by J. M. Dabney
“I know that, but…”
“But what, son?”
“She's only thirty-three. She has so much time left, and any guy would be lucky to get my mom.”
“Yes, any man would.”
“Would you be one of those men?”
He felt his mouth curve into a smile at the conniving boy in front of him.
“Is that your not so subtle way of asking am I interested in Philly?”
“Well?”
He sighed and fell back to rest against one of the supports. “I was waiting until you graduated.”
“Why? You didn't want a package deal?”
The misery in the question was evident, and he didn't like that Miles even inferred that he didn't want to be the young man's dad. It was time to be honest with Miles.
“Miles, don't ever say that again. I remember exactly what you looked like when you were a few weeks old, and I held you. I tried to talk your mom into going back to school. She didn't deserve to pay for what that fucker did to her. I almost offered to take a leave of absence to watch you myself, but this is a small town, and my interest would've been deemed inappropriate no matter how innocent it was. Your mom was a bright, young woman. I took a huge chance just going out to her home.”
“I didn't know you'd come around back then.”
“I always kept an eye on you and Philly. I always coached your teams even when you were little. Made sure I was always available to help with homework when you were hanging out with your mom at the diner. I couldn't do much, but I tried to make things easier in any way I could. I didn't miss a game or graduation. I'm not saying that I didn't notice that your mother was a beautiful woman when she was older, but she never showed interest.”
“You do know my mom had a crush on you when she was in your class.”
“You're joking right?”
“Nope.”
“I don't think I've ever had a student with a crush before.”
“You had a ton of students with a crush, man, probably still do.”
He groaned, and Miles laughed.
“Things didn't go too well when I had Philly out here. Dad mentioned that I should just ask her on a date and she froze, said she wanted to go home.”
“Okay, let me outline a few things for you. One, my mom was fifteen and as far as I know, a virgin before she got pregnant. Two, she hasn't dated in seventeen years. Three, her one and only sexual experience was rape. She was always honest with me. Nothing was taboo at home. Ma has either been at home or work, so I'm pretty sure that means she hasn't experimented sexually with anyone.”
He still marveled over how open and mature Miles had turned out to be at seventeen. It wasn't like he hadn't noticed Miles' temperament as the boy aged, but it still took him by surprise after dealing with all the spoiled and entitled students at his school.
“I know that. It's why I've always tried to be cautious with Philly. Maybe that was a mistake. I'm also considerably older than her as well. And I was her former teacher.”
“You're letting small-town shit fuck with your head, Pop.”
He snorted at the boy calling him Pop. “All kidding aside, Miles, I never once looked at you as a deterrent in asking Philly out. My dad is a little pissed that he didn't get to have a grandson running around the house.”
“That would've been nice. I know Ma's parents turned their backs. They don't even look at her. Gladys once said they don't come to the diner until she isn't working. I know you did all those things for me and I know you didn't have to.”
“It wasn't a hardship, Miles. I just wished I'd had the courage to do something before now.”
“Well, ya know, my mom's all by her lonesome at the trailer. I told her I was spending the night with friends and then we were going camping for a few days.”
“Are you trying to get me to go keep Philly company while you're away?”
“It would be the gentlemanly thing to do. Ya know, we don't live in the safest area.”
“That's low, Miles, very, very low.”
“I'm an only child. I'm told we're masters at manipulation.”
He pushed up to stand and dragged Miles from the chair. He hugged the young man who was only a few inches shorter than him. “I'm really proud of you, son.”
He felt Miles' hands fist in the back of his shirt and heard a small sniffle. He leaned back and brought his hands up to make Miles look at him. “You did good, and I'm being honest as fuck, me and your mom are proud as hell of you. Part of me always thought of you as my kid, but if I can ever talk your mom into giving me a chance, I'd like to hear that Pop without you joking about it. Okay?”
Miles just nodded his head.
“Go have fun with your friends. Did Philly have dinner already?” He gave Miles another hug and stepped back.
Miles didn't even hide the fact he was wiping tears from his eyes.
“No, I think she was thinking of ordering a pizza, but she'll probably just make a sandwich, so she doesn't have to leave the house.”
“Then I'll go get ready and take my woman something to eat.”
“Good luck with that one.”
“Try to be a bit encouraging, boy.”
“Something ya gotta learn, Pop, your kid is a pain in the ass.”
He shook his head and laughed as Miles jogged back to his car.
Okay, Bret, you got this, you just need to talk her into giving you a chance. He sighed. This was going to be a nightmare.
Was This Her New Normal?
The quiet was driving her insane. It wasn't as if Miles hadn't gone away for weekends or overnight, but the reality hit her. In a few months, her baby would only be home for breaks and summer. She'd picked up her phone to order a pizza a few times and changed her mind. The diner would give her some company, but she'd already spent all day there.
She kept flipping through the channels to find something to watch, even checked to see if there was anything she wanted to rent. Nothing. She made her body heavy and just slid off the couch onto the floor.
Boredom would be how her life ended.
“Am I coming by at a bad time?” Bret's amused voice had her sitting up and looking toward the front door.
He smiled at her from the other side of the screen door. She'd forgotten she'd left the door open because it was too damn hot in the trailer. She looked down at the boxers and the tank top, not to mention she'd foregone a bra since she was home alone. Not that she really needed one other than to control her nipples. Breastfeeding had ruined those bad boys. Him calling her name pulled her from her stupid thoughts.
“Philly, I ran into Miles, and he said you were thinking of getting a pizza. So I thought maybe you'd like to eat with me.”
“Sure.”
She placed the remote on the couch as she pushed to her feet. She tugged down the hem of her short sleep boxers. At least they weren't a pair of men's like she normally wore. She strode to the door, unlocked it and pushed outward, but he grabbed it in his right hand to open it enough to step inside.
“I didn't know what you liked, so I got a veggie, meat, and a plain extra cheese.”
“Any of the three would've been fine. I'm not picky about food. We can go to the kitchen to get some plates. I have some iced tea. I just made it.”
“That would be perfect.”
As much as she was aware of his presence in her home, every move he made, she tried to make herself busy and not stare. He was wearing another t-shirt that showed off his tattoos and the way his muscles moved beneath the colorful skin. She'd never had a thing about heavily tattooed men before, but she’d always had an inappropriate attraction to Bret. She filled large glasses with ice.
He was opening cabinets.
“The plates are right here.” She opened a cabinet and realized her mistake when Bret's big body came up behind hers, trapping her between him and the counter. She inhaled the faint scent of soap and sweat. That was one thing she'd always noticed—he didn't wear cologne.
He didn'
t linger long, just grabbed a few plates, and some napkins from the basket on the counter.
“Were you watching anything?”
“No, I didn't see anything that I found all that interesting. Maybe you can decide on something.”
They got settled on the couch with the pizzas on the coffee table. She handed him the remote. Then she leaned forward to grab a couple of pieces. She could feel him watching her.
“You're staring.”
“I'm surprised you hadn't noticed it before now.”
She jerked her gaze away from her plate to him. “Why would you want to look at me?”
“You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen.”
She couldn't help snorting and shook her head.
“You are. I remember the exact moment I realized it too. You were working, and you had Miles on your hip, taking an order. I think you were nineteen because Miles just had his third birthday the week before. He must have said something to you, and you laughed. I think that's the first time I'd ever heard you laugh. Man, it's embarrassing how many times after that I came in just to watch you work and get a few minutes to spend with you and Miles.”
“You came in to see me?”
“Yes, I did. Is that so shocking?”
“Is it because I was a—”
“I already know what you're going to say, and I won't let you do it. I know what happened. You thought you were just hanging out with new friends. And I've been around long enough to know that you haven't been out once since that night.”
Bret lifted the plate off her lap and set it aside. His big hand curled around her opposite knee and urged her to turn to face him.
“You're justified in everything you feel. But I need you to look at me when I say this.”
His voice was so soft and gentle, yet, she couldn't take her attention off her laced fingers. Bret's fingertips nudged her chin until she lifted her head. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip.
“I wanted to ask you out long before now. I thought about it every time I hung out to help Miles with his homework or came in to have lunch because I knew you'd be there. You just never seemed to look at me as if you were interested and my own insecurities got in the way. Do you know I never missed one of Miles' events, every graduation and school play? Hell, I even signed up to coach his teams.”
She tried to look away, but Bret didn't allow her to do so.
“Why?”
“I don't know. I loved doing all the Dad things and felt so proud of him. I was proud of you too for how strong you were and the amazing kid you raised.”
No one ever said that to her. She'd tried her best and just hoped she hadn't screwed her kid up.
“You were proud of me?”
“Still am. But four years ago, when they had Miles skip a grade and enter high school a year early? His first day there was this gorgeously curvy woman standing beside the door, and I realized it was you. I very much enjoyed that view.”
She jerked her gaze away and hid her face. Her cheeks were on fire.
“Don't be embarrassed. Please, don't do that. I've thought about asking you out since then. Again, no interest. If you don't think you do or can like me in that way, then I just want to be your friend like I've always thought I was. Would it be so bad to spend some time with me? Come out to the ranch? Go on rides? Friends do all those things.”
“You kissed me the other day.”
“Yes, I did.”
“No one ever did that before.”
“Then the men in this town are idiots if they never wanted to kiss you. I just wish I gave you a better one for your first kiss. It was kinda weak.”
“I wouldn't know. I was too shocked by you doing it.”
“Why don't we do this, we'll start hanging out and spending some time together. No dates until you're ready. Just two single people being friends.”
“I never had friends to hang out with. It's always been Miles and the people I work with.”
She accepted her plate he returned to her lap.
“With the ranch and work, I don't have many friends either. Eat, and we'll watch a movie. Would you like to come out to the ranch to spend the night and I can take you out for a ride in the morning?”
“On a horse?”
“Or the motorcycle if you'd prefer that. If we take out my bike, we can go for a long ride. Maybe go to Cheyenne for a few hours. See about setting you up with an appointment for some ink.”
She couldn't help letting out a small laugh. “You're obsessed with me getting ink.”
“Not really, just an excuse to set up my next appointment.”
She lifted her gaze to his face. Bret wasn't watching her anymore, so it gave her the opportunity to study him as he flipped through the guide. His cheeks and jaw once covered with just a bit of stubble were now sporting a shaggy beard. Bret had always kept his face shaved smooth. She kind of liked him with the facial hair.
“What are you thinking?” Bret asked without looking at her.
“I like your beard.”
“Glad you think so. I was debating whether I wanted to shave it off or keep it.”
“You really should keep it. All those teenage girls and their mothers will be all swoony when fall comes around.”
“Don't say that.”
“Why? Not flattered by all those secret crushes?”
“No, the only person I want to have a crush is sitting beside me.”
“I did.”
“What?”
“First day of freshman year. I walked into your classroom, and I almost fell flat on my face.”
“Maybe I can make grown-up you react that way…one day.”
Bret picked a movie and asked was it okay. She liked action movies but had a feeling she wouldn't be paying much attention to what was happening on the screen. She turned until she relaxed back into the cushions and slowly ate her food. Her stomach was too full with the nervous jumping at being alone with a man.
Fear wasn't what she felt. Never once since she'd met Bret had he ever done anything to truly terrify her. She couldn't say Bret made her altogether comfortable either. A few times over the years when she let go and touched herself, she'd pictured Bret. She'd die of mortification if the man ever found out.
She liked orgasms—okay, she loved orgasms. Whether by hand or toy, but she didn't know what would happen if she ever let down her walls enough to let someone close. Would she have a flashback of being held down?
“I can see your thoughts are turning dark and that's not what I want. We're simply two friends hanging out.”
She swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat and tried to blink away the burning of her eyes.
Bret seemed to shift closer and laid his arm along the back of the couch. She ate a few more slices.
“Relax, you're looking tense. You can lean against my side.”
“You trying to make a move on your friend?”
He smirked. “Maybe,” he said with a wink.
She gave a roll of her eyes as she crossed her arms over her stomach and rested against Bret's side. She talked herself into relaxing each muscle until she was reclining against his ribs. Her head was lying on his shoulder. Bret didn't wrap his arm around her which she appreciated. She was having a hard time doing this little thing.
Once again, she felt the warm rush of Bret's breath and then his lips firmly pressed to her forehead. Bret didn't move away just rested his rough cheek against the top of her head. She took deep, even breaths as she let herself enjoy the company of someone other than Miles.
Friend, she really liked the sound of that.
He Was So Ready for a Date
As hard as he tried to focus on nothing but the sting of the needle moving across his skin, it was useless when Philly was dressed in a form-fitting V-neck that gave a glimpse of shallow cleavage. Not to be outdone by the short green khaki shorts that rode up to the tops of her thighs as she sat in the artist station right in front of him. She'd already gone through wi
th getting her first ink, but she didn't let him know or see what she was getting.
He was so ready for a date. He'd spent the last month with her. They hung out at the ranch or her place at least once a week, but it was all platonic.
“Almost done, man. You sure you don't want to stick around for a bit of color?”
His usual routine was he stayed in the chair or on the table until the piece was done but he hoped he could have a conversation with her about them. Philly remained closed off and only let him get so close before she pulled away from him.
“Made reservations to take my woman to dinner.”
Philly rolled her eyes, and he winked at her. She did seem more relaxed in the last week or so. Her clothes had turned tighter, and she loved to wear those shorts that rode the top of her thighs. They showed off the ample curves of her ass. Her sweet dimpled thighs rounded and lightly tanned. How many rides had they taken together where she'd squeezed them against his sides?
His feelings deepened, and his sexual attraction grew, but he knew Philly wasn't ready to hear that from him—yet.
“You can stay, Bret. We can pick up something on our way home.”
“No, I promised you dinner.”
“We're not exactly dressed for a fancy place.”
“That's why I'm taking you shopping.”
“You don't have—”
“I know I don't have to do anything, doesn't mean I don't want to take you and buy you something pretty.”
Philly refused to let him spend money on her beyond their pizza nights or him showing up with ice cream on especially hot days.
“I can buy something. I have money. You already paid for the tattoo.”
“Hush it, let me take care of you, at least a little, please?”
He'd learned that she would let him get his way for a short time and when they were alone she'd fight him on things. Try to pay him back for half of dinner. Bought him something that equaled what he gifted to her. He knew his woman was proud and Philly had taken care of herself for a long time. He simply wanted to pamper her a bit.