Chapter 25

As I pulled into the driveway, I glanced over at Charlie. She was leaning against the window staring out at the sky.

She hadn't said anything since I kissed her in the bar. I couldn't tell if she was pissed or just lost in thought. Had it been the best idea to kiss her in front of everyone? Probably not. But I was tired of pretending. We weren't kids and we shouldn't have to sneak around. But that didn't mean Charlie didn't have valid reason to be upset since she'd made it clear that she wasn't ready to go public yet.

Just rip the band-aid off, I thought miserably.

"Charlie, about tonight–"

"Were you seriously going to fight that guy?" She looked over at me.

I wasn't sure how to answer. Going with the truth usually didn't win me any favors. "Violence is always the last resort."

She chuckled. "Try that with someone who doesn't know you, Hendrix Evers. As if you didn't punch my prom date in the face."

My grin finally broke free. "Okay, you got me. He looked like the type that has a glass jaw. Talks a lot of shit but will run home crying if you even tap him. I have three brothers. Four, if you count Carter. I can take a punch."

"So arrogant," she whispered but the way her eyes glittered in the low light told me that she wasn't upset at all.

In fact the way she was looking at me made my dick stand up and take notice. She looked like she wanted to bite me.

I could definitely get on board with that plan.

"Did Tana say anything? She was drinking a lot tonight. I haven't seen her like this before."

She looked away. "Something is going on with her. She was flirting a lot tonight. I think maybe things aren't going well with the guy she's seeing."

"You know who it is, don't you?"

Her face scrunched up. "That doesn't mean I can tell you. Girl code. She'll talk about it when she's ready."

"Did she say anything about…the other thing?"

She tapped her bottom lip. "You mean her brother kissing her best friend right in front of her? Nope. But I'm sure I'll wake up to a million text messages tomorrow."

"Sorry. I really didn't mean to do that."

I got out and rounded the cab to open her door. She took my hand and hopped down. When she landed, she brushed right up against me and hummed. The sound went straight to my dick.

"Maybe it's wrong to admit it but it was hot the way you just stepped in."

All the blood in my body was still busy going south so I just nodded.

Charlie smirked as she walked off. I followed closely behind, watching her hips sway as she went up the steps. After she unlocked the door, she grabbed Meatball to take him outside while I toed off my boots. When she came back in, she picked up his bed and carried it with them upstairs without looking back.

Confused, I got a glass of water before following. By the time I got upstairs, she had the dog settled in the corner and was in the bathroom brushing her teeth.

So we were just going to bed then. Okay.

I went into the bathroom and grabbed my toothbrush. She finished at the sink before moving out of the way so I could use it. There was something so wonderfully domestic about sharing space this way. I brushed while watching her in the mirror but paused when she tugged her shirt over her head. Her hair got caught in it briefly before she tugged and then the wild curls spilled out over her shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting the bar smell off me. I think Tana spilled vodka on this shirt." She shimmied out of her jeans and left them on the floor.

Our eyes met in the mirror as she reached behind her to unhook her bra. I almost whimpered when she finally tugged it off and let it drop, her breasts bouncing with the movement. I licked my lips.

The nipples that loved to torment me through her tops were tight aching points that I wanted to bite. With a satisfied smile, she walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a black thong.

Hurriedly, I rinsed my mouth and followed. When I got to the bedroom, she was curled up on her side of the bed under the covers. I quickly undressed down to my boxers and slid in next to her.

She moved closer until she was half draped over me. She trailed a finger down the front of my chest. "Piper said I should ride you like the Pony Express."

"I knew I liked her."

Her husky laugh only made my boxers even tighter. She swirled her hips, settling herself right over my cock. Her mouth fell open so I knew that she was getting herself off and the thought of her shamelessly using my dick like her toy made me so hot I almost came right then.

"Charlie. Are you teasing me, baby?"

She bit her lip. "I think I'm teasing myself. Because it feels too good to stop."

I flipped us over and tugged her thong down in one motion. They were damp and I caught her eye as I brought the skimpy fabric to my nose.

Her lids lowered slightly. "Oh my god. Why is that so dirty?"

I grasped her under the thighs and yanked her closer so she was lying flat and her ankles were draped over my shoulders. Fuck, she was so open like this, her little clit pouting for my attention. I licked her, groaning at the taste and her hands slid into my hair holding me in place. The noises she was making made me crazy, and I reached up with one hand to cup the swell of her breast, squeezing and pinching her perfect little nipple.

She shrieked as she came and I grinned against her skin, the sound of her losing it making me feral. There was something about Charlie, the scent of her skin, the way she loved to give me shit, the look of vulnerability in her eyes when she came for me, that had me completely gone over her.

I was fucking lost.

As I moved up, I sucked at the delicate skin between her hip and thigh before leaving a gentle kiss on her belly button. She giggled softly at that and then sighed when I moved up to her breasts, drawing the tip of one through my lips slowly.

Her hands that were gently stroking through my hair suddenly grasped tight. "Rix!"

She pulled so hard that I was forced to stop. With surprising strength she shoved me over so I landed flat on my back. Then she scooted down. My mouth instantly went dry as she pulled my boxers down.

All the times I'd imagined Charlie on her knees for me rushed through my mind. She was a fantasy come to life, leaning over me with her curls swirling around her face as she took me firmly in her grip. Her stroke was surprisingly strong, no tentative moves for my Charlie.

My head fell back on a groan as her palm skimmed over the head, picking up the drops on the tip. She stuck her tongue out to taste and I wrapped a hand behind her neck.

"That's it. Take it all in."

She looked up at me defiantly before sucking me down until I hit the back of her throat. When she swallowed, her throat muscles worked me over and I gritted my teeth, trying desperately not to come. My dick stretched the edges of her mouth and I knew her lips would be bruised tomorrow, the sight giving me a dark satisfaction.

"I thought about this, you know?" I admitted. "Alone in bed at night. Every time you wore those fucking tiny shorts in the kitchen. In the shower."

She pulled back and my dick slid out of her mouth with a pop. "You thought about me in the shower?"

"Fuck, the things I've done to you in that shower. If the walls could talk."

Her hand stroked me lazily before she licked the tip. "Tell me."

It was getting increasingly hard to think as she took me back in, moaning like my dick was her candy.

"That sound. I imagined that sound. You moaning for me while you fingered your little clit."

Her eyes glittered and then she adjusted slightly. I leaned up to see that she had her hands between her legs. She was following my directions. My fantasy come to life.

"You put two fingers in. You're riding them while I ride your mouth."

She whimpered and I imagined the sight of her fingers sliding in her slick little pussy, her muscles stretching to take it. She was always so deliciously tight for me. My hand tightened around her neck and her eyes met mine.

She groaned and started bouncing on her fingers and I closed my eyes.

"I can't take this. I have to get inside you."

Suddenly she stopped. When I tried to sit up, she climbed astride. "You aren't taking away my chance to ride you like a pony."

I laughed but then groaned as she sank down on my cock in one smooth motion. Immediately her pussy started contracting, gripping me so tightly that I was already fighting for control. We'd had the birth control conversation already so we'd ditched the condoms recently. I still wasn't used to the insane feeling of being inside her bare.

As she rocked her hips, I placed both thumbs between us giving her as much friction on her clit as possible. She cried out and clenched even tighter, which I didn't think was possible. Her head fell back as her orgasm rolled through her, her hips going wild as she slammed down on me one final time.

"Look how beautiful you are when you come for me." I pulled her down for a kiss.

My own orgasm was bearing down on me and I wanted to be connected to her in every way. Everything went white as pleasure arced down my spine. And the only thing I could think about was that moment in the bar when I thought she was in trouble.

The idea of her being threatened or scared had pushed me to face what I'd been running from this whole time.

Fuck. I'm in love with her.

* * *

A few days later, I stepped back to survey my work. The Jeffries backyard was not as big as my parents but had more than enough room for the 10' x 12' she-shed I'd built for Miss Pearl. She'd wanted space for a comfortable chair, a writing desk and a bookshelf. I'd added large windows so there would be plenty of light and installed beautiful glass French doors on the front.

It had come out even better than I expected.

"Can I come out now?" Miss Pearl called from the back door.

She'd tried to come out three times already and I'd had to promise that it would be worth the wait. Her excitement made me smile but also made me nervous. I really hoped she'd liked what I'd done since I'd taken a few liberties inside.

"You can come out now!"

I waved her over. She'd been so excited when I told her I'd be finished today but I'd asked her not to peek inside since I had a surprise for her.

She made her way carefully across the yard with her walking stick. Behind her cat-eye glasses her blue eyes flashed with excitement. "I can't wait to see it."

"You are now the proud owner of the best she-shed in Violet Ridge."

She beamed up at me. "The French doors are just beautiful!"

"I thought they were a nice touch. But now for the surprise." With a flourish, I opened both doors so she could walk inside. "I'm not sure if you remember but when we first started you mentioned wishing you could have a window box."

"Oh yes. But I'm not much of a gardener. Every time I try, the poor flowers are dead as a doornail in a few weeks."

I laughed softly. "Well, I hope these will last a little longer than that."

Miss Pearl turned to look at the window and put a shaky hand over her mouth. She walked forward and touched the mural of wildflowers I'd painted right below the windowsill. My mom had told me that Miss Pearl was always complimenting her petunias so I'd made sure to include those along with marigolds, begonias and a few other types of flowers that were common in window boxes.

"Oh my word. Hendrix Evers. You painted that?" Miss Pearl demanded.

"Yes ma'am. I thought you might like some flowers even if you don't have a garden."

Her eyes softened. "Oh how thoughtful. I would have never even thought of something like that. Now I have flowers that will never die."

She shuffled forward and pulled me into a surprisingly strong hug. Her head barely reached my chest so I leaned over a little to make it easier. She sniffed a few times before turning around to exclaim over the matching mural on the other side.

"Oh and it's under both windows!"

I gestured to the armchair I'd brought out the prior day. "Why don't you have a seat and see how you like it?"

As she sat, she gazed around in delight, taking in the furniture I'd set up. Her bookshelves were still empty but I'd brought out a vase from her living room to put on her side table and placed a copy of a magazine there, too.

She then leaned back into the cushions with a satisfied sigh. "I can't believe this is all for me."

While she sat and gazed out the window, I gathered the rest of my tools and made sure I hadn't left any trash behind on the site. I told her not to get up and that I would let myself out. I had a feeling she would be sitting in that chair until her husband got home.

I decided to pop into my parents" house since I was here. The door was unlocked, as usual. My father looked up when I walked in. He was in his usual spot on the couch watching TV.

"Rix? This is a nice surprise."

I walked over and flopped down beside him before he could get up. "Hey, Dad. I was just next door finishing up Miss Pearl's shed."

"How'd she like it?"

"She loved it." I hesitated. "I painted some wildflowers below the windows since she said she's not good with keeping real ones alive."

He looked over. "That was nice of you. I bet she was thrilled."

"Yeah, she was."

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could feel his stare on the side of my face.

"So if it's not work, then what's wrong?"

I glanced over in alarm. "What makes you think something is wrong?"

He didn't answer just continued watching me patiently.

The baseball game he was watching went to commercial and then a dancing bear appeared on-screen. I fiddled with a loose thread on the edge of my T-shirt.

"How did you know that you were in love with Mom? For real. Not that whole soul tie fate stuff, either."

He picked up the remote and muted the TV. "I wondered when you'd be ready to talk about it."

I shook my head. "Has everybody in town been talking about my love life?"

"Not everybody. Most everybody."

"Fantastic."

He chuckled. "You've never been the type who was bothered by what people said before."

When I'd started dating Janelle, people in town had made a lot of these same comments. Asking questions and just generally being nosy but it had never bothered me. I had been more than content to let them speculate and all the gossip just rolled off my back. But I didn't like the idea of people gossiping about Charlie. They didn't need to be making comments or saying things that might make her uncomfortable.

The difference in how I'd reacted to the two situations made me feel a pang of guilt for how I'd brushed off Janelle's concerns. We weren't right for each other, but she'd been the one getting the brunt of the town gossip. I just hadn't cared back then.

"This is different."

"It is. Everything is different when you find someone who matters."

"But how do I know these feelings are really love?"

He sat back to ponder the question. "Van Halen described it as looking into a crowd and waiting for someone's face to come into focus."

I looked over at him. My father loved to be cryptic but I needed real advice.

He laughed at my skepticism. "I'm not just quoting the song. That was exactly what it felt like. Falling in love with your mom felt like that moment when you turn around and see a familiar face in a crowd. It was like a part of me recognized her immediately. But that's not what you're really asking, is it?"

"It's just such a big thing and getting it wrong can hurt a lot of people. How can anyone make that kind of commitment without knowing whether it will last?"

I thought about the last two months with Charlie and how she'd become such an important part of my life. Somewhere along the way, protecting her and making her happy had become the key to whether or not I was happy. Her pain was my pain. Her laughter made my heart smile.

But those were just feelings, right? How did I know that I could trust them? And how did I know that she'd want me in her life long-term anyway?

"I don't want to hurt her," I said finally.

"That's a good sign that you're putting her first. When you truly love someone, you want what's best for them. Sometimes that means putting what you want on the back burner. And they will do the same for you. It's a joint effort."

"Is it supposed to be this hard?"

He chuckled. "Let me let you in on a little secret. Love requires effort but it's not hard. There's nothing hard about coming home to your favorite person every day."

"I'm worried about life getting in the way."

"Life is going to get in the way sometimes. But it's the easiest thing in the world to be with someone you think is amazing. Even when you have no money. Even when you're stressed. I'd rather be with your mom in our little house than with someone else in a mansion."

My mind flashed through all the moments Charlie and I had shared. Every day the house was filled with both laughter and bickering, but somehow with her even the most mundane things were fun. With her, I felt more at home than any place I'd been since I'd left my parents' house.

I had a feeling that any place Charlie went would feel like home.

"You know, you and Mom have something amazing. I'm not sure everybody gets to have that."

"I definitely don't think everybody gets to have it. This world is unfair and a lot of people aren't lucky enough to meet someone they can't live without. The question is, have you?"

Confused, I just stared at him. "Have I what?"

"Have you met someone you can't live without?"

Caught, I looked back at the TV. The Nationals were up by two. To my father's dismay, I had never been much of a baseball fan. The only time I cared was when Beck was playing Little League.

"She's so much bigger than this town," I said finally.

Dad gave me a knowing look. "Maybe so but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be here. Also, I know you don't want to hear about ‘that fate stuff' but I wouldn't discount it. Have you ever asked Charlie about her name?"

"Her name?"

Just then my mom walked in carrying a basket of laundry. "Rix, I didn't know you were here." She leaned over the arm of the couch to kiss my cheek.

"I just finished up next door."

"Pearl has been talking my ear off all week about that. She is so excited to read next month's book club selection in her new she-shed." She patted my arm. "I'm glad you were able to make time to take that on, honey."

I decided to take that as my cue to go. If I stayed any longer she'd ask what we were talking about and I definitely didn't want to rehash everything again.

"Well, I need to go."

Mom kissed my cheek again. "You're coming to Beck's game, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it."

She picked up her basket and walked down the hallway toward the bedrooms. I looked over at my father. He made like he was going to get up.

"You don't have to get up Dad. I'll let myself out. And thanks for the advice." I wasn't sure I really knew any more than when I arrived but his words had given me a lot to think about.

"Anytime," he replied. "I know things seem confusing now but love isn't a bunch of things you can check off a list. If you feel strongly enough to even be asking these questions, then trust your gut. When the time comes, you'll know what you have to do."