Rough Love (Tannen Boys 1)

“WILDCATS!”

They grab apple slices and peanut butter from the bag where I left the snacks and run for their parents. I see some questioning eyes from the adults too, but I hold my thumb up in silent assurance that everything’s fine. Just fine.

Except it’s not.

Now that practice is over, I’m flipflopping between fury at Bruce for no-showing and terror that he didn’t come because something’s wrong.

Michelle comes over. “Uh, so that was God-awful. What the hell, Allyson?”

I called her Thursday night after Cooper went to sleep to give her the whole sordid story of my conversation with Bruce, so she knows how bad it got.

I shake my head. “You know everything I do. Bruce was supposed to be here, but he no-showed and he didn’t call.” I pause to check my phone but hold it up to show her that I have zero missed calls and no text messages. “We had that argument on Thursday, but I didn’t think he’d take our shit out on the boys. What if something’s wrong, like really wrong? Like a car accident or a farm mishap?”

Okay, so maybe I sound a bit hysterical because she tilts her head, a bemused smirk on her face. “Is this the part where I get to smack you and tell you ‘get ahold of yourself, woman’? Because I could be in for that.”

I mean-mug at her. “No.”

She fans herself with her hand, holding her hair off her neck. “Look, I’ma be straight with you. Practice? It sucked ass and those boys nearly did you in. We need him. Go get him, beg him if you have to, Allyson. Hell, beg him on your knees if you have to.” Her eyes glint with mirth. “Or just drop to your knees and get dicked for shits and giggles if you want to.”

“Michelle!” I hiss, “We just had a fight, he left me high and dry, and I am not doing that with him, anyway. We’re not going there. I’m not going there.”

“No shame in it, Ally,” she says with a shrug. “I told you, climb that man like a damn tree. Whether you kiss him or smack him when you get there is up to you. But go see him, find out if he’s quitting or if something happened. Don’t go in blazing double barrels, but don’t let him keep you on a chain either. You’re too good for that, even for a specimen like him.”

God, she is hung up on him. Not really. I know she’s ass over teakettle for Michael, but every time she says something flirty or sexy about Bruce, I wanna claim him.

I licked him, he’s mine!

And doesn’t that bring up images that Michelle’s trying to plant in my head.

Me on my knees in front of Bruce, his cock tracing my lips before he tells me to open my mouth. And when I do, he feeds me every inch until my tongue touches his heavy balls. I’d close my mouth, hollow my cheeks, and suck him down.

No. No, I wouldn’t. No, I’m not.

But checking on him sounds like a good plan. Reasonable and safe. Logical, even.

She must be able to see that I agree with her, at least about going to see him, because she asks, “Want me to keep Cooper? We’re going to visit my mother-in-law this afternoon, but I can take him if you need some privacy for this visit.”

Michelle’s mother-in-law has Alzheimer’s and lives in a memory care facility. It stresses her out to take Liam there, always worrying that he’ll confuse his grandmother because she’s thought he was Michael more than once. Another kid tagging along is a recipe for disaster.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll take Cooper with me. A drive to the country will be good for us both.” Even I don’t sound like I believe that.

“And he can be a buffer so you don’t bend over and present your dried up, unused lady bits to Bruce and beg him to go easy on you.” Michelle jumps out of reach, knowing that I was about to slap my hand over her mouth.

“Girl, the shit you say! Do you use that mouth with Michael?” My cheeks are pink, flushed with embarrassment.

She laughs heartily. “Honey, that’s me with a filter. You should hear the things we say when it’s just the two of us in bed and Liam’s at your place. Dirty, filthy, sexy things that’d make a porn star blush and cause a sweet, innocent thing to have a heart attack.” She steps closer and flicks my ear, leaving me in no doubt that I’m the innocent she’s talking about.

I’m not. It’s just been a while. A long while. Like since those post-divorce dates kinda while. But that’s not changing anytime soon.

Cooper’s excited to go for a drive, even though I don’t tell him where we’re going. I want to hedge my bets.