Love Me Like I Love You

by Willow Winters

  I pulled into Colt’s driveway. He was standing in his front yard with his hands in his pockets, but Tucker wasn’t with him. She’d called him on the drive over, letting him know we were picking Tuck up earlier than expected.

  “That’s weird,” Delilah murmured as she slipped out of the car. I followed her up the walk toward Colt.

  Colt held up his hands, stopping us from walking any farther. Delilah glanced at the house. “Where’s Tucker?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said and Delilah froze in place, her entire body becoming stiff. I grabbed her hand and rubbed reassuring circles with my thumb.

  “Where’s Tucker?” she repeated and moved forward. Colt stopped her.

  “He’s fine. He’s inside. But, I’m sorry, D. I’m so sorry.”

  “For what?”

  The front door opened and Tucker came running outside, crashing into his mom. “Did it work? Did he convince you? Are we getting a puppy?”

  I widened my eyes and Colt looked away as Delilah sucked in a breath. “A puppy?”

  “Yeah! Uncle Colt promised that he’d convince you to get me a dog if I won. Can we go now? I’ll go get my stuff.”

  He ran back inside and Delilah glared at Colt. “A puppy?” she repeated. There was a small part of me that wanted to laugh, and I had no idea how she would say no to Tucker. He was a hard kid to deny anything to, and I had to admit it would be nice to see a dog while I was home.

  Colt scrubbed a hand down his face and placed a fist on his hip. “Okay, look. We were playing basketball and the winner was getting all kinds of stuff. He said he wanted a dog, so I made up an incredibly hard shot. Like, so-hard-it-should’ve-been-physically-impossible type shot. I thought I was outsmarting the kid. Only thing was, I had made up a rule about using props, and he kind of used it against me. And well…here we are. I mean, would a dog really be so bad?”

  “Are you going to potty train a puppy?”

  “I can help,” I said.

  Delilah’s glare turned to me.

  “Or not,” I said.

  Colt snorted. “She’s already got you wrapped around her finger, I see.”

  I shrugged. I wouldn’t deny it.

  “You could find a dog that’s already potty trained. It doesn’t have to be a puppy puppy,” Colt suggested.

  “You’re lucky I don’t like disappointing Tucker and that I’m in a really, really good mood,” Delilah said, and Colt made a face as he looked from her to me.

  “I don’t want to know that shit.”

  “I’m going to get you back for this. I don’t know how,” Delilah said, releasing my hand and taking a step toward Colt. “I don’t know when.” She took another step and he swallowed, glancing at me. I laughed. I wasn’t helping him. No way. I wasn’t stepping into Delilah’s wrath.

  “But I guarantee you, I will. Get. You. Back.”

  Tucker came running out of the house. “So? Are we getting a dog?”

  Delilah sent one last glare Colt’s way. “Yes, but we have another stop to make first.”

  Chapter 28

  Delilah

  The echoes of barking dogs bounced off the walls of the adoption shelter. I couldn’t believe I was actually doing this. I pinched the bridge of my nose. I knew how much work dogs were, but Colt and Tucker’s epically failed game had caught me on a really good day.

  Jenna looped her arm through mine. I turned my face toward hers. She was glowing, had been since Gunner broke the news about the Rattlers. We hadn’t said anything about it to Tuck on the way to Jenna’s house. So when we sat at the table, drinking sweet tea and having a slice of the pie I’d made for her, and Gunner dropped the bomb, the whole house shook with the excited screams of Jenna and Tucker. Gunner dropped his arm to the back of my chair and kissed my temple. He’d had a grin on his face since this morning, and I didn’t think it was coming off anytime soon. His smile grew even larger when we made a quick stop at Earl’s and the old man danced a jig. Earl still didn’t spare a smile for me though.

  When we’d arrived, his mom had looked a little tired, but okay. Now there wasn’t a hint that the cancer was wearing her down. She was radiant.

  “It won’t be so bad. Tuck’s a good boy, he’ll help.” Jenna patted my hand.

  “I love dogs and have wanted one since we lost ours when I was a teen, but I didn’t know how old Tucker should be when we got one. And it was just Tuck and me. It seemed like too much work.”

  Tucker and Gunner were crouched down in front of a yellow lab. The pup’s tail was thwacking back and forth. He stood on his back paws and pushed himself on the metal gate to get closer to the two in front of him.

  “This one, Mom!”

  I squeezed Jenna’s arm and knelt next to the two guys at the center of my world. I stuck my fingers through the gate, and the puppy trotted over to me to greet the newcomer. He licked my fingers, and that was all it took to become fully convinced of this crazy puppy idea.

  “He’s perfect,” I said.

  “Can we name him Rattler?” Tucker asked, but he wasn’t facing me; he was facing Gunner. Gunner ran his hand over Tucker’s head and messed with the top of his hair.

  Gunner snorted. “What else would we name him?”

  “I’ll go grab one of the employees,” Jenna said and walked away. We stayed bent down in front of the kennel playing with Rattler through the gate.

  He wasn’t a puppy puppy, but he looked about a year old. He was definitely still growing. I snatched the information guide off the gate and read what the kennel had written about him.

  “Yes,” I said and raised my fist in the air. “He’s housebroken! But, Tucker, that doesn’t mean that you get off your duties with him. Walks, food for Rattler, and maybe some other things will be added to your chores.”

  “Okay, Mom,” Tucker said, but he barely paid me any mind as he continued to tickle the dog through the gate. Gunner slid around Tucker and stood next to me, reading the information over my shoulder.

  “Seems like a good dog,” he said and pointed at the paper I was holding. “He’s good with kids and babies.”

  “As long as he’s good with Tucker, I’ll be happy.”

  “I think it’s good that he likes babies.”

  I turned toward Gunner. His face was so close to mine, I could’ve easily closed the distance between us and planted a kiss on his cheek or his lips. His gaze held so much fire I felt it down to my bones. I shivered and my arms broke out in goosebumps, even under the sweater I was wearing.

  “Yeah, it’s good he likes babies.”

  A slow, sultry grin spread across Gunner’s face, and I was lost in his eyes until his mom cleared her throat behind us. She had a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin as her gaze bounced between Gunner and me like we were a tennis match.

  I stood. “Hi, we’re interested in adopting this pup.” I pointed over my shoulder at the little guy we’d already named.

  “He’s a great choice.” According to the name badge on her lime-green polo, her name was Linette. “We’re going to miss him around here. Some of the girls take him up front sometimes. I thought for sure he’d be adopted within a day, but I guess he was waiting for the perfect family.”

  “That’s us,” Tuck said. He stood and stepped back from the gate so Linette could grab Rattler. She hooked a temporary collar and leash on him and led him out of the kennel. Tuck took the leash and leaned down to scoop him up into his arms. Rattler bathed his face in kisses while Tucker laughed.

  “I’m going to walk Rattler,” I called. Tucker and Gunner were batting, using the pitching machine he’d bought, and Gunner was giving Tuck tips on his swing. Every time Gunner went to the plate, Tuck’s eyes would light up and watch his every movement.

  My eyes were glued to Gunner too, but for an entirely different reason. I couldn’t wait to catch him at a game next season in his tight baseball pants, so I could watch his batting routine and little booty shake. I fanned myself even though the crisp fall air had brought on a chill.

>   “Hold up.” Gunner jogged over to me. “Where are you going?”

  “Just around here.” I pointed to the trail that was visible.

  His jaw tightened. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

  “I’ll be okay, I’ll stay close.”

  Gunner licked his lips but nodded. He leaned in and pecked me on the lips. I watched his ass as he jogged off before raising my eyes just in time to catch the wink he was sending me over his shoulder.

  I walked along the outskirts of the trail, keeping the field in view. I knew Gunner would be watching for me, and I didn’t want Tuck to catch on to any worry on his part.

  Rattler pulled the leash toward the bushes so he could sniff and explore. We’d need to take him to puppy kindergarten to be leash trained and trained to sit and lie down, but right now he was doing pretty well and his tugging wasn’t too bad.

  “Delilah.”

  I froze, spinning around. My heart pounded and I blinked. This couldn’t be happening again. I looked toward the baseball field. I could barely see Tucker and Gunner through the foliage, but I could hear the crack of the bat.

  I returned my focus to Shayla, and the anger that I’d been suppressing boiled over. “What is it with you and trails? You shouldn’t be here. Look, if you want to talk—fine, but we’re meeting far, far away from Tuck.”

  “I’d…I’d like that, but please just two minutes. I’m so sorry about last time. I was high and wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t mean to hurt you and I called the ambulance.”

  So she was the mysterious caller. I’d almost forgotten Gunner had told me someone had called 9-1-1 before he had. “It’s fine,” I said, brushing it off. “You can say what you need and then you’re leaving.”

  “I swear.”

  “Fine.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Rattler sat next to me, pressing his warm body into my shins as if he were guarding me. His ears were perked and he was on alert as he stared at the woman standing in front of us.

  She had changed her clothes. They looked new, but I didn’t want to trust what I was seeing. It’d be too much to be disappointed. I didn’t know how she had the money for new clothes, and my heart broke thinking about the ways she could’ve been earning money.

  Shayla breathed deeply with her whole body as she looked down at her shoes, one foot kicking the dirt in front of her. “Okay,” she whispered to herself before she looked up and focused on me. I froze when she reached into her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and what looked like a quarter. She held them out to me. I looked down at the items in her outstretched hand and then at her eyes a few times before I took them.

  “What’s this?”

  “My twenty-four-hour sobriety chip and a note from my sponsor. I’ve been sober for eight days, so a little over a week. They don’t give out chips for one week.”

  A familiar prayer was etched on the coin. I flipped it over. The number twenty-four was in the center of a triangle. Unity, Service, and Recovery were on the sides of the triangle. To Thine Own Self Be True was inscribed on the edge. “You’re sober?”

  She nodded and tears filled my eyes. I opened the note, reading the scratchy penmanship from her sponsor. She’d been sober for eight days and was attending meetings every day.

  Tears slipped from my eyes, and I brushed them away and looked at her again. I was happy she was getting help, but I was scared to trust it. And I was even more scared of what the future could hold for Tucker.

  As if she’d read my thoughts like she once could, she said, “I know I’m not right for him.” She clenched her jaw and a heartbroken gasp escaped her lips as she angrily swiped a tear across her cheek. “I just want some part of his life. I want to know him.”

  “I need more proof than eight days.”

  She nodded quickly. “I know. This is only the beginning. I know. Can we meet? I’ll call you and we can meet?”

  After a pause and some reluctance, I nodded. “Not anywhere near Tucker.”

  “Okay,” she whispered and met my gaze again. “You grew up so pretty, Delilah. I can’t believe you’re cooking in more than an Easy-Bake Oven now.”

  My lips twitched, but I didn’t smile. I couldn’t, this wasn’t like old times. I couldn’t erase all the stuff that had happened, no matter how much my heart ached for her.

  “I won’t chase you, Shay. The ball is in your court. If you don’t contact me, I won’t chase you to be in his life.”

  “I know. Go back to your guys. That man is really cute.”

  I shook my head. “We’re not there, Shayla. At least not yet, maybe not ever.”

  I was heading back to the field when she spoke again. I could barely hear the words. “If I’m sober, I’m a good person. If I’m not, I hate what I turn into. It’s really hard, but I’m trying to stay sober.”

  I glanced over my shoulder. “I hope you do for Tuck’s sake.”

  Tears were streaming down her face, but I had to walk toward Tucker. I had to choose him.

  Chapter 29

  Gunner

  I grabbed a clean tasting spoon and stuck it into the chicken and dumpling pot. I groaned, tossed the used spoon into the sink, and picked up another clean one to repeat the process, making sure this spoonful had a dumpling and chicken in it. I closed my eyes as I savored my bite.

  “What are you doing?” Delilah asked. I put the spoon on the counter and pushed it away from me, hiding it with my body and swallowing as I turned around.

  “Nothing.”

  One side of her mouth rose and she shook her head, pointing at me. “If you’re going to be back here, I’m putting you to work.”

  “I’m all yours, baby,” I said. It was pouring rain outside, which had killed the workout plans I’d had for the day. I’d done what I could in the gym at the inn, but it wasn’t set up for that type of strength training. Mom was spending the day with a few girlfriends after telling me I’d been getting on her nerves and needed to leave her alone, so here I was bugging the other woman in my life. “Where do you need me?”

  She grimaced. “You’ve already told me you can’t cook, but can you chop vegetables?”

  I shrugged. How hard could it be?

  “I’m going to regret this,” she muttered under her breath.

  “Heard that.” I followed her to the sink to wash my hands.

  She chuckled as I leaned into her back and wrapped my arms around her, pushing both of our hands under the faucet. We soaped and lathered our hands, and I kissed the column of her throat the entire time. She let a small, quiet moan slip free.

  “Shh,” I whispered in her ear. “We aren’t the only ones in here.”

  Most of her kitchen staff was here too. Some were baking, some were chopping, and others were cooking. It’s how I’d found myself next to the pot of simmering chicken and dumplings while trying to stay out of the way.

  “Follow me,” she said. I followed her to a stainless-steel table with a wooden stool. “Sit.”

  She busied herself around the kitchen and came back with a cutting board, knives, and an assortment of vegetables, mostly onions. “I need these to be chopped. You know how onions look on top of street tacos?”

  I nodded.

  “Just like that,” she said and kissed my cheek. One of the cooks laughed as she watched us. I was used to a crowd of over forty thousand people staring at me and analyzing every move I made, but this was different. This was Delilah’s domain, and everyone here was watching me because of her.

  With every new person I met, I became more content with her setup here. Everyone looked after her and loved having her as a boss. I cut the onion in half and watched Delilah flit from station to station, leaving each person smiling. My chest swelled with pride. She caught my eye and made a chopping motion. I smiled and got to work.

  After I finished, I stood and popped my neck and back. I had a neat pile for each vegetable. They weren’t perfect, I could see uneven pieces, but I was pretty damn proud of what I’d been able to do. I sl
id up behind Delilah as she added cracked pepper to the pot of soup and stirred.

  I wound my arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “I’m done,” I whispered. “Do I get a reward now?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  I tugged on her earlobe with my teeth and spoke quietly into her ear. “Nothing that we can do here. Unfortunately.”

  I heard a door pop open behind us, but I didn’t turn to see who’d come in. I stood with Delilah, my head resting on her shoulder as I watched her work with the fresh thyme in front of her.

  “I didn’t know you knew each other,” a woman said.

  I looked over my shoulder and grinned. I let go of Delilah and turned around. “Ms. Young, what’re you doing here?”

  Her gaze was bouncing back and forth between me and Delilah. Did she know Delilah? She’d never mentioned that they knew each other. I stepped forward and planted a kiss on her cheek and gave her a hug. She was stiff in my arms, but after a moment she hugged me back, patting my back softly.

  “Carol,” Delilah said. “Whatcha got for me today?”

  Delilah wiped her hands on a towel and stepped forward, peering into the wooden crate on the work surface next to Ms. Young.

  “Are y’all together?” Ms. Young asked.

  “Yes.” I swung my arm around Delilah’s shoulders. “We met when I came back to town.”

  She nodded slowly. “That’s wonderful.” She smiled, but it felt a little forced.

  I grimaced. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by lately. It’s been busy around here, and I’m training for the season again. I’ve signed with the Rattlers, so I’ll be playing locally. I’d love for you to come.”

  She swallowed and her eyes became a little misty. I didn’t want to hurt her. I knew she should be watching Declan instead of me, but he would want her out of the house and doing something.