What Tears Us Down: A Single Dad Standalone Romance (Arrow Creek Book 3)

by A. M. Wilson

  After a few moments of rest, I plant a few kisses across her bare skin. She giggles and finally releases my head. With a dramatic sigh, she flaps her arms back across the bed.

  “That…That was…”

  “Amazing. Incredible. God-like?” I tease and smile up at her. She musters the energy to look down at me with a scowl.

  “It’s not sexy to hear you sing your own praises.” Evie bites her lip.

  I wipe my grin off on her chest. “I was singing yours, Rosie. I don’t think I’ve come that hard or that many times in twenty-four hours in my entire life.”

  She giggles and pushes my forehead so my head turns to the side. “Shut up. What time is it anyway?”

  Her question prompts us both to check the clock. We both look back at each other with shock.

  11:43

  “Fuck.”

  That was me. Her own stream of curses follows shortly after.

  “I have to get out of here before your ex arrives with your son.”

  I pop off the end of the bed, and she rolls to the side and off. “Hey, let’s calm down. We have time.”

  Evie glances around the sex-destroyed room with a grimace. “Really?”

  I follow her gaze to the overturned lamp. The set of handprints on the mirror that any sexually informed adult would know what they mean. Beyond the strewn clothing that will get picked up as we dress, there’s also the messed-up beds.

  “I pick him up in the lobby so my ex won’t even see the room. Besides, the little guy is two. He’ll be none the wiser.”

  Evie already has her bra on and drags her shirt over her head when I glance at her. She steps into her rumpled white skirt as she responds. “I guess you’re right. I should still get out before you need to get to the lobby in…thirteen minutes.”

  I follow suit and start layering on clothes, ignoring the pang that our time together is over. Back to separate cars and sleeping beneath the stars.

  “We’ll send you down first. Hey…” I snag her wrist as she starts shoving Ghost’s items away in a tizzy. “It’ll be okay.”

  She shakes her head and drops her gaze to where my fingers encircle her. After a moment, she shakes it off to resume her hasty packing. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m just hungry, and Ghost could use a potty break.”

  I eye her skeptically. Something else is going on. Emotions are high after spending the night together. I know for a fact mine are, and I’ll need time to sort that shit. Now probably isn’t the right time.

  She slings the bag over her shoulder and takes her dog’s leash. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

  Another weekend sleeping in a hotel while she’s in her car still doesn’t sit right with me.

  “Why don’t you drive back this evening to sleep? Nobody will know besides you and me.”

  She shakes her head. “I can’t. This is your time with your son. Even if he isn’t old enough to know the difference, I am.”

  “What about staying at Cami’s this weekend?”

  “Rhett, you have eight minutes. I have to go. I’ll be fine. I’m always fine.” Her smile seems to fall short of her eyes.

  I want to go to her and shake her. I want to command her to stay as easily as I ordered her onto her knees last night. But I know I can’t. I don’t control her, and her points are more valid than mine. A few weeks of friendship and a night together doesn’t give me a say in what she does.

  Instead of all the possible propositions and wants, I jerk my chin up. “Go on. I’ll text you later to check in.”

  “Okay.” She stops with her hand on the doorknob. “And thank you. I had a really great night with you.” This time, the smile stretching her swollen lips is full and genuine.

  “Me too.”

  The click of the door behind her is deafening. I walk to the bed and shake the comforters back into place as best as I can. It’s not like Tommy is going to care or know the difference. As I round the second bed, I trip on something. Peeking out from beneath the platform is a red, plush dog toy. If I hurry, I can get it to her before she drives away.

  The elevator ride wastes another two minutes of my time before Nora’s arrival. As soon as the doors open, I sprint across the empty lobby and through the revolving door. I’m brought up short by the scene in front of me. Evie loads Ghost into the passenger seat of her car and shuts the door just as a tall, blond male blocks her from walking back around the front.

  I see fucking red. The damn toy in my hand squeaks because I clench it so hard. Before I can think through any consequences, I’m striding across the lot on a direct trajectory to this motherfucker.

  They don’t see me before I reach them. I don’t stop moving. Just grab him by the shoulder and send him flying in the opposite direction.

  “Who the fuck are you?” I snarl. I slap the toy into Evie’s stunned hands as I pass by and stalk the guy straightening from a crouch. He caught himself before hitting the ground, but next time, he won’t be so lucky.

  The guy stands to his full height with a weirdly protective smirk. “I should be asking you that.”

  “Wrong.” I plant myself between Evie and this douche and cross my arms over my chest.

  “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but you aren’t part of this conversation.”

  Guys, stop!” Evie shouts and moves closer, but I throw out an arm to hold her back.

  “If it involves her, I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I don’t know who you are, but you need to back the fuck away from my sister.” He sheds the amused attitude and switches to a protective one. My possessiveness cools as his words register.

  “This is your brother?” I ask Evie as she moves cautiously between us.

  The horrified expression on her face has me wanting to wrap her in my arms and whisk her back inside the safety of our room.

  “Yep. This is Eric. Eric, this is my friend Rhett.”

  I don’t miss the emphasis.

  Evie gives me big eyes. “Don’t you have to go?”

  Shit. I do. A quick scan around the parking lot doesn’t reveal Nora’s Mercedes, but she should be here any minute.

  “Call me later.” I squeeze Evie’s shoulder and jog back across the lot, leaving the siblings to face off.

  I don’t bother returning to my room. Nora should be here any minute. Though I use the time waiting to order a soda from the bar across the lobby. My mouth remains dry from last night’s activities. The sip of Coke washes away the parched feeling in my throat. After chugging half the can, I survey the lobby.

  Nora stands near the fountain with a critical look on her face. I want to deliver false apologies for keeping her waiting, but I swallow them as easily as I drank my Coke. As I cross the room, I check the revolving door for signs of Evie. My distraction doesn’t go unnoticed.

  “Are you looking for somebody?”

  “Nope, just checking the weather,” I lie.

  17

  Evie

  I guess I don’t have to wonder about whether or not my brother knows about my sexual activity. After that little caveman display, he’s well up to speed on who exactly Rhett is to me. Shame pinkens my cheeks during our walk together back into the hotel after arguing in the parking lot. More secrets than I wanted to disclose were exposed in broad daylight.

  When we step into the lobby, I'm thankful that Rhett, his ex, and his son are nowhere to be found. Running into the trio would be the absolute icing on this shit-tastic cake.

  “I still can’t believe you’re here,” I mutter as we ride the elevator up to the twelfth floor. I should be grateful we’re nowhere near the room I shared last night, but knowing Rhett is somewhere in this hotel makes me want to take him up on his offer to stay another night.

  “Accident or not, I finally got the name of the town you were in. Of course I’d take the first flight across the ocean to check on you. Caiti stayed up all night searching every social media platform for Arrow Creek community groups. She finally stumbled on a post you made for your
business and found the correct state. She could probably work for the FBI with her sleuthing skills.”

  “You could have just taken my word for it.” The elevator dings. I step off but wait for Eric to lead the way.

  He bumps my shoulder as he passes. “It’s been months. First knowing you were still living with Tate but separated, and then you went on the run.”

  “I wasn’t on the run,” I fire back. “Can’t a girl have some privacy after a major breakup?”

  “Not when I’m the only family you have. Buy a new car. Drastically change your hair. Do anything except hide from me. Not cool, Evie.”

  The key card opens the door, and he steps back for me to enter. The squeals that reach my ears nearly knock me back into the hall.

  “You already found her! I thought we were going to be searching for hours!” Caiti launches herself into my arms. I’m assaulted by shiny black hair and the smell of cherry blossoms. I squeeze her back.

  Eric shoves the door with more force than necessary. “You won’t believe this shit, Cait.”

  “Eric,” I hiss. Here we go again. “Let it go.”

  “What shit?” Caiti pushes me back at arm’s length and scans me head to toe. “What’s going on?”

  “Do you have anything to drink? Also, I’m ordering room service on your tab since Eric won’t let me leave to get food,” I mutter

  “What the hell, Eric?” Caiti immediately jumps to my defense.

  “Aren’t you curious why I found her loitering in a hotel parking lot?” His car keys clank on the counter where he tosses them.

  Caiti pins me with a quizzical stare.

  “Oh, come on. I wasn’t loitering.” I throw my hands up in the air.

  Eric pops the top on a beer from his mini-fridge. They sure came prepared. I hold out my hand when Caiti passes one over, ignoring the fact it’s only noon on a Saturday.

  “Will someone tell me what the heck is going on?” Caiti twists her own top off but holds her drink as if knowing she’ll need the full amount once she gets her answer.

  “She’s living in her fucking car!” Eric’s tight control on his emotions, with all the gentle ribbing, is unleashed in the presence of his sister and his wife. The hurt in his tone bears down on us like a raging flood.

  “What?” Caiti asks again and turns to me, beer forgotten.

  “Eric, it isn’t like that.” A mark scores across my heart at the pain I’ve caused.

  He takes another swig. “Oh, yeah? Tell me what it’s like then. No wonder you didn’t want us to come out sooner. We’d have discovered your little secret when you didn’t have a place for us to stay.”

  “What?” Caiti’s question is waterlogged. I snap my gaze from my brother to her face. The shame smacks instantaneous at the tears tracking down her cheeks. Her head cocks to the side, and she wipes a wet cheek on her shoulder. “You’ve been living in your car? All this time?”

  Guilt steals the volume to my voice. “It’s only been a few weeks. I didn’t want you to worry.”

  A hysterical bubble of laughter breaks free from Caiti and tears my heart in two. “Are you kidding? We’ve worried this entire time. Why else do you think we hopped on the first flight as soon as we knew where you were staying?”

  “I didn’t know what else to do.” I cross the room and sit on the bed, noting the similarities to the room I left not that long ago and wishing I could go back.

  “You could have told us! We’re your family!” Caiti cries

  Eric pulls his wife close to his side in an attempt to comfort her. It stings a little, desperately needing a hug of my own, but all I seem to do is push people away.

  “I didn’t want to make Eric pick sides. There are things I’m not ready to share, and after everyone else chose Tate, I couldn’t take the chance that you’d choose him too.”

  “I wouldn’t choose anyone over you,” my brother snips, unable to disguise his pain at my admission.

  “Can we table this for now? I already said I’d sleep here this weekend. We can discuss it later after I’ve had some food.”

  My brother disengages from his wife and takes my dog’s leash. “I’ll take her to the bathroom and find a place to grab us a meal.”

  His offer stems less from generosity and more the need to get his feelings under control. I don’t fault him. Rather, I envy his ability to take space. I doubt Eric or Caiti plan to let me out of their sight for the foreseeable future.

  “You can go too. Get a glimpse of the town.” I pick at my cuticle.

  Caiti plops on the bed beside me and cheers the drink warming in my hand. “Nuh-uh. Already drove through it. You and I are going to catch up.”

  Seemingly satisfied with his wife’s declaration to essentially babysit me, Eric takes Ghost and leaves.

  “Now that he’s gone, give it to me straight. You sounded so well on the phone. Why did you turn down all our offers to help?”

  I stand and take a drink of my beer to stall for time. The condensation dampens my hand. “This is the part I’m not ready to share. You have to trust that I’m doing what I can to take care of it.”

  “I don’t know if I’d call living out of your car taking care of it.” She looks out the window and takes a drink of her own.

  “Look.” I sigh. I need to give an inch, or they won’t let up. “It’s not as bad as it sounds at first glance. I’m making friends here. Real friends. Not like the kind I had back home who chose Tate over me. And I met someone who spends most nights in the parking lot too, so I’m not alone.”

  “Oh, that makes me feel loads better that you found someone else living out of their car to commiserate with. A match made in heaven.” Her skepticism is blatant.

  I want to snarl. “You’re being judgmental.”

  “I—” Her face falls. She wipes a strand of hair sticking to her lip. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Where I come from, the types who live out of their cars aren’t exactly who I’d pick for dating material.”

  I slam my beer on the dresser. “That’s exactly it. Maybe you need to take a step back and realize sometimes normal people fall into hard situations. Over half the population in this country is one major medical event away from being homeless. I fell into a hard situation, and rather than have your judgment, I could use your support.”

  “Evie, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  “I know you didn’t. It’s easy to make exceptions for the people we love.” I catch sight of myself in the mirror. Ugh, the bird’s nest that is my hair might explain why they don’t believe I’m faring well. “Do you have a comb? Mine’s in my car.” I catch her eyes through the reflection.

  She nods and retrieves it from her carry-on. I get to work picking through the tangled curls.

  “And if you’re judging even more, this is sex hair, not homeless hair, thank you very fucking much.”

  Caiti looks at her bare feet. “I’ve offended you.”

  “Yep.”

  “Sex hair?” She rolls her lips between her teeth to stifle a giggle. I let mine free.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Judging by the hair, I’d say good sex?”

  “Fucking fantastic sex.” I smile.

  “Now that’s a look I haven’t seen on your face in a while. You’re happy here?”

  I face her before returning to the mirror. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long while, Cait. It wasn’t all lies.” I lower my arms to my sides. “I’m starting my business. I’ve made some friends. I really like it here. I can take you and Eric on this beautiful hiking trail after work tomorrow.”

  She returns my genuine grin. “I’d like that.”

  Once I finish picking through my hair, I set the comb down. I drain the remainder of my beer and point the neck of the empty bottle at her. “You realize you’re on my side now, right? None of this forcing me to go home once Eric returns.”

  “Can I at least leave you with some money?”

  “No. I don’t want handouts. I’m doing this on my own.”<
br />
  “What about buying you dinner?”

  I pretend to think about it and tap my chin. “Eric can buy me dinner. You can buy me drinks. That’s what we’d do when I’d come visit you guys before.”

  “Deal. But only if you invite your sex-friend.”

  I pivot on a heel and stare her down. “Oh, no. He and Eric have already met, and it wasn’t very pleasant.”

  “Exactly why you need to bring him. If you’re living out of your car in this town while you get on your feet, I need to meet at least one person you’re spending time with to suss them out. See if they really have your back.”

  I shrug. “Just remember if dinner goes south, and they end up brawling over cheap cocktails, that’s on you.”

  Caiti grins wide, revealing her perfect white teeth. “I always liked a good fight.”

  “Great. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to take a long, hot shower before my brother gets back.”

  “Have at it.” She snags the remote from the dresser and flicks on the television. She stretches her slender body out on the queen-sized bed. “I’m going to take a nap. Jet lag.” She yawns.

  Leaving her to relax, I lock myself in the bathroom. She’s not the only person who could use a nap. My eyelids feel heavy at the intrusion of silence. After a late-night sex marathon and the excitement of this morning, I could sleep for a week. Though the thought of a long, relaxing shower does perk me up. I didn’t get the chance to enjoy one with Rhett last night. It’s not a five-star hotel, but it beats a truck stop shower any day.

  Standing naked in the center of the room, I assess the evidence of last night. A reddish mark near my collarbone. Tiny purple bruises from his fingertips dot along my thigh. A bruise on the back of my arm from knocking over the lamp. With a content smile, I snag my cell phone and type out a text to Rhett.

  Me: You’re apparently invited to a family dinner. I thought we could meet at Calypso’s for food and drinks. Let me know what day you’re free, or if I have to make up an excuse why you can’t join us.

  I add a wink face to convey that I won’t be offended if he doesn’t want to get involved.