Distracted: An Everyday Heroes Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Michelle Fernandez

  And there’s that walk—sexy, raw, and masculine.

  His shoulders are straight as his arms slightly sway with confidence.

  His hand drags through his hair, reminding me of how his palms felt on my skin.

  His erect posture reminds me of how he stood tall, looking down at me the other day when we kissed.

  His steps are evenly paced as if he’s on a mission, making me wonder what he’s doing at the mall. He hates the mall.

  And without a second thought, I yell out to my best friend, hiding in the dressing room, “Hey, Callie! I’ll be right back!”

  “Oh, Callie’s back there? I’ve got to try these on anyway. Have fun!” Cathy’s tone is insinuating and suggestive. “Let’s do lunch.”

  “Sure. I would love that,” I say, waving my hand, as I open the door.

  I look both ways before I cross the street. And before I call out his name, a pretty blonde beats me to it. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her. She doesn’t look like she grew up here, but from the way they hug, chat, and laugh, maybe she did.

  Why do I feel so jealous? Because that’s his type. The blonde is absolutely gorgeous. Prim, proper, and wearing an expensive suit and high heels.

  I look down at my Converse and denim shorts, making my way up to my plain white T-shirt, and compare myself to the bombshell front and center.

  Get a grip, Sabrina. You walked your ass across this street, for what? To walk away again?

  Who am I kidding? Taking a deep breath, I slowly turn around and walk the other way. I’ll see him on our date. But it’s not really a date if he asked for Lily to come too.

  “Sabrina?” the woman calls from behind me. I turn to see the stunning blonde tilt her head and tuck her hair behind her ear. God, she even does that with so much poise.

  Not wanting to be rude, I force my way to meet her and Spencer, who’s giving me a timid smile.

  “It’s me, Sidney. Sidney Thorton,” she says as they both walk toward me.

  “Sidney?” I vaguely remember her. She ran with a different circle back in high school. She was the woman that made a show when she kissed Grayson at Hooligans.

  “Wow! You look amazing,” Sidney says. Is she blind?

  “You’re joking, right?” I wave my hands over my attire, then point to hers. Cosmopolitan compared to casual. We are complete opposites. “You look incredible. Is there a class reunion I’m not aware of? I just saw Cathy over at that boutique,” I say jokingly, pointing my thumb over my shoulder toward the other side of the street.

  I glance at Spencer, and I freeze as he slips his hands in his dark denim jeans. How can he look so sexy and shy at the same time? Damn him for looking so hot.

  Sidney giggles. “No class reunion. I work at Modern Family up the street, and I’m on the way back to the office. Just stepped out to grab a salad.” She raises a white plastic bag.

  “You work for Modern Family?”

  “Yes. It’s a long story. Anyway, did you move back here?” she asks.

  “My grandmother passed away, and I’m tying up some loose ends. I’ll be heading back home to San Francisco soon.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “Thank you,” I say with a sad smile.

  “So, you live in San Fran? I live there too,” she says proudly. “I miss the city life.”

  “I thought you live here.”

  “I do, sort of . . . like I said, a long story.” Sidney’s phone dings. She reaches in her purse and pulls it out, then grunts. “Listen, I gotta go. Duty calls.” She gives me a genuine hug. “Let’s try to meet up for lunch before you leave.”

  “Yeah, sure.” She turns to Spencer; a smile brightens her face as her eyes volley back to me. “Well, I’ll let you two be. I know you both have some catching up to do,” she says suggestively, with a raise of her brow and a cheeky grin, then turns on her heel and around the corner.

  Catching up to do? Did I miss something? And what was that look about?

  Spencer

  Can Sidney be any more obvious? She’s one to talk. Grady and I have been razzing Grayson for the kiss Sidney planted on him at Hooligans the other night. It’s the talk of the town, and I’m not one to join in the gossip, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to razz her too. I guess turnabout’s fair play.

  “What did Sidney mean by that?” Sabrina asks. “Catching up to do?”

  “Our private kiss in the parking lot was not that private,” I tell her as my gaze travels from her beautiful face and down to her legs for days. How does she make Converse look so damn sexy?

  “Spencer, stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like—”

  “Like I have X-ray vision?” I finish for her as I wiggle my brows. And, hell yes, I wish I did right now. Those long, lean legs are calling to me, saying “Please bury yourself between me” and I’m trying my hardest not to sprout wood. “Remember, I’m your superhero . . . and this is one of my special powers.”

  “God, you’re pathetic,” she snorts.

  I laugh. “Then you need to stop wearing things like that,” I say, pointing to her clothes.

  She looks down at herself. “This? A T-shirt and shorts? Whatever, Spence.” Sabrina rolls her eyes as I continue staring at this hot as fuck woman in front of me. “I’m serious, stop it.” Her cheeks turn bright pink as she covers her face.

  “I can’t help it. I’m a guy . . . but not just any guy. I’m your guy.”

  “The jury is still out,” she retorts.

  “Oh, come on! You mean to tell me after we kissed, you haven’t thought about doing it again?”

  “Eh,” she says, shrugging. Sabrina bites her bottom lips as the corner of her mouth slightly pulls up. “It was an okay kiss. Average.” The twitch of her nose tells me otherwise. She loved it.

  “After we kissed, you’re all I think about,” I say, taking a step closer. “And I’m looking forward to our date tonight.”

  She gives me a shy smile as I caress her bare arm. “Me too,” she says. “But it’s not a date.”

  “Not a date?”

  “My daughter is coming, remember?”

  “I know. I still consider it a date. And since the jury is still out, I need to prove to Lily by letting her know that I adore her mom. And if I pull that off, I’m golden.”

  “And what about Lily’s mom? What if she’s not convinced?”

  “Well, by the way Lily’s mom kissed me the other night, I think she’s convinced.” I lean closer with my mouth near her ear. “I’d love to kiss the fuck out of Lily’s mom right now, but I’d like to do that in private. Because once I have her behind closed doors, I won’t stop.”

  Her breath hitches and I know I’ve gotten to her. “Spencer,” she whispers, then clears her throat.

  “Yes, Buttercup?” I ask.

  “You can’t talk to me like that . . . make promises when you have no idea what the outcome will be once we leave this town.”

  “I finally got you back, Sabrina. I’m never letting you go.”

  Her hands are on my chest and she slowly takes a step back. “This is too fast.”

  I take in a deep breath, her peach scent filling my nostrils. “I can’t help myself when I’m around you. I’ve lost too much time and I have a lot of making up to do.”

  “And I am doing everything in my power to control my feelings. I don’t want to get ahead of myself and get hurt again.”

  “I understand. But nothing is going to ruin it this time. Nothing.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “I know what I had. I fucked up when I lost it. And I don’t plan on losing you again.” When our friendship ended six years ago, I missed the smile that could light up any room, the laugh that made me laugh along with her and talking to her about anything her heart desired.

  I never got the chance to tell Sabrina how my life went to shit. How it fucking destroyed me. One step at a time, repeats in my head. And if that’s what it
’ll take, then that’s what I will do to get us back. This time around, I’m a changed man. And I’m going to prove that.

  “Spence?” Her tone more a question as she steps back and looks up to the sign behind me. Sunnyville Trust and Loan. “What are you doing here?”

  Fuck. I drag my hand down my face.

  Sabrina was crystal clear at her grandmother’s reading and not pleased with me overseeing Lily’s trust fund. But I need to know why me and not Sabrina. My gut tells me the answer is in the safe deposit box.

  This conversation went from hot to cold in a matter of seconds. Her eyes narrow for a moment, and I swear she wants to spit nails at me. I get that she’s protective of Lily, but doesn’t she get it? I’m protective of them too, and her grandmother thinks I am as well.

  “You’re here to check out the safe deposit box, aren’t you?” She gives me a fiery stare. “Were you going to tell me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Before or after you walk through those doors?”

  I take the key out of my pocket and stretch my hand out to her. “Here. Take it,” I say, placing the key in her palm. “If you don’t want me to go in there, I won’t. Your grandmother wants me in Lily’s life and yours. Why? I don’t know.” I angle my head, take a step back, and narrow my eyes at her. “Unless you know.”

  “I have no idea,” she says, and there’s a slight wiggle of her nose giving her away. Now I know she’s lying and probably hiding something from me. She would be the worst poker player.

  “What is it you’re not telling me, Sabrina?” My voice is stern and serious as I call her bluff.

  “Nothing.” She looks down at the key in her hand and shakes her head. “Here. You can have it back.”

  I hesitantly take the key from her. “Do you want to come in with me? I mean, this is all about your daughter.”

  “You really want me to come?”

  “I want you to trust me. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

  “But you came here without my knowledge.”

  “And I was going to tell you everything after I was done. But being that you are here now, let’s do this together.”

  I extend my hand to her and she takes it.

  The long silver box rests on the table in front of us. Sabrina opens the lid revealing a checkbook with my name on it, a velvet jewelry box with a pearl necklace inside, and several birthday cards addressed to Lily, one for every year until she’s eighteen.

  “That’s it?” Sabrina says.

  “Were you expecting more?” I ask suspiciously.

  “I just thought there would be more in here, that’s all.”

  There was more. Immediately after the reading of Lilliana’s will, I wasted no time, and drove to the bank. The only thing that is missing is the large envelope containing Lilliana’s request that I don’t give up my half of the house, no matter what Sabrina may want to do, and a copy of Lily’s birth certificate.

  I looked at that document over and over, wondering why the space where Lily’s father’s name should be was left blank. I’ve done the math many times in my head, and it’s a possibility and makes sense. But if Lily is mine, why didn’t Sabrina tell me? Would she be that cruel to leave me in the dark and not tell me I have a daughter?

  But, if I’m not Lily’s father, I can’t help wondering why Lily’s father was not declared on the birth certificate. Is it because Sabrina works for that private security company and maybe that Tyco guy is the father? That would explain why he’s the male figure in her daughter’s life.

  “Hey, let’s go grab some lunch,” I say, deterring her focus on the contents in the safe deposit box.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” she says. “Nonna made it seem like there was so much more in here.” Sabrina gives me a bewildering expression.

  I hate keeping this secret from her. But Lilliana wanted me to have these things. It said so right on the envelope, written boldly: For Spencer’s eyes only.

  Sabrina

  “He’s an egotistical, self-centered, bratty, fucking prick!”

  “So, you like him.” I laugh as I sit on the couch with a glass of wine, my feet propped on the ottoman. “He’s definitely got some sex appeal.”

  “Don’t go there,” Rocky huffs, and I picture her rolling her eyes.

  “I think you need to get laid, Rock.”

  “I should kick your ass for saying that to me, Kent,” she sneers.

  “You seriously have some pent up sexual frustration thing going on,” I egg. “Maybe you need to take him into the ring and pounce on him. And I don’t mean with boxing gloves.”

  “Oh my god. Will you shut up? I’m working, not trying to get him flat on his back.”

  I laugh. “Now that would be an interesting boxing match.”

  “I really hate you.”

  I love getting under her skin. “Okay, okay . . . on a serious note. I saw you on TV. I like the maroon dress you were wearing. So unlike you.”

  “I have to play the part.”

  “You do it really well,” I say, changing the channel on the muted television in front of me.

  “As much as I try to hide in the background, it’s kind of hard to avoid the cameras when he’s facing one of the biggest fights of his career.”

  “When is that?”

  “In a couple of months.” She clears her throat. “Enough about him. I called to see how you’re holding up.”

  “As good as can be expected. Almost everything is finished here, and I hope to be back home in a few weeks,” I reply, picking the lint off my shirt.

  “Whatever happened to next week? And what about Lily? That’s a long time to be out of school.”

  “Which reminds me, I need to call Tyco and thank him for getting Lil’s school assignments from her teacher.” I take another sip of my wine.

  “And speaking of assignments, I can’t wait till this one is over.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “I’m bored. I want to go back home, sleep in my own bed. And work on real cases.”

  Rocky’s undercover job as Dean’s PA is anything but. Her assignment is to stay close to protect Dean from some maniac who’s been leaving him death threat messages. She’s there to play the part and gather intel. She’s unassuming and her characteristics are modest. But she’s very good at her job. I may be a few inches taller than her, but her petite five-five physique is not to be taken lightly.

  “Just be careful.” I let out a long breath as I push back my hair. “Remember what happened to Linc?” I remind her of another operative agent on our team. He was shot and in a coma until he woke up a week later.

  “Nobody knows my true role here. They all think I’m just some gopher for this idiot. Speaking of idiots, tell me about Jackass,” she says, referring to Spencer. Rocky is not a Spencer Hayes fan. If she were here, she’d drop him on his ass for what he did to me a long time ago.

  There’s a pause and I don’t want to tell her about the kiss and how good it felt to have his lips on mine again.

  “Sabs? Are you still there?” A tap of the phone is heard on the other end. “Damn reception,” she mutters. “Sabrina? Did I lose you?”

  “I’m here.” I chuckle.

  “Oh, good. For a sec, I thought I lost you. I’m in Bend, Oregon, and of course, this douche canoe gets the most secluded cabin where the reception is horrible, and there is not a Starbucks for miles.”

  “Secluded, huh?”

  “Don’t,” she scoffs. “Dean is so not my type.”

  “Oh, come on, Rock. You have to admit he is hot.” According to Sports Illustrated and many other magazines, Dean Kraygen is not only the middleweight boxing champion, but he is also the hottest and sexiest boxer.

  “You want an ass-kicking, don’t you?” she jokes, and I laugh. God, I miss her. She’s the one that knows all about that night with Spencer and the phone call when I planned to tell him I was pregnant. She’s been Lily’s second parent since the moment she was born.

  �
�So did Jackass leave town yet?”

  “No,” I say under my breath. “Spencer’s still here.”

  “Well, I hope you are steering clear of him,” she advises. A few beats go by and I stay silent.

  “It’s a small town, Rock. It’s kind of hard to avoid him.”

  “Holy fuck,” Rocky belts out. “Did you sleep with him?”

  “No. I did not sleep with him,” I scoff, although I’d like to.

  “Then what’s going on? And don’t lie to me, Sabrina Kent.”

  “We, um . . . kissed.”

  “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”

  I nod as if she can see me. I have lost my mind. I haven’t been able to think straight since he showed up in town. All the buried feelings are back. The way he looks at me as if he still cares. The way his smile makes me melt. The way he touched me the other night, sending tingles all over my body, especially my lady parts.

  “It’s so confusing being around him, Rock.”

  “Then unconfuse yourself.”

  “I don’t know how.” I let out an exasperated breath. “He wants to make it work. He told me he wants me back and not just as a friend. He wants to get to know Lily too.” Another pause, and this time I thought I lost her. “Hello?”

  “Did you tell him?” she asks.

  “No. But I need to.”

  “Why the change of heart? You know, if you tell him, you risk not only the consequences with him, but you have to think about Callie and her parents too.”

  I run my fingers through my hair as I lay my head on the back of the couch. “I know. That’s why this is so tough for me. But it’s something I have to do. It’s the right thing to do. It’s not just them . . . Lily has a right to know.”

  “Lily does have a right to know.”

  I look out to the open window. “The longer I keep this secret, the worse it gets.”

  “What secret, Mommy?” Her small voice startles me.

  I jump off the couch, almost spilling my wine. I turn to see Lily rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands and Astra, her unicorn tucked under her arm. “I gotta go.”