Return to Sender, page 16
“I love you.” He smiled warmly. “My darling girlfriend.”
“Your girlfriend?” I looked over at him. “We never spoke about this.”
“I figure you should be my girlfriend before I make you my wife and put a hundred babies into you.” He laughed. “Otherwise there might be questions.”
“A hundred babies?” I shook my head. “Not going to happen.”
“Well, at least fifty, then.”
“Why don’t we compromise with three?”
“Three works.” He grinned. “And we call the first one Gordon.”
“He’d like that.” A slight sadness filled me as I thought about my friend. “But let’s not get carried away, that’s not going to happen for a long time.”
“I know. We can just enjoy dating for now.” He gave me a sly glance. “Maybe now I can convince you to try those things that make you nervous.”
“Wade!” He laughed. “But are you ever going to answer my questions?” I asked him. “I still don’t know what it is you didn’t want me to find out.”
The smile faded and he nodded somberly. “All will be revealed when we get home.”
“Oh?”
“And I want you to know that whatever you decide to do is okay by me. I'm ready to let this secret out. It’s been too long. I don’t want it hanging over me anymore, and I don’t want it coming between us.”
“You’re making me nervous.”
“I hope you will understand and not judge me too much.” He sighed. “I’m not proud of myself, Savannah, but I want to be a better man for you and our future kids.”
“What is it, Wade?”
“You’ll see.”
Wade helped me into the house, my legs shaking with nerves. I froze as we entered the living room and I saw Lucy, Henry and another man sitting at the table. The man had an unkempt beard and long stringy hair and appeared to be in his sixties.
I looked over to Wade, whose face was pale.
“Savannah, I’d like to introduce you to my dad, Joseph Hart.”
“What?” My jaw dropped. “But–but—he’s dead.”
“That’s what they thought.” The older man stood up, a smile on his face as he approached me. As he got closer, I recognized the familiar green eyes. Wade’s dad was alive, but what had happened?
“I need to sit down.” I turned to Wade and he walked me over to a chair. We all sat down and I stared at Wade. “What’s going on here?”
“It’s really quite simple.” Wade sighed and shook his head. “My dad was a philanderer and a bad business man. He cheated on my mom and got another woman pregnant, which caused my mom to leave. My dad wanted her back and basically lost control.”
His father spoke up. “I made some bad investments. I put the company on the line as collateral. I was going to lose it all, but then I had an idea.”
“What idea?” I frowned.
He looked away from me. “I had insurance policies that would pay out upon my death, and they would save the company. The company that was meant to go to my sons.”
“So … you faked your own death?” I turned to Wade. “And you knew? You were in on it?”
“Not originally.” Wade shook his head. “Henry and I saw him jump. We thought he’d killed himself. But one summer we went hunting and we found the cabin. He was there.”
“We couldn’t say anything.” Henry spoke up. “It would look like we were a part of the fraud. We’d already collected millions of dollars and reinvested them back into the company. Wade saved the company, but if it came out that our dad was still alive, we knew we’d be prosecuted for fraud. We’d all go to jail.” He frowned at his father. “And we weren’t even a part of the plan.”
“Oh, wow.” I nodded though my mind was still blown. Then something occurred to me. “But I think someone else knows …” My eyes were wide. “I think Beryl from the cafe knows. I think her husband saw your dad.”
“She knows.” Wade sighed. “Do you remember when we went to the cafe and she served us the grilled cheese?”
“Yeah, why?”
“It’s my favorite.” Joseph grinned. “I always tell Wade to get me the ingredients for grilled cheese when he goes shopping. I could live on them and venison.”
“Weird. But that explains the shopping list I found.” I rubbed my forehead. “And you trust her not to tell?”
“Beryl was one of the women my dad had an affair with.” Wade pursed his lips. “He broke her heart, but she would never betray him.”
“Beryl?” I looked at the father. “But isn’t she older?”
“Pussy is pussy,” Joseph said with a shrug.
Wade glared at him. “That’s enough,” he growled. “My dad has always danced to the beat of his own drum. He’s also the one who was sneaking into the house and taking stuff.”
“So it wasn’t Gordon?”
“No, it wasn’t.” Wade squeezed my hand, knowing how guilty I was feeling. “Don’t you dare feel bad for suspecting him.”
“I’m trying.” I took a deep breath. “You thought I’d turn you into the police if I found out? That’s why you were worried?”
“A little bit, but I was also falling for you and I didn’t want to put you in a compromising position.” He rubbed his head. “This information, well, it could get us into trouble and now you know, it puts you in a bad situation as well.”
“Oh, Wade.” I got up and sat in his lap and kissed him. “I would never turn you in.” I didn’t even care that everyone was staring at us. “I love you, you goof. I thought you’d killed your dad or something equally horrible. This is nothing. I understand.” I wiggled in his lap and he winked as his hardness pressed against my ass.
“Savannah, you do not know how happy that makes me, but I need you to be sure. And if you want me to turn myself in, I will. I will go to jail and do my time. Just promise me, you will wait for me.”
“I don’t want you to turn yourself in.” I shook my head. “You do good work. You’re helping people. You’re a good man, and that money is helping people.” I frowned. “But how come you were able to pay me so much?”
“Because I needed one good person.” He kissed me lightly. “And I guess I found her.” He wrapped his arms around my waist. “How tired are you?”
“Wade!” Henry rolled his eyes. “Y’all need to go to the bedroom now. And do your thing and we can all talk again later.”
“You okay with that?” Wade asked me.
My face hot, I looked over at Lucy, who was grinning. She gave me a small nod.
“Okay,” I said softly. Wade lifted me up in his arms as he stood. “You can put me down, Wade, I can walk.”
“I’m here to take care of you.” He kissed me lightly on the forehead. “This is the beginning of the rest of our lives, and I’m determined to get it right from here on out. I can’t lose you again.” He began to stride toward the bedroom.
“You didn’t lose me, Wade.”
“I know you were going to leave that night.” He sighed. “I know you were going to catch the train and never look back.”
“I would have looked back.” I gave him a crooked smile. “I wouldn’t have been able to stay away.”
“Well, just promise me if you ever feel like you want to leave me again, you’ll let me know. I can’t live without you in my life, Savannah. You were made for me, and the best thing I ever did was put that ad in that paper.”
“Why did you put that ad in the paper? You were such a jerk.”
“I had a bet with Henry.” He looked a little sheepish. “I bet him that I could hire a woman and get her to do whatever I wanted if I just paid her enough money.”
“Wade!” I slapped him in the arm. “How rude! Is that why you were so obnoxious and made me wear that maid’s outfit?”
“Yes,” he admitted with a wry grin.
“Is that why you slept with me as well?” I looked at him with wide nervous eyes. “Was that part of the bet as well?”
“Never.” He shook his head as we walked into the bedroom and he put me down gently on the mattress. “That was all about me, wanting you and needing you.” He got on the bed and kissed me. “Kinda like how I feel right now.”
“Oh, yeah?” I looked up at his loving expression and smiled. “Well, have at it, big boy. Let’s see just how much loving you can give me before I fall asleep.”
“Oh, I can give you all the loving.” He caressed the side of my face. “And that’s what I plan on doing.”
“What’s that?”
“Giving you all my loving for the rest of my life.” His eyes blazed as he gazed down at me. “I love you so much, Savannah Carter, and I’m going to spend an eternity showing you just how deep my love goes.”
Thank you for reading Return To Sender. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review if you are able to. Sign up for my mailing list here to never miss any of my new releases.
Check out a teaser from my next book, To My Brother’s Cocky Best Friend Below.
Dear Tyler,
This morning in the shower you heard me singing You’re so Vain, by Carly Simon? And it’s quite apropos because I bet you think that song was about you! And let me clarify when I sang it this morning, it was about you because we both know you’re the most vain, conceited, arrogant, pompous guy out there. And no, I have no interest in coming to Florida to watch you play basketball with your league next week. Haven’t you heard white men can’t jump?
Olivia
Hey Olivia,
So what you’re saying is you’re singing songs about me and for me? And you like to watch old movies that stereotype hot men like me?
Tyler
P.S. Come to the game and I’ll show you all the things I can’t do.
Dear Tyler,
You mean like spell, articulate well, sing, cook, kiss?
Olivia
Olivia,
Give my lips five seconds and I’ll show you who can’t kiss.
Tyler
Tyler,
Give my feet two seconds and I’ll show you who can’t kick.
Olivia
Olivia,
So I’m gathering from that statement that you’re longing to touch me?
Tyler
P.S. I knew this sexual tension would finally get to you.
Tyler,
You’re infuriating. Leave me alone. I have work to do.
Olivia
Olivia,
I have work for you to do as well.
Tyler
P.S. And it includes finishing off what we started last night.
Tyler,
I’m going to show my brother these emails and he’s going to be pissed off. I hope your pretty face is ready.
Olivia
Olivia,
I’m always ready for you.
Tyler
P.S. I’m with your brother right now and he’s laughing.
Tyler,
And he knows exactly what you’re writing and what you said to me last night??
Olivia
P.S. Let him read these emails and see if he’s still laughing.
Olivia,
Maybe not. You haven’t given me an answer to my question yet.
Your brother’s wonderful hot and incredibly intelligent best friend, Tyler.
To My Brother’s Cocky Best Friend,
You will never get an answer from me other than no.
Olivia
Olivia,
So I’m taking that as a maybe?
Big Cock Tyler
Tyler,
Goodbye.
Olivia
Olivia,
See you in two hours.
BC Tyler
Olivia,
No response?
BC Tyler
Olivia,
Too busy dreaming about this BC huh?
Tyler
Tyler,
{This photo of a huge penis has been blurred from your screen}
Olivia
* * *
Tyler,
That was a huge cock. You’re just a cock-a-doodle-doo.
Olivia
* * *
Olivia,
I’ve officially been cockshamed. See you at dinner.
Tyler
P.S. I still think you won’t be disappointed.
J. S. Cooper, Return to Sender
