“Hey, Pops.” Eric hugged his dad then leaned down and kissed his mom, who stood a whopping four-foot-ten inches tall—although she insisted she was five foot— on the cheek.
“Well, son, you missed all the excitement if that’s what you came for,” his mom informed him as she patted his back.
Eric straightened. “Actually I came by to pick up Lily for lunch.” He stepped beside his lunch date and looked down at her smiling face. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she said, and he noticed that she moved closer to him.
As a detective, to enhance his natural talent for reading people and their body language, he’d taken a course in decoding, deciphering, and interpreting non-verbal communication, and her small movement towards him meant she either trusted him, was attracted to him, or was drawn to him. He’d be happy with any of those three things.
“Lunch date, huh?” Jake asked with an arrogant grin that made Eric want to smack him in the face.
Ignoring his brother’s comment, Eric asked, motioning to the rig and his parents, “So what’s going on here?”
“Well now, that old Mr. Rickles was acting the maggot and went and had a heart attack,” his dad explained, as if that made all the sense in the world.
“Is he okay?” Eric turned to his brother.
“They’re taking him to Hope Falls Memorial. He was awake and talking before they transported him thanks to the hero of the day.” Jake lifted Lily’s hand in the air like she’d just won a boxing match, and both of his parents started clapping.
“Oh you should have seen it,” his mom beamed. “He dropped to the floor and honestly I thought he was a goner. But then Lily started CPR and kept him alive until your brother showed up.”
“We make a good team.” Jake reached up his hand for Lily to give him a high-five, which she did. Eric didn’t like thinking of them as a team. He didn’t like it one little bit.
“So he collapsed in your class and you performed CPR?” Eric was trying to get up to speed. Lily nodded. “And how did you guys end up being involved in it?” he asked his parents, attempting to get clarification on their role.
“Oh we were taking the class,” his mom offered happily. His dad didn’t look so happy about it. Then his mom leaned into his dad and patted his chest. “It’s good for his ticker.”
“Well, now I’m not so sure. Look what happened to poor old Rickles,” his dad quickly pointed out.
“Oh, Sean, you stop it. You need more exercise.” His mom poked his chest with her finger. “Doctor’s orders.”
His dad just huffed. Obviously he wasn’t happy about the fact that his mom now had the ‘doctor’s orders’ card to play. Eric was glad his dad had his mom looking out for him. She was making sure that he cut down on his salt intake and his beer intake, which was quite a feat but definitely needed to be done.
Eric didn’t want to be rude to his parents, but he knew he had to get back to the station and only had a short time to spend with Lily, and he really didn’t want it to include his family.
“Do you still feel like grabbing some lunch?” he asked Lily.
“You don’t have to worry about his feelings, Lily. He’s a big boy. You can tell him that you’d rather go with me,” Jake teased. Then he stepped beside Lily and put his arm around her waist.
“Jake.” Even Eric himself was surprised at the warning tone in his voice.
“Boys, now you stop it,” his mom chastised them.
“I’m starving. Lunch sounds great,” Lily said to Eric as she shook her head, laughing at Jake.
“See you guys later,” Eric said to his family.
“Bye, Jake. It was so nice meeting you two,” Lily said to his parents as she began moving towards the parking lot.
His mom intercepted her and gave her a big hug, “It was lovely meeting you as well. And it was a great class before all the hubbub.” As his mom released her from the bear hug, she patted her hand. “I hope I’ll be seeing more of you. Socially,” she said, pointedly towards Eric.
“Real subtle, Mom,” Eric said, smiling, as he stepped up and placed his hand on Lily’s lower back. Then he started guiding them towards his car.
Just as they were about halfway across the parking lot, he heard his dad bellow, “She’s a good one there, boyo! She’d make a real good mot!.”
“Got it, Pops!” Eric shouted back shaking his head as he opened the passenger side door for Lily. “Bye.” He waved once more to his family, who were all standing on the curb, watching him and Lily leave like they were going to prom or something.
Simple was looking really good right about now.
As soon as he got in the car, Lily turned to him. “Okay, boyo I know, but what is ‘acting the maggot’ and ‘mot’?”
“Acting the maggot is fooling around and mot means girlfriend. They’re Irish slangs. My dad was born in Ireland,” Eric explained.
“Yeah, I know,” Lily smiled affectionately. “I probably would have been able to figure it out, but my deductive skills did not need to come into play since your dad introduced himself as”—Lily took on an Irish brogue and spoke in a deep tone—“‘Sean Maguire, from Dublin, Ireland. Father of four: Eric, Amy, Nikki, and Jake here. Husband of almost forty years to my beautiful wife Rosalie.’”
Eric was cracking up at Lily’s impression. She’d nailed his dad’s gestures and speech. Eric pulled out of the Community Center parking lot. “I can’t believe we got first billing.”
“Actually,” Lily pointed out, “Ireland got first billing.”
“Right,” Eric conceded. “I just meant before my mom. Usually it’s name, birthplace, wife, kids, in that order.”
Lily smiled the most adorable smile, causing the corners of her eyes to crinkle, and Eric wanted to reach across the car and kiss her. Unfortunately he had to drive.
“I think he gave you kids top billing because I was talking to Jake about Mr. Rickles’s condition when he came up and introduced himself and your mom,” Lily explained. “Your parents seem amazing.”
“Yeah, they’re all right. I’ll keep ‘em.” Eric tried not to show how happy he was that his parents seemed to love Lily and she seemed to like them as well.
He wasn’t used to feeling this way. In the past, if he would have seen a girl he’d just started dating talking to his parents, he would not have been happy about it. He would have been concerned that either his parents or the girl would get the wrong idea. But seeing Lily with his mom and dad just felt right.
---~---
Lily couldn’t believe how much she was enjoying herself. Yes, she’d known she was out-of-this-world, off-the-charts attracted to Eric, but she hadn’t known how well they would get along. He was hilarious. She had barely been able to catch her breath between laughs the entire lunch. He didn’t have the same in-your-face sense of humor as his brother Jake. Eric’s was more of a dry sarcasm. Lily loved it.
Through the morning, she’d been worried that over lunch Eric would grill her. But he hadn’t. They’d talked about the incident with Mr. Rickles, which Eric seemed genuinely concerned about and also really proud of her stepping in and performing CPR.
That had segued into her telling him about the class and how she’d never dreamed that seniors would be so difficult. He’d shared stories about his job and some of the funnier calls he’d been out on when he was a patrolman. They’d talked a lot about his brother and sisters and what it was like being the oldest of four.
All too soon Sue Ann was bringing them the check and it was time for both of them to get back to work. As they walked to the car, Eric asked, “So how about you? Any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope,” she answered briskly.
Well at least this “date” is almost over, so how much can he really dig?
“Did you like being an only child?”
“Ummm… I guess.” She hated when people asked her about her past. She never knew how much she should say and how much she shouldn’t. She wished people would just get to know her the way sh
e was now. For who she was today.
Eric didn’t follow up with any more personal questions on the short ride back to the Community Center. When they stopped, she remained seated, knowing that he would insist on coming around and open her door. Which she wouldn’t have thought she would’ve enjoyed as much as she did. But she really liked the fact that he opened doors, pulled out chairs, placed his hand on her lower back whenever they were walking anywhere. She felt very much…taken care of.
But after sitting for a few moments, she realized that he wasn’t getting out. Okay. She reached for the handle, figuring that his door-opening shtick had come to an end.
Eric’s deep voice stopped her. “Lily.”
She turned.
“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” he said sincerely.
“You didn’t.” She felt her eyes widen as she lied through her teeth.
He looked at her with an expression that she was sure had come in handy in his interrogations. One that told her he absolutely did not believe what she had just said.
“I know you don’t like talking about your past and—”
“Who said I don’t like talking about my past?” she interrupted, snapping defensively. As soon as the words left her mouth, she wished she could reach out and pull them back in.
“No one. It’s just really obvious,” he answered calmly, not at all addressing the rude tone she had just spoken to him in.
His answer immediately, diffused the bombs of self-protection that were exploding inside of her. How had he been able to calm her down and break past her defenses with six words when others had spent months, even years, trying? He just couldn’t be for real.
She stared at him, trying to figure out what his angle was. Guys just didn’t come as good as him. If he was a player then he would only be in it for the sex. But if that was the case, he would have tried to stay the night or at least continue their kiss last night. Instead, he’d let Shadow spend the night and he’d gone home.
If he was a nice guy then there was no way she would have been attracted to him. Not once in her life had she ever felt tingles for the ‘nice guy.’ Plus, several times in her past she’d tried to date the good guy, and it hadn’t ever worked out because there was just no chemistry. No spark. And nice guys didn’t kiss the way Eric kissed.
She just couldn’t figure Eric out. He felt dangerous and safe all at the same time. She decided she would try to break it down pro versus con style but the categories would be bad boy versus good guy.
He definitely kissed like a bad boy. He made her heart race and her panties wet like no good guy she’d ever met had. He hadn’t really said if he was interested in her or not, which was definitely in the bad boy category. He also opened doors, let his dog have a sleepover, listened to her, asked her out on dates, picked her up on time, and loved his family, which was totally good guy behavior.
Bad boy? Good guy? She couldn’t call it. He was quite the conundrum.
They sat in his SUV staring at each other for what felt like an eternity. She searched his gorgeous blue eyes for some hint of what lay beneath them in his soul. Would he hurt her if she let him in? Was he the guy he seemed to be? Was he really interested in her?
None of the questions running through her head like wild horses on a pasture were going to be answered in the next two minutes, and that was when she was supposed to meet Karina in the rehearsal space.
“Thanks for lunch. I had a nice time.” She reached for the handle on the side of the door.
“Wait there.” His authoritative tone left no room for argument and caused her core to pulse with pleasure.
She removed her hand as a chill ran down her spine. He unhurriedly walked around the front of the SUV to open her door. When he pulled it open, she began to step down and felt his hands on her hips, causing her to pause. His fingers roughly dug into her, and she heard his labored breathing in and out through his nose.
She looked up into his baby blue eyes and what she saw there caused a fire of passion to ignite in her unlike any that she had ever experienced. Flames of arousal spread through her like a flash.
“Lily.” Her name on his lips sounded like a threat, a warning, and a promise all in one.
They were in a parking lot in broad daylight. Anyone could walk by or drive by and see them, but with Eric surrounding her, she felt as if they were in their own world. She reached up and threaded her hands around his neck, her fingers running through his silky hair.
“I’ve been thinking of the way your soft, full lips feel against mine all day,” he growled, his voice smoky with passion as he leaned his forehead against hers, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.
She loved when he did that. When his lips rubbed against hers while he was just talking, not actually kissing her. It was one of the most erotic forms of foreplay she’d ever experienced.
Lily felt her chest rising and falling at a rapid speed. His fingers firmly gripped her waist, and the strength and size of his hands made her feel like he could easily maneuver her body into any position he desired. Every place their bodies touched was on fire with need, and that need spread to the places where they weren’t touching.
Finally, he pressed his warm lips to hers and she heard a soft whimper of need escape her as her hands knotted in his hair. His kisses weren’t rushed. He took his time savoring her.
Just as she opened to him, a loud honk caused her to jump up off the seat.
Eric smoothly looked up as if they hadn’t just been caught making out in the middle of the parking lot.
He smiled and nodded his head, not removing his hands from her hips. “Hey there, Henry.”
Oh great, the mayor.
She looked up sheepishly to see the mayor sitting in his bright blue Cadillac at a red light on the corner of Main Street and Lake Drive.
“Looks like you found something else to keep your hands warm, Miss Lily.” A huge grin spread across his face as he tipped his hat just as the light turned green and he sped off.
As Lily came back to her senses, she looked down at her watch. “Crap! I’m late,” she announced as she grabbed her bag.
As she brushed past Eric, he asked, “What time will you be done with your book club meeting tonight?”
She looked over her shoulder as she continued to head towards the front entrance. “I’m not sure. It starts at seven so probably no later than ten.”
“I’ll see you then.” This time there was no threat, no warning—only promise in his deep, sexy voice.
A shiver ran through her as she smiled before turning around and jogging into the Community Center.
Oh yeah. He was definitely a bad boy.
Chapter Thirteen
“So is he okay?” Amy, Eric’s sister, asked with furrowed brow as she sat beside Lily.
“I called the hospital before I came here and they said he was doing much better,” Lily assured her.
“Serves the old goat right,” Karina said as she joined Amy, Nikki, Lauren, and Lily on the large couch surrounding an incredible fireplace that currently had a roaring fire.
Sam, a really pretty redhead who is one of Karina’s best friends and also whose beautiful home they were at, swatted Karina’s arm. “He didn’t deserve to have a heart attack because he’s a big flirt.”
Karina shrugged as she took a drink of her wine. “Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t, but one thing’s for sure. It was definitely Lily’s fault. I don’t know what Henry was thinking, having her teach the seniors class.”
Lily wasn’t sure what Karina meant by that or if she should be offended.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sam’s tone indicated she wasn’t sure either as she came to Lily’s defense.
Thanks, Sam.
Karina’s hands flew up in a gesture of innocence. “I just meant how is any man above the age of eighty not supposed to have a heart attack when they watch Lily dance?”
“She’s got a point. I am a perfectly healthy woman below the age of thirty and it
almost stops my heart when her hips start going,” Nikki joked.
Amy, Lauren, and Sam laughed as they enthusiastically voiced their agreement.
“Stop it. It wasn’t because of my hips. Jake said Mr. Rickles hadn’t taken his heart medication this morning,” Lily explained as embarrassment rose up inside of her. She knew the way she danced was a little sexy but she never meant it to be. It’s just when the music started and her hips started moving they had a mind of their own.
“Well your hips might not have been the entire reason, but I maintain that they were a contributing factor,” Karina smiled.
“Is Amanda still on her honeymoon? I was hoping to see her tonight,” Lily asked, trying to change the subject.
The room erupted in laughter.
“What?” Lily had no idea what was so funny. “What did I say?”
Lauren, who had merely smiled with amusement, said, “You see, Amanda is 'the nice one'—if she were here, she would totally be defending your hips and the fact that no one had a heart attack because of them.”
“Oh, I was just asking because I haven’t spoken to her since the wedding and I wanted to thank her for inviting me.” Lily felt her cheeks become hot and her eyes widen as she told a bold-faced lie since she had really just wanted turn the conversation in a different direction.
Karina, perhaps sensing Lily’s embarrassment, said, “Actually, she and Justin will be back in four days. Just in time for your mom and dad’s anniversary dinner.” Karina directed that to Amy and Nikki.
“Awesome. It’s going to be amazing! I just finished the slideshow. There won’t be a dry eye in the house,” Nikki declared confidently.
“How dressy is it going to be?” Sam asked. Lily got the feeling that Sam, who was a retired Olympic snowboarder, was really hoping that the answer was ‘Not at all.’
“Black tie,” Nikki said with a straight face, but Lily was pretty sure she was pulling Sam’s chain.
Lily looked at Sam, who, Lily had to admit, was doing a pretty good job of trying to hide the disappointment in her face, as she said, “Oh, that’ll be nice.”
Snow Angel (The Hope Falls Chronicles) Page 11
