Give in to Me

by Sidda Lee Tate

  Jennica narrowed her eyes to the center of the room and placed her hands on her hips. If it were possible for steam to roll from her ears out of anger, she could fog the house.

  “Jenny.” He spoke her name, nodding. The smooth tone of his voice brought a twinge of sickness to her stomach. Troy Reins sat in her parents’ living room as if he belonged there.

  Asshole! She picked up her bag, turned on her toes, and left the room. Once out of sight, Jennica backed against the nearest wall and took a breath for the first time in what seemed like hours. Angry didn’t begin to describe what now consumed her. She’d become downright pissed. Livid.

  Virginia knew what he’d done. Lied to her. Cheated on his wife. Their complete relationship had been based on nothing but lies. Early on, maybe she had fallen in love with him or maybe the idea of love had been created at her mother’s persistence, but the sentiment hadn’t lasted long as she realized it was more of a friendship than a romance. It still hurt to be betrayed…to be the talk of the town…a home wrecker, a whore.

  “Jennica.”

  She looked up to see her mother standing in front of her.

  “You’re being rude.”

  What? Pfft…there were no words. She closed her eyes and pressed her head against the wall. Clenching her teeth, she spoke low. “Mother…he is the very reason I had to leave town.”

  “He’s here to talk.” Virginia smoothed the hair around Jennica’s face, and she scrunched her lids even tighter at her mother’s touch. “I want you to be happy.”

  Jennica shook her head, fighting back the tears threatening to fall. If she cried, it would be for the pain, the sting of words she’d endured after the affair came out. Not him. She had never cried once for him, and she’d be damned if she let him think otherwise. No tears!

  “I’m happy, Mom. I don’t need him to be content with my life.”

  “He’s changed, sweetheart. He’s left his wife…and he’s done it for you.”

  “Mother! God! Do you hear yourself? He has kids!” Jennica pushed by Virginia, not believing what she’d heard. “How many times has he been by here talking to you?”

  “Keep your voice down, he can hear you.” Her expression went firm as if his hearing mattered.

  “Fine. Tell him to meet me on the front porch,” Jennica whispered, dropping her bag at her feet. The main reason she agreed to speak to him was to shut her mother up. Caring what Troy had to say evaporated months ago…the day he told her the truth. She made her way down the stairs and burst through the kitchen door.

  The fresh air felt good in her lungs, inside she’d been near suffocation. Walking around front, she noticed Troy’s shiny, black SUV parked along the curb. She blamed her auto-pilot driving sense for not noticing it before. If she had, she might have turned her car around and headed back to Pineville.

  “Jenny.” The voice, smooth and mollified—all too familiar—called to her, sending unnerved shivers down her back.

  She stopped and closed her eyes. Not once had she spoken to Troy since he’d told her about his wife. He’d been at her house when he broke the news. She’d stared at him emotionless for a moment, allowing the information to register, then stood from the couch and grabbed her phone and keys. By the time she stopped driving she was in Pineville, parked in front of the building now occupying More Than Moss Flowers. Before heading back home, she’d called her dad to make sure Troy had left. Four months later, they’d opened the store for her.

  “Jennica,” he cooed from behind her. His hand went to her shoulder, and she jerked away, turning to face him.

  “What!” Jennica shot him a look that could kill. He stood close and she took a few steps back. “What do you want, Troy?”

  “I can’t apologize enough for what happened.”

  She laughed without humor, and he flinched. Even to her it sounded empty and bitter. But what did she care? Jennica decided to let everything out she’d been holding in for months. “No, you can’t, so save your breath.” Shaking with fury, she gripped her hands to fists and swallowed hard. “Or is there something else? Something maybe…I don’t know…that can restore my reputation in this town? Because as far as I’m concerned that is the single solitary thing I lost when we broke up. Oh, yeah, and my entire life. I grew up here, not you. I know everyone here. This town is my home, and I was forced to leave. So, fuck you!” She rushed forward and planted her palms to his chest, shoving him off balance. “I had to leave my home because of you. Me! I’m being punished because of your fucking lies!”

  His shoulders slumped, and his face fell. She’d never seen him so…defeated. For a second, she felt a twinge of remorse for him but wasted no time reminding herself what he’d done. Pressing her lips to a thin line, she lifted her chin, breathing heavy through her nose.

  “When your mother told me you were coming in this weekend, I’d hoped there might be a chance…” His voice drifted to silence and he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But I can tell you’re not ready…maybe in time.”

  No amount of time would make her get back with him, and as far as she was concerned, his time should be spent trying to work things out with his wife. She put her hands on her hips and made eye contact. “Just go, Troy.”

  Chapter 4

  Jennica succumbed to the sunlight and rolled out of bed despite feeling drained. She’d had little sleep. With too much on her mind, she’d found herself dozing off only to wake annoyed at her less than jubilant homecoming. She padded through her bedroom to the adjoining bath. Even as she showered and got ready for the day, her mind drifted to her mother’s betrayal. What had Virginia been thinking, allowing him in the house?

  Once dressed in her favorite gray, mid-thigh mini, a lavender three-quarter length sweater tunic, and her knee-high black leather Uggs with buckles, she headed downstairs to the kitchen. Virginia sat perched in her usual chair at the kitchen table.

  “Your father’s playing golf,” her mother announced, seeming a bit too chipper after what had happened the night before. Jennica rolled her eyes, unsure how to handle the woman who’d basically stabbed her in the back.

  “I need coffee,” she grumbled, and grabbed a mug from the cabinet, setting it down harder than necessary on the marble countertop. She heard her mother gasp but ignored it as she filled her cup.

  After a few steamy gulps, aware of Virginia’s stare, she cut her eyes across the room to see her mother crying. “What?”

  “I was trying to help,” Virginia choked. “I never meant to hurt you.”

  Jennica’s heart went heavy. Her mother had always meddled too much when it came to her and Troy, this time though, she’d gotten carried away. And although her instincts were to jump up and down and have a screaming thirteen-year-old-girl fit, she waved off the temptation and forced out a half-hearted smile. “I know.” She took another sip of coffee and glanced at the clock. “It’s almost nine o’clock. Do you need help opening the store?”

  Her mother shook her head, tugging at the teal blue cardigan draped over her shoulders. “I haven’t been working there much in the past few months. We’ve hired someone to work Thursday through Saturday. It was a hobby I let get out of hand anyway.”

  “Well, to me, it’s something I’ve always known you to do. I kind of expected us to be working there all day today.”

  “You want to work with me today?” Her mother’s eyes lit up and she smiled, dabbing the remaining tears from her cheeks. She got up, straightening her clothes, and led the way to the back entrance of the store.

  Virginia made it to closing time before mentioning Jennica’s lack of a male companion. “You should put yourself out there more. Any man in his right mind would be proud to have you.”

  Jennica ignored the comment, wiping down the smudged glass of the windows against the setting sun. She stood there for a beat watching the thinned crowd of Saturday shoppers stroll along the sidewalk. The house and business were smack in the middle of an up-scale shopping district. Antique and hom
e-décor shops filled the area, unlike her store in Pineville where she opened her doors across from a bar.

  “Have you talked to your cousin, Lynette, lately?” Virginia asked. “I think she wants to stay with you for a while and help you with the shop.”

  As excited as Jennica was about the news of her favorite cousin, something kept her gaze glued to the busy pedestrians. “Sounds like a great idea. I’ll have to call her.” She gave another swipe to the glass and spotted a dark-haired man wearing jeans ripped at the knees and a gray t-shirt, looking way out of place and strolling up the sidewalk to the shop. With recognition and an erratic thumping heart, she did a double take. The sight of him brought on the unexplainable tugging in her chest, and there she stood—a fish on a hook at the end of his reeling line.

  “Mom, I’m stepping out for a bit,” she called, and darted through the door, not waiting for a response.

  * * * *

  “Hi,” Jennica said, stepping over the threshold and pulling the door closed.

  She came down the steps of the front porch. Stopping on the last one, she raked her teeth over her bottom lip. Her honey colored hair fell over her shoulders. The light blue of her eyes were startling against the deep golden light of the setting sun, making Scott’s insides transform to complete mush.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I went by your shop. When you weren’t there, I took a chance you were here.” Scott crammed his hands in his pockets to battle the temptation of grabbing her by the waist and pulling her in to him. Hell, he didn’t want to scare her back inside.

  Confusion went across her face and she opened her mouth to speak but he beat her to it.

  “You told me the other night at the diner you were from Hays. There’s only one Moss family in the book. Also…” He lifted his eyes to the artisan sign above her. “More Than Moss Flowers. You’re not hard to find.”

  “I’m not hiding.” She glanced over her shoulder and scrunched her nose as she turned back to face him. “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

  “Truth?” He took a step closer. An uncontrollable instinct.

  She nodded, mimicking his movement, putting them a foot or so apart.

  Despite the intensity of the eye contact, he held steady, trying to get a read on her. How would she feel if he were honest? The truth sounded crazy. With everything he’d gone through the night before, he’d woken early this morning with her on his mind. He couldn’t get finished at the ranch fast enough before driving to her store. He also couldn’t ignore the crazed wrenching in his gut to be near her. Not anymore. “I needed to see you.”

  She looked at him, eyes narrowing, searching his face. “What about your girlfriend?”

  The question surprised him though he didn’t know why. He had yet to erase the memory of her annoyed expression when Melissa had run up to him at his sister’s birthday party and screwed up his plan to get her to stay. He knew deep down she would’ve had Missy not busted up the moment. But it never crossed his mind that she’d been distant because of Melissa. The entire time he’d figured her distance was because he’d tricked her into showing up, and the redhead’s presence had maybe jolted her back to being irritated with his lame attempt at the chance to be near her.

  He smiled, trying to push the chaos from his thoughts. “I’m not seeing anyone.”

  Skepticism swept across Jennica’s face, and for a second, he thought she might run back inside, but her expression went soft and a slight grin tugged at her lips. “How long will you be in town?”

  “Depends.”

  “Depends on what?” she asked, gathering her hair and draping it over her left shoulder leaving the right side of her neck bare and exposed.

  God, he wanted to taste her skin. Scott put his hand to his mouth and rubbed the edges in order to appear as if he were thinking while making sure no drool escaped his lips. “You…if you’ll have dinner with me tonight.”

  He felt as if he were being watched and followed the direction of its source. A small, middle-aged woman…very pretty…stood in one of the many picture windows, glaring at them.

  He bent down to Jennica’s ear. Close enough her hair tickled his nose. It smelled like apples. “We have an audience.”

  “I know. It’s my mother,” she said without looking up. She took him by the hand, pausing for a second before leading him down the walkway. “I’m starving. We can get food a couple blocks down.”

  He clenched his eyes for a few counts before opening them again. The last time they’d dined together she’d gotten pissed for some unknown reason and left him alone. He still didn’t know why. But he didn’t plan on asking either. With women, he’d learned some things were better left a mystery.

  “What time is it?” she asked, looking up at the darkening sky.

  His gaze drifted to the curve of her neck, and he forced it away to check his watch. “Almost six.”

  “Good, we have time to get something to eat and still get a good seat before the movie starts.”

  “Movie?” He was shocked she’d suggested it, feeling lucky she’d accepted the dinner invite.

  “Yeah. You don’t mind, do you? It’s a long standing tradition here. Everyone from miles around gathers on the lawn at the south side of the courthouse to watch an outdoor screening on the first Saturday of every month. Tonight they’re showing The Night of the Hunter. What are you craving?”

  You. I’m craving you. Shit, he was screwed. The tugging in his chest was nothing short of unbelievable. He’d never done anything like this…pursued a woman with the sole intention of only being around her. Oh, but he definitely wanted to know her from the inside too. He hadn’t forgotten about his cock. How could he? Since the moment she brushed her hair to one side, revealing the soft skin of her neck, he’d had a full-on boner. It killed him, but for her, he refused to give his dick exclusive rights to his thoughts.

  They decided on an Italian restaurant across the street from the courthouse and followed the hostess to a small booth with single seats on either side. He slid in across from her, and caught himself leaning in toward the center of the table like a freak and forced himself to move back. It was probably the damn pull thing he had toward her that caused her to run off the last time she sat across from him. Maybe she thought he had some weird, pervy compulsion disorder. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat.

  She narrowed her eyes, straightening her lips to a thin line. “I half expected to find a bill in the mail from you this week. I told you to send it.”

  The hostess placed two menus on the table and mumbled something about their waitress being with them in a moment. Scott glanced up long enough to tell her “thanks” then focused on Jennica, who was still eyeing him. He lowered his brow and smirked. “I brought it with me.”

  “Ah, and the real truth comes out.” Jennica sat back against the cushioned seat. Her baby blues glistened with a smile. “I knew this wasn’t a social visit. You’re after money.”

  He nodded, trying to make his face go stern and serious, but as hard as he tried, he failed and his lips turned up. “Consider my computer skills a contribution to starting up your business.”

  The waitress stopped by and they ordered two lasagnas and two sweet teas. When she walked away, Jennica clasped her hands together on the table, seeming to study them. “I’ve backed out of the idea.”

  “Why?”

  She’d been so excited about it a week ago, and her work, what he’d seen, had been stunning. Jennica sighed, meeting his gaze. A hint of self-doubt appeared in her eyes. The first thing that crossed his mind was to take the uncertainty away from her and replace it with the confidence she clearly needed.

  “It isn’t practical,” she said.

  “How so?” He wanted to hear the excuse she’d created and turn it around. Why? He didn’t know. Maybe the same reason he’d driven two hours to see her, even though there was a fifty-fifty chance she would’ve called the cops and pressed charges for stalking,
slapping him with a restraining order. Then where would he be? Jail. Thank God she wanted dinner and a movie instead.

  “It doesn’t matter.” She sipped her tea and stared out the window. Leaving him again. Disconnecting.

  “I think it does.” He decided to risk her fleeing and reached out, covering her hand with his. She jumped at the touch, diverting her eyes from the window to their hands. She slid hers off the table and to her lap, leaving his feeling empty and craving more of her.

  “Can we be honest here?” she asked, poking at the ice in her glass with a straw.

  “Sure.” What did he have to lose? She had already pulled away from him, hadn’t she?

  Jennica took a deep breath, meeting his eyes with remorse. “There is this thing, and I…” She put a hand to her chest and pressed against it, shaking her head, her expression pained. “It’s hard to explain…I’m sorry. I can’t sit here…with you.”

  It took a beat for her words to register. Everything she’d said, every movement around him, seemed in slow motion, like some music video effect trying to add drama to a bad song. Less than half an hour ago they were walking through town, chatting like crazy. She’d been happy he’d come to see her. But now she was getting up…walking out the door…abandoning him again without explanation.

  Not this time! Scott sprung to his feet, throwing what cash he had in his pocket on the table, and rushed through the restaurant, following her to the sidewalk. “Jen!”

  He reached out and grabbed her hand, turning her to him. His heart plummeted to his stomach when he saw her face.

  * * * *

  Scott’s expression told Jennica everything she needed to know—he thought she was insane. Maybe she was. After all, big fat tears were threatening to burst from her eyes with no logical explanation. Not one person on the board of a mental institution would deem her fit to be released into society had she been facing them.