Chapter 9
Chapter
Nine
“I’m going to take Addy and Ethan to the car,” Kate told James when the concert was over and people were packing up to leave.
During the show the junior volunteers had weaved their way through the crowds with buckets and those card-reader machines to gather donations for the fire station. Now they were all holding black trash bags and little picker devices to clear away the remaining trash scattered across the field.
James had been given the front of the field – near the stage – presumably so Marley could keep an eye on him.
Addy had fallen asleep on Kate’s lap halfway through the show with a muffin in hand, which was some kind of miracle. And then Marley’s cousin, Grace, had made up a little makeshift bed with some blankets, and Kate had laid her daughter on them. Miracle of miracles, she hadn’t even woken up.
“I’ll wait for you at the car,” she added, because once they were in the car, both Addy and Ethan would probably fall asleep again. “Come find us when you’ve finished here.”
“You can go home without me if you want. I’ll get a ride or walk.”
She lifted a brow. “You’re not walking home. And I’m happy to wait.” The tone of her voice let him know she wasn’t looking for a debate on this one. Yes, he’d been on his best behavior tonight, but she was also very aware that he was still grounded.
Or at least he kind of was. Damn, this parenting thing was hard.
“Okay.” He nodded again. “I should get to cleaning.”
“Go for it.”
She turned around to walk back to the blankets and chairs where the Hartson family were all packing up. The blankets where Addy had been sleeping were gone. She looked around for her and then her heart did a little double take.
Marley was there with his parents. Holding a sleeping Addy in his arms. Her daughter had her own arms looped around his neck, her eyes closed tight as she nestled against his chest. Ethan was next to him, talking quickly, as Marley nodded.
And then his eyes caught hers. There was something wrong with her, she was certain. She felt a little dizzy, maybe a tad faint at the sight of her daughter in his arms.
She could hear the rustle of James’ trash bag as he started to fill it. Could feel the warmth of the breeze coming in from the creek. Her ears were ringing, likely from the music.
But all she could think about was how perfect that looked. Addy being held by a man again. How long had it been since somebody other than Kate had picked her up? And to be fair, Kate was finding it harder and harder. Her little girl wasn’t so little anymore, even if Marley made it look easy with his thick biceps and strong hands.
Somehow, she managed to propel herself over to where they were all standing.
“Mom and Grace wanted to clear up. We didn’t want to wake Addy,” Marley said softly. “This okay?”
Kate nodded. “I can take her now.” She held her arms out, so aware of how slender they were compared to his.
“It’s fine. I’ll carry her to the car for you.” His voice was soft enough not to wake Addy. “You lead the way, I’ll follow.”
She went to pick up her chair and the cooler.
“Leave them,” Marley told her. “I’ll come back for them. I can drop them over later tonight or tomorrow.”
“Shouldn’t you be packing up the stage?” she asked him.
“Pres and Cassie got it. Don’t sweat it.”
She opened her mouth to protest again, but she’d run out of excuses. The truth was she didn’t have any. From a practical point of view, him carrying Addy made sense.
From an emotional point of view? She didn’t want to think about that right now.
There were some battles you shouldn’t fight. Especially the ones with yourself.
It took them another five minutes to get to her car, mostly because the people in front of them were walking so slowly. Kate grabbed the keys from her purse and opened up the back door, and Marley gently set Addy in her booster seat.
“Jump in,” she told Ethan, because he could climb in himself. He ran around the other side and pulled open the door as Marley stepped back so Kate could fasten her daughter’s belt.
When the door was closed she turned to look at him. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“Yes you did.” She swallowed hard. “And I appreciate it. It’s not always easy being a single mom with three kids.” It still felt strange saying it. Single mom.
But that’s what she was. And it’s how she lived her life. Juggling everything. Hoping she could catch it all on the way back down.
“Are you waiting here for James?” he asked her.
“Yeah. I just wanted to get these two strapped in. Then when we get home we’ll put them straight to bed.”
“You want me to help you?”
The offer was genuine. She could see that in his eyes.
“It’s fine. I’ll take one, James will take the other.” Not that either of them would find it easy. Addy was hard enough to carry. At eight, Ethan was almost impossible. He was a tall kid for his age.
“It’ll give James a good workout at least,” Marley said and she grinned.
“And me. I keep forgetting to go to the gym,” she told him. “It’s been eight years.”
He laughed. And it sounded good to her. Damn, she liked this man. The breeze was starting to pick up. It lifted his hair from his face, and she could see the start of laugh lines in the corner of his eyes. They suited him. Made him look grounded.
A car, driving too fast for the thin piece of road that was left between all the parked vehicles, veered way too close to where she was standing next to her Ford. Before she could think about moving, she felt Marley grab her and push her against her car, his body pressing against hers to form a barrier between her and the too-fast Honda.
The sudden impact of his muscles against hers winded her. She could feel the thickness of his thighs, the flat planes of his stomach. His body caged hers like a shield, his arms pressed against each side of her.
She looked up, her lips parted. And all she could think of was how good his body felt.
How solid he was. How strong. How it sent that electric pulse through her once again. In her neck, her wrists. Between her thighs.
No, that was more than a pulse. It was an ache. One that was growing inside her. Her breath returned, making her chest lift and fall fast. She licked her lips, trying to find some words but none came out.
She lifted her head to look at him, and their eyes connected. There was a darkness in his that made her heart beat so fast she was starting to feel dizzy.
“You okay?” he asked. “Damn kids. I swear he looked about twelve.”
“Yeah.” She nodded, her head still foggy. “I think so. Thank you for saving me. Again.”
She lifted her hand to touch his shoulder. His skin was warm beneath his t-shirt. She could feel the hardness of his muscles. He let out the softest of breaths.
What was happening here? So many thoughts were rushing through her mind at once. She nearly got struck by a car. She couldn’t let that happen. Her kids needed her.
But then that thought disappeared and the pure physicality of this man filled her senses.
She wanted to have sex. That’s all she could think of.
With him.
Where did it come from? She had no idea. But all she could think about was how it would feel to have his body over hers. In hers. Everywhere.
Dear God, she needed to stop these thoughts. Right now.
“Mom!”
The sound of James’ voice brought her back to earth. Her eyes were still on Marley’s.
“You’re pale,” he said softly. “You sure you’re okay?”
She nodded. “Just the shock.”
“I got the plate number. I’ll call it in later. Somebody needs to go talk to that kid. Before he ends up killing somebody.”
“I’m fine, honestly. Thank you.” She just needed to get home and take a cold shower.
He pushed himself off the car, letting the air rush between them. And before she could say anything else, she saw James arriving over his shoulder.
“Mom, we’re allowed to go now,” her eldest son told her.
“Great.” She forced a smile onto her lips. “Jump in the front seat.”
Marley gave James a nod and then took another step back.
“I’ll drop your cooler and chairs off on my way home,” Marley told her. “I’ll leave them on the porch.”
“My house isn’t on your way home,” she pointed out and it made him smile.
“One of these days you’re gonna let me help without protest,” he told her. “Or at least, I hope you will.”
“Never gonna happen.” Okay, she was feeling better now. “But thank you, I’d appreciate that.”
“No problem.”
The field was almost empty by the time Marley got back to the stage. Not that it was a stage anymore, half of it was already dismantled. Though they’d sent the juniors home, some of the fire volunteers had remained to help finish the break down, and of course Pres and Alex were still there, though Cassie had taken the kids home.
“Everything okay?” Tayto asked as Marley walked over to help him. He was looking red in the face as he carried the wooden planks from the dismantled stage to the van. At forty-eight, he was one of the older volunteers. What he lacked in physical fitness he more than made up for in experience.
“All good. Just making sure Paul’s family got back to their car safely. Kate has her hands full with those kids.” He wasn’t sure why he mentioned Paul. Maybe because there was a little feeling of guilt pulling at him.
He was stupidly attracted to Paul’s wife. And fuck, he didn’t know what to do with that.
“She has her hands full, huh?” Tayto said, huffing as he lifted another load of planks. Marley took the other end, helping him place them in the truck. “I saw one of the guys from the Maple Cross station checking her out.”
“What?” Marley frowned.
“Don’t worry. I told him she was off limits. What kind of sick fucker would go after Paul’s widow?” Tayto shook his head. “He was one of ours, man. You don’t do that to a brother.”
Marley’s stomach tightened. The memory of his body pressed against Kate’s felt like a knife turning in his gut. She was so soft against him. It had messed with his brain. He’d liked it. Wanted more.
Wanted her. The one woman he couldn’t have.
Fuck.
He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to push the memory of her body out of his mind. The smell of her shampoo, the way her big blue eyes always made him feel like he was about to get lost in the best of ways.
What kind of sick fucker would go after Paul’s widow, anyway?
Not this one. He needed to get a grip. He’d promised to make sure she was okay, not to get a hard on whenever he saw her.
He owed that much to Paul.