by Joya Ryan
Bass wouldn’t say he was an expert. While all of them had played some kind of ball in high school, he had played basketball in college, and to this day, throwing the ball up, banking some shots in his driveway, was how he de-stressed.
“What’s a douche?” Alex asked, bouncing the ball twice before it hit his foot and rolled to down the aisle.
“Good luck explaining to Lily why her son now knows the word douche,” Bass said.
Colt just shrugged and wrangled the ball for Alex.
“Uncle Bass is just being grouchy. Grouchy and douchey are kind of the same thing, but let’s not say that word, okay?”
“Is it a bad word?”
“Yeah…” Colt said. “Your mama would have my ass if she heard you say it.”
“Ass is a bad word too, Uncle Colt.”
“I think it’s best you just don’t pay attention to your Uncle Colt, kiddo,” Bass said. He grabbed a size five ball from the top shelf and handed it to Alex. “Try this size.”
Alex bounced it. “I like it!” He bounced it a few more times.
“Alex should ignore me, but you should listen,” Colt said to Bass. “Do you have a date for the wedding?”
“I don’t date,” Bass said in a bored tone.
“Yes you do, you just don’t date consecutively. But since you don’t have someone lined up, Jenna’s friend is coming in to be her third bridesmaid—”
“And you and Jenna have gone into the matchmaking business?”
“Come on, she’s not going to know anyone, and she’s staying at our place while we’re honeymooning.”
Bass exhaled. He didn’t mind showing the woman around or being a friendly face. Actually, it would be smart to set up some kind of date for the wedding itself. Yes, the last day of his and Penny’s arrangement was the rehearsal dinner, but come the wedding the next day, they’d be done with their secret fling.
“I can tell you’re thinking about it.” Colt grinned.
“Why are you so interested in me dating or not?”
“At some point it would be good to see you settling…or at least moving in that direction.”
“Says the man who rode the circuit and hopped from town to town for how long?”
“Yeah, that was what I did. And it got old. I’m just saying, it’s nice having someone that really gets you, you know?”
No, Bass didn’t know. But it was all his buddy talked about since he and Jenna had gotten serious. He’d spent the last several months watching his engaged friends giggle and swoon and even make out every damn time the other one was within arm’s reach.
If he were being honest, which he wasn’t, a small part of him might admit that he wasn’t jealous of his friends, he was envious. Of course, that small part got stomped out by his better logic, reminding him why he kept things short term. So short term that the only person who’d come close to really understanding him was Penny. A revelation that both intrigued and terrified him.
“This is hard,” Alex said, getting Bass out of that conversation. Thank God.
“Yeah, but you’ll learn,” Bass said. “Sometimes things that are difficult, like basketball, turn out to be the things you enjoy the most.”
The minute Bass said the words he wasn’t thinking of basketball, he thought of Penny. She could be the sexiest pain in the ass he’d ever encountered, but there he was, thinking of nothing but getting back in her presence.
“I meant that it’s hard keeping track of words. Especially bad words,” Alex said, clarifying his earlier statement as he concentrated on bouncing the basketball. “What if I forget what’s good and bad words? There’s a lot of words, you know?”
Bass nodded. “Yeah, I know, kiddo.”
“I don’t want to mess up and get Uncle Colt in trouble by saying a bad one.”
He looked around. Where the hell were Colt and Huck? After scanning the store, he saw Colt looking at little kid high-tops and Huck “testing” out the weights by lifting them.
Ah shit, he was alone with the kid, standing in the middle of a sporting goods store, trying to explain words?
Great…
“Here’s what I do. When someone asks you a question, and you’re not sure what to say or have the right words, just say ‘define’ and repeat what they asked you.”
Alex stopped dribbling, grabbed the ball, and looked at him. “What does that do?”
He shrugged. “It buys you time to think of something else.” It was a trick he used in the court room. Besides, clear expectations and agreements were a must. Which was why he liked everything in black and white.
His mind flashed again to Penny and all the gray she was putting in his world.
Was gray so bad? He could live with a little more excitement than he was used to. The boundaries were still in place. He was safe.
Just because he enjoyed what they were doing didn’t mean he was all emotional or feeling shit. Of course he enjoyed her. Hell, he was living out a fantasy he’d long thought was never going to happen. But that didn’t mean everything had to fall apart now, not when they were having so much fun. They had an agreement. Two weeks, purely sex. He would teach her things, then go back to being friends.
She was going to fuck someone anyway, may as well have been me.
Yeah, too bad that excuse wasn’t helping him sleep at night when thinking of lying to Ryder about this situation. It also wasn’t helping when he thought of Penny as much more than a fling. Those were the kind of thoughts he needed to get under control ASAP.
“You’re smart, Uncle Bass.” Alex smiled.
He wanted to laugh. He didn’t feel smart. He felt like a fucking moron, actually. But he’d take the compliment.
“Thanks, kid. You’re pretty smart too. And a promising basketball player.”
Alex dribbled down the aisle just as Colt came up with shoes in hand. “These are good shoes for basketball, right?”
Bass looked at them. “Those are track shoes. You want high tops that support the ankle.”
Colt looked at the pair in his hand, mumbled something like, “Ah, hell,” and went back to the wall of shoes.
Seeing Colt spend time with his nephew and being back home made life feel like it was coming together. But watching the one time Rodeo Romeo settle down, shop for kid shoes, and plan a wedding, all while maintaining a stupid ass smile on his face 24/7 from the bliss he felt, that was cool. He was happy for his friend.
No matter how happy he was for Colt though, he had to remind himself that kind of life wasn’t for him.
He had no problem with responsibility, he had a problem with the emotional attachment. Trust was one thing. It was something you could trade with a lover, a friend, and hope for the best in terms of an equal exchange. But taking it further? Counting on someone to love you and want you above all others? Want you enough to stay and commit to long term and never leave?
No. Life had more than taught him those things weren’t in the cards for him. Sebastian’s own mother had left him. His own fucking mother. How someone could leave their child was beyond him. Which was why he was never going to have one. Or a wife for that matter. He’d seen what a woman could do to a man simply by walking out.
No fucking way was that ever going to be him.
“Hey!” Lily called as the bell to the front of the shop opened. Decked out in scrubs with giraffes on them, she’d come straight from work. Clutching her purse, she made her way toward Alex.
“Mama, look!” He dribbled a couple of times with a big smile on his face.
“Aw, you’re a star, honey.”
“And I found some shoes,” Colt said, walking up with a pair of actual basketball shoes.
“Thank you guys for helping me with this. His first game is tomorrow, and I haven’t had time to get him here after school.”
“We’re happy to help, Lil,” Colt said.
“Yeah,” Sebastian agreed. “Though Huck over there is helping his biceps, so you may want to rein him in.”
Lily la
ughed. “Yeah, well we better get going, honey.” Lily frowned, looking at Alex. “Is that chocolate on your mouth?”
Alex’s eyes went just about as wide as Colt’s. Shit. They were both busted from the ice cream cones they’d had earlier.
“Alex McCade, did you spoil your dinner by having sweets?”
Alex glanced at him, then looked his mother dead in the eye. “Define: having sweets.”
Lily’s brows shot up, and both Bass and Colt laughed.
“Great.” She sighed and looked at Bass. “Don’t think I don’t know where he got that from, Mr. Attorney.”
With that, they headed toward the register, but not before Colt slapped his back. “You’re pretty good with this kid stuff. Thanks for your help, buddy.”
His throat closed a little.
He needed a beer and a heavy dose of reality. Because what had happened over the last twenty-four hours was not only not standard, it was unobtainable. It was one thing to see his friends get a shot at lifelong happiness. One thing to allow himself to envy them. But to think he could have those things? To for a moment wonder if he was even capable of them?
He was good at short term.
It was best he remembered that.
…
Penny grabbed some baker’s chocolate off the shelf and placed it in her basket. To tell the truth, she was glad to do a little grocery shopping. Maybe it would help her come back down to earth for a minute, help her stop thinking about Bass and the fact that he had left after their shower last night. There were other things in the world, right?
Like her plans with Jenna. Jenna was stopping by tonight to sample some desserts Penny was making for the rehearsal dinner.
She glanced at her shopping list—
“Chocolate, whip cream, and strawberries,” a gruff voice said from behind her. “Looks like a fun night to me.”
She turned to find Sebastian, his own basket in hand, looking at her with those knee-weakening dark eyes.
“Not as fun as you’d think. I’m baking.”
He nodded, and she took the opportunity to examine the contents of his basket.
“Frozen dinner, beer, and protein bars?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Why do you think I eat at your restaurant so much? Cooking isn’t one of my strengths.”
“Well, you have many other strengths,” she said, grinning and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. God, she felt like a flirting teenager reliving the events from last night.
“About that,” he said, the tone of his voice turning the conversation in a direction that sounded serious. “Are you—”
“Hey guys!” Huck said, walking up to them. Penny instantly took a step away from Sebastian, as if they had just been caught doing something naughty. How risqué could she be in the baking aisle though?
But if the way her skin flushed just standing next to Bass was any indication, things could get pretty intense without them doing anything at all. She didn’t even have to touch him to feel the impact he had. The mere thought of him, his closeness, how he looked at her, made her entire body hum with anticipation.
“Hi,” she greeted Huck, finally able to get some words out. “Funny running into both of you here.”
“We were just across the street, helping Alex with a basketball crisis,” Bass said, then glanced at Huck. “Well, some of us were helping. Others were concerned with their biceps.”
“Hey, I was testing the equipment,” Huck said with a smile, flexing the bicep in question. “Don’t worry, the weights work really well.”
Penny laughed. “Good to know.”
“So what are you two doing?” Huck asked, looking between her and Bass.
“I was just getting the last thing I needed and heading home,” she said.
“What’s the last thing?” Sebastian asked.
“Vodka.”
Huck looked in her basket and smiled. Sebastian, however, kept his eyes on hers.
“Judging by your items there, looks like you’re having a party,” Huck said.
“Party of one mostly. I’m making some desserts for Jenna to try later. I put vodka in the pie crust. Makes it flakier.”
“Awesome, well I’ll see you at the checkout then,” Huck said. Penny followed in the same direction.
“Penny,” Sebastian called after her in a low tone. She turned to face him. “I’ll see you later.”
She nodded. She didn’t know what later meant in Sebastian-speak. Could be tomorrow, a week from now, who knew. But she loved the idea that it would happen.
“Well you know where to find me.” She looked at her basket, then at him. “Whip cream and all.”
…
“These tarts are great,” Jenna said, taking a bite of one of the many desserts Penny had made.
“I was thinking we could do a few mini desserts at the rehearsal dinner to keep it lighter and give more options.”
“I love it!” Jenna said, shoving the rest of the tart in her mouth.
Penny’s kitchen was a disaster, and it was pushing nine p.m., but baking samples for Jenna had finally given her mind something to focus on other than the memory of Bass staring her down at the grocery store today.
“Oh my God, are these tiny chocolate cream pies?” Jenna took one and shoved the whole thing in her mouth. A resounding “mmmm” followed. She nodded and gave a thumbs up while she processed the massive bite.
“Well I’m glad you like all this. I was thinking of putting out trays of the various kinds of desserts at each table after dinner. Then people can pick and choose.”
Jenna swallowed the rest of her bite. “Love it even more! Speaking of the rehearsal dinner, do you have a date for it?”
“No. Figured I’d be pretty busy overseeing the dinner and—”
“You said you have staff for that. You’re in the wedding party. I want you to have fun.”
“I will. I’ll just be in the background, making sure the food is prepped and getting out and all that.”
“As long as you actually interact with us and don’t spend all night behind the bar.”
“I won’t.”
“Good, so a date then. You still need one.”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just going to hang with Lily and the guys.”
“They all have dates,” Jenna said, like Penny was an idiot for not knowing such a thing.
“Everyone?”
Jenna nodded. “Except for Huck.”
“Really? He’s usually the first one to have a date.”
“I know. But I think something is going on with him. Anyway, I’m surprised Ryder didn’t tell you. He met some woman when he was in Wichita, and I guess she’s coming in.”
“Right…Ryder.” Her brother was the least of her concerns at the moment. Granted, he seemed to think he had a right to weigh in on her dating life, then apparently could just do what he wanted. Not that she would have thrown a fit. She loved her brother and wanted him to be happy. But everyone had a date? Did that mean…
“So Bass has a date?”
Jenna shrugged like it was her life mission to play matchmaker. “Colt was talking to Bass today, and he seemed interested in going with my friend who’s coming from out of town and housesitting while Colt and I are going on our honeymoon.”
She swallowed hard and tried not to let the burning in her gut flare up. The rehearsal dinner was their last day together. And she was looking forward to every hour she had with Bass. They might not be going to the rehearsal “together,” but he’d said it himself. Until the two weeks were up, she was his, and he was hers.
Mine.
She wanted her full two weeks, damn it. Down to the final minute. Was this what he’d tried to tell her earlier at the store?
“Isn’t this friend of yours the same one that’s the third bridesmaid?”
Jenna nodded. None of them had met her, but apparently this woman and Jenna were friends from college. She wondered if this woman was pretty. Would she like Bass? Of course she would, he
was sinful and sexy and…
A sick ache twisted in her gut thinking of him with someone else. Not only that, but he was already making plans to replace her. He’d made it clear that they were a two week deal, then back to friends. And she’d agreed.
So why did the idea that he was making plans with someone else bother her like it did? Even if they wanted to go to the rehearsal dinner together, they couldn’t. Right? Unless she pushed for that. Revisited the “terms of the agreement” and saw if there was wiggle room with his two-week only stance. Why would she even try and risk the rejection though?
Because I like him.
She always had. This wasn’t breaking news. But at some point over the past few days, she’d begun to think he could be more.
To think they could be more.
Of course, now she knew he already had another date set up for as soon as their arrangement ended. That pretty much clinched the impossibility of extending this beyond two weeks.
I guess I was wrong.
It was sex. Temporary.
“You okay?” Jenna asked.
“Yeah.” Penny looked around her kitchen, then down the front of her flour-stained jeans and tank top. “I was just going to start cleaning up here and get ready for bed. Long day.”
“Oh, okay. Well everything is delicious, and thank you so much for helping with the dinner. I really appreciate it.”
Jenna hugged her and left. Penny looked at the various fudge, puddings, and pie fillings and blew a lock of hair out of her eyes.
Funny how today could go from awesome to a big fat mess in no time.
Chapter Eight
Penny hadn’t even dug into the dishes when a knock came at her door. She thought it was Jenna coming back, but she was greeted by a tall, dark, and handsome attorney instead.
She gripped the doorframe.
“Can I help you?” The words were harsher than she’d meant.
“Can I come in? I need to talk to you.”
“Oh? Whatever about?”
He frowned at her. “About last night.”
Ah yes, he had started saying something about that earlier at the grocery store.
“I was a bit rough and wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said.
She opened the door, and he walked in. She went immediately to the kitchen to start on the dishes.
