Gage, Ronna - The Search is Over (Siren Publishing Classic) (13 page)

* * * *

Minerva watched Candi and Rafe.
They are in their own little world.
A scan of the crowd of onlookers revealed that everyone smiled at the cute young couple. Candi smiled as Rafe spoke to her. She flipped her hair back from her face. Gently, Rafe moved an errant piece of her hair from her eyelashes. She glowed like a woman in love and she wanted him, it was as plain as the nose on her face. Their legs were intertwined with each other’s, his big hands rested on the small of her back. One hand held the longneck bottle of Bud Light against her skin.

To be held like that, to be happy with someone that could be trusted.
Minerva felt a soft brush of a kiss on her cheek. She looked into the crystal blue eyes of her devilishly handsome man,
Chad
. An encouraging smile was all it took to sample more.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I have to be the luckiest man on earth.
Candi was everything he had thought her to be and maybe more. She was definitely the best friend he had ever had. And she loved to have fun. He appreciated her positive outlook on life. She always saw the good in people, and he began to see the good in other people as well.

Rafe rested the cold long-necked bottle against the small of her back. She looked into his eyes so loving, and then suddenly she gasped in a breath.

“What’s wrong? Did I step on your toes?”

“No, your bottle touched my back.”

“Oh hell, I’m sorry, honey.” He laughed. The sparkle in her eyes did magical things to his cock. She was so open to him. Her trusting eyes…Rafe slowly bent his head to Candi’s, placing a soft gentle kiss to her soft lips. The wanting in her gaze reflected his as he led her to the quiet corner of their table. Before Rafe lost his nerve, he took the kiss he had wanted to give her since the day they met.

* * * *

The first kiss on dance floor she barely felt his lips. It was a kiss that literally left her wanting more. Yet, it was nothing to the kiss at the table. Rafe set the chair out for her, and the next thing she knew, he took her in his arms. His lips met hers. Silently and masterfully he possessed her. Gentle at first, but as their passion inflamed them, he deepened the kiss. Breathless and insatiate, Rafe ended the kiss but held her hand as he took a long drink of his beer.

“Rafe?” Candi moaned his name softly. He embraced her and held her as she shook with the emotions she felt. “What are we going to do?”

“Whatever you want to do. I just want to be with you.” He stroked her back, softly whispering in her ear, “I’m not going anywhere.”

She faced him. “I don’t want to rush.” She had to make her peace and stand her ground. “If this is just a way for you to screw me and then screw me over, just keep walking. All right?” She worried her bottom lip.

“Oh, honey, you can’t get rid of me that easily. We can wait until you’re ready. Like I said, I’m not going anywhere.”

“I just want to be sure this is the right thing for both of us.”

“I understand,” he vowed.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Minerva witnessed firsthand the bullshit tactics Jesse used to keep them apart, and she bore witness to the closeness they shared last Saturday night when she went out with the two of them. They had something special out there on the dance floor. Minerva could see that Candi and Rafe longed to be together, even while each one fought that longing with everything they were worth. Yet she felt a loyalty to
Roy
and of course, to Jesse, but she also felt one to her friend Candi.
I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place
.
But seeing the smile on Candi’s face, seeing Rafe smiling the same way. S
he walked to the door of their bedroom. “Jesse’s bullshit isn’t going to go on anymore.”

She entered the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee, and then sat down at the kitchen table with Roy and Jesse. Neither of them acknowledged her with a good morning greeting or even a hello.

“Where’s my coffee? Where’s breakfast?”
Roy
demanded.

Minerva looked over her shoulder at the coffeepot. “It’s over there on the counter. I’m not your servant.”

Roy
jerked up out of his chair like a shot. He looked at Jesse. “If this isn’t the damnest thing. Two goddamn women live here and both of them think they are above catering to the men of the house.”

Jesse bobbed his eyebrows but said nothing.

This will be easier than I thought.
“Excuse me, fucker.”
Roy
stopped in his tracks and looked at Minerva in surprise. “I’m not your maid, you are not my boss, and I am not your wife. Get your own fucking coffee.”

Jesse snickered.

She turned to look at him.
“Jesse, starting tomorrow, you will be covering the day shift for the next two weeks.” Minerva expected a fight for such an abrupt change.

“Why?”

She looked at
Roy
and then at him. “I am considering making this your new shift except for weekends. I don’t want yours and Candi’s personal lives interfering with the bar’s business.”

Jesse gave her a wry smile. “I have no problem with that.”

“Good. It’s set then. Another thing. I think it’s time you went on with your plans to leave
Texas
and be done with it.”

Jesse’s wide-eyed expression didn’t faze her one bit. “Dad said I could stay until September.”

She looked at Roy, whose noisy return didn’t go unnoticed. “Oh, really. And, while you’re at it, you can take your father with you.”

Roy
glared at her. “What the fuck?”

“You heard me. I don’t want you anymore. I’m tired of you badgering me,
Roy
,” she looked back at Jesse, “and I’m tired of you badgering Candi. For both of your information, she is a nice girl. She is working to put herself through school. You have done nothing but manipulate her and twist her guts around since you left her to be with that girl at your mom’s.”

She stood up from the breakfast table. “Now, you have two weeks to get your shit together and leave.”

“What is this about? You have some stud on the side?”
Roy
asked. His sarcasm grated on her last nerve.

“As a matter of fact, I do. He’s a real cowboy who is interested in seeing me. He worships my body like a temple, and it’s the way I want it worshipped.” The very thought of him loving her caused goose bumps to break out over her body. She could feel his strong arms on her thighs, his tongue washing her pussy until she soaked his face, and his cock inside her, filling her every lonely need. Since that night she met
Chad
, she couldn’t stop smiling to herself. Love was in the air, and she was going to get some while she could.

“He’s probably some drug addict looking for a way to make a few dollars to fuck someone who thinks she’s got money.”
Roy
laughed out loud.

“May be, but even this addict is a better man than you’ll ever be.” She walked out the door, leaving Roy and Jesse in their fit of uproarious giggles.

Minerva stepped into the driveway just as Rafe was getting out of his car.

“I see you’ve been detailing your car again.”

“Yes.”

“You are so meticulous. I wonder if you will apply that same attention to all details in your life.”

“What do you mean?” Rafe asked with a slight confusion to his gaze.

“Okay, we’ll act dumb for now.”
Leave it alone.

Rafe smiled, but was quiet as he leaned against his car. A few seconds later he looked down at her. “Minerva, could you keep Candi busy Saturday afternoon?”

“Lately, you two have been inseparable. What’s going on? You got a hot date?” she teased as she leaned on the fender of his car.

“You could say that.”

Minerva’s face was crestfallen. She turned to stare at him. Surely, what she was hearing was a mistake. “But I thought…”

Jesse walked out of the house and didn’t look at or say one word to either of them.
Suit yourself, daddy’s boy.

“I’m going to the lake with those two chummy boys over there.” His chin pointed in the direction of Jesse and Jack who sat on the porch talking. “Suddenly, they want to hang out with me.”

Minerva looked at Jesse. An uneasy feeling in her stomach built up immediately. “What do you make of that?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want Candi anywhere near it.”

“I agree. She doesn’t need the interference right now.”

Minerva’s big toe played with a small stone on the graveled driveway. “What’re you thinking?”

Rafe didn’t hesitate giving her an answer. “I think it’s time Jesse realizes that he’s lost her and she isn’t going back to him. I also think it’s time he moves on to that Stephanie chick.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too. I told him and Roy that they have two weeks to vacate.” Minerva looked at the door to her trailer, knowing Candi was inside studying before their shift at the bar. “I’ll schedule Candi to work all day on Saturday. She could use the overtime.” Minerva turned to face him. “I have to know something. Do you plan on hurting her?”

“No. I don’t plan to hurt her. To do so would be hurting me. I love her.” Rafe finally admitted the reason for his feelings. “I think I’ve loved her since the first time I saw her.” The thought of that first time repeated in his memory, causing tenderness deep in his heart.

“That night at the picnic tables?”

“No, I used to sit and watch her hang out clothes everyday for two weeks before that night we actually met.”

“Rafe Sines! I’m shocked. You never cease to amaze me.” Minerva gave him a light punch to his chest—right above his heart. “I’ll talk at you later.”

A bout of laughter caught their attention. He turned to see the two chummy friends using sticks as swords. He looked on with interest as Jesse defended himself. He would return the attack, letting his guard down, only to be stuck in the chest with the stick. Rafe came to the most obvious conclusion. He looked at Minerva. “Jesse can’t fight for shit.”

“Nope, never has been able to, either.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” he said to Minerva.

“Yep, and take care of that girl.”

“With everything I have.”

Minerva walked to the trailer door. She took one last look at Rafe. “I will hold you to that.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“There’s no better way for men to bond than a day at the beach,” Jack announced, excitement oozing in his voice. He and Rafe placed the large cooler in the bed of the truck.

Rafe envisioned him, Jack, and Jesse laughing it up at the beach. “Hell yeah. We have all we need. A cooler of beer and sunblock to last the whole day…”

“And all day to do it!” Jesse interrupted.

The three loaded Rafe’s F-150 truck with three lounge chairs and then took off to the lake. At ten o’clock, the sandy shore had a decent gathering of people. Rafe stepped out of the truck and looked around. Sunbathers lay around lathed with cocoa-butter-smelling oil. He looked at Jack and Jesse, who salivated at the array of women in bikinis, cutoff shorts, tube tops, and thongs.

There’s enough eye candy to help a man go blind.

“Now this is what I’m talking about,” Jesse commented.

“I’ll get me some of that,” Jack agreed while he looked at a woman in a black bikini.

Rafe chuckled. “Ya’ll are like two kids in a candy shop wowing about this treat or that one, but can’t decide which one to pick. Sheesh!”

Jack looked at him with a confused look. “I can’t take samples of them all?”

Rafe hung his head down, shook it, and chuckled more. “No.”

“So which one do you want to sample?” Jack asked Rafe.

Rafe looked around. “Not sure!” He looked to the sky and found some comfort in the collecting clouds. “At least those tiny clouds will block out the blaring heat if we stay out here all day.”

“Well, let’s check out what’s on hand.” Jack pointed in the direction of a brunette lying in a lounger reading a book. “How about that lady there? She seems to be educated, career motivated, and has ta-tas the size of melons.”

Rafe laughed out loud at the comment. He eyed her for a second, acting like he considered the offer, and then it occurred to him that he may actually know her. “Samantha?”

The woman looked in his direction. “Rafe!” She stood up and walked to the truck. “My goodness, it’s a small world.” She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “What brings you out here today?”

“Nothing much. My friend, Jack,”—he pointed to him—“and I are showing our neighbor, Jesse, the sights.”

Samantha looked from Jesse, to Jack, and then back to Rafe. “I see.”

“What are you doing here?” he asked, more out of manners than real interest.

“Studying mostly. I have a final on Wednesday, so I thought a nice day at the lake would be a change of pace.”