A Love Like This (Book 1) (55 page)

“
I
’
m sure he knows how much you all love him.
 
Jermaine is hurting right now but he
’
ll come around,
”
 
Shauna says looking up at Mr. Clayton
’
s top floor window.

“
I hope he does,
”
 
Dana says patting Shauna
’
s knee.
 
 
“
Look at me unloading all of my problems on you.
 
Come on in and let me fix you something to eat.
”

“
No thank you.
 
I
’
m still full from last night
’
s giant meal.
 
I
’
m trying to lose weight and I can
’
t remember the last time I allowed myself to have bread and pasta all in one sitting. But it was all so good that I couldn
’
t help myself.
”

“
Why on earth are you dieting?
 
You
’
re perfect just the way you are.
”
 
 
Shauna doesn
’
t respond.
 
She
’
s still looking up at Mr. Clayton
’
s window.
 
 
“
What are you looking at?
”
 
Dana says following her gaze.

“
It
’
s weird,
”
 
She says pointing.
 
 
 
“
Do you see how the curtain is moving in the upstairs window?
”
 

Dana shields her eyes from the sun and squints up at the window.
 
 
“
He probably just has the fan on.
”
 
 
She puts her coffee mug down and stands up to take a closer look.
 
The curtain is moving up and down and from side to side with a jerking motion.
 
“
That is
strange.
 
Maybe the mean old bastard fell down and got stuck.
 
I
’
ll go check on him,
”
 
She says heading across the street.
 

“
Should I come with you?
”

“
No he probably won
’
t answer the door.
 
Just watch the upstairs window.
 
He usually looks out whenever someone knocks.
”
 
 
Dana heads across the street.
 
The minute her hand touches Mr. Clayton
’
s front door it cracks open.
 
 
“
Mr. Clayton,
”
 
She calls from the door way.
 
She pushes the door and peers inside tentatively.
 
Mr. Clayton
’
s has been
 
reclusive since his wife died.
 
She was a kind woman and she forced him to be cordial.
 
After she died he became ornery.
 
He rarely left the house
 
except to water his grass
 
and he threw shoes at neighborhood kids if they stepped on his lawn.
 

The inside of his house is not at all what Dana expects.
 
The hardwood floors shine like a new penny.
 
There are pictures of smiling happy people lined across the mantle above the fire place.
 
The old flowered sofa has fluffy pillows neatly arranged and the house is completely spotless.
 
 
“
Mr. Clayton,
”
 
Dana calls out again this time louder.
 
She steps inside and looks around.
 
She hears a rustling sound coming from upstairs and a clamoring in the kitchen.
 
She steps further into the house and calls his name again.
 
 
“
I swear old man if you throw something at me I
’
m going to kick your behind.
”
 
 
When Dana reaches the middle of the living room she hears another noise in the kitchen.
 
This time it
’
s a thud as if someone is opening and closing a drawer.
 
 
“
Alright you old fart I
’
m coming in to make sure you
’
re ok,
”
 
Dana says.
 
Her heart is thumping in her chest.
 
 
“
I have my husband
’
s 38 special with hollow tip bullets,
”
 
she lies.
 
 
“
I
’
m going to send your ancient ass to meet Jesus if you jump out on me.
”
 
When she gets to wall that separates
the kitchen from the living room she stops and listens.
 
The room is completely silent.
 
The only sound Dana hears is her own labored breathing.
 
 
“
The noise must have been my imagination,
”
 
she says to herself.
 
 
However, the moment she steps onto the li
noleum floor a woman runs by
her so fast that she nearly falls over.
 
The woman crosses the room and is out the back door in a flash.
 
Dana holds onto the kitchen table to steady herself.

When she regains her balance she hurries over to the back door.
 
She reaches it just in time to see the gate swing open and the woman run
out.
 
She turns on her hee
ls and runs for the front door.
 
She skids to a halt when she hears the clamor upstairs.
 
She looks around for something to use as a weapon.
 
Dana settles on a large brown flower vase.
 
She creeps up the stairs breathing heavily.
 
The sound in the room get
’
s louder as she approaches.
 
It
’
s a muffled grumble.
 
 
“
Mr. Clayton,
”
 
Dana says pushing the door open.

____

I wake up and tell myself that today is going to be a good day despite the fact that family secrets seem to be falling out of the woodworks.
 
I roll over and snuggle in the crook of Tucker
’
s arm.
 
He holds me tight and kisses the top of my head.
 
I reach over him and take out a small black box from my night stand.
 
 
“
I got you something,
”
 
I say handing him the box.
 
He opens it and inside is a platinum and diamond wedding band.

“
Wow thank you baby,
”
 
He says kissing my head again.
 
He starts to slip it on.

“
No read the inscription first,
”
 
I say.

He turns the ring and reads the engraved words aloud,
 
“
TL forever.
”
 
 
I take the ring from him and slide it onto the third finger of his left hand.
 
He holds me tight and I can feel his heart beating.
 
 
“
I love you Leila,
”
 
he says.

“
I know you do,
”
 
I say rubbing his stomach.

“
Do you really promise me forever?
”

I raise my head to look at him.
 
 
“
Of course I do.
 
Why would you ask me that?
”

“
I
’
ve put you through a lot.
 
I figured you might think it
’
s not worth it, that I
’
m not worth it.
”
 

“
I
’
ll make you a deal,
”
 
I say sitting up to face him.
 
 
“
If you promise not to leave me because I have a secret brother and crazy relatives than I won
’
t let your ex-girl friends chase me away.
”

“
Deal,
”
 
He says pulling me on top of him and giving me a stinky morning breath kiss.

“
Everyone told me that you were quite the Casanova before we got married.
”

“
Oh yeah who is everyone,
”
 
He says cupping my behind in his hands and giving my cheeks a little jiggle.

“
Let
’
s just say I wouldn
’
t be surprised if there
’
s more than one angry stalker out there.
”

“
Yeah well you just remember our deal,
”
 
He says rolling me onto my back and tugging my underwear down.
 
He
’
s lying on his side looking into my eyes as he rubs the hair between my legs.
 
I blink slowly not wanting to pull away from his gaze as his
finger
 
circles around my clit until
 
it
’
s
 
engorged and throbbing.
 
He brings his finger to his mouth and licks it.
 
He reaches back between my legs and guides his finger inside me slowly in and out while his thumb massages my clit.
 
I arch my back and shift my
 
hips aching for his touch.
 
His eyes never leave my face as his fingers move in and out of my body with the precision of a professional.
 
I
’
m dripping wet and ready to explode when there
’
s a knock on my bedroom door.

“
No
 
no
 
no,
”
 
I say breathlessly as Tucker pulls away from me and sits up.
 
 
“
Who is it?
”
 
I grumble as the knocking gets louder.

Sara sticks her head in the room.
 
 
“
You two should come out.
 
Something
’
s happened,
”
 
She says before rushing away.
 
Tucker and I leap out of bed scramble into clothes and rush out of the house.
 
 
Nickie, Shauna and Sarah are standing on the side walk watching Mr. Clayton
’
s house.
 
We hurry over to them.

“
What
’
s going on?
”
 
I say.