by Brooke Page
“I guess that’s a yes,” I chuckled. I met eyes with Lauren, and her gaze was different than it had been before. She was holding her hand over her chest, the bracelet still on her wrist. My heart hammered when my eyes landed on it, and Lauren’s face was flushed when I brought my gaze back to hers.
“You better follow through. She’ll be relentless if not.” She warned, then turned back to her laundry.
I watched her for a moment while she moved clothing, warmth spreading through me. The ache in my heart faded some, and I wasn’t upset anymore for not having a washing machine.
***
“Tessa, it’s time to get going,” Lauren called over. Twenty dollars in quarters later, we had played the heck out of that pinball machine. At first Tessa wanted me to play, but once she got more comfortable, she slid in front of me, watching the ball bounce from place to place, then directed me on where to try and aim. When I didn’t do it right away, she asked if she could try.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy entertaining her.
Tessa looked up at me, a grin from ear to ear on her face. “Good game, Mr. Vance.”
She slipped around me and ran to Lauren. Not bothering to finish the game, I went back to my area.
“I moved your clothes to these dryers,” Lauren nodded, folding the last of her towels.
“You didn’t have to do that.” I dug into my pocket and pulled out my wallet, handing her a twenty dollar bill.
She pushed it away. “No, you put God knows how many quarters into that game for Tessa to burn. Don’t worry about it.”
“It was my treat.”
“Then the dryer quarters are my treat.” Her eyelashes touched the tops of her cheeks, then the blue of her eyes sparkled up at me.
“Mommy, are we still going to the park?” Tessa asked, tugging on her hand.
Lauren took a long blink, and shook her head. “That’s the plan, baby.”
Tessa pulled on Lauren’s hand, wanting her to come down to her level. Lauren grinned and bit her lip, but then a tinge of sadness spread across her face. She shook her head at Tessa, sucking in her lips. Tessa frowned from her mother’s response.
Lauren let go of Tessa’s hand and picked up her over flowing laundry basket. “I guess I’ll see you Monday.”
“Yeah, hey, do you need help with that?” I pointed to her basket, then reached for it. “Let me carry it out for you.”
She took a step back so I’d be out of her reach. “No, I’ve got it. Thanks though. Let’s go Tessa.”
“Bye, Mr. Vance,” she pouted, still upset with Lauren’s response to whatever it was she asked.
“Say thank you to him, Tess.”
“Thank you,” she shouted, as they walked out of the laundry mat.
“You’re welcome.” I waved to them, unable to keep my eyes off of Lauren’s ass in the black yoga pants.
***
Turns out the Wi-Fi at the laundry mat was the best in town. I worked on my phone, plotting my next move and who to talk to. I decided Pete and Bonnie weren’t harmful. That was easy. Pete was obsessed with his arcade and fun spot, and Bonnie only wanted what Pete wanted. No way were they involved in any type of trafficking. That was only two people checked off the list, and I would have to work on the others in time. I skimmed through the photos, memorizing what the few random people looked like and pairing their face with their names. I had it down, but it didn’t hurt to revisit. Looking on my phone wasn’t nearly as fun as playing pinball with the little tyke.
The buzzer on the dryer went off, and I dumped my clothing into the basket, deciding to fold them once I got home. Tossing the basket into the back of my truck, I saw the little white Neon across the street at the grocery store with the hood up. Lauren was on her phone just outside the driver’s side door.
Without hesitating, I ran over to her. “You all right?”
She blew out air and rolled her eyes. Holding a hand on top of her head, she grumbled. “It started overheating. I recently had the radiator looked at, too.”
Tessa was sitting in the backseat, reading a book.
I walked around her to the front of the car. “Let me take a look.”
“Vance, really, you don’t have to do that. I called a tow truck.”
I peeked inside. “Have them bring it to my place. I can fix this for you.”
She squinted. “You what?”
I shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not a problem.” I could figure it out. I had to work at a mechanic’s shop for a few of my busts and picked up a thing or two.
“That’s really nice of you, but, I already have a mechanic. He’d be upset if I let someone else work on the Neon.”
I instantly knew who her mechanic was. “Well, why don’t you let me bring you and Tessa home so you don’t have to wait for the tow?”
She bit her lip and looked around, then a flood of relief washed over her face. I followed her gaze, seeing a police car pull up beside her.
I couldn’t contain my grin when the cop stepped out of the car. There he was, broader than I remembered him at The Shore, still sporting a buzzed haircut. Being a cop fit Colt perfectly.
“So the rumors are true.” He grinned, throwing his hand out to me. “Vance Everett is in Harris. How’s it going, man?”
I returned his smile. “Not too bad.”
Colt looked to Lauren. “You need some help?”
“A tow is on its way. I’ll have to bug Marcy for a ride to work next week. I doubt Jonah will get this finished. He told me he was swamped at the shop.”
Colt looked down at the sizzling radiator. “I wish I knew more about cars. I’d help you out, Lo.”
“Let me fix it for you, Lauren,” I insisted.
Colt’s forehead crinkled. “Since when do you know anything about cars?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s not a surfboard, Vance.”
“I spent a year working for a mechanic,” I defended.
Colt only raised his brows. “Right.” He turned to Lauren. “I’m sure Jonah will make time for you. He wouldn’t want you to be without a car.”
Lauren’s lip curled inward, her squint returning. “Maybe. He hasn’t answered his phone. Thanks for coming so quickly, Colt.”
Tessa spotted Colt through the mirror. She opened her door and climbed out to run to him, not bothering to close the door. Colt picked her up with ease.
A pang of jealousy struck me. Lauren had a life with people who loved her, and I wasn’t in it. I thought for so long I made the right choice by hiding her from the sting and my father’s schemes, but the more and more I saw of this town and her, the more I questioned not telling her the truth and running away with her.
Colt looked to me, then back to Lauren. “Did you still need a ride home?”
“That would be amazing.”
“I can take you both home,” I offered again.
Colt watched Lauren, a slow smile forming on his lips when he brought his eyes back to me. “I do have a few places to be.”
Lauren met my gaze. “You sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. I’ve got nothing going on.”
“All right, let’s go Tessa.” Colt set Tessa on her feet, and Lauren dug into her front seat for her purse.
Colt came to my side while she was getting her things. “Why don’t you come out and have a beer with me sometime? We can catch up.”
I nodded. “I’d like that.”
Colt smiled and went back to his car. “Awesome. You’re staying at Pete’s cabin, right? I’ll pick you up tomorrow night around eight when I get off my shift.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Tessa waved goodbye to Colt, then patiently waited for her mom. I had to divert my eyes from looking at Lauren’s ass again.
Lauren crawled back out of her car with her purse, a few bags set on top of the laundry basket. “I can’t hold your hand. Stay close, Tess, when we walk across the street.”
“I’ll carry that
.”
Lauren reluctantly handed me her things, then took Tessa’s hand, leading the way to my truck.
While I set her things in the back, Lauren lifted Tessa in the front and climbed in behind her, buckling her in the middle seat.
“We’re so high!” She squealed, holding her hands in the air. “It’s like when we’re in Daddy’s truck.”
Lauren ran her hand through her daughter’s hair, a ghost of a smile crossing her lips. I’d give anything to be inside of her head right now. “Kind of like being on a carnival ride.”
“Yeah!” Tessa cheered. She tapped my thigh. “Mr. Vance, the carnival is so much fun! Can we go to the carnival?”
“It’s not for a few months, baby, during summer time,” Lauren answered for me.
“Oh. We’ll go then,” Tessa said matter of fact.
I grinned, loving her no nonsense attitude. “I bet. Where are we headed?”
“Take a right at the intersection.”
Tessa’s head turned to Lauren. “We’re still gonna go to the park, aren’t we, Mommy?”
“Baby, Mr. Vance has things to do today. I’m sure he can’t take us to the park.”
“I don’t mind.”
Lauren chewed her lip. “You really don’t have to do that. I’m sure you’re still not settled into your new place.”
“I’m actually done with everything on my to-do list for the day.” I wanted to spend as much time with Lauren as possible. She was still hesitant around me, and I needed to prove to her that she could trust me again.
Lauren tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. “If you really don’t mind.”
My fingers itched to run my hand through the silky strands. “Not at all.”
Lauren instructed me where to go, and to my surprise, it was the same State Park by the lake I’d brought my kite and board to earlier in the week. There were camping lots, but no trailers or tents. The park must not have been officially open yet.
I parked near the playground, Tessa cheered until Lauren pushed on her door and climbed out, grabbing Tessa and letting her run toward the slide. Her little legs moved like lightning, Lauren and I trailing behind.
“She loves coming here.”
“I can tell. Plus, she has the place all to herself.”
Lauren stood next to the slide, watching Tessa climb up the steep steps and whoosh down the aluminum. I stayed nearby but kept some distance. It wasn’t easy. I wanted to run my hand along her back while she stood and gazed at her daughter. She hadn’t changed much since The Shore. If anything, the slightly fuller hips and breasts only accentuated her already rocking figure.
“She could stay here all day.” Lauren smiled, lifting a brow in my direction. “You may rethink your decision to bring us here.”
“Who said I was going to take you home?”
Her smile faded, worry marring her brows. I smirked. “Had you going there for a minute.”
A grin broke on her lips and she shook her head. I thought she was going to nudge me by how she inched closer, but she was very aware of her surroundings. She always had been.
“You should call the tow company and have them bring the Neon to my place.”
“I already told Jonah I’d send it to his shop, but,” her eyes fluttered closed, then opened and connected with mine, “I appreciate the offer.”
“You’re welcome.” My chest tightened, but it wasn’t a restricting, can’t breathe, feeling. No, this was familiar. It was what I’d been searching for ever since I’d let Lauren come back to this small town without me.
She rubbed her biceps with her palms for warmth and broke our eye contact. “Tessa, want me to push you on the swing?” She walked toward her daughter who was rocking on a metal horse with a spring attached to the ground. Tessa hopped off and ran for the swings, climbing on as best she could. Lauren helped her adjust, then began to push her from behind. Tessa giggled, pumping her feet to go higher. Lauren’s shoulders relaxed, a serenity spreading across her face.
After about ten minutes of swinging, Tessa wanted me to push her on the merry-go-round, then another ten minutes went by, and she was back to the slide. Lauren wasn’t kidding, she really could be here all day.
Lauren ran to the front of the slide, grabbing Tessa and bringing her to her hip. “All right, baby, I think it’s time for a dinner break.”
Tessa pouted, crossing her arms and turning away from Lauren.
“Tessa, you’ve got to show me the best place to eat in town. Remember, I’m brand new to Harris.”
Tessa’s frown faded some. They both eyed each other, then smiled at me. “The best place in town is within walking distance.”
I held out my hands. “I’m up for a walk.”
Lauren set Tessa down. “Let me grab my bag.”
***
We walked through the campground, Tessa bouncing from campsite to campsite. She was like the energizer bunny.
When we came to the end, Tessa darted toward the edge of one of the sites where it was wooded, stopping at the top of the hill. She waved for us to come over. “Let’s go, Mommy!”
“Relax, peanut, we’ve got time.” Lauren laughed, taking Tessa’s hand to lead the way down a path. “Mr. Vance, I hope you don’t mind taking a man-made trail.”
I ducked to avoid a branch. “I can keep up. Also, you don’t have to call me mister.”
“Mommy told me I had to!” Tessa shouted from up front.
The trail narrowed, and the downhill decline was steeper than I thought.
“I believe I wanted her to call you Mr. Everett,” Lauren corrected. “But you introduced yourself as Vance.”
“Tessa, call me Vance.” I swatted a bug away then looked ahead. The lake was insight through the break in the trees. “How far away is this place?”
“Not too much further.” Tessa led us through broken tree branches and vines until we found a small opening. A tiny beach tucked between the trees, a log with a few giant rocks helped to separate the wooded area from the lake.
“We’re here!” Tessa squealed, picking up a rock and throwing it into the water. “Want to learn how to skip rocks?”
“Sure, but, I thought we were going somewhere to eat?”
Lauren set her bag down, pulling out a sheet and spreading it on the sand. “This is the best place to eat in town.” She dug into her bag again, taking out a small cooler. “I packed dinner for us this morning. We come here a lot when the weather is decent enough. Tessa, why don’t you show Vance your amazing skipping skills after we eat some dinner?”
Tessa pouted, but listened to her mother, coming over to the blanket and sitting down. Both of them looked up at me, those blue eyes friendly and inviting.
I sat down on the sheet, watching Lauren and Tessa interact. She was so dialed in to being a mom. Wiping her hands and face before getting her food ready, inspecting her daughter and making sure she had everything she needed for her meal.
She handed me another bag with a sandwich. “Help yourself to any of these sides.” She pointed to baggies of carrots and grapes, chips and cookies.
I held my hand up. “You can eat the sandwich, you weren’t planning on me.”
Lauren tossed it in my lap. “Tessa will share with me. She only takes a few bites then focuses on the snacks.”
I watched Tessa reach for the cookies.
“Thanks. It’s really nice of you to share.”
Lauren shrugged. “It was really sweet of you to drive us here. It’s the least I can do.”
I gazed at her, unable to stop grinning. Was this what a normal life was? Having a picnic with your family on a beautiful day by a lake? I could get used to it.
Lauren’s phone buzzed and she broke our eye contact to look at her screen. She rolled her eyes and stood. “Tessa, keep eating, I’ll be right over here.” She stepped cautiously over the spread of food and into the woods for some privacy.
I leaned back on my hands, trying to refrain from listening in on her conversation. She pu
rposely got up to walk away, but I couldn’t help but wonder who it was that had her rush off to call them back.
“Vance, can I help you plant flowers?” Tessa blurted, interrupting my attempt to eavesdrop.
“Sure.” Lauren was pacing, a furrow on her brow. She didn’t look happy.
“When?” Tessa prodded.
“Um, in a few weeks.”
“That’s a long time,” Tessa groaned. “Can I go with you when you get them?”
“I’ll have to ask your mom.”
“Why?”
Sighing, I brought my attention back to Tessa. She wasn’t going to quit. “I just do.”
Tessa pouted, then broke a cookie in half. “Here.”
“Thanks.” I grabbed it and took a bite. “Did you make these?”
Her smile was broad as she stood, holding the other half of the cookie in one hand. “Yep. I’m going to throw stones now.”
“Okay.”
Lauren came back. “Sorry about that.”
“Everything all right?” I asked.
She let out a deep breath. “Yep.”
I raised a brow. “Why don’t I believe you?”
She gave me a lopsided grin. Her eyes were heavy. “Because I’m a bad liar?”
“Very true. Want to talk about it?”
She sighed. “I was talking to Jonah. Sometimes he can be a lot.”
“A lot, how?”
She twisted her ponytail around her fingers. “He gets protective, that’s all.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“No,” she snorted. “Most definitely not. He’s Colby’s best friend.”
I shrugged. “He acts like your boyfriend.”
She rolled her eyes. “Then you understand why he can be a lot.”
“I wonder what he’ll say when he realizes I’m going to fix your Neon.”
She glared at me. “Don’t stir the pot.”
I winked. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”
She furrowed her brows at me. “Did you just wink at me?”
Taking another bite of the cookie, I winked at her again, then stood, finding my way over to Tessa. “Show me how you skip rocks, Tessa.”