Not So New in Town

by Michele Summers

  * * *

  Brogan twisted the rope bracelet around his wrist. He could think of a hundred other things he’d rather be doing than sitting in Julia’s creepy pink bedroom. Like skydiving without a parachute or swimming with water moccasins. But he’d put this conversation off too long, and it needed addressing. He could hear Lucy rattling around in the kitchen, preparing Julia’s dinner. He glanced at his watch; he needed to be at the football field in thirty minutes, ready to play ball. What he really wanted was to be back at his place with Lucy in his bed, licking chocolate mousse off her cute belly.

  “Is this about Parker or Lucy?” Julia’s troubled voice snapped him back to the reason he was staring down at his athletic socks. No way would he discuss Lucy with Julia or anyone right now. They were two consenting adults, and their “relationship” didn’t need dissecting by the local committee of busybodies.

  He hesitated, taking a moment to decide what to say next. “It’s about Parker. It’s about his dad.” Julia’s blue eyes dimmed with worry as she twisted the pink blanket between her fingers. “I’m sorry if this is painful, but you’ve got to understand. I’ve been put in an awkward situation with all the gossip in town. And, Julia, it’s time Parker knew the truth. He’s been disturbed by it too.” He watched her throat work as she swallowed. Brogan continued. “Take it from me…you don’t want to do this to your son. Not knowing is way worse than knowing the truth…no matter how bad it is.”

  “I’m s-sorry. I know I haven’t been fair, and I never meant to hurt you with everyone speculating about you being Parker’s dad.” Her forced laugh held a bitter tone. “I also didn’t expect you to return.”

  Funny. Neither did he. “Why all the secrecy? And what about this baby’s father? Please, Julia, I’m begging you. Don’t do the same thing to this child.”

  Julia cleared her throat. Brogan extended her water glass, placing it in her trembling hand. “It’s not something I’m proud of,” she said after a few sips. “Both were accidents, but with Parker’s father, I…uh, really thought I was in love.” Her head hit the pillow and her eyes closed. “Remember Coach Monahan?”

  Brogan shook off the dark thoughts swamping his head. “Joe Monahan? Sure. He was a great offensive coach. Attended his funeral when he died about five years ago. Why?” Suddenly, he was afraid of the answer.

  Tears leaked down Julia’s face. She swiped at her cheeks. “He’s…he was Parker’s dad.”

  Silence filled the room. Brogan had no idea if he and Julia still breathed. Finally, he swayed, hitting the back of the chair with a solid thud. “Damn. I had no idea.”

  “Yeah, you and everyone else in town. Lucy knows, because I just told her. I was young, stupid, in love, and handled things very badly. I guess I haven’t changed.”

  “Did Coach know?” Joe Monahan had been young and cocky and a helluva good coach, pushing the team further than they’d ever dreamed of going.

  “Eventually”—her hand fluttered—“water under the bridge.”

  “Okay. I don’t need details.” Nor did he want them; he refused the picture of Julia and Coach Monahan to form in his mind. “But Parker still has a right to know. It’s not fair to keep him in the dark. He’s old enough. He’s a good kid and has talent, and with the right influences, he’s going to be okay.”

  Brogan handed Julia a Kleenex. “What about this baby’s daddy? Does he know? Is he in any position to be part of your lives?”

  “Yes, but it’s complicated.”

  Brogan narrowed his gaze at Julia, willing her to face reality and do the right thing. “What’s it going to be? You better not be waiting another fifteen years.”

  Her shiny dark hair caressed her shoulders as she shook her head. “I’m going to settle things in the next few weeks. I won’t keep this baby’s father a mystery. Not this time.” Brogan’s expression must’ve appeared doubtful, because she continued, “I promise. Harper Doolan’s already threatened to take this house away if I don’t come clean.” She snickered. “Not really. But he’s concerned. He only wants me and my kids to be happy.”

  “What about your mom?” Mother of the Year didn’t jump to mind when Brogan conjured up Babs Doolan. He remembered her being self-centered and slightly distracted.

  “Oh, she’s already bought a tiny NASCAR jumpsuit for the baby. She plans to visit with her latest boyfriend, the new tire specialist with the Richard Petty Motorsports team.”

  Brogan chuckled, picturing Babs with her boy toy, wearing an electric-blue-and-black fire-retardant suit. Okay…they were making progress. Maybe Julia would do right by her kids. “Sounds good. You’ve got a lot to look forward to.” He started to rise.

  “What about Lucy?” He stopped, and Julia’s blue eyes seared him in his seat. “What’s going to happen to her when you finally leave Harmony?” Brogan clenched his fists. He still had no intentions of discussing Lucy, especially with Julia.

  “I want Lucy to stay, and I don’t want you breaking her heart. You know, she’s been in love with you since high school.” Accusation hung heavy in the air. “It’s going to be tough for Lucy to regroup when you leave for good.”

  “Look, Lucy knows the score. Hell, she’s the one who set the boundaries. I have no intention of breaking her or anyone’s heart when I leave Harmony.”

  Julia’s lips thinned. “Do you plan to keep her at BetterBites? Maybe if she knew she had a permanent position, she’d think twice about leaving.”

  “Lucy can keep her job as long as she wants. We plan to offer her a promotion, which would include marketing for all our locations.” Julia’s face brightened. “But Lucy may have different ideas. I can’t force her to stay.”

  Julia smirked. “You have strong powers of persuasion. If anyone can get Lucy to stay, it’s you.”

  “I’m not making any promises.”

  Chapter 24

  “You and Julia sure talked for a long time.” Lucy threw her beach bag in the backseat of Brogan’s car. “What about?”

  “My house. She’s ordering an appraisal.” Brogan didn’t meet Lucy’s eyes as he buckled up and turned the key in the ignition.

  “Ah. Well, if anyone knows about pricing and selling houses, it’s Julia. You’re smart to be using her.”

  Brogan grunted as he turned toward the high school. Hmmm. Not too talkative, about Julia anyway. Okay. Change of subject. “You ready to play some football? Parker is beyond excited. You’ve been elevated to hero status.” Another grunt. Brogan kept his focus on the empty stretch of road ahead of them. A bad vibe came over Lucy. In her mind, she pictured a sheepish look on her lover’s face as he avoided eye contact right before breaking up with her. Lucy’s stomach rumbled, not from hunger, but from panic. “Everything okay? If you want to be with the guys tonight, I totally understand.” Don’t dump me…please. “I’ve got plenty of work to catch up—” Brogan swerved into the empty parking lot at the First Baptist Church right outside her neighborhood and slammed the Jag in park. “What the—?”

  “Come here,” he growled and pulled her across the leather console until his lips locked with hers in a demanding kiss. In less than two heartbeats, he made her forget who she was. Stunned, she didn’t participate until Brogan slanted her head for better access, caging her head between his hands. She groaned and circled his neck with her arms. This was more like it.

  “I don’t want to be with the guys tonight. I want to be with you,” he whispered against her lips. His heavy breathing echoed inside the quiet car, and he rested his forehead against hers. “If I hadn’t promised—”

  “Shhh. It’s all good.” She cupped his face, memorizing his every feature. “I’m looking forward to watching you old men try to relive your glory days. I can’t wait to be head cheerleader. You know tradition states that head cheerleader always dates the quarterback.”

  Brogan blanched. “Your cheerleading doesn’t involve singing, does i
t?”

  Lucy shifted back to her seat. “Maybe.”

  “Just be sure to sing when the opposing team has the ball. It’s sure to break their concentration.”

  “Absolutely. I’m not above playing dirty.” They both laughed and squeezed each other’s hands.

  * * *

  After the touch football game, Lucy, Parker, and Parker’s friend Jason piled in Brogan’s car. They headed for the lake for swimming and grilling hot dogs, burgers, and s’mores. Brogan had supplied some appetizers from BetterBites and a few cases of his specialty beers. The boys ran screaming toward the lake, jumping and splashing and being, well, boys. Lucy helped some of the other moms set up the condiments and paper products on the picnic tables while the men fired up the grills.

  Brogan tapped Lucy on the shoulder with a cold beer in his hand. “So, what’d you think?”

  “About what?” She finished straightening the red plastic tablecloth.

  “My spectacular playing out there. Did you see that pass I managed to make with three boys pulling on my jersey?” A cocky smile spread across his handsome face.

  “Uh, was that the one where you passed the ball and then landed flat on your butt in the mud? Or the one where you threw an interception, and they ran it down and scored?”

  “Neither, smart-ass.” He hooked his arm around her neck. “As head cheerleader, you’re supposed to do more fawning and gushing over my amazing arm and bulging muscles.”

  “That was your last cheerleader girlfriend. Don’t confuse us again, Bro.” Lucy couldn’t keep the snark from her voice. Brogan questioned her with a strange look. “What? I’m just saying—ooh! Put me down!” she squealed as he hauled her over his shoulder and trotted over the sand toward the lake. “N-o-o-o! Not in my clothes!”

  Brogan dropped her in the middle of the long dock. At the end, the boys were jumping into the water, showing off with cannonballs and jackknives. “Lose the clothes. You’ve got two seconds.” He kicked off his leather thongs and peeled his T-shirt over his head. Wolf whistles pierced the air from the shore.

  “Woo-hoo! Now we’re talking.”

  “Flex those muscles, Buns of Steel.”

  “Lordy, I feel a faint comin’ on.”

  Lucy glanced over her shoulder at the other women drinking beers, making catcalls, and laughing. Brogan paid them no attention, too focused on what Lucy hid beneath her clothes.

  “Now, Lucy,” he gritted as he started to untie her knotted camp shirt.

  She toed off her Toms, brushing his hands away to finish the job. “Payback’s a bitch, dude. Remember that.” She shimmied out of her short white shorts.

  Brogan whistled through his teeth. “Nice.” He fingered the silver circle holding the skimpy triangles of yellow fabric together. Passion and desire lit his eyes, making Lucy wonder how long the suit would remain on her body.

  “Aunt Lucy, you coming in or not?” Parker called from the middle of the lake.

  “She’s coming. Right now.” Scooping Lucy up in his arms, Brogan marched to the end of the dock.

  “I’m perfectly capable of walking on my own, Mr. Atlas.”

  “Hope you can swim.”

  Before Lucy could respond with a biting comeback, she was flying through the air. Then she landed with a big splash in the warm lake water. As she surfaced, pushing hair from her eyes, Brogan popped up right next to her, shaking the water from his hair like a dog.

  “You lose your bikini?” Hope laced his voice as he reached for her. Lucy ducked, adjusting her suit under the water, resurfacing a few feet away.

  “You wish,” she said, treading water. With a predator’s gleam in his eyes, Brogan stroked toward her. Lucy squealed, splashing him in the face before kicking as hard as she could to escape. “Parker. Boys. Attack Brogan. Now,” she yelled and laughed at the same time. “Hurry!”

  “Here, Aunt Lucy.” A neon-pink noodle glided over the water in her direction. Lucy straddled the noodle to stay afloat. The boys jumped and horsed around, wrestling with Brogan. More dads joined the fray, and boys were lifted and tossed in the air with much whooping and hollering.

  “Might as well enjoy the show.” Some of the moms had drifted out on rafts and noodles, and one handed Lucy a cold beer.

  “Thank you. And what a show it’s turning out to be.” Lucy laughed, enjoying the beer cooling her throat.

  “I hope they don’t drown each other,” Jason’s mom, Sally, said, shifting on her raft.

  “The scenery is migh-tay fine,” said one of the young moms who’d been howling from shore. The women all nodded in agreement and toasted with their beers. And by scenery, they weren’t referring to the pine trees clustered on the shoreline or the low sunset creating a pink glow. No. They meant Brogan and his sleek, wet, powerful body as he simultaneously dunked two boys by the head. “Oh, baby,” someone murmured. “You don’t mind if we ogle your delicious boyfriend, do you?”

  Boyfriend? Okay. Lucy resisted the urge to enlighten everyone that she and Brogan were merely sleeping buddies. It might make her sound a little slutty or sleazy or horny. Or all of the above, which she was.

  “Certainly. Ogle away.”

  “Sweet mother…that man could eat popcorn and drip greasy pizza cheese on my satin sheets any day of the week.”

  Lucy nodded. She couldn’t agree more.

  * * *

  Only a few parents remained as Brogan and Lucy helped clean up around the bonfire. It was close to ten o’clock. All of Margo’s homemade brownies had been consumed, as well as the remaining beers and bottles of chilled white wine by the adults. Brogan helped load the last of the supplies in the back of Tom and Sally Martin’s car. Parker, Jason, and two other boys had left to spend the night out together, which meant he had Lucy to himself for one more night.

  “That’s the last of it,” he said, closing the hatch to the Martins’ car.

  Tom shook his hand. “The boys had a great time. Nice seeing you back on the football field.” Brogan grinned. It had felt good too. The Martins waved their good-byes as they drove away on the dirt road.

  Turning slowly back to the lake, Brogan watched as Lucy tossed a few leftover dirty cups in the garbage and dusted off her hands. One bonfire still burned, illuminating the dark shoreline. The smell of burgers and smoke lingered in the air. A silver path created by the half-moon sparkled over the still water. Lifting her head, Lucy caught him staring.

  “What? Why the big goofy grin?”

  Brogan crossed the sandy grass in four strides and reached her. “Finally, alone.” He pulled one of her loose curls. Lucy followed, leaning into his chest where he’d wanted her all day. “Time to start that second date.” He pressed his fingers into her waist over the white cover-up, tilted his head, going for her luscious mouth.

  “Start?” Lucy looped her arms around his neck, touching her lips to his and kissing all the lucid thoughts from his head. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed, lifting her off her toes.

  “We’re going to get all hot and bothered, making out, groping each other under the moonlight, and then I’m going to whisk you home and back into my bed,” he said in between nibbles and kisses on her mouth and down her throat. He grabbed her hand and dragged her over to where the blanket was already spread over the rough ground. The trees rustled in the slight breeze, and the loud sound of chirping crickets filled the night air. Guiding Lucy to her knees, he joined her on the blanket and quickly stripped off her cover-up, leaving her in that perfect, skimpy, teeny-weeny bikini. His hands had drifted to her barely covered breasts when she stopped him with her palms pressed against his chest.

  “Wait. Are you sure we should be doing this, here…now?” Her eyes were feverish with excitement. “What if someone sees us?”

  Shee-it. At this point, he didn’t care if all of Harmony sold ringside seats.

  “We’re perfectly
safe.” Pushing her down, he hovered over her, bracing his weight on his arms to keep from smashing her into a sand pie.

  “Brogan?” she asked, blinking, sounding confused.

  “Yes, it’s me. How nice of you to remember.”

  Lucy appeared dazed. “Just checking. Not sure if this is real or fantasy,” she whispered as he lowered himself and nibbled on her neck, tasting a little sunscreen and a lot Lucy.

  “The only fantasy here is the one coming true inside my head. The one where I’m in this exact spot, making out with the prettiest girl in town.” Her sigh filled his ears. And like each time before when he’d started kissing Lucy, their kisses grew more frantic and needy.

  Moments later he lifted his head. “Having trouble seeing in the dark. You don’t mind if I do a more thorough examination?” She bit into her lower lip, trying to suppress a moan as his hand cupped her breast over her bikini top. Brogan worked his other hand behind her neck and quickly loosened the bow holding up the top. Pushing the triangles of fabric aside, his palms made contact with her taut nipples. He shot her a heated look and then gave his full attention to the perfect mounds heaving before him.

  His mouth closed over one tight peak. Lucy bucked beneath him as she gripped his shoulders, stinging his flesh with her nails. Her eyes mirrored his passion as he sucked and kissed his way around her breasts. An overpowering need slammed into him. The need to taste her all over. To lick her satin skin from the top of her creamy breasts to the bottom of her ticklish toes. The need to possess her tonight…now.

  “Mine,” he murmured as he licked a path from her ribs down to her curvy belly. Lucy moaned, panting his name and writhing beneath him, but Brogan, intent on his task, held her down as he nipped at her waist and lower. Her flesh quivered and contracted everywhere he touched, making him bolder in his purpose. He started to peel down her bikini bottoms when she gasped.