“It’s getting cold,” he mutters instead. “Fortunately, I know which road takes us back to Little Memphis.”
I climb on behind Ford and rest my cheek against his back. The ride back feels shorter, but I pay no attention to where he’s taking me. I am replaying Ford’s sexy lips saying he loves me. By the time we arrive at his house, I’m wearing a big dopey grin.
I struggle to control it while climbing off the bike. Ford stops me before we get inside. His gaze shifts from me to the street to the front porch then back to me. I sense he’s nervous, making me nervous.
“This is real now, right?” he says, frowning.
Staring up at him, I nod. Ford glances around again, definitely nervous.
“You get your brothers out here and I’ll help you raise them. Help keep them out of trouble and pay for crap.”
“Are you sure? I only ask because you don’t look sure.”
“It’s a lot of responsibility and I’m lazy.”
Knowing he’s lying, I grin. “You don’t have to do anything for them.”
“I do love you. You’re an extension of me now.” Ford grins when I frown at his wording. “I just mean if I want to be happy that I need you to be happy. We’re a package deal. Your brothers are my problem now too. I just don’t really trust my skills when it comes to keeping people out of trouble. I mean I didn’t do it with Pax.”
“You kept him out of jail and the morgue. That’s something,” I say, placing my hand on his chest. “My brothers never had a man in their life. Their dad doesn’t care about them. He has kids with his wife and those are the ones he cares about. Any attention you give my brothers will more than they’ve ever known.”
“I’ll try to do right by them.”
“They’ve never been to a batting cage. Maybe you can teach them about baseball and they can join a team,” I say, excited by how my brothers will be with me soon. “They’re not spoiled brats. They get excited about little things. I hope you like them.”
“I like everyone. I’m easygoing like that,” he teases while unlocking the door.
Hearing Pax inside, I stop Ford at the doorway.
“I love you and I’m not leaving Little Memphis.”
“I know.”
“Do you?”
Ford studies me then smiles. “I do now,” he says then leans down and whispers, “If you run, I will catch you. Have no doubt about that.”
“My life is here with you.”
Ford kisses me tenderly and I see how the realness of this moment scares him. He’s only had one person to worry over for all these years. No doubt losing Pax would kill him. Loving me is opening up the possibility of more pain. The world just got a helluva lot scarier for Crawford Reed.
49
Ford
She’s My Home Now
Shay frowns when I park the Harley in front of a house three doors down from my place. She says nothing, but follows me up the steps to the green and brick tri-level, not so different than mine. I wave at a man working in the yard then open the door and guide Shay inside.
“The guy who owns this place can’t take care of himself anymore,” I explain while we walk into the living room. “He’s moving to an assisted living place, but he’s not ready to sell the house. So his family is renting it out.”
Shay looks down at the green shag carpet then back at me. She has no clue why we’re here. What I love is how she doesn’t really care. Shay is cool as long as I’m with her.
“They’re updating all this,” I say, waving around. “New floors, kitchen, making it livable again. The guy lived here alone for a long time and went to shit.”
I take her hand and walk to the stairs. We sit on them then I sigh.
“Your brothers will be moving out here soon and we can’t all fit in my house. They can stay in the little bedroom next to mine at first, but it’s not really big enough for two kids and their crap.”
“You want them to live with you?”
Two days after I tell her I love her and Shay still seems surprised by the reality of our new situation. “You do get how you’re not living with Darby anymore, right?”
“No, I didn’t get that.”
Grinning, I wrap an arm around her shoulders. “Did you really think I was letting you sleep without me? I said the words and that means you’re mine. Deal with it.”
When Shay laughs, I see her woman’s mind working. I’ll be lying to say where her brain might be heading didn’t scare the living shit out of me.
“We can move in here in a month or two. I already talked to the guy’s son. He knows I’ll keep the house safe. No punk kids will fuck with an enforcer’s house. So he’s fixing it up and we can move into the house with your brothers.”
I gesture to the bottom floor. “It’s like my place where Pax has a floor to himself. There’s two bedrooms here too and each boy can have his own. We can have the room upstairs. I know that’s important since you get loud.”
Shay rolls her eyes, but she’s grinning like crazy. “You want me to live with you.”
“Are you still stuck on that?”
“It’s a big deal.”