He hadnt wanted me out of his sight for longer than a few minutes. It had been two weeks since the funeral and he was still clingy. It was easing up each day, but he still needed me close by. We were also having sex more often than normal, and that was a whole lot of sex.
Blaire had called and invited me over for lunch today at one. That was Nates nap time, so she was hoping we could meet at her house. Bethy was also invited. She wasnt working or showing up anywhere anymore. Blaire was worried about her and I was, too. Woods still wouldnt talk about her.
"Blaire has invited me to lunch today at her house at one. Are you okay with me going?" Normally I wouldnt have felt like I had to ask Woodss permission to eat lunch, but with his need for me to be close to him at all times, I wanted to check and make sure.
He looked up from his contract and frowned. I could see the sadness in his eyes and I almost wished I hadnt asked him and had just told Blaire no.
"Im sorry, Della. "
I stood up. "For what?"
"For making you think you have to ask me to go somewhere. These past couple of weeks Ive been needy, and Im sorry Ive done that to you. "
I pulled his chair back and straddled his lap, then grabbed both of his shoulders. "Do not apologize to me. Not for that. You needed me and I was able to be what you needed. I was the strong one this time. Not you. Me. I got to be the one to hold your hand. It was my turn to show you how much I love you. So, dont apologize for that. "
Woods grinned. He hadnt grinned since before the accident. He lifted his hand and traced my jaw. "Youre straddling my lap in a skirt. I want you to go but Im also thinking about your panties and wondering if theyre wet, or if I can get them wet. Hurry and stand up and get away from me before I do something that changes your plans. "
Laughing, I jumped out of his lap. "Not that I wouldnt enjoy you checking to see if you could get my panties wet, because I assure you that you could, but Blaire seemed to really want to do lunch. "
Woods nodded. "Go eat lunch with her. Ill be fine. "
I blew him a kiss that he caught and pressed to his lips. Then I stepped through the door and closed it behind me.
"I heard laughter. It was nice," Vince said from his desk.
I nodded. "Hes better," I told him.
"Because of you," he replied.
I just smiled because I knew he was right. I had helped Woods. It had been me.
Blaire opened the door with Nate on her hip. His small hand was fisted in her long platinum hair and he was tugging pretty hard on it.
"Come in," she said with her head tilted in his direction. "Let me detangle myself and get this one in bed and Ill be right back. Theres glasses and tea on the table in the kitchen. Oh! Nate, that hurts Mommy. "
I tried not to laugh but a giggle leaked out.
She grinned and rolled her eyes. "He likes my hair. Im going to end up bald because hes pulled it all out. "
"Go save yourself. Ill get a drink," I told her, and she flashed me an appreciative smile and headed for the staircase. It was a grand, elaborate set of stairs. The whole house was pretty fabulous. It had been Rushs before Blaire. His dad had bought it for him when he was a kid. His mother used to live there when she was in town, but he wasnt on speaking terms with her at the moment.
I walked through the house and stopped to look at the life-sized portrait of Nate above the fireplace in the drawing room. His hair was going to be as pale as his mothers, or at least it looked like it now. The longer it got, the blonder it was.
The kitchen was at the other end of a long hallway with really high ceilings. There were framed photos of the three of them covering the walls. They werent professional pictures but casual family photos of them playing at the beach or opening gifts at Christmas. There was even one with Rush on a slide with Nate in his lap. He so didnt look like the kind of guy to go down a slide.
Once I got to the kitchen, I fixed myself a glass of tea. The pantry door stood open and I walked over and peeked inside. I had heard about the hidden room under the stairs that you got to through the pantry. It had been where Rush had stuck Blaire when she first came to Rosemary looking for her dad.
Smiling, I wondered if they ever went in that room . . . to remember.
The doorbell rang again and Blaires footsteps echoed as she came down the stairs. I had wondered if Bethy would come. I hadnt seen her anywhere else so I wasnt sure she would show up, even though Blaire was her best friend.
Both women walked into the room and Bethys sad, empty eyes met mine. I set my glass down and went over to hug her. She looked like she needed a hug.
"Ive missed you," I told her.
She wrapped her arms weakly around me. "Thanks," she sniffled.
"No crying. Were going to eat the cookies I made and not think about calories, and were going to talk," Blaire announced as she picked up a covered tray, walked over to the table, and set it down.
I wasnt sure if this was going to work, but Blaire looked pretty determined. I watched Bethy as she tried to gather herself and took a seat across from me.
"Okay, so maybe we need to cry first," Blaire said as she saw Bethys face crumple. "Talk to us. Were here to listen. "
Bethy lifted her eyes and shook her head. "No, Im tired of crying. Im tired of being sad. I just want to be able to smile again. "
"We havent lost the man we love but we both have lost people we love. Ive lost my mother and my sister. Della lost her mother. We know it hurts and we want you to scream and yell, whatever you have to do to get it out. Then you need to eat cookies and think of funny stories that make you laugh. Think about things that Jace did to make you laugh. Remember him in the good ways. They will overcome the bad memory of that night. I promise you, they will. "
Page 47
Woods
Jimmy had called to tell me I needed to get Grant from the bar. He had drunk too much and was now calling my new golf pro a douchebag. Not a good thing. Hed regret that tomorrow.
I walked past Jimmy, who was shaking his head with an amused grin on his face. Grant was leaning on the bar, trying to convince the new bartender that he was a congressman and demanding another drink.
"I got this," I told the new guy, who looked very relieved.
Grant spun around and almost fell over a stool. "Hey, Woods! Its you. Get me another shot, buddy," he slurred. Grant only called people buddy when he was drinking.
"Not a chance in hell," I replied. "Come on, youre going home. Youre done for the night. "
Grant jerked his arm out of my grasp. "I dont wanna go home. I wanna stay here. I like it here. Its better here. If I go back to my place"---he lowered his voice, although he was still talking really loudly---"she will come. "
"Who is she?" I asked, grabbing his arm and jerking him up. I started pushing him toward the door before he could protest this time.
"She is she," he said, whispering loudly again.
"She is she? Really? Man, how much have you had to drink?"
Once we were outside, Grant looked around and realized we had been walking. "Aww, damn. You tricked me. We left. "
"Why dont you want to go to your place? You need to sleep this off. "
Grant looked around us like he was looking for someone who might be hiding and waiting for him to tell a highly important secret.
"Shes Nan. Always Nan. And shes pissed. When she gets pissed she gets possessive, then naughty, then she does things and I end up letting her, but now I dont want to let her cause I dont even like her. So I cant go home. "
Nothing he had said made sense except that he didnt like Nan. Neither did the rest of the world. I was pretty damn sure there was a Twitter hashtag that said #NanHater.
"You want to crash in one of the rooms here?" I asked him as he stumbled and sat down on a bench.
"Can I? She cant find me here. Can she?"
I was pretty sure I hadnt seen him this drunk since boarding school. Nan had done a number on him. "You would
think by now you would have learned your lesson about messing around with Nan. Shes poison. Why even go near her?"
Grant let out a loud sigh and leaned forward.
"Do not puke on the damn brick. Its a country club, dickhead, not a bar. "
He lifted his head and his eyes were glassy. "It aint Nan thats making me drink. Its her. Shes so damn . . . so damn . . . hell, I dont know what she is. She messed up my head. She fucked me over, literally. She wont see me. Wont talk to me. Nothing. Shes guarded like the damn queen. Bunch of damn rock stars act like Im a problem. Im not a problem. I just want to see her. I need to explain. "
What the hell was he talking about? "Im lost, dude. Youre not making sense anymore. Come on, lets get you a room. "
"Shes got these legs that go on forever. Lots of legs . . . lots of em. Theyre soft. So fucking soft," he muttered as I jerked him up and walked him over to my truck.
"Nan?"
Grant spit. "Fuck no. I told you this aint about Nan. Shes the evil bitch that fucked it up. She fucks up everything. "
I put him in and closed the door, then got in on my side and rolled down the windows. "If you need to hurl do it outside of my truck," I told him before cranking the engine.
"Shes got these legs," he said again.
"Yeah, you told me. "
"You dont understand, theyre like legs from fucking heaven. "
Someone had done a number on him. I was thankful it wasnt Nan. That was the only thing I was thankful for at the moment. If I could get him out of my truck without his puking, Id be thankful for that, too.
"She was a virgin," he whispered.
Wait . . . what? "Now I know we arent talking about Nan. "
Grant leaned his head back on the leather seat. "A virgin. She didnt tell me, either. Now she wont talk to me. I need her to talk to me. "
So Grant took a virgin and some rock stars are holding her captive. That doesnt make any . . . oh shit.
"Grant, are you talking about Harlow?"
"Yeah, who the fuck did you think I was talking about?"
That might just be worse than Nan.
Yeah . . . its definitely worse than Nan.
He was in deep shit. Nan would never let that happen. Ever.
Page 48
Two months later . . .
Della
Braden was pregnant. I had hung up with her over ten minutes ago but I hadnt moved from the swing on the porch. I continued to swing. I needed to let this process. Braden . . . a mommy. My Braden. Wow . . .
The door to the house opened and Woods stepped outside. "You off the phone?" he asked as he walked over to the swing.
"Yeah," I replied, scooting over so he could sit down with me.
"What is Braden up to?" he asked as he put his arm around me and pulled me over to his side.
"Shes . . . shes pregnant. " It was hard to even say it. I had always imagined Braden as a mom. She would make an excellent one, but just knowing that she was about to start another new step in life was a surprise.
"Thats good, right?" Woods asked.
I smiled and nodded. I guess in the moment I took to process, I looked upset. "Yes, its wonderful. Theyve been trying for a while now, apparently. I didnt know. She hadnt said anything. But shes now three months along and they heard the heartbeat yesterday. She feels its safe to tell people now. "
Woods pushed the swing with his feet so I curled mine back behind me and let him do the work. "Shell be a wonderful mother," I told him.
"I agree with you. Shes pretty damn fierce when she loves someone. "
I laughed and looked up at him. "Yes, she is. "
Woods bent down and kissed the tip of my nose. "I love you. "
"I love you more," I said in reply. That was always his line. I figured I would take it away from him.
He chuckled. "Thief. "
I pinched the skin covering his abs and he squirmed.
We sat there for a while and enjoyed the evening breeze. Fall was here and Rosemary was peaceful again. The crowds were gone. Jaces absence still clung to us. We all felt it. We knew we always would. But lately we had all been able to talk about him again. Someone would tell a funny story about him and we would all laugh instead of cry.
Bethy was at work again but Woods still wasnt ready to speak to her. He knew he was wrong. He admitted it to me one night. But he said he couldnt forgive her. I let it go. I knew he just needed more time.
Tripp was also back in town. He had been gone for about a week and packed up his place in South Carolina. Then hed moved back here into his condo. Woods had given him a place on the board of directors at the club.
"Della?"
"Yes?"
"Do you believe in fate?"
I thought about it a minute. I wasnt sure. I hadnt given much thought to the idea of fate before.
"What exactly do you mean by that?" I asked.
"I mean . . . do you think things happen for a reason, and no matter what we do or what we choose theyll happen anyway?"
He was thinking about Jaces death. He didnt want to hate Bethy. But his heart wasnt letting him forgive her because of his love for Jace.
"I think that everyones life is controlled by a series of events. They choose what they want and if it is in their control they can reach it. Sometimes luck shines on them and sometimes it doesnt. I also think accidents happen and we are placed in situations where we have to do things for those we love that we dont want to do. "
Woods didnt say anything.
I let him think about it. I wasnt going to push him to forgive Bethy.
That would be something hed have to find within himself when he was ready.
Page 49
Woods
I slipped my phone in my pocket and waited by my truck for Dellas car to pull into the gas station. I had made sure her tank was low before I left the house an hour ago. She was going to need gas before she met me at the Mexican restaurant where wed gone before our one-night stand. I had convinced her earlier that she wanted the quesadillas for dinner. Talking about melted cheese had been all I needed to get her to agree to drive the short distance out of town.
Her car turned the corner, and just like Id planned she pulled up to the tank. She had already spotted my truck parked on the other side of the pump when she pulled up.
Her car door swung open and she was grinning at me like I was crazy.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were waiting on me at the restaurant. "
I stepped around the pump and leaned against her car. "I believe weve been here before," I said, watching as she realized what I was talking about.
Her smile grew and her eyes twinkled with laughter. "Yes, I believe we have. But good news: this time I can pump my own gas," she said.
I had met her for the first time in this very spot. Shed been wearing tiny little shorts, looking sexy as hell, and had no idea how to pump gas. I had needed a distraction from my life and there she was.
"Damn, I was hoping I could pump it for you," I said.
She pressed her lips together in a smile and shrugged. "If you really want to, then you can. "
"I need you to pop the door," I told her, pointing to the little door where the fuel went.
"Oh! I saw you and forgot to do that. " I watched as she turned around and bent inside the car to push the button.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small box that I had kept hidden in my sock drawer for a week. Della turned around and started to say something but stopped when I went down on one knee.
"A year ago I was lost. My life was a fucked-up mess. I stopped to get gas right here and found this gorgeous brunette who couldnt pump her gas. I then somehow convinced her to eat with me. She made me laugh and made me horny as hell. When the night was over and I had to leave her sleeping on that bed in the hotel, it was hard. I didnt want to. But my life was fucked and she was traveling the world, finding herself. "
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I stopped as Della reached up and wiped a tear that was running down her face. Her big blue eyes were swimming with tears.
"Then she came back into my life and saved me from hell. She changed my world. She taught me to love and she owns my soul. "
Dellas small hand went up to cover her mouth and a sob came out.
"Della Sloane, will you marry me?"
She was nodding before I could get the words out of my mouth. I stood up and slipped the diamond that Id spent weeks trying to find onto her finger. When I found it I had known it was the one. It was worthy enough to grace Dellas hand.
"Yes," she finally said before throwing her arms around my neck. "Yes, yes, yes," she chanted, clinging to me.
I held her against me and realized that if there was no such thing as fate, then someone had to be up there dealing out winning hands.
"Can we skip the Mexican and go back to that hotel room instead?" I asked her.
She tilted her head back and flashed me a saucy smile. "What about your truck? I dont want to skip that part. "
Neither did I.
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