by AJ Alexander
“Elcome.” He places the towel back on the rack and reaches his hand out toward mine.
I look at him for a few moments before grasping his hand in mine and we both head back toward the kitchen. “Ut’s your name?” Colt tugs on my arm, causing me to stop.
“I’m Tyler. I work with Colton at the racetrack.”
“Are oo a driver?” He asks, bouncing from foot-to-foot in excitement. I chuckle quietly before bending down so we are eye level with each other.
“Nope, but I help make Colton’s car go really fast.”
“Ats portant.” He looks at me in awe for a moment before dropping my hand and heading into the kitchen. I shake my head in response before following.
Lucy has a small kitchen, but there is enough space for a small table with four chairs. “I sit here. You sit here,” Colt commands as he points to the chair next to his booster seat connected to the table.
“Whatever you say.” I give Lucy a wink before pulling out my chair and having a seat. Instead of climbing into his booster seat, he climbs up into my lap and makes himself comfortable.
“Umm, Colt?” He turns and looks at me, waiting for me to finish my statement. “I don’t think I’ll be able to eat dinner with you in my lap, buddy.”
Colt covers his mouth as he giggles and then wraps his tiny little arms around my neck. I hold my hands out to the side, not knowing if I should hug him back or pull him off me. I look up and see Lucy leaning against one of the kitchen counters, swiping a hand across her cheek.
“You are my ew reind.” Colt pulls back and gives me a bright smile before climbing into his booster chair.
I stare at him in shock before clearing my throat a few times and offering to help Lucy bring dinner to the table. Just like last time she blows me off and I’m forced to sit back down at the table.
I have little experience with kids, but I don’t believe that they are usually this comfortable with strangers. Heck. I don’t think I should be comfortable around him either, but there’s just something about him that makes me want to protect him and his mother both, from the world.
“Dinner is served,” Lucy interrupts my thoughts as she puts a steaming pile of spaghetti in front of Colt and me.
“Is he really going to eat all that.” I mumble around a fork full of food. I moan, enjoying this one bite more than necessary before scooping another one up and shoving it into my mouth.
“He eats more than I do most days, but he’s a growing boy. The doctor says just let him eat as much as he wants.”
I turn and watch Colt, shoveling large bites of food into his mouth. He turns toward me and gives me a toothy smile, sauce covering his mouth. “You should try to get more of that into your mouth, buddy.” I grab the napkin beside me and wipe his face.
“You’re one to talk.” Lucy giggles as I feel her brush her napkin across the corner of my mouth.
“What can I say, there is something about a home cooked meal that does it for me.” I give her a wink before digging back into my dinner.
We continue to eat in silence, the only sound in the room is the scraping of our forks across the plates or the random comment Colt wants to share with us between mouthfuls.
I imagine what it would be like to come home to these two after a long day at the garage and having dinner together as a family. I would give Colt a bath and tuck him into bed, reading him a bedtime story before turning out the lights and snuggling on the couch with Lucy. A cold beer in one hand and my girl next me, that’s the way life should be.
“Are you finished?” Lucy’s voice comes from beside me. I can only nod my head in response as she grabs my plate and Colt’s before heading into the kitchen. I chase her wanting to help ease her workload just a little.
I push up my sleeves and head toward the sink, turning on the water. “You don’t need to do that. I can take care of them after I get Colt to bed.” She tries to push my hands out of the way, but I don’t budge.
“Why don’t you go give Colt that bath you promised. I’ll take care of these. You made me my first home cooked meal in years, the least I can do is the dishes. Once I’m finished, I’ll let myself out.”
Lucy’s shoulders sag in defeat before she gives me a shy smile. “Thank you,” she whispers before heading back to the table to grab Colt.
I hear the two of them discussing something quietly as they head down the hallway toward the bathroom. As the water warms, I focus on finishing these few dishes in the sink. I mindlessly clean each dish, rinse it, and place them in the drying rack, thankful for the monotonous task to focus on.
As I finish the last dish, I place it in the drying rack and look around to make sure there is nothing else that needs to be done before I dry my hands on the towel hanging on a hook near the sink. I take one last look down the hall before turning and heading for the door.
As I stroll down the street toward my house, I remember all of the questions I wanted to ask Lucy. Who is Colt’s father? What she has been up to since I left? Does she still love me?
That last question is the most important out of all of them, but the one I’m most afraid of the answer. Either way I know I will have to prove myself to both Lucy and Colt. To prove to them I can be the man they need, someone they can count on.
Chapter Eight
Lucy
“How are things with Tyler?” Rylee slides up to my desk at Corporate Cares, taking a seat on the end. I roll my eyes at my friend and keep typing. There is no way I’m having this conversation with her right now. If ever.
“Come on, Lucy,” she whines, “I left the two of you in your house looking mighty cozy almost a week ago. I need to know what happened.”
I look up from my computer screen and smile. “Nothing happened. I asked him to stay for dinner and he did. Tyler did the dishes and left; I haven’t seen him since.”
Rylee scowls at me before crossing her arms over her chest. “That’s it? No big heart-to-heart? Sorry I left you for four years without a word? Nothing?”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but nope. He talked more to Colt than me actually,” I feel a pang of jealousy as the words leave my mouth. I’m ashamed of myself for feeling jealous of my son having a conversation with his father, not that either of them know their connection to each other.
“Are you jealous?” My cheeks pink at Rylee’s question.
“No. Why would I be jealous? Tyler and I mean nothing to each other any longer. I’m happy that Colt found another male to speak to other than Colton, but I doubt this will be a long-term thing.” I turn in my chair and head out of the office. I have no actual destination in mind, but playing fifty questions with Rylee while in the office seems inappropriate.
“Both of you have to get things finalized for the auction. There is no avoiding Tyler.” Rylee steps up beside me, looping her arm through mine. “You can tell me everything that is going in that pretty little head over lunch, then we are both going to see Tyler.”
“I know he is the liaison between us and CD Enterprises, but I don’t need to meet with him. Email and text message work fine,” I grumble as she pulls me toward the elevator. “Besides, I have to sit in on a meeting this afternoon. I can’t run away from my responsibilities, unlike some people.”
Rylee stops dead in her tracks, pinning me in place with her stare. “Lucy Duke, you have no idea what you are talking about. That man has been through just as much as you have in the last four years.” I open my mouth to protest, but she raises her voice. “I know you have no idea what happened or why he left, but I do. All I ask is that you give him a chance to explain and make things right.”
My shoulders sag in disappointment. There isn’t a person in this world I trust more than Rylee. “Let me go grab my purse.”
Rylee squeals in delight. “No need. I knew you couldn’t resist me. I already grabbed it.” She holds my bag hanging off the opposite shoulder. “I didn’t want to give you a chance to change your mind.”
I smile at my friend as I follow her t
o the elevator. I know that Rylee and Colton have my best interests at heart, but what they don’t understand is that it’s not just my heart. I have Colt to worry about. If I let Tyler into his life and he leaves, that could destroy my little boy.
“Now, tell me what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Rylee looks at me over her glass as she takes a sip.
“Nothing. I’m just going over a list of all the things that still need to get done for the auction. I figure Tyler and I can split the list to ensure everything is taken care of.” I flash her a tight smile before biting into my chicken fajita.
Rylee wasn’t playing when she said we were going to lunch. What she failed to mention is she was taking me to my favorite Mexican restaurant across town. She must want to butter me up, but there is no need.
“When are you going to tell him?” Rylee blurts out causing me to almost choke.
“Excuse me?” I cough a few times before taking a large gulp of water.
“You need to tell him about Colt, Lucy. He needs to know what you’ve been through all this time. How much you longed for him to return. To have a relationship with his son.”
“I don’t owe him a damn thing!” I shout, some restaurant patrons looking in our direction. I duck my head in embarrassment. “I understand where you are coming from. I appreciate the sentiment, but I need to make sure he isn’t going to run away again. I won’t do that to Colt.”
“I can’t tell you the specifics because I don’t know them myself, but I do know that the only reason Tyler came back was for you. He left to become a better man for you.” Rylee places her hand on top of mine and squeezes.
“I won’t let him break either of our hearts.” I sit up straighter in my chair. “I’ll hear him out, but I don’t owe him anything else.”
Rylee pulls her hand back and sighs, “That’s better than what I expected you would say. But what are you going to tell him about Colt?”
“The truth, I’ll just leave his name out of it.” We both giggle, the tension between us slowly dissipates. “Honestly, I don’t know. He hasn’t asked yet. If he doesn’t ask, I won’t have anything to worry about.”
Rylee motions for the waiter and asks for the check. “Oh, he will ask. He basically accused Colton of Colt being his love child.” I gasp in shock, but Rylee waves my concern away. “I mean it makes sense with you being friends with Tawny not to mention his name is Colt, with blond hair and hazel colored eyes.”
“I only put up with Colton because of you,” I grumble as I shove the last bite of my fajitas into my mouth. “No offense if he does it for you, but that man annoys the shit out of me.”
Rylee laughs, as she signs the check. “He annoys me too, but that’s what makes me love him so much. We have had our ups and downs, but in the end, I love that man to the moon and back.”
“You do or you wouldn’t put up with his crap,” I laugh before pushing back from the table. “Let’s hurry and get this over with.”
“Don’t act like I’m leading you off to the slaughter.”
“I’m not. I just want to get this impromptu meeting over with so I can get back to the office. I would like to make it home at a reasonable hour.”
Rylee just shakes her head at me before walking toward the exit. As I follow her to the car, I think of all the things that could go wrong if I let Tyler back into my life. He is impulsive, doesn’t think about the consequences for his actions, and hasn’t been the most reliable person in my life. But, if what Rylee says is true, he left for a good reason. I just need to find out if that reason is good enough to forgive him for leaving me, us, without a word.
Chapter Nine
Tyler
“Can you grab me a 3mm metric socket wrench?” I grumble as I pull my arm out the engine I’ve been working on all week.
“What?” someone shouts from the other side of the garage, and I shake my head.
Colton really needs to get some better people working in this garage. “A 3mm socket wrench. Don’t you know the metric system?” I growl as I stalk toward the toolbox and grab the one I need. “Never mind, I got it.” I roll my eyes before getting back to work. No wonder Colton was so eager to have me back; this garage is full of a bunch of yahoos.
Four years is a long time to be away from something you love. Working for Colton has been one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. Leaving Lucy without a word was the worst. I mentally curse myself for not trying to explain things to her when I was at her place earlier in the week. It would have been the perfect opportunity, but that isn’t a discussion we should try to have in front of her kid.
“Hey guys” My head whips around as I hear Rylee’s voice echo through the garage. I’ve seen her once or twice since the awkward meeting at Lucy’s house, but she has been down at the track waiting for Colton. Her being in the garage can’t mean anything good. I turn back to the engine, attempting to keep my hands busy as I hear two sets of footsteps approaching me.
“Tyler.” Lucy’s clipped tone holds no warmth. I thought I had avoided her wrath after going to her place to apologize. I guess the cold shoulder is the only thing I will get until I prove to her I’m not a complete piece of crap.
“Lu.” I nod my head in Rylee’s direction before I continue. “What do I owe this pleasure?” I smirk before turning back to working on the engine. Keeping my hands occupied is for the best. Being enveloped in Lucy’s scent once again is torture. I want to do nothing more than pull her body tightly to mine and kiss her senseless, showing all these fuckers she belongs to me. But in reality, she doesn’t belong to me, not anymore.
“Lucy and I just got finished having lunch. We were hoping you had some time to chat about the fundraiser,” Rylee chimes in breaking the awkward silence hanging between the three of us.
“I need to get this engine working, but Lu has been keeping me in the loop with text messages and emails.” I finish tightening the last bolt securing the flywheel to the crankshaft before placing the socket wrench on the ground. “The only thing I know about is engines. So I’m not sure what input I could give to Lu about how to make this fundraiser work.”
I spare a glance in Lucy’s direction and notice her cheeks twinge pink. I see my nickname for her still gets to her. “You don’t need to have an excuse to come and see me.” I wink at her before pulling a rag out of my back pocket and wiping my hands. “But I can take a break for you two lovely ladies.”
“Don’t worry, Tyler. Your boss let you come back to work here even though you disappeared without a word four years ago. I think taking a break to discuss business won’t cause any issues.” Lucy’s eyes bore daggers in my back as I clean up my workspace.
“You said you’d be nice,” Rylee hissed at her before throwing a bright smile in my direction.
“I said I would try. I made no promises,” Lucy replies as she crosses her arms below her chest, pushing her breasts up slightly for all eyes to see.
I growl as I stride toward her, putting my body between her and the rest of the prying eyes in the garage. Lucy raises her eyebrow at me, with a devious smirk on her face before storming out of the garage.
“Tone down the caveman, please.” Rylee begs quietly before following her friend out of the garage.
I hear the quiet snickering of the other guys before I spin around and bark at them to get back to work and brace myself for the firing squad, following the two women out of the garage.
It doesn’t take long for me to find the two of them, leaning against the side of the building. Rylee has a secretive smile on her face, no doubt trying to devise a plan to get me on Lucy’s good side. Lucy is the exact opposite, her entire demeanor warning anyone off from approaching her. Even some of the people walking by give the pair a wide berth out of precaution.
I shake my head as I approach them. “Why do you look like the cat that got the canary, Ry?” I question leaning on the wall beside her, putting her between Lucy and me.
“Oh, no reason.” She smiles at me bef
ore turning toward Lucy. “Lucy and I were just discussing some of her ideas about the fundraiser and auction for this year. She has some great ideas, but I think they may need a little help to get to the level we are looking for.”
“Do you need some help, Lucy?” I question, leaning slightly forward to catch a glimpse of her face. I watch as she wars internally with herself before her shoulders slump in defeat.
“Honestly, I could use more help.”
“Great! It’s settled then.” Rylee claps her hands together in excitement. “I’ll watch Colt tonight and you two can make plans to hammer out some details.”
“It’s a school night,” Lucy mumbles to Rylee as the two stare at each other in silence, holding a silent conversation with their eyes.
“I have a lot of work that I want to get done on this engine tonight. If it would be alright, can we meet at your place around eight tonight?” Both Rylee and Lucy turn toward me slowly, shock covering both of their faces. “What? I can be considerate sometimes too.”
“If you’re sure, I would really appreciate it.” Lucy gives me a shy smile before addressing Rylee. “Now that we have a plan in place, I really need to get back to work.” Rylee nods her head in response before throwing a wave in my direction and heading toward the parking lot.
“So I’ll see you at eight?” I try to hide the excitement in my voice at having another chance to spend alone time with her, well mostly alone.
“Yeah. Colt should be in bed by then so we can get some work done.” Lucy and I stare at each other for a few moments before I throw caution to the wind and step closer toward her.
Lucy’s green eyes blaze as she quickly licks her lips. “Goodbye, Tyler,” she whispers before bolting toward the parking lot after Rylee.
I chuckle to myself as I head back toward the garage, trying to focus on the work I need to get done on this engine, but my thoughts are making plans for Lucy and me.