“Yes, I know. It’s been kinda crazy since y’all showed up last night, with your head thing and all. I planned on getting you away from everyone at some point today to talk.”
I cringe, thinking about how terrible I must look right now with no makeup on and a black goose egg on my forehead. I’m the ugly duckling standing next to the beautiful swan.
“Well, we’re talking now. What else do you have to say?” I snap, annoyed at myself for caring so much about this man, who I don’t even know. I just need to tell him thank you, offer him his share of the money, and get my ass back to California.
He tries again to reach out for me, lifting his hand to stroke my cheek with his thumb, and this time I let him. Because I like the way it feels when he touches me more than I want to admit.
“Don’t be mad, babe. This whole situation is kinda crazy, and I promise we’ll talk, but Jess doesn’t need to be a part of it, and we need to go inside and let the four sets of eyes currently peeping through the curtains know that everything is fine. Okay?” he pleads. Jerk even has the nerve to give me a glimpse of his damn dimples.
Sighing loudly, I nod and lean into his touch. “Yeah, okay.”
Jessica wastes no time to escape the awkward confrontation, wishing us both the best of luck, then hurriedly gets in her car and drives away down the dirt road. Once her bumper fades into the distance, Teague slides his arm around my waist and pulls me close to him. “Come on, Cinderella. Let’s go face the Red Coat firing squad.”
“HOW CAN YOU call this a farm if you don’t have any animals? I didn’t see a single horse or chicken, and I really wanted to pet a baby goat.” Farrah eyes Teague cynically, clearly displeased the three-hour tour didn’t include any livestock or a petting zoo. “It was just a bunch of plants and seeds and dirt.”
Unfazed by her whining, Teague throws his head back and laughs heartily. Damn, he’s hawt when he does that. “Because it’s a corn farm. We grow corn, not animals,” he says as we — me, him, Farrah, and Fiona, with her damn umbrella — make our way from the storage barn to the house. “But we did have a big tractor, and I did let you drive it.”
“Yeah, you did. That was awesome.” Her face lights up at the recent memory of being behind the controls of a giant piece of equipment she had no business controlling, and the disappointment from the lack of animals vanishes into thin air.
After Teague gave the Cliff’s Notes version of the Jessica story to everyone earlier, which apparently Grandpa and Nancy already had some knowledge of, Farrah and Fiona decided that him having someone pretend to be me because he was so smitten with me after our first encounter was the most romantic thing in the world. And up until this fleeting moment of discontent with the lack of animals, everything he’s said or done has been absolutely perfect. Like they’ve formed their own little Teague fan club, telling me every chance they get how wonderful he is.
I’m still waiting for a chance to get to talk to him one-on-one, but it seems like each time we try, we’re interrupted by someone or something. At first, Fiona insisted we all sit down and eat the breakfast she’d cooked, but then Teague had to take an important work call that took nearly half an hour. When he finally rejoined us, we were in the middle of Grandpa’s official tour of the house, each room having a story that took us on a trip down memory lane. I enjoyed learning about Teague as a kid, and listening to his Grandpa boast about his only grandson with pure love and adoration helped me appreciate the close relationship the two of them share. I’m not sure what the story is about his parents, but from what I gather, Teague was raised by his grandparents from a very young age.
Straight from inside the house, we moved outside, where we ended up on an all-terrain utility vehicle — sans Grandpa — exploring the acres of surrounding land and buildings, while Teague explained the entire farming process to us. Admittedly, I was shocked at how in his element he seemed, an internal happiness radiating through him, while he showed us around.
When I first met him in an expensive business suit with his fancy watch and perfectly styled hair, I thought he was the embodiment of the Mr. GQ, the ultimate JT. But now… now that I’ve seen him get a little sweaty in his snug jeans and boots, his thin cotton T-shirt doubling as second skin as it clings to his broad, muscular chest, dare I say he’s even sexier than before? Who would’ve ever thought I’d prefer Levis to Armani on a guy?
“Do you listen to country music?” I blurt out, my own abnormal thoughts freaking me out.
“Sometimes,” Teague replies, peering inquisitively over at me as we climb the stairs up to the wraparound porch. Then, pulling me by the hand off to the side, he allows Farrah and Fiona to go into the house ahead of us.
“What time are we leaving for Bingo?” Fiona asks, before the door closes behind her.
“At six, squirt,” Teague answers, making my heart pitter-patter in my chest when he uses my nickname for her. “We’ll just grab dinner there. They’ve got burgers and hotdogs and stuff.”
She grins and gives him a thumbs-up. “Brilliant, Prince boy.” Then, she disappears into the house.
“Wow, that kid is something else,” he chuckles, as he shakes his head and turns to face me.
“Yeah, tell me about it,” I snicker. “Sometimes I forget she’s the kid and Farrah’s the parent.”
Looping his arms around my waist, he hauls my body close to his, our chests pressed up against each other, alone for the first time today. He peers down at me with those damn blue eyes, sparkling brighter and bolder than normal, and smiles just enough for those craters to appear in his cheeks.
“Why are you here, Finley Farewell?” he asks softly.
“Well, to be honest,” I confess, “I didn’t know I was coming when we first set out on this journey. My sneaky little niece got tired of listening to me drone on and on about you, so she took matters in her own hands, hired a PI, and found out who you were. Then, she tricked me into thinking we were going on a girls’ road trip to escape the craziness back home, but when it became the trip from hell, I demanded we go back to San Francisco.”
“But you didn’t? How did she get you to keep going?”
I swallow hard and lift my hands to cup the hard lines of his jaw. “Because when she finally told me the true reason, where we were really going, I had to see you again. I had to find out why you disappeared… why you left the ticket… why you didn’t try to find me after. I needed to know if I was crazy for thinking about you constantly, or if you were just this fantasy I created in my head.”
“I walked out of the restaurant, because I realized I’d left my only credit card at the airport that morning and had no other way to pay. I left the ticket, because it was the only thing of possible value I had other than my watch, but I was afraid you may’ve been holding a grudge against it after the hair incident. And I didn’t contact you after, because I didn’t want you to think I was only interested in the money.”
He dips his chin down and kisses the pads of my thumbs. “To be honest, if you wouldn’t have shown up yesterday, I’m not sure I would’ve ever reached out to you. But if you’re crazy for thinking about me constantly, then I’m right there with you. I mean, hell, I had someone pretend to be you, for Pete’s sake. I’m not sure I’m much of a fantasy — I can be a bossy bastard who likes things a particular way and can be a bit quirky at times, but I think there’s a reason I walked into your restaurant that night and you showed up at my door yesterday. And I’d like to find out what that reason is.”
I’m a puddle at his feet, his little speech melting me to the core, even if he does occasionally listen to that awful music. I have no idea how to respond to him, so I ask the only thing I can think of.
“Do you like strawberries?”
Teague
“I THINK MY bingo cards were broken. I didn’t even come close to connecting four,” Farrah pouts, crossing her arms over her chest and kicking at the small pebbles on the ground as we file out of the community center into the cool late September
night, each of us having won at least one game except her.
Fiona giggles while twirling around under her opened umbrella, even though there’s not a drop of rain in the vicinity. “Bingo cards can’t be broken, Mummy. They’re just letters and numbers on a piece of paper. And it’s five in a row, not four.”
“Do you always have to be such a smartypants?” Farrah playfully sticks her tongue out, then scoops the little blonde girl up off the ground, throwing her over her shoulder and sprinting out ahead of me and Finley.
I grin over at the beautiful woman next to me, my arm slung over her shoulder, and shake my head. “Are you absolutely sure she’s her kid?” I tease. “Because I’m not seeing a lick of resemblance.”
Finley’s entire face lights up as she laughs, and I tighten my hold on her, pulling her closer to my body and pressing my lips to hers. Today has been yet another whirlwind of emotions, but unlike most of the bad luck shit I’ve been dealing with lately with the company, this has been all good. Well, after the Jessica incident, it’s all been good anyway.
Not only did Schaffer call earlier to let me know we already had a full price offer on the land, but I had a blast hanging out with Finley and her family throughout the day. And after our little talk on the porch earlier, I’m pretty sure she and I are both on the same page with whatever’s happening between us. Who knows what will happen when she goes back to San Francisco, whenever that may be, but I’m open to trying a long-distance thing as we continue to get to know each other. Though with her fear of flying, it looks like I’ll be racking up the frequent flyer miles to the west coast, because I’m not going to be able to go too long without having her near me — tasting her sweet mouth and hopefully her other set of soft pink lips.
“Corn Nuts, is that you?” I hear a memorable voice call out from behind me, and instantly, my back shoots ramrod straight as I stop mid-stride. You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.
Slowly, I turn around in the gravel parking lot to find none other than Billy Bingham strolling up with that same stupid arm-swing swagger he had as a punk-ass teenager. His wife Lucy, the same girl he’s dated since our senior year, stands off in the distance, chatting with some other familiar-looking women close to the building, all of them watching for the upcoming exchange. It’s no secret in this town that there’s no love lost between me and the Bingham kids, so I’m sure they’re expecting fireworks.
Finley, sensing the sudden change in my posture and disposition, instinctively clings to me, her arms circling around my middle. I kiss her temple — the unscathed one — silently reassuring her, then quickly glance back over my shoulder to where Farrah and Fiona are at least twenty yards away, still horsing around near my truck.
Satisfied they’re far enough out of earshot, I fix my annoyed gaze on him. “Billy,” I say flatly as he stops directly in front of me.
“I thought that was you inside, but I didn’t think a schmuck like you would be able to land such a gorgeous catch like this beauty on your arm.” He leers over at Finley and a feral growl rumbles in my chest as I clench the hand hanging down by my side in a fist. Snickering with his evil weasel grin, he rolls his eyes at me. “Oh, calm your tits, Goodman, I’m not interested in taking your girl from you like I used to back in high school. I got my own woman already trained, waiting to go home and blow me.”
“What the hell do you want, Bingham?” I spat, already tired of listening to his arrogant bullshit. “Surely you didn’t walk all the way over here to reminisce about the good ol’ days? Oh wait… you probably did, because that was when you peaked in life.”
His nostrils flare and his chest swells up like a puffer fish as he steps closer. “Careful with the cockiness, Corn Nuts,” he sneers. “According to some paperwork that hit my desk today, Bingham Beef is about to be the proud new owner of eight thousand prime acres for cattle ranching, and if I read it correctly, I’m pretty sure the seller is Goodman Farms.”
Pure rage blazes through me at his proclamation, and it takes every last ounce of self-control I have to not punch him square in the face. How could Schaffer not tell me the Binghams were the ones who put the offer in? I clench my teeth together so forcefully I chip enamel, but I don’t give a shit. This can’t be happening.
“Oh, you didn’t know it was me who was buying it?” he cackles, narcissism oozing from his pores. “You had to know that I couldn’t let a deal like that pass me by. You’re damn near having a fire sale… business must not be going so well, eh?” Shaking his head, he crosses his arms and narrows his beady eyes on me. “You may have had a few years where you thought you were top dog ‘round here with your fancy designer clothes and expensive trucks, but when are you gonna learn that corn farmers are always gonna be poor corn farmers? Pretty soon, your hot little piece of city ass will realize that too, and you’ll be back all alone, eating corn for every meal.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are talking to us like that? Get out of our face, asshole,” Finley hisses at him, her nails digging angrily into the flesh above my hip.
Billy slices his stare over to her and smiles condescendingly. “Oh sweetheart, aren’t you cute, coming to his defense like that. But haven’t you learned the first rule to being arm candy is to sit still and look pretty? I’m sure that smart little mouth you’ve got on you is what landed you that pretty knot you’ve got on your forehead. Apparently Teague didn’t do a very good job a teaching you a lesson.”
The volcano inside me erupts, no longer able to hold back when he talks to Finley with such disrespect. How dare he insinuate I hurt her. I would never lay my hands on a woman, but him… oh, I plan to lay a hell of a lot more than my hands on him.
Releasing my grasp on Finley, I lunge forward and sock him straight between the eyes with my right fist, then immediately follow it up with a jab from my left to his ear.
“Fucking shit!” he screams as he stumbles backward, bent over at the waist, blood pouring from his nose.
The sound of other people shouting and shrieking around me plays like background music in my head, but I have tunnel vision for expelling over twenty years of pent-up fury on this son of a bitch. No one is going to stop me from beating him to a bloody pulp.
I advance on him before he can shake off his stunned stupor, gripping the back of his neck and slamming his face down on my raised knee, causing him to collapse on the ground. Jumping on top of him, I lay into him with my fists, one right after another, my vision blanketed in red, his blood splattering all over both him and me as he tries to fight back but fails. I don’t say a word the entire time; he knows damn well what this ass beating is for.
“Teague, stop! Please! Stop! Teague! Baby, come on, for me, just stop!” Finley’s voice finally breaks through the steady hum whirring through my ears, and I freeze, my arm cocked in the air ready to pummel him again.
Adrenaline buzzes through my veins, my chest rapidly heaving up and down, drops of sweat beading and trickling down my forehead. I twist around in what seems like slow motion, the crowd of people around us gradually coming into focus through my wrath-blurred vision.
“Come on, babe. Let’s go. You got him.” Finley extends her hand to me, concern creasing near her eyes.
I nod and shove to my feet, my breathing and heartrate steadily decreasing as reality seeps back in. Groaning in pain, Billy rolls to his side and pushes up to his hands and knees, lifting his mangled face up at me.
“You, motherfucker,” he sputters. “I’m gonna—”
I kick my steel-toed work boot into his gut as hard as I can, and he tumbles back to the ground, gasping and coughing.
“You ain’t gonna do shit. And how’s that for teaching a lesson, bitch.” I spit on the ground next to where he lays, then turn to Finley and take her hand, allowing her to lead me away to my truck.
“WELL, IT’S NOT as good of a job as Nancy would’ve done, but at least they’re clean and covered,” Finley says, staring down at my busted up knuckles she washed and wrapped in gauze. “You should take some
ibuprofen too. They’ll probably be pretty sore in the morning.”
I snatch the bottle of pills off the bathroom counter, the same ones Finley’s been taking for her head, pop two on my tongue, and let out a gruff chuckle. “Your head, my hands, the two of us are quite a pair, aren’t we?”
She lifts her sapphire eyes to meet mine and the corners of her mouth curl up in a sweet smile. “Yeah, Rocky, a pair indeed.” Elevating up on her toes, she sweeps her lips across mine and my cock twitches in response. “You need to go show Fiona you’re okay before she goes to sleep. She’s worried about you.”
Bending forward, I lightly rest my forehead on hers, careful not to hurt her, and grin, thankful she hasn’t questioned me about what happened outside the community center. “After that, you gonna come help me change clothes out of these dirty clothes and make sure I get tucked in bed properly, my sexy little nurse?” I ask hopefully.
Desire sparks in her heated gaze, and any lingering anger coursing through me dissipates. My earlier thirst for Bingham blood has been replaced with hunger for Finley’s everything. I’ve been fantasizing about her for too long. I need to consume her, claim her as mine.
“Yeah,” she breathes, her lashes fluttering nervously. “I can do that.”
“Good.” I kiss the tip of her nose before drawing back. “Let’s go say goodnight to the Duchess Fiona.”
I lace my fingers through hers and lead Finley out of the bathroom to the guest room where her sister and niece have already changed into their pajamas and are watching TV from the bed. As soon as she sees me, Fiona leaps up off that mattress and scurries over to me, concern crinkling her tiny brow.
“Are you alright, you barmy prat?” she scolds, cautiously inspecting my hands, front and back.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I tell her, ruffling her hair with the tips of my fingers sticking out from the wrap, then add the proverbial, “But you should see the other guy.”