Page 3 of Courageous Demands

“Heck no, Ma. I don’t miss her. I would miss a root canal on an infected tooth a whole lot less than I would miss her. She had a smart mouth, was always telling me what to do, and then dumped me like I was trash. I don’t need a repeat performance or…”

“She broke your heart, baby, but time has a way of healing things and…”

“So does avoidance, amputating rotting limbs, or decisive breaks from things that are nooo good for you. This is me, amputating Willow from my life. Noooo bueno for Alejandro.”

“Alec… and your name is not Alejandro, you goofball.”

“Ma, no,” he said hoarsely, looking at her. “Please. Okay? I can’t do this again – and if you loved me, you’d let it drop. It hurt, and I don’t want any of that pain in my life again. I’m happy now and finally over it.”

“All right,” his mother said gently, getting to her feet. “Ruthie will be here at six – and while she would love to see you in a towel, I have a problem with it. Get dressed.”

“I’ve been trying to for about ten minutes now.”

“No, you weren’t, young man. Don’t think that I didn’t know what you were doing in the shower. You and I are going to church on Sunday because you obviously need God in your life a little more – and a new set of mini blinds on the side of the house. Leave that thing alone unless you are making me some grandbabies.”

“MAAAA!” he yelped in horror as she walked out the front door, muttering under her breath about him.

* * *

Several days later, Alec’s pride was still stinging.

Just hearing Willow’s name brought up had started to reopen wounds that he thought were long since buried. He dreamed about her last night. He was reliving that day so long ago when he had actually gotten the nerve to propose to her, only to have things spun wildly out of control.

It was a horrible dream!

They weren’t at the high school football game anymore. He was alone, on a boat, in the middle of nowhere… adrift. He couldn’t see anyone in his dream, yet he knew they were there. Willow’s voice was like a soothing balm to his soul, making him confess everything in his heart and mind, only to hear her mocking laughter a moment later. She was giggling, the guys from work were teasing him, and everyone had someone in their lives - except him.

Forever alone.

Sitting up in his bunk, covered in sweat, he pulled himself out of bed rushing to the bathroom at work, afraid he was going to be sick. Yeah, reliving all those fears, those imagined moments, were devastating. Nothing was going to prepare him for today.

He had to face her because his options were very limited. It was either cuddling in a photo with his mother’s best friend, who was a little too ‘friendly’ for his taste, cozy up to a gorgeous woman who was fawning over Lance, who was completely oblivious to the fact… or seeing if he could beg the chief to refund Willow.

The man would not do that, and Alec knew it. This was for charity, and for some reason, Willow had bid on him specifically. Maybe he would catch a horribly contagious cold or the measles or the flu? He could always offer to pay her off and go away, but if he knew Willow?

She would double down on whatever her scheme was.

“Dang it,” Alec muttered, cursing under his breath as he looked at Colton standing nearby with Mrs. Kendall – only to hear Willow’s voice behind him like nails down a chalkboard.

“Oh heavens… this is not what I imagined.”

“Me neither, honey,” Mrs. Kendall guffawed before hollering even more encouragement toward Lance and the woman practically fawning all over the other firefighter. “This is for charity, remember? Put some ‘Oomph’ into it! Hug her to you, Cortes! Woman, make that blouse gape or splash some water on you. We need to know you can see down to her belly button, young man!”

“This isn’t a porno, Mrs. Kendall!” Alec retorted – and then glanced at Willow, who was fanning herself even more ardently. Her pale cheeks were flushed, and she was prettier than he remembered. What am I saying? he thought horrified. She’s not pretty, and you aren’t lookin’, Nitwit! “Are you expecting that, too?”

“Not expecting…” Willow said quietly before looking away from him.

“Oh mercy…” Alec’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“She’s wishing for it, you young strapping buck! I know you’ve got it in you, Alec Beckett. Your daddy was a loose cannon back in my day,” Mrs. Kendall encouraged, yelling again at Lance. “C’mon, Cortes, I want this photo to look like the front of a romance book from the seventies. Let’s see some skin, young man. Woman, where’s your cleavage? Get right on in there, ya hot little Romeo. Pretend like you’ve just been roofied, and now she’s holding out on you. Young woman – pretend to faint, would ya – and let that hot piece of meat hold onto you, lady!”

“Oh my gosh!” Both men yelped and looked at Mrs. Kendall in horror.

“Would you just stop?!” Colton added. “Lance…”

Alec felt a raw, live, burst of panic inside of him as he saw Willow clasp her hands together while he witnessed the unthinkable. Lance was shockingly all over the woman who had won his auction. He was practically seeing the man making love to her in front of all of them, bending her backward, not two inches from kissing her.

Alec began slapping the other firefighter beside him on the arm frantically, and both men stared in horror. Colton was now the partner of Mrs. Kendall, and he was stuck with his ex-girlfriend.

---