Bringing Home the Bad Boy (Second Chance #1)(45)
No wonder she’d exploded, all the want flooding over her like an erupting soda. Now, imaginary, effervescent bubbles popped along the surface of her skin whenever she thought of him. It was a great feeling; one her body wanted more of.
That kind of longing could easily become her new pastime. Pastimes took up too much time. And, as the saying went, Ain’t nobody got time for that.
The ride wound to a halt and Lyon stepped off, pretending to stagger, his tongue hanging out.
“I know you’re okay. You must be missing a dizzy gene,” she joked.
“Can I feed the goats?”
The fattest goats she’d ever seen. Poor things. They’d been fed fistfuls of sweaty, cracked corn throughout the day by kids young and old, and were going to have to go on a goat diet, or perhaps to the goat gym, if they had a prayer of making it through the summer with a modicum of self-worth.
“Um.” She looked for a less cruel distraction, spotting a booth that would do the trick. “What if you try and win a fish instead?”
His green-blue eyes lit like a cool flame. “Really? Dad will let me keep a fish?”
There was so much excitement in his tone, she worried, albeit belatedly, that she’d overstepped a line. “Um…”
Too late. Lyon was off, and all she could do was follow, secretly praying he didn’t win a fish she’d then have to explain to his dad.
Charlie gave the older woman running the booth a ten-dollar bill, figuring Lyon would keep busy for a long while since the Ping-Pong balls he was attempting to land in the almost-too-small fishbowls were five for a dollar. He had just tossed his first ball when Evan’s agent approached.
Gloria’s long black hair cascaded down her back, straight and smooth-as-silk. Charlie opted to pull hers into a clip today and avoid sweating her fool head off. Besides, if she’d let her honey-colored locks free in this humidity, she’d look like a Fraggle. And not a cute one.
“Hey, sistah,” Glo said, coming to a stop next to her. She wore a tasteful pink skirt and delicate silver jewelry on her neck and ears, but her black top was all rock and roll… especially since it literally read ROCK ’N’ ROLL in pink glitter across the front. The collar of her T-shirt had been cut and her cleavage was on display, and practically in Charlie’s face thanks to the other woman’s tall, spiked black heels.
Charlie had worn flats considering the grass was soft and there was straw over the muddier parts of the Library Park lawn. It both fascinated and perplexed her how Glo wasn’t sinking into the ground.
“Hey.” She forced a smile, but it felt false. Normally, she wasn’t one to be fake to anyone, but this was the girl who Evan had kissed, and for reasons unbeknown to her, that fact continued to fester jealousy. Maybe because Glo had been bold enough to lay one on him at some point in time, but Charlie had to be marauded into a kiss she now felt super guilty over.
They watched Lyon throw another ball. It bounced off the rim of a glass bowl, and the woman running the booth caught it and encouraged him to try again.
Glo chuckled. “He wins one of those, Evan will freak.”
A new flare of jealousy pinged her insides. Likely because Glo knew things about him and Charlie didn’t, and she didn’t like that. Not at all.
“Okay, enough.” A sharp clap made Charlie flinch before giving over her full attention. Glo smiled and rubbed her hands together a few times before she spoke. “You probably know by now I’m pretty direct.”
Uh-oh.
Her heart rate increased to dangerous proportions. She didn’t like confrontation. She didn’t like it from anyone, let alone a woman as no-nonsense as Gloria Shields. With no way to run away from this situation—thus leaving Lyon—Charlie was trapped. It took every ounce of her self-control to not slap her hands over her ears, shut her eyes, and hum in order to avoid hearing whatever Gloria had to say.
“I’m just going to say it.” Gloria was smiling.
Charlie was pretty sure she was grimacing. She felt her body chill, then heat with worried anticipation.
“Sweetie”—Glo reached out and put a palm on Charlie’s shoulder—“Evan’s your man. You don’t have to worry about him and me.”
The statement startled her so much, she blurted out, almost defensively, “He’s not mine.” But her defense lacked authority, not to mention her shoulder was now sweating where Gloria’s hand rested.
“Our feelings for one another are platonic and mutual,” Glo continued. “We kissed.” She pulled her hand away to hold up a finger. “Once. I promise you, it was like kissing one of those fish over there.” She gestured to Lyon, who threw a ball and (phew!) missed again.
Well.
Charlie had kissed Evan, too. More than once. She knew full well he was better than kissing a fish. He was better at kissing than any man she’d kissed, like, ever.
“Nah, he wasn’t that bad.” Glo laughed.
The feeling of ease swept away like ebbing tide.
“We knew on contact it was the wrong move.”
“Okay.” Despite the fact this was almost verbatim what Evan said, Charlie couldn’t say she felt better. But, at least she knew Glo wasn’t pursuing him in any way… which, now that she thought about it, did make her feel better.
“You’re wrong, by the way,” Glo stated, making Charlie go rigid again. “Evan is yours, doll.” She turned to watch Lyon. “I don’t know if you want him or not, but they’re both yours.” Her cell rang and she answered it with a cheery, “Roger, hi. Did you have time to review my e-mail?” She wandered a few feet away to take her call while Charlie stared at Lyon, feeling… Gosh.