“I’m sorry to hear about that, Mrs. Degeorge,” Reed said. “I don’t know where the blender is, but I can pay you back so you can buy a new one.”
“Oh, that’s good of you. It seems like it was forty-seven dollars if I remember right.”
She looked at him expectantly and he pulled his wallet from his back pocket and counted out some bills.
“I don’t have change so we’ll just make it an even fifty,” he said.
“You’re such a dear,” Mrs. DeGeorge said, handing back one of the bills to pay for her raffle ticket. “Save a dance for me tonight. I’m not spoken for anymore, you know.”
Reed handed over her change and gave her a polite smile. I made sure Mrs. DeGeorge was out of earshot before I laughed softly.
“Subtlety is a lost art in Lovely,” I said, giving him a sympathetic look.
“Ain’t that the truth,” he muttered. “It wasn’t the end of the world. I was supposed to get married five years ago. I’ve been over it since then, but sometimes it seems like no one except me wants to forget about it.”
“So, she just didn’t show up? That’s pretty harsh.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged. “Just wasn’t meant to be, so it was best to find out before the wedding, even though I wish it had happened differently.”
“Very true. And did you, uh . . . ever meet someone else?”
He looked over and gave me a small smile. “No, I’m still a bachelor. How ‘bout you? I hear you’ve shot down most every single guy in Lovely.”
My cheeks warmed. “Definitely not that many. I have a little boy. If I’m not working, I’m with him. I don’t have time for a social life right now.”
“What’s his name?”
“Noah. He’s three. He’s actually . . . the reason I came tonight. When I came to Lovely, I was pregnant and alone. I didn’t have health insurance. The hospital foundation covered all the costs of my delivery. I would have been in debt for the rest of my life without that gift. Now I help raise money for the foundation to give back.”
Reed nodded knowingly. “That’s how you got to know my mom, then. She’s always been active with the foundation.”
“Yes. She taught me to knit and she’s the reason Margie and I bake fifty pies for the bake sale every year.”
“I’m gonna need to know when that is. I’ve got a weakness for apple pie.” His serious look turned into a grin. “So Noah must keep you busy.”
“He does.”
“Does he like sports?”
I laughed and furrowed my brow. “He’s only three.”
“Yeah, but that’s old enough to chase a ball around. Bring him by the gym sometime if you want and I’ll lower one of the hoops and teach him some basketball.”
“You play basketball?”
“Ever since I started walking.”
“I guess it makes sense since you’re so tall. How tall are you, exactly?”
“Six-four.”
“Wow.”
“Seriously, if you ever want an afternoon to yourself some weekend, I’ll play basketball with Noah. He’s probably too young for boxing.”
“Are you kidding?”
He gave me a lopsided grin. “Yeah, I’m kidding. I’d never box with a kid.”
“I’d take kickboxing at the gym if I had time.”
“Yeah? I could teach you how to box if you want. You could hit me, but I wouldn’t hit back.”
“I’ve wanted to learn some kind of self-defense for a while.”
“I can help with boxing, or teaching you how to shoot.”
My eyes widened with surprise. “With a gun?”
“Yeah.” He laughed. “I’m a hunter, but I’m decent with handguns too.”
“Really? That’s good, I guess.”
Reed grinned and nudged my shoulder with his arm. “Quit looking at me like I’m a serial killer. This is the Bible belt. Guns are an everyday thing here.”
“I know. But they’re not my thing.”
His gaze was warm. “So what is your thing?”
“I don’t really have any things. I’m always working, or I’m with Noah. I read sometimes when he goes to sleep. And I was on the dance team in high school, but that was so long ago.”
“How long?”
“You’re asking how old I am?”
“In a roundabout way, yep.”
“I’m 22.”
Grace approached the table, her cheeks flushed. I’d seen her running around all evening to coordinate things.
“I’m closing up ticket sales since the drawings are coming up in about five minutes,” she said. “You two go enjoy yourselves. There’s plenty of food if you’re hungry.”
“Actually, I’m hoping for a dance,” Reed said. He stood and held a hand out to me.
I pushed back a wave of nervous excitement. “Oh, I don’t—”
“Dance?” His lopsided grin was back. “Tell me another one. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten how in four years, Ivy. Come on.”
“Go on,” Grace said. “Have some fun, Ivy.”
“I don’t . . .” I paused, unable to finish the sentence. My mind was racing and what I wanted to say was that I didn’t touch men, but I knew that would sound weird.
And it was weird, but it was true. Other than customers bumping into me at work, I hadn’t touched a man since that awful night in my bedroom four year ago.
But Reed looked expectant and sincere. I wanted to say yes, but I stayed seated in my chair.
“C’mon. Save me from Mrs. DeGeorge,” he said in a teasing tone.
I laughed and took a deep breath before sliding my hand into his. His hand was much bigger than mine, and the warmth of his touch made my heart race.
Reed led me onto the wooden dance floor and I avoided the gazes directed toward us. I could practically hear the Lovely rumor mill churning to life. It was just a dance, but in Lovely it would be grounds for morning coffee shop conversation.
When Reed turned and put a hand on my lower back, I sucked in a nervous breath. He was a good dancer, and he led me around the floor slowly so I could get the hang of it.
The sweet smell of hay lingered in the barn. People nearby were laughing and talking happily. I tried to focus on what was happening around us, but it was hard to think about anything but the warm brown eyes on me.
His sweet, disarming small talk had put me at ease when we were selling tickets, but now he said nothing, and my heart was once again racing uncontrollably. He just held me close and led me in time to the music. When the song switched, neither of us made a move to stop dancing.
I didn’t want to like dancing with Reed. My past had made me strong and absolutely certain there was nothing I couldn’t handle. I didn’t need anyone but Noah. And I didn’t need this closeness with Reed, but I admitted to myself that I liked it.
My hand rested on Reed’s broad, firm shoulder. His warm gaze made me feel something I’d never experienced. I felt womanly, and maybe even a little alluring. It was a delicious thrill.
This was so different from dancing with Levi at junior prom. He’d groped my ass, kissed my neck and pressed his erection against me. Reed was a gentleman, and I was more aroused by the look in his eyes than I ever was by anything Levi did or said to me.
When the music ended an announcer said it was time for the drawings. Reed led me off the dance floor by the hand. He made his way through the crowd with me in tow, stopping at a table with food and drinks.
“You want some cider?” he asked. I nodded and he ladled me a cup. It was warm and spicy, and I didn’t think until I’d finished half of it to ask if it was spiked with alcohol.
“Nah, I think it was made by the ladies from the church league,” Reed said. “But I bet we can find some moonshine if you’re wanting something stronger.”
I shook my head and sipped the cider. “Just this is perfect for me.”
We were making our way to a table to sit down when a group of men approached and one of them put an arm around Reed. They
were all tall and dark and I recognized one of them as his brother Austin. These had to be the rest of the Lockhart boys. All but one of them, anyway.
“Hey man, how’s it going?” one of them said to Reed.
“Ivy, these are my older brothers,” Reed said. “Kyle, Mason and you already know Austin.”
“I’ve seen you in the diner before,” Mason said, reaching out to shake my hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too. There’s one more brother, right?”
“Justin’s at law school in Boston,” Reed said. “He’s the baby of the family.”
A pretty blonde woman with big breasts too firm to be real came up and slid in beside Kyle.
“My sister-in-law Kim,” Reed said. “Kim, this is Ivy.”
“Hey,” Kim said, offering a quick smile. She looked up at Kyle. “How long do we have to stay? I’d like to get dinner soon.”
“There’s food here,” Mason suggested, pointing to the table nearby.
Kim scrunched her face with disgust. “Pigs in a blanket, or a pulled pork sandwich eaten at a folding table in a barn is not dinner, Mason.”
“It is for me,” Mason said, shrugging. “Those corn muffin things are really good.”
“You feel like walking outside?” Reed asked me in a low tone.
“Actually, I should go. My work is done, so I’d better get home.”
“Excuse us, guys,” Reed said, putting a hand on my back and leading me away from the group. When we were alone, I looked up at him awkwardly.
“Thanks for the dance,” I said. “Or . . . dances. Anyway, thanks. It was fun.”
“Yeah, it was. I should be the one thanking you. I’ll walk you to your car.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I shook my head, my heart starting its wild pounding again. Would he try to kiss me? I didn’t want that. I already felt an energy between us, and that would just confirm it.
I hadn’t come to Lovely to find a man. I’d come to raise one, and dating was a distraction I didn’t need.
“I want to,” he said. “Do you have stuff you need to grab?”
“Just my purse. I left it under the table.”
I got my purse and said goodnight to Grace. Reed walked me the short distance to my car, which was parked in the grass outside the barn.
“Is Noah at home with a babysitter?” he asked.
“He’s with Margie and Gene. We spend Friday nights with them.”
“Gene’s a great guy. He’s an old friend of my dad’s.”
Suddenly I was standing next to my old Toyota, and I dug my keys out of my purse. When I looked up at Reed, a moment of silence passed between us. The barn was filled with light and laughter, but we stood alone in the darkness. It was a perfectly orchestrated moment for a kiss.
Reed leaned down and pulled on my door handle, opening it for me.
“Goodnight, Ivy,” he said, taking my hand for just a second and rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.
“Goodnight.”
I slid into the driver’s seat and he closed the door for me. I spent the drive to Margie and Gene’s house replaying the evening in my head. The dancing, the conversation and the memories of Reed’s warm brown gaze made me smile. It was best he hadn’t kissed me. I knew that in my head, but my heart wasn’t convinced. I pushed back the disappointment I felt, because it was weak and romantic, and deep down, I was neither of those things.
MY LEGS WERE SCRUNCHED up in the back seat of Dad’s pickup truck, and the smell of fish guts had taken over the entire cab. But after my first day of ice fishing in a decade, and a successful day at that, I couldn’t complain.
“Did you get truck envy, Dad?” Austin asked from the front seat. “This thing’s a monster. Looks like you’d need a CDL to drive it.”
Dad laughed from the driver’s seat. “I’ve waffled about getting a new one for a couple of years. I needed a bigger bed to hold all the hunting gear. And your mother likes this one better because it’s more comfortable.”
“You thawed out yet?” Mason asked me from the other side of the truck’s back seat.
“I’m alright. Just starving.”
“We can make some sandwiches when we get home,” Dad said. “Or there’s leftover beef stew from last night.”
We rode in silence for the last couple of miles and when we arrived at mom and dad’s place we all helped unload the gear and our haul of fish.
“Better go in through the sunroom and get our dirty boots off there,” Dad said. I followed him around to the back door of the huge, renovated old house we’d grown up in.
I was surprised to see the room was filled with women who were knitting. The couch, loveseat and chairs were all full, and more chairs had been brought in. All of them had stilled their knitting needles to see what the cat was dragging in.
“Sorry to interrupt, ladies,” Dad said. “I forgot it was knitting club day.”
“Did you boys have any luck?” Mom asked.
“We did. Caught around a dozen.”
I pulled off my stocking hat and kicked off my muddy boots on the tile floor. When I looked up, my eyes locked with Ivy’s. She was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room. I couldn’t help smiling. It’d been a week since the barn dance and I’d gone to Gene’s for lunch every day since. I always got a little small talk from her, but she was so busy that it was never enough.
The pale pink baby blanket she was knitting was resting in her lap. Something inside me softened at the sight of her with a baby blanket.
Austin’s wife Hannah was sitting near Ivy, and Austin walked over, bent down and kissed her. I felt a strong urge to greet Ivy the same way. I’d considered kissing her after the barn dance, but it didn’t seem right since we hadn’t even been on a date.
I couldn’t be forward with Ivy, no matter how much I wanted to. Her eyes seemed to send me mixed signals: I like you, but stay away from me.
“Where’s Alana?” Austin asked Hannah.
“Upstairs playing with the other kids and Donna. It’s her turn to get worn out by them.”
“We’ll go play with ’em after we eat,” Austin said, looking at me.
I nodded and stepped out of my coveralls.
“You feel free to just keep taking stuff off,” a middle-aged woman next to me said in a low voice. “I won’t complain.”
“Mom doesn’t let me do strip teases in the house,” I said, winking. “She’s still the boss.”
I picked up my discarded coat and coveralls from the floor and headed for the kitchen, looking at Ivy again on the way. Our eyes locked before I had to turn away to avoid running into the door jamb. Damn, I wanted to see her again, and not at the diner. I wanted something more, though it wasn’t a good idea. She wasn’t a woman I wanted to play around with and based on my track record of a failed serious relationship, that probably wouldn’t work, either.
“You gonna ask her out or what?” Austin asked, turning from his scan of the refrigerator’s contents to look at me.
I gave him a look that shut him up. He unloaded lunch meat and cheese onto the big kitchen island.
“Hey, can you make me a sandwich, too?” I said.
“I’m not your servant,” he muttered.
“You’ve got the stuff out already. I’m going to the bathroom. C’mon, just make me a sandwich.”
“Fine.”
“Make me one, too,” Mason said from the kitchen table. “I want mine toasted and cut in half.”
“And I want a folded up note on my plate about how much you love me,” I said, smirking.
I missed his grumbled response on my way to the bathroom. But by the time I got back to the kitchen, he was the one looking smug.
“What’s with the shit-eating grin?” I asked, taking the plate he offered.
“Oh, nothing. But Ivy did come in here just now to get a drink of water. She asked where the big sexy lumberjack went and I told her you were in the shitter.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
; “I’m not lying about her coming in here. I think she was looking for you, but she didn’t say anything.”
I glanced at the door to the sunroom while I took a bite of my sandwich. I’d slept with quite a few women in St. Louis, but the thought of Ivy looking for me excited me more than any of them had.
Footsteps pounded down the stairs and then back up again, accompanied by laughing kids.
“We’ve been up since four and now we’re gonna go get treated like human punching bags,” Austin said, shaking his head.
“I’ll catch up on sleep tonight.”
“Yeah, must be nice. I’ll be lucky if Alana sleeps past seven in the morning.”
“Suck it up. Let’s go play.”
The dozen or so kids were mostly thrilled to see us, but a couple were scared. I was an enormous guy with a dark scruff-covered face. It probably was a little scary.
“Noah, it’s okay,” Donna said to one little boy.
“Noah? Is that Ivy’s son?” I asked her.
“Yeah. Come on out, Noah.”
A little boy with wavy light brown hair peeked out from behind her back. His wide blue eyes were a carbon copy of his mother’s.
“Hey, Noah,” I said, sitting down on the ground. “I’m Reed.”
“He’s scared of men,” Donna said. “It’s not you.”
“It’s okay. I’m just gonna play with this train.”
My parents had converted an upstairs bedroom into a toy room for their grandchildren. I’d almost finished building a block tower on the train table for the train to drive under when Noah approached me cautiously.
“Choo choo train,” he said, pointing at it and looking at me.
“Yeah, buddy. Let’s drive it.”
It took about the same amount of time for him to steal my heart that it had for his mom to. Either I’d suddenly gone soft, or fate was trying to tell me something.
MY HEARTBEAT HAD FINALLY returned to a normal pace. It had skyrocketed when Reed walked in the door. I’d never looked twice at hunters who came into the diner dressed in camo but, on Reed, the rugged look was very sexy.
My mouth had watered at the sight of him stepping out of his camo coveralls and dropping them on the floor next to his brown canvas coat. His dark hair had been sticking up from when he’d pulled off his stocking cap and I wanted to fix it. Or maybe I just wanted to run my fingers through it.
Deep Down (Lockhart Brothers #1) Page 7