by Toni Aleo
“Hey, I don’t have her yet.”
“No, I know. You have like three minutes.”
“Oh, okay, I was about to go in there and get her. I thought maybe I missed her or something. By the way, this school is swanky.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, it’s really good for her.”
“Yeah, I can tell. But you need a BMW. Your Honda isn’t cutting it.”
She scoffed as he laughed. “I’ll get right on that.”
“Yeah, so what’s up? You miss me?” he asked and she grinned.
“Always,” she decided and his rough chuckle ran down her spine. “But, it’s not that.”
“Well, that’s bogus.”
She paused and then laughed. “You and your wack vocabulary.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me!” She giggled, looking up at the sky as his laughter made her heart expand. “Anyway, what’s up if you don’t miss me?”
“I said I did, dork. It was just more than that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, my dad called me.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised. “That’s not normal.”
“No, not at all. But apparently, Rick’s lawyers have contacted him and they want to change the parenting plan. Which we already knew he wanted to do, but I didn’t think he’d actually get a lawyer.”
“Yeah, that’s surprising. He seems like a lot of talk, no do.”
“Exactly, but my dad told them to take a flying leap, that they can take us to court. But he doesn’t think they will. Should I call Rick? Try to talk to him about this? Maybe we can work something out? I don’t know, I just don’t want to go to court. I don’t want to do that to Angie.”
He didn’t say anything at first, and she’d almost thought she lost him when he said, “Yeah, Angie doesn’t need to go through that. But do you think calling him would work?”
“I don’t know. I’m sure it would end in a screaming match.”
“Yeah, then what’s the point, you know?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to make sure I was making the right choice. Ignore it.”
“You know him better than I do. As a man, I would want to sit down and discuss it with you, figure out how to make it better for both sides. But he isn’t a man, he’s a disgusting waste of space, or at least, from what I’ve seen, he is. You don’t really tell me much about him.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, her stomach dropped. She didn’t talk about it because she hated Rick. Still, she could understand his interest in it. “Do you want to know?”
“Well, considering it deals with you and Angie, I would like to know. Maybe I can better understand his idiocy.”
Lucy sighed. “No, there’s no understanding Rick Hart.”
“Well, we can talk about that later. Angie is coming. I’ll be at the house in a bit.”
“Okay. Thanks, babe.”
“Anytime,” he said before hanging up. She dropped her phone to her lips, tapping them in deep thought. Surely, Rick wouldn’t do more. Letting out a long breath because she just wasn’t sure, she went to return inside. But when she turned, she ran right into her mother.
“Good Lord, Mom! How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough.”
She looked hurt and Lucy’s lip curled. “I was coming inside.”
“I know. But this bastard has contacted a lawyer and he thinks he’s gonna get the parenting plan changed?”
Anxiety eating her from within, she nodded. “Apparently. From what Dad said.”
“But your father has this? He feels good about it?”
“From what he said,” she said simply and her mother nodded.
“He’s a shitty person, but he’s a good lawyer and he loves Angie. I think it will be okay. I don’t think anything will come of it.”
Lucy shrugged, hoping her mom was right, that Benji was right. “I hope so.” Her mother’s eyes met hers, searching them before taking Lucy’s hands in hers. Lucy held her mother’s gaze and then shook her head. “What, Mom?”
“You trust him?”
“Dad? I mean he’s a law—”
“No, Benji.”
Lucy looked down, her heart beating fast in her chest. For so long, she had been closed off from everything. She shared things with her mom, but it was mostly details about Angie—never deep, dark feelings because she wasn’t really a sharing kind of girl. It sure as hell was never about a guy because no guy ever came along. But now one had, and while she was giddy about Benji, she didn’t want anyone judging her. Because, yeah, it was moving fast. He was picking her kid up and giving her advice about an ex he didn’t really even know anything about, but it worked for her.
They just clicked.
But would her mom get that? Lucy had rushed into marriage with Rick, and that had ended in a fiery heap of shit. Was she making the same mistake? As soon as she thought that, she knew she wasn’t. First, she wasn’t marrying Benji; they were dating and he was nothing like the sort of man Rick was. Things were just so much different with Benji. Still, it made her so damn nervous.
Meeting her mom’s gaze, she shrugged. “Yeah. I do.”
Aged from years of raising four hellions and going through a nasty divorce, her mother’s face lit up as her lips curved, her fingers lacing with Lucy’s. “How long have you been seeing him? I mean, how did I not know?”
Lucy bit her lip and looked away. “Because it’s only been like two weeks. I know it’s crazy and stupid and so new, but—”
“Lucy Lane, does he make you happy?”
She looked up, her eyes wide as her mother gazed at her, love shining in her eyes. Clearing her throat, she nodded. “Yeah, he does.”
“Is he good to Angie?”
Lucy grinned and her heart skipped a beat thinking about how great he really was with her. Angie hadn’t wanted to stay home the day before, and even though the apartment wasn’t safe, Benji promised to keep an eye out so she could come. So she would feel included. “He is.”
“Good, then it doesn’t matter how much time it’s been. It matters how you feel,” she said.
“But I made mistakes before. Rick—”
“And you learned from them, didn’t you?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded, her eyes pleading with Lucy’s. “You know, I’ve always been able to read people. I know a good person when I see them. I knew that Jude was going to marry Claire. That Jayden would marry Baylor, that Jace would marry Avery,” she said, her eyes darkening with each word. “I knew when I looked at River, after I decided I wanted to move on, that he was the man for me. Lucy, honey, I loved him after our third date.”
Lucy smiled, holding her hands. “Whoa, no love here, Mom. I really like him and I trust him, but whoa.”
She laughed nervously and her mother smiled. “That’s fine, but let me tell you, when you came home married to Rick, pregnant, I knew he wouldn’t last. I didn’t trust him as far as I could throw him,” she said with all the vengeance in her voice. Lucy knew this. She had always hated Rick. Everyone did. “But when I saw Benji lift Angie over his head and how he looked back at you, his eyes just so full of love, I knew he was the one for you.”
“Mom, be real. You just met him.”
“And I know,” she said with a nod of her head. “Watch, mark my words. You’ll marry that man.”
“Mom,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“As long as you don’t mess it up, that is,” she said then, bringing Lucy’s attention back to her.
Pulling her brows together, she glared. “What the hell does that mean?”
Her mother gave her a knowing look, but Lucy was confused. “You know what it means. You’re your own worst enemy. You don’t know how to be happy since that asshole, and it’s scared me, Lucy. I thought you were gonna be one of those women who grow old alone. But when I see you with him, a little grin on that face of yours, I think you’re learning how to be happy again. I can’t describe how much joy that brings me. I love the guy just for making you s
mile.”
Lucy looked away, sucking in a deep breath. Her mother was crazy, that was it. But yet, she found herself saying, “It’s new. It’s all shiny and shit, I don’t know. He makes me happy.”
“And I’m excited to watch you grow with him.”
As she met her eyes, her mom smiled and Lucy couldn’t help it, she smiled back. Because, like her mother, she, too, was excited for the future. Crazy since she had never cared before, but now, because of Benji, she was excited to see what would happen.
And if, by chance, she would fall in love with him.
“Okay, woman, I have not seen you in three days and your office is behind my house. I call bullshit.”
Lucy giggled as she drove onto the interstate. Glancing at Benji on her phone, she found him with a little grin playing on his lips as he lay back in his bed. “Hey, it isn’t my fault you’re a hotshot hockey player with things to do.”
“Hey, this is not my fault. It’s yours. You’re all over the place, designing. And yet, my house has not been started, nor has a contract for it come through.”
She rolled her eyes. “Didn’t I say I was busy when you insisted on dating me?”
He gave her a look. “Fine. Where is my contract?”
“It won’t be coming. I’m not charging you for my services, only for the supplies and crap I buy. Don’t need a contract for that.”
“Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter,” she teased and he glared. “Seriously. You’ve helped so much the last couple days with letting me rent your guesthouse and helping me with moving. It’s the least I can do.”
It was, and she should do more. He had been a godsend. He painted the whole office for her on Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday, he put together her office, with directions from Rayne, while she was out shopping and doing errands for one of the local restaurant’s designs. She honestly didn’t know how she could ever thank him, and she didn’t like that. She hated owing people or putting them out to help her. She asked him not to help, but of course, he didn’t listen. But then, if he had, she probably still wouldn’t be set up.
“You’re so frustrating, you know that?”
She grinned. “I think you said that when I yelled at you for twenty minutes not to paint my office. I really thought you were going to throw the paint on me.”
He scoffed. “I won’t lie, I thought about it.”
She giggled. “Figured.”
“Yeah, so how much do you charge?”
“Why? I told you not to worry about it!”
“Fine, I’ll call Rayne.”
“Don’t worry about it, please,” she begged as she turned off at her exit. “It isn’t like I can give you the blow job of your life since I’m so busy. Let me do this. I plan to start on Friday after I drop Angie off.”
He paused, his eyes half-lidded. “So, wait, you’re coming over Friday to do the design or to give me the blow job of my life?”
She grinned. “Well, play your cards right, Paxton, and it could be a mixture of both.”
He thought that over for a moment and then nodded slowly. “I guess I can handle that.”
She giggled again and a fluttery feeling went nuts in her belly as she looked at him on the phone. He was looking damn near irresistible. He had his black-rimmed glasses hanging low on his nose and his stubble was dark and thick. He was almost bursting out of his ratty tee and his jeans didn’t even fit. No. He was sexy as hell. Or maybe it was because, like he said, they hadn’t seen or touched each other in three days.
She was jonesing for some Benji Paxton.
“Why are you so hot today?”
“Whoa, don’t steal my lines.”
She laughed hard. “Please. I’m serious. Like, why? You got someone to impress?”
“Um, no,” he said simply, looking down as he pushed his glasses up. Shit, even that was sexy. “I’m wearing some jeans and a work tee.”
“Yeah, sexy,” she said all rough, and man, he was.
“I see some cleavage. So who you trying to sell to?”
She laughed. “I was hoping to maybe see you today.”
“Well, I have like an hour before I have to go to the rink. Come over,” he demanded, waggling his eyebrows, and she chuckled, shaking her head.
“I can’t. I have to get to this restaurant before the delivery gets there. Then I’ve got to get Angie and then go home and work.”
“Home? Jayden’s?”
“That is where I live.” He made a little grumbling noise and she rolled her eyes. “Oh, goodness, are you pouting?”
He gave her a dry look. “Wouldn’t it be easier to walk from here to your office?”
“Benji, we are on week three. I am not moving in with you.”
They had been having this conversation a lot the last three days. Ever since she said she was going to get a hotel for her and Angie after walking in on Jayden and Baylor banging, he had been very persistent about her moving in with him.
“See, it wouldn’t even have to be with me, like, in my room. I mean—”
“Please, if I lived in the same house as you, I’d be in your bed and you know it.”
He paused, nodding his head. “This is true, but I don’t want you getting a hotel.”
She let out a breath. “I know, I’m not. Jayden already said he’d glue me to the house. He’s psycho, but I swear, I see him banging his wife one more time—”
“You’ll move in with me?”
She gave him a deadpan look. “Do I really need to throw the kid card up? Remember, I have one of those? She needs stability. I already feel like I’m fucking up by living with Jayden, but I can’t dip into my savings. I almost have enough. And I’m definitely not taking money from anyone for an apartment,” she added, since Jude had just called asking if he could pay for an apartment. But she wouldn’t let him. She’d be damned. “With Rick and everything, I just feel better saving the money. Angie’s with family, so we are okay for now. But if we move in with you, because it’s we, you know that?”
He glared. “No, I completely forgot you had a child. Not that you don’t bring it up all the time or anything.”
She glared back. “If we don’t work out, then I’ll be moving out. And that’s not good for Angie. At least now, I know we are good. If that happened, no telling what would happen.”
Letting his head fall back, he moaned like a bored teenager. “That won’t happen, though.”
“You don’t know that.”
He gave her a look. “Maybe I do.”
“How?” she laughed and he smiled before shrugging.
“’Cause I do.”
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Whatever, Autumn Sinclair.”
His brows came in. “What does that mean?”
But she shook her head, no reason to bring up that little doozy her mother had predicted. “Nothing.”
He eyed her and sat up, leaning into the phone. “Just think of how fucking great it would be? We could wake up together, eat breakfast together, you could go right out the back door to your office while I take Angie to school. We could be together. All the time.”
She laughed. It would, and it would be so much easier, but she just wasn’t ready for that. “I promise, I’m not that cool. You don’t want to spend all your time with me.”
“Negative woman. I think you’re the coolest and I want you. Now. All the time.”
“I swear you’re like the chick in this relationship,” she teased and he laughed.
“Maybe, but admit it. You’d love it here.”
“In my dream home where the orgasms are endless? Um, yeah.”
He threw his hands up. “See!”
“But…” she said and he held his hand up.
“But don’t you think it just makes sense? We find each other, we click, you’re homeless—”
“I’m not homeless!” she complained and he laughed.
“You are without a home, and I have one. I feel it’s fate.”
Rolling
her eyes, she smiled. “I want this to work, Benji. I do. And I want us to be sure. We have to think of Angie. Don’t rush it. If this is it for us, if it’s fate, then we have forever.”
He paused, sucking in a breath and then letting it out. “I don’t like admitting when you’re right.”
“Another reason I can’t move in. Let’s be real. I’m always right, and you haven’t accepted that yet,” she teased and he rolled his eyes, running his hand down his face.
“Babe, I’m dying. I miss you.”
Her lips quirked as she looked over at him for a second before looking back at the road. It sucked only seeing him on the phone, but she had to work. Now that she was getting the office back up and running, she would be hiring another designer. To afford to do that, she had to work. “I miss you too, I do. But I’m coming over tomorrow, and let’s be honest, I probably won’t leave till Sunday when I get Angie. Gotta figure out how I’m going to explain that to my brother.”
“You act like everyone doesn’t know about us.”
She pursed her lips together. “I don’t want to admit it and have them be right.”
“You’re impossible, you know that?” She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. “Anyway, are you coming to the game tomorrow?”
She paused. “Shit. I forgot you had a game. Do you want me to?”
“I’d love you to.”
“Okay, I’ll go, then.”
“Cool, but since you won’t move in with me, you and Angie can come over for dinner and a movie tonight.”
She let out a long breath. “Benji, I haven’t even told her about us yet.”
“Perfect time. We can do it together.”
He was so ready, so confident. If he had his way, they would come and never leave. It was really sweet and she loved how much he wanted them there, but shouldn’t they, like, love each other before all that? It just seemed kind of crazy. No matter how great and amazing it sounded, she had to keep her head about this.
She had to be smart.
“Benji,” she whined and he shook his head.
“Plus, I want to hang out with her before I leave. Starting Monday, I’m gone for almost two weeks.”
