Standing, Lisa flounced his way and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close. She took one step back but kept herpalms on his biceps. “You’ve sure grown up good. Not like there was ever any doubt. You planning on sticking around for long?”
“I’m here for good,” he said, flicking his glance at Celine.
She dropped her gaze to the floor, arms wrapped around her middle.
“That’s so great to hear! This town needs more big, strong men like you around. My guess is you won’t be riding bulls anymore. You doing something at that big ol’ house of yours? Keeping the family business going?”
He cringed. Nothing sounded worse than following in his father’s footsteps. Not to mention the fact that over the last few years, his dad had sold off most of their cattle and anything else that could increase his cash flow.
“Not quite sure yet,” he said, even though an idea was starting to take root.
Tilting her head to the side, Lisa pressed her lips into a coy smile and narrowed her eyes. “You’re too busy with other things to figure it out right now, huh?”
“Mom!” Celine said, cutting in.
“What?” Lisa dropped her hands from his arms and shrugged. “You two were always so cute together and now he shows up with you to pick up Parker. Hours early, mind you. Can’t blame me for being a bit curious.”
Shit. Celine hadn’t wanted him to mention what had happened, but they should have figured she’d want to know why he was here.
“Business was slow, so Tia sent me home,” Celine said. “Lane just happened to pull in when I was leaving. My car battery died, and no one had a cable, so he offered to take me home. Nothing more than that.”
Lisa popped a hip and placed one fist on the wide curve. “Well, fine then. Steal all my fun. Can’t blame a mother for hoping for a little bit of excitement brewing.”
He wanted to cringe at her choice of words. If she only knew the chaos erupting all over the damn place, she’d take back the sentiment.
Since Lisa thrived on chaos, she’d probably find a way to make herself the center of the storm.
“No excitement,” Celine said. “All very boring. Now where’s Parker? I’d like to get him home.”
“He’s in his crib. Just fell asleep.” Lisa flicked her hand down the hall. “You could let him sleep. Stay and visit over a cup of coffee.”
“I wish we could, but we really need to get home.”
Lisa’s expression fell as she watched her daughter disappear down the hall. As if realizing she wasn’t alone, she hurried to paste a cheerful smile on her face. “She never has time for me. I’m good enough for a free sitter but not good enough for a little conversation. I guess that’s just the way it goes.”
The dip in her voice tugged at his heart. He’d known Celine’s mom for a long time. She had her faults, and Celine had put up with a lot of crap as a child. But she’d always been kind to him, always tried to be the mom Celine deserved even if she often fell short.
“I’m sure she has a lot on her plate,” Lane said. “Can’t be easy being a single parent. You’d know that better than anyone.”
“I wish I could lighten her load more.” Studying him, she tilted her head to the side like she’d done before. But this time, the look in her eyes was more than just interest. It was as if something was clicking into place inside her brain, but she couldn’t quite figure out what. “Maybe you can help her with that. Stranger things have happened than an old flame reigniting.”
Pressing his lips together, he kept his opinions to himself as he waited for Celine and Parker to reappear. His flame for Celinehad never gone out, he just had to make sure that from now on neither of them got burned.
Back at her house,Celine relaxed against the soft cushions of the rocking chair and sighed. Parker latched on, enjoying a snack as well as his mother’s comfort, the combination quickly putting him back to sleep after his interrupted nap.
Rocking back and forth, she watched her sweet baby a few more minutes before laying back in his crib. She’d rather hide in his room than head out to talk with Lane. He was determined to go over the details of her new security system. Something she should be grateful for, but all she wanted was to soak in a hot tub and forget all the craziness of the past twenty-four hours.
But that wasn’t an option. Not with Lane waiting for her and the knowledge that Parker wouldn’t sleep long enough for her to grab a quick shower let alone a luxurious bath.
Trudging forward, she felt the weight of the world with each step and found Lane sitting on the living room couch, looking at pictures in Parker’s baby book.
Her heart nearly hopped out of her chest. Witnessing the intensity of his eyes as he poured over the photos of their child stirred up too many emotions for her to process. She wasn’t ready to let him in—wasn’t ready to forgive him and chance him hurting her baby like he’d hurt her.
No matter how much she wished she could.
Standing in the doorway, she cleared her throat to gain his attention.
His gaze shot up, and a light blush clashed against his cheeks. “Sorry,” he said, setting the book back on the coffee table. “I saw this and couldn’t help myself.”
