Page 21 of Summer Sweethearts
An hour later, Loretta comes stumbling down the hall into the living room. “Afternoon, I feel like death. Why did you let me drink so much?” she groans.
“Babe, you and Bea were living your best lives, hitting the cherry bombs pretty hard. I, on the other hand, only did the tequila shots,” I tell her with a laugh.
“She’s a terrible influence. Fun, but terrible.” She takes a deep breath, and continues, “I was drunk, but I remember what I said. I’m sorry I just word-vomited it out and in front of Michael, of all people. I didn’t mean for that to happen like it did.” Her eyes are downcast, staring at the floor.
“Come here, baby,” I crook my finger at her. She heads toward the couch where I’m sitting. As she bends to sit, I grab her, pulling her onto my lap, so she is straddling me on the couch. “Lor, look at me.” She does, her mesmerizing blue eyes locking with my green ones. “It shocked me when it came out the way it did last night, but I’m glad you said it. Do you mean it?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
“Good. Because I’m in love with you too,” I murmur. She smiles before leaning down and pressing her lips against mine. I run my tongue across the seam of her lips, and she opens for me. I push my tongue into her mouth, tasting her. She moans into mine, and I feel her grind against me. “Loretta,” I say as I break our kiss, “as bad as I want to fuck you on this couch and make you scream how much you love me, we need to talk about Mike.”
“What about him?” she asks, her face covered in confusion.
“I didn’t miss how you were defending him when Cara brought him up last night. Also, you kissed his cheek last night, –which, whatever, not a big deal– but you did it like it was natural. I can’t help but think that, even though you were drunk when you snapped at him, telling him we lived together and were in love, it was to one-up him.”
“I-I-” she starts, but stops, looking like she is trying to think of how to word what she wants to say.
“There’s no wrong answer, baby. It’s not that I think you don’t love me and, like hell am I giving you up. I meant it when I said you were mine. But I just need to know where you’re at or what you’re thinking when it comes to Mike,” I tell her.
“I don’t know, honestly. I’m still so mad at him for what he did and how he so easily left me years ago. Then he came back home and snuck around to avoid me. But part of me was excited to see him again, and that same part sometimes yearns to have what we had before. I have feelings for him. I’m just not sure what they are. He was my first love, and I think I still love him, but the anger and unresolved issues make it hard to know if it’s love like a friend or something more. Does that make sense?” she asks softly.
“Yeah, that makes sense, and I’m okay with that. You guys shared a huge section of your lives together and it closed abruptly, at least for you. I don’t think you had any real closure. Just promise me if anything changes, you’ll come to me first so we can talk about it.” I kiss the corner of her mouth gently.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I dated the hottie, too. It may not have been as long or serious as when you did, but we were attracted to one another. Our hang-ups were the feelings he had for you that he was trying to hide. So if you want both of us, I’d be willing to share you with him. But if he breaks your heart again, I’m going to break his dick and key his fucking truck,” I growl.
She laughs and my stomach fills with butterflies at the sound. “I love you all the more for saying that. I just have a lot of things to think about and figure out.”
“Okay, now, let’s talk about what I should wear to the wedding next weekend. You’re wearing your groomswoman dress, and I wanna match you, but not in the wedding colors,” I change the subject, not wanting her to dwell on it. Whatever happens, I want it to be natural and not have her overthinking everything.
“I thought you were going to wear that dress you brought home this week? The one you said Bea helped you pick out.”
“Are you sure it’s not too much for Cain and Aiden’s day? They said low-key, and I don’t wanna be too fancy and stick out.” I pucker my lips as I talk because I’m the new equation to this little friend circle they have, and I don’t want to draw any attention to myself. I do, however, want to look good.Ugh, this shouldn’t be so hard. I own a clothing boutique for crying out loud.
“Wear the dress. It looks fantastic on you, from the pictures you sent me. I’m gonna spin you all around the dance floor anyway, proud to call you my girl.” She winks at me, and I lean in to kiss her lips again, but her stomach growling loudly has me laughing instead. “As you can hear, I’m starving. Wanna go to lunch?”
“Yeah, babe, let’s go to lunch,” I tell her. She slides off my lap and skips to the bedroom. Minutes later, she comes out in a pair of black joggers, a band tee, and her hair is up in a messy bun. I change quickly before we head out to find some lunch and enjoy a lazy hangover Sunday together.
Deciding to just go to Ted’s and get something greasy along with some ice-cold Dr. Peppers, we park the car and head inside. Snagging the only empty booth left in the place, we sit down and none other than Miss Molly comes to the table. “What are you doing waiting tables, Molly?” Loretta asks.
“Well, Ted was short a server today, and I came in with him after last night, so I’m helping out. Now, what can I get you gals to drink?” Miss Molly responds.
Loretta’s eyes are wide, and she’s sucked both her lips into her mouth, a look of surprise on her face. “Oh, Loretta, don’t look like that. You look like Cain when I told him. Now, what can I get you two?” Molly asks again.
“Well, I’d like a bacon cheeseburger with all the fixings, cheese fries, and a Dr. Pepper,” I tell her, not even bothering to look at the menu. I’ve been here enough, I know what I like, and that burger will take away any lingering effects of the alcohol from last night.
“I’ll take a mushroom and swiss burger, cheese fries, and a Dr. Pepper,” Loretta requests.
“I’ll get that in and to you right away. Oh, and you guys just missed Michael. He came in for brunch. He’s a keeper, that one, was a little lost there for a while when he left, but he’s right back where he belongs, back at home,” Molly comments as she looks at Loretta with an expectant mask over her face.
“Molly, with all due respect, that ship has sailed, and I’m with someone now,” Loretta says with a sigh. I can tell she’s tired of having to tell everyone that she’s happy and with me. But I know all these things already. When she told me she loved me, she meant it. When she says she’s with me and happy, she means it wholeheartedly, so I don’t need her to feel like she has to defend what we have. Although, it is a turn-on for her to do so. I throw her a smile and a wink, so she knows I’m with her and that this conversation doesn’t upset me.
“I know you’re happy, Loretta. I happen to adore Jessica here. She’s been a great friend to my boy. Rumor has it that Michael and her were together for a short time while he was away,” she teases.
“A very short time, like maybe a handful of dates over like two months,” I interrupt, not wanting the Kingston gossip mill to twist our tryst into something more.
“So if you both happened to enjoy my Michael’s company, why couldn’t you do that together?” Molly asks, and I choke on my spit at how forthcoming Cain’s mother is right now. “What? It’s working wonderfully for my Cara and those boys. I just love Walker and Waylon and how they treat my girl and grandbabies.”
