Текст книги "More Than a Memory "

Автор книги: Amber Nation

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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

Chapter 12

Baylor

1999

“Baylor, why in the world are you taking me to the bridge now? It’s freezing outside and there is snow on the ground.” Eden looked absolutely adorable in her oversized parka and while it was a bit chilly it wasn’t as bad as she was making it out to be. Besides, she would definitely thank me once I exposed her to how beautiful the bridge was with the snow drift on top and the creek frozen over.

We frequented the old abandoned covered bridge quite often, but this was the first time without Dean tagging along. I wasn’t even sure what the bridge was used for besides decoration, most of the other ones in Cottage Grove had either been used for jogging trails or for trains to pass through. This one was the most special to me and held the most character in my opinion. I was kind of nervous to be taking her there by myself and my sweaty palms were a reflection of that. I wanted to ask her to the winter formal, but I was worried that it would mess with our friendship and the feeling of ease we had around each other. There had been this other senior hanging around me, Kristina. She was beautiful and all, but I wanted to ask Eden to the dance before I even mentioned it to Kristina. For some reason the girls didn’t get along too well, and I wasn’t really sure why.

Only fishtailing the Camaro once, we pulled up to the bridge that we all claimed as our own during the fall, and the soft snow peaks had Eden gasping in her seat. She quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and threw open the door before I even had a chance to put the Camaro in park. I rushed around the car to follow in her footsteps and she began twirling around making deep imprints in the snow. “It’s beautiful and almost majestic!”

“See, one of these days you’ll learn to trust me to know what I’m talking about.” I pulled down on my sock hat so it would fully cover my ears and was rewarded with her bright white smile that made my knees wobble. Even though I had just turned eighteen and hadn’t actually lived much, she was the girl who made everything fall into perspective for me.

“Baylor Jenkins, you are an absolute mess. If I started following everything you said without some sort of sarcasm behind it then there would be major anarchy for all women. It’s a proven fact that women are smarter with the everyday mundane things than men are, so it’s just statistics that women shouldn’t really ever listen to men. It does work both ways though, since when do men ever listen to anything a woman says, ever?”

Eden always did love listening to herself talk, and would give anything to argue a point. Seemed to me that she should be going to law school instead of Dean. But she would make an amazing radio broadcaster too because she had the right voice for radio. But of course, that could have been my biased opinion showing through. She ran over to the entrance and looked over into the creek, plopping down on the snow-covered platform. That was another thing that I loved about Eden, she didn’t care if she got dirty or wet; just being outdoors excited her.

Wait a minute…Did I just say love?

I did care about Eden very deeply, but did I love her? And could she actually love me back?

I decided to test it by trying to kiss her right then and there, and if she followed my advances I’d know for sure. If not, then I supposed I’d tuck my tail between my legs and ask Kristina to the dance.

I approached her cautiously with my heart in her hands and took the empty spot on the bridge directly next to her. She was staring blankly down into the ravine that housed the creek which was now just a solid sheet of ice. I wasn’t exactly sure how to approach the subject of me wanting to kiss her, did I just go in for the kill? Ask her? So many rampant thoughts running loose in my mind. My dad never told me that girls would take over my mind completely; it was even crazier when it was just one girl in particular.

“Edie?” I said, trying to get her attention while I still had the nerve.

“Huh?” She turned her head and focused her big beautiful brown eyes on me. So much life and spirit reflecting back at me.

I darted my tongue out to moisten my lips and began moving towards her at a snail’s pace. Our eyes were still trained on one another, and then I shifted mine down to her lips. I didn’t know if it was because I broke eye contact and she was completely clueless or that she just didn’t feel the same about me. The next thing I knew she turned her head away from me, tapped my shoulder and quickly pointed out at a pair of otters playing in the snow.

The rest of the afternoon I felt off, either because of the failed attempt and missed chance at a kiss from Eden, or the fact that I would have to hold my feelings back from how I truly felt about her.

Chapter 13

Baylor

Present Day

“Do you remember the time I brought you here right before Christmas, when it snowed?”

Her eyes instantly lit up so I knew she did before she even confirmed it. “I do. It was absolutely beautiful and magical.”

“I believe the exact word you used was majestic.”

Nodding her head she leaned into my side and bumped into my shoulder with hers, “It definitely was.”

I looked off into the distance and was surprised to see two otters playing near the stream. What were the odds? Shoulder checking her back, I jerked my head in the direction of the playful animals.

“Oh, look at how cute they are,” she brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

I had always admired her heart and how much she loved animals and the outdoors. Moving my hands from my lap to grip the edge of the platform, I took a deep breath and said, “That day, when we came here in the snow. That was the day.”

“What day?” She asked looking a bit perplexed.

“The day I knew that I loved you.” I looked up to her again and could see the tears swimming in her eyes just waiting for the moment she would allow them to spill over. “I had this plan to kiss you and if you kissed me back, without decking me, then I’d know you felt the same way. My next move was to ask you to the winter formal.”

“That’s what you were trying to do when I saw the otters?” I nodded. “You should’ve spoken up,” she took a moment to release a deep sigh, “I guess we both had major communication issues.” She was quiet for a bit then looked down at the empty space that was between us. “You went to that dance with Kristina.”

I covered her hand with mine and gave it a gentle squeeze, trying to convey my apology, “Yeah.” I was a freaking coward but that next Monday at school Kristina, with her take-charge attitude, sought me out and asked me to the dance.

“You want to know when I fell in love with you?” Eden asked softly. The rain had started back up again, the steady stream of droplets pouring down and coating each of our jackets. I nodded because I was truly interested and afraid all at once. “It was when I had to make a big delivery to Tillie’s and everything wouldn’t fit in the basket on my bike.”

“I remember that, my mom was driving us home and I saw you struggling on the side of the road. Since your bike was too big for the car, I got out and took the bulk of the load and walked alongside you. But that was our sophomore year.” She had loved me for two years in high school and I never knew it. She must be one hell of an actress to be able to cover up her emotions like she did.

“Indeed it was. You were it, Baylor. No guy in high school would’ve ever compared. No guy still compares to you. You set a pretty high standard.” She looked at me with much more confidence than she had all those years ago. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret: the next time you want to kiss me, don’t hesitate, just take it.”

In that moment I never wanted to kiss anyone more and I was following her instructions and taking what I wanted. I grasped her chin between my thumb and index finger, guiding her towards my face, meeting her halfway and sealing our lips together. The kiss was slow at first but once my tongue entered her mouth and she released one of her moans all bets were off. At that time the rain decided to pick up from a steady stream cascading down to a heavy downpour, making us break apart.

“Come on, let’s go home,” I took her hand in mine as we ran back to my truck and made our way back to my house. The windshield wipers were working overtime and it was hard to see three feet in front of us, but luckily I knew the town like the back of my hand and we pulled into my driveway safe and sound. During the whole ride to my house we kept our hands intertwined with one another’s. And it dawned on me that I said we should go home. Home. I wished like hell that it was her home still and I wouldn’t ever have to let her go.

We darted into the garage completely drenched from head to foot, but at least we made it. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Eden was shivering and if I was being honest the rain made me pretty chilly as well. I took her hand again and said, “Come on,” as I pulled her into the house and straight into the bathroom. “Stay here,” I instructed as I sat on the edge of my oversized claw foot tub, turning the nozzle on and filling it up with warm water. I inched my way towards her, never letting my eye contact break, and I slowly and seductively lowered the zipper on her raincoat, then dragged it down her arms until it was completely removed from her body.

Then she raised her arms high above her head allowing me access to peel her wet tank top off of her body. She looked at me through parted lashes and in that moment and her vulnerable state, she had never seemed more beautiful to me. This woman, whether she knew it or not, owned me and my heart. She always had the ability to strip me bare of my emotions and leave me raw. I hoped that I consumed her even a fraction of what she had consumed me.

I dragged my calloused hands up her body and around her back and with quick work rid her of her black lace bra. I took a few steps back away from her and approached the tub. I began removing my own saturated clothing piece by piece, starting with my jacket then my shirt, exposing my chest. Eden’s bottom lip was pulled into her mouth and you could just make out her teeth biting down on the pink flesh. Every single time she did that it would make my knees tremble and my dick swell with desire.

Soon I was completely naked and laid bare before her while she was still wearing her shorts. Her eyes roved from my head all the way to my feet and I could almost laugh at how vocal her expressions could be.

I wanted to tease Eden a bit, so I turned my back to her and went ahead and stepped into the bathtub. As I sat down, the lukewarm water soothed my bones as I immersed myself and leaned back against the cool ceramic to relax.

Taking my already inflated cock in my hand, I watched Eden’s eyes go wide with surprise while a small gasp escaped her mouth. “Would you care to join me? I may need some help,” I goaded her with a smirk.

She genuinely tried her best not to come off as overeager but she quickly pulled the snap on her shorts and shimmied them and her black lace panties down her legs until she could completely step free.

Eden slowly moved towards the tub, biting that lip once again, and lifted first one leg then the other into the tub and sat on the ledge.

I was sliding my hand up and down my shaft at a reasonable pace until she parted her legs, exposing her entire self to me. My speed started to increase and when she placed two of her fingers into her mouth I thought my head was going to combust. Actually both of them were. Was she bold enough to do what was crossing my mind? If the smirk that was plastered on her face was any indication, the answer was ”oh hell yes.”

Drawing her moistened fingers from her mouth, she dragged them down the curve of her neck and over her breasts all the way down until she reached her core, and just hovered over her center.

Do it, my mind was reeling and my hand was pumping even faster than before. I felt myself building up towards my release and I would have to stop soon or else it would be over far too early and what I had planned just wouldn’t suffice.

Once her fingers touched and circled her clit, her eyes closed and I released a deep throaty growl. I loosened my grip on my dick, letting go of it completely, and still felt it pulsate just watching her pleasure herself. In a flash I darted towards her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her on top of me through the rocking waves in the water.

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen before,” I said as I smoothed back a few strands of hair from her face.

“I’ve never done that in front of another person before,” she tried to hide her face as she said it, but then looked directly into my eyes, “I felt sexy doing it for you.”

“You should always feel sexy, Eden, and if you don’t then the man isn’t doing his job. In my eyes, baby, you are the epitome of sexy, nothing could ever top it.”

A fire ignited in her eyes and she was on me in a flash, her hands cupping my face, her lips on mine, and her legs braced tightly on the outside of mine against the ceramic tub.

One of her hands left my face and in no time I felt it wrap around my dick and guide it into her entrance. Once my tip was in she quickly slammed herself down onto me, impaling my dick into her pussy. She released an orgasmic scream as she began rising and lowering herself repeatedly onto me. Her hands were gripped onto my shoulder and that gave me the perfect opportunity to take her impeccable plump breasts into my hands, which only caused her screams to grow.

“Oh Baylor, I need it,” she moaned, increasing her speed.

“Eden, take whatever you need, I’m yours.” I was giving her free rein, but I didn’t think she knew that I meant it in every sense of the word. It was amazing to see her lose complete control while riding me; head tilted back, taking whatever she wanted.

“Call me Edie!”

I sat up from my relaxed position and tilted her head forward so we were almost nose to nose. “Oh, Edie, baby,” I breathed, giving into her request. I engulfed her breasts with my hands and angled my head down to cover a nipple with my mouth, biting gently, which garnered another scream of pleasure from her.

My release was building again and much stronger than before but Eden never faltered on her speed of riding me. I reached down and circled her clit with my thumb, trying to move things along for her and she threw her head back once again while her inner walls contracted around me pushing me right over the edge with her.

This orgasm was so powerful and packed such a punch I could’ve sworn that I saw stars behind my eyelids and it was equally as strong for Eden as she immediately collapsed onto my chest. We sat that way for several minutes until I reached down with my foot to unplug the tub and let some of the cooler water out so I could refill it with warm. “Hey, baby,” I said as I rubbed lightly down Eden’s spine.

“Huh?” She responded. Her lips were on my chest so it vibrated my entire torso and came out as more of a grunt.

“Why don’t you turn around and lean back against me?” She waited a moment before complying. I grabbed ahold of her shoulders and leaned forward to dump some bubble bath into the running hot water and to plug up the tub again before resuming our relaxed positions. Once the water had passed our knees I lifted my foot to push the nozzle down and turn the water completely off, then closed my eyes to revel in the feel of Eden’s back pressed against me.

She was lying completely still and I almost thought that she had fallen asleep until she reached across her body to grab one of my hands opposite hers and intertwine our fingers together. I took my free hand and shoveled some water onto her stomach to make sure that she wasn’t beginning to get cold.

“Baylor?” she finally spoke up and said.

“Yeah?”

“Do you ever regret not going into architecture?”

I released a deep sigh, “Do I regret it? Yes and no, I suppose. I really don’t mind being a plumber and I’m good at it, plus it helps out my family so that’s what really matters to me. Do I miss it? Absolutely. I sometimes just sit and look at a structure and try to break everything down to see why the architect designed it the way that they did.”

“I actually did that at Tillie’s. I was trying to admire the wooden beams and how they added to the overall ambiance of the tavern. I tried to think of it the way you would have.”

“Do you like being a radio DJ?”

She didn’t have to think of how she would answer, “I absolutely love it. I couldn’t picture myself doing anything else. My cohost Blaine and I have such an amazing rapport with one another. The banter between us is easy and flawless.” I couldn’t help the jealous feeling that had come over me. I wanted to warn this Blaine to stay clear away from Eden, but then I remembered that one, it wouldn’t do me any good to go all he-man over him and two, I had absolutely no grounds to do so. Eden wasn’t mine, as much as it pained me to even think. She was leaving in just a matter of days and my life would go back to normal; going to work each and every day and taking care of Norah. If only Eden could be written into my normal.

“Oh, Baylor, don’t be getting all jealous again. Blaine is more like a brother to me than anything. I mean, I do see and interact with him more than any other human being, but it’s strictly platonic, I assure you.”

I raised a hand in surrender, thanking my lucky stars that she couldn’t actually read my face at that time, “You don’t have to defend your relationship with Blaine to me.”

“Ok…Well, can I ask you about something?”

“You can ask me about anything, always,” I assured her.

“Has anything ever happened between you and Maisie?”

I started coughing because that question totally blindsided me and came from left field. I needed to tread carefully and be cautious of how I chose my answer. “Uh…Maisie and I had something very briefly, but if you’re asking if I’ve ever slept with her then no. Does she wish more had happened between us than what really had? Yes, and she chooses to remind me every time I run into her.”

She became silent once again and I could almost picture her face, mulling over what I had just revealed. Evidently she decided to drop it because she changed the subject. “I absolutely love this tub. It’s so luxurious and I like the fact that we both fit.” She took her hands and started running them up and down my thighs that were placed on the outside of her body. I took the opportunity to run my own sudsy hands up and down her arms in a soothing motion.

“I love this tub too. When I bought the house it wasn’t here but once I walked into the bathroom I knew it would work perfectly. And right now I’m very glad that I made the decision to purchase it.” I nipped a bit at the shell of her ear for emphasis, which in turn caused her to shiver in delight. My dick started to stir about again and began pushing even more against her backside. I was holding my breath hoping that she wouldn’t be disgusted and was rewarded by a light squeal as she wriggled her ass against my cock. I travelled my hands up along her arms until I reached her shoulders and then began my descent down to her breasts. I held each mound in the palm of my hands and fondled each with the slightest of pressure until she urged me on with a long moan. “You’re biting your lip, aren’t you?” I asked. I didn’t even have to see her face to know that she was expressing her excitement through habit.

“I am…”

“God,” I groaned, “I fucking love it when you do that, I want to bite it for you.”

All was quiet for a moment until she challenged me, “Well, what’s stopping you?”

That was it. I gently lifted her up off of me so I could stand up in the tub and hoist her over my shoulder, then I stepped out of my bathtub and marched out of the bathroom and into my bedroom.

“What are you doing?” she squealed with amusement.

“You were daring me, so I’m cashing in on that challenge.” I tossed her back onto my bed and was promptly hovering over her, more specifically her mouth. “I’m going to bite that fucking delectable lip of yours, and you’re going to love it.”

Her eyes grew wide as they dilated in response to my sexual promise to come. I had never really intended to come across with alpha-like tendencies but I wasn’t about to back down when she once again pulled her sultry lip in between her teeth.

Wet bodies be damned, but I didn’t give one ounce of concern to my sopping sheets because hopefully Eden would soon be equally as soaked once I really got started with her.

When I lowered my head towards hers she waited until the last possible second to release her lip before mine descended on hers. I pressed my closed lips to hers before she opened her mouth to me, allowing my tongue to dive in. Our tongues dueled over whose could be the leader and before I relented to her I drew my head back with her pouty bottom lip in between my teeth and tugged on it which in turn caused her to release a throaty growl.

That night we ended up having to sleep on the couch due to my sheets and mattress being soaked. Wished I would’ve thought ahead earlier, but with being so wrapped up in the moment who could blame me?

So Eden was tucked into my side with her head on my arm, using it as her own personal pillow once again. I could really picture us doing this for fifty years to come. Being that Sunday was coming closer each minute I didn’t want to think about the inevitable. I could tell that she was asleep by her even breaths but I knew that sleep wouldn’t come easy for me that night.

My mind began to wander, trying to picture how things would play out between the two of us. I didn’t want that week to be the end of us but I didn’t really know how to approach the subject. She had been very clear saying that she was under contract back in Nashville at her job, not to mention she had her whole life there. Would she make an effort to visit here more often? Would she be cool with the idea of Norah and me coming to Tennessee to visit? All these questions looming around in my head and I didn’t know the answer to a single one of them. I didn’t like not knowing how things would play out and I wasn’t patient enough to let things land as they may. I guessed my best option was to confront her about it and I made the decision to do so on Sunday morning when I took her to the airport. Although, I realized that she had never really acknowledged my request to be the one to drop her off, so perhaps I needed a plan B as well.

Eden wiggled a bit in her sleep and it caused me to stop playing things out in my head and focus on being in the moment with her, even if it was just watching her sleep. I smoothed back her chestnut hair out of her face and pressed the lightest of kisses on her cheek before laying back and trying to drift off to sleep.

Driving down the road on my way to pick up Eden for our fifteen year reunion, I felt like I was about to pick my date up for prom. My palms were sweaty and my hands were shaking, which could be attributed to the wrapped gift box that I had lying in the passenger seat.

I hadn’t even felt that nervous when I asked Kristina to marry me; we did it because it seemed like the logical next step in our relationship since she was pregnant with Norah at the time. Maybe the feeling didn’t materialize because in the back of my mind I knew she wasn’t the one for me. Man, if I had only listened to my gut.

Passing by all of the beautiful green trees that were lined on each side of the highway, I started to think back to the day before and how comfortable Eden was with my mom.

This time Eden picked me up from my house in her father’s car and we drove through the winding roads all the way to my childhood home. It surprised me that she remembered the exact way to go, even taking a few of the back roads. Sitting in the passenger seat, I was able to focus all of my attention on her as she drove. At one point she had her hand resting on the gear shift, just looking so enticing so I grasped it in my clutch and brought it to my lips. I took my time kissing the indentions between her knuckles and the entire area of the back of her hand. The blush that crept across her face was one that I would never grow tired of seeing. If I had to I would come up with new ways to make her feel cherished just so I could see the pink tinge on her cheeks.

Arriving at my house, Eden put the car in park and just sat unmoving behind the wheel while looking at the front door. I knew exactly what was going through her mind right then and I wished that there was something that I could do to change it. The last time she was here Kristina answered the door and dropped a huge bombshell on Eden, and as it turned out it was one that wasn’t even truthful. She very quickly replaced her mask of disappointment to one of excitement; even if it was all just a ploy I was thankful for the sudden mood change.

We walked hand in hand up the driveway and I opened the front door for her, allowing her to enter before me. “Ma, are you home?” Silly to say I know since her car was parked in the driveway, but it’d been something that I’ve said for as long as I could remember.

She came into the living room from the kitchen while wiping her hands on a dishtowel. “Of course I’m home, where else would I be?” My mother, Stella, looked from me to Eden and her eyes lit up like it was Christmastime and she had just gotten the present that she had always wanted. “Eden? Eden, is that you?” Mom pushed her glasses from the bridge of her nose back into her hair so she could get a better view without the hindrance of readers. Walking towards Eden she opened her arms to pull her in for a hug and Eden reciprocated without hesitation. Eden clung to my mother while Mom patted her on the back, “Eden, how are you, sweetheart? It has been far too long.”

“Oh, Mrs. Jenkins, I’m doing great, wonderful actually,” Eden replied while giving a little wink in my direction.

Mom pulled away from the hug but held onto Eden’s hands, “Well, let me take a look at ya,” she said while scoping out her appearance from head to toe. “Time has treated you well, Eden. More than I could say for that monster Kristina,” she huffed. If my mother and Eden had only one thing in common it would be their outright disgust for Kristina. That should’ve been my first clue all those years ago, anyone my momma didn’t like had to have been bad news.

“Baylor, I have a cobbler in the oven that needs to be pulled out, can you see to that for me?” she asked, not even looking in my direction as she dragged Eden to sit next to her on the couch. And just like that I was forgotten. Mom was always fond of Eden while we were growing up. She wouldn’t just let any girl up into my room, she had to be special and trustworthy. And although nothing scandalous ever happened between Eden and myself behind those closed doors, you don’t know how many times I had dreamed and even fantasized about it.

Once I took out the fresh peach cobbler from the oven I went back towards the living room and just leaned against the doorframe to watch the two of them interact. It was as if I wasn’t even there peering in on their conversation, and the way they easily chatted back and forth was almost as if no time had passed at all since their last encounter. Eden used to be the daughter my mother had always wanted. Between my brother and me and adding Dean into the mix, having Eden around was always a breath of fresh air for her. Mom would get the itch to go shopping and Eden would gladly volunteer or if she had a new recipe to try out Eden was always first in line. Now Mom had Norah to do those things with, but the smile that was overtaking my mother’s mouth made me realize just how much she had missed having Eden around as well.

I was brought out of my thoughts by arriving at Eden’s house. This time I was going to beat her to the door so I could use some of my gentlemanly charm. I got out of the Camaro and hustled up the drive and rang her doorbell. Several seconds passed before her dad answered the door. “Mr. Richardt,” I greeted him with a smile on my face expecting him to return the gesture but no such luck. His face remained stoic as he held the door open for me and waited for me to enter. I always remembered that Mr. Richardt was a man of few words but I didn’t ever remember the sourpuss expressions he gave. I assumed that any minute I would learn the reason for his troubled countenance.

“Baylor,” he acknowledged as he sat down on his La-Z-Boy recliner. “Boy, what are your intentions with my daughter?”

A real subtle cough escaped while I cleared my throat. How was it any of his business what my intentions were? Maybe I should tell him that if it were up to me I’d talk Eden into quitting her job and moving back to Oregon and in with me, but I would also make an honest woman out of her. Alas I didn’t, I took the easy way out and one that would keep all of my appendages in full functioning order. “Whatever Eden wants them to be, sir. I know she doesn’t live here anymore, I’m just thankful for the time I’m getting to spend with her. They have truly been some of the best days.”       Ok, so I went for the sappy route, but it didn’t mean that it all wasn’t true. It was more than the truth, it was my feelings from deep inside my heart—my heart that Kristina had smashed when she walked out on our daughter, the same one that Eden could heal with just a single glance.

“Daddy, would you leave poor Baylor alone,” she lectured as she rounded down the stairs into the living room. When I got the full look of her dress, I felt as if I needed to pick up my jaw from the floor and try to find a way to retrieve my swallowed tongue. She was a complete vision in a maroon deep-cut sleeveless minidress. I wasn’t a big fan of shorter dresses but Eden rocked it. She had on a pair of gold metallic high heels and I lacked for appearance in comparison. She had absolutely gone all out for this reunion, as she definitely should.

“Eden,” I whispered, adding, “you look absolutely stunning.” I moved from my place on the couch towards her, offering out my arm for her to grab ahold of. She threaded her arm through mine and looked back at now both of her parents as her mother appeared next to her father. “Don’t wait up.”