Up All Night Long: From Lust to Love (Romance Anthology) (87 page)

Chapter 18

Nate

It wasn't happening that night, but it would happen soon. I kissed her as we got in our cars, and waited until she drove off in front of me. Every part of me wanted to go after her, to figure out where she was going, and what had her hurting so bad, but trust wasn't built by sneaking around in the shadows behind her.

I drove back to my folks’ house, took a shower and crawled up in the bed between my kids, finding a comfy spot and lying there awake, thinking through everything.

Elizabeth needed lust to be her comfort, and I was good with giving it to her. I prayed that the kids would like her, which left me smiling in the dark like a raccoon. It was validation that I really, truly believed that she would be mine.

She wasn't going to push much harder, but me? I was ready to wedge my way into her life like I did the first night we made love. Slow and steady with lots of good pressure and strong arms to catch her should she fall.

I fell asleep with her on my mind. The future was slowly shifting, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of rightness with the way it was headed.

*

"Daddy! Mom's here. Get up!" Samantha tugged at my shirt and yelled just beside my face, waking me up in a way that would have gotten a growl from me a few weeks back. Not now. Everyone needed softness. Not just me.

"All right. I'll be right there." I rolled over and let out a groan. What was Janice doing at my mom and dad's place?

This can't be good.

I got out of the bed and stopped by the bathroom, hurrying only when I heard Janice and someone yelling at each other down the hall. My mother was a southern belle. There was no way she was yelling at my soon-to-be ex-wife. Nor would my father. With me being their only son, they moved up from Oklahoma years ago to be around me and the kids. They wouldn't do anything to jeopardize their relationship with any of us. Not even giving Janice the tongue lashing she deserved. I could only hope that she would return back to her family in Oklahoma and leave the distance between us vast.

I jogged down the hall to find Patrick in her face in the kitchen. My mother stood off to the side, crying.

"Pat. Dude." I moved into the kitchen and gripped my son's shoulders, jerking him back. I got in his face and narrowed my eyebrows. "Don't get in your mother's face again. Not ever."

"She did this to you. To us." His face crumbled as he lashed out and hit me in the chest. "Fuck all of you."

I released him and turned to watch him go as my heart ripped in two. I turned to face Janice, half expecting to feel anger or sadness, but once again... nothing.

"What are you doing here?" I kept my voice calm.

"I came to give you your keys, and to pick up my kids. They're mine, Nate. They came out of my vagina." She poked her finger into my chest.

"Oh dear Lord." My mother turned and walked from the room. "I'm going to find Patrick."

"Send Daddy after him," I called after her before looking down at the woman I thought I'd love forever. "You have no right to them, Janice. You're not a mother at all. Give me the key." I opened my hand to her.

"I'm not leaving here without them." She dropped the key in my hand and put her hands on her hips. "They're mine."

"They haven't been yours in a long time. Stay as long as you want. The kids aren't going with you." I walked into the living room and sat down as Samantha skipped over and dropped down into my lap.

"Sam, come on, baby. Let's go home." Janice stood by the opening to the living room. "Mommy will make you a grilled cheese and we can watch Disney."

"It's lonely, isn't it?" I squeezed my little girl and watched my wife.

"I'm staying with Daddy." Sam turned and snuggled against me.

"It's been lonely for a long time in that house with you." I shook my head. "For all of us, Janice. You included. Where did you go? When did you leave?"

"Stop it, Nate. I'm not getting into this shit with you." She shrugged and grabbed her purse, not at all the girl I married. "I'll see you in court. This isn't over."

"I know it's not." I leaned down and pressed my lips to Sam's head, snuggling her in tightly and wishing like hell she wouldn't remember anything from this time in her childhood. My parents had been good, loving, solid. I never had any tragedy to contend with, but Sam would.

Did Lizzy? Is that why she was so reserved, so closed off?

"I love you, Daddy. More than anyone in the world. Don't leave me, okay?" She glanced up at me, her little seven-year-old expression stealing my heart.

"Never. We're going to grow old together and get fat on grilled cheeses and Disney movies."

She giggled and hit me with her little hand. "Fat off Disney movies?"

"Pretty hot and tempting?" I tried hard to make her laugh, and she did, changing my mood almost instantly. I wanted Elizabeth to meet my little ones, to care about them, but I was being a dreamer. It was too early.

She didn't even care about me yet, or she didn't think she did.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I lifted Samantha off my lap and sat her down beside me. She hopped off the couch and left me alone in the living room.

Elizabeth.

"Hey. What's up?" She’d never called me before. It was thrilling and left me feeling like a teenager once again.

"Nate. Can you come get me?" The thickness of her voice was stifling. She was crying. Hard.

"Yes, baby. Where are you? Text me the address. I'll leave now." I got up as she dropped the call. My heart swelled in my chest as I ran toward the back door to the house. I hit the screen door and jogged down to my mom and Patrick. My dad was running around with Samantha over on the side of the house.

"Hey. You okay?" I knelt in front of my son, reaching up and squeezing his thighs.

"Yeah, Dad. I'm sorry I hit you. Forgive me?" His eyes were still filled with tears.

"Already done, buddy." I leaned up and pulled him into a tight hug. "I gotta run to help out a friend who’s hurting pretty bad. Can you guys wait on us for dinner? I think you'll like her, but remember, she's just a friend. Got it?"

Patrick wiped at his eyes and lifted his eyebrow. "She's not the one who will love you like you'll love her?"

I laughed and looked over at my mom. "Say a prayer for her. I know you believe in that stuff."

"For Elizabeth?" My mom touched the side of my face.

"Yeah. She's letting me in a little more."

"Good. Go get her and bring her back here. I'll make something any Oklahoma boy would be proud to serve to a friend." My mom pinched Patrick's side as they chuckled, making fun of me.

"Whatever. You guys are ridiculous." I got up and ran around the house, waving at my dad before driving like a bat out of hell toward the address that Lizzy texted me.

I sat outside of the convalescent home, wondering what the hell she was doing there. I figured whatever was happening had to do with her ex, but maybe not.

After texting her that I was there, I got out of the car and walked to the door.

She opened it, her eyes bloodshot, hair a mess and nose puffy. She'd never been more beautiful than that moment. I wrapped her in a hug and reveled when she sank into it and started to cry.

"Baby... what's the matter?" I kissed the side of her face, rubbing my nose against her cheek. "Don't say anything if you don't want to."

"I had one person left in the world." She pressed her face into the crook of my neck. "My mom just passed away."

Chapter 19

Elizabeth

I wasn't going to call him. I shouldn't have, but the moment he wrapped his arms around me, everything faded. The pain of sitting there with her while she took her last breath. The need to lock myself in a closet and scream until my throat was raw. Gone. It was gone for the moment.

"Come home with me." He pressed his mouth just beside my ear. "I know you don't want company, but my family's hurting tonight too. Let my mom feed us, my kids entertain us, and then we'll go back to your place and I'll fuck you all night if that's what you want."

I wanted him to make love to me with the windows open. To feel the wind against my skin as he reminded me that I was alive and would get past this.

"Okay," I whispered against his neck. "Just get me out of here."

He moved back and took my hand, turned and walked us toward the car. I half expected him to pepper me with questions, but he didn't. He rolled down all the windows, took my hand in a tight grip and turned on jazz music.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, shocked by how in tune I felt with him. I glanced over at him. "You like jazz?"

"I love it." He looked over at me. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you look incredible. I swear my fucking heart stops in my chest every time I see you."

"Lately?" I asked.

"Lately, what?" He brought my hand up to his cheek, rubbing the back of my fingers across his five o'clock shadow. I couldn't fathom a more handsome man in all the world.

"Your heart stops in your chest when you see me lately. Before we were just co-workers and such." I shrugged. "Right?"

"Since I've met you, Lizzy. I've struggled since I met you." He brushed my fingers by his lips.

"And yet you never said a thing. You never made a move." My chest tightened.

"I never would have. No matter what." He shrugged and released my hand. "Janice was a horrible wife, but she was mine."

"I'm sorry for your loss." I squeezed his thigh and pulled my hand back into my lap. "I know how it feels."

"Do you?" He glanced over, his voice fluctuating enough to let me know that maybe he didn't know as much about me as I thought. Funny how paranoid I had become that everyone would know that I was cheated on. That I wasn't good enough. Or really
enough
at all.

"I do. Steven was the love of my life, or so I thought." I chuckled simply because I wasn't sure what else to do. "He slept around most of our seven-year marriage. He was powerful and ran the city in Seattle. A big personality and a great man to know."

"He's no great man if he cheated on you." He reached over and ran his hand behind my shoulders, squeezing my neck softly.

"I realize that now, but it was so hard letting go. We built our lives around each other, or maybe I built mine around him. Forever was supposed to last more than seven years." I pressed my fingers to my eyes. "I'm so over all of it, but it changed me. Numbed me."

"It has the power to do that." He rubbed softly and pulled the car to a stop. "Do you want me to take us somewhere else? Somewhere where we can talk?"

I glanced up at the little country-style house and smiled. "No. That’s really the end of the story. He cheated. Mother and I left and came here, and I promised myself I would never fall in love again. Not ever."

"I hope that story has an alternate ending." He leaned across into my seat and pulled me to him, kissing me slow and deep.

I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him closer to me, coveting the taste of him against my tongue and needing more. So much more. "I hope so too."

Something hit the car, and I jerked back with a yelp. A little girl stood at the front of the car with a quizzical look on her face.

"My daughter, Samantha." Nate laughed and got out. "You're going to put a dent in the car, super girl."

He picked her up and spun her around as she squealed with delight. I stood beside the car, falling in love with him far more than I thought possible. I didn't think having kids would ever be something I would let myself dream about again, but seeing the fulfillment on Nate's face... how could I not at least consider it?

A handsome boy walked out the front door, and stopped short as he turned toward me. "I'm Patrick. Are you Elizabeth?"

I ran my fingers through my hair and nodded as Nate spoke up.

"This is my friend, Lizzy, guys. She works with me. Well, actually, she's my boss." He laughed and walked toward the house toting his little girl. "Come on in and let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

I walked toward the door and paused by Patrick as he tilted his head and studied me.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly.

"No." I gave him a sad smile. "My mom just died."

"Oh wow." He reached out and squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry. My mom didn't die, but it feels like someone did."

"I'm sorry too." I put my hand over his, connecting with him immediately. "I'd say let’s steal a motorcycle and go for ice cream so we could cry over it, but I don't see a bike anywhere."

He laughed loudly, surprising me a little. "I like you. Don't hurt my dad. He's the best of the best."

"I know he is. Tell him to run from me?" I smiled as we walked into the house.

The smell of fried chicken filled my senses, and I breathed in deeply. I hadn't had a good home cooked meal since my mother was well. I loved to cook and yet found no purpose in doing it for myself. It just brought back memories that hurt too much to face.

"You must be Elizabeth." A portly woman walked from the kitchen and pulled me into a hug. "My Nathaniel has told me a lot about you."

"No, I haven't, Mom." He moved up beside me and put his hand on the small of my back. "I told her you were beautiful and that I needed to go pick you up."

I laughed. "That's about all there is to know."

His mom moved back and studied me. "I doubt that, but that's okay. Over time everyone learns to let love have its way with them. It's too powerful to deny for too long."

"Mom, really?" Nate's cheeks turned pink as he pulled out a chair at the table for me. "Come on. Sit down and I'll get you some tea."

"I already got it!" Samantha bounced back into the room and handed me the tea before reaching out and running her fingers down a strand of my hair. "You're the prettiest woman I've ever seen. Are you a model?"

"No." I smiled and glanced up at Nate. "Just a business girl looking to make it in this big world."

"She could be a model though, right?" Nate sat down next to me and lifted his eyebrow. "Bringing you here was a mistake. My dad sees this and I'll never live it down." He pointed to his lap, where his cock was thick and quite outlined.

I pulled his napkin down into his lap and shook my head, grateful that we were alone for the moment. "I can't take you anywhere."

He laughed and leaned over, pulling me into a hug as everyone else joined us. "Then don't. Let's just stay here forever."

"Not without paying rent." An older man who looked a lot like Nate sat down at the head of the table and looked over at me. "Nice to meet you, dear. If you haven't had proper southern-style food before, you’re in for a treat tonight."

I laughed and pulled from Nate, feeling oddly at home. Everyone sat down as Nate's mom put a big plate of fried chicken on the table, and I took a shallow breath as they started to pray.

I was breaking again, but not in a way that would leave me broken.

In a way that would find me eventually restored.