Louisiana Sky (Love in Belle Pont #2) (2 page)

Chapter Three

Bentley

“How you been?” Archer slapped me on the back, taking a sip of sweet tea as he sat down beside me.

I couldn’t help but notice the party was a dry zone, which I figured was Archer’s doing. A nice gesture, but totally unnecessary. I wasn’t ever gonna’ touch a drop of alcohol again. Surprisingly, I had Archer to thank for that. He helped me through all of my issues, understanding me in a way that no one else probably ever could.

“Just workin’,” I said, kicking up my heels on the back porch. “How’s things with you?”

“Things are good,” he said, his eyes drifting to where Annabeth was laughing and smiling with some of the other mothers.

I could see the look of pure reverence in his eyes, and knew that things had worked out the way they were supposed to. I couldn’t see that two years ago, but I was a dumb shit back then. I’d spent so much time chasing after somethin’ that wasn’t meant to be, I couldn’t see what was right in front of me the whole time. Then when I finally did, I got so damn scared I went and screwed it all up again.

“You’ve got a real nice family, Archer.” I spoke without an ounce of resentment in my voice.

Archer grinned and leaned forward, shaking his head.

“Annabeth is on this hot sauce kick,” he said. “She puts that shit on everything. Eggs? Hot sauce. Grilled cheese? Hot sauce. Potatoes? Hot sauce.”

He scratched his head and laughed. “It’s the only thing I never thought to buy. She hasn’t even touched the twenty jars of pickles I bought her when she was pregnant with Jackson.”

“Sounds like Annabeth.” I chuckled.

“You sure you’re okay?” Archer asked. “AB said you looked real down the other day.”

Before I got a chance to answer him, another car pulled up in the driveway. Amy Wheeler and her daughter got out, and they weren’t alone.

“Ah shit,” I groaned. “If she sees me here, she’ll leave.”

Archer frowned as he glanced over at Roxy. She couldn’t see us from where she stood, but I knew it’d only be a matter of time.

“I don’t think she will,” Archer said. “I’ll tell her not to.”

I knew her and Archer were good friends, but I still didn’t have as much faith as he seemed to. The woman wanted nothin’ to do with me, sure as the day was long.

“Anyway, c’mon,” he said. “Let the women do their thing for a bit. I got some new dogs to show ya.”

***

Roxy

I didn’t know how the hell Amy managed to talk me into this party. I’d never felt so out of place in my damn life. Annabeth and I were on a lot better terms these days, but that didn’t mean shit to all of the other mothers standing beside her.

They looked at me like I was some sort of alien, since Corey and I had never had kids. It wasn’t like it was too late or anything, I was only twenty six. But by their standards, they assumed I’d abandoned all hope, and truthfully, I guess I pretty much had.

I decided two years ago after the whole Bentley debacle that marriage and kids just weren’t in the cards for me. Some women could find a good man and make him want to settle down. Me, I seemed to have the opposite effect. Makin’ em’ want to stick their dicks in anything that moved.

Amy grabbed my hand and ushered me forward, tryin’ to make me feel comfortable.

“Ya’ll know Roxy,” she said, her voice clear with warning.

It’s what I loved about the woman. She looked as sweet as peach pie, but she wouldn’t hesitate to kick some ass as far as loyalty went. Not that it ever got that far. But Amy could win a verbal sparring match with the best of politicians I presumed. Especially when she was real fired up.

“Thanks for coming, Rox.” Annabeth pulled me in for a hug, which was difficult with her round belly.

Archer rounded the corner just then, giving me one of his award winning smiles. And I wasn’t too sure why, but he looked like he was up to somethin’ too.

“I’m about to start the barbeque,” he announced. “Rox, you wanna’ give me a hand?”

“Sure.” I shrugged, happy to get away from all the prying eyes of the women around me.

Even though my husband had been the one doin’ all of the cheatin’, for some reason all the women in town seemed to hold their husbands a little tighter whenever I was around. I never had been able to make sense of that.

Archer loaded up my arms with charcoal and some other items like he was weighing me down for a strong wind. I couldn’t help but notice he didn’t have nothin’ in his arms as we walked around the house, and I only grew more suspicious.

Didn’t take me too long to figure out why neither. There on the back porch, watching me with knowing eyes, was Bentley.

“What the hell Archer?” I groaned. “You think I still can’t run with all this shit in my arms?”

“That was the plan.” He chuckled. “Never said it was a good one.”

I stood there starin’ up at Bentley, feeling that pain in my chest that I usually did whenever I saw him. He always looked so damn sad and broken whenever I was around, which only made it worse. I didn’t understand how he could do that, make me feel guilty for not talkin’ to him. I hated him for it.

“Please stay, Rox,” Archer said quietly. “You two are gonna’ have to make peace sooner or later. You’re both our friends, and we want you to be able to come to these shindigs without one of you dartin’ off in the other direction.”

I bit my lip and shook my head, knowing he was right. I’d always run from Bentley whenever I saw him, because that was easier than dealin’ with it. Than pretending it didn’t still bother me, or that he hadn’t broken my heart.

“Okay Archer,” I relented. “I’ll stay. But I’m not makin’ any promises on how long.”

He grinned and started unburdening my loaded down arms as he sauntered over to the Barbeque.

“Good, you can help me cook.”

Chapter Four

Bentley

I stood there watchin’ the way she smiled and laughed along with Archer and Nathan, just like she was one of the boys. That was Roxy in a nutshell. Never did fit in with most of the women in town, probably because they were all so damn jealous of her.

I remembered Roxy as a kid. A little girl with flaming red hair and freckles across her nose. All the boys teased her for it, but by the time she hit sixteen, they were done teasin’. The girl was a bombshell, and she didn’t even know it.

It took me a while to get that, truth be told. She was always so damn guarded, puttin’ off like she was this strong confident woman. Most of the guys in school were too afraid to even approach her, myself included. We all joked about how she was some hoity toity import from South Carolina. But secretly, we were all wishin’ that she was ours.

It was Corey Price that finally had the guts to ask her out. Douchebag extraordinaire. I think every single one of us was shocked as hell when she actually said yes. She dated him for a long time, lettin’ him treat her like shit too. I could never quite figure it out.

When she agreed to marry the son of a bitch, the whole damn town was whisperin’ as she walked down the aisle about how he wasn’t good enough for her. Rumor was he was cheatin’ on her even then, with some lady twice his age down in Lafayette.

Wasn’t my place to judge though, and I just figured I would stay out of it. Annabeth came along with all of her problems, and I wanted to feel like someone’s knight in shining armor for a change. And I guess I filled that purpose for a while, but not in the way I really wanted to.

I don’t know what it was about Annabeth that I thought I had to have. She was a real nice girl, and she had a lot of great qualities, but truthfully, she was never interested in me. I guess maybe that’s what it was, that unattainability of hers. I just kept thinkin’ she was it for me. Somethin’ I needed to win over and then I could just be happy.

Took me a hell of a long time to figure out that wasn’t the case. Then Roxy came along when I was at my worst. She took care of me, like nobody had in a long time. It felt good.

I got to see her in a whole new light, and I realized that she wasn’t anything like I thought. Beneath that armor she wore for the world was just a kind, vulnerable woman afraid of gettin’ hurt. Being judged by the whole damned town for the sins of her mama and her God-given looks.

Things got physical between us, and I knew I felt somethin’ for her right away. She was unlike anything else I’d ever experienced in my life. When we were together, it was complete and utter destruction for me. It scared the living hell outta me.

I had a whole lot of issues I hadn’t told anyone about. Drinkin’ myself into a stupor every night, tryin’ to forget. I was in a real bad place back then. And I just kept thinkin’ that if I felt about Roxy what I already did, that it was only gonna’ get worse when she hurt me. And she would hurt me. I’d convinced myself of it in my drunken stupor, and I decided to do what I did best. Blow it all up.

Roll on two years, and here we were at a barbeque and couldn’t even look at each other. It gutted me. I wanted to fix things so damn bad, but I just didn’t even know where to begin. Nothin’ had been the same since her. I tried going on a couple of dates, but my heart just wasn’t in it.

After a whole lot of sobering up and a whole lot of thinking, I’d come to one conclusion. Roxy Hart was it for me.

Chapter Five

Roxy

It was gettin’ late and everybody was heading out for the evening. But I had a certain little lady tugging on my shirt, begging me to stay just a few moments longer.

“Pleeeeeeease, Roxy.” Charlotte gave me that grin that was all Archer, the one that usually had people giving into him too.

“Alright, Miss Charlotte.” I took her by the hand. “Let’s go and see about this puppy.”

She led me out back to the pens and gave me a tour, pointing out dogs and calling out their names. But there was a certain one that she had her eye on the whole time. A cute little Corgi puppy by the looks of it.

“This one is for me,” Charlotte said proudly. “Daddy said I can keep her if I train her and take real good care of her.”

I knelt down on her level and took the dog in my hands, laughing as she licked my face.

“She’s beautiful, Charlotte. What’s her name?”

“Daisy,” she said. “I picked it out myself.”

“Well I think it suits her just fine,” I agreed.

Charlotte showed me a few of the tricks she’d taught her and then ran around in circles burnin’ off some energy from all the cake she ate while I laughed.

“You’re real good with her,” Bentley said from behind me.

My laughter died on my lips as I spun around slowly, staring up into his green eyes. Those green eyes that still had a way of bringing me to my knees if I looked at them long enough.

“Roxy…” He cleared his throat, stuffing his hands in his pockets nervously. “I was just wondering if maybe we could grab a coffee sometime. Or a bite to eat. I’d like to talk to you…”

“Sorry Bentley,” I cut him off. “I’m real busy. So I’m afraid I’m gonna’ have to say no.”

It was bullshit and we both knew it, but he just nodded like he’d expected no less. His eyes drifted to my lips several times while I stood there, and I knew I had to get out of there before I did somethin’ real stupid.

“I’ve gotta’ get goin’ Miss Charlotte. I’ll see you Tuesday, alright?”

***

Bentley

Taco Tuesdays at Annabeth’s house. I’d been going to them for as long as I could remember. But tonight I was nervous as hell because Roxy was gonna’ be there.

She had no idea I was, of course. Apparently Charlotte had invited her on a whim, and Annabeth thought it was a great idea. I’d have to remember to thank Charlotte later.

I didn’t know how she was gonna’ feel about seeing me again so soon, but the barbeque hadn’t gone as bad I expected. I’d spent the last couple of days replaying all of that day in my head, thinkin’ just how beautiful Roxy looked. It had been a while since I’d seen her up close, or even got to smell that perfume that I loved on her.

Didn’t know what the hell it was, but I liked it. She smelled soft and inviting, which couldn’t be farther from the truth in my case.

I pulled up in my truck, intentionally a few minutes late, and smiled when I saw Roxy’s car. She’d be stuck with me now, at least for an hour or so. Hopefully longer.

I jumped out of the cab and walked up to the front door, greeted by Charlotte.

“Hey, Bentley.” She grinned. “You’re late.”

“I know darlin’.” I patted her on the head. “Sorry about that.”

She pulled me inside eagerly, and my eyes went straight to Roxy.

She was sittin’ at the kitchen table in her cutoff shorts and vintage tee shirt, lookin’ like a damn wet dream. Her eyes were wide as saucers too, and she started pounding her fist on her chest, choking on her drink of sweet tea.

Being the gentleman that I was, I walked over and started patting her on the back while Archer winked at me from across the room.

“Thank you, Bentley.” Roxy twisted in her chair, a clear signal for me to move my hand.

I didn’t of course. It had a mind of its own. Rubbing her back in small circles, soaking up her warmth. She looked up at me, and my heart skipped a beat. I wanted nothin’ more than to pull her into my arms and kiss her like crazy.

“I’m okay now,” she said softly.

There was a slight tremble in her voice, and her lip was quivering, and I knew I’d upset her somehow already. I pulled my hand back and ran it through my hair, wishing we didn’t have so many prying eyes on us right now. I wanted to get down on my knees and beg her. To tell her how sorry I was for hurting her, and promise that I’d never do it again. I meant it too, but I knew Roxy wouldn’t see it that way. She’d been hurt enough by men like me, and she’d finally wised up.

Annabeth set a giant plate of tacos onto the table, and we all took a seat. I was next to Roxy, and more than happy to hold her hand while Charlotte said grace. But just as soon as it was over, she pulled it away again.

“So…” Annabeth smiled. “You up for some board games tonight, Bentley?”

I glanced at Roxy, and she swallowed nervously.

“Roxy said she would play too,” Charlotte piped up. “Please, Bentley.”

“Well you know I can’t say no to you, Miss Charlotte.” I winked.

Archer laughed and shot Roxy a sympathetic glance, knowing that he was no match for Annabeth’s attempt at making peace between us.

We ate the rest of dinner around small talk, and every once in a while, I’d look up and catch Roxy staring at me. I would have given my left arm to know what she was thinkin’ in those moments, but she always jerked her eyes away too fast.

Once dinner was done, Charlotte didn’t hesitate to run and set up the board games. We all convened in the living room, where Annabeth tapped her chin thoughtfully.

“Charlotte, why don’t you pick teams,” she said.

“Okay.” Charlotte grinned, shooting me a mischievous smile. “How about the Beaufaits against Roxy and Bentley then?”

Roxy opened her mouth to protest, and I grabbed her hand and pulled her down beside me on the couch.

“Don’t worry, darlin’.” I gave her a wink. “I’ll make sure we win.”