Chapter 12 #2
The next morning, Wes slept in. I went downstairs in search of some coffee and wound up sitting at the kitchen table with his mom for more than an hour.
She told me half a dozen stories from Wes’s teen and tween years, each one funnier than the last. Apparently, he’d started noticing girls at a young age.
“Then when he was eleven, he got this crush on one of his brother’s friends,” Joanna continued, smiling.
“She was three years older, like Luke, and Wes decided that if he grew some muscles, maybe she wouldn’t notice that he hadn’t even started puberty yet.
He asked me to buy him some weights, but I wasn’t sure if boys that young should be pumping iron, so I told him to wait a year or two.
” She shook her head. “But Wes was determined. He usually walked home after school with some friends because I worked until five o’clock, but one day I came home early and saw that the boy next door had come home, but Wes hadn’t.
I asked Billy where my son was, and he said Wes had started going to Costco every day after school.
I thought that was strange, so I took a ride over—and found Wes lifting the display weights. ”
We both laughed, and Wes walked in mid-cackle, frowning as his head ping-ponged between us. “Oh, this can’t be good…”
I grinned. “I’m glad you’re up. I was thinking about going to the gym. Maybe we can go together.”
He cocked his head, like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Okay...”
“Or maybe you’d like to go to Costco instead?”
Wes shut his eyes. “I’m going to kill you, Ma. How many stories have you told her?”
“Oh, just one or two.”
I chuckled. “Or six.”
“Great.” He crossed over to open a cabinet, pulling out a mug and filling it with coffee from the pot. “Just what I needed.”
He carried the mug to the table and sat down opposite his mother, who looked between us and smiled. “How did you two meet?”
I opened my mouth to tell the story we’d told Mario and Natalia—how Wes had pulled me over for a traffic stop, and we later met at the bar.
But I didn’t think that timeline would make sense, as his mother probably knew he’d been off the force for a while.
So I extended a hand to Wes. “I’ll let Wes do the honors. It’s so much funnier when he tells it.”
Without missing a beat, Wes spoke with a straight face. “I saved her ass.”
His mom chuckled. “What does that mean?”
“I was in Dunkin Donuts getting my morning coffee, when the woman ahead of me in line darted to the ladies’ room.
I figured she really had to go.” He shrugged and sipped his coffee.
“A few minutes later she came back, and there were like six more customers in line, so I told her she could cut in front of me since she’d been there before I was.
When she did, I noticed her entire ass was hanging out.
She’d accidentally tucked the back of her skirt into her underwear. ”
My eyes widened, mortified.
The corner of Wes’s lip twitched. “She also had some toilet paper in there.”
I blinked at him, unsure if I should be impressed that he’d made up that story so quickly, or a little scared.
Joanna patted my arm. “It happens.” She looked over at her son. “Did you not sleep well, Wes? You look tired, and it’s not like you to sleep so late.”
“I had a little trouble falling asleep.”
“You did?” I asked. “I thought you fell asleep pretty quick.”
Wes shook his head slowly. “Nope, but you did. You were out cold. I think I had a pile of drool on my chest when I finally fell asleep about four o’clock.”
Oh shit. I thought he’d been asleep when I snuggled up to him. Wes had a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at me across the table, and I was grateful when Joanna changed the subject.
“What are your plans for today, honey?” she asked.
Wes shrugged. “Not much, other than going over to visit Grandma.”
“Did you have a certain time in mind?”
“I figured I’d give Juliette some time to shower and get ready, then head over. Maybe an hour or two. Is that all right?”
“That’s perfect. I’ll go over and see her now and then stop back later tonight. That way she has visitors throughout the day.”
“Sounds good.” Wes nodded.
Joanna finished her coffee and stood. “All right, you two. I’ll see you later on.”
After Wes’s mom left, he rinsed our empty mugs in the sink and leaned a hip against the kitchen counter. “Why don’t you go shower first, since you take longer to get ready?”
“Okay. How’s your back feeling today?”
“Great. Thank you for last night.”
I smiled. “And thank you for letting me use you as a pillow.”
Upstairs, the shower felt incredible. One thing I missed about living on the East Coast was the water pressure.
My rental didn’t compare to this or what I’d had at home in New York.
I lingered longer than usual and let the pounding water unwind the tension in my shoulders.
When I finally stepped out, I realized I’d done the same thing as Wes had last night: left my bag in the other room. So I walked out in my towel.
Wes was making the bed. When he turned, he froze, and his eyes raked up and down my body. After a long, heated stare, he looked away. “You should get dressed. You already broke my no-touching rule by sleeping on top of me.”
My eyes narrowed. “I didn’t sleep on top of you. I rested my head gently.”
He met my gaze. “And that turned into wrapping your arms and legs around me about ten seconds after you fell asleep.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah—oh.” He shook his head. “I’m trying to be good, Juliette. And you’re not making it easy. I can’t be on my game to protect you if I’m distracted.”
“Maybe…we would be less distracted if we took care of our pent-up frustrations.”
“Absolutely not.”
I sighed, and in a moment of utter insanity, I untied the knot of my towel. It fell to the floor, pooling around my feet. “I’ll be here if you change your mind.”
***
The car was quiet on the drive over to Wes’s grandmother’s house.
In fact, he’d barely said two words to me since storming out of the bedroom.
I thought about apologizing, but really, why should I?
I wasn’t sorry. I liked Wes, maybe too much.
My physical attraction to him was off the charts.
And I knew in my bones that he felt the same way.
But yet again, my father was in the way of my life.
We pulled up to his grandmother’s house, and, as always, Wes told me to stay in the car until he determined it was safe.
I watched as he scoped out the block before opening my door.
As I climbed out, our arms brushed, and a bolt of electricity shot through me.
Wes’s eyes jumped to meet mine, and I had no doubt he’d felt it, too.
He looked away quickly, but I decided right then and there that he and I were going to have a talk later.
Inside, the house was quiet. His grandmother’s hospice nurse was just coming out of the bedroom. Her face fell when she saw us, and I knew what was coming before she even spoke.
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “Your grandmother just passed.”