Something Borrowed (New Castle Book 3)

by Lydia Michaels

  A shiver of excitement trailed down his spine at the fantasy of her smiling over a mug of green beer, wearing those ridiculous shamrock headband antlers women usually wore to the parade. He bet she looked pretty in green.

  It had been nearly a month since he’d last seen her and not a day went by that she didn’t cross his mind. For all he knew, she never thought of him, but if that was the case he wanted to change her thinking. He wanted to be on her mind as much as she was on his.

  “I have a friend who has sons close to your age, Austin. I’ll ask her if she wants to come with us.”

  His sister paused from taking a sip of her coffee and lifted an eyebrow at him. “Her?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yes, her. She lives over in New Castle. I can swing by her place this week and see if she’s free.”

  Phoenix gave Pete a knowing look. “He’ll swing by her place…”

  Trent rolled his eyes. “Settle yourself. I have to get her to agree to go before anything’s certain.”

  Phoenix smirked into her mug. “Pete’s told me about your effect on women. She’ll be there.”

  Later that day Trent coasted through the streets of New Castle. It took him a while, but eventually, he spotted a house that resembled the one from six years ago. He knew he reached the right place when he saw her little yellow Chevy parked in the drive. Although it was March, this far up north there were still drifts of slushy snow along the curbs.

  Parking his truck, he climbed out and stepped over a pile of green army action figures staged for battle along the shoveled walk. Voices and laughter echoed from inside the house. Hoping she didn’t mind him stopping by unannounced, he pressed the bell and waited.

  The voices quieted and a few moments later a man opened the door. Okay, not what he was expecting.

  “Can I help you?” the man asked, holding the door so Trent couldn’t see inside.

  Was this the wrong house? “I’m looking for Chloe Wolfe.”

  The man made a face that didn’t tell Trent if the name was familiar to him or not. “No one by that name lives here.”

  He frowned. “Uh, there’s no Chloe Wolfe here?” Should he use her other name?

  “Are you selling something?”

  He glanced at the driveway, smelling bullshit. That was her car. He recognized the license plate. “No. I’m a friend of Chloe’s and that’s her car.”

  “A friend? And your name is…”

  “Trenton Cole. Look, is she here or not?”

  The man raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with his tone. He probably figured a friend would know if he was at the right house.

  Not used to justifying his choices, he explained vaguely, “I didn’t have her number and I haven’t been here in years. I might be at the wrong house.”

  “Years?” Unabashedly appraising his attire, the man asked, “And what did you say your name was?”

  “Trent. Trenton Cole.” He shifted his feet. “Look, it’s cold. I don’t mean to be rude, but if she’s in there, can you tell her I’m here?”

  The man mouth curved like he just discovered a secret. “You must be Jeremy and Jade’s friend.”

  Finally. “That’s right.”

  Without taking his eyes off Trent, he called behind him, “Hey Chloe, you have a visitor.” His amused expression grew more defined as the door opened wide.

  Trent’s breath sucked deep into his lungs as her startled gaze tangled with his. She glanced down at herself then back at him. In a crew neck sweatshirt, cuffed gray sweats that only reached her calves, and little white ankle socks she looked good enough to eat.

  “What are you doing here, Trenton?” Her expression turned troubled—not at all welcoming. “Is everything okay? Did something happen with Jade?”

  “Everything’s fine. I, uh, stopped by to ask you something.” The nerves trampling his gut were unexpected.

  Another man appeared and the one who answered the door whispered something in his ear. The newcomer grinned broadly and looked back at Trent. “Chloe, darling, why don’t you invite your friend inside? It’s miserable out there.”

  She shot the man a punishing look and blushed. “Would you like to come in?”

  He stepped inside and stomped the snow off his boots.

  Sweeping his gaze around the room he noted soft, blue walls, whitewashed wooden shutters, several patchwork quilts, and ornate picture frames on every surface. Her boys sat at the table, a Scrabble board spread across the center.

  Mattie sat low in his chair, his eyes scrutinizing. Dayton studied him, too, but with a glint of challenge in his gaze. Trent turned and realized it wasn’t just the boys appraising him.

  Chloe looked at the ground and fussed with her hair. The two men stood side-by-side beaming. Apparently, his presence pleased them.

  He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

  “Are we playing or what?” Dayton asked from the table.

  “Um…” Chloe seemed totally out of her comfort zone. “Why don’t you guys take a little break?”

  “Oh, man! It was my turn.” Dayton was clearly irritated by the interruption.

  Trent was about to apologize for intruding, but the man who answered the door spoke first. “Hush up, whelp. We’ll give you and Mattie ten extra points and it’ll still be your turn when we continue. Now, go do as your mother asked so we adults can talk for a few minutes.”

  The boy grumbled but did as he was told. Trent’s brows rose, impressed. Mattie took a little longer getting up from the table but soon followed his brother down the hall.

  Once the kids were out of earshot, the man turned back to Trent and held out a hand. “Hi, I’m Tommy and this is Adam. We’re Chloe’s neighbors.”

  He shook their hands and Tommy invited him to sit. Chloe went to the counter. “Can I get you something to drink, Mr. Cole?”

  He gave her a look he hoped told her how he felt about being addressed as Mr. Cole. “No thanks, doll.”

  Adam sipped from a glass of iced tea. “So what brings you by our neck of the woods, Trent?”

  He again glanced at Chloe who continued to distract herself at the counter. “There’s a parade tomorrow by the university in Slippery Rock. I wanted to see if you and the boys would be interested in going with me.”

  “I have work.”

  Adam clucked his tongue. “You have one appointment and it’s at nine.” He turned to Trent. “What time’s the parade?”

  “Noon. We usually get there and set up camp around eleven and after the parade, there’s a Celtic festival at the park. If the weather’s good we stick around for that.”

  “Ooh, men in kilts… How fun!” Tommy nudged Chloe in the arm as she joined them at the table.

  She obviously wasn’t sold yet, so Trent continued, “My sisters and their kids will be there. My nephew’s about Dayton’s age and I have three nieces a little younger than Mattie. I asked Jeremy if he and Jade were interested, but he said Jade’s still having morning sickness and isn’t quite up for large crowds. I could see if Ty and Kat want to bring Mia, though. You guys are welcome to come as well.”

  “Sounds fun.” Tommy looked pointedly at Chloe. “I love a parade.”

  “I suppose we could go. We’d have to meet you there though, because of work.”

  “That’s fine. Why don’t I give you my number so we can touch base in the morning?”

  “Yes, get Trent’s number, sweetie.” Adam tapped her phone.

  Her fingers flipped a Scrabble chip. She’d changed her nail polish from red to a dark maroon since the last time he saw her. She wasn’t wearing any rings and he found a new freckle to admire on her knuckle.

  “Okay.”

  Mission accomplished.

  * * * *

  Chloe shut the door and leaned her weight against it. Never in a million years had she expected to see Trenton Cole in her home. She was shocked he remembered where it was.

  Tommy sauntered into the living room, a wide grin on his face. “Well pat my Swayze! Girl, you got yo
urself a date with Paul Bunion!”

  She placed her hand on her heart to settle her nerves. “I don’t think he’s interested in me like that.”

  “Well, if you’re sending out no-fly zone signals… He’s probably trying to read you and move at your pace.”

  She didn’t have a pace. She only had stop and go. She’d stopped dating the moment she left her husband and her heart let all beliefs about romance go. She had no clue how to date. If this even was a date. Was it? No, it was an outing.

  “I’m not sure what this is. I mean, why would he come here?”

  The guys laughed. “Because he likes you.”

  She rolled her eyes. “What am I supposed to do with that?”

  Tommy chuckled. “Honey, if you can’t think of what to do with a man like that then you need this date more than I thought.”

  “It’s not a date. It’s a parade.”

  “Date!” He corrected then looked at his partner. “Adam?”

  “Date. He likes you, Chloe.”

  Heat suffused her cheeks. “You guys are going. This is your doing and I’m not going alone.”

  “Like you could stop us.”

  Chapter Eight

  Trent waited for Chloe by the fairground’s parking lot. She’d texted twenty minutes earlier, saying they’d be there shortly. He paced, nervously, as cars pulled onto the gravel. His family set up camp a couple blocks away and Austin was excited to meet Dayton and Mattie.

  As the lot filled, cars moved systematically down the line, almost reaching the grass. The doors of a red SUV opened and he breathed a sigh of relief, grinning, as Chloe stepped out of the back seat.

  In jeans and a white shirt with a gray cardigan over it, she looked sporty and cute. The front door opened and Adam climbed out. He wasn’t thrilled by the other man’s presence, but if her friends made her more comfortable, then he supposed they were welcome guests.

  Tommy stepped out of the passenger side. He waited to see if the men brought dates, hoping to get a bead on their relationship with Chloe, but only saw the kids.

  Trent waved as they approached. “You made it.”

  Tommy smiled and waved back, but Chloe’s focus was on her sweater as she maneuvered her bag over her shoulder. She took Mattie by the hand and they moved in his direction. He met them halfway.

  Once she made eye contact her cheeks darkened and he smiled. Sometimes he found himself holding his breath to see if she would blush, loving when her ivory skin flushed with heat and wondering where else the color spread.

  He cleared his throat and played it cool. “Hey, Mattie, Dayton. How you boys doin’?”

  Mattie smiled and said a shy hello. Dayton grumbled a greeting. Trent shook the men’s hands.

  “We’re about a block down, but we have to go around the long way because they already barricaded the road.”

  “You said your sisters are here?” Chloe asked as she kept her gaze straight ahead.

  “Yeah, Georgia, Phoenix, and Bristol. My older sister couldn’t come.”

  “You all have names after places.”

  It was his turn to blush. Stupid tradition. “Yeah, even my nieces and nephews. Dumb, right?”

  “No, I think it’s clever.”

  He grinned as his heart kicked up a beat and they maneuvered through the crowd. When the throng grew overly dense he protectively placed his hand on her lower back, feeling her arch as she pulled her spine tight. Could be nerves or could be revulsion, he was hoping it was the first.

  “You look pretty today.” He breathed in her sweet, berry fragrance.

  “Th—thanks. Mattie, stay close.” She didn’t take the opportunity to step away from his touch when the crowd thinned so he smiled.

  Once they reached his sisters, he introduced everyone. Phoenix took the liberty of introducing Mattie and Dayton to the kids. Georgia and her partner, Amanda, chatted with Tommy, Adam, while Chloe put herself at an angle that no longer allowed for him to touch her.

  “So, Trent tells us this is your first Celt fest.” Bristol was always good at making people relax.

  Chloe smiled. “Afraid so. We don’t do much for St. Paddy’s Day. Are you guys Irish?”

  “No, we just like to drink and wait for the wind to blow up the men’s kilts.”

  Chloe laughed and the soft sound went right to his cock. He watched as her eyes squinted with laughter, her fingers covering her mouth. Her nails were teal today.

  Unable to resist being near her, he stepped to her side. “Don’t hide your smile.”

  The laughter faded as she glanced up at him with questioning brown eyes and slowly dropped her hand from her mouth, but only a trace of a smile remained. It became a goal to make her smile again, and next time he intended to see it.

  Vendor pushcarts weaved along the open street marked as the parade route. The kids pointed and begged for treats, but Chloe didn’t give in. He would have grabbed something for the little guys, but he didn’t want to overstep.

  “I’ll be right back.” He slipped over to his sister Georgia.

  “She’s cute, Trent.”

  “Won’t get an argument from me. What do you think of Tommy and Adam? Can you tell if either of them is involved with her?”

  Georgia laughed. “I’m not positive, but I’d be willing to bet neither of them is interested in her like that.”

  “How come?” They seemed to share an open affection and comfort with her, one he was envious of.

  She pressed her lips together and smiled.

  The sound of bagpipes bleated in the distance as Adam returned with six green balloons, one for each kid. He grimaced, now wishing he’d gone and bought the kids something.

  Tommy approached, wearing an Irish scally cap and smiled in the direction of Adam passing out the balloons. “He can’t help himself. Such a spoiler.”

  “He seems very sweet, Tommy,” Georgia commented.

  “He is.” The man’s gaze settled on Trent. “Hey, why aren’t you with our girl?”

  The endearment threw him. “Our girl?”

  Tommy smiled. “I mean Chloe. Why aren’t you with…?” He paused and laughed. “Oh, wait!” Placing his hand on his chest, he tipped his head back and had himself a good old chuckle. Georgia and Amanda seemed to be in on the joke as well. “Oh boy! Trent, I’m not gonna beat around the bush, because it’s just not my style—no offense Georgia and Amanda—but let’s get one thing straight—I’m not. Adam’s my husband. We love Chloe, but poodle, never in that way.”

  Trent didn’t know if he should be relieved or concerned that a man just called him poodle. He figured he’d roll with it. “Gotchya.”

  Tommy patted his arm. “Now you go over there and show our girl a nice time. It’s been years since she’s had a straight man dote on her.”

  * * * *

  Chloe’s attention snagged on Tommy’s laughter and she hoped they weren’t making fun of her in front of Trenton. As he walked toward her his tanned skin was a little flushed. Dear God, what had Tommy said? It was always risky when Adam left Tommy unsupervised for a few seconds. The man didn’t have a filter.

  “That was nice of Adam to get the kids balloons,” Bristol said.

  Trenton’s sister was sweet. She immediately made her feel welcome among their group. The entire family was striking, with thick black hair, olive skin, and the same piercing blue eyes.

  “Adam loves to spoil children. I think that’s why Tommy’s perfect for him—he often acts like a spoiled child.”

  Bristol laughed. “They’re cute together.”

  Chloe’s neck prickled as the heat of Trenton’s palm returned to her lower back. She couldn’t think when he touched her, couldn’t stop her body from responding.

  “You having a good time?” he whispered, mouth close enough to her ear that she had no trouble hearing his rumbled words.

  She tried not to noticeably shiver as a chill raced down her spine and butterflies swirled in the pit of her stomach. She’d convinced herself this was jus
t a social outing, but this was the second time he’d touched her like that. “Yes. Thank you for inviting us.” For once she wasn’t stuttering in front of him.

  The parade got underway and the whining of the pipes transformed into music. The kids sat in front of the roadblocks along the curb, as men in various colored tartans marched down the thoroughfare.

  Floats, done up in Kelly green and orange, preceded a batch of young Irish river dancers. Flutes and fiddles played as the girls stomped a rhythm into the pavement. Their little clacking feet pounded out a fast tempo and Chloe’s heart raced with the beat. She couldn’t help but smile at the talent.

  “I made a bet with myself,” Trenton whispered into her ear, stealing her attention.

  “Oh?”

  His ice blue eyes watched her as he slowly nodded. “I bet your smile was going to be the prettiest thing I saw today.”

  A tremor of uncertainty skittered through her chest. Men didn’t say things like that to her and she would hardly describe her smile as pretty.

  He grinned like a well-satisfied man. “I won the bet.”

  She blinked at him. “The day’s not over.”

  “I’m not worried.” He turned his attention back to the performers. “It’s that pretty of a smile.”

  She tensed as Trent’s fingers laced with hers then forced herself to relax. Good grief, he smelled delicious. He gave her hand a squeeze, and a bolt of nervous energy zipped through her insides.

  “They’re pretty good, aren’t they?”

  How did he do that? He flirted with her, saying all that about her smile, and then he acted like nothing beyond watching a parade was happening. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  “My older niece danced with them for thirteen years. She’s in college now, but she’s who got us coming here every year. Next year Brielle will start taking lessons.”

  She shut her eyes as his breath tickled across her neck. Her kids were only four feet away, but the way he held her gently in place by only her hand, so domineering yet temperate, she couldn’t find the will to pull free.

  Unused to this sort of affection, she couldn’t help but fidget each time he leaned close to speak to her over the sound. With Trenton, there was something alluring, something that made her hold her breath each time she got his direct focus. She liked it even though she knew she shouldn’t.