Redemption, H.L.B. Adams [grave mercy txt] 📗

up into the truck. “Bye beautiful,” Rick said grinning and wiggling his eyebrows. Ann just laughed and drove off.

 

Jason walked into Ann’s apartment at seven thirty. “Hey little orphan Annie,” he called as he shut the door. “Hey, don’t call me that. You know I hate that nick name. And stay in there I’m not dressed yet,” Ann yelled. “Okay, you can come on back now.”

Jason walked into Ann’s bedroom and just stopped. She looked hot was all he could think. She was wearing a little white sundress. He wanted to cover her up. He couldn’t take his sister, practically his sister, out with her dressed like that. “You’ve got to change,” he said seriously.

“Why? Do I look that bad? I know it’s a little young looking for me, but I thought I might be able to pull it off. Damn, I spent all that money on something that doesn’t even look good,” Ann said depressed as she went to her closet to find something else to wear.

“It’s not that it doesn’t look good. It looks to good. You need to be a little more covered up,” Jason said.

“Oh, do I look like a slut?” Ann asked worried for a completely different reason now.

“No, but I can’t have my sister looking like that.” Ann laughed. “I’m not your sister.”

“You’re practically my sister,” Jason said.

“Yeah, that’s true, but I’m not going to change for that reason,” Ann said and went into the bathroom to put her make-up on.

“Okay, fine don’t change,” Jason said following her into the bathroom. “So, I hear you’ve finally decided to give Rick a chance,” he said wiggling his eyebrows. Ann laughed. “Well it worked everyone in town’s talking about it, but no Rick and I are just friends.”

“Oh, so you’ve decided to do the casual thing now,” Jason said knowing the answer.

“Of course not, Jay, it was just a joke,” Ann said looking shocked. “Rick knew all the talk about the whole Brandon thing was getting to me, so he decided to give them something else to talk about.”

“And you’re okay with them saying you and Rick are together?”

“Yeah, we’re not really together, and eventually everyone will figure out it was just a big joke. And if it keeps them from talking about the Brandon situation then all the better,” Ann said as she put on eyeliner.

“Okay,” Jason said, “So, what did all of their faces look like when he kissed you? I heard it was a real dramatic kiss.”

“Oh it was hilarious,” Ann said laughing about it again. “It was so dramatic they should have realized it was just a joke. I mean it was obvious.” Jason laughed and said, “I heard he dipped you.”

“Yeah, that should have been their first clue. Who dips someone just to kiss them? I mean if they’re dancing sure, but we weren’t, and if that wasn’t enough of a hint all the laughing before and after should have been.”

“Yeah, but you know how people are around here. They like to believe every little piece of gossip. It makes life a little more interesting,” Jason said and laughed at the image of Rick and Ann laughing through the big dramatic kiss, it really was comical.

“You know I’ve secretly wanted you to go out with Rick for the past few years? I’m not saying marry him, just go out and have fun. He’s a good guy, Ann,” Jason said.

“I know he’s a good guy, but…”

“Just not the right guy for you,” Jason interrupted, “I get. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’ve just been thinking you need to get out there and live a little. You’re not just a mom you know. I figured Rick would be a good stepping stone.”

“A stepping stone, really Jason, that’s mean,” Ann said looking at him shaking her head.

“I’m trying to mean, and you know I don’t mean it that way.”

“I know. I get it. You worry about me. You want me to be happy, but I am happy, Jason. And when I’m ready to date again, when I meet someone I want to date, I will,” Ann said as she finished putting on her make-up. She turned around and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “But thanks anyway. You’re a good friend. I’m lucky I have you to worry about me.”

Jason and Ann left a little while later. “So, where are we going?” Ann asked as she got into Jason’s truck. “It’s a surprise,” he said as he pulled out onto the road.

A few minutes later they arrived at their destination. “Shakey’s, really?” Ann asked laughing. “And here I thought you were taking me somewhere special, not the local honkey tonk.”

“Hey, just getting you out of the house makes it a special occasion,” Jason said laughing as he got out of the truck.

Ann was surprised to realize that she was enjoying herself. She hadn’t done this in years. She drank and danced. She was hit on more times in one night than she had been in six years. It felt nice, but she still turned them all down. They weren’t what she was looking for. Jason never left her side the whole night. For a man who thought she needed to date, he sure wasn’t acting like it. He would stare down any man who dared to ask her to dance. Ann thought it was hilarious. He wanted her to be happy, but he wasn’t any more ready for her to date than she was. The man was way too over protective.

 

Chapter Five

 

Sunday evening came slowly in Ann’s mind. After her night out Friday she hopped the weekend would go by a little faster, but no she just couldn’t be that lucky. She was looking out her living room window when Brandon pulled up. She was out the front door before he got out of the car. “Impatient much?” he asked.

“I missed my baby,” Ann said as she walked to the car to help Mackenzie out of the back seat.

“Hey Mommy,” Mackenzie said excitedly as she crawled out of the back seat. “Dad and I stayed up late both nights and watched movies, and we went to the book fair yesterday, and went fishing today.”

“Sounds like you had a wonderful time,” Ann said smiling.

“Yep, and did you know Dad was an all-star running back in high school?”

“Yes I did. I was at every game cheering him on,” Ann said as she followed her little girl into the apartment. “Well I’m goin’ to go put my new books up,” Mackenzie said as she ran off to her room with a bag full of books.

“So, how was your weekend?” Brandon asked with a slight edge to his voice.

“Fine, I got caught up on all of my work,” Ann said looking at him.

“I heard you did more than that.”

“Okay, but you do remember how small town gossip is right, not all that reliable.”

“Well, this seems to have been. Seeing as I’ve seen the pictures. I don’t know if I think you are that great of a role model for my daughter. Really Ann, you make out with Rick at the dinner, and the go on a date with Jason in the same night. I never thought you’d turn into a slut, but I guess I was wrong,” Brandon said in a viscous whisper, and Ann punched him. “Where the hell do you get off calling me a slut? You know damn well I’m just friend with both Rick and Jason. Plus you have no damn right to say a damn word about who I see and who I don’t.”

“I have every right,” Brandon said touching his nose to make sure it wasn’t broke. “You are the mother of my child, and I want have you doing anything that affects her in a bad way. You being a whore does that.” This time Ann hit him hard enough to have his head snapping back.

“You don’t know a damn thing, and the next time you decide to call someone a slut or a whore you better get your fucking facts straight. Now get the hell out of my house.”

“It’s not house. It’s a fucking apartment. What you’re not good enough in the sack to get one of them to pay for you a house.”

“Get the fuck out, now, before I do something we will both regret.”

“Let me say good bye to my daughter first.”

“No! Get the hell out, now, before I call the cops and have you arrested for harassment,” Ann said as she pushed him toward.

“What the hell Ann. I’ll be back, for my daughter,” Brandon said walking out of the apartment.

Ann stood at the door gathering her composure. “Mommy,” Mackenzie said coming back into the living room. “Had dad already left?”

“Yeah sweetie. He had something important he had to take care of. He told me to tell you good bye and he loves you,” Ann said turning around. “Hey, do you want to go over to Sarah’s and play for a little while. Mommy needs to run a few errands.”

“Sure,” Mackenzie said.

Ann grabbed her keys and she and Mackenzie left. She dropped Mackenzie off at Sarah’s house and went to Jason’s. She barged in house and yelled, “Jason, where the hell are you?”

“Right here,” Jason said walking out of the kitchen looking worried. “What’s wrong?”

“That mother fucker had the audacity to call me a whore, and threaten to take my daughter away from me,” she said and just like that her anger dissipated and the tears started to flow. Jason hurried to her and wrapped his arm around her. “Calm down Annie. Shh, just calm down and start at the beginning,” Jason said holding her.

Ann pulled back and took a deep breath. She walked over to the couch and just collapsed. “When Brandon dropped Mackenzie off he accused me of being a slut because he had heard about Rick kissing me in the dinner and about me going out with you. I punched him, and told him he was wrong. But he wouldn’t listen. I hit him again and told him to get out of my house. Then he said that it wasn’t a house, it was an apartment and that as wasn’t good enough in the sack to get one of you pay for me a house. I told him to get out before I called the cops and had him arrested for harassment. He told me he would be back for his daughter,” Ann said and began to cry again.

Jason stood there shocked. He couldn’t believe that Brandon would ever say anything like that about Ann, but he obviously had. Part of Jason wanted to stay there and comfort Ann, but another part of him wanted to beat the shit out of Brandon. The latter won out and he ran out of the house, hopped in his truck, and took off to Brandon’s.

Jason found Brandon in the back yard. “You son of a bitch,” Jason said and when Brandon turned around to face him, he punched him. This time Brandon’s nose broke. Jason didn’t wait for Brandon to retaliate before he threw another punch. Brandon blocked that one and fought back, but they had always been evenly matched in a fight. A few minutes they were both wore out, bruised,