clearly a successful,
mature woman.
“Then who’re
you talking about?” Monica asked, tipping her head to the side.
Nervousness
started to override his anticipation. Amanda had paraded men in and
out of their lives ever since Tucker moved out, and he’d sworn he
wouldn’t be that parent. He’d already cost them so much. His
mission since their eighteen month separation had been to give them
a sense of security. Would Lauren’s presence cause them to question
whether they would continue to be his first priority? Maybe he
should call and cancel…
“Dad, are you
introducing us to your girlfriend?” Monica asked, pulling him out
of his thoughts.
“No!” He
cleared his throat when he realized his tone was too sharp. “Lauren
is just a friend… and a client.”
“So it is a
girl?” Mason asked, tearing his eyes away from his game.
Lauren could
hardly be described as a girl. Tonya fell into that category.
Lauren was all woman. But he couldn’t very well explain the
difference to his children. “Um… yeah.”
“Do you like
her?” Monica grinned. She’d just gotten pink braces and loved to
show them off.
“Of course he
likes her, dummy,” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “He wouldn’t ask
her to come with us if he hated her.”
“Shut up,”
Monica said, hurling a cushion at him. “I wasn’t talking to you. I
was asking Dad.”
“Enough,”
Tucker said, putting his hand up. “Yes, I like her. She’s a very
nice lady, and I want y’all to be nice to her. You think you can do
that for me?”
Mason looked at
him a long time before he said, “It’s about time you started dating
again.”
Tucker
sputtered, then coughed to mask his surprise. “What are you talking
about?” He’d dated plenty since his divorce. He just hadn’t told
his kids about it because he knew none of those women would become
a permanent fixture in his life.
Mason shrugged.
“I don’t know. You must get lonely when we’re not around.”
His kids were
worried about him? That was the last thing he wanted. He was happy
with his life. He didn’t intend to get married again, and he needed
to make his kids understand that. “I’m not lonely. I have my work
and you guys. That’s all I need.”
Monica set her
empty bowl on the coffee table and tucked her legs under her. “You
think you’ll ever get married again?”
“No!” Okay,
that was a little too emphatic. He couldn’t very well tell them
their mother had made him so miserable he wouldn’t even consider
signing on for another life sentence. “Like I said, I’m happy with
the way my life is. I don’t need a relationship to make me
happy.”
“So this girl
really is just a friend, huh?” Mason looked skeptical.
“She really
is.” A flashback of their kiss flared to mind. He’d never kissed a
friend like that. But despite their differences, he could imagine
Lauren becoming a good friend. Maybe even a friend with
benefits…
“Okay,” Mason
said, shrugging. “If you say so.”
“I say so.”
Tucker stood up. “Okay, let’s hit the showers, guys. We need to
pick Lauren up at eleven.”
***
Lauren had
already changed three times, which was ridiculous since she was
just changing from one pair of jeans to another. She finally
settled on a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved gray burn-out top
with tank, infinity scarf, and cropped leather jacket. She didn’t
want to look too young and trendy, but she didn’t want Tucker’s
kids to think she was out of touch either.
She’d tossed
and turned most of the night wondering what to expect. She wanted
his kids to like her… more importantly, she wanted Tucker to like
her.
Looking at her
reflection in the hall mirror, she wondered what happened to the
carefree woman who didn’t give a rip about catching a man’s eye.
Sighing, she applied a fresh coat of glossy nude lipstick and
pinched her lips together. She could almost feel the burn of his
lips on hers as she stared at her reflection. Her
mature woman.
“Then who’re
you talking about?” Monica asked, tipping her head to the side.
Nervousness
started to override his anticipation. Amanda had paraded men in and
out of their lives ever since Tucker moved out, and he’d sworn he
wouldn’t be that parent. He’d already cost them so much. His
mission since their eighteen month separation had been to give them
a sense of security. Would Lauren’s presence cause them to question
whether they would continue to be his first priority? Maybe he
should call and cancel…
“Dad, are you
introducing us to your girlfriend?” Monica asked, pulling him out
of his thoughts.
“No!” He
cleared his throat when he realized his tone was too sharp. “Lauren
is just a friend… and a client.”
“So it is a
girl?” Mason asked, tearing his eyes away from his game.
Lauren could
hardly be described as a girl. Tonya fell into that category.
Lauren was all woman. But he couldn’t very well explain the
difference to his children. “Um… yeah.”
“Do you like
her?” Monica grinned. She’d just gotten pink braces and loved to
show them off.
“Of course he
likes her, dummy,” Mason said, rolling his eyes. “He wouldn’t ask
her to come with us if he hated her.”
“Shut up,”
Monica said, hurling a cushion at him. “I wasn’t talking to you. I
was asking Dad.”
“Enough,”
Tucker said, putting his hand up. “Yes, I like her. She’s a very
nice lady, and I want y’all to be nice to her. You think you can do
that for me?”
Mason looked at
him a long time before he said, “It’s about time you started dating
again.”
Tucker
sputtered, then coughed to mask his surprise. “What are you talking
about?” He’d dated plenty since his divorce. He just hadn’t told
his kids about it because he knew none of those women would become
a permanent fixture in his life.
Mason shrugged.
“I don’t know. You must get lonely when we’re not around.”
His kids were
worried about him? That was the last thing he wanted. He was happy
with his life. He didn’t intend to get married again, and he needed
to make his kids understand that. “I’m not lonely. I have my work
and you guys. That’s all I need.”
Monica set her
empty bowl on the coffee table and tucked her legs under her. “You
think you’ll ever get married again?”
“No!” Okay,
that was a little too emphatic. He couldn’t very well tell them
their mother had made him so miserable he wouldn’t even consider
signing on for another life sentence. “Like I said, I’m happy with
the way my life is. I don’t need a relationship to make me
happy.”
“So this girl
really is just a friend, huh?” Mason looked skeptical.
“She really
is.” A flashback of their kiss flared to mind. He’d never kissed a
friend like that. But despite their differences, he could imagine
Lauren becoming a good friend. Maybe even a friend with
benefits…
“Okay,” Mason
said, shrugging. “If you say so.”
“I say so.”
Tucker stood up. “Okay, let’s hit the showers, guys. We need to
pick Lauren up at eleven.”
***
Lauren had
already changed three times, which was ridiculous since she was
just changing from one pair of jeans to another. She finally
settled on a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved gray burn-out top
with tank, infinity scarf, and cropped leather jacket. She didn’t
want to look too young and trendy, but she didn’t want Tucker’s
kids to think she was out of touch either.
She’d tossed
and turned most of the night wondering what to expect. She wanted
his kids to like her… more importantly, she wanted Tucker to like
her.
Looking at her
reflection in the hall mirror, she wondered what happened to the
carefree woman who didn’t give a rip about catching a man’s eye.
Sighing, she applied a fresh coat of glossy nude lipstick and
pinched her lips together. She could almost feel the burn of his
lips on hers as she stared at her reflection. Her
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