Chapter 17
ELLA
“I still don’t understand why you drove out here if we are just gonna drive back into town so you can show me where you live.” Ry lifts the ballcap from his head, scratches above his ear, and tugs it back down, bending the bill around his eyes.
Today’s another mild day. And more importantly, another Saturday that I’m getting to spend with Ry—it’s been a month of Saturdays from when we first met. They say a cold front is coming through tonight, but the Alabama sun is blazing down on us right now. He’s wearing a pale-yellow, long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves pushed up his forearms. I love it when he shows his forearms. It is most definitely the sexiest part of him.
After his ass. And his eyes. And his hands. And his broad shoulders. And the firm sides of his ribcage that I rub when we kiss. I haven’t seen him without his shirt, but I bet he looks mouth-watering.
I need cold water. Now. On my crotch.
“Lulu, are you listening to me?”
“Of course, I’m listening. First of all, I knew we would be coming back to this side of town afterward. You may wanna see my place, but I can’t imagine you wanting to hang out there. When Janine left, Mom hired a decorator from one of those TV shows on HGTV. So, everything looks a little too fake ‘comfy and homey’,” I say with air quotes. “Plus, you said you were working on your truck this morning. I didn’t know if you wanted to give the truck a siesta for the rest of the day.” I run my hands across the hood of his well-used, well-loved truck, and dangle my car keys in front of him.
His eyes light up like a Christmas tree. “No shit? You’d let me drive your car?”
I snort. “Why wouldn’t I let you drive my car? And before you go getting paranoid thinking I don’t wanna be seen in your truck in my neighborhood, you should know that I would drive down the middle of the richest street in the world with you and that truck. But I saw the way you looked at those stupid controls and gadgets last night when you walked me to the car and buckled me in. I just thought it would be a nice gesture.”
He leans over and plants a soft kiss on my lips. I immediately shift closer, trying to wrap my arms around his shoulders. He nimbly escapes my grasp, plucking the car keys from my fingers.
He jogs across the parking lot, unlocking my SUV and hollering at me before climbing in. “Come on, Lulu. What are you waiting for?”
Harlan’s laughing so hard he can barely stand.
I love to hear him laugh. “Well, Harlan, I guess that means it’s time to leave. I’m sorry your grandson couldn’t come see you today. You said he has the flu?”
“Yeah, whole family has a touch of it. I talked to my son last night. He and my granddaughter are doing better. But the boy and his momma still have a fever.”
“Well, I hope they get better real soon. Do you need anything from town?”
“I’m good, sweetie. You kids go have fun.”
There was a large wrecker dropping off a car for service when I got here this morning. It was blocking the area I normally park in so I had to park in the middle of the lot, closest to the gas station.
The damn gas station of my nightmares.
I’m still thinking of a safe way to find out more about the drug business and what that may have to do with my sister. Of course, I haven’t discussed any of this with Ry; he’s made his viewpoint pretty freakin’ clear.
I’m nearly to my vehicle when a guy rounds the other side of the dumpster, stepping in my way. It startles me and takes me a few seconds to register that Trash is standing in front of me. “Trash.”
“Well, look who it is. Sweet little Ella.”
I’m five-foot-ten, shithead. There’s nothing little about me.
“I thought that was your car. I’ve seen it here a couple of times, but you haven’t come inside. Why are you watching the station?”
He takes a step closer to me. His eyes appear more bloodshot than normal, and he reeks of stale booze and cigarette smoke. With a small hint of body odor. Despite wanting to put distance between the two of us, I don’t take a step back. That’s not what I do.
“She’s not watching the gas station. She’s here to see me.” Ry’s voice catches me off guard as he climbs out of the driver’s side of my SUV and slams the door. Loudly.
Walking over, he stands next to me, folding his arms across his broad, muscular chest. Trash can’t hide his surprise. He doubles over in laughter, grabbing his stomach. Ry takes a small step forward, angling himself in front of me.
“Oh, shit! You’re banging the missing girl’s sister. So, that’s why I haven’t seen you around lately. She does know that you and Carrie,” Trash looks into my eyes and makes an obscene gesture with his hands, “nearly fuc—”
Ry interrupts him. “She knows.”
Trash is making my blood boil. My blood pressure is rising like I’m cooking my body in a damn pressure cooker. I’m almost on the verge of whistling.
“So, y’all have been seeing each other since the night of my party?” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a cigarette, quickly lighting it. Each drag makes his hollow cheeks sink in even farther. “Just call me Cupid.”
I wanna call him many things. And none of those names have anything to do with a flying, chubby baby.
“Did you need something, Trash? We were just heading out.” There’s a bite in Ry’s voice. I heard that same bite the night he pulled me out of the trailer and warned me about Trey.
“I see that. And she’s letting you drive that expensive car? I guess you really are a good piece of ass, huh, Crutch.” Again, he doubles over, laughing at his crude joke.
“Don’t you have some blackberry tea to sell, Trash?” I lace my voice with as much sarcasm as I can muster. “I heard there was a four-car accident on the highway last night. Maybe some new customers will head your way in a couple of months after they get hooked on pain pills. Do you give them a discount if they can show a surgery scar?”
Ry’s head snaps around and he firmly but gently grabs my elbow, pulling me against him. He hisses my name between his teeth like a snake. “Lulu. Go get in the car. Now.”
I straighten my shoulders and point my chin in the air. “I’m fine right where I am.”
Trash narrows his eyes. “I knew you had spunk, Ella, but you keep surprising me every time we see each other. You know, Trey likes feisty women. Says they make good pushers.”
Ry’s built like a brick wall. That’s the only reason I’m not attacking Trash’s face like a wild alley cat. Besides, I know it’s a moot point to even try. At some point, Ry’s fingers meandered their way to my back side, and his fingertips are holding onto the belt loop of my jeans. Even if I tried to spring forward, I wouldn’t get very far. And I’d probably look like a moron in the process.
Ry clears his throat, drawing attention back to himself. “Trash, you’re coming off a high. You need to turn around and leave before you say something that you’re gonna regret. Something that’s really gonna piss me off.”
“But I’m your brother.”
“And that’s the only reason you’re not lying flat on your ass right now.”
Trash spits on the ground. Stomping on his cigarette, he walks away. He’s halfway to the door of the gas station when he turns around and hollers back at his brother. “Was I right? Do her legs look as great as I imagined? What about when they’re wrapped around you, Crutch?”
Uh-oh…
Ry takes off like a bat out of hell with me trailing after him. It’s fine for me to beat the crap out of Trash, but I don’t want Ry to do it. What if Ry gets in trouble? In trouble because of me?
Fortunately, a minivan comes to the rescue.
By now, Trash is standing at the door to the gas station when the minivan at Pump 1 opens its doors and two young kids jump out. They race around one another, playing a quick game of tag and talking about what kind of candy they want to buy inside. Ry immediately stops his pursuit. Trash knows he won’t do anything now. Smirking, he opens the door and slips inside.
Ry’s shaking in anger, clenching his fists. The motion flexes the tendons in his arms. Laying my forehead between his shoulder blades, I slowly trace my fingers across his back, trying to scratch the tension from his muscles. Eventually, he sighs. Turning around, he wraps me in a hug.
Ry always hugs me before I leave him. Adding him to the small list of people who hug me was epic. It’s almost better than kissing him. Almost.
I love the way his large frame covers my body, wrapping around me like a blanket. Plus, he really hugs. Firm and hard. Not just loose arms and lazy body. He always squeezes me, making me rise to my tiptoes.
“I’m sorry about that. It happens with Ritalin for some reason. When he’s coming off a Ritalin high, he’s a different person. Mean.”
I don’t say it’s okay. Because it’s not. Nothing about Trash is okay. Apparently, nothing about Carrie was okay, either.
“Come on. Harlan said he didn’t need anything from town, but let’s get him something anyway. Cheer him up since he can’t see his grandson today. Chocolate cake is his favorite, right?”