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  My laugh was too loud, and I snorted when I really got going. My thighs had little stretch marks from all the pies I loved eating at the diner, and I had the most vanilla sex life alive. I knew very little and had tried even less, and to a man like Jason, that would be the epitome of throwing him in solitary confinement and throwing away the key. I was a bit of a nerd with all the books I had scattered around that I read, and I had no want to further myself in my career. I’d been waitressing so long, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, so I stayed where I was.

  I’d stalemated, and that wouldn’t be appealing to a go-getter like Jason.

  “Well, nothing to worry about now,” I said with a shrug.

  And then, my doorbell rang, seeming suddenly like a death knell.

  Chapter Twelve

  Jason

  I fixed my outfit one last time before I picked up Jenna and gave her a kiss. One of her daycare workers said she’d come by and watch her, and they looked to already be having fun. They were coloring in a princess book she’d brought over with markers that I was sure would be all over the carpet when I got back. I showed her where the stain remover was just in case.

  “Dinner’s on low in the oven. I made macaroni and cheese, and she can have a popsicle for dessert.”

  “Oh, that sounds good. Jenna, you hungry?” she asked.

  “Will you eat with me, Mrs. Wyse?” she asked.

  “Of course. I love mac ‘n’ cheese. And afterward, we can watch your favorite movie, if you’d like.”

  “Beauty and Beast!” Jenna exclaimed.

  “Beauty and Beast it is.”

  I felt good leaving her in the hands of Mrs. Wyse. It was another woman Jenna seemed very comfortable with, and it warmed my heart that she was enjoying the town I’d found for us. I never thought that us passing through this place would’ve resulted in such a warming welcome, save for the redhead up the road, but when Jenna took her hand and started pulling her toward the kitchen, I knew that was my cue.

  “Stay out as long as you want,” Mrs. Wyse said. “I’ll tuck her in and stick around.”

  “Thank you again. I really appreciate it. I haven’t gotten her set up with a pediatrician yet, but the urgent care in town takes our insurance if something happens. My cell number’s on the fridge.”

  “Got it, honey. Now, you go have a good time,” she said, smiling.

  I gave Jenna one last kiss on her head before I walked out and ventured over toward Lucy’s. I hoped my jeans and button-down shirt weren’t too laid back for her. I wasn’t the kind of guy who owned suits or slacks or black shoes you could spit shine. All that shit was just materialistic and took too much time to take care of. Give me a comfortable pair of jeans, a shirt, and a jacket any day and drop me in the middle of the woods. That’s what I enjoyed.

  I rang her doorbell and stood there waiting. When she opened the door, I couldn't take my eyes off her. The dark green sweater she was wearing clung to her in all the right places, giving me eyefuls of things I wanted to sink my hands into. The jeans she wore clung tight to her body, teasing the core between her legs before it rounded out to her ass. My God, she looked absolutely incredible, and I was relieved she wasn’t in some sexy little number. I appreciated a woman when she knew she could be both beautiful and comfortable, but then she reached for her coat and slung it over her shoulders. It gave me the best view of her ass, and I swear my cock jumped at the sight of it. Two nice handfuls with excess to spare that I could ruin while I snapped my hips against her in the dark.

  No, not the dark. Light. All the lights. I wanted to see every inch of her while her toes curled in pleasure for me.

  “You look incredible,” I said.

  “Thanks.”

  For a split second, her voice sounded like my wife’s. Danielle had been radiant, and sometimes, it was hard to even think her name. She had been the light of my world and my partner in the outdoors, a woman who appreciated what a nice pair of jeans could to do a thick pair of legs if you wore them right. She never wore makeup, she barely owned any jewelry, and for Christmases and birthdays, I got her ammo for her hunting rifle rather than charms for her bracelet.

  Looking at Lucy standing on her porch, she reminded me of her in ways I hadn’t noticed until now. Maybe this was a bad idea. I’d just left my daughter with a nice old woman from the daycare, so I could go spend time with someone who wasn’t my wife.

  Wasn’t Danielle.

  I tried to push thoughts of her from my mind and focus on the evening at hand. I had a beautiful woman in front of me who, for all intents and purposes thus far, had everything I could ever look for in a woman, and that didn’t come around too often. Was she thinking of her husband the same way I was thinking of Danielle right now? Then, her voice wafted over my ears and pulled me from my thoughts.

  “You ready?”

  She seemed a bit distant. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, and her gaze tossed over my shoulder every so often. Her hands were buried into her coat, and her shoulders were slightly slumped. That body language said she’d just agreed to this date to pay me. Yes, that was technically the deal, but I also wanted her to enjoy it. We were two attractive, single people living next to one another. Who the hell said we couldn’t have any fun?

  “That sweater really looks nice on you,” I said.

  “So does your button-up,” she said.

  I put my hand on the small of her back and ushered her to the car, but she kept her pace a little faster than mine, so my hand never quite touched her. All the cues of her being uncomfortable were surfacing all at once, and I kept racking my mind while I tried to figure out a way to make her comfortable. I opened my car door for her so she could get in, and when I shut it, I jogged around and dipped in myself.

  “How’s Jenna?” she asked.

  “Oh, she’s really good. A daycare worker agreed to come over and watch her, and they’re having a blast eating dinner and watching movies.”

  “Sounds like a good night in,” she said.

  “We could spend a good night in if you’d rather do that,” I offered.

  “No, the agreement was to go out on a date. So, that’s what we’re doing,” she said.

  I cranked the car and backed out of the driveway before I started heading down the road. I really wanted to reach out and take her hand, to feel her skin against mine while we rode down the street, but she had clamped her hands between her legs and really dug herself into the car seat. I felt terrible, making her feel like she had to do something she really didn’t wanna do, and my mind began to whirl with the plans I’d made versus other things we could go.

  “You know who offered to babysit?” I asked her.

  “Who?”

  “Megan,” I said.

  “You’re joking.” She whipped her head over to me, and I watched her relax a bit, so I figured I’d keep with the train of conversation. Whatever made her feel comfortable, I was willing to do.

  “Yeah. She’s been comin’ around a lot lately, and she offered to babysit Jenna so I could go out.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t take her up on that offer. Megan’s alright, I guess, but she’s kind of an odd one,” she said.

  “You’re telling me. She came over a few days ago while I was working on my car and just wanted to stare at me.”

  “Wait, what?” she asked.

  “Yeah. I asked her if I could help her with anything, and she literally told me she just wanted to watch.”

  “I swear, she’s like a massive kid,” she said. “It’s probably why she’s so good with them. We used to have these two twins that lived up the road, and they’d always run down to her house whenever their parents wanted to go catch a movie or something.”

  “See, that’s not something I would’ve pegged her for,” I said.

  “No one really does. She’s got her good sides and her bad sides, just like everyone else.”

  I liked that about Lucy, always seeing the good in people. I thought Megan had
a first-class ticket on the crazy train, but Lucy had found something about her that was kind and gentle. I logged her love of children in the back of my mind for any future use, but a part of me was still wary about leaving Jenna with her. If she was good with kids, that was fine, but I hadn’t seen that part of her yet, so all I could do was take other people’s word for it.

  Not that I had any reason to doubt Lucy, but this was my daughter. I wasn’t leavin’ her with just anyone.

  Honestly, I thought Megan was more interested in helping me out with Jenna just to get into my pants. I’ve had a couple of women try to get in good with my daughter before they even tried to get in good with me, so I knew what that play looked like comin’ from up the hill. No one was gonna use my daughter to get to me, not even some redhead with big tits that kept comin’ around while I was outside doin’ something.

  “Look, I can tell you’re uncomfortable, but I just wanted you to know I appreciate you comin’ out with me. It’s been awhile since I’ve done something like this, and I don’t usually get out with adults too much with Jenna around.”

  “It’s really not a problem. This was our agreement,” she said.

  “Then I should make agreements with you more often.”

  “I just want to be clear, though. This date is for the work on the car. Just the one.”

  “Yep. But, if you change your mind, you know which door to knock on,” I said.

  It was cute, the ruse she was keeping up. She was uncomfortable, yes, but I knew she’d eventually loosen up as the night went on. They always did. I’d never met a woman I’d taken out who didn’t take to me in some way, shape, or form. But I also didn’t want her to feel like she had to do this. It was a delicate balance I had to keep juggling for the evening, but if I played my cards right and did this up well, then she’d be knocking on my door in a week asking me to go get coffee or some shit.

  And I was kind of hoping she would.

  “If I need anything, just knock?” she asked.

  “Yep. Learned that kindness from a neighbor friend of mine. But it’s on you at that point, so don’t go gettin’ cold feet once you kick my door down.”

  “Oh, I went from knocking to kicking it in, huh?” I asked.

  “Well, in my head, you come slinking through a window in a sheer little nightie and crawl into my bed with a smile on your face, but I’ll settle for fixing a door so you can slam through it.”

  “You’re insane.” She giggled.

  “Anything to get you to relax.”

  I watched her place her hands on her thighs, and as we continued our conversation, they slowly slid down by her side. Like clockwork, just like I’d hoped, she was opening up to me, and I was glad she was doing so. I really wanted her to enjoy the evening, even if it was the only one I was going to get with her.

  Either way, I was determined to make an impression she’d never forget.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “It’s a surprise,” I said.

  “Well, what if you’re taking me to a lake and dumping my body later? I’d kind of like to know what I’m up against.”

  “Is that why you’re so nervous? Because you think I’m some stalker murderer with a cute little daughter who’s trying to reel in pretty women before I sink them to the bottom of a body of water?”

  “Who knows with those muscles.”

  I looked over at her and could see the blush rise to her cheeks. She’d gotten comfortable enough to show a bit of her hand, and it was nice to know she looked at me as hard as I was looking at her. We finally got into the main part of town, and her eyes settled on the passing scenery, but when we started heading outside of town, she slowly panned her gaze over to the profile of my face.

  “Seriously, where are we going?” she asked.

  “Do you trust me?” I asked.

  “Not a bit,” she said.

  “Then give me a chance to prove you can.”

  We left the small-town lights behind us and started on the dark little highway that drove us out of town. The sun was just beginning to set behind the trees, and the crickets had started their chorus of chirping, and all I could think about was how special I wanted this night to be. Even if I never got to take her out again, I wanted her to feel comfortable, enjoy herself, and have fun.

  And when she stepped out onto the porch in exactly what she was wearing, I knew I’d picked the perfect destination for her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lucy

  The way his clothes clung to his body pissed me off. What the hell was he thinking wearing shit like that? His chest pulled at the top buttons of his button-down shirt, and his jeans sat perfectly over his sculpted ass. His thighs flexed every single time we stopped and went at a stoplight. The forearms he’d exposed by rolling up his sleeves had the perfect balance of thick veins along his roped muscles. I had to squeeze my hands between my thighs to keep from reaching out for any part of his body, and I thought it was absolute bullshit.

  This night was supposed to suck. He was supposed to come over in tattered clothes like he didn’t give a shit and automatically want to get in my pants. He was supposed to push me into my house, and I was supposed to knee him in the dick before telling him he was the perfect match for Megan. He was supposed to be rude and insult me, but instead, he threw me compliments on how beautiful I looked while he sat there in his body-hugging clothes.

  My toes curled with anger in my boots while my pelvis burned at how incredible he looked tonight. The sun was painting its rays on the side of his face, and every time he looked over and smiled at me, his teeth shone just a tad bit brighter. His hand was settled on the gear shifter of his truck, and a part of me wanted to settle my hand right on top of his. I bet his calloused hands would feel oddly good against the palm of my hand, and the moment that thought ran through my mind, I slipped my hands underneath my thighs.

  When we took the small road out of town, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach. There were very few things to do between here and the next town over, and he didn’t strike me as the kind of man to drive over an hour into the next town and leave his daughter behind at his home. The only few things that sat between here and the other town were a couple of lakes and a few lookout points, so he still had some time to prove to be a complete asshole so I could write him and his chiseled muscles off for good.

  I reached down for my purse and started going through it. I clocked my phone, turning it on to make sure I had service, and I sighed with relief when my eyes glanced upon my pepper spray. This man was easily twice my size, and if he tried to pull something funny out in the middle of nowhere, I wanted to know I had a way to defend myself. If my cell kept service, I could spray the hell out of him and call for 911, so that settled my bones.

  At least for a little while.

  When we took the first road to our left, I knew exactly where we were headed. My heart leaped into my throat, and I tried to blink back the tears stinging my eyes. I hadn’t been to the lake since David had passed because it reminded me too much of him, and that was exactly where Jason was taking me.

  He was taking me to the lake David had taken me to on our first date.

  “Are we headed to Crossroad Lake?” I asked.

  “You recognize the path? Yep, that’s where we’re headed.”

  “You know we could’ve just gone to a restaurant, right?” I asked.

  “I know, and up until a little while ago, that’s where we were headed. But, the night is beautiful, and the air still smells like apples, and tonight’s supposed to be a full moon, which means the lake will look gorgeous. I figured it’d be more fun to have some sandwiches at the lake or something.”

  “But I thought you said you made the decision a few minutes ago? How do we have sandwiches?” I asked.

  “Well, I didn’t make the actual decision until a little while ago. I packed the sandwiches in case the weather held out and stayed pretty, but if you came out in a dress or something, I would’ve taken you to
the restaurant.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  “I wanted you to wear whatever made you feel beautiful without feeling like you’d somehow ruined plans with what you wore. I was wanting to go to the lake, but I didn’t want you to feel like you had to change if you’d come out in a dress, that’s all,” he said.

  Why the fuck couldn’t he be a dick? Just one little dickish comment, and I could scratch off his insatiable, mind-consuming lust I had for my neighbor dripping in sweat and covered in grease. Instead of being pissed at the terrible date, I was simply more impressed. He’d come up with two different date ideas that hovered around what I was going to wear because he wanted me to feel comfortable and beautiful at the same time. He was more than willing to set aside what he would’ve rather done just to make me feel like I’d gotten something right. Jason probably wasn’t a bad guy at all.

  Screw the reputation he might have had or whatever the hell he might have had going on with Megan; good guys didn’t do that shit.

  “Well, good thing I gave us an hour for the cheaper route,” I said.

  “You would’ve been well worth the money,” he said.

  “I think you would’ve taken me to the lake even if I had worn a dress.”

  “And why’s that?” he asked.

  “Because sandwiches are a hell of a lot easier to do than formal dinners.”

  “You a formal dinner kinda gal with that dirty mouth of yours?” A cheeky grin spread across his face, and I was pissed when it made me smile, too. I wasn’t supposed to be smiling during this transaction.

  None of this was supposed to make me smile.

  “And anyway, it doesn't take money to impress a woman. Not really. At least, I’ve never used it that way. Impressing a woman is more about getting to know her and listening to the things she wants rather than showering her with gifts whenever you piss her off.”

  He really needed to stop with all these answers and compliments and perfect comments. Those perfect lips of his needed to come up with something dickish to say, or they needed to shut up.