Morrison (Caldwell Brothers #2) (8 page)

“You won’t take her anywhere, will you? You don’t have a car seat, and I don’t know the area.”

“No, we’ll hang here.”

For three days she has worked, and in that time we haven’t said more than ten sentences to each other. She and Livi are getting close, which is cool, and Marisa and I have
a little routine at night.

Mom leaves and we hit the home gym in the garage. After two minutes on the treadmill, she is sitting on the ground.

Today, she is on my back, laughing as I run. Cutest little shit in the world. She likes grapes, eats the hell out of them things while we watch
Sofia the First
—not
Firs
. Then we read.

Hailey is off tonight, and from a distance, I can see a light has
returned to her eyes. She jokes around with my brothers and Livi and seems almost comfortable. The only time I heard any friction was when she and Hendrix argued about her paying rent. He told her no; she told him she’d leave.

“Pain in the ass, you know,” he grumbled when she shoved the envelope at him.

And when I bought a car seat—a fucking car seat—for the Escalade, she was pissed.

“You ever
need to take her to the doctor’s, you won’t be so pissed off at me,” I call out as I walk away.

Shaking my head, I bring myself back to the present and realize I need to put some distance between us, so I go to talk to Momma. Then I go to the bar, where I drink too much.

I get offers, lots of them, and I can’t even think about accepting. All I can think about is her. By the end of the night,
I can’t drive, so I wait for the cab that Sally, the bartender, calls for me and then head home, where I stumble down the hallway to her door.

I stand in the doorway, watching them sleep. She looks stunning with the little frown gone, the worry seeming to have been erased. I have platinum right here in front of me, and I can’t even touch it.

I don’t know how long I’ve been staring at her when
her eyes open. She sees me, then glares.

I merely shake my head and walk away.

I hear the door shut and look back as she walks toward me, wrapping her robe around her.

“What the hell are you doing? Do you watch me every night?”

“Yep.” I want to lean forward and touch her. I won’t, though.

“Well, don’t. It’s creepy and wrong. It’s fucked up, Morrison.”

I nod. “Your fault.”

“Mine?”

“I have
walked around here for days, looking at you smile, laugh, and let down that wall with everyone around here.” I lean forward a little. “You have no idea how sexy that is to me.”

“Don’t,” her voice quivers.

I shake my head. “I want you all the damn time. I get hard when you walk by. I could have fucked five different women tonight—God knows I need a release—but I didn’t, because all I wanted was
to come back here and look at the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. The you here, Hailey—the Hailey lying with her daughter, sleeping without a frown or any visible worry—is the one I would prefer. But that Hailey wants nothing to do with me. So forgive me if I like to watch you sleep. I promise you I won’t do it again.”

She says nothing, but her lower lip sticks out, and I have to stop
myself from biting it or simply touching her, because I know what that does to her, to both of us.

So instead, I walk away.

“Morrison,” I call out. I shouldn’t speak. I should let him walk off. I need to push him away and truly let him go, not call him back to me.

He doesn’t speak. He keeps his body with his back to me and looks over his shoulder, watching me intently.

The tears build, and I feel like the dam is about to break.

“I don’t know how to handle all of this,” I whisper.

“You handle it
by letting me help you,” he replies as if it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“We aren’t your problem, Morrison.”

His face contorts as if he’s in pain. Turning to face me, he doesn’t come closer, only stands with his hands on his hips, waiting for me to continue.

“I appreciate the safe place to stay, the job placement, and helping with Marisa to get settled. The long term, though, I gotta
fix that for myself. I got myself into this situation, and I gotta get Marisa and myself out of it.”

“Little momma, you gotta know your front is hot. ’Cause, baby, a strong woman is sexy as hell. But you also gotta know there is nothing—and I mean nothing—that makes the man I am fall harder than watching the beauty you share with that little girl right in there.” He points to the door behind
which Marisa is sleeping soundly. “Hailey, you gotta know, too, that it’s okay to let people in. It’s okay to have help. And, dammit, it’s okay to have something for yourself.”

“I have something for myself. She’s in that room, right there.”

With three strides, he’s standing in front of me, tipping my chin to make me look at him.

“I’ve seen firsthand how it works out for a mom who only lives
for her kids. She’s number one. I get that, Hailey. She’ll be my number one, too. Same for Jagger, Hendrix, and Livi; we
got
both
your backs. We know just what it’s like for a mom to sacrifice everything for the sake of her kids and leave herself with nothing else.”

I know he’s talking about his mom. We haven’t gotten this deep before, but I feel it.

My gut twists as he continues, his eyes never
leaving mine. “I got one regret in this life: that we didn’t make Momma walk away. We didn’t pay enough attention until it was too late to give her something for herself. She had us boys and the bar, but she deserved better. And
you
deserve better.”

“Morrison,” I whisper as the tears fall.

“Nah, Hailey, there’s nothing you can say. Just listen. With or without me, you gotta remember to take
care of
Hailey,
too. Marisa needs her momma whole. She needs her momma to have people who have her back. And what I’m telling you is that you’ve got that, no matter what.”

Feeling completely defeated, I look into his unwavering eyes. “I can’t repay your kindness, Morrison.”

He slams his mouth down on mine in an all-consuming kiss, and the more he kisses me, the more I feel like I’m floating.
When he softens up, I moan as I melt into him. Then he pulls away.

“You. Don’t. Owe. Me. A damn thing. In the month I’ve known you, I have felt alive for the first time since Momma died. You and little chick give me a reason to get up in the morning and do something other than work the next hustle. I lie down at night wanting nothing more than to give you everything I have inside of me and lay
the world at both of your feet. Don’t you get it, Hailey? You give me so much more than any money can buy. This isn’t checks and balances; it’s fucking feeling. For once in my life, I fucking feel, Hailey, and outside of worrying about keeping you two safe, it feels fucking good.”

I open and close my mouth, as I have no words that could explain what I’ve felt since Morrison came into my world.

He brushes his lips to mine. “Let the good come in, Hailey.”

On those final words, he backs away and walks down the hallway without looking back, as I slide down the wall and contemplate everything he’s just said to me.

Time passes and fatigue takes over. I go to the bathroom, wash my face, and brush my teeth—the little things moms forget to do when they fall asleep with their children. As I
glance in the mirror, I can’t help hearing Morrison in my head.

“It feels fucking good.”

That it does
, I admit to myself.

Have something for myself? Fear grips my heart when I think about what I want for myself.

His arms are my comfort. They are my place to regain my strength. When he holds me, it rebuilds something deep inside me. At my lowest, he wraps his arms around me, and somehow it
doesn’t feel like all is lost.

“It feels fucking good.”

I keep repeating it in my head as I make my way back to bed. The last thought I have before I finally fall asleep is:
Yes, Morrison Caldwell, it does feel fucking good. Too bad I don’t have it in me to tell you that.

Morning comes all too soon. I have the late shift at the bar tonight, and Sally, who is off today, is lined up to start
watching Marisa for me.

After I wash up and get ready for the day, something pulls at me to find Morrison. The more rooms I go past and can’t find him in, the more dread settles in my belly.

My mind races and panic fills me as I call him yet get no answer. Did I push him too far away? Did I just lose the only good thing in my life outside of my daughter?

Jagger is in the kitchen when I round
the corner to check for Morrison. He pops in and out, but always takes the time to check on me and Marisa, making me feel accepted. Still, of the three brothers, I find him the moodiest and most unpredictable.

“Mornin’, Hailey.”

“Mornin’, Jagger. You haven’t by any chance seen Morrison, have you?”

“Yup—just got back from dropping him off at the airport. He left you the Escalade with a gas card
in the glove box.”

“Airport? What do you mean, ‘airport’? Where the fuck did he go?”

Jagger gives me a grin. “That sassy mouth is hot, Hailey. My brothers are lucky bastards. They got two fine-ass women with spunk.”

I brush off what Jagger is saying about me being Morrison’s woman, unable to take time for that line of thinking right now. “Jagger, where did he go?”

“Where he always goes,” he
plainly states, like this is all just common knowledge. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back in a week, two, tops. He doesn’t stay away long.”

A week, two, tops?

Until this moment, I haven’t thought about being away from Morrison. Since he came into my life, I haven’t had to think about him not being around, because…well, because he’s always been here.

He left without saying goodbye.

The thought stings.

Numbly, I move through my morning as Jagger takes off to do whatever it is that Jagger does. I know he trains and fights, but does the man have a regular job? I’m beginning to think they all work at the bar but also have their “side pieces,” as Jagger would say.

Throughout the morning I try to reach Morrison, but get only his voice mail. By the time of my shift that evening, I’m officially on
edge.

“Jared, you know what’s fun about being sober?” Hendrix calls out, humor dancing in his eyes as he chats up the older man who is a staple at the end bar stool every night.

“Nothing, Caldwell, ain’t nothing good about that,” Jared retorts grumpily before turning his attention to Olivia. “Livi, what’s a man’s idea of a balanced diet?”

She giggles before answering, “I don’t know, J. What’s
a man’s idea of a balanced diet?”

“A Miller Genuine Draft in each hand. Now make that shit happen for me, will ya, gorgeous?” He smiles at her, showing the genuine bond they share.

I have been introduced to Jared and know he officiated at Hendrix and Livi’s nuptials, but the man is far from warm and friendly. He won’t let me serve him yet. I haven’t earned it, he claims. I wish he would tell
me what I need to do to be granted that honor.

“You,” he barks at me. “Morrison’s woman, come over here.”

I start to correct him, to tell him I’m not Morrison’s woman, but he speaks before I can. “When your man gets back, I got a joke for ya to give him. You ready?” he asks in all seriousness.

I nod, unsure of what he actually expects me to do. He reaches over and pulls me down by my shoulder,
bringing my ear close to his face.

“How’s a casino like a woman?” he whispers, and I can’t help wondering where he is going with this. “Liquor in the front and poker in the back.”

My eyes grow big in shock as Livi giggles next to me, having heard every word he said.

“Think on that one and give it to our boy when he gets home from his tournament.”

“Tournament.”
At the word, it all hits me.
Instantly, I know where Morrison is, and I’m far from happy. This is my problem, not his.

Remembering where I am, I wipe the counter as I laugh at the joke, then continue on with my shift. I do what I do best—push it all down and keep going, even as the world crumbles around me. The night passes in a whirl of drinks and bar food. Once we close up, Livi sets a shot in front of me.

“Ummm…I should
tell you I don’t drink often. In fact, the last time I drank, I was Lucy Loose Lips, and it wasn’t attractive,” I try explaining.

“Girl, I’ve watched you be on edge all night. Then, after Jared said ‘tournament,’ you went into robot mode. Now, you have a little girl waiting back home, and she doesn’t want Robot Mom. Toss that one back and let’s chat.”

Livi and I have bonded over my time here.
She knows every detail of how Monte and I came to be and our time together. Even though I check in with Jamie, we can’t talk long, since she doesn’t want to attract attention that would show Monte she has two phones; with her husband Alex owing Monte, he is sure to have eyes on her. Livi has become almost as close to me as Jamie in this short time. She gives off this innocent vibe, and after living
all my life in the world of players and reading tells, Livi is a breath of fresh air. She’s clean, pure love and loyalty.

“Tell me he went to play for himself. Please, Livi, tell me he’s not off trying to beat Monte for me.”

“Can’t do that, Hailey. I wouldn’t want you to lie to me, and I’m not about to lie to you. He’s good at what he does, though. He’s gonna get you outta this mess, and he’s
gonna do it while holding you up so you can fall down.”

I stiffen at her words. “I can’t fall down.”

“Sure you can,” she states matter-of-factly. “We all do at some point.” I sigh and then she continues, “These boys were raised to lift each other up. It’s okay to depend on others, Hailey. Not everyone expects anything in return, and the Caldwells don’t want anything but your love in return.
Let Morrison do what he needs to do for this family,
his
family—and that includes you and Ris Priss.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

She squeezes my hand. “There was a time I didn’t think I could let anyone help me, but you know what? I was walking in the snow in downtown Detroit, all to avoid telling anyone how bad things were, and Hendrix swooped in and took care of my problems. More than that,
he held my hand as I faced my past. He gave me the strength to endure. Let Morrison give you that. Let all of us give you the security you’ve never had.”

“He’s not playing with someone who will play fair. Monte won’t allow him to win, and if by some miracle he does, how do I ever repay him?”

“By living your life free of the chains of your past.” She takes me by the hand to the bar stools, where
we both sit. “These boys, they saw things growing up, the kind of things that stay with ya. They were powerless to get their momma out of a bad situation, so they had to watch helplessly as she put up with a lot of crap she shouldn’t have had to put up with. They can’t meet someone being held down and not want to extend a hand to get them back up again.”

“I wasn’t beat on, Livi. My situation
is not their mother’s. I owe Monte.”

“You don’t owe him a damn thing. You played a game, and you lost. It happens. Sure, the money wasn’t on the up-and-up, but blackmailing you into a marriage?” She shakes her head. “That is not evening up anything.” Quirky Livi rubs her ass like she often does, but this time, something flashes in her eyes. “Consent is,” she starts, and looks around before whispering,
“fucking required.” Then, as if she’s found some new confidence, she repeats, but more loudly this time, “Consent is fucking required. You hear me, Hailey?”

“I did consent, Livi.”

“Under duress, and while you were underage. Do you get what I’m telling you?”

“I don’t need absolution. I need Morrison to come home and not fight my battle for me.”

“Hailey, this isn’t absolution. Your soon-to-be-ex-husband
manipulated you into your situation. You ever hear of the term ‘dubious consent’?”

Tears fill my eyes. “Livi, stop! I wasn’t raped. He didn’t beat me. He took care of me! I owe him!” I snap at her unintentionally. “Don’t try to justify or explain my poor choices.”

“Hailey, honey, you’re breaking my heart here. What choices did you have? He took them all away by controlling the circumstances
around you. None of this is your fault. Let us help you. Let us be the family you never had. Let Morrison show you what good really is. Please, Hailey.”

“Help me get to the tournament. Let me play for myself. Morrison is taking away my choices right now, too!”

Something flashes in her eyes. In a blur, she is gone, and I’m left with my own thoughts about my past.

Monte took my choices away.
He did. The question is, what the hell do I do about it now that I have a choice?