He smiled as he got into the SUV with his brother and sister-in-law. Their revelation, that she was related to Reno, not only didn’t bother him, but it spiked his curiosity. Spiked the hell out of it.
CHAPTER TEN
Oz stepped into the shower, turned on the water tap, and leaned his head back as it drenched his tired, sinewy body. When he turned slightly, to grab the soap, he winced. His ribs were still sore from that bar fight. His back was still sore too. He put the soap back and placed one hand against the shower wall as he let the water flow down his hair and body. He knew he was getting too old for bar fights and sleeping it off in filthy jail cells like he was still some twenty-year-old. He was a grown man now who needed to settle his grown ass down.
Which made him think of her again. The one that turned him down. That relative of Reno’s whose name he couldn’t even remember. But he remembered what she did.
And even after he bathe and got out of the shower, and looked at his nakedness in the full-length mirror, checking out the bruising he suffered from that bruiser of a fight, he was thinking about her. When he saw her at Lucinda’s Diner today, something ignited within him. It was as if he was seeing somebody that he knew, and cared about, when it couldn’t possibly be true. But that was how he felt when he saw her again.
He knew he needed to settle his ass down. He needed a wife, and children, to anchor him. When he saw that woman today, he wondered, for the briefest of moments, if she could be the one.
Which, he knew, was beyond irrational!
He stared at his body as he continued to stand naked at the mirror. Why did she turn him down, he wondered? He looked at his big, thick, dangling penis. He was big where women loved big. He looked at his ribbed abs and broad chest. He was tight where women loved tight. Who did she think she was turning down a man with his gifts? And why, he also wondered, was he obsessing about a rejection so minor that he couldn’t remember the woman’s name who rejected him. What was his damn problem?
But even as every fiber of his brain was telling him that his feelings made no sense, he still couldn’t stop thinking about that woman. And her big, sad eyes. And why somebody so young would want the headache of running some small-town diner. And why somebody so vibrant would leave a hip place like Philadelphia to come to a not-so-hip place like Apple Valley. What was she running from, he wondered, or who was she running from?
It shouldn’t matter to him whatsoever, he thought, as he began drying off his massive frame and sensually stroking his massive member. None of it should matter to him.
But it did.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
She opened her eyes early that next day, and she was still adjusting to her new surroundings. She’d taken rooms at the local B & B, mainly because it was in walking distance to her brand-new business, as she had no wheels. But she had plans. And one plan was to eventually to get wheels, and a permanent residence. The other plan was to make her new life the success story she’d always hoped to have in her father’s corporation, but it never happened.
She smiled and stretched when she realized today was the first day of that new life, and she couldn’t wait to get started. The painters were coming, and so were the electrical people. She had a full plate already.
She kicked the covers off of her, went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and showered, and then she dressed quickly. She barely looked at herself in the mirror as she tossed her big hair back and into a ponytail, put on minimal makeup, small earrings, grabbed her briefcase, and then hurried for the exit. Her employees were ordered to return to work in two weeks, approximately one week before her grand opening, so she didn’t have to deal with that aspect of her business right away. She wanted to learn more about the business first so that she didn’t have to rely on them telling her what the deal was, but on what the books were telling her. What was in black and white. Studying that place inside out was going to be her job in the meantime. And she couldn’t wait to get started.
But before she could walk out of the door of her room, her cell phone was ringing. When she saw who it was on the Caller ID, she smiled. And answered happily. “Hey, girl,” she said.
“Still in business?” It was Leyla, her best friend. “Or have you shut the doors already?”
Gloria laughed. “You’re wrong for that. I haven’t opened the door yet and you know it.”
“I know, girl. How are you feeling? This is the first day of the rest of your life.”
“And I’m feeling good, thank you very much. I’m heading to the diner now.”
“I won’t hold you then. Just wanted to say congrats, and our next girl’s trip will be a visit to that diner place of yours.”
Gloria laughed. “That I’ve got to see.”
“Oh, we gonna visit The Drakos casino, too, now. Or, I hate to tell you, none of us will show up.”
Gloria laughed.
Then Leyla turned serious. “Does your father know yet?” she asked her.
“No. Not yet. I plan to go down there after my grand opening. I’ll tell him then.”
“Good luck with that,” Leyla said. “But I’m supportive, whatever it’s worth.”
“Thanks, Ley. I know you are. I appreciate it.”
“Alright then. But let me go. My boss is giving me the side eye like I’m some damn rookie. But since he’s the boss, I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Bye,” Gloria said, and both friends ended their call.
CHAPTER TWELVE
He entered the penthouse at The Drakos in his suit and tie and alligator loafers, and with sunglasses over his still bloodshot eyes, and he headed for the kitchen. He was subdued, for Oz, and everybody knew why.
Alex was just leaning back from kissing on Kari at the kitchen table when Oz walked in. Jordan, their son, was still eating his breakfast vigorously because he knew they were running late.
“Ready?” Oz said to his teenage nephew, who was seated at the center island, his back to his parents, finishing up a plate of eggs.
“I’m ready,” Jordan said, rising, even as he began to hog up the remaining eggs and his last slice of bacon.
Alex and Kari sipped their cups of coffee. “You look hungover, Oz?” Alex said.
“Good morning to you, too, brother,” Oz said.
“Hello, Oz,” said Kari.
“How are you lovebugs doing?” Oz asked.
“Isn’t it lovebirds?” Alex asked.
“You’re bugging me. I got the name right.”
Alex and Kari smiled. “I bet you weren’t laughing last night,” Alex said, “when Bubba came to visit.”
Jordan, laughing, spit out the juice he was about to drink.
“Keep laughing,” Oz said to Alex, “I’ll send his ass to visit you.”
“Send him!” said Alex. “He could tell us what happened last night. He can give us, get this, a blow-by-blow,” he joked, and Kari and Jordan laughed heartily.
Oz was not impressed. “You’re ready or not, Jordan?” he asked with some anger in his voice. He did not like that line of jokes at all.
“I’m ready, I’m ready,” Jordan said, grabbing his bookbag from off of the stool, and then hurrying to his parents. “Bye, Mom,” he said as he kissed Kari. “Bye Dad,” he said as he hugged his father. “Remember, I have an Honor Society meeting today, so I’ll be late.”