The Winter of Regrets Read online

With her eyes closed, Jo replied, “Switch the tags to a cheaper dress and say it was a mistake. We don’t care what it costs. We want her to love the dress.”

  The saleslady eyed Kima questioningly. She seemed to agree. “My mother would tell you the same thing and you know it, Nora. How many dresses did Shelly buy from here? Just tell her it was a mistake and my mother will be in to take care of it.”

  Nora replied, “The dress has a velvet cape, which is extra. Deidra didn’t see that. Should I show it to her?”

  Both Kima and Jo both answered, “Yes!”

  Neither of the wedding dresses were the one, and the other saleslady came out with a frown. Nora walked over with the dress Dee had frowned at and the long velvet cape draped over her arm. The two women whispered together before both went back to the dressing room.

  Within five minutes, Deidra was walking toward the dais with the many mirrors. Jo and Kima sat up and looked at Dee, smiling. The dress was beautiful and had long draping lace sleeves with silver trim. The neckline was a deep V and the dress was covered in shimmering crystals that were scattered as if a fairy had waved a wand over it. Deidre looked like a princess, turning to show them the corset back.

  When Nora placed the hooded cape on her shoulders, both Kima and Jo sighed. Deidra was getting that dress no matter what. The length was perfect with the silver low-heeled pumps she was wearing.

  Kima stood up. “That’s the one Dee! You’re getting it, no arguing!”

  Dee kept turning, looking in the mirrors. “Think Jack will like it?”

  Jo laughed. “Jack wants what is under the dress! Of course he’ll like it. Now, can we please pick out the bridesmaids’ dresses? This heartburn’s killing me.”

  Kima headed over to look at the bridesmaid dresses while Dee changed back into her clothes. It was to be a fall wedding and she hoped that Dee would not pick any orange dresses. Willie would need a different color dress and Kima wished her mother were there to help with all of this. Jo didn’t have to be in the wedding since she was pregnant. She pushed at the dresses until she saw a beautiful shade of moss green. The dress was also a V-neck and she admired it as she held it against herself.

  Dee walked over. “Oh, I love that color! Go try it on, and I’ll look for a dress for Willie. I think, in honor of my mother, I’m going to wear one of Willie’s fairy wing pendants. It will have the color blue and be new; I just need something old now.”

  She began to search through the dresses until she found the same one in a slightly paler color. She handed the dress to Nora and began to look at the flower girl dresses. Little Melora was going to make the perfect flower girl and Dee wanted her dress to be special. Nora handed her a dress that was adorable. It would come right to Melora’s ankles and it had some shimmering crystals on it too.

  It was finally over. Picking out the dresses was hard work! She sat next to Jo and waited for Kima to step out of the dressing room.

  As Kima walked to the dais, Jo clapped. “Kima, it’s lovely and you could wear that again … if there’s anywhere to wear it to. I don’t see Veiko taking you to the country club. I don’t think the clubhouse has fancy dress-up night yet.”

  Kima looked down at Jo and snottily replied, “It’s a good thing you aren’t in the wedding because we’d have to dress you in orange, and it isn’t flattering with that red hair of yours. You’d look like a pumpkin. Remind me to tell mom; we need to find something old for Dee. She has the rest covered.”

  Dee sensed the adopted sisters were tired and cranky and she wanted to go home. Kima went to change into her clothes and Dee made a date to bring the other three girls back to try on their dresses.

  Later, after dropping off the other ladies at their houses, Dee made it home and breathed a sigh of relief. She decided to walk down near the water so she could think a bit about this wedding and the way her life was changing. A small white feather blew down by her feet. At first, she imagined it might be a snowflake; it was that tiny. The wind picked it up and swirled it away again. She smiled and kept walking, knowing that in her heart she had picked the dress that her mother would have loved.

  With the upcoming wedding, she had decided against college. Willie had talked her into opening W and D, Art by the Sea, a small specialty shop that sold things they made. It felt right, and Willie was teaching her how to use a potter’s wheel and other ways to make beautiful things she had never known she could make. A part of her felt free like she was when she was a child. Willie said it was liberating to pound clay, make it into something useful or pretty, and to let your feelings out in painting. Deidra loved that feeling of being free from all the bullshit of her former life. She was not the scared girl she had been when she had told Mad Jack she wanted to wait for her wedding night. It was taking a toll on him and he was often sleeping on the couch in their huge room.

  Tonight after her bath, she planned to fix that.

  This wedding shit had Mad Jack’s nerves wearing thin. He hung out with Thorn a lot lately, who’d help him work on the house. Jack wasn’t really a builder, but he wanted to be able to say he’d helped build his house. He realized a hot shower was just what he needed. He headed to the bathroom, tossing boots and clothing behind him. He let the shower steam up the bathroom before he stepped under the water.

  He had his eyes shut as the water poured down on his body. All of a sudden, a pair of arms wrapped around him.

  “Jack,” Deidra whispered. “I don’t want to wait anymore. I don’t want to wake up and not feel you next to me.”

  He blinked water out of his eyes. “Are you really sure, Dee? We’ve made it this far.”

  Grabbing his cock in her hand, Dee remarked, “He’s sure hard, and if you touch me, I think you’ll find I’m ready and willing.” She rubbed against his wet body suggestively.

  That was all it took. Mad Jack Regan pushed Dee against the tile wall as his fingers found her nipples and stroked them. When Dee began to quiver, Jack leaned in to kiss her as his fingers traveled down her body. Finding her clit, he began to rub it gently as she shook in his arms.

  “Let’s take this to the bed, Dee. I want this to be really good for you.”

  Jack pulled her from the steamy shower and grabbed a towel. Water dripped from his body as he wiped Dee dry. She, in turn, dried him off and knelt down to dry his legs. Mad Jack’s cock brushed against her face and she opened her mouth to invite it in.

  “Dee,” Jack breathed in shock. “You sure you wanna do this?”

  She tongued his cock a bit before replying. “Jack, I said I never had sex. I didn’t say I didn’t know how to suck cock.” Her mouth went back over his cock as she ran her tongue down his length and her fingers tickled his balls. Her nails drew a trail of pleasure as she tickled and ran them up his hard cock.

  Jack had to pull away from her to get them on to the bed. His Deidra never ceased to amaze him. Oddly, it didn’t bother him she wasn’t totally innocent.

  Dee laid naked on the bed, her blonde hair a wet mess and her lips pouty from sucking him. He had loved what her mouth did to his cock and Dee knew it, the little witch! He lay down beside her and kissed her, his hand snaking down her body until he found what he was seeking. Dee moaned into his mouth as his finger entered her. She was dripping wet and he pumped his finger in and out, making her even wetter.

  When Jack was sure she was wet and aching for him, he rolled on top of her and looked deep into her eyes. “Last chance, Dee. Are you sure?”

  “I want it. Just do it fast. If it’s going to hurt, I want it over with fast.” Dee’s breath was burning against his ear.

  Jack did just as she asked and thrust quickly until he was fully inside of her. He looked to see if she was crying, but found her smiling instead.

  They began to move together. She met him thrust for thrust as they built up toward their climax. Jack could feel his spine tingling and his balls drawing up as he felt Dee shuddering. He shot his cum into Dee with deep strokes. Once he finished, he lay on top of her for a few
seconds.

  Suddenly, he jerked up. “Shit, we didn’t use any birth control!” Jack cursed. He rolled off of her and fisted the sheet.

  “No, we didn’t … but what are the chances I’ll get pregnant?” Dee wasn’t worried as she got up to go into the bathroom.

  Jack didn’t reply as he lay on the bed thinking. With his luck, the chances were damn good. He had a lot on his mind and he didn’t want to think about babies.

  Deidra came back and they cuddled together as she told him about finding her dress and how much fun it had been shopping with his sisters.

  He nuzzled into her neck. “I have a favor to ask of you, Dee. Thorn’s wife, Tears—you’ve met her a few times—she really could use a friend.”

  “I told you how I feel about Bound for Hell ol’ ladies,” Dee complained. “I don’t feel right around them. Your sisters are different because they’re family. What if I say the wrong thing? I don’t think it is a good idea. I hate club bullshit. If Thorn was in your club, I’d feel differently.” She pushed her blonde hair out of her face. “What aren’t you telling me, Jack?”

  Mad Jack stared at the ceiling, frustrated. “You know damn well I can’t tell you club business. I’m not asking you to be friends with Tears now. I’m telling you that she needs a friend and … well, Thorn is my brother. Can you be that friend, Dee? Get Willie to be friends with Tears, too. Things are going on that I can’t tell you, but you don’t have to worry.”

  His voice had changed. “Oh shit,” she whispered, realizing it. “Thorn’s club jumping, isn’t he?”

  Jack didn’t answer, staring at the ceiling in silence. He wondered what Nailz and Veiko would have to say. The hint of a smile touched his lips; he hoped it angered the shit out of them. Thorn was like his real brother and family. No more would he let Bound for Hell fuck Thorn over. He fell asleep, content that Thorn would soon see things his way.

  Thorn was already working when Mad Jack strolled into his new house they were building. It was chilly, and Thorn took a break to grab coffee from the thermos Tearney had made for him.

  Jack stood looking around the inside and grinned. “It will be finished sooner than we expected. What are you gonna do after this?”

  “Don’t have a clue,” admitted Thorn. “Go into my bank account again, I guess. This shit with Nailz signing off for me to use Hunter’s money is ridiculous. He knows nothing about how to run the Lodge.” Thorn sneered. “I really wonder what the fuck Hunter was thinking. I knew about Elena, but not Nailz. That makes no sense, and I’m going to talk to Edward and Peter about breaking the will. I keep going over everything in my mind and it makes no sense at all.” He cursed as he burned his lip on the coffee. He poured the rest of the cup out the door and slammed the cup on top of the thermos.

  “I didn’t want to break my word to Hunter, but I gotta tell you some shit you ain’t gonna like.” Jack looked his friend in the eyes. “I knew about Hunter being sick, and so did Kima. He made us promise not to tell you. I helped him when you were busy. Drove him to the VA hospital a few times. Took him to the lawyer when he was whacked out on painkillers once. Neither my cousin Edward nor Peter were there, but some fat bitch lawyer grabbed him up and got him into her office. I don’t know what went on, but one of the secretaries put up a fuss and said only Edward and Peter were to deal with your dad. Hunter asked me to look out for you, bro. I didn’t know how to talk to you about your dad dying, man. I didn’t know what the hell to say to you.” Jack ran his hand over his face. “Say something, bro. If you’re pissed or want to hit me, do it.”

  Thorn sat down on a spackle bucket. “It’s all good. Hunter did what the hell he wanted. I’m not surprised, really. He was in no shape to drive to the hospital. I wondered how he was getting there. He went so fast though, you know … I wondered why there was no letter for Kima. Hunter considered all of us his kids. Remember how we used to piss him off when we’d take the boats out and forget to fill the tanks back up? He’d piss and moan so bad, it was funny as hell. Or how about when I decided to teach Kima how to hunt? Fuck, was he pissed off at me! And it ended up saving her life. We have lots of great memories, don’t we?” He pulled out a cigarette and cupped his hand over it to light it.

  “Yeah, we do,” Jack agreed, “and there’s no way you’re going to beg Nailz for money, either. You should consider jumping over to Nefarious. There’s money to be made in my club and I talked to your dad about it.” Jack pulled a pack of rolling papers and a small baggie of pot out of his jacket. He pushed some wood shavings off a worktable and began to roll a joint. He wondered how long it would take his words to get a reaction from Thorn. He looked at him, but Thorn was staring out at the water.

  Jack took a deep breath. “I know a guy looking to get a commercial fishing boat to go out and grab some bricks of hash and whatever out of the pots. The drug boats drop them in the pots and you get good money picking it up. He wants it dropped off at a duck blind in Beach View over near my parent’s house. You’d never see him and I’d be paying ya. I really didn’t want to suggest it, but if you’re hurting that bad …” Jack lit the joint up, took a deep toke, then passed it to Thorn.

  “If I got caught, I’d be facing losing the Lena and jail time. I love that boat; I worked on it with Hunter. I know that deal, Jack. You did it at times but you had a faster boat. I don’t want to lose everything I’ve got and my wife while I rot in jail, bro. Why would Hunter think I’d club jump?” He was curious to know what his dad had thought of that idea. He took a hit off the joint and passed it back to Jack.

  Jack stood with his back to the door, the sunlight picking up the blond highlights in his hair as he ran his hand through it. “Look, I suggested it and I told him all the reasons why it was a good idea. As soon as you married Tears, I knew it wasn’t gonna work being in the same club as Nailz. I told Hunter it was never gonna work because Nailz is a know-it-all fucker and a prick. At least Veiko is more reasonable, and so is Jersey. Trust me, that’s why I went to Nefarious—same reason JJ did. Too much family in a club and shit gets personal. I’m not gonna trash your club, but it’s fucked up. I’ve never felt good about them since they let that fucker Rabid get my sister. Nailz isn’t up on his game anymore or he’d have saved my sister. Kima and I are tight and it didn’t take me long to figure out that you and Hunter helped her. She never told me details, but I’m not stupid. What the hell did Nailz do for her? Nothing!”

  Thorn snorted. Jack toked on the joint before grinding the last of it into the floor.

  “And get this shit,” Jack went on. “Jo calls my mother up and tells her Kima isn’t cleaning, cooking, or taking care of Josie. My mother believes that bullshit, too. When Kima finds out Jo’s backstabbing her, it’ll be a huge blow-up, mark my words. Sure as hell won’t be me telling her, either. Jo’s jealous my great aunt gave Kima more than half of her assets with that marina, gas station, and all that shit.” Jack grew serious as he looked at Thorn. “You know Kima is going to be pissed. Best thing Jo can do is stick close to my mother. That might save her jealous ass. Bound for Hell isn’t gonna do you any favors, bro. What have they done for you since Hunter died?” He moved into the room and began to roll another joint.

  Thorn took all that in and wondered what the hell was going on with the people around him. Jealousy seemed to be a key factor lately, along with money. He had to ask, “What kinda deal did Kima get?”

  Jack licked the rolling paper and ran his finger down the joint. “Anya gave my sister sixty percent of the garage, marina, gas station, house, and the general store and cottages. In return, my sister helps her live in one of the cottages for as long as she can. My dad and Veiko made a deal for a loan, but fucking Nailz got in at ten percent. He wants a place close to a garage with land to store his heavy-duty equipment he’s buying for his new business.”

  Thorn whistled at that. “That so?”

  Jack shrugged. “Veiko does the mechanics, so it made sense. Not to me, though. I’d have kept Nailz out of it. Shelly and I
aren’t upset because Kima’s always been Anya’s favorite. However, Jo’s pissed about the whole thing. Feels it’s unfair, or some shit my mother said. Like Nailz parents don’t have enough money for her. I don’t like the way she’s acting, but my mom says it’s being pregnant or hormones or some shit. Jo’s always been jealous of Kima. You saw how they were as teenagers. It sucks, and it’s all going to blow the fuck up. Kima is blood and Jo isn’t, bottom line for me. Hormones, my ass! Dee had better not get like that when she gets knocked up. I don’t want any babies for a while. How about you and Tears?”

  Thorn laughed. “No babies here either, brother. My ol’ lady wants to go to school. She’s going over to ask Nailz to help her again today. My guess is that isn’t going to happen. What about the diner and the house behind it? Who got that?” He was curious about what was going on with his new rival in Sea Woods.

  Lighting the joint, Jack replied after exhaling, “Pennsylvania cousins, my crazy Aunt Nadia’s daughters. You remember, she died and we had her three daughters one summer—Dawn, Denise, and that monster Darla. Anya used to take them sometimes, and they are causing my uncles issues. My Uncle Alex decided to buy the diner and house from Anya to get them a business. I ain’t ever eating there, although I heard Dawn can cook. My mom is so happy about it, too. They’ll all be here for the wedding. I guess it will be good for the Lodge to have local food. I’m betting my mother hooks poor JJ up with one of them. As long as it isn’t the monster, I don’t care. All of them look a lot like Kima, except my sister is prettier. You know she went out shopping with Dee for a dress yesterday.”

  Thorn smiled finally. “I heard. And we’re going to go over there for dinner tonight. I worry about Kima, to be honest. Never really liked her hooking up with Veiko. Something seemed wrong about their ages, but I hooked up with Tears who is young, too. Go figure. We gonna work or smoke pot all day? I’m on the clock, y’know.”

  Jack lay down on the floor and laughed. “Fuck working for now. I say we smoke another joint and go get some lunch. We’ll work after lunch, and I’ll still pay you for a full day. Thorn, seriously, think about coming over to my club. It makes the most sense. I’ve asked Darko and he really wants you. He’ll work out the details with Tramp or Veiko. If you wanna talk to him, we could go over to Dirty Deeds for lunch.” Jack watched his friend’s face. Thorn wasn’t saying yes or no, but he nodded in agreement.