Buckle Up, Buttercup Read online

  "I'm on my way there now," I told Malcolm. "Thanks for the information, and wish me luck."

  "You're welcome," he drawled.

  "And, hey," I managed to get out despite my pride doing its best to prevent it. "Tell your dad thank you for doing that."

  A surprised silence followed, and finally, Malcolm chuckled nervously, saying, "I will. Thanks for that."

  We ended the call just as I pulled up in front of Kitty Deluxe, the strip club we'd been to the previous night, the one where Winnie was supposed to dance. So help me God, if she got back on that stage, I was going to carry her off again. No one else was going to watch my girl dance. That body twirled for me only.

  I got out of the car and rushed toward the entrance, my eyes scanning the crowd to find the bouncer who'd scowled at me the previous night. But he was nowhere to be seen.

  "You need somethin', sugar?" a brunette asked me, winking at me as she passed with a tray of empty glasses. "We got a girl free for a lap dance, if you're wantin' one."

  "I'm trying to find somebody," I said hurriedly. "A girl... She dances as Buttercup."

  "Oh, I remember you now." She chuckled loudly and shook her head out at me. "You're the guy that carried her out last night?"

  "Where is she?" I interrupted, desperate to find her even with the sinking feeling that I might not in the pit of my stomach. "Please, just tell me where she's gone to."

  "Left with her boyfriend," the brunette shrugged. "The tall, military lookin' guy. Worked as a bouncer here for a few days. They both quit."

  "What?" I asked, feeling rage bubble in the pit of my stomach. "She just fuckin' left?"

  "Skipped town, I think," she said unhelpfully. "Said they were movin' on. That's the last I saw of her. They drove off in a van together."

  I sat down on the nearest chair, feeling deflated and completely defeated.

  "You got a forwarding address for her?" I asked, knowing full well the chances of that were slim to none.

  And just as I expected, the brunette shook her head.

  "Do you know her last name?" I asked next.

  Another shake of her head.

  "Any way to find her at all?" I was getting fucking desperate, but I needed to know. Needed to find her. Needed her back in my arms, where she fuckin' belonged. "I don't mean to be a nuisance, I know you must get a lot of guys askin'... But I need to find her."

  She cocked her head to the side and shook it regretfully.

  "'Fraid I got nothin'," she admitted. "They were the kind of people who wouldn't stick around, ya know? I knew they wouldn't be here for long."

  "Is he a relative?" I asked hopefully, and she gave me a doubtful look.

  "From the way he looks at her," she said softly. "I'd say he's anythin' but."

  I slumped in the chair, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. She really was fuckin' gone, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was stuck in this town yet again, with a ranch to look after and without the woman I wanted more than anything in the fuckin' world.

  "Looks like you need a drink," the brunette told me with a sympathetic grin. "I'll bring you a whisky."

  "Make it a double..." I muttered miserably.

  6

  Winnie

  2 years later

  I glanced between the two flavors of ice cream in the display. Would Dex like toffee crunch or salted caramel better?

  With a sigh and a little smile playing on my lips, I put both of them into my trolley and kept on walking down the aisle.

  It felt strange being back in Cherryvale, with memories preying on every step I took. But I didn't want to think about that. I just wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as I possibly could, so I wouldn't risk running into that horrible Amy - or worse yet, Beau.

  I had a secret I'd kept for the past two years, and I fully intended on keeping it just between Dex and me.

  "Momma!"

  I looked up from the freezer and my face lit up with a smile as I saw my little boy coming toward me, Dex walking behind him and making sure he'd catch him if my baby boy fell over.

  He was only fifteen months old now, but he was already taking a couple of steps here and there, clumsily stumbling toward me as he said the only word he knew. He had a big smile on his face, a healthy red tint to his chubby cheeks.

  "Hello, darling," I said sweetly, picking him up and holding him in my arms as I pushed the trolley in front of us. "Dex, did you want to get some cereal?"

  "I did," he replied with a grin. "I'll find you in a second."

  I nodded as he disappeared down the aisle to the snacks section, and put baby Randy in his seat in the shopping cart. Just as I was about to turn around, I heard an all-too-familiar voice call out to me.

  "What the hell are you doing here?"

  I turned around and all my worst nightmares came true as I stared into Amy's eyes.

  I still remembered the conversation we'd had in Beau's kitchen. Her humiliating me, practically throwing me out of the house and making me feel more worthless than ever. And now she was right here, my worst fear come true, the person who could ruin everything for me.

  I shielded my son with my body and offered her a cool smile.

  "Just passing through," I told her firmly. "We're only staying for a couple of days."

  "Good," she hissed back. "I told you once already, you're not fuckin' welcome in this town."

  "Would you mind not cursing in front of-" I started, then paled as I realized I'd nearly given myself away.

  "In front of?" Amy asked rudely, and I looked away, unwilling to meet her eyes and give myself away.

  "Got a problem here?"

  Dex's arm wrapped around my middle protectively and Amy's eyes widened.

  "Finally found someone to warm your bed?" she asked nastily, and Dex's eyes narrowed at her.

  "You've got quite the mouth on you," he told her plainly. "You might want to take it elsewhere before I cause a scene."

  "That's alright," she purred. "Your girlfriend's got that covered."

  He looked like he was about to haul her ass out of there, so I tugged on his sleeve and begged silently for us to just move on. I knew since the moment he told me we had to pass through Cherryvale that it was going to be a problem. I had a nagging, silent feeling that we'd run into one of them, and I didn't want to risk it. But Dex was determined, and I was used to doing whatever he told me since we were children.

  "You want to get out of our hair?" he asked Amy, and she smirked, throwing her hair over her shoulder.

  "More than happy to," she spat out. "Does Beau know you're here?"

  "No," I managed to get out. "And please don't tell him, I'm not here because of him."

  She rolled her eyes again just as Randy started cooing in the baby seat. I froze. Dex turned around and took him out of the trolley, and Amy's mouth gaped open as she saw my son in Dex's arms.

  "What's that?" she managed to get out, and I felt chills go down my spine.

  This was the exact thing I'd been trying to avoid. Her finding out about my baby, telling Beau, causing a fucking scene. I didn't need any of it. I just wanted to get the hell out of Cherryvale.

  "That's my son," I told her coolly. "And now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way."

  I turned around and started to push my trolley forward, but the second I did, it bumped into a mass of flesh and muscle.

  I stopped on the spot, my eyes on the floor, blushing deeply. I didn't need to look up to know who it was.

  "W-Winnie?"

  Slowly, I forced my eyes upward until they met his.

  He looked just as heartbreakingly beautiful as he had two years ago in that strip club. Tall, broad-shouldered and even more handsome than I remembered him. I felt myself blushing even harder as I stared into his eyes, seeing all the pain and hurt somebody had left behind.

  "Hello," I said softly.

  "What are you doing here?" he demanded, drinking me in hungrily just as Dex stepped forward.

  Hi
s eyes moved to my foster brother's and narrowed at the sight of the baby in his arms. Then, I watched realization dawn on him, his eyes getting wider and wider, going from me to the baby and then Dex standing by my side.

  "Winnie," he muttered. "Winnie, you have to-"

  "I don't have to do anything," I told him calmly. "In fact, we were just leaving."

  I tugged on Dex's sleeve, desperate to get the hell out of there. The two men exchanged lingering glances and I wondered whether Beau remembered him from that night at the club. Neither of them said a word, and Dex took the trolley from me, pushing it toward the check-out line just as Beau stepped in front of me.

  "Winnie," he said desperately. My name sounded so fucking good on his lips. I wanted to listen to him say it over and over again, but I knew I needed to get away from him before he realized what was actually going on. "Please, Winnie. Please, just stay and talk to me for a second?"

  Dex looked at us over his shoulder, and I gave him a small nod to tell him I was alright. He left us alone, and I felt scared as hell standing there with Amy just a few feet behind us. I desperately wanted to know whether they were there together but was too chicken to ask.

  Finally, Beau seemed to notice her standing behind us, and glanced at her briefly, nodding at her.

  "Amy," he said cordially, and she pursed her lips as if she'd just smelled something nasty. "Will you give us a moment?"

  She rolled her eyes, throwing her hair over her shoulder and disappearing into the vegetable aisle, though I was pretty sure she was eavesdropping on us, desperate to be a part of our conversation.

  Beau finally looked at me, and when our eyes met, I felt old flames igniting and butterflies that hadn't fluttered coming back to life in my stomach. God, he still had the same effect on me, and I had no way of fighting it. My body responded to his just as desperately as it always used to, eager to succumb, ready to submit.

  "Are you with her?"

  The question slipped from my lips before I could stop myself, and I looked away, feeling the familiar flush creeping back into my cheeks.

  "With Amy?" he repeated, letting out a hearty laugh. "No, I'm not with her, Winnie. I haven't been with her for over two years."

  Over two years... My brows knitted together in worry.

  "Stop lying to me," I hissed. "I know you were dating her. The night you took me back to your place... I know you were cheating on her. She was waiting for you the next morning. How do you think I felt when she caught me making you breakfast?"

  "Wait, what?" He ran his hands through his tousled hair, looking troubled. "Winnie, I broke up with Amy months before we met. Yes, we used to date, but it's been absolute ages, and despite her best efforts, we're not getting back together. No way in hell."

  "What is she doing here then?" I asked, my heart beating rapidly. "She came with you?"

  "No," he laughed out loud. "It's a small town, Buttercup. She's bound to be in the same place as me every once in a while."

  He'd called me Buttercup. My insides were turning upside down, my body ready to throw itself in his arms and my heart pounding so fast I thought it would burst right through my chest.

  "She told me you were dating," I admitted in my smallest voice. "That morning. I was making you breakfast... pancakes."

  I could remember it down to the very last detail. After all, I'd played it out in my head a thousand times since it had happened. Since everything had changed.

  "She didn't," he repeated. "She told me you left, changed your mind. She told me you skipped town with your boyfriend."

  His eyes followed Dex to the checkout counter and burned with rage when he saw him holding our son.

  "He wasn't my boyfriend," I admitted in a broken voice. "He's just... Dex."

  He kept running his hands through his hair and my heart pounded louder and louder

  "The baby," he whispered. "What's his name?"

  I looked up into his eyes, muttering my answer.

  "Randy."

  He laughed out loud, actually laughed and shook his head, pressing his fingers to his temples.

  "Buttercup, darlin'," he went on desperately. "How long are you in town for?"

  "Only a couple days," I managed to get out. "We're passing through. Leaving as soon as we get some papers back."

  "Don't leave," he begged me. "Don't go. Come talk to me. Bring... Randy. You can even bring Dex. Let's talk things through. Everything that happened... it was such a massive misunderstanding. I want you back, darlin'. I looked for you, but you were fuckin' gone... And I didn't know. I didn't know what had happened. Where you'd gone. I've been a fuckin' wreck because of it."

  I refused to meet his eye, nervously twisting the hem of my dress.

  "Please," he begged me. "Please just come see me tonight, let's just talk."

  "I can't," I got out. "I have to go now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

  Ever so gently, his fingers wrapped around my forearm and I couldn't help the gasp that escaped my lips as he pulled me flush against him.

  "Don't," I begged him. "Please, let me go."

  His fingers left my skin, but I couldn't move, my eyes glued to his in a silent plea. Even I didn't know what I was begging him for.

  "I know what you're hiding," he told me softly. "I know now..."

  "No," I said desperately. He couldn't know. He couldn't take him away from me. He didn't have any proof. "Just let me go, Beau. We have nothing to talk about. Please, I want to go."

  "Go," he said softly, the word a whisper from his lips, so close to my lips he could've kissed me. "Go then, if you must, Buttercup. But I'm coming to find you, and I'm going to take what's been mine all along. I hope you know that, darlin'."

  I shook my head to get the rogue thoughts off my mind and stepped aside.

  "Don't, Beau," I begged him. "Just let me be. Forget what you saw. Forget I was here."

  "I can't, darlin'," he admitted. "You're all I think about... For two years, you've been on my mind, Buttercup."

  I pulled away when he reached for me.

  "It's too late," I whispered. "It's too late."

  I ran out on him, not stopping until I was in the parking lot and breaking into tears the second I sat in our pickup. Dex handed me a tissue and I was reminded of my journey from two years ago... That night that changed everything.

  There was no going back. There would be no second chances.

  This was my life now, and I was just going to have to accept it.

  7

  Beau

  After seeing her again, Winnie was permanently on my mind. Her, and that beautiful little baby boy with my smile and my eyes. She could say anything she wanted to, but I knew the fuckin' truth. Randy was my son, and I owed it to both of them to make sure they were alright. Her new boyfriend be damned.

  I watched her leave with that goddamned guy, hating myself for not going after her right then and there. But I knew I would find her this time, whatever it fucking took. I made a call to Malcolm.

  "Hey," he answered. "What's up?"

  "Hey, man," I drawled. "Do you remember that girl from two years ago?"

  He groaned and laughed down the line, making me grin.

  "Would be a bit hard to forget about her," he said. "Since you've been bringing her up every time we've talked. What about her?"

  "She's back in town," I told him. "I want you to find out where she's staying. I want every detail. And I want to know every-fucking-thing you can find out about her."

  "Not letting her get away this time?" he asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "Good for you, Beau. I'll get on it."

  He ended the call and I drove from the store back home, my groceries long forgotten. All my attention was focused on the girl that had gotten away, on the woman I wanted by my side for the rest of my life. I was going to get the girl this time, no fuckin' doubt about it.

  Hours passed before Malcolm called me back, and I'd been waiting impatiently by my phone for it to ring.

  "Yeah?" I answered
right away. "Please tell me you got some good news."

  "Cool your jets," Malcolm laughed. "I have all the info you could possibly want. But, Beau..."

  "What?" I asked, already panicking. "What is it?"

  "You didn't tell me..." Malcolm finally said after a long pause. "You didn't tell me about the little boy."

  "What do you think of him?" I asked roughly, my voice threatening to break over the words.

  I needed to know his honest opinion. I needed to know if he suspected the same thing I did.

  "Spitting image of somebody we know," Malcolm said. "That boy's yours, Beau. You know that, don't you?"

  "I do." My voice was heavy with the confession, and a sudden urge to find out more took over. "So, tell me what you found out. Please, I need to fuckin' know."

  "Well, they're staying at the motel on A51," he said. "One room. Two single beds."

  I grinned at the thought of her sleeping alone. Not because I wanted her to feel alone, but because I was a selfish fuckin' bastard and I didn't want another man in her bed when it should've been me.

  "What name's the room book under?" I demanded to know.

  "Dexter Jenkins," came the reply. "And paid in full for the next week with his credit card."

  "So they're staying a week," I said thoughtfully.

  "Looks like it," Malcolm said. "But get this. There's a new room booked under his name, a single. That one's booked for two weeks, paid in full."

  "What the hell?" I asked. "Why would he book a single if they're leaving in a week?"

  "Beats me," Malcolm replied. "But I guess you're going to find out."

  "What do you mean?" My eyebrows knitted together, not understanding where he was going with this. "How am I going to find out?"

  "Well, my snooping may not have..." He cleared his throat self-consciously. "Gone unnoticed."

  "What?" I barked. "Did Amy see you?"

  "Not Amy," he chuckled. "But the guy, Dexter. Or Dex, which is the name he goes by. He told me there was no need to keep tabs on him. Apparently he's coming to see you tonight."