“No. Make a move.” I pointed at the checkerboard.
“No,youmake a move.”
“She’s only in town for a short time anyway.”
“So?” My father shrugged. “I didn’t say to marry her. Take her out for a night. Leave me to watch the Yankees game in peace.”
“If you want me out of the house for the night, just say so.”
Dad straightened and regarded me with a slow nod.
“I want you out of the house for a night. And she’s not only gorgeous, she seems like a spitfire. I bet you’d have fun with her if you actually let yourselfhaveany fun. I’d take her out myself, but I lost my driving leg and I’m still learning how to navigate my fake one.”
“We’re in the middle of a game.”
He leaned forward and jumped my red checkers three times until his black checker resided on my end of the board.
“Now we’re not. Done. And I want to believe that Claudia distracted you enough that you didn’t see that coming, not that you’re a police sergeant slow on the uptake and putting all the town at risk.”
I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I needed a drink to cool off and have the energy to continue this exhausting conversation. Yes, Claudia seemed like she was fun, and it didn’t matter if she was in town just to visit, but we’d started out on a weird dynamic. I’d never had the option to date someone I’d pulled over before since they’d drive away pissed they’d gotten a ticket.
“I’m getting some water,” I said, pointing to the snack stand behind the playground. “Want anything?”
“I’ll take some water before we go. If I’m going to argue with you about your nonexistent social life, the porch is cooler.”
A smile snuck across my lips as I stood. Dad was right, although I’d never tell him that. I was in a rut, but I’d become accustomed to it enough to be comfortable. I wanted more out of life than working and hovering over my father in my spare time, but Claudia didn’t seem to be someone to just pass a night of time with like the other women I’d dated since my divorce. I’d met her twice, and she was already a distraction I had to shake off.
To avoid a woman for fear of growing to like her too much was ridiculous, but it held me back all the same.
“Two bottles of water, please,” I said to the teen cashier at the stand, scanning the playground as she made her way to the back to the refrigerator. I didn’t spot Peyton or Claudia anywhere. It was difficult to actively seek something out yet ignore it at the same time. I agreed with my father—our empty porch was looking pretty good right now.
“Any signs of criminal activity?”
I swiveled my head to find Claudia next to me. Her tank top drooped off one shoulder, teasing a red bra strap. I held in a groan, both wishing I could make a quick escape and wanting to rake my eyes up and down her beautiful body.
The best use of the water I was about to buy would be to pour it over my head to cool off enough to think.
“No, just looking around. Usually on a nice day, the whole town is here.” I nodded a thank you to the cashier when she set the bottles on the counter, handing her a bill too large for two waters, but I didn’t stick around for change as I shifted to go back to my father and get the hell out of here, as he’d suggested.
“Yes, Kelly Lakes seems to be good like that. Helps that there is only one of each thing here. One park, one diner, one pharmacy. There’s so much beauty in simplicity, you know? A real sense of community. It’s why I love visiting so much.”
“How often do you visit?” I asked, shocking myself by not giving Claudia the slip as I’d intended. But I spotted that same look from when we’d first met—the sadness that halted her wide smile from making it to her eyes.
“Every month or so, depending on how busy I am. I’m surprised I’ve never run into you before.”
“I’ve been…busy with my father over the past year. Now that he lives with me instead of a rehab home, I can at least get out of the house for some air sometimes. That’s a long trip to make once a month.”
And now I was making small talk, something I didn’t usually do. But again, my feet were rooted into the grass.
“It’s a nice drive. Well—” she squinted at me “—it usually is. I’m really embarrassed about last night. All kidding aside, I could have really hurt myself or someone else, and a bad day is a shit excuse for being so reckless.” She pursed her plum-colored lips at me. “I don’t blame you for trying to get as far away from me as possible.”
My chest pinched when her grin shrank. For some reason, I hated being the reason it did. She’d made a mistake, but unlike others to whom I actually gave tickets, she’d owned it and felt badly about it after. My urge to get away from her had nothing to do with how we’d met. I was freaking out over my visceral reaction to a woman I didn’t know.
“My father and I are going to head home. It’s hot as hell today, and the heat makes us both cranky. Believe me, we argue enough.”
She chuckled, the sweet sound reverberating through me.
“We may head back too and put Keely in the kiddie pool in their backyard. Jake said that he won’t put a real one in until she’s old enough to know how to swim, but this one is big enough for us to climb in with her and cool off.”
