Rattling Around: The Baxter Boys #5 (The Baxter Boys ~ Rattled)

by Charles, Jane

  “You don’t want this place to close either.”

  She turns more fully to me. “This is my grandmother’s legacy. I don’t want to see it change any more than she does, but my uncles have decided that if it can’t hold its own, like it used to, that they’ll have to close it, or remarket it like the others. That would kill my grandmother.”

  “But, if they can make a profit with the way it is…”

  “They won’t change a thing.”

  “Then I hope for both of our sakes that Noelle is the right person.”

  “Me too.”

  “I can go if you need me to.” It’s not right that I sit here and wait on Noelle if I’m keeping Bernadette from leaving. She went back there almost an hour ago.

  “Can’t. Grandmother has ordered Noelle to bake from the heart. I need to stick around to taste it with her. You might as well too.”

  “Bake from the heart?”

  “Because anyone can follow a recipe. Except me.”

  “I’ve known a few people who can’t.” Like the guys I live with, except Dylan.

  A few moments later, Noelle comes out with a tray and Adeline is following her with plates and forks. When she sets it in the center of the table, I realize it’s a fruit tart. Is this what Adeline told her to make or did Noelle come up with it on her own?

  Adeline cuts into it and places a slice on each plate. I don’t touch mine but wait for the owner. This is probably the most important tart Noelle has ever made.

  We all wait and watch as she cuts into it and then takes a bite. Slowly she smiles. “That is what a tart is supposed to taste like. The curst is perfect and the filling just sweet enough without being too much and the glaze is perfection.”

  Noelle’s face is bright red.

  “Eat! Eat!” Adeline says.

  It is a damn good tart. As good as what I get when I stop in. Except, those are mini tarts and easy to take and eat on the subway.

  “So, tomorrow we do bread. Be here at four a.m., then I’ll teach you everything else.”

  “Four a.m.?”

  “You want to be a baker or not?”

  “Four a.m.” This time Noelle says it with determination.

  “On Mondays and Tuesdays we bake enough for Wednesday and Thursday, except the things that should be made on those days and don’t do well over night. But the staff sees to those so you will have Wednesday and Thursday off, except maybe not this week.”

  Adeline takes another bite then smiles.

  “Four to one or two, Friday through Tuesday.”

  “So, I have the job?”

  “What are you going to change?” Adeline counters.

  “Not a thing.”

  “I already knew that.” She winks.

  “How?”

  “You made a French tart from scratch without cutting corners and you made it from the heart.”

  “I didn’t know that was the job I wanted until I was baking in the kitchen,” I tell Sean as we walk back to the house. “I think all this time that I’ve been learning, I always wanted to come back here.”

  “It happens like that sometimes. The heart doesn’t know until it’s there.”

  “I’m not sure I can take it. Or, stay with it.” And that’s what kills me.

  “Why?”

  “I can’t leave Kaden at four in the morning. He’s only eight.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  I like the sound of that. “You will?”

  “We are sleeping together, remember.”

  “Do you plan on moving in?” I’m not sure I’d care if he did.

  “Nope. Just sleeping. It’s too soon for the living thing.”

  “I’m glad. I really liked not sleeping alone.”

  “So, I’ll sleep with you and we can rattle around that big house together until we figure things out.”

  “So, that’s what we are? A couple of people just rattling around?”

  “Until we figure it out.”

  “But that doesn’t solve my problem. You have to go to work too.”

  “We’ll think of something.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t thought of it yet.”

  We head up the steps and enter the house. It’s still strange to come in here with my grandparents gone.

  “Look, I leave for work around six-thirty. I can take him over to our place, without waking him, and settle him on the couch. One of the guys can watch him until you get off work.”

  “No,” I’m answering before he finishes. “I’ll get a sitter. She might not want to show up at three forty-five, but maybe she’d be willing to come at six.”

  “Maybe Destiny needs a job.”

  There’s a thought. “I don’t want her on the subway that early by herself. She’s only seventeen.”

  “You know, you don’t have to worry about this now.” He pulls me to the couch.

  “Yeah, I do. It’s another hurdle I need to clear by Sunday.”

  “We’ll clear it, but for now, we have more important things to do.”

  “Like what?” I laugh as he pulls me onto his lap. “I’m going to show you my sketches and then we are going to make out.”

  “I bet you use that line on all the girls.”

  “Just one.”

  Then his lips are on mine and before long, I’m falling back as he comes over me. Sean doesn’t touch anywhere by my waist but I’m on fire. This celibacy thing is going to kill me, but it will be so worth the wait.

  If I survive.

  26

  Three months later.

  I can’t remember ever being this fucking nervous. All I can manage to do is wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans and jiggle my knee.

  “You got this, Sean,” Kaden assures me.

  That’s what I keep telling myself.

  “She’s going to like it?”

  The kid rolls his eyes and goes to the fridge to grab a bottle of juice. He’s come so far in three months and Noelle is finally convinced that he’s going to be okay. There are still some rough days, but Kaden’s resilient. It helps that the living room is done, with new furniture, and his piano. We hear him playing every chance he gets and, since he started at the conservatory, it’s like he’s opened up.

  Things have fallen into place, now that we finally have our schedules organized. Noelle’s hours haven’t changed, which is fine, except sometimes she’s asleep before nine, but she does wake up at three a.m. I did learn she can sleep through anything though. I can’t go to sleep as early as her and, if I’m not reading, I’m watching television, and she just snores on.

  It’s a cute snore.

  The rest of the schedule has worked out great though because my boss has switched me to room renovations with a small crew, which I love. It allows me to go in later because we have to wait for the owners to go off to work or get the kids off to school before we can do our work. That allows me to take Kaden to school and Noelle picks him up, so we don’t need a sitter.

  Today is different though. There was no school so I took the day off, which worked because the house I’m working on has kids at the same school as Kaden. Instead, the kid and I finished up the kitchen. He’s helped me every day and he’s learning. It’s fun having him around and I think we’ve gotten close.

  I just hope Noelle likes it as much as I do.

  “You good with everything else we talked about?” Because that was a seriously important conversation.

  This time he shakes his head then puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got this and I’m good.”

  I blow out a breath. If Kaden wasn’t on board, I’d be screwed.

  I nearly jump at the knock at the back door.

  Kaden answers it. “He’s a mess,” he says as Tink walks in.

  Tink just laughs. “You guys talked?”

  I already told Tink about the weekend plans when I asked him to take Kaden. Well, not the details, but he’s got the idea, and after a few moments of thinking that he was going to cut
off my dick, he finally agreed. “Yep. Kaden’s good.” I mess the kid’s hair.

  “Go get your stuff,” Tink tells him. “We need to be gone before Noelle gets home.”

  Kaden runs out of the kitchen.

  “How ya really doing?” Tink asks.

  “Nervous as shit.” I rub my hand over my bald head.

  “Well, if she doesn’t like it, you still have your room across the street.”

  My biggest fear. “Not funny man.”

  He just laughs. “Sure I can’t stay? Because this is something I’d like to see.”

  “Hell no.” I’m nervous enough already.

  “The place looks great. She’s going to love it.” He pats me on the shoulder. That must be where Kaden gets it.

  The kid runs back in, backpack over his shoulder. “See you, Sean.”

  “Have fun.”

  Tink’s still laughing and grinning as he leaves, which doesn’t help my nerves at all.

  After blowing out a sigh and wiping my damp palms on my jeans again, I get everything else ready for Noelle. If she hates what I’ve done, I’ll be crushed.

  Today is finally over. I swear, time moved at a snail’s pace today. Mainly because I couldn’t wait to get home. My kitchen is done. Or it’s supposed to be done today. Kaden didn’t have school and Sean took the day off to finish up details.

  I have no idea what it’s going to look like. He had given me so many choices and options that I finally told him to surprise me. I quickly regretted those words because the next day he changed the lock on the back door, put a lock on the door from the dining room to the kitchen and taped up the windows. I couldn’t even complain about needing to get to the basement because when he renovated the second and third floor, he put the laundry room up there, and the front door works perfectly fine.

  I have no idea what my kitchen looks like and I’m torn between excitement and kind of scared. All I know is that the stove is gas, a requirement, and has eight burners and three ovens, another requirement. Sean assured me that I would get my must-haves, but beyond that, I don’t even know what the design is.

  I also can’t wait to start working in there. My boxes are lined up on the back wall of the dining room and I can’t wait to put all of my stuff away. My favorite pots, pans, utensils. Everything.

  Then, I’m going to make Sean a fruit tart. I know it’s his favorite thing and since I have the next few days off, I’ll get to play in there all I want.

  “Hey,” he greets me as I walk in the front door. He’s got his hands shoved in the front pockets of his jeans and he’s rocking back and forth on his heels.

  I go up and put my arms around his shoulders and give him a kiss. His arms snake around my waist.

  “Is it ready?”

  “Sometimes I think you only want me for my carpentry skill.”

  “You are talented.”

  He grabs my ass and pulls me against his hard cock. “There are skills you haven’t even experienced yet.”

  Three months we’ve been together and slept in the same bed and even though we’ve fooled around, we’ve waited. A few people know and think we’re crazy. Even though Sean makes me hot and bothered at every turn, I like that we aren’t having sex. Something I never thought I’d say, but by not being intimate, we’ve found out so much about each other.

  However, it’s also time. I think we’ve reached that point, but it can’t happen until Kaden is spending the night with someone. “When are you going to show me those skills?”

  Sean pulls back a little. “I don’t know. When do you want to be shown?”

  “It feels like you could show me right now.” I rub against him.

  “I guess you could always see the kitchen later.” He scoops me up in his arms.

  “Wait!”

  He laughs and puts me back down. “I knew you wanted that kitchen more than me,” he grumbles.

  “That’s not true.” I slap at his shoulder.

  “I know.” He turns and gives me the deepest, bone-melting kiss and I begin to reconsider waiting on the kitchen.

  Except I can’t. We aren’t alone. “Where’s Kaden.”

  “With Tink.”

  I pull back. “Why?”

  “I’ll explain later.” Then he turns me in front of him, faces me to the kitchen door and puts his hands over my eyes.

  “Is this really necessary?”

  “Yep.”

  I put my hand out when we start walking so I don’t run into anything, though I’m sure Sean wouldn’t let that happen.

  “I’m really happy with the way the Zebra floor turned out but it took us a few coats to get the right color of pink.”

  “Stop!” I laugh.

  When we reach the door, I push on it and he guides me into the room. “Ready?” His breath is warm against my neck.

  Biting my lip in anticipation, I nod. Slowly his hands fall away and it takes me a minute to adjust to the light in here, then I gasp, taking in the large center island with the stove with ovens beneath and a white and black granite counter. On the far wall is the refrigerator and there are cupboards and counter space everywhere with a floor to ceiling wine fridge. He took out the mud room and breakfast nook, just like in their house. It was necessary to make the room and I couldn’t be happier.

  Tears are in my eyes as I walk around, exploring everything from the white cabinets to the multicolored mosaic backsplash that complements the Tiffany blue walls.

  “Do you like it?”

  “Better than I imagined it could be.” Then I’m in his arms, kissing him again. Every room that he’s completed in this house has gone beyond but this tops them all.

  “What, nothing about the flowers?”

  Laughing, I pull back. There is a bouquet of white and red roses in a cut glass vase on the counter beside two wine glasses. “They are beautiful too.”

  “Your favorite wine is in the fridge.”

  “Then we should open it and celebrate.”

  “You get the wine, I’ll get the corkscrew.”

  I glide over to the most beautiful wine fridge ever created and take the bottle out of the top. When I turn and come back, Sean is waiting with the corkscrew but a little box, the exact color of the walls, is now sitting between the glasses.

  My pulse picks up. “What’s that?”

  “Something I thought would complement the chef.” He picks it up and opens the lid as he goes down on one knee.

  My hands start shaking as my eyes water all over again.

  “Noelle, we haven’t really said the words, but you’ve become my best friend. We’ve spent three months sleeping together, but I haven’t made you mine. I want you to know that I love you from the deepest part of my soul and it would be my greatest honor if you would become my wife.”

  “Yes!” I don’t even have to think about it. No, we haven’t said the L word, but it’s there. I started feeling it almost immediately and it’s only grown. I was just too afraid to rush.

  He takes the solitaire from the box and slips it on my ring finger of my left hand and then stands.

  “I love you so much,” I cry right before I kiss him.

  “I hope you don’t want a long engagement because I don’t know how much longer I can wait to make love to you.”

  “We need to wait?” I kind of thought we were there.

  “You once asked if I was old fashioned. Maybe I am because I really like the idea of waiting for the wedding night.”

  Warmth spreads through me. This is a fairytale and Sean is my prince in every way. “I can’t think of a better way to start our life together.”

  “Short engagement it is.”

  Author’s Note

  The bikers I wrote about are based on a very real group called B.A.C.A., which stands for Bikers Against Child Abuse. I intentionally never referred to them by name in the novel but they were definitely the inspiration for Tink. All names used in this novel for the bikers came from my imagination and I have no idea if any member of B.A.C
.A. goes by any of the ones I chose.

  * * *

  I may have never met a member of B.A.C.A., at least not that I’m aware of, but I’ve heard of the wonderful things they do, better explained on their website:

  * * *

  What is Bikers Against Child Abuse (B.A.C.A.) Inc.?

  * * *

  Bikers Against Child Abuse, Inc. (B.A.C.A.) is a non-profit, 501-C-3 tax exempt organization that exists to provide aid, comfort, safety, and support for children that have been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused. We are dedicated to the principle that one of the basic rights of childhood is to be safe and protected, and when the child’s family or environment have failed them, we stand ready to provide it to them.

  * * *

  B.A.C.A. is a strong organization of dedicated individuals who are willing to sacrifice any and all in order to protect and secure a child’s basic right to a happy childhood.

  * * *

  I’ve read stories that have brought tears to my eyes by the wonderful things this organization does. Not only do they protect the children and help them find their courage but they also help fund therapy. The story of Tink and his bikers have been completely fictionalized for the book, as have references to the trial, subpoenas and witnesses.

  * * *

  To read more about B.A.C.A. and donate if that is where your heart leads you, check out their webpage. These bikers are heroes. http://bacaworld.org/

  * * *

  Thank you for reading RATTLING AROUND, the seventh book in the Baxter Boys ~ Rattled series. For more Baxter Boys, watch of The Christmas Rattle – coming soon.

  Sign up for my newsletter or visit my website to find a list of new and current releases at www.JaneCharlesAuthor.com.

  You can also contact me online:

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  * * *

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