Her breath seemed to back up in her throat at the mere sight of him. In full light, she could see that the man was just as breathtakingly gorgeous as she’d thought.
“Cow cakes,” Katie muttered under her breath, stealing her son’s favorite expression. At the moment, her life would be much easier if Lucas was short, pudgy and ugly.
He’d haunted her mind all night, so she didn’t get much sleep, which had left her feeling tired, restless and just a bit cranky.
“Good morning, dear,” her mother said with a smile.
“Morning,” Katie returned grumpily.
What was the man doing here, sitting at her mother’s kitchen table at the crack of dawn as if it was the most natural thing in the world?
She looked at Lucas again and felt a slow warmth unfurl inside her belly, a warmth that both amazed and terrified her. Amazed her because she was certain she was immune to such feelings, and terrified because she knew she couldn’t afford such feelings.
Disgusted that she hadn’t merely imagined the impact he’d had on her, Katie’s grumpiness increased.
“Pour yourself some coffee, dear,” Louella instructed, as if having a gorgeous man at her breakfast table at the crack of dawn was an everyday occurrence. “Lucas and I are just reminiscing about last week’s seniors’ dance. The senior dances are always so much fun, but the women far outnumber the men, something we’re going to have to try to correct.” She brightened suddenly. “Lucas, as police chief, maybe you can enlist some more of the single men to attend. I mean surely being police chief has some perks,” she said delicately, cocking her head to look at him. “What do you think?”
Realizing the man was totally perplexed by her mother, Katie’s laugh was quick and easy. “What my mother basically just asked you, Lucas, was if you’d mind if she conned you into using your position as police chief to strong-arm single, suitable men to attend the next seniors’ dance.” Katie grinned as she poured herself some coffee and self-consciously tightened the sash on her robe before turning back to Lucas and her mother. “Isn’t that right, Mother?”
Louella flushed. “Well, dear, I don’t know that I would have used the word…conned,” she admitted sheepishly, then grinned at Lucas. “But, I suppose it will do.” Mischief danced in her eyes. “So what do you think, dear?”
Realizing he had indeed just been very politely conned, Lucas couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Tell you what, Louella, how about if I see what I can do? I’m sure I should be able to corral some single men to serve as escorts for that dance every month.”
“Thank you, Lucas. I knew we could count on you.” Louella drained her cup, then stood up. “I’m sorry, children, but it’s getting late and I’ve got to go get dressed and open the shop. Aunt Gracie’s already gone. She had a doctor’s appointment early this morning.” Frowning a bit, Louella turned to Katie. “Now, dear, you’re sure you don’t need any help with the movers today?”
“No, Mom. Honest. Everything’s under control. Rusty’s starting school this morning and I’m going into the paper. The movers won’t be here until later this afternoon, and then Rusty and I plan to spend the evening unpacking and getting settled.”
“Very well, dear, but if you change your mind, Aunt Gracie and I will be at the shop until three as usual. Just call if you need anything. And don’t worry, I’ll be home before Rusty gets home from school.” Smiling, Louella bent to kiss Lucas’s cheek. “Thank you for returning Rusty’s box. And next week we’ll talk about the Halloween carnival and the seniors’ booth.” Her eyes gleamed as she patted his shoulder. “I’m thinking of having a kissing booth this year. But we’ll chat about that later.”
“Kissing booth?” Lucas repeated with a lift of his brow after Louella had left, and Katie laughed again, warmed in spite of herself by the way he’d treated her mother.
“She’s got your number, Lucas, and apparently intends to call it whenever the mood strikes. So be forewarned,” she said, realizing a man who was so kind to her mother could quickly score a lot of points with her. “You just may find yourself the main attraction at the seniors’ kissing booth at the Halloween festival this year.”
Lucas swallowed hard. “Main attraction?” he said, barely able to conceal a shudder. “Kissing booth? I think I’ll have to think about that one for a while.”
“Sounds like a good idea. But let me warn you, small towns have a way of becoming smaller the longer you live in them.”
“I know,” he admitted with a smile. “The mayor’s already given me the lecture about how living in a small town is all about individual participation and community spirit. He even got me to sign up for the new Buddy program.”
“Buddy program?” Katie repeated, still leaning against the counter. She didn’t want to get any closer to him, as it was, having him in the kitchen made her feel incredibly nervous and self-conscious, to say nothing about what it was doing to her poor heart.
Lucas nodded. “It’s a new mentor program the town council came up with to provide a male mentor for fatherless boys. Apparently we’ve got quite a few boys without fathers and quite a few men who are childless or else retired whose children are long gone. Most of these guys are alone and lonely, with plenty of time and skills on their hands. So the mayor thought if we paired some of them up to mentor fatherless boys it would benefit both.” Lucas smiled. “The mayor just wants to make certain he’s taking care of everyone’s needs and he thought this Buddy for a Boy program was a good idea.”
“Sounds like it’s an election year,” Katie said with a chuckle. Her gaze met his and froze, and for a split second there was an electrified silence between them.
“Well, it’s getting late,” Lucas said, draining his coffee cup and getting to his feet. “I just wanted to make certain you got Rusty’s time capsule.”
Katie glanced at her son’s beloved box sitting on the counter and felt a small, sad ache at the memories that rushed over her. The memories were an instant reminder of why she couldn’t afford to risk her heart. Or respond to this man, no matter what he made her feel.
“Thank you, Lucas. I really and truly appreciate it. And I know Rusty will, too,” she added softly.
He took a step closer to her. “You’re welcome,” he said.
For a moment, they merely stood there, neither moving nor speaking. Katie lifted a hand to her throat, hoping it would ease the sudden pressure building that made it nearly impossible to breathe.
Lucas watched her, then slowly lifted a hand and brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek.
“Lucas, I—” Her eyes slid closed as she tried to gather herself. His touch, so brief, so gentle, sent a shiver through her and touched every single female nerve ending, reminding her just how long it had been since she’d been touched, held, or comforted by a man.
“Ma?” Rusty’s voice echoed through the house, startling her out of her reverie. “Are you up yet?”
“In the kitchen,” she called back, smiling at the sound of her son’s voice. It broke the tension between her and Lucas. “Obviously that’s my son.”
Lucas chuckled. “So I gathered.” He hesitated a brief moment. “I’d better go. You’ve got a busy day and I’ve got to get to the office. Thank your mom for the coffee.” He turned and headed toward the back door, pausing to turn back to her for a moment. “And by the way, Katie, if you need any help with heavy lifting or moving today, just give me a call.” His smile was slow and devastating. “I’ve got a pretty strong back and plenty of time.”
“Thank you,” she said, surprised and touched by his generous offer.
“See you,” Lucas said as he headed out the door.
Still shaken, Katie merely stood there, absently patting her heart to calm it down, as she silently stared after him. Oh yeah, she’d be calling him for help real soon, she thought dully. She was trying to stay away from the man, not become his new best friend!
Realizing she was probably overreacting, Katie sighed, then finished her coffee. Now tha
t Lucas was out of sight, maybe—just maybe—she could finally get the blasted man out of her mind.
“Hey, Ma?” Rusty asked a few minutes later as he raced into the kitchen. At eleven, he was a tall, reedy ball of energy, with a mop of rust-colored curls, a face full of freckles and a pair of sea-green eyes that always seemed to be filled with mischief. “Can I ride my bike to Sean’s after school?” he blurted, all but dancing with each word.
“Did you guys ask Sean’s mother about this?” Katie asked with a lift of her brow.
“’Course,” he assured her with a grin.
Sean Hennighan and Rusty had been friends since they were toddlers. Now that Katie and Rusty had returned to Cooper’s Cove for good, the boys had simply picked up their friendship right where they’d left off.
“Okay, but did you forget the movers are coming today?” Katie asked.
“Nah, I didn’t forget,” Rusty said, scuffing the toe of his new gym shoes on the floor. “But I thought maybe I could go by Sean’s for just a little while first?” Huge green eyes pleaded with Katie. “Sean’s got a brand new Xbox and he said maybe I could try it. It’s just so totally cool. So can I go? Huh? Can I?”
“And what about the unpacking?” she asked, watching the excitement dim in his eyes.
“I forgot,” he muttered dejectedly. “Cow cakes,” he mumbled under his breath.
“How about if we make a deal? You can go to Sean’s for an hour and a half,” Katie compromised. “But you have to promise to come home from Sean’s right on time since Grandma will be waiting for you, and then help me unpack tonight without complaining. Is it a deal?”
“Deal.” Eyes shining, his grin widened. “Thanks, Ma.”
“You’re welcome.” She smiled, then draped an arm around his slender shoulders. “I’ve got something for you, Rusty.” Reaching for his time capsule with her free hand, Katie hesitated, not quite knowing how he’d respond. “Do you remember when you and Daddy planted this in Grandma’s backyard?”
He’d only been six when his father had died, and yet, they’d been so unbelievably close, she was certain most of Rusty’s memories of his father were intact. At least she hoped so, for her son’s sake.
Her worries dissolved as his eyes widened, looking at the time capsule box. She saw the quick glistening of tears before he quickly blinked them away.
“Yeah. It’s my time capsule treasure box,” he said, reaching out and taking the box from her. “Dad and I buried it right before he left.” Rusty stared at it for a moment, reverently running a hand gently across the top. “We were supposed to dig it up together when Daddy came home,” he added quietly.
“That’s right,” Katie said, reaching out to lay a hand on his cheek, needing to just touch him. “Well, honey, I promised you when we finally moved into our very own house you could plant it in our backyard, and since we’re moving into our own house today I thought you might like to…you know…” Shrugging, Katie let her voice trail off as she watched a myriad of expressions race across her son’s freckled face, her own heart aching for him.
Rusty merely stood there for a moment, still and quiet for a change before lifting his gaze to hers. “Ma?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Uh…uh…do you think it would be okay if I…uh…just kept this in my new room for a little while?” Shuffling his feet, he rushed on. “You know so I could maybe just…look at it and stuff?”
She smiled. “Of course, sweetheart.”
“I’ll bury it in our backyard later, but for now, I’d just like to keep it in my new room so I could…like, see it once in a while.” He glanced up at her. “Is that okay?”
“Of course, honey. We can make a special place for it on top of your bookcase. What do you think?”
“Cool,” he said with a grin. He glanced down at the box again, touching the top. “Ma, do you think…do you think Dad…uh…misses me?”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Katie reached for Rusty, dragging him close to hug. “Of course Daddy misses you, as much as you miss him I’m sure,” she said, resting her head gently atop his head. He was growing so fast, pretty soon he’d be taller than her. With a sigh, she drew back to look at him. “Do you remember what I’ve always told you?” She lifted his chin so she could look into his eyes. “That daddy was always with you, every day, no matter where you went, or what you did?” She laid a hand over his heart. “Daddy’s right here, always, in your heart.”
His lower lip was trembling, but Rusty nodded. “Do you remember when I was little?” he asked. “And I used to cry because I missed Dad? And you told me that anytime I wanted to talk to Dad I could just…like, talk to him, and that he’d always hear me?”
“I remember, honey.”
A sheepish grin flashed as he looked up at her. “Sometimes Ma, sometimes I still do…talk to Dad, I mean.”
Chuckling softly, she gave him a quick squeeze. “Well honey, let me tell you a secret. I’m much older than you—”
“No kidding,” he quipped with a lightning grin, giving her a gentle poke with his elbow.
“Hey,” she protested, giving him a quick affectionate bump back with her hip. “I’m not that old,” she said. “Anyway, my dad’s been gone since I was just ten years old, and as old as I am now sometimes I still talk to him.”
“Really?” Astonished at the idea, Rusty’s eyes widened. “You still talk to your dad?”
“Yeah, honey,” she said with a wistful sigh. “Sometimes I still do. I still miss my father every day of my life,” she admitted, blinking back sudden tears. “When you love someone you never stop missing them, especially a parent. And a parent never stops missing their child. Never. That’s why I know Daddy is always with you, watching over you.”
“’Cuz he loved me and stuff?” Rusty asked, and Katie nodded.
“More than anything in the world.”
She hesitated, wanting to assure him that however he needed to deal with his feelings about his dad, it was all right. There was no right way or wrong way. Only the way that gave him comfort.
“Rusty, honey, there’s a very special bond between kids and their moms and dads, a bond that nothing can ever break, no matter how old either of them gets. Not even death. That unbreakable bond is always there. So don’t ever forget that. Daddy’s always with you. In your heart, safe and protected and connected to you on every level. And you can talk to him anytime you want.”
Rusty grinned. “Yeah, but think how cool it would be if he could talk back,” he said, wiggling his brows and finally squirming away from her.
“Oh yeah,” she agreed with a roll of her eyes, mimicking him. “That would be way cool.” He sniffled, swiping his nose on his fist. “Come on, brat,” Katie said, draping an arm affectionately around his neck. “Let’s get you some allergy medicine before you leave for school and then I’ve got to write a note to your teacher so she can give you your medicine this afternoon.”
He came to a dead stop and looked at her in horror. “Ah, Ma, come on,” he whined. “You’re not going to make me bring a note to the teacher so I can take medicine at school like I’m some wussy girl or some sick weakling, are you?”
At eleven, the most important thing in the world was to avoid at all costs any embarrassment in front of the guys, and taking medicine at school or having your mother write notes to the teacher qualified as definite embarrassments.
“Hey,” she said with a laugh, giving him another bump with her hip. “Watch that negative girl talk. I’m a wussy girl, remember?”
He thought about it for a minute, then grinned. “Nah,” he said, hip-bumping her in return then dancing away from her. “You’re a ma, that’s different.”
“Yeah, come back and talk to me about wussy girls in about four years, kid.” Laughing, Katie swooped, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him close and pasting his face with loud, smacking kisses, her heart flooded with love.
“Stop!” he giggled, trying to squirm away from her. “Ma, stop! Stop kissing me. I’l
l take my medicine at school,” he cried, laughing and breathing hard. “Promise. I promise,” he shrieked. Giving him one last, loud, smacking kiss, Katie reluctantly released him.
“Yuck,” Rusty complained with a grin, swiping his hand down his cheek.
“Score another for the mother!” Katie said with a triumphant fist pump as she sailed out of the kitchen with her beloved son right behind her to start the first day of their new life.
Chapter Three
The offices of the Cooper’s Cove Carrier were located right on Main Street, across from the public library and right next door to the only bank in town.
Since the Main Street business section only ran a scant two blocks—right through the heart of town—almost everything was in walking distance to the newspaper offices.
The paper’s storefront office boasted one full-time reporter, who was currently on maternity leave, one full-time copy editor, one ad salesman and a part-timer who’d been at the paper since Katie was a child.
Lindsey had started out as an intern while still in high school, and merely stayed, learning and managing the office with the efficiency of a drill sergeant. Katie had no idea what she—or the paper—would do without Lindsey.
While some women got positively giddy over the prospect of an end-of-the-season clothing or shoe sale, for Katie, there was nothing that made her happier than being in a newspaper office.
As a child, she’d spent many happy afternoons at the newspaper, absorbing everything from the reporters transcribing their stories, to the copy editors proofing them, to running the final blue lines—the proofed and copy-edited pages—around the block to the printer on her bicycle.
When her dad was alive, he used to tease that she had newspaper ink running through her veins, not blood. She’d been ten when a heart attack had claimed her dad’s life, so the newspaper had passed to his only brother, Cyrus—a lifelong bachelor—who’d given up hope of passing the newspaper on to his children.
So it was only natural for Katie’s Uncle Cyrus to turn the paper over to her now. They’d agreed to ease in to the transition; he’d work part-time for the first month of her tenure, making certain he was available to answer any and all questions, while she slowly took over all the responsibilities that running a newspaper entailed.
About the Boy Page 3