I Run to You (5 page)

Cattails were spearing up out of the water.
Brushy grasses swayed around the banks. There were several docks
dispersed along the miles that Coburns owned.

Between his place and Max’s, there were some
boats docked, as well. Cleared areas, with picnic shelters and
grill pits. Though most of it was native forest, the clearings were
planted with flowers. Trails were generated from riding horses,
four wheelers, and motorcycles, over the years. Late nights, early
mornings, it was alive with whippoorwills, owls, and nature
thriving amid the fog that hung between water and sky. It was
typical on night with a full moon shining down to watch deer and
other wildlife come to the banks to drink.

This was morning. A sunny one, so there were
various birds, some migrant, and some native, soaring overhead. In
sunlight, the lake seemed to undulate endlessly between emerald
landscapes—teeming with the calls, barks, and croaks, from all
sorts of non-nocturnal creatures.

Max leaned on the deck rail, looking down at
the water. “He’ll have a good time.”

“I know.”

The man straightened as Levi was making a
trip through the house and was near the door. “I’ll pick him
up—around three?”

“Sure.”

Coy managed a half grin as Max nodded and
left.

He looked down at the water and his
reflection, wondering how often the temptation to see her was going
to haunt him.

His strong veined hands tightened on the
treated wood railing. Fuck. Fuck.

A scurry of chills went over his back and up
his neck, just thinking how close she was now—how she was actually
here. He felt that rush of his blood— all the things he used to
feel—and had forgotten.

You are so in trouble, you sonofabitch. He
sighed in his mind. You have to get yourself together. Remember
that no matter what Karla has done, it was you who betrayed her
trust—destroyed all of her young woman dreams of love and romantic
sex.

Fuck. Mostly he had destroyed her faith and
trust. He had betrayed everything he knew she had built with
him.

Coy felt his throat tighten when he thought
back on it. He hated his eighteen-year-old self. He hated that what
he felt for her could not override his dick back then.

Jesus. This was hard.

He shuddered and turned, pasting on a smile
for Levi.

What he really hated—was that he could not do
anything to change it.

~*~

“I got two days a week, unofficially.” Brook
sat in the back room of the Diamond Back Tavern with Renee, who had
finished her shift.

“In the correspondence, Doc Taylor said the
clinic was slowing down since they opened that big rehab place in
Brownsville.” She shrugged. “I can’t complain. There’s not much
here.”

Renee— had quite a tangled past of her
own—having not spoken to her mother, Mitch’s sister, in years, and
only recently made contact with her siblings. They were also in
various stages of craziness from Deena’s control freak nature, and
overbearing bitchyness—

Renee inherited their grandmother Dovie
Coburn’s old farmhouse in Copper Creek. She had been somewhat of a
city girl the first time Brook met her, but like many who found
their way to family, was fascinated with her roots—and falling in
love with her crazy Coburn clan. At first, she and Madeline were
friends, but soon she had started writing Brook—and being close in
age, they had clicked.

Renee’s brownish black hair was in a mussed
style to her ears. She was short—for a Coburn, being only five feet
one. Though curved for such a shorty. She had beautiful pastel blue
eyes and naturally milky smooth skin. Her face was classic—like
most Coburn females, she had good genes.

Renee also had a great sense of humor,
family, and self— which helped, Brook supposed, when you declared
your independence at fifteen. By now, she was well known in both
Copper Creek and Diamond Back.

She nodded to Brook’s comment. “Well, you
know what Sunny said. He would like to hire you. This place still
hasn’t slowed down.”

“I’ll call him then.” Brook supplied, “I need
at least three more days, and I can work longer shifts here.”

“Great. Have you thought about my offer?”

Over the years, Renee had talked about them
forming a band.

“I thought you played with the family, the
younger Coburns?”

“I do. Keyboard. There is nothing like an
all-girl thing here. We’d have no competition.”

“I’m up for it, but we’d have to see how my
schedule works out and advertise for members—try and find a place
to practice.”

“We can do that at the farmhouse. It is big
enough. I know a few girls around. What the hell, we can do weekend
gigs outside town.”

“I’m open to it.” Brook smiled. “I’m a
little…weird, still, about the whole coming home thing. It fits—but
it doesn’t. Ya, know?”

Rene sat back, her blue eyes going over
Brook’s face. “I’ve had people ask a few things. Like, some here
remember you from school mostly—a few know about the whole mess
with we-know-who.”

“Gossip is part of living here. I knew that
when I came back. It is something Mom hates—she was always so
conscious of it. But I didn’t bring it on myself—so.”

“Don’t worry about it. I think a lot of it
is—what happened after you left.”

“Yes.” Brook knew she meant the shit with Coy
and Karla, and the custody thing. “So, who are you dating now?” Her
gaze went over Renee’s black silk shirt and jeans, the Tavern
uniform. Outside that, Renee’s sense of free style would rival
Ruby’s, which was still unique.

“I don’t have a serious relationship.” Renee
evaded.

“Hmm.” Brook regarded her. “Methinks that
means you and I will talk it about it more in private?”

“Oh. Yes. I’ll unload, of course.”

Chuckling, Brook then snorted, “God, remember
those long phone calls overseas—all the bitching and moaning?”

“Me-doing that mostly, and you, just
cheerleading.”

Brook laughed again. “Hey now, there was the
one guy….”

Rene eyed her dryly. “Two years, you called
saying, should I, shouldn’t I? I don’t know Renee, I like him
but—but.”

“Yeah, yeah. I had serious trust issues.”

“No, my girl.” Renee snorted, dryly. “You had
too many gorgeous choices. I swear to God, you would send me those
photos via e-mail and I would be slobbering in envy—and seriously
thinking of taking a flight to Europe.”

“They would have loved you.”

“Yeah. All right. The really hot guys were
probably egomaniacs.”

“Most of them. But some were cool.” Brook
sighed and glanced around, then muttered, “Most didn’t want to
commit though, so that was always an issue for me. I always
thought, what if care for him, and he’s playing the field? I knew I
couldn’t handle that.”

“Nope.”

“What about that guy you ran off with, back
in the day—do you ever think about him?”

“Yeah, sure. I think, the poor guy must be in
another country. I mean we were kids and I wanted away from
mother’s suffocating and controlling. He liked me enough to play
knight to the rescue. Mom, of course, dragged the boy to court and
scared the shit out of him.”

Renee shook her head. “I honestly hope he’s
somewhere with a nice wife and kids, having a nice life. I drew him
into my mess with mother.”

“He’s probably thinking back on it as an
adventure.”

“Right.”

They laughed.

Brook eyed her watch. “I got to' go pick up a
few things. The fridge is empty. Are you coming to Mitch’s?”

“Yep. With the whole damn gang there, we
won’t get to chat much. I imagine Madeline will hug you every five
minutes.”

“Mom is so cool. So happy.’” Brook stood and
when Renee did, they walked out together. “I think I love Mitch as
much for that, as I do for himself.”

“He’s the best.” Renee agreed. They paused in
sight of the VW, Renee’s jeep being on the back lot. She went on,
“He still has to break bad on the clan sometimes though. When he
does, they all walk on eggshells for a week. You know how it is.
One of the younger guys, our cousins, opened a tattoo shop. When
Deege came home from Afghanistan and brought some buddies in, there
was more than drinking going on there— if you know what I
mean—Mitch was extremely angry. He’s all for entertain’, embracing
anyone, but anything hardcore like the cousin was doing—He ended up
turning Terry in.

“What happened?”

“He got a break. Rehab and stuff. He is still
resentful. Moved out. One of the girl cousins runs the place.
Sometimes that happens. Mitch found out Terry was shooting up in
front of some of the kids—His parents were worn out from all sorts
of trouble with him.”

“He’s probably lucky Mitch did step in.”

“Yeah. Deege was cool with it. He didn’t know
a couple of the guys well, but still, he did not want that going
on. I mean even G.W. brews a bit of “shine” now and then, but
everyone— particularly the older ones, have been there and done it.
They try and keep the younger ones from making bad mistakes.”

“Yep.”

Rene waved. “Go, get your grub. I have to get
home, shower, and check my on line business. Holistic meds are
booming now.” She laughed. “My organic gardening is great. But most
of the time I sell everything right there in Copper Creek, to the
family.”

“Hey, don’t knock it. In some ways, they all
keep each other in business.”

“True. Have a good one.”

Brook nodded and went to her car. She backed
out and drove to the biggest market/super store, because she was
out of everything. She took her time, had the cart half filled.
Since she was not quite as health conscious as Renee, she cheated
with chocolate and snacks.

The place was crowded and she noticed stares,
a few double takes and greeted people with a smile, hoping it was
because they recognized her but were reticent to approach—and not
because of the past. She decided to take it all in stride.

At the counter, she could barely see over the
cart, hefting up water and a six-pack, some juice and milk, before
starting on the groceries.

“Let me help you out.” A young guy, who had
bagged, offered when she had paid.

“Thanks.” Brook let him, aware he was
flirting a bit as he asked who she was, said he hadn’t seen her
around. She gave him sketchy info, no long rambling history.

Used to packing a lot in a small in a space,
she did the emptying and thanked him.

“Any time.” He winked and walked off.

Grinning, Brook finished and put the cart
back, feeling pretty darn good—even if it was an eighteen-year-old
showing interest.

She drove home and unpacked in several trips,
feeling better seeing something in the fridge, and having personal
items, magazines—even a couple of movies laying around.

Taking off her jeans and top, she pulled on
low-rise cut offs and a white tank T-shirt, an old pair of leather
flip-flops. She opened one of the cold beers and went to the back
deck, sitting on a lounger, hearing neighborhood sounds, kids,
horns, and a buzzing saw.

Closing her eyes, head back, Brook
thought—just absorb it, take it in, and do not, let yourself, start
thinking of the past.

Chapter 3

Sunday, Brook pulled on jeans and a lavender
blouse, smiling at the prospect of seeing the Coburn family,
because she knew the whole gang would be there.

There wasn’t any such thing as a simple
family meal in Copper Creek, where they owned the entire hollow and
surrounding area. She had washed her hair, dried it, finger styled
it into the short uneven but chic layers. She wore light make up,
and glossed her lips, then pulled on comfortable shoes, grabbed her
purse—and headed out.

It was a beautiful day. She rolled the
windows down, popped in a Black Eyed Peas CD and sang, “I Got a
Feeling” along with it. Renee would be there. So many of the kids
she had met were now teens and the teens were grown up, some away
at college and married. She looked forward to seeing G.W. Aching
for him, because he’d lost his wife to breast cancer. Mitch had
told her how the man had sat by her bedside day and night.

For all G.W. looked intimidating, and was one
of the orneriest of the bunch, the big and brawny cousin was an ole
teddy bear at heart. His wife, she recalled, had been deeply
religious, but with a sense of humor—Lottie knew how to scare the
bunch into behaving around her, and for all everyone thought G.W.
was the boss, he wasn’t. Gruff and rough around the edges, loving
his beer and snuff, G.W. loved his wife, obviously. At least it had
been obvious to Brook. The family had rallied around them, but
Brook suspected when alone, G.W. likely missed her dreadfully.

She sighed, thinking of Deege, too, anxious
see to him and Lee, as much as her brother Max—and Jason. Though
technically Jason and she were not kin, he felt like an older
brother. A handsome and roguish one. He was so much like Max, for
all they only shared a father, and hadn’t known each other growing
up. They had many of the same charismatic qualities.

The wild bunch, Brook reflected amused as she
reached Copper Creek.

Nearing Mitch’s house, passing Jude’s
first—at one time Coy’s home, she did not look over at it
lingeringly. There were vehicles parked everywhere, on the way to
Mitch’s drive. On the hill, trucks, jeeps, a few four wheelers and
motorcycles. One of the lanky teens ran down to direct Brook to a
spot—presumably saved for her.

Kids ran everywhere, people lined the porch
and steps, already waving and making her chuckle at their yells and
whoops. She tooted her horn, parked, and got out, leaving her purse
in the car. Picnic tables were scattered about. Just because Mitch
cooked, her favorite spaghetti did not mean there would not be 50
dishes brought by the others, chicken for sure, potato salad,
cornbread, in some form.