Here Comes Trouble (Trouble, Tennessee 0.50)

“His truck is in the barn. It was there when I went down to feed this morning and it was still there when I finished up around noon.”

“Hmm. That’s strange.” Draegan shrugged it off. “Maybe he’s still in bed. He pulled a few all nighters before Ellie showed up here.”

Markie crossed his arms. “If he’s still in bed, there’s a little brown-eyed honey curled up next to him. I’ll bet a handjob, blowjob, or a deep-thrusting fuck on that one, hon.” He stuffed a couple of ketchup-coated fries in his mouth.

“Really?” Derek thumbed the air over his shoulder. “Try and remember Serena is in here.”

“Serena is of age. She ain’t still suckin’ the tit. If she’s livin’ in Trouble, she’s heard worse.”

“About Ellie,” Draegan said, finally ignoring Markie. “What are your plans?”

“Quit dancing, Draegan,” Ryan said, standing. “You want to know if we plan to try and win her back. The answer is yes. You should’ve talked to your brother first. If he’s not here and no one has seen him, he’s already made his intentions known to someone.”

“Maybe I should’ve done the same thing,” Draegan said thoughtfully.

Seated across from Draegan, Derek leaned forward. “Any chance you’ll drop this before it goes anywhere?”

“Why hell no,” Ryan answered for Draegan. “He’s as cocky as his brother and no one stands in his way when he wants something or someone.”

“What he said.” Markie dabbed his lips on a paper napkin. “But it might be a fine time to mention somethin’. You guys start talkin’ about runnin’ trains on that gal and she’ll be the one to run. She will run and she will not look back.”

“How do you know?” Draegan asked, twisting off the water bottle cap.

“She’s been with one man her entire life.”

Draegan snorted at that. “Did you miss the part where she fucked Ryan, Derek, Bradley, and Allister all in one weekend?”

“Temporary lapse in judgment,” Markie said. “The Ellie I knew sat in the back of homeroom doodling flower pictures and scribbling Ellie plus Denny equals true love forever. She did the same thing a year later in college. Ellie may have had a fling with you boys?” Markie stood and tossed his napkin on the table. “But I don’t see an everlasting multiple partnership in any of your futures. Just my two cents, fellas.” Markie then reached in his front pocket and threw a couple of pennies on the table. “My advice is like old money. Those who receive it keep it around for generations, saving it for a rainy day. Ignore my words and it will cost you when your rainy day appears in the form of a thunderstorm and Hurricane Allister can throw a damning fit when things don’t go his way.”

Chapter Six

The others would kick his ass and he’d let them. He wouldn’t blame them one iota.

Derek and Ryan might forgive him, but Bradley? Hell. Bradley would view any one-on-one time with Ellie as unforgivable.

Too damned bad.

Ellie was right. Denny had won in the past because Allister hadn’t taken a stand.

He’d always walked away and let her do her own thing. When they were younger, he was cocky enough to believe he had something she wanted. Back then he’d believed she’d eventually tire of stolen kisses, an occasional dance and friendly flirtations from one weekend to the next.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he’d convinced himself he was giving her room to grow. He had wanted her to live without restraints and enjoy her youth.

He’d convinced himself he was a gentleman, at least where Ellie had been concerned. He’d decided it was more important, smarter, actually, to stay close as a friend. Later, when she’d tired of casual dates, grew bored spending her weekends with her girlfriends, she’d let him know.

Allister had made one costly mistake after the next. He’d given her space while Denny took her out on cheap dates. While Allister had wanted her to realize the true beauty found in confidence and independence, Denny had taken away her freedom. While Allister had watched her from a distance, Denny had moved in and crowded her.

Denny had shown her an irresponsible kind of life and even now Allister shuddered at the thought of what Denny possibly introduced.

Down deep Allister knew why Denny had “won” as Ellie had phrased it. They were party pals, fuck buddies, and Ellie didn’t sleep around from one fellow to another. Denny had known it, too. He’d boasted more than once. He was her first love, her first fuck, her first blowjob, and the list went on.

Denny hadn’t just made a move. He’d apparently plotted his wedding day right from the start. According to their group of friends back then, he’d often said, “My momma will kill me if I don’t put a ring on her finger.”

The world would’ve been a better place if his momma would’ve carried through on that threat. It would’ve been a much happier place if Ellie had seen Denny for what he was.

In the end, it was pretty obvious what Ellie had seen in Denny. He wasn’t just the bad boy next door. He was the naughty guy with quite the reputation for pleasing the ladies.

He’d kept Ellie and her friends in booze and probably pot, too. In Allister’s mind, Ellie had probably been stoned off her ass when she’d married the bastard.