Our Favorite Days (My Favorite Mistake #3) (15 page)

H
unter took us to a little floral shop run by a woman who actually knew who Hunter was. Gotta love small towns.

“I was so sorry about what happened to your mama,” she said as she put together a bouquet of different wildflowers. Hunter had said that his mother had loved those best, especially when he’d gone out and picked them himself and brought them back for her.

“That’s so sweet,” I said, leaning into him.

“It always made her smile,” he said and then took the bouquet from the florist.

“That’s no charge. I always liked your mama.” Hunter gave her a tight smile and a thank you and we left the shop.

We sat for a minute in the parking lot, Hunter looking down at the bouquet.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” he said, almost so quietly that I didn’t hear him. I didn’t need to ask what he was talking about.

“There was nothing you could have done,” I said, not sure if those were the right words. But I had my share of guilt about situations I hadn’t been able to control. The only one to blame in my situation was in jail. In Hunter’s case, the person couldn’t be punished because he’d been a fucking coward and had put a bullet in his own brain.

“I know that. I know that. But still. I wonder how things could have changed if she’d left him and agreed to take both of us to Maine to stay with Hope and John.”

His voice broke and he started sobbing into the flowers. The jagged sound hurt me more than any other sound I’d heard.

“I know, baby, I know,” I said, holding him and rubbing his back as he cried. There were no words to say to him to make it okay. To undo the pain and the hurt and the regret. All I could do was stay with him, and hold him. Somehow it didn’t feel like enough.

After about ten minutes, his breathing slowed and he looked up. His eyes were ringed in red and there were streaks of tears on his cheeks. I used my thumbs to wipe the tears away.

“I just miss her so much,” he said, his voice shaking.

“I know you do, baby. I know.” I pulled him toward me and we crushed the flowers between us in a hug. Hunter rested his head on my shoulder as he tried to regulate his breathing. It was another ten minutes before he raised his head and wiped his eyes with his hand.

“Thank you. For everything. Thank you.” He kissed my cheek and I held his face in my hands and pressed a kiss to his mouth.

“I love you so, so much,” I told him. He let out a long breath.

“Let’s go.”

L
ucy Margaret Pearce. 

The decision had been made to put her maiden name, and not her murderer’s, on her gravestone.

Beloved Mother And Sister.

They’d left off “Wife” as well. Even though she had been a good wife. She just hadn’t had a good husband.

I leaned down and placed the flowers on the ground.

“Hey, Mom,” I said, my voice cracking. For some reason, seeing those wildflowers had broken something inside me and I couldn’t hold back the tears and the pain anymore.

Taylor had stayed back a few steps, as if she wanted to give me some time alone with my mother.

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to come and see you. I’m sorry that you’re here and not in the kitchen making pies with Hope. I’m sorry that you didn’t get to see me grow up. I’m sorry that my children will never get to know you as their grandmother. I’m sorry about so many things. But what I’m sorriest about is that you can’t meet my girl, Taylor. You would adore her. I know you would. You’d probably hate her a little too, for trying to steal your baby boy.” I laughed a little and wiped away a few tears. My legs were stiff already, but I wasn’t going to move.

“You can’t meet her the way I wanted you to, but this is as close as we can get, okay?” I turned and looked over my shoulder to find Taylor standing about ten feet away, her arms clasped around her chest, even in the heat.

“Missy,” I called and she met my eyes. I motioned for her to join me and together we crouched down in front of my mother’s grave.

“Mom, this is Taylor Elizabeth Caldwell, the girl I’m going to marry,” I said. This time my voice was strong. Taylor put her hand in mine and squeezed.

“Hi,” Taylor said. “I mean, hello. I’m not really sure how to do this. But I love your son very much and I wish I could have met you. I wish you could have given me a hard time and I wish you could have grilled me about my intentions toward Hunter.” Her laugh was a little wet.

I kissed her cheek and tasted her tears.

“Thank you for having such a wonderful son. He means the world to me and I’m going to do whatever I can to make him happy and take care of him for the rest of our lives.” She turned to me and smiled through her tears.

“Thank you for your son.”

I pulled her toward me and we sort of fell to the ground until we were both sitting on the grass and holding each other. There weren’t any other people at the small cemetery, which was nice. It was just the two of us and Mom.

I didn’t know how long we sat there, but we held one another for a while.

“Hunter? I don’t want to ruin the moment, but my butt is completely numb and I’m afraid if I don’t get up now, my legs aren’t going to work.” I snorted into her hair.

“Okay, Missy,” I said and we both got unsteadily to our feet, stretching and bending our legs. I kissed my fingertips and then rubbed the kiss onto the cold stone.

Taylor did the same and started to back up, giving me another moment alone.

“I’ll come back and see you soon. Hopefully next time I’ll be able to tell you all about my wedding. My girl is stubborn. Just like you.” I smiled and left one last kiss on the gravestone before turning around and walking toward Taylor.

“T
hey have wedding cake on the menu,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows. We were at one of my mother’s favorite restaurants in Wylie. It was cute and homey and they had a great menu.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Taylor said, not looking up from the menu. I’d made sure they had several salads and other items that she could choose from.

“I’m totally ordering it and you’re gonna help me eat it,” I said. She glared at me over her menu. But she knew it was true. If there was a cake, Taylor was going to eat it. She was predictable that way.

The waiter came back and I ordered a burger and Taylor got soup and a salad. We sipped on real sweet tea and talked about this and that.

“Your accent is really noticeable right now,” Taylor said, squeezing some more lemon into her tea.

“Is it?” I hadn’t heard my voice changing, but Taylor was so used to me not using it that she must have been hyper aware.

“Do you like it?” I asked, knowing the answer. Her cheeks flushed.

“You could say that.”

Hell yeah. I was going to lay it on thick tonight and see where it got me. I had the feeling a naked Taylor would definitely be the result. Although, tomorrow we were getting her a pair of cowboy boots.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she said and it took me a second to realize that she was talking to me.

“Huh?”

“Why are you looking at me as if I’m a piece of cake and you want to devour me?” Under the table, her hand slid up my leg and I jolted, my knee crashing against the table and rattling the glasses. A few people near us gave me a look, but then went back to their meals.

I leaned closer to Taylor so we wouldn’t be overheard.

“I was thinking about you wearing a pair of cowboy boots and nothing else,” I said in a low voice, and watched in satisfaction as she shivered a little and swallowed.

“I think we might be able to arrange that,” she said to me, just as our waiter arrived with our food. I cleared my throat and Taylor took her hand off my leg.

We ate quickly and Taylor didn’t even comment when I ordered the wedding cake with two forks for dessert. The cake was delicious, but there was something else I wanted in my mouth a lot more. I paid the check and we hurried out. Apparently someone was just as eager as I was.

“I know I’ve heard stories about people having sex while driving, but that seems like a terrible idea on the highway,” Taylor said as we slid into the car and I pulled out of the parking lot. “If not for the possibility of ending up in fiery crash, I would be in your lap right now.”

I clenched the steering wheel so hard I thought I was going to snap it in half. Somehow we made it back to the hotel without damaging the rental car, ourselves or breaking any laws, but it was close.

“Come on, come on,” I growled at the elevator that was slower than hell.

“Anxious, are we?” Taylor said, getting on her tiptoes to speak in my ear as she slid one hand down the front of my jeans. I bit back every single curse I ever knew and sighed in relief when the doors opened. I was about to corner Taylor when another couple got in the elevator with us. I clenched my fists.

Longest elevator ride ever. I thought I was going to die. As soon as the doors opened on our floor, I grabbed Taylor, threw her over my shoulder, ignored her protests and stormed down the hall to our room.

I had to fumble for a second with the swipe key, but I got it on the second try. Before she could take a breath, I threw her on the bed and dived on top of her.

“Eager, Mr. Zaccadelli?” She had no idea.

“Yes, Miss Caldwell,” I groaned as I hauled her shirt over her head, almost ripping it in the process. As quick as I could I had the rest of her undressed and waiting for me.

“It is completely unfair that I’m naked and you’re not. What happened to equality?” she said, pouting at me. I started to take my shirt off, but she smacked at my hands and refused to let me do it.

“There you are,” she said once she’d yanked my pants and boxers down and I’d kicked them off my feet. I was about to push her back so I could kiss her, but she put her mouth on me and my brain exploded. I forgot my name, I forgot everything except that Taylor Elizabeth Caldwell was licking my dick.

She seemed intent on taking me all the way, but I put my hands on her head and pulled her away with a little pop that nearly made me blow right then.

“I think I’d rather be inside you,” I said with a smile. She got off her knees in one smooth motion and pulled me back onto the bed with her. I loved the fact that since she was on the pill we didn’t have to have anything between us.

I kissed her slowly, melding her tongue with mine. I licked and tasted my way down her luscious body, so amazed that she was here and she was mine. When I got to the apex between her thighs, I moved down to the edge of the bed and then pulled her so her legs were hanging over my shoulders. I imagined she was wearing cowboy boots as I kissed her in a way that made her arch up off the bed and moan.

Our neighbors on the other side of the wall were going to get quite a performance because Taylor definitely wasn’t being quiet. Especially when I made her come, one, two, three times before I moved back up onto the bed and slide inside her.

We moaned in unison and I leaned down to kiss her before I flipped both of us so she was on top. Watching Taylor move up and down on me, taking her pleasure from me, was the height of my fucking life. She came quickly and then, so did I.

Panting, she leaned down and kissed me.

“Guess we didn’t last very long,” she said.

“Well, there’s always time for round two. And three,” I said and she grinned.

We made it to round four before we both decided we were too tired and hungry to continue.

“Room service?” I said, groping for the menu that I’d set on the bedside table.

“Room service,” Taylor said, giving me a tired thumbs up.

“F
uuuuucccckkkkk,” Hunter said under his breath as I modeled my first pair of cowboy boots for him at the Boot Barn. It was literally called that. Boots were not cheap, but these ones were brown and turquoise and cute as hell.

“You like?” I asked, striking a pose. It was so warm today, I’d had to wear a tank top and shorts again and I was still dying. I definitely wasn’t made to live here.