“I… no.” She stammered. Of course she didn’t like him! He had kissed her; touched her in ways he should never have done. But how could she explain that to her very impressionable ten year old son? “Will you stop putting ideas into his head?” she growled at Ashton quietly.
“I wasn’t.” He sulked. “I was merely expressing how I was feeling.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.” JR soothed. “Looks like it’s just the two of us then.”
“Ah, well.” He nodded. “At least we tried.”
Christy huffed. So he was making her to be the bad guy now? Did he ever play fair?
“I’ll go,” she said at last.
Ashton looked at her in surprise. He hadn’t expected her to give in so easily. He suppressed the smile tugging the corners of his lips. Perhaps, there was hope after all.
*****
He was standing, waiting for her by the crew cab ten minutes earlier than she had told him. JR was already by his side, advising him about where they might probably get his clothes.
“How long do you think we will be?” JR asked.
“I don’t know. Depends on what your mother has planned for the day as well.”
JR groaned. “Mom can take ages at shopping. She takes far too long to decide on anything she buys.”
“She’s just being careful.”
The boy skipped on the pavers lining the garden. Ashton watched him with a pride he knew never existed. He was so much like him. His eyes, his hair and the things he took interest in. How could he have not craved for a child before? How much better would it be if JR had a sibling. A girl, perhaps. Who looked just like her mother. Dark long hair, doe-eyed, tall.
He perked his lips in thought. He wasn’t thinking of Naomi. What was happening to him? He swiped a hand over his face. He must be losing his mind. He didn’t want to be caught between two women. The truth was he wasn’t. Christy didn’t seem too impressed with him at all, he thought glumly.
This is a good thing, he thought. He could just move on with his life after his little adventure in Puyallup. He could make arrangements with Christy to send JR over during his school breaks. And he could make a couple of trips himself to visit JR during the term. If he planned it right, there was no reason why anything should go wrong.
Once he got back to his house though, he would have to move his junk out of the spare room. Naomi might not be too happy with the decision, but this was his son and he had more right to that room than any of them. He would have to invest in some video games. Was there a new Playstation out? He made a mental note to check on the types of games JR liked to play. He would also get a new basketball hoop. JR would love that.
Unfortunately, he didn’t know any of the neighbors in his street. How could he not know any of his neighbors? He frowned. He must find out if there were any kids of JR’s age around. How could he not know any of his neighbors, he thought again. Had he been so invested in his life that he hadn’t bothered to find out who lived next door?
“I’m sure he’s an old professor,” he thought deeply as he tried to figure out who his neighbor was. He must be. Unless, he had moved out. He had seen a young woman lurking about his grounds once. His wife? Girlfriend? Daughter?
He tilted his head and caught sight of her walking out the front door. His stomach fluttered, his breaths growing deep and fast. Fuck, she’s beautiful. He licked his lips from the nervousness inside him.
Her white long skirt fell to her ankles and her colorful shirt accentuated her bosom. His eyes desirously grazed the length of her and her tall heeled boots. How would she look wearing that and nothing else? He swallowed. He could hear his heart hammering inside him.
He turned away from her before she noticed the hardness in his pants. It wasn’t exactly appropriate, particularly when their son was accompanying them on their little visit to town. And thankfully he was, because he didn’t trust himself alone with her at all. He would probably have ripped her out of her clothes mid-way to town.
She walked over to him and gave out her hand. “Give me the keys. I’m driving.”
“Like hell you are,” he said, opening the door to the driver’s seat.
“It’s my truck.”
“And I appreciate you lending it to me during my stay here.”
“Oh, come on, Mom.” JR intervened. “Let’s just go. And let Dad drive. It will be like we’re a real family.” He climbed excitedly into the vehicle.
“Like we’re a real family.” Ashton repeated with a grin.
She snarled, marching around the vehicle and towards the front passenger door.
*****
From shopping to a lunch in the park. How perfect could it get? Ashton watched JR clamber through the monkey bars in the distance. With JR on his side, he seemed he could easily win more family outings.
He lounged back on the green luscious lawn, his arms folded back, behind his head. This was his family.
“How long are we going to do this?” Christy mumbled.
“What do you mean?” He feigned ignorance.
“Giving JR hope. Pretending everything is good and well between us.”
“Well, isn’t it?”
“No,” she said fervently.
He preferred not to continue arguing, closing his eyes instead and feeling the warmth of the sun on his face.
“Don’t you feel guilty at all?” she said.
“About what?”
“About kissing me like you did yesterday, in the living room.”
“You slapped me. And because I don’t hit women, I thought it was a befitting payback.”
She grew quiet. “I’m sorry,” she said at last. “Whatever you said or did, I should never have hit you.”
He opened his eyes narrowly. “It’s okay. I didn’t mind it at all.”
“Don’t you think you should apologize as well?”
“What about?”
“About kissing me?”
“I didn’t mind that either.”
“I did!”
He looked at her amusedly. “Why?”
“Because you’re engaged, for one.”
He sat up slowly. It was true. He didn’t want to be unfaithful to Naomi. He had never cheated on her. But that was because there never had been any reason to cheat. He had never taken interest in any other woman. But now that he had found Christy, things were different. She was here with him and he couldn’t ignore that fact.
Her phone buzzed and she reached for it into her bag. Her face darkened as she read the ID on her screen. She rose up and walked away to take her call.
He stared after her curiously, wondering who it could be. His gut twisted with a possessive need to know.
*****
They arrived back at the lodge. Christy picked up her shopping and quietly returned to the family quarters.
She had noticed Chad’s car in the driveway. She walked inside and found him chatting to Margaret in the kitchen.
“Here she is,” Margaret said, announcing her arrival. “I thought I’d make Chad a cup of coffee while he waited for you.”
“Hey.” Christy greeted the cop with a smile. “Sorry we were a little late. We had to drag JR from the park.”
“JR.” Chad scratched the crown of his head. “I’d have to get used to that name. Where is he?”
“Run-off again, I bet. We have a couple of kids staying at the lodge.”
She neared to give him a hug and he gladly reached out for her waist, tugging her to him so he could kiss her on her lips.
“How have you been?” he asked, still holding her close to him.
“Okay. It’s been a little hectic these past few days.”
“Yeah?” he said, rubbing her arm. “You should have let me know Ash… um, I mean JR’s dad had come by.”
“Actually, he’s staying for a while,” Christie said slowly. “He’s been here five days already.”
“Oh. Well, that’s good for JR.”
“For JR, yes.” she sighed.
The screen door swung open and Ashton walked in, dressed in a new pair of jeans and a tee-shirt.
“Margaret, I got that stuff for you,” he started, before noticing a strange man had his arms around his wife. He froze, looking back and forth between Christy and the man. Obviously, no one but him was bothered about the stranger’s presence. Although, Christy did fluster and stepped a little away.
“Hi,” he said to the man, extending his hand. “I’m Ashton Pryor.”
“Oh right,” the man replied. “You’re JR’s dad. I’m Chad Sullivan. Christy’s boyfriend.”
“Christy’s husband,” Ashton said, shaking his hand.
Chad stepped away, taken aback slightly.
“We never divorced,” Christy explained quickly. “It’s why he came to Puyallup. Ashton’s engaged and he’s going to be married soon.”
“Oh, okay.” Chad beamed. “Congratulations.” He shook his hand again and with a little more enthusiasm than he did before.
“Thanks,” he grumbled, giving Christy a short annoyed glance. There was no reason for her to mention his engagement. It was just an engagement. Not like marriage. And until they were divorced, she shouldn’t be cuddled up so tightly to a handsome man like Chad Sullivan. Why? Because… because she was a mother? Yes, she was a mother. That was it. She shouldn’t just let any man into her life. She had to think about JR. His safety and well-being was more important than dating Mr. Universe here.
He looked up at Chad Sullivan again. Damn, the man was gorgeous even from a male perspective.
CHAPTER 10
“I heard you’re fixing the place up a bit while you’re here,” Chad said.
“Yeah. I’ve heard there’s new competition up the road. A little face-lift would do well for the business,” Ashton said.
“Yes, it will.” Chad nodded.
“Margaret, I got that stuff to fix up your garden,” said Ashton. “I’ll get onto it now.”
“I… I could help,” Chad said.
“Um… that’s okay,” Ashton replied. “I’ve got it.”
“I’m quite good with the hammer as well. I’ll change into something comfortable and join you.”
“No, it’s perfectly fine.” Ashton waved his hands politely at him, trying to decline his offer without offending the women in the room. He didn’t need the man now of all times. He already had his arms around his wife. He didn’t want him outshining him with his carpentry skills too. This was his moment and there was no fucking way this blond dude was gonna get it.
He retreated quickly out of the kitchen and headed straight towards the verandah, grumbling to himself. Some lousy luck he had! The man should be out protecting the community or something until he had his three weeks with Christy. Surely by then he would be able to make some impression on her. The cop’s appearance at this stage was too damned early.
He picked his bundle of timber and stamped out into the garden. He was going to do this and he was going to do this alone- without the help of Chad Sullivan.
An hour later, Chad Sullivan joined him, his muscles ripping out of his tight tee-shirt. In the distance, he caught sight of the two women he had been desperately trying to win the last five days swooning over the man beside him. His self-declared arch-rival instead was seemingly oblivious of either of them as he busily sawed through another length of timber.
*****
The heat bore down on them as they labored over the garden plot. Sweat trickled down the sides of their faces while they braced the border frames.
Chad raised his head to wipe his face with his shirt when he saw Christy standing at the verandah watching them. She held a jug of cold lemonade and he beamed immediately with delight. He needed both this minute.
“I’m gonna take a break if you don’t mind,” he said. “I have my girl and a cold drink waiting for me. I don’t think I can spare to miss it.”
Ashton glanced up to find Christy shading her eyes from the sun and smiling at Chad. Chad sprinted up to her, took her by the waist and kissed her. His stomach churned. His chest walls constricted his heart. Bile ran up his throat and he could almost feel the distaste in his mouth.
He strolled up to them, his eyes unable to tear away from Christy’s. She, on the other hand, was busily trying to avoid his.
“Is there any for me?” he asked.
“Excuse me?” Christy stammered.
“Juice. Any left for me?”
“Yes, of course,” she answered shakily and poured him out a glass.
His fingers grazed hers as he took it from her.
She withdrew them quickly. She didn’t like him touching her. It did something to her nerves. Jolting her. Awakening her, ceasing her heart-beat.
She swore inside her. She was finally moving on with her life. She had met a great guy who could give her the love she had been craving for all this while. And then he had to suddenly turn up and ruin it.
“How long have you two been dating?” Ashton asked them.
“A while,” she said confidently, sweeping her pony tail behind her.
“Three months,” Chad added and she reddened. “You could call that ‘a while’, I guess,” he continued, completely unaware that he had embarrassed her.
“I suppose.” Ashton grinned. The dude was all ripped but he had absolutely no clue on the cardinal rules of dating, the primal one being to never correct his woman in public.
“I met Christy two years ago and have been trying to impress her since. Fortunately, all that work paid off when she finally relented and agreed to give me a shot three months ago,” Chad said proudly.
Ashton smiled. So they had just started dating. This was good news. In fact, this was fabulous news. Chad hadn’t completely woven his way into Christy’s heart. He could tell by the way the cop continually tried to impress her. The poor man had no clue he had just shot himself in the foot by giving away their dating history.
“We may have met under unfavorable circumstances,” Chad said, putting an arm around Christy. “But in the end, it turned out well for us.”
“What unfavorable circumstances?” Ashton asked, raising his brow with curiosity. How more unfavorable could it get than meeting Chad Sullivan?
“The lodge got robbed. The robber even entered the family quarters looking for the till. Christy, Margaret and JR were asleep in their rooms. Fortunately, the thief didn’t go any further than the living room. One of the guests had spotted him lurking around and alerted the authorities before he could.”
Christy paled on hearing the account of the robbery again.
“I have to go get some paperwork done,” she said.
She gave Chad a small smile but the little tremble at the corners of her mouth didn’t escape Ashton.
“I’ll catch you later then,” Chad said softly, leaning into her and gave her a small kiss.
She walked away towards her office, trying desperately to hold herself up on her quavering legs.
*****
Ashton looked out of his bedroom window. The moon was bright and full. It was almost ten o’clock in the night and he still couldn’t get to sleep despite laboring all day on Margaret’s garden.
He combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. It was Chad’s account of the robbery that kept him awake and tossing.
The thief had broken open the latch of a sliding door with a crow bar and then crept inside with a knife in his hand. He had torn through the drawers in search of valuables and slashed the couches for the heck of it. If he had been intending on terrifying the women, he had done a good job of it. It was clear Christy was still shaken from the incident, although as Chad had said, it had occurred two years ago.
He shivered. If he had been two years late, he might never have known his son.
Despite the cool air of the air-conditioner, sweat beaded his forehead. Had the robber time to carry out his sinister intentions, would JR, Margaret and Christy still be alive?
His body tensed, a chill ran up him. And the worst would have been that he
wouldn’t have been here to help them. Visions of them screaming for help, languishing in pain from their wounds, bathed in blood… flooded his mind. He sat heavily on his bed, panting in short and rapid breaths.
He grabbed his jacket and keys to the crew cab. He badly needed a drink. Stepping down the staircase, he noticed a thin ray of light streaming under Christy’s study. It seemed he wasn’t the only one not getting any rest tonight.
He hovered in the hallway, contemplating about what he should do now that he knew she was also awake and restless. He bit his lower lip and then mustered up courage to rap on her door lightly.
“Who is it?”she called out.
He turned the door knob and stepped inside. “Hi.”
“I asked who was outside my door. I don’t remember giving anyone permission to walk in,” she said sternly.
He decided to ignore her, taking note instead of the papers scattered about her desk. “You’re working late.”
“I couldn’t sleep. So I thought I’d get some work done. I’ve been lagging on the paperwork. With the insurmountable lot I have, it might even put me to sleep,” she said drily, looking wearily at her files.
“Anything I can do to help?”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. And you shouldn’t anyway. You’ve done enough for us as it is.”
His eyes narrowed. “It’s not charity, Christy.”
“I’d rather it was.” She stared back at him, challenging him.
“I’m doing this for my son. You should give me some slack after hiding him from me for ten years. You’re lucky I’m not taking this further than I should.”
“Hid him? Yes, maybe you could call it that. But have you forgotten why? Have you not one conscience in your body that you’re the reason why I did what I did? You almost ruined my life, Ashton Pryor and I will never forgive you for that!”
She ached. He knew she ached. And he did too because she did. He wanted to hold her, to wrap her in his arms and tell her he was sorry. But she wouldn’t accept it yet. Not now and not like this.
“You’re right,” he said slowly. “I was wrong. But can’t you see that that’s why I am here?”
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