Chapter 6
With the cameras and sensors installed, Lane walked the perimeter of the house. The sun beat down on him, the brim of his hat shading his face. An explosion of colorful roses swayed in the flowerbeds and hugged the blue siding, making him smile.
Of course Celine would plant flowers everywhere she could. She always loved them, prompting him to buy her a bouquet any chance he got when they were younger.
The house itself wasn’t what he’d expected.
He might not have been around much lately, but he knew the man she’d married was loaded.
He’d assumed she’d gotten some money out of the divorce, but maybe her ex found a way to screw her over.
He’d gone to school with Kevin, and even then, he’d hated the smug bastard.
Hated him even more once he’d married Celine.
The night he’d stumbled upon Celine, pissed and grieving her broken marriage, he hadn’t asked any questions about what caused the split.
He hadn’t cared. He’d just thanked his luck the stars had aligned, and their paths had crossed.
It’d been more than the two drinks that led them back to the place she’d once shared with her ex, a mansion of a house on the outside of town.
No, it wasn’t the alcohol that coaxed him into her bed.
And if he was being honest with himself, that’s not what had caused the outpouring of promises he couldn’t keep.
It’d been a deep-seated desire to want to keep those promises, a compulsion to completely let down his walls with a woman who meant so damn much to him.
A woman he’d lied to and left behind, betrayed again.
Anger at his own stupidity tensed his muscles, and he kicked an ugly little garden gnome standing in the mulch.
“Hey now,” Duke said, rounding the corner of the house. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”
Frustration sizzled in his veins, and he curled his hands into fists at his sides. “Don’t tempt me.”
Duke stopped in front of him, his mouth turned down at the corners. “Dude, what the hell crawled up your ass and died? I didn’t expect you to be thrilled to find me on your doorstep, but you’ve been lower than a worm’s belly since the moment you opened the door.”
Shaking his head, Lane rolled his eyes. “Seriously? You’re giving me grief? When you just showed up out of the blue and played make-believe buddies all day? You haven’t even told me why you’re here. You just followed me around, spouting off stupid little sayings and making smart-ass remarks.”
The release of heated words loosened the knots in his stomach. Duke might not deserve the full brunt of his anger right now, but he had to let it out.
And the asshole seemed to not only understand that but encouraged it.
“That’s right,” Duke said, wiggling his fingers in a come-on motion.
“Let it out. Scream at me—hell punch me if you need to. But moping around all stern-faced and acting like a dick isn’t going to solve whatever your problems are.
And something tells me those problems have to do with whoever lives in this house.
Old girlfriend? Sister? Secret crush from years gone by?
Whoever it is, she was quite a looker in those pictures on the wall.
Maybe I can say hi to her while I’m in town. ”
Lane let out a war-like roar and charged forward. He didn’t think, didn’t rationalize, just unleashed the build-up of emotions that overwhelmed him since he’d stepped back into town. Head forward, he tackled Duke to the ground.
His breath came out in ragged pants and he drew back his fist, his other hand grabbing hold of the neckline of Duke’s T-shirt.
Duke laid still, all the humor gone from his face. Replaced with a look of understanding that had Lane dropping his arms to his side and rolling onto his back. He stared up at the white puffy clouds and let the slight breeze across his face cool a bit of his anger.
“Feel better?” Duke asked. “I meant it, you can hit me. One time offer. Do it a second time and I’ll be forced to hit back.”
Lane squeezed his eyes shut against the bright sun. The tightness in his chest loosened but he still struggled to catch his breath as he battled the war brewing in his gut.
“I’m fine.”
Duke snorted. “Whatever you say. I know you’re not a let’s sit and chat, kumbaya kind of guy but you need to do something before you have a damn stroke.”
He hated that Duke was right. The events of the past few days weighed heavy on him, one heavier than others. He didn’t have a lot of people to talk to, and even if he wanted to tell Suzy what he’d learned, he wasn’t sure if Celine wanted the truth of Parker’s paternity shared.
Because he might not know the whole story, but if his sister had known he was a dad, she’d have told him.
Leaving Duke as the next best option. He didn’t know anyone in town and would hopefully be gone by morning.
“Oh, what the hell,” he said, forcing himself to sit on the hard ground. “I got home yesterday planning on selling that God-forsaken house dear old dad left me and getting the hell out of here.”
“And those plans changed?” Duke asked, raising to sit beside him.
“More like a bomb crashed down and smashed it all to pieces.”
Duke’s brows rose high. “Now I’m intrigued.”
Lane scrubbed a palm over his jawline. He just needed to rip off the damn Band-Aid. “I’m a dad. Didn’t even know it. I have a freaking baby.”
A low whistle came from Duke. “This your baby mama’s house? I noticed a nursery in there. Pictures of Mom and baby in there but none with Dad.”
He turned to stare at Duke. “You’re pretty damn perceptive.”
“I notice things.” Duke shrugged. “So you and the mom used to be a thing?”
“A long time ago. I messed it up then, came back to town and messed it up again. I just hope she’ll give me a chance to be a part of the baby’s life. Prove I want to be there for my kid.”
“That why you installed the security system?”
“Yeah. She had a break in last night. I happened to stop by, or things could have ended really badly.”
“Shit, man. I’m sorry. But as long as you keep showing up and proving how much you want to be there for your kid, she’ll see how serious you are. Your head’s spinning, I’m sure, and I bet so is hers. Let the dust settle a bit and things won’t look so daunting.”
“Damn, dude. Never thought you’d have such good advice.”
Duke slapped him on the shoulder then stood. “You never asked for any before. What do you say we grab a burger and beer? Call it my fee for helping you out.”
Standing, Lane brushed the dirt from the back of his jeans. “I thought free room and board for however long you planned to stay was payment enough.”
“Good point. I’ll buy.”
Lane cracked a smile as he walked back to the house and made sure the security system was in working order. He needed to go over everything with Celine anyway. Might as well get some good food while he was at it.
A quick glance at the clock ticking above the stainless-steel counter in the kitchen told Celine her break was almost over.
Tia bustled through the swinging door and placed dirty dishes in the sink. She spared Celine a concerned look before rinsing off the remaining food. “You can head home if you want. We aren’t too busy. I have enough staff to handle the rest of the lunch crowd.”
She nibbled on her last fry. “I appreciate the offer, but I can’t afford time off. I’m fine. Being busy takes my mind off everything.”
“You sure?”
If she was being honest, nothing would tear her mind from her troubles. But there was no reason to admit that to her friend.
“Positive,” she said, hoping her smile read sincere. “You haven’t had lunch yet. Sit and eat while I head back to work.”
Tia finished rinsing off the plates then slumped against the edge of the sink. “I’ll take you up on that. Thanks.”
Celine found her apron and tied it around her waist before heading into the dining area. Violet bustled around her section, the tables clearing out, so she surveyed the cluster of tables assigned to Tia.
Her heart sank at the same time excitement thrummed against the side of her neck. Lane sat with his back to her, a man she’d never seen before across from him.
With Lane home, she needed to get used to seeing him around. She’d expected it at some point today since he’d insisted on buying and installing a security system. At least this conversation would be centered around food and not something more personal.
Forcing her nerves to settle, she headed straight for his table and fixed a smile on her face. “Afternoon. Do you guys know what you want?”
She struggled not to cringe at the false, high note of her voice. As much as she strived for casual indifference she sounded more like a western valley girl.
And the amused half-smirk on Lane’s face told her he thought the same thing. “Burger, fries, and cola for me. Duke?”
“Same.” Duke set aside his menu and fixed a mega-watt grin on her. “You must be the owner of a brand-new security system?”
Frowning, she darted her gaze to Lane before refocusing on the man he’d called Duke. “Sounds like you know more about that than I do, which is a little unsettling since I don’t even know who you are.”
“Excuse my manners. I’m Duke.” He stood and held out a hand despite Lane’s hardened glare.
Her palm slid easily into his large one, and she gave a tiny shake before taking a step back. “Nice to meet you. I’m Celine. New in town?”
“Just visiting an old pal. Right, Lane?”
Lane grunted.
“I helped him at your place. Got you all fixed up. I don’t know much about those systems, but my buddy was hellbent on finding the best possible. Dragged me all over God’s green earth to get the perfect one. But I’ll let him give you all the details while I go wash my hands.”
Once Duke was out of earshot, Lane shook his head. “Sorry about him. He just showed up out of the blue this morning. He tagged along while I installed everything and got it all up.”
She shrugged her indifference even though a multitude of questions sat on the tip of her tongue. She’d often wondered about Lane’s life. What he did when he wasn’t riding bulls, who he spent time with.
If he thought of her as much as she thought about him.
But voicing any of those questions put her on dangerous ground.
She still hadn’t figured out if she could trust him to have a relationship with Parker.
He’d proven time and time again he couldn’t be trusted.
That he’d promise the moon only to disappear without warning, leaving her in a world of pain.
She could handle the heartbreak—heck, she hadn’t had a choice but to nurse her wounds and move on. But she wouldn’t let him waltz into his son’s life only to abandon him once an attachment was formed.
“It was nice of him to help,” she said, forcing her mind back on the matter at hand. “Is there anything I need to know?”
He nodded. “Do you have a minute to go over things? There’s an app that needs downloaded on your phone.”
It all sounded like a headache. Technology wasn’t exactly her friend, but she wouldn’t admit that to Lane. “If you have instructions, I can figure it out myself. Thank you for installing it for me.”
The vein at his temple ticked, broadcasting his frustration.
But she couldn’t let that sway her. Buying some equipment and placing it in her home didn’t erase everything that had transpired between them. Didn’t erase all her fears and doubts about letting him play a role in Parker’s life.
She’d opened the door a crack, but she wasn’t ready to open it any further. Which meant continuing to stand on her own two feet.
“If I have issues, I’ll let you know and I’m sure you can walk me through it, but for now I need to take your food orders to the kitchen and get back to work.”
He dipped his chin, mouth pressed in a firm line. “Okay. I have the box with the instructions in my truck. I’ll make sure to grab them before we take off.”
She tucked her order pad into her apron and made a round to her other tables to see if anyone needed anything before heading for the kitchen. When she lifted her hand to slap the barrier open, an obnoxious beeping sounded from outside.
Customers murmured their annoyance behind her, a few people getting up and messing with their keys to make sure their vehicle wasn’t the offending party. The loud blare continued.
Duke strode down the hall where the restrooms were located and frowned. “Is there a back lot?” he asked, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. “Alarm sounds like it’s coming from back there, not out front.”
A shiver of apprehension shot up her spine. “That’s the employee lot.”
Concern rippled across Duke’s forehead.
She wasn’t sure how much Lane had confided in his friend, but it was enough for him to raise his hand high over his head.
“Lane, let’s check this out before we eat,” he said.
Standing, Lane stalked forward. He led the way back down the hall, she and Duke on his heels. The exit loomed ahead, the bright red lights of the sign above the door announcing some kind of impending doom. The alarm grew louder, her heart pounding faster with each step.
Lane shoved open the door, the bright sunlight pouring inside, and his mumbled curse twister her stomach into knots.
Halting in the doorway, her gaze landed on her little blue car. Lights flashing. Windshield smashed. And not a soul in sight.