Chapter 8
RAELYN
My heart was pounding so fast I feared it might jump right out of my chest. I knew I would be nervous. Of course, I would be. I didn’t do crazy, impulsive things like this. I was level-headed. I always thought things through, always played it safe, but this was far from playing it safe.
But I couldn’t stop thinking about when CeeCee said that if I had a life of my own, I wouldn’t be so concerned about hers. She was right. I hadn’t really been living. I’d just been going through the motions. I thought this might be a way of changing that.
I had it all planned out.
I would go to the diner, peek inside, and see if he was there.
The chances were slim, but there was the possibility he might show up there again.
And if he happened to be there, I would go over to him and introduce myself.
Then, I would thank him for what he’d said to the boys.
And maybe, just maybe, a conversation would follow.
It seemed possible.
Easy even.
I walked through the door and spotted him in the back booth, and I couldn’t help but notice that he looked different today. He seemed more put together, but still just as ridiculously handsome as I remembered. And trust me, I remembered.
I don’t know why this stranger had control of my mind the way he did, but I’d spent all night thinking about those gorgeous eyes, those full lips, and the way his shirt hugged his thick biceps.
I’d thought about his voice and the flicker of curiosity in his eyes when they met mine.
But now, I wasn’t just thinking about him.
I was seeing him in the flesh, and I was suddenly overcome with doubt.
A plan that seemed simple and easy suddenly felt like the most asinine thing I could do. No woman drives across town to “accidentally” run into the hot guy she’d seen for two seconds, not unless she was completely off her rocker.
The doubts were rolling in hard, and every instinct I had told me to abort the mission. And when he looked up, and his eyes met mine, a jolt of nerves shot right through me.
I had to make a decision.
I could either race out of there and spend months and months wondering what if, or I could let myself be a little bold and adventurous and just talk to the man. I was tired of playing it safe. It was time for me to go after something I wanted, no matter how hard or humiliating.
So, I continued over to his table, and I didn’t stop until I was standing right in front of him. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just stood there, staring at him. He didn’t say a word. He just stared back at me. Eventually, I forced myself to say, “I was hoping I would find you here.”
He didn’t respond. He just looked at me like he was a little stunned. Fearing he might not remember me, I added, “I don’t know if you remember me, but I was here yesterday with my sons… You stopped at our table.”
“I remember you.”
He said it low and confident, and my heavens, it made my entire body shudder. “Oh, okay. Good.”
I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to pull myself together as I continued, “I just wanted to come by and thank you for what you said to my boys yesterday. It’s a conversation we’ve had many times before, but they don’t always listen to me.
Sometimes it’s like it goes in one ear and out the other, but they actually listened to you.
More than I expected. They even talked about it after we left, and it kind of surprised me.
You know, they’re at that stage where they think no one is as smart as they are, and that’s a whole thing in itself.
But anyway, I wanted to say thanks. I appreciate you taking the time to stop and talk to them. ”
His gaze softened, and his lips curled. It wasn’t exactly a smile, but it hit harder than any grin could have. “I’m glad they listened. They seem like good kids.”
“They are.” I smiled. “Mostly… Generally, except when they’re not. They do have this annoying tendency to wear me down and make me question all my life choices.”
“Boys have a way of doing that.”
“Yes, they do, but don’t get me wrong. I love them. They are my heart and soul, and there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for them.” I raised my brows and smiled. “But there are days when I fear they might take me out. Not on purpose or anything like that, but…”
“I get it,” he chuckled.
Before I could decide whether to get out of there or keep rambling, one of the waitresses squeezed behind me with a pot of coffee. I shifted awkwardly to the side and stammered, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
“You’re fine, doll,” the waitress replied with a smile.
Once she’d squeezed by, the man asked, “You wanna sit?”
I didn’t answer right away. I just stood there staring at him, trying to decide what I should do, and before I’d really thought it through, I asked, “You sure?”
“Wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t,” he answered, sliding his plate out of the way.
“Okay.”
With that, I eased into the seat across from him and clasped my hands in my lap. My leg started to bounce with nerves, but I couldn’t help myself. It was the first time, in a long, long while, that I actually felt excited about something.
For a moment, we just sat there. I was trying to remember to breathe while he watched me with an unreadable expression that made my leg bounce even faster. Finally, he asked, “Want some coffee?”
“Coffee would be great.”
He gave me a nod, then motioned over to the waitress. Seconds later, she appeared at the table with a fresh cup of coffee. She placed it in front of me and asked, “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Once she was gone, he cleared his throat and asked, “Are you from around here?”
“Afraid so. I grew up about twenty minutes from here. I went off to college, married someone from the same town, and ended up right back here.” His eyes never left mine, and I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to.
The man was positively beautiful, from his dark, thick hair to his full lips, and I was completely spellbound. “What about you?”
“No. Just here visiting.”
“Oh, that’s nice… So, where are you visiting from?”
“There was a time when I’d say Kansas City, but not anymore… Not for a long time.”
“I see.” I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I didn’t push. “I am the librarian at Clairmont Elementary. It’s a few blocks from the house.”
His brows rose just slightly. “School librarian, huh?”
“Somebody’s gotta keep some control over the chaos.”
“So, does the school librarian have a name?”
“Oh, gah. I don’t know what I was thinking,” I giggled. “Yes, I’m Raelyn Pierce. Sorry. I should’ve mentioned that before. I guess I got carried away.”
“That makes two of us,” he scoffed. “I’m Walker Dunn. It’s nice to meet you, Raelyn.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
From there, the conversation moved through your typical small talk about the weather and cool places to see in the area.
The conversation was never forced or awkward.
He didn’t seem annoyed or rushed to get me gone.
Instead, he moved from one topic to the next, like he was truly interested in what I had to say.
The waitress came by and refilled our cups of coffee, and we just kept at it. Almost an hour had passed when he finally said, “So, tell me more about your boys.”
“They’re typical teenagers… Well, Lucas isn’t quite a teenager yet, but he sure likes to think he is. But they’re both really good. They’re respectful and protective, and nosey. Very, very nosey.”
“You raising ‘em alone?”
“For the most part.” I shrugged. “Their father helps out when he can, but that seems to be less and less these days.”
“So, you two are divorced?”
“For just over six months now, but we’ve been separated for over two years.”
“You okay with that?”
“I am now. At the time, it was hard.” I shrugged. “He was sleeping with my best friend, and once I found out, I was done with them both.”
His eyes widened, and for a brief moment, he actually looked amused. “Oh, damn. That’ll do it.”
“Sure will.”
“I’m sorry. That had to be rough.”
“It was.” I gave him another shrug. “But it’s better now… I’m better, or at least, I like to think that I am.”
“I’m sure that you are.”
“What about you? Are you married? Or do you have a tragic divorce story to share?”
“I was, but that was a lifetime ago.”
“Oh?” I saw a flicker of anguish in his eyes, so I said, “So, there is a story there.”
“Yes, but that’s one for another day.”
There was a sadness in his tone that made my chest tighten, but I found hope in the fact that he mentioned another day. Maybe, just maybe, we would actually cross paths again, and that thought made me smile. “Alright. Another day.”
He smiled back, and God help me, I felt it all the way to my toes. He lifted his coffee cup and finished it off, then announced, “I hate to cut this short, but I’ve gotta get going.”
“Oh, okay. Sorry I kept you so long.”
“Don’t be.” He pulled some cash from his wallet and dropped it on the table. “I enjoyed it.”
“Me, too.”
I followed him outside, and we both stopped at the edge of the sidewalk. He gave me a look, like he was mulling something over, and for a split second, I thought he was going to ask for my number. Instead, he said, “Good to see you again.”
“You, too.”
My response was followed by another awkward pause. Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, “Have a good one and don’t let those boys get too out of control. I’d hate to see you second-guessing any more life choices.”
“I’ll do my best,” I chuckled.
And with that, he gave me a quick chin lift and continued into the parking lot. I stood there for a moment, but only a moment. I’d already embarrassed myself enough, so I turned around and headed for the Tahoe. Once inside, I watched him get on a black motorcycle and slip on a helmet.
He started the engine, and my chest tightened as he rolled out of the lot and disappeared into traffic. I just sat there, staring at the traffic, and it hit me just how little I knew about him. I hadn’t asked the right questions.
I had no idea if he was attached again, if he had kids, or where he worked. I didn’t know what his interests were or when he would be leaving. And now I might never know.
He didn’t ask for my number or mention meeting up again.
I wanted to believe he had just forgotten, but deep down I knew it was more than that.
Maybe it was just that he was there visiting and he didn’t want to complicate things by starting something up with me.
Or maybe it was the fact that I was a divorcee with two boys.
The possibilities were endless.
And every one of them left me feeling disappointed and a little hurt.
It didn’t matter now. He was gone, and sitting in the parking lot wasn’t going to change that. I started the engine and was about to shift into reverse when my phone lit up on the console. Thomas’s name came across the screen, and I immediately answered, “Hey, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”
“Where are you?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“I’m out running errands. Why?”
“We’re at the house.”
“What?” I backed out of my parking spot and left the lot, whipping into traffic. “You weren’t supposed to be home until after dinner.”
“I know, but Dad had to drop us off early.”
“What do you mean he had to?”
“I don’t know. I guess he had something he needed to do.”
“And he didn’t tell you what it was?”
“No.”
Of course, he didn’t. Because God forbid Dan ever communicate like an adult. “Is he still there?”
“No, he’s already gone.”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” I wanted to scream or throw my phone. Or both. But I managed to keep my composure and said, “Okay. I’ll be home in ten minutes. You guys just hang tight, okay.”
“We’re good.” He sounded rather proud of himself as he announced, “I helped Lucas crawl through my bedroom window, and he’s watching TV, and I’m about to finish this stupid book.”
“So, you started it?”
“Yeah, last night after the game.”
“You don’t like it?”
“Nah, it’s okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Mom.”
“Okay. Okay.” I knew he would like it, but I also knew better than to push. “I’ll be there soon.”
I ended the call and let out a frustrated breath.
I was still aggravated with Dan for not checking with me before dropping the kids off early. I considered calling him to bless him out, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good.
This whole thing was just par for the course.
Dan had always been a selfish ass who did whatever he wanted without ever sparing a single thought for anyone else, even his own kids.
It was one of the reasons it was so easy for him to slip into an affair with CeeCee.
He could do it without thinking about how it would hurt the kids and me, and he certainly didn’t think about her husband and kids.
He saved that luxury for me.
But I was done playing cat and mouse with him. It was time for Dan to grow up and learn that there are consequences for his actions. It was a job I wasn’t sure I had the strength to teach him, but for our sons’ sake, I was going to try.