continued and I felt a wave of humiliation wash over me. I hated that Sarah understood our situation and I hated that she’d been condescending to my daughter.
Lucy didn’t seem to notice though, and I wondered if perhaps Sarah was just being nice about it. I didn’t need to be so defensive about our financial status. We’d make it eventually, and even if we didn’t, we’d get by.
I pulled into the super market parking lot and found a spot near the front. I had about thirty minutes to spare before Lucy’s soccer game and we needed a few things for lunches in the coming week.
I pushed the cart through the store while Lucy wheedled and nagged me for every sugary cereal and fruit treat she knew she wasn’t allowed to have.
I chose sensible store brands, nothing fancy and nothing too bad for her health. Of course at her age that was like poisoning her, especially since her friends all had the expensive treats I didn’t want her to eat.
She was pouting when we turned the corner and almost ran into Caleb and Tara.
“Hey sandwich girl,” she said brightly and stuck out her hand. I took it and she said, “We were never introduced. I’m Tara.”
“I’m Brooke,” I replied quietly and glanced at Caleb. He was looking at me with a strange look on his face, a mix of desire and anger.
“I’ve heard all about you,” Tara said. “Well, not all but I’ve heard enough to know that you’re good for Caleb here. He’s less of a jerk since he met you and that’s good enough for me!”
“Oh nice to know,” I said and looked him in the eyes. “We’re such good friends he’s good for me too.”
He winced when I said friends, but he looked down at Lucy and gave me a slight nod. He didn’t know I was upset at him leaving, he thought I was making it clear for Lucy’s sake.
That was fine with me; it gave me time to sort my feelings out. If I ever had the courage to face them that was.
“Are you coming to watch me kick butt on the pitch later?” Lucy chirped from behind me.
“Of course I am,” Caleb said and tousled her hair. He looked directly at me and said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh good, I think I’ll score ten thousand goals today!” she giggled and grabbed the cart. “We have to finish shopping, my mom only likes boring food.”
“Ten thousand hey?” Caleb laughed and raised his brows. “That’s going to be something to see.”
“Healthy food,” I interjected, fearing his judgment. “Healthy food is apparently boring.”
“Of course it is,” he replied and looked at me again with that intense gaze, desire outdoing anger this time. “Things that are fun aren’t always good for us, are they?”
“No, they’re not,” I said and walked away to puzzle at his meaning.
Caleb Harder, complicated, mysterious, brooding…and so damned sexy it was impossible to shake the feelings I had for him.
“Hey Lucy,” Caleb called after us as we were about to turn the corner at the end of the aisle.
“Yeah?” Lucy asked and turned around.
“Tell your mom to live a little, she needs some fun in her life…get the sugar coated breakfast cereal,” he said with humor in his voice.
“I will!” Lucy promised and I smiled but kept walking.
Just when I thought he had some hidden meaning to cut me off, he threw me a curve ball like that.
I felt like I was perpetually pulling the petals off a daisy with that man, he loves me…he loves me not…he loves me…
I knew where I wanted it to end.
Chapter 19
T he soccer game was amazing , not because Lucy scored ten thousand goals…she didn’t…but because Caleb and I were back to normal.
Well, as normal as you could be when you were dancing around the gigantic elephant in the room…and thinking about his thumb grazing across your most intimate places whenever he handed you something from his picnic basket.
Or his lips and the way he claimed your mouth with his, swirled his tongue against yours and made you feel like he
Lucy didn’t seem to notice though, and I wondered if perhaps Sarah was just being nice about it. I didn’t need to be so defensive about our financial status. We’d make it eventually, and even if we didn’t, we’d get by.
I pulled into the super market parking lot and found a spot near the front. I had about thirty minutes to spare before Lucy’s soccer game and we needed a few things for lunches in the coming week.
I pushed the cart through the store while Lucy wheedled and nagged me for every sugary cereal and fruit treat she knew she wasn’t allowed to have.
I chose sensible store brands, nothing fancy and nothing too bad for her health. Of course at her age that was like poisoning her, especially since her friends all had the expensive treats I didn’t want her to eat.
She was pouting when we turned the corner and almost ran into Caleb and Tara.
“Hey sandwich girl,” she said brightly and stuck out her hand. I took it and she said, “We were never introduced. I’m Tara.”
“I’m Brooke,” I replied quietly and glanced at Caleb. He was looking at me with a strange look on his face, a mix of desire and anger.
“I’ve heard all about you,” Tara said. “Well, not all but I’ve heard enough to know that you’re good for Caleb here. He’s less of a jerk since he met you and that’s good enough for me!”
“Oh nice to know,” I said and looked him in the eyes. “We’re such good friends he’s good for me too.”
He winced when I said friends, but he looked down at Lucy and gave me a slight nod. He didn’t know I was upset at him leaving, he thought I was making it clear for Lucy’s sake.
That was fine with me; it gave me time to sort my feelings out. If I ever had the courage to face them that was.
“Are you coming to watch me kick butt on the pitch later?” Lucy chirped from behind me.
“Of course I am,” Caleb said and tousled her hair. He looked directly at me and said, “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Oh good, I think I’ll score ten thousand goals today!” she giggled and grabbed the cart. “We have to finish shopping, my mom only likes boring food.”
“Ten thousand hey?” Caleb laughed and raised his brows. “That’s going to be something to see.”
“Healthy food,” I interjected, fearing his judgment. “Healthy food is apparently boring.”
“Of course it is,” he replied and looked at me again with that intense gaze, desire outdoing anger this time. “Things that are fun aren’t always good for us, are they?”
“No, they’re not,” I said and walked away to puzzle at his meaning.
Caleb Harder, complicated, mysterious, brooding…and so damned sexy it was impossible to shake the feelings I had for him.
“Hey Lucy,” Caleb called after us as we were about to turn the corner at the end of the aisle.
“Yeah?” Lucy asked and turned around.
“Tell your mom to live a little, she needs some fun in her life…get the sugar coated breakfast cereal,” he said with humor in his voice.
“I will!” Lucy promised and I smiled but kept walking.
Just when I thought he had some hidden meaning to cut me off, he threw me a curve ball like that.
I felt like I was perpetually pulling the petals off a daisy with that man, he loves me…he loves me not…he loves me…
I knew where I wanted it to end.
Chapter 19
T he soccer game was amazing , not because Lucy scored ten thousand goals…she didn’t…but because Caleb and I were back to normal.
Well, as normal as you could be when you were dancing around the gigantic elephant in the room…and thinking about his thumb grazing across your most intimate places whenever he handed you something from his picnic basket.
Or his lips and the way he claimed your mouth with his, swirled his tongue against yours and made you feel like he
Similar Books
