Kristen Ashley - Games of the Heart

“Good,” Mike said.

“Gotta admit, I wasn’t committed to the task,” Ryker confessed. “But for a bitch in a tight tee with a great rack who makes twelve layer cakes and likes drunk sex, I’ll step it up,” he offered.

I pressed my lips together but I was pretty sure my smile still came through.

“Jesus,” Mike muttered.

Ryker looked at me then announced, “I’m taken. Got a good woman who gives amazing head. But I find myself free and you find yourself the same, just sayin’, I’m open for a hook up.”

Mike’s body got tight at my back, his arm the same around my belly and angry vibes started searing my skin.

Clearly Mike was pissed but I forgot this guy terrified me and instead thought he was funny so you could hear the laughter in my voice when I turned him down, “That’s a great offer and I appreciate it but I’ve been in love with Mike for about twenty-five years so if that were to happen it would be in another dimension.”

“Yeah,” he nodded his big bald head, “Lissa’s got her hooks in me deep. Still, the you and me in another dimension’ll have fun.”

“I’m sure the you and me in another dimension will,” I concurred.

He grinned his scary grin then muttered, “Right.” He looked at Mike and stated, “On the case now, bro. I’ll give it undivided attention.”

“That’d be good, Ryker,” Mike said on a deep sigh.

Ryker trained his eyes on me and his farewell was, “Cake.”

Then he was there no longer.

I turned, tipped my head back and pressed my body to Mike’s. He was already looking down at me and his hands settled on my hips so mine slid around his waist.

“Did that just happen?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

“That guy was real and not a figment of my imagination?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

“He’s terrifying in a hilarious and slightly lovable way,” I shared.

“He’s the first, the last two I’m not sure I agree.”

I grinned up at my man and leaned deeper into him.

Mike’s hands slid from my hips to become arms that rounded me and his head dipped close.

“So you’re only half-drunk?” he asked.

I stared in his eyes and liked what I saw.

“Unfortunately,” I whispered.

“Time for the tequila switch, sweetheart,” he whispered back.

I smiled and replied, “You’re absolutely right.”

Mike turned me to the bar and ordered a tequila shot. I drank it. More came after it. Then Mike took me home. He gave it to me bossy, controlling and dirty.

I loved every second of it.

Then I passed out naked in his arms with Layla’s head resting on my ankle.

* * *

Mike ended the kiss, his lips sliding down, his mouth working my neck.

It was Sunday morning. We had day old Hilligoss downstairs which weren’t the same but they were still brilliant. Mike was inside me, we’d both finished after he’d taken his time. It wasn’t dirty. It was sweet, lazy, fantastic.

And he’d ended it as usual then finished it off with a slow, beautiful kiss.

I turned my head and in his ear, whispered, “Stealth kisses.”

Against my neck, Mike muttered, “Fuck.”

My arms tightening around him, I smiled at the ceiling of the bedroom I shared with my man, happy.

Fin and I moved through Mike’s backyard to his backdoor, Fin carrying his book bag over his shoulder.

The corn needed to go in so we were putting it in. Dad and I on tractors working all day, Fin and Kirb working with us on the weekends. When Fin got home from school, until dusk started to fall, he was on a tractor. Dad told him this was unnecessary but Fin was adamant he do his bit. This meant homework waited until dinnertime. This also meant Rees’s homework waited until dinnertime. But they ate with their books around them, talking low and studying. Then they’d camp out in front of the TV. The night would end with Clarisse walking with Fin to the back gate, they’d both disappear behind it for about twenty minutes and Clarisse would come back without Fin.

Through this, I’d often glance Fin’s way, wishing I was seventeen again.

This was because I was relatively fit but working the fields meant I was flat exhausted by the time I parked my ass in front of the TV with the family. But going to school, coming home, doing his bit on the farm, eating and studying apparently didn’t faze Fin at all.

It was Wednesday after I moved in. The kids took me being there in stride. Even though Mike said it was their idea and their texts indicated they were up for it, I couldn’t help it. I was bit nervous. But the instant they got back on Sunday I saw it was no big deal to them. Then again, the two weeks prior to me moving in I was over most nights with Fin and we’d kept the same schedule. Work in the fields, clean up, go over to Mike’s, Mike or Rees had dinner made, the kids studied, I parked my ass with No and Mike on the couch and zoned out in front of the TV.

So that was good.

Rhonda was not.

I’d taken the time that day to have another chat with her. With Mom helping with the housework not to mention working in the window boxes and planters dotted around the large grassy space in the yard getting them ready for flowers, Rhonda had even less focus. She was now no longer spending all her time in her room. Now she was watching daytime TV. She still wasn’t eating much. And she was still definitely hazy.

I was a patient person but I was beginning to lose it. I had made several attempts, coming at her from different directions, trying different tactics. I showed her want ads and the results of internet searches I’d done. I’d tried to get her interested in my horses. I’d told her I needed help with my pottery, crating it up and getting it ready to ship to my gallery. Then I told her I seriously needed help with my pottery seeing as most of the time my ass was now on a tractor. She wasn’t interested or she’d try it for a day or two then slack off.

I knew Mom spoke with her more than once too. And Dad even sat her down for a Dad talk.

No go.

I couldn’t step into her shoes. I never lost a husband I adored before. What I did know was that I lost a brother, my parents lost a son and my nephews lost a father and all of us seemed to be able to get on with things.

I didn’t want to think it, I certainly wouldn’t say it but I had to admit it was getting ridiculous.

Something had to wake her shit up. I just didn’t know what.

I sighed a heavy sigh.

Fin and I were nearing the backdoor when we heard it.

Rees shouting, “That’s stupid!”

Then No shouting back, “It is not stupid!”

I looked to Fin, he looked at me and we both quickened our pace.

We made it through the door to see the combatants were facing off in the living room. Layla woofed a greeting at us but didn’t approach. This was because she was dancing between No and Rees, agitated, not liking the vibe and seeing as she was a dog, powerless to do anything about it. Still, she was sticking close in case they needed her.

No looked to us and remarked, “Great, you’re here. Now Rees and me can stop talkin’. Or, more important, Rees can shut up.”

“I’m not shuttin’ up!” Rees yelled.

“Reesee,” Fin said low, soft, his tone a command for her to calm down and her eyes shot to him.

“I’m not, Fin,” she declared.

I didn’t know whether to shout, “You go, girl”, pleased she was sticking to her guns (whatever those guns may be) even though her hot guy boyfriend made an unmistakable but soft command. Or whether to be impressed Fin could pull off that tone at seventeen. Or to wade into the argument. So I didn’t do any of them.

Then again, I didn’t have a chance to wade in.

No turned immediately back to his sister. “It’s my birthday, Rees.”

“We always go out. Always. You can’t skip family time to be with your crew. That’s jacked. If we don’t go out, Dad will be upset,” Rees countered.

I looked to Fin, he looked to me then back to the brother and sister while crossing his arms on his chest. Settling in. I decided this was wise so I took his cue.

“Well, we’re not goin’ out this year. It’s my birthday and if I wanna spend it with my buds, I’ll spend it with my buds,” No shot back.

“You can go out with them on the weekend or something,” she returned.

“I don’t wanna go out with them on the weekend. I’m gonna be seventeen, Rees, and I should be able to do whatever the hell I want,” No retorted.

“Well, you’re not doin’ that,” Rees fired back.

“I am,” No stated.

Rees pulled out the big guns, in other words, the most lethal weapon in a woman’s arsenal.

Emotional manipulation.

“You are not. Dusty’s here now. What’ll it say to Dad you break tradition the first year Dusty’s around? He’ll think you don’t want to spend time with Dusty!”

And that was when No lost it.

“That’s just it! Mom called and she said she wants to come to dinner with us. And we can’t all sit down at dinner so I’m not doin’ it at all. I’m goin’ out with my crew.”

Audrey. Fantastic.

I bit my lip. We all heard the garage door go up heralding Mike’s arrival home but No and Rees didn’t care. I knew this when Rees didn’t miss a beat.

“That’s awesome,” she said sarcastically. “So Mom. She doesn’t come to one of your birthday dinners in, like, four years and doesn’t even bother to take you out on one herself and all of a sudden, Dusty’s here, she’s fired up to come with. So Mom. Jacked. Totally.”

“Maybe, Rees, but I think you get that wouldn’t be fun for anybody,” No stated and he was right about that.

“No, what I get is that Mom is Mom and since you’re gonna be seventeen and all you can tell her to take a flying leap,” Rees returned.

“What’s goin’ on?” Mike asked and I looked to the hall to see him striding down it.

Layla took off his way.

Rees whirled to her Dad and instantly filled him in. “No’s decided that on his birthday next week, he’s goin’ out with his crew. This is because Mom has decided since Dusty’s here she’s gonna stick her nose in and she told No she wants to go out to dinner with us.”

I watched in fascination as Mike’s jaw got tight and a muscle jumped in his cheek. His eyes were unhappy. The whole thing was hot. It was also scary.

I moved to Fin and grabbed his forearm, starting, “We’ll just –”

Mike’s eyes sliced to me. “Don’t move,” he growled.

I stopped and dropped Fin’s arm, muttering, “Okey dokey.”

I didn’t do this because I was a wuss or anything. I did this because Mike’s demand we stay where we were had meaning. I suspected this meaning meant Fin and I were family, or at least I was, and during family discussions I didn’t absent myself.

Mike looked at his kids. “No, birthdays are family times.”

There it was. I was right.

Mike kept talking. “We’re doin’ what we always do. Goin’ out with family. That means you, your sister, her boyfriend, my woman, her friends who are visitin’ next week and me. You got a girl you wanna bring, you bring her. I get that you’d be conflicted. You love your Mom, you’re tryin’ to do right by Dusty. But your mother made a decision four years ago, she was invited to your birthday dinners and she refused to come. She doesn’t get to change her mind now. We’ve all moved on. You wanna be with your crew; you do it on the weekend. Your Mom wants to do something special with you; she finds her time to do that. When you’re out of high school and movin’ on, you can do what you want. We got a year and a half to be a family. We’re gonna take it.”

It was No’s turn for his jaw to go tight and a muscle to jump in his cheek and seeing it I got even more pissed at Audrey. No was an easygoing kid. He joked a lot, smiled a lot, teased a lot, laughed a lot. But it was clear he didn’t want to tell his Mom she wasn’t invited to his birthday dinner and that wasn’t on him. That was on Audrey.

She was such a cow.

Mike saw his son’s face and read it instantly. “I’ll speak with her,” he declared then swept the room with his eyes, stating, “No, Rees, in the kitchen. Dusty, Fin and I have had long days and we need dinner. You’re cookin’ it together.”

Seeing as the unhappy vibes were not gone, I wondered about this decision but I didn’t say anything since they weren’t my kids.