About the Boy (6 page)

“But I…I…”

“I know what you’re gonna say, sugar,” Patience snapped, waving away whatever protest she thought Katie was going to make. “You’re gonna say you don’t want him thinking or getting the wrong idea. Hell, he’s a man, sugar, let him think or get any idea he wants.” She winked. “The day a mere man can outthink us hasn’t come down the pike yet.” Patting her head again, she stood up, planted her hands on her hips and looked from one to the other. “Now, are we settled here?” Patience knocked a bejeweled fist to the table to get Katie’s attention. “Really, Katherine, I wouldn’t want to have to tell your mama you were being rude now—”

“No. No of course not,” Katie said with a shake of her head and a weak smile. She looked at Lucas, saw the mischief dancing in his eyes and had to hang onto her laughter. “And you’re right, Patience,” she said solemnly. “I’ll apologize.”

“See that you do, sugar. Now, is there anything else?” Her sharp gaze went from Katie to Lucas and back again as Katie and Lucas looked at one another, twin grins trying to sneak free.

“Well, Patience, just one more thing. Are you going to be in the diner tomorrow?” Lucas asked, making Katie frown and wonder what he was up to now.

Patience snorted out a laugh. “Every day of my life, sugar. Some say the diner is my life.”

“I know,” Lucas said with a smile. “But you’ve been so helpful, I was wondering if you’d mind if I dropped off a little thank-you gift?”

“Thank-you gift?” Patience beamed. “My, my, my, my, my, chief, that’s hardly necessary, but more than welcome.” She batted her eyelashes at him again. “And I’ll look forward to my present and to seeing you again.”

“Good. I’ll stop in sometime tomorrow.”

“And you know, chief, you got any problems, any problems at all, I’m always happy to help out.” Patience leaned down to speak directly into Lucas’s ear. “Don’t take it too personally, chief, but I just don’t think Katie’s all that interested in you. Sorry.” She gave him a whack on his shoulder that could have felled an oak. “But I’m always available. And you can buy me a pizza or anything else, anytime,” she finished with another wiggle of her brows. “Anytime at all, sugar.”

“Uh…I’ll keep that in mind, Patience,” Lucas said with a nod.

“Do that. And I’ll see you tomorrow.” Patience spotted the mayor across the room and waved her hand in the air. “Yoo-hoo, Mayor, there’s something we need to talk about.” Patience moved across the pizza parlor, then came to an abrupt halt and turned back toward Katie. “By the way, Katherine, what’s this I’m hearing about your mama running for mayor?”

“It’s not true,” Katie assured her hurriedly. “Mama made a joke about it and someone took it seriously, but it’s not true.” Katie smiled and held up her hand. “Honest.” She hoped.

Patience nodded. “Well then, as long as you’re sure…”

“Oh, I am, Patience,” Katie said, realizing she was going to have to have that talk with her mother sooner rather than later.

“Okay, then, I’ll make sure everyone knows it’s not true.” Patience nodded and headed off to the mayor’s table to harass him.

The moment she was gone, both Katie and Lucas burst out laughing.

“That’s the second time today you’ve managed to save my reputation,” Katie said with a grin. “But you realize that by morning everyone in town will think that I was downright rude to the new police chief.” Katie rolled her eyes. “No doubt we’ll both be getting phone calls from my mother. Yours to apologize for her rude daughter, and mine to tell me she taught me better manners than to be rude to anyone in front of the whole town.”

Lucas chuckled and shook his head. “Hey, better that than have them talking about us having a romance.”

“True,” Katie said with another laugh. “Absolutely true.”

“I’m a firm believer in keeping your private life private,” Lucas said, watching Patience to make sure she didn’t round back on them.

Katie looked at Lucas curiously. “And what’s this about a thank-you present?”

Now Lucas grinned and leaned across the table so he wouldn’t be overheard. “I’ve got to get rid of that litter of puppies some way, don’t I?”

Katie laughed, but she couldn’t think of anyone better than Patience to mother a newborn, motherless puppy. “I think that’s a great idea,” Katie said. She watched Patience scoot into the mayor’s booth. “She’s gone on to greener pastures, so maybe we’d better make a run for it,” Katie suggested, and Lucas nodded.

“Let’s.” He pushed out of the booth, keeping a watchful eye on Patience. “Why don’t you grab Rusty and I’ll meet you both outside? That way no one can say we left together.”

“Good idea.” With a smile, Katie went to find her son, realizing that for the first time in a long time she’d honestly been having fun.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Katie said with a contented sigh as she walked next to Lucas. Even though it was early September, the temperature was still in the mid sixties with a slight breeze. The leaves were just beginning to change colors, perfuming everything with the distinctive scent of fall.

Rusty didn’t want to be seen walking home with his mother, so he’d darted on ahead, but was still in Kate’s sight.

Katie took a deep breath and glanced around the familiar town that she loved so much.

“Can you smell the leaves?” she asked with a contented sigh. It was one of her favorite memories from childhood.

Lucas sniffed the air. “Yeah, that’s one of the things I loved most about living in the cabin on the lake, the smells of the seasons.”

She turned to look at him, silhouetted by the moon and the old-fashioned gas streetlamps. He had such an incredible face—handsome, and yet so full of character. “That’s right, you said you had a cabin at the lake. Is that where you grew up?” she asked carefully, wondering if she was somehow stepping onto dangerous ground again.

He shook his head. “No, I grew up in Chicago,” he said surprising her. “Born and raised there. My father was a Chicago police officer for his entire career, but my family has owned a cabin on Cooper’s Cove Lake for as long as I can remember, and every summer right after school ended, my dad would load us all up—”

“Us?”

He smiled, bumped his hand against hers as they walked and then absently reached for it, holding her hand in his. He liked the way her hand fit in his, liked the way her touch warmed him. “I have four brothers,” he said, laughing at the look of horror that crossed her face. “Yeah, I know, scary, isn’t it?”

Katie couldn’t help but smile up at Lucas. She could hear the love in his voice, see it on his face when he talked of his family. She understood that kind of deep, committed love toward family since it had always been such a vital and necessary part of her life. She couldn’t help but feel attracted by Lucas’s devotion to his own family.

Chuckling, Katie shook her head. “Your poor mother. Raising one boy has practically given me gray hairs, I can’t imagine raising five.” She shuddered. “That would definitely give me gray hairs
and
nightmares.”

“I’m sure my mother had a few of her own, considering some of our antics. She’d stay up at the cabin all summer alone with us. My dad would come up every weekend and during his vacation, but most of the time it was just Mom and us boys.” Lucas laughed suddenly. “Not that we didn’t give her some moments, but she had a firm hand and a calm personality, and we knew just how far we could push her.”

“It sounds like you were a close family.”

“We were,” he admitted, realizing it had been a long time since he’d talked about his parents or brothers. Or anything else about his personal life. “We lost both my parents a few years back.”

“I’m so sorry,” Katie said, giving his hand a squeeze of comfort as they turned down the quiet street where her house was.

“My dad retired from the force, and planned to move up to the cabin, but then my mom got sick. Cancer. She was gone less than a year later, and then a heart attack took my father less than a year after that.” Lucas glanced down at Katie. “They’d been married for over fifty years and my brothers and I figured he just didn’t want to go on without her.”

“That’s really a wonderful story. Sad,” she corrected, glancing up just as he glanced down. For a moment, they both froze, their gazes locked. She licked her lips, aware his gaze followed her tongue and sent a chill racing over her. “It’s hard to imagine a love that lasts an entire lifetime like that.” She didn’t care for the wistfulness in her voice. She was just tired, she told herself. “What about your brothers? Where are they?”

Lucas sighed contentedly. “Well, my eldest brother, Peter, is a Chicago cop, as are my two youngest brothers, Jack and Jake—they’re twins,” he said, grinning down at her. “I’m police chief here, and my other brother, Brian, is actually running for political office in a small suburb of Chicago. Mayor,” he said with a shake of his head. “Hard to believe Brian’s responsible enough to be running for office.” He chuckled. “Brian was the worst of us. A pure hellion who gave my mother more fits than the rest of us combined. And from what I understand he’s in one very close race with a woman he’s been lusting after for months.”

“Oh, the poor man,” Katie said with a laugh as they reached the wonderful old-fashioned wraparound front porch of her house. It was one of the reasons she’d bought the house. She’d loved the porch. “I’m sure that just makes it harder on him, knowing his competition is also someone he’s interested in.”

“I’m going in, Ma,” Rusty called as he bolted up the front stairs two at a time. The front door was unlocked, as always, since no one in town ever locked their doors.

“Rusty.” The tone of Katie’s voice stopped him cold. “Don’t you have something to say to Lucas?” she prodded and Rusty grinned sheepishly, whipping around and bolting halfway back down the stairs.

“Oh. Yeah.” He lifted his hand in a halfhearted wave. “Thanks, Lucas. For the pizza and stuff.” He shuffled his feet, and glanced down, clearly uncomfortable and not certain exactly what to say.

“You’re welcome, Rusty. If you’re not busy tomorrow, how about if I stop by after school and we can draw up some plans for that clubhouse?”

Even in the dark Katie saw her son’s eyes brighten like beacons. “Really?” Rusty began to bounce up and down on his tennis shoes. “Tomorrow? We can do it tomorrow?”

“After your chores and your homework,” Katie reminded him with a smile.

“Awright, awright,” Rusty complained, then his head lifted again. “How ’bout you come over around four, Lucas? I get home at three and that will give me a whole hour to do my homework and chores. Is that okay, Ma?” he added, glancing at her for approval.

“That’s fine, honey.”

“Hey, Ma, maybe Lucas can stay for dinner? You can make your world famous burgers on the grill, with homemade French fries and stuff. What do you say, Ma? Huh? Is it okay?”

She saw the hope and joy shining in her son’s eyes and hated to disappoint him, but she also had to be practical. She still had more boxes packed then unpacked and finding anything in the mess would be nothing short of a miracle.

“Honey, I haven’t even unpacked or set up the grill yet—”

“That’s okay,” Rusty said hurriedly. “Maybe Lucas and I could do it?” Pleading eyes turned to Lucas. “I mean, isn’t that the kind of thing uh…a buddy does? Help another buddy maybe unpack and set stuff up?” he asked with a shrug, making Lucas smile.

“You’re absolutely right, Rusty,” Lucas agreed. “That’s exactly what a buddy should do.” He looked at Katie. “How about if Rusty and I unpack and set up the grill tomorrow after school. After his homework and chores,” he clarified, letting his gaze shift back to Rusty, who nodded in silent agreement.

Katie looked from her son’s expectant face to Lucas and forgot all the things she’d already had scheduled for tomorrow. So she’d simply add one more to the growing list. “All right. As long as it’s not an imposition on Lucas,” she added meaningfully.

“Is it?” Rusty felt obliged to ask and Lucas shook his head.

“No, it’ll be just fine. Besides, I think it’s something every male should know how to do.”

“What? Finagle someone else to do your work for you?” Katie asked with a grin, making Lucas chuckle.

“No, set up a grill. I think it will be good experience for Rusty.”

“All right.” Katie hesitated. “I’ll stop at the store on my way home, and get the fixings for burgers and fries. If you guys set up the grill, I’ll do the cooking.”

“Awesome.”

“And thank you for the invitation, Rusty,” Lucas said. “I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Okay, inside for a shower and then bed,” Katie ordered. “I’ll be in in a minute to tuck you in.”

“Ma!” Mortified, Rusty rolled his eyes. “I’m too old to be tucked in,” he said, nodding his head toward Lucas and flushing pink.

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” Katie said solemnly, giving him a nod. “Now that you’re at an advanced age of eleven, you’re far too old to be tucked into bed by your old mother.”

“Right.” Grinning, Rusty gave them both another wave. “See you.” He pulled open the screen door, then pushed open the front door, and let both slam behind him.

Katie sighed. “He’s growing up so fast,” she said wistfully as she climbed the rest of the stairs to stand on the front porch. “Sometimes it’s hard to believe he’s almost a teenager.” With a sigh, she leaned against the porch railing. “The time seems to be just flying by.”

Lucas laughed, following her up the stairs. “That has to be the scariest word in the English language, at least for parents.”

“What?” She turned to him. He’d joined her on the porch and was leaning against the railing as well.

“Teenager,” Lucas said, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair off her cheek.

Katie froze at his touch. She hadn’t realized he’d moved so close, and his touch, his closeness, seemed to make her pulse do a wicked dance.

“I…agree,” she stammered, realizing when he’d stroked his finger down her cheek, it felt as if she’d been touched by a live wire, and her skin, her heart and her pulse were all still singing.

“I…I…” She had to swallow. She’d remember what she was going to say in a moment. She was certain of it.

But he was looking at her in a way that left her feeling very vulnerable and exposed. And very, very needy.