Chapter 2
Lila
I pulled up my leggings.
If these things didn’t do great things for my figure, I wouldn’t ever wear them.
Because sometimes the material sat just right.
And other times, it seemed that my vagina tried to suck the material in.
Yeah, not a pretty picture... right?
Well, it’s an even worse feeling.
Once I got the material just right, I closed my car door, wove my way around the cars, and then headed up Talia and Dominik’s front walk for a monthly dinner.
See, we all traded places.
It was something Frank and Misty Griggs did, the mother and father of the Griggs’ siblings, a long time ago.
And since their kids were all married, with the exception of Ethan, the couples traded houses.
They had even wanted to add Everly and me to the mix.
However, my place wasn’t big enough for them, and neither was Everly’s apartment.
But I knew... just knew that the moment either one of us got a bigger place, then they would work our homes into the rotation.
Just as I went to open the door, my phone rang.
I pulled it out of my bag, checked it, smiled, then moved away from the door.
“Hey, Bax,” I said with a smile.
Bax was short for Baxter.
He hated his name.
But it was what he was given, so in his words, he just sucked it up.
Bax was also known as Baxter Beachman.
He was also a detective.
The kind of detective who, when a wrong was being done, he wagered the grey areas it fell under.
He was also the man who had responded to my Mom’s 911 call all those years ago.
And he was also the man who had taken me under his wing and showed me how a woman is supposed to be treated.
He and my mother were still going strong, and I couldn’t be happier for her.
She deserved a good man in her life.
“Hey there, button. How are you doing?”
I sighed, “What’s wrong?”
He snickered, “What makes you think something is wrong?”
“The tone of your voice.” I drawled.
He snickered again, “I tried to talk your Mom out of it, but...”
I knew where this was going; therefore, I sighed, “Seriously? Again?”
He sighed, “Yeah, I know. But I actually know this boy.”
Only Baxter Beachman, who was fifty-four, would refer to a twenty-something person as a girl or a boy.
Knowing how this played out, I sighed, “When?”
“Next Friday at our house.”
I nodded, “Fine.”
“Okay, button. Love you.”
I grinned, “Love you, too.”
After we hung up, I sighed, then shook my head.
Only my mother.
Dearly love her, but how many times did I need to say that I was fine being single?
And I was for a myriad of reasons.
And since I didn’t want to let the depression that sometimes bogged me down, I pushed the thoughts of why I also wanted to be with someone deep, deep, deep down inside of me.
Once I was sure that the thoughts were buried deep, I didn’t bother knocking; I just opened the door.
Dominik and Talia’s house was white with black accents, and it had a tin roof. It was three bedrooms and the perfect size for their family.
Granger, Lola, Krispin, Sage, and Isiah ran around playing tag.
Granger and Lola were Carter and Harlee’s two kids.
Krispin was Alec and Cassie’s baby.
And Sage was Garrick and Tatum’s little girl.
Isiah rounded up the next generation of the Grigg’s siblings, he was Dominik and Talia’s son, and I knew that there were more babies to come.
I walked over to Melanie and pressed a kiss on her cheek.
I hugged my girls and got kisses on the cheeks from the guys. The only one missing from the group was Cassie. She apparently had been hugging the toilet all day long and Alec and Krispin were staying long enough until the food was ready, then they were headed back home.
I had seen it on Alec’s face. He hated being here without his Cassie.
When I saw Misty, their mother, I walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. She whispered, “Talked to your Momma.”
I groaned.
She giggled.
“It’ll be alright.” She said in a low tone.
I sighed, “Yeah, maybe.”
When I pulled back, she locked her hazel eyes on mine and said, “See it. Know there’s more buried deep inside of you that no one knows. I’m always here to talk. I consider you one of mine.”
At her words, I smiled, then I nodded, “Thank you. I’ll come to you if I need to talk.”
I smelled Frank before I saw him.
And that wasn’t a bad thing. Promise.
The story was that when Frank and Misty met over fifty years ago, she hated the smell of his aftershave.
So, since he wanted her, he went out and tried every single aftershave he could get his hands on.
And when Misty smelled the one, he was currently wearing, that was all he wore.
Said that the first time she had buried her nose into the side of his neck, she was his, and he was hers.
I smiled at the memory of hearing that story as Frank wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
I looked up at him and smiled, “Doing good ole’ timer.” I teased.
His eyes twinkled, “When you meet your man, I hope he’s older than you are.”
I scowled, “Why is that?”
He snickered, then he lowered his tone, “Because I want you to call him your ancient artifact.”
I froze... and then... I burst out laughing.
I was still shaking my head as I moved into the kitchen to help with what I could.
Drinks were being handed out as the food was almost ready when I heard the bell chime in the house.
I had just placed the last of the dishes that needed to be cleaned into the dishwasher and pressed the start button when I heard a girl’s giggle.
I didn’t know that giggle.
And since I tended to be nosey during certain situations, I made my way out of the kitchen.
And as I rounded the corner out of the kitchen... I heard it.
That voice.
That makes your panties wet.
That makes your heart race.
That gives you chills, and oh, the best kind of chills.
And as my eyes scanned, I found him.
Then, when he opened his mouth and the way his voice caressed every part of me, I swayed.
Thankfully, there was a wall there to break my fall.
“I’m Bronson. Nice to meet you.”
Bronson.
So, this was Bronson.
I had heard about him from the group I was lucky enough to be a part of.
And let me just say that the way he was described did not do this man justice.
Now, I was all for men having any length of hair they wanted.
But seeing this man... There was something about his bald head.
Dark, artfully crafted brows that sat above the most stunning pair of eyes I had ever seen.
And I hated to do it... But his eyes... they were what I envisioned a character’s eyes in the book I was currently reading looked like.
Gold flecks dispersed around coal-colored eyes.
Those were the kind of eyes that a woman could drown in, and she would do it happily.
His lips... they were pillowy.
The kind of lips you just can’t help but want to devour, and you’ll live to have them all over your skin.
And that beard... I would have given anything to have felt how soft it was right between my thighs...
Lila Rae Durant.
Have you lost your mind?
Obviously, I have.
Because I was also imagining that tall, built, muscled body atop mine.
Moving over me, dangerously, gloriously.
Oh. Fuck.
Shaking my head, I took in the two teens who were at his side.
Oh. My. Stars.
They had to be the cutest things on this earth I had ever seen.
Both of them looked identical to their dad, but both of them had dark mahogany hair.
No doubt from their mother.
And I didn’t even try to hide the fact that my eyes had trailed down his left arm.
Right to that very important finger.
And at the absence of a ring, well, that didn’t mean anything.
Did it?
I knew a few people who were happily married and had forgone wearing wedding bands.
Lila Rae.
Stop it.
Just then, the kids moved further into the house. I gasped, which caught their attention. I asked, “Girl! Is that the top from Glitter and Lace?”
The girl beamed at me and nodded.
I winked at her, “You pull it off a lot better than that mannequin did.”
She timidly walked over and said, “Love your top.”
I looked down at it and smiled.
I had gotten this top on sale a few months ago.
It was a deep sage green that wrapped around my breasts and tied just off to the left.
Leaving the parts that weren’t tight to my skin to billow just right.
Allowing for air to move in and cool my heated body.
Thank god.
I winked at her, “Thanks, babe. Love your shoes.”
I was a sucker for Converse.
She smiled, “These are my favorites.”
I winked.
Then the boy came over and lifted his chin, “I’m Cole.”
I held out my hand to him and said, “Lila. Nice to meet you, Cole.”
Just as we clasped hands, the girl winced, “Sorry. I’m Madalyn.”
I winked at her as I dropped Cole’s hand and said, “Complimenting another woman is better than knowing someone’s name. Sometimes, it’s the highlight of a woman’s day.”
She beamed, “Really?”
I nodded, “Oh yeah.”
Then Cole said, “So, Ms. Lila. Do you like football?”
I looked at him, “Am I American?”
He snorted.
Just then, I felt it.
A presence unlike anything I have ever felt before.
Something I knew was going to rock my entire world.
And then as my eyes moved to find the source, I knew that the moment I locked my blue eyes with those coal-colored eyes, the color that was the perfect blend of the perfect aged whiskey, that he was the presence I felt.
Furthermore, when he held his hand out to me, he said, “I’m Bronson.”
I tried not to giggle like a little girl as I placed mine in his and said, “I’m Lila.”
Then, all of a sudden, a bang could be heard.
Krispin hollered, “I’m okay,” which had me glancing in his direction for a split second.
Something told me I missed the way his eyes snapped down at my bare ring finger.
Just from the way his eyes had snapped back to mine.
Oh, honey.
For some reason, I talked nonstop with Cole and Madalyn, and Bronson would tag into the conversation every now and then.
I learned that Madalyn wanted to be a fashion designer and Cole wanted to play pro-ball.
And the moment he said, “Roll Tide,” I snapped my eyes at him, narrowed them, and said, “Spend my dollar,” he replied, “On beer.”
I fist bumped him, “Yes. Finally, someone who knows the best team of all time.”
His eyes widened, “Seriously?”
I snickered then yelled at Harlee, “Harls!”
She looked at me and widened her eyes, “What?”
“Who’s my football team?” I asked.
She snorted, “Ala-freaking-Bama.”
I looked at Cole and smirked.
“Okay, that’s it. Other than my dad, my sister, and some of my friends, you're officially one of the coolest people I've ever met.”
My face went soft at his words, and my heart melted.
Madalyn had captured it when she beamed at the compliment I gave her earlier.
And Cole just did it with his sincere words.
I was definitely in trouble.
About half an hour later, the food had been consumed, and I had just finished helping clean everything when I walked back into the living room to catch the end of a conversation Bronson and Madalyn were having.
“Dad, can you take me to Emporia tomorrow?” Madalyn asked Bronson.
“Sorry, kiddo. Helping a buddy of mine. I’ll try to call your...”
I waded in at the crestfallen look on Madalyn’s face.
“If you feel comfortable with it, I’ll be happy to take Madalyn. I always go there when they release their fall releases. Best stuff ever.”
Madalyn’s jaw dropped. “You like that store too?”
I snickered, “If your dad is okay with me taking you, then you’ll see for yourself. But yes.”
“I can go too. Got nothing better to do. That is, if you're cool with it?” I thought Cole was asking his dad until I looked at him and felt his eyes on me.
I shrugged, “Fine with me.”
Then, like it had been planned, we three looked at Bronson.
His eyes narrowed as he asked, “Why do I get the feeling that this won’t be the first time y’all gang up on me?”
I froze for a mini second to embrace the way his voice moved over me.
Then I got back into the program as the three of us laughed.
Bronson nodded, “Okay. But you will both respect Lila. Is that understood?”
They both nodded, but it was Cole who asked, “Dad, you raised us. You saying you raised us wrong?”
Bronson sighed, “Fuck me.”
We all chuckled.
And it was as we were all leaving that I traded my number with Bronson, Cole, and Madalyn.
And that was how, over the next couple of months, I inadvertently found myself helping with Cole and Madalyn.
I knew that the times I had with them... I would treasure it until I took my last breath.