He shifted on the bench seat to get a better look. “I see some people milling around the perimeter. Can you go inside?”
“Yes. And there are picnic tables nearby. It’s a nice spot for lunch.”
“It’s hard to believe we’re in the middle of a crowded city.”
Amy took in the trees rustling in the light breeze and the lush foliage around them and let out a blissful sigh. “I know. It’s one of the reasons I love San Francisco. Once you’ve lived here, it’s hard to leave.”
He studied her with a thoughtful gaze, then nodded. “I’m beginning to see that.”
After leaving the pagoda they continued their loop around the island and as she’d hoped they came upon several turtles that had crawled on top of a fallen tree trunk close to the shore. Excited, she pulled her phone from the pocket of her vest. “They’re so cute. I need to get a picture to show Danny. Can you get us a little closer?”
“I’ll do my best,” Rick said, and maneuvered the rowboat toward the shore, then used one oar to turn the boat around so that her end was closest to the turtles. “This is as close as I feel comfortable with. I don’t want the boat to get tangled in the tall grass.”
“No problem.” She stood, turned around and balanced herself as the boat gently rocked. “I’ll use the zoom.”
“Be careful,” he warned from behind her.
Holding her phone up, Amy focused the camera on the turtles, then swiped her finger on the screen to activate the zoom. “Turtles live a long time. I wonder if any of these guys were around when I was a kid.” She pressed her thumb on the white button on the screen, and then took another picture for good measure. “Got it!” she exclaimed happily. She stepped back and let out a yelp as her heel slipped on the wet floor of the boat. The boat rocked and the sharp movement sent her flailing backward. Holding on to her phone for dear life, she let out a grunt as she landed in an ungainly heap on Rick’s lap. His arms snaked around her, holding onto her so she wouldn’t slide off of him.
Her heart pounded like a jackhammer. Not so much from her stumble, but rather from the feel of his strong arms around her. It had been a long time since she’d been in a man’s arms and it felt…pretty damn good. Angling her head up, she found herself staring into Rick’s concerned eyes. “I can’t seem to stop falling when I’m around you,” she joked.
“Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said with a sheepish smile and for the first time noticed the faded scar beneath the corner of his mouth. She lifted her hand and traced it with her finger. “How did you get this?”
For several charged seconds his dark eyes burned into hers, and suddenly she became aware of every part of her body that touched his. She swallowed hard as electricity pulsed between them. “Roughhousing with my brother when we were kids,” he said, then lowered his gaze to her lips.
“Did it hurt?” she whispered as she brushed her finger over the small scar.
A muscle ticked in his jaw, then he raised his eyes to meet hers. “If it did, I never admitted it.”
For several seconds they simply stared into each other’s eyes and then, as Rick lowered his head to kiss her, a shriek of laughter sliced through the air, startling them both. Jerking her head toward the sound, Amy saw two teenage girls on a pedal boat mired in the tall willowy grass near the opposite shore. Laughing uproariously, the two girls were trying but failing to get out of their predicament.
Although still clasped in Rick’s embrace, Amy couldn’t help but smile as the two girls—who couldn’t stop laughing—managed to get themselves even more entangled in the tall grass.
After a minute or so, Rick loosened his arms from around her and chuckled. “We should help them.”
Fifteen minutes later, the two girls thanked them profusely before peddling off in the opposite direction. Back on her own seat, Amy couldn’t help but be disappointed the teens had interrupted the intimate moment between her and Rick. But the moment was over now, and unlike her, he didn’t even seem fazed by it as he powered the rowboat back on course.
The last rays of daylight had started to fade by the time Rick and Amy walked the several blocks from his SUV toward her apartment. Neither of them had suggested he drop her off out front and Rick took that as a positive sign. Maybe she wanted to prolong their date as much as he did.
After their turn around Stow Lake, they’d stopped at the boathouse, ordered hot chocolate, and then walked to the shuttle stop where a group of Blaze fans had recognized him and asked if he would pose for selfies with them. While he’d obliged them, Amy stood off to the side silently sipping her hot chocolate, before offering to take a picture of the entire group when they’d tried to coax her into posing with him.
“I can’t believe Christmas is two weeks away,” she said as they stepped off of the curb and crossed the street. On the opposite corner, an inflatable Santa was propped up on the porch, almost blocking the home’s doorway. “Will you be going home for the holidays?”
He nodded. “I’m leaving on the twenty-third. Do you have plans?”
“I’m working at Stylus on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but I’ll be spending Christmas Day with Jade and her family.”
“I’m surprised Stylus is open on Christmas Eve.”
“I was too, but we have several Christmas parties booked. Tips should be good. And I’m sure we’ll be even busier on New Year’s Eve.”
“Do you like working there?”
“The hours allow me to work there and at Logan-Johnson.”
“But do you like it?”
“I like the extra money, but in a perfect world I wouldn’t have to spend two nights away from Danny. I’m lucky my shift starts at eight. It gives me time with him before I go to the club.”
“Has he seen the…ah…disguise…you wear at the club?”
Amy laughed. “Yes. When I first started working at Stylus I let him pick out the wig. You should have seen it. I looked like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Jet black hair is not flattering on me. Even with a ton of makeup,” she said as they approached the Victorian house where Amy lived.
He’d discovered today that the Victorian was owned by Jade’s parents and that they’d converted it into three apartment units with Amy’s being the one where a garage had once been. They stopped in front of her pale yellow front door; next to the stoop that led up to the entrance to the other units, and when Amy turned toward him and their eyes met, his heart slammed against his chest.
With her hair tousled by the cool breeze, her cheeks flushed pink from their walk, and the sparkle in her eyes she looked so damn appealing he was rendered speechless.
“Today was fun.” She smiled up at him, apparently unaware of his near paralyzed state. “Thank you,” she said softly, then leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Her lips lingered for a moment, and then she stepped back and stared at him, her eyes bright with unspoken emotion.
Was she regretting the impulse, or not? He couldn’t tell.
A winsome smile quirked her lips and then, with an imperceptible shake of her head, she shifted toward the door. Instinctively, he reached out and gently wrapped his fingers around her arm. She stilled and let him pull her toward him, her green eyes appearing to darken as he slanted his head and covered her upturned mouth with his.
Ever since they’d almost kissed in the rowboat, he’d been thinking about the moment when it would actually happen, and it was every bit as explosive as he’d imagined. Her lips parted under his and with a groan, he circled his arms around her, pressing her closer and kissing her deeper as she clutched at his shoulders with her hands and then wound her arms around his neck, plastering her soft curves against him.
It had been a while since he’d kissed a woman and his body reacted accordingly. Every nerve in his body was super-charged with enough electricity to light the entire planet. Every feeling he had shot straight to his groin. And more than that, he felt alive for the first time in three years.
Three years.
&nb
sp; Jill.
My wife.
With no warning whatsoever, overwhelming guilt washed over him like an ice cold bucket of water and he abruptly broke off the kiss, conflicting emotions roiling inside of him. He’d wanted to kiss Amy since she’d opened her apartment door this morning, and he hadn’t experienced that guilty feeling until right this second. He was ready to move on. He’d been sure of it. But had he been fooling himself?
What the hell was wrong with him?
He opened his eyes and met Amy’s sultry gaze. Her lips were slightly parted and still moist from their kiss. She looked absolutely beautiful and there was no doubt in his mind he wanted to kiss her again. And again after that. But if he did, would memories of Jill intrude?
A slight frown furrowed Amy’s brow. Shit. The last thing he wanted was for her to think it was her fault he’d put on the brakes. He liked her. A lot. He wanted to discover all the things about her that made her who she was. How could he do that if he felt guilty every time he kissed her?
She rested her hands on his shoulders, concern etched on her face. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He nodded, then slid his hands to her waist. “I’m fine.”
“Really? I haven’t kissed anyone in a while, but I can recognize when a kiss goes from hot to not. And that’s what just happened.” She coasted her palms down his shoulders and covered his hands. Gently removing them from her waist, she nodded toward the stoop. “Let’s sit for a minute.”
He nodded and together they moved to the stoop and sat down next to each other on the third step. For several seconds she didn’t say anything and that was fine with him. Talking was pretty much the last thing he wanted to do, but he didn’t want to fuck up whatever was happening between them. And something was happening. He knew that for a fact.
“You know all that complicated stuff I don’t want to talk about?” she finally said.
“Not yet.” He glanced at her. “But someday I hope you’ll trust me enough to want to tell me about it.”
A soft chuckle escaped her lips. “You’re not like most guys. The ones I’ve come across couldn’t care less about anything other than getting in my pants. And the one time I thought I’d found a decent one…let’s just say that I was completely bamboozled.”
He couldn’t help but smile. “I haven’t heard that word in a while.”
“Yeah, well, past experience has made me wary of getting involved with anyone. You may remember that when you asked me out I was hesitant to accept.”
“I remember.”
“And…as you’ve probably guessed, I’ve got some issues from my past I’m still dealing with. And I suspect you do too.” She shifted on the step. Her knee touched his, reminding him of how much he missed the feel of simple human contact. “If you need more time to grieve, you should absolutely take it.”
“It’s not that. I’ve accepted Jill’s death, but…”
“But when we kissed you felt guilty?”
So she had figured it out. “It wasn’t because of you.”
“I get it. It doesn’t matter who you kiss, the guilt would still be there.”
“But I wanted to kiss you.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and turned to look at her. “Hell, I almost kissed you on the rowboat this afternoon.”
“I know.” Amusement teased her voice. “And boy was I ticked off when those girls got stuck in the weeds and interrupted us.”
Rick laughed, some of his tension easing. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one.”
“Then you also need to know that you’re not the only one who’s confused. It’s probably too soon for this kind of conversation, but I have Danny to consider. He’s the most important thing in my life. Everything I’ve done…everything I’m doing, is to ensure he’s happy and well-adjusted.”
“From what I’ve seen you’re doing a good job of that.”
“Not always. He went through a tough time before we moved back to San Francisco. I won’t let him go through that again. No matter what I have to do,” she said, and the resolute expression on her face reminded him there was still so much he didn’t know about her and about her past.
A car passed slowly—probably someone looking for a parking spot along the street. He watched it disappear and then looked at her. “I know one thing for sure, I want to see you again.”
A myriad of emotions flickered in her eyes, but damned if he could read a single one of them.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that too,” she said softly.
Relief washed over him. Maybe he hadn’t fucked everything up. “Can I call you in a couple of days and set something up?”
Amy nodded. “I’d like that,” she said, then looked toward the house. “I should head inside. Jade was kind enough to watch Danny for me this afternoon, but I’m sure she’s ready to go back to the peace and quiet of her own apartment by now.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I meant what I said. Today was fun. The most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“Same here,” he said, as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him. Heat radiated through his chest as they sat together for several moments in companionable silence, and something about being with her felt so right that he didn’t want it to end.
After parting ways with Amy, Rick drove back to his loft, closed the door behind him and tossed his keys on the kitchen counter. The place was smaller than the home he and Jill had shared in Lockhart, but now that he lived alone he didn’t need much space. After taking off his coat and hanging it on a stool at the counter, he fished his phone out of the pocket and moved to the couch. The leather creaked as he sat down and scrolled through his contact list. Although he didn’t call on his father as often as he had during the first two years after Jill’s death, he needed his dad’s brand of straight-shooting advice right now.
“Hey,” he said after his father answered. “Did I interrupt your dinner?”
“No. I’m doing the bachelor thing tonight. Your mom and Merilee decided to take in a movie in town.”
Rick was happy to hear that his mom and Merilee still maintained a friendship after Jill’s death. “So is it nachos or pizza?” he asked, knowing Walt Taylor’s penchant for eating junk food when he was left to his own devices.
“Pizza. The meat lover’s special. The delivery guy should be here in about twenty minutes.” His father paused. “How are things in Frisco?”
Rick winced. He’d learned in his rookie year that calling the city Frisco was frowned upon by locals. “Fine. I’m training hard and I started volunteering at a youth center nearby.”
“But?” His father had always been able to read him. Apparently that paternal skill extended to phone calls as well.
“Remember that woman I told you about when I was home at Thanksgiving?” he said as he leaned back on the couch and got comfortable.
“The skittish one?”
“That’s the one. Her name is Amy. Anyway, we had coffee last week and today we went out again.”
“I’m glad to hear it, son. You’re getting on with your life.”
“Yeah. About that.” He ran a hand through his hair. “The thing is when I kissed her I thought about Jill. I wasn’t expecting that and it threw me. Big time.”
After a slight pause, his father spoke. “This is the first woman you’ve been interested in since Jill died. I’m no expert, but I think it’s a natural reaction. You and Jill were as close as two peas in a pod since you were kids, and even though you’ve made a hell of a lot of progress since she died, I imagine kissing someone other than her would bring up some feelings of guilt. I don’t think you should beat yourself up over it. And if you like Amy, I don’t think you should let it deter you from getting to know her.”
“I do like her.” Rick leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. “And I’m definitely going out with her again.”
His father chuckled. “Well, there you have it. If you’d told me you weren’t seeing her again I might have been worried you’re n
ot ready to move on. Can I give you some advice?”
“Of course.”
“Don’t think too much. Get out of your own head and have some fun. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s you. And remember, that’s what Jill would want for you. Just as you’d want the same for her if your positions were reversed.”
Rick blinked and swallowed past the lump of emotion lodged in the back of his throat. “Thanks, Dad. I needed to hear that.”
After discussing the latest happenings in Lockhart, Rick left his father to his pizza and turned on the television. The Sunday Night Football pre-game show was wrapping up and he watched the analyst’s discussion of the upcoming game without paying much attention to it. All he could think about was Amy and the next time he would see her again. And if that’s all he could think about when the Cowboys were about to play the Eagles, it could mean only one thing: Amy Vaughn had gotten under his skin in a big, big way.
10
Amy tightened the lid of her travel mug and then turned off the coffee maker. “Danny!” she called, glancing at her watch. “Get a move on, buddy. If we don’t leave in the next five minutes, you’ll be late for school and I’ll be late for work.”
“I can’t find my shoes.” Danny’s muffled voice came from his bedroom.
“Did you look in your closet?”
“Yes.”
“Under your bed?”
“No.” Then seconds later. “Found ‘em.”
“Let’s go, slowpoke,” she said as she buttoned her coat and stashed the travel mug in the side pocket of her lunch tote.
“Don’t rush me,” he shot back with obvious exasperation.
“I wouldn’t have to rush you if you’d get out of bed when I wake you up.” Shaking her head, she leaned her hip against the counter and waited for her son, the master dawdler. This scenario or one similar to it played out on almost every school day.
A few seconds later Danny trudged out of his room, pulling on his jacket. “I can’t wait for Christmas vacation,” he muttered. “I can get up when I wanna get up.”
Playing for Keeps (Feeling the Heat Book 6) Page 12