Drawn Deeper

by Brenda Rothert

  “So I was thinking . . .” I said, clearing my throat, “that maybe I should give you my number. You know, in case you need to reach me about the kids.”

  “Sure.” He took out his phone and entered my number as I gave it to him. Then he gave me his, and I put it into my phone.

  “They wanted to go out for ice cream today, but I didn’t think I should take them anywhere without asking you first.”

  “I trust you. Just text me and let me know if you guys are going somewhere.”

  I nodded. “Okay. Tell them I said I’ll see them Monday, okay?”

  I grabbed my bag, clutching the handle tightly.

  “So, uh . . . have a good time tonight . . . I guess,” he said with a half-smile.

  “Thanks. And you have a good weekend.”

  “Will do.”

  We walked to the front door, and he opened it for me. I walked out to my Jeep, unable to keep myself from turning around to see if he was still looking at me.

  He was. I smiled as I slid on my sunglasses and pulled my hair back. The top of my Jeep was off, and I couldn’t see if my hair was in my face while I drove.

  John. I told myself to focus on John, whom I was going out with tonight.

  I’d gone from not having a date in well over a year to having two in one week.

  Well, one for sure. And another thing that wasn’t necessarily a date, but . . . God, I wanted it to be. I had the hots for Reed’s older brother. As much as I knew I shouldn’t, I officially did.

  When I walked into my small bungalow, the lemony scent of cleaning products told me Patricia had been here. She was my dad’s neighbor who had lost her job last year. He’d seen her crying on her front porch and went to see what was going on. When she told him she’d been laid off and had no savings, he’d hired her on the spot to clean the dealership, his house, and my house every week.

  It was nice coming home to a clean house every Thursday. And every time I smelled that lemony scent, it reminded me how big-hearted my father was. He always took up for those in need. It was how he’d ended up with his dog, Racer. Racer had been abused and was considered unadoptable by the local animal shelter. My father refused to let him be euthanized. He and Racer were now the best of friends.

  John hadn’t said where we were going tonight, so I changed into jeans and a T-shirt. Hopefully, he had something casual in mind.

  He pulled into my driveway right on time in a red pickup truck. I grabbed my bag and met him at my door.

  “Hey, looking good,” he said, grinning.

  “Oh, thanks.”

  “Quick selfie before we go?” he asked, holding up his phone.

  “Um . . . sure.”

  He wrapped his arm around my waist and held his phone in the air, putting his cheek against mine for the picture.

  I smiled, but inside I was scowling. Clearly, John didn’t understand personal boundaries.

  “Just gonna post this to Facebook real quick,” he said, typing something out on his phone.

  Thank God I wasn’t on Facebook. I never wanted to see that photo.

  “So, ready for some great Chinese food?” he asked, grinning as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

  “I love Chinese,” I said, walking beside him to his truck.

  He opened the door for me, and I got in. I decided to put the rocky beginning of the date behind us and give him another shot.

  “So what do you do for a living?” I asked him as he backed out of my driveway.

  “I’m an insurance underwriter.”

  “Oh, that sounds interesting.”

  He shrugged. “It’s okay. But if I’d never gone into this line of work, I never would have met that evil bitch, Laura.”

  What the hell did one say to that? “Oh.”

  His laugh was humorless. “Yeah, she’s a doozy. You got any crazy exes?”

  “Me? No, not—”

  “You’re lucky. Laura stole two thousand bucks from me. And she posted a dick pic online and said it was mine, but it wasn’t. Pinkie-sized.”

  “Oh, that’s . . . unfortunate.”

  I stared out the windshield, willing myself to throw up right now so I could end this date. I didn’t know how I could spend an entire evening with this guy.

  “Laura lives in Lovely, too,” he said. “So we’ll just cruise by her house real quick before we grab dinner.”

  I couldn’t even think of anything to say as John circled Laura’s block three times, slowing in front of her house to try to see through the windows.

  My creeper alarm was obviously broken. I couldn’t believe I’d given him my phone number and address. He even knew where I worked.

  “Hey, John, can you stop the truck?”

  He pulled over to the side of the road. “What’s up, gorgeous?”

  I opened the door and stepped out of the truck. “Look, you’re obviously still not over Laura. This isn’t going to work out.”

  He furrowed his brow in confusion. “I’m totally over that bitch. What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t call me again.”

  I closed the truck door and got on the sidewalk, where I headed in the direction of Marty’s house. He was a salesman from work who only lived a block away.

  John squealed his tires as he pulled out, and I rolled my eyes. What a lunatic.

  When I got to Marty’s house and told his wife Cara why I was there, she hugged me and invited me in for a glass of wine.

  “Honey, that may be the worst first-date story I’ve ever heard,” she said. “You need at least two glasses of wine after that.”

  I laughed and let her refill my glass. She told me some of her own dating horror stories, and I laughed some more. Marty was watching a baseball game in the basement, and I didn’t even see him until he came upstairs to make a sandwich an hour after I’d arrived. Cara caught him up on what had happened, and I knew the whole dealership would know by ten a.m. on Monday. But they were a good group of people who would also laugh about it with me.

  “I should probably get going,” I said to Cara. “Can one of you guys give me a ride home?”

  “I’ve had a little too much wine,” she said to Marty.

  “Sure thing, I’ll take you,” he said.

  “Cara, thank you so much. You made my awful night a whole lot better.”

  She hugged me. “I’m glad you came over.”

  “Maybe we could do wine at my place sometime.”

  “Anytime.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh, I’m having a jewelry party next weekend. You should come. It’s next Sunday afternoon.”

  “Sounds like fun. I’d love to.”

  “Great. Two o’clock.”

  I said good-bye to her, and Marty drove me home, which was only about five minutes away by car.

  “If that crazy bastard shows up at your house, you give me a call,” he said as he pulled into my driveway. “I’ll be over here in a jiffy.”

  “Thanks, Marty.”

  “You lock your doors tonight, you hear?”

  “I will.”

  I always locked my doors anyway, but tonight I double-checked them. Then I cooked a frozen pizza, ate half of it, took a hot bath, and got in bed with a book.

  I read until a little after eight, but then I put the book down beside me on the bed, my mind wandering to Kyle.

  What was he doing right now? Was he alone? Was he shirtless?

  I pictured him in his swimming trunks and smiled. Kyle was different from his brothers. He didn’t have their swagger. I liked that about him.

  On impulse, I picked up my phone from the nightstand and texted him.

  Me: The date was a total bust.

  I bit my lip, nervously awaiting his reply. It came soon.

  Kyle: Should I pretend I’m disappointed?

  I grinned so hard a squeal came out. It had been ages since I’d been flirted with, and it felt incredible. Especially since it was Kyle Lockhart on the other end of this text exchange.

  Me: No need. Hope I’m no
t interrupting anything.

  Kyle: Not at all. I’m just watching baseball.

  Me: Hope your team wins. See you Monday.

  Kyle: I don’t get to hear about the date?

  Me: It was about fifteen minutes long, if that says anything.

  Kyle: No shit?

  Me: No shit.

  Kyle: Damn. I promise a better Friday night next weekend.

  Me: Counting on it. Goodnight.

  Kyle: Goodnight.

  I read for another hour, the giddy sensation still with me when I switched off the light beside my bed. The night had ended better than I’d expected.

  The next morning, I went running, did an hour of yoga, got groceries, and took a shower. After a quick lunch, I decided to stop by the Lovely Hospital League fundraiser. It was a biannual event with handbags, scarves, candles, and baked goods.

  My mother had always baked for the fundraiser, and I’d loved going with her. I’d felt proud when her brownies sold out, which happened no matter how many she made.

  I thought of her every time I used her brownie recipe. It had been painful the first few years after we lost her, but I was finally getting to a point where I liked doing things that reminded me of her.

  When I parked in the hospital parking lot, I stayed in my Jeep for a few extra seconds, giving myself a mental pep talk.

  Yes, I was alone and had no one to talk to at this thing. But it was fine. I could shop by myself. It had been nearly a decade since I ended things with Reed Lockhart. That was a long time, and I needed to stop making myself an outcast. Cara’s invitation to her future jewelry party the night before had given me the confidence to come here, and maybe something good would come of this, too.

  I grabbed my bag and walked inside, nodding and smiling at the people I recognized as I walked by them.

  I picked out a new bag and got in line to pay for it. I couldn’t see past the people in front of me, and when I got to the front of the line, Grace Lockhart sat behind the cash register.

  I wanted to run, but my feet wouldn’t move.

  “Meredith,” she said in a cool tone.

  The women working behind the other cash registers turned to look at us. My face heated with embarrassment.

  “I need the bag so I can scan it,” Grace said.

  I thrust it out to her, willing my eyes not to fill with tears. Turning bright red was bad enough—I was not going to cry.

  She refused to make eye contact with me, telling me the cost of the bag in a no-nonsense tone. I passed over the money, dropping the coins to the table.

  “Sorry,” I said softly, picking them up.

  She put the bag and my receipt into a plastic shopping bag and handed it to me, not saying a word. I took it and bolted for the parking lot.

  I’d donate the bag to charity. Otherwise, I’d remember the shame I felt right now every time I looked at it.

  I didn’t belong here. No matter what I did or how much time passed, people would always see me for what had happened with Reed.

  Getting the cold shoulder from Grace burned more this time because I wanted her to like me. She was Kyle’s mother and Jordan and Eric’s grandmother. They mattered to me, and I wanted to think Grace might be willing to give me another chance.

  It didn’t look likely, though. I wondered if she was upset because she’d heard I was going over to help the boys or because of Reed.

  Either way, she didn’t like me, and I was pretty sure she never would.

  Kyle

  The next week, there was a new energy between Meredith and me. Just making eye contact with her when I came home from work got my blood pumping. Sometimes her smiles felt different—secret somehow, and meant just for me.

  If eye contact and her smile made my dick stiffen with awareness, I could only imagine what being alone with her would do to me. I’d probably have an erection over dinner. I was thirty-seven years old, but I felt like a teenager again, all raging hormones, desperate for even a touch from her.

  I kept my phone on my nightstand every night, hoping she’d text me from her bed. Not that she had a reason to.

  When I got home Thursday, Jordan asked Meredith to come to his baseball game that night. She told him she had plans, but from the way she looked away before answering, I sensed she didn’t. She probably just knew rumors would start flying if she showed up anywhere near the Lockhart family.

  “Maybe next time,” Jordan said.

  “I’d like that,” she said. “You play first base, right?”

  “Yeah. Sometimes third.”

  “Well, good luck tonight.”

  I walked her to the front door as usual, and she turned to me right before walking outside.

  “Are we still on for tomorrow?” she asked softly.

  “I hope so.”

  She smiled. “Okay. What should I bring?”

  “Just you. When I get home, I’ll run the boys over to my parents’ house.”

  “I’ll probably run home and change when you get home. I mean . . . you probably don’t want the boys to know about . . . not that we’re . . .”

  Her cheeks had turned bright pink, and it was really damn cute. I grinned and leaned against the doorframe, hoping she’d continue.

  “Anyway . . .” She took a deep breath. “I’ll just bring some wine.”

  “And a swimsuit.”

  She arched her brows with surprise.

  “In case we want to swim,” I said.

  “Oh, right.”

  “Do you, uh . . . have any two-pieces? Not that the other swimsuit wasn’t nice, you know, but . . .”

  “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “We’re practically whispering here,” I said.

  “I know. I feel like a naughty kid or something.”

  “Naughty, huh?”

  Her blush deepened. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kyle.”

  “Looking forward to it.”

  As Eric and I sat in the stands at Jordan’s baseball game that evening, I felt a twinge of guilt. My mother made no secret of her feelings about Meredith. And while my kids were having dinner at my parents’ place tomorrow, I’d be making dinner for Meredith.

  When I left the bleachers to get Eric some popcorn, my mother followed me, pulling me off to the side where no one could hear our conversation.

  “I’ve been hearing Meredith Hobbs’s Jeep has been seen at your house quite regularly lately,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “What’s going on?”

  “She’s been helping the boys with homework after school.”

  “It’s summer.”

  I shrugged. “Extra help. They both need it. Their grades slipped after Kim left.”

  She narrowed her eyes slightly. “But why Meredith?”

  “Why not? She offered. The boys like her.”

  My mother’s laugh did not sound amused. “I bet she offered. She regrets what happened with Reed, and now she’s moving in on you.”

  I shook my head. “She’s not moving in, Mom. Relax.”

  “You’re probably the most eligible man in all of Lovely, Kyle. A handsome doctor with a beautiful home. I know how women like Meredith work.”

  “She’s not working anything.”

  “She’s going on thirty now, and no man will give her a second glance after what she did to your brother. She’s an opportunist looking to secure her future.”

  “Mom,” I said firmly. “Stop. I mean it. The boys like her, and I don’t want you talking about her this way.”

  “That’s all this is, then? Just tutoring for the boys?”

  “Yeah.”

  It was sort of true. Nothing else had happened . . . yet, and my mom was overstepping her boundaries. I wasn’t about to tell her I was attracted to Meredith—that was none of her business.

  “I just want what’s best for you and my grandsons,” she said softly.

  “Let me worry about that, Mom.”

  She nodded. “I know Meredith is a pretty girl, Kyle, but she’s bad news.”<
br />
  “I think she’s a nice person who made a mistake. I’ve been there myself.”

  “A mistake?” She stared at me in disbelief. “She humiliated your brother in front of this whole town.”

  “He’s over it, Mom. It was a long time ago. Now, I’m going to get some popcorn. You want some?”

  “No, thanks.” She hesitated before continuing. “You know, it may be time for you to consider dating again.”

  I sighed, but I stopped short of glaring at her. She meant well.

  “I’ll decide when it’s time. And then I’ll decide who. I’m not dating your hospital foundation friends’ daughters just because they’re single.”

  She pursed her lips. “Well, maybe you should at least give one of my suggestions a try.”

  So she had someone in mind. I wasn’t surprised. My mom was great overall, but sometimes she tried too hard to get things happening her way—the best way, in her not so humble opinion.

  “I’m going to get some popcorn for Eric, and then I’m watching Jordan’s game,” I said.

  “Sure, we can talk about this later.”

  “Or not,” I said firmly. “Because I think the conversation is over.”

  Her quick nod told me it wasn’t over as far as she was concerned. I had to give her a little slack because she’d struggled while watching the Kim disaster unfold. Kim’s drinking had escalated, and I’d buried my head in the sand over it for a few months. I deeply regretted that now. I sometimes wondered what would have happened if Kim hadn’t left me. Would I still be with her?

  I’d never considered leaving her. Marriage was a lifelong commitment to me. But the boys and I were definitely in a better place with her gone.

  I wasn’t about to upset that balance by getting into a serious relationship. I’d spend time with Meredith, but I wasn’t looking for more than that. It was probably best to be up front with her about that.

  Hopefully, she wouldn’t be offended. I rubbed my forehead, considering the best way to tell her as I walked to the ballpark concession stand.

  Dealing with women was not my strong suit. They were the opposite of my work, which was all about precision and order. I just hoped I wouldn’t run Meredith off before I’d even gotten a chance with her.