I lay for hours with her on top of me, listening to her sleep and feeling the soft whisper of her breath against my chest as I cradle her in my arms. Never once have I shared my bed, always leaving before any awkwardness could occur. Never once have I slept even an hour with another soul. But yet, I would kill any man dead who interrupted the sleeping angel in my arms right now.
This is what it feels like when you’ve found the one. The one they always say will sneak up and cause you to forget everything you thought you wanted in life; the one who will steal your heart before you’ve barely had a chance to know what happened. This wasn’t supposed to happen to me.
I stroke my dark-haired angel as she sleeps against my chest, holding her tight with the knowledge that things in my life will probably never be the same. Because I already know this is different from anything I’ve ever felt. My chest expands, breathing in sync with hers as the realization syncs in and a full day and night exhaustion pulls me under.
The next time I wake, hours later, the warmth of her body has been replaced with the blanket the two of us shared last night. I put it on the back of the couch and head to the bathroom.
My bag is still laying on the floor where I left it last night, and my t-shirt is folded and sitting on top of it, along with a folded piece of spiral notebook paper, the edges torn as though it’s been ripped right out of its binding. I lean against the sink counter while I open the letter. Something again, I’ve never received from any woman in my life.
Dear Mason:
Thanks for a great time. I don’t expect you to continue babysitting me today or to feel tied down to me for the weekend after what happened last night. Enjoy the wedding, and I will do the same.
Jules and I are taking Bobby Ray’s truck into town to meet the ladies for hair and nails, and we’ll go to the church with her and her dad later in the day.
Warm regards,
PJ
My jaw tightens with irritation. “Warm regards,” I say aloud. She came onto me, flipped my world upside down, and now it’s have a great life. What the hell.
I get ready for the day and head into the kitchen to make some coffee, finding it’s already been made. I pour a cup and spit it into the sink and run it down the drain with water. “Damn, that’s awful.”
I roust Bobby Ray from a sound sleep to let him relieve himself in the bathroom. I give him some of the horrible coffee to go along with a bagel and banana that will have to tide him over after someone comes for him.
I have far better things to do than to deal with him today, including setting a little missy straight on a thing or two. I get into the rental with my bag tossed into the back seat and head toward town, veering clear of a salt truck the minute I hit the main drag. She could have at least waited until she knew for certain the roads were clear.
My jaw clenches tightly recalling the night the police came knocking on the door and the people from social services took us to a temporary home for the night until our aunt could come. The roads were bad that night too. The thought of her in a ditch up ahead somewhere spurs my speed, faster than I should be going on roads that were a few hours before covered in a sheet of ice.
I keep a close watch out, not seeing any signs of a car in the ditch, but I’m not going to rest easy until I know that they’re safe. “Call Garrett.”
His voice comes over the vehicles speaker, and I hear the rest of the guys in the back. “I just dropped Lacy and the others off at the salon. Tommy’s men are guarding them while we eat some breakfast and figure out a plan for later. I thought Jake Eldridge got the message the last time, but him and those Chicago boys don’t listen so well. It’s like they have a one-track mind when it comes to honing in on the territory around here and bothering Lacy.”
My hand tightens on the steering wheel as I maneuver around a patch of ice that hasn’t melted. “The guy who took Jules, Bobby Ray, he’s tied up in one of his side bedrooms. He said he was supposed to hold Jules for Jake and his boys, until they got Lacy.
“I may be wrong, Garrett, but I got the distinct impression that this was more personal than business related to the land they wanted last year. I would have gotten the information out of Bobby Ray, but the ladies were in the house. Maybe send Tommy or a few of his boys over there now. Everyone’s gone.”
Garrett clears his throat. “He’s always had a thing for her; even when she told him nicely, he kept on. She thought he was trying to be a middleman between her and his dad when Eldridge Sr. wanted her land, but I think he was just using it to get her.”
“You may not be wrong. This was probably his last-ditch effort to get to her before you married her. You didn’t find them?”
Garret almost growls in my ear. “Wherever the fuckers are they better stay hidden because every one of our team is on the prowl searching for those assholes. Jay, Matt, Damian, Dereck, Sheldon, Nick, Cole, and Tommy’s boys. Every single one of them are on the lookout. He messes with Lacy or any of the ladies again today, and that’s going to be the last thing that son of a bitch ever does.”
“Copy that, my friend. I’ll be there shortly. I was taking my time and making sure the ladies didn’t drive off the road. They should have waited for me, and I would have given them a ride into town. They must have been up early despite the shots they put away last night.”
“Lacy chugged down one of her gramma’s concoctions last night, with a few pieces of bread and something for a headache. She said she was a little peckish this morning, but aside from that, just fine. I’m not one to get into anyone’s business, but did something happen between you and PJ last night?”
“Nothing terrible, why?”
Garrett doesn’t answer right away. “She just about bit Jules’ head off for bringing you up in the car when I gave them all a ride to the salon. Said that as far as she was concerned you were already on that jet plane back to Vegas.”
My hand tightens on the wheel. “Did she now? It seems Priscilla Jean needs to learn some manners, and I’m just the man to teach her a few.” I disconnect the call, easing my foot on the gas, already contemplating the little miss’ fate.