Devious (16 page)

“It
also doesn’t mean that you can keep stringing me along, Mom.  I can’t take it. 
And now I don’t have Granny.  So you either need to be my mother or you need to
leave me alone.”  I knew my words were a little harsh, but they needed to be
said.  And I meant them.  Now that Granny was gone, it was up to me to protect
myself, and my heart couldn’t take my mother’s hot and cold behavior.

“You’re
right,” she said, “and I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you.”

“So
why did you?”

“I
met a man,” she said softly.

Why
did I know this was going to have something to do with a man?

“So
I was your second choice?” I asked, annoyed.

“No,
it’s nothing like that,” she quickly responded.  “I was in love with him.”

Gravels
crunched, interrupting her story, and we both looked up to see Stone pulling
into the driveway.  He was in his mother’s car, and I wondered how he knew to
find me here.

I
stared at him in amazement as he got out of the car and proceeded to retrieve
the baby carrier from the back seat.  Seriously?

I
noticed that he had changed into jeans and a tee shirt as he approached the
porch, the outline of his bulging bicep clearly defined under the weight of the
baby carrier.  Once he was closer, I noticed that the baby was a newborn, and
my heart sank as I wondered if he was the father.  Why else would Stone be
carrying around a baby?

“I’ve
got someone for you to meet,” Stone said solemnly.  He glanced between my
mother and me.

I
swallowed hard, my heart thundering in my chest.  I wanted to put my fingers in
my ears as if I were a five-year-old and refuse to listen to what he had to
say.  A girl could only take so much in the span of a couple of weeks.

He
stopped beside me, setting the carrier on the worn, smooth planks of the
porch.  The baby was sleeping soundly. 

“I
want you to meet Emma,” he said quietly, a smile touching his lips as he looked
at her.

I
didn’t know whether to be sad or angry or jealous, and I thought maybe I was a
combination of all of them.

“You
came here to tell me that you have a baby?” I asked, dreading his answer.

A
look of surprise crossed his face, and he looked at my mother.  “You didn’t
tell her?”

It
was my turn to be surprised, and I turned to my mother.  “Tell me what?  You
knew that he had fathered a baby?”

“No!”
she shouted.

Stone
glared at me.  “You really think I could’ve fathered a baby while we were
together?”

“Well,
it could’ve happened right before we started dating,” I said defensively.

“And
what?  I had a pregnant ex-girlfriend all this time, and I didn’t tell you?” he
thundered.

I
gaped at him.

“You’re
like everyone else,” he said quietly through clenched teeth.  “You always
expect the worst from me.”

“Maybe
you give people a reason to expect the worst.”  I regretted my words as soon as
they left my mouth.  The hurt and anger were evident on his face.

He
turned and strode quickly to his car, leaving the baby on the porch. 

“What
about the baby?” I called after him.

After
he turned a cold glare in my direction, he pulled the base of the car seat out
of his backseat and set it in the overgrown yard.   Then, he got in the car,
slammed the door, and left in a flurry of spinning gravels.

“Emma’s
your sister,” my mother said quietly.

I
spun around and stared at my mom.  “My what?”  What the heck was going on?

“Your
sister.  That’s why I couldn’t come to your birthday party.  I was in labor.”

I
couldn’t have been more shocked if my body had just been submerged in the icy
waters of the Artic.

My
mother continued, “She was born prematurely, so she’s been in the hospital
until this week.  It was a little scary at first, but she’s fine now.”

I
looked at the sleeping baby.  She was my sister?

My
mother took my hands in hers, and I looked her in the eyes, seeing a myriad of
emotions in their depths.  “I know I should’ve told you that I was pregnant,
but I was too afraid.”

“Afraid
of what?”

“Afraid
that you’d think I shouldn’t be having any children because of what a terrible
mother I am, because of what a terrible mother I’ve been to you.”

Truthfully,
that might have been exactly what I would’ve thought, but she shouldn’t have
kept her pregnancy a secret from me.

She
squeezed my hands.  “I want to be a good mother to her, Dara.  And I know it’s
late in the game, but I want to be a good mother to you, too.  If you’ll let
me….”

Stunned,
my gaze dropped to the tiny baby asleep in the carrier.

“You
want to hold her?” my mom asked softly, fumbling with the straps that secured
her.

A
few days ago, I didn’t think I’d ever see my mother again.  With Granny gone, I
thought that I was truly all alone.  Now, my mother wanted to be in my life
and
I had a sister?

My
mother held the baby towards me, waiting for me to take her.

She
was so tiny, and I reached out and took her in my arms.  I rubbed her tiny
fist, and her fingers opened and flexed over the tip of my index finger.  Her
mouth started making sucking motions, but she never opened her eyes.

“She’s
beautiful,” I whispered, amazed that this tiny being was my sister.

“She
is, isn’t she?”  My mother folded down the edge of her blanket.  “She looks
just like you did when you were a baby.”

“She
does?” I asked, glancing at my mother’s face.

She
nodded.  “I’m so lucky to have two beautiful girls.  I’m sorry that I didn’t
tell you, Dara.”

“It’s
okay, Mom.”  I was amazed how it didn’t seem to matter now.  To know that I had
a sister was an amazing feeling.  My mother and I both sat back down in the
rockers, and I gently swayed with my baby sister, unable to take my eyes from
her face. 

“Where’s
her father?” I asked.  “Why didn’t he come with you?”  I hoped that Emma’s
father would be a better father than mine had been.

My
mother pressed her lips together before answering.  “He left me when he found
out I was pregnant, and I haven’t heard from him since.  Of course, he doesn’t
even know how to reach me now.  I didn’t even have a phone until Stone bought
one for me.”

“Stone?”

“Yeah. 
He tracked me down at the hospital.  When I explained everything to him, he
bought me a phone, so that I could call you.  On top of that, he let me borrow
some money because I was tight on funds.”  She paused.  “He was determined to
get me to your graduation.”  Her voice softened.  “He even promised to keep my
secret safe until I could tell you myself.  And don’t worry, Dara.  I’m not
gonna take advantage of him.  I’m gonna pay him back for everything.”

My
heart sank.  He continued searching for my mother even after I’d broken up with
him.  He had given me the greatest graduation gift of all, my mother and my
sister, and how had I repaid him?

My
mother laid her hand on my arm.  “If I could find a guy that loved me so much
that he would do anything for me, then I wouldn’t let him slip away.  You can
borrow my car.”

My
eyes flew to my mother’s face.  She was right.

“Will
you and Emma be okay here for a little while?”

“We’ll
be fine.”  She held her arms out to take Emma.  “Go after him.”

I
handed Emma over, and I bent down and kissed my mom’s cheek, realizing that
this was the first time that she had offered me advice.  “Thanks, Mom.”

Everything
just became a lot clearer, and I had to find Stone.

Chapter
14

Stone

Damn
it!  I raced back home, eager to drop off my mother’s car and get my
motorcycle.  It didn’t matter what I did, the good was never going to outweigh
the bad.  If anybody could’ve seen a change in me, it should’ve been Dara. 
That freaking kiss with Tiffany had cost me everything.  Now the one person who
mattered to me didn’t even know whether she could trust me or whether she wanted
me in her life.

I
strapped on my helmet, knowing that a ride up the mountain would help me
release some of my anger. 

In
stark contrast with my mood, the weather was nice today, and I slid my
sunglasses on and left the shield of the helmet open.  Twisting the throttle, I
pulled the bike into a wheelie and raced down the driveway.  I pulled onto the
main road and flew up the mountain, eager to force Dara out of mind by
concentrating on the ride.

After
intentionally choosing the most challenging roads to help dissipate my anger, I
finally calmed down almost an hour later.  I had another stop that I wanted to
make, and a few minutes later, I geared down as I pulled into the cemetery and
drifted to a stop a short distance away from Luke’s grave.

I
hung my helmet on the mirror and strolled to his gravesite.  I sat down at the
foot of it, my elbows resting on top of my bended knees, and stared at his name
on the headstone. 

“What
should I do, Luke?  This girl’s driving me crazy, and I don’t know how much
more I can take.”

Taking
a deep breath, I watched as a billowy, white cloud sailed across the brilliant
blue sky like a ship on the open sea.  “Maybe you could talk to Dara’s granny,
and the two of you could help me out here.”

A
slight breeze picked up, rustling the leaves of the few trees that dotted the
cemetery.

Dara

I
saw his motorcycle parked along the roadway, and I pulled up a short distance
away and parked my car on the opposite side of the street.

I
gently closed my door and searched for him among the gravestones.  When I
finally saw him, my heart ached.  His back was to me, and his head was tilted
toward the sky.  I approached him quietly, not wanting to disturb the serenity
of the moment.

When
I realized he was speaking, I listened intently, trying to pick his words up as
they skittered across the wind.  I couldn’t make out everything he said, but
once I was a few feet away, I could hear him clearly, his low, deep voice a
drastic contrast to the high-pitched chirping of birds and the soft rustling of
the wind.

“It’s
just that I love Dara, you know?  But things have gotten complicated, and I
have no idea where we stand.”

His
words melted my heart.

“Shit,”
he mumbled.  He rubbed his hands across his face and groaned.  Then, he leaned
back, supported by his outstretched arms.  “I’ve screwed everything up, Luke. 
I know you’re surprised, right?”

I
continued to watch silently, his pain twisting my insides. 

“How
do I make her understand that she means everything to me?” he asked, his voice
brimming with emotion.

I
wanted to speak to him, but I couldn’t.  My throat was thick with the strain of
unshed tears.  I swallowed hard and took a deep breath.  “You just did,” I
said, unable to hide the quake in my voice.

His
torso turned, and his head snapped in my direction.  “Dara?”

In
one fluid motion, he was on his feet, facing me, and I could no longer keep my
distance from him.  I ran to him, and he wrapped his arms around my waist,
squeezing me as if he would never let me go.

“I’m
so sorry, Stone,” I whispered.  “I had no idea that Emma was my sister.”      

“I
know.”  He took a step back, his hands grabbing mine.  “So what did you think
about her?”

Thinking
about my sweet, baby sister, I smiled.  “I’m already completely in love with
her.”

“I
know how you feel,” he whispered, rubbing his thumb across my cheek, his eyes
holding mine.

His
meaning wasn’t lost on me.  “My mom told me everything you did to help bring
her to me.  Thank you.”

He
held my chin in his fingers, forcing me to look in his eyes.  “How many times
have I told you that I would do anything for you?  You know that, right?”

The
warmth from his fingers seeped into my skin, and the heat of his gaze filled me
with passion.  I nodded, and his confession made my heart hammer mercilessly. 
Stone Hamilton possessed a kind of power over me that rocked me to my core.  It
was that power that drew me to him, and it was the fear of that power that made
me want to push away.

I
didn’t have the strength to fight the magnetism.  Not today.  And I succumbed
to him with a burning need to touch my lips to his.

His
fingers splayed at the small of my back, pressing my body against his
hard-muscled chest.  His tongue teased my bottom lip until I opened to him, and
he kissed me until we were both breathless.

Finally,
he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.

He
exhaled heavily, his breath warm against my skin.  “It’s official.”

“What
is?” I whispered.

“We’re
back together again.”

I
pulled back to look at him, and he shot me a lopsided grin.

“Don’t
you think you should ask first?” I asked.

“Like
you could seriously turn me down after a kiss like that?”

I
shrugged.  “There wasn’t anything special about it.”

“Oh. 
I see how it is,” he whispered.

“How
is it?”

“You
need another one.”

I
opened my mouth to protest, but my objections were silenced by his lips.  His
tongue explored my mouth while his hands pulled my body up off the ground and
crushed it against his.  Slowly, he lowered me back to the ground.

“So,
is it official?” he whispered against my temple.

Desire
blossomed in my chest, and I whispered breathlessly, “Yes, it’s official.”

His
power over me had won out today, and as he leaned down to kiss me again, I
wasn’t complaining.

***

Three
hours later, Stone took my mother, Emma, and me to eat at Awesome Sauce.  Patrons
packed the building, and many of my friends from school came over to our booth
to meet my mother and Emma and to offer their condolences on Granny’s passing. 
It was a bittersweet moment as I toggled between being excited to introduce my
mother and my sister and being saddened that Granny was gone.

I
knew that Granny would be happy that my mother was here with me now, and I
desperately hoped that I would see Mom and Emma often and that we could
continue to build our relationship.  For the first time since I met her, I felt
like we were beginning to form a real mother-daughter bond.

“So
what are you two going to do now that you’ve graduated?” my mother asked with
Emma asleep in the baby carrier next to her on the booth seat.

“We’re
both set to start college in the fall,” I replied.

“You’re
still going to the local college?” my mother asked.

I
nodded.  “So is Stone.”

My
mother smiled.  “Good.  I’m glad y’all have each other.”

I
felt a pang of sympathy when I realized that my mother didn’t have anyone to
help her.  “What are you gonna do, Mom?”

She
took a sip of tea, slowly, as if she were contemplating her answer.  “I’m not
sure yet.  Clara’s son has closed down the bed and breakfast.  I still have a
few things stored there that I need to get, but as far as my job goes, it’s
gone.”

“Where
will you stay?” I asked.

“Oh,
don’t worry about me,” she said.  “I’ll find somewhere to stay until I can get
a job.  If nothing else, I can stay at the shelter until I can get on my feet.”

“You’re
going to keep Emma at a shelter?” Stone asked, concern evident in his voice.

“It’ll
only be temporary,” she assured him.

“Why
do you want to go back to Oakley?” I asked.  “Because of Emma’s father?”

My
mother smiled sadly.  “Not hardly.  I’m sure I’ll never see him again. 
Oakley’s just the closest thing to home that I’ve got.”

“I’m
moving into Granny’s house.  Why don’t you stay with me?” I asked, truly hoping
that she would.  “Just until you get on your feet.  I could even help with
Emma.”

“That’s
sweet of you to offer, Dara, but I don’t want to burden you.”

“I
want you to,” I said, and I meant it.  I wanted to spend time with her and
Emma.

“I
need someone to work full-time at the bookstore,” Stone said.  “The pay’s not
great, but if you want it, the job’s yours until you can find something
better.”

My
mother’s gaze toggled between Stone and me, and then she finally locked eyes
with me, a look of astonishment on her face.

“You
would want me to stay here?” she asked, splaying her hand across her chest as
she asked the question.

“Yes,”
I whispered, nodding my head.

She
smiled, her chin quivering as tears sprang in her eyes.  “I would love that,”
she said. 

“It’s
settled then,” I announced with finality.  “You can go back to Oakley and get
your things, and you and Emma can stay with me.” 

“In
a few weeks, when you’re ready to go to work, you can come to the bookstore,”
Stone added.

“If
you could give me about a week to get settled in and to spend some time with my
daughters, then I’d be happy to start working.”

“You
got it,” Stone agreed.

After
we finished eating, we went back to Granny’s house…my house.  I supposed that
it would always be Granny’s house to me.  I went outside with Stone while Mom
fed Emma.

“Thanks
for giving Mom a job at the bookstore,” I said as we sat on the porch steps.

He
wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gave me a quick squeeze, the scent of
his cologne wafting through the air at the subtle movement.  “Anything for my
girl.”

His
long legs stretched out in front of him, and I rested my palm on his thigh.  He
covered it with his free hand, his thumb rubbing rhythmically across my knuckles. 
“Besides,” he said, “I think she’s really trying.  If everything works out,
it’ll be really good for you to have her in the Quail Mountain area.”

I
smiled, hoping that things did go well.  “Yes…and Emma.”

“And
Emma,” he agreed.

“Listen,
Dara.  I know things have been a little rough lately between us, and our senior
prom wasn’t as spectacular as we had hoped it would be.  So, I was wondering if
I could pick you up for a special date next Saturday?”

“A
special date, huh?” I asked, grinning at him like an idiot.

“Well,
every date with me is special, but if you agree to go out with me next
Saturday, it will be extra special.”

“Be
careful,” I warned, jokingly.  “Your conceitedness is showing.”

“Hey,
babe, can I help it if I’m the total package?”

“What
did you say?” I asked him, cupping my hand around my ear as if I were having a
hard time hearing him.  “Did you say you’re a total asshat?”

His
laughter was rich and mellow, and it felt good to hear him laugh.  “Well, I
guess it will do me no good to deny that I can be.  So let me make it up to you
with an extra special date next Saturday night.  Okay?” 

His
fingertips continued to rub my hand, tracing along my fingers and over my
knuckles, and I found the simple movement comforting.

“Okay,”
I agreed.

“Good.” 
He kissed my temple.  “Wear your prom dress.”

“My
prom dress?” I asked, baffled.

“Yeah. 
You look too damn sexy in that dress to let it hang in the back of your closet,
and I owe you a memorable senior prom.”

“Well,
the last one was pretty memorable,” I quipped.

“The
last one doesn’t count.  By the time we finish with our date Saturday night,
you won’t even remember the last senior prom.”

“I’m
gonna hold you to that,” I warned.

“And
I’m up for the challenge.”  He grinned mischievously and leaned in for a kiss.

Out
of all the guys that I had ever dated, which wasn’t many, Stone was by far the
best kisser.  And while I refused to feed his ego by telling him that, I had no
problem reaping the rewards.  I was both excited and nervous to find out what
he had planned for our next prom night, but one thing was certain.  Just being
with Stone would make it extra special.