Count on Me (Petal, Georgia) (6 page)

“But you’re going to change the record now?” One corner of his mouth quirked up.

“I guess you should know this up front, before we go out again or anything like that. I have spent a huge portion of my life, especially the last fourteen or so years, trying to prove my father’s innocence. I don’t push it in my siblings’ faces, but if it comes up, I speak the truth. The truth as I see it. The truth as I’ve pieced it together after combing through every little piece of evidence I come across over and over. He’s dead now. That he lost his wife, his children and his freedom and ultimately his life to the acts of a person who is still out there is something I cannot remain silent about. They kept saying I should move here, my grandparents I mean, so I have. But I’m not Mindy. I’m not easily controlled. And they’re old enough to deal with me as adults now.” She shrugged.

“First things first. There will most definitely be more dates and
things like that
.” He snagged one of the last onion rings off her plate, and she snorted. “I like the way you smell. I like that you’re up front with what you want and how you feel. You have no idea how fucking refreshing that is. Sexy too. As for the rest? I don’t know the whole story, and as we get to know one another, I’d like to hear your side, what you know. Whatever the reasons you’re back, I’m glad of it.”

That easy acceptance of her—of the way she felt and her right to feel it—should have been commonplace but it wasn’t. She was Caroline Mendoza, the daughter of a convicted murderer.

Back in Petal, there was a thin line, the sharpest she’d ever walked. While she’d been able to build relationships in her life in Los Angeles and Seattle, they hadn’t experienced the events surrounding her mother’s murder and the trial in the same way people in Petal had. They had an ownership over the history, up close and personal that others didn’t.

She’d been pitied and reviled. Humored and ignored. But being believed, or at the very least given the space to have her own feelings and beliefs, well that was rare and it made her appreciate Royal even more.

“Thank you for that. If you have questions, ask them. I’ll answer them the best I can.”

He kissed her fingertips. “I think we need to finish our beer and food, blow out of here, grab something sweet and maybe smooch a while.”

“I’m totally on board with that plan.”

After they’d finished, the sheer volume in the room had risen as it had gotten past nine on a Friday night. People played pool in the back, servers shuttled through the room with pitchers of beer, and there was a lot of laughter, shit talking and curious looks her way.

A bunch of people came in and shouted his name. He tore his gaze away from her—a thing she liked a whole lot—and grinned, waving. “Hey!”

She recognized a few of the Chases in the throng of handsome men. Some other faces looked vaguely familiar, but they’d all grown up in the time she’d been away.

“You gonna play tonight?” they called out.

Royal looked back her way and she rolled her eyes. “Depends,” she said quietly with a smirk. “I won’t be insulted if you want to play pool either.”

“I was about to introduce you. I have no desire to play pool with my reprobate friends when I’m on a date with you. But I surely do like the sound of that depends.”

He tossed down money to pay the bill and slid out from the booth, holding a hand she took and let him haul her to her feet.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they strolled over to his friends with her snugged up to his side. And she totally pretended to miss the way some of his friends’ eyes widened momentarily.

“Y’all, this is Caroline Mendoza. I think several of you may have known her at school, though most of us were older except for Trey and Jacob who were probably still in middle school when she was in high school.” He’d told most of them about her. Hell, he saw most of them at least three times any given week anyway.

He pointed. “That’s Nathan Murphy.” Nathan shot her a smile and a wave. Though Nathan was his ex’s older brother, he was one of Royal’s closest friends and he’d been the one to urge Royal to finally end things or settle for what Anne was willing to give him. “He’s a high school teacher.” He went down the line. “Trey Rosario and Jacob Murphy who also used to be my housemates. Marc Chase and his older brother Kyle.”

“Oh! Marc as in the walls talking?”

He burst out laughing and nodded. “Yes, one and the same.” He turned his attention to Marc. “She’s renting your old apartment.”

“Ah! Well it’s a great location. Safe, well lit. You’re the same Caroline who came to work with our father, right? Welcome home.” He shook her hand and gave her a handsome, genuine smile, and it made Royal glad to see.

The others followed suit, though Nathan gave him a brow rise when Caroline’s attention was elsewhere.

They all chatted a while before Royal stole her away, done with sharing her for the night. Of course that’s when Anne walked in with a passel of Chase and Murphy women. She saw him and came over to give him a big hug and kiss smack on the lips.

She was still one of his closest friends so it wasn’t like it meant anything romantic. But Caroline stiffened a little so he put his arm around her shoulders again. Anne, however, remained at his other side, her arm around his waist.

Not awkward at all. He rolled his eyes inwardly.

“Anne, this is the woman I told you about. Caroline Mendoza, this is Anne Murphy. Anne is one of my oldest and dearest friends.”

Anne raised her brow his way. “Um and we were seriously dating for six years. He must have forgotten that part.”

He tried not to goggle at Anne’s words. There was an edge to them, which wasn’t usual for her at all. But Caroline held her hand out to shake Anne’s. “I think we were in school around the same time. Your sister Beth was in my year.”

Anne looked slightly abashed when her rudeness was not reciprocated. Caroline was so confident and well mannered it made Anne’s words seem even more petty.

Anne nodded and looked back to Royal. “You guys hanging out here to play pool and drink beer?”

“Nope. We had dinner, and I am about to squire Caroline out for some pie and coffee. See y’all later.”

They waved but Royal held her close to his side as they headed back out.

“I’m sorry about that. She didn’t mean to sound rude.”

Caroline stifled her snort of disbelief. “Of course she did. Now you said pie and coffee?”

He struggled with his desire to follow up on what Caroline had said and wanting to push it away so they could enjoy their time together. Anne had never looked even mildly miffed when he’d gone out with other women. She’d moved on, dating around, and he most assuredly had. There’d been no post-break-up sex, as there had been all the times before. Their last break had been final and for real. Their shift into a very close friendship had been for the best, and it worked for them both.

Why she’d be snippy now he didn’t know.

He pushed it aside as they settled in at the Sands for two big slices of apple pie with ice cream and large mugs of milky coffee. There was an ease with Caroline he’d shared with very few people. Added to the chemistry building between them, and he was filled with all sorts of feel good by the time they wound up on the sidewalk again.

He wasn’t ready for the date to end, but it was nearly eleven and he’d been up since four thirty and she had probably been up nearly as long.

“What are you doing tomorrow night?” he asked.

“I have plans.”

Oh. Well that was unexpected. He did
not
approve of any other men who thought they could get in his way with this woman. “Mind if I ask what you’re doing?” He failed at sounding casual by about five miles.

Her brows flew up as she got his meeting. “Oh! No. It’s not a date. I mean, you’re the only person I’m seeing. I’m going over to my friend Melissa’s tomorrow. I’m meeting her at her place, and then we’re off to Atlanta for lunch, shopping and a movie.” She smiled brightly, and he spun her neatly and pulled her in close.

She looked up at him as he backed her to the steps leading to her apartment. When she’d gone up a few, they were eye to eye and that’s when he kissed her.

He’d wanted to kiss her since he’d caught sight of those beautiful breasts of hers in the cereal aisle at the market the weekend before. Had thought about this very moment over and over. Had wondered how her body would feel against his, what she’d taste like.

None of it was anything close to the reality of those tits pressed against his chest as her mouth opened on a sigh, her taste, a little coffee and cream, the sweetness of vanilla from the ice cream, filling him until there was nothing but the way she felt, soft and real and her lips against his.

She pushed closer, winding her arms around his neck, sliding her fingers into his hair, tugging at the curl at his nape.

Royal Watson knew his way around a kiss, and boy was that Anne Murphy a total idiot for letting this go.

His tongue didn’t slide into her mouth, it seemed to flow, a sensuous dance with hers, stroking, teasing, tasting until she was spineless, offering herself up to whatever he had to offer.

She sucked that very talented tongue, and he groaned, pulling her impossibly closer, and she knew he was as into that moment as she was. Oh yes he was. When they tumbled into bed, it was going to be hot, hot, hot.

He nipped her bottom lip just right. Not gently at all. Barely shy of pain, and then he licked the sting away, making her the one who groaned this time.

It went on like that for long minutes, making out on her back steps, the cold air not even bothering her because her skin was on fire for him.

He’d reached up to undo her ponytail at some point, wrapping her hair around his fist to guide her exactly where he wanted, and damn if that didn’t make fireworks explode all points south of her belly button.

At the end of the block, a car door slammed and an alarm double honk sounded, and he breathed out, breaking the kiss.

“You and me. A week from tonight?”

She nodded.

“Good. I’ll pick you up at seven and make you dinner. Then we’ll head to the Tonk. I’m gonna hold on to you all night long on the dance floor.”

“How could I refuse? I can drive to your house, though. You don’t need to pick me up.”

“I know you can. I’ll see you at seven next Friday.” He caught up with her on the stairs, heading to her door. “I’m also going to go inside right now, make sure everything is all right, and then I’m leaving because if I don’t, I’m going to want to do a hell of a lot more than kiss you, and I get the very strong sense that the fantasizing I’ll be doing will only add spice when it finally does happen.” He gave her a look that stole her breath as heat flooded her belly. “And it will happen.”

In the years since she’d left Petal, she’d dated a lot of men. Most of them she’d enjoyed. They were well mannered, and the ones she’d had sex with had shown her a good time. She loved beards and flannel and a nice tailored suit too.

But none of them were even in Royal’s neighborhood. That sweet-talking, courtly mannered, good old boy, disguising a big heart and a serious amount of sex-appeal neighborhood.

She rarely denied herself things she really wanted. She wanted Royal Watson and had zero problem admitting it. And most definitely enjoying it while she had it.

Who knew if it would last more than a few weeks or months? But she did know she planned to savor every minute.

“Good night, Royal. Thank you for dinner and beer and pie and coffee and most definitely for that kiss. I’ll see you next Friday.”

He grinned and her body did the wave for him again. Bending, he stole another quick kiss and stepped back. “You bet you will. Good night, Caro.”

Chapter Six

“I’m so glad you found the place all right.” Melissa opened the door with a big smile.

Her house was a secondary, far smaller building behind another on the outskirts of town. “This is a seriously cute place.” Caroline spun slowly as she took it all in. It wasn’t very big but it was an explosion of color, nearly like a cartoon, but in a good way.

The little house was a golden yellow with red and white trim. It was bold and bright and it totally worked.

Melissa waved her inside. “Come in!”

Inside it was one big, open space. A bed on one wall with bright orange sheets and teal blankets was the sort of thing Caroline saw in magazines and loved, but it never looked right when she did it.

A kitchen to one side and a living area on the other. Big windows looked over a back deck.

“Come spring, we’ll have dinner out there.” Melissa indicated the deck. “You can see parts of town so at night there are pretty lights. Farmland to the west.”

“Nice! This is so adorable. I’m jealous.”

“This used to be a sort of artist’s studio for the man who built the house originally. They moved away, and my brother Danny and his wife bought the big house so the rent is cheap, I see my nieces a lot, but it’s private and no one bugs me.”

“Sounds like heaven.”

“Let’s get on the road. I’m already starving so lunch needs to be in my life and soon.”