Alluring Temptation (Bayou Stix #3) (10 page)

Both Bradi and Blue are staring at me in utter shock. My outburst was a little out of character. Bradi coughs and I swear she’s trying not to smile. I see her look at Blue out of the corner of her eye.
What the hell?!

Bradi says, “Well, Liam texted me when you were asleep and checked on you…”

Blue looks at me too. “He spent the night in your hospital room, Clove. The night they brought you in. He stayed with you.”

I shake my head in denial. No, that’s not possible. Why would he do that? They’re wrong. “No. He didn’t. Cruz was with me. Not Liam.”

Bradi smiles. “No, hunny.
LIAM
stayed with you. All night. In that tiny chair.”

WHAT?!

“What?” I shake my head again. “No, that doesn’t make sense. Why would he do that?!”

They both smile at me. Blue says, “Because he kissed you. He doesn’t hate you. You tempt him and it scares him.”

They’re crazy! I do not tempt Liam Christianson. I’m nothing like the women he messes with. They’re both insane.

Bradi just laughs at my shock. “Liam doesn’t hate you and you don’t hate him. Go Liam. I can’t believe he kissed you.”

I finally manage to find my voice. My head is fuzzy and my stomach is in knots. “He does hate me.”

Blue can’t help it, she laughs. “Sure he does. He hates you like I hated Jessie.” She winks.

Ok, I’m attracted to him. But oh my God, look at him! He’s perfection personified. Men that look like that are not supposed to really exist. His face, his body… He’s gorgeous. I’m not even remotely on the same plane as he is. I’m young and pretty, but not like the women he flocks to. And now I’m pregnant… yeah right.

I’m not even entertaining those thoughts. “Stop y’all. Just stop. I’m not in his league. I don’t want to be. I hate rock stars. I hate men who treat women like objects. I won’t be another notch in his bedpost. Not that he even wants me to be. So, I’m not even sure why y’all are talking like this. Besides, I’m
pregnant
! For a real winner too!”

Blue reaches over and takes my left hand while Bradi takes the right one. Bradi says bitingly, “Now you listen to me! You are completely in his league. In fact, of all the bimbos he’s been with, you’re the
ONLY
one in his league!” She points at me in her ire. “He’s an amazing, complex man. He has demons, but we all do. If you two would stop with the childish antics for five minutes and actually have a fucking conversation instead of a pissing match, you’d both realize what a gem the other is!”

Once again, my mouth refuses to cooperate. Blue pats my hand and smiles. “Bradi is right, Clove. Liam fronts very, very well. He’s used to hiding behind his façade. But I promise you if you take the time to see through it, you’ll be really impressed with what you find. Hell, you hide behind a mask, too. The truth is… I think you two are perfect for each other!”

I start choking!
What?!

She chuckles again and stands up to take the dishes to the sink. Bradi pulls me up and swats my bottom as she says, “Go get your shoes on. Girl’s day! We’re going get our nails done and going maternity clothes shopping!”

I panic. “Oh my God, do I need new clothes already?!”

They both laugh at me. Bradi snorts and laughs so hard she has to hold onto the table. “No. You look gorgeous as always. But, we want to take you shopping and since you’re preggers and we are not, we get to spoil you! Besides, as little as you are, once my baby gets bigger, you’re going to need new clothes anyway.”

Blue and I laugh at her. I say, “Your baby, Bradi?”

She waves her hand dismissively. “Blah. Your baby, my baby, whatever. All the same. Auntie Bradi is going to spoil this baby rotten!”

My eyes well with tears again. I have the best friends, I should never have kept this a secret.

As they see me acting like an emotional fool, they both come hug me and it makes me cry harder. They laugh and I join in through my tears. Damn hormones.

Then we head off for our day.

Liam

D
riving down Evangeline Thruway in Lafayette, I take in the way the place has changed over the past twenty years. The Visitor’s Center is still there and it’s pretty, but it doesn’t really fit in with the surrounding landscape anymore. It’s hidden between both sides of the Thruway and all of the commercial development.

I used to love coming here when we were younger. I crank up the radio and Hunter Hayes is on. I remember him back when he was a tiny five-year-old with a huge accordion playing on the stage with Wayne Toups. He’s certainly grown up and made a name for himself in country music, which yes, I take a secret liking to. I love the new stuff that mixes country and rock. Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, and The Band Perry are some of my favorites. They are smack dab in the middle of the Bayou Stix songs and rock on my playlists.

My turn is coming up across from the airport. Following Kaliste Saloom down I reach my destination as I near University of Louisiana at Lafayette or ULL. As I get out of my truck, I take in my surroundings. The old house has been meticulously maintained, though now I pay someone to keep it up, since Paw is getting up there in age and can’t handle the maintenance anymore. It’s still a gorgeous house, though. It reminds me of Dade’s house. That’s probably why I love Dade’s place so much.

Paw must have heard me pull up because the front door opens and there he stands with his cane. He calls out, “Come on in, Boug. I’m going to sit down. Verna is making some coffee and she made some cocoons earlier.”

Chuckling I head up the steps and into the house. Verna acts as Paw’s nurse/ housekeeper and she’s been here with him for a couple of years now. He’s too damn stubborn to go into a home and I’d never do that to him since he raised me and took me in when I was a child. I help with the bills and pay Verna to take care of him, though he calls her his friend. He’s a stubborn old coot and she has her hands full, but she loves him, so I love her.

He makes his way to the back sitting room and I hear him drop into his favorite recliner. I poke my head into the kitchen and ask Verna if there’s anything I can grab. She points to the tray with the dainty floral cups she prefers and the sugar cubes and liquid creamer and kisses my cheek. No granulated sugar in this house.

After I make myself comfortable in the chair by the old wood burning stove and set everything up, I watch the critters in the yard through the glass back wall. The birds and squirrels are chattering and chirping as they fight over all the birdseed and squirrel food Paw throws out under the oaks for them daily. We don’t talk, just watch in companionable silence.

A few minutes later, Verna comes in with the coffee press and plate of cocoons, one of my favorite cookies. She sits across from me and watches the animals too as she sips her coffee.

Finally, she breaks the silence. “What brings you all the way out here, Cha?”

I smirk as I look at her. “Why do you think something brought me out here? Can’t I just come visit? Maybe I just wanted to see your beautiful face.”

She chuckles. “Flattery will get you everywhere, boy. But, I know you, remember? What’s on your mind?”

Paw looks at me and says gruffly, “It’s been a bit since you came out here. Not since before your tour and then Jude got married a bit ago, didn’t he?”

Nodding, I lean back on the sofa and settle my hands behind my head. “Yes, sir. He did. He married his first love. Did I tell you that Jessie is engaged?”

Paw slaps his leg and chuckles. “Jessie. He’s engaged? To who? That boy needed to settle down some. Reminds me of someone else I know.” He looks pointedly at me.

I chuckle. “He’s engaged to Blue, actually.”

That gets Paw’s attention. “Blue? That beautiful gal friend of yours?”

I nod and laugh. “Yes, that one. She gives him a run for his money. It’s awesome to watch.”

Verna rubs her chin and says, “Good for them. Marriage is a beautiful thing, if you do it right. I always hoped you and that gal would get married though. Those would’ve been some gorgeous little ones. Not that Jessie isn’t a looker himself. If I was thirty years younger, I’d give that gal a run for her money.” She pats her ample hips.

I choke on my coffee and laugh. “Verna! Now I always thought your heart belonged to me.”

She harrumphs and chuckles, “Now, now. All of you boys are attractive.”

Paw says grumpily, “All of them are too pretty with those earrings and all those bright tattoos. You don’t have any of that crap, do you boy?” Verna rolls her eyes at him. “She makes me watch the singing show with that country boy and that pretty boy with them tattoos. You know that show I mean, Liam? I like some of the music, but that boy is just too pretty.”

I’m trying to hold my smirk in at their banter and it makes my heart pang. I’d like to have that someday. After Maw Maw passed away and Paw got older, I got Verna to move in and take care of Paw. But I think there’s some romance blooming between these two. He’s an ornery seventy year old and she’s a feisty middle aged woman, but they are sweet on each other; I’m certain of it.

Verna says, “That boy is Adam Levine and he’s very attractive. That’s a good show. Isn’t it, Liam?”

I just nod and murmur. They don’t need me to converse with them anyway.

After a bit, it gets quiet again and I see that Verna has fallen asleep in her chair. Paw is looking at her with a soft look on his face. He sees me looking and says gruffly, “You going to talk to me about what’s bothering you, boy?”

Sighing, I look at him. He stands up and says, “Come on. Let her rest. I need to go put more birdseed out anyway. Walk with me.”

I follow him out. He points to the huge cans by the back porch. I know the drill, so I open them and scoop out some feed from both the birdseed and the squirrel feed. Then, I walk through the backyard, filling all of the feeders. The birds are so used to it, they don’t even fly away as I approach. They just watch me. Paw sits on the cypress swing as I fill everything. I need to make several trips. He just watches me and calls out when I’m doing it wrong.

After about twenty minutes, I’m done with my task. So I plop onto the swing with him.

He looks straight ahead and says, “What’s her name?”

I look at him in confusion. “What? Who’s name?”

Chuckling, he sets the swing to rocking by pushing off with his cane. “You know who. The woman who had you driving across the Atchafalaya Basin in the early morning light in the middle of the week. What’s her name?”

I laugh in embarrassment. He’s a perceptive old geezer. But this is why I came here. I need his advice. Looking into the trees, I say, “Clove. Her name is Clove. She’s Dade’s little sister.”

This gets a reaction. He looks at me and studies my face, taking a long time to look into my eyes. I’m scared to look away. Finally, he must see what he wants to see. He grunts. “Is the issue that she’s Dade’s little sister?”

Laying my head back on the swing, I watch the clouds through the branches as I answer. “Yes. No. I don’t know. It’s complicated.” I sigh. “She’s young and innocent. Nothing like me, Paw.”

The swing stops rocking. I jerk and look at him. He’s scowling at me. I sit up. Pointing at me, he growls out, “What are you talking about boy? You don’t think you’re good enough for her?”

I look away from him and at the ground. “She’s innocent and just good… I’m not.” Looking back up at him I mutter, “She’s been with like two people in her entire life and both were assholes. I sleep with a different woman every night, Paw.” He flinches. “You know I do. I live the rocker lifestyle. I’ve never even wanted to be with the same person regularly. I like the no strings, no commitments life.”

“You sure about that, boy?” He asks.

“Sir? What do you mean?” I ask him in confusion.

He chuckles. “You seem awfully confused about one woman, yet you say you don’t want the same person regularly. I know you flit around from one woman to another. I’ve told you before, that’s no way to live. You just said you live the ‘rocker life,’ and you do, to a point. But, you’re also a good man.” I look at him intently. “I raised you to be a good man. You learned well. You take care of me and Verna. You love your friends. You send money to the VA in town to help the veterans.” I look at him sharply. He laughs. “What? You think I don’t know you do that, boy? I know a lot about you. I raised you.” He starts rocking again and he continues. “And it seems Dade’s little sister may be just the woman you need.”

Shaking my head in rebuttal, I chuckle. “Clove.” He looks at me with a smirk. “Her name is Clove. I don’t need her. I’ll only break her heart. She’s not the woman for me.”

Pa chuckles and sighs. “That right there tells me she’s exactly the woman for you. If you’re worried about breaking her heart, that says plain as day, she’s opened up the door to yours.”

I decide to tell him everything. After all, that’s why I came here. He always gives it to me straight. I spot a cardinal in the tree and as I watch it, I tell him the rest. “She always makes me feel something. We fight constantly. We are always screaming at each other and when we aren’t, we are avoiding each other. She pushes my buttons.” He chuckles. I tell him the part that worries me the most. “She’s pregnant.”