Page 7

I nodded, then said, “Let me grab my clutch.”

Once I had it in hand, Carter took my keys from me and locked my house up.

Then, with his hand at the small of my back, he led me to his truck.

Once he opened my door for me, I climbed in, and then he shut the door.

Minutes later, we were headed to the banquet.

A song had come on, and just like Carter and I usually did, we sang along, laughing when we missed the notes.

He turned on his blinker and then pulled into a parking lot where a bunch of vehicles were already parked.

Once he found a parking spot, he looked at me, “You okay to walk?”

I smiled, then nodded, “Yeah.”

He nodded, “Okay. Feet start to hurt, just tell me, yeah?”

I nodded, then asked, “If they do start to hurt, what are you going to do about it?”

He winked as he turned the truck off and opened his door, “You’re never too old for a piggyback ride.”

I tossed my head back and laughed.

With his help, I climbed out of his truck, and then he offered me his arm.

Smiling I slid my arm through his and rested my hand in the crook of his elbow, his neck bent as he said, “If I don’t remember to say it, thank you for coming with me tonight.”

I winked, “Anytime.”

The banquet was being held in the Citizens’ Center.

Round tables with white linens were set up around the room, each with at least fifteen chairs.

A long table, or rather, a bunch of what looked to be nine-foot tables, were pushed together and held what I presumed to be food.

Then, at the right of the room, a stage was set up with a table behind it, holding plaques.

A few men called out greetings to Carter, well, it was more like half of the room’s occupants, and when the last man had said hello, Carter bent his neck and whispered, “I need at least one drink in me before this starts. Do you want one?”

I giggled but nodded.

Once we made it to the bar, he ordered a beer and a vodka cranberry for me.

I had just taken a sip when a man and a woman, I knew had to be related, walked over to where we were standing, to the left of the bar.

Carter held out his hand to him as he said, “Ready to get this shit show over with?”

The man nodded, “Yeah. Then we can relax for a year, only to do it again.”

I looked at the woman who smiled at me, then held out her hand. “Apparently, Carter and my brother have no manners. I’m Tatum, Granger’s sister.”

I winked at her as I offered her my hand, “I know, right. I’m Harlee. A friend of Carter’s.”

For some reason, her eyes widened.

I was about to ask if something was wrong when Carter chuckled, garnering my attention.

“Leave it to the two of you to call us out. Harlee, this is my best friend, Granger Rogers. Granger, this is Harlee Murray.” Carter said.

Granger took me in, then glanced at Carter, then back to me, “Any friend of Carter’s is a friend of mine,” he said as he offered me his hand, “Pleased to meet you, Harlee, friend of Carter.”

And no, I didn’t miss the way he emphasized the word friend.

Which was why I handed my drink to Tatum as I asked, “Hold this for a sec?”

She nodded, then took my glass.

With my hands free, they went to my hips as I narrowed my gaze at Carter, and damn it all to hell, even with the three-inch heels, he still towered over me, but I didn’t let that stop me.

“What have you been saying about me?” I asked, glaring at him.

He smiled, shook his head, “Just random things. Promise.”

Granger took a pull of his own beer, and I swore I heard, “Random things my ass.”

Tatum smiled as she handed me back my drink, “I think I’m going to like you, Harlee.”

I grinned and knew I was going to be returning the sentiment when she followed my actions with her own hands on her hips, glaring at Granger and Carter.

“Were the two of you raised in a barn?”

I smiled, “Tatum?”

She glared at them, then looked at me, and lost that glare, “Think I’m going to like you too.”

Apparently, everyone needed a drink, before this thing got started.

Because the right side of the room, where the bar was, was crowded.

Granger had walked off to see where we were all sitting, asking us to keep Tatum with us.

I had just told Tatum about how I met Carter, through his younger sister Talia, when I felt Carter stiffen at my side.

That’s when I heard a man ask, “So, who is this?”

I looked at where I heard the voice, at the same time, Carter growled, “None of your fucking business.”

Granger came up behind him, clapped him on his shoulder, and I watched as the man winced, then looked over his shoulder, and then he fled.

Which had Granger and Carter chuckling, “Damn. He really can’t help himself.”

“Who was he?” I asked.

“He’s the creeper that none of us wants to work with. But... he’s the owner’s nephew.” Carter said with a sigh.

“So, we can’t kill him,” Granger pouted.

I laughed as Granger’s sister simply shook her head, “I swear, I love you, big brother, but I’m not coming to one of these again.”

Granger sighed, “If this stuff wasn’t mandatory, I wouldn’t come either.”

I looked at Tatum and asked, “Care to go check out the food?”

She nodded, “Yeah. And it better be edible. I’m not a rabbit.”

I giggled and nodded.

Together, Tatum and I headed for the tables with food atop them, as Granger and Carter fell into step behind us.

And seeing the food... well... I wouldn’t even feed it to my dog.

And I didn’t have a dog.

Needless to say, by the time we were asked to take our seats, all of our stomachs had been growling.

A few people braved the food table, but they all seemed to take a few bites and then leave their plates untouched.

Rewards were given out.

Carter received a reward for his dedication and his time at being with the company for sixteen years.

Once he was back at our table, I leaned over and asked, “You’ve had to come to sixteen of these?”

He looked down at me and nodded.

Since it was him, knowing there was no one else I’d ever offer it to, I said, “I’ll come to the rest of them with you. If you want.”

He winked, “Appreciate that, Darling.”

That was something else I’d started noticing.

He didn’t call me Darling that often.

It had honestly started about three weeks after I graduated from high school.

And only then, when something I had said or done meant something to him, did he refer to me as Darling.

Granger sighed, and then I looked at him and asked, “Everything okay?”

Tatum nodded, “Yeah, just this woman that won’t take a hint.”

I grinned, then looked at Granger and asked, “Care to have some help?”

Carter laughed, “Take her up on it. Trust me.”

Granger nodded, then handed me his phone, “Name is Kendra.”

I found her name, then pressed the button.

And I also pressed the speaker button.

Putting it in front of me, I listened to it ring, and on the third ring I heard, “Granger, baby, finally. When are you going to put me out of my misery? I’ve been patient long enough. It’s time you made a woman out of me.”

I paused, then said, “Oh, sugar, I am so sorry. It took forever to get Granger in my bed, too. But let me tell you something, it was so worth the wait. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love his big dick, but I didn’t like pushing his six kids out of my vagina.”

Granger’s mouth dropped open indignantly.

Carter’s shoulders were shaking in laughter.

Tatum was giggling.

Kendra gasped, then, “Really? Wait... who is this?”

“Oh, I’m the mother of his six kids,” I said.

And I waited.

Kendra said moments later, “Wait, he has kids?”

I grinned, “In my dreams, he does. My name is Harlee. I was currently in a meeting with him. I’m his lawyer.

When he told me about a woman who needed to learn what the word no meant, I demanded to speak to you.

You make all the women who have said no weep in tears.

You should be ashamed of yourself. And if you don’t stop contacting him, you will be served with a cease-and-desist order, as well as a restraining order, and anything else I can pin on you. ”

I took a breath, and a shot in the dark, then said, “I have records of all the text messages you’ve sent to him that he hasn’t replied to.

I also have proof of when he told you no, as well as the missed calls and voicemails.

Believe me, I’ve gotten people to back off with a whole lot less.

Now, please make my day and push me. It’s been a while since I’ve had fun. ”

And then, the call ended.

She hung up on me.

“I’m half tempted to call her back and bitch her out for hanging up on me,” I muttered as I handed the phone back to Granger.

And then all at once, a round of applause sounded around me, as a few people laughed.

“Remind me to never piss you off,” Granger said.

Tatum grinned, “I so need your number, girl.”

Granger looked at Carter, who was smiling widely, “She’s done this kind of thing before?”

Carter nodded, “Oh yeah. She can be vicious when she wants to be. And when my family has an issue, they always call Harlee. She’ll either roast someone verbally or take the attention off one of us and point it elsewhere.”

I grinned, then shrugged my shoulders. “I might be small, but I’m mighty.”

Tatum chimed in then, “Want to call her and see if she blocked you?”

Granger grimaced, “Nope.”

“Speaking of blocking, why haven’t you done it already?” Carter asked him.

Granger looked at him, “You can do that?”

Carter shook his head. “Hand me your phone.”

Once he blocked Kendra’s number, he handed Granger back his phone.

“How’d you know you could do that?” I asked him.

He winked down at me, “First, it was Talia who did it for Garrick. Pamela. Then she did it for me. Janie. And so on and so on.”

I nodded.

Granger shook his head as he pocketed his phone, then, like it was a symphony, his stomach growled, followed by Tatum’s, then Carter’s, then mine.

I chimed in then, “Y’all got plans after this?”

They both shook their heads.

At that, I looked up at Carter, “Swing by Gusher’s and actually eat some real food?”

He winked, “Sounds good.”

“Gushers?” Granger asked.

“Is that a pun?” Tatum asked.

I grinned.