by K. C. Lynn
Something passes over his face, but it’s so quick I start to wonder if I imagined it.
“Nope.”
Hmmm. I don’t believe that… I suddenly think about the way he was looking at Alissa, and not being able to help myself I give him a knowing smile.
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” he asks nervously.
“I knew I was right about Alissa.”
“You know nothing. We were just talking.”
We both know he’s lying. “Mhmm. Okay.”
“It’s true!”
“All right.” He grunts then looks out his window. “I just want to let you know I have her number if…”
“Faith! I’m serious. I’m not talking to you about chicks, so let it go.”
“Why not?” I ask, offended. “I am perfect to talk to about chicks. I am one.”
He shakes his head. “Forget it, there’s nothing to talk about. She just came over and said hi. We barely spoke before Ryan came over and started crap.”
“Well maybe next time you should approach her. Why don’t you ask her out for some ice cream or something?” He looks back at me like I’m a complete loser. “What? What’s wrong with ice cream?”
“Faith, I’m fifteen, not twelve.”
“What does age have to do with it? I’m twenty-four and I love going for ice cream.” When he quirks a brow at me, I roll my eyes. “Okay, fine then. What about asking her to a movie?”
“Right, and how the hell am I supposed to do that when I have no money? And what am I going to take her on? My skateboard?”
I chuckle at the image of him taking her on his skateboard. “No, you guys can walk, it’s a small town. Or I have no problem driving you.” Again he looks at me like I’m crazy but I continue. “As for money, I will give you some. If you ever need money, Christopher, for anything, you can always ask me.”
“No. You’re already doing lots for Ruth Jean and me.” I’m about to argue but he doesn’t let me. “Besides, all that doesn’t matter anyway, she is better off without me.”
“Says who?” I ask angrily.
“Says me and everyone else in this town.”
“Well you and everyone else are wrong. Alissa would be lucky to have a chance with someone like you.”
He shakes his head, and right when I’m about to keep arguing he throws up his hand. “I mean it, Faith, just let it go.”
I sigh in defeat. “All right. If you change your mind…”
“I won’t,” he replies with finality.
Hmmm. We will see about that. I may need to be a little sneaky, but I will be seeing a lot of Alissa so it shouldn’t be hard. I also need to talk to Cade and the guys to see if they have anything Christopher could do at the gym to earn some money.
I smile. Yes, and it’s the perfect excuse to use to see Cade again.
CHAPTER 19
Cade
I’m walking across the gym, headed toward the sparring ring, when I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out to see Faith’s number and my heart rate jacks, along with my dick. Fuck, I’m turning into a real pussy. I swear I’m worse than Evans.
I hit answer. “What’s up, Red?” I brace myself for that first sound of her soft voice, it always hits me like a punch to the chest.
“Oh thank God I got a hold of you. I need help.” The panic in her tone has me freezing mid-stride.
“What is it, what’s wrong?”
“Well nothing is wrong yet. I am stuck in traffic right now, coming back from Charleston, and there is no way I’m going to make it on time to pick up Ruth Jean from school. My mother is gone to a doctor’s appointment with my papa and I can’t get a hold of my father. Katelyn can’t leave her shop and Christopher is hanging out with a friend at the skateboard park. He has no cell phone, which, by the way, I need to buy him one and…”
“Okay, take it easy. I’ll go get her.”
“Oh, thank you. I’m sorry, I know it’s probably not easy for you to leave and…”
“It’s fine. Jaxson and Sawyer are both here. I’ll go pick her up and bring her back to the gym. Or do you want me to take her to your place?”
“No, the gym is fine. Thank you. I shouldn’t be long… well I shouldn’t say that, it’s all depending on if the grandpa in front of me decides to put the pedal to the metal rather than go for a Sunday stroll here… come on, buddy, let’s go. Some people have things to do.”
I shake my head, knowing her fucking window probably isn’t even open so it’s not like the man will hear her anyway. “Take your time, Red. It’s fine.”
“Okay, do you need directions?”
“Is there only one elementary school here?”
“Yes.”
“Then no. I know where it is. I’m leaving now.”
After she says thank you about another fifty times I hang up and head to the school. It takes me only five minutes and I find a parking spot across the street, right outside the front doors. I hop out of my truck and lean against it so she can see me, since she will be expecting Faith.
When the bell rings an explosion of little people come pouring out of the double doors. Jesus christ, there are hundreds of them. How am I supposed to spot her in all this chaos?
When I still don’t see her a few minutes later, and most of the crowd has dissipated, I start to worry I missed her. Just as I’m about to go searching I see a lonely kid come walking out of the doors with her head down, looking sad as hell. I instantly recognize her by the color of her hair.
“Hey, kid!” I shout to get her attention.
Looking up, she pushes her shitty, broken glasses up on her nose and a huge smile takes over her sad face when she sees me. “Tade!” she screams excitedly, running to the crosswalk. When the crossing guard allows her to cross, she bolts across the street and races over to me, as if I’m fucking Santa Claus or some shit.
When I realize she isn’t slowing down, I throw my arms out and catch her easily. She wraps her tiny arms around my neck as I scoop her up, then plants a sloppy kiss on my cheek. I stare at her vacantly but I can’t deny the shift in my chest. It’s something both her and Red have in common.
“Hey, big guy. What awe you doing hewe?”
“Faith got stuck in traffic and asked if I could pick you up. I’m going to bring you back to the gym. That cool?”
She nods excitedly, “De toowest.”
I grunt. “Whatever you say.”
I open my truck door and she crawls across my seat to the passenger side and puts on her seat belt. A minute later I know something is wrong because she looks out her window and doesn’t say a word. She is never quiet.
“You okay, kid?”
She doesn’t look over at me but nods and pushes her glasses up on her nose. Jesus, Faith needs to get on buying her some new ones.
“You don’t look okay. What’s wrong?”
She lets out a small breath and drops her head. “Henwy Winkleman was bugging me again today. Wike he awways does.”
I tense. Who the fuck is this Henry Winkleman?
“He’s always so mean to me. He calls me names and tells me I’m ugwy. Today he even pushed me down and…”
“He put his damn hands on you?” I shout before I can stop myself.
“Yeah and he few wocks at me.”
That little motherfucker is dead! I grip the steering wheel and try to calm my rage. “Did you tell the teacher?”
“Yes, and she told him to stop but he never does, and it will just teep happening.”
Oh no, it fucking will not. “Don’t worry, kid. Once we get to the gym, I’m going to show you exactly what to do if that little fu… kid comes at you again.” And by the time I’m done with her that little fucker won’t know what hit him.
*
Faith
Forty-five minutes after my phone call with Cade, I pull up to SEAL Extreme. Getting out of the car, I hurry into the gym, feeling horrible I had to ask him to grab Ruth Jean.
As soon as I enter through the doors
the sound of a little girl’s laughter, and an over-dramatic male’s groan, echoes through the room.
“That was a good one, kid, I surrender. I’m out.”
I look over at the sparring ring to see Ruth Jean decked out in padded gear and Sawyer lying on the ground, it seems as if she’s the one who just put him there. Jaxson stands on one side of her, looking amused, while Cade stands on the other side looking proud. My heart does a little flip like always at my first glance of him.
“Oh no you don’t, you bully!” Ruth Jean shouts back, giving Sawyer a tough looking face. “It ain’t ovwer until I say it’s ovwer!” She runs and jumps at him.
Sawyer quickly covers his crotch with one hand while he catches her mid-air with the other. “Hey, easy, girl. What did I tell you about making sure to be careful of a particular spot?” he scolds with no heat as he holds her in the air above his head.
Ruth Jean peers down at him intently and makes a fist at him. “And Tade says no mewcy!”
Jaxson chuckles. “That’s right, Evans, so stop being a pus…wimp and man up.”
Sawyer glares over at him, “Why don’t we trade spots then, assho…” he stops, catching himself, “and you can risk your di… parts. I need to keep mine in working order so I can…”
“Okay, I’m here!” I interrupt with a laugh before Ruth Jean can hear any more of this conversation.
“Faif!” She squirms out of Sawyer’s arms and flips over the ropes of the ring before racing over to me in all her gear.
I catch her with a smile. “Hey, sweet girl. I’m so sorry I wasn’t at school waiting for you, I got stuck in traffic.”
“It’s otay. I was so happy Tade was dere.”
“I’ll bet you were.” Looking over, I watch Cade as he jumps down from the ring. My eyes travel down his powerful body as he makes his way over to us. I take in his black athletic pants that hang perfectly off his lean hips and his white muscle tank that showcases the beauty of dark ink that’s woven up his cut arms. Pieces of dark hair peek out from under his black beanie and I immediately get the overwhelming urge to slip my hands underneath and run my fingers through it. Lord, the man is seriously sexy.
His usual blank expression turns harder the closer he gets to us. Uh oh. Is he mad I asked him to pick her up? I put Ruth Jean down next to me and smile nervously. “Hi. Thanks again for…”
“What the hell happened to you?” he shouts, ripping my sunglasses off my face.
I quickly remember the black and blue shiner I’m sporting from Ryan the other day. “Oh, it’s nothing. It was just an accident.”
He grasps my chin and turns my face to get a full look at it. Rage twists his features. “This does not look like an accident. It looks like someone hit you.”
“Someone did,” Ruth Jean pipes in heatedly, “Twistiphwor got into a fight wif a mean boy and de boy hit Faif.”
“It was just an accident,” I rush to explain when Cade looks like he’s about to explode. “He was swinging for Christopher and hit me instead.”
This doesn’t seem to make him feel better. “And let me guess. You jumped in the middle to stop it.”
I stand up straighter at the disapproval in his tone. “Of course I did. I wasn’t going to stand by and let them beat each other to a pulp.”
He grinds his teeth and I realize this is going to get ugly fast if I don’t diffuse the situation. Reaching over, I grab his hand gently and try to ignore the tingles of awareness that shoot up my arm. “Really, Cade, I’m fine and Christopher feels awful about it, even though it wasn’t his fault.”
When he doesn’t respond, I take my glasses from him and put them back on. “Thank you again for picking her up. I was really panicked when I couldn’t get a hold of anyone.”
He visibly relaxes and thankfully lets me change the subject. “No problem. I told you if you ever needed anything you could call me.”
“De guys was showin’ me some stuff. Isn’t dat wight, big guy?” Ruth Jean says with a wink.
Cade puts his fist out for her and she knuckle bumps him. I smile as warmth explodes through my chest.
Things go quiet and I quickly realize I’m staring at him like an idiot. “Well, little miss,” I drag my attention to Ruth Jean, “I thought we would go get an ice cream and I’ll take you to the park for a bit before we head home. Christopher is out for a while with a friend.”
She claps excitedly then looks at Cade. “Awe you gonna tum too?”
I jump in quickly to save him from having to explain. “Cade has to work, but maybe another time, okay?”
Her face falls in disappointment. “Otay.”
I hear him clear his throat. “I can come for a bit.”
My gaze snaps to him in surprise. Ruth Jean squeals and launches her padded self at him. He catches her easily; not looking as uncomfortable as he normally does with her. What did I miss?
“Are you going to pay for it?” he asks her, pretending to be serious.
She shrugs. “Shoure, tan you wend me some money?”
I laugh. “I’ll lend you money, but first why don’t you take off all that gear. You can’t eat ice cream with your face covered like that.”
Cade puts her down and helps her out of the gear. Afterwards, she runs over to Sawyer and Jaxson. “See ya, guys. I’ll be back anoder time so you betta be weady fwor me.”
Jaxson gives her a fist bump, “See you later, kid.”
Sawyer bends down and picks her up by one leg. She shrieks with a giggle as he hangs her upside down. “Actually you better be ready for me, kid. Next time I’m not going to go so easy on you.”
Ruth Jean punches at him, coming very close to his nether regions again. He quickly rights her. “Jesus, you’re a dangerous one!”
Still giggling, she gives him a friendly punch on the arm. “Bye!”
“Bye, beautiful.”
She runs back to us and slips her tiny hand into Cade’s big one. “All wight, wet’s go.” My heart completely melts again, and with a smile of my own, I wave goodbye to Jaxson and Sawyer as we head out the door.
Ruth Jean and I are the only ones to get an ice cream, which Cade ends up paying for, no matter how much I try to refuse. Next, we head to the park down the street in comfortable silence, while we enjoy our ice cream. It’s the quietest I’ve ever heard Ruth Jean.
Feeling the weight of Cade’s stare, I look over to see him watching me. I can’t see his eyes through his aviators, but by his expression I’m pretty sure I know what he’s thinking.
I give him a knowing smile. “Jealous of my ice cream, Walker?”
I giggle when his nostrils flare and his expression becomes more strained. Not being able to help myself, I slowly and precisely enjoy my ice cream. I slide my tongue through the soft, creamy chocolate then swirl it around the tip before closing my mouth over it.
The low growl that erupts from his chest hits me right between my legs. The feeling is still so foreign to me after everything that has happened, and I’m shocked he can evoke those feelings in me by just a little sound. Although I shouldn’t be, he’s always been able to make me feel things no one else ever has.
“I told ya, you should have gotten one, big guy.”
Cade glances down at Ruth Jean and clears his throat. “I guess I should have listened.”
“Yup!” she replies, just as she finishes the last of her cone.
Once we reach the park, she starts off toward the playground but I grab her by the back of the shirt to stop her. “Hold up, sweet girl. Let’s get some of this chocolate off your hands and face first.” I clean her up with a dry napkin as best as I can then let her go.
While she runs to the slide, Cade and I walk over to a bench not too far away and I don’t hesitate to sit close to him. “Want some?” I ask flirtatiously, holding my ice cream out to him.
Even though I can’t see his eyes, I swear I can feel the intensity of them. “Be careful how much you push me, Red. You’re fucking lucky we are in a park full of kids right now. T
hat’s about the only thing saving you at the moment.”
I bite my lip to hold back my smile. “Maybe I don’t want to be saved from you.”
His expression becomes somber. “You should be.”
My smile dies and I swallow thickly, hating the way he sees himself. Before I can reply, he reaches up and lightly traces his fingers across my bruise, his jaw flexing in anger.
“It looks worse than it is.”
“You shouldn’t have gotten in the fucking middle of it.”
I let out a frustrated breath, and look away because I don’t feel like arguing with him. His hand threads into my hair at the side of my head and he brings my gaze back to his. “I don’t like seeing any marks on you, Red. Ever. Whether it’s an accident or not.”
My frustration vanishes at his sincere tone. That is something I can understand, because it devastates me to see his scars. Placing my hand over his, I lean into his warm touch and revel in the connection that’s always between us. The one that has never gone away. “I know. Christopher and I talked afterward, and even though it was an accident, and the other kid started it, he’s going to work harder at controlling his actions.” I pause, “Actually, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, Christopher is finished with his community service now and I want him to have something to do, maybe even make some money since he won’t accept any from me. Is there anything at the gym he could do or help with? I don’t want him going just anywhere and I think it would be good for him to be around the three of you.”
He grunts. “How the hell do you figure that?”
“Because I think all of you can relate a little to what he’s going through. To know what it’s like to make it through some rough times.” Getting to my knees now, I lean over him and throw my ice cream in the garbage, then wrap my arms around his neck, bringing my face only a mere inch from his. His hands move to my hips, and my heart escalates when his fingers grip them firmly. “But most of all,” I whisper, “I think it would be great for him to be around good, strong, honorable men. Men who all lived through hell to save a girl they barely knew.”