Bucking Bear (Pounding Hearts 3)

I pull away. “Okay. But if that jackass even touches you I will have to snap his fucking neck.”

She nods her head. “I don’t like it when he does. It makes my skin crawl.”

Kissing her lips, I get out of the car to walk her to the door. “So, I will be out of town late Saturday night until late Sunday night. I have this thing that just came up.”

She turns to me quickly. “What thing?”

“Well… Colt, he’s my agent… Got a call from this foundation called Give-A-Dream. Seems there’s this girl who isn’t doing well, and she wants to meet me.” I say, shrugging my shoulders.

I don’t know why it makes me feel self-conscious, it’s strange to feel that way. Normally I don’t let things make me feel uncomfortable but this does. It’s not about me, it’s someone else wanting to meet me as a dying wish. Yeah, that makes me feel weird. Why me?

“Max…” Grace says, suddenly stopping our walk up to her door.

“Yeah? I know it’s odd, I mean it makes me feel odd. But who in the world am I to say no?”

“No, Max, I think it is a very good thing. Good but so sad,” she says as she reaches up to hug me tightly. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you are such a huge teddy bear. So full of warm, good stuffing.”

Before I can say anything back to her she presses her lips hard to my own, kissing me with a passion that is reserved for our nights alone.

“No, I’m not. The name isn’t supposed to be a good thing,” I say as we finish.

Nodding her head, “Yeah. Call me both days, okay? Promise?”

She heads into her house and I get back into the SUV. I wonder what it would take to get her and Hope to live with me?

I know we have been together for such a short time, but we are right for each other.

Her parents would probably not be so sure of it, but I think they like me pretty well. It sure would make things easier for her and Hope. No more worries about providing for Hope, I could easily do that. Shit, if it meant being able to sleep in bed with Grace, her parents could even move in. I know they are really attached to their granddaughter. Hell, I am attached to Hope. I could see her maybe not liking moving away from them. We could figure something out though.

Hmm, Grace and Hope living with me. I like that idea.

Chapter Twelve

Grace

Is Max right? Does Carson think it’s a date Sunday? I worry about it all day long and through my shift at work. It doesn’t make sense, my mind doesn’t want it to make sense, but I have this sinking feeling that he’s right. It’s just a little too much of a coincidence that he wants to have dinner with me now that Max is in the picture.

But is that simply vanity on Max’s part? I don’t know.

Since Carson walked away after Hope was born, he hasn’t shown a hint of being romantically interested in me anymore. Hell, I kind of felt like a used up tissue after giving birth to her. He didn’t want anything to do with me, and it didn’t take long for the rumors to start pouring in that he was already hooking up with other girls.

Why would he be interested in me now? After all of these years?

Max texts me from the airport, and I take my break to talk to him on the phone before he boards.

I wish I could go with him, I wish we didn’t always have to be so far apart. We haven’t known each other very long but it feels like it’s been all or nothing from the start. Max doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’s satisfied with half measures. Fuck, we’re moving so fast he’ll probably ask me to move in with him before the end of the month.

And how would that even work?

When I’m with him it feels so right, everything feels so perfect, I get caught up in it. All the planets are aligned in the universe.

It’s when we’re apart that I feel the crushing weight of self-doubt. What the hell am I doing? Am I being selfish by giving myself to him? Am I being a bad mother by putting my wants first?

Does he only like me because I look like Britney Spears?

After all the awesome of Friday, by the time my head hits the pillow, Saturday feels like a bust.

Sunday doesn’t start off much better. I wake up to Hope poking me, complaining about wanting pancakes and wanting Bear. She’s not happy when I tell her he’s out of town and tonight I’m going out with her father. She takes it just like Max did, but instead of being able to discuss it like a reasonable adult, she throws an epic tantrum more worthy of a two-year-old.