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I was pissed as hell that he had the balls to approach me at the diner, tryin’ to act all friendly and shit. But I kept my cool and let him say his peace, only because Heidi Jo was with me. Had I been anywhere else and he’d approached me, I’d beat his ass again. But havin’ that talk with Luke intrigued me. I knew he had a clearer way of seein’ things than I did. Hell he saw right through all of the stress Carly Jo was livin’ under when I was as blind as shit to it all. I didn’t know how or why, but I had to find out.
My girl was about to crumble from the weight of the world on her shoulders, but before her fight or flight instinct had the chance to shine through, Luke stepped in, givin’ her the shoulder she needed to lean on. Luke saved her. That may taste like horse shit now, considering the circumstances. But I’m thankful for the friendship Luke was able to offer Carly Jo. He is a bigger, better man than I’ll ever have the balls to be and I’m thankful to him for it.
When I saw the mass destruction I caused to his house the night Carly Jo told me about the two of them, I felt the size of an ant. This man endured abuse for years at my hand. I destroyed his bike, damaged his truck, and wrecked his home. Yet, here he was, his hand stretched out offerin’ me of all people his friendship.
He checked in on Carly Jo, made sure she and the baby were both doin’ well. He took care of her, when I couldn’t. Now, I know you’re wonderin’ why the hell it took me so long to come around and why I had Luke Ashton doin’ my bitch work. The truth is, I was so ashamed of the man I had become. I wanted time alone to analyze my life, my faults. I needed that time to become a better person. It ain’t no overnight transformation either. I still have my moments where pride gets the best of me and I have to take a step back and think before I speak.
To be completely honest, over these last several weeks I realized that I didn’t harbor hatred for Luke Ashton, but absolute jealousy. Yeah, at first I laughed at that thought too. The only reason why I could imagine bein’ jealous of Luke was his connection to Carly Jo. Then I realized it went back farther than these last few months. Hell, it went back to our frickin’ childhood.
Luke and I were havin’ a conversation one night after he’d checked in on Carly Jo. Don’t have a damn clue how shit got deep, got real on us. But he went there and I followed. I was learnin’ from Luke so I figured I might as well keep up. He asked me why I always treated him like shit. My initial answer was that I never liked his ass. He understood, but pressed me with why I didn’t like him. I had no answer. So, I let it stew for a while, thinkin’ long and hard about the feud between Luke and me.
Ya see, Luke didn’t come from the perfect raisin’ I came from. His dad worked for my dad’s truckin’ company until he was involved in an accident that nearly cost him his life. Truckers don’t make shit, they make less than damn Red Hats make. He was raised on the wrong side of the tracks, literally. He lived up Miller’s Branch, a small holler that was divided from the rest of Williamstown by the railroad crossing. Only damn thing up Miller’s Branch was slums, dead beats and pill heads.
As a kid, you only see the outside of things…and all I saw in Luke was a kid from the wrong side of the tracks with old tattered clothes, and no name shoes. Yet, the kid was always happy, upbeat and smiling. I can honestly remember wonderin’ what the hell he had to smile about. Dude was poor as hell, came from shit, yet he lived life to the fullest and never had a mean word to say about a soul.
We were complete opposites. He was tall and lanky. I was thick, and broad. He was a bit goofy and loved to make people smile. I was a pompous ass who didn’t give a damn about anybody smilin’ but myself, or Carly Jo. Luke Ashton had a genuine heart and I was a damn son of a bitch. Luke came from shit, but always thought of everyone else first. Me, I always had it all, born with a frickin’ silver spoon in my mouth.
And that my friends, is why I despised Luke Ashton. Call me a callous ass, I totally agree with ya there, honey. But at least I’m a man who can stand up and admit my faults and try to make shit right. Oddly enough, I have Luke to thank for that shit.
After I realized my mistakes, I made a vow to myself that I was gonna become a better man. The first step to becoming a better man was to start with rightin’ my wrongs with Luke. Once I had come to peace with the error of my ways and was forgiven by Luke, I knew I was ready to pour my heart out to the girl who owns my heart with every ounce of who she is. I knew it was time to forgive Carly Jo.
It’s too damn early to sleep, but Carly must be exhausted. So I lay here in bed revelin’ in the sensation of her soft body pressed against mine. When she finally stirs in her sleep and those beautiful hazel eyes flutter open meetin’ mine, damn it, my heart stops. The smile that reaches her eyes jump starts my heart back to a steady rhythm quickly though. Entranced by her beauty and the overwhelming happiness that floods through my veins, I simply can’t look away from her.
“Good Morning,” she whispers softly. I press a kiss to her forehead with a chuckle hangin’ off my lips.
“No darlin’ it’s just after ten PM. Ain’t mornin’ yet.”
“Wow, really. It felt like I’d sleep for ages.”
“So you slept good then, huh?” I can’t hide my smile. “Guess you know where you belong then, right?” She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth and I can’t resist takin’ a little taste of what I’ve been missin’. I gently trail my tongue across her bottom lip before sucking it between my own, teasin’ her. Before I get carried away, she presses against my chest pullin’ away from me. “What’s wrong?”
She sits up in the bed, wrappin’ her arms around her legs. “We can’t move so fast just yet, Colton. I need to know without doubt that when I get the paternity results in two weeks you’ll be by my side regardless of the outcome.”
I tilt her chin up, forcin’ her to look me in the eyes. “Darlin’ I ain’t goin’ anywhere. If the baby is Luke’s it’ll just have to have two Daddies. If the baby is mine, it’ll have Daddy and Uncle Luke. So wipe the doubt outta that pretty little head.” I press a soft kiss to her forehead.
“Uncle Luke? Where the hell did that come from?” She asks, shocked.
“You told me that Luke’s your best friend, right?” She bobs her head. “I realized that I was drivin’ a wedge between us because of my jealousy for him. I was so hurt when you told me about the two of you, but mistakes can be forgiven. Luke made me see that.” Her stunned expression ain’t lost on me.
“Okay, can you start at the beginning and explain all of this to me, please? We haven’t really talked much in almost two months and I’m sure a lot has happened.”
“Sure, baby. Let’s find you something to eat and talk.” I pull her up from the bed and lead her into the kitchen. Pointin’ to the barstool at the island I instruct her to sit while I raid through the fridge. “Chili and grilled cheese okay?” I toss back over my shoulder at her.
“Sounds good. Now start talking, please. You have me on the edge of my seat here. What happened between you and Luke? The two of you were oddly pleasant with each other at the hospital earlier.”
I make quick prep work on the chili and grilled cheese, choosin’ my words carefully. “Heidi Jo and I were havin’ dinner at the diner when Luke came in. We talked briefly, but something he mentioned just stuck with me after he left. I can’t even remember now what it was. I went by his house sometime later and we just laid things on the line.” I lean against the counter, waitin’ to flip the grilled cheese in the pan.
“So it’s that simple? You two talked it out, no blood shed?”
“That simple.” I place the food on the table in front of her and turn back to the fridge to pour two glasses of sweet tea.
“So are y’all like friends now, or do I need to still tread lightly where Luke is concerned?” She asks quietly as she shovels the chili around on the spoon.
“I think we both could use a friend to be honest. I don’t know what demons he has, but I know the man has frickin’ Superman X-Ray vision and can see straight through
anyone.”
“Luke’s been through his fair share of pain. But he’s a good friend. He needs me as much as I need you. Maybe I’m greedy by wanting to have my cake and eat it too; ya know having my best friend and you both in my life.”
