“You ready to go?”
“Uh..yeah. I’m ready.”
I grabbed my purse and headed out to the truck with him. He opened my door and helped me into his truck, which I couldn’t help but mentally check off on my list of things that I expected from a date.
“Where are we going?”
“Raccoon Creek State Park. I thought we’d go hiking.”
“I love hiking.”
“Good. I’m glad I didn’t choose something you’d hate.”
“Do you go out this often or is this just because you’re taking me on a date?”
“You mean doing outdoor activities? I don’t get to do them as often as I’d like, but that just means you’re the perfect excuse. I was thinking about what you said about not having friends to go out and have fun with. So now I’ve made it my mission to take you out to do as many fun things as you like for as long as we’re dating.”
“That’s very sweet of you.”
“Don’t let it get around. I’ve got a reputation to maintain as an asshole. Could you imagine what criminals would try to pull if they thought I was sweet?”
I smiled at his banter, thinking maybe I had misjudged him as much as he had misjudged me.
We arrived at the park about forty-five minutes later and spent the day hiking the many trails the park offered. Sean had brought two hiking packs, food, water, an extra hat and sunglasses for me, and hand towels. He seemed to have thought of everything.
About mid-day, we stopped in a nice, quiet section of the park that had a nice patch of grass to sit in. Sean had even brought a blanket to sit on, which he laid out on the ground for me. I laid down and looked up at the sunny sky through the trees, giving my body a much needed break. It was a gorgeous spring day and the faint sound of birds and the breeze lulled me into a sleepy state.
I woke to the feel of feather-light kisses being placed on my eyelids and cheeks. When my eyes fluttered open, Sean was leaning over me with a breathtaking smile on his face.
“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. You looked so beautiful that I had to kiss you.”
“I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“Don’t be. It’s peaceful out here. A perfect day for a nap in the park.”
I couldn’t tell if he was feeding me lines or being genuine, though I wanted to believe that this was the real Sean I was seeing. He seemed more relaxed out here and I wondered if he was this relaxed around everyone. Part of me secretly hoped that he was just this way with me.
“How long was I sleeping?”
“About an hour.”
“Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. You must have been so bored sitting here.”
“Actually, it was nice to sit here and enjoy the quiet.”
“Are you saying I’m loud?” I said with a laugh.
“Not at all. I did like watching you sleep though.” He laughed and then rubbed his face. “I just realized how creepy that sounded.”
We laughed and then he pulled out some snacks for us to eat. After we had finished, we packed up and headed back. It had been a perfect day and I was a little nervous to admit that I wanted more time with Sean.
“So, next weekend?” He asked as he walked me to my door.
“Are you going to tell me what we’re going to do?”
“Not a chance.” He leaned forward and gave me a light kiss on the lips before smiling and walking away. I wondered why he hadn’t kissed me more, but then decided that I was fine with the pace we were taking this. I walked in my house and then realized I was going to have to wait a whole week before I saw him again. When did I become the girl who waited around for a man?
Sean
Surprised couldn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling right now. After spending the day with Lillian, I found that I really enjoyed her company. She still corrected my grammar, but it didn’t bother me so much anymore. It seemed to be just a natural reaction for her, not that she was pointing it out to be snooty.
She was a genuine person and I liked that I didn’t feel she was ever putting on an act for me. With Vira, I always felt that she was putting on a face to seem tough, and while I liked that about her, I wished that she didn’t need that with me. I got tired of always trying to figure out what she was running from.
While I liked hanging out with Lillian and I was extremely attracted to her, I wasn’t sure I could hold out for her. I still craved Vira and even though I had told her we were over, if she just came to me and offered more of herself, I would be with her in an instant.
Since it didn’t look like that would happen, I could still have fun with Lillian in the meantime. I had an idea of something I’d like to do with her, so I looked into it and found that it would be perfect for next weekend.
Work was getting stressful because I had yet to get any more leads on the drug cases I was currently working. Carlos Ramirez wasn’t giving up any information and even when he was offered a deal in exchange for information, he didn’t take it, which most likely meant that he worked for some seriously bad guys. There had been no more threats against Lillian, but then Sawyer and Calloway had been left out of the loop and had no idea what was going on in the investigation.
I was at work going over case reports when my phone rang. I smiled when I saw it was Lillian calling.
“Hey, Lillian. You miss me already?”
“Sean. You need to go down to the hospital. A kid collapsed at school today and I overheard someone saying that they hoped it wasn’t from the drugs he’d been taking. The principal is speaking with the student now.”
I was up and out of my chair as soon as she said drugs.
“I’m sure the principal will be calling as soon as he gets something out of the student, but I wanted to give you a heads up.”
“Thanks, Lillian. I’m on my way to the hospital now.”
When I got to the hospital, I showed my credentials and talked with the intake nurse. A student had been brought in presenting with signs of a drug overdose. I waited around for two hours before a doctor came out to speak with me.
“Detective Donnelly?”
“Yes.”
“I’m Doctor Emanuel.”
I shook his hand and we walked over to sit in the empty waiting area. “What can you tell me about the student that was brought in?”
“I’m afraid he didn’t make it. We’re informing the family now.”
“Was it a drug overdose?”
“Yes. We won’t know what exactly until the labs come back. I can send over the results when they come in.”
“That would be great. I’ll also need the child’s name and his parents’ names.”
“I’ll have the nurse gather all the information you need. The parents are not in town at the moment, so we had to tell them over the phone.”
I sighed and ran a hand over my face. I hated cases with kids. It was always so damn difficult.
“Alright. I’m going to head over to the school.” I pulled out my card and handed it to him. “Please send all information directly to me. Only the chief or I are able to accept the information. Do you understand?”
“Of course.”
I headed over to the school where the student that made the comment was still waiting, along with his parents. The principal came out to talk with me before leading me into the office.
“It seems that this student, Samuel Markham, gave the pills to Daniel because Daniel was in pain from an ankle injury. Daniel’s parents hadn’t taken him to the doctor and Samuel felt bad for him. Samuel saw Daniel crushing up the pills before he took them.”
“Jesus. Where did he get the pills?”
“He took them from his parents. Apparently, they were in a prescription bottle, so he assumed they were safe.”
“Well, Daniel’s dead now, so they’d better start talking.”
I stormed past the principal and proceeded to take the parents and kid to the police station for further questioning. By the time my paperwork was done, it was well past ten o’cloc
k at night and I was beat. I was about to head home, but then I thought that maybe Lillian would like an update. I drove to her house and thought better of it as I was pulling onto her street. I was going to drive past, but then I saw her lights on and decided to stop anyway.
When she opened the door, she had on the same nightgown she wore a couple of weeks ago. She didn’t have a robe on and the cool air was making her nipples poke through the thin material. She seemed to realize that she wasn’t dressed properly because she quickly crossed her arms. I tore my gaze from her chest and looked at her flushed face.
“Sorry to stop by without calling. I just thought you might like to know what was going on.”
“Sure. Come on in.” She held the door open and held her arm out for me to enter. I sat down on her couch, glad when she took the seat next to me.
“The kid died.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. Do they know what killed him?”
“Drug overdose. That’s all I can tell you at this point. Thank you for calling me this afternoon.”
“Of course. Is there anything I can do for you now?”
“Just talk to me.”
So that’s what she did. She talked to me for a good hour at least about random things. She told me about her family and growing up. She told me how her mother always corrected her English when she spoke and that’s where she got it from. I listened intently until the sound of her sweet voice lulled me off to sleep. When I woke in the morning, I was lying on the couch covered in a blanket and the smell of coffee floated through the air. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, knowing that I had slept better here than most nights I did in my own bed.
I made my way to the kitchen and found Lillian dressed in her sexy teacher clothes and making lunch. Breakfast was already on the counter and there was a second cup of coffee next to the second plate.
“Good morning.” My voice came out rough and I had to clear my throat to work the sleepiness from my throat. Lillian turned around with a bright smile on her face.
“Good morning. I hope you slept well. I know that couch isn’t the most comfortable.”
“It was fine. I actually slept really well.”
“Good. I’m glad. I made you breakfast and there’s coffee in the pot.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
“I’m also making you some lunch to take with you. I wasn’t sure if you normally brought your own lunch, but I didn’t want you going hungry.”
“You made me lunch?” I asked in bewilderment. Nobody had made me lunch since I was a kid in school.
“It’s nothing special. Just a roast beef sandwich and some chips.”
I was stunned. I hadn’t had anyone take care of me in so long, I wasn’t quite sure how to react.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she said with a smile. Then she turned and went back to making my lunch. I sat down and ate my breakfast after I grabbed a cup of coffee. I could definitely get used to this.
Lillian
Sean seemed completely dumbfounded by me making him breakfast and lunch. Was it really that odd? Had I overstepped some imaginary line? I was just treating him the way my mother would treat a guest. I didn’t understand it.
I finished getting ready for the day and then gathered my stuff at the door. Sean had finished eating and then rinsed and put his dishes in the dishwasher, which I thought was very thoughtful of him.
He walked toward the door and grabbed me around the waist. He kissed me deeply and then pulled back.
“Thank you for last night and this morning.”
“Any time. I’m glad I was able to help.”
We both went our separate ways and I spent the rest of the week waiting for the weekend when I would see him again. I didn’t hold any illusions that he would make a habit out of what happened last night and frankly, I didn’t want him to think that I was okay with sleepovers, but for one night, it felt wonderful.
When Saturday morning came, Sean was at my house bright and early. What I didn’t expect was the whole group of people with him. I was a little shocked when I opened my door and saw all of his friends parked in the driveway waiting for me.
“Um..what’s going on?”
“Sorry about this, but I told Jack my plans with you for today and suddenly everyone was coming. I hope this is okay with you.”
“It’s fine, but I do think it’s a little weird that all your friends know where I’m going on a date with you before I do.”
He smiled at me and guided me toward the truck. “We’re going to Kennywood Amusement Park!”
“Like rollercoasters?”
“Yep.”
“Oh my gosh. That’s fantastic. I’ve always wanted to go on a rollercoaster!” I started jumping up and down, not caring at all that his friends were probably staring at me like I was crazy.
“You’ve never been on a rollercoaster?”
“Nope!”
“Well, let’s get going so we can pop that cherry.”
I blushed, understanding the reference. Little did he know the most important cherry I had yet to pop. We got to the amusement park and went right to the fastest ride there was. We stood in line for about forty-five minutes before finally being seated. I was a little nervous, just as I was on the plane, but I did an excellent job of hiding it. Sean must have sensed my nervousness because he reached over and grabbed my hand.
“I don’t get it. You took a running leap out of a plane, but you’re scared of this when you’re strapped in?”
“On the plane, it was my choice to go. Right now, I’m waiting for them to get the ride moving. I have no control over it.”
He laughed and gave my hand a little squeeze. A minute later, we started the steady climb to the top of the track. When we were just reaching the top, the coaster fell over the hump, taking us on a wild ride. I screamed the whole thirty second ride, delighting in the crazy ride I was on. Sean did this for me. He brought fun to my life and helped me experience things I had missed out on.
Sean
I couldn’t stop looking at Lillian. She looked so carefree today and it made me want to always put that happiness on her face. She was over at the food stand grabbing our lunch with a few of the girls. The guys had offered to stand in line, but the girls couldn’t make up their minds what they wanted, so it was decided they could just take our money and get whatever they wanted.
Lillian was laughing as she talked with Harper and Alex. She turned toward me and waved with a huge smile on her face. I couldn’t help but wave back and then instantly looked around to see if the guys saw how whipped I was. They had. Every single one of the guys was staring at me with some sort of bewildered expression.
“What?”
“What was with the finger wave?” Cole asked.
“That wasn’t a finger wave. It was a normal wave. A manly wave.”
“Sure it was. I always waggle my fingers when I wave at people,” Ryan said.
“You are so whipped,” Jack said with a laugh. “It won’t be long before you’ll be joining the club.”
“And what club is that exactly?” I questioned.
“The one we’re all a part of where you do everything possible not to fuck up so your girl doesn’t threaten to cut your balls off,” Jack replied.
“Hey, I’m not a part of that club,” Ryan said with disdain.
“Sure, but you did bring Cassandra along today. You’ve been trying to get in her pants for a year and a half,” Logan said as he clapped Ryan on the shoulder.
Logan and Ryan worked on a project with Cassandra and Ryan instantly had a hard on for her, but she wasn’t giving in to his advances. Much like a woman I knew.
“The one thing you guys are missing is that Lillian doesn’t use that kind of language, therefore my balls will never be in danger.”
“Sure, you watch. Within two months, she’s literally going to have your balls in a vise,” Sebastian said, putting in his two cents.
“I highly doubt that since
she knows nothing about engineering tools.”
“Dude, I wasn’t suggesting that she was actually going to put your balls in a vise.”
“But you did. You said she would ‘literally have my balls in a vise’. If that’s not what you meant, you should have said figuratively.”
Shit. Now all the guys were staring at me. I had just corrected Sebastian’s grammar. What was Lillian doing to me? Luckily, I was saved from further ridicule when all the girls walked back over with the food. Nothing would shut up a bunch of guys like food.
After we were done eating, the girls all headed to the bathroom, but Alex stayed behind. She tugged on my sleeve and motioned me to the side with her head. I followed, curious as to what she needed to talk to me about.
“How are things going with Lillian?”
“Good. What’s up?”
“Sean, I want you to be careful with her. She’s not like Vira in any way.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“No. I mean..she’s innocent, more innocent than you could imagine. Just don’t hurt her.”
That was ominous. What would compel Alex to come over here and warn me about Lillian. Still, there was nothing I would ever do to hurt Lillian, so I said the only thing I could.
“I won’t.”
Lillian
“Thank you for today. I haven’t had so much fun in a long time, and your friends are great.”
Sean was walking me to my door after a wonderful day. He was so great and I was surprised at how natural things felt with him. Maybe this could go somewhere with him. Now I just had to find a way to tell him my biggest secret.
“I’m glad you had a good time. I don’t want to wait for next weekend though. How about you come over tomorrow morning at seven and we’ll go somewhere. I have to arrange a few things, otherwise I’d pick you up.”
I smiled up at him, happy that he didn’t want to wait. “Sure. That sounds great. Clothing?”
Sean Page 10