Out of My League: a Hope Valley novel

by Prince, Jessica

  “See what you can do?”

  “Yeah. Part of my line of work. Like I said, we’ll handle it when I get back. At least for the next few days you’ll have Rocky here.” He moved closer to the door, closer to me, coming to a stop about an inch away. Reaching up, he tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from my ponytail in sleep behind my ear. “I gotta get goin’. Not exactly sure how long this job’ll take me, but it shouldn’t be later than Sunday night or Monday morning. Give me your number and I’ll text you when I have a better idea.”

  His nearness, the feel of his fingertips whispering across my skin, the way his ass looked in those jeans, and the clean, fresh manly scent of his cologne had thrown me completely off balance.

  “Yeah,” I said on an exhale that nearly expelled all the air from my lungs. “Okay.”

  We stood just like that for a few more seconds before he smiled and said in a low, raspy tone, “Buttercup.”

  That time I pulled in a breathy sigh. “Yeah?”

  “Go get your phone.”

  “Oh. Right!” My brain finally slipped back into gear, and I hurried to my room to grab my phone from my bedside table. When I got back to the living room, Rocky was sitting by his master’s side with his tongue happily hanging out of his mouth. Lincoln had his phone in his hand and his eyes firmly on me as I padded on bare feet back to him. “Got it.”

  He took the phone from my hand. His fingers were so long that he easily held it and used his thumb on the screen to tap something in. A second later his phone rang. Hitting the screen of his phone, Lincoln ended the call and handed mine back. “There. Now I’m in yours and you’re in mine.”

  God, everything he did was a turn-on. Just the simple act of him programming a number into his phone drove me crazy. “Okay,” I said on a whisper.

  “I’ll see you in a couple days.” Squatting down, he rubbed Rocky on either side of his neck. “You be good for Edie, boy.”

  Then he stood, gave me one last grin, and headed out. A few seconds later his big black truck growled to life and rolled down the street.

  Sure, I wasn’t going to get my eye candy for a few days, but something told me this was better.

  Or at least I hoped.

  Chapter Nine

  Eden

  The weather had been amazing all weekend long, and Nona and I were currently taking advantage. It was Sunday afternoon, and her worthless ex had dropped the kids off earlier that morning—several hours earlier than he was supposed to—so I’d had her bring them over so they could play with Rocky while I sat with Nona for some girl time so she could relax and decompress.

  Despite the balmy fall temperature, her daughter, Blythe, was currently lying on one of my lawn chairs in a pair of shorts and a tank, trying to keep her summer tan from waning while she tweeted or Facebooked or Instagrammed—whatever the teenage kids were doing nowadays.

  Her twelve-year-old son, Tristan, still had the carefree spirit of a kid, so he was running around the backyard, tossing a big stick for Rocky to chase after and bring back to him.

  Meanwhile, Nona and I were casually rocking back and forth in the swing I had anchored to the beams on my back porch. I loved this swing. I’d painted the wood a solid white before using a sander to distress it and give it a vintage look. The squishy cushions were cream with pale yellow and blue flowers, and I’d put little white wicker tables on either side just for times like this, when we needed somewhere to put our coffee mugs while hanging outside.

  “I just can’t believe him,” she continued, speaking quietly so her kids wouldn’t overhear. “Christian’s supposed to keep them until seven on his weekends. Sunday before last, he dropped them off at five. Last Sunday it was two. Now today he brings them home at noon? It’s earlier and earlier every weekend. He’s a piece of work.”

  “What was his excuse?” I asked.

  She kept her eyes on her kids as she answered. “Same as always. His new apartment’s not suitable for all three of them. It’s his way of trying to make me feel guilty for not letting him come back. Funny how he was keepin’ to the custody agreement just fine until he decided he didn’t want the divorce. As soon as I said it was happening whether he liked it or not, our amicable divorce turned ugly. He suddenly started pulling shit like this in a way to get back at me or something. He thinks he’s punishing me, but he’s hurting them,” she said, tipping her head toward Blythe and Tristan. “They feel it, and it’s starting to affect them. Blythe’s fourteen. She’s entered the cruel world of teenage girl angst and drama, but since Chris started pulling his shit, it’s gotten even worst. She’s gone from emo to surly in a matter of weeks. And Tris… poor kid is overcompensating. He doesn’t understand what’s happening and is doing everything he can to fix and unfixable situation.”

  “Oh, honey.” Reaching over, I patted her hand. “I wish there was something I could say, some advice I could give to make you feel better.”

  I could see the motherly concern written all over her face, and I hated that for her. “I’m just scared they’re gonna hate me before all this is over,” she admitted, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “That they’re gonna blame me for breaking up our family.”

  Giving her hand a squeeze, I leaned in to get her full attention. “They’re not going to hate you,” I insisted. “There’s no way they could ever hate you. You’re their mom, and you’re a terrific one. Take that from a girl who knows the definition of a shitty mom. They might get mad or take their hurt out on you, but trust me, please, they’ll know. They’ll know you only ever wanted great things for them, and without having to hear it, they’ll see it was him who broke their family. Kids are really intuitive like that.”

  The worry for her children was wiped clean from her face, but what took its place was just as bad: pity for me. “I get the impression you’re speakin’ from experience, and that breaks my heart, doll.”

  “Sadly, I am. I was really young when I learned what my family did was bad. It wasn’t an easy lesson, but it was for the best. And please don’t be sad for me. What I went through made me who I am today, and it led me here to this amazing place with all these amazing people.”

  “Well, okay. Now that makes me happy.” That seemed to lighten her spirits, which was all I could hope for.

  “Hey, Mom! Mom! Check out what I just taught Rocky!”

  We turned Tristan’s direction and watched as he gave Rocky some kind of hand gesture, then tossed the stick straight up. Rocky did a little leap and caught it midair.

  “Hey!” I cried. “Good job, Tris! That’s great.”

  Nona clapped for her boy. “That’s awesome, baby.”

  Tristan went back to training Rocky to do more tricks, and Nona and I went back to our mugs. We watched the two of them, Tristan running around, Blythe tapping away on her phone so fast her thumbs were a blur.

  “So…,” Nona dragged out a few seconds later as I sipped my coffee. “You’re dog-sitting for Lincoln, huh?”

  When I looked over, she had a huge shit-eating grin on her face.

  “Yeah.” I arched a brow and asked, “Why’d you say it like that, and what’s with the creepy Joker grin?”

  That smile grew even bigger, and I feared her face would split in half. “You totally have the hots for him,” she said in a girly singsong voice.

  I rolled my eyes, trying my best to ignore the way my belly swooped. “Shut up.”

  She giggled and curled her feet up beneath her. “If it makes you feel better, he’s totally into you too.”

  My belly swooped again, and that time my heart threatened to beat right through my ribs. “It’s not like that, No. I’m just watching Rocky because he likes me and can be skittish around some people, that’s all. Lincoln and I are… friends. Or could be friends. I don’t know.”

  I wanted him to be into me. I seriously wanted that. But I wasn’t going to get my hopes up. It was too long of a fall down with too many bumps along the way.

  “You didn’t see how you guys looke
d together while you were dancin’ at The Tap Room. It was like he never wanted to let you go. Should’ve seen Sue Ellen’s face. She looked like she could spit nails.”

  Doing my best not to make my curiosity obvious, I asked, “What’s the deal with them, anyway?”

  “They hooked up once years ago, and Sue Ellen’s been hooked on him since. As far as everyone in town can tell, he’s not lookin’ for a repeat. He’s made that clear, but she’s as dense when it comes to men as she is dumb when it comes to thinkin’ Harley Madison is a good friend.”

  Something heavy and uncomfortable settled in my gut. “So, Lincoln’s a playboy?”

  Nona gave me a curious look, cocking her head to the side as she studied me. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it that. More like he’s an exceptionally good-looking single guy. But he wouldn’t play a woman like that. He’s a good man.”

  A good man. I believed that. “I can see that. He wasn’t too happy that I didn’t have an alarm system. Said something about getting me taken care of when he gets back into town.”

  For some reason that made her eyes go huge. “No way,” she gasped in complete shock.

  “Well, yeah. He really travels all over the place installing alarms? Aren’t there companies that do that kind of thing?”

  “Not like Linc’s,” she responded with a shake of her head. “I don’t really know about stuff like that, but apparently his systems are impossible to bypass. Not like the shit you get from the places you see on commercials. And they’re crazy expensive. The kind of expensive that only rich people can afford.”

  That had me sitting up straighter in panic. “I can’t pay for something like that!”

  “Hey now, don’t freak,” she said, bumping her shoulder against mine, grinning like a giddy teenager. “I bet he’s planning on givin’ it to you for free because he likes you.”

  “Oh my god,” I laughed. “You’re being totally ridiculous. You’re reading way more into this than there actually is. We’re just friends.”

  My cell phone rang at that very moment, and we both looked down to where it lay on the cushion between us to see Lincoln’s name flashing across the screen.

  Ignoring her knowing look, I snatched it up and swiped to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, darlin’.”

  “H-hi. How’s, um, work?”

  He let out a grunt. “Work’s work. Be happier when I’m back home.”

  My voice dropped low as I replied, “I’m sorry, Linc.”

  “Nothing for you to be sorry for, baby. How’s it goin’ there?”

  An intense flutter took up residence in my belly that made it feel like I was coming out of my skin. That was the first “baby” I’d ever gotten from him, or any man actually, and if I was to rank all the monikers he’d given me so far, “baby” would be at the very tip top of that list. “It’s going well. Rocky’s been great.”

  “Glad to hear it, Edie. Look, I was callin’ to let you know this job’s taking longer than I originally thought. I got the red-eye out tonight ’cause I have some business to handle at the office first thing in the morning, but I don’t wanna wake you up when I get in. You mind keepin’ Rocky an extra night?”

  “Not at all,” I replied. “I’ve loved having him here. He’s good company.”

  “Thanks, darlin’. I owe you one.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You don’t owe me anything. I’m happy to help.”

  “Why don’t you swing by my office tomorrow around noon with Rock. We’ll both take you to lunch to say thanks.”

  Lunch with Lincoln? One-on-one? I wasn’t sure I could survive something like that. “Seriously, Linc. That’s not necessary. You don’t need to take me to lunch.”

  Nona let out a squeal, and I quickly waved at her to be quiet.

  “Noon tomorrow. My offices are just a couple blocks down from The Tap Room. I gotta get this done, but I’ll see you then, yeah?”

  He might have phrased it as a question, but it was clear he wasn’t expecting an answer since he hung up a moment later, leaving no room for me to argue further.

  Placing the phone back down on the cushion, I stared at it for several seconds before chancing a look up at my friend.

  “Just friends, my ass,” she muttered.

  “Don’t start.”

  At that, she tried a different tactic. “Lunch, huh?”

  “He’s just being polite,” I insisted. “It’s his way of saying thanks for keeping his dog.”

  “Uh-huh.” She smirked, making it clear she wasn’t buying it.

  “It’s true!”

  Holding up her free hand, she said, “All right, all right. Whatever you say, doll.”

  She lifted the mug to her lips and turned out to face the yard and her kids. Neither of us spoke for a minute or two, then “Be sure to wear something tight.”

  “What?”

  “And show a bit of cleavage.”

  “Nona!”

  Then we both busted out laughing.

  Chapter Ten

  Eden

  “Oh god,” I muttered as I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror before tilting my head and looking down at Rocky who was currently lying at my feet. “What do you think? Is it too much?”

  Rocky cast only his eyes up, making a low chuffing noise. I could have sworn that, if he could talk, he would have said, “Lady, you’ve tried on six different outfits. Just pick something already!”

  With a sigh, I looked back at my reflection. “All right. I guess this’ll have to do.”

  I tried on a pair of bootcut jeans that hadn’t fit me in ages, the waistband cutting into my belly. They were still snug on my thighs and booty, but cutting out my snack cakes and taking daily walks had made a bit of difference, and now the jeans fit my waist better than they had when I first bought them. I matched them with a fitted black racerback tank that had a hot pink sugar skull on the front, a thin-knit long-sleeve cardigan that fell past my hips, and a pair of flat ankle boots with tiny matte silver studs along the straps at the sides.

  The outfit was comfy and casual, yet the pop of color from the skull added a bit more to it, making it a little more fun.

  My hair was blown out straight and full, and I’d put on a touch of makeup to finish it all off.

  “Well,” I said on a breath to Rocky, “I guess this is as good as it’s gonna get. You ready to go see your daddy?” As if understanding perfectly, Rocky jumped up and wagged his tail so hard his entire back end moved with it. “Yeah,” I giggled. “You missed him, huh?”

  Rocky let out a short bark that I took to mean yes, he did.

  “All right, all right. Let’s go, then. You wanna go on a car ride?”

  That got me another bark, and we moved out of the room and down the hall to the living room. I packed Rocky’s stuff into the bag Lincoln brought and hooked his leash to his collar. If I was being honest, I was really going to miss the big guy. Walking with him every evening and having him to cuddle against in bed every night made things a lot less lonely.

  He bounded into the back seat and stuck his head between mine and the passenger seat as soon as I climbed in and started it up, panting loudly as he stared out the windshield as if to say, “Come on, get the lead out!”

  The drive to Lincoln’s offices took about ten minutes, and I spent the entire time fretting and anxious about seeing Lincoln again. I was a nervous wreck, and when the sign for Alpha Omega Investigations came into sight, my hands actually began to tremble.

  The sign hung horizontal, dangling over the sidewalk like all the rest of the businesses in the long two-story brick building, and from the placement of it, it looked as if Lincoln’s place took up at least half of the huge complex. The ground level was all businesses, but the second story looked to be residential, with window boxes full of flowers scattered about the balconies.

  From the outside, the building looked like it belonged in a historical society, but as I parked between two yellow lines painted diag
onally in front it, I looked through the big picture windows into his offices and noticed the place had been completely modernized.

  Apparently Lincoln had brought Rocky into work with him on more than a few occasions, because he let out an excited whine and began shaking his whole body again as he looked through the windows.

  “All right, boy. I get it. Let’s go in.”

  Reaching for his leash, I opened the door and climbed out, letting him hop over the seat and out the driver side. He nearly jerked my shoulder out of socket trying to get inside, and I had to hurry to keep up and prevent the need for medical attention. I guided us through the door that led in from the street, then a second one into the sleek gray-and-glass lobby of Alpha Omega Investigations.

  The woman at the front desk was in her early to midfifties, with brassy dyed red hair pulled in a french twist and a skintight top that, while not low cut, clung to the extra weight she carried in her middle. Her lips were painted the same bright red as her freakishly long fingernails, and her eyes were shadowed with an unnatural shade of blue.

  None of it worked, but as she looked up at me and smiled with a warm, welcoming grin, it kind of all did. She was comfortable in her own skin and didn’t give a single damn what anyone thought.

  “Well hey there, honey. You must be Eden.”

  “Yeah,” I replied, returning her smile as Rocky and I made it all the way to the front desk. “Nice to meet you…”

  “Roxanne,” she supplied, then looked me up and down, her smile growing even bigger. “Well aren’t you just a looker. Linc said you’d be stoppin’ by, but he didn’t say anything about you bein’ so dang pretty.”

  “Oh, well, uh….” My cheeks and neck burned. “Thank you. I appreciate that. Is, um, Lincoln here, or do I just leave Rocky with you?”