Page 34 of Down & Dirty (Holden Cove #1)

CHAPTER 34

SKYLAR

N ews broke of our marriage a day later. Apparently wearing wedding bands in public at a press junket was a surefire way to subtly let the cat out of the bag. The flashes going off in our faces as we left for the airport the next day were less subtle.

Cory was cursing as he climbed into the taxi behind me, but I was too anxious about what was coming to be mad at a few photographers. “So I take it you didn’t call them this time?” It was my best attempt at a joke.

He gave me a long look, sagging back into the seat as we took off. “No.”

This was what he’d wanted, the news stories adding fuel to the fire of his rekindled stardom. But I could tell by the set of his jaw that he wasn’t happy.

“It’ll be better in Sacramento.” My parents were expecting us, but I told them not to pick us up, just in case. After the circus we’d just escaped, that seemed like a good call.

Cory swiped my hand from the seat and brought it to his lips. “I know. It’s fine. I just...” He let out a deep sigh. “It was nice when things were quieter.”

“More press, more problems?” I teased, trying to shake his sour m ood. He was used to this, so I wasn’t sure why it was bothering him now.

He spun the rings on my finger, toying with the stone on the engagement ring. “If they upset you, then yeah.”

When he looked back up me, I felt my heart in my throat. Since the fight with Ronnie, Cory had been even more careful with me. He’d apologized for the position he’d put me in with my family, offering to go to my parents straight from the junket to try and fix things. Fitting in a quick trip to see them before heading to Maine for the holiday wasn’t ideal, but he hadn’t hesitated. Every day he made me feel more precious, leaving no doubt that I was more than just a means to an end.

“I don’t love the photographers, but they don’t upset me, either. I’m okay.”

He laced his fingers with mine. “You’re sure?”

“One hundred percent.” If being with Cory meant having my photo taken sometimes, it was a price I was more than willing to pay. And it was something he was literally paying me for, even if things between us had changed. “Now, are you sure you’re ready to meet my parents,” I paused for dramatic effect. “As my husband ?”

I was still getting used to that word, but my adjustment was made easier every time I saw the effect it had on him. His eyes would sparkle sweetly before filling with a demanding heat that made my chest tight every time I saw it.

“Definitely not,” he laughed, brushing his lips across my knuckles again. “But hopefully they’ll give me a chance to show them I’m not as bad for you as they think.”

Cory hadn’t been on the line when I’d called to tell them, somehow managing to beat Ronnie to the punch. But he’d overheard my portion of the conversation, and could tell it hadn’t gone well. My mother was devastated she hadn’t been there, whereas my father was convinced there was a reason I’d moved so fast. It took several minutes before I could assure him that I wasn’t pregnant. I didn’t take offense to his assumption. He had never once m ade me feel bad about what had happened with Tommy, he just didn’t understand why anyone would have gotten married after such a short time. What was the rush?

I still refused to tell them about the new arrangement with Tommy, and I’d never admit to marrying Cory for money. So it was on us to convince them we’d done it because we had been just that gone for each other that we needed it to be official. Which wasn’t that hard of a sell anymore, considering the way he kept looking at me, and how hard it was for us to keep our hands to ourselves. I believed we were up to the task.

The flight was short and as I’d hoped, we streamed through the airport in Sacramento without any fanfare. When we arrived at my parents’ place, they were waiting for us on the front porch. My father descended the stairs, grabbing me in a tight hug before he held his hand out to Cory.

“Welcome,” he said, one arm still wrapped protectively around my shoulders.

Cory took his hand in a firm shake, holding my father’s gaze. “Thank you for having me.”

When Cory tried to sling both of our duffels over his shoulder and grab my luggage, my father stopped him. “I admire the effort, but let me help.” Slipping the strap of my duffel from Cory’s shoulder, he heaved it onto his own. He smirked down at me, “I can tell this one is Skylar’s by the bricks she likes to cart around.”

I rolled my eyes at him, even as I appreciated his attempt to deflate some of the tension. My mother was still standing on the steps, her face pinned in a forced smile, while she eyed me warily.

“Glad you could make it,” she sighed, giving me a tepid hug. She wasn’t taking this well at all. “We saw Ronnie on the interview panel,” she said when she pulled back. “Was it your idea for him to wear the suit?”

Cory chuckled behind me, and I gave him a look over my shoulder. “No. He cooked that one up on his own. When I prepped him, he was in the same team gear as the rest of them. ”

She shrugged, a look of confusion on her face. “He looked nice, but will he get in trouble for that?”

“No,” Cory offered, coming up to stand beside me, stroking his hand down my back comfortingly. “He’s allowed to wear whatever he wants for those. The team actually likes it when we look polished, so it might work in his favor to get some fresh attention, separate him from the pack of guys in the same position in the rankings.”

“You did that more than once, didn’t you?” my father asked, jerking his head to usher us toward the door as he swung it open.

“I did—” Cory started, getting cut off when my parent’s dog, Gordon, charged through the open door right at him.

“Gordon, no!” my mother yelled, but the massive shepherd mix ignored her as he jumped right up on Cory, his paws landing on his chest, nearly sending them both falling back down the stairs.

“Hey bud,” Cory said, half-laughing, half-startled, dropping my other bag to steady himself. Gordon sniffed his face, giving his chin a quick lick.

My father laughed. “Gordon welcomes you too.”

“Get down,” I shooshed him back onto all four feet and into the house, looking back at Cory as he followed me in. He was still smiling.

Once inside, my mother approached Cory as he set everything by the foot of the stairs. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” Her words were kind, but she was looking at him with a degree of skepticism that was anything but.

Cory was unfazed. “I’m sorry it’s taken so long, Mrs. Stone, and...” he glanced briefly at my father, before looking back at her. “I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.” He held out his hand for me, and I slipped mine into it, moving eagerly into the spot at his side. The one I fit into every time, like he’d saved it just for me. “I know it’ll take a lot more than a few words to prove it to you, but I want only the best for Skylar. I’d never do anything to hurt her. ”

Her smile finally warmed and her posture relaxed on a sigh. “We’re happy you’re here.”

Cory was right. It was going to take more than that to win them over. But it was a start.

“I’ve got snacks in the living room, but why don’t you get settled in and then we can eat?”

I led Cory up to my old room, feeling a little exposed as I opened the door and realized he was about to learn far more about me from its contents than he ever had in my crappy hotel suite. Married or not, we still had a long way to go in really knowing each other.

“Wow,” he sighed, his eyes moving around the room, a juvenile grin on his face as he took in framed quotes on the wall and the trio of shelves loaded with trophies and medals. My mom had made me keep every one, even after I’d quit riding and seeing them felt like an unhelpful reminder of the past. “Ronnie wasn’t kidding.”

I shook my head, huffing out a sigh as I dropped onto my bed. “For once, my brother wasn’t exaggerating.”

Cory laughed at that, depositing the bags as he spun my way with a look of pride. “No need to tell stories when you’ve got this much metal to back it up. You were really good.” He moved toward the other side of the room, spotting the bookshelf over my desk and I felt a fresh wave of unease. “What’s all this?” he asked, skimming his fingers along the spines of my old textbooks.

“Those are called books.”

He shot me a glare before turning his attention back to them, tilting his read to read the titles. “Psychology. Social work. Adolescent counseling.” He straightened, staring at them a second longer before he came to join me on the bed. “Is that what your degree is in? Psychology?”

“No. I never finished.”

“But that was the plan?”

I shrugged, because it was the plan. Still. It wasn’t the reason I’d married Cory, but the money he was paying me had helped me ima gine a way back to that vision of what my life could look like. “Someday.”

“Someday? What does that mean?” He was curious, grinning at me eagerly.

“It means, if I can get Ronnie into a position where he doesn’t need so much of my time, I can start to take classes again.” I held my breath; it felt risky to say that out loud. I admitted what I wanted so rarely, and only ever to Elle. Telling someone else felt like I might be daring enough to finally move toward it.

He hadn’t taken his eyes off me, like what I was telling him was the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. “That’s what you want to do? You want to be a shrink?”

I laughed. “Not exactly. We had a great high school counselor, and I sort of always wanted to be like her.”

The way he nodded his head, slowly, his lips peeling into a grin like he’d tasted something delicious for the first time. “I could see that.”

My breath skittered out of me. Seeing the conviction in Cory’s gaze spun through me like helium, lifting me up. I felt like I was hovering just the tiniest bit off my bed.

“Yeah?”

He nodded faster this time, his expression more earnest than I’d ever seen it. “Of course. You’re one of the most patient people I know, and you listen better than anyone. Plus, you care.” He hesitated, shrugging one shoulder before he went on. “After my mom died, I had a therapist for a little while. You’ve got the right energy for it. You see things, hear things, that a lot of people miss. Being as compassionate as you are.. .I could see you helping a lot of people.”

I hadn’t expected more of a response than “you can do anything” or some other generally supportive platitude. I was entirely unprepared for that barrage of compliments, or the flutter in my chest from how sure he sounded giving them.

“Thank you,” was all I could manage, my cheeks burning under the heat of his stare. I had to look away .

But Cory tucked his finger under my chin, gently nudging me up to look at him again. “Baby, if this is your dream, you’ve got to go after it.”

“I will,” I swallowed. “But now isn’t the right time.”

His scowl was quick. “You can’t put your life on hold for your brother.”

I could see the argument building in him, but I didn’t want to do this now. “I know that’s what it looks like. But I want to see Ronnie succeed. He’s my little brother and I love him,” I tried to assure him, but his scowl was unrelenting. “Being on the road with him, with you, works for my custody arrangement with Tommy. And I promised my family I’d do this.” I’d never want to let them down. They’d supported me in every other way, delaying my degree was a small price to pay them back for that.

“Your family wants you to be happy.”

I took his face in my hands. “I am happy.”

Right in that moment, I was. Right then everything was working just fine and I didn’t need that to change. Not yet.

Pulling him close, I kissed his lips, a gentle entreaty, hoping he’d let this drop. When I eased back, he was still watching me closely, but the fight was gone from his eyes. “I’m happy.”

“Okay,” he sighed, not looking entirely convinced before he turned to kiss my palm.

“Now let’s go see if we can keep Gordon from mounting you again.” I laughed, shoving off the bed and holding out my hand to him.

“I think he likes me,” Cory said, taking it and following me out. “He’s a smart dog.”