Worth the Wait

by Lori Foster

  For Colt, she mothered in the most subtle of ways while also showing respect and caring. He liked her a lot.

  She was perfect for his dad.

  Colt wondered about that, trying to decide if Hogan had accepted what he felt for Violet, while hoping he wouldn’t mistake her casual attitudes for lack of intensity.

  She was nuts for his dad, no doubts about that at all. Colt knew he was young, but he wasn’t blind and he saw it plain enough, along with most everyone else. He’d even talked to his uncle Jason about it.

  Jason had told him that above all else, his dad was a responsible guy. On top of that, he was now far more cautious. Hogan liked to study all angles, figure out all possible scenarios. With a new love interest, there would be a lot of things to mull over.

  Jason didn’t say, but one of the main things his dad considered was Colt.

  Colt hoped he didn’t mull them so long that he lost Violet. That would devastate his dad—and it would bother Colt a lot, too. Already, Violet seemed a part of them. The diner was like a second home.

  He liked his world now, damn it. Liked it a lot and he wanted it to continue, not come to another abrupt halt.

  Walking down the school hallway toward the back door, his thoughts tumbling, he almost plowed into Charish.

  She sidestepped with a laugh, saying, “You on a mission, Colt?”

  He looked up and stared. She always looked so pretty to him. “Charish. Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” Her gaze moved softly over his face, and her voice lowered. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I was just thinking.” He moved to lean a shoulder against the lockers. “I got some news today. I’m pumped about it.”

  She seemed happy that he was happy, her smile sweet. “What news?”

  “I’m going to graduate early.”

  The smile slipped and her face went blank. “You’re...what?”

  “I’ll be out of here in January.” Once he started talking, Colt couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “It’s a new program Ms. Decker told me about.”

  “You saw the counselor?”

  “Yeah. I wanted to go half days so I’d have more time for work to save for college, so we went over everything. But since I have all my credits, I can actually just graduate in a few months. I’ve already met all the requirements. That’ll give me months to save up for college.”

  The hurt in her eyes surprised him.

  “I’m not leaving right away or anything,” he said, wondering at her expression.

  Her teeth bit into her bottom lip, but she rallied and gave him a nod. “That’s terrific, Colt.” Her smile trembled. “I’m happy for you.”

  He studied her face. “You don’t sound happy.”

  She didn’t deny it. “Will you be at the diner tonight? A bunch of people are meeting there.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll be working.”

  Charish deflated.

  “You’ll be there?” he asked, wanting to see her smile again.

  She stared down at her feet. “Mack invited me to go.”

  Immediately, Colt stiffened but tried to play it off as if he didn’t care. “Yeah? Like a date, you mean?”

  Her gaze flickered up to his. “Yes.”

  “What’d you tell him?”

  She shrugged. “No one else is asking me out, so I agreed.”

  Colt shifted, tried to talk himself out of saying anything, but the words erupted anyway. “You know what he wants, right?”

  She looked up at him, silent, almost daring him to show it mattered.

  But he couldn’t. “He has a rep, Charish.”

  “Does it matter?”

  More than she realized. More than he’d realized. Her being friends with the group, that he could handle. But damn it, he didn’t want to take advantage of her, so he sure as hell didn’t want some other dude to do it. “You tell me,” he challenged. “Is that what you want, Charish?”

  “I want you. I told you that.”

  Wow, talk about flooring a guy.

  Her mouth firmed and her eyes went a little glassy. “But you’re not interested, are you, Colt? And I’m tired of wishing for things that aren’t going to happ—”

  Before giving it much thought, Colt bent down and kissed her, and of course he quickly lost his common sense. She felt good, tasted good.

  Not want her? She couldn’t believe that.

  Without breaking the kiss, he moved her to the lockers and pressed her against them with the length of his body. Still with his mouth moving over hers, he shouldered off his backpack and dropped it to the floor.

  She did the same with her purse.

  While touching her from chest to knees, her small body soft and sweet and so tempting, Colt felt lost.

  Intruding voices, thankfully still distant, helped him to get it together. He eased up. They were both breathing hard.

  It had been a while since he’d kissed anyone. He’d been so set on his future that he’d missed some of the present. He’d missed girls. And kissing.

  He’d missed Charish.

  He felt on fire from the inside out. He looked at Charish, seeing her bewilderment, her willingness. Her innocence.

  Colt groaned. “I want you.”

  With her fingertips, she touched her mouth.

  “Tell Mack to forget it.”

  Nodding, she whispered, “Okay.”

  Damn it, she was too agreeable and it bothered him. “You know I’m not available often. I have two jobs, sometimes more. I need the perfect grades for college, especially since I’m using the program to get out of here early.”

  Her gaze lowered. “You’ll go away to college?”

  “No. I mean, I wanted to, but things change. I figured I’d go local.” The way her hair fell over her shoulders, how her chest still moved with deep breaths, made him almost desperate to touch her again. “If we do this—”

  Her gaze shot up to his. “This?”

  Needing a second to get himself together, Colt locked his molars. What guy could be immune to those big dark eyes? Not him. “If we’re together.”

  “Oh.” Those eyes went dazed—and hopeful.

  Colt tipped up her chin, soaking up the sight of her. She had to understand. “I won’t be able to keep my hands off you, Charish, and you don’t exactly say no.”

  Soft with sincerity, she whispered, “I trust you.”

  Those three small words pushed him over the edge. “Okay then.”

  She frowned slightly. “Okay what?”

  “I don’t want you with any other guy.”

  Her chin went up. “Well, I don’t want you with any other girl, either.”

  Despite all his misgivings about getting involved, Colt grinned. “Sounds fair.”

  The smile bloomed on her mouth. Then she launched herself against him. There was only so much a guy could take.

  “Ahem.”

  They looked up to see the counselor wearing a tolerant expression, though she said, “Sharing your good news?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m glad you’re happy, Colt. But no celebrating in the hallways, please.”

  He said again, “Yes, ma’am.” Then Colt smiled down at Charish. “I’ll see you tonight at the diner?”

  She nodded. “I’ll be there.” Her lips twitched, and she added, “With friends.”

  16

  FRIDAY HAD ROLLED around quickly, or so it seemed to Hogan. Maybe it was because he’d enjoyed himself so much despite the threat of trouble.

  For days they’d stayed on guard, yet nothing more had happened. While Colt and Diesel only stayed twice with Jason, Hogan continued to spend at least part of each night with Violet, and he enjoyed it a lot. He made love to her, or she made l
ove to him, he thought with a grin, and they’d steal a few hours to sleep together. But to keep up appearances, mostly for his son, he hadn’t stayed till morning again.

  Even staying that long would have been a problem except that Colt had assured him that he knew how to lock doors, and he did have Diesel with him. Diesel loved everyone, unless they came to his house unexpectedly.

  Hogan thought of himself at seventeen—with a pregnant girlfriend and a hasty marriage. Not once had he considered himself too young to deal with anything that came his way.

  He owed Colt the same respect, so he tried to be more understated in his protectiveness.

  That protectiveness now extended to Violet and it hurt every time he had to leave her. If Violet felt the same about him going, she never let on. Instead she’d hug him tight, kiss his mouth thoroughly enough to rev his engine all over again, then remind him to lock up as he left.

  Violet liked to torture him, but he had to admit, he enjoyed her methods.

  Repeatedly, far too often in fact, he thought about moving her into his house. For a variety of reasons, the idea nibbled on his brain. It’d be nice to have her, Colt and Diesel all together. She’d be safe, and he’d have her next to him the entire night, waking with her in the morning.

  Sharing everything.

  But he wasn’t far enough gone to do that, not to Colt. His son had been through enough changes for a while.

  Colt had also seen his father at his worst not that long ago. Hogan wanted to be a man Colt could look up to. He wanted to be a good influence on him.

  Hogan sighed. After the past week, he’d gotten so used to looking for trouble he did it now by rote, scanning the street whenever he left her house, occasionally even circling the block once or twice. His gaze searched everywhere whenever Violet was out in public.

  There’d been nothing.

  Even when Violet and Brooklin had met up, expanding their new friendship, there were no issues. Nathan still had fits about them being out alone together, but the women claimed they were careful.

  Currently Brooklin all but lived with Nathan—and Nathan seemed more than pleased. Hogan envied them the freedom to do as they pleased, not that he regretted his son. Never that. He just regretted that he’d been a blind ass for so long.

  If he’d have realized what Meg was doing, if he’d been the one to call quits on the marriage instead of being discarded, would it have all been different? Was it his pride as much as anything that had flattened him so badly?

  He wondered what Violet would think if she knew the direction of his thoughts. Did she want more from their relationship?

  He knew she appreciated the sex; the woman had an insatiable appetite. Just thinking about it, about her and how she enjoyed him, lightened his mood.

  “What?” Violet suddenly asked, coming up behind him where he stood in front of the big front window, blinded by the afternoon sunshine. “I saw that wicked smile, Hogan. What were you thinking?”

  He turned to her, appreciating her snug tank top that fitted her breasts perfectly, and trim-fitting jeans. Her hair hung in a fat, loose braid over her left shoulder. It looked romantic and sexy and messy, perfectly suiting her.

  His shift would start in only a few minutes. It was just past the lunch hour and a small crowd remained in the diner, but no one too close to them. Propping a shoulder on the wall and looking down at Violet, he hedged the truth, saying, “I was thinking about you.”

  Splaying a hand to her chest and ramping up her drawl, she said, “Little ol’ me? Why, sugar, I’m flattered.”

  Hogan noted that she barely limped now. The bruises were fading, but still, she had enough vanity to keep them covered, preferring concealing jeans over her usual shorts.

  “Specifically,” he said, happy to tease her, “I was thinking of your legs.”

  “My legs?”

  “How nice it feels when you wrap them around the small of my back. Or when they’re over my shoulders and I’m—”

  Smashing a hand to his mouth, she silenced him. With raw sincerity, she said, “Don’t do that to me, not while we’re stuck here without an ounce of privacy. We’ve got too many hours ahead of us yet.”

  Hogan bit her finger, surprising her, because now they were drawing attention. “I miss your shorts, too. I liked seeing your legs all day while I worked. I considered it a perk of the job.”

  “One more week,” she said, seeming somewhat boggled by his public display. “Then all those nasty colors will be off my ankle.”

  “It’ll give me something to look forward to.”

  “How about looking forward to this?”

  Until she flagged an edition of the Clearbrook Trickle in his face, he hadn’t noticed that she had it in her hand. Knowing this had to do with the stupid advice column, he asked on an aggrieved sigh, “What now?”

  Leaning in next to him, shoulder to shoulder, she snapped open the paper and, sure enough, flaunted the newest “Advice Anonymous” column. “You,” she said. “Shirtless.”

  “Me, shirtless?” he repeated, disbelieving that anyone still pushed that particular idea.

  “It’s what the public demands. See here? It says there have been numerous requests and that this is just one of many. It’s a movement, Hogan. A movement among the women of Clearbrook.”

  Two ladies at a table lifted their drinks and shouted, “Hear, hear!”

  Violet gave him a lift of her brows that said, without words, Told you so.

  He shook his head, turned his back on the women and said, “We already talked about this, remember?”

  Ignoring that, Violet read the piece aloud.

  Dear Advice Anonymous,

  What would be the odds of success if a group of us (ladies) petitioned Violet Shaw to have her barbecue chef attend to his grills shirtless? I know, I know, it’s a bold request. But he works outside and it’s hot, so it’d make sense. Maybe we could make it a ladies’ night out feature? Violet is a businesswoman, so she’d have to go for that, right?

  Signed,

  Ready to be brazen.

  Violet grinned at him expectantly.

  Feeling his ears go hot, Hogan said, “No.”

  “Don’t you want to hear the reply?”

  Yeah, he had to admit, he did. “Go for it.”

  She cleared her throat, then continued reading aloud.

  Dear Brazen,

  Keep in mind that a petition would require you to sign your name. Your real name. All of your many curious friends would also have to do the same. However, I’m sure if you followed through, if there were enough names on that petition, Ms. Shaw would present your request to the barbecue master, maybe even with a little persuasion. He strikes me as the type who might like to flaunt his wares. What have you got to lose?

  Advice Anonymous.

  Even before she’d finished, Hogan started walking away.

  Laughing, Violet snagged him by the back waistband of his jeans, pulling him up short. “I’m trying to utilize a little persuasion here, Hogan.”

  “No.”

  “But don’t you want to see the petition?”

  Groaning, he tried to pry her loose, but she just fell into step beside him.

  It was then that Hogan realized a lot of ladies were watching.

  As in—an unusual amount of ladies.

  Well, hell.

  How had he not noticed that the after-lunch crowd was largely female?

  Preferring not to look like a fool by running away, he stopped, gave a short laugh and stared at Violet. Only Violet. He did his best to pretend no other ladies were present, despite their rapt and amused attention.

  Like a magician pulling a rabbit from her hat, Violet whipped out the damned petition from behind the Trickle. “Voilà! Thirty-five names, Hogan.” She sla
pped the paper against his chest, giving him no choice but to take it.

  Reluctantly, he glanced down at the names—then snorted. “I see Honor and Lexie on here. And Brooklin.” His gaze snared her. “And you.”

  She rolled one shoulder. “I didn’t want to be left out.”

  There were several names he didn’t recognize, but too many that he did. “This is a joke.”

  “Nope.”

  “But some of these women are in their sixties.”

  “News flash, darlin’—being sixty doesn’t make you blind.”

  Hell, he was a man and it flattered him to get so much attention. He didn’t flaunt, no. That was just stupid. But it wasn’t like he was ashamed of his body. In fact, given how Violet reacted to him, he was starting to think... He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t let this turn him into a vain ass. “This is insane. You know that, right?”

  Violet could barely fight off her grin. Her lips kept twitching to the point that he wanted to kiss her and to hell with anyone watching.

  It also told him that she was having fun at his expense.

  Violet didn’t want him grilling shirtless; she just wanted to tease him. Again.

  He’d have to give that some thought.

  She said, “I forgot to look at the paper last week. There was so much going on.” Her voice lowered even more. “Remember, that’s when someone tried to get into Brooklin’s house and we found out everything.”

  “I remember.” How could he forget? He’d been on edge ever since.

  “Then when I got the petition, I realized what it was and grabbed the Trickle. There it was, all spelled out.”

  Giving himself time to think, Hogan chose avoidance for the moment. “I need to get to work.” He handed the paper to Violet, but as he stalked away, he heard a sudden roar of laughter.

  Feminine laughter.

  A smile cracked, yet he kept on walking.

  His narrow view of females, once tainted by his cheating wife, was now much more open. He had to admit, these ladies were nuts, Violet especially. But God love them, they were fun.