Millie
“You ready?” Jesse asked, pulling at my hand.
I blew out a breath and nodded. “I think so, but if anyone hates the idea, what do we do?”
“Nothing. We carry on doing what we want to do. The only person’s opinion I care about is Addy’s, and there’s no way she’s going to hate the idea. Anyone else can suck my pecker.”
I started to giggle and melted into his side. I opened my mouth to say something then quickly shut it. I shuddered at my near miss at what had almost slipped from my mouth. Jesse had only just come to terms with wanting me to be ‘his girl’, so I was pretty sure if I mentioned that I loved him at this stage, Dillinger would be ridden out of here as though the devil himself were after him.
“Come on,” he said with a grin. “Let’s go and tell them the news.”
I tried to pull my hand from Jesse’s, but he wouldn’t let it go. He looked down at our hands and then inclined his head, waiting for an explanation.
“I just thought you’d want to do this slowly.”
“Nope,” he said resiliently. “I’ve finally grown some balls and admitted how I feel about you, so we do this with pride, because I’m proud as fuck that you’re mine, Millie. Okay?”
Shit, there went by nipples again. “Yes.”
“Good.”
He pulled me to him, gave me a closed mouth kiss, and then led me up the porch steps.
“Oh my goodness,” Bonnie cried as we walked through the door. “You found her. Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m fine thanks, Bonnie. I just feel stupid and selfish that the guys had to stay out there looking for me.”
“What did you do to make her run off?” Bonnie wagged a finger at Jesse and then scuffed him on the shoulder.
“Hey,” he laughed. “That hurt.”
“Good, it was supposed to. Anything could have happened to her. Sit down, honey,” she said, plumping up a throw cushion on the couch. “Garratt, move up so Millie has more space to sit down.”
Before either I or Garratt had chance to move, Jesse flopped into the space that Garratt had made, and pulled me onto his knee, wrapping an arm around my waist, causing me to let out a startled cry.
Would the real Jesse Connor please stand up! Who the hell was this man who was sending my head and heart into a spin? One minute he could barely speak to me in public, limiting any conversation to dirty words while he’s having sex with me, and then, before I’ve had time to catch my breath, he’s staking his claim and showing everyone that I’m his.
“Shit, Jess,” Garratt said. “Why don’t you just piss on her and be done with it?”
“Garratt!” Ted barked.
“Oh my,” Bonnie gasped, her eyes firmly fixed on Jesse’s arm around me.
Ted stood up and moved behind Bonnie, placing a large hand on her shoulder. “Take a breath, sweetheart,” he said into her ear.
“About damn time,” Ruby cackled from the recliner. “Glad you’ve finally seen sense, cowboy.”
“Thanks, Auntie Ruby,” Jesse replied, and then gave my waist a squeeze. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I think so,” I answered tentatively.
“Okay,” Jesse announced. “You can all see that we’re together. We’ve kinda been seeing each other for a few weeks…”
“Kinda is the word,” Garratt quipped.
Jesse turned to face him, and I have no idea what sort of glare he threw at his brother sitting next to us, but Garratt looked scared and threw his hands up in surrender, and shied back.
“So, as I was saying,” Jesse continued. “We’ve kinda been seeing each other, but tonight I finally got myself some guts and admitted how I feel about her. How she makes me feel.”
“How’s that son?” Ted asked quietly, a tender smile on his face.
“Like I’m alive.” Jesse lowered his forehead to my shoulder and took a deep breath in, before continuing. “I don’t feel that pain when she’s around.”
Bonnie leaned forward and kissed my cheek and then the top of Jesse’s head.
“We don’t know how this is going to go,” Jesse said looking up at his mother with the smile of a young boy. “But I’m going to try and do this right, Mom.”
“So,” Ruby said. “You staying longer than the year then, sweet cheeks?”
I shifted slightly, not sure what to say. “Well, I don’t know, Ruby. I guess…well.”
“Auntie Ruby,” Bonnie scolded. “They’ve only just got together, do not be putting pressure on them.”
“I ain’t,” she protested. “I’m just asking.”
“Mom’s right, Auntie Ruby,” Jesse said, rubbing a hand rhythmically up and down my arm. “We’re only just figuring things out. Let’s see what the next ten months bring before anything is decided.”
“Ah bilge,” she retorted with a wave of her hand. “I’m guessing you have great sex, you’ve just said she’s made the pain go away. Don’t see what the damn problem is. Dillydallying never won anyone nothing.”
“Auntie Ruby,” Ted said in his rich, deep voice. “Leave them be and listen to Bonnie when she says no pressure.”
“Ah whatever,” she scoffed. “I’ll be home soon anyways, so I won’t have to listen to all your shedaddle nonsense.”
“What the fuck does shedaddle mean?” Garratt whispered to me and Jesse.
“Damned if I know,” Jesse answered.
“Okay,” Ted said, clearing his throat. “I’m pleased for you both, I am, but what about Addy?”
I stiffened on Jesse’s lap and held my breath. Addy was who I worried about the most. She’d already lost her mother at such a young age, and I didn’t want her to think I was going to join the family only for things not to work out between Jesse and me and Addy lose me, too.
“That’s what I need to talk to you all about,” Jesse said. “I want to tell her, I don’t want any secrets between us, but I’m worried it might confuse her.”
I turned to look at him, and could see the concern etched in his features.
“It’s not that I don’t think she’ll be happy, because I do,” he continued. “But this is new to me, shit being in a relationship with someone other than…” he checked himself, coughed and then carried on. “Being in a relationship is all new to me, and I may just mess this up, no matter how hard I try not to, and if that happens I’m worried it will hurt Addy as much as when Melody died. She was so young then, she had no idea what was going on. Now, she’s older and she’s bright and she loves Millie, so you can see how I’m struggling with what’s right.”
I put my hand on Jesse’s at my waist and held it tightly, wanting him to know that I supported him and whatever decision he made. Jesse leaned forward and dropped a gentle kiss to my shoulder, making me sigh inwardly.
“Well,” Ted said, putting an arm around Bonnie. “I for one think, while it’s a risk, it would also give that little girl some joy. I have a good feeling about you two, but if it doesn’t work out, we’ll all be here for Addy. Plus, you can’t sneak around for the next ten months hoping she doesn’t find out. Shit, you’ve been downright bad at it for a few weeks, and that child is sharp, she’ll figure it out herself.”
I stared up at Ted in astonishment, and then looked at Bonnie.
“No, honey, I didn’t tell him. He figured it out for himself.”
“The fact that I saw you both sneaking to Jesse’s cabin kinda gave it away,” Ted laughed. “Shoulda just said you wanted some alone time.”
“Maybe they won’t mind me fucking you in your bed after all,” Jesse drawled quietly into my ear, setting off a daisy chain of goose bumps over my skin.
“Well,” Bonnie sighed. “I’m real pleased for you both. But if he doesn’t treat you right, honey, then you come and tell me.”
Bonnie’s twinkling smile lit up her face and the honesty in it calmed me.
“You’re really okay about this?” I asked, earning me a squeeze at the waist from Jesse.
“Hey,” he growled. “This is our decision.”
“I know,” I said, turning to him. “But I care what your family thinks. I’m an employee, after all, and if this is going to be awkward, me working with Addy and being with Jesse, then I’d rather someone say. That way we can try and work something out.”
“Well?” Jesse demanded. “Does anyone have a problem? Not like I care whether you do, but Millie does, so tell me now.”
“Ah chill, Jess,” Garratt grumbled, knocking Jesse’s knee with his own. “The only problem I have is that my friend is probably going to be too wrapped up with you to want to spend time with me now.”
Garratt pouted sulkily and sighed.
“Garratt, you know you’ll always be my favorite Connor boy,” I joked.
Garratt grinned and winked. “Yeah I knew that, just wanted to hear you tell Jesse. Keep him in his place, you know.”
“I dated brothers once,” Ruby chipped in. “Damn beautiful they were. When girls saw me on both their arms they was green with envy.”
“Both at the same time?” Bonnie cried, holding a hand to her chest.
“Yep, what’s wrong with that?” Ruby asked, perplexed.
“But you were only seventeen when you met Uncle Samuel. So, you’re saying you dated two brothers, at the same time when you were what…sixteen?”
Bonnie’s mouth gaped as she stared at her aunt. Ted looked decidedly uncomfortable and Garratt was looking at Ruby with a new found respect.
“Fifteen actually,” she replied, nonchalantly. “Way I see it, you gotta try the bath water before you step in Bonnie; you need to know how hot you want it.” Ruby cackled and wheezed, waving her hands in the air at the look of horror on Bonnie’s face. “Shit, sometimes your ass is so tight I think I hear it squeaking, girl.”
“Oh my God,” Jesse groaned. “I do not want to think about Auntie Ruby dipping her toe in the waters of sex.”
“Hey, cowboy,” she cried, pointing a finger at him. “You youngsters didn’t invent sex you know. Them fancy positions of yours have been going for years, long before you got your pecker wet for the first time. Not much I ain’t tried.”
“Please, no,” Garratt spluttered. “I think my dick just shrivelled up and died.”
Jesse and I burst out laughing while Bonnie scuffed her youngest son across the back of the head.
“Ruby!” Ted warned with a small smile twitching at his lips. “Let’s not, hey.”
“Ah, whatever, I’m going to bed.”
She flicked the button on the side of the recliner, lowering her feet to the floor. Holding her gnarled old hands out to Ted, she huffed as he pulled her to her feet.
“Now,” she said, nodding at Jesse and me. “You keep the noise to a minimum. I don’t want to have to listen to you two going at it. Bad enough hearing your mom and dad early this morning.”
“Ruby!” Ted growled.
“Oh damn it, Auntie Ruby,” Garratt whined. “Now my balls have gone, too.”
“I’m with you there, brother,” Jesse moaned, burying his face in my neck.
“Go to bed, now!” Bonnie barked at Ruby, pointing towards the stairs. “And we’ll talk about your behaviour tomorrow.”
“Ah, go shove a finger up your tight ass, Bonnie.” Ruby waved her away, and with a wink, went to bed.
“Well,” Ted sighed. “I think we all need a drink after that.”
“I need hypnotherapy to make me forget,” Garratt replied, giving himself a little shake.
“Make mine a large brandy, sweetie,” Bonnie said with a shake of the head. “That woman will be the death of me.”
“Ah, she’s okay,” Jesse replied. “She’s old Mom, let her have her fun.”
“Shit!” Garratt said, flopping his head back on the couch. “You really have done a number on my big brother, Millie. He’s being nice to everyone. Oof,” he moaned, as Jesse nudged him in the ribs with an elbow. “Well, maybe not everyone.”
“You want a drink, Millie?” Ted asked, ignoring his sons.
“Nope,” Jesse replied, before I could open my mouth. “We’re going up.”
He pushed up from the couch, gently lowering me to the floor, stooped to kiss Bonnie, who was now in the recliner, and pulled me towards the stairs.
“Shit. Mom, do we have any earplugs?” I heard Garratt ask as Jesse smacked my behind, urging me up the stairs.