Single Mom Seeks... (2 page)

Up close, in his face she saw a toughness and a certain strength, eyes so dark they were almost black and flashing with irritation at the moment. He had an ultra-firm jaw, a head full of thick, dark brown hair that he wore a little too long, and what seemed like miles and miles of bare, brown skin.

It was all that skin and muscles that did it to her.

She started to feel hot all over again and thought about cooling her forehead with the tea pitcher, which was already sweating with condensation from the heat.

She’d be taking her temperature again when she got home, just to make sure. Because something wasn’t right here.

“Hi. Can I help you, ma’am?” a deep voice said from behind her.

“Oh!” She startled, nearly spilling the tea before the nearly grown teenager, all arms and legs and hair, grabbed it and saved it.

“Jake!” the man who had made her feverish called out from behind her.

“Sorry,” the kid, Jake, said. “Didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

“Oh. No. It’s all right. I just…didn’t hear you.”
I was too busy becoming feverish, possibly over your father.

How embarrassing.

Did the kid know women reacted this way to his father?

Did his gorgeous dad know?

Lily wanted to sink into the rhododendron behind her.

“It’s okay.” The kid pointed to the plate of hot fudge in her hand. “Is that for us?”

“Jake!” The man, standing at the edge of the truck bed and looking down at them both, made the name sound like an order, not to be ignored.

A mind-your-manners-or-else order.

Lily glanced up at him nervously, then quickly looked away. Tall, hot, all muscles and no smile, she saw in a flash.

“Sorry.” The kid looked properly apologetic. “I just…It’s hot, and we’ve been at this for hours, and I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” the man said, command still evident in the voice.

“Yes,” Lily said, jumping in to save the boy. “I have nephews who are about your age. I know teenage boys are always hungry, and I thought I’d come over and…introduce myself.”

“Sweet,” Jake said, sounding truly appreciative as she held out the plate to him. “Jake Elliott. This is my uncle, Nick Malone.”

Uncle.

Not
dad.

Did they have a moving company together? Or maybe Jake and his family were moving in, and Uncle Nick was just helping out?

“I’m Lily Tanner, from next door.” She nodded toward her house, then held up the pitcher. “Would you like some sweet tea?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jake said, his mouth already full of fudge. “Hey, it’s still all warm and gooey. Did you just make this?”

“Yes,” Lily said.

“Sweet!”

Which she knew was his generation’s current equivalent of
cool.

“I bet she was thinking the fudge might make a good snack for later on,” his uncle pointed out. “And before you stick any more of it in your mouth, you could say thank-you.”

“Thanks,” Jake muttered with a mouth full of fudge. “Really, ma’am. It’s great.”

“You’re welcome.” She offered him a plastic cup and then filled it with tea.

Lily braced herself to face Uncle Nick, who’d just jumped down out of the truck bed and onto the ground, landing just a tad too close for her own comfort.

He immediately grabbed a worn, white T-shirt from the truck bed and pulled it on in what Lily could only describe as a truly impressive rippling, flexing mix of muscles in his arms and chest.

She appreciated that, she told herself, he would cover up that way. And she’d have thought maybe her mysterious fever would have gone away, once he was more covered up. But no, it hadn’t.

If anything, it was even hotter now that he was closer and staring at her with those intense, dark eyes of his and a jaw like granite.

“Sorry,” he said. “I feel like I’ve told him a million times already to say please and thank-you, and it just never seems to sink in.”

“I know. It’s the same thing with my girls.”

“You have girls?” Jake piped up at that.

Lily smiled at him. “Much too young for you, I’m afraid.”

“I’m only fifteen,” he said.

Which had to be impossible, it seemed. He was positively overgrown, this big, awkward, hulking thing who towered over her. The only thing boyish about him was his face.

“I know. I just look older,” Jake said.

“You do. But my girls are only six and nine.”

“Oh.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal.

Lily was sure he had more girls than he could handle flirting with him, just like they must flirt with his uncle.

“I’m gonna go inside. Get out of the sun for a minute,” Jake said, turning to leave. “Thanks again, Mrs. Tanner. This is great.”

“You’re welcome,” Lily said, then found herself completely tongue-tied.

Flustered.

Flushed, she feared.

Feeling foolish.

She held out a cup to Mr. Tough-and-Sweaty, thinking sweat had surely never looked so good as it did on him.

“Thank you,” he said, taking the cup and holding it out for her to fill, then shook his head. “That little rat escaped with all the fudge, didn’t he?”

Lily smiled, not too big a smile, she hoped. Not like she was trying to flirt or anything. “I think he did. You should probably hurry inside. If he’s anything like my nephews, he could down the whole plate easily inside of five minutes.”

“Sounds like Jake,” he agreed, tipping his head back as he took a long swallow of tea. “Wow, that’s good.”

“You’re welcome to keep the pitcher,” she offered. “I thought your refrigerator must be empty, and it’s supposed to be in the nineties today, so…I just thought this was a good idea.”

“It was. Jake and I appreciate it.”

“So…are you moving in? Or is Jake and his family?” She hoped she sounded neighborly and nothing more, and that the flush on her face didn’t give her away.

“Just Jake and me,” he said, his expression if possible becoming even more stern. “My sister and her husband died in a car accident six weeks ago. They have twin boys in college at Virginia Commonwealth. Jake’s their youngest. Other than the twins, I’m what passes for his family now.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry,” she said.

And here she had been admiring every bit of him, right down to the sweat on his brow. Admiring the sweat of a grieving man with a grieving teenage boy.

“Thanks. It’s still a little raw, but—”

“Of course. I’m sorry I even asked—”

“No. I’m glad you did. Glad you asked me and not him. He’s…uh…well, it still throws him, getting the question and not knowing what to say.”

“Of course. My girls were the same way when my husband and I divorced. I mean, I know it’s not the same thing, but…they hated having everyone ask, and then having to explain about their father not living with us anymore.”

He nodded, quiet and understanding.

The kind of man who’d take on raising his fifteen-year-old nephew alone.

Which, if possible, only made him even more attractive. Maybe that stern expression was simply a result of what he’d been through in the last six weeks.

“Well, I should let you two get back to work,” she said, handing him the pitcher. “Let me know if you need anything else. I’m almost always at home.”

“Thanks again. This was really nice of you,” he said quietly.

Nice.

Fine.

He thought she was nice.

She hoped he didn’t know she was gawking like a smitten teenager over him, all while he was grieving for the loss of his sister and brother-in-law and taking care of his poor parentless nephew.

What is wrong with you?
Lily muttered to herself, trying to hide her dismay behind a forced smile.

He nodded toward the house. “I’m going to get inside and have some of that fudge.”

Yeah. She nodded goodbye.

Fudge.

J
ake was shoving fudge into his mouth like there was no tomorrow when Nick finally got into the kitchen of their new house. He stopped only long enough to hold out his now empty glass, wanting Nick to refill it for him before putting the pitcher down on the counter.

“Hey, she was kind of cute for somebody’s mom,” Jake said. “And she can really make fudge.”

“I wouldn’t know. I haven’t had any yet,” Nick said, hoping his voice wasn’t too gruff.

He didn’t mean for it to be. Too many years of snapping out orders to soldiers in his command. It was habit now, though he tried his best to tone it down for Jake and his brothers. They really didn’t need anybody who sounded like they were yelling at them or mad at them, and Nick knew he could sound like that without even trying.

Jake handed over what was left of the fudge and Nick bit into it, a flavor akin to ecstasy exploding in his mouth.

“Oh…sh…man!” he said.

He was trying to quit cussing, too, trying to set a good example for the kid. Not that he was doing all that well with the no-swearing bit, either.

“I know,” Jake said appreciatively. “What do you think we’d have to do to get her to make us dinner?”

“Doubtful. She’s a single mother with two little girls,” Nick said, still savoring a mouthful of fudge. “She probably doesn’t have a lot of extra time.”

“Still,” Jake said hopefully. “I bet she’d do it for you. Did you see the way she looked at you? Like she didn’t really mind that you’re—”

“Old?” Nick guessed.

“I was going to say practically ancient.” Jake grinned, reaching for the last piece of fudge.

“Touch it and die,” Nick growled. “You already had a plateful.”

“I know, but I’m still hungry,” he complained.

And it wasn’t even ten o’clock.

Lily Tanner knew what she was talking about. Teenage boys were bottomless pits. Nick hadn’t noticed so much in the first week or so after his sister and brother-in-law’s death, because neighbors kept bringing over food. It seemed like a mountain of food, but it hadn’t lasted long with the twins and Jake in the house. It seemed nothing, even grief, dimmed the appetite of a teenage boy for long.

“Let’s finish getting everything out of the truck before it gets any hotter, and then we’ll go find something to eat,” Nick said. “Who knows? Maybe by that time, another one of the neighbors will show up with lunch. Just try to look pitiful and weak and underfed.”

“I can do that,” Jake said, guzzling another glass of tea and then heading outside.

Nick put down his own glass, grabbed the last piece of fudge and popped it in his mouth, then looked around the house, empty of everything but boxes and furniture that hadn’t yet been put into place, and he hoped for what had to be the thousandth time that he was doing the right thing in coming here to Virginia and trying to raise this kid.

And wondered what in the hell his sister had been thinking of to name him the boys’ guardian in her will.

They got everything out of the truck by noon, and then went inside and moved just enough boxes to allow them room to collapse on the sofa that had landed temporarily right under a ceiling fan.

Nick had to hand it to the kid. He could do some work, and he was really strong, although Nick had to think he could take the kid in a fight, if he really had to. And from the mountain of unsolicited advice he’d received in the last few weeks on raising teenagers, Nick had been led to believe it might just come down to who was stronger physically at least once. Although, he couldn’t see Jake refusing to listen to him to the point where the two of them got into a fight.

Still, what did Nick know? Next to nothing about raising kids.

Thank God they were boys.

If they had been girls, he wouldn’t have had a prayer.

Of course, if his sister had daughters, she probably wouldn’t have left them to Nick to raise.

“I’m starving,” Jake said, sprawled out on the couch, eyes closed, head resting heavily against the back, long legs stretched out in front of him.

“Tell me something I don’t already know,” Nick said, thinking of what kind of fast-food restaurants he’d seen on the drive over here in the truck.

And then, the doorbell rang.

Jake sat up and looked insanely hopeful. “Do you think it might be more fudge?”

“I think we could use something more substantial than fudge. Don’t you?”

“Guess so,” Jake said, dragging himself up to answer the door.

Which was a good thing, because every muscle in Nick’s body was protesting the very idea of moving, which the kid would no doubt give him hell about.

Nick didn’t want to be fifteen again for any amount of money in the world, but the body of a fifteen-year-old…That, he could handle, especially on days like today.

Jake opened the door and grinned like crazy.

Must be food.

Nick forced himself up and to his feet, trying to make it without a grimace as his back protested fiercely. At least the kid didn’t see. He was focused completely on the baking dish placed in his outstretched hands.

They made nice to the neighbor lady with the chicken cheddar noodle dish for a few minutes, then headed for the kitchen and scarfed it down right out of the pan, leaning over the kitchen countertop with a fork for each of them and nothing else.

Jake’s mother would be appalled, Nick was sure, but hey, the kid was hungry and he was being fed.

They washed it down with some more of Lily Tanner’s tea, Jake all but licking the chicken pan clean, like a puppy who hadn’t been fed in days.

“I think I like this neighborhood,” he said. “Do you think someone will show up with dinner?”

“We can hope,” Nick said.

Lily had meant to get some work done that day. Truly, she had. She’d come home from next door and taken her temperature again, finding it still oddly normal, but still felt all flushed and shaky and…weak.

Was she coming down with something?

Had to be, she decided.

What other explanation could there be?

And then she went to work in her dining room, where the walls were nothing but Sheetrock, ready for taping and spackling, then wallpaper, paint and wood trim.

She’d been an interior decorator before the girls were born, then a stay-at-home mom and then kind of fallen into the whole rehabbing thing. She’d convinced Richard they should sell their smaller house and buy a larger one in need of remodeling three years ago and hadn’t looked back since.

A year there and a lot of work, mostly on Lily’s part, which she found she truly enjoyed, and they’d sold the house at a nice profit and bought another one.

This was their fourth, bought just weeks before Richard announced he was leaving her, and as part of the divorce settlement, she owed him half the equity they had in the house when they’d first purchased it. But she had a full year in which to finish renovating it and she got to keep everything she got over the original purchase price.

She’d worked hard to get that agreement and was counting on the profits from the house to allow her to outright buy a much smaller house for her and the girls to live in.

So she did not lack work to do that day, but the phone never stopped ringing. It seemed half the neighbors in the cul-de-sac had seen her talking to that gorgeous specimen of man next door and wanted to know a) If he was really moving in, b) If the teenager was his son, and c) If the gorgeous man could possibly be single.

Having all the answers to all three questions, Lily was a very popular woman that morning. Not to be outdone by a gift of fudge and iced tea, her neighbors promptly went to work.

By noon, there was a veritable parade of women marching to the house next door, casserole dishes in hand, bright smiles on what looked to Lily like perfectly made-up faces and clothes more suited for a fancy lunch out than a casual drop-in on a new neighbor.

“Shameless,” Lily muttered to herself, again at that kitchen window, watching Jean Sumner from three doors down show up in a low-cut sweater that hugged her more than ample curves. “Absolutely shameless.”

Her new neighbors would enjoy the view much more than what Lily would bet was Jean’s curried turkey, which Lily knew from experience tended to be quite dry.

Sissy Williams just happened to drop by in her little white tennis outfit, practically bouncing in enthusiasm as she presented them with what looked like a cake.

Jake would like that.

But the most shameless one of all, as far as Lily was concerned, was Audrey Graham, showing up at their front door in jogging shorts and a jog bra!

“You could at least put a shirt on!” Lily muttered, knowing good and well the woman couldn’t hear her.

At least Lily had shown up with all her clothes on, and she hadn’t dressed up. She felt vastly superior to the parade of neighbors she’d seen so far just because she hadn’t fussed over her appearance or shown an excessive amount of skin.

She wondered if her neighbors, too, had felt a little feverish after their visits, because Nick’s shirt had come back off while he was unloading the truck. Lily couldn’t help but notice, being right next door and all.

But she hadn’t gawked at him or anything like that. It was just that in passing by her kitchen window, which she did on a regular basis on any given day, she happened to glance out and there he was, him and Jake and a parade of food-bearing, scantily clad women.

Lily had never known her neighbors to behave in this way. This was a very respectable street, in a well-respected neighborhood, after all.

Lily’s sister called again, but Lily got away with being remarkably vague about her day, and there was no more talk about fudge of any kind. The girls came home from school, happy and full of energy until after she fed them and mentioned homework. At which point, they pled an overwhelming case of fatigue and collapsed on the floor of the family room, watching a Disney Channel movie until she shooed them off to bed at eight-thirty.

Lily was loading the dishwasher a few minutes later when she caught sight of Jake cutting through the side yard and heading for her kitchen door.

She didn’t fuss. Not really.

Patted down her hair, checked her shirt to make sure she wasn’t dusty or really dirty, because she had gotten a little work in on prepping the dining-room walls that day, and then she pulled open the door.

Jake stood there about to knock, looking like a giant puppy, all hair and ears and feet.

“Hi. Get everything moved in?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, coming inside.

“You must be tired,” she said.

“A little,” he admitted, like it would take more than a day like this to make a boy his age actually tired.

“What can I do for you?” she offered.

“Well…I kind of messed up, and I’m not sure what to do about it,” he confessed. “See, we had all these people come over and bring food. All kinds of good food—”

“Yes. I noticed,” Lily admitted.

“Nothing as good as your fudge. But good stuff, and my uncle told me to keep a list of who brought what and what it was in, so we could get the plates and pans back to everybody and thank them, and I…well, I kind of have a list, but…not really.”

“Ah.” Lily nodded. “You got hungry and got distracted and…”

“Yeah. I did. And now, I’m not sure what to do. I have cards and things with names on them, but they’re not all attached to dishes anymore, and I think I remember what some of the women looked like who brought certain things….”

Like Audrey in the jog bra.

Lily bet Jake remembered her.

“I can probably match up most of the dishes to the cards,” Lily assured him. “We tend to bring over the same recipes when we do meals for people. I know everyone’s specialties.”

He looked so grateful she wanted to hug him.

Poor baby.

He must have had a long day and a really bad six weeks or so.

“Look, my girls are upstairs asleep—”

“I could stay here, in case they wake up,” he offered.

“Okay,” Lily said. “It won’t take me a minute. Everything’s in the refrigerator?”

He nodded. “And the cards and stuff are on the counter by the refrigerator. I left the side door open, and my uncle went to drive the truck back to the rental place, so the house is empty.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

She knew the house from when the last couple lived there, and her kitchen faced theirs, so all she had to do was get around the low row of bushes and she was there. And everything was right where Jake said it would be.

Sissy had indeed brought a cake. Something fancy with fruit and glaze on it.

“No way you made that yourself,” Lily muttered. Sissy wasn’t much in the kitchen. And she should have known it was much fancier than a teenager boy cared for it to be.

Jean’s turkey looked tastier than usual. It was easy to match that dish with Jean’s card. A half-dozen others, and Lily was left with only Audrey’s card and one with absolutely awful handwriting that looked like it might even be the work of teenage girls.

Even the teenagers were flaunting their baked goods along with their bodies these days?

The two dishes left were a container of homemade macaroni salad and a baked chicken thing.

With that body, Audrey probably didn’t touch carbs, Lily reasoned. The baked chicken was likely hers.

She decided to ask Jake just in case. After all, he wouldn’t have forgotten Audrey in that little outfit. Whether it had blinded him to everything else, including what she brought, Lily didn’t know, but she’d find out.

She took the container of baked chicken to show Jake, opened the kitchen door and there was Nick.

She had to work fast to keep the chicken from landing on the ground. He was more worried about her landing on the ground, because while she caught the pan of chicken, he caught her with lightning reflexes and the kind of strength she couldn’t help but admire.

She’d have pitched backward, if not for him.

As it was, he had her, his big hands on her upper arms holding her easily, a wry, maybe slightly amused expression on his face.