“Awesome.” He bounded out of the booth before she had a chance to change her mind, leaving her and Lucas alone.
There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Katie relaxed, telling herself she was being ridiculous. She probably shouldn’t have come since this should have been Lucas’s time with Rusty, but it was hard to regret it when she’d been having such a lovely time.
This wasn’t a date; Lucas wasn’t interested in her, she reminded herself firmly. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying herself with her son’s buddy.
Lucas was here—they were both here—because of her son and their mutual concern about his welfare, so nothing about this evening should make her feel uncomfortable or guilty.
“This was very nice of you, Lucas,” Katie said, feeling just a little self-conscious and tongue-tied now that they were alone. Or at least alone in the booth surrounded by probably half the town.
Lucas chuckled. “Hey, I’ve got to eat, too. But I have to admit, when I left the house this evening I never anticipated, never thought that I’d be spending the evening with you.” Realizing what he said, Lucas took a sip of his soda, wondering why being around this woman made him feel like a sixteen-year-old with his foot in his mouth. And his hormones on overdrive.
She laughed. “Well, I don’t know who was more surprised when I opened the front door. You or me.” She shook her head. “My mother’s been calling me all day to tell me something. But she simply couldn’t remember what it was. I think she kept calling to tell me she signed Rusty up for the Buddy for a Boy program, but every time she called, she couldn’t remember what she wanted to tell me.”
“Ahh,” Lucas said with a nod. “So you really didn’t know anything about it.”
“Not a thing,” Katie admitted with a smile. “Although you mentioned it this morning when you were at the house, it didn’t occur to me that my mother would have signed Rusty up.” She shrugged. “But I’m glad she did.” Her gaze searched the crowd for her son. She spotted him, then relaxed. “I think it will be good for Rusty.”
“I do, too,” Lucas said, following the train of her gaze to Rusty.
“Lucas?”
He turned his head and met her eyes. “Yes?”
“Tell me something,” she said, propping her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands. “I can understand why my mom signed up Rusty for this program, but why did you sign up?” She chuckled. “I mean, I’m sure you have tons more important things to do than spend your free time with a boy you don’t even know.”
She was trying not to be touched by the fact that he’d done just that, had agreed to so freely give of himself and his time to a fatherless boy. It was an incredibly unselfish thing to do and told her a lot about the man.
“Why not?” He shrugged, feeling a sliver of alarm at the personal bent the conversation had suddenly taken. He couldn’t ever tell her that the loss of his son—missing his boy every single day—was like a giant, empty hole inside of him that nothing, absolutely nothing, seemed to fill.
He’d thought long and hard and very seriously before he’d even considered volunteering for the Buddy for a Boy program, then realized that perhaps, just perhaps it might do him and his aching heart some good.
He loved children, adored them, and had always wanted a big family just like he’d grown up in. Unfortunately, his wife had refused to even consider more children as long as he was a cop.
Now, after everything that had happened, he didn’t know if he should be relieved or grateful.
And Rusty was such a pistol of a kid loaded with boundless optimism, curiosity and energy, Lucas was certain spending time with the boy would be just the soothing balm his ailing heart needed.
He looked at Katie as he continued to try to explain. “As the new police chief, the mayor thinks it’s important for me to get involved in the community. And so do I. I must admit I’ve never lived in a small town before. Amos Mayfield had been a fixture as police chief for years, and I know sometimes change is hard for people to accept. I thought it was important to become as involved in the community as possible so that folks get to know me, and accept me which is why I’ve volunteered for several of the town’s programs, not just the Buddy program.” He glanced around the pizza parlor, returning the wave of Artie Roberts, the mechanic at the town’s garage. He really was beginning to like the small town feel of Cooper’s Cove, getting to know everyone, knowing everyone knew him. It was quite a change from the big city of Chicago where he was lucky if he knew his next door neighbor.
“Sounds reasonable,” Katie admitted with a smile. “So I take it you don’t have any children of your own?”
“No.” The answer was clipped and flat, making Katie’s eyes widen. Uh-oh. She’d stepped into something—what, she wasn’t sure, but his voice and face had changed and she could feel the chill all the way across the booth.
Clearly, she’d crossed into the realm of his personal life and apparently Lucas wasn’t keen on talking to her about his personal life. Was it because she was a woman? she wondered. Or because she was a reporter?
At the moment, she wasn’t certain. But one thing she did know was that it was rare for a man to have such an innate ability with children when he didn’t have any of his own. Her curiosity as a mother and a reporter were aroused.
“Well, I think it’s wonderful of you to donate your time to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to do things with an adult male.”
“It can’t be easy being a single parent,” he said softly, and Katie smiled.
“I don’t think it’s ever easy being a parent,” she admitted. “Single or otherwise. But yeah, being a single mom does present some additional problems.” She met his intense gaze, then had to wipe her damp hands down her jeans, wishing her heart wasn’t beating so fast. “Sometimes it’s hard being the one who always has to make and enforce the rules,” she admitted with a sigh. “And sometimes it would be nice to just have someone else, another adult to bounce things off of, and sometimes it would be nice to just have twenty-four hours off.” Her gaze found her son again and she was flooded with love. “But no matter how rough it gets, how tired I get, or how much I hate being the bad guy, Rusty makes it all worth it. He’s an incredible kid and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Yeah, he is an incredible kid, Katie,” Lucas agreed softly, touched by the depth of her feelings for her child and the way she seemingly juggled all the responsibilities she had to make sure she gave everyone their due. Absently, he reached across the table and covered her hand with his. He’d been itching to touch her from the moment she’d opened the door to him tonight. “And you’re doing a fabulous job with him.”
She chuckled, but didn’t remove her hand. His touch was warm, and comforting, and just for a moment she was going to allow herself to enjoy it. Maybe it was just because she was so tired, and her defenses were down. It had been an incredibly hectic day, exciting but hectic, and she was exhausted. “Thanks. That’s always nice to hear.”
“Well, well, well, what have we here?” Patience Pettibone stood next to their booth, a wide grin of mischief on her ruby lips.
Katie glanced up with a weak smile and almost groaned. She had to admit, she adored Patience—even if she was Cooper’s Cove’s version of the town crier.
Sweet, giggly, and totally immune to what others thought about her, Patience had more natural confidence than any woman Katie had ever met. Her complexion was the color of cloves and her eyes were a deeper, dancing brown. Her silver Brillo pad of hair was buzz cut to better decorate the top of her head, with temporary hair dye reflecting whatever holiday was in season.
“Patience,” Katie said, managing at the last minute not to groan the woman’s name when she realized Lucas was still covering her hand with his. And Patience was all but hovering over their booth, taking everything in. “Nice to see you. You know Lucas Porter, the new police chief, don’t you?”
“My, my, my, I surely do,” Pa
tience said, giving her colorful hair a pat. “I’m not so old, sugar, that I’d let such a fine, handsome specimen of a man get by me.” She batted her fake eyelashes at Lucas. “Evening, chief. Now tell me, what brings you and Katie together this fine fall evening?”
“Business,” Katie gasped out before Lucas could open his mouth. “Strictly business,” Katie assured the woman with a weak smile. She was such a terrible liar. Patience was going to call her on it any minute, she was sure of it. And then tell her mother she’d caught Katie lying.
Good Lord, that was the last thing she wanted, second only to Patience gossiping about her and Lucas, and telling the whole town they were holding hands at the pizza parlor.
Patience’s brows moved up and down like nervous little worms. “Business, huh?”
She chuckled loudly, causing almost everyone in the pizza parlor to turn in their direction. Katie wanted to crawl under the table.
“What kind of business requires hand-holding?” Patience winked at Lucas as her gaze zeroed in on their linked hands. “Monkey business, I think. Yes, siree, monkey business.” She chuckled. “Looks like we got ourselves a budding romance here.”
“No, actually, Patience,” Lucas said calmly, “this really is business,” he said. “Yes, see, I’m Katie’s son’s buddy.” He smiled. “You know, the Buddy for a Boy program the town council recently started?”
“Yeah,” Patience replied, cocking her head a bit. “So what’s that got to do with hand-holding?”
Lucas’s smile remained firmly in place. “Well, Katie and I aren’t exactly holding hands,” he clarified, giving Patience his most sincere smile. “We’re actually just having a friendly argument that maybe you can help us solve.”
“Argument?” Katie repeated weakly, wondering what Lucas was up to this time. Then she remembered the way he’d handled the gossip in the diner at lunch this morning and tried to relax a bit.
“Yes, Katie,” Lucas said with a reassuring smile. “Patience strikes me as a modern woman, let’s see what she has to say about this. I think she can help us settle this once and for all.”
Patience grinned. “You want my help. Well, it’s about dang time someone in this town appreciates me. Now, push over, Chief,” Patience said, getting into their booth and bumping Lucas’s hip with her own ample one as she squeezed in beside him. “If I’m going to be helping you and settling things, then I need to rest my old, weary bones.” Chuckling again, she patted her hair. “I think better when I’m sitting, anyway.” She smoothed down her black top. “Okay, now what’s the problem, here?”
“Well, Patience,” Lucas began, still covering Katie’s hand, “I say since I invited Rusty for a get-aquatinted pizza, and of course I invited his mom so Rusty wouldn’t feel awkward—”
“’Course, that’s understandable,” Patience said with a bob of her head. “Boys that age feel awkward ’bout just about everything,” she said, leaning across the table as if speaking only to Katie. “Nothing strange about that.”
“Well, now I say it’s only polite to let me pay and leave the tip since I did the inviting.” Lucas turned toward Katie again and flashed her a wink. “But Katie here is insisting that I let her pay her share.” He lifted their linked hands, and showed Patience the tip money he’d laid down on the table before she’d arrived. “See, she’s trying to push this money off on me, to pay for her share. And I say since I did the inviting, I should pay. Now, as a modern woman, what do you think?”
“Sugar, have you gone daft?” Patience demanded of Katie. “When a handsome man offers to buy you a meal, you accept, sugar. You don’t argue with him.”
“But…but…”
“But nothing, sugar, take it from me,” Patience said with a sharp wave of a bejeweled finger. “You may be a modern woman and all, but Katie, you’ve got to let a man be a man.” She wiggled her brows knowingly. “Know what I mean? And trust me, girl, you’re not getting any younger and if a handsome, available man like the chief here offers to buy you a pizza, even if it’s just so he can get to know your boy, you accept and be done with it.” Patience shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows, maybe someday he might even show some interest in you. I mean I doubt it since you’re such a skinny little thing, and men like a woman that’s got some solid meat on her bones.” Grinning, she ran a hand down her ample figure. “Like me. But like I said, sugar, you surely ain’t getting any younger. And a woman could do a lot worse. Trust me, that comes from experience,” Patience added with another chuckle that had her slapping the table at her own humor. “Now, you just stop being so blasted stubborn, Katherine.” She drew back, her eyebrows drawing together again. “Why, what would your mama say if she knew you were being downright rude to the new police chief, after he’d been so nice to your boy?”
“But I…I…”
“I know what you’re gonna say, sugar,” Patience snapped, waving away whatever protest she thought Katie was going to make. “You’re gonna say you don’t want him thinking or getting the wrong idea. Hell, he’s a man, sugar, let him think or get any idea he wants.” She winked. “The day a mere man can outthink us hasn’t come down the pike yet.” Patting her head again, she stood up, planted her hands on her hips and looked from one to the other. “Now, are we settled here?” Patience knocked a bejeweled fist to the table to get Katie’s attention. “Really, Katherine, I wouldn’t want to have to tell your mama you were being rude now—”
“No. No of course not,” Katie said with a shake of her head and a weak smile. She looked at Lucas, saw the mischief dancing in his eyes and had to hang onto her laughter. “And you’re right, Patience,” she said solemnly. “I’ll apologize.”
“See that you do, sugar. Now, is there anything else?” Her sharp gaze went from Katie to Lucas and back again as Katie and Lucas looked at one another, twin grins trying to sneak free.
“Well, Patience, just one more thing. Are you going to be in the diner tomorrow?” Lucas asked, making Katie frown and wonder what he was up to now.
Patience snorted out a laugh. “Every day of my life, sugar. Some say the diner is my life.”
“I know,” Lucas said with a smile. “But you’ve been so helpful, I was wondering if you’d mind if I dropped off a little thank-you gift?”
“Thank-you gift?” Patience beamed. “My, my, my, my, my, chief, that’s hardly necessary, but more than welcome.” She batted her eyelashes at him again. “And I’ll look forward to my present and to seeing you again.”
“Good. I’ll stop in sometime tomorrow.”
“And you know, chief, you got any problems, any problems at all, I’m always happy to help out.” Patience leaned down to speak directly into Lucas’s ear. “Don’t take it too personally, chief, but I just don’t think Katie’s all that interested in you. Sorry.” She gave him a whack on his shoulder that could have felled an oak. “But I’m always available. And you can buy me a pizza or anything else, anytime,” she finished with another wiggle of her brows. “Anytime at all, sugar.”
“Uh…I’ll keep that in mind, Patience,” Lucas said with a nod.
“Do that. And I’ll see you tomorrow.” Patience spotted the mayor across the room and waved her hand in the air. “Yoo-hoo, Mayor, there’s something we need to talk about.” Patience moved across the pizza parlor, then came to an abrupt halt and turned back toward Katie. “By the way, Katherine, what’s this I’m hearing about your mama running for mayor?”
“It’s not true,” Katie assured her hurriedly. “Mama made a joke about it and someone took it seriously, but it’s not true.” Katie smiled and held up her hand. “Honest.” She hoped.
Patience nodded. “Well then, as long as you’re sure…”
“Oh, I am, Patience,” Katie said, realizing she was going to have to have that talk with her mother sooner rather than later.
“Okay, then, I’ll make sure everyone knows it’s not true.” Patience nodded and headed off to the mayor’s table to harass him.
The moment she was gone, b
oth Katie and Lucas burst out laughing.
“That’s the second time today you’ve managed to save my reputation,” Katie said with a grin. “But you realize that by morning everyone in town will think that I was downright rude to the new police chief.” Katie rolled her eyes. “No doubt we’ll both be getting phone calls from my mother. Yours to apologize for her rude daughter, and mine to tell me she taught me better manners than to be rude to anyone in front of the whole town.”
Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, better that than have them talking about us having a romance.”
“True,” Katie said with another laugh. “Absolutely true.”
“I’m a firm believer in keeping your private life private,” Lucas said, watching Patience to make sure she didn’t round back on them.
Katie looked at Lucas curiously. “And what’s this about a thank-you present?”
Now Lucas grinned and leaned across the table so he wouldn’t be overheard. “I’ve got to get rid of that litter of puppies some way, don’t I?”
Katie laughed, but she couldn’t think of anyone better than Patience to mother a newborn, motherless puppy. “I think that’s a great idea,” Katie said. She watched Patience scoot into the mayor’s booth. “She’s gone on to greener pastures, so maybe we’d better make a run for it,” Katie suggested, and Lucas nodded.
“Let’s.” He pushed out of the booth, keeping a watchful eye on Patience. “Why don’t you grab Rusty and I’ll meet you both outside? That way no one can say we left together.”
“Good idea.” With a smile, Katie went to find her son, realizing that for the first time in a long time she’d honestly been having fun.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Katie said with a contented sigh as she walked next to Lucas. Even though it was early September, the temperature was still in the mid sixties with a slight breeze. The leaves were just beginning to change colors, perfuming everything with the distinctive scent of fall.
Rusty didn’t want to be seen walking home with his mother, so he’d darted on ahead, but was still in Kate’s sight.
About the Boy Page 6
