Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (84 page)

She was still struggling to get through the first book when it was time for her to go to work.  Most of what she was reading sounded like nonsense to her, and the rest was just common sense.  Of course kids needed regular checkups with the pediatrician, eye doctor and dentist had been her thought as she was trying to get through the third chapter.

When she got to the bar, Rick's car was in the lot.  He was standing next to it, talking to a very pretty blonde woman.  It looked like they were arguing.  Ami tried to slip by unnoticed.  Rick turned to her though and said "Hi, Ami.  I'd like you to meet my stubborn fiancé Candice."

"Call me Candy, and I'm not the only one around here who's stubborn," she said, looking up at Rick.

"Nice to meet you," Ami said.

"You, too.  I guess we'll be working together on Saturday huh?  Has Gabe given you any trouble yet?"

“Is he really that bad?"

"No, he's not," Rick said firmly.

"You're not a woman Rick, so when it comes to Gabe you can’t really understand."

"But he's married," Ami said.

"Being married has never stopped Gabe, believe me," Candy said.

"Great,” Ami said.

“Just be careful Ami,” Candy said.  Rick leaned down and gave her a kiss.  "I will call you later Rick, and I will see you on Saturday Ami."

"See you," Ami said.

They watched until Candy had gotten into an older but well taken care of truck and drove away, then Ami followed him inside the bar.

Gabe was nowhere to be seen and for that she was grateful.  She wasn’t in the mood to deal with him.  She had enough on her mind as it was.

They relieved Eric and the night went quickly again.  She still had to check the list for ingredients for a couple drinks but she was starting to feel more comfortable.  Nobody hit on her, though a woman with dark hair had tried to kiss Rick.  He’d pushed her away as gently as possible and then led her back to the embarrassed co-workers she had come to the bar with.

The tips were even better and the clean-up went quickly.

"Do you think you’re going to like working here?" Rick said as they were walking out to the parking lot after locking up.

She nodded.  "What did Candy mean about Gabe?"

Rick sighed.  "It’s just rumors I’m sure.  He’s never tried to do anything to Candy.  Of course he probably knows that I’d take his head off if he did."

Ami nodded.  “Of course.”  She still wasn’t sure about Gabe.  He looked at her like he wanted to do things to her she didn’t even want to think about.

“I’ll probably see you on Saturday.  I don't like to bug Candy too much, but I usually bring her dinner."

"I'll see you Rick.  Have a good night."

"You, too."

He waited until she was safely in her car again before he got in his.  Rick was a good guy.  Very protective she thought.  He was going to make a great father.

She drove home.  There was a moving truck in the parking lot, parked outside Carson's apartment.

When she walked by, Carson poked his head out of the back of the moving truck.  "Hey Ami."

"Hi Carson.  You need some help?"

"No, Nick helped me move the heavy shit earlier before his ass went and got drunk again.  Ali's furniture is nicer than mine so we're putting my crap in storage.  You really got to him Ami.  I’ve never seen that guy get wasted two nights in a row."

"Sorry." She didn't know what else to say.

He laughed.  "It ain't your fault he's got some stupid code of honor he lives by.  Ali told me you want him just as bad."

"She's got a big mouth doesn't she?"

She was afraid she'd offended him for a minute, but then he laughed.  "Yeah, she kinda does."

"She does what?" Alicia said, coming out of the apartment.

"Ami says you have a big mouth," Carson said.

"You didn't exactly disagree," Ami protested, smiling at Alicia to let her know they were kidding.

"You wouldn't know what to do without me Carson," Alicia said.  Ami noticed that she had what looked like an engagement ring on her finger.  They were definitely moving things along she thought.

Carson turned to her, a serious look on his face.  "You know I wouldn't baby."

Alicia gave him a kiss, and then turned back to Ami.  "You want to hang out tomorrow night?  You're off of work right?"

"Yeah." She paused, wondering if Nick would be there.

"He won't be around.  Carson's hanging out with a friend from work and Nick is not exactly welcome here with the things he said earlier."

"Do you really have to bring that shit up, Ali?  He was drunk."

"It's not just what he said, though that was plenty bad enough.  It's what he did.  Parading one tramp around last night, and then a different one tonight."

"Lay off Alicia.  He's had two girlfriends since he's lived here and he is single.  You can't blame a guy for wanting to get laid once in a while."

"We both know that it's not about getting laid Carson.  With the things he said and did tonight it's pretty obvious that what he wants to do is hurt Ami because he thinks he can't have her."

Ami did not like this conversation at all she thought.

"Don't you dare tell her what he said.” Carson gave Alicia a look of warning.

"She has a right to know Carson."

"She don't wanna know," Carson said, not looking at either of the women.

Now she had to know Ami thought.  "What did he say Alicia?"

"Honey, before I tell you this, let me warn you that as Carson said, he was drunk."

"Off his ass," Carson added.  "Though the skank wasn't much better off.  I don't know how they made it back to his place in one piece."

"I told you she was a slut," Alicia said, then bit her lip.  "Sorry.  That was what he called you Ami.  A slut."

"He called me a slut?"

"He got more descriptive, but you probably don't want to hear the rest."

"Tell me Alicia."

"He said that he felt sorry for your boyfriend because you’re out looking for another guy to fuck.  His words, not mine.  He said that you were hot to get down his pants."

"Didn't you tell me that he mentioned blue balls when he was talking to Carson?"

"Alicia," Carson said.  "Private conversation, beautiful mouth that needs to learn how to keep shut."

"Sorry baby.  He was trying to play it off like you'd thrown yourself at him and he wanted nothing to do with you Ami."

"You think even that nasty bitch would have gone to bed with him if he'd admitted how bad he wants Ami?  Even bar hags have some pride left.  Somewhere."

"She would have gone to bed with him if he told her he had three wives and twelve girlfriends Carson.  She was worse than the one the night before.  She looked old enough to be his mama and she had a black eye and a fat lip.  I swear I saw her shove a wedding ring in her pocket when they got out of the car.  He's calling Ami a slut when he's taking a disgusting woman with a husband that by the looks of it beats the crap out of her to bed.  What the hell?"

"You've obviously never wanted a woman that you couldn't have," Carson said.

Alicia snorted.  "No, but I've wanted men that I couldn't have."

"When you got a babe like Ami stuck in your head and it's even worse because you know she wants you too, but you still can't have her, you'll do damned near anything to get her out of your head."

"That was taking it a little far." Alicia gave Ami a look that to her said, ‘you need to tell him’.  "I had to take a picture of her Ami.  You won’t believe this woman."

Alicia pulled out her cell phone, and scrolled through the pictures, finding the right one and passing the phone to Ami.

If anything, Ami thought that she felt sorry for the woman.  She had one black eye, it looked like she had one that was fading on the other eye, and her lip was split and puffy.  She couldn't blame the woman for wanting to get away from a husband that would do that to her.  She hated to think of what he'd do if he found out, though.

She handed the phone back to Alicia.  "I'm sure she was pretty enough at one point.  I feel bad for her."

"Don't," Alicia and Carson said at the same time.

She waited for them to explain.  Carson started first.  "Her name's Sonia.  She used to be a social worker.  She got fired because she took the wrong guy's kid away over some bullshit story that she paid one of her friends to call in and make a complaint about.  All because her pocket book was getting a little thin.  She had a gambling problem and even with the fat bonuses she was getting she was running a little low.  Her husband is her ex supervisor.  They say she likes it when he smacks her around, goes out and trolls the bars so that he'll get pissed and he'll smack her another good one."

"That is disgusting," Ami said.

Carson shrugged, but Alicia said "She was chiming right in when Nick was talking shit about you and she doesn't even know you."

"Nice," Ami said.

"I'll be nice though and not tell you the things she said." Alicia said.  "Do you mind helping me take the rest of the little stuff to our storage unit tomorrow Ami?"

"I told you I will do it," Carson said.

"You have to work early and the place will be closed by the time you get off.  There's nothing big or heavy.  We're women, not helpless Carson."

"You are pregnant and I want that baby to be born strong so she can be a good big sister for the three other ones we're gonna have.  Ami will you please tell her that she's being crazy and that I'll do this myself on Friday when I have a day off?"

Ami grinned at Alicia.  "We'll do it.  Aren't those moving trucks expensive?"

Carson sighed.  "I don't care how expensive it is.  She could get hurt.  Lose the baby."

Alicia rolled her eyes and Ami said.  "If there's anything remotely heavy, I'll take it."

"Carson, the doctor said that if I sit on my ass all day the labor will be even harder.  You already made sure that everything heavy has been taken care of and you told me not two hours ago that you'd let me do it if I could convince Ami to help me."

"You asked me while we were in bed.  That hardly counts."

"It counts," Alicia said.  "Thanks Ami."

Carson groaned.  "Women."

"Did you really think you could count on a woman to go against one of her own, especially someone that's being completely reasonable?" Alicia said.

"Of course not," Carson said.  "Let's lock this thing up.  I've got to get to bed."

He rolled down the back of the truck and then took Alicia's hand.  "Night Ami."

"Night Carson.  Night Alicia."

"I'll see you in the morning Ami.  Come down whenever you get up.  We're in no hurry."

She went up the stairs, suddenly feeling exhausted.  Why did it bother her so much that Nick had called her a slut she wondered?   She knew she wasn’t a slut.

But she honestly thought that it bothered her more that he'd been with a different woman two nights in a row.  She sighed as she opened her door, thinking that at least she hadn't been home when he'd brought his little flings around.  Would she be in this mess if she hadn’t told him she had a boyfriend?

She decided to skip checking her e-mail and went straight to bed

Chapter 7

It was almost ten when she got out of bed the next morning.  She was suddenly glad she didn't have to work that day.  She got herself a glass of orange juice and sat down on the couch and lit a cigarette.  She didn't want to smoke around Alicia.

When she had finished her cigarette and her juice, she got dressed and went out the door and down the stairs.  Alicia was outside at the picnic table reading a romance novel.

She looked up and said "Mornin' Ami."

"Good morning Alicia.  You want to get the stuff over to the storage unit now and get it over with?"

"Sure, but can you follow me in your car?  I want to take the truck back so that we'll get at least some of our huge deposit back."

"Yeah, we can do that.  If you ever need to borrow my car it's no problem-especially on my days off.  I don't think I'm going to be doing much today."

"Thanks Ami.  You can call me Ali.  Everyone else does."

Alicia went into the apartment to get the keys for the truck and then Ami followed her to the storage unit.  She left her car outside the gates and then followed Alicia on foot back to their unit.

There weren't a lot of boxes and most of them were ridiculously light.  They laughed about Carson being paranoid as they stacked them in the half full unit.

"Are you guys looking for a bigger place for when the baby comes?" Ami said as she followed Alicia back to the truck, helping her pull the door back down.

"Yeah.  We thought about keeping my house, but we want to buy a place and it was too expensive for what it was anyway.  Carson's not impressed with the choices we've had so far though.  The only one we could halfway afford the down payment on was a trailer.  Carson said that there's no way he wants to raise a kid in a trailer, but I don't give a shit.  My parents weren't exactly rolling in dough when they first got married.  Me and my older brother lived in a trailer
with our parents until I was three.  It wasn't a big deal.  We had a place to play and we had our own rooms.  The one we looked at was really nice too.  Newer.  I don't see what his problem is, but I shut up and told him we'd keep looking."

"Men can definitely be a pain in the ass," Ami said.

"You got that right.  What are you gonna do about Nick?"

"Hell if I know."

"I think you should smack him in the face."

"Alicia."

"He was acting like a completely different person last night.  One that I don't want to be friends with."

"People are dumb when they're drunk.  We'd better get that truck back."

"You're almost as good at changing the subject as Carson is.  We will talk about this later Ami."

Ami groaned.  "Do we have to?  I think I've heard all I can take about Nick for the next lifetime."

"Okay.  I guess that's fair enough.  I'll make you lunch to make it up to you.  Though we'll have to make do with sandwiches.  Carson does the cooking."

"Carson cooks?"

"My baby does a lot of things that nobody bothers to notice." Alicia grinned.

"I don't think I want to know about the rest of his hidden talents Ali."

She laughed.  "You're probably right about that one."

Ami went out the gate to her car and then followed Alicia to the place where they had rented the truck.

Alicia made a face when the guy handed her back the rest of their deposit but she only said “Thank you" and followed Ami out to her car.

"We wouldn't have had anything left if I'd let his stubborn ass move the rest of the stuff tomorrow," she said once they were in the car.

Ami figured it was best to change the subject.  "So you said that Carson has a son?"

Alicia's face lit up.  "I forgot to tell you.  We got the best news this morning.  Granted it was a three o'clock in the morning, but nobody cared because it was so good."

"What's going on?"

"His ex-wife suddenly called him up." Her face darkened then.  "It was bad news for his poor son in a way along with the really good news, but we'll take what we can get.  She's getting married, having a baby, and her prick of a new husband doesn't want Elijah around."

"What an ass."

"I guess at least he's being honest about it.  I wouldn't want the poor little guy to grow up feeling second best.  But the good news is, he is going to start spending the weekends with us to get used to the idea, starting not this weekend but the next, and he should be living with us full time by next summer.  I'm so excited.  I'm going to meet my baby's baby.  He was so happy Ami.  You should have seen him.  He did a victory dance around the living room."

Ami smiled.  "That's great news.  So you're not only going to have a newborn to take care of then, you'll have a three year old too?"

"He'll be four by then.  He has a birthday in April.  But like I was trying to tell Carson, maybe the bitch will let him come sooner if we get a house.  The trailer had three bedrooms, so he'd have his own room instead of being stuck on the couch in this tiny apartment.  We could fix it up so nice."

They had reached the apartment.  Ami locked the car and followed Alicia back to her apartment.

"It doesn't freak you out thinking about taking care of a baby and Carson's son?" Ami said as she waited for Alicia to unlock the door.

"I took care of my brother's kids for years before me and Brian moved away.  I love kids."

"So you're perfectly okay with having a stepson?"

Alicia gestured for her to sit down on the couch while she went to the kitchen to make their sandwiches.

"Of course.  There was a pretty sticky time between me and Brian a few years back when he was messing around.  There was this woman who came up out of nowhere and said her little girl was his.  She wanted to drop off the poor kid and just leave.  I was cool with it but Brian insisted on a DNA test.  It turned out that the kid wasn't his, but she spent almost a week with us.  She was so sweet and she looked so sad when her mother came to pick her up.  The things that people do to their own flesh and blood are so sad sometimes.  I love Carson and I will love anything that came from him.  I don't want Elijah to feel like he's any less important than the baby just because I'm not his natural mother.  I'm so lucky Ami.  Carson stepped right up.  He's going to my next doctor's appointment and we're getting married next weekend."

"Next weekend?"

"We wanted Elijah to be included.  His ex-wife tripped out at first, but then she must have figured she couldn't say much because she's getting married in a month and she doesn't even want him there."

"Her own son?"

"She's a bitch.  With Carson's phone being broken, I got to listen in on that one too."

"Wow.  I wish you guys the best of luck.  If you need help with anything just let me know."

"Thanks hon.  Do you want chicken or turkey on your sandwich?  And we only have mayo, and American cheese.  I hope that's okay."

"Turkey and the rest of it is fine too."

"Do you want barbecue or sour cream and onion potato chips?"

"Barbecue please."

Alicia finished their sandwiches and then brought the plates out to the living room.  "I wanted Nick to be at the wedding too, but now I'm not so sure with the way he's been acting."

"He's got to be there.  He and Carson seem so close."

"It's pretty ironic.  The past few days Nick has been acting like everything he warned me that Carson was.  And Carson is acting like the man that I always figured Nick to be."

"I feel like it's my fault."

Alicia rolled her eyes.  "Honey, if a man can't handle the fact that he thinks he can't stick his dick where he wants it to be, it's his problem.  Sorry to put it so bluntly, but it's true."

"I guess that's one way to look at it.  I should have told him the truth.”

"So tell him.  No, don’t because he’s being an enormous ass.  Give it a little time and then casually bring up that you broke up with your boyfriend."

"Why are men so damned complicated?"

"I figured that one out years ago.  Men are complicated so that women don't fall in love with the wrong one every day."

Ami laughed.  "That doesn't always seem to work though."

"Of course not.  Anyone that tells you that life is perfect is full of shit, too." Alicia's phone rang then and she answered it with a smile.  "Hey baby.  Are you coming home for lunch?  Okay.  That sucks.  Well, I'm sure Ami won't mind a little extra company tonight.  Yeah.  No, it's all
finished and that ridiculously expensive truck is back at the lot.  Really?  Yeah, we can do that.  Okay.  I will.  Love you too.  Bye."

She ended the call and turned to Ami.  "Well, Carson's friend bowed out of their guy's night out tonight.  His wife isn't feeling well.  You don't mind if Carson hangs out with us too, do you?  I thought we'd get a couple of movies, order a pizza or something."

"I don't want to intrude on your time alone together.”

"We'll have our whole lives to be alone together.  Or after eighteen years, or twenty-five years or however long it takes all the kids Carson wants to have to grow up and move out of the house.  You look like you could use some company."

She didn't know whether she'd rather have company or sulk all night by herself.  But she knew Alicia was trying to be nice, so she said "Okay."

They spent the rest of the afternoon talking, watching TV and listening to music.  Alicia was funny, and she always said what was on her mind.  It was really nice to have a friend after so long, and Ami enjoyed their time together.

Carson came home a little after six and gave Alicia a kiss before heading to the shower.

He looked tired and again Ami started to feel bad about intruding on their night.  Alicia told her she was being ridiculous and took out her phone to order the pizza.

When Carson got out of the shower Alicia said "Did you get the movies I asked you to?"

Ami thought that he looked truly apologetic.  "I forgot baby.  I'm sorry."

"Give me your keys.  Me and Ami will go get them, you adorable forgetful man."

"I'll get them," Ami said. 

She wanted a cigarette, having only gone outside twice all day to have one.  She wanted to get away from Alicia and Carson for a few minutes anyway.  Love and affection oozed out of almost everything they said to each other.

"You sure?" Carson said.  "I can go Ami."

"It's no problem.  What movies did you want Alicia?"

Alicia told her.  One was a romance and the other was an action movie, neither genre of which she particularly enjoyed, but it was her friend's house she thought.  Ami wrote them down on a slip of paper Alicia handed her in case she forgot and then made her way outside and to the video store that Carson gave her directions to.

The video store was crowded.  She couldn't find one of the movies Alicia wanted, so she ended up spending fifteen minutes reading her friend titles and descriptions of movies with Carson laughing in the background.

By the time she had checked out, over half an hour had passed.  There was an accident blocking the direct route to their apartment building so she had to find another way home.  It was forty-five minutes later when she pulled into the parking lot, almost three times as long as she'd expected to be gone.  She almost felt like she'd been at work all day instead of just out running an errand for her friend.

She had a cigarette clamped between her lips when she got out of the car.  She almost choked when she saw the scene ahead of her at the picnic table, letting her lip go slack and the cigarette fall to the ground.  If she hadn't had Alicia's movies in her hands she would have turned around and gotten back in her car, but she couldn't.

Alicia and Carson were standing next to the picnic table having a heated conversation which just got louder when Alicia looked up and saw Ami.  She wasn't sure if she heard her friend right, but it sounded like she said "I told you to get them the hell out of here before she got back."

She couldn't hear Carson's response, but none of it seemed to bother Nick and the woman he was making out with.  Ami thought that it was even better that they were turned so not only could she see Nick's hands cupping the woman's ass, she could see the woman's hand on the crotch of Nick's jeans.  She felt sick.

Alicia came over to her.  "I am so sorry.  I told him to get them the hell out of here.  But no, my wonderful fiancé would not listen."

Carson, who had followed Alicia with his hands shoved in his pockets, looking helpless, said "What the fuck am I supposed to do Ali, pry them apart with a crowbar?"

"Has she never heard of discretion?" Alicia hissed.  "Next thing we know she's going to be giving him head right here in the parking lot.  Why the hell are they here?"

Carson shrugged.  "I don't know."

"He is trying to hurt her and this is going too damned far.  Carson come on, do something."

"Ali what do you want me to do?”

Ami closed her eyes, slumping back onto the hood of her car.  She pulled out another cigarette, but ending up throwing it on the ground after the first drag.  She couldn't watch this anymore, she just couldn't she thought.