Liking that idea, he lifted a hand in final farewell, pulled the door shut, and immediately heard the lock clicking into place.
Yeah, Joey was definitely worried about something.
Wondering about that, while also dreading Christmas, kept his thoughts churning as he walked briskly past empty lots and a deserted playground to his house. It was nicely shielded by a privacy fence on one side, evergreen huckleberry around the front, and Sitka spruce behind him. Even when the park was full, he sometimes felt alone.
Which was exactly how he wanted it, damn it.
Now, however, with only Joey and Ryder in the park with him, he wouldn’t have a moment’s peace. Every second of every day he’d be aware of them – ofher– and somehow he had to get past it.
Because he knew he wouldn’t evict her out of the park.
He couldn’t expect a single mother and an adorable kid to figure out financial issues during Christmas. Though he’d thought it was dead, apparently he still had a heart. For the first time since relocating from Indiana to Oregon, he felt the strong beat of it in his chest.
Now what?
At least he’d have the week to try to figure it out.
Or so he thought.
Somehow, every single day, he managed to run into Joey and Ryder.
First, while they were out taking a walk along a trail. He never encountered anyone on the trail, but they were getting in some exercise before she headed out to tutor.
Next, he saw them at the grocery store. He kept his trips to town as brief as possible and loaded up so he wouldn’t have to return. In and out, that’s how he liked it. But now he saw her cart, holding only selective items, all of them marked down. When she noticed him taking quick inventory, her chin went up and her spine stiffened.
Joey didn’t want pity any more than he did. Noted. He tried to quickly move on, but Ryder had other plans and somehow he got drawn into a fifteen minute conversation. Untenable!
Once, while he was repairing a swing at the playground, Ryder showed up with Joey in tow. Ryder was so fascinated by the various tools he used, Hendrix took the time to show him how to use each one, and even let him “help” with a few things. Joey had been content to idly swing nearby – and watch. A small but beautiful smile stayed on her face, as if she took pleasure in seeing her son happily engaged. And damn it, that gave him pleasure, too.
In one way or another, he tripped over the two of them every day, sometimes twice a day.
Surprisingly, it was never that unpleasant. There were no mentions of Christmas, and at least now Barbie had pants. Hideous pants with crooked seams, but still, they covered her butt, and she had a crooked cape to match. When he saw it, Hendrix had to muffle a laugh. Joey’s face had gone pink, hermouth twitching, when she gave him a teasing shove. Ryder was happy, and he told himself that was what mattered.
To his surprise, by Saturday he was actually anticipating seeing them again. They’d become the highlight of each day. The open enthusiasm of Ryder and the easy conversation with Joey made every encounter special.
It also made Hendrix want her even more. She would remind Ryder of his manners and all Hendrix could see was the way her lips moved. She’d tuck back her hair and his own fingers tingled with the need to feel those silky curls. When she walked away, he couldn’t get his gaze off her body – and he had to fight against the instinct to call her back, to linger with her.
Occasionally, he’d catch her watching him with her wide green eyes full of yearning, and he’d suffer a tidal wave of lust.
Who knew things could change so quickly?
More importantly, thathecould change so quickly? It was almost a miracle – and Christmas didn’t have a damn thing to do with it.
Chapter Two
Her reprieve was up.
At first, when Joey had agreed to share pizza on Saturday, her purpose had been two-fold. One, she needed Hendrix to know that she could feed her son. She wasn’t so desperate that she couldn’t buy food. Basic stuff, yes. Inexpensive meals like spaghetti or soup, but she and Ryder would not starve.
It was just happenstance that he’d caught her on a day when she hadn’t found the time or energy to go to the grocery store. Not after tutoring all day, dragging poor Ryder along.
Yes, her son enjoyed reading quietly while she worked with students from various ages, but he was also an energetic, creative little boy who needed todo, not just read. Often, he enjoyed reenacting the stories he read, creating a cape from a towel and using a stick for a sword as he dashed around in front of their cabin.
Or rather, Hendrix’s cabin. He owned it. He owned the entire campground. It was big enough that she hadn’t expected to keep running into him. Not that he seemed to mind when she carved out time for Ryder to walk, run, explore and overall just expendsome energy. Whether it was before she tutored, or after, they managed to encounter Hendrix each time.
It wasn’t staged on his end. He looked too genuinely surprised whenever they spotted each other.
Surprised, but not unpleasantly so.
