by Toni Aleo
Breathless, she nodded. “Yeah, Angie really wanted to come, so I moved some things around.”
“She’s the best,” Angie said, her eyes full of love for her mom. “I’m so excited.”
She was bouncing. Like, literally bouncing in place, and Lucy could only smile. “She is. Obviously.”
“Me too. Why don’t you go get ready? You know how to now, right?”
Angie nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’ve been practicing. I’m a little spotty on my stick tape, though, and getting my skates tight.”
“I can help with that,” he said with a smile.
Lucy swallowed hard, still very much reeling from two minutes ago. Apparently, she wasn’t prepared to be hit on by this guy, which was odd. Usually, guys didn’t affect her that dramatically. But the way he looked at her made her feel something, and Lucy didn’t feel. So she was still trying to find her footing. But she was on a mission.
The other reason she made sure to move things around was not only to make Angie happy but also because she had to talk to him. After a long chat with Avery earlier that day about Benji, she decided she needed to apologize to him. She had been a bitch, and that wasn’t fair. He was really good to Angie and she loved him already, so Lucy needed to man up and apologize for her actions. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to do so, but she did, and she was going to own up to her mistakes.
She knew what she needed to say to him, but the problem was saying it.
“Honey, why don’t you go get ready so I can talk to Benji?”
Angie eyed her, and so did Benji. “You’re gonna be nice, though?”
She gave her a frustrated look. “Really, Angie? Go get ready before I wear out that butt.”
Angie’s eyes widened before she glanced up at Benji. He shrugged. “I’d go.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, taking the bag from Lucy and then walking toward the bench to get ready. When she sat down, Lucy looked up to see Benji watching her.
“Um. Yeah, hi,” she said with a wave because she didn’t know what else to say or do. Why was she being so awkward with him? This wasn’t Lucy. She was strong, she was smart, and guys didn’t have any effect on her!
But when he grinned, she found everything she just thought was not true. Shit.
“Hey.”
Ugh. Just that word had her skin breaking out in gooseflesh. What in the world? Swallowing hard, she said, “Thanks for not being put off or judgmental with the whole crazytown thing. I said it once, regretted it, but now, it’s our normal.”
He nodded. “No big deal. When was she diagnosed? ADD?”
“ADHD, two years ago.”
“My brother had bad ADD when we were growing up, so I get it. No big deal. She’s still the coolest kid I’ve ever met.”
Lucy smiled. “She’s great, but when she isn’t medicated, she’s too busy to feel her emotions so she may be a little scattered. That’s why I worry like I do when she is medicated because she feels everything due to the fact she is so focused. That’s why I probably came off as a psycho mom the other day. I was kinda panicking. But with Jayden not here to calm her and know her triggers, I was freaking out. But you did really great with her and I appreciate that.”
Damn it, she was rambling. Telling him way more than he needed to know. But when he shrugged, like she wasn’t rambling or crazy, her heart raced. “I don’t think that’s psycho at all. I think that makes you a great mom.”
Looking away, Lucy tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket and her heart stopped. “Er…thanks.”
“It’s the truth,” he said, so simply that Lucy had to fight back the tears before looking back up at him. Angie and her family always reassured her that she was a good mom, but Rick wasn’t kind and took every chance he could to knock her down. It was tiring, and she knew he was just a sick piece of shit, but still, it hurt. She had one job that really mattered in her life and that was caring for her daughter. Being the kind of woman her baby could look up to. To know that someone thought she was doing a good job… It just meant a lot.
Swallowing around the emotion in her throat, she smiled. Here went nothing. “So, anyway, I’m really sorry for the way I acted on Monday. Between the panicking about Jayden not being here, Angie’s anxiety, and then just being tired—I’m tired a lot—I kind of lashed out at you, and I’m really sorry for that.”
His face curved into a grin and he nodded. “That seemed really hard for you.”
She laughed. “It was. I don’t apologize much since I don’t think I’m ever wrong, but I was wrong to treat you the way I did. So, I’m sorry.”
His eyes were sparkling. How, she didn’t know since they were dark like storm clouds. “Well, thank you. I’m glad we had this talk.”
God, his eyes. They were really the windows to his soul. Did she just think that? She was insane. Looking away to keep it together, she agreed, “Me too.”
Clearing his throat, he started. “I know I’m a little strange—”
“Just a bit,” she said with a grin, looking back up at him. “But Angie and Jayden are good at reading people, so I’m gonna trust their opinion of you.”
“But you won’t trust me,” he asked, his eyes challenging.
She scoffed. “I don’t know you.”
He moved his hands into his pockets, his eyes still holding hers as his lips curved. “So let’s change that.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Huh?”
“How about you let me take you out to dinner? Get to know each other. Angie said she’s going to her dad’s this weekend. So how about Saturday?”
Lucy’s brows pulled together as her whole face scrunched up. “You’re asking me out? On, like, a date?”
She hadn’t realized her voice had escalated until Benji laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised.” She could only stare at him as one side of his mouth quirked up. “But yeah, I am.”
Sputtering like a bumbling baboon, she couldn’t keep her eyes from widening. She wasn’t sure why she was so surprised. It was obvious he was feeling her and she was feeling him, but this was ludicrous. Why would he ask her out? “Why?” she squawked and he looked away, laughing.
“Because I want to. Because I think we’d have fun.”
“Fun? You want to?” she said, repeating what he said, and his whole face smiled.
“Didn’t know you had a part-time job as a parrot,” he teased and she just gawked at him. Looking away, he chuckled nervously. “I’m not sure how to read you right now. Not sure if your surprise is good or bad. It’s awkward and you’re making me squirm, if that’s what you wanted,” he admitted, but all Lucy could do was stare at him.
He was so beautiful, but this couldn’t happen. “You’re my kid’s coach.”
He shrugged. “Eh, I mean, kinda. But not full time if that makes it better?”
“I don’t know you.”
“Yeah, which is why we’d go out.”
“But—”
“Do you want to go out with me or not?” he asked simply and Lucy’s eyes widened more, if that was even possible.
She hadn’t expected him to be so direct, and while she thought it was hot, there was no way she could go out with him. She just couldn’t.
“Um, I’m sorry,” she said and his face changed. The smile dropped as he nodded slowly. “I just don’t have time. I’m so busy and, yeah, no. I don’t want this to be weird, but no, I can’t go out with you.”
He held her gaze. “Can’t?”
“Yeah.”
Taking a step toward her, his eyes bored into hers, his body radiating some serious heat as she got lost in those gray depths. “I don’t take you for a ‘can’t’ kind of girl.”
“That’s ’cause you don’t know me,” she breathed and he nodded.
“Which, again, is why we should get to know each other.”
She shook her head, trying like hell not to lean into him. “I can’t.”
“But do you want to?”
She eyed him and, shit, she was gasping
for breath. He smelled divine and those eyes, Jesus… But she knew she couldn’t even try to date him. That would be disastrous. So she did what she did best. She lied. “No, I don’t.”
He didn’t move, nor did his eyes change as he looked down at her. Silence passed between them, and as her eyes grazed down his face, the sharp planes of his nose, and the sweet color of his cheeks, never in the last seven years had she ever wanted to go up on her toes and kiss a man.
Well, there was Channing Tatum; she’d kiss him.
Or Justin Timberlake.
Or even, mmmm, Jared Padalecki…
But not some normal, dorky, puppy-dog looking dude!
What in the world had gotten into her, and why the hell did she feel he could see right through her?
Especially when he moved toe-to-toe, his breath on her lips as he said, “You’re not a very good liar, Ms. Sinclair.”
“Ms.?” she asked breathlessly. Thankfully, she still had her brain…sorta. “I could be married.”
“But you’re not,” he said simply, his voice so low, so deep, and…fuck, so sexy. “And that’s cool. I’ll get you to go out with me.”
Then he winked.
She was pretty sure she came.
And without another word, tall, dark, adorable, sexy, puppy-dog guy walked away.
Like a fucking boss.
Where in the hell had that come from?
And why did she believe him?
There was no reason to, because Lucy knew she wouldn’t be dating anyone. Probably never would. Or maybe when Angie was eighteen and she wouldn’t ever have to deal with Rick again. But now, now she couldn’t. It didn’t make sense. She just didn’t have time, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to bring some dude around Angie whom she didn’t trust.
But this was different.
Angie already loved Benji.
Which meant Lucy couldn’t fuck that up. She may not trust the guy, but Angie did and she needed that. Especially since her father was a turd.
So she’d keep her distance.
No matter how hard it looked like that was going to be.
Leaning on her desk, Lucy looked at the screen of her computer with no clue what she was doing.
She should be working. She had orders she needed to place for three different accounts. She had fourteen mock-ups to send to Elli Adler and seven to send to leopard-print couple. She also needed to call her mother back since she had been calling since eight that morning. She usually didn’t ignore her mother—she loved her and loved speaking with her—but lately, she was exhausted with the whole wedding thing. It still all seemed so unreal to her.
Plus, Lucy was distracted.
Benji asked her out last night.
And she said no.
Her answer was driving her insane because she was starting to think she should have said yes. There wasn’t a long line of men wanting to take her out. She hadn’t been out in a very long time, and man, she needed some sex. Nice, hot, wall-banging sex. Benji was tall, and while he was a bit awkward, she was pretty sure he could deliver the wall-banging sex. It had to be the eyes that made her think that…mmm…
But no.
No.
It couldn’t happen. She was busy, and he didn’t look like the kind of guy who wanted to just screw around. She didn’t have time for a relationship, and Angie—she couldn’t do that to her. Bringing guys in and out, that was just not responsible. She wasn’t that kind of a woman; she was smart and relationships led to heartache. The problem was, it wasn’t only Lucy’s heart that could be broken, and she couldn’t do that to Angie. Wouldn’t do that to her.
Rick already caused that girl enough grief, and she wouldn’t add to it. Or really, she wouldn’t give Rick the chance to give them both grief. He wouldn’t take kindly to some guy coming around Angie. He had made that comment many times, and yeah, it was stupid of Lucy to worry about what he thought, but it did worry her. He was unpredictable, and she was okay with her life as it was. She didn’t need a man. No, she would be the staple in Angie’s life. She would be strong; she would be the best role model she could.
But was she being that without trying to love again? Angie was loved, over and beyond, but that was by family. Was Lucy not giving her the example of what marital love could be? All she had were the interactions between her and Rick—those were never good—but was she cheating her baby out of a family? But Angie had Rick and Heidi, if that was even an example. Who knew? Heidi was a dimwit, but shit. Was she fucking up? No, she was doing fine. Angie was happy, she was loved, everything was fine. God, why did she do this to herself?
What happened to just wanting hot, nasty sex from the guy?
Jesus, she was a mess.
Closing her eyes, she ran her other hand through her hair as her phone beeped and her assistant Rayne came over the speaker. “Lucy, do you have Angie this weekend?”
Looking at the phone, she closed her eyes again, holding back her moan. She really needed to hire another designer. “Nope.”
“I have a guy on hold for a design on Saturday. He’s leaving town on Sunday and wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible. He’s offering to pay a rush fee if needed. When would be good? You have the whole morning blocked out, but then your mom called me and told me to block out your lunch and two hours after that.”
“Jesus, why?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should call her back?”
Rolling her eyes, she shrugged. “I guess I should. Okay, so what, like, four? Would four work?”
“I’ll ask, but you want to do anywhere between four and six? So I don’t have to call you back?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” she said with a sigh. “Does he sound rich?”
Rayne laughed. “He offered a rush fee and said he needs a design for his whole house. He just moved in and doesn’t have time to make it adultish. He’s funny.”
That perked her interest. A whole house? “Is there a wife?”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Just wondering how much I’ll actually be designing, or will I be trying to please a wife.”
“Does it matter?”
Lucy scoffed. “Nope. Yeah, between four and six is fine.”
“Party. I’ll put it in the books.”
“Fabulous, but make sure my Sunday is free.”
“Yeah, I know,” she said and then the phone went dead.
Lucy was curious about her new Saturday appointment, but instead of waiting for the info to come up on her calendar so she could stalk the guy, she decided she needed to call her mother.
So, obviously, she called Avery instead.
“Hey!” her sister-in-law said, sounds of sweet baby Ashlyn in the background.
“Hey, what’re you doing? You busy being an awesome mom and songwriter?”
Avery laughed. “Actually, I just got done cleaning poop off my shorts. Ashlyn had an accident. Explosive one.”
“Ew. Don’t miss those days. Got time to chat?”
“Of course, missy is going down for a nap and then I gotta work some. My goal of selling to Ed Sheeran before the year is up is slowly but surely diminishing.”
Smiling, Lucy leaned back in her chair. Avery had been writing a lot lately and selling like mad, but of course, the girl was wanting to sell to someone who really didn’t buy. “He writes his own stuff, babe.”
“Yeah, yeah, but I’m gonna get him, you watch. I’ve got four months to do just that.”
“Chase those dreams!”
“You know it,” Avery agreed and Lucy listened as she slowly shut the door. “So, have you talked to Baylor?”
“No, but I talked to Jayden and things aren’t looking good.”
“Yeah, she was telling me she thinks she’s gonna retire before they tell her she won’t be able to play anymore.”
That broke Lucy’s heart. “Man, that sucks. She wants it so bad.”
“I know,” Avery said sadly. “I hate it for her, but your mom is happy. You know how she worri
es.”
“Yeah.”
“And she wants them to have a baby.”
Lucy scoffed. “Of course, she does. If she had her way, everyone would be pregnant.”
“I think it’s coming for Claire and Jude.”
Lucy shook her head even though Avery couldn’t see her. “No way, Claire is too busy. I think it will happen when her contract is fully up. She still has obligations and shit. Who wants to be pregnant around a bunch of burlesque dancers?”
Claire was a big shot burlesque dancer and choreographer in Vegas. That girl wasn’t getting pregnant; neither was Baylor. It had surprised the hell out of everyone when Jace came home saying he and Avery were pregnant. They were both so young, but they were doing well. Way better than Lucy ever did when she was their age with Angie.
“True, I kinda want someone to get pregnant.”
Lucy laughed. “Why?”
“So Mom will stop calling me! I love her, I do, but man, she calls me all day to check on Ashlyn.”
Lucy smiled. Her mom could be very suffocating, and with her baby moving to Florida with his wife and baby… Yeah, she wasn’t handling it well. “Yeah, sorry about that. I call a lot too. Do you want me to stop?”
“Please, never. It’s just different with Mom ’cause she wants to know about Ashlyn and Jace, and then about me. And I’m like, Mom, we seriously do nothing but hang out on the beach and work.”
“She misses you guys. We all do.”
“I know. We miss you guys too,” Avery said sadly, and Lucy crossed her legs, rocking back in her chair. “But Jace is soaring on the Panthers. They are doing so well.”
“I know, I’ve been watching.”
“I don’t know how you do it, watching all the games. I sometimes forget to put Jace’s on if we aren’t there.”
Lucy smiled as she shrugged. “Years of doing it. Guess I’m a pro.”
“Guess so,” she agreed, her voice happy. “How’s Angie loving hockey? Jace said she was killing it, and we just love the pictures you guys sent.”
“God, yes, she loves it. She’s only gone twice, but she’s awesome and enjoys it, so that’s good.”
“Yeah, Jace said something about a Benji? I thought Shea Adler was the coach?”