Braxton

 

Dinner has finally been served and we’re all listening to the kids tell us all about their playdate today and how much fun they’ve had.

“Can we do this every day, Daddy?” my beautiful little girl asks me.

“I’m not sure about every day, baby girl, but we can make sure y’all get together a couple of times a week. Luca and you will have homework and they have friends coming for a visit in a couple of days. We don’t want to intrude on that,” I tell her, hoping to appease her some.

“Lily would never be an intrusion to us, Braxton,” Caraleigh tells me and I can’t help but focus my eyes on her lips as she talks. Lips I can’t help but imagining doing all kinds of dirty things to my body. I snap my eyes up to meet hers.

“Anytime you feel like having her over just let me know and either Mom or I’ll bring her on over.”

“I was thinking of taking Luca to the playground near the school when they get out tomorrow, would it be alright for me to pick Lily up from the school and take her with us? We won’t be long, maybe an hour, two tops.”

“Pease Daddy, pease can I go?”

“As long as you promise to do your homework as soon as you get home without complaining.”

“I pwomise, Daddy, I’ll be good and not compain any.”

“Complain, baby girl, not compain, and I’ll call the school tomorrow and give permission for Caraleigh to pick you up.”

“Yay,” Luca and Lily both shout and do little shimmies in their chairs. They’re acting like they didn’t just spend the entire afternoon and evening together.

“Sounds like a plan to me, let me help you guys clean up this mess and then Luca and I need to head home. He needs a bath and I need to snuggle in my bed with an e-reader and a glass of wine. It’s been a long day,” Caraleigh says to us.

“Nonsense, you two get the kids bathed and in bed and I’ll handle the clean up tonight,” Mom says.

“Are you sure, Mom? I don’t mind helping.”

“Like I said, take care of the kids, I’ve got this. Why don’t you and Lily walk Caraleigh and Luca home, Braxton,” Mom says, she has that look in her eyes again, I have a feeling the matchmaking has begun. I sigh knowing our conversation from before has long been forgotten.

“Alright, Mom, if you insist.” I give her a smirk letting her know I’m on to her game. “Come on, Lily, let’s walk our friends home.”

“You don’t have to do that, Braxton, we’re just next door,” Caraleigh says to me.

“No, we don’t mind, do we, Lily?”

“Nah Daddy, we don’t mind,” she says grabbing Luca’s hand causing my heart to temporarily combust. In my mind her holding his hand is innocent, but my heart can’t take it. That’s my baby girl and she shouldn’t be holding any boy’s hand, only mine. Period, end of story. I look over at Caraleigh to get her reaction, only she has a big smile on her face, I can tell I’m all alone in this situation.

“They’re holding hands,” I tell her as if it isn’t obvious.

“I know, isn’t it sweet?” she says to me and I mentally roll my eyes at her. Sweet, yeah it’s giving me a sweet tooth alright. Fuck!

Suddenly I can’t wait to get our guests to their house so I can take my baby girl’s hand and hold it in my own. I’ll make sure to scrub that hand extra well during her bath time. Mind made up, I grab Caraleigh’s hand and practically run for the front door. Her laughter following in my wake, I say, “What? I know they both need baths, let’s get this show on the road people.”

Her laughter should be making me happy, instead it’s making me anxious. What is wrong with these people? They’re too young to be holding hands for Christ’s sake. Now, feeling Caraleigh’s soft, small hand in mine? Totally different story as I intertwine our fingers, earning a look from her. Smiling, I squeeze her hand and lead us out the door.

 

 

Later that night I get a call that our run that we thought had been cancelled was renewed. Guess who’s going out of town for the next couple of days...yep me. I’m bummed about this seeing as I was looking forward to crashing their playdate at the playground just to spend some time with Caraleigh. There is something about her that I can’t quite put my finger on, she does something to me that I’m looking forward to exploring. Just looks like those plans are going to take a little longer than I’d first anticipated. A couple of days away shouldn't kill me...right?

A lesser man than me would let this get him down...for me, however, it just makes me get a game plan in place. I want to show her what I’m all about, introduce her to the guys. Sounds like we need to plan a BBQ, maybe as a welcome to town party. With a plan in mind I text my VP to have him set it up, now I need to get this run done and get back home.

 

 

Fuck, everything that could go wrong on this run has gone wrong. From the trailer not being refrigerated like it was supposed to, to the supplier not having their shit together when I arrived. Wishing I was anywhere but here, I listen to the foreman yelling at the dockworkers, as if it was their fault that he didn’t get the correct trailer. Sighing, I head over to a forklift and climb up. Maybe if I give them a hand, I’ll be out of here and headed to the delivery point sooner rather than later, right?

 

 

“And then we swang really high, Daddy!” she exclaims in my ear. Hearing about her playdate at the park has me all kinds of homesick, but I promised myself when I had to start making these trips that I would call Lily every night so I could hear about her day.

“Swung, sweetie. You swung really high. Did you like it?” I ask her. It’s been ten minutes of non-stop chatter and while my heart smiles that she has a new friend, it also clenches at the thoughts that her friend is a boy. Then again, Luca seems to have a protective streak when it comes to her. I noticed that the other night walking them home. Since they live right next door, we actually took a little walk beforehand. He walked on the outside near the parking lot. Granted, they were still holding hands, but whatever. I’ll work harder to delete the sight of her little hand enclosed in his. Maybe. Although...I did enjoy the feel of Caraleigh’s hand in mine. Thinking of how soft her hand was, I mentally groan. I think I’ve jacked off more since meeting my delectable neighbor than I did when I first found out it felt good.

“I did! And guesses what? Miss Caraleigh taked us for ice cream when we got done playing! And I still ate all my dinner, too,” she tells me.

“That sounds like a lot of fun, Lily. How’s school?”

“It’s good, Daddy. We is reading a new book about kitties!”

“You are?”

“Yes, they is silly kitties, too. They thinks there are vampires and ghosts!”

“Hmm, is Nan reading them to you?”

“No, Daddy, we is reading them in class. The teacher even has finger puppets!” she whispers, her voice so full of excitement it vibrates through the phone. I can picture her face—eyes wide, grin showing with those damn dimples that will likely cause me a heart attack when she hits her teen years.

“Well, I’ll look and see if I can find you a copy when I get home, okay?” I ask her.

“Really?” she squeals, causing me to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Yes, really. Do you think Luca would like his own copy?”

“Prolly so, Daddy. Him is learning to read harder books like this one.”

“Then I’ll get him one too, how’s that sound?”

“You’re the bestest daddy ever!”

“Okay, pumpkin, let me talk to Nan, okay?”

“Bye, Daddy, love you!” she says before I hear Mom take the phone.

“When will you be back, Braxton?” she asks me after saying hello.

“Probably another day or so, Mom. I picked up another run on the way back from a customer.”

“Will you be back in time for the barbeque?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. And I don’t want to miss it, but you know we’re trying to get our name out there and build business and unfortunately, the buck stops here.”

“You work too hard, Son.”

“Mom, we’ve been over this - until we get a few more of the businesses up and running, it is what it is. How is Caraleigh settling in?”

“Oh wonderfully, I believe. She is looking for part-time work while Luca is in school but not having a lot of luck. Do you know of anything?”

I lean my head back against the headboard and groan. Mom’s definitely got her matchmaking hat on right now. “We may have something down at the transportation company. Just not sure if she can do it part-time or not.”

“If not, we can work something out, maybe I can pick up Luca and keep him after school. She needs to reinvent herself, so to speak.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Mom?” I sigh in exasperation. I’m not one hundred percent sure if I want to know what is running through her head at the moment.

“Son, she’s lost her husband—one not so good if my understanding is right. She’s a single mom, whose whole focus has been on her kid and getting them settled. The only people she’s met is us, other than his teachers and the faculty at the school. She needs to interact with people, meet new faces, find her place in her new world. She needs to learn to live again, for herself and not just for that boy of hers.”

“Understandable,” I tell her, and I do understand where she’s coming from. I know what it's like to only live for your kid and not think about yourself. My brothers and mom have been my saving grace throughout the years. “Let’s see what we can work out once I get home.”

“Thank you, Son, I know you won’t regret it.”

“I’m sure I won’t, Mom, I gotta go, need to get some sleep before I relive this horrible day all over again tomorrow.”

“Alright, Son, get some rest, love you.”

“Love you too, Mom, give my baby girl a big hug from her daddy.”

“Will do,” she says as she hangs up the phone. I sit in the bed and think of what we discussed. Caraleigh does need to get out there and meet people, and I know we need an office manager for when the boys and I are away on runs. I worry though, because I really want to pursue something with her, but I have a policy about dating employees. I guess there is an exception to every rule, however, and I’m willing to make one for her so I can see if this is leading where I’m hoping and praying it is.

 

 

The next couple of days fly by and it looks like I’ll barely make it home in time for the BBQ. From the conversations I’ve had with my mom, Caraleigh has pitched in with getting things set up. She’ll make a damn good old lady...I can’t help but think to myself. She’s a natural and so far everyone that has met her has fallen for her charms. As long as they keep their distance from her their health will stay in good standing. I may not have officially claimed her yet...but she’s mine and all those fuckers can stand down. They may not know it yet...but she is officially off the market.

I pull into the yard and see the party is getting started. It’s a good feeling to know that while I was away things kept running and there were no major catastrophes I have to put out upon my arrival. My VP—Twisted, keeps things in line, he and his old lady Paisley have been together for years and were both instrumental in getting the Rebel Guardians off the ground and running the way it does now.

“Yo, Axe,” I hear called out. Axe is my road name and my brothers are the only ones who use it. I tried to get my mom on board, but even in front of the guys she refuses to use it. She says it isn’t the name she gave me and nickname or not, she’s using my God-given name. I tried explaining that in the club using my road name is politically correct, but to this day she calls every single one of us by our birth names.

“What’s up?” I call out to Hatchet, my enforcer.

“Met Caraleigh and Luca, they’re amazing man. That kid is something else, and his momma...wow, what a looker.”

“Keep your eyes to yourself, Hatchet, she’s not a club slut...she’s mine.” I know he’s goading me, but I can’t help respond to his shit.

“You claiming her then?” he asks me with mischief behind his eyes. Hatchet may be one of my closest friends, but he’s a shit stirrer at every opportunity.

“Not officially, not yet anyways. Spread the word, she’s not up for grabs.”

“Uh-huh, you got it, Axe,” he says walking away whistling a happy tune, which lets me know he’s up to something. I may need to bring my enforcer to his knees in front of the club if he tries something too outlandish.

“Hatchet! Don’t start no shit man!” I yell out at his retreating back.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Prez, not one bit.” Yet I can still see something behind his eyes which tells me he’s lying...right to my face!

Looking around I note to myself that her car is not here yet, which means I need to rush through a shower and get the road grime off myself before she arrives and my guys give her shit.