Count on Me (Petal, Georgia)

  He went onto the small landing outside her door. She leaned against it and called out softly. “Hey, Royal?”

  “Hm?”

  “Thanks for defending my honor tonight. At the Tonk I mean.”

  He shook his head. “Of course I did. See you Sunday, Caro. Sweet dreams.”

  Two days later, Caroline stood on her grandparents’ front porch and knocked. Shep answered with a grin and then he pulled her into a hug. “Hiya!”

  She hugged him back, smiling. “Hey yourself.”

  He kissed her cheek. “Come on in. You know you don’t have to knock.”

  “Well actually I do. You guys lock the door.”

  He paused, surprise on his face. “You don’t have a key?”

  It took every bit of her self-control but she managed not to snort. “Nope.”

  He frowned.

  She fished in her pocket and handed him one though. “This is to my apartment. If you ever need to come in for whatever reason.”

  “Thanks. I’ll knock though. Just in case you have a gentleman caller.”

  She laughed, unable not to at his teasing tone. “Okay then.”

  “Come on back. Gran’s in the kitchen and Mindy should be back shortly.” He leaned in closer. “She went to church with Garrett and his family.”

  “Oh no. Is he a Baptist?”

  Shep laughed. “Yes!”

  Their grandmother must have had kittens over that.

  “What are you two up to?” Her grandfather smiled as they entered the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house.

  “Nothing much.” She squeezed her brother’s arm and then moved to kiss her grandfather’s cheek. “Morning.”

  “You mean afternoon, don’t you? Church was nice today. The pastor gave a great sermon. Too bad you missed it.” Her grandmother jutted her chin out, both to chide and demand a kiss.

  Caroline gave a kiss but wasn’t going to allow the chide to bother her. Her faith was her business, as was how she spent her Sunday mornings.

  “Glad you had a good morning at church. Can I help with anything?”

  Her mother would have wanted her to try her hardest so she did. And damn it, they were close to Shep and Mindy so why not her?

  She wished it didn’t matter. Wished she had the confidence that it didn’t make her feel small and unimportant.

  But she’d be damned if she gave in to it, even if she craved that ease they seemed to have with her siblings.

  “Why don’t I set the table?”

  “Mindy usually does.”

  “She’s not here, Gran,” Shep interrupted. “I’ll do it. Sit down, Caroline. Want some coffee? I was just about to make some with that fancy K Cup thing you gave me for my birthday.”

  “Oh! I’ll do it. You do the dishes, I’ll make the coffee.”

  “He’s too young for coffee,” their grandmother said. Caroline and Shep ignored it.

  Caroline looked through the spinner with all the cups and chose one for herself. “What kind do you want?”

  “I want the macadamia nut kind.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Gross.”

  He laughed as he put out silverware.

  She made them both coffee. Her grandfather was drinking tea, and her grandmother shook her head when Caroline asked her if she wanted coffee and muttered about how they had a perfectly good coffeemaker already.

  “Y’all need to get Caroline a key. Did you know she didn’t have one?” Shep asked his grandfather once he’d finished putting milk in his coffee.

  “Oh. You’re right. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll go down to the hardware store this week and get you one.”

  “Thanks, Grandpa. It’s not urgent or anything.”

  “Hush. It’s silly to make you knock on the door the way you did this morning. It just slipped my mind.” Her grandfather patted her hand.

  Mindy came in all laughter and chatter with her boyfriend, Garrett, in her wake. “Sorry we’re late. We needed to get Garrett’s aunt back home.” Her sister caught sight of Caroline at the table and smiled. “You’re here.”

  Caroline got up to hug her sister. Garrett nodded at her, keeping his reserve. One he only had with her apparently as everyone else got a hug and a big smile.

  It was early days. She hadn’t been around him much while the others had known him for years. It would take time. She just had to be patient.

  They sat down to eat, and after a while of trying to draw people out and get to know them better, she just let it go. Mindy was wrapped up in Garrett, who loved the sound of his own voice and maybe her sister. Her grandparents approved of this, despite his apparently Baptist leanings. Her grandmother probably already had plans for how she’d convert him to Lutheranism once they got married.

  At least Shep appeared to want to interact with her, answering her questions about school.

  “I want to go to law school,” he said with a grin.

  Pride warmed her. It ran in the family after all, but it meant something to her personally too.

  “Yeah? Awesome. Hard work, but it’s worth it if you love the job.”

  “You do then?”

  “I do. Weird as it sounds, I love the courtroom. Not everyone does, but it’s my favorite part of the job. There are other legal jobs out there. When the time comes, if you still want to pursue law school, I can hook you up with folks I know so you can see what their jobs are like. Get a perspective that way.”

  “As long as he doesn’t defend the guilty,” Garrett said.

  Caroline cocked her head, trying to figure out if the comment was about her or defense lawyers in general or what.

  “Everyone’s innocent until proven guilty, so that’s easy enough.” She smiled, not wanting to argue and ruin everyone’s brunch.

  “But what about once they’re proven guilty? What then about the people who keep trying to free them?”

  Oh. No. No fucking wet-behind-the-ears near-stranger was going to lecture her about what she’d spent fifteen years learning. He never knew her father.

  The table went still.

  “We talking about me in particular, Garrett?” Years in the courtroom had given her pretty excellent control. She wasn’t going to lose it there in her grandparents’ home, but she did let her feelings flash in her gaze—just briefly—and was satisfied when he flinched. She’d eat this little punk for breakfast.

  “No. Of course he isn’t.” Mindy elbowed Garrett.

  “Why pretend she’s not making a mess?” Garrett asked. “She’s back a few weeks and already she’s starting fights all over town.”

  “I’m losing track of your point, Garrett. Is it that I’m a defense attorney? Or that I believe in the innocence of my father or that some piece of trash got in my face when I didn’t even know he existed until that very moment? Or really how any of it is your business in any way.”

  “You can’t come back here and tear this family down more than your father already did.”

  “This is not appropriate dinner-table conversation,” her grandmother said severely.

  “She needs to be taken in hand, Abigail. She’s wearing her welcome thin already. If you two feel like you can’t say it, I will.”

  Caroline spoke before anyone else could. “Let me make myself really clear. I’ve known you for about ten minutes. I don’t need your advice and I certainly don’t need your censure.”

  “You need to be told.”

  Caroline smirked. “You need to gain about twenty years worth of experience and wisdom before you’d be ready to even imagine yourself capable of doing that for me.”

  “Garrett, that’s enough.” Mindy’s distress was clear in her voice, which is why Caroline kept her swear words to herself.

  “I agree. Garrett, this is my house and I’m telling you to stop this immediately, young man.” Her grandfather had his serious face on and even her grandmother calmed down when he used it.

  “I apologize, James. You know I love your family. I just hate to see it get torn a
part.” He shot her a look. This little shit had no idea what he was poking with his stick. But she wasn’t going to do this at her grandparents’ kitchen table like an animal. Not if she could help it.

  Petal was small enough they’d cross paths again when he wouldn’t be able to count on her manners. And then he’d understand just who he thought he could push around. And he’d know how very wrong he was.

  She let him see all of that in her gaze, and when he blinked and shifted away from her, she knew she’d gotten her point across.

  Caroline finished up, and after helping her grandmother clear and clean the dishes and get the area tidied, she kissed her grandmother’s cheek. “I’m going to go now.”

  Abigail sighed. “He thought he was protecting us.”

  Well and that it was us and didn’t include her was part of the problem.

  “We’ll have to agree to disagree about that. But I’m tired and I’m done for today. It was nice to see you though, and you know how much I love your roast chicken.”

  Shep rolled into the room as she dried her hands and moved to grab her bag.

  “You’re leaving already?”

  “I’ve been here three hours. It’s time for me to go.”

  “Let me walk you out.” He cast a glare at Garrett as they passed through the living room.

  Caroline paused to kiss her grandfather. “I’ll see you soon.”

  “You’re leaving already?”

  “I said the same thing. Guess she can’t feel comfortable in her own grandparents’ home because some people have bad manners.” Shep looked pointedly in Garrett’s direction.

  Caroline rolled her eyes. “I’ll see you later, Mindy. Call me if you want to get together this week sometime for a movie or something.”

  Her sister got up, clearly caught between Caroline and Garrett. Whatever. There’s no way she’d have ever tolerated any man talking to her sister that way, but they were different people.

  “You don’t have to go.”

  Caroline hugged Mindy. “Yes, I do. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Garrett got up but she turned her back on him. If he thought for even one second that she would pretend he hadn’t been unconscionably rude, he had another thing coming.

  Shep walked her out.

  “He’s a jerk. You don’t have to go because of that crap he said.”

  “Yes he is. But he’s Mindy’s boyfriend and that was Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I’m a grown-ass woman, and I’m not getting into a slap fight with a dumbass like I’m in middle school. I know what I am, Shep. I know what I believe and I am not ashamed of it. My beliefs don’t do a damned thing to you, or your grandparents or Mindy. Especially not to Garrett Moseby.”

  He licked his lips but didn’t speak like she thought he wanted to. Instead he leaned in and hugged her tight. “I’m so glad you’re back here for good. I missed you and it’s nice to have you around.”

  She grinned. “Ditto. You too. I mean you call me if you get some free time. I know you have school, but after school one day this week or next, let me take you out for pizza or something. Away from here.”

  “You got a deal. Love you, Caroline.”

  That softened her annoyance at Garrett.

  Shep waggled his brows. “You can tell me about Royal Watson when you take me to pizza.”

  “How’d you know? Jeez this town and gossip.”

  Shep laughed. “Just wait until you two do it. I bet I’ll know within eight hours.”

  “Ew. No you won’t because he’s not the type to talk about that stuff.”

  She hugged him one last time before getting into the car. “Behave and don’t forget to call me.”

  She drove away, but she was smiling. She’d take that as a partial win.

  Chapter Nine

  Royal, true to his words to Caroline two days before, had slept in late and done nothing more taxing than shuffling to his kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker and make himself an egg sandwich.

  The day before had been a long one. From five to just past midnight when he stumbled to bed. But as he looked out over his land, he saw new things growing, freshly turned earth in some spots, covered beds elsewhere.

  His world, and he was making it work.

  Once the coffee was ready, he headed to his living room. Spike curled around his feet when Royal situated himself on the lounge chair to watch some stuff he had waiting on his DVR. He glanced at the clock as he sipped his coffee. Brunch with her grandparents should take a few hours. It was noon so perhaps he’d see her by four or so.

  He hoped.

  They’d left each other under some weird circumstances, but he couldn’t get the sound of her saying she wanted to be the only woman in the room when they fucked out of his head. He’d heard fuck over and over and over in her voice.

  Caroline was like no one else, and he liked that a lot.

  What he liked most though, which surprised him so much, was the way she was also vulnerable and soft at times. Her confidence blew him away. Made him hot. She barreled into the room, her energy attracted attention. Not just his. It wasn’t that she was pretty, though she sure was. It wasn’t her body, which was also stunning. She was just one of those people who seemed to have her own gravity and people moved around her.

  He enjoyed that. Enjoyed being with her and having her choose him to focus on instead of all the other stuff she could. Admired her focus.

  But it was the way she reacted over Anne that he found himself marveling over.

  It wasn’t the jealous thing. Though, truth be told who didn’t like it when someone got a little jealous over an ex? Anne was gorgeous in her own right and they were close. The other women he’d gone out with hadn’t really said much about it. Anne came with the Royal package. She was one of his chosen family. Though he didn’t love her in a romantic sense anymore, he’d always love her. Always have her in his heart because she was someone in his life. Had been part of his life history for longer than she hadn’t been.

  He’d expected a woman like Caroline to at the very least pretend she wasn’t bothered. That she was up front about her discomfort, while being rational about whether or not she had a right to be, fascinated him. She was a big girl. A woman in charge of her shit, and damn if that wasn’t incredibly attractive.

  In the meantime he had to figure out how to deal with the Anne situation. Her text had been about the scene with Benji at the Tonk. She’d heard about it from Beth and wanted to know the details. It had been a text like thousands of others they sent back and forth, but it felt differently in some ways because if he was correct, Anne was jealous of Caroline too.

  Maybe a year ago he’d have given it a different kind of thought. He might have gone to Anne and said, hey do you see? This is a woman I can see myself with a year from now. Two, five. This is the kind of woman a man can build a life with. He might have given Anne the chance to come to her goddamn senses and marry him.

  But that had passed. He could finally say—and mean—he was over her. Yes, she was important to him and always would be. But he didn’t ache for her. Didn’t dream about a life together or kids with her. He’d let go, and it felt normal after a lot of heartache.

  Caroline consumed his thoughts. It had been a short period of time and he was smart enough to take it slow. But after years of fruitless love with a woman who couldn’t ever give him what he truly wanted, feeling so intensely for someone else was liberating. Exciting.

  He watched a movie and fast-forwarded through a football game, pausing at the highlights before Anne came in.

  “Yo,” she called out.

  “Hey.”

  She handed him a cup. “Brought coffee.”

  “You’re awesome.” He lifted his cup in her direction.

  Spike defected, abandoning Royal for Anne, hopping up into her lap and butting her hand until she laughed, scratching behind his ears. “You’re so easy.”

  “What brings you out here today?” Sundays were usually days the entire Murphy clan congre
gated to eat and hang out. Sometimes with huge swaths of Chases.

  “You didn’t call me back yesterday.”

  “I didn’t call anyone yesterday. I’m tired as hell after yesterday.”

  “Ah. So I wanted to get the scoop on the scene at the Tonk. Where’s your girlfriend?”

  He didn’t argue with her tossed-out word. She’d meant it to needle him, but he found he liked it enough to roll it around his head and smile at the thought. “She’ll be over later. She’s having brunch with her grandparents.”

  “I heard she started some shit over at the Tonk. That’s a record, your what, first date, and you’re already having to punch people to defend her?”

  “Now come on, did you hear that or did you hear what actually happened?”

  “Stop being like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Making excuses with a lovesick smirk. Don’t get all gone for this girl. She’s not one of us. She’s not your type.”

  “She’s not? Please explain how you’re so sure about that.”

  “She’s got shoes that cost more than the chair you’re sitting in. Her grandparents drive a new car and go to church with Edward and Polly. She’s an outsider and she’s bringing a suitcase of trouble straight into town.”

  “Your sister is married to a Chase. She probably goes to church with them too.”

  She waved it away.

  “You jealous, Anne?” He softened his tone and she narrowed her gaze.

  “I’m trying to protect you from heartache! She’s not your type. She’s just slumming.”

  He put a hand up. “Whoa. Look, I get it. You’re protective and I appreciate that. But you don’t know Caroline. And I’m insulted on so many levels I can’t decide where to start so I’m just going to skip it because you and I both know you’re full of shit.”

  Anne frowned. “She’s a lawyer and you’re a farmer.”

  “I totally am. And she respects what I do, as it happens. And she didn’t start that shit at the Tonk. Benji did. Benji was out of line, just like Dolly and half those girls are when they talk shit about you and your siblings because you’re Murphys. I didn’t stand for that then and I won’t take it now. No one deserves to get judged for what their parents do and you know that. Hell, if you gave her half a chance you’d actually like her.”