About the Boy (5 page)

“A real clubhouse? Just for guys? No wussy sissy girls allowed?” Rusty said, glancing at his mother.

“Hey, watch it,” Katie cautioned with a smile. Watching her son, seeing the excitement shimmering in his eyes at the prospect of doing things—male things—with an adult male made her heart ache for all that her son had missed by losing his own dad so early. And made her wonder how on earth Lucas could have such an easy, instinctive rapport with a child when he apparently didn’t have any.

“Definitely just for guys,” Lucas said, ignoring Katie and giving her son all his attention.

“With steps and a floor and everything?” Excitement had Rusty all but dancing in place again.

“Steps and everything,” Lucas confirmed, straightening.

“So what else can you do, huh? Can you play baseball?”

“Starting pitcher in high school.”

“Can you play football?”

“Quarterback. Varsity team, junior and senior year.”

Rusty whistled, impressed. “What else?”

“Well, instead of just telling you, how about I show you?” Lucas asked, watching delight glisten in the boy’s eyes as his feet danced in excitement.

“Show me? Now? Like right now?” Rusty asked, nearly bouncing out of his tennis shoes.

“Rusty,” Katie cautioned, glancing around the room. It was pitch-black outside and a mess inside. “Right now isn’t exactly what I’d call a good time.”

“Your mom’s right, son. How about if I help you unpack some of this stuff and get your room set up?” Lucas smiled. “Then tomorrow after school we can talk some more if it’s all right with your mom?” Lucas shrugged, glancing at Katie for approval. He waited for her nod before continuing. “Then this weekend I thought maybe we could drive up to Cooper’s Cove Lake and do some fishing.”

“With real live bait?” Motioning Lucas down so he could whisper, Rusty gave his mom a weak smile. “My mom hates worms,” he whispered to Lucas. “So I ain’t never used night crawlers.”

“Nor proper English,” Katie said mildly to no one in particular.

Nodding in understanding, Lucas straightened. “Well, I know this bait shop right near the lake that sells only fresh night crawlers. I’ve got some poles and a couple of tackle boxes filled with fishing gear, so if we can maybe talk your mom into making us some sandwiches we can have a real picnic.” He glanced at Katie. “And some weekend if you and your friends want to have a campout or a sleepover at the lake—with your mom’s permission of course—we can arrange that as well.” He smiled at the boy, who was staring at him, nearly slack jawed. “I own a cabin up at the lake,” he said by way of explanation.

Rusty’s grin, quick and bright, warmed Katie’s heart. “Can I tell Sean and the guys?”

Letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, Lucas smiled, ruffling Rusty’s curly hair. “You can tell anyone you like.”

“Awesome,” Rusty said, then frowned, rubbing his empty stomach. “Ma, when can we get our pizza? I’m starving,” he added with a groan.

“I tell you what,” Lucas said before Katie had a chance to open her mouth. “Let’s get your room pulled together and then I’ll take you and your mom out for a pizza.”

“Really?” Rusty cocked his head. “With sausage and cheese and stuff?” His brows furrowed. “But no ’shrooms or spinach. Weeds and fungus. Yuck.” Holding his stomach, he made a barfing sound that had Katie rolling her eyes and Lucas chuckling.

“My sentiments exactly,” Lucas said, his gaze meeting Katie’s. He ignored the hot rush of desire that coiled inside of him, pushing it aside to concentrate only on the boy.

The kid was the spitting image of his mother both in looks and personality. Definitely a spitfire with a zest and curiosity for life that was infectious.

Feeling better than he had in a good, long time, Lucas held out his hand. It was the first lesson he’d learned from his own father and had taught to his son. When a man gave his word, he shook on it, and kept it. “So, do we have a deal?”

Grinning, Rusty wiped his hand down his jeans, then solemnly took Lucas’s hand and shook it, puffing out his chest at being treated like a
man.
“Deal. Buddies?”

“Buddies,” Lucas confirmed with a nod.

Watching them, Katie nervously rubbed her own hands together. “Uh, Lucas, are you sure about this? It’s not necessary, really.” She wasn’t quite sure why the man unnerved her so, but his presence was so powerful, so masculine, it made her feel as if her lungs had somehow come up short of oxygen.

She glanced at Rusty, saw the joy on his face, the excited anticipation, and knew she hadn’t seen such joy in his face in a long, long time. It warmed her heart and made it ache for all that she couldn’t give to her son.

Her son needed this, she realized with a pang. Needed the presence and influence of a man perhaps more than she’d ever realized. And regardless of how nervous Lucas made her feel, or how she felt or didn’t feel about him, she had to do whatever was in her power to give this precious gift to her son.

“It is necessary,” Lucas corrected with a smile, taking her by the shoulders and turning her around to show her the door. A quick flash of need and desire swept through her from his touch, scaring her. “Really. Now give us about…” He glanced back at Rusty for confirmation. “An hour?” he asked with a lift of his brow and Rusty nodded. “I promise by then we’ll have the room set up, and some of these boxes unpacked and put away, and then we’ll go for pizza.”

“But—”

“Go,” Lucas said softly, his hands still warming her shoulders, his voice soft and gentle as it fluttered against her ear, making her entire body shiver. “This is called the bonding part,” he whispered in her ear. “A chance for us to get to know one another, without mom.”

She wasn’t certain she liked the “without mom” part, but she realized with a sigh that Rusty was growing up and did need the calm, stable influence of a man—a man who could teach him all the things a father would have, all the things a boy needed to grow up to be a good person, a good man, a good father and husband.

“All right,” she said with a nod and started toward the door. “An hour,” she repeated numbly.

Shaking her head, Katie scrubbed her hands over her face, trying to make sense of all of this. Well, she conceded, heading back into the living room to tackle some more boxes, she wanted Rusty to have this, she wanted her son to have everything good in the world he needed to grow up to be a good person. And if that meant having Lucas Porter in his life, well, she was simply going to have to accept it, and curtail her own emotions and feelings for her son’s sake.

Opening one of the boxes and staring blindly at the contents, she realized that, as for her own wayward feelings about Lucas, she’d just revert back to Plan B.

She’d treat him like a big brother. She couldn’t go wrong with that. Unfortunately what Lucas made her feel didn’t seem very brotherly, Katie thought and closed her eyes on a sigh. But for her sake and her son’s sake that’s all Lucas could ever be.

Realizing this, Katie felt a deep yearning in her heart, a yearning she hadn’t quite been so aware of until she ran into Lucas Porter.

But she just had to pack that yearning away in the same place she’d packed away all her youthful dreams, along with the one about having children and a wonderful, loving partner and husband, and of course the happily-ever-after.

She’d had it, for a little while, she recalled sadly. But those weren’t the cards she’d subsequently been dealt. What she’d been dealt was a life where the responsibilities of protecting her son and her mother came first. And as for the rest, well, she had to be grateful for all that she had, since it was so much more than most.

But still, she thought as she leaned against the living room wall, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to just daydream a little bit about Lucas, and what never could be.

Chapter Four

“I’
m done, Ma,” Rusty said, shoving away his plate with a half a piece of pizza still left. “I’m stuffed.” He rubbed his stomach and grinned. “Can I go play some of the video games now?”

Katie glanced at her watch, then at the noisy crowd in the pizza parlor. Every booth and table was full, and there was a line at the counter, and behind almost every video game in the place.

Apparently they weren’t the only ones celebrating the first day of school with a pizza.

“Rusty, I don’t know. It’s a school night and—”

“Ma, come on,” Rusty wheedled, fidgeting in the booth next to her. “It’s early yet, and my room’s all done, right, Lucas?” Grinning, Rusty looked across the booth at him for support.

“Yeah,” Lucas said slowly. “It is,” he admitted sheepishly. “We finished his entire room before we left, Katie, dressers and all.” He shrugged his apology, not wanting to appear as if he was taking sides.

“And I don’t got any homework, so all I gotta do is fall into bed when I get home. Come on, Ma, please? Only fifteen minutes. Please? Please?”

Laughing, Katie reached in her purse to get some money from her wallet. Lucas had already insisted on paying the pizza bill and leaving the tip. “Okay, fifteen minutes and then it’s straight home, and a shower,” she added, causing Rusty to make a face. “And then to bed,” she corrected, handing him the bill for the video games.

“Awesome.” He bounded out of the booth before she had a chance to change her mind, leaving her and Lucas alone.

There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Katie relaxed, telling herself she was being ridiculous. She probably shouldn’t have come since this should have been Lucas’s time with Rusty, but it was hard to regret it when she’d been having such a lovely time.

This wasn’t a date; Lucas wasn’t interested in
her,
she reminded herself firmly. And there was nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying herself with her son’s buddy.

Lucas was here—they were both here—because of her son and their mutual concern about his welfare, so nothing about this evening should make her feel uncomfortable or guilty.

“This was very nice of you, Lucas,” Katie said, feeling just a little self-conscious and tongue-tied now that they were alone. Or at least alone in the booth surrounded by probably half the town.

Lucas chuckled. “Hey, I’ve got to eat, too. But I have to admit, when I left the house this evening I never anticipated, never thought that I’d be spending the evening with you.” Realizing what he said, Lucas took a sip of his soda, wondering why being around this woman made him feel like a sixteen-year-old with his foot in his mouth. And his hormones on overdrive.

She laughed. “Well, I don’t know who was more surprised when I opened the front door. You or me.” She shook her head. “My mother’s been calling me all day to tell me something. But she simply couldn’t remember what it was. I think she kept calling to tell me she signed Rusty up for the Buddy for a Boy program, but every time she called, she couldn’t remember what she wanted to tell me.”

“Ahh,” Lucas said with a nod. “So you really didn’t know anything about it.”

“Not a thing,” Katie admitted with a smile. “Although you mentioned it this morning when you were at the house, it didn’t occur to me that my mother would have signed Rusty up.” She shrugged. “But I’m glad she did.” Her gaze searched the crowd for her son. She spotted him, then relaxed. “I think it will be good for Rusty.”

“I do, too,” Lucas said, following the train of her gaze to Rusty.

“Lucas?”

He turned his head and met her eyes. “Yes?”

“Tell me something,” she said, propping her elbows on the table and her chin on her hands. “I can understand why my mom signed up Rusty for this program, but why did you sign up?” She chuckled. “I mean, I’m sure you have tons more important things to do than spend your free time with a boy you don’t even know.”

She was trying not to be touched by the fact that he’d done just that, had agreed to so freely give of himself and his time to a fatherless boy. It was an incredibly unselfish thing to do and told her a lot about the man.

“Why not?” He shrugged, feeling a sliver of alarm at the personal bent the conversation had suddenly taken. He couldn’t ever tell her that the loss of his son—missing his boy every single day—was like a giant, empty hole inside of him that nothing, absolutely nothing, seemed to fill.

He’d thought long and hard and very seriously before he’d even considered volunteering for the Buddy for a Boy program, then realized that perhaps, just perhaps it might do him and his aching heart some good.

He loved children,
adored
them, and had always wanted a big family just like he’d grown up in. Unfortunately, his wife had refused to even consider more children as long as he was a cop.

Now, after everything that had happened, he didn’t know if he should be relieved or grateful.

And Rusty was such a pistol of a kid loaded with boundless optimism, curiosity and energy, Lucas was certain spending time with the boy would be just the soothing balm his ailing heart needed.

He looked at Katie as he continued to try to explain. “As the new police chief, the mayor thinks it’s important for me to get involved in the community. And so do I. I must admit I’ve never lived in a small town before. Amos Mayfield had been a fixture as police chief for years, and I know sometimes change is hard for people to accept. I thought it was important to become as involved in the community as possible so that folks get to know me, and accept me which is why I’ve volunteered for several of the town’s programs, not just the Buddy program.” He glanced around the pizza parlor, returning the wave of Artie Roberts, the mechanic at the town’s garage. He really was beginning to like the small town feel of Cooper’s Cove, getting to know everyone, knowing everyone knew him. It was quite a change from the big city of Chicago where he was lucky if he knew his next door neighbor.

“Sounds reasonable,” Katie admitted with a smile. “So I take it you don’t have any children of your own?”

“No.” The answer was clipped and flat, making Katie’s eyes widen. Uh-oh. She’d stepped into something—what, she wasn’t sure, but his voice and face had changed and she could feel the chill all the way across the booth.

Clearly, she’d crossed into the realm of his personal life and apparently Lucas wasn’t keen on talking to her about his personal life. Was it because she was a woman? she wondered. Or because she was a reporter?

At the moment, she wasn’t certain. But one thing she did know was that it was rare for a man to have such an innate ability with children when he didn’t have any of his own. Her curiosity as a mother and a reporter were aroused.

“Well, I think it’s wonderful of you to donate your time to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to do things with an adult male.”

“It can’t be easy being a single parent,” he said softly, and Katie smiled.

“I don’t think it’s ever easy being a parent,” she admitted. “Single or otherwise. But yeah, being a single mom does present some additional problems.” She met his intense gaze, then had to wipe her damp hands down her jeans, wishing her heart wasn’t beating so fast. “Sometimes it’s hard being the one who always has to make and enforce the rules,” she admitted with a sigh. “And sometimes it would be nice to just have someone else, another adult to bounce things off of, and sometimes it would be nice to just have twenty-four hours off.” Her gaze found her son again and she was flooded with love. “But no matter how rough it gets, how tired I get, or how much I hate being the bad guy, Rusty makes it all worth it. He’s an incredible kid and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Yeah, he is an incredible kid, Katie,” Lucas agreed softly, touched by the depth of her feelings for her child and the way she seemingly juggled all the responsibilities she had to make sure she gave everyone their due. Absently, he reached across the table and covered her hand with his. He’d been itching to touch her from the moment she’d opened the door to him tonight. “And you’re doing a fabulous job with him.”

She chuckled, but didn’t remove her hand. His touch was warm, and comforting, and just for a moment she was going to allow herself to enjoy it. Maybe it was just because she was so tired, and her defenses were down. It had been an incredibly hectic day, exciting but hectic, and she was exhausted. “Thanks. That’s always nice to hear.”

“Well, well, well, what have we here?” Patience Pettibone stood next to their booth, a wide grin of mischief on her ruby lips.

Katie glanced up with a weak smile and almost groaned. She had to admit, she adored Patience—even if she was Cooper’s Cove’s version of the town crier.

Sweet, giggly, and totally immune to what others thought about her, Patience had more natural confidence than any woman Katie had ever met. Her complexion was the color of cloves and her eyes were a deeper, dancing brown. Her silver Brillo pad of hair was buzz cut to better decorate the top of her head, with temporary hair dye reflecting whatever holiday was in season.

“Patience,” Katie said, managing at the last minute not to groan the woman’s name when she realized Lucas was still covering her hand with his. And Patience was all but hovering over their booth, taking everything in. “Nice to see you. You know Lucas Porter, the new police chief, don’t you?”

“My, my, my, I surely do,” Patience said, giving her colorful hair a pat. “I’m not so old, sugar, that I’d let such a fine, handsome specimen of a man get by me.” She batted her fake eyelashes at Lucas. “Evening, chief. Now tell me, what brings you and Katie together this fine fall evening?”

“Business,” Katie gasped out before Lucas could open his mouth. “Strictly business,” Katie assured the woman with a weak smile. She was such a terrible liar. Patience was going to call her on it any minute, she was sure of it. And then tell her mother she’d caught Katie lying.

Good Lord, that was the last thing she wanted, second only to Patience gossiping about her and Lucas, and telling the whole town they were holding hands at the pizza parlor.

Patience’s brows moved up and down like nervous little worms. “Business, huh?”

She chuckled loudly, causing almost everyone in the pizza parlor to turn in their direction. Katie wanted to crawl under the table.

“What kind of business requires hand-holding?” Patience winked at Lucas as her gaze zeroed in on their linked hands. “Monkey business, I think. Yes, siree, monkey business.” She chuckled. “Looks like we got ourselves a budding romance here.”

“No, actually, Patience,” Lucas said calmly, “this really
is
business,” he said. “Yes, see, I’m Katie’s son’s buddy.” He smiled. “You know, the Buddy for a Boy program the town council recently started?”

“Yeah,” Patience replied, cocking her head a bit. “So what’s that got to do with hand-holding?”

Lucas’s smile remained firmly in place. “Well, Katie and I aren’t exactly holding hands,” he clarified, giving Patience his most sincere smile. “We’re actually just having a friendly argument that maybe you can help us solve.”

“Argument?” Katie repeated weakly, wondering what Lucas was up to this time. Then she remembered the way he’d handled the gossip in the diner at lunch this morning and tried to relax a bit.

“Yes, Katie,” Lucas said with a reassuring smile. “Patience strikes me as a modern woman, let’s see what she has to say about this. I think she can help us settle this once and for all.”

Patience grinned. “You want my help. Well, it’s about dang time someone in this town appreciates me. Now, push over, Chief,” Patience said, getting into their booth and bumping Lucas’s hip with her own ample one as she squeezed in beside him. “If I’m going to be helping you and settling things, then I need to rest my old, weary bones.” Chuckling again, she patted her hair. “I think better when I’m sitting, anyway.” She smoothed down her black top. “Okay, now what’s the problem, here?”

“Well, Patience,” Lucas began, still covering Katie’s hand, “I say since I invited Rusty for a get-aquatinted pizza, and of course I invited his mom so Rusty wouldn’t feel awkward—”

“’Course, that’s understandable,” Patience said with a bob of her head. “Boys that age feel awkward ’bout just about everything,” she said, leaning across the table as if speaking only to Katie. “Nothing strange about that.”

“Well, now I say it’s only polite to let me pay and leave the tip since I did the inviting.” Lucas turned toward Katie again and flashed her a wink. “But Katie here is insisting that I let her pay her share.” He lifted their linked hands, and showed Patience the tip money he’d laid down on the table before she’d arrived. “See, she’s trying to push this money off on me, to pay for her share. And I say since I did the inviting, I should pay. Now, as a modern woman, what do you think?”

“Sugar, have you gone daft?” Patience demanded of Katie. “When a handsome man offers to buy you a meal, you accept, sugar. You don’t argue with him.”

“But…but…”

“But nothing, sugar, take it from me,” Patience said with a sharp wave of a bejeweled finger. “You may be a modern woman and all, but Katie, you’ve got to let a man be a
man.
” She wiggled her brows knowingly. “Know what I mean? And trust me, girl, you’re not getting any younger and if a handsome, available man like the chief here offers to buy you a pizza, even if it’s just so he can get to know your boy, you accept and be done with it.” Patience shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows, maybe someday he might even show some interest in you. I mean I doubt it since you’re such a skinny little thing, and men like a woman that’s got some solid meat on her bones.” Grinning, she ran a hand down her ample figure. “Like me. But like I said, sugar, you surely ain’t getting any younger. And a woman could do a lot worse. Trust me, that comes from experience,” Patience added with another chuckle that had her slapping the table at her own humor. “Now, you just stop being so blasted stubborn, Katherine.” She drew back, her eyebrows drawing together again. “Why, what would your mama say if she knew you were being downright rude to the new police chief, after he’d been so nice to your boy?”