One Look: A grumpy, single dad small town romance(52)

For the rest of book club, I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities. Forbidden love. Backdoor business deals. It was all too scandalous to ignore.





22





WYATT





“You don’t think this is too . . . I don’t know, casual?” Lark looked down at herself as my eyes raked up her body. Annie had invited her out for a night downtown at the Grudge, and Lark had chosen a blue-and-white shirt dress with short sleeves and a matching belt. The long vertical stripes made the perfect path for my eyes to trail over her. The dress was almost to her ankles, but she’d left the line of buttons open starting at midthigh, and wedge heels made her legs look a mile long.

She’d have the attention of every man in town.

A hard lump lodged in my throat. “No.”

“You look so pretty, Lark!” Pickle beamed up at her from the couch, and they shared a smile that nearly broke my heart.

“Thanks, Penny! Are you excited for movie night?”

“Aunt Tootie said we could watch Die Hard!”

I pointed at my little girl. “Not. Happening.”

Tootie came up behind me and patted my back. “Don’t you worry. I’ll fast-forward through the bad parts.”

When my scowl deepened, my aunt and Lark erupted in a fit of laughter.

“That Bruce Willis . . .” Tootie lifted the front of her shirt to fan herself. “He is something.”

Lark walked over to Penny and ran a tender hand down her hair. The simple maternal gesture looked so natural. “Maybe one of the live-action Disney movies would be a better choice.”

“Beauty and the Beast!” Penny chimed in.

Lark nodded. “Solid choice.”

It was surprising, and kind of nice, not to be the bad guy ruining everyone’s Die Hard fun. “Almost ready?” I asked Lark.

She turned and hit me with her million-dollar smile. We said our goodbyes, and as we left, I held the door. For a casual night downtown, it felt an awful lot like a date.

Once we were in the car, Lark shifted her legs, and the slit up the side draped open, exposing the long, smooth column of her thigh. My hand immediately landed on her silky skin. Our eyes met, but neither of us said a word. Lark only settled herself into the seat and smiled.

“Are the guys meeting you at the bar?”

I nodded as I pulled out of the driveway and headed down the dark country road toward downtown Outtatowner. “We’ll grab a beer or two before Duke gets itchy and wants to bolt. Head down to the beach for a bonfire.” I risked a glance at her, from the sharp line of her collarbone to the soft swell of her breasts in the vee of her dress. “You could come, too, if you’d like.”

Lark gave me a soft smile as her eyes lowered to where my thumb was drawing soft circles on her skin. “You mean you’re not sick of seeing me every day?”

I chuckled. “Not yet.”

The tension in the car was palpable. Though my hand stayed on her leg, I wanted to run it higher, explore her body again.

I hadn’t planned on asking Lark to come out to the bonfire, but the moment the words left my mouth, I was glad I had. A tiny wave of disappointment washed over me when Lark tipped her head and smiled. “Girls’ night.”

“Got it.”

Lark’s long fingers toyed with the hem of her dress. Her nails were painted a soft cotton candy pink—one I recognized from Penny’s collection of nail polish. My own toes were painted the exact same shade.

“I like your nails.”

She smiled. “Thanks. We had a spa day.” Lark grew quiet, and I pulled the soft perfume of her hair deep into my lungs. “Hey . . . um, I’m a little worried about her. Penny.”

My jaw went tight.

When I didn’t comment, Lark continued. “So I noticed that she hasn’t really made any friends. I know she’s new here, and I’m sure she’ll have a ton of friends once school starts, but . . .”

I nodded, my jaw working overtime.

Lark gently cleared her throat. “And I love hanging out with her, don’t get me wrong. But I was thinking that maybe signing her up for one of the activities at the library or a summer camp or something might be a good way for her to meet some girls her own age.”

Worry flickered through me. Penny and I had moved around a lot in the last few years, and while I worried about her making friends, it had never seemed to be an issue until now. Penny had always gravitated toward adults, particularly any babysitters or nannies that had come into our lives.

My hand squeezed her thigh. “Thank you.”

Lark gave herself a little satisfied smile, and I couldn’t seem to get over how perceptive and good-natured she was. I realized that maybe I had been too quick to judge her when we’d first met. God knows she had been surprising me left and right lately.

When we pulled into a parking space, we walked side by side toward the local bar. The crowd was picking up, and a little jolt of pride ran through me when Lark entered and immediately turned to the west side of the bar to sit with the Sullivans.

With one last smile just for me, Lark peeled off and joined Annie at a table with a few other women. Lee was at a high-top table with Duke, who was already looking uncomfortable and ready to bolt. Lee lifted a hand to signal me over and slid a cold beer in front of me as I walked up.