Breathless (Meadowlarks) (5 page)

Old Sugar Mama hired him for the same reasons, except he ended up marrying the broad. Without any type of pre-nup, which sent any family she had into a mad frenzy.

I remember the newspapers had a field day when she died a few years ago in California, from complications of some plastic surgery. Dane became a widower and collected millions, and that's when the support payments to my son nearly quadrupled.

“Dane made it quite clear he never wanted a child.” I half-smile
d. “But he wanted Isaac provided for, regardless. And now he'll be able to go to any school he wants, without having to pay a dime.”

Addison
got up from her chair and took my empty water bottle along with her coffee cup and set them on the counter. “Well, all that matters is that he's a very happy child, he's loved so much.”

“I can't tell Alex.” I look
ed at her and furrowed my eyebrows. “I don't want to upset him.”

“I don't think he would he mad about what happened, not with you any way.”

“He's protective, you know that.”

“True. Maybe we'll just keep it between us, kay?” She smile
d. “Let's go and do something! Get out of the house.”

We each g
ot a manicure and pedicure, babies on lap and all. I am all about retail therapy, so I was happy when I suggested some shopping Addison happily agreed.

“Riley
, you have no idea how bored I’m getting with my clothes. I wear jeans almost every day now. I can't remember the last time I wore a dress.” She pouted.

I bulge
d my eyes at her. My, how we've changed. I took her hand and pulled into a shop a few doors down from the nail place.

Inside the store the music
was playing something country—big surprise—and when I started singing along with the song I couldn’t believe myself.

Addison look
ed over at me from the other side of the clothing rack and laughed; she is humming the song too.

We both turn
ed our heads when we heard giggling coming from the back of the store near the dressing rooms.

Four teenage girls
were standing there, holding dresses up to themselves, posing playfully and taking pictures with their cellphones.

A t
iny thump ripped through my heart. I missed that. Not so much missing being a teenager again, but missing my girls and laughing at almost everything. I turned to Addison. “When did we get so old?”

She smirk
ed. “I know, Ry...I know.”

“You know, I wore an old dress to The Club when I went out with the girls,
it still fit me like a freaking glove,” I said, then lowered my voice, forgetting that Scarlett and Seth were in our arms. “Even with all those little bitches in that place, I was still the hottest one in there.”

She smile
d at me and rolled her eyes.

“Bu
t then I come back here. And I’m Susie Homemaker. I might as well be wearing a muumuu or jogging pants.”

“Riley!” She laugh
ed loudly, as the teenagers looked at us and rolled their bitchy little eyes. “You're not old.
We're
not old, stop this!”

“Thirty's coming, babe. Better get ready for curlers and a house coat.” I
found a deep red dress and checked the size...

Four!

Yes!

I whip
ped it off the hanger and toted Scarlett into the dressing room with me to try it on.

Scarlett
sat on the vinyl bench in the small room and stared at herself in the mirror, giggling at her silly faces and leaving little fingerprints all over the glass.

“Okay, baby...what do you think?”

I turned to face her, wearing the long sleeved red dress. It was so short it barely covered my ass, and even though it completely covered my chest, the back was wide open and dipped way down to the base of my spine.

Scarlett giggle
d at me. “Mama!”

I'll take that as approval.
“Thanks, baby!”

“Well, let's see!” Addison call
ed to me from the other side of the dressing room curtain.

I open
ed the fabric and stood seductively in the doorway.

“Holy shit! That's hot!”

“That's right, baby. Look out little bitches.” I smirked at Addison, and sneered in the direction of the teenage girls who weren’t even in this area anymore, they're now trying on shoes.

“Well, get it.” Addison beam
ed at me.

“You're getting something, too. Don't even think about saying no.”

“I have one!” She held up a black scrap of material and bounced Seth on her hip. “I need you to hold him while I change.”

I grin
ned and quickly changed back into my “Mom” clothes.

“Okay, ready?” Addison ask
ed.

“Get out here, sexy!” I cat-call
ed into the dressing room she was inside of.

Addison step
ped out, wearing a tight black sheath dress that hugged every inch of her body.

I nodded
at her approvingly and winked. “That's the one.”

We
bought the dresses and I felt invigorated. Although, as soon as I stepped outside it hit me. “Where are we going to wear these?” I laughed.

“Well
...” Addison laughed too. “I don’t know. To the coffee house?”

“Let's go out tonight! I mean,
really
go out.”

She look
ed at me with an expression of anxiety and then quickly changed it to a smile. “I bet Sadee would babysit the kids.”

Sadee, Bobby's girlfriend.

G
ood thinking Cole!

Addison and I g
ot in her car and drove over to Lake's restaurant to see if Sadee is working.

Hallelujah!

Sadee was there and she happily agreed to babysit.

“Thank you, Sadee. You're such a doll!” I beam
ed at her, and pulled her into a big hug.

“Oh, no problem! I love these little guys! Isaac too.” Sadee smile
d, her blue eyes twinkling. “See ya at eight!”

I
could feel the excitement twisting in my stomach when we pulled under the Blackstock Ranch banner towering above Blaine and Addison's driveway. In the distance I could see Blaine in the field, with an axe slung over his shoulder as he turned to look when Addison honked her car horn.

I gotta say, he is gorgeous. I don't usually find blondes attractive but his hair is a darker, dirtier blonde, and the way he always has it messy and unruly makes him look like he has had his world recently rocked.

Alex had adopted Blaine's style, and I silently thank him for letting that rub off on him. Worn and faded jeans, showing just how hard a man can work. And those button up shirts that country men wear...
yum
.

It made
me want to pry my hands between the seams of Alex's shirt and tear it off, letting the buttons fly all over the place. His dark hair was usually hidden under a backwards ball cap, only little wispy pieces stick out around his neck and above his ears.

Alex
came out of the barn when I stepped out of the car and opened the back door to take Scarlett out of her car seat.

“Now
, there's the two most beautiful girls in the world!”

“Ahem!” Addison cough
ed loudly, and smirked at her brother.

“Three. The
three
most beautiful girls...what?” He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. “Give me my baby.”

Scarlett babble
d something to him, and when Alex took her from my arms she plopped a wet kiss on his cheek. “Daddy!”

“Hey Riley, how's it going?” Blaine ask
ed when he walked up to us. “Hey there, my pretty lady!”

He
took Scarlett's hand in his and pretended to bite her fingers, she laughed and almost shoved her whole hand in his mouth.

“Hi, Blaine.” I smile
d. “Almost done for the day?”

He look
ed at Alex, who then looked at me. “Almost, why?”

“Well, Addison and I want to go out tonight.
Out
, out.”

Blaine look
ed across the car to Addison and raised an eyebrow at her. His look was devilish and I could see from her reaction that she was excited.

Wow...
should we excuse them?

“Sadee is going to babysit the kids,” Addison
said. Then she hooked Seth's car seat into her arm and walked right past Blaine and went into the house.

He turn
ed and smiled at us before following her inside.

“They are ridiculous!” I gape
d, and Alex curled his lip, probably not wanting to picture his sister like that.

I hear
d loud laughter and Addison's voice melodically yelling Blaine's name from inside the house.

Blaine
came out of the house and stood on the porch. “Alex! We're done for the day. Dinner is in two hours, bring beer.”

Addison
came out and stood beside her husband. I could clearly see from here that her lips were swollen from some sort of sexy assaulting kiss. She blew me a kiss.

I wink
ed, and Alex looked at me with an odd expression on his face. I don’t think he had realized that we should go, or we were going to start hearing even more noise coming from that house.

I re
member before they got married; the girls and I were staying there during a visit from back home. Addison and Blaine were so loud in bed that we thought the pictures were going to fall off the walls. It took everything in me not to run out the door and clamber in the dark to Jeremiah's house to find Alex, to have him completely shock my senses.

Instead I laid there in that old squeaky bed, laughing with the others, applauding Addy and Blaine. His fa
ce the next morning was freaking priceless. We teased him a bit about it, then he left Addison alone with us. We surrounded her like she was our prey.

“Spill!” Camille begged for all the dirt.

We got it, of course.

Chapter Four

“Oh, wow!” Sadee gushe
d when Addison and I walked down the stairs and stood in the kitchen in our new dresses. “You guys look hot!”

“Why thank you, love.” I smile
d at her and leaned down to slip on my tall black heels.

“Holy shit.” Alex stop
ped in his tracks. “Err—c
rap.
Sorry, Sadee.”

“It's okay, Alex.” S
he blushed.

Blaine
didn’t say anything, he simply stood in the large doorway between the kitchen and living room and stared darkly at Addison. The sight of him looking at her like that made my stomach clench; he looks like a lion ready to devour a steak.

I must say, she
is
a vision in that dress. I have always loved her hair; those dark red curls are just...something you only see in the movies. I don't know how she does it. It’s like she wakes up and just wears her hair like that. No extra effort involved, she is just naturally so beautiful.

My hair, however,
was another story. I had to work for at least an hour to get it under control. My hair was thick like my mother's, and so dark it was almost ebony. I usually wore it in long waves, but tonight I've straightened it with the flat iron and pulled it into a messily sexy pony tail.

“Alex, you drive.” Blaine hand
ed him the keys to his Ford and Alex grinned like a cat. Addison climbed in the back of the truck and Blaine got in beside her.

Oh, I see what's going on here...

Once we were on the road headed toward my first night out since Scarlett's birth, I sat back in my seat and smiled happily.

Alex reache
d over and took my hand, rubbing my knuckles with his thumb, sending tiny sparks into my skin.

Blaine
stretched across the center from the back and turned up the music, then flipped up the rear view mirror so it was facing the roof.

Alex and I look
ed at each other and smirked.

I drift
ed off during the drive, falling into a semi-sleep. I daydreamed about Dane, and to my surprise I didn’t fight it. Slowly falling into the memory of us together, his hands on me and his mouth barbarically claiming as me his.

***

“Get on your knees. Turn your face and look at me. Don't turn your eyes away,” Dane command
ed me. “I want to see how I make you feel.”

I was
pinned down on my bed at my parents’ house, on the night of my eighteenth birthday, about to have this Greek-like god devour and deflower me. Not exactly how most girls lose their virginity, I’m sure, but it was so hot I didn’t care how it happened. I had been teasing Dane for so long, I was dying for this moment and it was finally happening.

Addison warned me about him when she first saw him at my house after school one day. He was putting rolls of green sod down on the lawn with another guy. He kept working while we walked up the path to the front door, but didn't take his eyes off of us. When he knelt in the dirt and sat back on his heels, he pulled up the hem of the black tank he wore and wiped the sweat off his face.

“Holy shit, Ry!” Addison reeled when we finally got behind the door, slamming it shut—keeping us at a safe distance from the animal on the other side. “He's so hot.”

“I know.” I lean
ed against the door and slid down so I was sitting on the floor. “I want to drag my nails down his back.”

“How old is he?” she ask
ed, sitting down beside me.

“Who cares?” I
sighed. “He's gonna be mine.”

We laugh
ed, and spent the rest of the afternoon in bikinis, poolside, completely ignoring Dane and his mouth-watering gaze.

“Riley, you're so ready for me baby.” Dane pushe
d himself into me and I winced. He was beyond huge, I didn’t know how he could possibly fit inside my body.

After that night, after losing my innocence to Dane I felt like I could do anything. I looked at myself differently, I felt powerful. Not just some girl, but instead a tall and fabulous woman clothed in strength and dripping sex.

I let him turn me utterly senseless, and believe me, he fed me all the lies and sweet nothings that ruthless charmers like him do.

I fell for it, like a fool. Little did I know he was also putting the wood to the dry old Mrs. Lerner. I'm surprised
the two of them didn’t start a fire.

Eww
.

Too little too late for me; I was pregnant and when he found out he told me he wasn't meant to be a dad. But he would support my child regardless.

My parents were upset, of course, but they saw the light at the end of the tunnel. They knew Dane wasn't someone who would be a good role model, so they supported my decision to keep Isaac and raise him myself.

Not the life I had planned for myself when my sixth grade teacher asked the class what we wanted to be when we grew up. Riley the mother was a long shot from Riley the lawyer. But through all of it I was supported by my family and especially Addison. She even held my hand when Isaac was born. I remember the first time I saw his face, I forgot all about Dickface Sullivan and every other insignificant thing in my life before that day. All that mattered was the tiny eight pound bundle in my arms
—my new purpose in life. The only man I'll ever cry over again.

***

“Babe, we're almost there.” Alex squeeze
d my bare thigh and traced his fingers along the top of my leg.

I turn
ed around and look at Addison through my groggy eyes, she sat behind Alex's seat with a silly smile on her face. I smiled and shook my head.

I love that girl.

I pulled out my cellphone from my purse and text Sadee.
Hey girl, how are my babies?

She respond
ed almost instantly.
They R good. Scar's still sleeping. Isaac's almost out too! Have fun!!

I breathe
d, feeling relieved they are doing well.

As we pull
ed on to a busy street in downtown Buffalo, Alex had to slow down to almost a crawl to avoid the people walking all over the place. There are rows of sports bars and clubs on this street. It's like it's
only
bars and clubs. We found a big parking lot and by some miracle pulled the truck into a space.

“Which one first, babe?” Alex
took my hand and pulled me out of the truck.

I look
ed around at all the flashing lights and tried to let my head settle while taking in all the thumping music streaming from each open door.

“Ry, this one!” Addison yell
ed over to me, pointing to the biggest building on the street. A towering three-storey black brick club.

I smile
d, wide-eyed and I nodded my head.

It
took about ten minutes, but we finally get served and each took a shot of Jagermeister from long cylindrical tubes.

Addison and I
ordered and carried our margaritas onto the dance floor and started to move. The DJ played a raunchy song, the lyrics oozing sex, and when I caught Alex's eye across the dance floor I mouth the lyrics of the song to him.

That's right baby...

His eyes flare and he sputtered beer from the tip of the bottle, slowly wiping the beer from his lips he kept his gaze held on me as I moved.

I turn
ed my back to him and looked over my shoulder to catch his stare, I reached for Addison and she took my hand to hold up in the air with hers. I dropped my body and slowly traveled up the length of hers, still keeping my eyes glued on Alex's.

Blaine
was at Addison's side in seconds, taking her into his arms and enveloping her into his body.

I tossed
back the rest of my drink and beckoned Alex to me with my finger.

He walk
ed through the crowd of dancing patrons, and when he stood in front of me I put my hands on his chest, feeling the heat radiating from his skin.

“You're gonna make me
fucking crazy if you keep that up.” He leaned in and tightly gripped my pony tail, whispering his lips softly against my ear. “
Please
keep it up.”

I let go of the empty plastic cup that
once held my margarita and snaked my arms around Alex's neck, my body flush with his. The song changed and the tempo slowed. I kissed and sucked at the stubble on his jaw.

His hands
were like sparklers running down my back, trailing his fingertips on my spine and when he reached my behind he gripped my ass tightly.

***

I w
oke up in my bed, unsure of the time and for a moment, even the day. My eyes felt glued shut and I rubbed them; a slight peek shows black on my fingers.

Oh great.

I fell asleep with my makeup on and I am damn sure I’m rocking the raccoon eyes. My head throbbed a little, no doubt a hangover from the many,
many
margaritas I had. With my face buried in my pillow and I groaned, not wanting to get up or out of bed at all.

“Well, good morning, sleepy head.” Alex jump
ed on the bed beside me and playfully snuggled into me.

“Ugh, no! Go away,” I groan
ed. My face still deep in the pillow. “What time is it?”

“It's almost eleven.”

“Where's Scarlett?” I jumped up and sat, frantically looking around the room for our daughter.

“She's at Addy's, both of them stayed there last night. We got home so late I didn't want to wake them up,” he
said, rubbing my arm gently. “I gotta say, you look so hot right now.”

I glare
d at him, through my smudged black eyes and smirked. “Oh yeah? How are you managing to keep your hands off me?”

“It's painfully hard.”

“I need to take a shower, can you get me some Tylenol?”

He hop
ped off the bed and left the bedroom. “You better be naked when I get back!”

I work
ed the bar of soap in my hands, lathering up and rubbing it all over my face. I don’t have the time or patience to use any beauty lotions to get the makeup residue off. I shampooed and conditioned my hair, letting the shower beat down on my back. Maybe I'll just stay in here all day.

Alex walk
ed in the bathroom and pulled the shower curtain back slightly. “Water and Tylenol are on the dresser. Are you hungry?”

“Yes, starving.
Do we have any bacon?”

I’
m craving grease like nobody's business.

He nod
ded.

“BLT's?” I ask
ed.

“I'm sorry.” He
shook his head from a daze, and smirked. “What?”

“Alex! Get out.” I grab
bed the shower curtain and closed it on him.

“I'm easily distracted, okay?” He yell
ed from the doorway, and laughed before closing the door behind him.

***

I
could feel that there was something wrong when we walked into the kitchen of Blaine and Addison's house.

Sadee
was still there; she was sitting on the couch with Isaac who's playing a video game. She gave me a semi-smile and looked back to the TV. Isaac didn’t notice me at all.

Addison
came out of the dining room carrying Scarlett, she hugged me and Scarlett threw her arms around my neck.

“Hi, lady!” I smile
d at her. “Mommy missed you so much!”

“She was so good. Sadee s
aid she slept through the night,” Addison said, smiling at Scarlett.

“Well, maybe Sadee should babysit more
often. You don't sleep through for mommy!”

Scarlett point
ed into the living room, and after I set her down she walked in and sat down on the couch beside her big brother.

“Is something wrong?” I ask
ed Addison.

“Bennett had a stroke early this morning. Nick called and Blaine left around five to meet him at the hospital.”

I covered my open mouth with my hand, surprised and saddened by the news of Blaine's father. I knew he had had a mini-stroke years ago, I hoped this time it's only minor too.

“What did Nick say?” Alex ask
ed, hugging his sister.

“Blaine didn't really say. He just said his dad was acting drunk and Maria found him sitting on the floor singing an old nursery rhyme.”

“Oh, my God. I don't know what to say.” I frowned. “What can we do?”

“Pray.” Addison force
d a smile. “That's all we can do.”

We ma
de lunch, and tried to stay positive and happy for the sake of the kids. At one o'clock Addison drove Sadee into town for her 2 PM shift at Lake's.