by Siera London
“How about I pick you up tomorrow night for dinner and a show?" Hank gave her his best smile. The one his momma said the ladies couldn't resist. Kelby looked perturbed. In fact, she looked distracted.
“Is he gone?" she asked.
She sank from her full height, about five feet seven to a pint-sized version. Was she using his body as a shield? Hank regarded her through narrowed eyes. “Is who gone, darling?"
Besides him. Not a stranger to the ladies in the area, Hank would have remembered if one of his lady friends had kissed him like Kelby just had. Attachment, hands down proved the number one challenge to single parenthood and dating. Elliott’s track team ran a lot of meets beyond the borders of Endurance. Some of the single moms from the other teams had given him more than a casual once-over. He’d dated a waitress from Lincoln’s Gap, and a lawyer in Prospect Hill, the largest city before reaching Sacramento. Both had plowed him with talk of marriage and forever. Neither had shown interest in mothering another woman’s child. Elliott had sensed the disconnect, and Hank wouldn’t set his son up for another rejection. He took a long look at the woman in his arms. Was she into playing games? No way would he get involved with another woman who ignored his son or wanted him to fight over her with another guy. Been there, over that, he thought.
“Gordie," she said with a raised brow.
Okay, he didn't know a Gordie, but Hank already disliked the man. Hank thought of all the men, Elliott’s mom had paraded in and out of his life. They had gotten into more than one argument over her indiscretions. A few of them with the other men in the room with his infant son. Elliott deserved to have a childhood complete with a devoted mom and dad. Hank had failed in that department, but he still held out hope. The right woman would come along, even in a town where the men outnumbered the opposite sex by eight to one.
He gave her a perplexed look. “Who’s Gordie?”
Clearly the question bordered on a demand. Kelby responded in kind. She bristled at his tone, but Hank wasn't inclined to let up. She'd kissed him senseless, so a real good explanation was in order. He didn’t like being played for a fool, especially when it came from a woman he respected. Elliott had improved in his math and science under Kelby’s instruction. Darn good teachers ran in the single digits in Endurance. Most of the educators had retired or needed to be headed in that direction. Just being near her, Hank was eager to find out if she was as good with him as she’d been with his son.
“Xenobia arranged an N2U date for me and... He's here. Now.” She hung her head. “I just want him to go away."
Hank sucked in a breath, amazing how she'd roped her friend in on the drama. Kelby seemed to have her life in order. But, hooking up with complete strangers and chatting it up with every yahoo with a cell phone and an Internet connection screamed ‘Miss’ She ain’t the one. Could he have been wrong about her?
“So let me get this straight," he gave her a lethal stare. At least, that's what Elliott had deemed it. “You kissed me to make another guy jealous." He phrased it more as a statement, eager to hear her wiggle out of the obvious blunder.
“No… of course—not," she sputtered. “I kissed you," she emphasized the words, "to make him go away."
“You used me," he snapped. “A bad habit of yours?”
“Don't you start with me, Hank Stewart.”
After years with Jodi Ann, Hank had built up immunity to female indignation. He understood the mood swings, the outbursts. Heck, he even could tell when they were on their monthly.
“I don’t go around using people. I thought…that is… Maybe you wouldn’t mind kissing me.“
“Come again?”
“Never mind,” she muttered. “You’re trying to twist me up.”
They'd barely started dating ten minutes and already they were arguing. Man, Hank had been missing out by trying to finagle a date during working hours. Weddings obviously got his little lioness fired up. He could back down, but—he wouldn’t.
“You already got it twisted. You think you can put your lips on me, and then beat feet in the other direction?” He leaned in close enough he could see the pulse jump at her neck. “You knew I wanted it, sweet lips. You kissed the right country boy this time.”
“Don't call me sweet.”
He gave her a saccharine smile. “I could call you crazy.” She tried to pull away. Hank tightened his hold on her waist, careful not to bruise the skin beneath. “I know about that crazy gossip columnist, Messy Mandy, and her N2U dating adventures."
Her eyes widened. “You do?"
“Pull your eyebrows out of your hairline, Kelby." Hank preferred meeting women the old-fashioned way, but he owned a computer and fully-functioning libido. “I’m single, not celibate."
At the low point following Jodi Ann's departure, he'd created an online dating profile. Elliott had a sleepover the first time Hank agreed to an initial meeting. Nora had been rail thin with a pinched expression and a notebook filled with attributes of her ideal husband. Hank had downed his beer in one gulp and sprinted for the exit. A few months later, Luke convinced him to try again. Turns out Camille had a lovely smile, a roll of condoms, and a medical history with too many penicillin shots for his comfort level.
“So, you're looking too?”
“No," he denied, threading his fingers through his hair. “But, you're obviously active on the site." Why was he getting upset? Because, the thought of Kelby with another guy burned his rubber. Especially after those kisses. Kisses they both wanted.
“I’m not looking, Hank," she paused. "it's more like perusing."
She could stop. He had her covered in the willing man department.
He cocked an eyebrow. “I can tell you this much. That kiss you gave me said maybe you're fishing in the wrong stream, darling. What you need is right here in Endurance… staring you in the face.” Well, no would accuse him of being subtle again.
Hank knew women liked to play coy, but more than a half dozen people had seen the tangible evidence of the spark between them. Heck, even now the air felt charged between them. He didn't think he was imagining her heightened awareness. Her lips, still plump from his kisses begged to be taken. And, the more he advanced, the less she retreated. He might have been the first to sniff around her door, but Kelby Springfield had caught his scent too.
“Hey," she protested. “Don't make it out to be more than what it is."
He quickly masked his expression, trying not to run too far ahead of himself. “You tell me. What we are…exactly?”
She smiled. “We're friends."
Oh no, he had no intention of remaining in the friend zone. “Kissing friends is a fine start by me."
Immediately she lifted her cute little finger and jabbed him in the chest. “Wait a minute. That constitutes more... Plus some."
“My momma always said kissing leads to more. And,” he paused, “you kissed me...twice."
There wasn't much she could say in defense, but Kelby was a woman—so, of course she tried. Hank almost chuckled.
“Let's be clear, mister. You kissed me the second time."
Several residents seemed to enjoy watching the show he and Kelby put on. Hank wasn't much on animation, but he found himself smiling at Kelby's reddened face. He let his eyes trail down her features to her slender neck. He recalled her scent, spring wildflowers and warm honey.
“Kelby, I brought you some food."
Turning Hank came face-to-face with his competition. The man, in his late thirties had the proportions of a guy who exercised few limits. Exercise was probably the wrong word. Gordie needed two seats on a plane after he ditched the yellowed wife-beater shirt for a bib. His beard held enough crumbs to be considered a fire hazard.
Hank wasn't surprised Gordie had found his way over to Kelby. With both hands occupied, piled high plates and a leering eye aimed at Miss Kiss-like-a-Bandit, Gordie looked hungry for food...and Kelby. She should have told this guy to take a hike, literally and figuratively the moment he arrived.
&n
bsp; With a hitchhiker's thumb pointed in the other direction, Hank said. “I can be on my way."
The macho card itched to drop on the scene, but this had to be Kelby’s decision. How to handle Gordie had to happen in a way she felt comfortable. So, Hank bundled the bravo up, and let the lady take the lead.
“No." Kelby slid her hand around his wrist. “You stay put, honey, baby, dumpling."
Hank jerked to a halt. What had she called him?
A few "oh boys" rang out. Hank glanced around. Yep, they had an audience. “It's alright. I'll go grab a beer," he looked between Kelby and Gordie, "while you visit with your friend."
“Don't be silly, dumpling," she said, the sound muffled. Hank liked the “honey, baby” much better than “silly dumpling.” “I want all my friends to meet my boyfriend."
That froze Hank in his tracks. “I like the sound of that." Angling his head, he said. “Tell me more."
She chuckled. “Stop joking. Honey,” the sound came out coarse and strained. “Gordie, might get the wrong impression."
Why act diplomatic? Just give the big man the boot and move on Hank thought. Women…
Gordie's brows dropped low. “I think I already did. You weren't dating like…two days ago. Did I miss something?” Big time. Like the fact Kelby just wasn't that into him. “I mean...you were bashing that guy...uh, Brad for like six months after he dumped you."
Hank felt a surge of jealousy. At some point, Kelby's past had been discussed. Gordie seemed emboldened by his knowledge of her personal life. His tone obviously questioning her recent change in status. And who was Brad?
“Well," she shrugged, "it happened all of a sudden between me and Hank. The heart knows who it wants."
Hank choked. “Is that so?" A sharp pain shot up his arm. "Ouch."
Kelby had pinched him. She gave him a 'knock it off' glare. He returned said glare with a twisted grin and he knew. This would be trouble.
Kelby linked her arms more securely around his. Her fingers clapped on his forearm as if she needed his strength. This was his opportunity to back her up and to get what he wanted. A date. He winked and a small smile appeared on her face. He started to laugh, and then he saw the concern spreading across Kelby's face. Yeah, relationships were give and take, and he was getting as good as he gave.
“And here I thought, this thing between us had been simmering up to a slow boil from the very beginning." Kelby’s eyes widened, but Hank kept going. “So, here’s a reality I learned the hard way Gordon. Or, is it Gordo?”
The other man shoved a slice of pie in his mouth. “Gordie is fine,” he mumbled, licking his fingers.
“Gordie, the thing about women is they can be so fickle. One second you're their honey dumpling and they can't bear to leave your side. But when no one's watching, you turn into an old hunk of stale bread." Kelby stiffened next to him. Hank didn't let up. She wanted a boyfriend, and boyfriend he would be, but not just for Gordie. Hank would run the race to win.
Gordie glared at Kelby. “Yeah, happened to me more than once."
“See, you know what I’m saying is true." Turning to Kelby, Hank practically shrank with the unspoken outrage hidden behind thinned lips. Boy howdy, she wanted to read him the riot act. “It’s maybe hard to believe because we've been together for such a short while but, this woman is real special to me. She makes the days feel like hours, the minutes like seconds. It seems like just yesterday we were friends, and now we're officially dating. A couple as it were."
“Honey,” Kelby interjected, a hand to his chest. “You know I’m not into titles. It's enough for me to say we're together right now."
Hank gave her a quizzical look. “See there, Gordie. When it comes to the opposite sex, you never know. Something could happen in the next few minutes or so, and Kelby could be back on the market."
Gordie’s eyes lit up. “Really?"
“Oh yeah," Hank nodded.
“Nope," Kelby protested. "Not possible. You and I are together to stay. It's the real thing. I feel it in my heart, silly dumpling," she ground out.
Hank looked at Kelby. “Lighten up on the silly dumpling, darling.”
“It applies,” she said through pursed lips.
“I’m glad to hear you say we’re forever, sweetheart. I feel the exact same way. Let's seal that with a kiss, shall we?" He bent at the waist, leaning in for his just reward.
“No, we shall not," she hissed under her breath. “This is wildly inappropriate."
“So demanding I kiss you is standard behavior between us? What,” he raised a brow, “your dumpling’s kisses aren't doing it for you?”
“Your kisses are amazing,” she snapped.
He ran both hands down her arms, stopping when he reached her hands. Hank interlocked their fingers, lifting. Wrapping her hands around his neck, he hauled her in close.
He chuckled. She’d have trouble convincing anyone beyond earshot. “Then pucker up, Kelby 'cause your dumpling is about to dunk inside his new favorite flavor.”
In this moment, she stood vulnerable to him, more so than ever before. He could press his advantage, but it would sabotage his reaching the goal. Hank took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, turned her face up and looked in her eyes. Neither said a word. Their bodies spoke an inaudible language, his hardening, hers softening. Her lips parted. A barely sigh escaped, and then her pert tongue did a quick dance over her lips. Wetting them for him, giving him the permission he sought.
“Don’t cheat now, darling,” he whispered. “This time I want lipstick on my collar.”
“Done,” she said, the words breathy and laced with an unnamed emotion.
Her acquiesce surprised him. Hank realized the toying in her voice had been replaced with something more urgent, need. He sealed his mouth to hers. His breath became hers. Her taste, his nectar. Her warmth, his heat. In fact, a raging inferno roared through his body. His feet left the ground. His head soared about the clouds. Every cell in his body clamored to be near her, around her, in her. Kelby was his. She had to be. This was a tenuous position and too late he acknowledged neither one of them had a clue as what they were doing. The kiss, shorter than the first, was just as potent. When they broke apart. Gordie had vanished, Kelby looked dazed, and he felt like a man who’d won a triathlon.
“Boy howdy, woman,” he whispered, trialing kisses down her neck. “You're the best girlfriend I ever had."
Fake. Imagined, or real. The words were both a statement and a curse. What if she didn’t have the same reaction as he? Hank thought she would respond, but she hesitated. What if—
“Daddy, you said not to be kissing on a girl unless I’m about to be marrying her? You marrying Miss Kelby?”
Hank froze and Kelby gasped. Dear heaven above, he'd about forgotten his own name. He looked down; Elliott stood there with a goofy, hopeful grin on his ten-year-old freckled face. His brown curls were damp and plastered to his head. Feet bare and toes muddy, his formal jeans, meaning there were no holes or patches had been rolled up to the knees and grass stains covered the front of his only white dress shirt. Fatherhood had a way of grounding a man.
“Oh Mylanta,” Kelby yelped, voice raised in alarm. She yanked her arms from around Hank's neck so fast, he darn near winced from the road rash.
“Shoot," Hank muttered, rubbing a hand over his scruff. He didn't want her running scared, but protecting Elliott had to be his priority. A man only had one chance to raise his son right, and Hank wouldn't lie to him.
To his surprise, Kelby remained at his side. He hoped all that kissing had softened her up to spending some quality time with him and Elliott. But she could be in anti-Gordie mode until the reception ended.
Hank had dropped to one knee, when his little boy turned big brown eyes on the woman standing board still at his side.
“Miss Kelby, do you like my daddy now?"
Hank whirled his head up pinning Kelby in an intense hold. First came another gasp, then a jaw drop, and finally, she clapped a hand on
his shoulder and held on. Like Elliott, Hank waited with a hopeful grin on his face too.
Chapter 3
Kelby was horrified. Had all of her students seen her lip smacking with a parent? Or worse, Mrs. Glatt, the school principal. The thirty-five-year-old woman was a self-righteous prude who would chastise a nun for being too forward. Compared to the head administrator, Cruella Deville transformed into a nice older woman with skunk hair and a fondness for Dalmatians. Kelby was the sole third-grade teacher and she'd excelled at her job, but none of that mattered. With Tiffany's tuition payment due in August, Kelby couldn't risk a scandal jeopardizing the offer of a permanent position. Look at the mess her impulsive behavior had caused. Until this moment, she'd never considered how a single parent, especially a man taught his child about building a healthy relationship. Hank hadn't complained about her kissing him, but maybe he should have. Kelby was a bad influence. First to have Gordie lumbering around the reception with two plates of deconstructed potato salad, then that kiss-those kisses with Hank, and now Elliott with his very reasonable question.
Yeah, she liked Hank, but admitting it to a ten-year-old who'd been abandoned by his mother would catapult her and Hank into dangerous territory. Rumor had it, Hank's high school sweetheart had been everything but sweet. Elliott had been a model student in her classroom. He’d helped out the other students, turned his homework in on time, and had earned quite the reputation on the school's track and field team. She knew he wanted his dad to get married. But she was off the marriage mart shelves. Could she be that woman who broke a child's heart? And, there was Hank. What could she say to make this right?