Here Comes Trouble (23 page)

“What about it?”

Lacy tried to capture the Post-Civil War character of the old building. “Your father thinks he has a thief amongst his staff.”

“Does he really?” he asked, his attention focused on Tyler racing around the playground. “Based on what?”

“Based on a meager shortage of supplies.”

Brody rested one foot across his knee. “Dad’s always been kind of paranoid about the businesses. I’m sure it’s just an unlucky streak.”

“Only time will tell,” she muttered absently while dragging the pencil across paper. This version was better but the cupola still didn’t look right. Something about the way she had the dome shaped didn’t match the actual thing. Perhaps she was sharpening the cornices too much. She lifted her pencil to measure the slope of the angles and proportions.

“Lace, that’s great. You should display that at the festival,” Brody said after glancing down at her paper.

Lacy shook her head. “I don’t know. It doesn’t look right.” She flipped back several pages to the first sketch. “See with this one, I made the building too wide. And this one–,” she turned two pages over. “–I made it look to modern.”

“And what’s wrong with the one you’re doing now?”

For any onlooker the latest drawing of the old building looked spot on. Lacy had always been her own worst critic. There were a few nitpicky details that jumped off the page at her like blinking neon lights. “I can’t pinpoint any one thing. It’s several things that make the whole sketch look…off.”

“You’re too hard on yourself.” He ran his thumb down one of the pencil lines. “Blow it up to a portrait size and you could sell this sucker. Are you going to include this in the festival?”

“That was the plan.”

Tyler climbed down from the rock wall and ran to the water fountain. “I keep forgetting to ask you when Kelly’s wedding is.” She tucked the sketch pad and pencil in her bag with the rest of the supplies.

“It’s early September.”

“Are you going to go?”

A muscle twitched in his stubble-covered jaw. “I don’t know. If I do go, it’ll be for Tyler’s sake.”

She placed a hand on the hard muscle of his shoulder. “Despite what everyone else says I know you’re not in love with her.”

He turned his head and pinned her with gray eyes like his father’s. One side of his mouth turned up, revealing a dimple. “Thanks.”

“Would you have married Kelly if she hadn’t ended up pregnant?”

A light breeze blew some dark hair back from his forehead. “Hard to say. We’d only been together for a few months when she got pregnant. We went from fooling around to married in less than a year.” His shoulders lifted beneath his soft blue t-shirt. “I was trying to do the right thing.”

“A fact which I’m sure she’ll always love you for.”

“I doubt that.”

“Brody,” she said, and then waited until he looked at her. “You married her and provided for your son. Stop painting yourself as the bad guy. How come you two didn’t have any more kids?”

“We just never got around to it. Kelly went on birth control right after Tyler was born. She mentioned it once but Tyler was only two and I hadn’t finished school yet and wasn’t ready to have another one. After I graduated and went to work for my Dad, I told her I was ready. But she told me she wasn’t sure she could handle two kids at home by herself.” He ran a hand along his square jaw. “The subject never came up again after that.”

“And you were extra careful after having one ‘oops’,” she guessed.

He shook his head. “Not my ideal way to have kids, no.”

She brushed a lock of hair back from his forehead. “Kelly was lucky to have you.”

He lifted an arm around her. “You’re a good friend.”

“Just trying to return the favor,” she said with a small smile.

The enthusiastic gallop that had propelled Tyler a short while ago had slowed down to a fast walk. Sweat made the ends of his blond hair stick down to his skin. The boy came to a stop in front of them. Tyler had inherited his mother’s sun-streaked hair and his father’s facial features and gray eyes. Height was another thing Brody had passed down to his son. Tyler towered over most other nine-year-olds and was actually almost as tall as Lacy. He was a soft-spoken, sweet kid who had his mother’s manners and his father’s disposition.

“What do you say, Champ, are you tuckered out yet?” Brody asked as he ruffled the top of his son’s head.

“Dad,” Tyler replied with an “Aww shucks” tone and ducked out from under Brody’s hand.

Brody glanced down at his thick black watch. “You ready to have some dinner? I have to drop you off to our mom in about an hour.”

The boy scuffed his tennis shoe in the dirt. “Can’t I go in the morning? We’re supposed to go to Aunt Lisa’s house. It’s boring there. And it smells like cat poop.”

A laugh popped out of Lacy at the honesty of little kids.

“No can do, Son. You have to go tonight. That’s the deal.” At Tyler’s dramatic sulk Brody added, “I’ll tell you what. We’ll get some ice cream on the way there. Sound good?”

Tyler’s gray eyes lit up with delight. “Can we go to Dairy Queen and get a Blizzard?”

A dimple peeked in Brody’s cheek when grinned at his son. “I was just thinking Dairy Queen sounded perfect. You want to come have some food with us?” he asked Lacy.

She shook her head and grabbed her art bag. “You guys go ahead. I’m going to go for a walk before I go home. See ya, Little T.” Tyler laughed when she poked him in the ribs.

They parted ways, Brody and son climbing into Brody’s truck and Lacy walking through the park toward home. The park wasn’t exactly down the street from her house, but she’d opted to walk for the exercise. Plus, it’d been such a beautiful day and now an even more beautiful evening. The sky was crystal-clear with a faint breeze ruffling the overgrown trees. Lacy hooked her bag over her shoulder and left the park behind.

She’d just reached the end of Main Street when a vehicle pulled up beside her.

“Well, look at this. You need a ride and I just happen to be driving by.” The deep voice that haunted her lonely nights came from the open truck window.

Lacy didn’t slow down her pace. “I don’t need a ride.” She tossed him a glance. “But thanks anyway.”

“Don’t tell me you’re walking for the sheer pleasure of it.” Dark sunglasses rested on top of his head.

“Actually, I am.” She came to a stop. “And what are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be at the restaurant?”

His mouth curled in a mischievous grin. “I’m playing hooky.”

Lacy’s heart rate kicked up to supernatural speeds. Recent memories of him flashing that same smile just before drowning her in pleasure flooded her mind.

“You live and breathe your work,” she argued. “What are you really doing?”

“I wasn’t supposed to work today, but I came in for a few hours anyway. I’m on my way home now.”

She took a step closer to his truck. “I knew it.”

He threw the truck into park and rested one hand on top of the steering wheel. “Where are you going? I’ll give you a ride.”

“I’m just going home.”

“Home?” he asked with raised brows. “You’re walking all the way home from town?”

“It’s not that far,” she said with a shrug. She didn’t trust herself to be that close to him.

He quirked a brow at her. “It’s five miles.”

“So?”

His mouth crept into another smile. “So, let me give you a ride.”

Lacy took a step closer.
Do not get in his truck
.
You’ll just get sucked back in again.

But it was oh, so tempting. She allowed her eyes to eat up his masculinity, then took another step closer to his vehicle.

“Afraid to be alone with me?” he teased.

Yes
. “No.”

He leaned across the seat and opened the passenger door. “Then hop in.”

Twelve

Lacy tried to keep her eyes in front of her, and not on the man sitting so casually in the driver’s seat. She shouldn’t have gotten in the car with him. Now, he’d walk her to the door and she’d be tempted to press her lips to his. Or do much more than that.

Her eyes kept straying to his long legs so beautifully wrapped in a pair of gray slacks. Then she reminded herself of the way things ended between them. The thought was like a cold bucket of water over her head.

“So, tell me something,” he said to break the silence between them. “Why are you out walking through town to begin with?”

“I had the day off and wanted to spend the day outside.”

“Okay.”

She tossed him a glance. “Why do I get the feeling you’re questioning my ability to be physically active?”

He came to a stop at a red light and turned his attention to her. His gaze swept down her body. “I’m not questioning anything. Your stamina could put me to shame.”

“Chase…”

He held up a hand. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You left that wide open.” He reached across the front seat and pinched her chin. “Besides I love ruffling your feathers.”

She swatted his hand away and he chuckled, a deep rumble that slid over her skin like a lover’s caress.
Bad idea getting in this car
.

“Lighten up, Lace. You’re not still mad at me, are you?” The light went green and Chase pressed forward toward her house.

“Why would I be mad at you?” If anything, she was mad at herself for reacting to him like a teenager.

“Did you forget about shoving my underwear at me?”

Oh, that. Hell no, she hadn’t forgotten. But what ate away at her was the way she’d handled the situation. There were a dozen different ways she could have responded. How about calmly asking him for the truth, instead of jumping to her own conclusion?

“Yeah, about that. I overreacted.”

He snorted. “You think?”

“Will you shut up and let me apologize?”

His answer was a devious tilt of his mouth.

She inhaled a deep breath. “I’m sorry for the way I reacted.” She risked a glance at him. His eyes scanned the road ahead of them. “I know you’re not the type of guy to run around behind a woman’s back. I should have known that, but it was a shock having your underwear handed to me at work.”

He turned onto her street. The muscles in his jaw hardened. “Sonja shouldn’t have done that. I guess it was her tacky way of getting me back to her house. She’s tried it before, but the woman can’t take a hint.”

Maybe you should have stayed out of her bed to begin with
.

No. Chase’s past with women was none of her business.

“Anyway, I’m sorry. I should have given you a chance to explain.”

His eyes softened when he looked at her. “I appreciate that.” His finger trailed along her jawline. “You know I would never do anything like that to you, right?”

She smiled and tried to suppress the goosebumps that threatened to show themselves. “I know. I’ve been so emotional lately, and I don’t know why.”

He pulled into her driveway and cut the engine. “Are you going to protest me walking you to your door?”

“Would it do any good?”

He flashed her a quick grin. “Not a bit.”

They climbed out of his truck and then Chase followed her to the front door. “Thanks for the ride.” She slanted him a look. “Even though I could have walked.”

He leaned against the doorframe. “I know, but I’ll use any excuse to be near you.”

She stopped just before sliding her key into the lock. “Chase, I can’t go there again with you. We’re friends, we work well together and I don’t want to ruin that.”
He’s giving you an opportunity to drag his gorgeous hide back to bed and you’re turning it down?

“You couldn’t ruin it, Lace.”

Oh, yes I could.

His arm snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against him. She went willingly, just because she wanted to feel him one more time. Was it so bad to allow herself this one last indulgence?

He plucked her keys and bag out of her hand and dropped them to the concrete beneath their feet. Lacy only had eyes for the man pressed closely to her as he very slowly slid out the tie holding her hair back. Chase tunneled his hands into her hair as it fell free around her shoulders. He threaded his fingers through the strands until they reached the end. Their mouths hovered just centimeters from each other’s, Chase’s warm breath tickling her face.

“Invite me in,” he said in a hoarse whisper.

Her eyelids drifted closed. His mouth was so close. All she had to do was lean forward ever so slightly, and be able to feel the mouth that she’d been dreaming of on the nights they’d been apart.

“Chase, I can’t,” she managed to say. A heated flush rushed her entire body and lights danced behind her closed eyelids.

“But you want to.”

Why wouldn’t he kiss her already? Why was he torturing her by not allowing his lips to take hers? Barely being able to feel the heat and softness of his lips was maddening.