Chapter 21
Lying on the bed with Magnolia was about as close to heaven as Dax would ever be. With her breaths deep and even, he knew she’d fallen asleep. Curled on her side with her back pressed to his chest, she relaxed into him. Her hair was spread over his arm, tickling his skin, and he’d caught a lock of it between his fingers. The soft, silky waves ran easily between his grasp. Her heady vanilla scent surrounded him. Even now, he knew his bed sheets would smell like her. If that were the case, he was never washing the damn things again. Something had shifted between them tonight. After years of struggling to live without her, he doubted he’d ever make it this far; but now, with her here, it seemed to be worth it.
There were so many things he needed to tell her, so many things they were going to have to work through. And God help him if her temper ever exploded in his direction. It was one of the things he loved most about her—the fiery, untamable part she’d never let go. For a split second, he could see a little girl in her image standing in the middle of a field, arms crossed and completely unmoving. Dax smiled to himself. Life could be very sweet between them if they could work past both of their demons. The warmth spreading throughout his body was nothing like he’d ever felt.
When the front door creaked open, he froze, shaking away the thoughts. Without making a sound, Dax crept from the bed. He’d barely jostled Magnolia, but when he moved away, her eyes fluttered open. “Wha—”
He pressed his finger over her lips. “Shhh.” His thoughts turned to Magnolia’s ex. Would he try to slip in and attack them? Or was is an intruder? Dax calmed his surprised pulse and took in a steady breath.
Magnolia froze, her eyes going wide as Dax shoved his legs into his jeans and pulled them up. He held out his hand, telling her to keep still. She whispered to him, “My shirt is in the kitchen.”
He turned to his closet, pulling one of his button down flannel shirts and tossing it over his shoulder at her. He reached up to the top shelf in his closet and yanked down his shotgun. Behind him, Magnolia hissed, “You have a gun in the bedroom?”
He tip-toed toward the door, grabbed the handle and turned back to her. “It’s Tennessee, not New York. Of course, I have a gun. Stay here until I check it out.”
When he stepped into the hallway, the echo of boots on his hardwood floors was obvious. Whoever it was was not trying to hide they were in his house. “Ugh.”
Was this person talking to themselves? Dax crept closer, keeping his back to the wall and the gun held up. As he rounded the corner, stepping out into the living room, he spotted the person, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and dark jeans. They stood with their back to Dax. He took a steadying breath and held up the gun, pointing it at the intruder’s back. “I will blow your freakin’ head off.” He cocked the shotgun.
Slowly, the person turned around and pulled down the hood. “Now is that any way to greet your wife?”
Dax let out a shocked breath and slowly lowered his gun. “Lulu, what in the hell are you doin’ here?”
“Did she just say wife?” Magnolia piped up from beside him.
Dax startled and nearly dropped the gun. “Thought I told you to stay in the bedroom?”
Of course, she was right behind him, but when he looked back at her, she stood staring at Lulu. The two women faced off against each other as Magnolia narrowed her eyes. “Lulu Griffin.”
The name rolled off her tongue like a curse. Lulu, for all she was worth, was a deep southern trailer girl who tried to rule the high school with her looks and attitude. Standing only an inch shorter than Magnolia, she too was a force to be reckoned with. Each time Dax thought of her, the word witch came to mind. Her short blond hair fanned out around her face in wild, tight curls. Makeup covered her entire face. Her high cheekbones were a glittery pink that matched her lips, and her eyes were heavily rimmed in dark black lines. Lulu was attractive in the way a man would know exactly what he was getting with her. Wild, crazy and nights filled with dramatic attitude. Her black hoodie hung open and underneath was a tight, flashy tank top. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Magnolia Reed.”
Dax held up his hands between the two of them. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. This wasn’t how he planned on telling Magnolia about Lulu, nor was it expected. “Now, ladies, let’s not get all wound up here.”
Magnolia stepped up and smacked him in the arm. “What in the hell is she talkin’ about? Wife? I mean, I know she chased you about in high school, even though you were with me! But this is ridiculous.”
The stinging slap left a red mark on his skin, and he stood frozen between the two women who plagued his existence. “Now, Maggie, there’s a lot of things you don’t know here—”
“I chased him? Please. He’s always wanted me.” Lulu tossed back her hair.
Magnolia took a step forward as if she was going to leap over the couch and have at her. Dax caught her around the waist. “Don’t, Maggie.”
“Let me go!” She fidgeted in his arms, trying to break his hold.
Dax pulled her behind him, then stepped back between the two women. Magnolia was all fire and fight, but Lulu grew up wrestling in a trailer park—she’d fight dirty as hell. “Let’s not do this.”
“I heard you were back in town.” Lulu grabbed Magnolia’s jacket off the back of the couch and threw it at her. “Took you a whole two weeks to jump back into bed with my husband.”
“Dax, why does she keep calling you that?” Magnolia caught and held the jacket to her chest. All she wore was his shirt, and damned if she didn’t look beautiful in it. Her hair hung loose and wild around her shoulders. Her eyes were round and held a sheen of unshed tears in them. She glanced from Lulu back to Dax, again and again.
A splitting ache started in his chest and ran straight down into his stomach. How could he possibly explain this to her? Any way he put it, it came out the wrong way. Choking back the ‘I love you’ he wanted to utter, he swallowed the ball of nerves. “I’m so sorry, Magnolia.”
Lulu’s loud, obnoxious laugh broke the tension between them. “He never told you. How precious.”
For a split second, Magnolia’s lip quivered and those unshed tears threatened to spill over. But she sucked in a breath and straightened her shoulders then turned from the room and stormed down the hall. Her hair flared out behind her when she turned to go into his room. Dax pointed at Lulu. “Don’t you go anywhere.”
She examined her nails. “I’m here for ya, darlin’.”
“Ugh.” He turned and ran down the hall to his room.
Magnolia stood in the middle of the room like a little tornado, pulling her jeans up and over her legs faster than he thought possible. She pointed at his chest. “Don’t you say a damn word to me right now.”
“Maggie, I can explain.” He blocked the doorway, afraid she’d escape before he had a chance to talk to her.
“Don’t you dare.” She stabbed her feet into her boots and stood squaring off against him. Narrowing her eyes at him, she pressed her lips in hard line. “Move.”
“No, we need to talk about this.” He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking her way. His pulse raced in his veins; nearly paralyzing panic wrought his system. His hands shook and he held them tucked closely to his body so she couldn’t see. If he lost her again, he wouldn’t survive it. That bottle would call to him, and he would answer this time. Seeing her so torn up twisted his insides. He’d known Maggie almost all her life, and he could see it plain as day on her face—he’d hurt her. Her lips quivered, her brow furrowed over those desolate green-hazel eyes and a red flush crept over her face.
“Fine.” She stepped up to him and hauled her knee straight up into his balls.
Air rushed from his lungs, pain shot through his body and his knees buckled. He fought to suck in a breath, gasping on the floor. He coughed and gagged, struggling to be able to talk to her. Magnolia stepped over him, then bent down, meeting his eye. She pointed her finger in his face. “Don’t you dare follow me!”
The last thing he saw was her beat-up cowboy boots walking away from him…