The Suit (23 page)

“I love that you named a little pony, Hulk,” she chuckles.

“And I loved watching my grandfather train. He was so good and he really loved it.”

“What else?”

“The sound of hooves hitting the ground as the horse runs. I guess it’s like how some people love the sound of rain on a tin roof. It always relaxed me.”

“What about your parents?” she asks timidly.

I glance at her briefly. I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. It’s been so much easier to lock down any thought of my father somewhere deep inside me, but if I’m being honest there are a few good memories of him. “I liked when my dad would take me to the track with him to watch the races. He’d curse and buy me junk food and tell me not to tell my mother,” I laugh. “He’d even give me five dollars to place a bet. I mean, he’d place it, but I’d pick the horse.”

“And your mother?”

I smile at the thought of my mother. My memories of her aren’t bad. The problem is to think of her, I have to think of my father. It’s been easier to lock any thought of her up along with him. “The way she’d scratch my head to help me fall asleep.” As my mother’s image comes flooding back, I laugh a little. “I was a bit of a hellion as a kid. Always messing with the chickens or running off to explore without permission. She’d start yelling, “Johnny Ellis Wilson, you better get in here before I burn your hide.” I run a wide palm over my face. “She never spanked me. Not once. But she’d always threaten to.” Warmness settles over me, taking me by surprise. There are a lot of shitty things I don’t want to remember, but there are a lot of good ones, too.

Edie smiles softly. “Those sound like awesome memories.”

“They are,” I agree sadly.

“You know, Suit. It’s okay to forgive him. I know you’re angry with your father, but living your life that way can be costly. Daddy Bud said his biggest regret in life was letting my mother leave thinking he had disowned her. They were so angry with each other and when she died, he realized his anger had cost him more than he’d ever known.”

I smile faintly and stare up at the sky. “He let us down,” I mumble. “And the worst part is…
he
got off easy. He died before he had to let that farm go. He didn’t have to pack up a house full of four generations of stuff or watch our land get sold to some rich-ass snob who only wanted to add a pool and use the place as a vacation spot.
I
had to do it. I had to lose everything that meant anything to me; my family, our land, and even our reputation.” I scratch my head and take a deep breath.

“I know,” she takes my hand and kisses it. “But just because it ended the way it did, doesn’t mean you can’t be proud of the accomplishments your family had.”

“Maybe not,” I grumble.

“You know, I bet they’d all be real proud of you. Look at everything you’ve been through and all you’ve accomplished.”

I smile faintly at her. I wish I knew that were true. Part of me believes if they knew I turned my back on our legacy, they’d be done with me, but another part hopes they’d understand. I was just a college kid who had lost everyone he loved and didn’t know how to keep it all going. “Maybe,” I answer.

“Thanks for sharing with me.” Edie smiles down at me and I know just these few glimpses into my past confirmed to her she’s more than just a fling. I’ve let her in and even if we don’t work out in the end, she knows she means something to me.

Needing to clear my mind of the past, I lift the plate in front of her. “You better finish this cheesecake,” I threaten.

“Or what?” she laughs.

“Or I’ll make you.”

“Don’t worry. Not a chance I’m wasting one bit of this deliciousness.” She takes another bite and I sit up and kiss the corner of her mouth.

“Happy Birthday, Edie James,” I whisper, and she drops her plate and pulls my lips to hers.

Okay, the cheesecake was pretty fucking amazing. I’ll give her that. The look on her face when she saw her surprise was even better. We ate and talked and laughed and decided to call it a night afterwards. When we get back to the apartment, Parker’s bedroom door is shut and we hear a few moans escaping the room.

“Oh my God!” Edie whispers loudly as her eyes go wide. “They’re hooking up!”

“Is that a bad thing?” I ask, unsure if Edie will disapprove of a one-night stand between them.

“No. I’m just surprised. Nikki is usually very…selective.” Her brow is furrowed in concern, but she quickly transitions and smiles brightly.

“Well I’m sure Parker is loving every minute of it.”

We decide to sleep in the other bedroom together, figuring Parker and Nikki will stay cooped up in his room. We don’t make love; we just hold each other until we drift off to sleep. It was a perfect day, even if we both realized no matter how badly we wish we could be more, we can’t.

Parker and Suit part ways with us at security since they can’t follow us to the gate. I hug Parker and tell him it was nice to meet him. I barely spent any time with him since he and Nikki apparently hit it off and spent the remainder of the weekend together. I’m looking forward to her filling me in on those details.

I smile at Suit, unsure of what our goodbye should be like. But I’m not allowed much thought as he pulls me to him and kisses me hard. I’m stunned for a moment before I reciprocate and kiss him back with just as much fire. When he pulls away, my cheeks are heated and he smiles.

“I’ll be back in two days.”

“Good luck tomorrow. I know you’ll knock their socks off.”

“We’ll see. Call me when you get home and let me know you made it in, okay?”

“Yeah,” I answer and kiss him again.

“Ahem,” Parker clears his throat as he and Nikki stare at us with smirks.

“Sorry, guys,” I apologize and shake my head.

“Well, it was nice to meet you Parker.” Nikki holds out her hand to shake Parker’s like they’re leaving a business meeting. Suit shoots me a glance and we’re both grinning like idiots. As if we don’t know they were doing the nasty last night.

Parker takes her hand, but instead of shaking it, he kisses it. “It was lovely meeting you, Nicole.”
Oh no, he didn’t.
He used her real name…what a sweet talker. Nikki’s trying to hold a game face, but I know her well enough to know she’s as soft as butter on the inside right now.

Nikki shakes her head and pulls her hand away, turning to me. “Ready, Edie?”

“Yeah,” I nod, unable to stop grinning.

“Bye, guys.” I wave. “Be good or be good at it,” I offer.

I hold off on grilling Nikki for info until we’re seated on the plane. She immediately pulls out a magazine. I know she’s hoping I won’t ask her anything.

“Put the cheap gossip down and spill,
Nicole
,” I tease.

“Seriously?” she groans.

“Oh my God, you whore! You made me give you explicit details about me and Suit hooking up at the club Saturday night.”

“Yeah, because he broke the bouncer’s nose and got arrested for assault and battery!” she yells.

“Fine,” I purse my lips. “Don’t tell me. It’s your business.” I shrug and settle back into my seat.

A long moment of silence passes, but eventually Nikki cracks. “Obviously we hooked up,” she sighs with defeat, but never looks at me as she flips through the magazine.

“Do you like him?”

“I mean, he’s a nice guy, but it can’t be any more than a hook up. He’s moving to New York and I’m in Holly Springs.”

“Did he know you were a virgin before you had sex?”

Nikki’s lips curve slightly. “No.”

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

“Because if he had known he would’ve either been too eager to pop my cherry or he wouldn’t have wanted to. So, it was a surprise.” She
presses her lips together to suppress the smile that wants to break out across her face. I guess that means Parker was pretty shocked.

I stare at her dumbfounded. “Why him, Nikki?”

“Why not him?” she counters. I huff and cross my arms. I know why, I just wish I could get her to admit it. Nikki guards her heart like a steel fortress. I always feel bad when I hear stories about people physically or sexually abused in their childhood. But Nikki was abandoned. And in some ways, that scars just as badly. My best friend fears giving her heart to someone because she’s scared they’ll leave her. She gave her virginity to Parker knowing distance would prevent them from ever being together. This way, Parker didn’t abandon her, it’s all circumstantial. He can’t be with her because he lives too far away.

“Was he any good?” I can’t help asking. She’s been all over me for details about me and Suits shenanigans for a while now.

“He was amazing,” she sighs. “I mean it hurt a little the first time, but by the fourth time it was mind-blowing.”

“Wow.” I think my eyebrows must be touching my hairline. “Four times on your first go at it. Impressive.”

“But it was a onetime thing. I mean, after John leaves I’ll never have any reason to see him again.” My smile fades with her words, but I force the thoughts of the summer ending and Suit leaving from my mind. We said we’d live this summer to the fullest and I’m going to spend the next weeks doing just that. “We agreed to part as friends.”

I look at her, but she’s still staring at her magazine. What a pair we make. I’ve fallen for a guy I have no chance of ending up with and she gave her virginity to a guy
she can’t be with because she knew he’d never leave her. “That’s good. I’m glad our trip to New York was memorable in more ways than one.”

“Yeah…me too.”

Suit calls me when he lands two days later letting me know he’s on his way back. When he makes it home, it’s after dark and he lets himself in. I’m hiding in the bathroom, waiting.

“Edie,” he calls.

I sashay out of the bathroom and down the hall to where he stands in front of the door. His face lights up with surprise and excitement when he sees me.

Nikki was a flight attendant two years ago for Halloween and gave me her costume. Let’s just say this outfit wouldn’t meet airline regulations on dress code.

“Are you John Wilson?” I ask, my expression serious.

“I am.”

“My name is Heidi and I’m from the airline. It seems you lost some of your luggage and I’m here to return it.”

“Well that was kind of them to send you, Heidi,” Suit purrs, his hungry eyes feasting on my body.

“We’re so very sorry. I was told to offer you any incentive to fly with us again since you’ve suffered such a grave inconvenience.” My fingers dance around the deep plunged neckline of the jacket I’m wearing.

Suit slides his jacket off and tugs at his tie. I bite my lip and exhale loudly as he approaches me. “What did you have in mind?”

And just like that, the suit and I are back to it.

A week later, we let Joey and Trish off early and finish up the work ou
rselves. When I look to the breeze through of the stables, I see Suit saddling two horses.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“You’re a horse trainer. What does it look like I’m doing?”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Are we going for a ride?”

“It’s a cool afternoon. I thought a ride might be nice.” He gives me a wide grin and I nearly melt. I stare at him for a long moment when he asks, “What?”

“It’s just I haven’t seen you ride since you’ve been here. How long has it been?”

He stares up at the sky a moment as if thinking and says, “Almost four years.”

“Really? Why now?”

“Maybe I’m feeling sentimental.” He shrugs and pulls the leads of the two geldings he’s saddled. “Ready?”

“Yeah.” I nod and climb on my horse.

We ride past the pasture about a half mile where the creek runs down the back of the property. Nikki and I used to come out here and swim in high school. I never had any parties though. Daddy Bud would never allow me to. Dusk is setting in and the brief flicks of light from lightning bugs begin to pepper the sky. The grass is tall out this way, maybe knee-high and the sounds of crickets chirping and frogs croaking break the silence.

When we reach the creek, we slip off our horses and Suit pulls out a bottle of Champagne from his saddle bag. We take a seat in the soft, green grass. His hair is slightly disheveled, longer than he usually wears it, and the scruff of a five o’clock shadow covers his face. I love this look on him; a man after a hard day’s work. “Champagne?” I question.

“Celebrating,” the suit answers as he peels the foil from around the cork.

“And what are we celebrating?” I arch a questioning brow.

“I got one of the jobs. In New York.” He smiles faintly, but his gaze remains fixed on removing the cork from the bottle.

“That’s great!” I hop on him, knocking him flat on his back. I kiss him everywhere as I congratulate him. I won’t lie, there’s a selfish part of me that hated hearing the words, but I would never take this from him by spoiling his happy news with my own selfishness.

He laughs as I continue to kiss him and it isn’t until he starts tickling me that I fall off of him, lost in fits of giggles. “Mercy! Mercy!” I yell. When I finally calm down, I say, “Seriously, I’m so happy for you. I know how hard you’ve worked for this.”

“Thank you,” he says, but there’s sadness in his tone.

“Aren’t you happy?” I sit up and watch him as he goes back to trying to open the bottle.

“Yeah. I mean…of course,” he shrugs. “You’re the first person I’ve told.”

“Well, this is great news.”

“And there’s more,” he adds.

“There is?”

“Parker’s uncle, he’s a horse owner. Has them all over the country with different trainers. Parker mentioned you to him and he asked for some of your stats. So I had Joey give me all of the information and sent it to him. He’s agreed to send you six yearlings to train when they’re ready. You’ll board them until then.”

I’m stunned silent for a moment. My shock must be evident because he asks, “What’s wrong?”

I feel awful for not being more appreciative, but it feels like once again Suit has taken care of my responsibility. I have been making calls trying to gain back business, but haven’t had much luck. I still have four more months. Although what he did was kind, I feel like once again I’m succeeding from someone else giving it to me. “It’s just, the only reason I got to keep Night Rider is because of your family’s reputation and now, Daddy Bud’s other requirement has been met because you pulled some strings for me. I’m grateful for your help, but I want to succeed based on
my
hard work.”