Chapter 4
Chapter Four
TRICK
Jesus, Nona took my breath away.
Dressed down like she’d been at the soccer game or done up like she was now, the woman was a hardcore knockout. I was starting to think she could be in a pair of tattered, stained sweats and I’d still find her irresistible.
I’d almost dropped the box I’d been carrying, nearly shattering the very few dishes I owned, when I looked across the street a couple minutes ago and got my first glimpse of her. And as I got closer, the whole package only got better.
Her normally beautiful blue eyes were the color of her top, a bright, stunning turquoise that any man would happily be consumed by.
And I’d been doing just that, breathing freely for the first time in weeks now that we seemed to be back on track when a piercing, high-pitched whine shattered the peacefulness of the cozy street and the moment we’d been having.
Nona and I turned toward the noise, and I noticed her entire body lock tight as a piece-of-shit truck came barreling up the lane.
From the sounds it was making, the thing was in serious need of a new belt, and that was probably the least of the repairs it needed.
“Jesus. Who the hell’s stupid enough to drive a death trap like that?”
“My ex,” Nona replied flatly, then it was my body that locked tight. “Shit,” she hissed when he pulled to a stop at the curb right in front of her house.
My jaw ticked as I turned toward her stiffly. “I’m takin’ that curse to mean you didn’t know he was comin’.”
“And you’d be correct,” she grumbled unhappily. “He’s not supposed to just show like this without a heads-up first.”
“You got that in writing?”
“Yeah. After his last pop-in ended in a shouting match where he called me a stupid bitch, along with a few other colorful names, all in front of our kids, I contacted my lawyer and had the divorce decree amended.”
That tick grew more pronounced, and my words came out in a growl as I asked, “He called you a bitch? In front of your kids?” Christ, I knew the man was a piece of shit, but I hadn’t realized he was a complete and total piece of shit.
Nona shrugged as Christian Fanning exited the truck and started our way. “I wouldn’t take him back. He didn’t like that very much.”
The fucker was only about ten feet away when I moved, stepping in front of Nona and blocking him from getting to her. “That’s close enough,” I said in a hard, commanding voice to Nona’s ex. He drew to a quick stop. “You need to turn around, get back in your truck, and leave.”
“’Scuse me?”
The moment Chris’s eyes darted to Nona, I crossed my arms over my chest and planted my feet wider, blocking as much of her as I could from his sight. “You heard me.”
“Listen, asshole,” he started belligerently, “I don’t know who you think you are, but how about you move along, huh? I need to talk to my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” I stressed, feeling an irrational sense of anger at hearing him lay any type of claim on Nona.
“And seein’ as your divorce decree states all visits from you must be approved by her in advance, whatever you have to say to her can wait until you get in your truck, drive away, and call her to set up a time to speak in person. .. at her convenience.”
“Jesus Christ.” Chris’s eyes went to Nona once more. “Who the fuck is this guy, No?”
It was taking everything I had not to put my fist through this prick’s face. “Who I am is none of your business.”
I could feel the situation deteriorating quickly, but no way in hell was I letting this guy anywhere near Nona.
Not when he had no right to be standing where he was at that exact moment.
Not when he’d already made her life miserable.
If I had it in me to prevent any more of that shit happening, I’d break my back to do so.
Nona
Things were spiraling out of control.
Reaching up, I placed my hand on his arm. “Trick,” I said softly, drawing his attention to me. “It’s fine. I got this.”
“Yeah, dickhead. She’s got this, so why don’t you back the fuck off and let me speak privately with my wife?”
There was no stopping my immediate eye roll. The ink on our divorce had long since dried, and this jerk was still referring to me as his wife to anyone who listened. And now he was doing it just to screw with Trick.
“Not gonna remind you again what she is to you, man.”
The acid in Trick’s voice shocked me, and I had to lean around his massive frame just to see Chris’s reaction to it. I had five extra inches, thanks to my amazing wedges, and the big man still towered over me. His size and strength were one of the reasons our night together had been so magnificent.
Chris wasn’t a shrimp, but standing at five feet, ten inches, he’d hated it when I wore heels because it put us at eye level.
And seeing as he spent his off hours camped out in front of the TV while sucking down beer, he didn’t have anywhere near the strength to haul me around the bed, moving me into new positions that would take sex from incredible to stratospheric. Something Trick had excelled at doing.
I’d never been with a man with that kind of power.
I’d only had one other partner before Chris, and since we were both still in high school at the time, neither of us had a clue what we were doing.
And Chris was the type of lover that, as long as he got his, he was good.
He couldn’t give a single shit whether I got off or not. Once he finished, he was finished.
That was another reason why Trick giving me that kind of beauty, only to take it away hours later, was so damn cruel. But I didn’t have the luxury of reminiscing about that at present, seeing as I had a bigger, more annoying situation on my hands.
“Why don’t you eat me, huh?”
That was when I officially waded into the fold in the hopes of preventing possible bloodshed. I paid my lawn guy a pretty penny to make my yard beautiful, and I didn’t want anything messing that up. “For cryin’ out loud, Chris,” I snapped, stepping around Trick. “Stop being a jackass.”
He turned toward me and pointed at Trick. “Seriously, No. Who the fuck is this guy, your new guard dog?”
It wasn’t a surprise that he had no clue who Trick was. The only time Chris ever went out was to work—infrequently—and hit up the bars—way frequently. And during those times, he was too busy trolling for other women to cheat on me with, so the men in Hope Valley never hit his radar.
“He’s my neighbor,” I clipped, planting my hands on my hips. “He’s a friend, and most importantly, he was here first, so why don’t you cut the shit and tell me why you’re here so you can leave.”
He looked back at Trick with a menacing glare that looked more ridiculous than anything else before returning his eyes to me. “Can we maybe not do this with an audience?”
“Not a fuckin’ chance,” Trick stated with a look about a million times more menacing than Chris’s. “If anyone’s leavin’ it’s you. And you don’t say what you need to say, I’m gonna remove you myself.”
“All right, enough.” I lifted both my hands to cut them off. “I have an appointment for a cut and highlights in T-minus twenty minutes. I’m in a hurry and undercaffeinated, so just say what you need to say, Chris.”
He stalled for several seconds, his gaze bouncing between Trick and me like he was waiting for him to leave.
When he realized that wasn’t going to happen, he shifted sideways, effectively cutting Trick out of his eye line and putting his sole focus on me.
“I came by ’cause I wanted you to know I’m gonna be a little short on the support check this month. ”
A hazy red film lowered over my vision like a curtain slowly being dropped. I still had my travel mug in my right hand, but my left balled into a fist so tight it began to shake. “Are you kidding me?” I said in a low, ominous growl.
“Look, things are tight right now—”
“That’s what you said last month,” I spat. “And the month before that. And the month before that.”
His cheeks grew ruddy with anger as he lowered his voice and declared, “Things are slow right now. It’s not that easy to find work in construction.”
“You’re unbelievable!” I yelped, throwing an arm wide.
“I know for a fact that Benson McArthur’s company just started on that big new development on the north side of town, and last I heard from his receptionist when she came in to have her hair done, he was short staffed.
And there’s that new big-box store going up off Pinehurst. Not to mention the multitude of roofing companies in and around town who always seem to have business.
Construction’s not slow, Chris, you’re just too lazy to get off your ass and go apply at any one of those places I just mentioned. ”
“It’s not lazy to wanna work for yourself, Nona. Figured you out of anyone would understand that.”
“Yeah, I do get that,” I returned bitingly.
“But I also know it takes work and dedication to pull that off. That means you can’t just sit on your ass with a goddamn beer in your hand, waiting for something to fall in your lap.
What I don’t get is how you could be okay with your kids doing without because you don’t want to put in the effort to give them better.
That’s what I don’t get,” I finished, moving closer and drilling my finger into his chest.
“You’re un-fuckin’-believable,” he hissed viciously. “Saint Nona. You got no problem lookin’ down your nose at anybody, huh? Must be so easy up there on that high horse. You act like you don’t make plenty to give the kids what they need. You can afford to take care of ’em just fine.”
If it was possible to pass out from rage, I was coming dangerously close.
The edges of my vision started closing in as I pulled in a long breath that did absolutely nothing to tamp down my fury.
“It’s not about the money, you jackass. It’s about taking care of your kids!
It’s about wanting to give them better than that shitty apartment you live in.
It’s about actually seeing your kids when it’s your weekend, not bailing on half your visits in two months. How do you think that makes them feel?”
“I had shit goin’ on.”
I reared back in shock. “Shit more important than your own children?”
Crossing his arms over his chest in indignation, he seethed, “Cut me some goddamn slack. I’m doin’ my best.”
“Well, your best isn’t good enough, Christian!” I said, informing him of something he should have already known. “You need to do better, or you’re gonna lose them.”
“Fuck you,” he snarled, vibrating with anger.
“You’re done,” Trick ordered before I could issue a rebuttal. “You either leave on your own, or I make you.”
Chris gave me a scathing look and sneered, “Really, Nona? You gonna just stand there and let your boyfriend talk for you?”
Once again, Trick got there before I could respond, and I couldn’t find it in me to care. I was done battling Chris. For all I cared, Trick could have at him. “You have one second to make your decision or I’m gonna make it for you.”
Chris looked from me to Trick and back again before spinning on his heels, stomping back to his clunker of a truck, and peeling away from my curb with that high-pitched screech that pierced my ears like nails on a chalkboard.
Trick and I watched as he rounded the corner and finally disappeared. Once we were alone again, I turned to apologize for the scene he just witnessed.
“I’m so sorr—”
“Don’t apologize for that asshole. You have nothing to be sorry for.” My skin prickled with embarrassment beneath the intensity of his stormy eyes. “Just put him outta your mind, beautiful.”
“Easier said than done,” I muttered sadly, casting my gaze to the side. “Every time I look at one of my babies, it’s all I can think about.” I managed to fight back the wave of tears stinging my eyes, but the sorrow for my children that had been weighing on my heart for months now only grew worse.
“Hey now.” Trick rested his fingers against my jaw and tipped my face up to his.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m sorry he doesn’t realize everything he’s thrown away, and I’m sorry it’s hurting you, but as long as those kids have you, they’ll be okay.
You’re an incredible mother, Nona. Never doubt that. ”
I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear that until he said it. He sounded so sincere, so passionate in his declaration, that some of that weight lessened and I found myself smiling up at him. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”
He returned my smile. The fingers pressing against my jaw stroked the skin before he lowered his arm and stated, “So about that dinner. Does tomorrow night work for you?”
I tilted my head to the side, scrunching my brow in confusion. “Huh?”
“Dinner. You mentioned cookin’ for me and my kids as a welcome to the neighborhood. The kids are with their mom tonight while I get the house set up, but I get them back tomorrow. And I gotta tell you, after months of fast food and microwave dinners, a home-cooked meal would be more than welcome.”
“Oh, uh….” It might be a little weird having him back in my house after what went down, but the kids would be there as a buffer, and before Chris’s interruption, I’d finally started to feel like we were slowly getting back on track. Maybe a dinner would help to solidify that.
“Unless you have other plans,” he hedged.
“No. No, it’s fine. Tomorrow’s good. I usually get home a little after five, so let’s say dinner at six-thirty?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Great. Well... I guess we’ll see you guys then.”
Reaching up, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, the featherlight touch making me shiver. “That you will, beautiful.”
I remained frozen in place, watching Trick’s ass in those jeans as he started back across the lane.
It was only once he looked back over his shoulder and caught me gawking that I got with the program and scurried to my car to get on with me day, all while ignoring the furious blush scorching my cheeks.