I Love You More Than (19 page)

Elena was having problems trying to get to the next round of a game on her iPad. None of the big kids would take the time to help her get past the level. They were too busy playing with their new electronics to be bothered. The football game had just tied and the Rams had one minute and thirty four seconds on the clock to run the ball back.

When Elena told Harrison her issue, he didn’t send her to Felicia or tell her to wait until after the next play. Instead he swooped her up into his lap and proceeded to help her make it to the next level. Of course he’d get distracted whenever the men and Felicia would start yelling at the television. But Elena had eighty percent of his attention.

Looking over at them sitting next to her Felicia saw, Elena was knocked out. She was splayed all over Harrison as he carried on a conversation with her uncle about restoring cars. She’d have to tell Harrison he better watch it or he’d never get any work done if the guys were always coming down to see what he was working on at the shop. Besides, she liked going to see her man at his shop and not having to share his time and attention.

It was going on eight and Harrison still had to stop by the shop to get his Christmas gift. Felicia’s parents had given them a joint gift, they were keeping the girls while they went to the Dominican Republic for ten days.

“Baby we need to get going. We still have to stop at Kincaid’s so you can get your gift.” Harrison turned his head to face her on the couch.

“Okay Babe. You want to go get Dana or do you want me to?”

“I’ll get Dana and grab your coats on the way back.” Harrison started to rub and pat Elena’s back, gently waking her up. Elena turned her face burrowing deeper into Harrison exposing a huge drool stain on the front of his shirt. Harrison wasn’t fazed by it in the least.

She went off in search of Dana and their coats. Stopping in the kitchen on the way back, she grabbed their leftovers. After saying goodbye to her cousins, her parents had gone home hours ago, they piled into Harrison’s pickup and headed down to Kincaid’s.

Felicia had wracked her brain for the longest time on what to get Harrison and then it occurred to her. He had mentioned that as soon as he had the time to search, he was going to buy and restore a 1959 Harley Davidson Touring. Felicia elicited the help of Harrison’s father Winston. She could do the research, but she didn’t want to get him a piece of junk that couldn’t be brought back to life. The buying process would be easier if a man worked out a deal. She wasn’t sexist in anyway, but she was realistic. She knew nothing about cars, bikes or anything else motorized. And that sometimes even included her vacuum cleaner.

CK thanked her at least twice a week for giving her husband something to do that kept him out of her hair. She couldn’t wait for her son to see his surprise. CK was also sad when the search came to an end. Felicia had a feeling Mr. Kincaid had dragged the search out a little longer too. Retirement was hard for him in the winter time. He couldn’t get out on the green and hit balls to take up some of his spare time. A hobby that kept both he and his wife extremely happy in the summer time.

Emma and CK had told her not to worry about setting up for the presentation, they’d take care of it. There was no way Felicia would have been able to shake Harrison to come and do it herself. When they pulled up to the stall he used, you could see the night illuminated by the light coming from inside. A wide smile spread across his face and he turned to her.

“Well, well, well. Someone has been a busy little bee. I wonder what’s inside.”

Felicia maintained her look of innocence “I don’t know, why don’t you open the door and see?”

“Yeah! Open the door.” Dana chimed in. Up until then they had been quiet as church mice in the back seat.

“Open the door. Open the door.” Elena began to chant. Laughing, Harrison let up the garage door to see what looked to be a rusted dirty beaten to death 1959 Harley Davidson Touring.

“You didn’t!” He shouted as he threw his truck gear into park and rushed out. “Felicia! Babe! I can’t believe you found the Touring for me.”

Felicia was glad she’d bought the bike for Harrison. The joy that was reflected on his face right now, couldn’t be put into words. The girls were laughing at him and with him as he continued to talk to himself while circling round and round the bike.

Harrison suddenly stopped, looked up and met Felicia’s gaze. While he was walking towards her, a part of her wish she’d let the girls stay over Analia’s. From the look on his face, if they were alone he would probably take her against the lift or one of the many man made pillars about the shop. But they weren’t alone. Harrison pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. Felicia was actually the one who lost herself in his kiss and forgot where they were and that they had an audience. Harrison pulled back as her leg started to hitch up his.

“Later babe.” He told her kissing her softly. “Just you wait.” Harrison turned to the girls who had their noses slightly turned up at the rusted bike. Trying to figure out what all the excitement was about.

“Thank you ladies for my present. It’s something I’ll cherish always.”

“You’re welcome!” they chorused together.

That night as he locked up the shop after them and drove back to his place, was the first time felt he finally had a family of his own. And he was beginning to think it was time to make it a more permanent situation…

The holidays were great all the way around and went by in a blur. To Felicia’s surprise and yet the cause of great worry, the girls never once asked about David. She had stopped obsessing about them missing out on something and went with the flow as they seemed to be doing. She didn’t find herself as concerned as she had been. Not to her surprise, Felicia had been out voted and they ended up staying with Harrison through the holidays. Returning home only due to school resuming.

But things still pretty much remained the same. They all stayed at her place during the week and Harrisons’ on the weekends. Even being at home surrounded with only their things felt like a foreign out of body experience. After Felicia or Harrison would get the girls from aftercare they’d go home and immediately help start on their homework. Whoever wasn’t cooking had homework duty.

They ate dinner at the table and talked about their day. Dana at times dominated the conversation the entire dinner with every little detail of her day. Never once was she told to be quiet. She wasn’t instructed to shut up nor was she told that what she wanted to do or was interested in was stupid. Everyone listened to each other. Laughed with each other. And engaged with each other. After dinner was bath and shower time. PJ’s on and family time on the sofa. They would spend about an hour watching whatever television show or movie they could agree on that night before bedtime.

January had quickly passed and now Felicia and Harrison were preparing for their trip to Punta Cana that was only five days away. Felicia was ecstatic! It was the first time she’d be going on a real vacation. The first time she would be bold enough to wear a two piece, besides her bras and panties. One of the greatest gifts Harrison had brought into her life was the return of her best friend. Felicia and Emma had reconnected and it was as if no time had passed at all. Their kids played great together, which meant they were able to talk and gossip with little to no interruption.

She’d gone shopping one afternoon with Emma and they had bumped into Jenna at the mall. The three made an afternoon of it and unsurprisingly, Jenna and Emma hit it off and quickly. They combined their efforts, double teaming her and telling her she should showcase the body she’d worked so hard for the entire vacation. Felicia knew they were coming from a place of sincerity, but she just wasn’t quite that confident mentally yet. Well outside of the bedroom she wasn’t.

There was just something about Harrison that made her feel like she was the prettiest girl in the world. Her man looked at her like she was the beginning and end for sexy.

“Felicia, who do you know that’s going to be in Punta Cana?” Jenna casually asked. As they strolled to the next department store.

“No one. It’s just me and H.”

“Exactly!” Emma yelled making Felicia jump from her sudden outburst. “Neither one of you will know anyone you’ll come across on vacation. So why not sport a two piece. Hell, go commando! That’ll surely keep my brothers attention.”

All Felicia could do was shake her head at her friends’ line of thinking. There really wasn’t anything that came to mind that Emma wasn’t willing to speak aloud.

“Come on Felicia. You know it’s the truth. Whenever we’re out Jax never looks at anyone else but you. And the only way I’ve seen him look at you of late is
‘I want to rip your clothes off right here and now. Fuck whoever is still here they’re off’
.” Jenna said in all seriousness.

Laughing Felicia addressed her friends’ observation. “Jenna that’s not fair. You’re only saying that because of last week.” Jenna and Antonio had thrown a barbecue and Felicia had finally worn the Christmas gift Jenna had given her, a pair of Express Jeggings that fit Felicia like a second skin. Of course her little fashionista friend/assistant didn’t half step and bought Felicia an off the shoulder sweater, belt, earrings and necklace to complete the ensemble. Something Felicia never would’ve chosen for herself. But Jenna was tired of seeing her in her old clothes that were hanging off of her.

“What happened last week?” Emma asked as she collected three swimsuits for Felicia to try on. Jenna had about four. They made their way back to the dressing room, followed by an irritated Felicia. She knew she’d be buying nothing but two pieces by the end of the day shopping with these two. It would be better to just concede. She could always exchange them next week, Felicia thought smiling to herself.

“So Antonio and I threw a barbecue at the house. You know just close friends and family. A few workers from the gym. You know, nothing too big as we ate indoors. But my man loves his barbecue. So anyway Felicia and Harrison came over. And when I tell you, your brother Emma could not keep his hands off of Felicia!” Jenna laughed while recalling the events.

“I mean at first I thought it was just my imagination. But un unh. Even Antonio noticed it. And it takes a lot for something to get his attention. Didn’t matter if it was on her hip, ass, thigh or neck. His hands were always on her.”

“Jenna you are so messy! There were drinks involved too.” Harrison had more than his usual three beer, four max limit and had six along with a few mixed drinks. One of Jenna and Antonio’s guests had been in the seals too and they spent a lot of time talking about friends and experiences they’d had. That night Felicia got to drive the pickup home and fell in love with it. She was really considering trading her vehicle in for a small pickup. The bed would be very convenient for her projects.

Harrison had told her on the way home he’d had to drink more than the norm to keep from starting fights with the guests. Their eyes were resting a little too long at her legs, ass and chest. Felicia had noticed maybe one or two leers, but not as many as he made it out to be.

“So my big brother was jealous? Oh my. Now that’s interesting.” Emma called through the dressing room door. “Son has never shown any signs of jealousy. NEVER. Not with girlfriends of the past and not even with his ex-wife Chloe. And that bitch was biggest flirt you’d ever meet. Once, when they first got back, we all went out to Roadies to celebrate Son’s return.” Felicia cringed on the inside, the last thing she wanted to hear about was Harrison’s ex-wife.

“When I tell you ladies she had to have danced with every man in that bar. Most were of no relation and she was dry humping pretty much every man that wasn’t related to us. Not once did Son raise an eyebrow or even comment on it. That’s how I knew things were doomed from the beginning for them. If a man loves his wife as he should because that’s his wife, he wouldn’t be okay with her being on other men like that. Regardless if you felt you didn’t need to worry because you know she’s coming home. But yeah. Wow!” Emma finished as Felicia walked out of the dressing room.

“WOW!” Jenna echoed. Felicia walked out wearing the swimsuit Jenna picked out and she herself felt was too dominatrix like… The swimsuit was pretty much a two piece but it had straps of cloth that crossed over her mid-section and connected the pieces together. Felicia felt like all she needed was a whip to complete the ensemble.

“Whoa Nelly! Hot Momma alert!” Jenna exclaimed while clapping her hands together and jumping up and down. “Harrison is going to flip when he sees you in that. You two will never be separated on your trip. Now try on the others.”

Felicia ended up leaving the boutique with four swimsuits, three covers and not one of the four suits was a one piece. “Thank you for shopping with us.” The clerk told Felicia as she handed her the receipt. Jenna nicely took it from the salesclerk before Felicia could.

“I’ll just hang onto this in case you were thinking about bringing a couple back to exchange for the boring one pieces you were pining over.”

Felicia rolled her eyes at Jenna. “Don’t act like you know me Jenna.”

“Oh but she does, very well.” Emma said chiming in. “And I must admit I like your style.”

“Thank you. Now who’s up for Tijuana Joe’s?” Felicia groaned to herself on the inside. Getting a hangover on a nice Saturday afternoon was not she had in mind when she and Emma decided to go shopping. Felicia took her phone out and sent Harrison a quick text letting him know they were grabbing something to eat. He, Richard or Antonio may need to be on standby to come and pick them up when they were finished. She knew from past experiences what both Emma and Jenna could do. The two of them together…that was a frightening thought.