“I sincerely hope so.”
“I do.” She reached over the center console and rested her hand on my forearm. “I’m feeling a little on edge. It’s no excuse, but it’s the truth, and I apologize for assuming.”
I offered her a tight smile and tried to hide the hurt her snap judgment caused me. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one slightly on edge today.
“Sheba is allowed inside if she’s on a leash.”
“If it’s all right with you, I’d prefer to stay here, and I’ll watch Sheba.”
“Sure.” I hopped out of the truck. “I won’t be long.”
This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. I needed to shake this gnawing feeling that had rooted itself deep in my core. Lakelyn was different from anyone I’d met. She was private and reclusive, yet she allowed me to pull her out of her shell. The glimpses of the woman who did everything to avoid talking about her past told me she was healing, and while my first instinct was to want to fix it, I didn’t know her well enough. But I was determined to resolve that, and I’d prove I was a reliable ally by supporting her in any way I could.
I was in and out in under fifteen minutes, and when I returned to the truck, it was obvious Lakelyn’s emotions had gotten a hold of her.
“Peace offering?” I extended my hand, offering her a vanilla-bean Frappuccino and warm banana bread I’d picked up from the Starbucks inside.
Her lips pulled into a smile, but her glossy eyes wouldn’t meet mine. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I know, I wanted to.” Sheba crossed over the center console and aggressively started licking my neck like I’d been gone for days before going back to settle in Lakelyn’s lap.
* * *
“Wow, ah . . .”
“Speechless,” I remarked, pushing off the doorjamb.
“I just . . . there is so much to take in.” She ran her fingers gracefully across the edge of the counter, soaking it all in. “Have you really thought this through? I think you should reconsider your plans for overhauling this kitchen. After all, I’ve heard what was once old is new again.”
“You have a keen eye for style.”
“These antique cherry cabinets, no one makes them like this anymore. Strong, sturdy, durable. I can picture these cabinets holding fine china handed down for generations, plates and bowls that held meals made with love, and desserts for which only grandmas had the recipes. Then there’s this timeless yellow laminate counter.” Her palms brushed over the surface top in a circular motion. “Right here on this end of the peninsula is where the children of the home would help their mom prepare meals. A young girl chopping up vegetables for the salad while her sister sets the table and if these orange and yellow floral wallpapered walls could talk . . .” She paused in thought and stared deep into the soul of the wall before continuing. “The stories they hold, uncomfortable chats about the birds and the bees, mandatory five-o’clock dinners, family game nights, late night snacks, so many memories.”
I know she’s got to be messing with me, but the way Lakelyn’s selling this old-school kitchen style has me questioning her level of seriousness. There’s passion in her tone and a sense of longing in the connection she feels that made me wonder if she’s recounting her childhood memories. While neither of us had broached the subject of our childhood, given her sister’s tragic passing, I wasn’t insensitive to know it was likely a source of anguish for her. The last thing I wanted was for her to shut down and go silent on me. However, when she turned and met my eyes with a telling smirk, I knew I’d been had.
“So that’s how it’s going to be.” I huffed, pushing my foot off the doorframe as I stepped toward her personal space. “That’s how you’re going to play this?”
“Whatever do you mean?” She batted her eyelashes as she bit back a laugh that was dying to be freed based on her expression.
“You enjoy busting my balls?” I questioned, while I was all for it because it meant the playful beauty I’d been getting to know was back.
Her eyes widened ever so slightly. “Nah, I just saw an opportunity to mess with you.”
With one hand curled over her hipbone, I reached behind her with my other for the rubber mallet resting up against the wall in the corner. When I pulled back, the scent that would forever be engrained in my thoughts and remind me of her drew me in as it always did whenever we were close.
Our breaths were weighted, and the prolonged inhale and exhale of her chest rising and brushing against my arm brought goose bumps to hers. My thumb had a mind of its own, hooking inside the belt loop of her shorts, craving to scrape across her bare skin. But as much as I wanted to pull her close, I knew she wasn’t ready for a life I wanted to offer, so I moved back, but not before taking the opportunity to play with her.
“Just remember, turnarounds fair play.” I squeezed the curve of her flesh, revealing a ticklish spot I’d have to file in the archives until I could re-visit the electric energy vibrating through my veins.
Her breath hitched, and I wanted to fist-pump the air.
Knowing she was just as affected at that moment solidified my need to be patient. My pops always preached that his relationship with my mom worked so well because they developed a strong friendship first. He’d tell me, “Son, the key to a solid foundation is friendship. Establish that, and everything will fall into place as it should when it’s the one you’re destined to be with.”
Chapter14
Lakelyn
“Holy fuck, this feels amazing!”
