Claiming Zoey: A Small Town Romance Page 7

  Probably, had I gotten Alexandra and I a hotel room, I wouldn’t have been able to get it up because of the feisty Fall Creek hottie in my mind. Damn, what is wrong with me? It feels a little similar to what I felt all of those years ago when I was in love with that girl. Fuck, I can’t deal with this right now. Why is this happening to me again and here of all places? Life is so much easier with Crystal and the other women I meet. Why Zoey? Fall Creek is jinxed.

  “I am not going to do chemo, Noah. I am too damn old. And besides, I don’t want to spend my last days on the planet in some shitty hospital room.”

  My granddad’s voice rattles me, taking me away from my internal dilemma. I will have to deal with Zoey and what I think I feel for her later. “But grandpa, I can arrange for you to have the best treatment. We can even decorate your room to your own specifications. Just tell Glyn what you want tomorrow, and it will be taken care of.”

  He waves his hand. “Thanks but no thanks, Noah. I appreciate what you are trying to do for me, but you heard the doc, the odds are not in my favor.”

  “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that we should give up,” I say.

  “You didn’t get the whole truth from the doctor. He only told you part of the story.” Granddad takes a slug from his beer. “You better go get yourself one of these and maybe heat up the grill if you’re hungry.”

  A beer is a good idea. I ate a sandwich at the bar back in Burlington, so I have no appetite. I step into the house and fetch myself a beer. I hurry back to hear what granddad has to say on the topic of his health. After I sit down, our bottles clink, and we drink in silence for a few moments.

  “The cancer I have is terminal. It’s the reason I called ya. I needed to see ya before something serious happens. I needed to see ya so that you can make things right with Hunter again.”

  “No way…”

  Granddad doesn’t let me finish. “How could he do anything about it? You never told him the girl’s name…I bet had he known; he would never have touched her. And besides, it was my fault. I told ya to leave. I did it because I always knew that you would make it big in the world. Hunter belongs here.”

  I watch him sip on his beer bottle. Granddad is right of course. The whole thing was a vicious circle. I left blaming Hunter, and he blamed me for leaving without a word. It was so stupid. It was senseless in the way all such arguments are – two or maybe three people holding onto their stances with only a fraction of the information required. No wonder these situations are always bullshit.

  “You got to patch things up with him. Do it for me before I die.”

  “Granddad, don’t say that. I don’t want you to die,” I say, feeling my eyes well up with tears. I can’t remember the last time I cried, but it sure was one hell of a long time ago.

  “Don’t you dare do that in front of me. You’ll have me falling apart with ya. This is not supposed to be a sad moment. My grandson is back. Come here and give an old man a hug.”

  The tears seem to stop at his command. If they would come, some most certainly would be out of happiness for that is what I also feel at being with him again. I take the grizzled old man into my arms and hug him for the first time in over fifteen years.

  “You got to do one other thing for me,” he whispers into my ear.

  “Sure, granddad,” I say, already dreading the prospect of his next request.

  CHAPTER 10: ZOEY

  The color rushes to my face with blistering intent. Now that I am no longer angry with Noah, all of the sensual thoughts I had about him the last two nights hit me at the same time. I have the clearest of memories of how I awoke after I pleasured myself in my sleep to the thought of him fingering my pussy. Last night it was even more intense – I took a bath and imagined him making love to me in the tub. I had another earthshattering climax just like the first one. What’s happening to me? I don’t usually self-pleasure so often.

  “Hi, Zoey…I am sorry for being such a dick yesterday at the hospital.” Noah laughs throatily. “To be frank, I apologize for always being a prick when I am around you.” He holds out his hand.

  I take it. I am immediately aware of the current that flows between us. Holding him feels even better than the first time.“Thanks…” I laugh nervously. “You were a prick, but I forgive you. Any guy who is able to identify his faults and do something about them is a man worth knowing,” I say. I wink at James Jackson who is standing next to Glyn behind Noah with a large smile on his face.

  I can’t help but think he has something to do with Noah’s apology. Who cares - it takes a big man to say sorry. That’s why so few do it.

  “Now that wasn’t so difficult, eh,” says James, brushing past his grandson. “All you have to do is be yourself, Noah. And the rest will sort itself out.” He walks up to Jake at the counter and the morning ritual commences.

  “Hi, Glyn,” I say, shaking his hand. “We never had the chance to meet at the party really. James dragged you away so quickly the other night.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. When that man puts his mind to something, nothing can stop him.”

  I laugh as we walk to the booth where James always sits. On the way over there, I can’t help sneaking furtive looks in Noah’s direction. Damn, the man is sexy. Also, his sexiness rating just catapulted into the stratosphere now that he’s not trying so hard to impress me. He’s actually nicer than I imagined him to be when he is his natural self.

  “Three cups of joe with sugar and cream…”

  “James, I think you should let Glyn and Noah give me their orders themselves,” I say. James grunts something as he sits down, his daily car negotiation concluded.

  “Zoey, you got to tell me how you do it? You literally have my grandfather so well trained. He takes you seriously,” says Noah.

  I chuckle. “It took years of practice but in the end, perseverance prevailed, and I now have him eating out of my hand.”

  “Be careful, young lady. I can change that in a heartbeat…now, how about that joe and my usual…”

  I raise my hand to forestall James from giving me his entire order. For the first time ever, he stops. “How about you two? What are you having?” Noah opts for the same as his grandfather (no surprise there), and Glyn goes for the healthiest item on the menu if it can be called as such: pancakes with seasonal berries and maple syrup. Glyn has a juice and Noah coffee à la James Jackson.

  Those two are quite alike, I think on the way to Orlando in the kitchen. While I am waiting, I think of ways to get Noah to myself. I love the fact that he is trying to act civil. However, at the same time, I worry that I might have made him think that he has to be ultra-slow and careful when it comes to wooing me - that is if he still wants to.

  Maybe, he thinks I am this mega ice queen bitch type with a small town girl’s chip on her shoulder. Noah might’ve changed his mind. Maybe, he is waiting it out in Fall Creek until he is certain that his granddad is okay and he and Glyn will head back to New York and him back to his gaggle of women.

  Perish the thought. I am too much trouble for him; I am certain of it. I saw the stuff on him on the Internet. He can have anybody he wants, and they are all half as difficult as I am. Out there in the urban jungle, everybody is willing to fuck and get fucked. I should have done what Savannah said. I should’ve just gone for a steak dinner and slept with the guy. I bet he is better in real life than any of my dreams could ever design.

  “Here, Zoey. Two Jackson specials and one healthy pancake,” says Orlando, sliding the plates over the counter.

  “Thanks,” I say, taking them. On my way back to the table, I weigh up the options in my mind. Should I just go out on a date with him and let him have his way with me? Or should I be a lady and let him go back to his life and his women and remain none the wiser about his obvious sexual talents? By the time I get to the table, I still have not made my mind up – fuck!

  “Hey, Hunter,” I say, placing the dishes in front of their respective recipients. “Black coffee for ya?” I ask the
new arrival with a surprised look on my face. I half expect the two brothers to kill one another.

  “Yeah, and the same food as my brother and grandfather please, Zoey,” says Hunter.

  “Sure.” On the way back to the kitchen, I can’t help but hear that Hunter just invited Noah to his place for dinner. Wow, Kaylee must’ve really ripped him a new asshole, as Gunny Highway would say. I hope the dinner turns out okay.

  CHAPTER 11: NOAH

  I am standing in front of my brother’s place holding a bunch of flowers in one hand and a bottle of whisky in my other. Hunter, like me, always liked a good Mac Allen now and again. I am still having trouble getting my head around the fact that he invited me to his home for dinner with his wife and two daughters.

  Somehow, things are changing for the better. I only hope Hunter, and I can stay off the topic about what happened back then and focus on tonight. I step forward and press the doorbell. It barely takes a second until the cutest little girl is standing before me. She’s like a girly mini version of my brother: dark hair, open face and brown eyes.

  “Hi there…my name is Noah,” I say, peering down at the six-year-old.

  “Are you my uncle Noah?” she asks.

  “Yes, that is exactly who I am.”

  “So, that you makes you my daddy’s brother?” she probes further.

  “Right again,” I respond.

  “Oh, Noah, I am so sorry. Please come in. When Felicity starts asking questions she doesn’t stop,” says Kaylee, rushing to the door and welcoming me inside the house.

  After I hugged them both, she and Felicity dash off in the direction of what I assume to be the kitchen with the gifts I brought. Her home is pleasant. I can see that Kaylee put a lot of effort into creating the ideal place for her husband and children. Everything from the photographs on the mantelpieces and tables are all faultlessly placed. The tone of the curtains, settees, carpets and parquetry flooring are all in perfect harmony with one another. The whole place exudes idyllic vibes from the shingled exterior to the tasteful and contemporary interior.

  “Hey, what are you doing still standing in the hallway?”

  My gaze snaps away from my perusal of the dining area with the perfectly laid table. “Hey, I was just caught up in the loveliness of your home.”

  Hunter smiles in that lopsided way he always does. “Come here, little brother. Looks like you could use a hug.” It feels great to be held by the one man I missed most apart from granddad. “It’s home, but I bet it’s nothing compared to the place you got in New York, eh?”

  “No, that’s for sure…this is way nicer than anything I own,” I say, meaning it and following him to the dining area at the end of which is an open-plan kitchen. We take a seat at the counter facing Kaylee and his two daughters who are working with her in the kitchen.

  “You’re bullshitting me. I know this is nice – Kaylee designed it and I did all of the building with some of the guys in town, but your place must be like a palace.”

  “Language, Hunter. We have two little girls in the house and a wife,” chides Kaylee.

  “This here is magnificent, Hunter, and way nicer than my place. You’ll see when you come visit,” I say. “Maybe you two should start an interior design and construction business in New York – you sure have taste. I love what you have done with the kitchen; it blends in seamlessly with the rest of the room.”

  This remark invites a snort from my brother. I can tell he hasn’t changed. Compliments never worked with him. “Hey, Megan. Come meet your uncle,” he says to the girl helping her mother prepare the food alongside her sister. She looks like her mother. I also detect similarities to Zoey. I guess I see Zoey everywhere at the moment.

  “It’s great to meet you finally, Uncle Noah,” says the girl who I assume is ten.

  “Yeah, I am really happy to meet you too.” Wow – look at what I missed all this time. I have an entire family here about whom I know absolutely nothing about. I have to change this. I promise myself that I will make alterations to my life from this day on.

  “Okay, the food is ready,” says Kaylee. “Hunter said you loved pot roast with corn, roast potatoes and gravy when you were kids.”

  “Yep, we sure did. That was when we weren’t eating steak or fish from the lake,” I say.

  Hunter hoots laughter. “Yeah, once every five years, granddad would make us grandma’s special pot roast. The rest of the time it was red meat and fish on the grill no matter the weather.”

  “Damn, it was good though. I just could have done with some more pot roast,” I add.

  “Well, I hope mine can compete with Grandpa Jackson’s,” says Kaylee, carrying the piping hot dish to the table with oven mitts.

  “I bet it will,” I say. I follow Hunter and the rest of the family to the table and sit down. In moments, my nieces busy themselves with filling my plate with the delicious food. When everyone has a full plate, I take my first bite.

  “Wow, I haven’t eaten this good in ages,” I say, nearly falling apart because I love the taste so much. It reminds me of home and when I was young. No food in the world can beat that flavor.

  Kaylee blushes. “Thanks, Noah. The girls are a great help.”

  I smile at my nieces. Soon, the entire conversation at the table revolves around them. They tell me all about school and their friends. When Megan asks me what I do for a living, a new level of hero-worship sets in. I promise to take her to a bunch of concerts in the near future – naturally with the VIP backstage tour and a personal introduction to the lead stars. All the while, Hunter looks at me with a happy expression on his face. Could the feud finally be over, I ask myself? Has he missed this as much as I have?

  “You know you’re gonna have to keep your promise to Megan, Noah,” says Hunter.

  I nod. “Sure I will. You just let me know when I can have Megan and I’ll make the arrangements.”

  “What about me?” asks Felicity with a sad expression on her face.

  “We’re going to do something really cool. We will fly on a plane to Florida, and I will take you to Disney Land,” I say, accepting her huge hug.

  “And your uncle Noah has his own plane,” adds Hunter without a trace of jealousy in his voice.

  “Wow,” squeal both girls in unison.

  While the coffee is served, Hunter sends his daughters to their rooms. He still has stuff to discuss with me. As soon as he and Kaylee are settled back down at the table, he tells me his side of the story of what happened back then. After I add the missing pieces, we have all of the facts. Kaylee is very surprised. She says the two of us are fools for having held a grudge for so long because of something that could have been solved years ago.

  And just like it was when we were younger, Hunter and I answer together, “Us Jacksons are fighters and don’t let anyone tell ya otherwise.” We clink with our coffee cups and laugh like we did when were kids.

  “You Jacksons are stubborn jackasses that’s what,” says Kaylee.

  “That’s what we just said,” says Hunter. “We fight until the end.”

  Kaylee shakes her head and smiles at her husband. “So, how’s it going with Zoey?” she asks me.

  I gulp. “Well…”

  “Get your ass over there,” says my brother, hitting me on the back. “It’s about time you got yourself a decent girl, and I can vouch for Brooks’ quality. They purr like kittens if you oil them well.”

  This promptly incurs a slap to his shoulder from Kaylee. “She should be off work by now. I am certain my sister would be happy to see you,” says Kaylee after reprimanding her husband some more.

  “Here, take this bottle of vino with you.” Hunter jiggles with his shoulders. “At least you’ll go over there armed with something.”

  I nod. “Okay…I will go see her,” I say with far more confidence than I feel. Shit! I am nervous as hell. This is so not me.

  ****

  “What the fuck! I play your song every day on the radio, Zoey. Thanks to me, people out there kn
ow who you are. The least you could do is show me some respect!”

  “It’s late, Zac. You know that you are not supposed to come here. Please don’t make me call the cops.”

  The strange man snorts into his hand. “Do you think I give a shit about the police? I am here for some food and some quality time with my girl.”

  “I am not your girl anymore, Zac.”

  Fuck me, Zoey went out with this douche. I don’t believe it. He’s so not her type. No wonder she’s careful when it comes to men. I am standing a little further down the street and out of sight. My blood is close to boiling point. I would like nothing more than to rush over there and beat the shit out of that guy. But I hold back. I promised myself that I would take it slow with her. They might just fight it out verbally, and he will leave.

  “Then why don’t you have a new boyfriend, eh? It’s been over three years since our break up. I guess the thought of me is too much to part up with, eh? There is no better man than me,” continues Zac.

  I am starting to think that maybe I should intervene. The bulky guy with the spikey dark hair under his baseball cap is starting to worry me. If he moves any closer, he will be on top of Zoey.

  “I’m bushed, Zac. Can’t you see when a girl just wants to be alone?”I notice that Zoey is starting to sound a little edgy. Now, it’s really time to announce my presence.

  “Well then, let me in, and we can have a little fun together for old time sake.”

  “Get your hands off me, Zac. I mean it.”

  “You, bitch, are a fucking cock tease. You’re gonna please ‘ol Zac just like you used to.”

  “Get your hands off her, you miserable little shit.” I slowly walk up to the garage building on the border of her parents’ property. No wonder the weasel has the guts to come here. The studio is too far away from the main building. Nobody can hear a thing.