by Lacey Wolfe
Now to hope she responded with just a text. He took a sip from his glass of tea just as the screen lit up on his phone and it vibrated. Damn it, she was calling.
“Hey, sis.”
“How did she say it?” Again, his sister needed to know how it was said. “Did you ask her out and she said this wasn’t a good time. If so, she’s not interested in you.”
He chuckled. “No, it wasn’t like that. We’d already gone out once, but something happened with her son, which in turn had her telling me she couldn’t date right now. She’s a single mom.”
Diane took a deep breath. “Well.” She paused and Cody could hear Patrick laughing and banging something in the background. “Have you seen her since?”
“No.”
“Called?”
“Nope.”
“I don’t know.”
Wow, Diane didn’t know? This was new. “I guess I’m still at square one.”
She giggled. “Call her.”
“You think?” He was so confused.
“She’s busy if it’s just her raising her kid. Lord, I’m not single and I’m busy. I can only imagine what her life is like working and having a child. If you like her, show her. Maybe she’s worried you’re just looking for a fuck.”
“Diane!” He shook his head in disbelief. His sister hadn’t just said that.
“I’m just saying, if she decides to date you, she’s not looking to fool around. So if you don’t have good intentions, don’t call.”
Cody let out the breath he’d been holding. This whole dating game sucked. Perhaps the parents that arranged marriages when their kids were just babies knew what they were doing. At least then the kids didn’t have to play these games and struggle to figure out if the other person liked them or not.
“Okay, I’ll call.”
Patrick let out a piercing scream. “I’ve got to go. The kitten Matt insisted on getting Patrick just scratched him.”
“Oh no. Why?”
“Damn kid keeps pulling its tail.”
Cody grinned silently, since he couldn’t exactly laugh without his sister giving him an earful. “Go take care of him.”
“All right. Later.”
He set the phone on his lap. So he should call. According to his sister, he needed to show Lily he was in this for the long haul and not just a fuck. Cody liked Lily, and wanted more than getting her between the sheets, but marriage? All he could do was take his feelings one day at a time. If Lily even decided to date him.
* * * *
“Today wasn’t good.” Margaret frowned and Lily’s gut dropped. “I’m sorry. I’ve left her in her room with the TV on, but she’s being quiet and not speaking.”
“Okay, thanks.” On days like this, she wasn’t sure she could handle caring for her mom much longer. Lily was the youngest. She had two older brothers, and she was born years later, when her mom was in menopause and thought she couldn’t get pregnant any longer. According to her family, since she was the daughter, she was the one who should care for her mom in this time of need. Her brothers’ wives called, and her brothers sent money, but it wasn’t the same. They weren’t here each day, watching as she got worse, and wondering when it was time to give up.
“The other night she was calling for my father,” Lily said as a deep sadness rolled over her.
“All we can do is take it one day at a time.” Margret smiled in a reassuring way. “She still knows you and your brothers, as well as Gunther. Don’t give up yet.”
Lily patted her arm. Just the thought of coming home one day and her mother not recognizing her hurt too much to even fathom it. “Thank you for all you do; I couldn’t do this without you.”
“I’ll be here in the morning.”
“Oh, while I’m thinking about it, who do I put in a request with to have weekend support?”
Margaret raised an eyebrow. “Every weekend?”
“No, just every now and then. Gunther’s dad is coming to get him, and I wanted to take some alone time. Selfish, I know.”
Margret shook her head. “It’s not selfish, it’s deserved. Jennie usually works with me with clients, and fills in when I can’t be there. I’ll call her and see if she can be here this weekend.”
“Thank you.”
The nurse grabbed her keys from her purse. “Have a good evening.”
“You, too.”
Lily wandered into the kitchen, her heart heavy. She wished she had someone to talk to. A friend. Someone she could talk to about her life and they’d just listen. That sounded wonderful. All day she listened to everyone else’s life at the diner, but it was rare anyone asked how she was. Then again, it wasn’t like she could come out and tell them about her mom. They’d leave her sympathy tips, and she didn’t need that.
She wasn’t hurting for money. Heath did his part to make sure Gunther had what he needed, and her brothers helped with her mother’s medical costs. If she didn’t have that financial support, she’d be in the hole.
Gunther set his Lego ship down when she entered the living room. “Mom, can I play Xbox until dinner?”
That kid and his video games. “Homework done?”
“We don’t have any,” he mumbled.
She didn’t even feel like making sure he was telling the truth. He was a good kid; she’d take his word for it. “Okay. Leave grandma alone, though.”
Gunther nodded. He understood. He’d entered her room before, just to give her a kiss, and sent her into a screaming fit. Unfortunately, sometimes Gunther was the one she’d forget. Not him necessarily, but she’d have a relapse and think he was still an infant, not the seven-year-old boy he was now.
Lily sat down at the kitchen table. She needed a few minutes to herself before starting supper. Her feet ached, especially her heels. This weekend when Gunther was gone, she had to find some shoes with better arch support. A pedicure was also in order, even if it was almost winter and no one would see her toes, just the rubbing and warm water would do wonders.
Her phone rang loudly from her purse, bringing her out of her daydream. She hoped it wasn’t the diner. The girl who came in after her had been threatening to quit, but there was no way Lily could work nights. She pulled the phone from the leather bag. Cody.
Answer or ignore? Her stomach fluttered at the thought of hearing his deep voice. Answer.
“Hello.” She was way too curious not to answer, anyway.
“Hey, I hope it’s not a bad time.”
There was no good time lately. “I’ve got a few minutes before I start dinner. How are you?”
“I wanted to see how Gunther was.”
“Really?” That was odd. Why would he call about her son?
“Yeah, you said he’d been in a fight last I saw you.”
“Oh, yeah.” She’d already forgotten about that. “He’s having a hard time making friends, and he seems to have a…” She didn’t need to tell this to Cody.
“A what?”
She sighed. She couldn’t not tell him now. “A bully.”
“Is this school doing something about it?” His tone laced with concern.
“Yeah. Gunther wasn’t crazy about being bossed around, so he punched the kid.”
Cody chuckled. “Good for him.”
She rolled her eyes. “Violence doesn’t solve problems.” She cleared her throat, realizing she was taking her bad day out on Cody. “Sorry. I’ve just had a long day, and I’ve still got dinner to cook.”
“I won’t keep you. I just wanted to check on Gunther.”
Butterflies formed in her stomach and fluttered around in fast circles. It was sweet he cared enough to call. “Thank you, that’s sweet.”
They were both quiet. Lily needed to end the conversation and get back to her life, but she also liked having him on the other end of the phone. For some reason he cared about her and her son. If only she could open herself up to him.
“I’d like to see you again, but I understand if this isn’t a good time. Maybe I can be there a
s a friend.”
Cody could never be just a friend; she wanted to hop on him and ride her way to ecstasy. “I’d like to see you, too, but I just don’t know how to do it. My life is complicated.”
“We can take it slow.”
That sounded almost perfect; however, it would be dead slow. “I…”
“I’m not going to push you,” he said.
“Mom, I need help with this game,” Gunther called from the kitchen doorway. “I can’t get it to play.”
And life called. “I’ve got to go, Cody. I’m sorry. We’ll talk soon.” She pressed the end button, not giving him a chance to respond.
She needed to tell Cody no. This really wasn’t the right time in her life to start a relationship, but she didn’t have the heart. Or more like, her heart didn’t want her to. He tugged on the strings in a way she didn’t expect. She barely knew him, but falling for him would be easy. The question was, could she make time in her already hectic life for Cody?
Chapter Five
Cody took a deep breath and opened the door to the Swift Water Café. His gaze darted around, but he didn’t see Lily. He slowly let out the breath he’d been holding.
“Hey, Officer Duncan,” Kathy greeted him with her usual cheerful face. “Let me guess, you’re coming in for our pork chop special today.”
He smiled. “Of course.” It wasn’t a complete lie. This place made the best pork chops.
“Come on in.” She rolled her arms, motioning him in.
Cody sat down at his usual booth in the back corner of the diner.
Placing a hand on her wide hip, she asked, “What can I get you to drink?”
“Coffee.”
“All right, and the pork chop special.”
Cody nodded. “Yup. So, where is Lily?”
Kathy smirked. “She’s easy on the eyes, that’s for sure. She’s not here today; her son was having some problems at school again. Poor kid. He seems to have found himself in a pickle. Not making friends and getting picked on.”
He balled his hand into a fist, hating that this kid was having such a hard time. “I hate to hear that.”
She must’ve noticed his tension and hurried to end that conversation. “I’ll be back with your coffee.”
Cody didn’t know Gunther, but he did know the child didn’t deserve to be picked on. It was tough enough being in a new place not knowing anyone. He couldn’t believe kids could be so mean at such a young age.
“Here you go.” Kathy slid the mug onto the table. “Holler if you need me before the food’s ready.”
Kathy had been working at the Swift Water Café for years. Cody couldn’t remember a time he’d been here when she wasn’t. She was a feisty and engaging woman, plus a damn good waitress. She moved from table to table with ease, as though she was born for this job.
Cody pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He scrolled through his contacts until he had Lily’s name ready to be clicked. If he wanted to show her he was in this for more than a quick romp, he should call and check on her.
He pressed her name and put the phone to his ear. It rang three times and he was prepared to hang up, but then her sweet voice said hello.
His heart beat a little quicker as he tried to form the needed words to have a conversation. “Hey, Lily. I’m up here at the Swift Water Café.”
“Oh, hey. I’m not working today. Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He sipped his coffee. Ouch, that was hot. “Kathy said Gunther was still having problems.”
“You’re sweet. He’s fine. I had a meeting with the principal and now we’re getting ready to eat lunch ourselves.”
“Is the school taking care of the issue?” If not, he knew just who to contact in the board of education to get it taken care of.
She giggled. “Yeah, as best they can for now.”
“Good.”
“It’s kind of you to call and ask, especially when this isn’t your concern.”
“I like you and I…” He had no idea how to finish the sentence.
“Thank you.”
The line was quiet. Maybe calling had been a mistake. He hadn’t thought this through. “Where are you two eating?”
“At home. Hot ham and cheese wraps with chips.”
That sounded good. There was nothing like ham and melted cheese. “I’m having the pork chop special.”
“That is popular. Mike brings in crowds with those chops.”
He smiled, enjoying this small talk with her. “I’ve had them before. They are good.”
A woman’s voice called to Lily. “I’ve got to go. Thanks for calling about Gunther. Again, that was sweet of you.”
He wished he had some sort of excuse to keep her on the line. “It was no problem. Enjoy your lunch.”
“You, too.”
He set the phone down just as Kathy appeared with his meal. She scooted the plate in front of him and Cody’s mouth watered. That was a big piece of meat with the sides to feed any hungry man.
“What else can I get you?” Kathy asked.
“This is perfect.”
“Good. I’ll be back by in a few. Enjoy.” She turned to the table behind her to see how they were.
Cody cut into his pork chop, his thoughts not on how good it tasted, but on Lily instead. Was he making a mistake pursuing this? He had no guarantee she’d want to date him, but for some reason he just couldn’t walk away from her. He had to try.
* * * *
Eight in the morning on a Saturday was way too early to be driving through Brookfield to the park to meet Heath. At least once it was done Lily had the day to herself. She already felt guilty hiring someone to help with her mom, but she really just needed some time to relax and get her head on straight.
“You did remember your toothbrush, right?”
She glanced at him in the rearview mirror. Gunther nodded.
“Underwear?”
“Yes, Mom,” he replied, his tone the epitome of an exasperated seven-year-old.
She grinned, knowing she was nagging. They’d packed together the night before, and she was certain he had everything, and even if he didn’t, Heath would take care of it.
“We’re here.” She pulled her small sedan into a vacant spot in front of the park.
Heath sat on a bench, sipping from a paper cup. Gunther was out of the car in record speed, running toward his dad. The two embraced. Lily was happy her son was getting some time with his father. He needed it, and she’d given Heath strict instructions to see if Gunther would share with him any news on the bully.
Lily crossed the green grass toward her ex-husband. He held out her own disposable cup. She took it and smiled.
“I knew you’d need more caffeine.” He winked.
She took a drink from the cup. White mocha—one of her favorites. “Thank you. It was on my list to get one of these after I left here. How was the drive?”
“Not bad, and worth it.” He squeezed Gunther close. “I missed this guy.”
“I won’t hold you up. I know you’ve got plans.” The guilt of moving their son so far away from his father seeped in.
“Let’s get your stuff, bud.”
Gunther ran ahead, leaving Lily with Heath as they walked back toward the car. “You look good,” she said.
“You look…tired.”
She sighed. “I can’t hide anything from you.”
“Never could.” He stopped walking. Lily glanced at him, seeing the serious expression on his face. “You don’t have to do this alone. You can put her in a home.”
Lily shook her head. “You don’t put people places.” She hated when people said that. “Besides, she’s my mom. I should be caring for her. If it gets to be too much, I will start looking for new places for her to call home.”
“You’re a good woman,” he said.
“And you’ve got a son waiting on you.” She made her way to the car and popped the trunk open.
Heath removed the small duffle bag and flung it over his shoulder.
“Grab your booster seat.”
Once Gunther was buckled into his father’s car, Lily leaned in and hugged him tight. “I’m going to miss you so much. Don’t grow too much over the weekend.”
“Mom.” Gunther rolled his eyes. “I’ll be home tomorrow.”
She kissed his cheek. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, and I love you. Call if you need me.” Lily closed the door and spun around to Heath. “Drive safe. Text me when you get home.”
“Will do.” He pulled the keys from his pocket. “Enjoy some time to yourself.”
Lily leaned against her car and watched as they drove off. She should be feeling the excitement of freedom. She could do whatever she wanted for the next day, but instead, she missed her son the second the car was out of her sight.
She picked up the coffee she’d set on the hood and took a long drink. She glanced out at the park. A few people were out running this morning. God, she wished she had that kind of determination. Lily was one of those people, if you saw her running, you should run yourself, since something was most likely chasing her.
One runner caught her attention just as he stopped a few feet in front of her. He leaned over, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.
“Cody,” escaped her lips.
His head turned, looking at her. Sweaty and sexy. He wore a pair of navy athletic shorts and a white wife beater. And, oh God, the muscles on his arms. She’d not expected to see those. Damn, she really wanted to wrap her hands around them and see if they were as hard as they appeared.
“Hey.” He stood straight.
“You okay?” Cody seemed winded. “Do you run often?”
He chuckled. “I do. However, I just extended my sprint. Pushing myself this morning.”
“Oh.” She knew nothing about running, but assumed that meant he was running as fast as he could.
“What are you doing out here?” He ran his hands through his damp hair.
“Gunther just went with his dad.” So I’m free.
“Do you have any plans?”
Say yes. Lily didn’t need to get mixed up with him right now. A boyfriend—or whatever he would be—would be one more thing in her life she just didn’t have time for. However, as he stood before her, his shirt clinging to his chest and his hair a sexy, wet mess, she couldn’t find the courage to lie. She had all weekend to get that pedicure, after all. “Nothing set in stone.”