Drinkin’ You Up.

Wayne's POV

I spent the whole day and most of the night at Mama's helpin’ her reign in Blake. That is until Mama got called into work and she all but begged me to watch Blake until Alan got home. He was working double shift at the Mill, I reluctantly agreed. What was a man to do when his Mama basically begged.

Hugh really pisses me off how he acts like he owns my Mama's time. He owns the grocery store in town where Mama works. He all but loses it when she's not there handling his business, for shit pay. She's been there too long, almost twenty years and Hugh has been the fifth owner since she's been there. He made her a manger which would be great, but he expects her to ask, "how high" when he says "jump." I roll my eyes and push my legs harder into the dirt road I'm running down.

Blake was a wild child. Into everything, runs everywhere and is always two minutes away from a meltdown. He was a five-year-old boy on steroids. I love the little guy but when Alan finally got home, I was excited to leave.

Until Alan walked in the house looking like death. He said “Hi.” to his Blake, ruffed his son's hair then walked back to his bedroom and fell onto the bed. I protested many times. The only response I got was the middle finger.

So, I sat with Blake until Mama got home. She made me a late dinner and by the time I was home I was exhausted. I woulda loved to hit Lucky's and had a beer or two. Maybe took another woman home but instead I just went to bed. Kids, I have no idea what possess people to create offspring, I shake my head as I run.

I ran until I seen an all too familiar red Dodge truck pull into Old Man Jack's drive. Comin’ from the opposite direction I was running, I ran up to Smitty and Timmy Boy as they got out of Smitty's truck.

"Already at it?" Smitty asked.

"Always." I say breathing in heavily through my nose.

"Did Bailey come ask ya for anythin'? Aunt Donna told my Mama she was pretty shaken up yesterday."

"Nah, I was at my Mama's yesterday. Her lights were off when I pulled in."

"Fuck that, how was Tracey?" Timmy Boy asked. I looked at him confused.

"The blonde with the tits." Smitty said.

"Oh, shit."

That's her name.

"That's her name." I said out loud.

"Really?" Timmy Boy said. Smitty rolled his eyes he was about to say something when Old Man Jack's front door swung open.

"Damn." I breath looking at the cute woman standing in-front of me on ol’ Jack’s brown porch. Her hair a wild mess from sleep and normally women in the morning did not look appealin’ to me. But doggone it was she finer than any dixie chick I've seen. Smitty hit the back of my head with a thud. Making me look at him instead of the hot lil mess in front of me. I shoot him a glare as I rub the back of my head. Damn that one hurt.

I look at the beautiful lil woman standing in the door half naked. I did not care one bit that I was gawking at her in front of her cousins. She wore the same shirt as yesterday but no shorts. It barely covered her panties and man do I wish I could just rip it off.

"Do you always answer the door like that?" Smitty's stern voice came to my ear but I barley registered it.

He only used that voice on the women of his family. Mr. Protector of the Smitt women. I almost rolled my eyes at the thought. She gave him a confused look and damn even that was cute. She fiddled with her hair as if that was the reason Darren scolded her. Her shirt rode up slightly and by God I wanted to see more. She looked at Timmy, then her eyes landed back on me. Yeah, baby. Drink me in, just like I'm drinkin' on you. I smile at her. God, her tan legs maybe short but they were a site.

Smitty cleared his throat in an irritating way and Bailey blushed like the damn cutie she is. She looked down, her eyes grew wide takin’ in her own clothing.

"Fricking ay!" We heard her mutter before she slammed the door. Timmy began laughin' but I just kept looking at that brown door where that damn little fox went into.

"Do not even think about it." I look at Smitty. I could feel my face break into a stupid ass smile.

"What?" I say innocently. Smitty's eyes narrowed in on me.

"Imma say this and Imma only sayin’ it once. Leave her be." He said sternly.

I just smile at him. "So, you're tellin’ me she's single." Before he could hit me again, I ducked and started jogging backwards.

"I mean it! You nasty bastard!" Smitty called out. I just chuckled, Timmy Boy did too.

Smitty elbowed his baby brother in the side.

"Uff.. what the fuck Darren!"

"Shut it." Smitty said narrowin’ his eyes at me. I continue to laugh turning from them and makin’ my way into my house.

The only thing I could think of gettin’ into my shower, were them damn short, tanned legs of Ms. Bailey Smitt around me in the most scandalous of way.

Imma fuck that woman, I promised myself. Not Smitty not no one -except her of course- could tell me what the fuck I can and can't do with her. Friend or not she's just too sweet to pass up. I mean, I would most definitely pass her back the next morning. I'm not doing the relationship thing but maybe if she's as good as I imagine she is. Maybe she could get a few rounds with me.

Once I was ready for the day Mama's name popped up in my phone like every day. I pick up on the second ring.

"Hey, Mama."

"Hey, honey...”

It's never good when she goes on callin’ me honey. All I can think is What the hell does my crazy Mama want.

"I ain't babysittin' that little rascal again." I tell her before she could ask.

"No... no Alan's home with him. You know he doesn't work weekends."

"Okay, good." I say grabbin’ my fishin' supplies. Billy and I had planned a day of fishin' today and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my day.

"What are you doin' today?"

"Fishin' with Billy." I tell her.

"Ugh, why are you even friends with that asshat!" she asked with disgust.

"Billy's a good buddy, Mama he's been my longest buddy."

Mama knows this but still gives me hell for it. Billy has always drove her crazy since we were kids. She is convinced he was the one gettin' me into trouble as kids but honestly it was the other way around.

"Yeah, yeah, anyhow have you heard the latest town gossip?" She asks. I wanted to groan at. No Mama I'm not a woman and I have no interest. Is what I wanted to say but knew better than to.

"No, Mama." I tell her. She begins with who's sleeping with who and all the other small-town drama, that I'm sure all small towns have. I was barley listening just giving her small response here and there to please her. Until I heard her say.

"Oh... and Bailey Smitt is in town! Donna Smitt came by yesterday and told me she turned into a sweet, lil peach. She's 'bout to be a teacher too."

Mama loved Donna. She was her favorite customer. Donna Smitt also helped Alan get his job down at the Mill after Blake was born.

"Yeah, Smitty told me to look out if she needs a helpin' hand."

"That's good cause ya know that girl was left the Mill by Jack."

"Really?" This surprised me. What the hell is a girl like her gonna do with a cotton mill. At the same time ya can’t always believe what ya hear from the gossip mill in this town.

"Yeah, she got everythin, I mean everythin’. I can't believe that chubby little girl gets ownership of the whole Smitt Cotten empire. I thought everything but his money would go to Daryl and Leroy..."

"She's not chubby." I cut in and for what reason I don't know.

"Oh... no?" She said coyly.

Fuck!

Why did I not just let her talk. I wanted to bang my head against my front door because I knew exactly where this was goin.'

"You met her? What's she like?"

"I just seen her is all, Mama."

"Oh... well I hear she's a sweet girl, a good girl, you need a good girl, baby."

"Ma, I do not need any woman. How many times do we gotta go through this."

Mama huffs at me. "Well, you hadn't had a girl for more than one night since Miranda, that damned bitch."

"Don't call her that." I clip out. She was right. Miranda gutted my heart out and put it through the ringer. We were dumb high school kids and it ended when she went to college and met Stephan. I've never been the same, not with women anyway.

"Well, well someone has an attitude."

"Mama, I don't have an attitude, I never do, not with you."

"I know baby, ‘ur my good boy. She probably won’t want you anyway." She says I can just see her face now. Givin' me a knowin' look. I shake my head tryin' my hardest not to fall for it but damn it, I do.

"And why is that?"

Mama chuckles with victory. She knows me to damn well.

"You do have quite the reputation round town. I’m sure the Smitt family will tell her to steer clear of you and 'ur shenanigans."

I huff out a breath of announce.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" I can visibly see her smile from here.

"Just, ya know, the way you are with the ladies. I doubt she be the type to get into bed with ya, if Donna spoke so highly of her."

"Psh, I can get any woman into my bed." I say to my Mama without thinking.

"We'll see my boy, but Donna's been inviting everyone to their lil get togeth-ah in the park today. She's hopin’ she meets someone in Bumble and chooses to stay. Ya knows that family wants everyone with the last name Smitt in town. Really I think it's cause she's the last part of Jack and Jakey and they don't wanna part with her."

"I didn't get invited." I blurt out and this time I do hit my head against my door with a thud.

"I wonder why? Oh, that's right, I'm sure they are already tellin' her all about you." I don't know why the hell this is even bothering me.

"Oop, I gotta go baby. My break is about up."

"Sounds good, Mama. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye baby." She hangs up the phone and I make my way out to my truck. Once again gettin’ a glimpse of Bailey gettin' in Smitty's backseat in a cute lil yella sundress. Her dirty blond hair in waves down ta the middle of her back. I give her my panty droppin’ smile and for the first time she gave me one back.

Damn. Damn. Damn.

She’s just so fucking cute, I can't wait to spend a night with her. My balls are twitching just at the thought. When Smitty passes me, he eyes me from his truck. Good thing looks can't kill cause I'd be a dead man.

I get in my truck after placing my fishing gear into my bed. I wondered why Smitty didn't invite me. The better question is why do I even care? The Smitt family has always looked down at me and my brother for bein' my daddy's kids. The only reason Smitty and his brother even hang out with me is because of my military rank. I also saved Smitty's dumbass overseas. He was honorably discharged after that tour and settled down with Sammy. I on the other hand re-enlisted and am now proudly a Staff Sergeant and a trained sniper in the Marine Corps Scout Snipers.

I get frustrated while drivin’ thinkin’ bout the Smitt's. How they wouldn’t think I'm good enough to be round Bailey. I don't know why the fuck somethin' like that would even frustrate me. When I got to the fishin' hole Billy asked what was up my butt.

"Nothin'" I grunt. Grabbin' my tackle.

"What you get down and dirty with Miranda? She done leave again back to her ol' man?"

"Fuck off. I told you I haven't seen her in two years. She ain't been round." Billy the fat fuck knows Miranda ain't a subject I wanna ever talk bout.

Mainly, because for whatever the fuck reason I'm ashamed that I have got down and dirty with her on more than one occasion since she left. The worst part she is, she was married to Stephan and has been the last seven years.

Billy and I walk the wooded trail to the fishin' hole without speakin'. Billy breathing heavy, tugging his big body up the wooded path.

I ain’t messed around with Miranda in the last two years and she just had a baby a few months back. IT's crazy to think about even now. I haven't seen her since but heard through the grapevine she's put on a few pounds which is hard to imagine.

Her and I's rendezvous went on for years after she left me for Stephan. She always told me nobody else could get her goin' like me. Which was a compliment but apparently not a reason to stay with someone over money. Stephan could give her a life I never could. Had money I never would have. Her words back in the day cut me like glass.

"Ya could never take care of me, not the way I want Wayne. What do you expect me to do? Stay in this dead-end town and have your babies? Sorry but no." She was so cold deliverin' that to. Sometimes I wondered how I could have loved a woman like that.

Miranda was my first everything, I'd bet that had to do with why when she pops up, I just can't resist. She also reminded me of who I was before Afghanistan. The man that hadn’t seen the horrors of war.

"So, what kinda pussy you got lately?" Billy asked as we sat with our lines in the water. Takin’ me out of thought. I smile at my ol' big buddy.

"It's not about who I've been fucking, it’s about who I wanna fuck." I say jumping my eyebrows. I begin tellin' my longest buddy the tale of sweet, sweet Bailey.