Page 20 of Nightclub Surprise
I chalked my ease with expressing my love to August up to the fact that I’d been telling my son that I loved him at least once a day since the day he was born. Being honest about my feelings helped me accept the fact that August just wasn’t readyyet.
He might not have been ready to tell me that he loved me, but he sure as hell was ready to see me again. So ready, in fact, that he’d devised a plan. He’d decided he would show up at my apartment for dinner and talk to Calum directly about why he’d had theattack.
When a knock came to the door, I casually asked Calum to see who was there. “’Kay, Momma.” I watched him look out the window beside the door as I stirred the pot of beef stew I’d prepared fordinner.
When he turned around, heading out of the living room at top speed, the slam of his bedroom door punctuating the moment, I knew he wasn’t about to listen to a word August had tosay.
So, I opened the door for August, a frown on my face. “He saw you and took off. He’s in hisbedroom.”
Arms came around my body, pulling me close. Our bodies were flush against the other, and heat filled mine. “I’ll fix this. Just watch.” His lips touched mine. “I’ve missed seeing you,baby.”
I couldn’t even respond as his mouth took mine in a hungry kiss. His hands went to my ass, picking me up. Knowing Calum wouldn’t be coming out of his room without assistance any time soon, I wrapped my legs around August. I kissed him back, wishing like hell we could just drop to the floor right there and make love, which we’d yet to do since ourreunion.
But August had another agenda in coming here, so he let me down and smacked my ass, sending me back to the kitchen. “I’ve got bigger fish to fry right now, Momma. I’ll get back to you soon, don’t worry. But first, I want to hear you say those words to myface.”
A blush heated my cheeks as I smiled shyly. “August!”
One finger traced my lips as he gazed at me. “Please. For courage, if nothingelse.”
Though almost inaudible, the words came out, “I love you, AugustHarlow.”
A slow smile spread across his handsome face. “Oh, yeah. That’s what I thought would happen when you said those words to my face.” Suddenly I was pulled back into his strong arms, his mouth on mine again. The bulge in his pants pressed against my core, and he didn’t have to say a word—I knew what my words had done to him. When our mouths parted, he whispered in my ear, “I love you too, TawnyMatthews.”
“August?” I asked, surprised. “You don’t haveto…”
His mouth came back to mine, making me shut up as he kissed me in a way he hadn’tbefore.
He loved me, and he’d finally told meso!
When he ended the kiss, he nuzzled his nose to mine. “It felt good telling you that, baby. Better than having you tell me those three little words that have such an effect onme.”
“They have a pretty amazing effect on me as well,” Iadmitted.
With a groan, he let me go. “Okay, off to fixthings.”
He headed down the short hallway and stood just outside the closed door my son had slammed. “Hi, Calum. It’s me, August. I know I scared you the other day, but I wanted to tell you a little story about why I zone out sometimes and end up screaming likethat.”
Listening to him try to make peace with my son, I went on cooking dinner and wondering how Calum would take August’s little story. All the while, I wondered how August would clean it up, so he didn’t scare Calum anyfurther.
August went on, “You see, I was in the war.” He paused for a moment, giving Calum time to try to understand what he meant. “You remember that game we played in the arcade, the one where we were soldiers, and we had to shoot all the bad guys? Well, I did that in real life. When you do that in real life, it can make you have bad dreams, even while you’re awake. That’s what happened that day in the car.” He stopped again for a few seconds, likely knowing that this next part would be the hardest to tell. “You probably heard me say the name John the other day in the car. John was a very good friend of mine, and something bad happened to him by accident, and I was there for the whole thing. Sometimes my brain plays tricks on me—like a very bad and mean prank—and the memory of what happened to John comes back to me, even though I know it’s not real. It’s like I have a nightmare even though I’m awake, and sometimes I scream until someone helps me and tells me it’s not real—like your momma did that day in the car. You probably have bad dreams, too, sometimes, right? Mine don’t happen very often, but I know they can be scary. I’m sorry I scared you that day, Calum, and I hope we can be friends again like we were before thathappened.”
The squeak of the door opening had me looking around thecorner.
Calum had come out, and August got down on his knees, so he was closer to my little boy’s height. “So, you were a soldier, like onTV?”
“I was,” August answered him. “And it’s a lot scarier than it is on TV,too.”
Calum nodded. “I bet it is.” He blinked a few times. “And your friend John, the one who had something bad happen to him? Did hedie?”
August nodded, his expression solemn. “Yes, he did, and I was there when that happened. It was very sad, and it’s made me see things that aren’t there. I know it soundscrazy.”
Calum nodded in agreement. “Yeah. It is crazy. But one time, I saw a monkey in a tree at Granny’s. It was a real monkey, but no one believedme.”
“How’d that make you feel, Calum?” August asked him as he ran his hand through Calum’s dark hair. Hair that matched hisperfectly.
“Crazy and mad,” he said with a huff as he threw his hands in the air. “Why would I make thatup?”
August shook his head. “I don’t see why you’d do a thing likethat.”
