by Claire Adams
He ran his hands down his handsome face, his expression solemn. “I hoped I could be a good father to Vince, but I suck at this. I’ve broken a million promises, and the little guy deserves so fucking much better than what I’m giving him.”
“You are a good father, and you love him. That is huge. Don’t discount it.” I ran my hands up his throat and cupped his jaw as I leaned in, kissing him softly. He relaxed a little in my arms. “Don’t worry, as soon as things get better, I’ll help you out by fulfilling all those promises with you. I’m always here to help.”
“I appreciate that.” He searched my face and pulled me in for a longer kiss, the passion there but dampened a little by all he was going through.
I would have taken every bit of it away from him if I could have.
“Also, if you needed someone to look out for Vince, I can do that. I can keep him at the convenience store if you need to finish some work. Mom would be excited to see his precious face anyway.”
“He would love that. You just have to watch him around the candy and chips.” His expression saddened. “I know the doc said it wasn’t my fault, but I still can’t help thinking I played some part in it. You know?”
“Any good parent would think that.” I brushed my lips by his and ran my fingers through his hair as my heart skipped a beat. He was so intense looking that close up. So breathtaking. All I wanted was to make him feel like he wasn’t alone, that I was right there beside him and would continue to be.
I felt our lips touch once more, exploring each other’s taste. I had missed him. It felt like I’d waited forever to be close to him again.
He quenched my thirst, giving me the kiss I had been thinking for days. It was perfect and passionate and deep, filled with emotions and thoughts too complex for words.
Our sweet moment was destroyed by the ringing of my phone. I wasted no time and entangled from his lips, answering the call as quickly as I could.
“Kylie! Where are you? Why did you leave the convenience store? I need a lot of help today; we’ve got plenty of customers to serve!” my mother was screaming, her voice deafening my ears. Damn. I was on the schedule and forgot all about it because of Hunter.
He moved closer and ran his hands down my shoulders, guilt drawn all over his face. “I’ve taken so much of your time. Sorry.”
“All right, Mom. I’m on my way. I’ll explain later.” I turned to him and smiled. “She’s crazy. Did I mention that part?”
He laughed and pulled me in for another kiss. “Get out of here and call me later. I want to see you again. I want more of these.” He leaned in and kissed me softly, leaving my body warm for what was hopefully to come sooner than later.
“Okay. I’d like that.” I kissed him again and turned to walk to the door. “Hey, if you need me to babysit Vince, I’m just a call away.”
“Yeah. He would love that. He likes you a lot.”
“See you later, handsome.” I walked out of the house and glanced back to find him watching me closely. “Call if you need me.”
“I need you.” He smiled, and my heart swelled in my chest.
Man, how I wished his words were true.
Chapter Fifteen
One Week Later
Hunter
“She is the most amazing person I know.” I kept my eyes on the guns I was cleaning, but my head was somewhere up in the clouds. It had been a week since I took Vince to the ER and he was completely back to being himself. I’d seen Kylie a little, but not nearly enough. We’d yet to make love again, and I was going nuts trying to figure out a way to get a little bit of free time and not neglect Vince in the slightest.
Garren punched my arm, waking me up from my faint day dreaming.
“Yeah, man. I know. You just said that a couple of times today, and every day lately.” He smirked at me, making fun of my new-found love.
I was slowly figuring out how to juggle everything, other than time with my girl. Kylie had been an amazing help and if I thought about it…she was the only reason things were working out so well.
“I don’t think I could do it without her. Just the everyday stuff. She’s been a Godsend, man.” I responded to his ridicule, clarifying the truth amidst his mockery.
Garren nodded, finally agreeing a little. “Well, I can’t argue with that, and on top of all you got going on, the sales for the shop have never been better, Hunter. It’s impressive, man.”
“I know, right? Craziness, but I’m telling you…it’s all due to her helping me out.” I laid the last gun in the display case and walked to my desk to organize some of the licenses I’d just issued for special order guns and weapons for pick up. “She’s been doing so much helping to take care of Vince. I don’t even know why she is doing everything she does. It’s a great favor that even you would refuse to do.”
Garren rolled his eyes. “Well, I can’t object to that. Even though I wanted to help you out, I can’t offer too much like what Kylie is doing right now. She’s incredibly kind and caring for others. What a selfless woman.” Amused, he kept his eyes on mine. The astonishment was quickly replaced by a smirk as soon as he thought of something else. “I wonder why.”
“I don’t know, man. I don’t deserve her.” I gave him a quizzical look. “And we’re not officially dating, though I’d like to, you know?”
“Well, I’m thinking of two reasons a pretty woman like her would help out a bastard like you. Either she’s head over heels for you and is willing to do anything just to please the love of her life, or simply because she’s a saint that thinks she can get to heaven through helping the ones who are in need.” He burst into an insulting laugh, making fun of Kylie’s generosity and dedication to help.
I gave him a stern look. “Watch it.”
“Yeah, sorry, man. I was just kidding.” He cleared his throat, removing the mischievous attitude and replacing it with the keen, sober persona I needed from him. “But seriously, you need to do something for her. Even if she’s offering to help, you can’t just keep taking. You know this.”
He had a point. I kept my eyes on the papers, stamping them as I thought of Kylie. Garren left me and attended to the customer that walked in the gun shop. She was doing so much while I did nothing but take up her time. She did seem to love it when I stopped by her momma’s store unannounced. Seeing her eyes light up when I wanted in was a high like no other.
Visiting the convenience store during closing time was a routine for me. Vince stayed there most of the time, running light errands alongside Kylie. My son loved to stick around the Tomms, feeling like a full-time employee of the store. He was amused by the entertaining people that stopped by the store, being the friendly kid who charmed customers with his sweet smile.
Maybe I should take lunch over there? Surprise them. Surprise her.
As soon as the clock ticked noon, I decided to go for it. I wasn’t spontaneous enough in my life, and it showed. The girl I wanted in my bed hadn’t been there but once, and that was in the damn barn, on a shooting table. Garren was more than happy to see me taking the initiative to do something for my pretty girl and promised to keep the shop standing for a few hours so I could take her lunch.
I drove to the nearest restaurant and picked up some takeout steaks for the Tomms, Vince, and me to share. I hoped Kylie would be happy to see me, that some part of me surprising her would make her day.
I parked out front and grabbed the food, getting out and walking with a bounce in my step to the store. I caught sight of Mrs. Tomms tending the counter as I entered. What happened to her husband? I’d never asked Kylie before.
The older woman waved her hand as I entered but kept quiet as I mouthed not to say anything. I wanted to surprise Kylie and Vince if possible. She smiled and pointed to the chips section. I walked as silently as I could, keeping my tracks unnoticeable and invisible.
As I peeked over the shelf, I saw my son helping Kylie refill the racks. Vince was handing over one pack over another, assisting Kylie, who happily took the
ones he gave to her. I tiptoed as I reached them, pretending to be a customer in need of their assisting.
“Hi, where are your fresh-squeezed juices?” The two turned, recognizing my voice. My son’s eyes grew big, glistening before me as he leaped into my arms. Kylie tucked the golden blonde strand of hair that fell on her face, revealing her rosy pink cheeks flushed before me. The two most adorable people in the world stood in front of me. Joy filled my heart, leaving me stuck in a moment of deep gratitude.
“I brought some food.” I showed them the boxes I picked up from the steak restaurant and sat Vince down.
He hopped far too excited, but it was cute. He motioned for us to join me. “Come on. Let’s tell Nana.”
“Nana?” I put my arm around Kylie’s shoulders and smiled down at her. “Is that your mom’s first name?”
She blushed. “No. It means grandmother in our family. He’s falling in love with her, and she’s returned his affection.”
“Oh, wow. I love it.” I kissed the side of her head and breathed her in as my body woke up. Fuck me, I needed her naked and pressed against me soon. My life was far too busy. I had to fix it. Soon.
“You didn’t tell me you were dropping by for lunch, by the way.” Kylie walked alongside me as we followed Vince.
Relief ran through me as I watched him closely. He looked so much better now, returning to his cheerful and strong self again. The flu was gone, and he was doing a great job of letting me give him his shots daily. The kid was a warrior.
“I wanted to surprise Vince.” I stopped by the register and turned to look down into her eyes. God, how could she be this beautiful? “And you too.”
She looked away, but the smile on her face meant she was flattered by my words. That was true.
“Come on, you two love birds.” Kylie’s mom picked up Vince, and we walked to the back of the store.
“What’s a love bird, Nana?” Vince asked, and we laughed.
We sat down and sat quickly, everyone quiet as they inhaled their meal. It seemed that lunch was a great idea. Everyone had to have been starving.
As we finished the meal, Kylie stood up to clean our table and prepare for her shift. I followed her as she went out of the convenience store, throwing the garbage into the huge dumpster outside.
“Kylie.”
“Yeah?” She faced me after throwing the bags of garbage in the dumpster. I was distracted by her again, her beauty blowing me away. The words I wanted to say suddenly vanished from my head.
“I was just wondering if you have anything planned for tomorrow night.” I raised the question, hoping like hell that she didn’t. I had something planned for her, a surprise of sorts for her helping me so much lately.
“Nothing, as of now. Why? Do you have some things to do? Need me to watch Vince?” she asked, knowing all too well that I would ask for help once again.
“No. I thought you could come over to the house and let me cook dinner for you. You deserve to be taken out to dinner, and it might be cocky of me, but a five-star restaurant chef is no match for my skills.”
“I thought you couldn’t cook that well.” She smiled and brightened my whole damn day with the simple action.
“I can cook certain things really well. We’ll just stick to those. You can be the judge?” We returned inside, smiling at each other like two school kids in love.
I spent the afternoon helping around the store after making sure Garren was good with it. It felt nice to give back a little, and getting the chance to watch Kylie in her tight jeans and button down shirt had me thinking that dinner wasn’t the only thing we’d be sharing the next night.
As the evening drew near, I said my goodbyes and offered a hand to Vince. He grabbed it and walked with me to the car, beaming from his fun day with everyone he ‘loved.’
“So, a good day then, right, buddy?” I asked as Vince hummed happily to the tune of his favorite song playing on the stereo.
He smiled at me, his innocent eyes full of joy. “I had so much fun, Daddy! Kylie taught me how to draw a nice, big house. Nana even told me some of the great childhood stories she used to tell Kylie when she was a kid. It was fun arranging the shelves; items are displayed based on color. I loved it when we were putting up the green ones! It’s my favorite color!” He looked like he had a lot of stories to tell. Vince was still talking about how his day was as I drove into our neighborhood, approaching our house as he narrated the rest of his fun memories of today.
“I really love them, Dad. Kylie’s so kind to me. She always gives me water and checks on me to see if I am sweaty and tired. She even allows me to watch her whenever she does her chores. I love helping her; she thinks I’m a great boy who gets her work done fast and easily! And her mom is like a grandmother to me. Is that okay that I call her Nana? I love her a lot, Dad.” He kept his eyes on me, persuading me by the words he spoke.
“Absolutely, buddy. I think she likes that a lot too.” I ruffled his hair as my heart filled up with warmth. We got out and walked to the house, Vince grabbing my shirt and pulling me to a stop just before we reached the door.
“Dad, thanks for coming to eat lunch with us. I am happy to spend the day with you.” He hugged my arm, leaning his head on my body as I felt my heart melt.
I patted his head lightly, thankful for my son’s quick recovery. He lifted his head, staring at me as he continued to speak.
“Dad, I want to cook that kind of steak again we ate during lunch. Can we do it tomorrow?” he asked.
I nodded, laughing over my son’s appetite for expensive food. His college years were going to be mighty rough on him. No steak there…
“You’re what we call a foodie, boy.” I gave him a funny look, which earned me a sweet giggle from him.
“Hey, buddy. How about you help me out by cooking a lot of delicious food tomorrow night? Kylie’s coming over to join us for dinner. We need to impress her a lot.” I knew he would be excited to see her again. Hell, I was too.
He hugged me tighter, his eyes on mine. He was excited as he nodded in fast motion, loving the idea of Kylie visiting tomorrow night. “Of course, Dad! I can also thank her tomorrow for teaching me how to draw houses.”
I opened the door and moved back as he bounced into the house. He was growing up so fast, getting so big and smart. I couldn’t have been more proud of him and felt like if I’d done one thing right in my life, it was having him.
We’d make dinner for my girl tomorrow night, and then I’d tuck him in bed and remind her just how much she meant to me.
Chapter Sixteen
Kylie
I waved my hand until Hunter’s car vanished from sight. I walked toward the store entrance until I saw my mother come out from our convenience store’s back door, staring the whole time as the father and son left the two of us.
“That boy is a joy to have around. He is kind, bright, and polite,” my mother spoke, standing beside me as we gazed in the direction where Hunter and Vince left from. I could not disagree with her. Vince was a clever boy who was interested in learning new things and meeting new people.
“That’s true, Mom. I am happy we have him around. Even the customers are enjoying seeing him here. His energy is contagious.” I held my chest. It felt like I had a newfound connection to the kid. He was like a son to me.
“Yeah, anyone would love to be around Vince. I even like him.” She patted my shoulder, which made me face her. She looked unimpressed, as if the things she just uttered did not match what she was thinking.
I looked at her with a confused stare.
She continued. “I know you are doing things for Hunter and Vince to help them out in their time of need. I am so proud of you being a kind and big hearted woman I wished you to be.” She smiled at me, but her happy expression soon escaped her face. “But you should look out for yourself too.”
I wrinkled my brows in disagreement, baffled by what she really thought. “Mom.”
She ignored me. “Trust me, I know a lot of thi
ngs, and I have experienced a lot of things. It’s just not right. You should be careful of Hunter and your feelings for him. Remember that you are just helping a neighbor, not pouring yourself into someone else who just sees you as a tool to fulfill his needs.”
I shoved her hand away from my arm, agitated by her words. She was acting cruel and bizarre. Hunter wasn’t that type of man, and she knew nothing about what he was going through.
“Why are you telling me these things out of nowhere? You don’t know anything about them. Hunter and Vince need help. I can help out; that’s why I’m doing this. I really don’t get why you are acting like this, Mom. You should not judge him based on the way you see the world.” I stormed away the convenience store, taking my things with me. I couldn’t stand listening to her down Hunter another minute. I’d definitely say something that I would come to regret.
I could still hear her calling out my name as I drove off, trying to stop me as I left. As much as I wanted to beg for forgiveness, I knew her all too well. Apologizing would only worsen things as she reiterated the words she said and try to push her beliefs onto me.
It was getting dark when I finally arrived home. The sun had just set, the day coming near to an end. I stepped out of the car, my head aching. I shouldn’t have said those disrespectful things to my mom. I should have turned the car around. I should have apologized and told her I was sorry for talking back to her. She deserved my respect, nothing less.
With guilt running in my chest, it was only when I stepped on the green lawn that I realized that my front door was hanging open again. My pulse spiked, and I stopped in my tracks. Fuck.
I reached into my purse and pulled out the gun I had gotten for this exact situation. I kept my steps as inaudible as I could, clearing my path as I entered the house. I needed to keep myself safe. I could not afford any mistakes this time.