I Win

Greta

“BABE!”

“Coming!” I shouted, sitting on the side of my bed, slipping up the zip on my boot.

I dashed into the closet, grabbed a black pashmina, my black leather gloves, then I dashed out, through the room and down the stairs.

I found Hix in the kitchen, fridge open, bent with his face in it, wearing a dark gray suit, his overcoat thrown on my kitchen island.

“Hey,” I greeted.

He straightened as he closed the fridge door and turned to me.

Dark-green shirt, green and gray patterned tie.

Handsome.

I walked to him, asking, “Are you hungry?”

He looked to the fridge then back to me, putting his hands to my waist when I arrived at him.

“Habit,” he muttered.

“Ah,” I replied.

He studied my face.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

“I didn’t know the man, Hix,” I reminded him, resting my hands still holding my scarf and gloves to his chest.

“I know, but you know his wife and all funerals are rough. This one . . .” He didn’t finish that, but I got him.

Three nights before, Mrs. Whitney’s husband had slid into the eternal sleep that was far more eternal than the eternal sleep he was in already.

It was odd to think of the death of someone as a relief. However, Mr. Whitney had died long ago, so as odd as it was, it was still true, which made it difficult in a different way because, even if that might be logical to have that feeling, it still didn’t seem right.

“I’ll feel better when I see her and how she’s handling it,” I told him. “We spoke on the phone but she sounded understandably preoccupied. It’ll be good to get a handle on where she’s at.”

He nodded.

I gave him a small smile and started to move out of his hold, but stopped when his fingers tightened.

“We got a few minutes, and after this goes down, I gotta get changed and back to work, so need to tell you something now,” he shared.

I nodded and it was my turn to study him.

It was mid-February but something had been bothering Hixon and that something started bothering him right after Christmas.

It became more pronounced around January fourteenth, Corinne’s birthday, her sweet sixteen.

I got the idea that a father had issues with his daughter becoming more of a woman, especially since that daughter now had a boyfriend. I also understood that, this being the first event where the families had to officially merge—Andy, Lou, her brood and me going to the party because Corinne wanted us there, a party that had Hope and all her brood there—that this would cause everyone, especially Hix, some unease.

I couldn’t say it’d gone great. Hope, Lou, Jessie, Molly and I hadn’t stood in a corner and cackled like the sisterhood we were.

I couldn’t say it was a bust. I’d been nice but distant, as Hope made it clear she wished me to be, even though she too had been nice but distant. And Molly had clearly gotten Reed’s head out of his ass about things so he’d been civil.

It still was awkward. But it didn’t appear Corinne felt it at all.

I thought once that occasion was done, Hix would relax.

He hadn’t.

February third had rolled around, Shaw’s eighteenth (we’d just say it was a one, two, three punch with the Drakes: Christmas, Corinne’s birthday, then Shaw’s—fortunately Mamie’s birthday was June third so there was a breather).

Again, it was a momentous occasion, his son officially becoming, for all intents and purposes, a man.

Hix showed pride, affection and obvious emotion at that birthday party that, at Shaw’s request, had been split. His dad, Andy, his sisters and me for dinner. His mom and her family for a big weekend do, with Shaw and the girls going to Hope’s house for a few hours before we had dinner and cake at Hix’s in order to share some time with his mom on his big day.

But two weeks had passed since then and Hix’s manner hadn’t changed.

And it was beginning to dawn on me that it was Corinne becoming a woman, with the unavoidable threat of Mamie not being too far behind (she’d started her period, another hit for Hix that he couldn’t ignore that his kids were growing up).

However, it was mostly Shaw.

It wasn’t about him being officially a man.

It was about him intending to be the man he intended to be and that being official.

Shaw had an appointment to go to the marine recruiting office with Hix in a couple of weeks.

And that was where it was at.

Every day that passed was a day closer to him losing his boy, him losing his boy to the marines and the marines taking over the process of making Shaw into the man he’d become.

I had no idea how to make things better for Hix, and in wracking my brain, it was becoming apparent that there was no way to make things better.

He had to ride this out. It was inevitable. He had to see it through, support his son. In the meantime, I just had to be there for him, keep a finger on his pulse and do what I could to see Hix through.

So this could be anything. Hix didn’t hide the fact he was aware his kids were getting older and going about their own lives and he wanted them to do that responsibly, but he also wanted them to know they’d always be his kids and he’d be there for them. Alternately, he did hide (from all of them but me, though he didn’t tell me outright) that he was struggling with it.

I wanted him to open up to me. I also didn’t want to open up a dialogue about it with him if he was dealing or he just didn’t want to talk about it yet.

Hix was communicative. He shared. You didn’t have to guess about stuff with Hix. If it meant something to him, you knew.

But if he wasn’t ready to talk, you waited.

“Owners of my house got in touch with my real estate agent,” he announced.

That I wasn’t expecting.

“Yeah?” I prompted when that was all he said.

“Their son got a transfer. He’s moving from Virginia to Florida. They have a kid, the wife is pregnant again. They’ll be living about an hour away.”

I arched into him, getting excited. “Really?”

He grinned down at me. “They’re asking for an offer.”

“They haven’t even experienced a full Florida summer yet with its attendant humidity,” I pointed out, some of my excitement melting away.

“That’s not my concern, babe. They have experienced most a Florida winter and I’m thinkin’ they dig it. I’m thinkin’ they dig more the idea of close proximity with their son and his growing family so I’d guess they’ll learn to put up with humidity. But if they’re ready to let go of the house, I’m jumpin’ on that.”

“Totally,” I agreed.

“And I want you there.”

“Of course. That house is perfect for you. Close to work. Close to Hope for the kids. Lots of space for everybody. Why would I not—?”

“No, babe,” his hands slid from my waist to the small of my back, pulling me closer to him, “I want you there. We come to terms, I buy that house, I want you to move in with us.”

I stared up at him.

He wasn’t done speaking.

“And Greta, I want you to think on it, it’s your choice, but when you do that, I want you sellin’ this place. We’ll talk about furniture because I prefer your dining room table to mine. You got some other great stuff that’d fit. But the rest you can let go and invest all the money you make on it so you can breathe easy about Andy permanently.”

Throughout this, I didn’t stop staring at him.

However, it didn’t matter.

Hix still wasn’t finished.

“And I’ll state plain I got more than the obvious reasons for askin’ you to think about that. But I’ll point out the obvious just to make sure you know. I love you. I’m sure about how I feel about having a future with you, and by that I mean I’m sure I want a future with you. And this two-house stuff is gettin’ old. I like this place. The kids do. But I want you in my bed every night and I don’t want you to have to lug your Crockpot or griddle or whatever over every time you’re cookin’ up something that you need them. Most important, it’s time we got serious about this. It’s time to take that next step, because that step’s gonna lead to the next one and I wanna move on through all of them with you. But the reason that might not be obvious I want you to let go of this place is your ex gave you this house and I’m down with him providing for Andy because of who he is to your brother. But where we’re at, you’re mine. So I’m not down with him providing for you.”

“Hix—” I forced out, having to force it because I was dealing with all he’d said, all it made me feel, how awesome all that was, but I got no further.

“That’s where I’m at. You’ll call it alpha-male behavior and I’m okay with that. It is. And that’s who I am. You need to know how I feel and I gotta share that honesty. That said, if you think on it and you love this place and you wanna open up the possibility of me and my kids movin’ here, we’ll talk. I’ll listen, sweetheart. I swear it. You love your porch. Your street. You want it, I’ll see if I have it in me to give it to you. But to do that, I might have to let go of my place so the owners can sell it and I still want us takin’ the next step, wherever that step will lead us.”

When I had my shot, I responded immediately.

“You buy your place, I’ll sell this place, Hix.”

His chin jerked into his throat. “Really?”

“Really.”

His brows drew together. “That easy?” he asked.

“Your street is the same as my street in all the ways that are important. And I love this house, but your kitchen is bigger, it’s nicer. And the kids are settled in.”

“Your bathrooms are nicer.”

“Your bathrooms aren’t awful, but you can gut a bathroom and make it pretty. We have room to put Mamie’s barre in my basement, but the floors in yours are wood so she can dance there and mine are carpeted. There also isn’t a bedroom down there for Shaw or a man cave for you.” I pressed my scarf and gloves into his chest and grinned up at him. “And if it bothers the alpha, I don’t wanna prod that beast.”

His eyes warmed, his face going soft. “You wanna stay here, baby, honest, you make that case, I’ll find a way to be cool with it.”

God, but I loved him.

“I failed to mention your mudroom and attached garage,” I noted.

“Babe—”

“It’s a house,” I whispered. “And yes, it’s the house that Keith bought me. And after what happened, where he is, how he’s made it clear he’s not gonna go back on what he said and find some way to make things all right between us again, for us or for us to share our love for Andy, I’m where you’re at in a way. It’s a reminder of that. And that isn’t a pleasant reminder. But more, if it bugs you, I can’t have that. So it’s a house, Hixon.” I pressed even closer and lowered my voice so he’d understand how much I meant what I said next. “I’m all in for taking the next step. I’m also all in, doing that, leaving behind what needs to be left behind so we can move forward through the rest of them.”

I transferred my gloves to my scarf hand, slid my free hand up to the knot in his tie and unnecessarily straightened it before I finished.

“Put an offer in, honey. We’ll tell the kids. You guys make a deal, you close, I’ll put my place on the market. When it sells, I’ll move in. That gives the kids time to come to terms with it happening and us time to deal with merging houses. Is that a plan?”

He took an arm from around me to put his hand on my jaw and sweep his thumb across the apple of my cheek.

He didn’t confirm we had a plan.

He still did.

He managed this by saying, “Love you, gum drop.”

“Love you too, snuggle bug.”

He grinned down at me.

Then he bent and kissed me.

When he lifted his head, the warmth was still in his eyes but it was tempered and I’d know why when he murmured, “We best get to Mrs. Whitney.”

I nodded.

Hix let me go.

He put on his coat while I draped my pashmina around my neck. He went to get my coat and helped me on with it.

I pulled my gloves on as we walked out to the Bronco.

And then Hix drove me to Mr. Whitney’s funeral so we could support Mrs. Whitney in her even more difficult effort to leave behind what needed to be left behind.

So she could take her next step.

I was sitting next to Lou watching Snow and Corinne play soccer at the same time glancing frequently to the side where Hix was standing having what appeared to be a serious conversation with Shaw.

Most high schools played soccer in the fall. But with most of the girls on the volleyball team also playing soccer, not softball, in a decision that divided the county and caused rifts between family and friends that were still healing to that day, Lou had reported that five years ago, they’d shifted seasons so all the girls’ soccer and/or volleyball teams weren’t terrible.

God, I loved a small town where the only thing that could upset you was the high school girls’ soccer schedule.

“You know what that’s about?” Lou said under her breath as she leaned into me.

“Wendy broke it off with Shaw,” I said under my breath back.

Lou’s voice rose. “Is she crazy?”

“Shh, Lou,” I hissed, slapping her on the leg.

“Is she crazy?” Lou whispered.

“Her dad’s treatments are over, things look promising, but that was harrowing. She’s a junior. She’s looking at going to University of Nebraska in a year. What she’s not looking forward to is having to go through that with her dad then having to deal with her boyfriend being wherever he’s gonna be, becoming a marine, thus not free to come visit her on weekends and the like. So she pushed the option of Shaw giving that up and going to work for his granddad so he can be close. He signed on. That didn’t go over great with her. There’s no turning back now but she didn’t stop pushing. He wasn’t liking that much.”

“Oh boy,” Lou muttered.

“A couple of days ago, she gave him an ultimatum. He made his choice. She ended it,” I concluded.

“Oh boy,” Lou sighed.

“He’s tried to get her to understand. She’s digging in her heels.” I glanced at father and son. “It appears she’s still digging in her heels.”

“Some stay. Some go. So many go, the pool gets less populated. So I’ll pull out my crystal ball to confirm when I get home, but right now I can say with some authority in a year or three or five, or for the rest of her life, Hixon and you hang around Glossop, Shaw comes home to see you guys, and Wendy stays here, she’ll see him and she’ll be kickin’ her own ass. Especially after he lands a babe who’s smart enough not to give a man an ultimatum about something like that.”

“Mm,” I mumbled my agreement.

The conversation ended and both father and son walked up to sit with Lou and me.

Hix gave me a look and a short shake of his head.

I returned his look but gave a smile to Shaw.

He gave one back but it was one he didn’t commit to.

They sat.

Hix curved an arm around me.

We watched Corinne and Snow help the team beat the crap out of Yucca.

We then went home.

Shaw was barely in the back door when he muttered, “I’m gonna go out to Sunnydown and hang with Andy.”

Mamie had spent the game dancing under the bleachers with her friends. She’d already danced into the house. Corinne gave her brother a look, me a look, her dad a look but kept quiet and moved into the house.

Hix murmured, “That’s cool, kid. Call when you’re on your way back.”

I stood there allowing the glow of how much Shaw liked my brother to warm me.

Then I followed him out to the garage.

“Hey,” I called.

Standing at the door to get outside to his car parked in the drive, Shaw turned to me.

I got close. “She’s not the one.”

His mouth got tight. “I know, we’re young, it’s not the end of the world.” He looked away, mumbling, “Whatever.”

“It’s not that you’re young,” I stated and he looked back to me. “And it might not be the end of the world, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it feels like it right now. It’s that she’s not the one.”

I had his attention and since he didn’t say anything or cut the conversation off, I got closer and brushed my fingers along the back of his hand.

“She either believes in you and your dreams or she doesn’t. If she doesn’t, Shaw, honey, she’s not the one. She can be seventeen or she can be thirty-five. The woman you pick has to understand what you want out of life and she has to support that one hundred percent. It’s your job to give that back. What is not your job is to settle for anything less. You don’t make a man what he’s not. You find the man you want and stand beside him no matter what.”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” I decreed.

“I liked her a lot,” he confided in me.

“I know that, sweetheart.”

“But you’re right. What you said. She’s not the one.”

I gave him a gentle smile. “You’ll find her, Shaw.”

He stared at me and he did it hard.

Then he said, “Yeah.”

I liked how he said that and what he didn’t hide he meant by it so my smile got less gentle and a lot bigger.

“Go see Andy,” I ordered.

“Should I take him candy bars?” he asked.

“If you want. Do you need money?” I asked back.

He shook his head. “I got it.”

“All right. Be safe, yes?”

“I will, Greta. Later.”

“Later, Shaw.”

He walked out the door.

I walked in the one that led to the mudroom only to see my man leaning a shoulder against the jamb of the doorway to the hall with his arms and ankles crossed, waiting for my return.

Seriously.

My man was hot.

“You sort him out?” he asked.

And seriously.

My man was a good dad.

“I gave him a few things to think about.”

“Good,” he murmured. Then asked, “You gonna make dinner or am I takin’ my girls out to eat?”

“Mamie’s on a cooking binge. When she’s not pirouetting, she all about spices. I promised to demonstrate the art of making tacos tonight, this art including not worrying about spices too much since McCormick does it for you. She’s looking forward to it.”

“Tacos sound good.”

He said that but he didn’t move.

“You gonna get out of my way so I can get your girl and convene my lesson at the Drake Culinary School?” I asked.

He lifted one shoulder. “Sure, you earn passage with a kiss.”

I could totally do that.

So I did it.

Then I taught Mamie how to make tacos.

And at the dining room table we were selling when I closed on my house in two weeks, Hix’s girls with Hix ate them.

I walked into our bedroom.

Hix, sitting on the edge of the bed, elbows to his knees, one hand clamped on the back of his neck, didn’t move.

This was not a pose that alarmed me.

Shaw had graduated three hours before.

My heart lurched, I closed the door, went and sat next to my man.

I pressed up against his side, wrapping my arm around his back and resting my forehead to his shoulder.

He cleared his throat but didn’t lift his head when he said gruffly, “Kid’s smarter than me and I’m a forty-two year old man.”

I wasn’t sure that was true but I didn’t disagree verbally.

I just hummed, “Mm.”

“He’ll be okay.”

I agreed with that. “He will.”

“He’ll do good.”

“Yes, he will.”

“Find a good woman. Build a good life.”

“Yes.”

“Hear him cryin’.”

That confused me. Shaw was out partying with his friends. He was amped. Hix had hidden all of this as best he could, Hope had done her part with that too, so it was all good for Shaw.

“What?”

He lifted up, turned to me, and I saw the red rimming his eyes.

Oh, my Hix.

“Came out bawling. Didn’t even have to induce it. He let it be known he was a part of this world the minute he slipped out. Keep hearin’ that. Hearin’ the memory of that moment my boy became mine.”

I pressed closer to him and rounded him with both arms.

“What happened to my baby boy?” he whispered.

I’d barely got my arms around him, but at that, I put both hands to his cheeks and my face in his.

“He grew up, Hixon,” I whispered back. “And you did good, baby. You and Hope did so good with him. He’s amazing. Simply amazing.”

He sniffed and sat straight.

My hands fell away.

“Andy’s a mess,” he declared.

I nodded.

It was far from lost on Andy that his new best friend was soon to enter the marines. He loved Hix. He adored Mamie and Corinne. But he’d bonded with Shaw.

“I know. I’ll go to him in a second, see if he’s okay. Just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“He goes to basic in three weeks.”

“Yes,” I said.

“We’re gonna make that a great fuckin’ three weeks.”

I smiled weakly at him.

He took my hand and stood, pulling me up with him.

He let me go instantly and I let him do it when he stated toward the door, “I’ll go to Andy.”

“Okay, darlin’.”

He looked down at me.

“Love you,” I whispered.

He bent and touched his lips to mine.

Then, while Shaw partied with his friends, the girls were with their mom looking after her, my man went to my brother so they could commiserate about the upcoming loss of their boy.

At the Dew, I slid on the barstool next to Hix, murmuring, “Thanks, baby,” as he handed me my sparkling water.

It was packed that night, but Hix had arrived early, bringing me in to sing. There had been tables available. Why he was at the bar, I had no clue.

Before I could ask, he said, “It’s totally corny.”

I took a sip from my straw but did it with my eyes to him.

When I finished, I asked, “What?”

“Wanted to do it before, but wanted things to be about Shaw during his graduation and before he left. I struggled with it. He’ll be upset he wasn’t around when it happened. But it’ll get his ass home when he can come home so we can have a delayed celebration.”

I stared at him as he spoke, not having any idea what he was talking about.

“I’m not following, darlin’,” I shared.

“Met you here. Started the ride when you sang ‘At Last’ to me. Tried to deny it when you sang ‘Stay’ to me. Knew I was gone when you sang ‘Cold’ to me. And knew you were gone when you sang ‘Glitter in the Air’ to me. So it had to be here. And here is where it’s gonna be.”

I was kind of following, but not exactly.

And I couldn’t find it in me to figure it out because I was dealing with him sharing he remembered all the important songs I’d sang to him.

His eyes dropped to my drink but all he said was, “Corny.”

I felt my brows draw together then I looked down to my drink.

Sparkling water. Ice glittering. Blue straw with those ridges that you could bend so—

Oh my God.

My hand started shaking.

Oh my God!

I felt Hix’s hand span the top of my thigh, his lips to my ear, where he whispered, “Time for the next step, Greta.”

I turned my head, he pulled back, and I caught his eyes.

“Is that—?” I started.

“Marry me.”

Tears filled my eyes and he saw them instantly.

So just as instantly, he lifted both hands to my face and put his in mine. “Baby, no tears.”

“No . . . no . . . no damned way I’m not crying right now, Hixon Drake.”

His thumbs went under my eyes and he warned, “Sweetheart, no—”

Too late.

One slid over and hit his thumb.

His gaze came to mine.

“I love you,” I whispered.

His eyes flashed with humor. “Does that mean yes?”

“Do you have to ask?” I retorted.

“Kinda important for this question I get an answer, gum drop.”

“Then yes.”

No humor for that.

Just intensity.

He also didn’t move.

“Yes, Hixon.” I lifted my free hand and wrapped it tight around his wrist. “Yes. Yes. Yesyesyesyes. Yes,” I stated fiercely.

I said it but Hix still didn’t move.

He just sat there, holding my face, his pool-blue eyes staring into mine.

I was going to get to swim in those eyes forever.

Another tear slid into his thumb.

“Glass, bro, put that bling on her finger before she combusts,” we heard from beside us, and I looked to Danny, the bartender, who’d set an empty glass on the bar between Hix and me.

He was also grinning like a maniac.

Hix took my glass, poured out the water, but sifted it through his fingers in the end so he could catch the ring.

Danny threw a bunch of napkins on the bar for Hix to dry his hand but Hix didn’t touch them.

He took my hand and slid the cold metal of the ring on my finger.

It was very simple, not large, not tiny, set in white gold or platinum, and it had five little diamonds embedded in each side of the band.

Keith had given me a two and a half carat, cushion-cut diamond surrounded by a band embedded with two rows of them.

This was not that.

What it was, was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

I felt another tear fall.

“Baby,” Hix warned, his hand closing around mine, taking the view of my ring from me, his other hand sweeping away the tear. “Stop it.”

I looked to him. “You’re right, it was corny.”

He grinned.

“Totally corny,” I declared.

He kept grinning.

“And I’m so happy, if you don’t kiss me, I’m gonna scream,” I shared.

He continued grinning even as he stood from his stool, got in my space in a way I had to twist my legs to the side and wrapped a hand around the back of my neck.

I tilted my head way back, curving my arms around his middle.

And it was then, he kissed me.

I heard the tinkling of something against a glass but I was so lost in Hixon, I didn’t take it in.

I still didn’t take it in when I heard Gemini shout, “She said yes! Raise a glass! We’re toasting to the soon-to-be Mr. and Mrs. Hixon Drake!”

I only surfaced when Hix lifted his mouth from mine and I suspected he only did this because everyone was cheering and shouting.

We looked to the club to see everyone on their feet, everyone looking our way, everyone clapping and everyone smiling.

Hix slid an arm around my shoulders and tucked me into his side.

“Danny, champagne for all!” Gemini announced.

More clapping and cheering and I settled my wet gaze on Gemini.

He moved to us, smiling even bigger than Danny had been doing.

Hix lifted his hand to shake Gemini’s and accept his murmured congratulations then Gemini moved in and touched his cheek to mine.

He moved back and caught my gaze. “Happy for you, beautiful.”

“Me too.”

He gave me a soft smile. “You need the rest of the night off?”

I shook my head. “If you don’t think I’m gonna give the performance of a lifetime crooning to my new fiancé, you’re crazy.”

That got me a bigger smile.

He moved away and clapped Hix on the arm before he walked away.

I looked up to my man.

No.

My fiancé.

My future husband.

No.

Just my future everything.

“I should have taken the rest of the night off.”

He dipped close to me. “You want that, Greta, have a feeling Gemini would give you anything.”

“Do you want me to grab him?” I asked.

“I want you to do what you want.”

“Okay, but what do you want?”

“I want what you want.”

I looked into his eyes.

And doing it, I knew that was what he wanted.

That was all Hixon Drake actually was.

He was a man who wanted what those he loved wanted.

After the life I’d lived, how had I gotten so lucky?

I lifted my hand, pressed it against his shoulder, watching myself do that, seeing my new ring wink at me. Then I slid it to his neck and curled it around, looking back at him.

“I want to sing ‘At Last’ to you. And ‘Stay.’ And ‘Cold.’ And ‘Glitter in the Air.’ And then I’ll cut the set short because I wanna go home and make love with my fiancé. Does that work for you?”

“Absolutely.”

I tipped my head back and swayed closer to him.

“You’ve made me very happy, Hixon Drake.”

“That makes me happy, Greta, but just to say, sweetheart, even before that you returned the favor.” He touched his nose to mine and finished, “In spades.”

“No,” I replied and saw his eyes smile.

“Uh, baby, I’d know.”

“No you wouldn’t. Because you didn’t grow up like me. You didn’t live a life like mine. You got kicked in the teeth at forty-two, then you found me. So this match, smokey, no doubt about it, I win.”

Both his hands cupped my jaws before he growled, “I’ll give you that win, angel.”

I smiled at him.

He kissed me.

People around us started whooping and cheering again.

And for the first time in my life, with not one thing dragging on it, weighing it heavy, I was happy.

Oh, I’d won.

Yeah, I’d won.

Spectacularly.

Mrs. Swanson was in my chair and I was sectioning a piece of her hair to put a roller in, doing this wearing a She Told Me So T-shirt with an arrow pointed in a way that, where I usually stood by my chair, always pointed to Lou.

Lou had given it to me in the back room the day before.

I’d laughed my butt off.

This being after we’d hugged for a long time because my bestest bud had given it to me and then promptly burst out crying.

Needless to say, Lou was happy that Hix asked me to marry him.

Lou had told me the shirt was a joke. I didn’t have to wear it.

I totally wore it.

I looked up from Mrs. Swanson’s hair to see Joyce standing close to me.

“Told you,” she said softly, “that man never struck me as stupid. He knew, the good that dropped in his lap, he’d be fool to let it go. He knew, Greta.”

“Yeah,” I whispered, staring in her eyes.

“I cannot say how happy I am,” she shared with me, still talking quietly. “Don’t know if I’m happier for Hixon, he got a good girl like you, or you, that you got what you deserved. But I’m happy. Whole town’s happy, darlin’. Watchin’ you two find each other through all that garbage was like watchin’ a dream come true.”

“You’re gonna make me cry, Joyce,” I warned.

“None a’ that,” she dismissed, stared at me some more then nodded her head sharply. “Right,” she stated briskly. “I’m off. Six weeks, Lou?”

Lou had to clear her throat before she replied, “You’re in my schedule, Joyce.”

Joyce said nothing.

She just took off.

I looked to Lou.

She grinned at me.

Mrs. Swanson sniffled before she asked, “Greta, sweetie, I forgot my hankie. You got a tissue?”

I looked at her in the mirror to see she had tears brimming in her eyes.

I gave her a gentle smile and went for the tissue box. “Right here, Mrs. Swanson.”

“You’re a dear,” she murmured, taking the tissue I offered.

I sectioned more hair thinking how odd it was, a girl who didn’t dream, living a dream come true.

Then I rolled Mrs. Swanson’s hair and tried to do it well, even if my engagement ring kept taking my attention.

“I cannot be-freakin’-believe this day,” Hix groused as we walked into the mudroom from the garage.

I tried not to burst out laughing.

Instead, I murmured, “Hey, boy. How’s your day been, boy?” to Rocky, Andy and the girls’ dog that we rescued from the shelter, a mature pup, eight years old when we got him last summer, part lab, part they didn’t know what. A dog we said was Andy and the girls’ but he was Hix and mine and not only because we were the ones around the most to take care of him.

“And I cannot freakin’ tell you how much I need a bourbon,” he went on.

I could imagine.

I still found it funny.

I let Hix help me off with my coat. He took it and hooked it on the hooks by the door before he shrugged off his own.

I wandered into the kitchen to get him his bourbon with Rocky doing what Rocky did whenever Hix and I separated.

He stood there uncertain whether to hang with one or follow the other.

I’d thrown my beaded clutch on the island and was in the process of walking to the cupboard where we kept the liquor when Hix and Rocky joined me.

“Porch?” I asked, raising a brow at him.

“Gin?” he asked back, glaring at me.

I kept trying not to laugh. “For me, it’s not a gin night, darlin’. I didn’t deliver a baby on a dance floor. It’s a wine night though.”

He went to the wine rack in the pantry and decreed, “Donna’s fired on Monday.”

I barely suppressed my giggle.

“Greta, this shit isn’t funny.”

I pulled down his bottle of bourbon and looked to him.

“Ashlee gave birth on the dance floor during the reception at Bets’s wedding,” he told me something I knew.

My body jolted as I chased the laughter back into it, which wanted so desperately to bust out of it.

He recounted the whole thing. “Hal lost his mind. Donna couldn’t stop laughing long enough to help. And I think Larry went somewhere and puked.”

I couldn’t help it, I started sniggering.

“I’ve never seen a baby come that fast,” he declared.

“She’d told me earlier she was feeling strange. I think she was in labor,” I shared.

“That’s insane.”

I shrugged, smiling hugely at him.

“What woman dances while she’s in labor?” he asked me irritably.

“Well, obviously, Ashlee,” I answered.

His eyes narrowed. “You didn’t help either.”

“I was busy holding her hand,” I pointed out.

“Thank God for Andy or I think Hal would have passed out,” he muttered, turning back to the pantry.

I smiled, turning back to his bourbon, and I finished with it thinking he was right. Hal had descended into panic and Andy had jumped right in and calmed him right down.

I waited until he opened a bottle and poured my wine.

He handed it to me, murmuring, “Go on out. I’ll get your sweater and be out in a minute.”

I nodded. “Thanks, baby.”

Rocky and I went out with my wine and Hix’s bourbon (Rocky was never uncertain about porch time, he always came right out with me). I settled myself in an Adirondack chair and Rocky explored the front yard long enough to do his business before he came back and laid down on my high-heeled feet.

Hix joined me carrying my sweater, but he’d changed into jeans and a thermal, which I thought was a good call, considering his trousers, shirt and tie had newborn baby all over them.

I pulled on the cardigan as Hix sat down beside me, tipping up his chin toward the street at the same time Rocky’s head came up and also turned toward the street.

I shifted my attention that way and called, “Hey, Nicki.”

“Hey there, Greta. Hix.”

Rocky woofed softly.

Nicki’s dog strained at the leash to get to Rocky.

Hix said nothing but he adjusted his scowl long enough for Nicki to pass with her dog.

“Uh, you know, since you’re in a bad mood . . .” I began.

Hix’s scowl returned full force as he turned his eyes to me.

I beat back my smile. “Corinne and I chatted at the wedding. She’s broken up with Jake.”

Hix looked back at the street. “Good. That kid’s a tool. Never liked him.”

Since the boyfriend she got her sophomore year, and with Corinne now into her senior one, she’d been through three, Jake being four.

Hix never liked any of them.

“Okay, well, that wasn’t bad, as such, but . . . uh, Donna shared a little bit about Becker talking to the Feds about a deal.”

He threw back some bourbon then declared to the street. “Woman’s totally fired on Monday.”

“Hix—”

He looked to me. “She shouldn’t be talking to you about that stuff, Greta.”

“She didn’t say much. But she’s worried because you’ve been moody.”

“And again, I’m moody at work, she doesn’t talk to my wife about it.”

“I’m her stylist, darlin’, except for talking about stuff with you, it’s very close to the sanctity of the confessional even if she’s not in my chair but instead at a wedding where a woman gave birth on a dance floor.”

“Babe, you rat out people all the time, which, I’ll note, you just did, sharin’ that shit Donna gave to you.”

I grinned. “If they share with the sheriff’s wife, they deserve me being a snitch.”

Hix didn’t grin.

He looked back to the street but at least he did it with his mouth quirking.

“Are you okay with this Becker stuff?” I asked.

“Him makin’ a deal, ratting on bigger players in order to get his ass in WITSEC after we finally shut down his shit in this county? No. Do I want that house of cards to collapse? Yes. Do I want Becker to live cush after he’s gotten away with his crap for decades? No.” He took another sip and muttered, “But I got no choice. It’s outta my hands.”

I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his forearm. “Sorry, baby.”

He pulled out of my hold but only to take over, placing the back of my hand on the arm of the chair and then running his fingers along the insides of mine. He did it automatically, his eyes were still aimed at the street, but he did it having so much practice, he didn’t have to watch to do it expertly.

“I’m glad Hal finally got his head out of his ass,” he whispered eventually.

I was in the know about the fact that Hal had not been a very good husband, until for some reason things broke loose after Hix gave him a talking to during the investigation of Nat Calloway’s murder.

Or maybe it had just been Nat dying, leaving Faith to face a life without her husband.

Whatever it was, he’d gotten rid of his women and recommitted to his marriage.

Now they had a baby.

And when Ashlee came and got her hair done, she didn’t look sad anymore.

“Me too,” I whispered back.

“Hope called,” he shared.

“Yeah?” I asked.

“Jep and Marie want us at Thanksgiving. Andy’s invited too, of course. Your call, sweetheart. It’s a big day and important to you and Andy just like it is to everybody.” I felt his eyes so I stopped looking at our hands and looked to him. “I know you and Hope manage to keep it good. I also know you two aren’t the best of friends. So if you’ll be uncomfortable, we’ll say no.”

“Shaw’ll be home and it’d be good we don’t make him split too much of his time. So maybe we can meet them there for pie at the end but maybe go over to Lou’s or have Tommy and Toast over here and do our own thing before we go.”

“That’ll work.”

I smiled at him.

He stopped stroking my fingers, threaded his through mine and held on.

“Sheriff,” I heard and looked to the street. “Hey, Greta. Nice night.”

“Year’s getting old. We need to enjoy them while they last, Joe,” I called.

“I hear that,” our neighbor replied, nodding to us both and continuing to walk his dog.

I sipped my wine.

My husband held my hand and sipped his bourbon.

We let the peace of our street melt away the craziness of the day.

“I want more bourbon. I’ll get you more wine. I do that, you get upstairs. I’ll bring up the drinks. But I wanna fuck my wife.”

My lady parts spasmed and my gaze shot to Hix to watch him down the rest of his drink.

When his gaze came to mine, I didn’t hesitate offering him my still half-full glass.

He didn’t take it.

He pulled me up and then he pulled me into the house.

Rocky followed.

Our dog and I stopped with Hix as he let me go to close and lock the door.

“Headboard?” I asked when I got his attention.

“We’ll see,” he answered and took my glass.

I grinned a lazy grin.

He watched me then growled a low growl.

Once I heard that, still in my heels and dress from the wedding, I sashayed across the living room and up the stairs, knowing my husband’s eyes were on my ass, even under my cardie.

I eventually got headboard.

I got a bunch of other stuff too.

It was magnificent.

It would be.

Because I got it all from Hix.

Hixon

Hix stood by the mantle of his fireplace, looking at one of the many framed pictures resting there.

The one that had his attention was the biggest of the lot.

Greta was wearing a long-sleeved, drop-waist, filmy, ivory gown. The sleeves where see-through. There was an elegant drape at the neckline, not low, but wide, exposing her chest and collarbone all the way to the points of her shoulders.

No beads. No pearls. No bling.

Just that.

Her wedding dress.

He was standing beside her wearing a suit, his arm around her, but his other arm was around Corinne who was pressed to his other side and he had his head turned and bent, kissing his daughter’s hair.

Andy was at Greta’s other side but she didn’t have her arm around him. She had one around Hix and her other hand was holding her bouquet of blue roses and white calla lilies. Andy was just standing close to his sister, but bent over the back of Mamie standing in front of him. A Mamie who’d been caught by the camera, laughing uncontrollably, Andy’s arms wrapped around her in what looked like an embrace, but what memory served as him tickling her.

Shaw stood next to Andy with his hand on Andy’s shoulder, he was bent slightly with his own laughter toward his sister and a man he treated as a brother.

Greta, however, was looking at the camera with a look on her beautiful face Hix had seen only three times from her in his life.

The first was the first time he saw her brother wrap his arms around her that day her mother was making a scene at Sunnydown.

The second was when he looked back to her face after he’d slid her wedding ring on her finger during their wedding.

And that picture was the last.

Her expression was sublime.

As it would be.

She looked like she’d just hit heaven.

“Ready,” she said from behind him and he turned to see her coming in the room in a gorgeous, tight dress, her usual heels on her feet.

He suspected with one look at her that he looked like she did in their wedding photo.

Then again, Hix suspected most times he looked at his wife, he looked like that.

She was rummaging through her bag, doing it talking.

“We gotta go. With everyone coming in to see her, hair ran long and I didn’t get back in enough time. We’re running late.”

He knew this, she didn’t have to tell him.

He didn’t share that info.

He walked her out the door, managed to keep Rocky from following them to the garage as he got her in his Bronco and they took off.

“I talked with her and Mamie’s driving Andy back to Sunnydown after he’s done at work. So we don’t have to leave early.”

“Right,” Hix muttered.

Andy had started about a month after Shaw left for the marines at J&K’s Electrics. He did cleanup and stock work.

That was, he did that until he’d been caught talking to some customers about a TV and he’d surprised the owners with his knowledge and enthusiasm. It surprised the owners further when the customers took Andy’s recommendations and bought the expensive TV Andy recommended.

That had earned him a polo shirt with the store name stitched on it and a salesperson’s position. He had heavy supervision. But he even surprised Greta with the fact that he was a savant at all things with a plug.

The owners used what made Andy special to their advantage.

Andy didn’t mind so Greta didn’t mind, which meant Hix didn’t mind.

He’d had three seizures there and got flustered once, enough to bump into a display of thumb drives, knocking it over and making a mess, which flustered him even more.

They’d just called Hix, he’d come, calmed him down, took him home and they said no more. They just called “hey” when Hix walked him in the next day.

He didn’t remember a quarter of the sales he made but he didn’t have to remember what he’d done to sell more.

It worked and it might not have changed Andy, but it made him happy.

Hix drove them to the church, helped his wife out of the Bronco and got her ass to a pew.

It was when he was sitting next to her, staring at the front when he felt her fingers curl around his.

“Hey,” she called.

He turned to her.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he lied.

Her smile was soft and her head tipped to the side.

“Don’t lie to me, smokey,” she said quietly.

“Not sure I should be here,” he told her.

“She asked you as well as me.”

“I’m a remin—”

Greta squeezed his hand, got close and whispered, “She asked you. It means something you’re here. And you’re you. You know that. So you’re here.”

He swallowed.

He then nodded.

She gave him another soft smile, turned to face forward but did it dropping her head to rest it on his shoulder.

Only then did Hix relax.

He watched the groom come in with his groomsmen.

Then, with Greta and the rest of the congregation, he twisted in his seat to watch the bridesmaids walk down the aisle.

The wedding party was small.

The attendance at the wedding wasn’t.

So when the wedding march started, there was a lot of noise of shuffling feet when they all stood to watch the bride walk in.

Her kids walked in front of her.

Her father was at her side.

And after she arrived at the front and they all sat down, Hix allowed his wife to cry for the third time since they got together.

The first was when he asked her to marry him.

The second was while she was getting married to him.

And that was the third and he hoped the last.

Then they sat in a church and watched Faith Calloway standing with her kids, her hair perfect, her dress pretty, the smile on her face luminous, as she married a man named Owen.

 

~ THE END ~

 

Thank you for reading Complicated.

 

Discover the Magdalene Series.

It begins with The Will.

 

 

Early in her life, Josephine Malone learned the hard way that there was only one person she could love and trust: her grandmother, Lydia Malone. Out of necessity, unconsciously and very successfully, Josephine donned a disguise to keep all others at bay. She led a globetrotting lifestyle on the fringes of the fashion and music elite, but she kept herself distant.

While Josephine was trotting the globe, retired boxer Jake Spear was living in the same small town as Lydia. There was nothing disguised about Jake. Including the fact he made a habit of making very bad decisions about who to give his love.

But for Josephine and Jake, there was one person who adored them. One person who knew how to lead them to happiness. And one person who was intent on doing it.

Even if she had to do it as her final wish on this earth.

 

Turn the page to read Chapter One now!