Deep Down (Lockhart Brothers #1)

by Brenda Rothert

  “You still box with your brothers?”

  “Who else?” I said, smirking. “There’s no one else I’d rather punch in the face.”

  On cue, Austin walked in the front door.

  “I heard a nasty rumor that the best looking Lockhart boy is back in town but, the thing is, I never moved away,” he said to Lena.

  “You already peaked, man,” I said. “You’re an old married guy in your thirties. Plus, I’m taller.”

  He scowled at me. “By an inch. Let’s go get lunch. I’m starving.”

  “You burn lots of calories punching buttons on your calculator?”

  “My day starts at six am, not nine like you lazy attorneys.”

  “Let me get my jacket and we can go.”

  Downtown Lovely was decorated for fall, with pumpkins and corn stalks adorning every light pole. Austin’s office was not far from the law office and as we walked past I noticed there was a scarecrow perched outside the door, his arm raised in a perennial wave.

  “You wanna go to Gene’s?” he asked as we walked down the main street.

  “Sure. I haven’t been there since high school.”

  “So, how’s it going so far? You miss the big city?”

  I shook my head. “St. Louis never felt like home. It’ll be an adjustment being back, though. I was working on a murder case at my old firm and the work’s a little different here. Dad said the public defender needs some help, so I might do that part time.”

  I glanced at my watch as we walked into Gene’s. It was a little after one, but the place was still packed. The savory scent of grilling burgers was just as I remembered it.

  Austin found us a small two-person table by a window. I squeezed my big frame in, my long legs bumping into my brother’s beneath the table. When I scanned the menu, I saw all the downhome food I’d been missing.

  “Hi, what can I get you two to drink?” a waitress asked. I looked up and met blue eyes framed by dark auburn lashes. Her long hair of the same color was pulled back in a ponytail.

  The word beautiful didn’t do this woman justice. She was tall and lean. Fair, with pink lips and a smile I couldn’t look away from. I was probably grinning like a dumbass, but with those sky-colored eyes on me, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

  “Reed.” Austin kicked me under the table. “What do you want to drink?”

  “Oh.” I shook my head to clear it. “Water’s good.”

  “Be right back with those.” She turned and her ponytail swung, revealing the back of her neck. My gaze inadvertently traveled lower, to her perfect, toned ass.

  “Jesus, put your tongue back in your mouth,” Austin said.

  I turned to him. “Sorry. I just . . . who is she? I was expecting Tammy or Margie.”

  Tammy was a fixture at Gene’s. She was a waitress with no teeth and a large, hairy mole on one cheek. Though it was hard to understand what she was saying sometimes, she was one of the nicest people in Lovely.

  “I think Tammy moved away a couple years ago,” Austin said. “That’s Ivy.”

  “She’s gorgeous. I didn’t mean to stare like that, but . . . wow.”

  Austin shrugged. “I think she’s used to it.”

  “What’s her story?”

  “I don’t know. She’s worked here since right after I moved my office downtown, so . . . three years? I see her around town sometimes with Gene and Margie. She’s a single mom. Has a little boy.”

  “Is she seeing anyone?”

  Austin shook his head. “I know a couple guys who asked her out, but she says no every time.”

  We both quieted as she returned with our waters.

  “What can I get you guys?” she asked.

  “Ivy, this is my brother Reed. He just moved home to join our dad’s practice.”

  She smiled my way. “Nice to meet you, Reed. Welcome home.”

  Damn, I loved the sound of her saying my name. I’d never had such a strong, immediate pull toward a woman.

  “Thanks. If you, uh . . . need an attorney for anything, you know, I’m just down the block.”

  She arched a brow with amusement. “I try not to do anything that would require a legal defense.”

  “Oh, right . . . no, I didn’t mean it like . . . I probably sound like an ambulance chaser right now. I do criminal defense, but I wasn’t trying to insinuate you’ll need one.” I blew out a breath and grinned. “Sorry.”

  “Jesus, just order some lunch,” Austin muttered.

  “The special is meatloaf with a side of mashed potatoes,” Ivy said. Her pen was poised over her notepad as she looked at me.

  “Is the meatloaf any good?” I asked her.

  She paused for a beat. “Uh . . . A lot of people seem to like it but, I have to say, you can’t beat Gene’s burgers.”

  “Got it. I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries.”

  “Same,” Austin said. “Thanks, Ivy.”

  She nodded and turned. I scrubbed a hand down my face to clear away the daze she’d left me in.

  “Been a while, I take it?” Austin asked.

  I shrugged. “Couple months. But I didn’t make an ass of myself like that because I was hoping to hook up with her. It’s just . . . she’s just . . .”

  “Yeah. But I don’t think she dates. You gonna give Meredith a call?”

  The mention of my ex-girlfriend’s name made me grunt in distaste. We’d been minutes away from being married in front of half the town when she just never showed up. Turned out she’d met an older guy with a yacht and she decided to take a chance on him. I hadn’t realized it at the time, but she’d done me a huge favor.

  “No. We’re over and I plan to keep it that way.”

  “Just for a casual thing, I meant. So you can stop drooling over waitresses when you go out for lunch.”

  I shook my head adamantly. “I’m not interested in Meredith. I’m over her, anyway. I work late and go to the gym every night. I don’t have time for women.”

  “Bet you’d make time for the right one.”

  I said nothing, my gaze following Ivy across the diner. She was quick and graceful, evading the guy who shoved his chair out without looking behind him, nearly hitting her. Her smile made everything else in the room look dull. An older man standing at the cash register said something to her and she laughed and gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. Lucky bastard.

  Yeah. If she’d agree to a date with me, I’d definitely make time.

  LUNCH RUSH WOULD BE over soon. My tables all had their food and now I was just refilling drinks and bringing checks. Mondays were always crazy busy. Good thing I’d eaten some toast at the start of my shift this morning, because I hadn’t had time for even a bite of lunch.

  I delivered a tall vanilla milkshake to a toddler who smiled gleefully when she saw it. She looked around three years old, the same age as my Noah. As soon as I set the tall glass in front of her, she swiped the cherry from the top and stuck it in her mouth.

  “Mmm,” she said, grinning.

  I glanced at the girl’s well-dressed mother, who’d stacked sacks from the shopping they’d apparently done in an empty seat at their table. One of my dreams was to take Noah shopping for new clothes and shoes without having to worry about every dollar.

  Fortunately he was young enough that he didn’t realize most everything he wore was secondhand. He’d be bursting with energy when I picked him up from daycare this afternoon. I got there right after his post-nap snack every day, and we usually headed home to play. It wasn’t warm enough for the park anymore.

  Austin and Reed Lockhart were in the cash register line, and I snuck a glance at Austin’s brother. All the Lockhart boys were tall and handsome, but Reed was unique. He seemed taller than the others and he had broad shoulders—he looked as if he worked out a lot. One thing was for sure, he had a presence that couldn’t be ignored.

  I did a quick glance around all my tables. Lucy Mackin’s Coke was a little under half full, so I headed for her table to grab it for a r
efill. I was passing by my young milkshake customer’s table when I heard her wailing.

  I’d swing by in a sec and see if some crackers or crayons would help. As I was passing the crying toddler one of my feet slid out from beneath me. All I could get out was a quick yelp before all the breath was sucked out of my lungs.

  Crap. My arms flew out as I sought to grab something to break my fall but I was out of luck.

  I prepared to hit the floor but was surprised when an arm wrapped around my back, stopping my fall. My hands were still scrambling for purchase, and one of them landed on a solid forearm.

  “I’ve got you,” a deep voice said. He pulled me halfway up and what little air I’d gotten back in my lungs left in a rush. Reed Lockhart was looking down at me, his dark brown eyes brimming with concern.

  My heart was racing from the scare I’d just had, but being in Reed’s arms wasn’t going to slow it down. I was close enough to see his dark five-o-clock shadow and take in his faint, woodsy scent.

  And those eyes. I couldn’t look away. They were just a shade lighter than his dark brown hair. He was boyish and manly at the same time.

  “You okay?” he asked. He still held me in a pose that looked like we were on Dancing With the Stars.

  “Yes,” I said breathlessly. “I’m fine. Thanks for saving me from wiping out. I didn’t think anyone even saw me slip.”

  He eased me up slowly, leaving his warm, powerful arm around the small of my back.

  “Instinct, I guess,” he said, the corners of his lips quirking up a little.

  “Well . . . thanks again.”

  He gave a half shrug and led me out of the vanilla milkshake puddle. “I’m just glad I was here. You sure you’re okay?”

  I held his gaze for another second before nodding. There was no reason for me to feel breathless anymore, but I did. When he slid his arm out from around me, I missed it immediately. No one but Noah had touched me in a long time. I liked it that way, but Reed’s solid presence reminded me what was missing from my life.

  Stepping back, I took a deep breath. That kind of closeness would always be missing. I’d closed off my heart to all men a long time ago. There would never be another man who would hurt or disappointed me, because no one was getting in. My life was about me and Noah, and we didn’t need anyone else.

  I WAS STILL RATTLED on the walk back to my office. After Austin had gone in the direction of his own office I couldn’t think of anything but Ivy. The way she’d felt in my arms, the rise and fall of her chest as I looked down at her and those bright blue eyes looking up at me.

  She hadn’t expected anyone to catch her. She’d been planning to land flat on her ass. I could tell that by the way she’d clutched my arm, her expression a mixture of surprise and gratitude. It made me want to pull her closer and tell her I’d catch her again if she needed me to. I’d catch her anytime she wanted.

  I shook my head at the sentimental nonsense I was thinking. Maybe Austin was right and all the months of not getting laid were catching up with me.

  “Hey, Lena,” I said when I walked in the front door to the office. “Any messages?”

  “No messages, but there’s someone in your office,” she said, not looking up from whatever she was writing.

  I walked down the hall and into my office, which still smelled like the leather law books Dad had kept in here before I joined the practice. When I tossed my coat on a chair, a woman stood up from the wingback chair in the corner of the room.

  “Reed,” she said softly. “It’s good to see you.”

  Meredith. My good mood took a nose dive.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I moved back home a few months ago.”

  “No, I mean what are you doing here in my office?”

  “I wanted to see you.” It was obvious she was looking for a warmer reception than I was offering.

  I shook my head with disgust. “Look, I’ve got work to do and, to be honest, you shouldn’t have been let in here. You need to go.”

  “Are you still mad at me?” she continued. “It’s been five years, Reed.”

  “I’m not mad, I’m busy.”

  She gave me the puppy dog eyes I’d fallen for back when we were together. “Can we have dinner soon? To catch up?”

  “That’s not a good idea, Meredith.”

  “We never talked about things.”

  “That was your choice, not mine. And it was years ago. There’s no point in talking about it now—I’ve moved on.”

  She took a step closer to me and tried to lay a palm on my chest, but I stepped back and her hand met empty space.

  “Reed,” she said, laughing. “Are you afraid I’ll seduce you with one touch?”

  Aggravation flared in my veins. “No. I just don’t want you touching me. I’m busy.”

  “Why are you treating me like a stranger?”

  “Because you are one. The day you left me at the altar was the day I realized I really had no idea who you were.”

  “Well, now that we’re both home again, maybe we can work on that. I’ve missed you.”

  “I’m not interested.”

  Meredith gave me a pleading look. “I’m divorced now, you know. That whole thing . . . it was such a huge mistake, Reed.”

  “Look—”

  She stepped forward again, this time laying her hand on my crotch rather than my chest.

  “Surely you haven’t forgotten this,” she said in a low tone, rubbing my dick.

  My breath came out in a shudder. The timing of Meredith’s come on was really fucking bad. I was still fired up from having Ivy in my arms, so vulnerable and pretty. But I couldn’t have her right now, and I sure as hell wouldn’t let Meredith stand in.

  I moved her hand away from my dick and she groaned sadly.

  “Are you seeing someone? Is that it?”

  “That’s actually none of your business, but no. Just to be clear, there’s no chance of us getting back together. Now I’ve got work to do, so . . .” I nodded at the open doorway.

  She sighed deeply then gave me a dirty look and walked out. Once she was gone I called Lena into my office and let her know, in no uncertain terms, that I was not happy with her unprofessional behavior. Then, she too gave me a dirty look and left my office.

  It wasn’t that I had hard feelings toward Meredith; those had passed a long time ago. What we’d had between us was long gone. Now, having seen her again for the first time in five years, I sure as hell didn’t feel the magic we’d had at first when we got together in high school. She’d been my first and I’d been hers. And then we’d settled into a steady, happy relationship. But that was all water under the bridge. I had absolutely zero interest in her.

  Before moving home I’d decided that I wasn’t getting into anything serious with any woman—I didn’t need the grief. But already I was feeling an urge to go back to Gene’s and ask Ivy out. I wanted to find out more about her. So far all I knew was that she was a beautiful single mom who’d bewitched me in a matter of minutes.

  Meeting Ivy had been unplanned and unexpected but, yeah, it felt really damned good. Magic.

  LUNCH RUSH WAS OVER for the day, and I was wiping down the front counter and refilling salt and pepper shakers. Margie, who rarely stopped moving at work, was leaning against the counter and staring at the TV mounted from the ceiling. The TV was there for our customers who liked to watch the morning news while having their breakfasts. We kept the volume turned all the way down, but people liked to read the headlines at the bottom of the screen.

  Margie had turned on the subtitles and was shaking her head with disapproval.

  “If I met that guy on the street, I’d cut his balls off,” she said simply, as though she was discussing the weather.

  “Geez, Margie, he’s just a guy on TV,” I said, smiling.

  “Look at this,” she said, pointing up at the screen. I looked at it and rolled my eyes when I saw that she was watching Springer. The show’s topic, ‘I Married my Da
ddy,’ was plastered onto the bottom of the screen. My stomach rolled with nausea as I looked at the people screaming at each other on the screen. A middle-aged man was passionately kissing a woman who didn’t look more than twenty, while another man raised a chair up from the floor, preparing to launch it at the guy I presumed was ‘Daddy’ in this scenario.

  “She’s pregnant with his child,” Margie said, sounding shocked. “That kid will probably be born deformed. Poor thing.”

  I tried to calm my racing heart, reminding myself that no one here knew my truth. My secret was so safe that I could judge the people on that TV screen along with Margie and no one would be the wiser. I wouldn’t do it though. That young woman and her unborn baby didn’t deserve derision from a stranger like me.

  I lined up sugar packets in dishes on the counter, saying a silent prayer that the baby would be born healthy and the woman would come to her senses and begin a new life without the idiot who admitted to being her father and her lover.

  “What kind of monster could get it up for his own child?” Margie said, her expression twisted with disgust. “It’s sick. He belongs in prison.”

  The counter was clean and I was relieved for the opportunity to take my used towels back to the washing machine off the kitchen. This was why I kept my secret–because I couldn’t stand the thought of me and Noah being judged. I’d considered telling Margie I had been sexually assaulted. I trusted her and, despite her hair trigger temper, she was a very good person. But I knew she’d press for details, and I wasn’t ready to give them.

  I lost myself in dishes and laundry until my shift was over. Then I stopped by the Lovely Public Library. The small red brick building was one of my favorite places in town. I checked books out by the dozen and used the computers for free Internet access when I needed it.

  I was making a quick stop to use a computer today. The head librarian, Lillian, waved at me from the front desk to tell me it was okay to use a computer without signing in.

  When I logged onto my email, I saw that I had a waiting message from April. We’d kept in close touch by email over the past three years. Seeing her name on the screen made me smile before I’d even opened the message. I clicked on it and sat back in my chair to read it.