CHAPTER 12

Brian

 

I stretched and groaned, my body rousing from its deep slumber. I felt something warm and soft pressed against my body, and I instinctively tightened my grip around it. I opened my eyes and saw a mass of black hair lying on the pillow next to me, and that was when the events of last night came barreling back to the forefront of my mind. I drew in a deep breath of the sex-tainted air and grinned, pulling Amanda even closer to my body.

It was nice, waking up to a warm, soft woman.

It had been years since I’d laid with anyone. Not since my divorce. My ex and I had had issues from the very beginning; Issues I thought commitment and marriage would fix. But all she was after was my money, and she walked away with everything she could. The house. The cars. Half my bank account and thousands of dollars’ worth of alimony for half the time we were fucking married. She drained me, emotionally and monetarily, and it pushed me away from everyone.

I had trust issues after her. I questioned everyone I came into contact with. My business suffered because of it, so I appointed someone to take over in my absence. I governed my business from afar and moved to the mountains to rid that bitch from my system.

I still had trust issues to this day. It was why I never went into town. It took mounds of vetting to hire Tanya to help take care of Lanie when she came to stay with me. But with Amanda, it was different. I instinctively felt I could trust her. Not only that, I felt like I wanted to trust her. Like I wanted to open up to her. There was something about her that tugged at a part of me that had been dead for so long.

I wanted to trust her. I wanted to tell her everything. About my business. About my divorce. About my shitty childhood being shifted from one foster home to the next, with only my sister and the clothes on my back. Every time we moved, I left more and more of myself in the past. That was where I had met my ex.

She had been my rock as I jumped from home to home, and then she shattered my world the day she left.

“Morning.”

Amanda’s voice pulled me from my thoughts as I looked down at her and smiled.

“Morning, beautiful,” I said.

She blushed at my comment, and it tugged a grin across my cheeks. I looked down at her shoulder and saw the angry mark I’d left behind. I could clearly see my teeth imprinted into her skin. Amanda looked back at it and giggled, turning herself into me before she nuzzled up underneath my chin.

“Coffee?” she asked.

“Coming right now.”

I slid from the bed and pulled on some pants. Amanda’s hair was tousled against the pillow as she wrapped herself up in my sheet. She looked good in my bed, all tangled up and spread for me.

If I hadn’t been so hungry for food, I would’ve made her my breakfast.

I padded my way out to the kitchen and started making coffee. Amanda emerged a few minutes later, her beautiful body completely clothed. That fucking sweater of hers was falling off her shoulder, showing me the mark I’d left on her so people would know not to fuck with her. She was mine. Period.

Her eyes followed my line of sight to the bruise, and she turned bright pink.

“Does it hurt?” I asked.

“Not really. Looks kind of sexy, though,” she said.

I smirked as I poured her a mug of coffee.

I heard something vibrating before Amanda squeaked. I walked her coffee over to her at the table as she pulled out her phone. She smiled at me and brought the mug to her lips, sighing over the warmth before she took a sip of it.

“Thank you so much,” she whispered.

I stayed in the kitchen to give her the space she needed to take her phone call.

Whoever it was, it was someone who made her happy. I could hear her giggling and getting excited, trying to keep her voice down since Lanie was still sleeping. I heard something akin to clapping taking place before she said goodbye, then I went to sit down across from her as she stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

“Good news?” I asked.

“That was my friend, Sarah. She didn’t know if she was going to be able to fly in this week because of work, but she can! She gets in this afternoon.”

“Will you still be able to watch Lanie tomorrow?” I asked.

“Oh, definitely. She’s not staying with me. She’s too scared of the cabin right now. She’ll be in a hotel at the bottom of the mountain.”

“What’s wrong with your cabin?” I asked.

I watched her face falter just a bit before she brushed off the question.

“It’s fine. She’s just a little high maintenance . But she’s bringing all my art stuff with her, which is exciting because I have so many ideas running through my head from the hike.”

“Sounds like a good friend,” I said.

“She’s the best. I met her my freshman year of college.”

“Roommates?” I asked.

“Yep. And Greek sisters,” she said.

“I didn’t take you for the sorority type at all.”

“Fraternity, and we aren’t really. We went to Greek Week on campus, got invited to rush, and we ended up joining Phi Sigma Pi. It’s the honor’s fraternity. Because we were smart or something.”

“Or something,” I said, grinning.

“I should probably get going and get cleaned up. Can I take the coffee to go and return the mug to you tomorrow?” “You're leaving?” I asked, disappointment creeping into my chest.

“Well, Lanie saw me in these clothes yesterday. You think she’ll notice if I’m wearing the same ones?”

She had a point, but I didn’t want her to leave yet.

“She might not notice. She’s only three,” I said.

“Are you willing to take that chance?” she asked.

It was comforting that she was looking out for Lanie like this. We hadn’t exactly planned our encounter, and I’m glad that she cared enough to not want to confuse my niece.

Still, I wasn’t ready for it to be over.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, then,” I said.

She got up from the table and bent over, kissing me on the top of my head.

“See you tomorrow,” she said.

“And have fun with your friend.”

“I will. I promise. We always have fun.”

She bounded out the front door, and I was alone again.

I walked over to the window and watched Amanda all the way back to her house. Her hips swayed lightly, and the loose tendrils of her hair blew in the wind. She disappeared over the horizon, and I sighed. I really hadn’t wanted her to leave, and that stirred up feelings I wasn’t ready to deal with.

A call to Jack would do me some good, so I went in search of my phone.

“I was wondering when the fuck I’d hear from you next,” Jack said.

“Nice to talk with you, too,” I said.

“How the hell have you been? I haven’t heard from you in almost a month.”

“You know you have a phone, too,” I said.

“Yeah, that rings every damn second since you put me in charge of this business four years ago.”

“Everything going that wonderfully?” I asked.

“We finally got the expansion approved if that’s what you’re asking about.”

“Only took you four fucking years.”

“Your board of investors are bullshit, You know that right?”

“Nope, they’re your bullshit board of investors now.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Anyway, how are you doing? How’s Lanie?” he asked.

“Lanie’s okay. Still sleeping, believe it or not. We went on an all-day hike yesterday, and she was whipped.”

“Well, I’m sure she loved it. How are things going with being a dad? Still keeping steady?”

“There’s been some upheaval with her biological father, but I’m handling it,” I said.

“Uh-oh. What the hell does that fucker want now?”

“Money,” I said.

There was silence on the end of the line before I heard a door shut.

“Okay. You have my full attention. Start from the beginning.”

“Nothing to really start. He appeared on my fucking doorstep a few days ago telling me he was going to take Lanie away from me. He fucking figured out where I lived, Jack. So, I’ve lawyered up and I have a meeting with a PI in town tomorrow afternoon. My lawyer thinks it best I fight him in court for custody or he’ll just keep coming back for more money if I try and pay him off.”

“How the hell did he find you?” Jack asked.

“I don’t fucking know, but that’s why I’m not cutting any corners now. If he can find me, it means he’s got someone doing it for him. He showed up here high as hell and reeking of alcohol.”

“Your PI looking into that?” he asked.

“Hell yeah. He’s digging as deep as my money will help him dig,” I said.

“It’s a good thing you kept your controlling shares of the company then,” he said.

“How’s the security business going, by the way?”

“It’s good. The contract work is picking up, and we’re seeing more conversions from contract work to full-time packages.”

“Ah, you got them to agree to the packages, too? See, you should’ve run this damn company from the start. I don’t know why the hell you wanted me to be the face of it.”

“Because yours is prettier than mine. Anyway, yes. Got the packages up and running at the beginning of last year, so the statistics are pretty solid.”

“Last year? Shit. We don’t talk business at all, do we?” I asked.

“You were in a rough spot. Lanie had just been dropped in your lap, and you were struggling. I kept my mouth shut on it until you got your feet underneath you. You sound good, Brian.”

“I feel good, Jack.”

“Even with all this shit Lanie’s father’s pulling?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Hmmm. Something’s different. Do I dare ask if it’s a woman?”

My silence made Jack burst into laughter as I shook my head.

“Holy shit. I never thought I’d see the day after what that bitch did to you,” Jack said. “How many dates?”

“Depends on what you call a date. She’s come over for breakfast, and she went hiking with us yesterday. Then, I woke up to her this morning.”

“No, you fucking didn’t. Way to go, dude! Is she hot? Is she young? Please tell me she’s hot and young. That’s exactly your type.”

“I don’t have a type,” I said.

“You do have a type. A hot, young, curvy little thing that needs your protection. You’re a sucker for that shit. I mean, look at the fucking business we started. Come on.”

“Just because we started a protection and security business doesn’t mean I’m attracted to women who need protection,” I said. “She’s a smart, passionate young woman who seems to hold her own just fine.”

“But she is young. Why the hell is she with your crabby ass?”

“You’re a dick.”

“Hey, just asking the obvious question. So, what are you scared of?”

“What the fuck? I’m not scared,” I said. “I fucking slept with her last night.”

“And I’m sure you did your men everywhere proud. But I can hear it in your voice. Don’t let your ex ruin this for you. It’s the first time you’ve branched out since her.”

I drew in a deep breath and allowed that reality to sink in.

“I like her, Jack. She’s refreshing.”

“That’s good. You should like who you screw,” he said.

“No, you fucker. I mean, I like her. As in, I want to talk with her. Get to know her. That type of shit.”

“Oh, you got it bad for her. Damn. Well, no wonder you’re scared. The last woman you were with was a shithead that tried to take you for everything you had.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“What I’m saying is, you have trust issues. And that’s okay. But if you feel this pull to talk with her, don’t fight it. Sometimes your gut knows better than your brain. Remember when we were first starting out?”

“You thought I was an idiot for wanting to start that company,” I said.

“Yeah. Because you were thinking with your gut and not your head. But I trusted you, and your gut took us to the fucking top. I trust your gut, even if you don’t right now. If it’s telling you to open up to this woman, then do it.”

“What if she turns out to be like her?” I asked.

“You want my honest opinion?”

“That’s why I asked.”

“No one could turn out to be like her. That bitch was a piece of fucking work. You knew you should’ve never married her. You went against your gut on that one, and it screwed you over big time. If your gut’s with this woman, go for it.”

“How the hell did you make that seem so easy?” I asked.

“Because you’re rotting your brain away in the mountains. It’s okay. I expected you to get dumber.”

“Asshole.”

“Dick. You’re missed here, by the way. You know you always have a spot here if you want to come back. Namely, mine. Because this job is bullshit, and I’m over it.”

I chuckled into the phone as I shook my head.

“I don’t know if I’m coming back,” I said.

“Don’t worry. It’s been four years. You have Lanie now, and plenty of shit still going down. It’s here if you want it, but I’m not holding my breath.”

“Well, I should get off here. Lanie still isn’t up yet, and if she sleeps any longer, she won’t nap.”

“Have fun with that. I’m about to go deal with a bunch of whiny toddlers too,” he said.

“The Board of Investors?” I asked, laughing.

“That’s them. Talk with you soon. And by soon, I mean not a month from now.”

“So, two months?” I asked.

“Goodbye, asshole.”