by Marie Harte
And Johnny thought he didn’t have the smarts to be in charge.
“My mom has this thing about a big dinner after the holiday. I was hoping to bribe you into coming over. You can show her you’re not a stripper or hooker, and she’ll get off my ass about dating.”
When Cyn just gaped at him, he laughed. “Kidding. Man, you’re just like your mom.”
“Not winning you any points, Sanders.”
“Ouch. Sorry.” He flinched at the glare she shot him. “My mom is a sweetheart. Seriously. I wanted to invite you over for dinner sometime, but I can’t cook. My mom is big on cooking for me and all my friends, so it’s no biggie to swing by. She’s not going to think we’re getting ready to head down the aisle or anything. She’s pretty chill about my social life.”
“Oh.” Cyn reached for his hand on the table. “Okay then.”
He liked her touching him. A lot.
He cleared his throat. “So when are we hanging out again? I have some time tomorrow.” They’d discussed Christmas plans and had family to consider. Their relationship being so new, they’d decided to take things slowly.
Yet here Foley sat, unable to stay away, just two days after the best sex of his life with a woman who wouldn’t leave his thoughts.
“I have my nephews tomorrow.” She made a face. “They’ll be fun, but they’re balls of energy.”
“Want to show them the garage? I can let them check out some tools and stuff. Do they like cars?”
“Oh.” She brightened. “That would be nice. We’re going to take in a movie and walk around a park, maybe. And we’ll eat many, many times tomorrow. They have bottomless stomachs.”
“Ha. Sounds familiar. You guys will have a good time.”
She smiled at him, and his heart raced. “Would you like to join us?”
Not wanting to appear too desperate for her with an immediate hell yes, he opted for subtlety. “Well…what’s in it for me?”
“You can spend time with boys. I doubt you get a lot of that, unless you have some nephews or kids you’ve forgotten about.”
“Like I told your mom, I’m kidless.”
“You’ll get fed when you’re with us.”
“Hmm. Keep going.”
She huffed. “You’ll get to be with me. There. That should do it.”
“Yeah, but you’re bossy. And you have lousy taste in men. Just ask your mom.”
She laughed. “You have me there.”
Do I have you? “Just one more thing.”
“And that would be?”
“After the boys go home tomorrow night. What do I get then?”
She leaned close and whispered, “Spend the day with us and find out.”
* * *
And so Foley found himself driving to Cyn’s house in the late afternoon on Wednesday to pick up her and her nephews. They’d had an influx of work, so he hadn’t been able to spend the entire day with her and the boys, but he’d managed to get out a little early. He parked and rang the doorbell, wondering what to expect.
A tall youth answered the door. He only stood a head and a half shorter than Foley but had yet to grow into his frame. All skin and bones.
He looked like Matt, with dark hair and dark eyes. “My dad’s a cop. And he’s in the back.” A good-looking kid…with a smart mouth.
Foley sighed. “Is your aunt here?”
His younger brother slid beside him. He looked up at Foley, and his eyes grew wide. “Stranger danger! Stranger danger!” he yelled.
“What is going on?” Cyn roared from behind them. “Is that Foley?”
“You mean prisoner 652408?” the older boy asked.
“Damn it, Vinnie. Let him in. Bad enough your grandma gave him a hassle yesterday. Don’t you do it too, or no popcorn and no movie.”
Cyn hopped into view behind them, struggling into a sock. “Hey, Foley. Just push past the obnoxious twins.”
The younger boy frowned. “We aren’t twins. I get the looks, he gets… Well, he’s tall.”
Vinnie scowled. “Shut up, Alex.”
Foley walked toward them, which had the boys automatically backing away. He heard the door close behind him, but he was intent on only one thing. He grabbed Cyn before she toppled over, struggling with that stubborn sock.
“Oh, thanks.”
He nodded, then pulled her in and kissed the breath out of her. When he finished, he had a hard time easing himself down. “There. Now, where are we headed?” He turned to see her nephews gaping at them. “What?”
“N-nothing.” Alex grinned. He looked like the spitting image of his older brother but had green eyes. “You’re Aunt Cyn’s boyfriend.”
“Yep.”
“The meth dealer,” Vinnie muttered.
“Vincent Nichols.” Cyn straightened. “Where did you hear that?”
Vinnie gave Foley a challenging look. “Oh, it’s going around.”
“Probably Matt,” Foley offered.
“My brother is an imbecile. Feel free to tell him that,” she told the boys. “Foley, to answer your question, how about we visit the garage first? The movie isn’t until five thirty.”
Foley nodded. “Sounds good. Get your coats, and let’s go.”
Following the boys, he walked next to Cyn. “Well, this should be fun.”
She chuckled. “They’re only giving you a hard time because my brother put them up to it. Alex will be the easy one. Vinnie’s a tougher nut to crack—just like his father.”
“And aunt.”
“Thanks a lot.”
He grinned and waited for the boys to get into the backseat. He shut the door, then turned to smile at her. “Hey. Think about how hard I had to work to get you to go out with me. If I hadn’t come along that night when your car died, I—”
“You know, you never did tell me how you just happened to be there when I broke down.”
He’d expected her suspicion and was pleased to see it, because that meant he was getting to really know her. “So untrusting. And you wonder where the boys get it.”
She flushed. “Not fair. I asked a legitimate question.”
“Truth was I’d swung around to your shop to apologize and saw you pull away, so I followed you. And no, that’s not stalkerish at all.”
“Really.”
Okay, it had been. “Really. I figured to pull past you and deal with you another time. And then you slowed down and stalled on the side of the road. I had a civic duty, as a mechanic, to help.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
She slapped a hand over his mouth. “Foley. Language.”
He licked her palm, and her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t remove her hand.
“You want a treat later, after the boys are gone? Behave.”
He growled, wanting his treat now. A glance at the car showed the boys glued to the byplay between him and their aunt, their faces pressed to the window. In a low voice, he said, “You’re lucky they’re in the backseat. Otherwise I’d have you bare-ass naked on the hood of my car while I pounded into that sweet pussy.”
Her jaw dropped. Let her stew on that while he ignored his need to bury himself inside her again.
He drove them to Webster’s, fielding questions from the Nichols’ kids the entire way. He had to hand it to Vinnie. The kid had smarts, for sure.
“So you’ve been a meth dealer—I’m sorry—a mechanic, for how long?”
Cyn grinned.
Foley sighed. “It’s like your grandmother is here with us, as we speak.” In the rearview, he saw Vinnie smirk. “Since I got out of high school. My buddy Sam and I are like brothers. We went to school together, then became mechanics together.”
“How?” Alex asked. “Did you have to go to school to be a mechanic? I hate school.”
“Alex.” Cyn frowned.
“Sam and I kind of drove around the West Coast after high school for a while. We always liked cars, so we went to trade school down in Sacramento for a year. We worked at different shops after that, learning and taking other classes. Emissions and A/C work is big, so we tried to focus on those. It didn’t take long before we came back to Washington. My mom lives here. So we settled back in Seattle.”
Silence filled the SUV until Cyn asked, “Are you glad you came back? It must have been exciting to travel.”
“It was. But I missed home.” He’d missed his mother—what he considered home.
“Aunt Cyn traveled a lot too,” Alex said. “She’s been all over the place. She even lived in Boston.”
“Yeah?”
Cyn nodded. “I spent a year in Boston, some time in Philadelphia, then I traveled down to Baltimore. The East Coast is very different from the West Coast.”
“Yep. We’ve gone to Disney World,” Vinnie said. “Florida drivers are for shit.”
“Vinnie!”
“He’s not wrong.” Foley bit his lip to keep from laughing at Cyn’s outrage. “Sam and I hit Orlando once years ago. Man, it was so hot the mosquitoes were crying.”
“Did you go to Disney World?” Alex asked.
“Nah. Too expensive. And I think we scared security.”
Cyn laughed. “I’ll bet.”
“How come you have so many tattoos?” Vinnie asked. “Don’t they hurt to get?”
“Sure do.” Foley pulled into the parking lot at Webster’s. “But girls seem to like them.”
The boys looked to their aunt.
She shrugged. “I think they’re pretty.”
“Pretty?” Foley frowned. “Seriously? Not scary, tough, manly? Hell, Cyn. I’ve got snakes and skulls and cars on me. Pretty?”
“You could get a unicorn,” Cyn said. “That would be pretty.”
Foley and the boys stared at her. “Girls, am I right?” he said.
The boys nodded.
“Aunt Cyn.” Alex shook his head. “No unicorns. When I get a tattoo, I’ll get a cool car. Or a monster with three heads.”
“Or a naked lady,” Vinnie added with a sly glance at his aunt.
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “God save me.”
Foley chuckled. “Come on, guys. I’ll show you where real men work. And none of us have unicorn tattoos.”
“How about butterflies?” Cyn asked.
“Now you’re just being ridiculous.” Foley ushered them inside, where he found Sam and Johnny working. “Hey, guys.”
Johnny and Sam stopped what they were doing and joined the group. “Hey there.” Johnny smiled. “Who’s this?”
“Johnny, Sam, you know Cyn. These are her nephews, Vinnie and Alex.”
Johnny wiped off his hands and held one out to the boys, who shook it while staring at his colorful forearms visible beneath his rolled-up sleeves. “Hey, guys.”
“Hi.” Vinnie kept a wary eye on Sam.
“Sam, smile. You’re scaring the kids.” Foley nudged him.
Sam grunted, but he stopped looking so menacing. The big guy was a sucker for animals and kids. A soft heart surrounded by a hard shell of attitude. He wore a short-sleeved shirt, and his many tats were visible on his arms and around his neck. Taking a subjective step back, Foley admitted that had he not known Sam, he’d give the guy a wide berth.
“So, you guys want to see what we do here?” Sam asked.
The kids seemed interested. “I do,” Alex said.
“Me too.” Vinnie nodded. “Our dad has a lot of tools, and he’s going to teach us to build an engine when we’re older.”
“Good idea,” Sam said.
Cyn watched him like a hawk, but Sam did no more than show the boys different tools and cars they’d been working on. Johnny joined him and answered questions.
“That section is yours, isn’t it?” Cyn asked Foley, pointing at his bench.
“Yep. How did you know?”
“I’ve seen Johnny over there before.” She pointed to Johnny’s tools. “And that area next to yours is just so disorganized. It’s not you.”
“True.” He crossed his arms, enjoying himself. He liked her seeing where he worked. Even more, he enjoyed her interest. Cyn seemed to want to know more about him. A good sign that she considered him more than just a boyfriend-labeled hookup.
“Yeah. You’re Mr. Bossy. Mr. Organization. I bet you’re methodical when it comes to your work.”
“He is,” Johnny agreed, having overheard them. “A complete logic monster. But there’s nothing Foley can’t fix.”
“He’s good, huh?” Vinnie asked, glancing over at Foley.
“My boy’s got game…in the garage.” Sam snorted. “Don’t know about the rest of his life, though.”
“Please. You should talk.” Foley slung an arm around Cyn, and Sam frowned.
Now what to do about that? For some reason, Sam didn’t approve of Cyn. And that bothered him. Foley respected Sam’s opinion. Another reason he wanted Cyn and his mom to meet. He wanted Eileen’s opinion of her. Foley really, really liked Cyn. A lot. Sam might be weird about him dating a woman for any number of reasons. But Eileen would tell him if she didn’t think Cyn was good for him. And she’d tell him from a place of truth, not jealousy or fear. As much as his mom wanted grandkids, she wouldn’t want them from a woman of little worth.
Vinnie didn’t seem to like Foley’s arm around his aunt either. He walked back to her, Alex in tow, and subtly inserted himself between them. He tugged her hand. “Come on, Aunt Cyn. You can touch the air tools, Sam said.”
She joined the boys, oohing and aahing over the tools and engines. Foley answered questions and watched, enjoying her with the boys. She was naturally maternal, keeping an eye on them while letting them have fun. He showed the kids the lift, where they stored the oil, the computer where they could order parts and study diagnostics, and more.
Then Cyn warned him they needed to get to the movies.
The time had passed in a blur, and to his bemusement, he realized he’d enjoyed answering Vinnie and Alex’s many questions.
Before the boys left, they thanked Johnny and Sam for their time. Vinnie especially seemed to like Sam, because he shook Sam’s hand, staring at Sam’s tattoo-covered forearms as if committing them to memory before leaving.
Sam nodded. “Have fun at the movies. What are you guys seeing?”
“The latest superhero movie, I think.” Cyn sighed. “Something with no kissing or romance, I’m sure.”
“There’s usually a little romance in those movies,” Johnny said.
“Oh good. My nephews hate the kissing parts, and I get a kick out of torturing them.” She waved, ignoring the kids’ groans. “Thanks, Johnny, Sam. The boys enjoyed it.”
“What about me?” Foley frowned.
“You get a special thanks.” She kissed him, a full smack on the lips.
“Oh.” He swallowed hard. “Well, then.”
“Hey, Cyn. Where’s mine?” Johnny asked. “I feel neglected.”
“Whatever.” Sam snorted. “Any lips but Lara’s touch you, and your girlfriend will rip your lips off.”
“He has a point.” Foley grinned, feeling on top of life all of a sudden. “Later, slackers. Make sure you lock up.”
Sam flipped him off, and Johnny called him a name not meant for small ears—a good thing the kids had gone back into the SUV.
They arrived at the theater with time to spare. The movie had just the right amount of action and humor. Sitting with Cyn and her nephews gave Foley a funny feeling inside. He glanced over at them all enraptured in the film. It felt like he was sitting with his own family, taking in the flick.
His own family.
He had never before been ready for something s
o permanent, but now, things had changed. Sex with Cyn had been amazing. And meaningful. Not just a physical release, but an emotional one as well. He wished he could read her better, to know what she really thought about him. He also realized they’d only been seeing each other for a short time. Hell, doing the math, only a week and a half had passed since their first meeting. Yet he felt as if he’d known her for a lot longer.
With no other way to explain it, she fit. They were different in many ways. She had her degrees and businesses, thinking all the time. He had clever hands and a brain that solved puzzles. He liked to fix things. She organized.
Yet they both loved family. For all that her mother had annoyed her, Cyn remained loyal. She’d moved back to Seattle to be with her people. As had Foley.
Vinnie slipped by them to head to the bathroom, and Foley decided to get a refill on his drink, to maybe stop thinking so hard about the future and just enjoy the now.
He whispered to Cyn, “Be right back. You need anything?”
She shook her head and shooed him away, fascinated with some muscled stud in tights on screen. She looked just like Alex, fixated on the action.
Chuckling to himself, Foley got his refill then went in search of Vinnie, just to make sure the kid was okay. The theater wasn’t a bad place, but weirdos could be found anywhere.
He went down the hallway toward the men’s room and saw a teenager having a heated conversation with Vinnie outside the restroom.
Not liking the look of things, Foley paused some distance away and sipped his soda, watching.
“So are you blowing the coach or what?” the larger boy asked.
Not a friendly talk, apparently. The boy with Vinnie stood a head taller, had more bulk, and wore the typical damaged jeans and a Seahawks sweatshirt. Not a bad-looking kid, except for the air of menace surrounding him.
“Jim, get lost.” Vinnie tried to go around him, but Jim wouldn’t let him. Instead, the boy crowded Vinnie’s personal space. “I already told you. Coach played me because I’m better.”
Considering Vinnie had mentioned basketball a few times in the car, Foley figured this altercation had to be about Vinnie’s all-star basketball performance this season. Nice to see the kid had confidence though—“Coach played me because I’m better.” You go, Vinnie.