Southern Seduction (27 page)

Damn.

I head back to the ranch, taking my time so I can get things sorted in my head. I know why I did this tonight, I just don’t know if it was worth it. In hindsight, what I said to May was the God’s honest truth. Why drag this out any longer? As time passes, I’m realizing more and more that I’m ready to settle down. I want to find that special one.
The one.
Why carry on like I have been if it’s not really what I want anymore? It’s good that I’m finally breaking out of this pattern, even if, in the end, Shelby don’t want nothin’ to do with me. I’ve been feelin’ a change come over me lately. I want different things than I did a year ago. I want things a man my age starts wantin’. I lost interest in the Johnson girls about six months ago, if I’m real honest with myself. Damn—that’s a lot of time I’ve wasted. Time I could’ve spent finding the woman I want to settle down and raise a family with.

Well ... shit!

Christopher J. Taylor, Jr., I believe you have grown up! When in the hell did that happen?

“You’re home early,” Mama says, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Oh, hey, Mama! I didn’t see you out here.” I head up the three steps and over to her on the porch swing.

“Just enjoyin’ the fresh air.” She smiles and pats on the seat next to her. “What are you doin’ home so early, son?”

“Making better decisions, I guess.” I sigh.

“Hmm… which Johnson girl did you break it off with tonight?” She leans her head back, closing her eyes, but lets a small, knowing smile grace her face.

“How’d you—aw hell, you know everythin’! I don’t know why I bother to ask you anymore how you know stuff! You’re a wise woman, Mama ... a wise woman.” I shake my head in admiration of her.

“Well? You gonna answer me, or just keep on flatterin’ me?”

“May,” I sigh and lean my head back as well.

“Maggie tomorrow?” she asks.

“Yep.”

“You’re sweet on Shelby, aren’t you?”

“I believe I am, Mama.”

“Good.” She pats my thigh. “That’s good, son.”

“Mama, I’m already off to a rough and confusing start with her, and I fear that if she gets wind of me and, well, you know ... it’s gonna go south faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kickin’ competition.”

Mama laughs at her favorite expression. “Oh, Kip, you just need to be patient. Settle down and let her get to know you. Don’t go chasin’ her like a lovesick puppy. Just let nature take its course.” She gets up and leans over to plant a kiss on my head. “I’m goin’ to bed now, son. Don’t stay up too late. You’ve got a busy day tomorrow, and another heart to break.” She pats my face with her palm.

“Don’t remind me,” I groan lightly.

“Let’er Ride.” Yes, my friend, that is a legit name of a cologne, and guess who is the lucky owner? I never forget who gave me this one, because it’s her favorite position. Yes, Maggie loves to ride me into the sunset. You think you’re rolling
your
eyes? Imagine
me
every time she tells me that’s what she’s gonna do. But man oh man, that girl can squeeze the ever-lovin’ hell out of my dick when she’s doin’ it! Yep. Checks and balances, people. Gotta find the silver linin’ in things!

All right. Enough procrastinating. I need to get this done and over with! The sooner I’m free and clear, the sooner I can put all my efforts into Shelby. The same Shelby that ignored me like I was the plague today. She didn’t say but three words to me—
Here you go
—when she handed me my shirt. Stayed away from me the rest of the day. I could’ve sworn, when I did catch her glancing at me, she had a disgusted look on her face. I think that’s my paranoia, though.

I grab the keys to my truck. Maggie and I always meet at the old abandoned drive-in theater. If she murders me, it’ll be weeks before they find my body. I should probably tell Mama where I’m going, just in case. That’s the thing to know about Maggie—girl has got a temper and a half. I’m pretty sure I’m gonna have to come up with a story for my black eye tomorrow!

I open my door and head down the hall. Shelby turns the corner and collides right into me.

“Sorry,” she says quickly, backing to the side to let me pass.

“It is quite all right.” I give her my famous smirk. She gives me her famous glare. Well ... it’s famous to me, anyway. “Somebody needs to lighten up,” I say under my breath.

“Somebody needs to rethink his cologne choice.” She squints at me quickly, which, I believe, is her sign for
fuck you
! Well, what in the hell did I do to her? I stayed away from her all day, best as I could.

“After you, Red.” I move over and wave my arm out for her to go.

“Stop calling me that!” She huffs as she walks by.

“Okay, beautiful,” I say, just to piss her off—and, well, because she is. She’s absolutely beautiful. She groans with what seems like irritation as she continues down the hallway.

I’d stay concerned about her being so pissy with me if I weren’t about to piss off a whole different type of beast. I know that sounds rude, but you ain’t never seen Maggie mad. “Beast” is me being nice about it. I’m half scared, really. If I come home short a nut, well, hell, I’ll consider myself lucky!

“Kip!” Maggie yelps and runs to me as I barely put my truck into park. I cut the engine and she whips open the door. “Oh, Kip, hold me please!” She throws herself onto me.

“What’s the matter, Gorgeous?” I hug her.

“Oh God, poor May.” She pulls her head back and looks me in the eye. My heart races.

“What’s happened to May?” I ask with a sense of urgency. No, I don’t
love
May, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her. I care about all the Johnson girls. We’ve grown up together. We were all friends first. See, I’m not such a heartless bastard. I actually have a very big heart, with a lot of lovin’ ... that I don’t mind spreadin’ around ... generously.

“Oh, she’s just a mess! Her boyfriend broke it off with her, and she’s just gone crazy, I think!” She palms her own face, shaking her head. To see Maggie look this panicked is quite unnerving. Maggie never gets like this. It must be pretty bad.

“Maggie, why do you think she’s gone crazy?”

“She’s spent the entire day researchin’ how to go about applyin’ to med school. I don’t know what she’s thinkin’! She knows Big Daddy’s gonna disown her. She was even applyin’ for grants and scholarships. I couldn’t get her to change her mind!” Maggie’s eyes go wide.

“Good for her!” I smile.
Good for her!

“What in the hell are you talkin’ about?! Have you not heard a single word I’ve just said? Big Daddy will disown her! She’ll have nothin’!” She steps away from me.

“She’ll have her self-respect and the freedom to be who she wants to be. Who she is meant to be! I think it’s fantastic, Maggie, and you’d do well to learn from her example.”
Oh ... fuck!
Yep. Here it comes! You hear that whistlin’? That would be the steam comin’ out of Maggie’s ears.

“
Are. You. Out. Of. Your. Ever-lovin’. Mind?
” Each of those words is accompanied by a very strong and painful poke to my chest.

“No, I am not, Margaret,” I seethe. I hate when she does that.

“Where will she live? How will she survive?” She throws her hands up in the air and turns to walk away. I manage to finally get out of my truck and close the door.

“Maggie, May is a very smart girl. Out of the three of you sisters, she’s the last one I’d worry about.” Oh ... dear. That’s probably not going to go over well, either. Well, this is turning out to be a banner night for me so far!

Maggie slowly turns around. She stares at me.

“You don’t think I could survive out there?” she asks calmly.

“Nope.”

She starts walking back to me. I have to admit, I’m nervous about how calm she seems.

“I want to kiss you, Kip,” she says softly and palms my cheeks. She leans up and nudges my nose before lightly grazing her lips against mine. She works my mouth with her own, coaxing it open with her tongue. You should know this about Maggie: The girl can kiss your fuckin’ socks off. Just as I become completely lost in the play of our tongues, she pulls away. “It’s over, Kip.” She taps my cheek.

“What?” Seriously,
what?

“I said it’s over.” She backs away from me.

“I know what you said, Maggie, I’m just a bit confused as to how you came to this decision when not five minutes ago you were all over me.” I stare at her, awestruck.

“I don’t want—or need—to be with somebody who thinks so little of me. I’ve watched my mama live like that my whole life. Now she’s just a shell of the woman, I believe, she once was. I don’t want that, Kip.” She pulls her keys out of her purse.

“Maggie, I don’t think little of you.” I take a few steps toward her, but she holds her hand up to stop me.

“How could you not? I don’t give you any reason to think otherwise. I’ve been sneakin’ off with you for several months now, never once comin’ up with a plan to ‘out’ us so that we could be a normal couple. I do exactly what my daddy says to do. I’m followin’ right in my mother’s footsteps, and I didn’t even realize it ‘til you said what you just said.” Her chin quivers. “You’re right, Kip. I could do well learnin’ from May’s example. I think I’ve just understood my first lesson.”

“What’s that?” I ask.

“To put me first. I have
a lot
of figurin’ out to do. And I’m sorry, Kip, but I’m gonna have to figure it out alone,” she says, and with that, she turns and heads to her car. I stand there, feeling completely stupefied.
How did I manage to get off so easily?
That thought only makes me more nervous. I have a feeling this turn of events will come back and bite me in the ass some way or another.

Shelby

“Shelby,” Alma says quickly as I walk through the door.

“What’s the matter?” I put my purse down on the counter. She nods to the stack of mail in front of me.

“I forgot to grab the mail yesterday. Look what came for you.” She finishes putting the biscuits on the cookie sheet to go into the oven.

“Me?” Why on earth would I be getting mail here? Even though I’ve been here for three weeks now, no one knows where I am—not that they would care.

“It’s from May,” she offers as I pick it up. “Go on and sit. I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” She gestures with her hand before heading over to the cupboard for our mugs.

It’s been almost two weeks since May packed up and left in the middle of the night. Her outlook on life took a complete shift the day after she and her boyfriend broke up. She spent that whole night it happened crying in her bed. The next day, she asked me to meet her in town for lunch. Alma let me go, welcoming the break, I think, from trying to find me stuff to do for an hour. It was then that May told me her plan.

“I’m leavin’, Shelby,” she said matter-of-factly after placing her coffee mug down on the table. We were eating at Marla Moo’s, the local diner.

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?” I hadn’t time, at this point, to build a close enough relationship where I could say I really knew her, but I did know one thing—May wouldn’t just pick up and leave. She is the most practical of the Johnson girls.

“I’ve gotten to a point where I’ve realized I’ve been runnin’ my life by others’ rules, and I’m just plain miserable. Ever since our conversation the other night, I haven’t stopped seein’ the big picture. You were right for lookin’ at all of us like we had five heads. You were right in just about everythin’ you said. I’ve always felt the way you do, but I never said or did anythin’ about it. Mostly because I knew I wasn’t the favorite, and when I did say somethin’, my status would drop even more. Well, no more! I don’t give a rat’s ass what Big Daddy wants! Look at my poor mother. That’s the end result of Big Daddy havin’ his way about things.” Her chin began to quiver and I could tell she was trying to hold on to the strength she had newly discovered. “I love my mother, but the older we all get, the more lost to me—and to herself—she becomes. My father did that to her, and I’ll be damned if I let him or any other man do it to me.” She tapped at the table with her forefinger.