Page 61 of Make Me Crazy (Loco, Texas 2)

“I guess I’ll terminate the lease on my apartment early. I’ll take a hit, but it doesn’t make sense to keep it.” Jake said, putting a set of oven mitts in a drawer.

Rand stopped opening the new coffee maker and asked, “How much will they charge you?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s just my deposit, and I’d pay more in rent keeping it. Besides, this has to be real right? Can’t do that if I’m keeping an apartment on the side.”

She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Which means I should probably make some room for your stuff, huh?”

He kissed her, nipping at her lips. “That would be nice.”

“I’ll have to see if I can get Red and a couple of the guys to help me move and get rid of stuff to make room.”

“We can do it after the wedding. I won’t be so busy then,” Jake said.

“No, it’s fine, I’ve been meaning to get rid of stuff, just Granddaddy wouldn’t let me. It’s time though.”

“Have I mentioned you are one of the toughest women I know,” Jake asked, backing her against the kitchen counter with a deep kiss, his hands all over her.

“Hmmm, and you like that.” She grabbed a hold of the buttons of his shirt.

“Hell yeah. I need a firm hand.” To prove his point he grabbed a hold of her hand and brought it down to where his cock strained against his jeans.

“Hmmm impressive, but according to the demonstrator, once you have the corruptor, nothing else compares.”

Suddenly, she found herself ass up over his shoulder and squealed at the resounding smack his hard hand made. “Sassy mouth, I’ve told you before. You don’t need to compare anything.”

She held on tight as he carried her down the hallway and proved it to her.

Red came over on Monday to help her clean out the attic and pack up her Granddaddy’s things for the church. She was loath to part with everything, so she kept his old corduroy jacket, his best black Stetson, and his favorite cowboy boots. The smell of pipe tobacco still lingered in the fabric of the jacket and her eyes stung as she breathed in the same smell that had enveloped her with every bear hug. She hung the jacket back in the closet and made her way upstairs to pick through the attic.

Red and Jesse, one of the hands, were struggling down the stairs with an antique dresser she was going to sell to Martha Robert’s for her guest bedroom.

“Don’t scratch it, you two,” she said it with mock fierceness and Red gave her a dirty look as he continued to puff.

The two men set it down and Red panted, “You are…so lucky…we’re friends.”

“She pays me,” Jesse puffed.

“You’re right. I should get paid for this.” Red held his hand out. “Hundred bucks.”

She gave him a smack on his hand as she passed. “How about a low five?”

“You owe me,” he yelled.

She smiled, glad that in the few days that had passed, they had seemed to get back to their comfortable banter and heckling.

Reaching the top of the attic stairs, she looked around the array of boxes that still needed to be sorted. She grabbed the box closest to her, and read the name on the top. Catherine. Her mother.

She took out her box cutter, cutting through the packing tape carefully. Opening it reverently she looked inside, her heart flipping with excitement.

Inside she found a framed picture of her mother and granddaddy, smiling for the camera. Her mother was dressed in a cap and gown, and looked so beautiful it pinched Rand’s heart. Setting it to the side, she unwrapped a jewelry box that was obviously from her mother’s childhood and flipped the lid open. A tiny ballerina danced to a tinkling tune and cheap beads, plastic rings, and a few pictures in crayons lay within. She set the pink box next to the picture and continued through her mother’s memories.

A hand dropped onto her shoulder and she wiped at her wet eyes, not even aware that she had been crying. “You okay, Rand?”

Nodding, she said, “Of course. Can you take this box down to my bedroom, please?”

“Sure.” Red didn’t say anything else, just reached down to help her repack the box and left. She looked at a few other boxes that said kitchen and several others filled with more clothes. She saw an old hope chest against the wall and reached out to open it.

“Hey boss, anything else for me?”

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