Everywhere she turned, Pecca expected to see Felix’s tattooed face—among the crowd of parents or in the car next to her at a stoplight or in the shadows of the trees outside of her house. She shuddered.
Tonight she and Maceo would be returning to their home. Charlie had spent the day overseeing the locksmith installing new locks for all the windows and rekeying the front and back doors. On top of adding an additional dead bolt, Charlie set up a video security system—the same one Ryan had recommended—that came with a portable panic button she could use to alert the sheriff’s station immediately if she was in trouble.
Tugging the scarf around her neck, Pecca’s eyes went back to Colton. He was standing on the sidelines a few feet away from her. He’d been like that all day—never far—hanging out with her in the gym as she worked with patients and scheduling his session with Chaplain Kelly around her lunch to make sure she was inside the Mansion.
Pecca, hating how much she was enjoying Colton’s extra attention despite the circumstances, bit the inside of her lip. Being under his watchful eye made her feel more than protected—she was beginning to feel things for him that definitely crossed the line.
“I guess Colton didn’t get the memo about the weather?”
Pecca, pretending she hadn’t just been staring at Colton, gave Lane a hug and her belly a little rub before looking over at him again. Dressed in a T-shirt and workout shorts, a Mustangs ball cap turned backward over his head, he called out plays as he paced the sidelines. His muscles flexed and bunched as he mimicked what he wanted the kids to do with the ball. It was clear from the bright expression lighting the features on his face that he was having as much fun as the kids were. It was also clear why girls fell in love with the quarterback or defensive back or whatever position Colton played.
“He’s hot—” Pecca snapped her lips shut. She turned slowly, hoping Lane hadn’t heard that, but the smile on her friend’s face said she had heard it and was already planning the wedding. “What I mean is, because of the movements his body temperature is always higher. Making him . . . hot.” Lane’s eyes sparked with amusement. “Never mind.”
“Don’t stop. Please keep telling me how hot Captain Handsome is.”
Pecca’s eyes went round. Colton was literally less than five feet away. She gave Lane a death stare, which only made her friend burst out laughing. Pecca relaxed a little and allowed herself to smile. She’d take talking about Colton’s good looks over what had happened last night any day. Thankfully, Lane seemed to know that.
“Shh.”
“What? He’s not paying any attention to you right now. He’s watching the kids play.”
“Which is what we should be doing.” Pecca pointed at the field where the kids lined up for a play. “Besides, you know things have shifted.”
“Do I need to remind you how Charlie and I got together? You never know what God will use to bring two people together. Besides”—Lane bumped her hip against Pecca’s—“I have exciting news.”
Pecca turned. “You found out what you’re having!”
Lane frowned, her eyes dimming. “No. Charlie’s as stubborn as an ox.” Her eyes lit up again. “But this is better.”
“Better than knowing if your baby is a boy or a girl?”
“You can date him.” Lane used her eyes to direct Pecca’s attention to Colton. “Shirley checked into it, and while it’s not encouraged, it’s also not discouraged.”
Heat flamed up Pecca’s neck and into her face. She slid a sideways peek at Colton. The whistle blew and the kids broke their formation. Pecca followed the football, watching it get passed to another kid as Noah raced ahead and called for the ball. It was thrown but fell short and the play ended.
“Did you hear m—”
“Yes, I heard you,” Pecca whispered harshly. “What does that even mean—‘it’s not discouraged’?”
“It means that if your patient . . .” Lane’s brow wrinkled. “What did Shirley say . . . revs your engine, then there are no rules that say you can’t enjoy the ride.”
Oh, man. Lane’s metaphors were as bad as Shirley’s. “What happened to you pushing me to attend a PTO meeting with David?”
Lane waved her hand in the air. “Yeah, well, we all make mistakes.” She winked. “Besides, when you ask me to be your matron of honor, this will make an excellent story for a great speech.”
Pecca squeezed her eyes shut, but that only brought a vision of her in a white gown walking down an aisle with Colton at the end of it. Wow! That was fast. “So, um, what yummy snacks did you bring this time?”
“Double fudge chocolate chip cookies, but don’t change the subject.”
“Mmm, I bet the town dentist just loves you.”
“Come on, Pecca. What’s it going to hurt if you admit you like him? He likes you too.”
“He does?” Pecca swallowed, remembering how much she had wanted him to kiss her last night. The moment felt like ages ago. “I-I can’t. I have to think of Maceo.”
“What’s wrong with Maceo?”
Pecca found her son on the field. He looked like a little man, with his hands on his hips and an intense expression on his face as he listened to Colton. She didn’t know what Colton was like on the battlefield, but on the football field the man was in his element. He had a way with the kids, speaking to them in a manner that filled them with visible confidence. Pecca saw it with Maceo. He’d come home after practice with Colton, and it was like he was invincible, believing there was nothing he couldn’t do if he worked hard. She couldn’t even remember the last time Maceo complained about his prosthetic.
That alone was enough to make her all swoony for Colton, but Pecca had to be realistic. She was in the middle of a mess caused by the last bad choice she’d made.
“Nothing,” Pecca said quickly. “He’s never been happier. I want to keep it that way.”
“What about you?”
“I’m happy.”
Lane made her eyebrows dance above her eyes. “But you could be really happy with—”
“Now that looks like the smile of a proud mom.”
Pecca turned to find David walking over. He tilted his head toward the field, and Pecca saw Maceo charging after a little girl carrying the football. In the beginning, she had been worried about the girls on the team, but they quickly earned their place just like Maceo. They all just went out there and played.
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, feeling guilty that her smile had nothing to do with Maceo. “He does love football.”
“He’s good at it,” David said. “I’m glad you decided to let him play.”
“Oh, I forgot to ask.” Lane slapped her forehead. “How was the fall festival meeting last night?”
It really felt like a lifetime ago. “Um, it was chatty. I had to leave before they really got started, but I think I’m signed up for the ring toss.” Pecca looked to David. “Right?”
“Yes.” David smiled. “Was everything okay at home?”
Pecca rubbed her arms again. “Yeah. Maceo put the wrong soap inside the dishwasher, and the whole kitchen was covered in bubbles.”
“Yikes.” David laughed, twisting his cane into the ground as he shifted his footing. “Sounds like something on one of those funniest home video shows.”
The whistle blew again, and the kids were back at it. This time Kristen’s daughter, Emilia, was running with the football but was being chased quite vigorously by two boys. She panicked and tossed the ball to the boy next to her, who wasn’t expecting it. The ball hit his chest and fell to the ground, only to be scooped up by a kid on the other team who knew exactly what to do with it. Touchdown.
“Pecca.”
“Huh?” David and Lane stared at her a second before Lane’s eyes darted to David and then back. “Sorry, I was watching the play.”
“I was wondering if, after Maceo’s birthday party, I could take you both out to the new Marvel movie.” David shifted again. “I heard it’s supposed to be good.”
“Oh, um.” Pecca looked to Lane for help. “It’s just—”
“She’s already seeing someone.” Lane gave a “sorry, that just popped out” look to Pecca before continuing. “It’s still kind of a new relationship, which is why Pecca hasn’t talked about it yet.”
David’s forehead creased as his gaze flicked to Colton and back. “Right. Sure.”
He smiled, but Pecca could tell it was forced, and she felt bad. Really bad. David was a nice guy and had always been kind to her and Maceo, but Lane was right, there was no spark between them—no engine revving.
“I, uh, have a gift for Maceo for his birthday. The new Endzone video game. I can just drop it off here—”
“No!” Pecca said, her hand landing on David’s arm. He glanced down as she quickly withdrew it. “Maceo wants you to come to his birthday party. I do too. You’ve been a really good friend to him, to us. Please say you’ll come.”
A few awkward seconds passed before David nodded. “A man can never have too many friends, right?”
Pecca smiled. “Right.”
“Well, I promised Kristen I’d talk to her about the price I got for the jumping balloon. I’ll see you around, then.”
When David was far enough away, Pecca spun on her heel so fast she bumped into Lane. “What were you thinking?”
“I was trying to help.” Lane made a face. “It did, sorta.”
Pecca rubbed her forehead. “Yeah, now I just need to find a relationship.”
“Lucky for you, you don’t have to look very far.”
Looking over her shoulder, Pecca’s eyes were drawn to the only man on the field Lane could possibly be talking about. Colton flashed her a smile that sent a parade of tingles marching through her body. Why did he have to be so freaking cute?
Fine. If it wasn’t discouraged . . . She bit her lip, coming to a decision.
If Colton asked her out, she wouldn’t say no. She’d consider it, analyze the pros and cons. She’d also discuss it with Claudia, because her sister was the logical one, and that’s if she could ever get hold of her. Then, if it seemed like a good idea, she might say yes, depending on her mood.
Pecca’s cheeks ached, and she realized it was because she was smiling again. Who was she kidding? She’d already imagined them getting married, and they hadn’t even been on their first date. What was the harm in one little date?
EIGHTEEN
PECCA CRINGED. Please be careful. Please be careful. That was her prayer all afternoon as she watched Maceo and his friends bounce, climb, swing, and fall all over the place inside the trampoline park. The giant warehouse kept the kids busy for hours. They barely sat still long enough to eat pizza and sing “Happy Birthday,” even leaving the pile of presents on the table, forgotten.
“This party was a great idea,” Lane said, scooping up a plate with a half-eaten piece of birthday cake left on it. “I think we’ll do this for Noah’s birthday.”
“I’ll pay you not to have it here.” She looked over to the monkey ropes just in time to see Maceo racing through the air on a zip line. He made some Lord of the Flies noise before releasing his grip and dropping into a giant pit filled with huge chunks of blue and red foam. “I don’t think my son realizes how much that prosthetic costs. If he breaks it . . .”
“Aren’t they pretty durable?”
Pecca sat next to Lane. “They are, but he still needs to be careful.”
“I think these belong to one of those boys.” Shirley carried over a pair of socks and set them on the bench. “I thought I was done collecting smelly clothes.”
“Ha.” Lane licked chocolate icing from her finger. “I thought once I married Charlie I’d have some help.” She quirked her lip. “Now I’m just picking up little-boy and big-boy clothes with varying degrees of smells I don’t want to identify.”
“It’s called man, woman.” Charlie planted a kiss on Lane’s head as he straddled the bench. “And you know you love it.”
Lane made a face that said otherwise, and Pecca sighed. She glanced over to Colton, who was being pulled toward a dodgeball game Maceo and some of his flag football teammates were trying to organize. Did it make her sound pathetic to admit that she maybe wanted to be the one to pick up after Colton?
Claudia would say it was because she had a thing for broken and wounded souls. Said that’s why she was drawn to Javier—wanted to fix him. But that wasn’t entirely true. Javier was not like the guys he hung out with in the gang. Something was different about him.
And Colton was nothing like Javier.
“How’s the new alarm system working?” Charlie said, massaging Lane’s shoulders. “You’re setting it every night? Even when you’re home?”
“Yes. Maceo thinks it’s fun.” But for Pecca, it was unnerving. Most homes had alarm systems these days as a preventative deterrent, but she was relying on hers to warn her against an anticipated danger.
“I still think your best defense is a big, scary dog.” Shirley shivered. “Or a Colt. Maybe a Smith & Wesson.”
They laughed.
“I’m the only person in my family, besides my mom, who doesn’t know how to shoot a gun.” Pecca shrugged. “Not sure I’m missing out.”
Lane raised her eyebrows. “Even your sister knows?”
“Yeah, she was on the rifle team in high school and got a scholarship to the University of Texas. Was even invited to the Junior Olympics.”
Charlie whistled. “Remind me not to mess with her.”
“Don’t worry.” Pecca laughed. “The only thing Claudia shoots now are after-hour cocktails with clients as she’s trying to make the next great deal.”
Pecca’s throat turned raw and she quickly averted her eyes, running her hands down her jeans in an attempt to regain control of her emotions.
Lane put a hand on Pecca’s. “Did she call?”
“Not yet.” Pecca peered at her friend, appreciating Lane’s heart. She knew how much Pecca missed her family and always made it a point to ask about them or their lives whenever possible. “But she’ll call tonight. She never misses Maceo’s birthday.”
“I’m sure your family wishes they could be here.” Lane squeezed her hand. “Bad timing.”
“The worst.” Pecca’s dad got sick and couldn’t fly. Adrian had work. Her sister-in-law was pregnant and due any day, and there was no way she could ask Luis to leave his wife to bring her niece and nephew to Georgia for Maceo’s birthday.
Her heart ached. This was the first time no one from her family was there to celebrate his special day, but she had a lot to be grateful for. Colton, Charlie, and Lane were there, Shirley, Sheriff Huggins and Ms. Byrdie—all of them filled in the void. Even David had come.
Pecca watched David as he talked to the mom of one of Maceo’s classmates. She had no ring on her finger. Maybe David had moved on. Good. She was happy for him. David was as good as they came. He’d honorably served his country and gotten injured, but he didn’t let it stop him from still trying to find ways to serve his community. The staff at the school spoke highly of him, and he was a reliable volunteer at Home for Heroes. Any woman would be lucky to have a guy like him, except he wasn’t Colton.
“So, have you decided who you’re going to give the final rose to?”
“What?” She turned to find Lane and Shirley looking at her expectantly. She glanced back to David and then to Colton before rolling her eyes. “You guys are too much, but that does remind me, I have an episode of The Bachelor to catch up on.”
Shirley tsked. “Honey, you’ve got your own bachelor over there, and you don’t have to worry about thirty girls chasing after him.”
“And that’s my cue.” Charlie, making a face, stood up. “I’m just going to do . . . man stuff.” He hitched his thumb toward Colton and the kids. “Sweat, compete in feats of strength—not talk about The Bachelor.”
Pecca, Shirley, and Lane burst into laughter as they watched Charlie hurry away.
“Don’t let him fool you.” Lane held the side
s of her belly. “If I’m watching it, he’s like a moth to a flame.”
This started another round of girlish giggles that left all three of them trying to catch their breath.
“Are you ladies okay?” David smiled at them as he approached. “Can I get you some water or something?”
“No, we’re good, honey.” Shirley wiped her eyes. “Would you like some more cake?”
“Oh, no thank you, ma’am.” He pressed a palm to his flat stomach. “I’ve had my fill.” His eyes shifted to Pecca. “It’s getting late, and I promised my neighbor I would feed her cat while she’s out of town. I wanted to say goodbye to the birthday boy and thank him for the invitation, but he seems a little occupied at the moment.”
Pecca stood and turned to find Maceo climbing a huge rope ladder. He was struggling and slower than his friends, but he was smiling. “I’ll let him know. I’m glad you came today, David.”
“Me too.” His eyes traveled to Maceo again, his lips parting into a lopsided smile. “He’s a great kid, Pecca. Really special.”
“Thank you.” She started to reach for David’s arm and then hesitated. He really was the whole package—just not the one for her. She touched his arm. “David, I know you’re going to make a woman very happy one day.”
David patted the top of her hand, his light brown eyes dimming. “Have a good weekend, Pecca.”
Pecca cringed watching him leave. Alone. “You’re going to make a woman very happy one day.” Had she really said that?
“You okay?” Lane asked, her eyes following David out the front door before returning to Pecca. “You made the right choice. David’s nice, but he’s sort of . . . boring. Not in a bad way. Just not in a good way either.”
Pecca began gathering shoes, jackets, and belongings, getting everything ready for parents to arrive and collect their kids. It had been three days since Pecca had decided to allow herself to feel something for Colton in the hopes that maybe he felt something too, but nothing had changed. He came into the gym for his session, hung out until his appointment with Chaplain Kelly, went back to the gym until his pool session, and then played football with Maceo outside the gym until she was done with work.
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