“You laugh, but I was scared to death.”
“Of what?” I giggle.
“I had fuckin’ teeth marks. Teeth. Marks. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to get it up again. That’s dangerous for a seventeen-year-old guy who’d only had sex three times at that point.”
“Poor thing.”
“Yeah, poor me. I didn’t let another girl go down on me for two years after that.”
“You had blowjob PTSD?”
“Fuck yeah, I did.”
We’re both done with our meals, so I gather the plates, still giggling as I get up.
“What are you doing, Shelby?”
“Cleaning up our mess and then we can watch some mindless TV?”
“Uh uh.” He shakes his head. “You cooked, I clean.”
“I invited you, not so that you’d clean up, but so you could keep me company. I have a dishwasher.”
“Then I’ll gladly put these in the dishwasher. You go on over there and find us something to watch.”
Instead of following him to the kitchen, I go back to the couch and grab the remote before sitting down again. Turning on the TV, I click the correct button for Netflix, and shuffle through the shows I’ve been watching. There, hidden at the end, is the one we’ve been binging.
It’s our little secret.
We still have a few episodes to go and I can’t wait to see how this show ends.
Sullivan comes back over, grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, and lies down, holding his arms open for me. “C’mon in here. I gotta find out if Carole really killed her husband or not.”
I giggle as I drop down beside him, snuggling up to his chest. He pulls the TV remote off the coffee table and goes to press play, but right before he does, I giggle-whisper. “Killed her husband, whacked him.”
He laughs along with me, and as I press myself fully into his body, I let my mind imagine.
That this is we’ll be years from now. After spending time like this with Sullivan, I can’t imagine ever letting him go.
Chapter 17
Sullivan
“We were out at the Gentry’s again last night.” Ransom throws some paperwork onto my desk the next morning.
“Did she press charges?”
He gives me a look. “What do you think? She’s scared to death of that prick, and he fucking gets off on it.”
“This is the part I hate about being a cop.” I pick up the papers he dropped. “You can want to help people all day long, but until they’re ready to accept it there’s not a goddamn thing you can do.”
“I know, it’s a bitch.”
“Is this for the auction?” I’m flipping through what looks to be a consent form.
“Yeah, Whitney was over at the house yesterday, and apparently my job in helping with this fundraiser is doing all her paperwork delivery.”
“I mean she does watch your kid,” I remind him.
“She does, but she’s the grandparent. It should be her honor.”
A laugh-sigh breaks through my mouth. “You think real highly of yourself, don’t you?”
“Hey, if I don’t, who else will? Be sure to fill that out, stick it in my box, and I’ll take it back to her.”
“I’ll stick it somewhere,” I mumble.
“I heard that. You’re the one who agreed to do this.”
“I wouldn’t say I agreed, so much as I didn’t say anything and it was taken as agreement.”
“Ole Shelby steam-rolled you like an asphalt paver. Welcome to my world, where all the women tell me what to do and I ask no questions. Questions get you in trouble. The best thing to do is just nod and smile.”
“Is that famous Ransom advice?”
“It’s Ransom advice, not sure I’d call it famous. Anywho, we’re out.” He makes a noise for Rambo, who gets up immediately to follow him.
“Be safe.” I wave after them.
Turning my attention back to the packet of paper, I shake my head. There’s a damn questionnaire. Do people really need to know this much shit about us? I stop reading when I hear someone clear their throat over me. Glancing up, I grin. “Sis, what are you doing here?”
I’m always excited to see Rowan, but she doesn’t visit me on the job too often.
“Made apple pie for Cutter, and thought I’d bring you a piece.”
My stomach growls loudly as I look down at the saran-wrapped plate she carries. “Oh my God, thank you.”
“I have to admit, it’s slightly to see how you’re doing too, since you haven’t answered my last three texts.”
“I’ve been busy,” I defend.
“With Shelby, I’m sure.”
I can’t deny it. “We’ve been spending time together.”
“I’m happy for you, Sully, so happy, but please remember to let me know you’re alright. I worry.”
Standing up, I open my arms, pulling her into a tight hug. “Remember I’m older, I should be the one worrying about you.”
“Age has nothing to do with it,” she mumbles into my chest. “I’ll always be scared when I know you’re out protecting the people of Laurel Springs.”
“You don’t need to.”
“But I will.”
I let her go. “I wish I could stay here and chat, but I have to hit the street. Come see me soon?”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m the one who showed up here, you can come see me.”
“Sassy as always.”
“Love you, bro.”
“Love you too.”
Shelby
“Now, Mrs. Haley, I need to verify this is what you definitely want. There’s some paperwork for you to go over and sign. This basically says you are of sound mine and no one is forcing you to make these changes.”
She leans forward, grabbing hold of the pen I’ve set down for her. Alert eyes skim the pages, before she signs her signature with a flourish.
“How will Montana know, once I’m gone?” Her voice cracks as she asks the question.
No one likes to think of their mortality, and given how frail Mrs. Haley is, she’s not too far from the end of her journey.
“That’s my job. If anything happens to you, I probate the will. You don’t have to worry about it. I’ll make sure your wishes are carried out.”
She sighs, almost with a touch of relief. “I’ve worried about this since they found the cancer. I can’t tell you how much this means to me, Shelby.”
“It’s what I’m here for,” I remind her.
“Either way,” - she reaches into her pocket book - “I brought something for you. I want you to know I went to five lawyer’s offices before coming to yours. None of them believed me to be of sound mind and tried to talk me out of changing my will. I know it’s because of their connections with Frank.”
She’s given an opening I’ve always wanted to ask about. “What exactly does Frank do?”
Her tone is weary. “He does many things. He’s on the city council, is on the board of directors at the bank, and at this moment he’s blindly running Haley Corporation into the ground. I can’t do anything about what he’s doing with the bank or city council, but I can stop him from bankrupting our family business.”