Bound (Bound Hearts #1) (16 page)

Courtland

I had everything I needed packed for the beach and I made my way to go pick up JR. I had helped him pack all his shit from the place he shared with
the cheating Sylvie, and he moved back in the small guest house he and his dad built when JR was eighteen. He was back at the ranch and he came out wearing a pair of UH board shorts and a UH shirt. He was all about sticking to his alma mater. He had a duffle bag of crap with him and tossed it in the back with the rest of the beach stuff I bought last night.

We knuckled bumped and I made my way to the hotel.

“I can’t wait to see Addy. We might have seen her the other night, but after she dropped you on your ass, she split. Never even got to say hi. I missed her man.”

“She’ll be glad to see
you too. Gram is real nice. A real fine lady.”

“Yeah, that time I spoke with her on the phone, she was hella nice and sweet.”

“Sylvie try getting ahold of you?”

JR leaned his elbow on the window and rested his head on his hand. “A few times. I kinda had to get a little rude with her.”

That really surprised me. I never saw JR get really mad that often. In the sixteen years I’ve known him, he only got mad probably not even two hands worth. He never got rude or disrespectful with a female. Very bad manners and all that. He was always a good negotiator and a gentle soul to boot. I knew if he had to get rude with her, she must have said something really hurtful to him to lose his temper.

“What did that bitch say to you
, Chet?”

“Just a bunch of BS dude. I’m not gonna ruin this day. Haven’t been to the beach since last year. I don’t want to bring Sylvie into my day. She’s a sour note.”

The fact he didn’t correct me when I called her bitch, was telling. He would talk to me when he was ready. That’s the thing about being a guy. If we wanted to talk about something, we would get it out in the open. Not hint around about shit. We had deep conversations when we needed to hear what was good for us. Like last night. That was as deep as it goes. He knew how I grew up. I had no problem telling him and he never showed me pity like some people were wont to do. Not that I wanted him to either. I didn’t need that crap. That’s what made him such a great guy and friend.

We pulled up into the visitors parking and when they didn’t get up in a hurry
, I sat there looking straight at Addy. She was looking at the space we occupied and she probably could only see our shadows in the truck. I had the windows tinted dark when I bought the truck. She couldn’t see the lascivious glare I was sending her way. I could see by the scowl on her face, she was either getting suspicious or was waiting for us to get out.

“Are we gonna get out now? Or do you wanna stare at her some more?”

“I could stare at her all day.”

“Yes, well, she’s family and it’s starting to make me feel all big brother
like, so stop thinking about her naked would ya?”

“Ha. Yeah, sure,” I said, but I knew as well as he did, that him pulling the big brother act wouldn’t get me from picturing what I already knew was the most perfect masterpiece ever created under Heaven. I knew what that body looked bare and just thinking about it made my board shorts tighten around my arousal. I shifted in the seat and hurried to open the door before he noticed my lack of ease. We saw Addy and Gram stand up as we had stepped away from the truck doors.

“ADDY!” JR hollered and Adelaide dropped her stuff to the ground and ran over to him as he caught her and hugged her tight and close. I knew he missed her. They were not only great cousins, but friends too. Those two years, the three of us had such a great time. Nothing, but good memories.

“JR! I missed you so much.” He put her short frame down and she leaned back and held on to his upper arms. “Whoa. You surely filled out! I bet you’re a real ladies man huh?”

He blushed like he normally did when someone mentioned the way he bulked up over the last few years. Not that he was ever overweight, but growing up and in college, he was just tall and lanky. He did fill out over the years. JR shrugged, and ruffled Addy’s tousled hair. Damn, did she look beautiful or what? She was wearing flops, another pair of cutoff jeans and a tank top, braless. I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“I know, girl. I missed you too. So you write love stories
, huh?”

Laughing, she nodded and said, “Yeah, I write love stories. Although I’ve never written about cowboys, looking at you boys, I’m thinking maybe I should.”

Rolling his eyes, he looked around and saw Gram perched with a little backpack. He walked over to her, took her hand and gave it a quick kiss. However, she wasn’t satisfied with that. She grabbed his cheeks and reeled him in for a hard smack on the lips. Both Adelaide and I cracked up laughing.

“I might be old, but I ain’t eva’ kissed a cowboy who looked like you.”

“Gram, be still my heart. Marry me.” JR got on one knee, and clutched his heart.

“Oh posh! Silly even. You go on now. Let’s get
to the beach.” JR had Gram put her arm around his elbow and he led her to the back seat of the truck. When he got her all settled in, he came back to the front asking, “You want me to sit in the back with her so Addy can sit up front with you?”

“Oh, no JR! I couldn’t!”

At the same time I said, “That’d be great.”

Adelaide gave me her death glare and I shook my head. “It’s whatever you want
, babe.”

“I’ll concede in sitting in front on the way home.”

“That’s cool.” JR slapped my back and went to the passenger seat.

I walked to grab Adelaide’s duffle bag and she was waiting in front of the truck for me. Her eyes were glued on mine. “Nice view?”

“Ha. Of course it’s a nice view. Always has been.” That last part I almost didn’t hear. She liked mumbling a lot. I decided not to say anything since a blush was sneaking up her neck.

I opened the back lid and fixed her belongings, then went to open the back seat door for her. She knew I would open the door for her. That’s why she waited patiently for me. She tried to grab the top handle so she could boost herself inside
, but she was still too short to grab onto it, so I just lifted her up myself and planted her down nice and easy behind the driver’s seat. I was leaning in to strap her belt, but she smacked my hand out of the way.

“I got it
, Courtland.” She whispered as she looked for JR or Gram’s reaction of my putting her up in the seat.

I whispered back, “I don’t care what they think. I just want to know you’re safe and secure.”

There was a click of the belt latching and she said, “See? All attached. Let’s go please.”

I couldn’t help
, but take her hand and kiss the back of it. Her hands were so soft and velvety. Most likely from a lotion she used. When we were younger, Maggie always bought her pomegranate lotion and it seems that hasn’t changed.

“Did I ever mention I love pomegranates?”

She snatched her hand out of mine and I laughed as I shut the door and got in the front seat.

We were making our way to Galveston and Chet was chatting to Gram, who still insisted us to call her that instead of calling her by her first name. Which we still didn’t know. She really was a wonderful woman. She told us about Addy’s grandfather and how he was in the Marines when he was a younger man. About all the places they lived. She really was a woman totally in love with her husband,
and even after his passing, she still sounded like a young girl in love.

I looked at Adelaide in the rearview mirror and caught her looking at me. She hurried and looked away. That was fine. I continued to look at her for another moment before concentrating back on the road.

That’s when I felt my neck tickle for the first time. I bent my neck, trying to ease it. Then a few minutes later, I felt it again. I shifted my shoulders and heard Addy giggling in the back.

“Everything okay Addy?”

With a hand covering her lips, she looked back at me in the rearview. “Yes, of course. You?” Then her eyes moved to look at the back of my neck as I felt another tingle scratch at my neck.

Silly woman was tickling me. When I got her to look back at m
e, my look was molten lava. She thought she could tease me?

“Go ahead.”

“What?” Chet asked, as he pulled out his phone.

Addy hurried and responded with ‘nothing’ and she stopped tickling the short hairs on my neck. Chet made a heavy sigh, and in my side view
, I saw his jaw clench as he tucked his phone away.

Adelaide and Gram began talking about one of her books and I caught Chet’s eye and lifted my head in a ‘what’s up?’ gesture and he just rolled his eyes and mouthed, ‘women’.

I couldn’t believe Sylvie went behind his back and screwed around on him. Before her, Chet was just as dick happy as I was, sowing our oats with different women. They had been in a steady relationship for about three years or so. Never heard him complain about his love life. I knew he treated her like a damn princess. He wasn’t a pushover, but he got her whatever she wanted.

Working at an oil refinery, he work
ed a tremendous amount of hours. Twelve-hour days in fact. Sometimes six to seven days a week. Maybe that had been a strain on the relationship, but he never said one word. But then, why would she leave him if he was buying her anything she damn well wanted?

He started working there right out of college and worked long ass days and squeezed in getting his chemical engin
eer degree. He graduated about three years ago. As soon as he got that though, his pay grade went higher. Of course she stayed with him. Gold diggin’ bitch. I didn’t call many women that, but a guy as sweet and good hearted as Chet didn’t deserve to be with a man-eating woman like her.

I had a country music station on, and Chet’s phone went off again. That was the third time in ten minutes.

“Maybe you should answer that dear.” Gram was real perceptive and kept her voice calm and even.

Sighing, he swiped his thumb t
o open the phone call, and I knew with a calm he was quick losing, said, “Hello Sylvia. How can I help you?”

No one spoke and I wasn’t about to turn the music up.

“Going to the beach. No. It’s none of your business. We are over. Yeah, just like that. What? You thought falling into bed with another man, in
my
bed would what? Be over looked? Ha. Really? Well I guess you need to get out and find yourself a job because I’m not going to support you. Yeah. I know, I’m glad I never put you on my bank account. Please stop calling, it’s not as if I put a ring on your finger and that’s the only way you’ll ever get away with talking like that. Stop being so damn dramatic.”

Yup. He wasn’t a man to cuss easily and when he did, it normally only got worse.

“Sylvie, I am with Courtland, Addy and-

“Trinity.” Gram chimed in.

“And Trinity. Don’t worry about who Addy and Trinity are. It’s none of your business. Stop. You’re only making yourself look more like a pathetic whiney bag. Well, can’t help a bitch turn nice, so don’t know what to tell you. Damn fucking right I called you one. Sorry. Bye.”

He ended the call and a ding later, his phone was off.

“So sorry about that.”

Adelaide reached across the seat and rubbed JR’s shoulder in comfort, “Is that an ex?”

Puffing out a breath, I knew Chet didn’t want to air out his business for anyone. He was a private guy, but no one in this truck could
not
unhear what they heard so he just shrugged and said, “Yeah. Sore subject.” Then placing a smile on his face, he continued, “Let’s not ruin this day with my crap, huh?”

After that
we all talked about nothing really and before we knew it, we were driving along the beach wall seeing the surf crash onto the shore. The waves in Galveston weren’t high and dangerous, but we kept driving until we reached the National Park. When we parked, the women stayed inside until JR and I opened the doors to assist them out.

Since we were out of earshot of the others, Adelaide asked, “So, where’s my bathing suit?”

I shut her door and leaned into her so her back rested against the truck. I gave her a lingering kiss on her lips. They were full and swollen after I released them. Her eyes were clouded over with desire, and her bottom lip was caught between her teeth.

“Why do you do that?”

“Because I can. Come on.” I grabbed a hold of her hand and brought her to the rear of the truck top, popped it opened as I dropped the tailgate. I reached in and grabbed the small department store bag and handed it to her.

“It better not be a bikini. I really don’t like bikinis.”

“That’s what I figured. I would never get you one. It’s a one piece but it’s kinda not. I don’t know but the sales lady said it would be perfect. It covered, but not. Oh, just put it on. Put your clothes in the bag and I’ll put them with my stuff. Have Gram go with you. JR and I are gonna set up everything. When y’all get to the overpass onto the beach and if you don’t see us, ring me and I’ll come to you. Also, do you have a hat so the sun isn’t stinging your eyes?”