“She’s my friend, too.” Josh aimed a sour look at Becky, a face that invited pure chaos and sibling fighting.
Not today, Alex decided. “Josh, can you help me carry these pots to the other side of the house?”
“Sure!” The little guy raced to Alex’s side, tried to hoist a one-gallon potted hosta and groaned. The heavy pot listed, tipping Josh sideways.
“Whoa, there, partner. Try this one.” Alex handed him a tray of waxed begonias. “Better?”
“Yes.” Josh pulled his shoulders up, proud. “It’s big but not as heavy.”
“All about balance, my boy.” He lifted his gaze as Lisa exited her car. Cargo shorts on great legs. A fitted T-shirt with the Gardens & Greens logo. A baseball cap to keep the sun out of her eyes, and when she drew closer he noted the familiar pinstripes. “A Yankees fan.”
“Like there’s another choice?” She pretended surprise. “Almost thirty world championships do some serious talking, Alex.”
“And humble about it, too.” As Josh bent to set the tray of plants on the ground, Alex called out, “Hey, buddy, turn around. Let Lisa see your shirt.”
Josh turned and proudly pointed to the New York Yankees emblem across the front of his gray T-shirt.
Alex shoulder-nudged Lisa. “You’re among friends here.”
Josh noticed Lisa’s cap, screeched and raced for them. “You love the Yankees, Lisa? Me, too! I’m going to be a shortstop when I grow up, just like Jeter!”
Lisa bent and arched the little boy a look of understanding. “Jeter rocks, doesn’t he?”
“Oh, yeah!” Josh assumed a batter’s stance, then did the renowned Jeter-move of touching the brim of his cap, holding up his balancing arm, digging his toes into the batter’s box sand and facing the pitcher, nonchalant. “I love Jeter.”
“Me, too.” Lisa’s grin said she admired everything about the Yankee shortstop, and Alex felt a crushing need to stand taller and change the subject. Competing with a baseball icon didn’t make his short list. You’re not competing with anything, his conscience reminded him. She’s off-limits, remember?
His pledge was easier to remember when Lisa was in the abstract. Here? In person? With Yankee-blue toenails peeking from the tips of her sandals? His promise bordered on impossible. “Yankee toes?”
She glanced down and slanted him a bright smile as the girls came charging from the backyard. “Awesome, right?” She wiggled her toes for effect and even Josh marveled. “I used a white undercoat, then a navy blue shatter topcoat. When it splits, I get the Yankee blue-and-white effect. Pretty cool.”
“Lisa.” Emma ground to a halt and bent to inspect her mentor’s toes. “We love the Yankees.”
“So I hear.”
“Can you do that to me?”
“And me?” Becky echoed.
“And—”
“Not a chance, bud.” Alex lifted the little boy and pointed down. “Girls do nails. Not boys.”
“But...”
“No buts.”
“Big league catchers get their nails done,” Lisa reminded him as she clasped the girls’ hands, winked their way and moved toward the house. “Otherwise the pitchers might miss the signs.”
“Not all of ’em, and not my kid.” Alex angled her a mock frown that bordered a scowl.
Her smile broadened. “All right, macho man. I see everything got delivered this morning.”
“Lisa, it’s amazing.” Emma indicated the house with a sweep of her hand. “We got the delivery, then Dad had us split everything up and carry it to the right side of the house based on our drawings. That way we don’t waste your time this afternoon.”
“How thoughtful.” A flash of insecurity darkened Lisa’s eyes, enough to make Alex move closer. He didn’t want her to assume they wanted to be rid of her sooner. “Actually...I was hoping you’d have time to stay for supper when we’re done. We’re ordering pizza and wings because I figured this would take a while.”
“It will, but supper...” Lisa glanced away from him, obviously reluctant. When he reached one finger to her chin, lifting it his way, she gave in. “Sure.”
A funny ache welled inside Alex. The feel of her skin beneath his finger. The look of longing in her eyes, the glimpse of regret by what couldn’t be, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to make joy a constant in her life.
And his.
The touch of her skin made him want to lean in. Kiss her. Feel her mouth beneath his. Sample the loving, giving beauty that marked Lisa as special beyond words.
But he couldn’t for more reasons than should be humanly possible.
She broke the spell by stepping away. That was a good thing.
But it didn’t feel good, it felt like he’d just lost the cell phone signal on a very important phone call.
Patience. Perseverance. Time.
He wasn’t as patient as he should be. And he hated unfilled time, but he knew the cost of rushing things, and the possible ramifications of falling for a cancer survivor. He’d studied the odds of recurrence, trying to think of ways to keep Jenny from getting sick again.
That was before he realized the choice was already out of his hands. He choked back a sigh, or maybe a growl. Either way, swallowing the emotion tightened his chest. His heart.
“How about Emma and I work here, with Josh helping us?” Lisa turned a bright smile toward the kids and held out her hands for a shovel. “You and Becky tackle the front. That way we’re close enough to talk and ask questions, but not so close we trip over each other.”
He heard three words. “Not so close.”
He hated the hidden message, even though it was exactly what he’d asked for.
Was he being scared or sensible? He didn’t know. And until he did, he’d be smart to follow her lead and back off. “All right, Beck, you’re with me.”
Lisa staved Becky’s protest by adding, “We’ll switch up later. Becky and I will work together on the west side, while you guys do the back.”
“Okay!” Becky’s grin made the gap in her front teeth look wider. She grabbed Alex’s hand in a pleasant show of solidarity, a welcome change. “Let’s go, Dad. Maybe we can beat them.”
“Competitive.”
Alex met Lisa’s look with measured resignation. “Inherent, I guess.”
She laughed, sat on the stoop and changed her sandals for scuffed-up garden sneakers. “Can’t be ruining my new toes, right?”
“Right.”
She sent him a teasing look from the top step, and something in that humor-filled gaze made him more aware of Lisa, the woman. Resilient. Faithful. Beautiful. Funny.
And the khaki shorts that nipped to a narrow waist weren’t anything a man should ignore.
“Work time.”
“Yes.”
With effort he pulled his head out of what could be and set to work with Becky.
* * *
“Pizza’s here!”
“Let’s scrub up, gang,” Lisa commanded. They’d gotten a lot done, and the few remaining plants could be set in the shade and planted tomorrow. “Should we put the shovels away or leave them out so you guys can finish up after church?”
“Set them here, by the house,” Alex called from the back door. “And if you guys split bathrooms, you can be washed up and ready for food in five.”
“Just enough time for the pizza to cool off and be edible,” Lisa assured the kids. She followed them into the house. They scrambled for various wash-up areas, and she smiled as Josh dragged a step stool to the laundry room. The little fellow began scrubbing garden soil and leftover chocolate chip cookie smudges from his hands with more gusto than soap while Lisa moved toward the kitchen sink.
“Garden soil is non-toxic, right?” Alex made the observation close to her ear, so close, in f
act, that when she turned her head his way, he was there. Right there. And the natural thing to do when a heart-interest’s lips were that close was to kiss them. Even when they were forbidden territory.
So she did.
And he kissed her back in a kiss that felt like everything good and holy and wonderful in the world just righted itself in the doorway of that sweet old kitchen. The scent of him, garden-rich, woodsy. Earthy. Rugged. Male.
The grip of his hands as they slipped around her, drawing her closer, tucking her alongside his heart.
She didn’t want the kiss to end.
Alex appeared to be of the same mindset and seconds stretched into long moments, but when the clatter of feet pounded down the stairs, he released her and withdrew, without looking apologetic or regretful.
The man looked pleased, as if the kiss was everything he hoped it would be. Lisa tried to step back, but Alex grabbed her hand and drew her further into the kitchen. “No, you don’t. There’s no escaping now, Lisa.”
She swung her gaze to his, and he smiled, teasing. “Not before food, at least.”
“Alex, I—”
“Spare us the common-sense reasoning for the moment, okay?” He stood dead-set in front of her and held her gaze. “I get it. We both do. But I’ve been wanting to kiss you for days, possibly weeks, and I’m not going to pretend it wasn’t an eleven on a one-to-ten scale, so let’s leave it at that for the moment. Plain cheese?” He tipped his attention toward the twin boxes on the table. “Or loaded?”
“Loaded.”
“That’s my girl.” He grinned, touched the tip of her nose with his finger and turned as the girls hurried in.
“Dad, can we eat in the family room and watch the gymnastics competition?”
“Yes.”
“Me, too?” asked Josh.
“Not until your ape-like tendencies improve, kid. Eating in the family room doesn’t include wiping your hands on the carpet. Or your pants.” He put a slice of cheese pizza on the table, then held out Josh’s chair. “On top of that, your sisters could use a break.”
“From me?”
“From everything.” Alex’s answer employed sibling diplomacy. “And this way you get Lisa all to yourself.”
“Oh, that’s right!” Josh shot a look of excitement her way, and Lisa’s internal turmoil rumbled upward again. The little guy’s contagious joy tugged her further into the heart of this family but his emotional well-being was the very reason she and Alex couldn’t reach for the dream.
The house phone interrupted them. Alex left her and Josh to say grace while he took the call. When he came back into the room, he looked distressed. “Lisa, I’ve got to go. I’ll call and see if my Saturday babysitter can come watch the kids.”
“Can’t Grandma come?” Josh wondered.
Alex’s hand paused over the phone. He eyed the boy, then nodded. “Grandma’s closer now, so she might like that. I’ll ask, Josh.” He hit a number, waited, then said, “Nancy, I just got called into work. Is there any chance you’re available to watch the kids for the night?”
Lisa noted the initial reluctance in his eyes as he placed the call. But he called, and that meant he was willing to work through things, right? The friction between Alex and his former mother-in-law might not concern her, but family feuds weren’t her style. She wanted the same to be true for Alex.
“Fifteen minutes? Perfect. Lisa’s here—we were continuing Emma’s project today, so if she can stay—?” He raised a look of question her way.
Lisa nodded.
“Then I’ll take off and come back when I can.” He paused, listening to her answer, then hung up the phone. “She’s on her way,” he told Lisa. “You’re all right hanging out until she gets here?”
“Fine. Yes. Go.”
He sent her a look of gratitude as he grabbed the realities of his job from a locked high cupboard. Badge. ID. Gun.
The last made her realize how a huge part of Alex’s life dealt with danger. Funny, she hadn’t thought of that until now. Maybe because he wore street clothes? And worked from the office? Because she thought of that constantly with Adam. Seeing her brother in uniform, she prayed for his safety.
Reality hit her as she watched Alex kiss the kids goodbye and move her way. Like Adam, this guy faced danger in his daily life. And these kids had already lost one parent. Were they playing fair with anyone’s heart by taking the brakes off and seeing where this attraction might lead? No.
“Hey. Thanks.”
He didn’t say more than that, but his eyes said plenty. Regret, humor and a heightened sense of camaraderie blended into an almost wistful smile. “For the gardening help? You’re welcome.”
He grazed her chin with the palm of his hand in a caress so sweet and gentle it made her eyes moisten. “That, too.” He read her look, saw the swim of emotions and his smile mingled with regret. “Gotta go.”
“Yes. Go. Bye.”
He may have left reluctantly, but he ran to the car, and Lisa saw another quality to admire in Alex Steele: he had his troops’ back, all day, every day. He wasn’t just an officer. He was a leader, and that quality drew her close even while she should be pushing away.
Wait on the Lord...
Old words, ancient wisdom, a song of the ages, but Lisa had no desire to tempt fate. Not at the expense of those children’s well-being. She’d witnessed the outcome of what happened when adults forgot to put children first. These days it was almost epidemic because of careless adult behavior. How could she knowingly chance that with kids who had already lost one mother?
She couldn’t. Wouldn’t. Although that sweet kiss tempted her forward, which meant she had to regather her reserve and step back.
You never used to fear anything, her conscience scoffed. And you used to believe in God, the Father Almighty. Is this what it’s come to? It’s easy to have faith when everything’s going right, but it’s more important to have faith when the world tumbles down around you. What is wrong with you?
Lisa hushed the curt reminder. She’d embraced her faith fully for decades, but now...
Where was God when she needed Him? When she prayed for Evan to be stronger? To stay with her?
When she prayed for her mother’s return to health? Exactly where had prayer gotten her? Zero plus zero equals a big, fat nothing.
So that’s your new normal? Lack of trust? Thin faith? Doesn’t the Bible chat it up about that pretty regularly?
Lisa ignored the mental reprimand, stowed the leftover pizza in the fridge and went into the family room to play with the kids until Nancy arrived.
Did every little twinge make her nervous and scared inside?
Yes. And she had every right to be, thank you very much.
* * *
“I’m here.” Nancy’s voice called out from the back door entry.
Lisa tried to untangle herself from the jumble of body parts snuggling close to her on the worn, comfy family room sectional. She discovered that when Josh and Becky held tight, escape proved nearly impossible, so Nancy found them wrestling as she let herself in.
“Grandma!”
“Hey, Grandma, you’re here. Why did you come?” Emma asked the question innocently, but her words sent a short flash of pain to Nancy’s eyes.
“Daddy called me because he had to go in to work.”
“Couldn’t Lisa stay?”
Nancy’s lips pressed together. She raised her eyes to Lisa’s, speculation in her gaze. “You’d have to ask Lisa that question.”
Lisa raised her hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m the hired help, kid. I came to get down and dirty in the garden with you guys. Mission accomplished. Now I must go,” she tried to disengage herself from Josh, but discovered that four-year-olds were more octopus-oriented than she ever would have thought. As she loosened on
e of his grips, another foot or hand wrapped around her. Finally she hoisted him, tipped him upside down and held him there for several seconds while he giggled, squirming with delight. “I will let you down if you promise to say goodbye politely. It’s either that, or off to bed. Your choice.”
Josh huffed a breath and capitulated. “All right.”
Lisa righted the little boy and he gave her one last hug. “I just don’t want you to go.”
Her heart opened a little wider to the wealth of possibilities under this roof. Alex’s gaze, his kiss, the feel of his arms wrapped around her...
Oh, she could welcome those arms the rest of her life.
“Josh, she has to go,” Becky cut in sharply. “She doesn’t live here.”
Cool awareness dawned. Lisa stepped back. “Becky’s right. I’ve got to get some things done for tomorrow. This is a crazy busy time at our farm.”
“Thanks for helping Emma today.” Nancy’s words came with thin warmth, and the breast cancer ribbon she wore on her collar reminded Lisa of what this woman had lost. Lisa’s presence in Alex’s home probably drummed up a plethora of mixed emotions. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
“My pleasure.” Lisa grasped Nancy’s hand. “You told me you love gardening, right?”
Nancy nodded, tentative.
“Well I’m tied up for the next several days and we’re due for a hot streak. Can you help these guys spread mulch around the sides of the house after they finish planting tomorrow?”
“Grandma, could you?” Emma’s face lit up at the thought of her grandmother’s help. Her shining smile softened Nancy’s features.
“I’d love to.”
“Thanks.” Lisa kept it simple, because a grandmother’s love for her grandchildren should be uncomplicated. She’d seen that with her mother and Rosie. Nancy deserved the same kind of open-door policy. And if Alex had to work through the night, he’d most likely welcome adult help tomorrow. She hoped.
She said a quick goodbye, climbed into her SUV and headed for the outskirts of town. Alone, she couldn’t get her mind past the kiss, the press of Alex’s mouth on hers, the utterly safe feeling of being wrapped in the officer’s arms. She could honestly say she’d never felt like that with Evan.
The Lawman's Second Chance Page 10