A Perfect Mistake (33 page)

I sat down on the
stairs to the deck and just stared out at the bayou. On the far bank
lush ferns and purple wild iris grew in the shade of hardwood trees
dripping moss, and willows waved their whip-like branches, ribbons of
green. In brighter spots, black-eyed Susans and white-topped daisy
fleabane dotted the bank.

Somewhere along the
stream a woodpecker began drumming against a tree trunk in search of
an insect snack, and the racket startled a pair of warblers from
their roost in a nearby hackberry sapling. The little birds fluttered
past, flashes of slate blue and bright yellow.

Hackberry. I laughed
to myself. That’s the origin of our use of huckleberry. When
Brax was little, instead of calling the hackberry by its true name,
he kept calling it a huckleberry. Then we called him a huckleberry as
a way to indicate he was being dumb. That kinda became our catch
phase.

I heard footsteps on
the deck and then Brax sat down next to me and Booker eased down on
the other side.

“Where’s
Breebree?”

“She went
home,” Booker said.

Brax took a breath.
“That’s the second time you’ve scared the living
shit outta me Boone. When I saw you…all that blood.”

He trailed off and I
turned to him. “Fucking Freeman.”

“Yeah, fucking
fucktard.”

My love for my
brothers swelled. “You guys. In case you really don’t
know. I love you huckleberries.”

“Oh kee-rist,”
Brax said. “Should we all have a fucking group hug?”

Booker dropped his
arm around my shoulders and said, “Boonie, I’m proud of
you.”

“Why?”

“Because of
the way you handle yourself. All the time now. You stuck in there for
Verity. You fucking kicked Freeman’s ass and saved her life.
That’s my brother, the hero.”

“I got her
pregnant.”

“What the fuck
did you just say?!” Brax said.

I looked at Booker
and he met my eyes. “Seriously?”

I told them the
whole story and they both just sat there incredulous. “She
named him Duel,” Booker said and laughed.

“Book, we’re
fucking uncles.” Brax just looked more shocked.

“I know. It’s
surreal. What are you going to do, Boone?”

“She gave him
up for adoption. I’m going after him. I’ll need to get a
lawyer.”

Booker nodded. “Jack
Duncan is very good. I’ll call him for you. What about Verity?”

“I’m
pretty sure she wants him back. She told her parents today.”

“Well, then
I’m glad the preacher isn’t here with a shotgun.”

“He doesn’t
need a shotgun. I already asked Verity to marry me.”

“What the fuck
did you just say?!” Brax said again. “Even my tripdar did
not see this coming.”

“Brax, get a
grip.” Booker said. He looked at me intensely, like he was
trying to see into my core. “Are you ready for that?”

“I fucking
love her, and she turns me inside out…I can only hope she’ll
say yes.”

“And…Duel…wow,
she named him Duel. That’s like a middle finger at
Suttontowne.”

Brax laughed. “Yeah,
I like that.”

“Yeah, Duel.
We can start the cycle again from the beginning. Duel Outlaw. He
won’t be anything like our ancestors. We’re going to
change the way this town thinks of the Outlaws.”

“Who gives a
fuck what they think?”

Booker laughed.
“Yeah, who gives a fuck?!”

I laughed with them.

“Boone. When I
was cleaning up your room, I found broken guitar bits. Please tell me
it wasn’t the El Dorado.”

I winced. “It
was the only weapon I had. Freeman wanted to carve out my heart. The
El Dorado gave me an edge.”

“Fucking
Freeman. I’ll get you another one.”

“Thanks,
Brax.”

After they left, I
rose and leaned against the post, not sure what I would do. I heard
footsteps again, but I was too worn out to turn around. “What
the hell are you guys doing back again?”

Soft feminine arms
wrapped around me.

“Boone.”

My chest heaved and
I turned around and met her eyes. The silence was electric. Drawing a
deep breath, I pulled her against me, pressing my face against her
throat. She pressed a kiss just below my ear, her mouth soft against
my flesh. Then I sighed and raised my head, my hold protective as I
leaned back against the deck railing, then tightened my arms around
her. She did the same. She rubbed at the base of my spine, creating a
warm, fluid sensation in the lower half of my body, and she
compounded it by melting against me, her touch both comforting and
soothing.

Then I saw the bags
she’d dropped in my hallway. I smiled. “What the fuck,
darlin’? You think this a hotel?”

She laughed and
tilted her head. “I heard there were some really good perks
here. Some guy does sit-ups on a bar. I believe there’s an
admission price.”

I kissed her, then
said, my voice gruff. “Maybe we can work out some kind of
special deal for you.”

“Oh, I’d
say that was a definite possibility, huckleberry.”

“Who you
calling huckleberry, huckleberry?”

“You, Boone.
Just you. Only you,” she whispered softly.

My hand wasn’t
quite steady as I tucked her hair behind her ear, and neither was my
voice when I finally responded. “Only you, Verity.”

I took her hand and
drew her inside. To my bedroom. She paused a bit and her eyes filled
with the memory. “I can sell the house, Verity.”

“No, Boone. I
won’t let him do that to us. This is where we fell in love, not
where we almost died.” She smiled at me. “Go ahead,”
she said. “Do your thing.”

“What thing.”

“Shuck your
clothes faster than I can say bingo.”

I laughed and
indulged her, backing up as the articles of clothing came off one by
one.

“Oh, Boone.
I’m so lucky.”

“Fuck, yeah,
darlin’.”

When I finished
toeing off my boots and kicking off my jeans, I pulled the t-shirt
over my head.

“Come here,
peach pit.”

She pushed off the
door frame and walked up to me. I settled on the bed. “Your
turn.”

She made it slow as
she revealed all her gorgeous assets to me.

“Scoot back,”
she said.

Then she climbed on
top of me and I groaned as the hot core of her settled right on top
of my grateful dick.

All women were soft,
but kissing her, touching her, was the ultimate. I knew it was,
because I was in love in a way I’d never been able to imagine.
I hadn’t known that Holy Mary Verity Fairchild would make me
redefine myself. That she would push me beyond what I’d known
the way she had. She was beautiful, smart, and talented…and
she was on top.

I wanted to go slow
with her, but I think she knew I wanted to be inside her, as far
inside as I could get, for as long as I could.

She leaned down and
kissed me, and I cupped her soft breasts, thumbing those velvet
nipples. Then she moved her hips in a way that almost made me
explode, and she was over me, on me, taking me. She tightened herself
around me, and it felt like she was trying to get closer, too.

And then she took me
in, all the way down my dick to the hilt, and it was almost too much.

I slid my mouth down
over hers and drew her tongue into my mouth—again and again and
again. Exerting just enough pressure to make having her as vital as
my next breath.

“
Boone
.”

“Call me sugar
and this is so over,” I whispered.

I sealed my mouth
back over hers, sucking on her tongue again and matching the rhythm
of her body, letting myself sink into the act, letting myself be
consumed by the heat and power surging through me, letting her love
burn through me—until there was only her, coming with a soft
cry, holding me, her body tightening over me and taking me with her.

The pleasure was
intense, soul-shattering, almost more than I could bear. It stripped
me down to my core, and in the aftermath, when it faded and left me
naked and unprotected in her arms, something wonderful and momentous
broke inside me.

“Verity,”
I said, “Will you marry me?”

“I was hoping
you’d ask me that again. The last proposal was lost in our
pain. Now there’s only joy.”

“I love you,
darlin’”

“I love you,
sugar. And, yes, I’ll marry you. Wherever, whenever, and
forever.”

“Then we’ll
go get him. Together.”

She nodded, her eyes
filling. “Yes, Boone. Together.”

Verity

When we returned to
Boone’s house and settled in on the edge of the bayou, I was
Mrs. Boone Outlaw. Verity Outlaw. It sounded good to me. My husband
carried me over the threshold and we laughed like fools.

We had been married
in a small ceremony in Lafayette. Of course Aubree, River Pearl and
Minnie attended. Aubree’s momma and step-daddy, were there too,
and Boone’s brothers, along with Boone’s mother, who I
totally fell in love with. Our vows were simple and heartfelt, and I
knew they would last a lifetime.

We went to Tahiti
for our honeymoon, and Boone and I had the time of our lives, happy
to have survived Billy Joe’s attack, happy to have committed
ourselves to each other, and fulfilled that he and I were working on
getting our baby boy back.

As soon as we
finished unpacking and settled down for some lunch, Boone took my
hand.

“Verity. I
will sell my business and give up all my contracts and move with you
to New York City so that you have a chance to fulfill your dream.
I’ve already gotten mine.”

My breath hitched.
Minnie had offered me the partnership, which I accepted. I would have
to travel to New York City in the fall to handle the showing of my
collection. “No, Boone. You belong here in the bayou, and so do
I. I missed it terribly when I was away and don’t think that a
city is where I truly belong. Just like you. This is where you and I
were born and where we thrive. Close to our families, our friends,
and your crazy brothers. I’m staying here with you in
Suttontowne where your business is. I’ll launch my own business
from here, so you’ll have to make room in your office for me.”

“Done.”

“I’m
going to start design school in the fall. I’ve already been
accepted as a late admission.”

Boone’s cell
rang.

He answered. “It’s
the lawyer.”

He listened for a
few minutes. “I understand. No, that’s great news. I know
this couldn’t have been easy for them. Did you deliver my
letter to them?” He listened, then nodded. “Good. Thank
you, Jack, for making this a painless as possible. When can we get
him?” He listened for a few minutes. “Okay, thanks.”

“Oh, God,
Boone. When?”

“Next week.”

I got up and wrapped
my arms around him, my joy and anticipation overwhelming me.
Everything I ever dreamed, here, now, and always.

He pulled me into
his lap. “They decided not to fight us, Verity, after they read
my letter. They are devastated, of course, but they sympathized and
understood why we had to have him back. I’m sorry about their
pain.”

“So am I. They
are a great couple.”

“It’s
obvious. You chose well, darlin’. Oh, Jack told me they were
pregnant. Baby is due in the winter.”

“That is good
news.”

“I’m a
little scared. I want to be a good daddy.”

“You will be.
I have no doubts. As long as we’re together, everything will be
fine.”

#

Boone

I finished up the
last of the plantings. The church was transformed and it looked
great. I was proud of my work.

The Founder’s
Day Festival was in three weeks. That was the event that always
brought the summer to a close. Aubree and Booker would move to New
Orleans, but come home on the weekends.

River Pearl would
deliver her speech on the last day of the festival. She bellyached
about that damn speech every time we saw her.

I was finished with
my job here. The reverend still hadn’t spoken to me since that
day at the gazebo. Mrs. Fairchild greeted me when she saw me in town,
hungry for news about Verity. I was glad to tell her how happy we
were, and when we were getting Duel back. She longed to see the baby,
and I told her she was welcome anytime she wanted to stop by. Verity
missed her.

That very afternoon
she reunited with her daughter.

Billy Joe Freeman
recovered from my trouncing. He’d sustained some damage to his
memory during our fight. He pleaded guilty and was now serving his
time.

I walked up to the
house, determined to tell the reverend in person that the job was
complete.

When he opened the
door, he looked haggard. “Boone.”

“Sir. I’m
finished. I’m going to head out, but my maintenance guys will
continue with the upkeep, so you’re not burdened.”

I turned to go.

“Boone. Wait.”

I faced him
squarely.

“I’m
sorry for the way I treated you, and for my behavior. Billy Joe was a
shock and a disappointment, and I’ve had trouble reconciling
myself to the stark truth that I was the one who almost got my
daughter killed.”

“Sir…”

He held up his hand.
“No, Boone, I will ask your forgiveness. I am a man of God, and
I should do no less. I don’t want to lose Verity like I lost
Ethan because I was so stubborn. And, my wife, Monica, is very cross
with me. I don’t want to lose her either.”

“Verity wants
you in her life,” I said simply.

“She does? Of
course, she has a big heart. She would already have forgiven me.”

“You taught
her well, and you’re welcome in our home anytime.”

“And my
grandson?”

“He’ll
be here in a few days.”

The sound of tires
on gravel made us both look to the road. A cab drove up and a young,
dark-haired man stepped out. He was in uniform. A Marine’s
uniform. I recognized him.