Page 4 of His for the Taking

“Later.” I don’t bother finishing my coffee. There’s only so much I can take, and today is the final day. I clean up the small mess in the kitchen Shaun made, then it’s time to officially start my day.

5

JAMESON

“You good?” I ask Shaun when he steps out of his truck. The need to work this weekend superseded spending time with Josephine after yesterday’s funeral and wake. We’re behind on a few projects, which means mandatory overtime for the guys as well as pulling my own weight. Waking up this morning after only getting a few hours of sleep sucked. My head was full of worry, mainly about the little girl who stole half the damn king-sized bed. How a toddler can do circles like a clock a few times, spread out like a starfish, only for her to practically land on top of me, I have no idea. The precise reason why Josephine sleeps in her own bed. Last night was a one off, and she’ll be back in her own tonight. If she doesn’t ask to spend the night at my parents’. Even with only a few hours of sleep, a little hand patting my cheek, waking up to my daughter looking down at me with the same blue eyes is totally fucking worth it. A big smile later, she asked for breakfast, and we were up for the day. We got our day started with Josephine watching cartoons while I made us some breakfast. She asked for wobbly eggs better known as scrambled with cheese, bacon, toast, and strawberries, though she didn’t pronounce them the correct way. It was cute as hell and had me enjoying the pure joy of her words. I made the same for myself minus the cheese and heavy on the black cup of coffee. The toons were turned off, we had breakfast together, and then we got ready to head out. Mom called as I was cooking, asking if she could keep JoJo today, which worked in my favor seeing as how I knew the crew would be coming in today. I’m not the type of boss who delegates work when we’re behind and shit needs to get done. I’m right there in the thick of it. A few minutes into the call, JoJo heard her nan on the phone. She was ecstatic, and I was relieved. The only snafu I’m learning with Emma gone is Josephine’s hair. It’s a riot of waves, and her waking up with it sticking in every which direction means water and a comb. Other than that, I’m fucking useless. Maybe tonight I’ll find a tutorial to figure out how to work with her hair.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” Shaun asks. I dip my head at his neon yellow shirt. He looks at what I’m seeing. A shirt soaked through and splotches of smeared something or other. Our shirts all take a beating—holes, grease stains, you name it. This is a fresh stain.

“Ah, shit. I forgot to change my shirt. My sister, she said I was being too nice.” He takes his cap off his head, runs his fingers through his hair, and replaces it, this time not as close to his eyes. I quirk my lips upward. Shaun being too nice to his little sister? Not sure I believe that. He must see the question. “Her ex-husband was a piece of work, tore Kody apart in more ways than her wallet.”

“Kody okay?” There’s a tightening in my chest, a knot of fury sitting low in my gut, and my hands clench in tight fists. I try to flex my fingers, but it’s no use, not until I know the severity of what went down between Kody and her ex-husband. I knew from Shaun having to take phone calls in between work as he was helping Kody out with her divorce. He didn’t elaborate on what was happening, only that she needed help financially.

“Nothing like that. Fuck, no. Richie would be dead if he raised his hand to Kody and I caught wind of it.” He must see the anger rolling off my body in waves. “Richie was mouthy, liked to use words more than anything, and right now, Kody’s re-learning to live a normal life.” He takes a breath before he keeps on talking. “She seems okay, but she’s not saying much. I’m thinking it might take some time to get through that thick skull of hers that she deserves more than that pile of dog shit. It’s not even that he cheated, because I don’t think he did. I think he used her more as a trophy wife and forgot about Kody the rest of the time.” What a fucking idiot. That is exactly what her ex-husband is. It shouldn’t piss me off, yet it does. Kody with her small stature, dark eyes, button nose, full lips, and long dark locks. Hair that goes well past the cheeks of her heart-shaped ass. Yeah, I looked, a lot longer than I should have. My gaze was on Shaun’s sister entirely too much. My head wasn’t the only thing screwed; so was my dick, twisted in fucking knots over the woman. The last thing I should have been thinking about when I took my cock with my fist in the shower this morning was Kody. No matter what I brought up behind my closed eyes, it was always her. I finally relented, needing the release, and thought about her the entire time I jacked myself off. Once I let my imagination run wild, there was no turning back. In my fantasy, Kody’s hands would be pressed flat against the shower tile, body arched, her hair wrapped around my hand a few times as I gripped it firmly while I fucked my cum into her tight-as-fuck body. Christ, my cock is having a mind of its own remembering what happened in the shower all too well. Kody’s body slick with water, the way she’d have to stay on the tips of her toes to take me, and wanting to see and feel her ass as it slammed back with every deep thrust of my hips.

“She’s strong. I’ve got no doubt with Kody back home and you all surrounding her, it won’t take long,” I somehow manage to choke out after replaying the visual in my head.

“That’s the goal. Though, she’s currently out looking for a job.” Can’t say that I’d blame her. There’s nothing worse than living off your family or sitting around a house staring at the walls.

“You can’t blame her. From what you’ve told us, he was a piece of work. It makes sense she’d want a sense of independence.” What’s that saying?You never know what goes on behind closed doors.I only hope it wasn’t worse for her than she’s let on.

“Still, I can’t fix it, and I fucking hate that I can’t fix it for her.” Spoken like a true older brother. There’s not a bone in your body that wouldn’t go through hell in order to help or protect a sibling.

“True, but you know she wouldn’t want you to fix it either.” Shaun nods, knowing I’m right in this instance even if it’s a hard pill to swallow. My eyes move to Matthew’s beat-up old truck he drives around. He and Lacey have a solid plan. They put a chunk of change down on some property with a small home, and little by little, they’ve been renovating it. In doing so, having two car payments wasn’t an option for either of them. Matthew, being an Evans through and through, put Lacey in a brand-new vehicle to keep her safe, meaning he drives the old truck, and he’s perfectly fine with it.

“Come on, boys, it’s time to get this shit cleared out. I’ve got the missus at home, and I’m taking her out on the town,” Matthew interrupts us with the squeaking of his door opening. He’s got impeccable timing and clearly can’t read the damn room. Shaun shakes his head. I look up to the sky for a hope and a damn prayer. Today is going to be long as fuck.

6

KODY

“Hey, Mom, fancy seeing you here.” I walk out of The Java Hut, sucking back an iced coffee. After I did what I wanted around Shaun’s, code for cleaning up the kitchen, I hopped in the shower and scrubbed my face clean from yesterday’s makeup, forgoing washing my hair, or I’d have never gotten out of the house. My brother can make a mess while doing the slightest thing. I will never understand it. Once that was done, I put my hair in a clip and when I let it down after drying off, all I needed to do was run a brush through it. Then came the hard part—figuring out what to wear. I landed on a pair of mocha-colored leggings, a basic white tee shirt, and a long flannel on top to ward off the chill that is slowly creeping in. A basic pair of slip-on shoes, and my outfit was complete. All I had left to do was make my bed, then I was out the door. By the time I made it into town, it was too late for hot coffee, well into the early afternoon, and I needed caffeine of the cold and iced variety. The weather in North Carolina couldn’t be any better. The air is crisp, and you can smell autumn approaching. Right now, as I take my first sip, the cold cream hits my mouth, followed by the pumpkin-flavored coffee. It soothes my soul. Your world may be imploding, but coffee will fix it. You may be going through a heartbreak, but coffee is there, too. You need a pick-me-up because you haven’t slept eight solid hours a night in weeks, you got it, coffee is your best damn friend. The bad part about all the caffeine that will be thrumming through my veins is I’ll be starving while grocery shopping, and that’s never a great combination.

“Hey, sweetie, I came for coffee myself.” She raises her cup, hot to my cold, and much smaller.

“I don’t blame you. Your son has horrible taste in creamer. He and Dad are two peas in a pod,” I grumble. Dad doesn’t even use creamer or sugar. Something about coffee is meant to be drunk black and will put hair on your chest. His former military days still shine through.

“Powdered creamer still? And you’ve lasted this long? Oh, honey, you poor thing. It’s no wonder you’ve got a cup as big as your head.” I’ve been holed up in Shaun’s house too long. Making my debut reappearance at a funeral wasn’t the smartest, but in my defense, I drove from Chicago to North Carolina in one day. The next day I was pooped, Mom came over, and we for a chatted a bit. Mainly her trying to persuade me to move in with her and Dad. The third day, I was back to unpacking, or kind of, getting settled. And the day before the funeral, I was at the DMV, social security office, and post office. Talk about a freaking doozy, literally attempting to keep my head above water there for a bit, which is why it took me this long to finally return to the land of the living.

“That would do it. I’m going to walk around for a little bit, see if anyone is hiring, and then go grocery shopping. Want to join me?” Other than the day she came over to Shaun’s and our time at the funeral, we haven’t had a lot of mom and daughter time.

“I’d love to, but Kody, if you need money, we’ll help you out.” The reason I went to Shaun for the expensive-as-hell attorney is because I knew he’d let me pay him back. Our parents would not; they’d do anything for their kids, and I know it. I also know they’re retired and should not be having to clean up my mess.

“I’m good. I have a nest egg still that Richie was required to give me in our divorce settlement since he kept the house, furniture, and everything in between. I just want to be on the safe side until I figure out how my photography business is going to go down here.” In Chicago, my clients were steady; they’d tell others about me by word of mouth, or they’d find me via social media. Since I’ve taken a hiatus, it’s going to take me some time, and the last thing I want to be is cash broke.

“Alright, I can’t fault you there. Why don’t we start at the home décor store first, maybe see what the furniture store has, and then the boutiques? Maybe one of them is hiring. If not, I need some new fall decorations and, well, your dad isn’t home, so I can sneak them in, and he’ll be none the wiser.” Mom acts like Dad would ever say anything about the shit she traipses into the house. The man cherishes the ground she walks on, and he knows about her habit of redecorating for every occasion possible. Honestly, it’s a wonder they can park her car in the garage with all the totes she has lined up.

“Anything in particular you’re looking for this time of year?” I hum at the end of the question, eyebrows lifting and watching as she formulates an answer. This is how my mom shops—it doesn’t matter if it’s for home stuff, clothes, or groceries, she wings it completely.

“I don’t choose what to buy. The items choose me, Kody Goodwin. Goodness, it’s like you don’t even know me.” She’s laying it on thick today. It’s a good thing I’m chugging coffee like it’s an IV to my mainline artery.

“Well, lead the way. Maybe I’ll let you buy me lunch.” She hooks her arm through mine as we casually walk down the red brick sidewalk.

“Don’t be silly. Your father is buying our lunch as well as anything you may find you like.” I roll my eyes. It may be Daddy’s credit card, but it comes out of the same account.

“Oh, so a seafood dinner, dessert, and bottle of wine would be fine?” I joke. She stops in her tracks, head turning on a swivel. I watch as she sees me trying to hold back my laughter. It’s of no use.

“You’re as bad as Shaun and your father put together. I’ll spring for a steak salad at your favorite restaurant. How about that instead?” she asks.

---