CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KATE
I shut down my computer and sighed, listening to a few real estate agents talking on the phone. I stood, shaking the sleeves of my sweater down and took it off, hanging it on the back of my chair. I wouldn’t complain to anyone, but the temperature the owner keeps this office has to be near freezing. Leaning over the desk, I grabbed my purse and travel mug, as well as my insulated lunch bag and pushed my chair tight up against the desk. Turning, I waved good-bye to a few agents who were looking my way and moved towards the door.
“Hey Kate, wait up.”
I stopped right before the door, hand laying on the handle and sighed silently before turning around. I smiled at one of the nicer agents. “Hey Aaron.”
He shared a wide smile, showing off movie-star white teeth. “How about we get some dinner?”
I tilted my head to the side. “I’m sorry I can’t. I have to go pick up my son.”
He shrugged. “Pick him up and meet me at the restaurant. I’d love to take you both to dinner.”
That surprised me, causing me to pause. I’ve never had someone invite Andy along after a dinner invitation like that. Usually once I mention Andy, they either brush me off or ask me if he can stay with the babysitter longer. “Umm…” I stuttered, thinking of the best way to nicely decline now that he offered to take Andy as well. Aaron has always been nice to me so I didn’t want to be mean, but I definitely didn’t want to go to dinner either.
“I’ll just grab my things and meet you.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked at the time. “How about we meet in a half hour at the Burger Joint on Main?”
Finally finding my voice again, I answered. “Aaron, that’s so nice, but—”
“No, buts.” He grinned shyly. “Just meet me.” He backed up, moving towards his desk, throwing me a cute smirk. “Please.”
I exhaled and nodded. “What burger joint?”
He grinned. “The Burger Joint. That’s what it’s called.”
“Oh.” I ran my hand over my forehead, feeling stupid. Andy and I don’t eat out very often, so I’m still not very familiar with the restaurants in town. “Ok, see you there.”
He grinned again before I turned towards the door, already cursing myself for not being stronger. The truth was, I had no idea how to turn down men who actually don’t mind that I have a child, the other men are easy, but guys like Aaron, I have no experience with. I was married right out of high school. I never even dated anyone other than my first husband, so now that I’m single I feel like I’m playing a game without any instructions.
I threw my stuff on the passenger seat after sitting down in my car. I left the parking lot, still regretting my decision, but I didn’t have Aaron’s cell phone number to even call with an excuse, if I could think of one. Because it was Thursday, I drove to Lanie’s to pick up Andy. I was taken off guard Monday morning when I had walked in and Luke stood in front of me with my kid hanging over his shoulder laughing, which set the pace for how the rest of my time there went. I knew Andy wanted to spend time with Bray and he loved Lanie, hell everyone loved Lanie, so I couldn’t say no when she offered. The only shining light this week has been that he also really likes Kasey’s friend, Jane, who has a five-year-old daughter and has been watching Andy with the now set schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s for the rest of the summer. Fridays she keeps him all day until I pick him up, take him home for a while, but then take him back to her so I can work Friday night. It’s the only night I have to do that because Luke still stays with him Saturday and Sunday nights, which has made me like him even more than I already did, if that’s even possible.
I pulled up to Lanie’s and sighed in relief when I didn’t see Jake’s truck or Luke’s SUV in either their driveway or Luke’s next door. Moving quickly from the car, I knocked on Lanie’s front door, smiling when she opened it and gestured for me to come inside. She pointed to the phone against her ear and covered the end, whispering, “Sorry, I’ll just be a minute.”
I shook my head. “That’s okay, I have to go anyway.”
She smiled and I turned in to her living room, smiling when I saw Andy watching cartoons with Bray and Lanie’s two dogs laying between them. “Hey honey.”
He looked up and I laughed to myself, always impressed with how immersed kids can get while watching a cartoon that they never even notice their surroundings. I know Lanie keeps them busy outside and with toys all day, so for the last half hour before I come, she told me she puts on cartoons so she can start dinner and not worry what Bray’s climbing or jumping from.
“Hi Mom.” He moved from the couch towards me and I squatted, giving him a big hug.
“Hi Bray.” I waved at Braydon over Andy’s shoulder and smiled when he glanced at me, waved his little hand and then turned right back to his show.
“He loves Bob the builder.” Andy’s eyes got wide when he gestured towards Bray.
“I can see that.”
Lanie’s St. Bernard, Beasley groaned and stretched his body to fill the spot Andy just vacated, causing their puppy, Bobby, who had been tucked tight against him, to fall on the floor. Bray sat up and giggled when the puppy jumped back on to the couch rolling himself in to a small ball on Bray’s lap.
“Come on kiddo, we need to go home and let Cookie out to potty and then we’re going out to eat.”
His eyes brightened. “With Luke?”
I sighed. “No, honey, not with Luke, with a friend of mine at work.”
He scrunched up his nose and bit his lip before responding. “What friend?”
I couldn’t blame him for asking, I’d never really mentioned friends at work before and we’d certainly never met them for dinner. I ran my hand over his long brown locks, noticing he was going to need a haircut soon and wondering for a moment when I would squeeze that in, before answering. “Just a friend named Aaron.” Andy shrugged, so I turned him towards Bray’s room and tapped his butt. “Go get your stuff.”
“Okay Mom.” He took off down the hall and I turned, noticing Lanie was standing behind me, just pulling the phone from her ear with a strange look on her face, almost like she was worried.
I touched her shoulder briefly. “What’s wrong?”
She cleared her expression and smiled. “Oh, sorry, nothing.” She bit her lip. “Did you say you’re going to dinner?”
I sighed, listening to Andy’s feet coming back down the hall. “Yeah, I’m meeting a friend from work for dinner.”
She cocked her head to the side. “A guy friend?”
“Yeah.” I leaned in a little towards her while Andy grabbed his shoes and started putting them on. “He asked me and he was so nice about inviting Andy that I stumbled. I wasn’t sure how to turn him down.”
Lanie visibly relaxed and smiled. “Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll bet that would be hard.”
I shrugged and laughed. “I figured one time with a six-year-old, who’s tired from his day, eating at a burger place will fix this situation for me.”
Lanie laughed and followed me to the door where I lifted Andy’s backpack from the floor and swung it on to my shoulder. “I’ll bet it will, especially if he doesn’t have kids.”
“He doesn’t.”
I pulled open the door while Andy jumped out on to the front porch and turned back when Lanie spoke again. “Is he nice?”
I frowned. “Actually, he is.”
She leaned in close. “Is he hot?”
I laughed. “He looks like a California guy, blond, blue-eyed, tall and kind-of lanky.”
She cocked her eyebrow. “So yes, to hot?”
I looked back at Andy who was jumping down the few stairs towards their sidewalk before looking at Lanie again. “Yeah, he is.”
She giggled. “Well then have fun.”
I lifted my hand in a wave as I moved from the porch. “Thanks for watching him today.”
She nodded and watched us get in to the car, waving when we backed out before she shut the door. On Tue
sday, when I picked him up, we’d talked and I realized that Lanie and I have a lot in common. She was becoming a friend I’d definitely love to get to know better, Bella too, if I could ever find some extra time.
It didn’t take us long to get home, where I let Cookie out in to the yard and decided to quickly change my clothes. I was warm now that I wasn’t in my freezing office, plus I just preferred shorts and jeans to dress pants and skirts. I threw on a pair of jean shorts and a tank top, thinking that the burger place probably has an outside seating area. A lot of places in this small town seem to.
We made it there only a few minutes late and I saw Aaron on the sidewalk outside the place texting on his phone. I pulled into a spot a little bit down from where he was standing, unhooked Andy and we made our way over to Aaron. He must’ve sensed we were coming because he looked up and smiled, his eyes dropping to Andy, the smile not leaving his face.
“Hi, Kate,” he said, when we were close before looking down at Andy. “You must be Andy.”
Andy smiled shyly and stayed close to my leg, his hand tight in mine. I apologized to Aaron. “He can be a little shy.”
“I get it.” Aaron said. “I was a pretty shy kid too.” He shoved his phone in the pocket of his dress pants, still dressed for work and gestured towards the door. “You hungry Andy?”
Andy’s grip loosened a little and he stepped forward. “Yeah.”
“Then let’s eat.” He moved toward the door and stopped. “Have you eaten here before?”
I liked that he was talking to Andy and not in the creepy way some guys have when I knew, and I believe Andy knew, they were just trying to score points with me, but in a way where he really seemed interested in my kid.
Andy shook his head. “Nope.”
Aaron pulled open the door. “Well then I think you’re in for a big surprise.”
He was right and Andy wasn’t the only one surprised. The place was the burger place of all burger places. It had a counter off to the right to order and tables to the left, but what held my attention was the giant play area in the back. It was separated from the other tables, allowing for a kid’s section, and it continued outside.
Andy’s eyes were huge while he looked around trying to take it all in at once, tugging on my hand excitedly to point out things.
“Wow.” I mouthed to Aaron, making him chuckle.
“Can I play Mom?”
“Why don’t we order first and then he can play? We can order and they’ll bring the food to our table once it’s ready. It’ll probably take ten minutes or so.”
I nodded. “That’s a great idea.” I shook Andy’s hand in mine and pointed to the board. “Okay, kiddo what are you hungry for?” I read off different things I knew Andy liked and he picked what he wanted so Aaron stepped up and ordered for all three of us, getting a plastic number to set on the table so the waitress could find where we were sitting. That was interesting, I’d never seen a place do that before, but I liked it. It gave kids time to play while they waited. We barely made it to the table on the side by the play area and Andy took off. I laughed and sat down across from Aaron in the booth, watching as Andy climbed the stairs to the first slide.
“I think he likes it.”
I smiled and turned to Aaron who was grinning. “I think you’re right.” I looked down at my hands on my lap before lifting my eyes back to him. “Thanks for inviting us.”
“To be honest, I’ve been trying to think of a way to ask you out for a few weeks now.” He admitted.
I rolled my eyes. “Something tells me it’s not hard for you to get girls to go out with you.”
He linked his hands lying on top of the table and grinned. “Sometimes the shy boy in me comes out when I really like someone.”
I took a deep breath, not sure what to say. “Aaron…”
“Mom, watch me!”
I turned my head and watched Andy slide down onto a stack of mats, laughing. “That’s awesome, kiddo!”
He turned to go up another slide when the waitress arrived at our table with our food. I called for Andy who slid down the slide again and ran to our table just as the waitress finished delivering our food. She moved away and Andy slid in beside me. I grabbed a wipe from my purse and handed it to him, shaking my head when he rolled his eyes, but cleaned his hands any way. I heard Aaron chuckle, but kept my eyes on Andy.
I took a few bites of my cheeseburger, surprised how good it was and looked over to see Andy already had ketchup all around his mouth. I laughed and looked up at Aaron who was also chuckling.
Andy swallowed a huge bite and looked up at me. “Mom, we should bring Luke here.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “I’d imagine he’s already been here, kiddo.”
“Who’s Luke?” Aaron asked.
“Andy’s coach.” I said quickly.
Andy’s face brightened immediately. “Luke’s our friend too. He comes over for breakfast on Sundays.”
Aaron smiled at Andy, but I saw his smile was a little dimmer than it had been. I closed my eyes when Andy continued. “Luke plays with me on Saturday too when Mom has to work. He’s a policeman!” He said excitedly, raising his voice and widening his eyes. “I want to be a policeman like Luke when I grow up.”
I felt tears hit my eyes, but I swallowed them back, keeping my eyes on my plate in front of me while Andy ate a french fry. “Mom, can I play again?”
I looked at his plate, not surprised he hadn’t eaten much with the play area right beside us, but I nodded any way. “Sure, honey, go ahead.”
He was gone before I could change my mind even if I’d wanted to and I felt the tension at the table that hadn’t been there before. I looked up when I heard Aaron start to speak.
“I’m guessing I waited too long.”
I shook my head. “It’s not like that with Luke. It’s not like that with anyone.” I picked at my napkin, trying to find the right words. “I think Andy likes Luke because he’s his coach.”
Aaron smiled sadly. “I think it may be more than that.”
I leaned forward a little and confessed. “I can’t let this happen.”
He gestured between him and I. “Us?”
I closed my eyes before slowly opening them and shaking my head. “Any of it.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
LUKE
“Have time for a beer?”
I ran my hand through my hair and looked at the clock hanging on the wall across from my desk. It was after seven already. I’d been staying late some nights to make up for the nights I skip out earlier, well on time actually but early for me, to coach Andy’s team. Tonight, a beer with my brother sounded pretty damn good.
“Yeah.”
“I’ll meet you at Hanks in ten minutes.” Jake said before disconnecting.
I shut down my computer and grabbed my keys, making my way to the door.
“See ya Luke.”
I threw my hand up in a wave at our night dispatcher. “See you tomorrow night.”
I made my way to my SUV and jumped in, wishing I had time to stop by Kate’s, but I knew she didn’t want that. She was probably finishing up dinner and getting Andy ready for bed. I smiled thinking about that kid, man, I never expected to feel so attached to him or protective of him. I swung in to Hanks pretty quickly, scanning the parking lot out of habit, my mind flashing back to the night I was shot. It was in the parking lot of another bar my brothers and I used to frequent, and I hadn’t been back, I wasn’t ready. I knew the anger I’d feel could consume me if I let it, so I’d been trying to let it go, but honestly the idea of revenge was always bubbling just below the surface. Unfortunately, we were stuck, without enough evidence to take down the man I knew was responsible and the MC he’s a member of. They’re all dirty in that club, dealing in drugs and sex, but I’ve never been able to get enough on them to take them down.
I will.
I moved from my vehicle, locking it up behind me and pushed the door open to the bar that was becoming a favorite of all
of ours. I saw Jake was already there, sitting at the bar, Ben beside him, both talking to Pike. I gave a chin lift and a grin when they turned their heads towards me.
“Hey, brother.” Ben called out.
Tucker wiped down the bar in front of the stool I’d chosen, before throwing the towel over his shoulder. “What’ll be?”
“Corona.”
He nodded. “You got it.”
I turned on my stool to face my brothers and Pike who were watching me. “What’s up?”
Sensing the bottle being placed on the bar, I turned just enough to grab it and brought it to my lips for a long drink.
“Just wanted a beer.” Jake said.
“You call the boys?” I tapped the bottle on the bar, thinking of my other brothers and hoping they were coming too. We don’t spend enough time together, not like we used to and I’ve been missing those times.
“Yeah.” Jake ran his hand through his hair. “It’s just us tonight though, everyone else had shit already going on.”
I nodded, that wasn’t unusual. I was actually surprised Jake was out without Lanie. “Why aren’t you home with Lanie?”
“Actually,” He cleared his throat. “She’s part of the reason I wanted to meet you for a beer, or something she said is.”
I took another drink. “Did something happen?”
Jake’s gaze shifted to Ben and Pike, while a waitress made her way to the end of the bar, signaling for Tucker and dropping her tray. I glanced at Pike. “Another new waitress?”
He smirked. “Yeah, but I think Melanie’s gonna stick. She works hard and can work every week night, which means Bella stays home with Savannah.”
“She working at all?”
“Weekends still.” He ran his hand along his short beard before dropping it back to the bar in front of him. “She’s not willing to give those up, no matter what I say. I think she likes getting out, she’s so used to working, but I’ve been talking to her about finding something else. I fucking hate watching the drunks grabbing at her on the weekends. I’ve thrown out more people since Bella moved to town than I ever did before.”
Kate (The Dimarco Series Book 5) Page 11