by Molly McLain
For the past four months that had been true. But then Nicole came into his life and, for the first time in too long, he now wanted something for himself as well. She just wouldn’t let him in.
“Parenting is a selfless job,” he said instead of the truth that he’d tried. Hell, he wanted to again. But how could he make Nicole see that he wasn’t interested in running her life?
“Sometimes, yes. The key is learning to find balance between their needs...” She nodded to Bri. “And our own.”
“Mom, I’m fine.”
“You’re exhausted, Tony, and you’ve lost weight, too. Heck, you haven’t cut your hair in months and, if I remember anything from your moody preteen years, it’s how much you hate your curls.”
He grinned and patted his stomach. “I needed to lose that beer gut anyhow.”
She smiled too, but cut him no slack. “You can you only put so much effort into something before you need to refuel.”
“That’s what I’m doing tonight, isn’t it?”
“You need more than one night. Especially with all your babysitter drama this past week.”
Yeah, no shit. “That problem’s been resolved for now.”
“So I’ve heard. The pretty neighbor was a lucky find, but she won’t be around forever.”
A sad reality. Then again, it was probably best she handled her business in town and moved on. Less temptation. Less jerking off.
“Listen, Mom, if you call me when you get your heart monitor results, I’ll bring Bri over in a few weeks for a longer visit.”
She cast him a sidelong glance. “A week-long visit?”
“Depends on the results.”
“Don’t coddle me, Anthony,” she warned.
“Just doing my job as a parent. Surely you can relate.”
His sarcasm earned him a swift kick in the shin. “Don’t sass me either. You might be a grown man, but I’m still your mother.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He stood and bent to kiss Bri’s hair. “I gotta get going. You take care of Grandma, ladybug. And not too many cookies.”
His mother waved him off. “Ballbuster.”
Tony laughed. “Learned from the best.”
***
“I’m raising hell tonight.”
“Good for you.” Nicole grinned at Ally from across the kitchen. Thanks to Tony’s early day, they’d been able to dust off and relocate most of the smaller items for the estate sale into the living room. They also had a good start on the nicer stuff from the kitchen. “I take it no word from the boy toy?”
“Not a peep, and I’m done sitting around waiting for him to pull his head out of his ass. Carissa and Maddie invited me out tonight and I’m going.” She set a porcelain pitcher next to its matching saucer with a determined nod. “Hey, you should come, too. Some of Josh’s Marine buddies from Omaha are in town to celebrate his discharge, so, you know, eye candy galore.”
No doubt. But Tony would be there too and, with a few drinks in her system, there was no telling how she’d humiliate herself next.
“Ah, crap, you’re doing it again.”
“Huh?” She blinked up at her friend and Ally cocked her head.
“You’re grinning all mysterious like. Thinking about those handy dandy orgasms you’ve been having?”
“I’m not—” Crap. “Okay, I am. I shouldn’t be, though.”
“Why not?”
“Because we decided it was a bad idea.”
“What do you mean we? You and Tony talked about this little lust-fest you’ve got going on? How did that conversation come up exactly?”
“Not like you’re thinking.” She told Ally about the broken window, Tony’s hand and the stitches. Not the kiss. “It was probably all the close contact, but things got tense.”
“Sexually tense?”
“Maybe.” Totally. “But we barely know each other.” And yet he rattled her core every time they were in the same room together.
“Must I give you another lesson in hooking up?”
God, no. “I think I’m good.” He probably thought she was a nutcase by now anyway. Which she kinda was. Six years and she was still letting Derek mess with her head.
“I’m telling you, a casual fling is the way to go.”
“Remind me how the casual thing worked out for you and the sheriff?”
“Ppfftt.”
“I thought you were going to call Mark.”
“I was, but I’m not ready to hear that whatever we had is over.”
Point taken. No matter how casual things were supposed to be, feelings always wound up being hurt. Even if Tony hadn’t tried to be pushy about the house, getting close to a guy right now wasn’t smart. If she going to start over fresh in Chicago, she needed to keep her strength, not show up messed up over another man. It went against everything she was trying to accomplish.
“Maybe Mark hasn’t called because he’s busy,” she said, buying optimism for her friend’s sake. “I swear he’s the only man in uniform I’ve seen since I’ve been in River Bend.”
Sighing, Ally stood and brushed the cookie crumbs from her shirt. “Consider yourself lucky—he wears that uniform better than any other cop in this town.”
“I believe it.” Nicole gave a reassuring smile and glanced around the room. Maybe a night out would do her some good, too. Refresh her reserves for the long day of organizing she’d have tomorrow. “I think I will come out with you, after all.”
“Really?” Ally grinned suspiciously. “You want to see him, don’t you?”
Of course, she did, even though the rational part of her brain warned her against it. Still, there was no reason she couldn’t go out and maybe take a minute to explain herself to him. Best to clear the air before Monday morning anyhow. Providing he wasn’t too busy ‘blowing off steam’ with a less complicated, more emotionally stable woman. “I just want to have fun and meet your friends.”
“Uh-huh, but whatever. I’ll be back in an hour to pick you up. Be ready to shake your ass off.”
Chapter Twelve
“So Dunn gets pissed off and pushes into the warehouse without clearance. Lt. Murray is on his ass like Courtney Love on a line of blow, totally fucking pissed off. Before Murray can catch up, Dunn busts through the door like some badass, yelling, ‘OORAH, you skank-ass bastards! Time to play hide and go fuck yourself!’”
Good ol’ Nelson. Always exaggerating the shit out of everything. “That’s not even close to what happened,” Tony said, leaning back on his stool and chuckling.
Across the tall table, Brody Nelson roared, his eyes wild with amusement. “The hell it ain’t! I’ve never seen Murray turn so many shades of red before! And he’s got high blood pressure!”
Josh clapped Nelson on the back. “Brody, man, I think that might’ve been one of the days you inhaled too many paint fumes. Not quite how I recall the ordeal either, although your version is a hell of a lot more entertaining, I’ll give you that.”
Sam Conrad strolled up, pool cue in hand. “I wish shit in the sandbox had been that much fun.”
“Says the guy who single-handedly ruined all the available ladies for the rest of us, thank you very much.” Tony tipped his beer toward his buddy before taking a pull.
Sam grinned. “Ain’t my fault God blessed me with a big dick.”
“Speaking of dicks, Bentley sends his sincerest apologies for not being here tonight.” Brody took the cue and walked over to the pool table. “Apparently his wife just popped out a kid. What the hell kind of bullshit excuse is that?” He lifted his hands, but the grin on his face belied his true feelings on the subject.
A kid in the mix was like a kid to all of them. Made them all uncles by association. In fact, the gift bags and the pink BB gun in the back seat of his truck exemplified how his buddies really felt. Other than him and Bentley, none of the others were in the family frame of mind quite yet, but they’d never passed judgment on his situation or condemned the circumstances that led to Bri coming into the world. Knowing
that made it a helluva lot easier to relax tonight, that was for damn sure.
“Who’s ready for another round?” He pushed to his feet and stretched his arms above his head as the pub’s front door swung open and Ally walked in. Nicole appeared a half-second later and his chill mood went right out the window. The guys knew better than to talk shit about Ally in Luke’s presence, but Nicole, being unknown, well, that was another story.
Fuck. He knew what would come next, especially given how damn hot she looked, dressed in a snug, white top and a pair of jeans that gave the little workout shorts she’d been killing him with all week an honest run for their money. She also had on another pair of those knee boots she seemed to like so much, only these had a heel, making her legs looks miles long and her ass ever hotter. And her hair? Good God in heaven. It was down tonight. All sexy and blonde and wavy, well past the middle of her back.
“Hello, future wife,” Nelson mumbled.
“Get in line, bro.” Sam elbowed him in the gut.
“Dream on,” Tony said to both of them, and Josh and Luke each shot him a sly grin.
“Don’t tell me that’s her,” Josh muttered.
“That’s her.”
“And you’re out with us losers why?”
“Because it ain’t like that.”
Luke snorted. “Dumbass.”
“Wait, you know her?” The hopeful smirk on Sam’s face had Tony’s sensors going off. Interested and expecting an introduction. Shit. Sam had the uncanny ability to charm the panties off of women faster than Channing Tatum on stage in a thong. Since he didn’t wanna have to kick Sam’s ass, he did the next best thing—stared down his friend for an uncomfortable stretch of silence that required no words.
Sam took a few seconds longer than Tony liked to catch on, but he eventually lifted his hands and backed off. “All right, man, that’s cool. At least tell us her name.”
“Nicole.” And that was all he’d say, too. He shook his empty bottle in the air. “How about that round? On me this time.” The guys a collective oorah and Luke followed him to the bar.
“She’s a great girl,” his friend said when they were alone. “And gorgeous as hell.”
Like he needed the reminder. His dick went on high alert the second she’d walked through the door. Seemed to be a hazard of just being in the same room as her.
Scratch that. He’d been hard for her since they’d run into each other on the sidewalk outside the coffee shop a week ago. Had it only been a week? It felt like a lifetime.
Idiot. He pulled some money from his wallet and threw it on the bar. Maybe another beer would help.
“Does Bri like her?” Luke asked.
“Yep.” He lifted a hand to the bartender, Kyle, signaling for five more bottles.
“Do you?”
“Come on, man, really? What’s with the inquisition?” He’d come out to relax, not play twenty questions.
“She’s glanced over here five times in the last two minutes. And, believe me, man, she ain’t looking at me.”
He arched an eyebrow, but Luke waved him off.
“Why not see where it could go?” he asked instead.
“Because I need her to watch Bri more than I need to get laid.” And she’d already shot him down. He could be a persistent guy, but he really did need her help with his daughter and continually hitting on her seemed like a good way to ruin their working relationship.
“You’re both adults, right?” Luke continued and Tony cursed under his breath.
“Maybe you didn’t notice, but I’m doing my damnedest to be an adult about this.”
“So you do like her. Good to know. I was starting to think you’d switched sides.”
“Fuck you.” He backhanded his friend in the chest and pretended he didn’t see Nicole slide into a booth with Ally, Carissa, and Maddie.
Kyle sauntered up then and set the bottles on the bar. Luke grabbed four of them and gave a resigned sigh. “You’re overcomplicating this.”
“Everything’s complicated when I have a kid to worry about.”
Luke shook his head. “Whatever, man. Stand here and have your pity party then. I’ve got pool to play.”
Pity party, his ass. While he waited for his change, he swung his gaze swung across the room again and, this time, Nicole caught him. She wet her glossy lips nervously, smiled and, despite the distance, he was fairly certain she blushed, too.
Physically, she threw off all the right signs. The ones that said she’d enjoy ending up in his bed just as much as he’d like having her there. But she kept yanking the brake and pushing him away. Because he was a fucking train wreck? Or was this about the control thing?
“Hey, catch a round for the pretty ladies over there, will ya?” He shoved more cash at Kyle, dug out his cell and thumbed a text. He wouldn’t keep pushing, but he wouldn’t ignore her either. That’d be rude. A peace offering?
He didn’t watch to see if she checked her phone, just grabbed his beer and sauntered back to his buddies.
***
“What the hell is going on with you and Mark?” asked Maddie, Ally’s pretty, pin-up-esque friend, as soon as Nicole and Ally slid into the booth at McCauley’s.
The bar was an eclectic mix of small town pop-a-top and Irish pub and, from the mass of Friday-nighters crowded into the place, it attracted a wide variety of clientele too. Including a rowdy bunch of good looking guys over by the pool tables.
She smiled when she spotted Tony, who looked unbelievably sexy in a light gray Henley with the sleeves pushed up, revealing those arms she liked so much. But the real treat was when he leaned over the pool table to shoot and the cotton on his back stretched across his broad shoulders. Mmm, to get her hands on all those yummy, bulky muscles...
Ally shrugged, drawing Nicole’s attention back to the table. “I wish I knew,” her friend said. “Maybe he just needs some space.”
“What he needs is a slap upside the head.” This from Carissa, a pretty brunette who looked like she belonged on the cast of One Tree Hill. “You guys have been playing at this on again off again game for, what, a year now? Time to shit or get off the pot already.”
“Has it been that long already?” Maddie’s eyed widened above her martini glass.
“Yep,” Ally clucked. “Tony’s birthday.”
“Ah, that’s right. You and Mark challenged each other to a drinking game and got totally schnockered. I gave you a ride home and you climbed him like a tree in my backseat.” Carissa smirked and Ally crumpled up her napkin and threw it in the woman’s face.
“I did not. I mean, yeah, we made out a little. There wasn’t room in your little car to do more.”
“Not for lack of trying,” Carissa muttered and Maddie laughed.
“So the Ally and Mark saga gets more and more interesting.” Nicole elbowed Ally.
“Oh, you have no idea,” Maddie added and Ally kicked her beneath the table. “Ouch!”
“Enough about me already. Let’s talk about you and Tony, Nicole.” Ally, the little witch, turned to her and batted her eyes.
“I told you, there is no me and Tony.” And why hadn’t they ordered drinks yet? She needed a drink...
“Well, there should be.” Carissa leaned forward and studied Nicole across the table. “I could be wrong, but I’m not getting the hoochie mama vibe from you. You’re a good person.”
Maddie snorted. “What that man needs is a hoochie. Someone to fuck him good and hard, and loosen him up. This is the first time he’s been out in months, for fuck’s sake.”
“Yeah, well, that someone isn’t me.” Not that it didn’t sound like one helluva good time. And the very thing she’d thought about every night this past week.
“No offense, but I’m not sure I believe you. I mean, he was spotted jogging down your front steps bright and early this morning.” Ally blinked sweetly. “Like six in the morning early.”
“Who told you that?” And why the heck hadn’t any of this come up earlier at the house? H
ad Ally purposely saved it for now, just so she could call her out in public?
“Sammy from Cedar Street mentioned it, and she was not happy, let me tell you.” Ally screwed up her lips and made a face that looked like it should’ve been accompanied by a snap.
“Trust me, Nicole, none of us are going to judge you if you’ve got something going with River Bend’s hottest single dad. We might be a little curious, and we might try to wheedle the juicy details out of you once you’ve had more to drink, but we’re definitely not the finger-pointing type.” Carissa smiled as innocently as Ally, but there was pure mischief in her eyes. “Unless of course, you don’t tell us anything, then we’ll resort to making shit up.”
“And we absolutely will. For example, when we found out Ally was banging Mark and hadn’t told us, we decided it was because he was a Dom and, as part of their sex play, he’d forbidden her to discuss their affair. For every week she kept their relationship a secret, he’d reward her by handcuffing her to his bed and fucking her senseless. For every person that found out, he’d get creative with his police baton.” Maddie mimed a slap on the ass and Ally shook with laughter. “For the record, the entire town knew within two weeks.”
“Now that sounds like a win-win situation.” Nicole stuck a playful elbow in her friend’s side, thankful to be out of the spotlight.
“You’re gonna fit in just fine around here, kid.” Maddie tipped her drink toward Nicole. “But you never did say—are you or are you not diddling the hot foreman?”
She cleared the air and told them about the broken window. “Sorry to disappoint, but his visit was entirely professional.” Except the part where they’d shared breakfast in her kitchen and she’d spent way too much time daydreaming about licking syrup from his abs.
Maddie opened her mouth to speak, but paused when the pub’s front door opened.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in.” Despite her begrudging tone, Ally’s face lit up when Mark walked into the bar. Anger definitely wasn’t the emotion she battled and Nicole felt a twinge of pain for her friend as she slouched back in the booth.
Mark glanced over to their table, spotted Ally, and promptly pivoted toward the pool tables like his boots were on fire. Ouch. At least Ally was too busy disappearing into the seat to notice.
