Zoey And The Nice Guy (Big Girl Panties #1) (7 page)

“Stay out as long as you like,” Kellen said. “You’ve earned it.”

Zoey wanted to break his nose again.

At last, Mattie finished nursing. Maya set him on a rug in the corner of the living room. He reached into a bucket for his toys and immediately began pulling them out.
 

Maya, having fixed her dress, strapped into her shoes and grabbed her purse. “Ready?”

Zoey and Addy rose and followed her out the door. Zoey was last out when a hand wrapped around her arm. She turned to face Kellen as she jerked her arm out of his grasp. “What?” she snapped.

His eyes widened. “Uh, nothing. I was just going to wish you a good night. I’m glad you get to go to your prom. You and Maya shouldn’t miss out on something like that.”

She gaped at him. “Yeah. Okay.” She turned and followed her friends down to Addy’s car.
 

Zoey had always remembered that moment for Maya’s beauty; the incongruence of her child-like enthusiasm for a long-standing high school ritual, and her very adult responsibility in caring for her son. Now, looking at her holding her two children, the reality of Maya’s womanhood washed over her. Maya had left an abusive husband for the sake of her children. There she sat, broken in body, but still nurturing her children.
 

“You have to tell me how to make cookies,” Zoey said. If Maya could birth and raise these two, sweet children, Zoey could at least help them bake their Christmas cookies.

“You don’t have to do that for us.”

“I want to. We want cookies and music while we decorate our tree, isn’t that right?”

Matthew and Sophie nodded emphatically.

“Okay,” Maya said. “Well, first thing is, you have to get the butter soft.”
 

“Love it when you talk dirty.” She winked at Maya and headed to the kitchen.

Maya talked her through the process. Matthew and Sophie sat at the bar and helped, which meant they scooped globs of cookie dough out of the bowl and ate them. They apparently had to chill the dough before rolling it out to make sugar cookies, so they decided to make some chocolate chip cookies while they were waiting.

Since Zoey didn’t know what she was doing, the whole ordeal was a major mess. But the kids had fun, which was all that mattered.

Addy, who had been crashing on the couch the past couple of nights, came and leaned on the bar next to them. “Mommy’s taking a nap, guys,” she said softly.

They automatically lowered their voices. Zoey leaned over the counter and peeked into the living room. Maya was reclined back with her mouth slightly open, looking like a beat-up angel.

“Hey, now that Aunt Zoey’s got the cookies in the oven,” Addy said, “why don’t you guys get cleaned up and go watch TV in her room for a while.”

Zoey had a ton more ingredients. She’d gone completely overboard due to her lack of knowledge on the subject of cookie baking, so she got started making some more dough. She was going to chop up a bunch of the candy the kids had talked her into buying and mix it all in.

“They couldn’t find Damon,” Addy said.

Zoey glanced up at her. “He’ll crawl up out of whatever hole he’s hiding in.”

“They can’t serve him until he does. They warned her that leaving an abuser often causes him to escalate. It could get dangerous here.”

“Well, maybe she’ll let me carry my gun, then. She made me lock it up yesterday and I don’t know how I’m supposed to protect them if I’m unarmed.”

“You and that gun. It’s ridiculous, Zoey.”

“I’m a single woman. You should have a weapon, too. You spend your time in that apartment in the city all alone, walking all over the place by yourself…you need protection. At least, carry some mace.”

Addy shrugged. “Professor McDaniel either drives me or walks me when it’s late.”

“Oh, yes, Professor McSexyPants. Are you finally screwing him?”

“God, why do you have to be so crude?”

She shrugged and measured flour into her bowl of butter, sugar, and eggs. “I just want to see you get that guy out of your system so you can get back to the happy, friendly Addy we all know and love.”

“This isn’t high school. You’ve got to accept that we’re all growing and changing. You’re changing, too, Zoey. You just don’t want to admit it. And, no, I’m not sleeping with the professor. I’m his TA and that would be completely inappropriate. It could also get him fired, so I’d appreciate if you could stop talking so flippantly about it.”

“Fine, but if you’re not going to do him, can I?”

“He would not be interested in you, I promise.”

“You don’t know. I have ways, Addy. Secret, sexy ways.” She gave her a wink and finally got a smile out of her. “Okay, so how is Maya doing?”

“The pain killers have really got her mellow, but she’s worried about the kids. She was a wreck the whole time we were out. I don’t think she separates from them very often. The sheriff said he’d have your neighborhood patrolled regularly but they can’t afford to post an officer outside your house or anything.”

“Is custody going to be a problem?”

“Not yet. The order requires him to stay completely away from her and the kids until the court date, which will be January third.”

“Great. So, if he shows up, we just call the cops.”
 

“Yeah, here.” Addy slid a business card across the counter. “Put Charlie’s number on speed dial, and show the kids how to use it. That way you won’t have to go through nine-one-one, and he’s already apprised of the danger.”

Zoey took the card by the corner and then grabbed her phone off the wall. As she put in the number, she heard a car pull into her driveway. Her car, driven by Kellen. Just like that, she thought back to prom night. Had he liked her, then, or had he just been trying to be nice?

For some reason, her body warmed. Her head lightened. Something like joy began to pulse through her.
 

Something was seriously messed up.
 

While Zoey was buying Christmas trees and attempting to bake cookies, Kellen was with his parents. They sat in the breakfast nook of their large, colonial home. Judging by the serene smiles on their faces, they had no idea what was going on.
 

Kellen grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with them.
 

“What brings you by, dear?” his mother, Lois, asked.

“Have you heard from Damon?”

“Not lately.”

Kellen took a breath. “Maya’s leaving him.”

Their faces gradually fell around their in-tact smiles, morphing their expressions into something weird and grotesque. “Why?” Lois finally asked.

Kellen dreaded telling them what their son had done. He could barely wrap his own mind around it. He took a deep breath and lowered his head. “Damon’s been…he’s been hurting her. Last night he beat her severely and, apparently, it’s not the first time. I don’t know about the kids. Maya seems to think he’s never hurt them. But with Matthew getting older, I’m afraid it’s just a matter of time.”

He lifted his eyes, daring to take in their undoubtedly hurt expressions. Bryan’s mouth was hanging open. Lois looked almost amused. “Dear,” Lois said, “I don’t know what Maya told you, but Damon would never do that to her. Is it possible she was stepping out on him? Maybe her boyfriend did that.”

Kellen gave himself a shake, trying to come to terms with this ridiculous thought. How could anyone think so little of Maya? “Mom, no. Look.” He held up his phone with a picture of Maya as she’d looked yesterday. “He did that to her, and he’s done it before.

Their smiles finished falling. Bryan, his dad, said, “That’s not possible.” At least he sounded like he had some doubt about his assertion.

Lois had absolute confidence when she said, again, “Damon would never do something like that.”

Kellen understood the desire to believe the best in their son. But still, “Let’s be realistic,” he said. “We all know he’s capable. Hell, he beat up on me all the time.”

“You were children,” Lois said. “Older brothers pick on their younger brothers. That’s just how it works.”

“Do they put them in the hospital? Knock out their teeth? Face it, Damon’s always had a violent streak.”

“No,” Lois said, shaking her head. “I don’t know what happened to Maya, but Damon didn’t do that to her. He wouldn’t. He loves her.”

Kellen had expected shock, sadness, maybe even anger. Denial? No, he hadn’t expected denial. “Mom, she wouldn’t lie. I took her to the hospital. They apparently know her by name. They’ve questioned her about abuse in the past, and she’s always lied to protect him. That’s changed. Now she’s worried for the kids’ safety and we need to help her. She’s staying with her friend, but I thought you might open up your home to her, since—“

“Let her hide here while she smears our son’s name through the mud? How dare you even suggest such a thing!”

“Mom, come on. Dad,” he said, turning to his dad, “tell her. We’ve gotta support Maya through this.”

Bryan frowned, glancing between them.

Which was when Kellen realized he didn’t know his parents nearly as well as he’d thought. “These are your grandchildren we’re talking about.”

“And they should be with their father,” Lois said. “If she sues for custody, you tell her we’re going to get him the best damn lawyer money can buy. She’s not taking those kids from him.”

The world came a little unhinged just then. His home suddenly felt like a place he wasn’t welcome. He swallowed and tried to find something to cling to, something normal and sane. “My brother beat up his wife. I’m not supporting him.” He lifted his gaze to each of theirs.

All he saw was disappointment and disgust in his mother’s expression; confusion in his father’s. He got up and left before the situation could get worse.
 

He drove Zoey’s car back to her house. He went to the front door and was about to knock. But then he remembered that his family was in there and he didn’t have to knock. Plus maybe Zoey would yell at him. For some reason, the prospect of getting yelled at by Zoey had become an exciting thing.

Their conversation yesterday had left a mark on him. In fact, it was like she’d taken residence in his thoughts and he couldn’t evict her. He’d tried to forget the erotic dream he’d had last night. But the images were there to stay.

He walked in to find Maya snoozing in her recliner, Addy lounging at the bar, and Zoey with flour in her hair and clothes and cookie dough up to her elbows. Her wide, blue eyes met his. She lifted her fingers to her mouth, and then sucked the cookie dough off her middle finger, slowly and with a soft, “Mmm.”
 

Kellen’s brain immediately ceased functioning. He licked his lips and stared as she sucked yet another finger. Maybe she would offer him some. Maybe she would let him lick cookie dough off her and then, later, just lick her.

“Your parents take the news okay?” she asked.

“I’d love some,” he answered, still hypnotized. His feet, completely on board with the goal of licking Zoey, walked him a few steps closer.
 

“Huh?”

“Cookie dough.”

“Oh. Well, here.” She grabbed a spoon and scooped some dough into it. “But no more. I’m making these for the kids.”

“You’re baking cookies for the kids?” He wasn’t sure what to make of the fact that this brief, maternal moment only made her more attractive to him. He took the spoon and put it back in the bowl. He gently took her wrist and held up her hand. “How did you get this much of it on your hands?”

She shrugged. “It was really stiff, so I had to work it with my hands.”

Kellen stifled a groan.

“Don’t worry, I washed them first. Why are you scowling at me?”

He’d never noticed the beautiful shape of her full mouth…probably because she was usually using that mouth to shout obscenities at him. Not now, though.

Her lips turned up. Her voice changed, lowered and softened. “You want a taste?” she asked.

He caged her against the counter with every intention of taking a taste. He’d forgotten about Addy.

“Oh, my God, what is going on? Stop. Stop it! Do you hear me?” Addy shouted frantically.

She ran to Kellen, grabbed him by the shirt, and tried to pull him away. He let her, but only a few steps.

Addy stepped in front of him and put her arms out, as though guarding him. “Release him from the tractor beam, Zoey. I’m not even kidding.”

“I’m not doing anything,” Zoey said, making a mockery of the sweetness in her own voice. Her eyes never left Kellen’s.

“He’s a nice guy,” Addy said. “Please, don’t destroy him.”

Zoey snapped out of it, then. She pressed her lips together and started gathering up dirty dishes. She turned her back to them a little too quickly. “I don’t destroy men,” she said. “They destroy themselves.”

Well, Kellen had no intention of destroying or being destroyed. He moved to help her clean up. He regretfully watched her washing her hands. He helped her gather dirty dishes into the sink, and then he grabbed a towel and started wiping down the counter.
 

Zoey scrubbed dishes without looking at him. “So? Your parents?”

He leaned his hip against the counter, only inches from her. “They’re struggling.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Means they’re processing.”

She dropped her hands and looked up at him. “Struggling? Processing? What’s it mean?”

He sighed. “They didn’t believe me. My dad…he’ll come to terms with it, but I think my mom’s in pretty heavy denial.”
 

Zoey turned off the sink, flung the dish rag into it, and dried her hands. “I’ll go talk to her.”

He laughed. “Whoa, there, tiger. No way. I think you talking to my mother in even the best of circumstances would be a disastrous event.”

“I’m going to bitch slap her with reality, Kellen. Her daughter-in-law and grandchildren need her support right now.”

“You’re not going to talk to her.”

She just laughed and shook her head. She started to head to the door, but Kellen got in front of her. “You’re not hearing me, Zoey. You’re not going. I’m putting my foot down.”