Sharing Hearts

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

SELBY SLID OUT of his car and stuffed his cell phone into his back pocket. Faith seemed to be doing all right, even if she sounded a little disappointed about not having any fun in the sheets with Morgan. Selby chuckled as he shut his car door, glancing around the parking lot for Tracey. While Faith and he had decided to give the swinging a break while they figured things out with Tracey, he should have known she would have wanted to finish her adventure with Morgan. Nothing as irritating as unfinished business, especially when it was in the bedroom.

“Over here,” he heard Tracey call out.

Turning he watched as the tiny redhead crossed the parking lot, her purse over her shoulder as she walked toward him, her red hair flowing down her slender back. While she was petite, she still held a strength to her that everyone could see. Raking her with his gaze, he felt his c**k twitch slightly at the way her breasts, which weren’t but a handful to begin with, poured over her low-cut neckline. The sun was still casting a dim light over the world, and Selby could see the dusting of freckles over Tracey’s cheeks and nose. The way she sashayed across the parking lot, her dancer legs carrying her gracefully over the asphalt, he couldn’t help but want to scoop her up in his arms and squeeze her to him, his hands sliding over her heart-shaped ass.

“I was worried you had made it in without me,” he told her as he reached out and hugged her, her breasts pressed tight against his chest.

She glanced up into his eyes, smiling as she squeezed him back. “What can I say? I have perfect timing.”

“That you do,” he agreed with a slight chuckle, and then he leaned down and kissed her softly, her lips warm against his. When he pulled back, he slid his hand from around her waist to take her hand in his and headed them toward the front door of Valentino’s, one of Tracey’s favorite Italian restaurants. “Ready for some food?”

She chuckled softly. “When have you known me not to be ready for food? Heard from our girl? Is she behaving herself?”

He nodded as he stepped up onto the sidewalk in front of the place. “Called her on my way here, and she is, but I don’t think she’s happy about it.” As he opened the door, he told Tracey how he thought Faith wanted to finish what she had started with Morgan over in Tampa, but Morgan wasn’t biting.

The hostess greeted them as they walked into the restaurant, asking how many were in their party, and then leading them to a table. The interior was dimly lit with dark burgundy tablecloths and flickering candles. The walls were of a Tuscany stone nature with baskets hanging at various levels, vines draping out of them. In several places, wine racks hung on the walls, loaded down with dark bottles. A slight chill filled the air as they weaved their way through the restaurant, the sound of silverware clinking against plates mingling with the hushed conversations of the patrons. Selby’s stomach growled at the rich aromas that filled his nostrils, making his mouth salivate at what he knew was coming.

As they slid into their seats, the hostess set their menus down in front of them, promising their server would be right with them. They both said, “Thank you,” and then picked up their menus, turning straight to the cocktails.

“And how do you feel about it if Morgan did try to play hide the sausage with Faith?” Tracey asked, glancing at Selby from over her menu.

He shrugged, glancing back at her. “I would have expected it, really. At least for him to have tried. Enough time has passed since all that bullshit exploded, so I think Faith would have felt calmer about pursuing it.”

Tracey nodded, dropping her gaze to the list of Italian delights to choose from. “And things are still cool between her sister and Glen?”

The server arrived to take their drink orders, both choosing a Merlot for the time being. The server smiled, promising to be back with them as soon as she could and that she’d take their orders then.

Selby nodded. “They are. Or, at least, they seem to be for now. Cherish is back at Rutherford, but who knows how that will go once Faith returns. I think almost losing her husband over all of this kind of woke Cherish up to her bullshit, but with her you can never know. I just hope she doesn’t stir up more s**t when Faith returns. I still think it was stupid of Faith to agree to her sister returning to Rutherford.”

Tracey shrugged. “She was just trying to keep the peace, I think. Besides, after what Cherish did when she quit, do you honestly think she’ll act like her typical bitchy self again? I’d think she’d be happy to just have a job.”

Selby made a snort of derision. “I’ve never known Cherish to be happy about anything. She seems to thrive on her own misery, and I know she thrives on other people’s misery.”

The server arrived, setting their wineglasses in front of them. “Are we ready to order?”

Selby watched as Tracey ordered the chicken Alfredo and extra garlic sticks, knowing full well she would complain about how doughy they were once they arrived. Nothing would ever compare to her own baking.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, casting him a curious glance when she noticed him watching her.

He shrugged, his eyes wide. “Oh, nothing at all. Nothing at all.” He turned to the server, a smirk on his face. “I’ll just have the lasagna, please.”

“Sounds good,” the server said. “I’ll put these in right away.” She then turned and walked away, her smile still firmly in place.

However, Selby kept his gaze fixed on the redhead across from him as he lifted his glass to his lips. “To peace and quiet,” he said.

Tracey giggled as she lifted her glass. “I’ll toast to that, but I can guarantee you’ll never see it. You have two women in your life. Peace and quiet is now a thing of the past for you.”

He chuckled as he finished lifting his glass to his lips. She was probably right, but he would take it over not having them in his life period.

“Selby? Selby Greer? Is that you?”

Selby turned, licking his lips as he lowered the glass back to the table. Standing next to him was Mrs. Lawrence from Valerie Driscoll’s church, her hands clasped tightly to her purse strap as she glared down at him. Her husband, a mousy man with thin eyebrows and no chin, stood behind her, hands stuffed in his pockets and a bored look on his face. Selby remembered meeting the woman at some church picnic Faith dragged him to in order to keep her stern mother happy. The woman had as much joy in her life, as well as judgment for her fellow human beings, as Valerie.

He glanced over at Tracey, hoping she had some quirky way out of this awkward moment. However, she just smiled at him, shrugging. Great. Turning back to Mrs. Lawrence, Selby made sure he smiled up at her. “Good evening, Mrs. Lawrence. How are you tonight?”

“I’m fine.” She glanced at Tracey, her brow c****d. “And where is Faith this evening?”

Selby kept the smile on his face as he shifted slightly in his seat. While he knew he wasn’t doing anything wrong, the woman before him suddenly made him feel dirty for sitting there with Tracey without Faith sitting there with them. “She’s actually in Biloxi, helping her company set up a new office.”

“Oh?” The woman glared at Tracey again as if she were sin on a stick. “And so you decided to have dinner out with someone who isn’t your wife, huh? Valerie said you were trouble.” She shook her head. “Shame on you for what you’re doing to poor Faith.” She turned, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Come on, Larry. We don’t need to be a witness to this type of behavior any longer.”

Selby stared, slack-jawed, as the stoic woman walked off, her back ramrod straight as if she walked with a pole up her ass. Her husband trailed behind her, shuffling his feet in her wake, his shoulders slumped as he walked. Selby couldn’t believe what just happened. Sliding back around, he stared over at Tracey. “Can you believe that woman?”

Tracey scoffed. “What do you mean? That she thought you were cheating on your wife? Of course, I can believe her. Trust me, I received that look several times when I was with Ryan and Chelsea. Your Mrs. Lawrence sees me as the interloper or your little bit of fun while Faith has her back turned.” She shrugged. “You just have to learn how to ignore it.” She then c****d her head. “Unless, of course, she made you feel guilty. Did she?”

His first instinct was to lie to her, tell her he felt fine and couldn’t care less about what Mrs. Lawrence thought or said, but then he sighed as he shook his head, sliding back around in his seat. He wouldn’t lie to Tracey, just like he would never lie to Faith. “I’ll admit, I felt awkward when she first approached us. It’s the first time you and I have been out and about without Faith with us, and the way Mrs. Lawrence acted, I just…” He shrugged. “I guess I just didn’t know what to say. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t make me feel anything,” Tracey said. “And I know your mother-in-law’s friend tried her best to make me feel dirty, but she didn’t succeed. If I can survive my own father trying to make me feel like some nasty w***e for following my heart, then nothing a stranger can say to me will get under my skin. I choose to live my life the way that suits me best, and I refuse to let anyone make me regret it. I’m free, and Mrs. Lawrence is shackled in misery by her archaic beliefs.”

He smiled at her as they paused their conversation, the server stepping up to the table with their food and setting it in front of them. As she set the plates down, Selby couldn’t stop looking at Tracey. How she could deal with so many people against her and the people she loved was beyond him. He knew she was a little spitfire, but to stand against strangers was one thing. To stand against family was quite another.

After making sure they didn’t need anything else, the server told them to enjoy their dinners, and then turned and walked away.

“I’ve always been the one to push Faith into things,” Selby said once the server was gone. “Well, not so much pushed as kept suggesting things, laying it out in front of her so she knew all the possibilities for adventure out there.” He cut into his lasagna, lifting a forkful as he continued. “It took her a while to grab the reins and enter the journey, but once she did, she had no problem going for it all. However, she kept a barrier between her and what other people knew about her private life, only letting in the people she wanted to know.”

Tracey finished swallowing the bite of chicken she had stuffed into her mouth. When she was done, she shrugged. “There’s a big difference between telling people you’re a swinger and telling them you’re in a poly relationship. You can hide the one, but if you’re doing the other one right, everyone will see it, even if you don’t announce it.” She straightened in her seat, her face shifting to a more somber expression. “Selby, I know a lot has happened in the past month but entering into a relationship like this is a little more complicated than picking who you want to f**k on a Friday night.”

Selby almost choked on his lasagna as laughter exploded from him. Gripping his chest, he tried to stop the racking coughs that followed, but to no avail. It took a couple of minutes for him to get himself under control, Tracey sitting there smiling at him as she shoved bite after bite of her food into her mouth. When his fit was over, he took a deep breath, calming the trembling in his arms. “You did that on purpose.”

She grinned over at him. “Not really, but it was a pleasant outcome. It was also the truth.” She reached across the table, placing her hand on his. “Selby, I love you. I love Faith, too. There’s no doubt there. And I love being a part of you both.” She took a small breath as she slid her hand back to her lap. “But I don’t want anyone to be confused as to what moving forward means. You very well might have more scenes like what just happened. And then there’s Faith’s family. You might be biting off more than you can chew.”

He smiled over at her, remembering the day he walked into Joe’s Bakery & Café and saw her standing there behind the counter, her red hair pulled up into a tight bun. She was a spark of energy, serving guests and arguing with old man Joe, who sold her the bakery when he was ready to retire and then never left. He had popped into her shop for a coffee and croissant every morning, but the next week he had been running late and had to skip it. An hour after he had been in the bookstore, she shoved her way into the store, a bag in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. From breakfast, they started having lunch together about twice a week until it became every day. During that time, he introduced her to Faith, and the two hit it off perfectly. So much so, that he attempted to get the two of them together in a more carnal way. It soon became a joke until a month ago when it became a reality.

And then he remembered her face when she thought Faith and he were going to end their relationship with her. It was back when Faith returned from Tampa and broke things off with Edwin.

Cherish Lansky walked out the door of Selby’s Downtown books not at all happy with Selby’s reply to her weak apology just as Tracey entered. “What the hell was she doing here? Surely, not buying books.”

Selby stared at the door, still not trusting what just happened. “I’m not even sure she reads.” He took a sip of his coffee as he shook the feeling of pity for Cherish that crept over him. She didn’t deserve it. She had caused the chaos, had cheated on her husband, and tried to ruin Faith in the process. She only deserved their scorn. “She came to apologize for yesterday. I think she expected me to blubber with gratefulness.”

Tracey c****d an eyebrow at him. “I hope you disappointed her.”

“Oh, I did, I assure you.” He gave Tracey a satisfied smile. “And what brings you out of your cave? It’s not lunchtime, yet.”

Her expression changed, and for the first time since he had met the fiery woman, she seemed unsure of herself, almost afraid. She was always confident, upbeat. Now, standing there in front of him, she almost seemed like a frightened schoolgirl, and it tore at his heart.

“How did it go after I left last night?” she asked, moving over to stand in front of his counter.

“Quiet. She was pretty edgy. We sat in front of the fire and talked most of the night.”

“What will she do about Edwin?”

Selby shrugged. “I have no idea, and I’m not sure she does, either. This whole thing is a fiasco. I’m not sure what direction we’ll go, yet. Why?”

She started to run a hand through her hair and then seemed to remember she had pulled it up in a ponytail and stopped, dropping her hand once more in a nervous gesture. “I figured you two might make some changes in your adventures.” Her lips pressed into a thin line when she wasn’t talking, her bottom lip almost quivering. “I guess I was just curious if we would still be friends and all. I have become quite attached to both of you, and I’m not really sure how I’d handle losing you both.” Tears pooled at the bottom of her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around herself trying to hold it all in.

The sight of her hurting like she was tore at his heart. Selby set his mug on the counter and walked around to where she stood. Placing a hand on each of her arms, he gazed into her emerald eyes and smiled his most reassuring smile. He needed her to feel what he was feeling. Even if Faith ended her adventure with Edwin, that didn’t mean he had any intention of casting Tracey out of their lives. “Sweetie, you’re not an adventure; you’re family. You’re not going anywhere, and neither are we.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead, lingering for a moment before he leaned back. “You’re a part of us,” he said as he pulled her to him, hugging her tight.

He felt her arms wrap around him and squeeze as if she’d float away if she let go. She buried her face in his chest, and he could feel the wetness of her tears soaking into his shirt. “Good. Because I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

He kissed the top of her head as he caressed her back. “You won’t,” he promised her.

“I’ve got a pretty big mouth,” he told her, grinning as he reached over and took her hand in his once more, squeezing it tightly. “I can chew quite a bit. I told you once before you weren’t going anywhere, and I meant it. Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out together. I promise.”

She squeezed his hand in return, smiling back at him. “Good. Because I kind of like it here.”