes. I was shocked when I saw Carson stalking across the back yard with some blonde girl thrown over his shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist while she was smashed against his chest. My first instinct was pure jealousy. I did not like that she was touching my man. Well, after that the anger hit with the thought that he was touching her. So, yes, I was being ridiculous, and when I actually paid attention the anger quickly diminished.

  “I don’t like someone else touching you… sorry,” I whispered. He lifted my chin by placing his finger under it. When our eyes met, he lowered his lips to mine. The kiss quickly turned into more as he brought his body over me.

  “It’s really hot when you get all jealous and possessive.” Carson pressed his lower half against me, making his arousal known. I wrapped my legs up over his hips, linking my ankles together, pulling him closer. Raising myself up to grind against him, he groaned. I smiled triumphantly; it felt more than amazing knowing I had this effect on him.

  “Remember we have company, so you have to keep it down.” I bit my lower lip, letting my head fall back and arching toward him. The feel of his hot, wet tongue siding down my neck had me instantly wet and ready.

  “You’re a screamer, baby.” He cupped my ass, lifting at the same time as he rotated his hips. His hardness pushed against my lady bits. “So you need to be quiet. I myself have no problems with you screaming, though. It is my way of knowing I’m doing everything right, and making you feel good is my goal.”

  When he entered me, I moaned and gripped his shoulders. “Oh fuck… so good. You make me feel so damn good.”

  He pumped his hips hard and fast, both of us fighting to relieve the tension. The bed squeaking was evidence of our morning activities, but if that w
asn’t enough, the headboard smacking the wall finalized any notions that we were still sleeping.

  An hour later I emerged from the bedroom fully satisfied and ready to start my day. I stopped in the hallway when I heard Bree’s voice flowing from the living room. She was talking to Lily, and from experience I knew Lily was a great person to talk to. She was such a positive person and had a way of making things seem just a little brighter, even on the darkest days.

  “I love him. I think I have for a long time. He is an asshole, believe me, I know.” She paused, and the silence left my chest aching. Then she continued. “When it’s just the two of us, he is so different. He has a sweet side he rarely shows. When he’s good to me, he’s so good. I’m just not sure anymore if those rare occasions are worth the heartache. I just wish I could move on, you know? It would make things so much easier.”

  I heard Bree sniffle, and Lily consoled her. “Hey, I know we just met, but if you ever need a friend, you can call me. I’m not that experienced when it comes to relationships. I’ve only ever had one boyfriend, and, well, let’s just say he had one goal. After he reached it, he was done, and I never heard from him again.”

  Bree laughed ruefully. “Wow, what a dick move. Why do guys only have the ability to think with their dicks? Don’t they realize that is the wrong head to focus with?”

  “I do know one thing, though, Bree.” Lily paused. “I saw the way Max was watching you when you and that guy were talking by the fire. He was definitely bothered by the attention you were receiving. I think he cares deeply. He just has the manly, macho ‘I rule the world’ shit getting in the way. He may need a little push and be forced to figure it out before he loses a good thing.”

  The silence settled over the room, and I took it as my cue to enter.

  “Good morning, beautiful ladies. Do I get another floor show? Because that was some very hot shit you two dished out last night.” They both smiled, and Lily hung her head, appearing slightly embarrassed. “Bree, I knew you had an inner slut, because you are one sexy bitch. Lily, I had no idea you could move like that. You have some moves, girl, and your Inner slut was beating down the doors. I think you made a few guys drool.”

  She groaned and Bree laughed. “Oh, great, just what I need. The offers for threesomes should begin rolling in soon.”

  “Who is offering threesomes?” Carson’s husky morning voice broke through from behind me. I spun around, arching my eyebrow. “What? I never said I wanted to participate. I was just asking.” He placed a kiss on my cheek. “You are all the woman I need, baby.”

  I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

  A phone ringing made us all look around. Bree held hers out in front of her with sadness etched across her face. She looked up, and her gaze darted straight to Carson. She shrugged, and her eyes filled with tears. “It’s Max.”

  Carson’s nostrils flared, but he turned and entered the kitchen without a word. I felt horrible for her. I honestly could say I knew how she was feeling. Knowing you love someone so deeply, but they are in a completely different place. The feelings of rejection filling your heart, leaving you with a decision to make. Walk away or hold onto what little you could get.

  “Okay, that’s it, enough guy drama.” I flopped down next to Bree, draping my arm over her shoulders. “We need a day of retail therapy. I say we gather the troops and make a day of it. What do you think?”

  The both looked back at me, smiling, and I hollered out to Carson. “Hey, hot stuff, I need your credit card. We’re going shopping, and you get to be Mr. Mom today.”

  I sent out a text to Riley and Kelly letting them know of our plans. I knew Ry would get ahold of Beth. We had an engagement to celebrate also. I smiled to myself as I got ready, thinking about the hidden treasure under Carson’s dresser. I knew my day would come; when he was ready to ask me, he would.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  Carson

  After Kate and the girls took off, I drove over to my parents’ to pick up Carley. Tanner was sitting on the front porch with my dad, who held my daughter, rocking in the porch swing. My niece Mariah was securely tucked to Uncle Tanner’s side.

  “Hey, son, I hear last night was a success, and I have a wedding to pay for in the future.” He smiled brightly, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. I had only confided in two people when I decided to buy Kate’s ring. First I went to my father; he was the one man I trusted completely. He and my mother had married when they were eighteen. Now here we were, thirty-eight years later, and they loved one another still, so deeply. They were strong and secure in their lives with each other. There was never a day that went by when my father didn’t treasure the woman he shared his life with. He was exactly the kind of man I wanted to be for Kate. I wanted her to be able to look back thirty years from now and know my love for her will never die, it would only grow stronger with time.

  I came to my father the morning before I bought the ring and had a man to man talk about marriage, love, and forever. I left feeling like what I was about to do was the best decision I had ever made. Kate was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She was the only person I saw myself with, growing together, loving every day.

  Zander was the other person I confided in because he was about to take the same leap with Riley, and we decided to go shopping together for the perfect rings for our girls.

  “I’m sure you’ll start seeing the bills soon enough. The girls are all out shopping now.” My dad groaned, but I knew inside he was smiling. We all loved Zander, and we knew without a doubt that Riley had found the right guy. We already considered him a member of our family.

  “Tanner was filling me in on the rest of the evening’s activities. Has anyone talked to Max since last night?”

  We both shook our heads, and Tanner spoke up. “I know he goes back on shift today at three. I’m sure he’s still in bed.”

  My dad stood from the swing and passed Carley over to me carefully. He walked toward the house, stopping just before he entered. He looked back over his shoulder at Tanner. “You and your brother better open your eyes. Women are not toys; they have feelings and needs. I love you boys with all I am, but Bree needs to walk away from Max. He’s my son, and I will always be here for him, but he doesn’t respect that girl. If you don’t watch it, Tanner, you’ll be waking up one day wondering why the hell you wasted so much time playing games. I just don’t understand you two boys. I didn’t raise any of you to disrespect women the way you do.”

  My father entered the house, leaving us to think about his words. Blowing out a deep breath, Tanner ran his hands through his hair. “Well, I guess on that note I’ll take off.” He stood up and tickled Riah’s sides. “I’ll catch ya later, squirt. Uncle T needs to go check on Uncle Meathead.” She jumped from her current position and took a seat next to me on the swing.

  I spent the next ten minutes swinging with the girls before my mom stuck her head out the door. “Bring my granddaughters inside. It’s lunch time.”

  ***

  Later that evening Carley and I were snuggled in the recliner when I heard Kate pull into the driveway. My heart fluttered, and I watched the door, waiting for her to enter. I had missed her today. She called a couple times to check on Carley, but it was nothing like having her here with us.

  When the door opened and in walked my girl with a shit ton of bags, I dropped my head onto the back of the couch. Kate and her damn fashion obsession. Damn girl had clothes hanging in her closet with the tags still on them. She laughed when she saw me because she knew exactly what I was groaning about.

  She walked up behind me and bent down, giving me a gentle upside down kiss. She whispered, “This time I bought something we both can enjoy.” Oh, now my interest had been piqued. I cocked an eyebrow at her. “What would that be? Can I see it now?”

  I watched as she walked around the side of the couch and took a seat next to me, tucking herself close. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her in just a little closer. Lo
oking down into her beautiful face, I took in her devious smile. I focused a little too long on her mouth and quickly stole another kiss, savoring the softness of her full, pouty lips. She sighed, and I smiled, pulling away. Her eyes were closed as her head rested against my shoulder.

  When I thought back to our time apart, my heart ached. To think about what I almost lost was crippling. Kate held my heart, and never again would I take that lightly. This girl fucking owned every piece of me.

  “Why don’t you give me a peek inside those bags over there?” Her eyes fluttered open, and she bit onto her lower lip. She shook her head, and I stuck my lip out in a pout. “Please.”

  She laughed, and I couldn’t help but grin back at her as she lowered her lips to our daughter’s head. “Hey, peanut, did you and Daddy enjoy your day?”

  My chest still constricted with overwhelming emotion when anyone referred to me as Daddy. I still couldn’t believe Carley was ours. Kate and I were parents, and the idea still floored me.

  “We did, but we sure missed our mommy.”

  Kate smiled against Carley’s forehead. Immediately the damn fucking constricting chest returned. This was my life, these were my girls. How could I ever question this? Who wouldn’t want this life… this love? This was exactly where I belonged. At that moment a thought hit me. The perfect time. I slowly rose and placed Carley into Kate’s arms. She looked up at me, questioning me silently. I kissed her. “I’ll be right back.”

  Kate nodded, still confused by my actions. I made my way to the bedroom and knelt down before my dresser. I reached under and took the ring box in my hand. I twisted it from side to side, taking a deep breath before lifting the lid. I pulled the ring out and slipped it onto my pinky. I slid the box inside my top drawer and made my way back to the living room. As the couch came into view, I found Kate was no longer there.