by Angel Smits
Soon, the evening started winding down and Marcus turned to find his son to leave. “Bye, Addie.” He stepped closer, and while his breath brushed her ear, his body heat brushed the rest of her. “See you around. Maybe at the coffee shop sometime.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
His grin was quick, and he moved away before she could confirm or deny anything.
Oh, for heaven’s sake, what was she thinking? They weren’t teenagers anymore. She was over thirty—not seventeen—and she was supposed to be supervising wayward kids. Not becoming one.
What was wrong with her? Hadn’t she learned her lesson? The last time she’d let herself fall for someone, she’d ended up heartbroken and alone. She’d sworn to never let that happen again.
* * *
ADDIE DIDN’T GO to the coffee shop the next night. Nor the one after that. She didn’t go for a week. She kept telling herself that she was too busy, that she had misunderstood his intentions. She’d been doing a pretty good job of fooling herself until Mandy called.
Her younger sister was in town for a training class. She helped on some of her fiancé’s fire crews, and was intent on learning all she could. Mandy called after the day’s training was done. “Meet me for coffee before I head home. I’ll need some caffeine for the road. Is that little coffee shop still there by the mall? I love their tea cakes.”
“Yeah,” Addie agreed. Mandy didn’t often get time for herself. Having a one-year-old did that. “I can be there by five.” She couldn’t deny her sister much of anything, and she craved some sister time herself.
“Perfect. I’m on my way.”
Addie was anxious to talk to Mandy, who’d recently acquired that beautiful engagement ring. It had been too noisy, and too hectic, at the diner’s reopening to get the details of Lane’s long-awaited proposal.
For her sister’s sake, she’d chance going to the coffee shop. Really, that was the only reason she was going. Yet, still she walked down the hall to the teachers’ lounge and ducked into the ladies’ room to fix her hair and makeup.
She stared at her reflection. “You’re being stupid,” she told the woman in the mirror. She gave her hair one last fluff and left the scent of hairspray behind.
When Addie arrived, Mandy was already there, parked at a corner table by the big glass window. A large cup sat in front of her, and a plate of teacakes was in the center of the table.
“No fair,” Addie said, mimicking their childhood taunts. “I planned to treat you as congratulations.”
Mandy grinned at her. “I’ll let you treat yourself, then. Wasn’t sure what you wanted.”
Addie went to the counter with a smile. She wasn’t like her siblings, who all drank coffee—some by the gallon. Mandy was a creature of habit, and ordered the same drink no matter where they went. Addie much preferred tea, and with so many to choose from, it was always fun to go to the counter. If they were advertising a deal, she’d try that.
Today, however, she hesitated. The drink on the sign was blue. Bright neon blue. She liked being around her students, but she wasn’t quite ready to completely join their world. Blue was not something she could drink.
“Chai tea.” She was celebrating, after all, and ready for a long gab session with her sister.
Mandy laughed when Addie finally reached the table with her steaming cup. “I thought you’d order the blue thing.”
“Yeah, right. You know better.”
“Yeah. That’s more Tara’s speed.” Their youngest sister was even more adventurous than Addie. In everything. “It would be fun if she was here. We need a girls’ night.”
“You need a girls’ night. I need a nap.” Addie sat, enjoying the chance to just sit. “This job is a lot of work.”
“You still like it?”
“Mostly.” Addie looked out the window in the direction of the school. She couldn’t see the building, but she saw it in her mind’s eye. It had been a long day. The Haldons, now that they’d decided to come back from their various travels, had been in today. Amazing how upset they’d been regarding yet another slugfest that their son had gotten into. She’d expected Nick to be suspended before the end of the year.
She’d been right.
“Oh, my.” Mandy’s eyes widened at the just-opening door. “That’s an intense stare.”
Addie followed her gaze. Marcus had just walked in, and was looking right at her. His backpack was slung over his broad shoulder, and the way he stopped told her he was surprised to see her.
Her stomach did an irritating summersault, and she tore her gaze back to the contents of her cup. She swallowed and focused on her drink.
Mandy looked at her with a quizzical frown. She leaned back in her seat. “So, what’s up with you...and him?”
“Me? Nothing.” Addie hadn’t come here to discuss herself. “I want to know about the proposal.”
“Ooh, there’s something there.” At Addie’s frown, Mandy didn’t push anymore, focusing instead on choosing just the right cake from the plate sitting between them. “These are yummy.” She bit into one, unable to quiet her sigh of pleasure. “Though not as good as your cookies. You sure you don’t have anything to share?”
“I’m sure,” Addie said, focusing on selecting her own sweet cake. And there wasn’t anything to share. They’d had drinks and he was the parent of a student. End of story.
Mandy quietly drank, and Addie pretended to ignore the looks her sister was giving her. She was not explaining. Heck, she didn’t even understand what she was thinking and feeling anymore.
Marcus didn’t come over. Instead, he headed to the counter to order. She tried not to watch him. He looked tired, and she wondered if he’d brought the book.
He looked so... Her thoughts slid away as he reached into the backpack and pulled out a worn leather wallet to pay the barista. He looked all business. But she saw the tiny details that belied his facade.
The way his hair curled a bit too long beyond the collar of his white shirt. The five o’clock shadow that framed his wide jaw. The loose tie, the knot lopsided.
She wondered what his students thought of him. What kind of teacher was he? So many of the professors were much more casual these days. She’d like to see him teach. She was curious about his style—that was all, she told herself.
“Yoo-hoo!” Mandy pulled Addie’s mind to their conversation.
“Want to hear about Lane’s proposal? Or tell me about where your mind just went?” Mandy’s eyes sparkled with younger-sister mischief.
Addie laughed. “The proposal.” She forced herself to not look at Marcus. “Tell me everything.” She loved Mandy’s ability to tell a story. She picked up her mug and sat back, waiting to be entertained. This was going to be good.
* * *
SHE WAS HERE. But she wasn’t alone. The other woman was doing most of the talking, while Addie smiled and laughed.
He didn’t even have to work hard to look for her, like he had nearly every night in the past week. She lit up the room with her riot of blond curls that caught the fading sunlight. Her laughter reached out and tugged him toward her.
He should go home. He glanced at his watch. Ryan was at baseball practice for another hour. Or he could grab a cup and take it to the ballpark and watch.
Instead, he decided to stay. And what, wait? He found a table and opened his backpack. This place was small with few patrons tonight. He could hear their entire conversation without even trying.
“Lane was out in the field with his crew when he ran into that guy he worked for on the fire here. Guess he gave Lane a hard time about letting me go.” The smugness in the other woman’s voice was unmistakable.
“But he didn’t let you go,” Addie said.
“He pointed out that Lane wasn’t wearing a ring, so I must be a free woman.” The woman’s laughter filled the small room. “Lane went and got a
ring that night. Once the fire was out, he came home and got down on a knee before he’d even showered all the smoke off.”
Marcus knew he should leave. Eavesdropping was rude. But he had to wait for his drink. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and paced to the counter, hoping they’d hurry.
“Something must have scared him.” Addie’s voice was soft.
The two women were silent for a moment. “It was a rough fire. One of the guys was hurt.” The other woman took her time taking a drink, but quickly recovered. “Actually, now that he’s over the asking, he’s all gung-ho to get the whole thing going. He wants to get married soon.”
“How soon?” Addie’s voice was hesitant.
“As soon as I can buy a dress, he said. But I told him we were only going to do this once, and we are going to do it right. I’ll let him know when I’m ready.”
“Don’t make the poor guy suffer too long,” Addie admonished.
“Oh, I won’t. I just need to figure out how to do it all.” There was a note of panic in the woman’s voice.
“We’ll help.”
“I hoped you would.” The relief was strong in the other woman’s voice.
They laughed again, the sound filling the air around him. Both Addie and the other woman stood then.
“It’s so good to see you, sis.” The redhead gave Addie a hug.
Ah, her sister.
“You, too.”
The already quiet coffee shop fell silent. He would not turn around. He shouldn’t look over his shoulder. Damn. Her perfume reached out to him.
Then he realized they had to walk past him to get to the door.
“Hello, Marcus.” Her voice was soft, and yet rough at the same time. Tinged with surprise? Pleasure? He couldn’t ignore her. That would be rude—and impossible.
He turned. She took his breath away. The evening sunlight fell in the window and over her hair. Her eyes were bright and crystal blue. She took a step back as if she was as surprised as he was that she’d said anything.
“Hello, Addie.” He tried to keep it informal and yet—what?—professional? Whom was he kidding? For a long minute, they stared at each other, neither of them speaking. Did they need to?
“Ahem.”
Addie visibly shook herself. And stepped back. “I—uh.” She swallowed, and he missed the intensity of her gaze on him. She glanced at the woman, her cheeks turning a warm shade of pink. “Marcus, this is my sister, Mandy. Mandy, this is Marcus Skylar. His son goes to my school.”
The woman grinned at him, then turned to her sister, and that grin widened. “Nice to meet you.”
She nudged Addie and the look Addie threw her made Marcus actually laugh out loud. His sister, Anne, had a similar dagger-throwing glare. One that inspired the phrase “if looks could kill.”
“I’ll be taking off now, Ad.” Mandy shouldered her purse and turned toward the door. “You guys have a nice time. Both of you.”
Then she was gone and he stood there next to Addie.
What the hell was he supposed to do now?
CHAPTER SIX
“I HOPE THAT wasn’t your ride,” Marcus said, watching the bright blue car pull away.
Addie laughed. “No, she knows I normally walk home from here.” She shouldered her purse. “She has to get going—she’s got a one-year-old and a wedding to plan.”
“Sounds...hectic.”
“Yeah. My family never does anything the normal way.” The silence stretched out. “Well, guess I’ll be heading home. Good to see you again.”
“I’ll walk with you.” He wasn’t quite ready to be alone again.
“Uh—sure.” Together, they headed toward the sidewalk.
“So, tell me more about this family of yours,” he said, falling into step with her. He’d always wondered what it would be like to have a brother, or a bunch of siblings growing up.
“It’s definitely interesting.” She walked at a leisurely pace. “Wyatt’s the oldest, but only by a couple years. He owns our granddad’s ranch west of here. My younger brother DJ helps him. He was in Afghanistan and came home wounded, so while Wyatt’s all cowboy, DJ is a begrudging one.”
Marcus laughed. “How is one a begrudging cowboy?”
“Begrudgingly?”
Her laughter echoed over the evening air, and Marcus found himself enthralled with the sweet sound. “I’ll bet your teachers just loved you.”
“Why yes, they did in fact.” Again, her laughter wrapped around him. This time, he couldn’t resist joining her.
“Okay, who else?”
“My other brother, Jason, is married to Lauren Ramsey...the world-famous ballerina. You’ve heard of her?”
“I have, though don’t tell the guys. I have a reputation to uphold.” He winked. “Actually, my sister, Anne, is a huge patron of the ballet. She’ll be green with envy when I tell her.”
“You sound like a typical brother. Let me guess, she’s older than you?”
“Good guess, considering you had a fifty-fifty chance. Tell me more.”
“Let’s see. Wyatt and DJ are both married. DJ’s wife, Tammie, is expecting their second child any day now. They got married last year. Their son, Tyler, was the best man.”
His double take must have surprised her.
“Told you, we do things a bit differently in my family.”
“You did warn me.” They walked for a bit longer before he nudged her again. “Next?”
“You met Mandy. Her fiancé is a hotshot firefighter. Like I said, they have a one-year-old son, Lucas. It’s about time Lane finally proposed.”
“Yeah. About time.” Marcus savored her obvious enjoyment at sharing the stories of her family.
“And last?”
“My baby sister, Tara, is a chef. She just opened a diner in Haskins Corners. It’s a small town near the ranch.”
“And I suppose she has a husband, too?”
“Not yet. But I’m guessing her boyfriend, Morgan, will pop the question soon. I certainly hope so.”
“Sounds like quite the family. A happy bunch.” Marcus was enthralled and a bit jealous, he had to admit. “You helped raise them all?” He recalled her comment the other night about losing her father.
“I helped Mom and Wyatt.” Her footsteps slowed. “Sometimes I think I know how to be a parent without ever really being one.”
“What about you? Ever been in love? Married? Almost married?” Why was he asking that? He told himself to stop.
Something changed with that question, and as soon as he looked in her eyes, he regretted asking. She’d been happy sharing her family life with him. Not now. Now there were shutters in her eyes that fell just as he got a glimpse of the pain. “Once upon a time,” she whispered. “I believed in the fairy tale for me.” She fell silent. He didn’t ask anything more—he didn’t want to twist the knife that she obviously felt.
They’d reached the white picket fence surrounding her yard. He almost asked how a girl who lived in a house with a white picket fence could live in it alone, but he didn’t.
“Thanks for walking with me,” she hastily said, then pushed the gate open, and just as hastily closed it between them. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” She rushed into the house, not looking back, not even to wave goodbye.
Why did he feel so disappointed?
* * *
SLEEP DIDN’T COME EASY. Addie tossed and turned until well past midnight. At this rate, she would be exhausted in the morning. She knew she was in trouble when she started counting the few hours she’d get if she fell asleep right now. Four was not a lucky number.
Marcus’s simple question had no simple answer. Too many memories flooded her mind. Of that last, fateful summer. The summer of fun and love and sunshine—and Cal. His image came to mind, and even now, his smile had the power to lif
t her spirits. She’d been so head over heels, she’d barely known which way was up.
And she hadn’t much cared. She’d just wanted to be with him all the time. Thought they’d have forever. The life she’d planned back then, at the grand old age of eighteen, was drastically different from the one she lived now. Not that it was bad. It was good—just, she admitted to herself, lonely sometimes.
Especially now that her siblings had moved on with their lives. And they didn’t need her anymore.
Punching her pillow, she forced her eyes to stay closed. She’d keep them closed until she fell asleep. How hard could it be? She was tired, after all.
When the bright light woke her, she swore she’d just finally fallen asleep. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The light was too bright. What time was it? Was she late? What day was it?
The house had been cool, thanks to the air-conditioning when she’d fallen asleep.
Now, she was soaked in sweat and the air was hot and thick.
She glanced at the alarm clock, but her eyes refused to focus. It took a minute to blink her gaze clear. Ten fifteen. She flung back the covers and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The room spun. She sat there for several long minutes trying to regain her sense of equilibrium.
Texas was famous for the thick heat of summer, the heavy, humid air that came in from the gulf. But it was too early in the season for the worst of the heat. Still, this was unbearable.
Slowly, she stood, using the edge of the nightstand to balance, then the dresser to make her way to the vent. No cool air rushed from the metal grate. Something must be wrong with the air-conditioning unit. She’d have to call someone. Her mind grasped the problem but struggled to hold onto it.
Was it cooler outside? Surely, it had to be. She made her way to the window. The frame was stubborn. She didn’t open it often. It took her several tries, but she finally got it open. Only a slight breeze came in. It was enough for now, she thought. She hoped.
Her head hurt. Pain stabbed behind her eyes, sharp and blinding. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should do something. But what? Call someone? Who?
The men on the ranch were very careful when they were out in the sun all day. Why did that thought pop into her head now? They drank lots of water. Where was there water? Bathroom. Her thoughts were disjointed, but she knew she could get to the bathroom.