by Brynne Asher
Jen grabs my hand and starts dragging me toward what looks to be a patio door as she looks to her sister. “Get her a beer and give Griffin to mom. Cam, you go put your stuff away with dad. She’s ours.”
I hear Hattie laugh as she comes into the room and Cam reaches out for me while holding the baby with the other. He pulls me in and leans down. “You gonna be okay with the Terrible Two?”
I try not to fidget, but seriously, Cam with his own kids is bad enough. Watching him with a baby is too much. I’ve creamed my panties again and I don’t know if I want to melt or throw myself at him in front of his mother and sisters.
I try to get it together and decide against acting like a love sick girl. “I’m fine.”
He leans down to kiss me and I hear one of the Terrible Two yell, “OMG, my brother has a girlfriend! Y’all are too cute. C’mon, let’s go talk about what you’re gonna wear when he takes you to Homecoming.”
I turn and see it’s Jen who’s teasing her brother because Ellie’s laughing while Cam sighs and shakes his head. If this is a sample of what he grew up with, I bet he’s been shaking his head most of his life. I follow Jen out the back door and Ellie follows us with beer.
This could be an interesting weekend.
The next night.
Brian
I slam her fridge shut. Nothing.
Nothing but condiments. There always used to be food here. Her creations. Her work. But not anymore.
She’s been there too long. With him. And now I don’t even know where the fuck they are. His house and this apartment have been quiet for days. No lights and no activity. I haven’t even seen his SUV at that Shed place. Where in the fuck could they have gone?
I move through the dark apartment to her bedroom—I need more. I took a few things the last time I was here. But shit, she’s got so many clothes, surely she won’t miss much. It’s the only way I can be close to her right now and I need to be close to her. I haven’t seen her since I followed her to her fucking doctor appointment and decided to confront her at the drugstore. This is the only way I can have her right now until I figure out how to get her away from him. And I can’t get it out of my head that she’s with him all the time. All fucking day and night, she consumes me. I need more of her until I can have her. Really have her.
Turning on the lamp next to her bed, I want nothing more than to bury myself in it. Maybe I’d be able to sleep if I were in her bed. Maybe that would help. But I can’t tip her off that I’ve been here. There’s no way I’d be able to fix her bed back the way she does. She’d know.
Instead, I go to her dresser and search through her things, picking carefully. I take what I need, but not too much. Doing my best to leave her clothes folded as perfectly as they were, I take my stash and do what I can to not leave a trail.
The sun will be up in an hour and I need to get to work. I take the key I nabbed from her kitchen drawer months ago and lock up. I’ll watch again tonight, see if they come back from wherever they went. If I don’t see her soon, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Give You Everything
Paige
Time on the ranch has been fun. We started out horseback riding and I learned that Jordy has his own horse here and Cara has a pony. Cam said she still doesn’t like to be on a horse by herself, so she rode in front of Cam while Jordy and I followed. I was able to see most of the Montgomery Ranch. It’s massive and goes on forever. The cows are stinky and there are a lot of them. That part was exactly what I was expecting a ranch to be like. Cam explained that even though his dad now focuses on oil, he still dabbles in the cattle business because that’s what his dad and granddad did. Obviously, he doesn’t do this on his own—he has a slew of cowboys working for him.
We’ve eaten, we’ve swam, we’ve eaten, I watched Cam and his dad shoot skeet, we’ve eaten, we swam some more, and we ate again. Hattie was not kidding when she said she was going to thicken me up. There has been no healthy eating for me since I arrived at the ranch.
She’s served all kinds of food drenched in “buttah.” She’s fried everything under the sun. We’ve consumed about every form of beef known to man, but this would be expected as we’re on a ranch. We’ve even had salads that aren’t really salads—Gabby would have a fit. One was stirred together with Cool Whip, mini marshmallows, cottage cheese, and canned crushed pineapple. I know the ingredients of this dish well since I was bossed to stir it together and it’s something Hattie described as a Montgomery favorite. They call it Polar Bear Curds. I threw up a little in my mouth and renamed it Polar Bear Turds in my head, because that’s what it looked like. I won’t even get into the sweets and desserts.
Other than the Polar Bear Turds, it’s all been good, but I really feel the need for something green. Green isn’t a color Hattie embraces in the kitchen.
Church with the Montgomerys was something I will not soon forget. I go to church—sometimes—but my church is big and it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, which is nice when you decide to skip and sleep in. No one really misses you and it makes you feel less guilty. But the Montgomery church couldn’t be more different.
The church Cam grew up in is a small country church where everyone knows everyone. And Hattie did wear a hat, although it was demure. It sat high on her head and almost angled down over one eye. It was baby blue and she wore shoes to match, but her dress was the color of bone. I was really glad I decided to pack a couple choices, because I decided on the dressier of my dresses. It’s pale pink with short capped sleeves and form fitting to my knees, but conservative enough for church. I wore my strappy silver heels so I was taller than normal.
On the way, Cam for some reason seemed a little edgy and kept trying to explain to me what was going to happen. The kids rode with his parents in his mom’s shiny Cadillac, which she referred to as her “Sunday Car,” while Cam and I followed.
“Why are you being so weird?” I ask into the vanity mirror as I apply my lip gloss. “It’s church. As long as they don’t sacrifice a small animal or anything, it’ll be fine. All churches have their own flavor. I don’t know why you keep feeling the need to warn me about everything.”
“Everyone’s old and the choir’s made up of old people who can’t sing. They’re only in the choir because they want to stand at the front and see who’s not in church so they can talk about them the rest of the week. And there’ll probably be a soloist using a karaoke machine,” he explains. “My grandparents helped start this church. This is a small town, it’s going to be different than what you’re used to.”
I grin. “Can I sing on the karaoke machine?”
“Baby, I’m serious.”
“How do you know what I’m used to? You’ve never been to church with me. I’ve survived the Montgomerys so far, although I am surprised I can still zip my dress after all I’ve eaten. You’re blowing this way out of proportion,” I say, exasperated with him.
“All right,” he sighs. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
He pulls into a little country church that looks like something you’d see on a Christmas card if we weren’t in the sweltering, summer Texas heat. It’s white with the perfect old-fashioned steeple and the most beautiful dark, stained arched doors. He parks his dirty Expedition next to all the old people clean cars that they probably save for Sundays, just like Hattie. I look over and for the millionth time this morning since he got dressed, I feel the need to melt, but not from the Texas heat.
“Cam?” I call before he reaches for his door.
“We’ve got to get going. If my mother’s late, Margot Herrington takes her pew just to piss her off. They’ve hated each other since I was in second grade,” he explains.
I look at him in his dark gray suit with his light blue crisp shirt and silver tie, together making his eyes shine bright in the Texas morning sun. I know I’ve already told him, but I have to say it again. “Okay, I know I said this earlier, but I can’t get over it because you’re always in athle
tic clothes. You look really good in a suit. And I’ve never had a thing for men in suits, I usually appreciate men in more casual attire, and now obviously, athletic wear. But you look really,” I pause and lean into the console to lower my voice, “really good this morning.”
The side of his mouth tips and he leans to me. “Baby, I have to warn you. If you squirm in church telling me your wet—like I know you are when you squirm for me—while wearing that dress that hugs your ass the way it does, I won’t be able to focus. I’ll be sent straight to hell for dragging you to the car and fucking you in the church parking lot.”
I feel my eyes go wide. “Cam.”
“I’m serious.” His eyes show me how serious he is. “I wanted to yank your dress up and take you in the bathroom, but you took too long to dry your hair.”
“Sorry. But I couldn’t come to church with wet hair when your mom’s wearing a hat.”
He leans in to kiss me, but not fast. It’s a kiss that tells me he really does want to fuck me in the church parking lot.
I jump against his mouth when I hear a rap on my window. I turn quickly and see a baby blue hat standing there as Hattie yells through the glass, “Quit kissin’ and c’mon! I want my pew and you know that woman will steal it.”
“We’d better go.” I turn around to see Cam shaking his head.
When we walk into the church with Cam holding my hand, every old woman in the place descends upon us. Cam has to stoop to hug and kiss every single one of them as they crowd him like he’s a rock star. He does his best using his mother as an excuse and pulls us through the crowd of old ladies.
When we finally get to Cam’s parents, his mother looks out of breath, probably from scurrying in her low heels. She looks over her shoulder at a woman who’s glaring at us. “There she is, we really cut it close this mornin’.”
We’re squished in “our” pew. I’m guessing there aren’t normally this many people sitting here. Ellie is on the aisle with her unhappy husband and has two huge bags of baby paraphernalia stuffed at her feet. Jen is on the opposite end by Kipp and Hattie. We’re in the middle of them all and Cara has to sit on Cam’s lap because of the lack of space. I’m sandwiched in between Cam and Jordy. It’s already hot—I hope this little old church keeps the air conditioning up to snuff.
The robed choir walks in as the recorded music plays. When I do go to church, I like the service with contemporary music, but I’m not surprised the choir sings old and traditional hymns. No one participates except Hattie, who belts them at the top of her lungs from memory.
The pastor finally makes his entrance to address his flock with welcomes and announcements. After learning about the summer bake sale, upcoming fried chicken dinner, and an ice cream social, the pastor’s eyes come straight to me. Or us. But really, it feels like me.
“Brothers and sisters, we are blessed on this beautiful Texas day. Our congregation’s founding members’ namesake is home visiting his family. That’s right—Lyle and Agatha Campbell’s grandson is here.” I have to fight back a smile as I hear Cam quietly groan from my side and Jordy turns to hide his face in my other. The old pastor smiles big and holds out his arms dramatically to finish. “Campbell Montgomery, please stand with your family and let the congregation greet you properly.”
I feel Jordy grab on to my arm and Cam sighs before heaving his big body to stand with Cara in his arms. Jordy doesn’t move, but burrows further into me mumbling, “I’m not gonna do it.”
“Oh, you too, little lady.” I look toward the front and the pastor is smiling straight at me. I don’t have to fight back my smile now. I feel my face fall right before it heats like a branding iron when he goes on to finish, “Wasn’t that you with Campbell in the parking lot before church?”
I gasp and I’m pretty sure it’s Jen who doesn’t do a good job at choking back her response. I look up and Cam is holding a hand out for me, but the look on his face is purely smug. I feel like I know him pretty well by now and I have a feeling this is what he was trying to warn me about in the car when I brushed him off.
“That was your mouth I had my tongue in, right?” he whispers.
“Shut up,” I whisper back.
He grins bigger and grabs my upper arm, yanking me up.
Well, fuck it.
I mean, forget it—I am in church, even if it is a little odd. I can handle this. I just need to own it, even if I do make a fool out of myself.
I plaster a big smile on my face as I stand and thank my lucky stars I’m wearing some of my highest heels. I need all the height I can get at the moment. Cam puts his hand to the small of my back as I own my moment.
I decide to use the princess wave and make eye contact with as many people as I can. I even turn around to visually greet the members sitting behind us, making exaggerated facial expressions to communicate my fake happiness.
You’d think I was just crowned Miss America, I so owned the moment. I’m pretty sure I could rock a float and be the highlight of a parade if I was given the opportunity.
Once I feel I’ve played my part to its fullest, making eye contact with as many old people as I can, I slide an arm around Cam’s waist and lean into him. H got his lips pursed, trying not to react at my spectacle. I give him my fake smile before turning to face the pastor with raised eyebrows and tip my head, awaiting further instruction.
“Well, then.” He clears his throat. “Thank you for worshiping with us today.”
Assuming that’s our cue that we’re allowed to sit and get on with it, I give him one more little wave before turning to pick up my purse so we can settle in. Jordy is beaming as I wiggle my booty in between him and Cam, Cam stretching his arm around me to make more room for us.
I look over and whisper, “Does that always happen?”
He grins. “Not that. You just gave these old codgers something to talk about ‘til they hit their graves.”
“Probably,” I mutter, before taking a deep breath and anticipate the rest of the service. I ask with attitude, “Is there anything else you’d like to warn me about?”
“Other than the receiving line at the end of the service? No. Hold your breath, the pastor wears so much cologne you might pass out. And if you get pulled into a hug, you’ll reek of it the rest of the day.” I turn and give him a screwed up face that conveys my “grossed out” look. He leans in closer. “That’s okay, when we get home I’ll throw you in the pool. Although now I can’t fuck you in the parking lot, the old people will be watching.”
I roll my eyes. I know he wouldn’t fuck me in the church parking lot, but I can’t help it. The thought makes me fidget. Of course Cam catches it and his gaze turns heated. I try and get it under control, opening my purse to pull a twenty out of my wallet. Handing it to Jordy, I whisper to him, “You’re a chicken.”
He smiles big like he doesn’t care and scoots to the edge of the pew anxiously awaiting the collection plate.
If this is the worst that’s thrown at me during our time in Texas, I think I’ll live.
The visit has been entertaining for sure but seeing Cam with his family has been the highlight. It’s clear their love for him is abundant. Even his sisters adore and miss him. After graduating from college, he decided to stay in Nebraska to start his career. His family doesn’t mince words when it comes to their dissatisfaction with this choice because of its proximity, but they’re proud of him all the same.
I’ve also learned that Cam doesn’t like Ellie’s husband, Robert. They live in a suburb north of Dallas and he’s got some big finance job. It sounds like they live quite comfortably, but Robert basically ignores Ellie and Cam thinks he’s on his way to becoming a “shit dad.” I’ve only been around him for two days, but haven’t found many redeeming qualities in him so far. Ellie’s sweet, though. Maybe too sweet, because it looks like her husband could have the tendency to walk all over her. Cam doesn’t say anything to his baby sister about her husband, but Jen sure does. She’s made it clear over the past two days how much she di
slikes her brother-in-law.
Jen is single and almost thirty. She works for the Montgomery family business, managing sales with refineries. She says she’s dating someone, but nothing serious. “I’m not crazy enough to bring anyone home to meet my family.”
It’s Monday morning and our last day here as we’re leaving tomorrow, bright and early. After breakfast, Kipp took Jordy fishing and Cara got busy in the kitchen with Hattie, probably frying something or cooking with butter. Hattie must buy it by the case.
Cam put me in a camouflaged, oversized-four-wheeling-golf-cart-looking-thing and drove us far off onto the ranch somewhere. When we arrived at our destination, there was another barn, but much smaller than the main one in back of the house. There are targets set up that back to a wide open range. When we got inside, Cam unlocks an enormous safe containing a shitload of guns in all shapes and sizes.
“Don’t flinch,” he says in my ear.
“I can’t help it.” I extend my arms, aiming at the target that’s about thirty yards away.
I hold the gun that Cam said was small enough—I can’t remember the name of it or what the numbers meant that followed. It all sounded like gobbledygook to me. I’ve never been a gun person even though the men in my family are hunters. My cousin Gabby loves to shoot and usually carries a gun. I think she’s a little crazy for it. The last thing I want is for someone to ask me for a piece of gum and while digging around my purse for a minty chew, say, “Oh, here it is, right next to my gun.” Who does that?
Well, I guess Gabby does.
“This is why you should have stayed in boot camp. Keep your arms strong, darlin’. Brace yourself, aim, and squeeze.” He’s plastered to my back with his big arms wrapped around mine holding them steady. It’s a little hard to concentrate when I’m surrounded by his big hard body. “Try again.”
