Hope Against Hope: The Hope Brothers Series (17 page)

I turned back to Ruby with the biggest smile on my face.

“Well don’t you look like the cat that ate the canary,” she drawled.

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Well, I’ll tell you, I was so damned happy about my near perfect score, I could have just burst wide open. But as soon as I exited the arena, I caught Crit’s eye, and I knew he wasn’t happy. Now, whether he was more upset about my score, or the fact that I was smitten with his sister, I couldn’t tell you, but if I had to wager a guess, I’d say it was the fact that Georgia and I had taken a liking to each other that was bothering him more than anything.

Hell, we’d competed against each other dozens of times, and he’d always been a gracious contender. He’d certainly never gave me the stink-eye that he just gave me before tonight. Of course, I’d never full on kissed his sister in front of him like that either.

I understood, I did. But as far as I was concerned, he and his brothers were just going to have to get used to me being around, because I wasn’t about to let go of Georgie anytime soon.

Crit was the only one in the locker room when I entered it. He was gathering his things, and when I walked in the room he glared at me like I had just…well, like I had just kissed his sister, I reckon.

He wasted no time getting in my face.

“You stay the fuck away from Georgia, Haggard,” he growled, his index finger pressing into my chest.

“Way I see it, Crit, she’s old enough to make her own decisions. Now, I know you’re upset, and I can understand why you would be, but I want you to know I mean no disrespect to you, or your brothers, Crit. I have a lot of respect for your sister. I know y’all have gone through hell and back.”

“Cut the bullshit, Haggard. I don’t want to hear your smooth talking crap, trying to be all friendly and shit. As far as I can see, you and your sorry excuse for a brother have done nothing but turn everything you touch to shit, so like I said - stay away from Georgia, or you’ll be wishing you did.”

I bit my lip, the words that I really wanted to say bubbling up inside me, threatening to rush out. But I kept my cool the only way I knew how. I put myself in his shoes.

I had just beat him in the competition, I had just kissed his little sister, and as far as he believed, my next of kin had set fire to his barn and his shed. Of course he was pissed.

Any red-blooded American man would be.

“Now, Crit, I understand why you’re upset, but I —,”

I didn’t even see his fist coming. I never expected he would actually hit me, but when his fist cracked against my jaw, my ears rang and I could have sworn I saw stars. And then, I saw red. A hot flash of anger rushed over me, and I spun around and threw myself into his gut, rushing him to the ground and punching his ribs as I scrambled on top of him.

Dustin, Seth and Finn ran in just as I sat on him and pulled my fist back to punch him. Someone grabbed my arm and pulled me off of him, as we both began hollerin’ at each other.

“That’s enough, goddammit,” Dustin yelled at us both. “If you don’t stop this fuedin’ right now, I’ll have you both kicked out of the fuckin’ competition, I swear to God Almighty, I will!”

We scrambled to our feet and stared each other down. Blood trickled down my chin and I reached up to wipe it away.

“Stay the fuck away from my sister, Haggard!” Beau spat, as I grabbed my shit and walked out, slamming the door behind me.

***

Lee was waiting at my truck when I reached the parking lot. He was the last person I wanted to see, and it took all my strength not to punch him out for just showing his face.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Half the cops in this county are looking for your sorry ass,” I said.

“What the fuck happened to you?” he asked, pointing to my bloody lip.

“Nothing. Why are you here?” I asked again.

“Thought I’d hang out at the folks for a few days,” he said.

“Think again,” I said.

“Why’s that?” he asked.

“Seriously? You’re going to act innocent, Lee? First, you assaulted Georgia, and claimed you didn’t remember. Then, you set fire to the Hope’s shed, then the Baker’s bar after they cut you off, and then the Hope’s barn? You don’t think maybe the sheriff and the fire chief might have a few questions for you? You don’t think it’s best that maybe you lay low for a while? Are you really that fucking stupid?”

His eyes narrowed as he listened to me.

“You really think I did all that shit?” he asked.

I was at the end of my rope. I was sick and tired of all the fucking drama that was spinning around me and I wanted nothing more than to go home to my quiet cabin and call it a day. A little bit of time spent with Georgia would be icing on the cake. Lee, standing in front of me, like a thousand excuses for stirring up shit, was something I had no patience for in that moment.

“Lee, I wouldn’t put anything past you,” I replied warily.

He shook his head, and I could have sworn I saw a flash of pain in his eyes before he shut down.

“No, I guess you wouldn’t,” he replied, his voice steely and full of anger. “But you never really had that much faith in me anyway.”

“Show me something different, Lee,” I said, the anger rising in my voice. “All you ever show me is shit. And let me tell you, brother, lately, I’ve had enough shit in my life. You show me something different, and maybe I’ll think something different.”

Lee shook his head, and without a word, walked back to his truck, slammed the door and burned rubber out of the parking lot, his truck fishtailing around the corner until it disappeared from view.

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“Where the fuck are you going this late at night?” Crit roared as he blocked my bedroom door.

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked.

“No, I’m not fuckin’ kidding. Beau Haggard is bad news, Georgia, don’t you see that?”

“No, I don’t actually. Now, if you’ll kindly move out of my way, I’d appreciate it.”

“No.”

“Crit, you can’t keep me here like I’m a child or your fucking prisoner or something!” I exclaimed.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, George? What are you trying to prove? Don’t you think I have enough shit to deal with without you laying up with the fuckin’ low-lifes in this town?”

“Beau Haggard is a good man, Crit,” I said, trying to reason with him. “In fact, he reminds me a lot of you.”

He paused briefly, but his mind was too clouded with anger and my comment only further offended him.

“You think he cares about you, Georgia? Those Haggard boys only want one thing from you. Look what Lee did! And I’ve seen the way Finn looks at you, too! What makes you think Beau is any different?”

“I hope he’s not, Crit,” I whispered. “Because I want him just as bad as he wants me.”

“What the fuck, Georgia!”

“I’m a grown woman, Crit! Who I choose to spend time with is none of your business, contrary to what you seem to believe. Just because they died doesn’t mean you’re my boss now!” I was screaming, and I felt the hotness on my cheeks before I even realized I was crying.

Crit looked at me, stunned into silence, and I pushed past him, running out of the house as fast as I could.

I ran past my truck, past the barn, past our fields and then past the Haggard’s farm until I reached Beau’s cabin. He was just walking out as I ran up to him.

“Hey, I was just headed out to meet you,” he said, peering at me approaching in the darkness. “I thought you said to meet at — hey are you crying?”

I threw myself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. He held me close, stroking my hair silently as he let me cry for what seemed like hours.

Finally, when it seemed as if every tear I could ever cry had escaped from my swollen eyes, I lifted my head and met his eyes.

“Oh, baby,” he said, pulling his head down, his lips meeting mine, as I melted into his embrace.

Somehow, we made it inside his cabin, and as soon as the door shut behind us, our clothes seemed to glide away effortlessly, and before either of us could second guess ourselves, we were tangled together in his bed, our hungry souls holding onto each other as we rocked together, our lips, hands, arms, legs, feet finding every way to touch, inch by inch, until we were connected completely, his hardness sliding into me smoothly, filling me up with the very essence of the man that I had been starving for.

My legs wrapped around his thrusting hips, pulling him deeper into my center as he kissed me passionately, his moans echoing into me as he sought even deeper depths. His cock was huge, filling me completely as he moved inside me, throbbing and twitching as I spasmed around him, begging him for more and more as I clutched him tightly.

“Oh, Georgia, Georgia,” my name was a moan on his lips, repeated over and over in between kisses, his lips, his tongue, his kiss tasting sweeter and hotter with each passing moment.

His thrusts pulled the pleasure from my center like a yearning that had long been begging for release. I opened my thighs wider as he quickened his pace, his cock pounding into me now in a beautiful dance of pain and pleasure, a beating drum that we moved to, our rhythm perfectly aligned with one moment, one sensation, one explosive fiery reward that only we could reap together as our bodies shuddered and came together as one, our souls winding into each other as we cried out, the ecstasy washing over us until we lay panting, spent, breathless on his bed, the sighs of a thousand lovers on our lips, and only this one perfect moment in time in our hearts.

“I love you, Georgia Hope,” Beau whispered, his blue eyes peering into mine in the darkness.

“I love you too, Beau Haggard,” I whispered back, truer words having never passed my lips.

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The flames of the bonfire flickered and sparkled, dancing under the dark midnight sky that was sprinkled with infinite stars. The Hope’s cabin sprawled behind us, and our two families had gathered to celebrate Jesse’s eighteenth birthday.