Addy's Kisses

About the Author

Vicki was born in Orange, NSW. When she was two years old her family moved to Dapto, in southern Wollongong.

When she was sixteen she moved with her parents and two sisters to the ACT where she studied Child Care.

Now, at the age of 46 she still lives in Canberra with her husband and three adult/teenage children. 

Vicki works full time (not in the child care industry!) and is an avid baker.

She has always enjoyed writing and is now taking the time to put her stories to print.

You can contact Vicki via email at

vickiconnellanauthor@gmail.com with any questions or

feedback on her books.

If you enjoyed the book please take the time to leave a quick review on the site you downloaded it from.

Acknowledgement

Fred, you are the best husband a girl could ever want. You’re amazing in every way, thanks for choosing me. After twenty-five years I still can’t believe how lucky I am.

The awesome kids are a bonus.

Kim and Deb you two are simply the best editors and friends. You make me laugh all the time but mostly you make me want to keep writing. Thanks for all of your encouragement and feedback. Love you to bits girls and I’d be lost without you both. Thanks to the Vicar for your one-liners and comedic input. You make me laugh.

Chapter 1

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Brad

We’re not going, Meredith yelled at me across the room. I put my head down and sucked in a deep breath. I was so not up for this today. It had been a long week, a bad week, and I was exhausted.

You can stay here if you want, but I’m going, I finished getting dressed and all the while I could feel Meredith’s icy glare burning holes into my back. I thought, and not for the first time, that if Meredith was to be compared to someone from mythological times it would be Medusa. She could turn people to stone with the glare that she’d perfected over the years, or maybe a Wendigo, the embodiment of gluttony, greed and excess. Someone who was never satisfied, killing and consuming one person while on the look out for her next victim. I smiled to myself. She’d be a combination of the two I reckon.

"No Bradley, you’re not going," she spat out. "You’re not going, you need to stay with me, I need you, I ignored her and kept dressing. You’re not going, I felt her glare follow me as I walked into the bathroom. You. Are. Not. Going," she yelled as she banged her fists on the door.

I ran my hands through my hair, splashed on some cologne, and then turned towards the door. Sucking in another deep breath I opened the door and stepped out into the bedroom. I knew what was coming, there was no avoiding it, not when she was in one of these moods. She stood in front of me and poked her fingernail deep into my chest. You’re not going, she poked me again. "Why do you need to go? You don't need to socialise with those people, you have me," she spoke as if I was going to hang out with the scum of the earth as she dug her fingernail into my chest again.

I pushed her hand away from me. "Those people, are my family Meredith, it’s my brother’s birthday, so yes, I do need to go. I want to go," I stepped around her and walked down the hallway. With each step I was preparing myself for the outburst that was coming. As soon as I put my wallet into my jeans pocket and picked up my keys it began.

Don't you dare walk out on me, she stepped between the door and me. I stepped around her and kept walking. You walk out that door you’ll be sorry, she was yelling now. As soon as I reached for the door handle she screamed out my name. Bradley.

I turned to look at her. Meredith, I’m going, you can come with me or you can stay, you choose, I held the door handle and waited for her answer. She didn’t speak, but from the icy glare I could tell she wasn’t going to change her mind. I’ll see you later, I opened the door and walked out. As soon as the door closed behind me I heard the smashing of glass. Meredith liked to throw things. I wonder what it was this time.

On the drive to Craig and Cathy’s place I asked myself, yet again, the same questions that kept running around in my head.

Why was I still with Meredith?

Was I still in love with her?

Did I see a future with her?

Could we really have a happy future, one where we went more than two consecutive days without an argument of some sort? I laughed at that thought. It had been a long time since we’d gone more than two days without an argument. Meredith’s moods were becoming more erratic, more extreme by the day and there was nothing I could do about it. She’d always been feisty, it was one of the things that attracted me to her in the first place. That and her beauty. If only her personality was as intoxicating as her beauty. The trouble was, her beauty was really only skin deep. Personality wise, Meredith and I were poles apart.

I shook my head to rid it of the negative thoughts. I’d had a shitty week and I was determined to enjoy today. It had been almost four months since I’d seen my brother and his family, and that was too long. We only lived twenty minutes apart so there was no excuse for not seeing my family more often, but there was a reason. That reason was Meredith. When I thought about it, it wasn’t only my family that I’d drifted apart from, it was my mates as well. That was something that I needed to rectify, and soon. I grabbed some beers for Craig and I, some flowers for Cathy and some chocolates for the kids as I made a mental pact with myself to do better as far as my family was concerned.

I knocked on the front door several times but to no avail so I headed for the back yard. As I opened the side gate I could hear laughter coming from the back deck. Cathy spotted me first. Oh my god, Brad, she came down the three steps and grabbed me into a big hug. Thanks for coming, she stepped back but held onto my arms. Are you okay?

I forced a smile as I answered. I’m fine, she gave me that yeah right look. Here, these are for you, I held out the flowers. It’s my apology for being so slack and leaving it so long between visits, she hugged me again and put her arm around my back as we walked up the steps. I won’t leave it so long next time.

You better not, she shoulder bumped me. I’ll go put these in some water.

Just as I turned to walk over to the barbeque Hunter stuck his head out of the tree house and called out to me. Hey Uncle Brad, he was waving like mad. I waved back then handed Craig the beers.

Happy birthday old man, I shook his hand as he laughed.

Thanks, I think, he laughed at me. Not so much of the old though, he went back to flipping the steaks. Glad you could make it, it’s been too long, he looked up at me.

Yeah I know, sorry about that, I looked out across the yard. We were silent for a while, neither of us knowing what to say next. I hated this, the awkwardness that had developed as a result of us growing apart. My brother had been one of my best mates growing up. There’s less than a year between us. I was the accident that surprised both Mum and Dad. I was about to say something to Craig when I heard it. The most enchanting laugh that I’d ever heard. It was coming from the tree house and it was like sweet little sprinkles on my eardrums. I shook my head, glad that no one could read my thoughts, they’d say I sounded soft for sure. Pardon, I hadn’t realised that Craig had spoken.

Just asked if you’ve been busy lately, you must have been, seeing as though we haven’t seen you in a while, he followed my gaze to the tree house. The boys love it up there, they spend every spare minute in that house, I was looking up into the tree when I saw her. Well, her legs. A pair of long legs in skinny jeans appeared through the hatch in the bottom of the tree house. She stopped on the fourth step, only her legs and her sexy as hell arse visible. She was talking to the boys, then she laughed again. What the hell was going on with me? I shouldn’t even be looking at her. I have a girlfriend.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she walked across the yard towards us. She walked up the steps and came over to Craig and I. Brad, this is Addy, she smiled at me and held out her hand. Addy, this is my brother Brad.

When Addy looked up at me and smiled my heart literally stopped. Well okay, maybe not literally stopped, but it definitely faltered a bit, and I had to remind myself to breathe. Ah, the famous Uncle Brad, builder of the awesome tree house. Nice to meet you, she smiled at me again as I shook her hand. The tree house is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, I looked at the tree house then back at Addy. I needed to speak, to say something, anything, but I couldn’t. I was dumbstruck. There was an awkward silence for a minute then Addy smiled at me again. Do you guys need drinks?

Yeah, that’d be great, Craig looked at his near empty beer. Thanks Addy, I watched her walk away before I turned back to Craig. I had so many questions about that girl but before I got a chance to ask any of them Craig started to fill me in on the latest with Mum and Dad. When he told me that Mum had been sick I felt like such an ass. It had been months since I’d spoken to them too. I added that to the list of things I needed to rectify. As Craig was talking I could hear Addy laughing through the kitchen window and it made my pulse race. Again, I asked myself what the hell was going on? Can you go and ask Cathy for a plate please? These steaks are done.

Sure, I headed for the kitchen. As soon as I walked in the door the women looked up at me and smiled.

Oh my god, your beers, Addy reached out and put her hand on my arm and the heat from her hand radiated through my whole body. I’m so sorry, I got side tracked, she went to the fridge and took out two beers. Here, let me put those ones in the fridge, she took the warm six pack from my hand and gave me the two cold ones. Man, that laugh might have made my heart flutter, but her hand on my arm, well that made my pulse race quicker than it did when I realised I was about to lose my virginity with Rachel Donhee back in the tenth grade. For the third time in the last twenty minutes I found myself asking what the hell was going on? I’d never had this sort of reaction to a girl before, not even Meredith.

Ah, Craig needs a plate for all of the cooked meat, I looked at Cathy while I tried to get my head together.

Cathy was busy cutting up salad ingredients. She looked over at Addy. Can you pass Brad the big silver platter in that cupboard? she nodded to a cupboard behind Addy. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she reached up into the cupboard and retrieved the tray.

She handed me the tray and flashed me that heart stopping smile again. Do you need a hand with anything else?

Ah no thanks, I took the beers and the tray and retreated back outside.

All through lunch I watched Addy, I was captivated by her smile and her laugh. She was so easy going and everyone genuinely liked her. For the first time since I’d arrived here I thought about Meredith. You could count on one hand how many friends she had. You could count on one hand the amount of people who liked Meredith, and at this moment, I wasn’t one of them. I thought about the past year and a half. She’d taken over my life, my personality was slowly disappearing, my energy levels were drained. My bank account, well the one Meredith knew about, was drained too. My friends were few and far between now and I hadn’t got to see my family in such a long time. How had I let this happen?

Uncle Brad, I looked up as Lachlan spoke to me. Will you?

Sorry buddy, what did you ask? I needed to pay attention to the conversation.

Will you come for a sleep over in the tree house? Addy already did, will you come have a sleep over with us?

Sure buddy, we’ll work something out, I smiled over at the kid. Maybe next weekend.

Awesome, he looked at me and his smile faded. But just you, not your yucky girlfriend, she’s mean.

Lachlan, Cathy scolded him. That wasn’t very nice, she shook her head at him. You need to apologise to Uncle Brad right now. That was a mean thing to say about Meredith.

"But she is mean, she doesn’t like kids. She told me I was dirty and full of germs," he looked at Cathy with that defiant look that said he wasn’t about to apologise. I noticed Addy looking down at her plate as the conversation turned awkward. For a minute I wondered if it was the conversation that had caused the look on her face or the mention of a girlfriend.

It’s okay, don't worry about it, I looked over at Cathy and winked before turning back to Lachlan. It’ll just be me, I promise. Like Meredith would ever come and sleep in a tree house.

We sat outside in the warm night air for the evening. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the stars were shining brightly. The conversation was easy, the four of us talking for the next few hours. I’d learned a few things about Addy during this time. One of which I wasn’t thrilled about, not that I had a right to be annoyed at all. I had a girlfriend, it shouldn’t matter to me that Addy had recently started dating someone, but it did.

It was at that moment that I realised that I was attracted to her. As in, really, really attracted. The signs had been there all night, the racing heart, the tightness in my chest when she touched me, the way her laugh made me smile. All the things that didn’t happen when I was around Meredith. Shit. What the hell was going on? I needed to get over this, this attraction or what ever it was. I was with Meredith, I had a girlfriend and by the sound of it, Addy had a boyfriend too.

Just after ten o’clock we called it a night. I wasn’t keen on going home, the tirade of abuse that awaited me would be far worse than what I got before I left. Craig and Cathy stood on the front porch, Craig had his hand resting on Cathy’s shoulder and I found myself wondering what it would be like to have that someone. That someone who would be happy to be with me, with the me that I was, not what Meredith wanted me to be. Would I ever find someone who was happy with Brad the architect and builder? Would I ever find someone who wanted me for me, not for what they could turn me into? I was never going to be what Meredith wanted me to be. The sweet sound of Addy’s voice squashed my dark thoughts. Bye Brad, it was nice meeting you, she looked at me from where she stood. If I ever need a tree house I’ll give you a call, she smiled that heart stopping smile again.

Sure I can build you a tree house, any shape, any size, I was shaking my head at myself before I’d even finished speaking. Lame dude, you sounded so god damn lame.

I’ll keep it in mind, Addy gave Cathy and Craig one more wave and got into her car. Shit you’re an idiot. You sit there like a stunned fish all night, hardly speaking through dinner then you make a fool of yourself when you’re saying goodnight. Smooth dickhead, smooth. I waved to my brother and his wife then got in the car. Time to go home and face the music Brad, time to face the music. This should be fun. Not.

***

Addy

I woke on Sunday morning after a restless nights sleep. I’d only been in my house for two months and I hadn’t slept well at all since the day I moved in. It was very different to the suburbs that I was use to living in but I loved it here. I was only one suburb from my new friend Cathy and her family, I was close to my work and best of all, it had a huge back yard for Caesar. He loved it here and so did I. The only thing I didn’t like was having to get up to let him out in the mornings, no doggy door meant no sleep ‘ins for me. After I let him out for his morning relief, I grabbed a coffee and sat at the table. I had three things on the list already but today I’d add a few more and move install a doggy door to the top of the list.

One of the things that put this house in my price range was its state of disrepair. There were so many things that needed fixing that I didn’t know where to start. Almost every room had something that needed fixing or replacing all together. The biggest job, I thought, was the removal of the old seventies window and having it replaced with some nice new French doors that would open up onto a new deck. My plan of attack was to make a complete list then put them in order of importance. At least this would give me a starting point. Some things could wait but some needed fixing straight away. I still had some savings left as the house had come in way under budget. Once I had my list sorted I’d call some builders and get some quotes.

For the rest of the day I pottered around, unpacking the remainder of the boxes and clearing the huge back yard garage. I hadn’t looked inside since the day I came to inspect the place before they handed me the keys. I knew the owners left a few things behind, I’d bought the house as a deceased estate and the daughter simply couldn’t be bothered cleaning out the garage after her father had passed. I looked up at the big cladding building and smiled. It reminded me of the old American style barns they had out west, maybe it was just the red and white, it didn’t have the gable roof of an American barn but it was close. There was a flat above the garage, the previous owner had used it as storage, and it was another space I needed to clean out, but that could wait until I had the house sorted. The building was painted red, which had faded over the years. The doors were painted white and were huge. The roof was a deep red corrugated iron that seemed to be lifting in a couple of places. I’d add that to the list of repairs. I swung the doors open and stepped back. The inside space was huge. Long enough to fit three cars end to end and wide enough for two. The walls were lined with workbenches that were covered in various tools. Sunlight streamed through the windows and little flecks of dust moved in the light. Caesar ran into the garage, all the way to the end and back then came and sat at my feet. The garage was almost as big as my house yet it only took up half the back yard.

What do you think boy? What shall we do with this big space? he looked up at me and cocked his head. Yeah, I’m not sure either, I reached down and scratched his head before I stepped inside. The tools on the benches looked really old, but well cared for. There was a half finished project, it looked like an entry table. I wondered if it would be possible to have someone finish it. It looked like a perfect fit for the entry hall inside. I’d add that to the list too but for now I needed to make a move. I promised myself that I’d unpack all the boxes today, no distractions. If I let myself, I’d lose hours out here. Come on boy, lets go, I patted my leg and Caesar followed me out into the yard again. The big shed doors swung closed with a groan and I slid the latch across, holding them shut.

For the rest of the day I unpacked boxes and set up the other spare bedroom. The only people I’d had stay over so far were the two little boys from next door. They turned up on my doorstep one night looking for dinner. When I went to their house and knocked on the door their father answered but he was in no state to be looking after them. He was beyond drunk, he could hardly stand, let alone get a meal ready for two little kids. I took them home and fed them dinner then they fell asleep on the couch. They’d stayed quite a few nights since then, more than I cared to think about, but I wasn’t about to turn them away, I could never do that. They never had a mark on them, their dad didn’t hit them, he just got drunk, a lot.

I also promised Cathy that I’d have the boys overnight next month so her and Craig could go away for a weekend for their anniversary. I thought about last night, at the barbeque. Craig’s brother seemed like a nice guy, a bit quiet, but nice none the less. There was something about him, his eyes. They seemed really sad. He seemed really sad. I don’t remember him smiling at all, not once through the night had he cracked a smile. Wonder what the go is with that? He was cute enough, well, not just cute, he was pretty hot. He had a way hotter body than Geoffrey. I smiled at the thought. The picture of the two of them standing side by side, Geoffrey with his nose stuck up in the air, Brad with his huge biceps and tan skin. Geoffrey in his pressed slacks, polo shirt with the collar popped up, a sweater tied around his neck. Brad in his snug fitting jeans, tight t-shirt and messed up hair. I smiled, there really was no comparison. Geoffrey was the quintessential fancy boy who liked to spend his days driving around in his Aston Martin, playing polo or sitting at the yacht club sipping vodka martinis while I guessed Brad would be out riding his motorbike on his way to a rustic old pub. Sigh. I know which one I’d prefer. And it wasn’t vodka martinis. That motorbike, and its owner, would be a way better ride than the Aston Martin. That I knew for sure.

I needed to keep my mind in check. He had a girlfriend, not sure where she was last night, and Lachlan sure wasn’t a fan, but still. He was off the market. Taken. Unavailable. Pity, he was just my type. I could just see my mother now, rolling her eyes at me and my fanciful ideas of romance. Her words would always be in my head but I wouldn’t listen to them. You should marry for money, not love, love never lasts, best not to chase it in the first place, you’ll only be disappointed. And that is what she had done. She married my father, my dear, sweet father for his money. She never loved him, never showed him an ounce