Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
I absolutely was not expecting to find my teenage crush sitting in the bleachers when I walked into the pool.
My day had been totally shit. My bike tire was flat when I woke up that morning, and I was late for class.
Then, I dropped my phone, and the screen cracked, and I heard that after January, lifeguarding hours were going to get slashed because of city-wide budget cuts.
I’d already lost two guitar lesson clients this month, too.
I thought moving home for my master’s was going to save me money, and it was—a little—but life and school were really fucking expensive.
My mood was low when I walked into the pool, already worried about the paper I had to write when I got home, but when I saw Mrs. Robinson—Greta—sitting on the bleachers by herself, frowning at her phone, I forgot about my entire crappy day.
I’d loved this woman since the moment I met her when I was fifteen and covered in acne and patchy body hair.
Now, I was twenty-two, had figured out a good skincare regimen, and my body hair was no longer playing favorites with random parts of my body and ignoring others.
I’d also sprouted at least six inches and was six-foot-four.
Maybe my prefrontal cortex wasn’t completely developed just yet, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t someone who didn’t know what he wanted.
And even after all these years since she moved away, I still wanted Greta Robinson.
She’d been off-limits before. For various reasons. I was a child, and she was an adult, and she was also married.
Before I even said hello, I zeroed in on her ring finger. Empty.
Did this mean she wasn’t with that dingdong dipshit Damien anymore? I’d never liked that guy. She could do so much better.
I knew a ring didn’t always mean single, but it gave me hope. It gave me something to think about besides my paper, for the two-hour swim practice.
However, Greta sitting there was also a massive distraction. I kept looking up at her, animatedly chatting away with Maria’s mom, Jeanie. Then Greta would laugh, and my heart would do a heavy thud in my chest.
I’ve had plenty of girlfriends over the years and there was even one I said, “I love you,” to, but always in the back of my mind, deep in the dark, private recesses of my heart, I still held a flame for Mrs. Robinson.
“All right, team, that was a great practice. Out of the water and head to the hot tub for five minutes to warm up,” I said, the kids all heaving with spent efforts as they stared up at me with their goggle eyes.
One by one, they swam over to the ladder and hoisted themselves out of the water, walking their exhausted bodies to the hot tub. Their sighs of relief as they sunk into the hot water were heard all the way where their parents sat on the bleachers, prompting many parents to laugh.
“You worked them hard today, Deacon,” one dad said. “Genevieve is going to sleep well.”
“They worked themselves hard,” I replied. “I’m just here to encourage them to do their best.”
The dad smiled at me and stood up, heading over with a towel to the hot tub, along with several other parents.
Greta and Jeanie were still chatting on the bench. I didn’t want to interrupt, but also I really did.
She caught me staring and smiled shyly.
That was enough of an opening for me.
I strutted over. “So, what brought you guys back to Seattle?” I asked. “Mr. Robinson get a job at U-Dub?”
Greta’s cheeks flushed with color. “Damien and I are no longer together. He’s moved to LA. So Kira and I moved back to Seattle to be near family. We didn’t have anybody in Eugene, so there was no reason to stay.”
I resisted the urge to fist-pump the air.
“I-I’m sorry to hear about you and Mr. Robinson,” I said, hoping I sounded sincere, but in reality, I absolutely fucking wasn’t. I was elated. I was cannonball-off-the-highest-platform celebratory.
“Thanks,” she murmured, standing up along with Jeanie.
“Kira’s a fantastic swimmer,” I said, not ready to see her go. “I definitely think she’ll do well at the meet in two weeks.”
“There’s a meet in two weeks?” Greta asked, with a look of surprise in her blue eyes. Eyes I’d more than once fantasized staring up at me as she took me in her mouth. My cock twitched in my neoprene swim shorts.
“Yeah, but it’s here, so we don’t have to travel,” Jeanie said. “Thankfully.”
“It’s December twentieth,” I added. “Then there’s a team party afterward.”
“I’m sure Kira will have lots of friends and want to attend by then,” Jeanie said. “See,” she pointed to the hot tub, “she’s already chatting with Maria.”
Jeanie’s gaze was pulled to the left where her son, Holden, approached, decked out in all his lacrosse gear. I’d known the Newcombe family for a while now, but apparently Jeanie and her husband Rich were separating. I knew firsthand how tough that could be, so I gave Maria a bit more grace.
How recent was Greta and Damien’s divorce? Was Kira going through a lot too?
“Hey sweetie,” Jeanie said, running her hand over the back of Holden’s dark red head. His cheeks were flushed and his nose dripped a little. The weather outside was nasty for lacrosse practice. Once again, making me really happy that I chose an indoor sport, despite the early morning practices.
Holden looked dead on his feet.
“Your sister is just in the hot tub. I was thinking we’d just stop and grab a pizza on the way home. I don’t feel like cooking.”
Holden merely nodded.
Jeanie turned to Greta. “Actually, would you and Kira like to come over for pizza? We don’t live very far from here.”
Greta’s eyes widened in surprise. Why did my cock twitch at that?
Probably because I had the filthiest mind imaginable when it came to this woman.
And now I was standing there like an idiot while these two mothers planned dinner for their children.
I could not be anymore of an awkward interloping outsider.
“Let me see how Kira’s feeling,” Greta said. “Thank you, though. That sounds wonderful.”
Jeanie smiled and headed off with Holden to the hot tub. Thankfully, Greta hung back with me.
“The divorce is very recent,” she said, turning to face me. “Kira is going through a lot. If she gives you any kind of attitude, let me know. Moving back and away from her school, friends and swimming team mid-year hasn’t been easy. But it was ultimately the best choice for us.”
I frowned in sympathy. “I’m really sorry to hear she’s struggling. I know a bit about divorced parents. It’s not easy for anybody.”
Her eyes turned sad. “Oh no! Your parents aren’t together anymore?”
I huffed a humorless laugh. “I know. I was as surprised as you are now. They were literally relationship and marriage goals. The day after my high school graduation, they sat my brother and me down and told us they hadn’t been happy for some time.
They said they stayed together for us, but now that we were both out of high school, it was time for them to go their separate ways. ”
“Oh, Deacon, I’m really sorry.”
“Yeah, Cameron and I were blindsided. Now holidays are split, and dad’s new girlfriend is a …” I raked my fingers through my hair. “She’s a piece of work. That’s all I’ll say about that.”
Her frown deepened. “It’s never easy for anybody.”
I hadn’t talked about their divorce like this with anybody, and yet, Greta Robinson had a way about her that made me want to just roll over onto my back and show her my sensitive underbelly. Lay out all my vulnerabilities and never kept a single secret from her.
“Where are you this year for Christmas?” she asked.
Another humorless laugh exploded from my chest. “Well, Mom’s on a cruise with her sister, Dad’s girlfriend—Brandi—convinced him to take her to Thailand, and Cameron is in Boston with his girlfriend’s family.”
Her mouth dropped open. “So you’re alone?”
I shrugged. “I’ve got papers to write, so I’ll probably just go into the lab. It’ll be quiet. I’ll be able to get some work done. I’ll buy myself a really nice steak.”
She shook her head. “Deacon …”
“It’s fine,” I said quickly. “Grandparents are all dead. Aunts and uncles aren’t in town. It’s fine.”
If I said it enough times, it would be true, right?
“Mom?” Kira sidled up to Greta, giving us a curious back-and-forth ping-pong look.
“Hey, sweetie,” Greta said, wrapping the big fluffy towel around her daughter. “Ready to go?”
Kira nodded. “Yeah.”
“Listen, Maria’s mom invited us over to their house for pizza for dinner. What do you think?”
Kira glanced behind her where Maria, Jeanie, and Holden stood, and Jeanie was chatting with Maria’s coach. “Is that Maria’s brother?”
“Yeah, Holden,” I said. “He’s great. Really nice kid.”
Kira’s cheeks turned pink, and she traced her braces with her tongue. “Yeah …” she said slowly, “I guess we could go over to their house for pizza.”
Greta met my gaze and smiled. Was she picking up on Kira’s little crush like I was? Was my crush as obvious? Hopefully not.
“Go shower and get changed, sugarplum, and I’ll meet you in the lobby,” Greta said.
Kira nodded and took off toward the changing rooms.
Greta faced me again. “I’m really glad you’re her coach. A familiar face—for both of us—is going to help the transition a lot.” She rested her hand on my arm. “Take care, Deacon. I’ll see you next week.”
Then she removed her hand, and it was all I could do not to grab the hood of her coat, haul her back and take her mouth.