While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)(4)

“Jeremy, don’t.”

He let out a long heavy sigh and shook his head. I waited patiently for him to say more and was so thankful when we pulled into Mrs. Mabel’s. I all but jumped out of the truck before it came to a complete stop in my determination to get away from him before he could say more. The engagement ring Josh had put on my finger couldn’t be removed. It would be as if I was forgetting him. Like I was moving on and leaving him behind. I’d never leave him behind.





Chapter Two


Cage



This could not be my room. It was the size of the closet in my bedroom at my apartment. I dropped my duffle down onto the twin bed that sat crammed in the corner of the tiny room. On the opposite side, a small, round bedside table barely had enough space to fit between the side of the bed and the wall. Then at the other end of the narrow room was a shower. The cement floor had a drain in the far corner and a small showerhead came out of the wall. A simple rod and dark blue shower curtain were the only barriers between the shower and the bed. I was pretty sure if I got too carried away in the shower I’d get the bed wet. My phone started ringing in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Low’s name lighting up the screen.

“Hey, baby,” I replied backing up and sinking down onto the bed. Surprisingly the mattress wasn’t bad.

“So, how is everything? Are they nice?” Just hearing Low’s voice made me feel better—not so alone.

“I’ve only met the guy’s daughter and the next—door neighbor.”

“Oh, so there’s a farmer’s daughter?” The teasing tone in Low’s voice made me chuckle. Yeah, there was a farmer’s daughter alright but it wasn’t what Low was thinking.

“There’s a farmer’s daughter but she hated me on sight. Crazy I know, and to think, I thought it was impossible for a female to hate me until after I bagged her then forgot her name in the morning.”

“She hates you? That’s… odd.” Low’s voice trailed off like she was in deep thought.

The loud sound of the barn door swinging open caught my attention.

“Low, I gotta go baby. I think the old man’s here.”

“Okay, be on your best behavior.”

“Always,” I replied before hanging up and slipping my phone back into my pocket.

“Hello?” a deep burly voice called out.

I walked out of the small broom closet they’d stuck me in and headed for the sound of his voice. As I turned the corner, I stopped short. The dude was huge. At least six-foot—seven and three hundred pounds of hard muscle. The straw cowboy hat cocked back on his head showed that he was completely bald.

“You Cage York?” he asked. His serious expression reminded me a lot of Coach but that was as far as the similarities went. Coach was not this f*cking massive.

“Yeah,” I replied and the man’s eyes narrowed and he took a step towards me. It took every last bit of my self—control not to back the hell up.

“Boy, your Daddy ever tell you it’s rude not to respect your elders? I expect any kid your age to respond to me with a ‘yes sir’. That understood?”

Really? What the hell was Coach thinking? This would never work.

“When I ask you a question I expect a response,” the giant growled.

Fine. I’d give him a f*cking response, “No.”

His frown grew deeper and annoyance flickered in his eyes. I had a lot riding on this damn job but I wasn’t one to handle this kind of shit well.

“No, what?” he asked in a slow drawl.

“No; my daddy didn’t teach me anything but that his f*cking fists were bigger than my momma’s and how to skip out on your family,” I replied with a sneer in my voice.

The angry scowl on his face didn’t change. I hadn’t expected it to but then I also hadn’t expected to tell the man my personal shit. It had just come out. My family was something I’d only ever talked about with Low and that had been when we were younger and it still affected me.

I watched as he reached up and rubbed the scuff on his jaw, never once taking his eyes off me. I was ready for this meeting to get over with and him to tell me what it was I was supposed to do exactly.

“Mack wants to help you. I trust his judgment. But listen here and listen good. I ain’t above kicking your ass off my property if you do any drugs, or drive a vehicle while drinking. That was stupid, kid. Beyond stupid. And most importantly, stay away from my little girl. She’s completely off limits to you. Got that?”

Considering Eva hated me on sight, the man had nothing to worry about. Besides, no girl was worth f*cking up my future. Not when there were so many other willing available females in the world I could enjoy.

“Got it. I don’t want to lose my scholarship,” I replied with complete honesty.

With a nod of his head he stuck his large hand out toward me, “In that case, I’m Wilson Brooks. Now, let’s get your ass to work.”



Eva



“Boy ain’t got no Dad. Those are the kinds you stay away from,” Daddy said in way of greeting as he opened the screen door and walked into the kitchen. I rolled my eyes as I went back to battering the chicken breasts I was going to fry for dinner.

“I mean it Eva. He ain’t had the same upbringing you have and he’s cocky with no respect for authority. Just rubs me the wrong way.” Daddy set his hat down on the table and walked over to fix himself a glass of sweet iced tea.