“This guy, Colton. He has a kid. I assume he’s a single dad? Is he married? Where’s the baby mama?”
“No idea. I didn’t ask and he wasn’t sharing.”
“Hmm, definitely a little suspicious, but I saw him in the diner that day. He seems like a good guy. Any single dad that good with his kid has to be a good guy.”
I laughed. “I don’t think that is a hard and fast rule. And I don’t think I’m up for all that anyway.”
“All what?”
“Say we did start dating, seeing each other. He has a daughter. I’m not sure I’m ready to be a stepmom.”
“You’d be a great stepmom,” she said.
“I think we are getting way ahead of ourselves.”
We both sucked down our drinks, happily accepting the new drinks that were bought for us by a couple of guys we had gone to school with. They were old friends and very comfortable. I liked comfortable and safe. There were no expectations of sleeping with them. They made their way over and we chatted, talked about stuff happening in town. It was nice to catch up.
They eventually left, going in search of ladies to take home for the night.
I felt a good buzz and knew Rose had to be feeling one as well, with the way she was downing her drink.
“Sooo,” she said, dragging out the word. “Mr. Hot and Dirty. Are you gonna hook up again?”
I laughed. “No. I told you it was a one-night thing.”
“Have another drink and I bet you’re going to be making some drunk calls.”
I smiled. “I don’t have his number.”
“That’s probably a good thing. Speaking of naughty boys, check out the dude in the black shirt.”
I looked around the club. “You’re going to need to be far more specific than that.”
“Come on! You can see him right there.” She openly stared at the man that had caught her attention.
I looked again and knew exactly who she was talking about. He was attractive enough but not as sexy as my Colton. Wait, my Colton? What the hell? I blamed the alcohol. It was making me a little loose around the edges.
“I’ll be back,” she cooed, heading toward the man who had no idea what was about to hit him.
I watched her sway her hips before she reached out and touched his chest with her hand. I bit back a laugh. She was forward, but the man didn’t seem to mind a bit. He was into it. Rose turned to me and winked before leading her prey onto the dance floor.
I watched them dancing and immediately thought about Colton. I wondered if he would be a good dancer. The way he moved his hips told me he probably would be. I briefly closed my eyes, remembering what it felt like to have his hips moving against and into me. I was glad I didn’t have his number. It was going to be hard enough to keep myself from going over and knocking on his door and demanding sex.
“Hey,” Rose said, interrupting my thoughts.
“What are you doing back here?” I asked, looking for her dance partner.
She shrugged. “Eh, he has no hip action. I’m not wasting my time on that.”
I burst into laughter. “You were giving your potential one-night stand a trial run on the dance floor?”
“Well, yeah. I’m not going to waste my time with a guy that is not going to be any good in bed.”
“How do you know that’s the case?”
“Trust me, I do. I’ve learned the hard way. The trick is to get the guy on the dance floor, do a little bumping and grinding, and you’ll know how he moves and what kind of package you’re working with. Now, I’m not saying the man has to be huge to be good, but if he can’t move and he’s not packing, I’m not interested.”
I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “Wow. I had no idea. Why have you never shared this bit of information before?”
“You weren’t ready to hear it. You’re not like me. You’re a good girl.”
I scoffed. “I can be bad.”
She raised an eyebrow. “I like you just the way you are.”
I sighed. She was right. I wasn’t like her. “Well, I had a naughty night,” I said defiantly.
“Yes, you did, and I am so proud of you. I’m glad you moved on. You were in desperate need of getting laid.”
I laughed, not offended in the least. She was right. I had pretty much given up on men and had turned down one date after another. I wasn’t interested in getting my heart broken again. Jason and I had hooked up now and again after our breakup, but we always ended up hating each other the next morning. It was like a bad country song.
“Are you giving up for the night?” I asked her.
She grinned and winked. “I see one more prospective candidate and it looks like he has a friend.”
I turned to see where she was looking. There were two relatively attractive men, although a little young.
“I don’t think so. I like men. Those guys look fresh out of college, if that.”
“Come on,” she said. “They’re probably in their sexual prime. Old gals like us need the younger men to keep up with us.”
I laughed. “I don’t know if that’s true. I prefer experience and expertise over longevity.”
Her eyes widened. “Jenna! You are a dirty girl.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe a little.”
We finished our drinks and both ended up leaving the club alone.
“I should have taken my chances with black-shirt guy, I guess.”
“I’m sorry. I know you had your heart set on taking a man home.”
“How about one more drink?” she asked.
I groaned. “I don’t know.”
“Come on,” she cajoled. “We’re both off tomorrow. We can stay up late.”
“Fine. Don’t be so damn picky this time.”
We headed for the bar we usually went to. We both did a couple tequila shots with beer chasers, leaving me feeling pretty damn drunk.
“I’m tired,” Rose mumbled.
“You’re drunk.”
“So are you.”
We both burst into laughter.
“There is no way we can walk home. Do we dare call Bob?”
I rolled my eyes. “He’s going to tell my mom.”
“We could call your mom,” she suggested.
“No! It’s almost two!”
“Then we call Bob. Come on. He could use the money. He’s the only taxi in town. I’m sure he expects these calls.”
“Fine,” I mumbled, knowing it was our only option.
Bob was happy to pick us up. He’d been giving us rides since we were eighteen and hitting up the keggers. He was a sweet, older man who lived all alone. His taxi service was his way to get out and socialize.
“Thank you, Bob,” I said as I opened the front passenger door of his car, hoping I wasn’t slurring my words.
“You have a good night, Jenna. Take care of yourself.”
I waved and stumbled up my walkway, my eyes drifting to the left, secretly hoping Colton would come outside and ask me to come over. I smirked as I fumbled with my keys, trying to unlock my front door. God, I was going to feel like shit in the morning, I realized as I closed the door behind me. Dammit. I hated hangovers.
I made sure the curtains were closed in my room before falling face first into bed. I did not want the sun waking me up too early.
Chapter 11
Colton
When my phone rang this morning, I had been instantly guarded. No one had the number. It was the burner cell I had bought on my way out to Nebraska. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good call. A very good call.
The person who had signed me up for my membership at the gym had passed along the fact I used to be a fighter. Apparently, they had a few guys that were interested in training and the gym owner wanted to talk with me a bit more about it. I could use the job and somewhere to go while keeping in shape.
Now, I needed to figure out what to do with Abby. I dreaded doing it, but I was going to have to ask for help. Damn, I hated that.
I had waite
d until after ten, figuring that was an appropriate time to pay a house call. Jenna’s car was in the driveway, which told me she wasn’t working the morning shift.
“Abby, sit tight for a minute. I’m going to run over and talk to Jenna real quick. Okay?”
She nodded, not tearing her eyes away from some princess cartoon she was currently enthralled in. I walked out the door, leaving it open so I could hear her, and headed over to Jenna’s. I knocked and heard nothing. Maybe she wasn’t at home.
The sound of the deadbolt being unlocked stopped me from turning and walking away.
“Hi,” she said, her eyes squinting as she looked at me.
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, taking in the slightly green pallor of her skin.
“Yes, I’m fine. What’s up?”
I could feel that awkward tension between us. The tension I had hoped to avoid. My plan was to avoid her for a while until things cooled and then wave in passing. I should have known it wasn’t going to work out that way. Although if I was being honest with myself, I wanted to see her.
“I hate to ask this, I really do,” I started. “But can you watch Abby for me maybe an hour or so?”
She physically leaned away from me. “Oh, I, uh, sure.”
I studied her face a little closer, casually inhaling, and immediately figured out the reason behind her under-the-weather appearance. She was hungover.
“Rough night?” I asked, doing my best to hide the twinge of jealousy I felt at the thought of her out drinking and partying with another man.
She smiled. “A little bit.”
I nodded, debating whether or not it was a good idea to leave Abby in her care.
“I haven’t been out in a long time, and I know you must think I’m a complete alcoholic, but I swear, this is not normal for me. I don’t—” She stopped talking and waved her hand between us. “I don’t do that. Or drink tequila like I did last night. It was a fluke. I am completely capable of watching your daughter. I promise.”
I smiled. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Where you off to?”
“I have a job interview,” I said with a grin.
“Oh, awesome!”
I chuckled. “Nothing that spectacular. It’s for a trainer at the gym. Probably a few hours a week.”
“That’s great. We could definitely use something like that in this town.”
“Are you sure you’re up for babysitting? I could always take her with me.”
She smiled, using one hand to smooth her hair down. “I just need some coffee and toast. I’ll be good to go. I didn’t drink all that much, but I don’t normally drink tequila, so it’s kind of kicking my butt.”
I nodded in understanding. I tended to stick with beer myself. “Okay, I’ll be over in two hours. I guess I should ask, do you work today?”
She shook her head. “Nope, hence the hangover.”
“Okay, take care of yourself. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
“I’ll be in much better shape, I promise,” she said with a grin before closing the door.
Two hours later, I knocked on her door and she was definitely in much better shape. She was wearing another pair of denim shorts and a loose T-shirt, her feet were bare, and she was makeup free. I couldn’t stop the feeling of lust that washed over me. She looked so natural and pretty. I wanted to taste her again.
“Okay, so I’ll be back soon. I don’t expect it will take long. Abby, please be a good girl.”
“Should I feed her?” Jenna asked, sounding a little nervous.
I laughed at the way she phrased it. My daughter wasn’t a gerbil. “If she’s hungry, she’ll ask. I put some snacks in her backpack. I really don’t think I’ll be gone long enough that you’ll need to feed her.”
“Okay. All right. I can do this.”
I was suddenly nervous. “You know what? Let me give you my number in case you need me for anything.”
“Okay, hold on,” she said, grabbing her cell off the table. I quickly gave her my number while she entered it into her phone.
“I’ll be back soon,” I said, bending down to give Abby a quick kiss.
When I stood, Jenna was looking at me and that weird feeling was between us again. I nodded and headed out the door.
At the gym, I met with the owner, Landon.
“How long have you owned the place?” I asked the man, who was probably in his mid-fifties.
He shrugged. “Almost ten years.”
“Interested in selling?”
He smirked. “Nope.”
I chuckled. “I had to ask.”
“You interested in doing some training? I looked you up.” He held out a piece of paper.
Fuck. So much for keeping a low profile. “And? Is that a good or bad thing?”
“I think your record speaks for itself.”
I didn’t even want to ask what record he was referring to. “And?” I prompted.
“Your partner, Kevin, has nothing but good things to say about you. Sounds like he was a little bummed that you up and left him. What brings you here? We’re a long way from Boston.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “My wife died. I’m done with the competitive side of things. Nothing to keep me in Boston. This is a fresh start for me and my daughter.”
“I can understand that. I’ve got a little girl myself.” He smiled fondly. “Well, she’s not so little anymore. She’s almost thirty and has got two little girls of her own.”
I nodded, two fathers bonding over their love of their little girls. “How many sessions are you thinking a week?”
He leaned back in his chair, his hands folded over his chest. “Well, that depends. I’ve got a couple kids who’ve been on me for a couple years to get a trainer that could teach them martial arts. So I got some karate expert in here, and turns out, that’s not what they wanted. They want to do what you do.”
“Definitely two different sports.”
“I figure I’d have you come in, meet the guys, and see if you’re a good match. If it looks like you guys want to work together, we’ll go from there. They’ll be paying you directly and I’ll be taking a small fee for use of the gym. I don’t have a ring or cage or whatever, but if this is something that works out, I’ll get one put in.”
“When do you want to do this?”
He shrugged. “Next week work for you?”
“It does.”
“Sounds good. Now, I don’t want to offend you, but my insurance requires me to run a drug-free place, which means I have to make sure all my employees are clean. We do drug testing. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Great.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper. He jotted something down and handed it to me. “That takes about a week to get back. If you can get it done today, we can get this thing moving along.”
“I’ll do that. Thanks, Landon. I look forward to getting back in the gym again.”
“Are you officially retired?” he asked.
I smirked. “I think so. I’m not interested in getting my kidneys bruised or my bell rung any more. I proved myself. It’s time for the next generation to have a little fun. Us old guys have to know when to throw in the towel.”
He nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“What about you, Landon? You look like you’re in good shape. What did you do in your heyday?”
That made him laugh. “In my day, it was good old-fashioned boxing. We put on the gloves and punched each other until one of us couldn’t stand.”
I nodded, understanding the man a little better. “I can respect that. I did a little boxing, but the Marines turned me on to the martial arts.”
He smiled. “If we move forward with this, your gym membership will be free. In fact, I’ll want you here as often as possible. Free advertisement and all that. Guys see a guy like you in here and they’re going to want to join.”
I threw my head back and laughed. “I’ll do what I
can.”
“Great! I look forward to this new adventure. I think this could become a fulltime job for you. Kids around here don’t have a lot to do. This is a good way for them to stay busy and keep out of trouble.”
“You’ve got a good point,” I said, standing, assuming the interview was over. “I’m sure you know how it is when you’re training. They won’t have time to go out and cause too much trouble.”
I took the paper and headed for my SUV, inputting the address into the GPS. It wasn’t a big town, but I still didn’t know my way around the place. I found it with no trouble, did the test, and headed out to my truck, thinking about what I would pick up for dinner and whether or not I should ask Jenna over. I could say I wanted to pay her back for babysitting. We’d both see right through that bullshit. I wanted her and hoped I could get her naked again.
“Dammit!” I muttered, staring at the front passenger tire that was completely flat.
I dropped to my knees to inspect it and saw it had been slashed. I checked the other tires. They were all fine.
I kicked the tire, cursing again. “Fucking amateurs. You don’t slash one tire, you moron.”
I pulled my cell out and pulled up Jenna’s number.
“Hey, I’m going to be another twenty, maybe thirty minutes. Is everything okay there?”
“We’re fine. No worries.”
“Thanks, see you soon,” I said, hanging up the phone and moving to the back end of the SUV.
I didn’t want her worrying about the slashed tire. Clearly, I had made an enemy in town. It wasn’t hard to figure out who did it. Punk-ass kids.
With some effort, I managed to get the tire changed. It pissed me off, but it wasn’t the worst that could happen. I’d take the tire to get fixed tomorrow. I hoped I would run into my new friends around town sometime soon. I had been too nice. They needed to know I wasn’t a guy they wanted to fuck with. I had backed down the first couple times because I had Abby with me. I wouldn’t do it again.
I drove home, keeping my eye on the rearview mirror. I wasn’t about to bring trouble to my front door. I suspected it wouldn’t be all that hard for them to figure out where I lived, but I wasn’t going to make it too easy for them.
Going After What’s Mine Page 7
