Ladd Fortune (10 page)

Troy Parker took note of Lacy first,
Malcolm second, his expression coiling around Malcolm with deadly
precision. The boy was clearly not pleased to see he had company.
Steering the woman toward a high-top on the opposite side of the
bar, Troy treated Malcolm and Lacy to nothing but
profile.

The kid was a bull, Malcolm
thought. You could feel it in his posture, the hard line of his
jaw. His twin brother Travis had the look of a Ralph Lauren model.
This one had the look of a boxer. He was trying to play to the
woman running her hand up and down his arm—the very attractive
woman wearing a low cut blouse, skintight skirt, heels as high as
skyscrapers—but Malcolm sensed his attention was on him and Lacy at
the moment and
not
his date.

Lacy sipped from her drink, continuing
her gawk.

“
Does she normally step out
on Jeremiah like this?” Malcolm asked.

Lacy shrugged. “Loretta likes the boys
and definitely likes them young.” Soft lines creased across her
forehead. “But chasing them in Jeremiah’s hometown?” She looked to
Malcolm. “It seems a bit odd, don’t you think?”

“
Not when you consider that
young man is intimately familiar with Delaney and Ladd
Springs.”

“
He is?”

“
He is”

Sharpening her focus on the couple,
Lacy nodded. “Jeremiah probably put her up to this, then.” Glancing
at Malcolm, she added, “I told you he’ll do whatever it takes to
get his hands on the prize. You need to listen to me.”

“
Point noted.” Malcolm
encircled his gaze around the two across the room like a noose. He
bet she was right. Troy crossing enemy lines was a complication he
didn’t need.

Chapter Seven

Troy turned onto the driveway of his
home and pulled off onto the grass near a mess of trees. Trunks and
branches were like a wall of blackness, the underbrush thick and
impenetrable. He cut his headlights and stared out through the
darkness, contemplating his next move. “Why are you stopping,
sweetie?” Seated in the center of the bench seat, Loretta Flynn
leaned into him, treating Troy to a waft of her flowery perfume and
a press from her generous cleavage. She tiptoed her fingers up his
chest. “Is there a problem?”

Yeah. No place to take you. But it
wasn’t gonna stop him. He turned to her and dropped his gaze to her
mouth. “I don’t think you want to sneak into my bedroom.” She
giggled. “Can we go to your place?”

Loretta giggled again. “I don’t really
have a place,” she purred, the smell of liquor rising from her
breath. “But I don’t mind making love in your truck.”

“
In my truck?”

She pecked his lips. “Sure. Might be
more fun.”

Troy envisioned them trying to work the
angles of his backseat, the discomfort of trying to wedge himself
on top of her on the bench cushion and frowned. Not exactly the
kind of thrill he wanted for his first time with her, but he wasn’t
going to miss an opportunity on account of it. Adjusting his eyes
to the light, Loretta pulled his hand to her breasts and he
hardened. The decision was made. “Once past these trees, we can
park off to the side where no one will see us from the
house.”

“
Perfect.” Loretta slid her
hand over his groin. “Can’t wait,” she whispered
huskily.

Troy switched on his truck lights and
jammed his boot to the accelerator. The truck lunged and Loretta
cried out as they hit a ditch. “Oh!” Bouncing back against her
seat, she grabbed hold of him and laughed. “Four wheeling!” she
squealed. He cut to a clearing on the right and extinguished his
lights, rolling several yards before cutting the engine.

They wouldn’t be discovered here. His
parents went to bed early and Travis was home studying for his
finals next week—though why he wasted a weekend to do what he could
do in one night was beyond Troy. But that was Travis, always the
overachiever.

Loretta’s fingers unbuttoning his shirt
snapped Troy’s attention back into the moment. “I’ve been thinking
about this all night,” she said, her voice thick with the
sluggishness of drink. Shifting his weight, he eased back to give
her better access. For once he was glad not to have been drinking
right along with her. He’d have the advantage now. “You are one hot
specimen of a man, Troy Parker.”

He smiled. “You’re not too bad
yourself.”

Continuing down to his waistband, she
tugged his shirt free. “You keep flattering me and see where it
gets you.” Troy smirked as she slid her hands beneath his shirt,
roaming the expanse of his chest and stomach. He tightened his
muscles as slender fingers meandered over his abs. “You are so
strong,” she cooed.

Troy lightly grabbed her face and
kissed her, plunging his tongue inside, finding her mouth hot and
slick. Loretta ran her hands through his hair, gently pulled at his
ear lobes, then skimmed her hands down his neck and under his
collar. Troy pulled back and commanded, “Back seat.”

Without waiting for a response, he
shoved his car door open, reached for her hand and pulled her
toward him. Loretta scooted across the seat willingly. Troy
marveled at how easy she was. He’d never been with a woman he
didn’t have to work at, to coax with sweet words and promises. The
few girls he had slept with demanded he romance them. Which didn’t
make sense. They hooked up at a party. They were buzzed. Why
romance at that point?

Suddenly grateful his dad made him
drive the old quad cab, Troy popped open the back door and guided
her in. But Loretta stopped, seized his jaw and pulled him down to
deliver the deepest, slipperiest kiss he’d ever had. Desire surged.
He wanted her naked. Now. Fumbling with her blouse in the dark, he
searched for the front buttons.

“
Let me help you with that,”
Loretta said, and worked herself free from his hold. She hopped up
into the truck’s back seat and a curled finger. “Come here and let
me show you.”

Didn’t have to ask him
twice. With the sliver of moonlight they did have, he was going to
see everything he could see. Troy moved between her legs and
planted another wet kiss on her lips. Loretta returned the kiss a
bit sloppily then he watched in awe as her hands reached for the
front of her shirt.
She really was going to
show him
.

His pulse pounded as he anticipated
what she would look like, feel like. He couldn’t wait to get his
hands on her, his mouth on her, but a flash of light stopped his
heart.

Loretta hands stilled at her bra. “What
was that?”

Troy whipped his head around to see
Travis’ truck emerge from behind a cluster of trees.
“Crap!”

“
Who is it?”

“
My brother,” he exclaimed
and ducked.

“
Will he care that we’re
here?” she asked.

Probably. Troy groaned
inwardly. Mr. Goody Two Shoes cared about
everything
his brother did. When the
truck stopped then headed their way, Troy dropped his head onto the
soft mounds of Loretta’s chest. “Crap,” he muttered
again.

As the truck neared, Travis called out
his name. “Troy?”

Troy knew it was game over—for the
moment. Lifting from Loretta, he yelled, “Travis, turn the dad gum
lights off, will you? You’re blinding me!”

Travis parked and walked over to him.
“What are you doing, Troy?”

Troy stood, blocking the open back
door. Why did his brother have to look so dumbfounded? What did he
think he was doing—playing with himself? “I have company, if you
don’t mind. Now will you get already?”

“
Company?” Alarm scored
Travis’ expression. “Who?”

“
None of your dad gum
business, who.” He pulled the unbuttoned shirt up and around his
shoulders and squared off with his brother.

But Travis couldn’t help himself and
had to sneak a peek through the window. He returned a blank look.
“Who’s she?”

“
I done told you,” Troy
said. “It’s none of your business. It isn’t Felicity, if that’s
what you were wondering.”

The relief that filled Travis’ eyes
pissed Troy off, even though his brother claimed, “I never thought
it was.”

“
Don’t give me that bull.
She’s the only one you’d be worried about sitting in a car in the
dark with me.”

“
Troy.” Travis slanted his
gaze toward the woman in the truck, silently condemning him for
talking about another female in this one’s presence.

Loretta sat up, pulling her shirt
haphazardly into place. “Is everything all right out
there?”

“
Fine,” Troy swiped back.
“My brother here was just leaving.”

Eyeing Loretta, Travis whispered,
“Don’t you think she’s a bit old?”

“
Did you hear that, Loretta?
My brother is calling you old.”

Scrutinizing her further, her identity
registered with Travis. “Isn’t she the woman from the
diner?”

“
One and the same,” Troy
confirmed proudly.

“
What are you doing with
her?”

“
If I have to explain the
finer details of the reproductive system to you, then you’re
already a lost cause.” Troy paused, struck by the sudden urge to
hurt his brother. “I guess it should be Felicity in there, since
you don’t seem to know the first thing to do with her.”

Travis punched Troy across the jaw.
Troy reeled. Loretta screamed. Anger set fire to Travis’ gaze.
“Don’t you ever use Felicity’s name like that again.”

Troy lunged at him. Grabbing his
brother by the shoulders, he plowed him backward to the ground.
Running on automatic, Troy whaled fist after fist, making contact
wherever and whenever he could.

Loretta was out of the car, shrieking
like a crazy woman. “Stop it! Stop i!”

“
Get off me,” Travis
growled. Struggling against the flying fists, he wrapped his legs
around Troy’s body and tried to roll him.

Troy felt his energy draining. “You’re
a son of a bitch,” he shouted into Travis’ face. In a flash, he was
slammed onto his back, arms pinned.

Above him, Travis’ face was flushed,
his eyes bulging in the shadows of his headlights. “I’m the son of
a bitch? You’re the one who insulted Felicity.”

“
I didn’t insult nobody but
you.” With a final struggle, Troy went limp. “Get off me,” he said,
fully expecting his brother to do so.

“
Not until you
apologize.”

“
Sorry.”

“
I should hit you again for
that weak response.” Travis shoved Troy’s arms into the dirt, then
lifted from him. He took a step back, but not before giving Troy a
swift kick in the legs.

Troy jumped to his feet and went after
his brother, but Loretta grabbed his arm. “Stop it,
Troy!”

“
Now you need to get this
woman home,” Travis said, “before I tell Mom and Dad.”

Loretta stood, mouth agape, as though
she’d never seen two men fight.

“
What she and I do is my
business,” Troy said, thumping his chest. “They don’t need to know
anything about it.”

“
You don’t have any business
picking up strangers,” Travis replied, then quickly nodded to her.
“No offense, ma’am.” She closed her mouth with an indignant gawk.
Travis drilled Troy with a knowing gaze. “Do it.” With that, he
climbed back into his truck and continued his drive up to the
house.

Troy stood rigid as he trailed the
taillights of his brother’s truck. Pompous ass.

Loretta was quick to fuss over him.
“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” she asked, touching his chin as
she scrutinized his face.

“
Nah, he didn’t hurt me.”
Troy pulled her hand away and brushed the dirt from his body. He
didn’t want sympathy from this woman. He wanted Felicity. He wanted
Felicity to want him and not Travis. With a last look at Loretta,
Troy started buttoning his shirt.

“
Is he seriously going to
tell your folks?” she asked.

“
Doesn’t matter. I’m not in
the mood anymore.”

“
What?”

Taking heart at her distress, he said,
“Don’t worry. We’ll do it again.” Troy glanced in the direction of
his home. “Just not here.”

As he watched Loretta put herself back
together, he realized they would definitely be back together and
soon. If only to piss off his brother.

Chapter Eight

An hour after the posted start time of
one o’clock, Malcolm, Nick and Delaney arrived at the Memorial Day
party. It was Ashley Fulmer’s annual picnic and Delaney claimed it
was the event of the season. Ashley was Delaney’s mother’s best
friend, and according to Nick, the woman instrumental in persuading
Ernie Ladd to uphold his deathbed promise. Delaney’s mother,
Susannah Wilkins, died of cancer years ago. The evening of her
passing, Ashley claimed Susannah implored her brother Ernie to pass
the Ladd Springs property on to the children. He argued against
giving anything to his son, Jeremiah Ladd—a sentiment Malcolm fully
understood. He hadn’t known the man for more than fifteen minutes
and could smell the bad blood exuding from his pores. Malcolm knew
the type. Jeremiah was out for number one, no one else, and didn’t
deserve any respect paid with regard to his feelings.