second.”
“You just did.”
C HAPTER E IGHT
“A re you still playing basketball with Deputy Matthews?” It had been three days since she’d seen Tucker. He hadn’t even tried to contact her. She’d dialed him up twice, but he hadn’t picked up or returned her call.
Pippen nodded as he snapped Legos together. “I almost beat him at H - O - R - S - E today.”
She felt empty and envious—envious of her own son because he got to see Tucker. It was Saturday night. She should be relaxed and happy. Her salon was doing great, her son was fine, and she had the next two days off. Instead of relaxed, she felt edgy and ready to jumpy out of her own skin. “Do you like him?”
“Yeah, and Pinky too.”
He wanted a life with her. He wanted her to jump in with both feet or not at all. “Did you go into his house?”
Pippen shook his head. “Pinky got out and ran into our backyard like Griffin used to. I took her back ’cause she’s little and has no survival skills.”
She thought of Tucker pouring milk into a little cat bowl. Most of the men she knew said they hated cats. Only a supremely confident man would own one named Pinky. “What would you think if we had Tucker come over for dinner sometimes?” His confidence was one of the things she liked about him.
“Can we have pizza?”
“Sure.”
“And maybe he could come with us when go bowling,” her son suggested and snapped some sort of wings on the Legos. “He’ll probably win, though.”
Probably. Both she and Pip sucked. In the past, Pippen had always nagged her to call Ronnie to go bowling with them. “What about your dad?”
Pippen shrugged. “He has a new girlfriend. So, I probably won’t see him for a while.”
A sad smile twisted her lips as her heart hurt for her son. Ten years old and he had Ronnie Darlington all figured out. “What if I went out on a date with Tucker? If he took me out to dinner or something. Just him and me. Would that bother you?” she asked, even though she wasn’t positive that Tucker would ever speak to her again. She remembered the look in his eyes the last time she’d seen him. Sad. Final.
He snapped a few more Legos together. “No. Are you going to kiss him?”
She’d like to kiss him. “Probably.”
He made a face. “Grown-ups do gross stuff. I don’t want to go to high school.”
High school? “Why?”
“That’s when people have to start kissin’. T.J. Briscoe told me his older brother rolls around kissin’ his girlfriend until his parents come home from work.”
There would come a day when Pip’s thinking would radically change. Thank God she had a few more years before that happened. “Well, you don’t have to kiss anyone if you don’t want to.” Lily bit the corner of her lip to keep from smiling. “Except me.”
She rose from the couch and moved into the kitchen. She looked through the window at Tucker’s house. The lights were out and he was no doubt working. Hiding in one of his favorite spots, waiting for unsuspecting speeders.
For the past few days he’d been avoiding her. He’d been honest about his life. He’d told her everything because he loved her. She hadn’t been quite so honest. She hadn’t told him everything because . . . she hadn’t wanted him to leave her.
She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers into her brows. She hadn’t been open and honest because she hadn’t wanted him to leave, but he’d left anyway. She hadn’t wanted to date him because of his age. She’d been afraid of what people would say. He hadn’t cared. He’d been bold and fearless. She used to be bold and fearless. She used to love with her whole heart, like Tucker.
She lowered her hands and looked at his empty house. Her heart got all pinchy and achy. She did love him. She’d fought it, but she loved him with her whole pinchy, achy heart. Loved him so much it crawled across her skin and brought tears to her eyes. Her head got all light and anxious. She couldn’t
“You just did.”
C HAPTER E IGHT
“A re you still playing basketball with Deputy Matthews?” It had been three days since she’d seen Tucker. He hadn’t even tried to contact her. She’d dialed him up twice, but he hadn’t picked up or returned her call.
Pippen nodded as he snapped Legos together. “I almost beat him at H - O - R - S - E today.”
She felt empty and envious—envious of her own son because he got to see Tucker. It was Saturday night. She should be relaxed and happy. Her salon was doing great, her son was fine, and she had the next two days off. Instead of relaxed, she felt edgy and ready to jumpy out of her own skin. “Do you like him?”
“Yeah, and Pinky too.”
He wanted a life with her. He wanted her to jump in with both feet or not at all. “Did you go into his house?”
Pippen shook his head. “Pinky got out and ran into our backyard like Griffin used to. I took her back ’cause she’s little and has no survival skills.”
She thought of Tucker pouring milk into a little cat bowl. Most of the men she knew said they hated cats. Only a supremely confident man would own one named Pinky. “What would you think if we had Tucker come over for dinner sometimes?” His confidence was one of the things she liked about him.
“Can we have pizza?”
“Sure.”
“And maybe he could come with us when go bowling,” her son suggested and snapped some sort of wings on the Legos. “He’ll probably win, though.”
Probably. Both she and Pip sucked. In the past, Pippen had always nagged her to call Ronnie to go bowling with them. “What about your dad?”
Pippen shrugged. “He has a new girlfriend. So, I probably won’t see him for a while.”
A sad smile twisted her lips as her heart hurt for her son. Ten years old and he had Ronnie Darlington all figured out. “What if I went out on a date with Tucker? If he took me out to dinner or something. Just him and me. Would that bother you?” she asked, even though she wasn’t positive that Tucker would ever speak to her again. She remembered the look in his eyes the last time she’d seen him. Sad. Final.
He snapped a few more Legos together. “No. Are you going to kiss him?”
She’d like to kiss him. “Probably.”
He made a face. “Grown-ups do gross stuff. I don’t want to go to high school.”
High school? “Why?”
“That’s when people have to start kissin’. T.J. Briscoe told me his older brother rolls around kissin’ his girlfriend until his parents come home from work.”
There would come a day when Pip’s thinking would radically change. Thank God she had a few more years before that happened. “Well, you don’t have to kiss anyone if you don’t want to.” Lily bit the corner of her lip to keep from smiling. “Except me.”
She rose from the couch and moved into the kitchen. She looked through the window at Tucker’s house. The lights were out and he was no doubt working. Hiding in one of his favorite spots, waiting for unsuspecting speeders.
For the past few days he’d been avoiding her. He’d been honest about his life. He’d told her everything because he loved her. She hadn’t been quite so honest. She hadn’t told him everything because . . . she hadn’t wanted him to leave her.
She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers into her brows. She hadn’t been open and honest because she hadn’t wanted him to leave, but he’d left anyway. She hadn’t wanted to date him because of his age. She’d been afraid of what people would say. He hadn’t cared. He’d been bold and fearless. She used to be bold and fearless. She used to love with her whole heart, like Tucker.
She lowered her hands and looked at his empty house. Her heart got all pinchy and achy. She did love him. She’d fought it, but she loved him with her whole pinchy, achy heart. Loved him so much it crawled across her skin and brought tears to her eyes. Her head got all light and anxious. She couldn’t
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