Claiming Zoey: A Small Town Romance Page 3

  “A what?”

  “He doesn’t eat meat, Grandpa,” I say, shifting closer to him. “And it’s not a phone but an iPad.”

  “Who gives a shit…just go help him out with the food before he cremates it. And see that Glen gets an extra portion of fish. We wouldn’t want the guy to die from mad cow disease, now would we?”

  “Sure thing, Grandpa,” I say, surprised at his uncustomary softness concerning Glyn’s dietary preferences. “His name is Glyn, I add, patting him on the arm.

  “That’s what I keep saying…Glen” snorts granddad.

  Getting up, I realize how much I missed the old bastard. Especially after I saw my old room that he had not touched in all this time. It was as if he did not want to jinx anything by altering a thing. It makes me feel warm inside that he always waited for the day I would return. The way we parted was not what I had wanted, but grandpa had been adamant I leave no matter what I felt for her. I think he always knew that I would make my way in the world rather than in Fall Creek. Hunter, on the other hand, belonged here.

  “Now come on, I am hungry. You only live once, and that’s not forever.”

  The power of his voice hovers in the air like a swarm of bees, entering and exiting the hive. I frown. That’s so not like my grandfather. He hates platitudes like that. He always called them bumper sticker shit that some asshole created to sound intelligent.

  “Glen, go get some more cold ones. I’m all out here and hanging dry.”

  “This is a nightmare, Noah. When we get back to New York, I want a raise.” Glyn stutters as he skips in the direction of the living room. “And if you touch me tonight, Serge will have you murdered.”

  “Now, look who thinks he’s God’s gift to man,” I say, barely stifling my mirth.

  Glyn’s mouth drops. “I will get you back for that.” Without another word, he races into the house before grandpa can harangue him some more.

  That was my first home run against Glyn – hell yeah. I remove the steaks from the heat and place them on two plates. After, I place the fish on another plate for Glyn.

  In the meantime, Glyn returns from inside the house with three beers. “I don’t know why I am drinking this stuff,” he says when he hands me my beer.

  “I take it granddad doesn’t have any Aqua Amora in his fridge.”

  Glyn rolls his eyes in the way he always does. “It’s like having lunch with Genghis Khan. He’s nasty, and there’s nothing but alcohol in this place.”

  I chuckle.

  “Glen, bring over my fucking beer and sit your ass down. You, Noah, bring the damn plates before the food gets cold,” yells granddad.

  I chuckle again when I get a withering glower from my assistant. One thing’s for sure; he will never forget his brief sojourn in Fall Creek. I head back to the old wooden table. From the corner of my eye, I watch Glyn settle down on one of the tree stumps, acting as a seat as if he is planting his naked behind on a nest of bulldog ants.

  “Enjoy,” says grandpa, sawing his steak. He pops a piece of meat into his mouth and starts to chew. “Next time, Glyn, try to make it bloodier.”

  Glyn winces as he places a small bit of trout into his mouth. “Do we have any salad?” he asks, scanning the table. It is the wrong thing to say.

  “Do I look like a fucking rabbit to you, Glen? Here have a roll” Granddad throws one in his direction. “So, Noah…tell me, how have things been since you left here fifteen years ago? Anyone special in your life or you just been banging teenage pop singers?” Glyn sniggers. “Anything funny about that, Glen?”

  “Uh…no, I guess. It’s just that Noah is not really the relationship type of guy,” he stutters.

  “Oh, really…that’s a shame, Noah. Life is not worth living unless you have that special somebody to share it with,” says granddad.

  “I agree, Mr. Jackson,” says Glyn, slowly acclimatizing himself to his surroundings. “Love is the most powerful thing that exists. That bond between two people that is unbreakable is what we, as humans, should strive for above all things. You take the good and the bad in a person and love it. Because love is not just about the easy stuff in life but about when it gets tough. You deal with it as a team and give all you got.”

  Granddad looks up from his plate with a thoughtful expression on his face. “That was well said, Glyn,” he takes a large slug from his beer bottle, “I can see why you hired this guy, Noah. He sure knows his stuff…cheers, Glyn…to love,” he says, at last, using Glyn’s real name.

  I watch the two of them clink their bottles a few more times. I can’t believe that granddad and Glyn are actually hitting it off. Within moments, the entire conversation at the table takes place between the two of them. They philosophize about love some more with granddad telling Glyn all about my grandma. In turn, Glyn tells grandpa all about Serge. My eyes open wide when grandpa tells Glyn that his man sounds like a really nice guy and that the two of them are welcome at Fall Creek anytime. And grandpa is of course invited to the wedding.

  “So, my grandson doesn’t do girlfriends and ergo is not the marrying type, eh?” asks grandpa, bringing the conversation back to me.

  I shake my head and pull a face. “Nope. I am just not a one-woman kind of guy. There’s so much hot ass out there; I wouldn’t want to deprive myself of that for only one piece of it. And besides, relationships generally don’t work; people are not made for them. I don’t know the statistics, but marriages break up more often than they survive. Why waste time if you ask me?”

  “That is the biggest load of shit I ever heard. Fuck, I thought I raised you differently, Noah. Instead, I got a fucking virgin sitting at my table. Thank god you brought a real guy along with ya. Glyn here is twice the man you’ll ever be and always will be if you maintain an attitude like that.”

  I can’t believe what I am hearing. “Me a virgin; I have had more quif than Jack Nicholson,” I say, laughing at the absurdity of my grandfather’s insinuation.

  “Yeah, just what I thought; he’s a virgin, Glyn.” Granddad and Glyn clink their bottles again in celebration before my grandfather focuses all of his attention back to me.

  “You ain’t been with a woman until you’ve loved her, Kid. All that other crap you think you’ve been doing counts for nothing. All you do is run around trying to stick your pecker into some random pussy, all the while thinking you're cool and doing something special when in reality you’re a fucking hypocrite.” He hacks out a guttural laugh. “Wait until you hold a woman you can’t ever let go…it’s mind-blowing to say the least. To wake up next to her and see the most beautiful person there is lying there with you because she would rather be nowhere else in the world – that’s what I call magical.”

  Glyn nearly starts crying. “I know what you mean, Mr. Jackson. Oh, my God, I miss Serge.”

  “Call me James. Enough of that formal shit already.” He turns back to me and slaps the palms of his hands on his legs. “Let’s grill some more steaks and fish; you, Glyn, go get us some more beers. We’ll eat, drink and talk some more before we go to the party.”

  Party? WTF – there’s no way I am going to a party in Fall Creek.

  CHAPTER 4: ZOEY

  “Aw, it’s so cute that your mom and dad have been married for thirty-five years,” says Savannah, her green eyes twinkling. “I wonder if I will ever find a guy willing to stick it out with me for that long?”

  I look at my best friend with a smile on my face. “Sure, ya will.” Savannah makes Fall Creek worth living in. The woman in her late twenties with the ash-black hair and the razor sharp wit always says what I need to hear and that is even when I really don’t want to hear her opinion at all. Savannah is just about the most bubbly and vivacious gal around.

  “Yeah, I am so happy for mom and dad,” says my two-year-older sister, Kaylee. She’s the serious one out of the two of us, and I love her to bits. She looks a bit like me, but she has golden blonde hair to my Venetian blonde. Also, she is a little shorter and has a rounder face without fr
eckles that looks as if she is contemplating something momentous all of the time.

  “I hope they like the surprise party we’re throwing for them,” I say.

  Savannah, Kaylee and I planned this dig for weeks. It’s at my parents’ large two-story house located on the fringes of the town. All of their close friends and anyone they associate with in Fall Creek has been invited.

  “So, how was your day, Zoey? Same old, same old or did something earthshattering happen in Fall Creek that I haven’t heard about yet?” asks my sister.

  I think a moment. “Well, I had my usual chat with James this morning. He was different somehow…you know he actually asked me about my love life. Weird, huh?”

  “Mm, maybe he wants to ask you out on a date?” says Savannah, emitting a throaty chuckle.

  “Yeah, right. That man wouldn’t touch anybody even if she were as cute as my sister. He loved his wife too much.”

  “Yeah, it’s so sweet. I just wish I could meet a younger version of a guy like that. Well, maybe a little less rough on the edges than James,” I say.

  “Yeah, I swear, James, could kill somebody with that mouth of his,” says Kaylee.

  “But he’s so cute in his rough way,” I retort, scanning the room. I smile at my mom who waves at me from across the spacious living room that is full of people. I give her a wave back.

  “You, Kaylee, are so lucky to have Hunter. He’s hardworking, a great dad and he’s a real dish,” says Savannah. “A bit like that guy over there,” she adds, pointing toward the door.

  Both my sister and my gazes home in on the entrance to the house and zoom in like scanners. “Oh, my God,” we both say in unison.

  “What, what?” asks Savannah. “What am I missing? Do we know him or something?”

  “Duh, it’s James’s other grandson,” I blurt.

  “Hunter’s brother. Oh, shit. I hope there’s not going to be a scene when those two bump into one another. They haven’t spoken in years, and Hunter still won’t tell me the real reason for it. All he ever tells me is some lame ass story that they had a fight with their granddad and Noah left town, and he never came back,” says Kaylee.

  “Well, Mr. Sexy is back now. And yeah, I remember him now too. How could I forget? Jesus, he’s hot. Maybe my luck has changed, and I might have finally found my future husband,” says Savannah almost drooling.

  I have to agree with her. The bronze tanned man I had a small crush on when I was in my teens is handsome as hell. He exudes confidence in a way that says I own this room. Like a cat, I watch him walk further into the room with James Jackson and some Afro-American dude dressed in the most impeccable suit. Noah is hotter than I remember him to be. He looks like carnal sin wrapped in tight designer jeans, a white shirt open two buttons down and a tailored navy-blue jacket.

  He is tall and has wide, sculptured shoulders. The rest of his body shamelessly shouts I have the abs, ass, and stamina to rock your world. It’s just such a shame it is all hidden under his clothing. I can almost feel Savannah vibrating and salivating next to me. The guy I know from my childhood has wild wavy hair that hangs loose. Damn, he’s sexy. That thought is like on repeat in my brain and won’t stop.

  Us three girls are ogling him shamelessly. My sister for other reasons than both Savannah and I. Kaylee is most probably worried whether this Adonis of a man will beat the shit out of her Hunter. Thinking about it, it would be a pretty even contest. Both of them are well built and strong. Until today, Hunter was the catch of Fall Creek and my sister was the lucky winner. Now, it looks like Hunter has some competition in the running for the fictional Fall Creek’s ‘sexiest man alive’ trophy.

  “Go talk to him, Zoey,” says my sister, pushing me in his direction.

  “No way.” I blush for no obvious reason.

  “Come on. If you sleep with him and he marries you, we might become sister-in-laws as well as sisters…sort of like double sister act.” Kaylee snorts in the way she always does when she is amused and excited about something.

  “Can I go?” begs Savannah.

  “No,” says Kaylee. You got the last new guy that came to town…it’s Zoey’s turn this time.”

  “That’s so unfair. He only stayed for a week, and he broke my heart in the process,” protests Savannah.

  “I can’t help it if you jumped into bed with the guy too quickly. Anyway, Zoey always had a crush on Noah when she was younger, he’s her guy,” says Kaylee.

  “Did not,” I lie. My gaze is still fixed on Noah as if he were the Earth’s gravity and me some kind of celestial object captivated under its power. At this point, I am trying to mentally ascertain whether he has a large package in his pants. Judging by the way his jeans jut forth arrogantly in the front, it must be big.

  Fuck, what am I thinking? This is so not me. I never fawn over guys and especially not because of the imagined size of their genitalia. Ugh, it is just so bimbo-like to have these thoughts. But his masculine beauty stuns me, frying the neurons in my brain like an electromagnetic pulse.

  “The first song you ever wrote was about him,” continues my sister on the topic of my crush that judging by the flight of butterflies in my tummy appears to have never ended in fifteen years.

  “What?” I barely heard my sister drone on. My sister repeats what she said. “No,” I say, “I definitely didn’t write a song about him.”

  “Sure you did. What was it…‘I love the way your brown eyes sparkle but only when directed at me…oh, please God, if that could ever be” chirrups Kaylee, singing the lyrics, I wrote back then and emitting a contented chuckle.

  I blush. I have never seen my sister so loose. I punch her on the arm, inviting a small squeal of protest. “That was not about him,” I protest.

  “Was too. Now, get over there and let’s see if he recognizes you,” says Kaylee.

  Why wouldn’t he recognize me? Of course, he will. Savannah, Kaylee and I were the cutest girls in Fall Creek, and we like to think we still are. Noah Jackson will definitely know who I am. “Okay, okay, I am going already,” I say when my sister continues to push me in his direction.

  “If ya don’t want him, think of me, Zoey,” says Savannah.

  I wave my hand as I reluctantly walk in Noah’s direction. I don’t know why I am so nervous. It’s only Noah Jackson, the guy I liked since I was about eight years old. He never knew about my crush on him. I sort of expressed my emotions for him from a distance.

  I can feel my panties rub against my sensitive spot as I move. This can so not be happening to me – I never noticed my underwear before. I wiggle my hips and ass too much to free myself of the sensation. It’s not fucking working.

  “Hey, Doll. Long time no see,” says James, stroking my shoulder when I stand in front of him. He frowns. “You got an itch or something?”

  What? Oh, shit. I must’ve looked like a real jerk. I feel the heat rise up to my face as my mind keeps going: your panties are stuck up your crack; your panties are stuck up your crack. The amused look on Noah’s face confirms what I feel. I bet the guy knows exactly what I am thinking and going through – those eyes of his shout ‘predator.’ My blush just reaches full-on proportions under his intense scrutiny. I never remembered him to be so intimidating and in your face.

  I calm down. I have nothing to worry about. I look to James again, and I must say that I have never seen him look so happy before. His perma-scowl has been banished for the evening. He leans forward. “I told ya that I might have a guy for ya this morning. He’ a bit of a prick, but I know you can soften him up,” he whispers into my ear. James sweeps his arm, nearly hitting the man standing next to him in the face. “Meet my buddy, Glyn;” says James. I say hi. “Say goodbye to my buddy, Glyn.”

  I frown when James directs Glyn away in the direction of the cooler that is filled with beers. He has his arm over Glyn’s shoulders and is telling him why Fall Creek Draft is better for his health and hydration than some drink called Aqua Amora. What the fuck is Aqua Amora?

 
; “Hey there. My granddad forgot to introduce me…I am Noah Jackson.”Brrrr-brrrr…his deep pebbly voice reaches me with hurricane proportion. It’s just about the sexiest sound I ever heard in my life. I ask myself whether the quality of men’s voices improves with age because I don’t remember him ever sounding like that.

  My head snaps up in search of that saccharine cadence – I need more of it and now. Immediately, his deep brown eyes lock onto mine like tractor beams. Are they light brown, hazel-colored or just fucking sexy brown? For a heartbeat, I feel as if I am in free-fall from a plane. My heart beats as the adrenaline shoots through me until…CRASH! He doesn’t know who I am. How can that be? His brother is married to my sister. Oh, yeah, Noah never came to the wedding. He is almost a stranger in these parts.

  “Hi, I am Zoey Brooks,” I say, feeling confident that he will remember me now that I mentioned my name.

  “Nice to meet you, Zoey Brooks,” says Noah in that gravelly voice of his that could make a sixty short ton tank stick to the ground.

  I take the proffered hand in mine, all the while willing him with my eyes to just remember me. God, his grip feels so good. It’s like touching silk, only that my hand is enveloped in it like a swaddling babe in a warm, cozy blanket. I imagine what it might feel like to have his hands touch me someplace else – on my breasts maybe or…mm…between my legs. Before another blush can reach my face, my mind recalibrates: fuck this doosh, he doesn’t remember me, and I am thinking about him touching me intimately. Pull yourself together…you are not a wanton slut.

  His thick syrupy voice lures me back from my mental conflict. “I never knew that Fall Creek had such beautiful girls. If I had, I never would have left.”

  He flashes me a smile of perfectly straight white teeth – I fail to notice that it does not fully touch his eyes. Me, I swear my eyes just focused on his tongue that showed itself briefly. My gaze remains glued to his mouth as it continues to move with his words – damn, this guy has soft lips. “What do you say we get out of this place and I’ll take you out for some dinner? There must be somewhere half decent in town. And if not, we can just take my jet to New York for a steak dinner.”