by K. C. Crowne
“Shit like this,” I said, vaguely waving my hand toward the party. “I’m still getting used to it. Came to Silver Pines to get away from people.” The words felt awkward to say – too revealing. But they did the job, seeming to please Lizzie.
“I get it. And I appreciate that you’re here with Mandy and the kiddo. Better you than some other dude.”
I was confused. “What’re you talking about?”
She glanced over her shoulder, and I followed her gaze. Adam. He was there, standing near Mandy and watching Parker and the rest of the kids play. The moment I laid eyes on him, he did the same to me. The tension built by the second, and I forced myself to turn my glance away.
“What’s that asshole’s story, anyway?”
She shook her head. “He’s been putting on this big show, acting like this super nice guy who’s there for Mandy. But I don’t believe for a freaking second he’s as altruistic as he’s trying to make himself seem.”
“Hmm.”
“You ask me, he’s trying to take advantage of the position she’s in.”
“You mean being a single mom?”
She glanced aside, as if not sure how much to reveal. Tossing her head back and forth, she said, “There’s that. But there’s more to it. When her husband died, she got this payout, along with a monthly stipend. It’s okay for the time being, but it won’t last forever. It’s a big part of the reason she took the family cabin – she couldn’t afford to buy a house on her own. And Michael had some investments, but it’s not nearly enough for a single mom to plan her future on.”
“And Adam knows this.”
“He has to. And he’s positioning himself as this super nice guy, there for whatever she needs. It’s bullshit.”
Just then, a commotion interrupted our conversation. Lizzie and I turned around to see some of the kids –a few boys— in the middle of a tussle. Parker was one of them.
“Aw, shit.” Without hesitating, I got up and started over, Lizzie following close behind.
The parents were gathered around the small melee, not one of them seeming to know what to do.
“Parker!” Adam shouted from the side. “Cut that out!”
I wasn’t an expert on kids, but even I knew words weren’t going to do a damn thing. I watched the kids scrap, and the closer I got the better of a sense I had for what was going on. It was Parker against a few other boys – he was outnumbered.
I watched the fight for a moment, waiting for a chance to step in. When it presented itself, I reached in and plucked Parker out, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt.
“Hey!” he shouted. “Let me go!”
I didn’t respond, instead bringing him over to Mandy and plopping him down onto the ground.
“Parker!” Mandy shouted as she dropped to a squatting position in front of him. “What the heck are you doing?”
“They started it!”
“Yeah, run to your mom.” I glanced over my shoulders, seeing that one of the kids Parker had been fighting with was the one talking.
And I noticed something I hadn’t while the fight was going on – the kids were older, around nine or ten. I shot the kid a hard look, and that shut him up.
“It’s fine,” I called out to the people around. “Just kids being kids.”
My booming voice did the job of getting them to move on. Adam and Mandy and I shuffled Parker away from the crowd, Lizzie watching behind us.
“What have I told you about fighting?” Adam asked. “That’s not appropriate behavior.”
“I don’t have to listen to you!” Parker shouted right back. “You’re not my dad!”
“I can handle this, Adam,” Mandy said over her shoulder, her voice braced with impatience.
“Leave me alone!” Parker broke from Mandy, running over to one of the picnic benches and plopping down hard, furious.
“It’s fine,” I said. “The kid was just in a fight. He’s still got tons of adrenaline running through him. It’ll take a little bit for him to calm down.”
“As if you know what you’re talking about,” Adam said, his tone sharp.
I said nothing, not wanting to get sucked into his bullshit. Mandy, exasperated, ran her hand through her hair as she stood up.
“I don’t know what to do,” she said. “He should be playing with other boys, but I can’t bring him around them without something like that happening.”
“Let’s go sit down,” Adam suggested. “Let me get you something to drink.”
The thought of him trying to take care of Mandy made my blood boil, but now was not the time or place for a pissing contest. Together we went to the table next to where Parker was seated. He was still glowering, still looking like he had a hair trigger.
Poor kid. Tons of anger in him and he had nowhere to put it. I had my ideas on why he was acting the way he was, but it wasn’t the right time to bring it up.
“I’m a little dry, too,” I said, shaking my nearly empty cup. “I’ll be right back.”
I glanced at Lizzie, and she gave me a quick nod, silently confirming that she’d keep Mandy company for the moment.
Cup in hand, I headed to the fall-décor-adorned tables, the surfaces piled high with snacks and beers with two big bowls of cider in the middle, one for kids, the other the adult variety. I’d about hit my limit for sugar, so I grabbed a can of Coors and cracked it open.
“You’re out of your depth, loner.” Adam was at the table, ladling a fresh cup of cider.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked.
He sneered. “I know what you’re trying to do.” He stepped over to me, a red cup in each hand.
“Is that right? And what’s that?”
“You’re moving in on turf that doesn’t belong to you.”
“I’m sorry?” I knew what he meant. More than anything, I was surprised at his phrasing.
“Mandy and Parker. You’re thinking just because you’re their neighbor you’ve got some claim on her.”
“I’m not thinking that at all. Just trying to keep the peace.”
“Well, you’re doing a shitty job of it.”
“The fuck is that supposed to mean?” I asked. I turned to him, anger running through me. “Who do you think you are, the bouncer who gets to decide who’s allowed to talk to Mandy?”
“And showing me up with Parker,” he said, shaking his head, ignoring my words. “Trying to make me look bad. I see what you’re doing.”
“You think what I did back there was about showing you up? I don’t give a flying fuck about you, asshole. I was trying to look out for the kid.”
He stepped close to me, close enough that my muscles began to tingle, my training kicking in. It took all the restraint I had not let my body do what it was trained to do, to reach forward and have him on the ground begging for his mommy without breaking a sweat. But I held back. There’d been enough stupid scrapping that night without me adding to it.
“I see what you’re doing from a mile away,” he said, scowling at me. “And I’m going to give you fair warning to back off.”
“You’re giving me a warning?” I tried not to laugh but wasn’t completely successful.
“Yes. I was Michael’s best friend. I’ve known Mandy for years. He’s gone. As sad as that is, Mandy’s going to need a man around. And with me being the one who’s been in her life the longest, that ought to be me.”
“Don’t think that’s how it works. You don’t get to call dibs on a woman. Mandy can make up her own mind about what she wants. And I’m pretty sure it’s not you.”
“We’ll see.” Adam gave me one more look up and down, still sneering, as he stepped around me and made his way back to the table.
I’d had enough for one night. I took my beer and headed off, weaving through the crowds and stepping into the nearby woods. I kept moving, the music from the autumn party fading behind me.
“Hey, wait up!”
I turned to see a figure hurrying through the woods after me,
the bonfire in the distance crackling behind and making her outline glow. The silver of the moon beamed down through the trees, making Mandy seem like something out of a dream. And whatever anger had taken hold of me faded at the sight of her.
“Where are you running off to?” she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
“Just needed some fresh air.”
She laughed. “Hunter, we’re at an outdoor party – the whole thing is fresh air.”
I weighed the pros and cons of telling her what had happened between Adam and me. But I decided to keep it to myself, not wanting to risk the night getting any more complicated.
“Yeah, not one for crowds.”
She nodded in understanding. “You’re doing great, though. I know parties like this aren’t your thing, like, at all. But I’m happy you came. And I know Parker is, too.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Believe it or not, yeah. He’s grumpy, but he’s still wondering where you are.”
I chuckled. “Good to hear.”
Mandy sighed, shaking her head. “I just don’t know what to do with him. I know it’s not your job to help me with him, but I’m all out of ideas. He’s getting into fights, acting out. It’s starting to make me wonder if I’m in over my head.”
“He’s confused, hurting.”
“I know. But how do I help that? He won’t talk to me.”
“He’s reminding me of me when I was younger, all full of fuck-you energy, ready to act out wherever he can. And all these kids here, they’re just reminders of this new situation he doesn’t want to be in.”
She regarded me with a curious expression, as if I’d just said something that she hadn’t been expecting. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“I know how hard it can be when you feel lost.”
“What do you think would help?” she asked.
“Well, I’m not a child psychologist.”
“And I’m not asking you to be. But you’re smart and the kid looks up to you. I think you know more about stuff like this than you think.”
“The garage.”
“Huh?
“The garage where I work. It keeps me busy, feels good to do something with my hands.”
“I think he might be a little young for that,” she said with a smile. “And I don’t know how I feel about him working under an engine block.”
“Very funny. What about some work around the house?”
“Like my house?”
“Like my house.”
Mandy arched her eyebrows. “Hunter, are you trying to steal my son for slave labor?”
I chuckled. “More like I have some things to take care of, a few mechanical jobs that I could use another pair of hands on.”
“The kid’s six, Hunter. I don’t know if that’s any better than working on a car.”
“Nothing complicated – more like he’d be my assistant, handing me tools and stuff. Nothing dangerous. But it might give him a chance to do some work that engages his whole body.”
This appeared to pique her interest. “That…that could be good. When?”
“Tomorrow. Send him over bright and early, and I’ll put his little butt to work.”
“You’re trying to make it sound like a punishment, but I know getting to hang out with cool Mr. Anderson will be more of a treat than anything.”
“I’ll make sure it’s not all fun. But it’ll be good for him,” I promised her. “In the service, the best thing to do for a guy acting out was to put him to work, give him a chance to burn off his energy.”
She stepped close to me, slipping her hands into my pockets. “I appreciate this, Hunter. Parker really likes you.”
“And I like him too.”
The way she looked standing in the moonlight was irresistible. I leaned down and kissed her slowly, her mouth opening and our tongues touching, her taste as intoxicating as ever. The kiss was a long one, and my cock stiffened and pressed against her belly. Part of me wanted to take her right there in the woods. But she broke the kiss, backing up and gazing up at me.
“Let’s get back before people start wondering.”
“I’m fine with letting them wonder.”
“We’ll have plenty of time for gossip. Come on.”
One more kiss and we were returned to the party.
I’d made a decision, one that was going to pull me a bit further from the isolated life I’d imagined. And the fucking crazy thing was, I didn’t mind one bit.
Mandy
MANDY
I was torn.
I didn’t know much about Hunter, nothing other than what he’d told me. I needed to know more. The thing was, I had no doubt he was the type who preferred to keep things hidden. I could tell when he’d told me about his ex and his partner that it’d taken a hell of a lot for him to reveal the information. But it wasn’t enough. I was falling for the guy, falling for him in a way that scared the hell out of me. However, I didn’t want to get close to someone I barely knew. A tug on my pant leg pulled me out of my thoughts.
“Huh?”
“Mom,” Parker said. “The toast is done.”
I shook my head and looked down at my son. He was staring up at me, pointing toward the toaster on the corner of the counter. The toast had popped up, but I wasn’t hungry. I had bigger things to worry about.
I grabbed the toast and plopped it onto a plate, smearing some butter on top before setting it down on the table where Parker was already waiting. The moment the plate touched down, he was all over it, shoving a big piece into his tiny mouth, a small explosion of crumbs filling the air.
“Easy, buddy,” I said. “It’s not going anywhere.”
“I know. But I want to get to school fast today.”
“Oh yeah? What’s up?” I asked, wondering why he was having a change of heart.
“We’re doing Halloween things this week. They’re really fun.”
I’d almost forgotten about Halloween. I looked out the window at the woods, the usual slate-grey sky above the tops of the pines. It was easy to forget about the rest of the world when you lived in a place like this.
“That sounds cool,” I said. “But I’d better not hear about you misbehaving. If I do, you can forget about trick-or-treating this weekend.”
His already big eyes widened even more. “No way!” he said, dropping the piece of toast. “I’ll be good!”
Something else occurred to me – the conversation I’d had with Hunter. “I’ve got a deal for you, little man.”
“I’m not little,” he retorted.
“Okay, fine – you’re not.” I grinned and squeezed his wrist. “Biggest guy I know.”
“I’m going to be as big as Mr. Anderson.”
“Well, I was actually talking to Mr. Anderson at the party last night.”
His eyes lit up again. All it took was a mention of his new role model and Parker was interested. “What did he say?”
“I told him about how you’d been getting in trouble at school with the other kids. And how it’s not okay.”
Now he was worried; he bit his little lip. “Was he mad?”
“He sure as heck wasn’t happy. I’m telling you, if you want to be like him, you’re going to have to learn to get along with other people.” I realized how silly what I’d said was the moment the words came out of my mouth, and my smart little man called me on it.
“But he doesn’t like other people. He lives up here all alone.”
“He wasn’t always like that. He used to be a policeman.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
“Anyway, we got to talking and decided that if you want to be able to do Halloween stuff, you’re going help him out with some things over at his place.”
His face lit up again, and I could tell he was hardly viewing this as any kind of punishment. “When?” He was so excited he was practically bouncing in his seat.
“After school. You’re going to come straight home, do your homework, and
then go over to Mr. Anderson’s.”
“Yes!” He did a little fist pump.
“I’m telling you, it’s not all going to be fun. You’re going to do some hard work. And Mr. Anderson’s going to be tough on you. Just try to get smart with him and see how he likes it.”
“I won’t!” he swore, sitting up straight, as if reporting for duty.
I had to admit, I’d been skeptical about the arrangement. But I was sitting with Parker and watching him get excited about the idea of doing work. Maybe Hunter was onto something.
I checked the time. “Anyway, we’re running late, big guy. Eat a few more bites of your cereal and let’s take that toast to go.”
Without a word, he shoveled down a few more bites of mini wheats as I wrapped the toast up in a paper towel. And as we got up, a text lit up my phone. Adam.
We need to talk. Can you meet?
My gut tightened as I read the words. I typed a response as Parker and I headed to the car.
Sure. Have to drop Parker off. Work’s at noon.
His response was instant.
Perfect. Come by my place as soon as you can.
I sent a thumbs-up emoji before tucking my phone back into my back pocket.
Parker spent the whole ride to school wondering out loud what he would be doing with Mr. Anderson, talking about it as if it were a slumber party with his best friend. I had to admit, it was kind of nice. Parker’s world had been turned upside-down by the move –not to mention everything before it— that I couldn’t help but smile at the idea of him being happy about something.
I dropped him off, and the moment he disappeared through the tall front doors of the school, I got another text from Adam.
You coming?
God, the guy was so pushy. I was going to have to have a serious talk with him about that.
Jesus Adam, I just dropped Parker off. On my way.
Good.
I’d been to his place before, but Adam texted me his address anyway, and I put it into Google Maps. I drove through town, cutting through downtown and reaching the east side. Adam lived in the hoity-toity part of the city, where rich types from Seattle had their big estates far away from us common folk.
