by Marie Harte
She looked young, sexy, and vulnerable all at the same time. He felt a strange urge to both muss her and protect her. Yep, weird.
Barb sighed. “I’ll be back with waters for you.” Then she left.
Joey gave him a shy smile that had his heart racing.
When she neared the table, he stood. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She looked taken aback when he helped her out of her coat and seated her at the table, hanging the coat on the back of her chair. The button-up lavender blouse emphasized her slender frame and delicate neck.
When he leaned close, he got a whiff of a light perfume. It went straight to his head—and other places—so he hurried to sit across from her.
“Have you been here before?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“It’s a favorite place of mine. They make amazing pizzas. They also have salads and smaller dishes. It’s all Italian. I hope that’s okay.”
“Great.” She busied herself with the menu, which gave Lou a chance to calm the fuck down.
He cleared his throat after a minute and was about to start conversation when Barb returned with waters. She took their orders, gave him a subtle wink, then left.
“No beer or wine for you?” he asked.
“I’m driving.”
“Me too.”
She eyed him up and down. “Yeah, but you could probably drink a six-pack and not feel anything. It only takes a few sips to do me in.” She made a face. “I’m a lightweight when it comes to alcohol.”
“Good to know.” He waggled his brows.
She gave a good-natured grin. The girl had a sense of humor. Thank God.
“I’m surprised you’re here.”
She took a sip of water. “Why?”
“Because going out with me once was pushing it. I thought for sure you’d wise up and ditch me for something better. Like Sharknado 5.”
“Tempting, but I already saw it.” She grinned, and he swallowed a sigh. Damn she was pretty. “You did mention dinner. I put in a full day.”
“Me too.”
They spoke about her many floral orders, the new young guy they’d hired at the flower shop, who knew Del, surprisingly enough. Or not. His boss seemed to know everybody, especially since marrying into the nosy McCauley clan. Barb brought their food, and the conversation continued. It wasn’t forced either, despite Joey not being as talkative as many of the women he’d been with.
He’d just told her about the Corvette he’d started working on, about the artwork he couldn’t wait to get into. But he had to know. “Look, I’m just gonna ask.”
She paused in the act of forking more salad. “Yes?”
“Why did you ignore me for so long?”
Her cheeks turned pink. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. I think I made my interest pretty clear months ago when you first came by the shop. But you avoided me.”
She shrugged and put down her fork. “You’re intimidating.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Lou, that whole garage is full of giants. You included. So there’s that. Then there was the fact that Del’s wedding was my first solo job. I didn’t want to mess it up. And you guys were all distracting.” She paused then dug back into her salad. “You especially,” she muttered.
Well now, that was okay. “I’m distracting? So are you. The guys were all making fun of me because you wouldn’t give me the time of day. Barely even looked at me.”
“I was working.”
“Man, your cheeks are really pink.”
She choked on a laugh. “Stop.”
Pleased she had noticed him back then, he relaxed into the date. But as much as he tried to get to know her, she made it difficult.
“So you’re not married?” he asked.
“You’re asking that now?”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt. Besides, all we’ve done is share dinner and coffee.”
“And a bear claw,” she reminded him.
“True.” He savored his pizza, knowing he’d need to lift a lot more tomorrow to make up for his carb loading today. “So no husband. No boyfriend?”
“No.” She frowned and speared a tomato. “I’m single, okay? I don’t date a guy while seeing someone else behind his back.”
“Good to know. Me neither. Not the guy thing, but about women.”
“I figured that.”
“Do you have family around?”
“I’d rather not talk about my family, if you don’t mind. My parents are usually unhappy with me about one thing or another. And I was hoping to have a good time.” She sighed. “That sounds awful. I love my parents. But sometimes I need a break.”
“Sure, I get that. Joey, I come from a big family. A grandmother, single mom, five sisters, five aunts, and thirteen cousins—and only one of them is a boy. I’m only telling you this because I believe in being fair. You’re at a disadvantage.”
“How’s that?”
“I’ve grown up surrounded by women. I know how you people think. You’re a little harder to read than what I’m used to. But I’ll crack you.”
“I’m not a nut,” she said drily.
“You sure? You did agree to dinner with me, after all.”
She laughed and dug back into her salad. He’d devoured his in minutes, though his had been a smaller portion. Still, no wonder she was so small.
“Hey, you want a slice?” He pointed to his romana pizza.
“No, that’s yours.”
Considering he’d already had his salad and split an appetizer of suppli al telefono, an amazing combo of fried risotto and mozzarella, he had no problem sharing his remaining two slices with her. Even if he was half-starved, he’d give her whatever she wanted. Call him a sucker, but for Joey, he’d part with a lot.
“Come on. Succumb to peer pressure. Everybody’s doing it.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Just have a slice.”
“Oh my gosh. You’re pushy.”
“And you’re just learning this now?”
“True. Okay, I’ll bite.”
He lifted the food to her plate then watched her nibble like a rabbit.
“It’s good.” She chewed, intent. “What are these olives?”
“They’re Castelvetrano on that slice. My favorite.”
“Wow.” She ended up eating the whole piece of pizza.
“There you go. Want another?”
“No thanks. That was perfect.”
“Great. Now you’ll have enough energy for what I planned next.” The suspicion he’d expected flashed in her dark-brown eyes. “A walk, to get rid of my beer gut.”
She eased back into a smile. “Yeah, right. If that’s a beer gut, I’m seven foot three.”
“Which we both know is ridiculous. What are you? Five one?”
“I’m five three,” she said with pride. And hostility. “Just because you’re huge doesn’t mean I’m short.”
“A little testy, are we?”
Barb swung by and asked if they wanted anything else. When they said no, she handed them the bill. Before Joey could grab it, Lou deftly slid it to his side of the table.
“It’s on me. And don’t argue. I’m old-fashioned. Besides, my mama would slap me upside the head if I let a woman pay for my food on a date.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“I could leave the tip.”
He just stared at her.
“Uh, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He held out his credit card for Barb when she swung by. “Now tonight wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“No.” She chewed her lower lip. “I’m sorry if I seemed mean or snobby before. When I was working Del’s wedding, I mean. Or even at the flower shop. I didn’t mean to
act—”
“Standoffish? Aloof? Untouchable? Hey, don’t look so surprised at my vocabulary. I read.”
She glanced at him from under thick, sooty lashes. Her big brown eyes like pools of dark wine. Rich, vibrant, exotic. He wanted to think of more words to describe her, but his mind went blank, and all he could do was stare.
“All that,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
He blinked, trying to break free from her spell. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were fine. Hell, I’m sorry if I seemed like I was stalking you. I just wanted to get to know you better.” He fixated on her ripe mouth, noting the rosy color of her lips, wondering if she wore lipstick or her lips were naturally that color red.
Joey gave him a sweet smile. “This was nice.”
“Yeah.” Nice was a good start. “Now how about that walk?”
“If I can get up from the table. I’m stuffed.”
Barb returned his card. “See you next time, Lou.”
“Bye, Barb.” At Joey’s questioning look, he explained, “I come here a lot. I love their pizza.”
“That bite I took of yours sold me.” Joey stood with him and seemed startled when he helped her into her coat. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” They left the restaurant, and Lou wanted to hold her hand. Badly. So he shoved his hands in his pockets instead. “This is a nice neighborhood. How about we just walk down the side streets? It’s residential.”
She nodded. They strolled a bit in companionable silence, checking out the established neighborhood, the well-tended lawns and blooming flowers. The sun started to set, and the wind picked up. Yet the evening couldn’t have been more perfect, especially when the moon played hide-and-seek with the fluffy lavender clouds overhead.
Concerned with her comfort despite being comfortable in his sweater, Lou asked, “You okay? It’s getting chilly out.”
“I’m good.” The moon drifted out from behind some clouds, and the glow settled over Joey’s features, bathing her in moonlight. “So you can’t cook?”
It took him a moment to realize the question, so lost in her features. “Where’d you get that idea?”
“You said you go there a lot to eat.”
“Oh. That’s just because I’m lazy.” He shrugged. “Between my mother and grandmother, I usually have plenty to eat. I learned how to cook a long time ago. I just choose not to if I don’t have to.”
“I get tired of cooking too. I don’t like to ask my mom to cook for me too much because then I’ll feel like more of a burden than I normally do.” There was a story there for sure. “And my grandparents still living are out in Montana, so Grandma’s famous chicken-and-rice soup is out. Gosh, I haven’t seen them in years.”
He nodded, not wanting to stop her. She hadn’t said all that much about her personal life, so he’d take anything about her he could get.
“I love my parents, but I need to get some space from them too. You know?” she reiterated.
“Seriously? I told you I have a million relatives in town. All girls—mostly. Of course I understand.”
She smiled, stumbled on a rock, and bumped into him. He whipped out a hand to steady her.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He let his hand drift to his side. Their fingers brushed, and she whipped her head up to study him.
He watched her as he slowly curled his much larger hand around hers.
Her eyes widened. “You’re hot.”
“Thanks, I hear that a lot.”
She blushed, as he’d meant her to. “I mean, your hand is really warm.”
“Warm hands, warm heart.”
“I thought that was cold hands, warm heart.”
Yet she hadn’t tried to tug free.
He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Nah. My people have a different saying. It’s all about heat. And I’m hot. So you should stick by me. Really close, I think.”
Her lips twitched. “Yeah?” Her gaze skittered from his face to their hands then shot to the street.
“I’ll keep you warm, Joey.” All night long if you let me. He cleared his throat. “So where do you live?” He felt her tense and knew he still had a long way to go with the wary woman. “I’m not asking for exact directions. I’m making conversation. Like, north of town? South? I’m in Rainier Valley. It’s not great, but there I can afford to live in a house bigger than a shoebox.”
She blew out a quiet breath, but he heard. Why was it he found her caution so endearing? Lou normally went for a woman who knew the score. Adventurous, lusty, confident. Proud of her desire. He liked a woman who enjoyed a man and had no problem saying so.
Yet he found Joey’s awkwardness oddly appealing. She was a mixture of cute and sexy, and the dichotomy of wanting to protect her and fuck the breath out of her baffled him.
“I live with my parents,” she mumbled.
“Okay.”
“I hate it. But I can’t afford to move out yet. That’s why my promotion is such a big deal. It’s going to give me a lot more freedom than I have now.”
“Good for you.” They stopped in front of a house exploding with color. Flowers and shrubs landscaped to perfection. Very unlike his humble home. He could account for a mowed lawn outside but not much else, having poured all his efforts into the interior of the place.
Joey pulled her hand from his and rested it on the wooden fence bordering the property. “Wow. This place is gorgeous.”
“It’s small.” A tiny cottage of a house, though quaint.
“Look at all the flowers.” She sighed. “That’s what I’m going to have someday.”
“You will if you want it bad enough. You’re the driven type. I can tell.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
“See? I know women. Telling you you’re smart, successful, driven. That’s totally better than letting you know I love the color of your eyes. Or that your size is perfect for me. Or that you are so incredibly beautiful.”
She stared, blinked. “Oh, er. Yes.” She coughed. “I’d take driven over pretty any day.”
“Me too.” He grinned. “I know I’m beautiful, but I’d much rather be loved for my brain than my amazing body and to-die-for biceps.”
“Lou.” She chuckled.
They started walking again. He reached for her hand, and she didn’t protest.
But the best part of the walk was when he saw her subtly checking out his ass.
Chapter 6
“Stef let me eat cake for dinner.” Brandon baited Joey, gauging for a response.
They were nearly late for his first-period class Friday morning, but she didn’t dare speed through a school zone. “That’s great, Brandon.”
If she hadn’t tossed and turned, caught in a weird, extreme bout of sexual frustration, not helped in the least by her lurid dreams of Lou Cortez, she might have heard her alarm this morning.
“Stef told me she’s getting married.”
“Uh-huh.” Last night had been magical. Special. And he hadn’t done more than hold her hand and talk to her. Not at her, but to her.
“To a lady, a man, and a goat.”
“Good for her.”
“I’ll be her ring bearer, even though I’m eight and three-quarters.”
“Right.”
“Mom, where do babies come from?”
She sighed. “Yes, Brandon, I’m listening to you. No, Stef didn’t give you cake for dinner. No, she’s not getting married, so you won’t be bearing any rings. She and I talk, you know.” Joey turned into the parking lot and found a space easily since she wasn’t dropping off.
“Yeah? So what did you do without me last night, Mom?” He was dogging her something fierce. “Stef wouldn’t say. Did you go out with a boy? Did you?” His expression grew crafty. “Because that would be okay if we got a dog too. Then an extra boy would be fun.”
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“You want to know what I did? Fine. I sold your next tooth for a foot rub, so we have to keep wiggling that front one. Oh, and I met the aliens who sold you to me in the first place. Yeah, they’re green and ugly. Just like you.”
“Ha-ha.” Brandon rolled his eyes. “You’re a riot, Mom. Trolled me good.”
“What?”
“You know. You trolled me? Like, you pranked me?”
“Ah, trolled. Got it.”
“Actually, Stef took me out for hamburgers. But I got a chocolate milk shake too.”
“Wow. I had a salad for dinner.” With the most amazing man. I could so easily fall down a rabbit hole I’ll never climb out of with this guy. Why is that such a bad thing again?
“Lettuce. Yum. Not.” He chuckled.
She ruffled his spiky blond hair. “Funny guy. I’m glad you had fun with Stef. She missed you, you know.”
“Because I’m awesome.”
“And so shy and unsure of yourself,” she said wryly.
“Nope. I’m great. You’re supposed to believe in yourself, Mom. Because if you do, the world will believe with you. Ha. Yeah right.”
“Where’d you hear that?” Her father? No way. The man was not a firm believer in extolling the virtues of confidence to the only son of his daughter, who’d had a child at sixteen. In Andrew’s eyes, there was no coming back from that. Even his grandson shared the taint of her “mistake.”
“At school. We have ‘positivity lectures,’” Brandon ended in air quotes. Her kid, “eight and three-quarters” going on forty. “It’s actually kind of lame.”
“Brandon.” She had to stifle a laugh. “Thinking good thoughts makes you stronger, mentally. In a way, they’re showing you that if you think positively, you’ll be a better person.”
“I’m already amazing.”
“Yes, yes you are.” She sighed. She prodded him to get out, locked up behind them, then signed him in. She got her kiss on the cheek and watched him skip and whistle on his way to class.
Time to bite the bullet and see the counselor about him. Hopefully, this meeting wouldn’t take too long and Brandon hadn’t been acting out again. Then she could talk to her best friend instead.
She knocked on the counselor’s door. “Ms. Oliver?”
