Divine Charity(Divine Creek Ranch 18)(98)
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Luka and Matthias?” he asked with genuine concern in his voice. “I didn’t even know they were back in town.”
Justine said, “The last we saw of them, they were being led out to a patrol car in handcuffs. The house was trashed.”
Her father shook his head in disgust. “It’s time those two grew up.”
Justine asked, “So you’re not pissed over finding out we were out there?”
He shook his head. “I can’t fault you for doing what your mom would’ve done, honey, checking on people you care about when you suspect trouble. Although I hope you’ll avoid that kind of drama if the two of you go out again.”
“Yes, sir,” Noah said without hesitation. “Count on it. I’ll say good night now.”
He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she went inside, the memory of his warm lips on hers still fresh in her memory.
Chapter Sixteen
Val admired Charity’s ass as she strutted through the living room, into the kitchen and the utility room beyond. She was clad in nothing more than a red satin thong and a matching red push-up bra.
He and Ransome were eating bowls of cereal at the table while Justin stood at the kitchen sink buttering a piece of toast.
“Hey, babe! You want some toast?” Justin called as he took the second piece from the toaster.
Suddenly Charity’s destination registered with Val and he turned to Ransome and found him already staring at him, a worried look on his face.
The dryer opened and then they heard a very loud thump. “Thank you, my love,” she called in a strangled voice. “But all I want right now is to kill a motherfucker!”
Justin slowly shook his head and looked at them, pity in his eyes. “I warned you. I fuckin’ warned you. The only time I touch her clothes is to take them off of her. Make this right. I’ll see you later.” Footsteps stomped toward the kitchen and Val felt an honest-to-God chill go down his spine. Justin stalled her for a kiss before heading out the back door, a dark chuckle following him.
He and Ransome studied their bowls of cereal until the presence in the doorway could no longer be ignored. He heard a soft growl and knew it was bad, bad, bad. Then he looked up. Her breasts were heaving and there was a flush in her cheeks.
“I made it easy for you. What did I say about laundry?”
“To just leave your stuff in the hamper, where you put it, separate from everyone else’s,” Ransome said helpfully. He looked up at her and his eyes were riveted on her breasts which Val noticed were jam-packed inside that sexy bra, looking ready to spill out like so much luscious bounty. And his dick got hard. Down boy. So not a good idea right now.
“Honestly, Charity,” he said softly. “We just wanted to help out, with everything going on. We had a half load, and hell, they’re just jeans.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Just jeans? To a woman on a budget with a thirty-four inch inseam, who splurged and spent eighty-five dollars on a pair of embellished designer jeans”—her eyes seemed to blaze hotter and damned if his dick didn’t get a wee bit harder—“they aren’t jeans. They are now high-waters! Fucking capri pants!”
His eyes finally moved from her captivating cleavage down to her lower half. She was literally poured into jeans that didn’t look anything like the last time he’d seen them on her. Saying they were high-waters was being kind. “Oh, shit.”
“Oh, shit is right!”
“Damn,” Ransome said as he turned in his chair. “They’re ruined, aren’t they?”
She took deep, slow breaths, trying to calm down. The combination of fury and hurt in her eyes made him feel even worse.
“I asked only one thing. That you leave my laundry the fuck alone. What else am I going to find that’s ruined?”
Ransome scratched his chin and the look he sent Val’s way said confession was good for the soul.
Charity clued in to the look and said, “What? What else of mine did you wash?”
“Well, we didn’t actually wash them but we found a load of clothing in the washer, and we wanted to do laundry, you know, to help out, and we didn’t want to just put them in a basket and let them sit and get sour, so…”
She looked ready to cry. “Just tell me.”
Ransome opened his mouth to speak, all ready to confess and get it off his chest but Val stopped him and said, “Before we say anything else, we just want you to know that we will replace all the ruined stuff. And I don’t just mean in the future. Today. You can take my debit card and go shopping.”
“You didn’t say ‘if it’s ruined,’ you said ‘all the ruined stuff.’” Her expression transformed as realization dawned and she looked even more ready to cry. “My bras and panties. Where are they?”