What to Do With a Bad Boy

by Marie Harte

  “Nope.” He drank some more. “Not exactly.”

  “J.T.” She sighed. “What did you do now?”

  “I blame you. You kept calling her Tina, and when Gina and I were… Well, I was having a fine time. Until I called her Tina in the heat of things. Now she won’t take my calls.”

  She choked on her beer. “You’re calling her?” J.T. never called after his one-nighter girlfriends.

  At her look of shock, he winced. “I forgot my favorite belt at her place, okay? I want it back.”

  Del shook her head. “Such a player. You are so gonna get your heart handed to you one of these days.”

  “Like you, you mean? And don’t even try denying it. Rena and I both know you better than you know yourself. You like the big dude, casual and all.”

  “I do not.” Not anymore.

  “Yeah, you do. And for once, he’s a decent guy. Maybe. I’m not sure, because you won’t tell me what he’s done.”

  “Nothing,” she growled. “Now leave me alone.”

  “Fine.” He opened his mouth to say something when Big Daddy Kane blared from his back pocket. He shot her a grin. “It’s hip-hop ’80s week. Cut me some slack.” He pulled out his phone and frowned at the number. “I have to take this.”

  “Problem?”

  “Nah. Be right back.” He left her sitting over her beer, wondering why the hell she’d let Mike McCauley into her loop. Into her body, she totally understood. The man was built, handsome, and hung. What wasn’t to like? But why had she let him inside the emotional fortress she’d spent so long building?

  Hadn’t Penelope Webster done enough damage twenty-odd years ago? Del rubbed the scar on her arm, remembering a past better kept buried. Just what she didn’t need, memories of her mother’s rejection on the heels of Mike’s. Yet as much as she wanted to be pissed as hell at him, she knew they had nothing together but incredible sex. She might very well have imagined all that closeness and shared emotional intimacy Friday night. Once again confusing reality with what she wanted to be real.

  She glanced across the room at her brother’s scowling face while he listened to what must have been bad news on the phone. “When will we learn?” She sighed. “Mike had his fill of me, and Tina—or Gina?—finished with J.T. Forget her and move on, bro.”

  If only life were that simple.

  ***

  Colin glanced around, making sure his grandma was occupied with Nadine Meadows and Noah while he pretended to go to the bathroom, closeting himself in the spare bath.

  He clutched the cell phone tight and whispered into it, “He’s not back yet.” Colin didn’t know what to do. So far, the plan Ubie and J.T. had come up with to get his dad together with Del hadn’t worked. Even worse, his dad had gone out with Grace while Colin was forced to hang around the most annoying person on the planet.

  “What’s the situation?” J.T. asked, his voice low and grumbly, like Colin’s dad’s.

  “I’m stuck here with Noah. Dad is out with Grace.” He didn’t like calling her Mrs. Meadows, because he didn’t like her. “I heard Grandma and the older Mrs. Meadows”—Nadine, whom he did like—“talking about what a good couple they make. Then Grandma said how nice it was Dad asked her out, and without her telling him to. I don’t get it. I thought Dad did this as a favor for Grandma?”

  “You got me, kid. Shit.” J.T. swore a few more times, and Colin committed the neat phrases to memory. “Look, keep your ears open. You tell me or Brody what’s up, okay? Something’s not kosher.”

  “What?”

  “Did your dad say or do anything weird? Did he wear his nice pants and cologne, like the last time he met with Del?”

  Colin had relayed that information to Ubie, who’d shared with J.T. “No,” Colin said with relief. “He wore regular clothes and didn’t seem happy about tonight.” Colin bit his lip, then blurted, “I think he misses Del and wishes we’d have come there for dinner.”

  “Well, only good thing I can tell you is you missed some God-awful chicken. Can your dad cook?”

  “Yep. He makes great hot dogs.”

  “Good. With any luck, you won’t starve through the teen years.”

  “Huh?”

  “Nothing. You did good calling me. Keep your eyes and ears open. You’re spy number one, right?”

  “Yeah.” So exciting, this mission of his.

  “I’ll talk to Brody. Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this.” J.T. paused. “So you feeling better about your mom?”

  Colin had confessed his feelings to J.T. a few days ago after secretly borrowing Uncle Cam’s phone. “Yeah. Dad answers my questions if I ask. And he doesn’t get mad or anything.”

  “Good. So… That picture of her? It still in his dresser?”

  Colin frowned. J.T. seemed very interested in pictures of Mom. “I think so. But it’s not on the dresser like it was last year.” Usually around Mom’s birthday Dad liked to pull it out and sit and stare when he didn’t think Colin was looking. Colin loved looking at it too, because his mom was so pretty.

  But different than Del. Del was beautiful in an awesome kind of way. The best lady—not his grandma—he’d ever known, even better than Abby and Maddie and Vanessa put together. He thought his mom would have liked Del, because he had a warm feeling about her, the same kind he got when he thought about his mom.

  Someone knocked hard on the door. “Hey, Colin. You coming out?”

  “I’m going number two!” he shouted, glad he’d locked the door.

  “Okay,” Noah yelled back.

  “Dude. TMI,” J.T. muttered.

  “What? Oh, sorry. That was Noah at the door.”

  “Right. Go on back and keep your cover. Remember, Operation Sampson needs you on this. We can do it.”

  Colin stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and gave himself a smart salute. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good kid. Now I’ve gotta get back to Del. Keep it real, bro. I’ll talk to you soon. In fact, I’ll try to swing by to grab you in a week or so. We’ll hang at the garage or something while Brody helps with the plan. So make sure to pay close attention to everything your dad or grandparents say about Del, Grace, or anything you think is important.”

  “Right.” Colin swelled with pride, so excited to be involved in a deep-cover assignment. Just like his alien super spy figures.

  “Gotta motor.”

  “Roger. Over and out.” He disconnected the call, then pocketed the phone. Knowing he had to make it look good, he flushed the toilet and pulled out the smelly spray from under the sink. He let loose a lot of flower smell to cover the fact that he hadn’t done anything.

  After hiding the spray under the sink, he opened the door and nearly ran into his grandfather.

  “Boy, did you go overboard again?” Grandpa chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t tell your grandmother. She thinks you’re on the verge of inhaling more toxins to go with your developing food allergies.”

  “What?”

  “First sugar and gluten, then aerosol spray. Trust me, you don’t want to get her started on the evils of processed foods. I still have to hide my cheese puffs.”

  Colin nodded and tried to pass his grandfather, except before he could, the big man fished his own cell phone out of Colin’s back pocket.

  Shoot. No. Damn. Better.

  “Now why do you have my cell phone?”

  “Um, I was, well—”

  “Video games again, boy? What did I tell you last time?”

  Bowing his head in perceived shame, Colin prayed his grandpa bought the act, because he hadn’t had time to clear the call history, the way Ubie had shown him.

  “Next time, you ask.”

  “Sorry, Grandpa.” Inspiration struck. “It’s just that Noah is such a pain.”

  Grandpa nodded. “I know. You’re a good boy for being nice to him. Just do your best to get along, and your dad should be home shortly.” If he’s got a brain in that fat head, he could have sworn his grandpa added under his
breath. Then Colin was shoved clear of the door, and Grandpa shut it behind him to use the bathroom.

  Colin trudged back to the living room, where his grandma and Mrs. Meadows sat talking. Noah waited for him with some stupid paper airplanes and more instructions on how to do everything. Colin would have just ignored Noah, the way he’d been trying to since Mrs. Meadows had come over, but by sitting close to the ladies, he might learn a few things. Especially if it appeared he wasn’t paying them any attention.

  “I tell you, Nadine. I think it’s wonderful your girl came out here to help you.”

  Mrs. Meadows nodded. “She’s been a godsend. I just worry that she’s too housebound with me. With her new job and helping me and Noah, I was worried she wouldn’t find time to have fun. I’m so glad Mike offered to show her around.”

  “Yes. Mike’s a good boy.”

  More like an alien sacrifice if he had to hang around Mousy Meadows—that’s what Vanessa called her. Uncle Cam had seen him listening in on her conversation and shut her up. But not before Colin learned that Vanessa didn’t like her either.

  Now to convince his dad to stop messing around and get back to dealing with Del.

  Colin could all but see his future puppy in his arms, could feel Del’s kiss on his forehead before his dad wished him a good night’s sleep in his deep voice. Two parents—a mom and a dad—and a puppy. If all went well, he might start adding that little brother to the fantasy too.

  Just as soon as his dad got his head out of his ass—one of J.T.’s and Uncle Flynn’s often-used expressions. He rolled the phrase around inside and realized it applied. He liked it. He’d have to tell Brian how well it worked, just as soon as he could get his dad to stop goofing off and call Del again.

  ***

  Mike cursed his own stubbornness. She’d given him an out earlier, but he’d refused to surrender to his need to see Del again, resolving to break his fascination by this outing with Grace…that wasn’t working.

  “I’m so glad your mom is okay with Noah and my mom hanging with her. Mom’s having a bad night with her bursitis.”

  “No problem.” No problem? Why then had he been miserable since he’d picked her up?

  He caught a bit more of her conversation about how pleased she’d been to go out on a Sunday night. He’d made sure to show her around Queen Ann and his favorite spots. He especially liked the popular spot Betty for their beer and burgers. Grace, however, had frowned at his food and asked for a salad. In a bar.

  He swallowed a sigh. Del would have gobbled down the burger faster than him, turning it into a competition.

  “Did your mom talk to you about Del?” Grace asked, as if reading his mind.

  He finished off his fries, wondering if he should order more. “Del?”

  Grace blushed. “About the awful things I said, and how I didn’t mean any of them? Del is so nice, but kind of aggressive. I was intimidated. Then everything I tried to say came out wrong. I feel terrible for hurting her feelings.”

  He felt better about being out with her, knowing Grace hadn’t meant what she’d said. She’d just been clumsy.

  “I’m sure Del will be fine.” He could only imagine, because instead of sharing a meal with her and Colin, he was suffering through what felt like an eternity of nice with Grace.

  “Good. So you and her… You’re not an item, are you?”

  Mike immediately rejected the idea—because he liked the sound of it too much for comfort. “I’m happily single. The way I plan to be for the foreseeable future,” he added, in case she got the wrong idea.

  Grace nodded. “Same way I felt after I left my husband. It takes a while to ease past it.”

  He didn’t point out the fact that she knew shit about losing a soul mate. Instead, he smiled, ordered another soda, and waited for her to pick at her food.

  “This is nice, us being out,” Grace said softly. “We could do this again. Just as friends,” she hurried to tack on before he could reject the idea.

  His mother had warned him to be pleasant. Del didn’t seem too bothered by the fact that he was with Grace anyway, and at least she made a nice buffer—she kept his mind off Del. Mostly. So he nodded. “Sure, when I get the time. Been really busy lately.”

  “I know.” She frowned. “I like being here for my mom, but it’s not easy. Noah’s in a weird phase where he doesn’t listen to me, and the new job is an adjustment.”

  “Congrats on getting work.”

  They clinked glasses. “Thanks.” She blushed and smiled.

  When she didn’t look away from him, he subtly broke eye contact and stared at the couple toasting to something celebratory across the bar. Was he reading her all wrong? For all that Grace said she didn’t want anything more than friendship, he sensed some weird vibes. But then, he’d thought he and Del had something a lot more special than they did, so what the hell did he know?

  He sighed. “We should head back.”

  “Oh, right.” She sipped at some frou-frou drink that remained half unfinished, then smiled at him. The bill lay on the counter, and she reached for it.

  He grabbed it first. “It’s on me.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked with big eyes.

  “No problem. Consider it your welcome-to-the-neighborhood meal.”

  She slid off her barstool and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.

  He froze.

  “Thanks.”

  A kiss on the cheek. No big deal, right? Flustered but not showing it, he paid the tab and ushered her out to his truck, nonplussed when she wrapped a hand around his arm. Nothing too forward, yet… It felt a lot like a subtle claiming he didn’t appreciate.

  Relieved to set her in the truck and get her hands off him, he drove them to his mother’s in record time. Had they not been touring the city, they could have walked the short distance.

  “That was really fun, Mike.” Grace smiled and seemed to lean toward him.

  Shit. She wasn’t trying to kiss him again, was she? He darted out of the truck and came around to open the door for her.

  She let him, then followed him to his mom and dad’s. He didn’t bother knocking, just entered and found Colin and Noah playing in the living room in front of his mother and Nadine.

  “Oh, you’re home early.” His mother gave him an odd look. “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah. Just wanted to get back for Colin. School tomorrow, you know.” Thank God for his kid.

  Colin glanced up at him, gave Grace a look that didn’t say much about any softening feelings for the woman, then rose quickly. He kissed his grandmother on the cheek then latched on to Mike’s hand. “Come on, Dad. Time to go. Bye, Mrs. Meadows,” he directed to Nadine.

  “He’s eager to get home,” Nadine mused. “Noah, say good-bye to Colin.”

  Noah shrugged and continued to play.

  “Noah.” Grace frowned.

  “I’m playing.” He fiddled with crayons over what looked like a mangled airplane.

  Colin tugged on his hand. “Dad, let’s go.”

  While Grace gently reprimanded her son, who seemed not to hear her, James walked into the room.

  “So. How was the date?” he boomed into a room that suddenly went silent.

  “It wasn’t a date, Dad. Just two friends seeing the town,” Mike corrected in his most polite voice.

  Colin beamed up at him.

  His mother scowled.

  Nadine looked back and forth from him to Grace.

  But thankfully, Grace nodded. “Yes, Mr. McCauley. It was a fine time between friends.”

  “Now call me James, honey. None of that Mr. McCauley nonsense.”

  Grace blushed.

  She did that a lot, and for some reason it annoyed him. Del would have shrugged and said something snarky. None of that shy crap. Del would have—

  He interrupted the thought and forced himself to seem relaxed, not tense because he kept comparing poor Grace Meadows to larger-than-life Del. Since when did other women have to meas
ure up to Del, and not Lea—his wife?

  “You okay, boy?” his father asked, looking at him closely.

  “Fine, why?” He unclenched his jaw and smiled.

  “Ah, no reason.”

  “You know, this was great. But I need to get Colin home. Thanks for keeping him, Mom. Great seeing you, Nadine.” He turned to Grace, uncomfortable to see her watching him like a hawk. “Grace, Noah.” You mouthy little snot.

  “You know, Mike,” Grace said softly, “maybe next weekend we could—”

  “Oh boy. I promised Flynn I’d call him back on a job. Shoot. I’m late. See you. Bye.” Mike dragged Colin out of the living room and into the truck. Then he hotfooted himself out of there in case Grace had thought to ask him out in front of his family. Again, he had the feeling he’d misread things. Hadn’t he explained they were just friends? She’d agreed with him, in front of his mother, that there was nothing intimate between them. But then to ask him about next weekend…?

  “Did you have fun, Dad?”

  “No,” he growled, then noticed Colin studying him. “I mean, it was okay. Grace is nice.”

  Colin didn’t seem bothered. His broad smile said otherwise. “No, Dad. She’s not. But it’s okay. ’Cause Noah was a pain in my ass too.”

  “Colin.” But he couldn’t stop his laughter. After the night he’d had, the humor hit him right where it needed to. He laughed so hard he cried, and Colin laughed with him.

  Pulling into the driveway of his house, he finally stopped and had to wipe his eyes. “Shoot, boy. Don’t repeat that, okay?”

  “Yeah. But I bet Grace bugged you, didn’t she?”

  “You want the truth? Yeah, she did. God, what a night.” He rubbed his eyes. “Come on, let’s get you ready for bed.”

  “Uh, Dad? It’s only seven o’clock. Maybe we could watch TV and have a snack before bedtime?”

  Which was at eight-thirty.

  No wonder his mother had given him that odd look.

  Hell. He’d have to hear about this tomorrow. If not from his mother, then relayed through his father on the jobsite. Well, at least he didn’t have to deal with Grace anymore. Her sweetness had begun to sour about five minutes into their non-date. No way he’d be following up his asinine offer with another outing. No way, no how.