“And how about Halloween?” Clay raised his eyebrows and looked down at her petite frame. “Don’t tell me; you didn’t celebrate because your parents were too afraid someone would give you a razorblade chocolate.”
Chloe blushed. “No,” she replied. “I celebrated. My sister and I ran around in our apartment building, knocking on all the doors.”
“And you got candy? Or just apples from a bunch of health conscious city freaks?”
Chloe giggled. “One time, we got a whole box of cookies,” she said shyly, running a hand through her ponytail and smoothing Noah’s damage. “Our neighbor was this….woman, who stayed home all day…and had a lot of male guests. She showed up at the door in a black negligee and handed us an unopened box of Oreos.” Chloe laughed again. “My sister was terrified but I thought it was the funniest thing ever.”
Clay laughed politely. “Okay, that’s pretty good,” he said. They resumed walking lazily along the path. “Well, if you love the city so much, why’d you move here? It’s nothing like New York City,” he added.
“Well,” Chloe said hesitantly. She bit her lower lip and looked down at Noah. He was standing towards the edge of the otter pen, looking at the creatures bathing and sunning themselves on large rocks. “Noah….Noah didn’t do so well in the city. He was always crying, unhappy. I thought it was colic, but the doctors all said he was perfectly healthy.” She swallowed hard. She’d never talked to anyone except for medical professionals about Noah’s condition before, and she was suddenly afraid of scaring Clay off. “I took him to a couple of child psychologists, and they all told me that he’d do better in the fresh air and sunshine. I couldn’t handle the idea of leaving the state entirely, so we moved out here.”
“How long ago was that?”
Chloe frowned. “It’s been a few months,” she replied quietly. “It doesn’t feel that way, though.” She sighed and blushed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be spilling my guts to you. I barely know you.”
Clay raised his eyebrows again and Chloe giggled. “It’s my face,” he said confidently. “I get that a lot. Everyone wants to confide in me.”
Chloe rolled her eyes. “I think you’re just a master of talking to ladies,” she teased. “You’re probably married, and you didn’t even tell me.”
Clay shook his head, holding up his ringless left hand. “Nope,” he said with a grin. “Never married. Don’t even have a girlfriend right now.”
“Oh, god,” Chloe said. She covered her mouth, pretending to be scandalized. “Now you must really think I’m fast.”
Clay laughed. “No,” he said. “I don’t. I just think you’re lonely. And I get that – this can be a pretty lonely place, especially for someone who looks like you.”
Chloe frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t be offended,” Clay said. He shook his head. “I just meant, well, you don’t really look like what most mothers look like around here. You’re all….” He paused, waving his hand in the air for emphasis. “You’re all glamorous,” he finished.
Chloe blushed. “That’s not true,” she demurred, knowing full well that what Clay had said was the absolute truth. “I don’t want people to think I’m standoffish.”
Clay laughed again. “You’re a little spitfire, you know that?” He winked at her. “And if you’re so restless, why not come out with me tomorrow night? I’m going to a club with my brother, Rock, and his wife Gemma.”
Chloe perked up. “There’s a club? In Ithaca?”
Clay gave her a weird look, then shook his head. “A real spitfire,” he repeated. When he winked at Chloe, she felt her heart thud against her ribs with excitement and desire. “I’ll pick you up at eight,” he added. “So be ready by then.”
Chapter Two
When Chloe and Noah got home from the zoo, she immediately ran over to the neighbor’s house. Mrs. Renthro was a woman only a few years older than Chloe, but with four kids and a loud, yappy dog. She looked up from power-rinsing her driveway with a pinched expression on her wrinkled face.
“Mrs. Renthro!” Chloe waved her arms in the air. “Mrs. Renthro, can I ask you a favor?” She skipped closer, breathless, still flushed with excitement over the possibility of going out.
“What is it?” The older woman frowned. “I’m busy right now.” She eyed Chloe from head to toe.
Chloe straightened her posture and stared right back. “Can you watch Noah for a few hours tomorrow night?”
Mrs. Renthro stared. “And why would you ask me to do that?”
“I’m going out,” Chloe said.
Mrs. Renthro kept staring. “And you can’t take your son? What would your husband say?” She shook her head from side to side. “It’s bad to leave your children, Chloe,” she added in a judgmental tone. “You know what my church says about that?”
“I’m not married,” Chloe said defensively. “And I’m going out with some friends.”
Mrs. Renthro sighed, as if Chloe were asking her to move the moon or something equally unlikely. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “What if your boy starts corrupting my children?”
Chloe raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“I’ve seen him,” Mrs. Renthro snapped. “Running around outside and screaming, biting trees! He acts like a wild beast, not a little boy!”
Chloe put her arms over her chest and glared. “He’s a normal little boy,” she said coolly. “That’s what all the doctors have said.”
Mrs. Renthro stuck out her lower lip. “Well, I’ve raised four and I can tell you, your boy ain’t normal.”
Chloe shook her head. “You know what? Forget it,” she said, turning around and crossing the driveway. I’ll find someone else, you old hag, she thought to herself as she scooped Noah from his car seat and carried him into the house. Noah chirped with excitement as Chloe set him down in the kitchen. He raised his arms over his head and darted off in the other direction, making a beeline for the living room.
“Not too loud, sweetie,” Chloe called as she pulled her laptop onto the kitchen table. “Mommy’s got a little research to do!”
An hour later, she had a babysitter for the following night: a local college student named Kristin. Chloe was relieved – Kristin had gushed over the fact that Chloe and Noah were recently from New York City, and Chloe could tell that the girl wouldn’t give her any grief over her decision to go out.
“Noah,” Chloe called as she walked into the living room. “You’re going to meet a new friend tomorrow.”
Noah’s face fell. For a moment, he looked dangerously close to tears. Please don’t cry, Chloe prayed silently. Please don’t cry. Her silent thought seemed to have worked – Noah’s face settled.
“Fwiend?” He looked up at his mother expectantly.
Chloe nodded, bending down and scooping Noah up in her arms. “That’s right, sweetie, you’re going to meet a friend,” she cooed. “Now let’s go find Mommy something to wear.”
Even though Chloe had a wardrobe full of cocktail dresses and fancy, cute things, she couldn’t find something that struck her fancy. She dismissed everything as being either too out of season or too trendy.
In a huff, she sat down on the bed. After what had seemed like hours of looking, she’d only managed to see her old favorite: a black bandage dress with subtle black sequins down the bodice. Chloe frowned.
“Noah, do you like this?” She held up the dress in front of her petite frame. “Do you think Mommy looks nice?”
Noah pouted. “Mommy, Noah hungry,” he said, sticking his lower lip out. When it began to tremble, Chloe sighed.
“Let’s go have dinner,” she said, almost more to herself than to Noah. “Maybe I’ll have an idea there.”
--
The following night, Kristin arrived at seven-thirty. After giving her a brief tour of the house and telling her about Noah’s special, macrobiotic diet, Chloe darted into her bedroom to put the finishing touches on her outfit. She’d decided on the tight black dres
s after all, and she paired with strappy gold leather heels that made her legs look even longer than they already were. Still, something felt off.
“Is this too much?” Chloe stood in front of Kristin and turned around in a slow circle. “I mean, do I look like I’m trying too hard?”
Kristin laughed. “You look amazing,” she said. “I love that dress! Where did you get it?”
Chloe shrugged. “Bloomingdales, maybe, a few years ago?” She frowned at her reflection in the mirror. “I don’t want people to think I’m trying too hard.”
“This is a first date, right?”
Chloe nodded.
“Then who cares?” Kristin shrugged. “I assume this guy already knows what you look like.”
Chloe laughed and blushed. “Yeah,” she admitted. “We met at the zoo.”
Kristin laughed. “That’s perfect,” she said. “I’m sure you’ll be fine. You look great, Ms. Parks.”
“Chloe, please,” Chloe replied, holding up her hand and blushing. “I am way, way too young to be called anything other than my first name.”
When Clay arrived, Chloe stood in the foyer and watched him through the small windows on the sides of the door. Part of her expected that he would just sit in the driveway and honk. When he didn’t immediately get out of the car, she cringed, expecting to hear the klaxon blare at any second. Instead, he reached over and grabbed something in the passenger seat before gracefully leaping to the pavement and striding up the walk to Chloe’s house.
“These are for you,” Clay said as Chloe opened the door. He pressed a giant bouquet of purple, pink, and white roses towards her. “I thought you might like them.”
“They’re beautiful,” Chloe said honestly. She lowered her face to the flowers and gratefully inhaled. “Thank you.” She blushed. “I can’t remember the last time someone brought me flowers.”
Clay frowned. “That’s a damn shame,” he replied. “You’re beautiful. You should be used to getting flowers.”
But I’m not, Chloe thought as she trimmed the ends of the roses and tucked them into a glass vase shaped like a box. I’m used to guys who treat me like crap.
“You look great,” Clay said with a grin. “You sure you don’t wanna wear jeans, though?”
Chloe frowned. “You said we’re going to a club,” she said with a pout. “I don’t wear jeans to clubs.”
Clay held his arms up in the air and laughed. “Alright,” he said with a roguish grin that made Chloe’s heart skip a beat. “Off we go, then.”
During the drive into the small downtown of Ithaca, Clay chattered a blue streak. Chloe couldn’t remember the last time that she’d talked with a guy so effortlessly. You have to hold back, she found herself thinking more than once. You don’t know this guy. You don’t know anything about him, hardly!
Even though Chloe had grown up in a small town, she’d lived in New York City since turning eighteen. Most of her friends had been people much like herself – artists, dancers, and other creative types who enjoyed a more Bohemian lifestyle. She’d watched from the sidelines as people played games with one another, vowing that even though she found it a waste of time, she’d never do anything to compromise herself. She couldn’t imagine anything more embarrassing than being dumped by someone she really liked.
“Been single long?”
“What?” Chloe jolted out of her mind. “Sorry,” she added, flashing a charming grin. “I missed that, what did you ask?”
Clay shook his head. “You’re a little spacey,” he commented. “Everything okay? Something on your mind?” He turned and looked into Chloe’s green eyes. For a moment, she felt the sudden urge to tell him what had happened with her neighbor. She had a feeling that somehow, Clay would understand.
“No,” she said finally, flashing another smile. “I’m fine. Sorry, just a little tired I guess.” Chloe mimed a yawn. “What did you ask?”
“I asked how long you’d been single.” Clay raised his eyebrows as he pulled into a parking lot. Chloe’s hopes were dashed as she gazed over the row of ramshackle buildings. “I’m willing to bet it hasn’t been long. Not with a looker like you, anyway,” Clay added.
“It’s been a few years,” Chloe murmured. “I haven’t really wanted a boyfriend, though. I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”
“And your son?”
“He doesn’t have a boyfriend, either,” Chloe said, sticking out her tongue and making Clay laugh. “I mean, I had him by myself.” She swallowed, blushing slightly. “I wanted to start a family but there wasn’t anyone I wanted to marry. So I did it myself.”
“You and Gemma are gonna get along famously,” Clay replied as he switched off the ignition. “She had her son by herself, too.”
Chloe frowned. “Didn’t you say that she’s married to your brother?”
Clay laughed again and winked at her. Chloe felt strangely disarmed. “I did,” he replied casually as he slid out of the car and walked around to her side. “But sometimes things have a funny way of working out like that.”
Chloe’s glance darted around nervously as Clay escorted her into the club. It wasn’t like she’d imagined. It was more like a dive bar, with pool tables and a jukebox in the corner that was playing Top 40 hits from twenty years ago. The air was hazy with cigarette smoke and Chloe’s eyes burned almost immediately.
“This is a club?”
Clay laughed. “I thought you might be more comfortable in jeans,” he teased. “But nope, you were dead set on having every man stare at you all night.”
Chloe blushed and tried to tug up the front of her dress. “Sorry,” she said as she glanced around. “I mean, I guess I thought when you said club, that you meant something different.”
Clay put his arms over his head and thrust his pelvis out in an approximation of boy-band dance moves. “Like this?” He winked at Chloe as he gyrated wildly and she was surprised to find herself more than slightly turned on by his little display. “Or like this?” Clay smoothly transitioned into sexier dance moves, bumping and hopping along the floor. Chloe laughed out loud, even though she felt slightly embarrassed that everyone was staring at them.
“Something like that,” she muttered. Once her eyes adjusted to the inside of the dim room, she saw that it was even more dilapidated than she’d first imagined. “What kind of club is this?”
Clay grinned. “It’s a karaoke club, baby,” he said as he put an arm around Chloe’s shoulders and pulled her close. “And just wait until I have a few shots of tequila!”
A man who looked much like Clay and a cute, casual-looking brunette woman walked over to Clay and Chloe.
“Chloe, this is my brother Rock and his wife, Gemma,” Clay said as they shook hands.
“Do you two have another brother named Tree?”
Clay and Rock laughed uproariously. “No,” Rock said with a glint in his eye. “But we do have one named Rust.”
Chloe blushed hard. “Wow,” she said. “I had a sister named Allyson.”
The foursome walked over to a table and slid into battered wooden chairs. Chloe’s feet were already aching from her stiletto heels and she winced as she crossed her legs at the knee.
“Shoulda worn better shoes,” Clay said with a guffaw. “You’re gonna be too sore to dance with me!”
Chloe glanced around the dark club. “People dance here?”
“Yes, princess, they do,” Clay replied playfully. Chloe blushed again.
“Sorry,” she said, more to Rock and Gemma than to Clay. “I’m not exactly used to places like this.”
Clay (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 4) Page 2
