“Baby, I can’t take my eyes off of you. You look hot,” he says, pinching my ass.
I laugh and swat his arm away; we really need to leave.
Backwoods is packed tonight. Ember says it’s because the band just got signed with a big label. Small town boys making it big and all that. Blaise leads us to a table in the back corner large enough for the eight of us. Just as we go to sit, the other six come walking through the door.
Blaise orders a round of drinks, with a bottle of water for Leah, to toast the happy couple. I don’t plan on drinking anything other than water after this shot. I don’t want Leah to be the only sober one among us. She’s all smiles either way. I love seeing her this happy.
We all toss back our shots and hit the dance floor. The song “It Goes Like This” by Thomas Rhett is playing. Blaise pulls me tight against his chest and I melt into him. I’m not really sure I can even call what we are doing dancing, really. He’s holding me close as we gently sway back and forth. I’m in my own little Blaise consumed world and I love every freaking minute of it.
As the song ends, his lips find mine. I stand on my tiptoes to gain better access as I open for him. The kiss is gentle, yet demanding. He’s taking what he wants, and I am more than willing to let him.
“I think I need to sit down after that,” he says. I can feel how the kiss affected him. I turn so my body is directly in front of him. His hands find my hips as I lead us back to the table, hiding the evidence.
A few feet from our table, a blonde girl and her friend step into our path. “Blaise,” she says curtly.
His grip on my hips tighten as he pulls me tight against his chest. His arms snake around my waist. He obviously is trying to send a message to this girl.
“Beth,” he says, sounding bored.
Beth…Oh shit! This is her. This is the girl he was with who cheated on him and got pregnant by someone else.
“New flavor?” she sneers.
“No. New love,” he says, placing his lips against my neck. I shiver at the contact.
“Humph. This one must be making you work for it,” she says, pointing to where his arms are around my waist.
“Don’t you have a husband to go home to? Oh, that’s right. You cheated on him too and he divorced your sorry ass. Best of luck,” he says, and guides us to move around her.
“That bitch ain’t got nothing on me,” she says as we pass.
Blaise stops us and jerks his head around. “You don’t f*cking look or breathe in her direction. This girl,” he reaches for me, “is the most important person in my life. She’s off limits to you. Don’t talk to her, don’t even look at her. Take your cheating ass somewhere else. We don’t need your shit,” he snarls.
Then, he kisses me. His lips capture mine, possessing me. I can’t help the moan that escapes my lips.
“ARGH!” I hear Beth growl.
By the time Blaise releases my lips, she’s gone. Good riddance.
As we reach the table, all eyes are on us. Asher raises his eyebrows, asking, “You good?” to Blaise.
He nods his head and kisses my temple. “Never better,” he says.
We don’t see Beth the rest of the night, and we’re able to relax and enjoy ourselves. Brent got a little tipsy, well a lot tipsy, and made sure he told everyone within hearing distance that he knocked up his new bride. Leah just laughed and smiled. They are both radiating excitement and love.
As I survey our group, I realize life is moving on and that’s okay. That’s what they would want for me. I wish more than anything my parents were able to meet Blaise and his family, but more than likely, I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t lost them. It’s bitter sweet. I’ll miss them every day. I look over at Blaise as he talks with his hands to Asher, Brent, and Jackson. I will love him every day. He’s so tangled up in my heart that there is no chance of killing the roots.
Blaise is my future.
It’s Monday morning. The weekend flew by. I guess what they say is right, time flies when you’re having fun.
As I’m walking into the building, my cell rings. Looking at the screen, I see it’s my relator. “Hey, Mary,” I say in greeting.
“Tatum, we have an offer. They bid five thousand below asking price. They are pre-approved for that amount. They love the house. It’s a young couple with two small children, ages two and four. I think we should take the deal,” she says in a rush.
I laugh, “Sounds great to me. The house is great for kids with the big yard. What’s the next step?” I ask her.
“Well, since they are pre-approved, we just need to schedule the closing. I had the house inspected last week, so it’s within the thirty day guidelines. I’ll let them know you accept their offer and call you once I get everything set up. Are there any restrictions on times for you to travel back here?” she asks.
“No, my boss is great. I told him what was going on and that I will need a few days to travel back to Ohio to settle everything. I got two weeks vacation when I started, so I have the time,” I tell her.
“Wow, sounds like a great gig,” she says.
I look up and see Nancy smiling at me. “In more ways than one,” I tell her.
“All right, well, let me get to work on this and I’ll be in touch.”
“Great, thank you so much, Mary.” I hit end and shove my phone back in my purse.
“That sounded like good news,” Nancy says with a smile.
I nod. “Yeah, I decided to sell my parents’ place back in Ohio. That was the real estate agent; she had a bid and I accepted their offer. I’ll need to take a few days off for the closing. I’ll know more soon,” I say.
“Blaise mentioned that. He seemed pleased you’re staying in town. He was afraid you were moving back to Ohio,” she says.
I shake my head no. I look up to see her watching me intently. “Blaise is my home now,” I say. I slap my hand over my mouth. The words just flew out of my mouth before I could stop them. Shit! Nancy is his mom and I just blurted that out. Way to go, Tatum!
A huge smile lights up her face. “I’m so glad to hear you say that. My boy is completely smitten with you. I’ve never seen this side of him, and it’s nice. You two are good together,” she tells me.
What the hell, I might as well go all in. “I love him,” I say simply.
She nods in acknowledgment. “He loves you, too. He told me…well, let’s just say you’re not alone in your feelings.”
I smile at her. “I better get busy.” I wave as I walk off toward my office.
After making breakfast for my girl, I head home. I need to shower and change and be ready. I’m on call for the next twenty-four hours with the department. Now that I have Tatum, it seems like balancing the shop, my volunteer time, and my time with her is difficult. I refuse to give up any time with her and the shop, well, that’s my dream. I need to talk to Dad about cutting back my hours. I love it and I’m proud to serve the community, but the shop is how I live and, well, so is Tatum.
I do a few things around the house that I’ve been neglecting, like laundry. I text Tate to see if she’s free for lunch; she’s not. She has a meeting scheduled. I’m disappointed, but I get it. It’s her job.
I decide to try my luck and see if Dad has time to talk. I’ve been thinking about it all day and I really want to get his take on me cutting back.