Grandpa died when I was young, and I can’t remember him at all. My mother died when I was born, and he followed soon after her. I’m not sure how my grandma survived losing her husband and her daughter so close together. Another reason I wouldn’t let her lose me.

“He’d light up whenever he looked at you. He loved you so much.” I love when she talks about my grandfather. Her whole face warms, and the love she has for him shows even after all these years of him being gone. I want a love like that one day. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day I’ll find that. I’ll just have to suffer through this marriage for a while and enjoy the time I have left with my grandmother. Life seems to be about living day to day at this point.

I reach over, handing her back the ring box, and she puts it in her bedside table. “Your grandpa got me that ring because he wanted to make me happy. It’s what he always wanted for his family. It’s a beautiful ring that he worked so hard for. And to me, it’s a sign of the purest love and devotion.” She smiles at me, and I can’t help but wish for that kind of love and happiness.

I know she wants me to be happy. Happiness is all she and my grandfather ever wanted for me. It’s a bitter pill to swallow because this wedding is a lie. I’ll be miserable.

“Life is about being true to yourself and finding the love you deserve. It’s too short to do it any other way.” She rests her head back on her pillow, and I can tell she’s tired and probably needs one of her pills. She’s right, though. Maybe I can soak as much up as I can before I walk down the aisle to my fate.

Getting up from the bed, I go to the bathroom, get her pills, and fill her glass of water. Placing them next to her bed, I lean down and give her a kiss.

“I’m so happy you’re marrying someone from here. I missed you so much when you were away at school.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Grandma. I promise.”

Seven

Paine

I’m losing my fucking mind, I think to myself as I see a clearly freshly fucked Tammy leave Scott’s law office, which sits in the center of town. Not ten minutes later, I see Scott exit his office, throw a bag in the trunk of his car, and turn, spotting me sitting on my motorcycle. I stare at him, and I can tell by the look on his face the whispers have already reached his ears.

He straightens his suit and starts to head my way. He thinks because we’re in the middle of town and he’s a lawyer, I won’t lay his ass out. He’s wrong. Normally, I wouldn’t. Not over something stupid or petty. But Penelope’s more than that, and she’s definitely worth a night in jail. Though I couldn’t track her that night if I was. I don’t like the idea of not being able to have my eyes on her if I wanted to. I sound like a stalker, but I don’t give a shit. If tracking my girl and showing up at random places keeps her out of another man’s hands, you can label me however you want, and I’ll wear that title proudly.

“Can’t you run over to Kirksville if you need to get your dick wet, Paine? I’ve never known you to dip into the local girls.”

My whole body goes rock solid at his words. Did he really just talk about the woman he was going to marry like that? Not only that, but he was just fucking local pussy himself. But that’s nothing new. I never understood the guys who chased women around here. Everyone would just be fucking each other at the end of the day. Not something that sounded appealing to me.

“I’ve never let Tammy suck my cock in the back of Smokey’s, no matter how much she begged me to do it. So it seems I’m not the one getting my dick wet.”

I know we aren’t talking about Tammy, but I want him to know I’m on to his games. He hasn’t had my girl because she’s still cherry sweet and waiting for me to take it. I don’t know what’s going on with these two, but things aren’t adding up. I don’t see a girl like Penelope letting her man run around on her, so maybe she doesn’t know, or maybe she doesn’t care. She doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who just wants to be kept and made into a little trophy. I might have thought that when she first strolled into my office, but the woman I had in my arms while I ate her cunt this afternoon was nothing like that. She was different, no matter how this situation appears to be.

His eyes harden at my words. Seems Scott thought he was the only one Tammy liked to suck off. No, Tammy just goes for anyone with money. I may not be as flashy with mine as Scott is, but I make a good living, and that’s something someone like Tammy can easily sniff out.

“Stay away from her,” Scott says, the smugness he first had now long gone from his words.

“Who are we talking about here, Scott?” I bait him, because I’m not totally sure. He didn’t seem too pissed when he was warning me off Penelope, but one comment about Tammy and his tone completely changes.

“My fianc—”

I’m off my bike before he can finish the word. No way can I bear to hear him call her that. Not fucking happening. I have him by his suit jacket, lifting him so he’s eye level with me.

“Paine. Let him go.”

I feel Law’s hand come down on my shoulder, and I let go of Scott with enough force to send him falling to the ground. He’s lucky the Sheriff showed up.

“I’m pressing charges!” Scott shouts, picking himself up off the ground and dusting the dirt off his suit.

Law lets my shoulder go, shaking his head at me. Shit, I should have had better control. No way Law isn’t going to throw my ass in jail after I just tossed his soon-to-be (or so he thinks) brother-in-law to the ground.