Cherished (Wanted #4)(58)
Author: Kelly Elliott

“My god…you talk about it like it’s nothing, like it’s meaningless.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It is.”

“What if it’s not to them? What if they actually don’t want a one-night stand?”

“I never make any promises. They know that all I’m looking for is a fuck. I make that pretty damn clear, and so far, I haven’t had any problems.”

I shook my head. “Lark, don’t you want to settle down? Get married and raise a family?”

He looked at me with sadness in his eyes. “There was only one girl I wanted to do that with, and she’s dead.”

“If you just opened up your heart, dude…”

He put his hand up and smiled. “I don’t need a lecture. I got one from Miss Goody Two-Shoes last night when I got home,” he said with a laugh.

“Azurdee?” I asked.

“Yeah. She was up, reading. She came into my room and asked if I got laid. When I said yeah, she sat on my bed and began to tell me how dangerous it was.”

I smiled and nodded. “Sounds like her. She has a good heart and means well.”

“Well, I already have a mother. I don’t need another one. And that’s exactly what I told her. She got pissed and walked out. So, really, Scott, I’m good. I know you’re happy and all that shit, but I don’t want the same things you want. Plus, my job would never allow for me to be in a relationship. I travel too much.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled out my phone. “You ready to go meet Gunner and Jeff?”

He smiled. “Let’s do it.”

As we walked back toward the house, I smirked and said, “Dude, bring your gun.”

Lark looked at me and smiled. “Why?”

“I want you to fuck around with Jeff. He is always bragging about how good he can shoot.”

Lark shook his head and laughed. “Hell, this ought to be fun.”

I pulled up behind Josh’s truck and smiled. “Awesome. Josh is here, too. You’re going to like him. Down-to-earth guy and good with his hands. He made the desk in my office.”

“No shit? He’s the one with the twins, right?”

I snapped my head and looked at Lark. “You were actually listening to what I said?”

“Of course I was, dickhead.” He opened the door and got out.

I walked around the truck as Ellie came out and smiled at us.

“That’s Ellie, Gunner’s wife.”

“She’s beautiful. Lucky bastard,” Lark said.

Ellie made her way down to us. She gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

She turned and held out her hand to Lark. “Hi, you must be Lark. It’s a pleasure. I’m Ellie.”

Lark smiled and took her hand. “Ellie, the pleasure is all mine.”

Ellie looked back at me. “Gunner, Jeff, and Josh are all out back. I don’t know which one of them is the most excited. They actually went into town and took trees from the recycle pile,” she said with a giggle.

I would never get over how sweet and innocent Ellie was. I glanced down at her stomach and smiled. Ellie and Jessie were probably going to give birth within a month or so of each other.

“How are you feeling, Ells?” I asked.

She smiled bigger and put her hand on her stomach. “Wonderful.”

“Congratulations, Ellie,” Lark said.

“Thank you so much! Now, y’all go around back. I have to get to my garden before Alex wakes up.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I tipped my hat.

Lark and I walked around back.

Josh looked up and smiled. He walked up and reached out for my hand. “Congratulations, dude. I couldn’t be happier for you and Jessie.” Josh flashed me that smile of his.

“Thanks, Josh. I’ve never been happier in my life. Hey, this is my buddy from college, Lark. Lark, this is Josh Hayes.”

They both shook hands as Lark said, “Lark Williams. It’s a pleasure.”

We repeated the process with Gunner and Jeff. We stood around for a few minutes, shooting the shit, and then Lark went in for the kill.

“Are those targets back there?” He glanced around Gunner’s shoulder.

Gunner turned and then looked back at Lark. “Yep.”

Jeff smiled and said, “You like to shoot?”

Lark nodded. “Love it. I even brought my gun, hoping to get some target shooting in.”

Jeff took the bait. “Hell yeah, dude. Go and grab it. Let’s see how good you are.”

I felt kind of shitty. Gunner shook his head as he smiled and made his way into his house to get a gun. Gunner had never met Lark, but Gunner knew Lark had been in the Marines and was a sharpshooter.

Lark walked out to my truck to get his gun as Gunner came out with his Remington Model 700.

Then, Jeff started talking shit. “Damn, dude, I hope I don’t embarrass your friend. You probably should have told him that I kick your asses in target shooting every time,” he said with a wink and a smile.

It took everything out of me not to start laughing. I smiled and looked at Gunner as he busted out laughing.

“Jeff, you might want to pull back on the smack talk,” I said.

Lark came walking up and put his gun case down. He glanced up at the targets. “Three hundred yards?”

Gunner nodded. “Give or take.”

Josh took Gunner’s Remington and shot first. He was about three inches left of the center. Gunner went next. He shot just a bit better than Josh, but then again, it was his gun.

I smiled as I stood there and watched Jeff. God, I love fucking with him.

He glanced over at me and winked, and I just smiled back at him.

Cocky bastard.

Jeff was next. I had to admit that Jeff could shoot a gun. He was probably the best I’d seen since Lark. Jeff shot and was about one inch to the left of the center.

He smiled and looked at Lark. “Don’t know if you can get any better than that, dude.”

Lark smiled as he bent down and opened up his case. He pulled out a custom Nemo Omen .300 Winchester Magnum.

“Jesus H. Christ, that is one bad-ass gun,” Josh said.

Jeff just looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and smiled at him.

Lark glanced at Josh and smiled. “Thanks, dude. She’s my baby.”

Lark got settled and started shooting. I peeked over and watched Jeff’s face fall. When I turned back and looked at the target, Lark’s grouping was tight, and it looked like one bullet was inside the other in the dead center of the target. He was barely nicking the hole, making it bigger. He took a step to his left and started shooting the next target with the same results.