Chapter 18
A s always, the Columbus Auction is busy.
We’ve done well with our sales, and Garrett struck a decent deal with Antony Freeman when we learned he’s quitting ranching and selling off his livestock.
It seems to be common these days, more ranches than ever are selling out to property developers, and although we’re benefiting from it, it’s sad to see.
I’ve been keeping my eye on the Masons, it’s just old man Mason and Joe here to represent the family today, and I can tell by the sly looks Joe keeps giving Dexter, that his father’s still making them keep the way they feel about each other a secret.
It angers me how one man can expect so many people to live their lives unhappily to suit his needs, and it only makes me more determined to get to the bottom of what’s going on between him and Walker.
Garrett and Cole start looking over a bull with obvious interest, and as we planned, it immediately attracts old man Mason’s attention. He leaves his post and heads over to check out the same stall, and I use the distraction so I can approach Joe.
“How’s it goin’?” I ask, patting down the horse he’s loading into the trailer.
“As well as it can.” He manages a half-hearted smile.
“I know Dexter spoke to ya…” He clears his throat and tenses his jaw defensively as he stares back at me.
It’s sad that he’s waiting for the comeback I ain’t got for him.
I blame his father for that. Years of being told he can't be who he wants to be has clearly broken the man.
“That's between you and Dexter. What I’m interested in is what your old man has over Mayor Walker.” The look of confusion on Joe’s face appears to be genuine, but with a Mason, it's impossible to tell a lie from the truth.
“Well, I guess there’s the fact Caleb’s marrying his daughter.” He shrugs.
“We both know these marriages, your daddy keeps setting up, have intentions behind them,” I cut him off again, and Joe looks a little frustrated as he passes off the horse to one of his wranglers and leads me around to the other side of the trailer out of sight.
“You're asking the wrong person, my dad don't tell me shit. I’m just one big disappointment to him,” he tells me angrily.
Leaning back, I look over to the cattle pens where Mason has stood himself between my brothers, I can see the tension on Cole’s face.
He wants Mason in the ground, and I can’t say I blame him.
We ain’t got no way to prove it, but we’re sure as shit he had something to do with Aubrey’s murder.
It’s why we have to play along and let him think this wedding between Leia and Caleb is gonna happen.
“So, you’re tellin’ me ya know nothin’?” I check one last time, taking off my hat and wiping my forehead.
“That’s what I’m telling ya, Wade. And I’ll do ya a favor and tell ya to stay the fuck out of whatever it is.” He nods his head at me before getting back to work and as I go to walk away, I realize I got one more thing to say to him.
“That ain’t gonna happen, Joe, see, I found the person I wanna be with.
And there ain’t a chance in this life, or the next, that I’m gonna let a twisted old fuck like your old man ruin that for me.
Question is, are you?” I nod my head across to Dexter and watch Joe’s face soften when he looks at him.
“You know, one day, ya won’t have to hide what you two got. ”
“Not in his lifetime.” Joe’s eyes glance over to his father.
“Yeah, well, everyone’s got an expiry date.” I don’t wait for a reaction, just place my hat back over my head and nod at Dexter, before I move on to join my brothers.
“You learn much?” Cole’s still staring out old man Mason, who’s moved on to the next stall when I get to them.
“Not a damn thing. He figures I was askin’ the wrong brother.”
“Well, right now Joe’s the only brother we can even think about trusting,” Garrett tells us as we head back toward the truck.
“I could just ask Mayor Walker myself?” I suggest, up until now the Carsons have always got on well with the mayor. I may have fucked it up a little when I caused a scene at Leia’s engagement party, but if we went to him and offered him help, maybe he’ll see sense.
“That’d be showin’ our hand far too early. We got time, and we’ll use it.” Garrett takes the driver's seat.
“And in the meantime?” I ask, thinking about every extra day Leia has to play pretend with that fuckin’ creep.
“In the meantime, we got a dinner to get to.” Garrett looks to Cole, who shakes his head begrudgingly and gets in the passenger seat beside me.
* * *
“Wade, you sit here.” Maisie guides me to the chair next to where Garrett is sitting at the head of the table.
“And Cole, you're next to him.” She points to the chair on my other side as she waddles around the table, leaving her usual spot beside Garrett vacant and checking the table one last time before she rests herself in the chair opposite Cole.
“There.” She exhales, seeming satisfied as she readjusts the napkin in the spot that’s laid out for Mom.
“When's the guest of honor getting here?” Cole heads for the drinks cabinet before he takes his seat.
“Is that really a good idea?” Maisie asks awkwardly as he pours himself a triple measure.
“None of this is a good idea, and yet here we fuckin’ are,” he bites back.
“Hey, don’t you fuckin’ talk to her like that!” Garrett’s eyes narrow when he points his finger at him.
“It’s fine.” Maisie’s arm reaches across the table to rest over Garrett’s and even when she smiles, it does nothing to soothe him.
We’re all tense, knowing that Mom is about to come over and explain why she left all those years ago, has been playing on our minds all day.
“I know you're all too proud to admit how nervous you are, but you have to remember, you’ve all got each other. Your mom, she hasn’t got anyone. I think what she’s doing here tonight is really brave.” Maisie smiles warmly at us all.
“Yeah, and runnin’ out on four kids is real fuckin’ gutless.” Cole slams his drink down on the table and takes his seat.
Time slowly ticks away, and Maisie does all she can to fill the silence that’s seeming to become tenser as we stare at the empty spot at the table between her and Garrett.
“Did you want me to serve up now?” Josie pops her head around the door and asks sheepishly.
“Give it another ten,” Garrett tells her, looking at the old grandfather clock, whose ticks seem to have gotten louder over the past half an hour.
Cole makes an impatient sigh as he gets up from the table and pours himself another drink, while I let my mind wander to Leia.
I wonder if she’s with him tonight, and if she is, what are they doing?
I get that we only have to sneak around for a little while, but that doesn’t make me hate it any less.
I want this whole town to know she’s mine.
I wanna hold her hand when we go into Dolores’s for breakfast together.
I wanna kiss her in the town square where everyone can see us.
The thought of her doing all those things with Caleb has me getting up from my chair and pouring myself a drink too.
“She ain’t gonna show.” Cole stands up after another ten minutes of waiting.
“I don’t know why any of us expected her to.
The only thing she’s good at is bailing.
” He picks up the bottle from the bar and takes it with him, heading out the backdoor toward the stables, and when Maisie steadies herself up from the table, she places a kiss on Garrett’s head before smiling sadly and making her way to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry,” Garrett tells me in a soft tone that doesn’t suit him. I can see how mad he is from the way his eyes focus on the table and his fists are balled up.
“Ain’t nothin’ ya gotta be sorry for.” I get up, tossing my napkin at the table before heading up the stairs to my room. I can’t believe she let us down again, after how hard I worked to convince them to hear her out.
When I open the door, I notice my room is softly lit by my bedside lamp, and I have to do a double-take when I see Leia sitting under the covers in my bed, reading a book as if her being here is perfectly normal.
“Hey.” She places the book down when she sees me, and all I can do is stare at her, wondering what the hell she’s doing here and if I’m dreaming.
“Maisie told me all about your mom coming over and how tense it was making everyone, so I figured I’d be here waitin’ for ya when it was over.
” Her shrug and the way she nervously bites her lip has me heading straight for her and when she sits up on her knees and the covers fall off her body, I see that she’s fuckin’ naked, except for her panties.
She wraps her arms around my neck, and I allow my fingers to trace over her ribs as I pull her onto my lips.
I had no idea how much I needed this until right this second.
“How’d it go?” She eventually pulls away to ask.
“It didn’t.” I take a seat on the edge of the mattress and pull off my boots.
“She didn’t show. I convinced ‘em all to sit around and give her a chance to explain and she didn’t fuckin’ show.
” I toss my boot at the door, trying to hold back the anger in my voice, ‘cause this, having Leia here, feels real fuckin’ special and I don’t wanna ruin it.
“I’m sorry about that.” Leia climbs up behind me, draping her arms over my shoulders, and when I spin my body round and lay her back on the mattress, suddenly the fact Mom didn’t show tonight doesn’t seem so important.
“Can ya stay?” I ask, desperate to spend another night with her in my arms.
“I shouldn’t, but I will.” The little temptress lifts the top I’m wearing up over my head and throws it to the floor, and I waste no time grasping her hot, round tits in my palms and pushing them together.
I kiss each one of them as her fingers slide through my hair, and I trail those kisses lower down her body, looking up and taking real fuckin’ pride in the satisfaction on her face.
“Ya know this is mine, right?” I slide my nose through the fabric of her panties, before pressing kisses across the waistline and teasing her ‘til her hips start to roll.
“Yes,” her sweet, little whisper is starting to sound irresistibly desperate.
“No other man is ever gonna take it.” I climb back up the bed so I’m lying beside her and let my hand dip inside her panties. She gasps as my finger slips between her pussy lips and I watch the sedated, little smile spread on her face as I massage her clit with my finger.
“Wade.” She speaks my name, clutching my forearm with both hands as if she’s scared I’ll pull away from her.
“Yes?” I nip at her earlobe and feel myself get even harder when she soaks my fingers.
“I… I was supposed to be here to make you feel better.” She only just manages to get her words out as I take my wet finger and press it against her tight hole.
“This is makin’ me feel better, darlin’,” I assure her, feeling her pulse and tighten around me.
She spreads her legs open wider to allow me more access and, deciding that I want Leia Walker’s cum all over my bed sheets, I pull out my finger and strum at her sensitive flesh, hard and fast until her body goes tense and she’s making noises loud enough to let the whole house know she’s here.
Her eyes fly open and stare at me with fear when she feels it coming, and as much as I want to kiss that lip she’s holding on to with her teeth, I hold myself back.
Instead, I enjoy the view as her hips buck against my hand and her pussy spills all over my comforter.
“ Holy fucking shit !” She catches her breath, still clinging to my arm tight, while her legs shake violently.
Then, she squeals loud enough to wake the dead when I lean down, take hold of her thigh, and toss it over my shoulder so I can taste her there too.
I can tell she’s still sensitive by the way she flinches at the touch of my tongue, so I use it gently, sampling for myself just how good her pleasure tastes.
When I’m satisfied, I unbutton my jeans, and kiss my way back up her body, as I pull them down so my cock is positioned between her legs. Then taking her lips with mine, I fill her at the same time.
There’s nothing in this world that beats being inside her, not even the 8-second count. Her nails scrape at my back as her moans fill my mouth, and I wonder why I wasted so many years denying myself.
Having her waiting for me in my bed tonight has only cemented how much I want this.
And I don’t care what Mason’s got on Mayor Walker, I will not let it stop us having this forever.
I get now why Garrett had to marry Maisie so quickly after he got her back.
I’ve got that same need to make Leia mine.
I clutch her thigh in my hand and hitch it up higher, giving me deeper access.
Grinding my hips against her body, I build her up to another orgasm, pulling my head back so I can watch her come undone.
I know how much Leia likes to be in control, but right now she’s giving all of it to me, and I swear the girl ain’t ever looked so beautiful.
I can tell she’s close, I’ve already come to recognize the sweet, little moans she makes, and I keep the pace, making sure I come right along with her.
I ain’t wearing anything, and I somehow manage to pull out just in time.
My cock pulses as I spill onto her stomach and the way I glisten on her skin is so fuckin’ perfect, it makes me wanna wrap her up in my arms and never let her leave this room.
Grabbing her face in my hand, I kiss the breath right out of her, letting that wholesome feeling of having her close sink deep enough to become a reality
“Thanks for being here.” I whisper.
“Wouldn't wanna be anywhere else.” She smiles up at me in that way that makes my heart leap into my throat, leaving no doubt in my mind that what we have here, is for fuckin’ keeps.