Sunshine and Whiskey: A Garden Falls, TN Romance

by Allie Kay

  "Actually, I won't."

  "You fucking bitch. You—" I hung up the phone when Caleb began to yell. Why he thought I would ever go back to that, I would never know. Now that I’d gotten away, spent time with a man who treated me with respect, I could never stomach being with Caleb again. My phone pulled me from my introspection when it rang again.

  My finger moved toward the ignore button until I noticed it was my mother. I answered with a sigh. “Hello?”

  "I need you to come home for dinner tonight."

  "Mom, I can't.”

  "Talia, I'm not asking. Your family needs you at home."

  My frustration grew at her insistence. “I've already got plans."

  “Change them.”

  After my mother commanded me home, I checked the time. Deciding it was late enough to be safe, I dialed Sean's number. I felt horrible when I called to tell Sean that I had to cancel, especially after the previous day.

  "It's fine. Your family needs you, I guess. Your mom wouldn't have been so insistent if she didn't think it was important." He seemed down but encouraged me to have a good time with my family and managed to calm me down. He was so good to me. I hated to let him down.

  We chatted for a few minutes while I walked to my car, but I couldn't get him to open up about what bothered him. Well, I knew it was likely that kiss and his blurted admission. But the dork should have realized I kissed him back and was just as interested in taking our friendship up to full relationship status. Still, I was glad he at least took my call after yesterday. I’d been a little worried, to be honest.

  I hung up with a promise to go by Garden and see him tomorrow night after work. He still had that sad tone when he said goodbye. After the call ended, it hit me—he thought I was totally blowing him off. He didn’t think I’d come by there tomorrow after all.

  When I got home later that afternoon, my mom followed me upstairs. "We are having guests over for dinner."

  "Who?"

  "Oh, just some friends. Wear something nice. No fraying jeans, I don't care if they are in style." She gave me a look. “Something pretty.”

  I picked out a cute, but light-weight dress and sandals, dressy enough to please my mom, but not overly fancy. I sat upstairs reading for a few minutes. When the doorbell rang, I headed downstairs to greet the guests before Mom could get upset again.

  Caleb stood behind his parents on the porch. Our respective parents had been good friends for years. The older couples having dinner together was not an odd occurrence. For Caleb to tag along was unusual, however. He hadn't joined them often even when we were dating. The satisfied little smirk on his face connected the dots for me. He’d orchestrated this dinner entirely. I tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shudder when I realized he’d gotten his way again.

  "Talia, I've missed you!" He pulled me into a hug, crushing me against his slim frame. My skin crawled when he put his lips to my ear and nibbled before breathing out, "And you thought you could avoid me, didn't you? You'll be mine again, you idiot bitch."

  My heart raced at his whisper. I squirmed out of his grasp but did my best to avoid drawing attention to us. My dad didn't know how Caleb had treated me and I didn't want him to. Given how Dad reacted to the pictures, and the thought I might be hurt by someone, it would not be good for him to know that Caleb had hit me. Seeing my father and my ex get into it was not something I wanted this evening.

  Plastering on a smile, I faked my way through the dinner. Karly was the only one who realized my behavior was an act. The false courtesies and murmured comments must have been well-placed. Caleb made certain to stay close and chose a seat at my side. By the end of the night, I feared he actually thought I was interested in resuming our relationship. He even had the audacity to try to hold my hand at the table. I snatched my hand from his, but he didn't seem perturbed by it. He continued the same random chatter he'd spewed all evening.

  What had I ever seen in him? With his scrawny frame and stupid shaggy hair, lately he reminded me less of a man and more of a psychotic Chihuahua. I no longer found him at all attractive.

  After dinner, we moved the party out onto the porch.

  "Why don't you and Caleb take a little stroll?" Mom suggested. "It's such a nice evening. It would be a shame to waste it sitting here listening to us talk.”

  "I really should study. I've got an exam coming up." Please, think of a way to get out of this!

  "Talia, it won't hurt you to take a walk," my dad insisted when I tried to avoid going.

  "Yeah, Talia, it's just a walk." The sadistic little smile on Caleb's face sent a shiver down my spine. "What could it hurt?"

  I knew exactly what it would hurt. My back and hips most likely, because Caleb wouldn’t want to leave a mark where anyone could see. He’d probably pull my hair. And the psychological torture would be just as bad, its effects lingering long after the bruises left by his fists were gone.

  “Karly, you want to come with us?” I asked the one person there who might provide a buffer.

  “Oh, you and Caleb hardly need a chaperone. Karly’s probably got studying of her own to do.” My mom gave her a pointed look and she headed inside, squeezing my hand and whispering an apology as she passed.

  I made an excuse of my dress not being appropriate and my mom just rolled her eyes and told me to change. Stepping inside, I leaned against the door and inhaled a shuddering breath. Tears pooled behind my lashes. My fingers fumbled as I unlocked my phone.

  The only rational thought I had was that somehow Sean would know what to do. How I should handle this and stay safe. He’d become my touchstone and I needed his comfort. I sent him a text explaining the situation. I didn’t even correct the mistakes my shaking fingers had made in the message. Before I reached the bottom step, my phone buzzed and I almost dropped it.

  "On my way," the text message on the phone read.

  Sean was coming; the mere thought calmed me. His imminent arrival would cause a good deal of drama, but relief flooded over me knowing that even if I had blown him off for the evening, he was still willing to come to my rescue when I needed him. Another feeling tugged at my heart as well, something I told myself I would examine in further detail later.

  I slipped into the bathroom and banged around for a moment before heading into my room and changing into jeans and a sweatshirt. I was hoping my stall tactics would buy Sean time to get across town. When it was impossible to delay anymore without arousing suspicion, I trudged slowly downstairs. The living room was still empty, so I followed the muffled chatter to the front porch. When I stepped out of the house, Caleb stood and held his arm out for me to take.

  When I refused his arm, he growled low enough that our parents couldn’t hear him. "You know I didn't send you those notes, right? I didn't know anything about them until that cop bitch showed up on my doorstep. I wouldn't send a note. I'd show up and teach you a lesson the right way."

  I tried to ignore his words. He had lied to me so many times before and I didn't trust a word spewing forth from that forked tongue. But it did seem more like him to use a physical threat than a note. I wrapped my arms tight around myself and stepped around him. Even that simple statement sent a chill blasting down my spine.

  Standing at the edge of the porch, I glanced down the street. I wasn't disappointed when Sean's Harley came roaring up toward the house.

  He jumped off the bike almost before it lost momentum. He strode up to me, concern flashing in his blue eyes. "You all right?"

  "I am now." My eyes filled with tears. Caleb wouldn't be hurting me tonight. Sean would protect me. My knees sagged in relief and Sean's arm came around my waist in support.

  "Why wouldn't my daughter be all right in her own home? Didn't I tell you to stay away from her?" Dad’s gruff voice called from behind me.

  "Why wouldn't she be okay? I don't know, maybe because you were forcing her out with this abusive little jerk. And I'm here because she's afraid to be alone with him, sir." Sean spat out "sir" like it was an obsceni
ty.

  My dad barreled off the porch with Caleb and his dad right behind him. The three of them presented a united front as they faced Sean, their postures defensive. Sean didn't back down even an inch. Even with the stress of the scene in front of me, Sean’s confidence was so damn sexy. With one arm, he guided me behind him. I clutched at the soft fabric of his T-shirt and peered around him at my father.

  "You think my daughter needs protection from me? Who do you think you are, coming to my house like this?" Dad shouted.

  "I don't want Talia near him," Sean said with a nod toward Caleb. "I've already had to make him take his hands off of her once, at my club. I'm not giving him the opportunity to get his paws on her again," Sean ground out, his words and tone clipped in anger.

  "You need to get the hell off my property. I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong. Caleb's a good kid who would never hurt Talia. His family and ours have been close for years. Get lost. Talia, get up on the porch now."

  "You are entitled to your opinion, sir, even if it is the wrong one." Sean looked over his shoulder at me. "You wanna leave? We can get out of here right now, sunshine. You just say the word."

  I released my hold on Sean's shirt and hurried over to get on the motorcycle, putting a helmet on without giving a verbal response.

  Sean called out to my mother, "Helen, I'll make sure she gets home safely later." He turned back to his bike and my father followed him.

  Panic rose up and I feared I’d done the wrong thing by calling Sean. God, I didn't want my dad and Sean fighting. Grabbing his arm, Dad spun Sean around. Sean jerked away from him and continued on. My dad was still shouting when we drove away.

  The ride was a blur as I got lost in my own head. My father's reaction worried me. I wasn't afraid he would physically hurt me, but he was going to flip his lid over me leaving with Sean. Why wouldn't he believe Caleb capable of hurting me? He kept taking Caleb's word over mine, just like Caleb had said he would.

  I didn't register our location until we came to a halt. "You brought me back to your apartment?"

  He rubbed the back of his neck. "We can go somewhere else if you want. Some place quiet. I really don't want to be around a lot of people right now. I'm still pretty riled up."

  I could understand that. I wasn't much up for a crowd myself. So, I let him lead me inside. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Sean. I didn't mean for you and my dad to get into it again tonight," I ventured in a quiet voice after a few minutes of silence.

  "I wasn't dragged, I volunteered. You didn't ask me to come. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't and he hurt you," he responded in a tight voice. "I didn't want to get into it with your dad again though. I'm pretty damn sure he hates me."

  "Probably! He didn't care much for you to start with. I'm not sure which was worse for him, knowing you were a bartender or that you are older than me."

  He chuckled at that. "Then I suppose he doesn't know about my record?"

  I laughed. "That would be a definite no! And if you combine the three and couple it with repeated confrontations…"

  "He would rather shoot me than let me near you?"

  I nodded.

  Sean laughed. “Whatever. I never claimed to be the the kind of guy you wanna bring home to Daddy. You wanna watch a movie?”

  21

  Talia

  Credits rolled across the screen, signaling the end of the movie. I put another DVD in the player and moved back to the couch. I waffled for a moment, but instead of retaking my previous spot, I sat next to Sean. He didn't object and when I snuggled in to his side, he put his arm around my shoulders with a contented sigh. I glued my eyes to the screen, but my attention was on the big man I leaned against. His words yesterday had made his interest clear. But I still spent twenty minutes summoning the courage to make a move.

  Sean’s breath stirred my hair and I looked up to see him watching me, not the movie. A warm smile crossed his face when our eyes met. He breathed my name before bending his head to mine. His lips grazed mine with the faintest touch, as if just testing the waters. I raised my head toward his and the second pass of his lips was firmer, yet still the softest kiss I had ever had.

  This kiss held a tender quality our previous kisses had lacked. I brought a hand up to his stubble-covered jaw as I returned his kiss. The movement of his lips against mine was slow and almost lazy. When I sighed and melted into him, he deepened the kiss. His tongue twined around mine and his arms held me close.

  He broke the kiss. "Are you sure? Sunshine, we take this much farther and I'm never letting you go. If you don't want to be more than friends, now's the time to say so."

  "I know what I want. And it's always been you. From the day we met, I've wanted you. You were the one pushing me away, silly goose." I nudged him and giggled wildly when he tickled me as punishment.

  The tickles turned to caresses and the giggles to moans. Sean pushed me down onto the couch and covered my body with his own. His lips nibbled up and down my throat and I couldn't get enough. I tugged at his shirt, eager to touch skin. He moved over me, slowing the pace with his gentle, languid kisses. The moment his tongue brushed mine again though, there was a loud knock at the door. He pulled back with a groan. Sean gave me one last kiss before rising to see who was disturbing us.

  Sean's broad frame filled the doorway and blocked my view of our visitors. But the two familiar voices told me who stood in the hallway. I stood up to go to the door myself. But Sean opened the door wide and invited the pair in.

  "Dad, Jess, what are you guys… well, I guess I know why you are here. Silly question, huh?"

  Jess’ curious gaze swept over the small apartment. Glancing at Sean several times during her observations, she looked amazed. "Not what I expected from you, Turner." She nodded in slight approval at him before taking a seat in the only chair in the living room.

  Dad did his share of looking around as well. His eyes lingered on the shelves full of books and the stacks of novels here and there. "You've read all these?" he asked Sean in a gruff voice. I was impressed. Dad seemed to have a handle on his emotions. If only he would start listening about Caleb…

  "Yes, sir. Well, most of them anyway. I'll get to the others someday." Sean looked perplexed at my dad’s topic of conversation. The confused expression on his face made clear his expectation of another rant about me, not a random comment about books.

  Sitting on the couch next to me, my father pulled me into a swift but warm hug. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. I never would've insisted you spend time with Caleb if I'd known you were afraid of him. I knew you broke up with him, but I didn't know…” His voice broke and he swallowed hard.

  Sean handed him a cold bottled water. “Not sure how you missed it. I saw it from day one.”

  “Sean,” I warned. My dad was really trying here and I didn’t want Sean to screw that up.

  Thankfully, Dad ignored Sean’s comment and kept talking. “So, Jess told me tonight that there may be some truth to what your … uh… friend here said earlier about Caleb hurting you?"

  “Some?” Sean snorted. “That’s the understatement of the fucking century.”

  I glared at Sean, hard. He was going to make things worse if he didn’t hush. "Yes, Caleb hit me more than once.”

  “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  “He convinced me it was my fault that he hit me. Then, I was fearful of what he might do." I broke off with a tiny almost sob. " I was truly afraid Caleb might hurt me. He threatened to kill me one night. That was the catalyst for me to break up with him."

  “You should have said something.” Dad rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I’d have taken care of him.”

  Sean sat on my other side. “I’ll handle Caleb.” His weight caused the cushion I perched on to shift his direction. I tilted his way and ended up leaned against him.

  “What do you mean by that?” Jess sat up, eyes alert as she looked over my shoulder at Sean.

  “Give me a little cre
dit, Officer Taylor. I’ll keep my hands clean. And it’s not like I’d have to do more than stomp my foot at the little shit to get him to back off.” Sean made no attempt to right my position and I chose not to move either. My father glared a bit when I wiggled back into Sean and he slid a warm arm around my middle. “You should have seen how he ran from me at Garden. I didn’t do anything except tell him to get out.”

  “Keep it to words,” she warned him.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He tightened his arm around me. “But I won’t let him hurt her.”

  “I can see that.” Jess stared at the tattooed arm wrapped around my waist. She made eye contact with me and asked, "So, I take it you were mistaken when we had our conversation a few weeks ago?"

  I smiled at the older woman and trailed my fingers up Sean's arm. Before I could answer, my dad asked, "Okay, so I have been trying to keep my damn mouth shut. Trying to keep a hold on my temper. But I gotta know. How long have you been dating this guy behind my back? I thought you two were just friends. You told me you were friends."

  “Dad,” I started. I flinched back at the hate in his eyes. Eyes that settled on Sean.

  Sean sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "Talia… she's determined. I tried to stay away, but before I even knew what happened, we were hanging out. It's not something I had planned, I promise you that."

  "Daddy, I gave him my number." I elbowed Sean and smiled when he grunted. "I really didn't think he would call, but I hoped…"

  "I almost didn't," he whispered as he buried his face in my hair. His arm tightened slightly around me as he pulled me closer.

  My dad and Jess swapped concerned glances at the tender display. I noted the exchange between my father and our neighbor but didn't comment on it.

  Dad repeated his previous comment, "So, since neither of you answered me when I asked how long you have been dating, I'm going to ask again. I'm assuming that you are since you're all cuddled up together."