Chapter Ten
Dani didn’t text Sammy again, and Gard kept his nose out of the trafficking case. Sammy was a little moody over the course of the week, but spending last Sunday with Lia had certainly evened out some of her reaction to Dani’s text.
So they made it through the week without any big incidents. A little bit on eggshells, but they made it.
He’d managed to sneak one measly kiss out of Lia in the process of dropping Sammy off or picking her up over that time. A shame, but he’d have her to himself tonight.
Once he got through a few of the stipulations he’d set out in letting Sammy go to this party. Like he would drive her out there and see the house and meet Sarabeth’s parents for himself.
Sammy complained about this stipulation bitterly as he drove out to Wilde, and then beyond. But she bounced in her seat, as excited as any elementary schooler heading to a birthday party.
Even though worry had wrapped around his lungs, and he probably wouldn’t be able to take a full breath until he picked her up tomorrow morning, he smiled. Sammy was happy, and after last weekend? That was big.
The Thompson place was a big house. Old, but looked like a lot of work had been done to it lately.
Still, it was out past the Wilde town limits—and Wilde was hardly a bustling metropolis.
Gard couldn’t decide if middle of nowhere was good—what could the kids get up to way out here?
Or bad—what couldn’t the kids get up to way out here?
The problem was, he’d spent over ten years dealing with all the trouble kids could get up to in Bent County—in town or out of it.
Gard pulled the truck to a stop in the big gravel drive in front of the Thompson house and killed the engine. He opened his door.
“Gard, you can’t embarrass me like this,” Sammy hissed as he moved to get out of his truck.
“I just want to meet Sarabeth’s parents in person. That’s the deal.”
“It’s so cringe.”
Gard was hardly worried about being cringe. There were two adults standing near the porch, while teenagers seemed to roam the yard. Gard made a beeline for the woman with a slight baby bump and a man who Gard would have clocked as military from a mile away.
Sarabeth was holding court in front of a couple teenagers in the yard—wearing what looked like some kind of princess crown and eye black like she was getting ready to play softball or baseball.
Gard really was glad Sammy had a friend who was so unapologetically herself, because he wanted that for Sammy.
Didn’t mean that girl didn’t scare the hell out of him. But for now, he focused on the adults. Sammy trudged behind him, still muttering about how cringe he was.
“Mrs. Thompson?”
The woman smiled at him and held out a hand. “Call me Jessie. This is my husband, Henry. You must be Sammy’s Uncle Gard.”
Gard shook both their hands. “This is a nice place you’ve got here.”
“Thanks. We’ve put a lot of work into it,” Henry said.
“Sammy!” Sarabeth called from across the yard, waving wildly. “Come over here.”
Sammy sent Gard a questioning look and he gave her a little nod. She was clearly reluctant to leave him with the adults in case he was too cringe, but eventually she gave in and walked over toward Sammy and her group.
Gard turned his attention back to Jessie and Henry. “I’m not trying to be…” He didn’t even know the right word. Obsessive? Overprotective? “I’m kind of new to being the guardian of a teenage girl. I’ve been told by the teenage contingency I might be overstepping.”
Jessie smiled kindly. “We try not to be too overprotective here because Sarabeth is growing up, but…” Jessie began.
“But we fail. Consistently,” Henry finished for his wife. “I’d keep her locked in the house if I thought it’d do any good,” he grumbled, gesturing at Sarabeth.
Gard figured he might like this guy.
“This is the first time we’ve let Sarabeth have a party like this,” Jessie said with a little sigh.
“Usually we just do family, or just Izzy, but it’s her sweet sixteen and…
” Jessie shrugged, one hand resting on her bump.
“There’s going to be adult supervision at all times—we’ve got four adults to make sure the kids don’t go sneaking off.
No alcohol on the premises. Guns are locked in a safe where the kids won’t be.
The boys leave at ten sharp, and Henry or Dunne—that’s my brother-in-law—will drive them home if their parents forget to pick them up. So no chance for stragglers.”
Gard couldn’t find fault with any of it, and he’d been…well, maybe hoping to. “Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” he said, trying to sound polite and not frustrated.
“Sarabeth has let me in on a little bit about Sammy’s background,” Jessie told him gently.
“There’s a reason Sarabeth and Izzy get along so well.
They understand each other. They’ve had it rough, and I get the impression Sammy has too and that’s why they’ve folded her into their little group so easily.
We’ll take good care of her. I promise.”
Gard knew he’d still worry, but at least he’d have a better chance of convincing himself it was pointless worry.
He thanked the Thompsons for having Sammy. He wanted to go say goodbye to Sammy and lecture her about manners and safety, but she was laughing with Sarabeth and she looked…
Happy. Without a care in the world. Like a fifteen-year-old should. Like he’d been able to be. And Dani hadn’t, because even then she’d been set up with impossible expectations. He knew Dani didn’t want that for Sammy, and he didn’t either.
He got in his truck, then pulled out his phone and sent off a quick text: Be good. Be polite. Then, he quickly tacked on: Have fun. Love you.
After a minute, she sent him a series of emojis. Including the vomit one.
But also a heart.
So he drove away from the Thompson house, still worried and nervous, but with a smile on his face. And when he drove past the gravel turnoff to Dry Road, he didn’t turn onto it to check out a certain abandoned house.
He wanted to.
But he drove on.
After all, he had a date.
“Why the hell am I doing this?” Lia demanded of her two friends as she stood half dressed in her bedroom. She’d enlisted their help since she hadn’t been on a date in—maybe a decade. And those dates, looking back, hadn’t exactly been normal.
“Beats me,” Albennie said, so unhelpfully, sprawled out on Lia’s bed while Franny rummaged around in Lia’s closet.
“Because Gard is nice and good-looking and you like him,” Franny said, sending Albennie a somewhat disapproving glare.
“You’re just saying that because of Royal,” Albennie accused, mentioning Franny’s boyfriend, who worked as a deputy at Bent County.
“And Royal would know that Gard is a good guy, since Gard trained him and they’re friends.” Franny appeared from the closet with two clothing items hanging from hangers. “You could wear this dress with a sweater over it.” She overlaid them so Lia could see the vision.
Lia bit her lip. “We’re just going to Fairmont.”
“It’s hardly a ball gown, Lia,” Albennie said disgustedly. “It’s cute and casual and the perfect first-date outfit.”
It was Albennie’s no-nonsense approval of the outfit that had Lia taking it and moving into the bathroom and putting it on.
She’d already done her hair and makeup. Nothing fancy.
Just a little color on her face and actually letting her hair down—something she never did just because baking required it back and out of her face, and she’d gotten used to pinning it back every day.
When she returned to her room, Franny clasped her hands together and studied Lia critically.
“You look perfect,” she declared.
Lia tried to smile at the compliment, but her mouth felt stiff and weird.
Franny slung an arm over her shoulders and gave a squeeze. “I’ve never seen you nervous like this. It’s so cute.”
“She’s nervous with the kid too, so the wedding bells are a little misplaced. The Fairhursts just make her jumpy.”
Franny scowled at Albennie. “Why do you hate romance?”
“Because men suck?”
“I know plenty of men who don’t suck,” Franny replied loftily.
“Yeah, and plenty of men who do.”
“Gard doesn’t suck.” Lia studied herself in the full-length mirror on her closet door. She was worried it was a little too fussy, but it wasn’t bad. When she glanced at her suddenly quiet friends, they were both studying her with questioning gazes.
“What?”
“You’ve got it bad for someone going on a first date,” Albennie said, but she didn’t sound dismissive like she had been.
“I don’t know that it’s a first date exactly. I’ve had dinner with him a few times. Sammy’s been there, so it wasn’t like an official date, but still it was…kind of.”
“It doesn’t count unless he kissed you afterward,” Franny said.
Lia remained silent, trying to decide what pair of shoes to wear, and decidedly not commenting on that.
“He kissed you already?” Franny demanded.
Lia didn’t meet her gaze. “Maybe.”
“Well, this changes everything,” Albennie said, apparently interested now. “Describe the when, where, how, and why.”
“Um, no.”
“Why not?”
“Because that’s…private.”
“That good, huh?” Albennie said with a grin that Lia couldn’t quite help returning. Good didn’t begin to cover it.
“So this isn’t a first date. It’s not even a second date with that smug look over a kiss,” Franny said, looking around Lia’s room in dismay. “We should probably clean up your room.”
“Why?”
“Well, you might want to…” Franny trailed off, gesturing at Lia’s bed.
Heat crept into Lia’s cheeks. She hadn’t even considered…that. Not in any concrete way. Because this was a first date, even if it…kind of wasn’t. “That’s moving faster than I…move.”
“I’d speed up for a guy who looks like that, considering I’ve never seen you with a guy,” Albennie muttered. “How long has it been?”
Lia was not about to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole.
“We better go,” Franny said, glancing at the clock with some worry. “We don’t want to ambush him.”
“Speak for yourself,” Albennie replied.
Franny shook her head and grabbed Albennie’s arm and started dragging her out of Lia’s room. Lia trailed after them, suddenly about ten times more nervous than she already had been.
Why had she agreed to a date? Why did she think this was a good idea? Why—
The sound of an engine when Franny opened the door had them all peering outside. Gard’s truck was pulling in.
“Behave,” Lia heard Franny mutter to Albennie as Gard turned off the truck and got out. He was wearing dark slacks and a button-up shirt that accentuated the broad strength in his shoulders. He was so classically handsome it didn’t seem fair or real that he was also just…such a good guy.
“Hey, Franny. Albennie.” He greeted her friends as they passed—him moving toward the door where Lia stood and them heading for Franny’s car.
“Hi, Gard,” Franny said brightly, still dragging Albennie along. “We were just leaving. You two have fun!”
Gard looked past the duo to Lia. His smile deepened as he made his way up her walk.
Lia’s heart was in a full-on gallop now. She was nothing but a sack of nerves, but they weren’t questioning why she’d agreed to this.
That smile was why.
When he made it to where she stood in her doorway, he reached out, wrapped a tendril of hair around his finger. “I’ve never seen your hair down before.” He flashed that lethal grin at her. “Wow.”
All she could seem to think was… Maybe she should have cleaned up her room.