Chapter Four #2
Pouting, I moved my lips in a kissing motion. “A baby.”
One of his brows winged upward. “I give you a hard time about guys in your past?”
“No.”
“And it was one time.” A troubled expression drew both brows together, a groove between them. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you.”
Now I felt bad because he was questioning himself. “You absolutely should have told me, and I’m glad you did. I was only teasing, and I’ll stop.”
“Thank you,” he muttered. The knife sliced off one end of an onion with a vicious swipe. “Feel like enough of a dumbass on the regular without help.”
“You’re not a dumbass. You’re . . . inexperienced.” And this appeared to be the perfect opening to broach the topic of Nicole the heifer who wanted my boyfriend. “Maybe we should talk about Nicole.”
Dicing the onion with swift strokes, he shot a glance up. “Huh? Why?”
“She’s interested and making a play for you.”
“You think?” His dubious gaze back on the cutting board, he gave a slight shake of his head. “Don’t think I’m her type.”
He knew her type? “What’s that?”
His hands paused, his head tilted in his thinking-hard pose. He shrugged. “Don’t know. I mean, I wasn’t really anybody’s type before you.”
“Oh, you were.” I crossed to lean my elbows on the opposite side of the island. “You just didn’t notice.”
“Okay, I didn’t notice then. And I don’t notice Nicole.” He slid the onion to one side and grabbed a bell pepper. “Only woman I notice like that is you.”
Lord, he was sweet, my own personal fluff of cotton candy. “I appreciate that, Dan, but if we’re not careful, her interest could be a problem.”
He stilled completely and laid the knife aside. With his gaze trained on me, he was obviously paying close attention. “Okay. What am I missing?”
That alert expression in his eyes, the set to his features – that was his smart, focused cop look. Its presence made me feel better. He was trying to hear me and understand, not simply paying lip service to my concerns.
“So she might test boundaries to see how committed you are to me or use access to you to–” I swallowed the word worm. “–insert or establish herself in your life.”
He dipped his chin in a slow nod, brow furrowed. “Don’t think she’s done that.”
“Are you giving her rides regularly?” I kept my voice even, nonchalant.
“To work a couple of times.” His eyes darkened, and he dragged his teeth over his bottom lip, troubled. “Didn’t think about it because I’d do that for Chuck’s brothers and it was on my way.”
“If it’s just a ride and she’s not leveraging that, I won’t ask you not to, Dan.” The drive from here to the city complex was maybe five minutes. Maybe less. What damage could she really do in five minutes?
“I won’t if you don’t want me to.” He shifted his shoulders, a tight, miserable shrug. “Don’t want anything to mess with us.”
“What do y’all talk about?”
“We don’t. I mean, she yaps on about stuff, but I kinda tune her out, usually thinking about you.” He lifted a hand, palm up, in punctuation. “Work sometimes, but mainly you.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Maybe pay attention a little so you know if she’s pushing boundaries.”
“Okay.” He grimaced, reaching for the knife again. “I am a dumbass. I should know this shit, and you’re having to put in the work to educate me–”
“Dan.” With a gentle smile, I levered off the cool marble and stepped around the island to wrap an arm about his waist. I lifted my face to kiss his jaw, catching a whiff of aftershave, something he never wore on duty.
“I don’t expect you to be perfect, and I appreciate you’re listening and wanting us to be secure. I am secure in you.”
“Not gonna let her mess us up.” He darted another glance toward the window and her backyard beyond. “I’ll be careful.”
“Thank you.” I hugged myself into him. The sharp scents of onion and celery drifted around us. “What are you making?”
“Jambalaya.”
“Oh, yum.” I pinched his waist, the muscle barely giving under my fingers. I loved touching him, no matter how I did it. “Can I help?”
He lowered his head to brush his mouth over mine. “You can set the table.”
While I pulled down bowls and gathered cutlery, we chatted about our day, Nicole’s presence dying away.
He’d spent most of the day working traffic, and I’d worked the smaller hospitals in the surrounding counties.
Soon, spicy goodness simmered away on the stove, scenting the air and making my stomach growl.
He was an amazing cook. When he set his mind to being good at something, he didn’t stop until he was. I reaped the benefits of that personality trait in more ways than one.
When we heard Lydia’s car in the drive, we went down to meet her and EmmaLee. As I waved at Lydia, the side door of Nicole’s house flew open and she ran down the steps, dressed in brief, tight workout shorts, a matching sports bra, and spotless athletic shoes.
“Lydia!” She sprinted around the front of Lydia’s car to engulf her in a hug.
Frowning and stiff in Nicole’s embrace, Lydia shot a pointed look at EmmaLee over Nicole’s bare shoulder. “Hey, Nicole.”
“It’s so good to see you.” Nicole gave her a squeeze and pulled back, wrapping her arm through Lydia’s. “I’ve missed you.”
She flashed a big smile at Dan and ignored me before gracing EmmaLee with a tight baring of her teeth that might have been a smile. Maybe. “Hey, EmmaLee.”
At Dan’s side, I resisted an eyeroll. She was so . . . performative.
I caught Dan’s eye and tilted my head in her direction. You see? Face set in somber lines, he nodded.
Nicole kept a tight hold on Lydia and ate Dan up with her eyes. “What are y’all doing?”
“Having dinner.” Lydia disentangled herself and gave EmmaLee a tiny shove toward the stairs. “Looks like you’re headed to work out. We won’t keep you.”
“Oh. Yeah.” Mouth drooping with disappointment, she trailed another hungry appraisal over Dan. “Y’all have a good night. Layla, good to see you.”
I didn’t correct her, but I grabbed Dan’s arm, hard, as he opened his mouth.
“Lydia, call me.” She stretched one arm overhead, bending to the side and shoving her chest out. “So we can get together soon.”
“Right.” A wry note in her voice, Lydia followed EmmaLee up the stairs. I nudged Dan behind them.
EmmaLee laughed as we piled through the door. “Oh, she hasn’t changed. She is still a fake bitch.”
“Hey.” Scowling, Dan shut the door. “We don’t call women that.”
“You don’t.” EmmaLee crossed to the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. Passing one to Lydia, she popped the top on hers, a soft hiss and wispy vapor rising in the air. She circled the bottle among Lydia, herself, and me. “We can call it like it is.”
Over a long sip, Lydia pinned him with a look. “How long has she been into you?”
Panic flitted across his face. “I . . . she . . . I don’t know.”
Glaring at him a moment, Lydia turned her attention on me.
“It’s okay.” I lifted a hand. With my other, I stroked down his spine. Tension vibrated through his tall form. “We’ve talked about it.”
“Be careful with her, Dan, for real.” Lydia folded her arms, beer dangling from her fingers. “She’s had Allison filling her head for years. Who knows what sneaky fuckery she’s capable of?”
I snorted. “She’s too obvious to be sneaky.”
Dan looked from his sister to me, frustrated. “How do you know all this?”
“Middle school.” EmmaLee snorted.
Lydia lifted her beer in a salute. “High school.”
“Sorority life.” I patted between his shoulderblades. Most of my sisters were great. Some weren’t.
His brows twisted together. “How did I miss this?”
“Studying history and nerd stuff all the time.” Lydia shrugged. “Hanging out with Chuck and us.”
“You’re just taking the master class late.” EmmaLee peeked in the stock pot and took a big sniff, closing her eyes in an euphoric expression. “You’re smart and a quick study. You’ll be fine.”
“Lesson one.” Lydia held up a finger. “Don’t trust her.”
“Lesson two.” EmmaLee perched on an island stool. “Tell your girlfriend everything.”
I nodded at him, amused and feeling ridiculously supported. When we broke up, I was keeping his sister and her best friend, because this was another practice relationship and we eventually would. I’d love to keep him as a friend, too. “Listen to them. You can’t go wrong.”
“Okay. Got it.” He rolled his head to one side, and I could feel his urge to take notes. “Pay attention, watch the boundaries, tell you everything.”
“Perfect. You aced that quiz.” I tiptoed up to kiss him, ignoring EmmaLee’s fake gagging. “Now let’s eat. It smells amazing.”
He was dedicated to me and he was learning. Nicole meant nothing at all to him.
We would be fine.