Cory’s lips pursed and his brow furrowed while he thought about that. Finally he said, “I just don’t want her to decide I’m not worth it and kick me out.”
“Then you may want to cut back on the attitude and not get angry when she’s trying.” Cory looked a little sick, so Isaiah reached over and playfully hit his shoulders. “Don’t worry. I doubt your aunt will kick you out. Seems like she kinda likes you.”
Cory relaxed and smiled. “Yeah...she’s cool. When she’s not trying to not make me feel like a baby.”
“So, take it easy on her. Just a little.”
“I will.” Cory looked across the gym. His body stiffened.
Isaiah followed his gaze. Another kid in camp, a boy named Kirk, had walked over to talk with Denise and her friends. Kirk was more outspoken than Cory and that had made him one of the instantly popular kids in the camp.
“You know,” Isaiah said slowly, “when I was your age, I was afraid to talk to a girl I liked.”
Cory glanced at Isaiah out of the corner of his eye. “Really?”
Isaiah nodded and felt a little flattered by the disbelief in the boy’s tone. He guessed he really didn’t resemble the awkward kid he used to be, even if he still felt that way at times. “Yes.”
“When did it get easier for you to talk to girls?”
“Who said it got easier?” Isaiah said. “I just had to learn that nine times out of ten, if I was respectful and just approached her with no hidden agenda, she would at least listen to what I had to say.”
“You mean she didn’t laugh at you? Because, girls will laugh at you now if they think you’re being corny. Things are different from the way they were back in your day.”
Isaiah winced and put a hand over his chest as if wounded. “My day wasn’t that long ago.” Cory rolled his eyes, a gesture Isaiah decided to ignore. Everyone over twenty seemed old when you were thirteen. “All I’m saying is, if you like a girl, just talk to her. You don’t have ask her to be your girlfriend or anything like that. If she likes basketball...talk to her about that.”
Cory sat up straighter and watched Denise and Kirk. Denise had just turned her back to the other boy, which meant Cory probably didn’t have to worry about him as a potential rival. “What should I say about basketball?”
“Start with ‘hey,’ then ask her who her favorite ballplayer is.”
Cory looked at Isaiah. “Why would I ask a girl that?”
“Because you like Denise and if she’s in a basketball camp, then she probably has a favorite basketball player. Don’t worry. She sneaks looks at you, too.”
Cory’s face brightened up. “She does?” His deepening voice momentarily returned to the squeak of childhood.
Isaiah fought back a smile. He didn’t want Cory to think he was teasing him. “She does. Just walk over and say ‘hey.’”
“Even with Kirk and her friends over there?”
“Especially with Kirk over there. Don’t show her you’re intimidated by another man. Girls don’t like that.”
Cory nodded and watched Denise and Kirk. “Don’t be intimidated.” He took a deep breath and stood. He shook out his hands and shoulders, then jumped down the bleachers. He looked back at Isaiah over his shoulders. “Oh, and Mr. Isaiah?”
“Yeah.”
“Auntie looks at you, too. So, you know, if you like her, you can just talk to her.” Cory smiled, then strode across the room with a show of confidence that impressed Isaiah.
Isaiah leaned back on the bleachers. So Auntie Angel looks at me. A smile broke across his face. He shouldn’t care. Bridget was coming. That’s who should be on his mind, but that wasn’t what kept his mood up for the rest of the day.
Chapter 6
Angela arrived at the center well before five thirty. Everything had worked out for her at the end of the day. No issues with volunteers, but her boss had called a meeting to talk about possible late hours due to a group coming in to cross-train from another state. The idea of another change to her already packed schedule made her cringe, but until the change actually happened, she wouldn’t worry.
Angela entered the center and found Keri at the front desk. “Hey, what are you doing up here?” Keri was usually running around handling more important things while the teenage workers and volunteers handled signing the kids in and out for the day.
“Just covering for one of my guys while he cleans up something in one of the classrooms.” Keri said with a smile.
Angela was happy to see her wary expression from earlier today, when she’d interrupted Angela’s conversation with Isaiah, was gone. She didn’t want Keri to have a reason to question Cory’s participation in the camp.
“How did Cory do today?” Angela asked as she signed her name and the pickup time beside Cory’s name in the notebook. “He was in kind of a mood this morning.”
Keri shook her head. “No problems at all. All of the players think he’s doing a really great job.”
Relief washed over her. She’s spent the day worrying about Cory. She still had no idea what had put him in such a bad mood earlier that day. She didn’t know the best way to get him to confess without sounding like a nag. Was she supposed to nag? This entire parenting thing was so new to her. She wanted to do the right thing, but knowing what was the right thing was harder than she’d expected. “Good to hear. Well, I’ll go get him.”
Keri nodded and Angela walked to the gym. She took Keri’s statement that Cory had a good day to mean whatever had been bothering him was no longer a factor—unless she was the problem. Sure, she’d argued with him about staying home alone, but that was because she’d never forgive herself if something happened to Cory while she worked nights at the club. Eventually she’d have to trust him. He would be fourteen later this summer. Nate couldn’t always babysit and she’d be damned if she called her aunt to help. As much as she worried, she had to face the fact that she was playing single parent right now and would have to trust Cory alone no matter how much the idea scared her.
Cory wasn’t in the gym. She asked one of the camp volunteers and was directed down a hallway, where Cory was apparently helping to put away the basketballs. When she found the storage room, another counselor told her Cory had gone to the locker room with another kid. To that point, she would’ve waited for him in the lobby, but she didn’t doubt Cory would take his time talking in the locker room and she’d be twiddling her thumbs forever.
She stopped outside the boys’ locker room and pushed the door slightly open. “Cory, you in there?” she called without going in. The last thing she wanted was to freak out a bunch of boys by entering their domain.
The sound of a locker slamming shut and the echo of music was her only answer. The song was one Cory listened to constantly. Something about a girl being a crowd pleaser. There weren’t a bunch of voices raised in conversation. Which meant if Cory was in there, he wasn’t with a group of kids and probably hadn’t heard her over the music.
Angela glanced down the hall, took a deep breath and shielded her eyes as she stepped into the locker room. “Come on, Cory, we’ve got to go.”
She rounded the corner and stopped just short of bumping into Isaiah yet again. He held out a hand to stop her from colliding with him. He was in the same athletic shirt and basketball shorts from earlier and had a duffel bag over one shoulder. Almost running into him had brought her dangerously close to his body. She was so close her knees turned to Vaseline and her heart decided now was a damn good time to flutter.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Angela said, flustered. Being close to him short-circuited her brain. She wanted to run away and run her hands over his body all at the same time. “I’m looking for Cory. Someone said he was in here. When I heard the song, I thought...”
Isaiah tapped the screen of the phone in his hand and the song stopped. “He’s out back near
the walking track. One of the volunteers needed help bringing in equipment and he volunteered after helping me straighten up the locker room.”
Angela nodded and tried to pretend the effort to not run her gaze over his body from head to toe wasn’t harder than a pack-a-day smoker quitting cold turkey. She took a step back. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.”
“Before you go...” Isaiah met her gaze, stilled, blinked, then lowered his eyes to his phone. He sucked in a breath before looking at her again. “I had a talk with Cory earlier today.”
“You didn’t have to do that.” The denial of assistance was automatic.
The corner of Isaiah’s sexy mouth lifted in a half smile that made her believe he’d expected her to say that. “I know, but he was upset about something. I didn’t want that to distract him from what we’re working on in camp.”
Her curiosity and concern for Cory overruled her need to tell him not to get involved. “Did he tell you what was wrong?”
Isaiah put the duffel bag on one of the benches. He lifted his foot to the bench and leaned his forearm on his thigh. The pose was casual enough, but it made not checking out the play of muscles in his long legs, nor focusing on the impressive bulge between his legs, pretty much impossible. Angela lifted her chin and trained her gaze on his chin. If she looked him in the eye she couldn’t guarantee he wouldn’t see where her thoughts had gone. If she dropped her gaze...she’d be drooling.
“He feels you treat him like a baby, but he’s also worried about being a burden to you.”
“What? I don’t treat him like a baby.” That got her attention off of inappropriate things. Sure, she wasn’t ready to let him stay home alone, but that’s because he was still a kid. She’d give all her savings to find out where the burden idea had come from? She’d done everything she could to make Cory feel welcome. She didn’t want him to be as uncomfortable in her house as she’d felt with her aunt.
“He thinks he’s old enough to stay home alone, but I understand why you would hesitate. Honestly, I think his real issue is that he doesn’t know how to help out. He said you’re trying very hard to make him comfortable, but he knows you’ve given up a lot for him.”
“I never once said anything to him about that.”
Isaiah placed his hand on her arm. It was a comforting gesture that also made her very aware of the softness of his fingertips against her skin. “He didn’t say you had. He’s afraid you’re hiding how you really feel and one day you’ll snap and kick him out.”
Angela sank onto the bench. Her purse hit the floor with a thud. “Of course I would never kick him out. Crap, I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Isaiah dropped his foot, straddling the bench to face her. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just thought you’d want to know.”
Angela took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her hair. “I do. It’s just so difficult. This situation with Cory is new for both of us. I never expected to be a parent. Now I’ve got a thirteen-year-old boy to watch out for.”
“Boys are easy. Feed him, listen when he decides to talk and don’t press him too hard.”
Obviously it wasn’t that easy if Cory worried she’d kick him out one day. What had she done wrong? Had she unconsciously shown him how hard a time she was having in adjusting? Her stomach twisted. “No matter how much of a challenge this is, I would never kick him out. He’s not a burden and I don’t want him to think he is. My aunt took me in at thirteen and she made life miserable for me and my brother—Cory’s dad. I’m not like her.” The words came out with a vehemence she felt deep in her soul. No way would she allow herself to become as cruel as her aunt had been.
“How long will Cory be with you? Is your brother—”
“My brother is in jail.”
She wasn’t looking at him but she felt his discomfort. Saw the way he reached for her, then pulled back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. That’s what happens when you think you are some type of big-shot embezzler, but you’re really just a petty thief. Cory’s mom is in New York trying her hand at a career on the stage. She said Cory would be in the way and dropped him off with me.”
“You took him in without hesitation?”
Her gaze lifted to his. “Of course. He’s my nephew. No one deserves to feel unwanted.”
He didn’t look as if he doubted her. If anything, the light in his eyes said her quick reply impressed him. “Maybe just chill a little. He appreciates you, but he can sense if you’re trying too hard to be happy. That in turn makes him feel like a little kid that can’t do anything to help. If he’s like I was, he’s going to want to help where he can. Let him see that you’re trying to make him comfortable, but be real when things get tough. When he tries to step in and help, if it makes sense, let him. You guys are a team right now.”
Isaiah was right. She wasn’t used to accepting help, but when she’d been in the similar situation she’d wanted to help her aunt out. To try to be as good as she could to keep her aunt from yelling and accusing them of making her life miserable. Though she’d never be that cruel to Cory, he probably wanted to lessen any feelings he had of imposing on her just the same.
“I’ll think about what you said. I am trying hard to not make Cory uncomfortable. Has everything been easy since he moved in? No, but I won’t let him know that. I try to focus on the good in a situation. Complaining changes nothing and helps no one.”
“Another sign of your strength.” His gaze lowered to her wrist.
Angela glanced down at the tattoo there. The symbol for strength she’d gotten after getting through her first year of undergraduate studies. “You remembered what this stands for?” She turned her hand over until her wrist faced up and ran the fingers of her other hand over the symbol.
“I’m not likely to forget. That night we talked, you seemed really proud of the tattoo. I could tell in your voice you’re not a woman likely to succumb to weakness.” His dark eyes met hers and her insides quivered like a dozen newly emerged butterflies. “That’s a really admirable trait.”
The heat from a blush started in her chest and crept up to her cheeks. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked back at her tattoo. His gaze stayed on her. She wanted to squirm, or wiggle closer to him. Time to get out of there.
“Thanks for talking to him and telling me,” she said. She hated interference, but he’d given her good insight on what was happening with Cory. For that, she couldn’t be upset.
She moved to get up and Isaiah placed his fingertips on her arm. The touch was light, but she felt it all the way to her small toe. The man sent electric currents through her whenever they touched.
“There was another thing,” he said. He pulled his hand back quickly.
She still felt the light imprint of his touch on her arm. “What?”
“He likes a girl here at camp. I think that was bothering him, too.”
“Girl trouble, too.” She was completely unprepared to give him advice when it came to a girl. She didn’t want to imagine that he was ready for that. Imagining meant acknowledging she had a thirteen-year-old with raging hormones in her house and all that came with it.
She must have made a look because Isaiah held up a hand as if to tell her not to freak out. “Don’t worry, I talked to him about that, too. I gave him a little advice.”
“What advice did you give him?”
“Basic advice. I told him that if you like a girl, then talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Don’t hide in the corner because she’s sure to ignore you.”
She relaxed a little. That wasn’t too bad. Not that she should have expected him to tell Cory something asinine. He was the good guy of the team. “Is that what you do? Tell a woman when you like her?”
“It is.” He glanced at her tattoo. Slowly brought his gaze up her body to meet hers. Angela’s body reacted as if she�
��d been caressed. “For instance, I like you.”
Her lips parted. Her heart did a now-or-never tango in her chest. She’d wondered if she’d just imagined the vibe between them. Those three simple words plus the intense look in his eyes gave her the answer. A giddy excitement of knowing the guy she’d been crushing on felt the same made her feel like she was soaring. Isaiah seemed to focus on her parted lips. His eyes darkened with a promise of passion. He swallowed hard and shifted on the bench. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he was nervous or unsure. Which was kind of cute.
“I like you, too,” she whispered.
Isaiah ran his hands over his thighs. He cleared his throat. “I should—”
Angela leaned in and brushed her lips over his before she lost her nerve. One kiss, that’s all she wanted. She wasn’t one to be shy about things and if he was unsure, she didn’t want him to think she wasn’t interested. Three weeks until the camp ended and she didn’t want to have a what-if thought in her head when she was actually free to see if the connection they’d started that night at the bar was real.
She’d intended to make the kiss brief. Just to let him know she was interested. But his hand cupped the side of her face right before she would have pulled away. Angela leaned farther into him. Isaiah’s other arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer. His head slanted and he kissed her deeply. Not a hard, demanding kiss, but a definite answer to her softer question. His lips and tongue played across her mouth, causing her to crave more with each pass. She gripped his upper arm and pressed closer to him. She wanted to twist her position and straddle his hips.
Overtime for Love Page 5