10. Bess
Over the next few days,I saw a different side of Triton. He opened up and told me about growing up in Broken Bend and the time he spent in the military. We spent most of our time loving on each other, but he also dragged me out of bed and showed me his favorite places around town. He treated me to a cupcake at the bakery and a shot of tequila at the tequila bar next door that loosened my tongue a lot.
When I found out one of the Calhoun brothers and his wife owned and operated a lavender farm outside of town, Triton spent hours next to me while I wandered up and down the rows of beautiful purple flowers. He even drove me by the trailer where he’d lived as a kid. My heart ached for the boy he’d been and how his parents had failed him. I’d been falling for him a little bit at a time since the day we met, but that was the moment that pushed me over the edge. I didn’t want our time together to ever come to an end.
My parents had been checking in every day to make sure I was okay. I hadn’t answered my phone the day before because hearing their voices reminded me that my time with Triton was temporary. It’s not like I could move in with him when we got back to Maplewood or that he’d want to come over to my parents’ house and go back to just holding hands. I doubted my dad would even let him through the front door when he found out we’d crossed the line. What we had between us would have to come to an end.
So, when my phone vibrated and bounced around on the table, even though I didn’t want to answer it, I felt obligated to pick it up.
“Hello.”
“Bess.” Even with one syllable, I could tell my dad was irritated. “I left a voicemail, and you never called us back last night. Your mother’s been worried.”
“I’m sorry. We were watching a movie and by the time it was over I thought it was too late to call.” That wasn’t a bald-faced lie. We had watched a movie. Kind of. It played in the background while I gave Triton my very first blow job. That had been a learning experience.
“It’s time for you to come home. I talked to the sheriff and they’re just as eager as we are to put an end to any illegal activity going on around here. They’re installing cameras later on this afternoon so they can keep watch around the clock.” He sounded so sure that he was doing the right thing.
“What do you think is going to happen when the bad guys realize you’ve gone to the police?” I looked over at Triton. He could only hear my side of the conversation, but it was enough to have him shaking his head. He picked up his phone and stepped out onto the porch to make a call.
“I don’t appreciate your tone, young lady. You’re coming home today if I have to drive down there and bring you back myself.”
“I’m sorry.” I’d never sassed my parents before. “Triton’s on the phone checking in with the club. I’ll see what he finds out and let you know what he thinks is best.”
“What’s really going on down there?” Dad’s tone shifted from demanding to suspicious.
“Nothing.” I had to protect Triton. If my father thought there was something happening between us, I wasn’t sure what he’d do.
Dad sighed. “Your place is here with us.”
“I know.” I did know that. Didn’t mean I liked it. Didn’t mean I wasn’t wishing my place could be with Triton and that we could spend the rest of our lives in this little cottage, making love and listening to the sounds of the river right outside the window.
“We’ll see you soon.” He hung up before I could respond.
Defeated, I set my phone back on the table and went out front to find Triton. He sat on the porch swing with his phone pressed to his ear. I climbed into his lap, melting into him as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. With my cheek resting on his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat helped me regulate my own pulse.
“I don’t like it,” he said to whoever was on the line.
In the time we’d spent together, my priorities had shifted. He’d opened my eyes and my heart to the possibilities of a future I’d never even considered. With one call from my dad, reality took a wrecking ball to my dreams.
“Get back to me as soon as possible.” Triton mindlessly ran his fingers up and down my arm. I felt loved, even cherished when I was with him. “Thanks, Chance.”
“Did he say anything about the cartel?” I asked.
“No. Everything’s been quiet over at the church and my guys have had it under twenty-four-hour surveillance. Your dad went to the sheriff?” He set his phone down and wrapped both arms around me.
“I guess so. He’s not a patient man and I don’t think he’d ever be able to look the other way if he knew something bad was happening right under his nose. He told me if I didn’t come home today, he was going to come down here and get me himself.”
Triton’s grip around me tightened. “It’s not safe to go back yet. We need more time to figure out what they’re doing on church property before law enforcement can do anything.”
“He said the sheriff’s department is coming out this afternoon to set up cameras.”
“The cartel probably hasn’t made a move yet because they’re watching the place to make sure your dad isn’t going to do anything stupid.” Triton shook his head. “He’s playing right into their hands. They’ll know he’s not going to keep his word and will be looking for you to take their revenge.”
A cold chill raced down my spine. “What do I do?”
“Run away with me, Bess. I make a good living and have plenty of savings to support us long enough for the cartel to find someone else to harass.”
“That sounds wonderful.” Wonderful, but completely unrealistic. It would break my mother’s heart if I ran off with him. Plus, I only had one year left of college. I was so close to getting my degree and wasn’t ready to throw away three years of hard work.
“We can head out east. One of my foster brothers is in North Carolina and another one lives in the mountains of Virginia. Or California. Hell, I’ve got connections everywhere. Pick a place, and I’ll take you there.”
I sat up and put my hands on both sides of his cheeks. “There’s nothing I want more than to wake up next to you every day and fall asleep every night in your arms. But I can’t.”
“Can’t, or won’t?” His eyes begged me to change my mind.
“Isn’t it the same thing? I’m all they’ve got.”
“Sugar Pie, you can’t live your life for your parents. The only thing you owe them is your love and even then, only if they deserve it.”
He didn’t understand, but that was mostly my fault for not telling him the whole story. It was time he knew why I felt such responsibility toward my parents. “I had a brother. He was five years older than me and perfect in every way. From the time he could walk, he followed my dad everywhere. By the time he was ten, he already knew he wanted to grow up to be a pastor.”
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too hard.”
“I want you to know.” I hadn’t talked about my brother for a long time. It was too painful for my parents, and we’d moved so many times that I didn’t keep in touch with the people who remembered him. “He was riding his bike home from mowing the lawn for an elderly man and got hit by a truck.” I sucked in a deep breath and tried to hold back my tears. “He didn’t make it.”
Triton tucked my head against his chest and rocked the swing back and forth. “I’m so sorry.”
We sat like that for several minutes before I felt like I could go on. “I’m all they have left. I know I’ll never be as good a person as he was, but I can’t leave them.”
“You don’t have to.” He kissed the top of my head. “We’ll figure something out. Something that works for us and your family. That is, assuming you want to continue what we’ve started?”
“What?” I pulled back and looked at him, too scared to give in to the hope blooming in my chest.
“I’ve fallen for you, Sugar Pie.” His eyes were clear and honest. “I sure as hell didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did.”
“What are you saying?”
His lips ticked up into a soft smile. “I’m saying I love you, Bess. I want to keep seeing you when we get back to Maplewood.”
I threw my arms around his neck. “I love you, too.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.”
“But what about my dad? He’ll never be okay with us being together. He expects me to save myself for marriage and end up with someone who goes to church every week.”
Triton chuckled. “I do go to church. That’s what we call our MC meetings.”
“I’m pretty sure that won’t count.”
“I’ll win him over then. I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be.” He trailed a finger across my collarbone. “We should make the most of the time we have left here. I’m not okay with you going back to your parents’ house, but if you want to head back to Maplewood, you’ll be safe if you stay in my room at the clubhouse. Let’s see what happens after the sheriff’s office installs those cameras. If the cartel doesn’t do anything, we can talk about going back.”
“Do you really think they’ll come after me to get back at my dad?” I hadn’t let myself think about it because Triton made me feel so safe and protected. But if we were going to return to Maplewood, I wanted to know how serious he considered the threat they’d made.
“They might try, but you’re my girl. That means you’re part of my family. Any one of my MC brothers and my foster brothers would risk their lives to protect you.” As he stood, he lifted me into his arms. “We can worry about all of that tomorrow. Right now, there’s something much more important we need to do.”
“Oh, really?” I had an idea of what he had in mind and was all for it.
“I haven’t shown you my favorite position yet.” He kicked the door closed behind us and headed straight to the bedroom.