by L. P. Dover
“Dinner, at my place. Six sharp. I’ll text you the address.”
“You don’t have my number,” she says quietly.
“I do. Logan gave it to me. He says, and I quote, ‘It’s about time my mom goes out on a date.’”
“He did not.” She covers her face with her free hand. On the inside, I rejoice. I’m still holding her hand, and we’re in public. According to Logan, this means we’re dating, but even I’m not naïve to think this to be true. Hell, we hardly know each other, but I am smitten.
“He did.” I lean forward and brush my lips against her heated flesh. “I’ll see you later. I’m really looking forward to this evening.”
I step away, but not before I hear her say, in the faintest of voices, “So am I.”
Seven
Maeve
I have one hour before I have to be at Kyler’s for dinner, and I have no clue what to wear. Logan was ecstatic about my date, so he left early to go to my parents’ house so I could get ready. Seeing Kyler interact with Logan today at the festival made me see him in a different light. We had a breakthrough last night with our conversation on my front porch, but today, I got to see who he really is. The way he was with Logan is what I’ve always wanted for my son, to have that male figure to look up to. I have to tread carefully, though. I can’t bring people into Logan’s life just to have them not stick around. It’s not fair to him. Even though Ethan pays child support, in a way, I hate him for depriving our son of what he really needs.
Looking in the mirror, I hold up a cream sweater and a dark brown one to see what they’ll look like with my jeans. My mother appears in the reflection and nods at the cream one. “I think that one will look great with your jeans.”
I toss the brown one onto the bed and slide the cream one over my head. “Thanks. What are you doing here?” I straighten up my hair and face her.
She smiles and nods toward the kitchen. “I made a carrot cake for you to take too Kyler. Thought you could have it for dessert tonight.”
“You are really pushing for this to work, aren’t you?”
Her eyes twinkle. “Maybe. I really like him, and I know he’ll be good to you and Logan. Something tells me it’s what he wants to. I think you should give it a chance.”
My heart flip flops in my chest, but then it gets squashed when I feel the fear. “What if it doesn’t work out, Mom? I don’t want Logan to get attached to anyone who isn’t going to stick around.”
She shrugs. “I understand, but you can’t live in fear. Taking chances is a part of life. You’re not the only one who’s been hurt, Maeve. Kyler’s taking a leap of faith too.” Her lips pull back. “Now you have fun tonight. Logan will stay with us, so don’t worry about coming home early.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “What exactly are you saying?”
She giggles. “Oh, nothing. Just if the need arises …”
“Okay,” I say, holding up a hand to halt her next words. “I get it.” The thought of sex makes me nervous. I haven’t been intimate with anyone since Ethan, and that’s been almost a year ago now.
My mother laughs again. “Have fun, sweetheart. We’ll talk tomorrow.” She walks away, and I hear the front door shut. I take one last glance in the mirror and blow out a sigh. Am I ready for this? What if tonight does lead to sex? Don’t get me wrong, I’m way past due for a night of fun, but I can’t be stupid. If we were in Baltimore, it wouldn’t be so bad, but word spreads like wildfire in a small town.
“You can’t live in fear,” I murmur to myself. Easier said than done.
Once I slip on my boots, I walk into the kitchen to see the giant carrot cake on the counter inside the cake carrier. My mom even went all out and decorated it with little carrots made out of icing. I grab my phone off the counter and text Kyler.
Me: On my way. Do I need to pick up anything?
He texts back a few seconds later.
Kyler: Nope. I’m good. Come on over.
I pick up the cake container by the handle and hold a hand underneath to give it extra support. Years ago, my mom had made a cake for one of our family functions when my grandparents were still alive, and when she picked up the cake carrier, the snaps broke, and the cake fell to the ground, splattering all over the place. Ever since then, we’ve taken extra precautions when it comes to transporting food.
Once the cake is in the car, and I’ve locked up the house, I head on my way to Kyler’s. It takes about seven minutes to get to his place. It’s a two-story colonial style home with steel-colored siding. I really like it. When I get out of my car, I can smell the grill and see the smoke billowing into the air from the backyard.
Carefully, I grab the cake out of the car and shut the door with my foot. The front door opens, and Kyler walks out onto the front porch, dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved gray T-shirt that hugs his perfectly sculpted body.
“What in the world do you have there?” he says, grinning wide.
I walk up to him so he can see the cake. “My mom made it for you.”
He slaps a hand over his heart. “And it’s my favorite too. Carrot cake is the best.”
“Yes, it is. Well, other than chocolate milkshakes.”
We both laugh, and he follows me inside so he can shut the door behind us. The house smells fantastic, and my stomach growls. I set the cake down on the kitchen counter beside the large salad bowl filled with bright green lettuce and toppings and look around. His living room is cozy with a brown leather couch and loveseat with the best view of the sizable widescreen TV on his wall.
“What are you smiling at?” Kyler asks.
I nod at his TV. “Just thinking how much Logan would love to have one that big.”
Kyler chuckles. “He’s welcome to come over here anytime. We’ll watch some football.”
“Right now, we’re watching Cobra Kai together. We love it.”
He beams. “So do I. I’ve already watched all the episodes. You’ll love the season two finale.”
“I’m dying to get to it. We’re not allowed to watch any of it without the other. That’s our rule.”
Kyler smiles and shakes his head. “Hearing things like that makes me really wish I had kids. You’ve got a good one, Maeve.”
This warms my heart. “Yes, I do.” I breathe in the smell of food wafting from the oven. “And I think we have ourselves an amazing dinner coming up. What did you cook? The salad looks delicious.”
He goes over to the oven and slides the mitt over his hand so he can reach inside. “We have baked potatoes in here, and our steaks should be ready to take off the grill in two minutes.” He pulls out our potatoes and sets one on each plate. There is even a row of butter, sour cream, fresh chives, bacon, and cheese off to the side.
“I’m impressed,” I say as I survey the spread.
Kyler smirks. “What can I say? I don’t do things half-assed.” He grabs a plate out of the cabinet. “I’ll be right back with the steaks.” He walks out the back door and comes right back in with two huge filets on the plate. “Dinner’s ready.”
Stomach growling, I fill up my plate and pile the toppings high on my baked potato. Kyler does the same, and we sit down at the kitchen table where there’s already a bottle of wine waiting for us. “Thank you so much for this. I didn’t realize how hungry I was. I guess that chocolate milkshake earlier wasn’t filling enough.”
Kyler snorts. “The same goes for the fried Oreos Logan, and I ate.”
I take a bite of the steak, and it practically melts in my mouth; so tender. “I appreciate you spending time with Logan. I haven’t seen him that happy in a long time.”
Kyler pours us both a glass of wine. “I enjoyed every minute of it.” He takes a sip of his wine. “He reminds me so much of you. Not the way you were in high school, but how you are now.”
“Hey,” I say, tossing a tiny piece of bacon off my potato at him. “I was shy in school.”
We both laugh, and Kyler holds up his hands. “And I was a pric
k. We’re not the same as we used to be, and I’m thankful for that.” He lowers his hands and stares at me. “I am curious, though. Was it moving to a bigger city that changed you?”
Nodding, I finish swallowing my food before I answer. “It was a different way of life. Faster paced, more dangerous, and exciting. I always knew I wanted to get away from here. Start over somewhere else.”
His smile slightly fades, and he averts his gaze to his food. “Does that mean you’re not going to stay?” When his eyes meet mine, I can see the seriousness in his expression. The only reason I would stay is to be with my parents, but I’m starting to think there might be something else I’d possibly be willing to stay for.
“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be coming back. I see our town in a way I never did before.”
Kyler nods. “I felt the same way when I came back. When I went off to college, I was ready to leave and make a name for myself.”
“You did make a name for yourself. You’ve worked hard to get where you are today.”
He smiles. “Thanks. That means a lot.”
“Are your parents proud of you?” I ask.
Nodding, he eats a bite of his steak. “Oh yeah. Don’t get me wrong, my dad was looking forward to my NFL career, but both of my parents have supported my decisions.”
“What do you all do for Thanksgiving? I can’t believe it’ll be here in two days.” Time passes by so quickly now. Some days I look at Logan and want to cry because he’s getting so big.
Kyler sighs, and his eyes sadden at the mention of Thanksgiving. “Usually, my mom’s side of the family comes over on Thanksgiving Day, but this year has been really tough on her. She lost her two younger sisters to cancer, one right after the other. There were only five months between their deaths.”
Gasping, I hold a hand over my mouth. “Oh my God, how horrible. I can’t even imagine.”
“It wasn’t easy, and it’s still not. She has two brothers, but they live out of town. This Thanksgiving, it’ll be just them and me. I told them I’d smoke the turkey.”
I don’t know what comes over me, but I don’t like the thought of them being alone. Plus, if he can cook a turkey without drying it out, it’s a win. “No,” I say adamantly.
His brows lift. “No? What do you mean, no?”
“I mean,” I say, digging my fork into my loaded potato, “no, you aren’t going to have Thanksgiving dinner with just your parents. Why don’t you all come over and spend it with my family? My mom and dad would love to have you there. You can still smoke your turkey if you want. In fact, I’d really appreciate it if you did.”
He shakes his head. “We can’t impose like that, Maeve.”
I reach over and take his hand. “Trust me. You’ll be saving Thanksgiving.”
His lips pull back, and he laughs. “Are you trying to say that your parents can’t cook a turkey?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. I love my mom to death, and she can cook the hell out of some food, but she always manages to dry out the turkey. If you can fix one that’s tender like these steaks, then I say, please join us. I’ll beg you if I have to.”
“You’ll beg, huh? I think I like the sound of that.”
The way he says that makes my body tighten in all the right places. Slowly, I move my hand away from his before I do something crazy. “Please say you’ll join us?”
His grin broadens. “I’ll talk to my parents, but I’m sure they won’t have a problem with it. I’d be happy to spend the holiday with you and your family. Maybe Logan and I can work off the turkey coma by playing football.”
“I think he’d like that.”
What I find crazy is that I had another thought for working through the turkey coma, and it’s not by playing football. Where the hell is my mind going?
“Do you want to finish dinner maybe and then eat our cake by the fire pit out on the back deck?”
“Yes,” I reply quickly, hoping he can’t hear my thoughts. However, by the way he’s looking at me with those heat-filled blue eyes of his, I’m sure he had other ideas as well.
Eight
Maeve
After dinner, I helped Kyler clean up the kitchen. This time I didn’t soak him like I did when we were at my parents’ house. We laughed about it, though. While he got the fire ready in the pit, I cut us both huge slices of carrot cake. Even though I was full from dinner, I ate my entire piece, and so did he.
“Think your mom will make another carrot cake for Thanksgiving?” Kyler asks.
I burst out laughing. “Are you seriously going to eat that entire cake in your kitchen in two days?”
He leans back on his lounge chair, his gaze up at the stars. “I might. It’s so damn good.”
I copy him and lean back in my chair. The fire feels amazing at my feet, and the sky is magical with all the bright stars twinkling everywhere. “Yes, it is,” I agree. “I’m sure she’ll make another one just for you.”
“What’s your favorite part about Thanksgiving?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see him turn his head toward me. I look over at him and smile. “Other than spending time with my family, my favorite is the sweet potato casserole.”
Chuckling, he shakes his head, clearly surprised “Interesting. I never would’ve thought that.”
“Oh yeah? What did you think would be my favorite?”
He purses his lips in concentration. “I was kind of thinking the macaroni and cheese would be yours. That’s what I would’ve picked.”
I have to hand it to him; he’s not far off. “The mac and cheese would be a close second. Not a bad guess.” He goes back to looking up at the sky, and I do the same.
“Logan asked me if I’d come to his game next week,” he says, his voice a little unsure.
I sit up quickly. “And what did you say?”
His eyes meet mine. “I told him I would. Hopefully, you’re okay with that.” When I don’t answer, he sits up and reaches for my hands. “Should I have said no?”
I gasp. “Oh, goodness, no. I’m glad you said yes. It’s just …”
He squeezes my hand. “It’s just what?”
Taking a deep breath, I turn my head away so he can’t see the fear in my eyes. “I don’t want Logan getting hurt or let down. His father’s done enough of that to him.”
“Hey,” Kyler murmurs, letting my hand go so he can grasp my chin. “Look at me.” I willingly let him turn me toward him. He slides forward on his chair to get closer to me. “I want to go to his game, Maeve. The last thing I want to do is disappoint him. I will do everything in my power not to let that happen.”
My eyes burn, and I nod. “Whatever you do, don’t make promises you can’t keep. At least, not with him.”
He cups my cheek. “I won’t.” His fingers brush over my skin, and chills fan out over my skin. “Do you want to know what else I want?”
“What?” I whisper.
His gaze drops to my lips. “You.”
And just like that, he slowly moves toward me, his lips so close to mine. I suck in a breath before we connect. His hands are warm against my skin, and I melt into him. I’m the one who deepens the kiss, and he pulls me closer.
“What are we doing?” I say, breaking away first.
His smile makes me tremble. “I know we didn’t get off to a good start, but I know there’s something between us. You can’t tell me you don’t feel it.”
“I do. I tried to fight it and lost.”
He laughs. “Thank God for that. What we have to decide now is how we’re going to go forward. What do you want us to be?”
I know the answer in my heart, but I’m not ready to speak it just yet. I stand and pull him up with me. “Right now, you’re my date for Thanksgiving dinner. Actually, I’m only inviting you to cook the turkey. That’s really what I want.”
“I can’t believe I’m actually jealous of a turkey right now,” he says, laughing.
I lift on my toes and kiss him again. “I want
to spend my time with you, Kyler. I’m sure we’ll figure everything else out in time.”
“I’m good with that.”
Pulling out my phone, I look at the time. “It’s getting late. I should probably head home.” A part of me doesn’t want to leave, but I don’t want to make the first move. I’m dying for him to do it.
He takes my hand. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
We go inside, and I grab my purse and keys. My heart races out of control because my body knows what it wants. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed not having an intimate connection with someone. When Kyler opens the door, he starts to take a step out and stops.
“Wait.”
My breath hitches. “What is it?”
He cups my face in his hands. “Stay. I don’t want you to go.”
I can’t help but smile and also feel relieved. “I don’t want to go either. I was hoping you’d make the first move.”
His eyes darken with need. “Well, here’s me making it.” Shutting the door, he locks it and turns back to me, removing his shirt and throwing it over the top of the couch. “Just let me know if or when you want me to stop.”
I shake my head. “That’s not going to happen.”
As he moves closer, I steadily take steps back until I can’t go any further. He places both hands on the wall, caging me in like a prisoner against his body. It’s thrilling and intoxicating; I love it. It’s been forever since I’ve felt this kind of heat with anyone.
Leaning down, he lightly grazes his lips along my neck on up to my ear, his warm breath tickling my senses. “I want to touch every inch of your body,” he murmurs huskily. “I don’t know what it is, but when I saw you the other day, something clicked. I knew I had to talk to you.”
“And I knew I needed to stay far away,” I whisper back.
“Do you still think that now?”
I bite my lip. “No. All I want is for you to get closer.”
