Remember Me Always: A Contemporary Romance Page 6

  Ruby Sue and I have an unspoken agreement. We don't date. We just fuck when we need it. We're exclusive, though. It's a complicated situation even though it shouldn't be, because the more time that passes, the more attached she gets. I have feelings for her too, but I'm not in love with the girl. There's always been somethin' holdin' me back, but I never quite figured it out.

  I watch as she takes her drink and walks off to mingle with other patrons. My eyes then immediately move to Penny, and I let out a sigh of relief when I see that Buddy is keepin' her busy. I don't know why Penny catchin' me kiss Ruby Sue would make me feel guilty and like the world's biggest asshole, but it would. Even though Penny isn't my girl, there's somethin' between us that I can't explain. I feel like I need to keep Ruby Sue a secret for now until I figure out exactly what that somethin' is.

  * * * * *

  PENNY

  COLTON PRETTY MUCH avoids me the entire night, keeping on one end of the bar while Buddy and I stay on the other. He looks and walks and talks like his old self, but this new Colton is a complete stranger. I'm having a hard time comprehending that my Colton is gone. I just hope he's not lost forever.

  I'm mentally and emotionally drained, and I've only been in town less than a week. I want to ask myself if I can keep this up for much longer, but I already know the answer. I don't know. I don't know if I can keep doing this dance with Colton. It's hurting me more than I'll ever let on. Even though I can't change the past, I wish more than anything that the past five years didn't exist. If I had known what would happen while I was gone, I would have never left.

  I regret more than anything not keeping in touch with my friends while I was in college. I had Buddy and Shelby Rae Hall back home along with a handful of other great friends. But after Colton broke my heart --- or I thought he broke my heart, I severed all ties with Willowbrook, Alabama. I was stubborn and bullheaded and just wanted to wallow in self-pity. If I had kept up with my friendships, I would have found out about Colton. But life is full of what ifs. It's incredibly easy to dwell on mistakes that can't be fixed.

  Shelby Rae was my very best friend; but after we graduated high school, we pretty much lost touch. We had a lot in common, including falling in love with a boy at an early age and dreaming of marrying our high school sweethearts some day. Her plan had a little bit of a hiccup when she got married and pregnant right after we graduated instead of the four or five-year plan we had always talked about. I guess that was part of the reason why we didn't keep up with our friendship. She was busy with a new marriage and a baby on the way. And I was off in New York studying, working hard and completely and utterly miserable.

  I turn to Buddy and ask, "What ever became of Shelby Rae?"

  He seems to tense at my question. "She married Matt Jones just like she always wanted to," he says with a melancholy look on his face.

  It dawns on me that Buddy always had the biggest crush on Shelby. He pined for her bad when we were in high school, but, much like myself, she only had eyes for one boy. Matthew Jones loved her fiercely and unconditionally just like Colton used to love me. Shelby and I always talked about getting hitched, moving next door to each other and having babies that could grow up together. Dreaming about the future when you're a kid is fun. But once the future becomes the present, those dreams are quickly extinguished by adulthood.

  "Did she have the baby?"

  Buddy nods with a smile. "A little girl. Lillian." His grin widens as he adds, "Looks just like her mama."

  "And where are Shelby Rae and Matt living now? I'd love to get in touch with her again."

  Buddy's smile instantly disappears. "They moved out of the county when Matt took a firefighter job." He swallows hard, and I have a feeling some bad news is about to come out of Buddy's mouth. "Matt died two years ago in a house fire. He was on the top floor, and it collapsed underneath him. They couldn't get him out in time."

  My hand goes to my mouth as I gasp in shock. "Oh, no!" I can't even picture Shelby Rae without Matthew. They were like two peas in a pod, inseparable and one of those couples that made everyone within a one-mile radius instantly jealous of their close relationship. "And Shelby Rae? Where is she now?"

  "Last I heard she was in the process of movin' back here to town to be close to her mama since her daddy died a few months back."

  So much heartache. So much tragedy. My heart instantly hurts for my best friend. "Well, you let me know the moment you hear she's back in town."

  Buddy gives me a sad smile and says, "Sure thing."

  * * * * *

  BY EIGHT O'CLOCK, the crowd has cleared out. "Another slow night," Buddy mutters under his breath. He looks stressed out, and I try to think of a way to help. A few ideas have been swirling through my head over the past few days.

  "Remember when Sheila would sell cakes and pies during the lunch and supper crowds?" I ask Buddy.

  He nods. "Yeah. People drove from all over the county for her sweet potato pie."

  "Well, what if I make some cakes and pies for you to sell?"

  "Really? You'd do that?" Buddy asks, instantly perking up.

  "Sure. I'd love to help. And I have all of Colton's mom's old recipes. You remember how great her apple pie was."

  He rubs his stomach and licks his lips, smacking them together. "Her apple pie was the best I ever tasted." He thinks my proposition over for a few moments. "I think it sounds like a great idea, Penny. When can you start?" he asks eagerly.

  "How about tomorrow?"

  "Sure." He frowns for a moment before saying, "The oven in the kitchen is broke. You can use the burners on the stove, but that's about it." Buddy scratches his chin, and then gets a big grin on his face as he turns to me. "But I have the perfect place in mind for you to bake. You'll have all the space you need, two ovens and plenty of counter space."

  I agree to his plan, but I have a sinking feeling I'm going to regret it.

  * * * * *

  COLTON

  AFTER THE BAR closes, I leave and walk up the hill to my house. I was anxious to get the hell out of there tonight. Penny always has me on edge, and I silently curse Buddy for hirin' her. There's a part of me that wants to stay far, far away from her, and then there's this other part of me that wants to pull her into my arms and keep her close to me forever.

  It feels like I'm bein' split in two, and I hate it. My brain and my heart are runnin' in different directions, and I'm a complete mess when I'm around her. She seems to bring out the best and worst in me at the same time. How is that even possible?

  I'm about ten feet from the house when I hear Mack growlin' and barkin'. Groanin', I jog towards the house. I completely forgot Ruby Sue's promise earlier to stop by tonight. I watch in amusement at the sight before me. Ruby Sue is attemptin' to climb up the porch steps, but Mack isn't havin' it. He's standin' his ground, not lettin' her pass. He lets out a loud, long howl.

  My dad always told me that dogs are great judges of character. Mack doesn't like Ruby Sue, so maybe I should take that as a sign.

  Shakin' my head, I yell, "Mack!"

  Ruby Sue looks frightened as she retreats back to the bottom step. She stumbles and almost falls in her ridiculously high heels. I'm quick to catch her and hold her upright.

  "I hate dogs," she mutters under her breath.

  I roll my eyes. I'm not in the mood to deal with her shit right now. Glancin' up at Mack, I point to the grass and tell him to go pee. He bounds down the steps, stoppin' at the bottom to sniff at Ruby Sue, which causes her to scream and practically jump in my arms. Mack lets out a low growl before retreatin' to the yard.

  "Go inside," I tell her. "I'll bring him in when he's done."

  "Okay. But make sure you pen him up in the kitchen. I don't want him disturbing us like last time."

  The memory makes me chuckle. Mack was totally cockblockin' me last time Ruby Sue was here. He hates her with a passion, and he wanted her out of the house instead of in my bed.

  I wait until Mack does his business, and then I rel
uctantly pen him up in the kitchen. He gives me sad puppy dog eyes, and I pet his head and promise him, "Sorry, buddy. It's only for a little while."

  I search the downstairs for Ruby Sue, but she's nowhere to be found. Of course she's probably waitin' for me in my bedroom. I hesitate at the bottom of the steps. For some reason, the thought of havin' sex with Ruby is turnin' me off right now. I've never had this problem before, so I try to clear my thoughts as I make my way upstairs.

  Ruby Sue is stretched out on my bed wearin' only a black, lacey bra and matchin' thong. "I'm sorry I haven't been around lately," she says. "The shop has been so busy, and Tom gave me more hours since I'm training an apprentice." She sits up and winks at me before sayin', "But I promise I'll make it up to you tonight."

  I stand at the edge of the bed, takin' in her delectable form. "You look good enough to eat," I whisper, and she giggles.

  Pausin', I realize that's not the sound I want to hear. I want to hear Penny's giggle. Shakin' my head to get her out of my thoughts, I loosen my belt and slip it out of the loops.

  Ruby Sue gets on her knees on the mattress and tugs me closer by my waistband. "Let me help with that," she says seductively.

  I close my eyes, and I start imagin' a petite blonde on her knees before me. I'm hard as a rock when Ruby takes my cock out of my jeans.

  "Whoa, tiger," she purrs. She sweeps her tongue on the underside of my hard length, and I almost cum right then and there.

  My eyes stay closed as I keep up the fantasy. Her name is on the tip of my tongue, and I almost whisper…Penny. Shit. My eyes snap open, and I stare down at Ruby Sue's dark locks. Her red lips are wrapped around my slowly dwindlin' cock.

  She tries for a while to get me hard again, but everything is provin' to be futile. My dick has a mind of its own tonight I guess. And the only thing on its mind is Penny…who is not here right now. What the fuck is happenin' to me?

  Feelin' embarrassed, I pull away from her and tug up my boxer briefs. "Sorry. I just have a lot on my mind right now." I flop down on the bed with a sigh.

  "Obviously," she mutters, disappointedly. "Okay. Well, maybe this is a good thing." She lies on the bed beside me. "We'll actually get a chance to really talk about things." She rolls to her side, proppin' her head in her hand. "Tell me what's bothering you."

  "Ah, fuck, Ruby Sue, I don't want to talk about shit. If I wanted a fuckin' psychiatrist, I would go to one." I sound more pissed off than I actually feel, and I instantly regret it.

  "Big surprise," she says, rollin' her eyes and standin' up. I watch as she starts to gather her clothes from the floor. "You never want to talk about anything, Colton. We've been seeing each other for three years, and sometimes I wonder if I even know you at all."

  "Don't start this shit again," I complain.

  "Oh, I am starting it, Colt," she says while pullin' her tank top over her head, "and I'm finishing it." She pulls on her skirt and then her high heels. "I'll see you in a few days." She walks to the doorway and stops to look back at me. "Don't call me."

  "Ruby Sue," I protest.

  "Goodnight, Colt."

  I watch her disappear from the room, and then I listen to her footsteps until she's downstairs and out the door. After her car leaves, I walk down to the kitchen and let Mack out. He sniffs around the path that Ruby Sue had just taken and follows it straight to the door. He turns and looks at me, and I swear he has a grin on his big, saggy face.

  "Yeah, she's gone. You happy?"

  He comes over and pushes his nose under my hand so that I pet him. I scratch behind his ears and watch as he closes his eyes. "Let's go to bed, Mack."

  We race up the stairs, but Mack is gettin' slower in his old age, and I beat him by a mile. I even have to help him up into the bed. It makes me sad lyin' there and thinkin' that someday he won't be around. "You have to live at least fifty more years, okay, buddy?"

  Mack licks my face. I laugh and pet him for a few more minutes before he falls asleep and starts snorin'. Starin' up at the ceiling, I wish I could fall asleep with so little effort. My thoughts are plagued with images of Penny. Why the hell is she here, and why does it feel like my world is beginnin' to change? I liked things the way they were, but she affects me like no other person. I almost kissed her twice now, and since then I haven't been able to stop thinkin' about what her lips would feel like against mine. Her soft, curvy body drives me crazy, and I want to touch and lick every single inch of her skin. Every time I touch her it's almost like I can remember my hands being there, and it feels like an electrical current runnin' through my fingertips.

  "Fuck," I mutter as I realize I'm tentin' the sheets. I stare down at my cock and mutter, "Now you decide to work?"

  Frustrated, I roll to my side and try to think about baseball and anything else that would be considered a boner killer. Nevertheless, my mind keeps driftin' back to Penny. Grumblin', I toss and turn for what feels like forever. It takes a few hours, but I eventually drift off to sleep more sexually frustrated than I've ever been in my entire life.

  CHAPTER 5

  COLTON

  I STIR IN my sleep, aware of moanin' comin' from my downstairs. Mumblin' and cursin' Buddy under my breath for bringin' another girl over to my place without my permission, I attempt to roll over and go back to sleep.

  But then I hear Penny gigglin'.

  I bolt straight up in bed. I growl as I look over at the clock. It's seven in the mornin'. Considerin' I didn't fall asleep until a few hours ago, I'm not in the best of moods.

  I shrug on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans over my boxers and make my way downstairs.

  "Oh, my God, Penny!" Buddy moans from the kitchen.

  They're doing it in my kitchen?

  "Do you like that?" she asks, breathlessly.

  "Oh, yeah. That's great. You're amazing." Buddy groans loudly, but it's muffled like his mouth is full of somethin'.

  Growin' angrier with every passin' second, I quicken my descent down the steps and round the corner of the kitchen just in time to catch them…eatin' dessert?

  I blink a few times and take in my surroundings. My kitchen looks like a bakery threw up in it. Pans, sugar, flour, dough and other bakin' supplies litter my counters along with a countless number of pies, cakes and cupcakes in different stages of bein' finished.

  Mack is stretched out on the floor lookin' content. He raises his head slowly and gives me a tired look before ploppin' his head back down onto the linoleum. So much for being a good watchdog. He didn't even let me know people were in my house. He really doesn't like strangers, so I'm surprised he didn't bark like crazy when Penny came in. He always lets me know when Ruby Sue is comin'. So strange.

  "What the fuck is goin' on?" I complain.

  Buddy and Penny both jump and turn to me. Buddy has a mouthful of apple pie, and he chews quickly and swallows before givin' me a big grin. "Penny thought of a way to help the bar. She wants to bake these delicious desserts for us to sell." Before I can even process that information, he continues with, "I know a lot of people who would buy these. We don't have a bakery in town, and old Mrs. Winston stopped bakin' cakes years ago."

  I rub at my sleepy eyes. "It sounded like you two were gettin' it on down here," I grumble out.

  Buddy starts laughin'. "Foodgasm," he remarks. He pops a toothpick in his mouth and grins wide. "So that's why you came runnin' in here like you were ready to start a war." He winks at me like we're sharin' a secret.

  I eye him before I tell him, "Get the hell out of my house." I'm only half jokin'.

  He chuckles and walks past me. "All right. I'll see you later, Penny!" he calls halfway out the door.

  "Okay!" she calls back.

  I lean against the counter, starin' at Penny. My kitchen is a disaster, and Penny is covered in flour. "I take it this was Buddy's idea for you to bake here?"

  Penny nods slowly. "He said I would have more room to bake in your kitchen than in my apartment. I figured since you weren't using it…"

  "That'd y
ou tear it up like a tornado ripped through here?" I finish for her, fumin'. I'm tired and cranky and pissed off that I can't seem to get away from this girl…even though, in a weird way, I like seein' her in my kitchen all mussed up and happy.

  She shrugs her shoulders slightly and bites her bottom lip. She's nervous. I learned quickly that's one of her nervous tics. "I'll clean it up, Colt. It looks way worse than it really is."

  "Oh really? Because it looks pretty damn bad," I tell her. My eyes peruse her from head to toe. She looks cute in jeans, a t-shirt, chucks and a frilly pink and white polka dotted apron. Most of the apron is covered in flour, and she even has some on her cheek. She never looked more beautiful.

  Where the hell did that come from?

  My heart beats faster, and I instantly tear my eyes away and force them to the floor. I quickly clear my throat and turn away from her. "Well, just make sure you clean it up," I call over my shoulder before headin' back to my bedroom.

  Once inside my room, I close the door behind me and lean against the wood, tryin' to calm my breathin'. I'm pantin' like I just ran a damn marathon. What is it about this girl that gets my blood pumpin'?

  I take an ice-cold shower to calm me down before dressin' and headin' downstairs once again. Penny is gone and the kitchen is spotless. I feel a pang of disappointment that she left already, but I push the feelin' aside. I notice some cakes that are cooling on racks, and so I know she'll be back later. Why does that make me suddenly feel anxious and…happy?

  Shakin' my head to clear my thoughts, I walk into the kitchen and stare at her apron draped across a chair. My fingers instantly gravitate towards it, and I find myself pickin' it up and bringin' the material to my nose. I inhale her scent deeply. She smells like flowers and sugar and flour and…home. She smells like my childhood, and I instantly get a warm fuzzy feelin' inside of me all of a sudden.