Shattered Heart: A Single Dad Romantic Suspense

by Lara Norman

  “What sorts of things, Chloe?”

  He heard rustling on the other end and then she spoke. “You’re sure you want to do this now?”

  “I’ve got nowhere to be.”

  “Okay. Other than sex in places like my parents’ bed when they weren’t home and a few public spots; pot, which he got from friends, and I stole.”

  Devon sucked in a sharp breath. “You stole what?”

  “Little things. He’d dare me to go into the convenience store on Main and take something. It usually didn't matter what, just a candy bar or a drink or something stupid.” She sighed again. “The owner caught me one day when I was about to put a beer can in my jacket and asked if I would like to pay for it or let him call my mama.”

  “Jeez, Chloe.” He dropped his head back. “What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that my parents never recovered from losing Leo. They were always gone, always working. When we were in the same room, it was stiflingly silent. I needed attention, and I sought it in the worst way. I know what I did was wrong, and I repaid the store owner what I thought was the total for what I’d taken over time. I broke up with Steve and went back to therapy. I begged my parents to go, to find their own or come to mine. They refused.”

  “It makes so much sense when you explain it fully.”

  “They don’t have a good marriage, but they don’t want to get a divorce. They simply exist in the same house when they aren’t working. One of the things I had to do for my own mental health was get a place of my own. It made a massive difference in my life.”

  He thought for a few moments about a young woman trapped in a house with parents so lost in grief they ignored each other and their only surviving child. “It explains why I’ve never seen your mother and father together.”

  “They need help, but they won’t listen to me.” Chloe groaned. “This conversation wasn’t a very good way to seduce you.”

  “Uh, well, we’re getting to know each other.” He hadn't thought about being seduced. Was that something she’d been trying to do?

  “I’m mostly teasing, Devon. I wouldn't expect anything like phone sex when we haven’t officially had a date yet.”

  “S-speaking of which,” he stammered, his face flaming. “I want to ask if you’re interested in going somewhere together on Saturday. Just you and me.”

  “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.” He heard the grin in her voice. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I haven't dated since the drive-in was open. What do you want to do?”

  “Hmm. Something easy like a movie? Even if it has to be at the Cineplex.”

  Devon thought about it. “It might sound cheesy, but do you like to roller skate?”

  “Won’t Hailey be mad you went without her?”

  He chuckled. “She doesn’t like roller skating.”

  “Oh,” she laughed. “Then it sounds like a date.”

  “Yeah . . . a date.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It wasn't so much nerves he felt about going out with Chloe as it was excitement. He needed to get out, to do something for himself. He felt as if he’d turned a page, that he could be happy and not second guess his feelings.

  Well, at least not as much as he did. Baby steps.

  Hailey was happy he would be having fun with Chloe, and not jealous they were roller skating without her. She’d never mastered it, and would much rather do something with her grandfather, anyway.

  Devon wanted to see Chloe’s place, but he needed her to be comfortable enough to invite him first. If he was being honest with himself, he hoped the day would end there, which gave him a whole new set of things to worry about.

  So he pushed it aside, instead. As he dressed, he took a moment to evaluate his feelings. Nervous, excited, and anticipatory. Those were things he could live with. As his therapist recommended, he took a few minutes out of each day to test his feelings and accept whatever they were.

  Since Hailey had left with his dad a half hour before, he went in search of Lydia to tell her he was leaving. He found her reading in the living room.

  “Mom.”

  Without bookmarking her page, she peered up at him. “Devon, you look handsome.”

  Uncomfortable with her scrutiny, he shifted his feet. “Thanks. I plan to be back in time to tuck Hailey into bed.”

  She beamed. “You shouldn't.”

  He barely resisted rolling his eyes. “Mom—”

  “Devon. Don and I will handle Hailey. Have fun and take as long as you need.”

  Fiery flames burst over his cheeks. “Bye,” he muttered, and fled.

  The roller rink was right next to the tiny strip mall in the center of town. He’d spent time there as a teenager, but he and Kathy hadn’t had any dates there. It was neutral territory as far as their small town went, and he figured it was only fair to give that to Chloe.

  When Chloe was at his house, he discovered she drove an ancient compact Honda. It was undoubtedly the same age as his parents, but it somehow suited her perfectly. It was in the lot, and he saw exhaust pouring out the tailpipe. He walked up to the driver’s side and waved so he wouldn't startle her. She opened the door immediately, and the sound of the engine cutting off caused a ringing silence.

  “Devon, hi!”

  She threw her arms around him, and he held on. She smelled damn good, and her hair was down around her shoulders the way he liked it. Her body was warm under her coat, and he almost didn't want to let her go.

  “Hi, Chloe.” He smiled down at her and took her hand to lead her inside. He noticed how perfectly it fit in his.

  “My week was boring as hell. What about yours?” she asked as they stepped into the warmth of the rink.

  The smell brought back his high school days. “It was pretty good, actually. We have two more orders, and Caleb has been back every day. We finished one of the other orders and he got it delivered. Olivia, Lori’s temp replacement, is working out perfectly. Hailey had a fantastic week at school, though she’s been a little tired. She’s having Grandpa time right now.”

  He quit talking when he realized he’d developed word vomit, but Chloe tugged on his hand so he’d stop walking. He looked down at her, and the smile she gave him transformed her face. Where he’d noticed before that she was pretty, her huge, genuine smile made her gorgeous.

  “Can I just . . .” He lowered his head, looking back and forth between her eyes for any sign of hesitance. When he saw none, he tentatively touched his lips to hers. A tremor went down his spine when she wrapped her arms around him again, tugging on the back of his neck to hold him closer.

  He pulled away before he did something stupid in the middle of a public place, but didn’t let her go.

  “That felt great,” she whispered. Her eyes twinkled.

  He grinned. “I can’t believe I just kissed you for the first time at the Merrimac Roller Rink, but I agree it was pretty amazing.”

  “I realized how content you sounded by an ordinary week, and it touched me that you’ve reached a place of acceptance. You’re ready to be happy.”

  “I’m ready to give it a try, that’s for sure.”

  They smiled at each other for another moment before moving on to get skates. They sat on a bench in front of a bank of lockers to put them on, and all Devon could think about was how long it had been since he’d been skating. There was no way to know if it would be a success after so many years, but he was willing to give it a shot.

  It turned out Chloe was a much better skater than he was. He’d lost some of his muscle memory, or something. He kept stumbling and using the wall to catch himself.

  Finally, Chloe held out her hands and started moving backward. He remembered a time when he could do that; maybe ten years ago. He held onto her because it felt nice, and they went around a few times without incident. There were some families there, a few kids alone, and that was what caused the problem in the long run. One of the lone kids went blasting onto the floor too fas
t, looking like he was asking for a broken ankle. When he came flying at Chloe and Devon, there was no time to react.

  He plowed into their outstretched arms at full speed, causing them both to lose their balance. Chloe recovered and reached for Devon again, but it was too late for him. He went down in a tangle of his legs and hers, inevitably taking her down with him.

  An employee sauntered over and snatched up the kid by the back of his shirt. “I told you before you can’t be here without your mom. Who let you in?”

  The kid was crying and appeared to be bleeding, and Devon watched the other man soften before his eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Chloe asked. She pulled her legs away from his so he could stand.

  “Yeah, but I’ll feel like I need a body cast by morning. Are you okay?”

  She flexed her arm. “I hit my elbow, but it wasn’t on the floor, it was on you.”

  “Well, I’m good and soft, so you’ll be okay.”

  She snorted. “No, Devon, I promise you’re hard in all the right places.”

  He was pretty sure all the blood had drained from his head. “Um, well.” He cleared his throat. “I think I’m ready to go if you are.”

  She gave him that megawatt smile again. “I am.”

  They gathered their belongings from the locker after changing their skates for shoes. Devon held her hand on the way out, the brisk chill of early March smacking them in the face.

  “Would you like to come to my house?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he answered a little too quickly.

  She laughed at his eagerness. “I have the perfect recipe for hot chocolate if you're interested.”

  “I’m interested.”

  He followed her down Pine St. to a cottage-style house set back from the road. It was the sort of place he would have pictured her in if he’d tried to picture her in anything.

  “It’s an old carriage house. I rent from Mrs. George; she works at the elementary school.”

  He nodded. “I know her.”

  “It’s been in her family for generations. It’s only one room, unless you count the bathroom. There used to be a main house in front of it, but it was condemned years ago and torn down.”

  As she spoke, she unlocked the door and let them in. It was quaint, he decided, and it smelled of her. There was a couch and a coffee table, and the bed was on the other side of a decorative dividing screen. A black and orange calico cat wound its way around his legs as he walked in.

  “That’s Rum Tum Tugger,” Chloe informed him.

  “From Cats?”

  “Yep.”

  “I like it.”

  Pleased, she smiled at him. The kitchen was along one wall and could only be classified as such due to the dollhouse-size stove. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known what to call it. The cat followed her, meowing as she opened a cabinet and took out a bag of cat food.

  “You can sit and I’ll make the hot chocolate.”

  “Okay.”

  Spotting the tiny bathroom through the open door, he went in there first to wash his hands and face. He was sore from the fall, but nothing he couldn't handle. Her entire place was tidy, almost to a fault; there was nothing out of place. He supposed it would be hard to be messy in such a tiny place before it became cluttered.

  He went back out and sat on the couch. The cat jumped up onto the cushion next to him and leaned forward to sniff his arm.

  “He’s very friendly. I call him Tugger for short.”

  “No Mister Mistoffelees for you?”

  She shot him a grin over her shoulder as she measured something into a pot. “When a cat adopts you, he gets the name he gets.”

  “He adopted you?” Tugger rewarded him with loud purring when he stroked a hand down his furry back.

  “He kept showing up at my door. He was thin and dirty, and no one answered the flyers I put up.” She shrugged. “If he’d been a tuxedo cat, he would have certainly been Mister Mistoffelees.”

  Devon found himself smiling down at the cat. “You’re a sweet thing, aren’t you?”

  “Be careful; he’s not declawed. He gets excited sometimes and he’ll put his claws in your leg.”

  “We had a dog when we were young, but we never replaced him.”

  Chloe came toward him with two steaming mugs. She set them on coasters on the coffee table and picked up Tugger, depositing him gently on the floor and sitting next to Devon.

  “What? He’s in my spot,” she said when Devon looked closely at her.

  “No, it’s just that . . . now that we’ve spent time together, I can’t . . . I can’t stop thinking about how it would feel to kiss you some more.”

  “I’m not about to complain, Devon.”

  He watched her eyes as he ran his hands down her hair, something he’d wanted to do for a long time. It felt as soft and thick as he’d expected it would. He pushed it behind her shoulders and cupped her cheek, still looking into her eyes. She sat patiently, letting him guide their interaction. He found he couldn't stop touching her face; her jaw to her ear, and back to her cheek, he caressed her skin and finally leaned in to kiss her.

  Her lips were slightly parted this time, and he let himself go. He didn't need to be so restrained in private as he was in public. Slipping his eyes closed caused his other senses to heighten; the feel of her hand as it reached for the back of his neck, her warm body pressing closer to his. The beat of his heart in his ears as he moved his lips across hers. The chocolate was a subtle scent, but it reached him nonetheless. He heard the low moan in her throat and the sound of the wind as it picked up outside.

  When he tilted his head to try a different angle, Chloe moved forward again, pressing against him until she was nearly in his lap. He gripped her hips, entirely aware of how hard he’d become.

  “Chloe,” he said against her mouth.

  “Mm.”

  “You can’t imagine how much I want you right now.”

  She eased back. “That’s a good thing.”

  He didn't let go of her hips. “It is, but at the same time . . .”

  “It’s too fast?”

  He nodded. “But, uh, I wouldn't mind if you came back over here and let me kiss you some more.”

  She grinned and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “How about some of that hot chocolate, some conversation, and then more making out?”

  “I can get on board with that.” He didn’t let her go, though. She ran her tongue along the underside of his jaw and he moaned as flames sparked low in his belly.

  From her hips, he moved his palms up her back, holding her tightly to him. Her nipples brushed against his chest, their hardness a clear indicator that she was turned on, too. He curled his fingers over her shoulders and leaned down to nip along her neck, finding her pulse beating rapidly under his lips. Her breathing became more erratic as he lowered her to the arm of the couch and shifted to find the sensitive skin of her collarbones. He touched her sides, letting instinct guide him as he ran his fingers under her shirt. He didn't go much further than skimming along the underside of her bra before he pulled her to a sitting position once more.

  Devon touched his forehead to Chloe’s, his panting breaths matching hers. “I guess I lied.”

  She chuckled. “I don’t mind, Devon. Whatever pace you’re comfortable with, I am too.”

  “I swear it’s not because I’ve had an epic dry spell.”

  Laughing again, she ran her hands through his hair and backed up enough to see his expression. “Maybe a little?”

  “It’s you. I haven't noticed a woman in five years, but you knock me off balance.”

  “I’ll catch you if you fall.”

  “I’m counting on it.” Once more, he found her mouth with his. He risked sliding his tongue between her lips, and she rewarded him with a rumbling moan.

  His body was lit from within, needing to be close to Chloe in all ways. They’d known each other for months, but it was their first date. He tried to remind himself that it mattered, but he cared little
at the moment.

  Pulling away, he ran a hand over his face. “I thought I was looking for a sign, something to tell me this was the right thing to do. I don’t know what I expected, really. I felt a connection from the moment you led me in the hospital room to see my daughter, I just didn’t know what it was.”

  “I’m not perfect, and I’m not your guardian angel. I’m guaranteed to mess something up along the way. Just don’t put me on a pedestal, Devon, that’s all I ask.”

  “I want the chance to be happy. I’ve repeated that enough, I guess you know it by heart. I’m not a casual type of guy, Chloe. I’m not anywhere near the point of asking you to make a commitment, I just want you to know I don't work any other way.” He sighed. “I don’t mean to overwhelm you.”

  “You sure go from negative one hundred to a thousand in the blink of an eye.” Chloe kissed him quickly on the mouth. “I’ve spent enough time around you to know that about you. I’ve had months to ponder what I would do if you finally noticed how much I like you. We aren’t a traditional couple that’s going to date for months and decide if we’re right for each other. I get that.”

  “It sounds so heavy when you say it out loud,” he said with another sigh.

  “It’s okay. You’ve had plenty of heavy in your life. You don’t need to worry about how I’ll handle this. You’ve pushed me away for months, and I understand why. I had to lead you more than once, and that’s okay, too. I knew what I wanted, and it’s you. You didn’t realize it then, and maybe you still don’t, but you’re worth it, Devon. You're worth the waiting and the pushing and whatever work I have to put in.”

  He brushed her hair off her face. “If I panic and pull away, don’t give up on me. I’m not sure how I’ll deal with any of this in the future. I’m afraid of hurting you.”

  “You might hurt me, and I might hurt you. What relationship worth having doesn’t have mistakes and some pain? I won’t do it on purpose, and neither will you.” Chloe picked up the mugs and handed one to Devon.

  “I stand by the suggestion you should become a therapist.”

  She just laughed.