A Love Like This (Book 1) (52 page)

“
I know a guy who can make this whole thing go away,
”
 
Nogood
 
says watching Tucker
’
s reaction.

“
If you listen to that boy you
’
ll both end up in jail,
”
 
Xavier says.
 
 
“
Sometimes mistakes we
’
ve made in the past come back to bite us in the ass.
 
If you know who the woman is just call her and try to appeal to her sensibility.
 
She must have loved you once.
 
So try
 
talking her down.
 
If that doesn
’
t work and she continues to threaten my daughter I know someone who really will make the whole situation go away.
”
 
 
Xavier places a firm hand on Tucker
’
s shoulder before walking away.

Nogood
 
watches Xavier until he
’
s out of earshot.
 
 
“
I think you should handle this little problem on your own.
 
If my uncle gets involved you might be the one that disappears.
”

Xavier walks into the house and steps into his bedroom.
 
Dana is rearranging shirts in her drawer.
 
She always busies herself with cleaning when she
’
s anxious or upset.
 
 
He steps
 
behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.
 
 
“
I need to go to the construction site for a while.
”

“
I thought you were taking the week off,
”
 
She says leaning against his chest.

“
I
’
m just going to check up on things.
 
I
’
ll be back in time for dinner.
”

“
Please be sure that you do,
”
 
She says turning to face him.
 
We need to talk to the kids tonight.
 
We
’
ve carried this burden for far too long.
”
 
 
Xavier kisses her on the cheek and
turns to leave.
 
“
Did they tell you what
’
s going on with Leila?
”
 
 
She says while his back is turned.

“
Yeah Tucker told me.
 
It
’
s crazy how history has a way of repeating itself,
”
 
He says as he leaves the room.
 
He pauses in the hall and listens to his daughters and their friends talking and laughing.

“
Hey daddy,
”
 
Keisha says when he walks into the kitchen.
 
He hugs her and kisses the top of her head.
 
Leila crosses the room and stands on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek.

“
Hi Mr. Peterson,
”
 
Shauna and Sarah say in unisons.
 
They both have the
 
googly
 
eyed look that women always get around Xavier.

“
Hello girls,
”
 
He says.
 
He takes Leila by the hand,
 
“
I need to talk to you before I go.
”
 
She follows him feeling anxious.
 
They step out onto the front porch and sit down on the stairs.
 
They
 
sit in silence until
 
Mr. Clayton steps out onto his lawn and turns on the hose to water his grass.

“
How many times a day does he water that grass?
”

“
He waters it every time he thinks there might be something going on.
 
I
’
m surprised that grass is still alive.
”
 
 
There
’
s a few more seconds of silence.
 
 
“
Tucker told me about the calls.
”

“
Yeah the whole thing is so bizarre.
 
I can
’
t understand why some women just can
’
t let go.
”

“
I don
’
t want you going anywhere by yourself until this thing is sorted out.
”

“
Daddy I
’
m not letting this woman make me run scared.
”

He leans over and kisses the top of her head.
 
 
“
Just do it for me,
”
 
He says standing to leave.

“
Daddy I
’
ve been meaning to ask you something.
”

“
What is it baby?
”
 
 
He says looking down at her with a serious expression.

“
How did you find out Tucker and I got married?
”

He pulls out his phone and pushes a few buttons.
 
 
He hands the phone to Leila and she gasps loudly.
 
Xavier takes his phone from her and shoves it back into his pocket.
 
He offers a rare smile and kisses her one more time before walking away.

*****

 
I walk back into the house both shocked and confused.
 
 
“
What is it,
”
 
Keisha says when she sees the look on my face.

“
Daddy just told me how he found out about the drunken wedding.
”

“
I just assumed
Momma
told him.
 
It sure wasn
’
t me this time.
”

“
So how did he find out?
”
 
Sarah says.

I stumble over to the kitchen table take out my cell phone scroll down the message history and there it is.
 
I give the phone to Shauna then lower my face to my hands.
 
She reads the messages to herself and gasps.
 

“
The first message,
”
 
She says choking back laughter.
 
“
The first message says
 
‘
dada I go
 
mayed
 
in vulva
’
 
I think that translates to Daddy I got married in Vegas,
”
 
She turns the phone so that Sarah and Keisha can see the picture of Tucker and I standing in
 
front of the justice of the peace smiling broadly.
 
There are five more pictures all attached to messages each one worst than the last.

“
I can
’
t believe I drunk texted my daddy.
”
 
 
I leave them in the kitchen laughing and set off to find Tucker.
 
He
’
s sitting in the back yard talking to
 
Nogood.
 
I stand in the doorway and watch him.
 
Nogood
 
is talking to him but he seems to have drifted away.
 
He has a tiny frown line that appears in the middle of his forehead when he
’
s thinking.
 
I slide over to him and take his hand.
 
 
“
Tucker will be right back,
”
 
I say to
 
Nogood.
 
I lead him quickly down the hall and into my bedroom.
 
I lock the bedroom door, kick off my shoes and walk over to stretch out on my bed.
 
Tucker stands in the middle of the floor watching me.
 

“
I
’
m not having sex in your father
’
s house,
”
 
He says licking his lips.
 

“
You have such a dirty mind.
 
Can
’
t I just spend time with my husband without doing the horizontal mambo?
”
 
I say laughing.
 
I pat the bed and Tucker walks over and sits next to me.
 
 
“
Lay down.
 
I promise not to jump your bones.
”
 
 
He takes off his shoes and lies next to me.
 
He
’
s on his side and his feet are hanging off the end of the bed.
 
I touch the tiny line on his forehead.
 
 
“
I don
’
t like it when you
’
re upset.
”
 
 
He takes my hand and kisses the palm.
 
I
 
snuggle
 
against his chest for a long time listening to his heart beat.
 
 
“
Someday we
’
ll look back at this and laugh.
”
 
 
Tucker leans over and kisses me
softly.
 
I get butterflies in my stomach and that familiar itch returns.
 
I climb on top of him and nibble his ear.
 

“
No,
”
 
He says moving his head away from my mouth.
 
 
“
I made a promise to your father.
”
 

“
Daddy will never know,
”
 
I say unbuckling his pants.
 
He gives in easily.
 
He lifts his body and slides out of his pants and underwear.
 
I stroke him gently then reach down and kiss his hardness.
 
Tucker takes off my shorts and underwear.
 
He grabs
 
my hips and holds me right above
 
his face.
 
He flicks his tongue over my engorged clitoris as I circle my tongue around his glistening tip.
 
He gets harder with every circle of my tongue.
 
I feel like I might explode from the sensation.
 
I can no longer stand it so I slide off his face and guide him inside me.
 
Tucker moves his hand up to my mouth and shushes me.

“
Baby you have to be quiet,
”
 
He says rolling me onto my back.

“
Ok,
”
 
I whisper breathlessly
 
taking a pillow from the bed and holding it over my face to stifle the groan.
 
I push him back onto his back and ride him until I feel my body burst.
 
I continue to roll my hips and he looks into my eyes as he releases inside me.
 
As usual he falls asleep almost instantly.
 
I clean the room, take a quick shower and change into a green strapless sundress and wedged heels.
 
I cover Tucker with a blanket and leave the room feeling refreshed.