by Hope Ramsay
Colton pulled back, an unspoken question in his eyes. She answered it by standing on tiptoe, curling her hand around his neck, and kissing him back, her lips moving against his, feeling the softness of his mouth, the contrasting rasp of stubble. He cupped her face in his hand, tangled his fingers in her hair, and tugged her against his hard body.
She went hot and cold. A noise squeaked out from her throat. She opened to him, their tongues tangling together, their mouths fitting together perfectly. That kiss, it was the most erotic thing she’d ever experienced. The way his mouth moved over hers, the way he held her tight against him, the way she could feel he trembled too.
He tasted…wonderful. He smelled like plain soap and leftover sunshine from the warm day. And he kissed like…like no one had ever kissed her before. Like she’d imagined being kissed in a dream.
Suddenly there was a flashlight shining on them, even though the sun hadn’t yet set. The first thing Sara thought was, What if it’s the cops? Then her family would know, Tagg would know…
Tagg. Oh, what was she doing? She’d forgotten all about him. About them.
The flashlight belonged to old Mrs. Mulligan, who was walking her dachshund Georgie.
“Oh, just look at you two kids,” she said. “So cute. How about a picture?”
That was the thing. Everyone was always taking pictures in front of the angels. Couples especially. Rumor had it that if you had your picture taken there and tossed money into the water, your love would last forever.
“For good luck,” she said.
Surprisingly, Colton got ready to pose. “Thanks, Mrs. M.,” he said.
The old lady snapped the picture while Colton held on to Sara’s waist, her panic climbing the mercury scale, high and higher.
Mrs. Mulligan moved on, Colton let go. He still had that dreamy look in his eyes, like he would’ve been perfectly happy to get back to whatever it was they were doing before they were interrupted.
“I-I have to go,” she said. Guilt tore at her conscience.
He held her back with his arm. “Wait.” His gaze locked on to her like a tractor beam, forcing her to stare into the pure, deep blue of his eyes. “Come with me to the art museum next Friday. They always have music in the courtyard. It’ll be a nice break from studying for exams.”
She was speechless. She should say no, but the words wouldn’t form.
“Give me your phone.”
She did, God knew why, and he punched in his number. “Promise me you’ll think about it.”
“Colton,” she said, and it was as if she’d said his name for the first time.
He raised his head. He had a look on his face. Hopeful. Anticipatory.
“OK,” she found herself saying. “I’ll do it. I’ll see you Friday.”
He broke into a smile. Held her hand and insisted on walking her home. But not before he reached into his pocket and tossed some coins into the falls.
Guilt and confusion warred within her. As well as shock that Colton Walker had given her the most amazing kiss of her life. He was so different from the cool, standoffish persona he projected so well. She’d had him pegged all wrong.
In the back of the restaurant, the sound of kids cheering jolted Sara back to reality. Stevie had won a point or a game, she wasn’t sure which, but he was holding up two Ping-Pong paddles with a triumphant expression on his face while the other boys slapped him on the back.
Her date with Colton so long ago had never happened because he’d stood her up. When she’d sought him out at his dorm room, he’d answered the door shirtless, female laughter echoing in the background. At that moment she’d known everything had been a joke. All these years later, that thought still made her sick to her stomach. She’d learned unequivocally from that experience that Colton couldn’t be trusted, and he’d proven over and over through the years that that was the case.
She warned herself to heed that advice now. Colton stood there, not speaking, that same blue gaze drilling through her with an intensity that caused gooseflesh to rise on her arms. She wasn’t sure if she’d stunned him by her confrontation or if he simply intended not to say anything. Just as he opened his mouth to finally speak, a tall, thin man appeared at her side.
“Are you Sara Langdon? I’m Ken. Dr. Ken Houseman, from the microbiology lab at the hospital. I’m sorry I was running a bit late. Lots going on at work, you know?” He glanced at Colton. “Am I interrupting something?”
“No. Not at all,” Colton said, still staring. “See you around, Doctors.” He gave Sara a little salute and walked back to join the kids.
Her date sat down across from her and ordered a scotch. She downed the rest of her wine. It was difficult to concentrate on the small talk he was making. “You’re Ivy League trained, aren’t you? So am I. Princeton. I study mutant bacteria. Ones that aren’t susceptible to any antibiotics. I always wonder what would happen if we accidentally poured some down the sewer and started a killer epidemic, you know?”
Sara tried to focus on what he was saying, but frankly, she wasn’t into killer germs or the creepy way he’d just casually mentioned the possibility of a deadly epidemic. Honestly, he could’ve announced he’d found a cure for cancer for all she would’ve cared. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Colton play Ping-Pong, laughing and joking with the boys.
Thing was, she was seeing a completely different side to Colton. First with her grandmother, and now with these boys. Heck, even in the way he’d treated her when she was distraught the other day. But every time they had an opportunity to get closer, he seemed to draw a line in the sand, doing something to push her away.
Chapter 8
At eleven a.m. the next Friday, Colton pulled up in Cookie’s driveway. This was Cookie’s morning to volunteer at the Salvation Army store downtown, and he knew Hannah wasn’t scheduled to work until the dinner shift today, so he was hoping she’d be home…sort of. Meaning he needed to talk with her but was dreading it about as much as a testicular exam.
He walked into the kitchen to find her sitting at the breakfast bar in a T-shirt and pj bottoms, her long hair pulled up in that complicated messy bun only girls knew how to do with a few flicks of the wrist and a rubber band. She was doing something on her phone and eating a bowl of Cap’n Crunch, her favorite cereal since she was three.
Dammit, he wished she were three. Then he wouldn’t have to have this discussion with her. “Do you have something you want to tell me?” he asked, instantly realizing that he’d started this off all wrong. He hated being a quasi parent. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing.
“Good morning?” She had no makeup on, and she looked so young and innocent his stomach hurt.
He crossed his arms, more to make himself believe he was tough than because he felt that way. “Anything else?”
“No, Colton, nothing else. I’m just a normal teenage girl trying to lead a normal teenage life, if my brother would just get off my case.” She let go of her spoon, which clattered against the side of her cereal bowl. He’d done it now, managed to irritate her with two sentences. Fuck.
“I had coffee with Lou this morning.”
She bit her cuticle, her usual tell, and glanced at her phone again, which was buzzing with texts from her million friends. So, she was a little nervous about what he was about to say.
“I haven’t missed a shift since I started working there. What’s the problem?”
“You were there past midnight last Saturday night.”
“I’m allowed to go out with my friends.”
“Not this particular friend.”
Her phone dropped, and she bent to pick it up. When she popped her head up again, he could tell she was biting the insides of her cheeks, but still she didn’t say anything.
She looked so much like their mother. Slight build, pretty heart-shaped face. But where their mother had had blue eyes like Colton, Hannah had big hazel eyes that he’d always thought were honest with him. Until now. Where his mother had been flighty, whi
msical, and anxious, Hannah was in general calm and even-keeled. But she had her moments. Moments that made him worry. He didn’t want her going down the same pathway as their mother. It was his job to ensure that. But first he’d have to stop pissing her off as soon as he walked through the door.
He tried a different tack, sitting down across from her on a stool. It was her turn to cross her arms and give him the evil eye. “Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing Aiden?”
“It was a little hard considering the first words out of your mouth about him were Stay away.”
Colton sighed. “I said that for a reason. The guy has a troubled past. His family life sucks. He’s already been in trouble once with the law.”
“But you’re trying to help him. He deserves a chance, Colton.”
Suddenly a weird thing happened. Colt heard Sara’s voice in his head. He saw an image of her in Lou’s the other night when she’d run after him. I was wrong about you. Maybe you’re wrong about me too.
Maybe he did tend to leap to conclusions about people. But this kid…He was bad news. He didn’t want Aiden anywhere near his sister.
“Look, Hannah. You’re bright and smart and beautiful. Your future is in front of you, and it’s a great one. I don’t want anything to derail that, do you understand?”
He had to say things that he did not want to say. That were his obligation to say. But the back of his neck and his palms were starting to sweat. He wanted her to have a good life. A great life. He didn’t want her to get dragged down like their mother after his father died—with bad men, one after another. Hannah was compassionate like their mother. She saw the best in people. That had been part of their mother’s downfall. She’d trusted people who didn’t deserve her trust.
He couldn’t lose Hannah like they’d lost their mother. He had to make sure she made the right choices. But he was at a complete loss as to how to do that.
Hannah looked at him as if he were speaking Greek. As if he were the most clueless person on the planet.
He decided to try one more time. “The people you hang out with impact your life and your future. You’ve got to pick your friends wisely. You can’t let yourself get dragged down by other people’s problems.”
Aiden’s family was a train wreck. He’d had a terrible childhood. Colton had no idea how that neglect and chaos had imprinted itself upon his personality, but with everything he saw daily, he could believe it had had some bad effects. Effects he did not want his sister hanging around.
“Look,” Colton said. “Lou saw you and Aiden making out, and from the looks of it, you two were just getting started.”
Hannah glared at him like he’d just crawled out of a sewer. But he held his ground. If, God forbid, Hannah and Aiden were having sex, he needed to make sure that she was protected against an unplanned pregnancy. Hannah wasn’t saying a thing, but she didn’t have to—her hostile stare said it all. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. “Don’t have sex” didn’t sound like a good opening. Or the more gentle “Abstinence is important,” or the more blunt “Are you having sex?”
“Are we done here?” Hannah asked, sliding off the bar stool and grabbing her phone. “Because I have to take a shower before work.”
“We’re done,” he said, putting up his arms in surrender.
That went well. They were done, for now, but he knew he had to do something to make sure Hannah was safe. He wasn’t about to let her future get screwed up or her choices get taken away like his had been.
* * *
Colton walked into the Bean around noon, and the first thing he saw was Sara with her forehead pressed against the glass bakery cabinet, rolling her head back and forth.
“Take a deep breath,” Kaitlyn said, working the espresso machine. “Your coffee’ll be ready in a sec. Breathe.”
“Remind me why I came back here again.”
Kaitlyn took a rag and wiped down the counter. “Because your nonna needs you. She’s what matters the most.”
“My father is so set in his ways. He doesn’t want any change. He watches over me like I’m a med student and questions every test I order. And every patient but one this morning mentioned my wedding. Or lack of one, that is.”
“Which one didn’t?”
“His name was James Pollard, and he was a newborn. And his mom was too nervous about bringing him in to care about my love life. But everyone else did.”
Colton edged a little closer to the door. He didn’t want to open it or the bell would go off and out him for sure.
“Don’t make me go back there,” Sara said.
“Sara,” Kaitlyn said, “this is only your second week. It’s a big adjustment for everyone. Give it some time. A little bit of caffeine and you’ll feel like a million bucks.”
“Now I know why my father didn’t have a partner all these years. He doesn’t want a partner. He doesn’t want an interloper in his practice.”
“Your dad’s got to know you’re an awesome doctor.” Kaitlyn banged something around behind the counter that indicated she was making some kind of fancy drink. “You even got that fancy award last year for being the most outstanding resident before you graduated. What was that called again? The Doppelganger Award or something?”
“Hopplebauer Award. And it doesn’t matter. No award in the world can prove my worth to my father.”
“So melodramatic,” Kaitlyn said. She looked over Sara’s shoulder. “Oh, hi, Colton,” Kaitlyn said brightly, outing him for good. “Your usual?”
Sara’s head bolted upright.
“The usual’s great, thanks,” he said. No use pretending he hadn’t just heard everything. He turned to Sara. “Rough morning?”
“Go on. Just…say it,” she said. “Hit me with it.”
“With what?”
“Some snide remark. Some snippy comment. Remind me of all my faults and inadequacies. I’m ready.”
“I was just going to say that you’re a good doctor and…and it’s going to be OK.”
“No advice? Platitudes? An I-told-you-so or a You-better-go-back-to-your-Ivy-League-world?”
He wasn’t going to do that. Or do something to get her spine prickled, like ask her how that loser date had been last weekend. Because he already knew. Rafe had told him all about the microbiologist and his fascination with killer bacteria.
This time, Colton dug down deep and tried to be something he hadn’t been so far. A friend. Call him crazy, but when she’d come after him at Lou’s and accused him of being insulting…Well. Maybe she was right. He could tone it down a little.
“Your dad’s really respected around here. People say he takes the time to talk to them, unlike all the docs who are watching the clock and try to get in and out like seeing patients is some kind of race. It’s just that anyone who’s been at a job for that long is going to have certain…ideas that are resistant to change.”
“Like ingrown toenails,” Kaitlyn said. “Completely embedded.”
“Thanks for the gross visual,” Sara said.
“Hey, you’re the doctor,” Kaitlyn said, passing Colton a big cup of coffee with a lid on it. “I was just trying to use an example you can relate to.”
Sara threw up her hands. “My dad’s still using paper records. And manual blood pressure cuffs. The EKG machine has one strip, like a grocery store cash register receipt. And they might still be killing rabbits for the pregnancy tests for all I know.”
Kaitlyn’s eyes went wide. “They used to do that?”
“Yeah. In 1960,” Sara said.
“Here you go,” Kaitlyn said, handing Sara her coffee. “I put an extra shot of espresso in that, by the way.”
“I love you,” Sara said. Her phone went off with a text, and she set down her cup on the counter to pull it out of her purse. “I have to run. See you later. Thanks for the help. I think.” Sara blew Kaitlyn a kiss, gave Colton a quick wave, and left.
Well. The first interaction in a week where she hadn’t threatened to kill
him. Things were looking up.
“It’ll get better,” Kaitlyn said, pulling a big tray of freshly iced cinnamon buns off a shelf behind her.
He leaned his arm against the bakery case. “Yeah. New-job problems.”
Kaitlyn held out the tray of cinnamon buns. “Actually, I was talking about you, Colty. These are still warm, by the way. Want one?”
The scent of warm cinnamon rolls was already permeating the whole shop, making his mouth water. Colton took one. “If you don’t call me that, sure, I’d love one. But I’m not sure I’m following you.”
Kaitlyn shrugged. “Any bad blood between you two is none of my business. But don’t think I can’t see that I-want-to-eat-you-for-breakfast way you look at her. Plus it’s getting exhausting pretending I hate you too.”
Colton narrowed his eyes. “Why are you suddenly on my side?”
“I happen to know you’re a nice guy. Not that you used to be, though. Of course, Sara hasn’t forgotten that.”
No, she hadn’t. He wasn’t the same jerk he’d been in high school, but she still thought he was, and it seemed at times he couldn’t help feeding into that. It was just that Sara seemed to be able to push all his buttons. Remind him that he was a small-town cop in the same town where he’d lived for half his life. He didn’t have her grand aspirations and dreams—mostly because he’d had an obligation to do what was right, take care of his family. Work to give Hannah the choices he’d never gotten. But it niggled—had he settled?
“Oh, look. It’s your lucky day,” Kaitlyn said, nudging her head toward the top of the bakery case.
“Why’s that?”
“Sara forgot her coffee. And if anyone needs coffee today, it’s her, right?”
He took the cup. “I’m going that way anyway. See you around, Kaitlyn.”
“Hey, ladies,” Colton said a few minutes later, resting his elbows on the windowsill in the Langdons’ office and peering at Leonore and Glinda through the glass. “How’s it going?” No sign of Sara. Looked like she was already back at work. He should just leave the cup and go, but that perverse part of him that seemed to totally enjoy getting himself into trouble spoke up.