If pressed, sometime before last night, and before what Esposito did to Tia, I might be able to come up with a suitable argument to that statement.
But only if pressed.
Buck kept going.
“So last night, what Tatie got was a good woman who looked after her and a father and brother who went out and took care of business. My baby girl faced what she faced last night and came home to safety. That’s what she got. All she got. And now we keep takin’ care of her and she gets to move on.”
“Okay, Buck,” I repeated in a whisper.
He studied me closely and did this awhile before his face relaxed and his arms gave me another squeeze, this one the good kind. At the same time, the tension ebbed out of his body.
Then he muttered, “Good.” He dipped his head, his mouth brushing mine and then he lifted it again and ordered, “Now get some socks on, we’re sittin’ on the deck, havin’ coffee and waitin’ ’til the kids get up for breakfast.”
And I said the only thing I could say at that juncture.
“Okay, Buck.”
20
Waffles
I lifted my legs off Buck’s, set my stocking feet on the deck and straightened out of my chair.
“Where you goin’?” Buck asked, and I looked down at him to see him looking up at me.
I lifted my mug.
“More coffee,” I muttered, then to be polite, my eyes shifted to his mug, and I offered, “Do you need a refill?”
He offered his mug to me, murmuring, “Yeah.”
I took it and started toward the door, but his arm wrapped around my belly, and I stopped.
I looked back down at him to see he was still looking up at me.
“Come here,” he said quietly.
“I am here, West,” I pointed out the obvious.
His eyes moved over my face while he muttered, “No one calls me West. Used to like it when you’d call me West. Today, the way you’re sayin’ my name, not so much.”
I waited patiently, but I didn’t reply.
His eyes moved to mine.
“Come here,” he repeated.
“I’m not certain how much more here I can get,” I told him.
“Closer,” he stated.
I sighed.
Then I bent to him.
“Closer, babe,” he said softly.
I bent closer, he lifted his arm, cupped the back of my head with his hand, and he brought me even closer.
So close, my mouth was nearly on his.
“West,” I whispered.
“That’s better,” he whispered back.
I blinked. “Sorry?”
“You can whisper my name sweet like that. That’s better.”
Oh God.
“I need more caffeine,” I informed him.
“Yeah, and you can get it after you kiss me.”
Oh God.
Not this again.
“What?”
“Babe, we fight, we stop fightin’, you work out the rest of your attitude by kissin’ me.”
“Is that an order?” I asked, and he grinned.
“Yeah.”
“Whatever,” I muttered, bent even closer, touched my mouth to his then touched my tongue to his lips, those lips opened, my tongue slid inside, and I allowed myself to enjoy the taste of him.
I drank my fill, and as weak as it made me, I loved every second of it.
Before he could take the kiss out of my control, which meant out of all control, I broke contact and pulled away two inches where I stopped because his fingers flexed on my head.
He studied me again then murmured, “Thinkin’ that didn’t work.”
“Buck, I’ve had about two hours of sleep. I need caffeine.”
“Kids weren’t here, babe, I’d try a different way to work out your attitude.”
Proving just how weak I was, my nipples got hard.
“Can I go get coffee?”
He grinned again, his hand left my head, and he relented on a, “Yeah.”
I escaped.
We were both on our second cups (Buck had done the first refill) and I poured new ones then set them aside as I cleaned out the filter and pot to start another one going. I’d need more and both Locke and Tatiana drank it too.
And I wanted Tatie’s coffee to be fresh.
I was scooping coffee into the filter, thinking that the good news was, some time had elapsed, and the sheriff hadn’t come calling, when I sensed movement.
My hand froze mid-scoop, I turned and saw Tatiana wearing her cute pajama bottoms and tight little camisole standing by the counter.
I wondered what today would bring, if the drama last night meant a breakthrough that was permanent or temporary.
She stared at me. I stared at her. Her lip was less fat, but a bruise had risen on her cheekbone.
Okay.
Yes.
I was so totally glad Buck and Gear beat the shit out of those boys.
Finally, when I could take it no more, I whispered, “Hey, honey.”
That was when she moved.
Her bare feet quickly eating the distance, she threw her arms around me, pressed her cheek against my shoulder and ground coffee went everywhere.
I dropped the scoop and wrapped my arms around her.
It took a while for me to realize she was crying.
“That’s it, baby,” I whispered, bending my head toward her and stroking her hair. “Get it out.”