Teague

by Juliana Stone

  Abby tugged on the ends of Sabrina’s hair. “I love the new cut.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Sometimes a fresh new look is all it takes, you know?” Abby winked. “I hope we get to hang out before the summer is over.”

  “Where’s Teague?” Harry interrupted. He yanked on Abby’s hand and Sabrina looked down at him with a frown.

  “Harrison, that’s rude. Please apologize.”

  His little face fell. “I’m sorry, Mommy. I just want to see Teague.”

  “Don’t worry about it. He’s outside,” Abby said with a smile, ruffling the top of Harry’s head as he ran past the two women, Bingo yapping on his heels. The door slammed shut behind them. “Well, he certainly has a lot of energy.”

  “Yes, that’s something that all kids seem to have,” Sabrina said as she followed Abby outside. The two women walked over to the Simon cottage just as Tucker and Teague headed down from the back deck.

  Harry and Bingo were just behind them.

  She kept her gaze on Tucker, because…well, because she wasn’t ready to look Teague in the eye just yet. The other night had been weird and she still wasn’t sure what had happened between them.

  She accepted a hug from Tucker. “Great seeing you again Sabrina.”

  “You too. Tell Jack to call me when he gets the chance.”

  Tucker laughed. “That baby girl of his is taking up all his time. I’ve never seen a grown man so completely wrapped up in a baby, but it’s a good look for him.”

  Sabrina smiled. “I’m sure it is.”

  “I’ll pass along your message.”

  Tucker and Abby climbed into their car and Sabrina watched them until it disappeared up the road.

  “Didn’t take you for Trekkie.”

  Was it his voice that gave her goosebumps? Or the cool morning air?

  “Excuse me?” She turned to Teague, but his eyes were on her chest. And since she was still in her pajamas, it was a chest that was braless. And dammit, but her nipples were erect from the cold. Or maybe it was his voice.

  She crossed her arms across her breasts and tried like hell not to react to the slow smile that spread across his face. His jaw was dark with stubble, and that mouth of his was way too damn sensual for his own good.

  “Live long and prosper?” he said, finally raising his eyes to hers.

  “What about it?” she replied, kicking at a pebble with her foot. “I like Spock.”

  “So do I.” His response was quick, his voice still husky from sleep.

  “Oh.” That was it. All she had. And for what seemed like way too long she stared up at him and said nothing else. How could she? There was no way she could utter the things that were flying through her mind.

  Like the fact that he had the longest eyelashes she’d ever seen on a man.

  Or that the tattoo on his arm was interesting in a kind of hot and dangerous way. And she didn’t even like tattoos.

  And his nipples were as hard as hers.

  That last thought had her gaze sliding away and hoping like hell he didn’t notice the blush that was rising up her neck. Jesus, it was hot out here.

  “So, can we Teague?”

  Startled—because good mom that she was, Sabrina had momentarily forgotten that her son was even there—Sabrina took a step back.

  “Can you what?” she asked, venturing a look back at Teague. His eyes had never left her and her mouth suddenly dry, she cleared her throat and turned to her son. “Harry?”

  Harry jumped up and down, his little cheeks red with enthusiasm, his eyes alight with something she’d not seen in a long time. Anticipation and excitement. Hope. It made her heart twist in a way that was both painful and wonderful.

  “The kayak race, Mommy. I really want to do it. Caleb is doing it with his daddy and so is David. They told me when I saw them at the parade yesterday.”

  Damn. Heart in her throat, Sabrina tried to be gentle. “We can’t bother Teague with that, Harry.”

  “But I already did.” Her son’s face crinkled up. “I told him that you can’t swim. Only Daddy could, but that Daddy is in heaven and he can’t do it with me anymore.”

  Okay, Sabrina wasn’t sure that the lump in her throat was ever going to go away. She exhaled slowly and knelt down in front of her son. The kayak race. Damn she’d forgotten all about it. Now she knew why he’d been so sad the night before.

  “Harry, I’d take you if I could but even with a life jacket, I wouldn’t feel safe.”

  “But…” His chin trembled. “I really want to go.”

  “We can’t bother Teague with this.”

  “Why not?” That came from Teague.

  Surprised, Sabrina glanced up at him. Teague’s face was unreadable but those eyes were as intense as ever. “Well, I just…we don’t want to bother you.”

  “But I want to bother him,” Harry piped up, with Bingo barking for good measure.

  His dark eyes widened a bit, before settling on Harry. “I’m up for the kayak race if you are, but I don’t think we can do it superman pajamas.”

  Harry’s face lit up like the fourth of July and he nearly knocked Sabrina over in his haste to get back to the cottage and change.

  Sabrina slowly got to her feet. “Thank you,” she said slowly. “It means a lot to him. Brent took him out two years ago, as sick as he was, and they couldn’t finish. And last year, well, it was only me so….”

  She blinked rapidly, because dammit she would not cry in front of this man.

  “It’s all good,” Teague said.

  Sabrina shivered. She was hot and yet cold.

  “I just have one question.”

  “What’s that?” she asked haltingly.

  “You live at a lake and you own a boat, yet you can’t swim?”

  “Ironic isn’t it?” She attempted a smile as she turned around, but the smile died and her throat closed up at the look in his eyes.

  She waited a few moments—for her heart to settle and her throat to clear. “I moved here from the city when I was a kid. Swimming wasn’t exactly on my list of things to learn.” She paused and glanced back to her cottage. “This place, the boat and everything, it was all Brent. I didn’t bother to learn how to swim because I had him to take the kids out on the boat.”

  But he ’s gone.

  “You should learn to swim,” Teague said.

  “I guess. Maybe one day I’ll find the time.”

  “I’ll teach you.” A ghost of a smile touched his face, when she automatically crossed her arms over her chest.

  “No,” she said sharply.

  His eyebrows shot up. “You don’t want to learn?”

  “I do, but…you don’t have to…”

  “Trust me, Sabrina. I don’t do anything that I don’t want to. But first I have this kayak race thing.” He nodded toward her cottage. “Tell the little guy I’ll load the kayak onto my truck and I’ll be ready to head to town in twenty minutes.”

  He took a step back and held up his hands in the Vulcan sign that Spock had made famous all those years ago, before heading up the stairs. She watched him until he disappeared, enjoying the view—muscular back, wide shoulders—and then smiled to herself as she headed up to her own place.

  Wow. Teague Simon had just managed to surprise the hell out of her. And the thing of it was… she liked how it made her feel.

  Chapter Eleven

  The kayak race was an annual event and fundraiser that had been going on for decades. In fact Teague had competed it in when he was a kid. He’d done several of the races with Tucker and remembered a few times when his father had taken his sister Grace out. Hell, his mother had even done it one year, though after Beau had pulled some kind of stunt and capsized their kayak, she’d refused to do it again.

  He smiled at the memory. Beau had always been a ballsy little shit.

  “There’s the island!”

  Harry’s excited squeal pulled Teague from memory lane and he glanced ahead. The sun shining off the lake
made him wince. There were a good number of kayaks ahead of them but they’d made great time, and though Teague didn’t think they’d place in the top ten, they’d be close.

  “Teague!”

  “I see it, buddy.” He couldn’t help but grin. The little guy was so pumped and for the first time in a long, long, time Teague felt some kind of peace. Was it the water? The sun? Or the little boy who’d told Teague that he was ‘the best man in the whole world’ when they’d headed to town.

  Teague decided not to think about it all that much and guided their kayak around the island (which was nothing more than a pile of rocks with a bunch of trees in the center). The deal was, they had to get onto the island without losing their kayak and then retrieve a special flag that had their number on it.

  Teague knew where the best spot to climb ashore was located and a few minutes later, they pulled as close as they could. The island had no beach but there were several spots where you could climb the rocks and get onto it with ease.

  “Hold on,” he cautioned Harry. Teague grabbed the rope he’d secured to the kayak and jumped over with it. The water was deep and even with Harry’s safety vest, Teague insisted on holding the boy as he swam the few feet to the island.

  He pointed to the natural grooves in the rocks and after giving Harry a boost, he followed him up, dangling a rope behind him. There were others attempting the same maneuver, but Teague paid them no mind. All of his focus was on the little boy waiting for him. Once he secured their kayak, they hiked over the rocks and he let Harry lead the way.

  “The flags are in the trees! I remember!”

  “I think you might be right,” Teague replied, just as he spied the colorful flags waving in the breeze off the water. “Now we have to find ours.”

  “What’s the number again?” Harry asked, diving into the thick of it. His blond hair was slick with sweat and he worried his bottom lip with his tongue.

  “Seventy-five.”

  “I know what that looks like. I learned it in school!”

  The entire exercise took about five minutes and then they were back in the water heading toward town. By Teague’s estimation, there were now twelve kayaks ahead of them, with the majority still making their way to the island.

  He settled in, eyes on the little head in front of him as they powered their way home.

  “There’s my friend David!” Harry shouted excitedly. “We’re beating them!” Teague nodded at the man and his son as they passed them—David was still on his way to the island.

  The rest of the trip took about an hour and by the time they reached the dock, Harry was slowing down. Teague had pretty much powered them through, but still, it was a lot for such a young boy and he admired the little guy’s spunk.

  “You did great,” he said as they climbed from their kayak.

  “So did you,” Harry shot back. “Wait until I tell Morgan that we beat David and his dad.”

  Teague felt the need to say something. “It’s not just about winning.” Christ, he was starting to sound like his father.

  “It is when you never win.”

  Can ’t argue with that logic.

  The two of them made their way over to the registration table and Harry proudly handed in their flag. The woman who took it—Darlene according to her name tag—checked her notes and smiled.

  “You boys did well. Placed thirteenth out of nearly two hundred racers.”

  “Did you hear that?” Harry’s shiny eyes gazed up at him and then his thin little arms flew around Teague.

  For a moment it startled him—this intimate contact with a child—but then something inside him sort of shifted. What that something was exactly he didn’t know, but it was warm and he cradled Harry’s head for a few seconds before clearing his throat.

  “What do you say about grabbing a couple burgers?”

  “That sounds great. I’m hungry,” Harry replied, yanking on Teague’s hand.

  Darlene laughed. “Here are your vouchers. They’re barbecuing over by the park. It’s on the other side of the dock and participants eat for free.”

  “Thanks.” Teague accepted the vouchers and led Harry to the park where they waited in line with several other kayakers.

  He’d caught a few lingering looks from some of the people gathered nearby and pulled his ball cap a bit lower. He was in another country altogether, but that didn’t mean folks weren’t interested in the Simon clan. Between Beau and Cooper it was damn hard to keep things on an even keel—they were always in the news. But considering his own headlines a few months back, it wasn’t surprising that he was drawing looks.

  And right now he sure as hell didn’t feel like talking to anyone. The morning had been too perfect for some random stranger to ruin it.

  “I have to pee.”

  Teague glanced down at Harry, just now noticing he was doing his own version of the rain dance. There were about six adults and their kids ahead of them.

  “Can you hold it a bit longer? Shouldn’t take us more than five minutes to get our burgers.”

  Harry shook his head. “No. I have to pee so bad my teeth are floating.” He made a face. “That’s what Ninny says when she has to go.”

  Teague was almost afraid to ask who Ninny was, but as it turned out, he didn’t have to.

  “She’s my great-granny and she doesn’t even have real teeth. She pops them out sometimes.” The kid made a face and giggled. “Mommy hates it but me and Morgan think it’s funny. Like a magic trick.”

  “That’s magical all right,” Teague murmured, glancing toward the head of the line again and then back at the dozen or so who’d gathered behind him. “Sure you can’t wait buddy? It might be a while until we can grab our burgers.”

  His cell buzzed and he scooped it from his front pocket. Sabrina.

  “Hey,” he said, a half smile on his face.

  “Hey,” was the response.

  Her voice was husky and warm and something about it made his heart jump. Off kilter, Teague rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down at Harry who was now yanking on Teague’s shorts. Shit. The little guys forehead was red, probably sunburnt. Had he put sunscreen on him?

  “We finished 13th overall,” he said, wincing. Could he sound any more like a damn fifteen-year-old?

  “That’s amazing.” A pause. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime.”

  “Teague, I really have to go take a whiz.” Harry yanked on his arm again and Teague nearly dropped his cellphone.

  “I’m right behind you.”

  Teague turned around and spied Sabrina a few steps away. He took a moment to take her in.

  Blue and white dress. Strapless. Lots of creamy skin. Hair that shone in the sunlight and those eyes…holy hell, her eyes were amazing.

  She slipped her cell into a small white bag that hung from her bare shoulder and took those last few steps until she was inches from Teague.

  “You need the washroom pumpkin?” she asked her son, ruffling his hair as the boy continued the rain dance to end all rain dances.

  “So bad my teeth are swimming.”

  Sabrina made a face. “Well, that’s pretty bad. Let’s get you to the washroom pronto before you have an accident.”

  “But I don’t want to go with you.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I want Teague to take me. I’m not going in the girls room.”

  Surprise lit up her face and those luminous blue eyes of hers widened.

  “I don’t mind,” Teague said watching her closely. Something about Harry’s request bothered Sabrina. He could tell.

  “Okay,” she said lightly, glancing from her son to Teague. “I’ll wait in line for your burgers.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” he replied with a smile.

  “The works?” she asked as Teague moved out of line to allow her to take his place.

  The wind picked up just then and she squealed, grabbing her skirt just in time to prevent a peep show that Teague wouldn’t mind seeing. Eyebrows raised,
Teague eyed the toned expanse of thigh that was visible for about two seconds. He liked what he saw and made no effort to hide that fact as he slowly met her gaze. Her lips were parted and the cutest blush he’d ever seen colored her cheeks a soft rose.

  And her smell—that honeysuckle scent was becoming one of his favorite things about this woman. Everything about her was fresh and soft and wholly feminine. Maybe he’d spent too much time around women who didn’t spend much time on those things—hard to do when you were stuck in a war zone or out in the middle of the Mexican jungle tracking cocaine kings.

  He handed Sabrina their vouchers, his fingers trailing over hers briefly. But it was enough. There was something there. He hadn’t imagined it the other night when they’d been dancing like a couple of teenagers in the parking lot of the bar.

  The question was, what was he going to do about it?

  Teague led Harry to the washrooms and about ten minutes later, the two of them wandered over to the pavilion in the park. Surrounded by massive oak trees, there was plenty of shade and most of the participants had gathered there to eat their lunch.

  He spied Sabrina at about the same time that Harry did, and his quick reflexes were no match for the energetic kid because Harry took off at a run and didn’t stop until he’d nearly knocked his mother over.

  Teague watched her arms go around the boy and Harry practically melted into her, his face upturned and his mouth going a mile a minute. Sabrina listened with rapt attention to everything her son was saying, all the while smoothing Harry’s blond curls off his forehead.

  Something about that action, the way her fingers lingered on the child—the way her face lit up with obvious love—did something to Teague. He slowed his pace. Took his time making his way over to them.

  Whatever the hell this was going inside him, well, he needed to shut that shit down. There was no room for softness in his world. No room to care about people he knew he didn’t want to matter to. So what the hell was he doing out here with these two?

  A couple and a young boy approached Sabrina and. Teague took a few more extra minutes, wanting to clear his head before he joined them. By the time he did make it over to them, the boys were jumping up and down shouting something about a pool party.