Charlie took a second look at the kid. Sixteen. Dark hair. Tall, athletic. Cocky.
“You even want anything to do with him if he is?”
Charlie crossed his arms. “What’d you say your name was?”
The kid blinked and looked to the ceiling for a split second. “Derrick.”
“ Derrick , it’s complicated. No one ever told me I had a kid, and I’m not exactly role model material.”
“Derrick” took position behind the bag and nodded for Charlie to take a turn. “So that gets you out of it? Not your fault, so you can just walk away?”
Charlie worked the bag for a few before answering. “I didn’t say I was going to walk away.” He lifted his eyes to meet the kid’s. Blue, just like Charlie’s. Go figure. “Sticking around might not be the best thing for this kid. I have to consider that.”
The kid shrugged as if Charlie’s answer meant nothing to him. “That’s cool.” He looked at his watch. “Hey, I’ve gotta bounce.”
Charlie nodded, something painful balling in his throat. “Thanks for the company.”
The kid grinned. “It’s a woman, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“The reason you were so pissed. Only a woman can rile a guy up like that and make him choose to hit a bag instead of someone’s face.”
Laughter slipped from Charlie’s lips and he found himself grinning.
“Just don’t be like those idiots in the movies and let everything fall apart because you’re too afraid to tell her the truth about how you feel.”
Charlie raised a brow. “A sage at sixteen?”
The kid lifted his palms in a what-can-you-do gesture. “Women are my specialty,” he said before turning to the door.
“Hey, kid!” Charlie called after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be here tomorrow, same time.” He wasn’t sure why he said it, but the words were out of his mouth before he could analyze his reasons.
The kid nodded slowly. “Yeah. That could be all right.”
***
“I have never seen my brother look at a woman like that.” Lacey stared at the paper, eyes wide. Riley plopped down on the couch next to her and Lace reiterated, “ Ever. ”
“Lace—”
“It’s not like he’s never been in a relationship,
but—”
“Lacey!”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. It’s cute.”
“ Chaz took me to lunch at The Orteja today.”
“Yikes, was he mad? Shit. What’d you tell him? That kiss—” she dropped her eyes to the paper “—shit, he’s gotta be upset. I’ve never seen him kiss you like that, and I’m not even sure he’s—”
“Lace, he proposed.”
“—capable.” She stopped. “Oh.”
Riley let out a breath. “Right. Exactly.”
“So.” Lacey chewed her bottom lip.
“So?” Riley winced. “A girl’s best friend should be happy when her boyfriend proposes.”
Lacey nodded. “Right! Oh, yeah. Of course.” She leaned forward and gave Riley a light hug.
Riley pulled back. “You don’t have to fake it, Lacey.”
The strained smile dropped off Lacey’s face. “I don’t?”
“I didn’t say yes .”
Lacey’s blue eyes lit up. “You said no ?”
“Not exactly.”
She frowned. “What does that mean? And does Charlie know?”
“It means that I wasn’t ready to say yes, but I wasn’t ready to give up on our relationship either. And, yes, Charlie knows. He happened to be at The Orteja when Chaz dropped to a knee.”
“Ouch.”
Riley closed her eyes. She couldn’t tell Lacey the truth—that she was grateful for Charlie’s presence. The man she wanted had watched as the man she was supposed to want offered her a ring. His presence reminded her not to settle.
“Listen, our lease is up in a couple months, and I know I’d kind of indicated that I’d like to get my own place.”
Lacey nodded. “I understand, Ry. We can’t live like we’re in college forever. Plus, when you get the GM position, you’ll be raking in the cash. You won’t need to live here.”
Riley wrung her hands. “My father gave that
“You even want anything to do with him if he is?”
Charlie crossed his arms. “What’d you say your name was?”
The kid blinked and looked to the ceiling for a split second. “Derrick.”
“ Derrick , it’s complicated. No one ever told me I had a kid, and I’m not exactly role model material.”
“Derrick” took position behind the bag and nodded for Charlie to take a turn. “So that gets you out of it? Not your fault, so you can just walk away?”
Charlie worked the bag for a few before answering. “I didn’t say I was going to walk away.” He lifted his eyes to meet the kid’s. Blue, just like Charlie’s. Go figure. “Sticking around might not be the best thing for this kid. I have to consider that.”
The kid shrugged as if Charlie’s answer meant nothing to him. “That’s cool.” He looked at his watch. “Hey, I’ve gotta bounce.”
Charlie nodded, something painful balling in his throat. “Thanks for the company.”
The kid grinned. “It’s a woman, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“The reason you were so pissed. Only a woman can rile a guy up like that and make him choose to hit a bag instead of someone’s face.”
Laughter slipped from Charlie’s lips and he found himself grinning.
“Just don’t be like those idiots in the movies and let everything fall apart because you’re too afraid to tell her the truth about how you feel.”
Charlie raised a brow. “A sage at sixteen?”
The kid lifted his palms in a what-can-you-do gesture. “Women are my specialty,” he said before turning to the door.
“Hey, kid!” Charlie called after him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be here tomorrow, same time.” He wasn’t sure why he said it, but the words were out of his mouth before he could analyze his reasons.
The kid nodded slowly. “Yeah. That could be all right.”
***
“I have never seen my brother look at a woman like that.” Lacey stared at the paper, eyes wide. Riley plopped down on the couch next to her and Lace reiterated, “ Ever. ”
“Lace—”
“It’s not like he’s never been in a relationship,
but—”
“Lacey!”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. It’s cute.”
“ Chaz took me to lunch at The Orteja today.”
“Yikes, was he mad? Shit. What’d you tell him? That kiss—” she dropped her eyes to the paper “—shit, he’s gotta be upset. I’ve never seen him kiss you like that, and I’m not even sure he’s—”
“Lace, he proposed.”
“—capable.” She stopped. “Oh.”
Riley let out a breath. “Right. Exactly.”
“So.” Lacey chewed her bottom lip.
“So?” Riley winced. “A girl’s best friend should be happy when her boyfriend proposes.”
Lacey nodded. “Right! Oh, yeah. Of course.” She leaned forward and gave Riley a light hug.
Riley pulled back. “You don’t have to fake it, Lacey.”
The strained smile dropped off Lacey’s face. “I don’t?”
“I didn’t say yes .”
Lacey’s blue eyes lit up. “You said no ?”
“Not exactly.”
She frowned. “What does that mean? And does Charlie know?”
“It means that I wasn’t ready to say yes, but I wasn’t ready to give up on our relationship either. And, yes, Charlie knows. He happened to be at The Orteja when Chaz dropped to a knee.”
“Ouch.”
Riley closed her eyes. She couldn’t tell Lacey the truth—that she was grateful for Charlie’s presence. The man she wanted had watched as the man she was supposed to want offered her a ring. His presence reminded her not to settle.
“Listen, our lease is up in a couple months, and I know I’d kind of indicated that I’d like to get my own place.”
Lacey nodded. “I understand, Ry. We can’t live like we’re in college forever. Plus, when you get the GM position, you’ll be raking in the cash. You won’t need to live here.”
Riley wrung her hands. “My father gave that
Similar Books
