One of the Guys (29 page)

THANK YOU :)

I can’t say thank you enough for this journey I’ve started. Thank you to everyone who has joined me. Your support has been absolutely unreal and like I said, I can’t thank you enough. If I could personally thank each and every one of you I would, but this will have to do!

I’ll never forget the first fan who told me how much they loved my first book. I was on cloud nine and that’s when I knew everything I had worked for was worth it. Every person who has told me they liked it has absolutely made my heart soar. Thank you all so much!

Thank you to every single one of you who took the time to review the book whether good or bad. All of it just fueled me to keep going.

Thank you to my fiancée and my daughter who continued to put up with me sitting here day after day writing my heart out. Without their support, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. My fiancée supported me through this whole process helping me along the way. When I would get off work and jump straight on the computer, he would just ask me how it was all coming along. I love you both so very much.

A big thank you to my Dad for being my best friend and the best dad in the world!! I consider myself very lucky to have you as my dad. All I ever want to do is make you proud! I love you Fasha!!

Thank you to my Mom, you are amazing and I love you so much!!

Thank you to all my family…there’s so many people to name...just know who you are and that I love you more than anything!!

Thank you to my best friend Adrienne who sat there and listened to me worry and almost lose my mind. Thank you for keeping me laughing and supporting me when I almost wanted to give up. Love you my number one botch! (Yes, I mean botch I promise I didn’t misspell that!)

Thank you to Robin Harper for yet another amazing cover! I love you and couldn’t have done this without your support also. Thank you for also being a friend to me! One day we will meet, I know it :)

Last, I have to thank God for the ability to tell a story and the courage to live out my dreams. As long as there is someone out there who enjoys what I do, then I won’t stop.

All of your support means more than I could ever say so thank you again!!

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Coming Soon!

Spurs & Stilletos

Chapter 1

“Come on Hope, ask him! If you don’t I will. He’s my cousin so I can treat him like shit whether you’re engaged to him or not. I have an extra ticket and I won’t take no for an answer so ask and call me back. You have five minutes or I’m coming over there.”

“Fine Amber! Just calm the hell down. I’ll ask as soon as we hang up. I just know he’s going to be funny about it.”

“Ask. You know if Karlee were still alive she’d be dragging you there whether he wanted you to go or not. Again, I’m telling you to ask. Bye bitch.”

I groaned as I hung the call up. Amber has been on my ass for weeks now about going to this damn rodeo with her. The rodeo is tomorrow night and I’m just hating myself for having answered this phone call. I could care less, I’ve never been to one and I see no reason why I should jump up and automatically act like rodeo is my life. Why do I want to sit there and watch some guy get bucked off a bronco, a bull or whatever it is and then fear for whether or not they will be trampled to dust? Sounds like too much anxiety for me.

The fact that she brought up Karlee has my stomach cutting flips. Karlee was my older sister by two years and she has been dead for a year now. We weren’t close as kids, matter of fact we fought all the damn time. As we grew up, our bond strengthened and we were inseparable. The thing that is making this decision to ask Brad so difficult, is the fact that the night Karlee died, she was on her way home from a rodeo. A rodeo that I was supposed to go to. My luck, I came down with the flu and was stuck in bed praying to feel better. On her way home, she fell asleep at the wheel causing her brand new car to veer off the road and smash into a tree. The police told us she died instantly and my heart filled itself with blame. I should have been in the car with her, that should have been me too but my life was spared and heaven gained an angel. Our family was torn apart. They never treated me any differently because of her accident but for this past year, I’ve continued to carry more guilt than I should. No one knows I do except Amber. Brad would make fun of me, according to him, what’s done is done and I should be over it. But how do you get over losing one of your best friends?

I take a deep breath as I drag myself to the living room to ask Brad if it’s ok that I go. She won’t stop and I sure don’t want her coming over here playing the Karlee and her cousin card. He would do anything for her. After being with him five years I would think he’d do the same for me but in reality he was much more strict with me. I don’t know if it’s his military training or what but sometimes I’d rather not be around him. Don’t get me wrong I love him to death and we’re getting married in two months. My head has been spinning with planning all this crap while he’s just sat back and continued to do what he does. Work. That’s all he ever does is work and I miss him so much. Which is another reason why I don’t care to go to this rodeo.

I hate that he got this promotion. Ever since he got it, he’s worked longer hours and he’s just always tired. Any time I get with him, I make the best of it.

He’s laid out on the couch watching some Steven Segal Movie. I crinkle my nose because I’m not the biggest fan of action movies. Give me a chick flick or something hilarious and I’m your girl, I just can’t handle the senseless blowing shit up and all that.

He looks up at me and smiles. I remember always drooling over him as a teenager. He was two years older than us, the same age as Karlee, but that didn’t stop my little teenage hormones from going nuts. Amber thought it was gross I had a crush on her cousin but I mean one look at those beautiful green eyes and that messy brown hair, I suddenly found it necessary to be more girlie and aim for his attention once he got back from boot camp. He was a Marine, how hot is that? I needed him to see I was no longer his cousin Ambers’ awkward teenage friend Hope. I was mature and now a woman. One hot pink bikini later, he cornered me on the back porch asking if he could take me out that night. Of course I said yes and Amber rolled her eyes but later told me she was happy for me. Things went rather fast for us after that date. We spent every waking hour together and two years later we moved into the apartment we share now. Last year he proposed and I was the happiest woman on earth until we heard about Karlee. Karlee never got to find out about my engagement, that was the night she died.

“Hey babe, I saved you a spot.” He winked as he patted the spot beside him. He enveloped me in his strong arms and I relaxed. I miss the messy hair he once had. After boot camp, he kept it short. There was talk about possibly deployment right when he returned but we’ve been lucky so far and he hasn’t had to leave my side again.

“Amber has this extra ticket to this rodeo tomorrow night; she wants to know if I can go with her.”

He sees me scrunch my nose and laughs. “The rodeo huh? You don’t seem too excited.”

“Well, I’ve never been to one but it is a free ticket. I think she got a hotel for the night too.”

He stuck his lip out and began to pout. “If I say yes, what do I get out of it?”

Shit, I knew this was coming. Ever since we got engaged, I told him even though we’d slept together already I’d like to wait until our wedding night to make it more special. He whined and bitched saying I was taking his manhood away and why don’t I just go ahead and cut his balls off. Made me feel like absolute shit but once I was sure he saw my side, he let it go. Every once in a while he tried to pull his smooth moves on me and I gave in once. After that, I stood my ground and it pissed him off. He’s the only guy I’ve ever slept with. I gave him my virginity in some ritzy hotel room after my senior prom. How stereotypical. But he made it magical and I wanted that magic for my wedding night.

I leaned down, my shoulder length auburn hair brushing against his cheek, and kissed his lips. “Don’t try that with me Brad, come on.”

“What? Can’t blame me for trying. You’re sexy. Come on just slip your shorts off babe. Let me feel you.”

He’s smiling the smile he knows I can’t resist. Dammit. His hand slides across my front and rests right on the edge of my shorts. As he begins to slide his hand down my shorts, I let out a small moan. Sometimes we do engage in a little foreplay so he doesn’t whine so much but sometimes all it does is make it a little more frustrating when he wants to have sex and I put my foot down. He teases me for a few seconds before he thrusts a few fingers inside me. I close my eyes as I call out his name. “Oh Brad…” He stops for a brief second and I pop my eyes open glaring at him. “Don’t stop.”

His eyes lit like a fire as he smiled continuing, “You like that Hope?”

“Yes.” I whimpered. Just as I was about to come, his phone went off. He stopped to look at the message that came through and got up walking into the kitchen. I laid on the brown microfiber couch trying to catch my breath and not go slap him in the arm when I realized he wasn’t coming back to finish what he started.

I sat up frustrated when he came walking back in. “Tell Amber you’ll go. You two need some girl time together. You can make sure she doesn’t get in trouble or try to run off with any cowboys.”

“Oh, ok I’ll let her know. I love you.”
Why the hell did you start something you didn’t finish?

“I love you too Hope. Forever.” He says as he plants a kiss on my forehead. “That was Chris, I’m going to meet him at the gym. I’ll be home later baby.”

He gathers his gym bag and gives me one more small kiss before he walks out the door. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t completely frustrated. More frustrated than anyone knows. This isn’t the first time he’s pulled something like this. I’d tell Amber but I know she’ll say nothing but I told you so. She loves Brad and she loves me but even though she said she was excited about us getting together deep down she really wasn’t. She made that clear to me once or twice and she didn’t even know half the crap he did. I just figured she was worried if something bad happened between Brad and I, it would destroy our friendship. She didn’t know how he talked down to me 75% of the time or how he pulled what he just did. I love him though, I do and come hell or high water we’re getting married in two months. Things will get better I know they will.

I grab my phone and tap Amber’s name. She answers by the second ring. “Tell me you have good news or I swear I’ll be there in two minutes.” She lives about a block away so she’s not kidding.

Amber and I have been best friends since birth. Our parents lived next door to each other and yep I’m sure you can figure the rest out. We’ve been there for each other for everything from broken hearts to when her parents divorced. She’s the yin to my yang.

“He said I can go.”

“Ahhhh!!! I’m going to hug him next time I see him!! What’s he doing?”

“He went to the gym. Want to come over? We have cookie dough ice cream and chocolate syrup.”

“Tell me you have cherries and I’m there.”

I fumbled around in the cabinet moving cans of green beans and corn until I pulled the unopened jar of cherries out placing it on the granite counter. “Yep, got a whole jar just for you.”

“Be there in five.” End of call.

My mind went back to moments earlier when Brad just got up to answer a text and then left. Would things really get better for us once we said ‘I Do’? I really hope so.

Maybe this rodeo isn’t a bad idea. He’s already said he doesn’t mind if I go so now I just need Amber to loan me a pair of her cowgirl boots and help me with an outfit. What do people wear to these things?

The doorbell rang and I snapped out of thought to answer the door. Amber barged in going straight for the dark wood cabinet where we kept the bowls. She filled her bowl to the brim and before she took her first bite, she brushed her light brown hair behind her ear. “Hey Hope, where’d you say Brad went?”

I dug the spoon into the tub of ice cream before getting the courage to look at her. “He said Chris texted him and they were going to the gym.”

“Hmmm.” Ok that was weird.

“What do you mean by that Amber?”
What do you know that I don’t? I’ll absolutely die if I lose him. Ok maybe not but I’d be severely hurt.
I stare down into my bowl waiting for her to answer. My eyes want to meet hers but for the first time in Brad’s and mine relationship, I have this feeling down in my gut that I can’t shake. He wouldn’t hurt me in any way ever. Yeah he does mouth off but that’s normal for him.

“Oh, nothing. I mean maybe he just hadn’t got there yet. I didn’t see his truck when I passed.”

I shoved the spoon of ice cream in my mouth before I could say anything else. Sabotage. That’s what she was trying to do. He’s never lied to me that I know of. He’s always been one hundred percent honest with me and me with him. He’s my fiancée for crying out loud. He’ll get home later and scoop me up in his arms and tell me how much he loves me and how he can’t wait to marry me.

Her bowl clanked against the coffee table and she practically pried mine away forcing me to look at her. “No ma’am. This shit isn’t cutting it what’s going on and do not lie to me.”

Shit, how does she do this? She knows everything and it’s pretty annoying. “Nothing.” I lie through my teeth but she doesn’t buy it at all.

“Hope, I’m not kidding. What is wrong?”

“I love him Amber, I really do. But…” She’s studying my expression right now and all I want to do is cry. This blows. “But, I’m not sure we’re on the same page anymore.”

“What do you mean?” She asked cautiously.

“It’s just he’s getting snappier. He doesn’t respect my boundaries about holding off until we’re married. He practically bribed me to fool around. That was the only way he’d say yes to the rodeo.” Ok her eyes look like they are about to bug out of her head and steam is rolling out her ears. “In the middle of you know, fooling around, his phone went off and he just got up to answer the text then said he was going to the gym. Then he said ‘oh you can go’. What the fuck is that?”

“Get up.” Practically yanking my arm granted her wish as I now stood in front of her. “Fuck him. He’s my cousin but no, this isn’t happening. We’re going out tonight.”

“But….”

“But nothing. I’ll handle him. Matter of fact I’m texting him right now. Go get dressed, if he can leave, so can you. Plus Karlee would bust your ass for crying over him.”