Fast Lane - Kristen Ashley Page 0,39
off to go buy chicken.
“That man,” Gram groused, and she took off too, probably to go give more stick to Gramps then ride with him to go get chicken so she could talk him into hitting up the DQ after to get dilly bars.
I got up, grabbed my guy and took him to the mudroom.
When we were away from the others and I’d situated him so his back was to the dining room, shielding us, I asked, “How did you wring that miracle?”
He grinned smugly. “Told you it’d go great.”
“How did you wring that miracle?” I repeated.
He got serious and said, “I told him he had a meeting with a firm of lawyers in the city on Tuesday and they already have a court date to win back custody of Julia. I also told him the lawyers, and Tommy, had hired private detectives who were digging into your dad, and because of that, Julia would be home soon.”
It was my hands that landed on his chest then when I couldn’t hold myself up because of what he said and all it meant.
Preacher took my weight, and for good measure, slid his arms around me.
Even feeling all I was feeling, which was a lot, I said, “That’s not it because Gramps is proud and that sounds like a handout.”
“This isn’t about pride. This is about family and getting Julia away from that dickweed and back to hers.”
Okay, I could see that.
But…
“Preacher—”
He dipped his face close and his voice low. “Baby, before Tommy joined our conversation, I also told him you were a virgin and you were gonna stay that way.”
I blinked.
“I told him the way I had to court you, bein’ on tour, might not be conventional, but I’m courtin’ you and I would not disrespect you, or him and who he is to you, what he’s done for you, by bein’ that guy.”
I kept blinking, just more rapidly.
“So, I assured him he could trust me. I was gonna sleep on the couch over Christmas and he had no worries I’d try anything, disrespecting him under his own roof. And when you join the tour for spring break and come out to LA in the summer, and for as long as there’s a you and me, he has my word you will never get anything but respect from me.”
Lyla:
[Off tape]
You and McCade had not had sex?
[Shakes head]
No.
Preacher’s growing-up years were far from great, but regardless, something leaked into him down south and he was truly a southern gentleman.
[Smiles softly]
He was kind of Rhett and Ashley put together.
I credit Loretta Williams for that.
In other words, he did not lie to my grandfather not only because he was actually courting me, and he was the kind of guy who called it that.
But because Preacher would never lie to a man like my grandfather.
“We’re not gonna have sex?” I asked.
“No,” he answered.
“Ever?” I squeaked.
Okay, we slept together every night, and on the bus and in the hotel rooms, we cuddled and made out, we did it often, and when we did, there was a lot of groping, but Preacher always stopped it before it got too far.
I was a virgin, I’d told him that our first night and that didn’t change in the time in between because I’d met Preacher and really, no one had come close to measuring up to him.
But from the kissing and groping and, well…all that was Preacher, I was ready to go there.
And when we were kissing and groping, I was really ready.
He grinned again and replied, “Not under your grandfather’s roof.”
“Spring break?”
He took my head in both hands in that way of his I liked a whole lot, tipped it down, kissed the top of my hair, then tipped it back to look into my face again.
“Cher, it’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen. And it is not supposed to happen now. You’re gonna get what you deserve. A man who has a mind to you and knows you as you before he takes something from you it isn’t his to have until you’re ready to give it.”
I looked at his ear and mumbled, “I’m feeling ready to give it.”
He chuckled, and I looked back at him.
And then he got serious.
“And I’m ready to have it, Lyla. Absolutely, baby. Best gift I’ll ever get, already know that. But that’s just not gonna happen in the home of the man who raised you.”
I had to admit, it was the right thing to do.
And it was super sweet how he