Over the Hills and Far Away (NOLA's Own #1) (47 page)

“He fucking terrifies me, Alys,” I confessed. “He makes me
feel
so much.”

“You’ve been ignoring your feelings for a long time. I guess it would be a bit scary. But don’t let it overwhelm you, okay? I know you. You’ll want to take a step back and analyze your emotions and crap. This isn’t a patient whose symptoms need to be broken down. This is your heart and soul. Just…allow yourself to be happy.”

“I’m not even sure I’m capable.” I laughed bitterly. “I let out all my emotions to him last night, and I woke up in a panic this morning.”

Laughing, she said, “Well, maybe you’re just excited, and since you’ve emotionally stunted yourself for so long, you’ve confused it with fear.”

“Shut up,” I said. “I’m trying to just go with the flow. I want to, you know? I’m just finding it hard to figure out
how.
Who knew falling in love with someone could be so scary?”

We continued to sip our espresso, our fingers entwined, as we just enjoyed the peace of a beautiful morning.

Then, a noise by the steps on the side of the porch startled us.

Phil stood there, his eyes shielded behind his aviators. The sight of him made my heart trip wildly. He was wearing a
Houses of the Holy
T-shirt.

I guess he’s got last night on the brain, too.

“Mornin’, ladies,” he drawled in his deep baritone.

“Morning, Phil,” said Alys, letting go of my hand. “Would you like some coffee?”

He walked up the three steps but didn’t come over. “That would be great. Thanks.”

She stood up. I guessed she sensed that Phil and I needed to have a few minutes of privacy. For what, I wasn’t even sure though. But I felt it, too. It was as though I was in trouble. Not knowing what to say or do, I sat there, staring at him. Phil just stood there, staring back at me.

After a few moments, he said quietly, “Come here, Baby Girl.”

Before I even realized it, I was on my feet, walking toward him. I stopped about a foot away, feeling my heart slam around in my chest.

“I missed you when I woke up,” he told me softly, his voice oozing a dangerous element.

I felt a shiver of
something
, and I seriously hoped it wasn’t fear.

“I needed to do my yoga,” I tried to explain.

“You snuck out. You didn’t even say good-bye.”

“I didn’t want to wake you up. I didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“It is.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll wake you.”

“Good.”

Damn…I think I just submitted.

And like a good submissive, I was rewarded when he pulled me into his arms and wrapped me in his embrace.

“How much eavesdropping did you do?” I asked.

He pulled back, so he could look down onto my face. I wished he’d remove the sunglasses, and I
knew
he sensed this from me, yet he did nothing about it.

“Do you think Alys is right?” he asked softly, ignoring my own question.

I refused to answer, too.
I’m not
that
much of a submissive.

I snaked my arms around his waist and leaned into him all the same. Phil relaxed, exhaling lightly.

“Coffee!” Alys called brightly as she emerged from the kitchen. “Are you guys hungry? Lili will probably be up soon—”

“Starvin’,” replied Phil. “Someone, please feed my massive ass.”

We all piled into Alys’s SUV. Phil and I sat in the back. Lili scooted the front seat all the way forward, but Phil still had to spread his legs a bit to fit comfortably. Holding my hand, he rubbed his thumb over my wrist, smiling happily. It was early afternoon, and we were heading to his dad’s.

“You’re excited!” I accused, laughing.

His smile turned on full blast, his dimples punching in deep. “Too fuckin’ right I am. Your palm is all sweaty.”

“Ew!” barked Lili from the front seat.

Phil leaned over. “I don’t mind. I think it’s cute that you’re nervous.”

Alys cranked up the volume, Danzig blasting out of the speakers. It was a thirty-minute drive to the Garden District where Mr. Deveraux lived. The Garden District was the most gorgeous and richest neighborhood in New Orleans.

As we drove along, Phil gave Alys directions, and we ended up pulling into a huge driveway that led up to a lovely two-story plantation-style home. This was where Phil fucking Deveraux had grown up. In this sort of luxury, this was where NOLA’s Junk had formed. It was such a beautiful and privileged home.

Suddenly extremely nervous, I felt every bit the bayou backwater honky trash Sheri had called me. Not to mention, I hadn’t had to meet anyone’s parents in years.

What if I fuck this up?

Phil was close with his family, and if they ended up hating me, it could very well be a deal-breaker.

“They’re going to love you, Baby Girl. Stop worryin’ so damn much,” Phil said softly.

Easy for you to say,
I thought darkly.
You’re not the one who grew up in a barely middle-class semi-polygamist household like a dirty hippie.

Still holding my hand, Phil led the way for us. Walking up the grand front steps and onto the colonnaded front porch, the door was unlocked, and Phil pulled it open.

“Dad?” he called out.

From somewhere further in the house, a voice, not unlike Phil’s, boomed out, “Philip?”

“Philip?” Lili snickered. “People call you
Philip
?”

Phil smiled down at her, breathtaking in his happiness. “Just my dad,” he replied, tugging me toward the direction where his dad’s voice had come from.

Mr. Deveraux was in the kitchen, whipping up a bowl of what looked like potato salad. He was a very handsome man in his mid-fifties with black hair that was silver at the temples. He was also tall—not Phil tall, but not far off. He was very…
French
-looking, but I could see Phil in his jawline, and good gods above, the man had passed on his dimples to his son.

It was those dimples and that smile that threw me back to the day of my mother’s funeral.

It’s him!

He was the man who had talked to my grandmother, the one who had looked like he was grieving for my mother as much as we were. Even then, something about him had reminded me of Phil.

Well, no shit!

Phil’s arm snaked around my waist. “Dad, this is my girlfriend, Kenna MacGregor.”

Mr. Deveraux’s very, very blue eyes landed on my face. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Kenna.”

This man had known my grandma and my mother, which meant he must have known who I was all along.

“You, too, sir.”

Mr. Deveraux smiled, and I saw Phil in his smile, clear as day. I actually felt
giddy
that he was that handsome of a man. I thought he had the same effect on Alys and Lili because they were
extremely
quiet.

Do they recognize him, too?

I couldn’t tell, and they said nothing.

Damn, if I were only twenty years older!

Don’t
ever
tell Phil that!

“Mr. Deveraux, is there anything we can help you with?” asked Alys.

Lili snapped to attention, and her eyes flitted around, looking for an escape route.

Mr. Deveraux turned his blue eyes on Alys and smiled, his swoonworthy dimples making an appearance. “No, you’re guests here. And call me Louis.” He said his name with the French pronunciation,
Louie.

“Take them out back,” he told Phil, his voice going warm and smooth. “Danielle is there with Camille—”

“Sweet.” Phil grinned.

“And get them something to drink. Ladies, I hope to catch up with you a little later, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

Louis reached out and took my hand, giving it a squeeze. “I’d love to tell you stories of growing up with your mother, Kenna.”

“I’d like that,” I told him with a genuine smile, putting aside the awkward questions in my head.

Phil’s sister, Danielle, was breathtakingly beautiful
.
No lie, the woman was beyond stunning, and all three of us girls gave off a little sigh of envy when we’d first seen her. Her black hair was thick and straight. She had flawless creamy skin with a hint of honey to it and large blue-blue almond-shaped eyes fringed with dark lashes. Her figure was to die for
with a gorgeous rack, tiny waist, flaring hips, and she was about Alys’s height.

Gods above, I’m nothing more than a hideous freak standing next to this woman! Phil thinks
I’m
the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen? Pfft!

Phil let go of my hand to lift the world’s most striking woman into a bear hug, and if I hadn’t known she was his sister, I’d be livid and pea-green with jealousy.

“Dani, there’s someone you need to meet,” said Phil, setting her back on her feet.

Danielle stepped back and looked at the three of us, and I could sense that Alys and Lili were feeling the same level of inadequacy and hideousness that I was. She smiled
.

She’s got the damn dimples, too!

Phil was practically bouncing next to me. “Dani, that’s Alys.” He pointed to her, and she waved. “And that’s Pygmy.”

Lili flipped him the bird.

“Phil!” Danielle admonished.

“Okay, most people call her Lili.”

“Nice to meet you,
Lili
,” Danielle said with a brilliant smile.

All three of us sighed again.

He reached his hand out, taking mine and squeezing, and his smile was damn near blinding.

“And this is Kenna,” he said, his voice oozing all sorts of chocolaty-warm goodness.

Danielle actually bounced a little herself. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you!” She threw her arms around me, hugging me tight.

“Uncle Phil!” a shrill voice screamed from somewhere in the backyard.

Phil dropped a kiss on top of my head. “Be right back,” he told me before tearing after the voice.

Danielle was smiling up at me, “Wow, Phil said you were beautiful, but I had no idea—”

Busting out in laughter, I told her, “Really? ’Cause I’m thinking of leaving Phil for
you!”

Alys and Lili cracked up.

Danielle smiled. “Well, thank you. And you all are so
normal.
”

“Yeah, not sure how we should take that,” said Lili.

“As a compliment. Trust me. You don’t look like
groupies
.” Danielle assured us. “Can I get you all something to drink?”

“What do you have?”

“Beer, wine, iced tea—”

“Tea,” the three of answered.

Our knack for answering in unison made her laugh. “Follow me.”

She led us to an outdoor bar on the immense patio, and we all grabbed a seat. Looking around, we saw a huge kidney-shaped pool, complete with coral rock formations and a small waterfall. A hedge ran along the whole length of the concrete wall that enclosed the backyard. Huge old trees, one with a tree house, were artfully placed and pruned, and a tiled path snaked through the yard out from the pool.

“Wow, this place is amazing,” I breathed.

“It’s all right. It never replaced our old home though. We missed Ormond a lot.”

“It is a special neighborhood.” I smiled.

“You live in the house next to our old place? Well, I guess it’s Phil’s place now.”

I nodded. “Yeah. We all do.”

“That’s so nice. You know, I remember you from that Christmas. You were an adorable baby. I think Phil’s heart broke the day you left. He cried over you for days after.”

“Jeez, what a pussy,” said Lili, her voice snarky. “Who knew he’d become heavy metal’s god of thrash?”

I had to bite my lip, but Alys snorted and covered her mouth.

“I’m sorry!” Alys gasped. “You’ll have to excuse the Pygmy. We don’t take her out much.”

Danielle was laughing. “You three are a trip.”

We discovered that Danielle was a botanist.

Maybe we should introduce her to Jimi.

She was engaged to the father of her two children, but they hadn’t decided on when to do the deed. Her fiancé, Martin, was out with their son, picking up more beer for when the guys would get here.

Alys and Lili ended up telling her about all my accomplishments after I’d told her only that I worked with therapeutic medicine.

“Don’t listen to her, Danielle. She’s totally selling herself short. She’s a damn doctor,” said Lili.