Page 16 of Rugged Fox

Easton

"That wasn't awkward or anything."

I gave Nolen a look that would've made most men quiver in their boots. "I told you I shouldn't have come."

Nolen threw his hands up. "How the hell was I supposed to know you were going to stand there and stare at her like a creeper? I thought you had more game than that."

Game? I echoed the thought out loud. "Game? Really? I'm forty-nine years old. Do we say things like game?" I was in way over my head when it came to women at this point in my life. Too many years spent randomly hooking up would do that to a guy.

"Hell if I know, but whatever that was, was the opposite of keeping it cool. I didn't think it was possible to make someone so uncomfortable."

I took the hat off my head and scrubbed at my hair. "I wasn't trying to make her uncomfortable."

"She's uncomfortable because she finds you attractive."

Nolen and I spun around, both of us reaching for the weapons strapped to our hips. But my hand fell away when I recognized the teenager standing in front of us.

"Sneaking up on people is a good way to get yourself killed," Nolen grumbled.

I was sure my buddy's statement would scare the kid, but he merely shoved his hands in his pockets like the threat wasn't a big deal. The kid was either brave or stupid.

"Lucien, right?"

Kati hadn't formally introduced me or my team to her son, but the fact that he was the one to open the front door made it easy to guess his identity. Plus, he had been the one sitting with her at the diner the night before.

"That's right."

The kid had a confidence about him that should come off as cocky but somehow didn't. It felt more like the kid was comfortable in his skin and who he was. Something that I would think would be rare in a teenager.

"Does your mother know you're out here?" Nolen questioned with more force than necessary. It immediately put me on guard. For some strange reason, I felt protective of this kid even though he didn't seem to need it.

"She's currently hiding in the bathroom. My guess is that she needed a minute to put herself back together. She doesn't like to show emotion around me."

"I'm guessing she also wouldn't like you spilling all her secrets." I put my hat back on my head, but this time backward so Lucien could see my eyes and the warning I was trying to give him. It wasn't cool that he was sneaking outside and ratting his mother out.

"No, she wouldn't, but you're the first guy she's shown any interest in for my entire life. That's got to mean something and I'm not about to let her hide because of me."

This kid had balls of steel. I admired that about him even if I didn't agree with what he was doing.

"What makes you think she's hiding because of you?" I didn't have the slightest clue why I was entertaining the conversation when I should be starting on the security system, but here I was asking questions.

The kid scoffed like the answer should be obvious and maybe it was. "Because she's a single mother of a teenager and every decision she makes is because of me. That includes swearing off men. I might be a kid, but I'm not stupid. She probably thinks I don't want her to date."

Don't ask. Don't ask. Don't ask.

"Do you want her to date?" I had zero control over my mouth today, obviously.

"I want her to be happy, and if that means dating, then sure, I want her to do it. I know who my sperm donor is. I know he was a shitty human being and he basically messed up her life when he got her pregnant. She deserves better than that. She deserves someone in her life other than me and Aunt Lyla."

Was I supposed to correct him for the use of vulgar language? I didn't know the first thing about parenting. Not that I was trying to be his parent but I didn't want to screw him up either. I decided to let it slide this one time.

"Why are you telling me all this?" This conversation was bizarre, but no matter how much I knew I should stop it, I couldn't.

"I've seen the way you look at her."

"Yes, but you don't know me."

This time Lucien shrugged. "You're right, I don't, but you're friends with Aaron and everyone in town speaks highly of him. I figured you have to be semi-decent if the two of you are friends." Then the kid met my eyes and shocked the hell out of me. "Besides, you know exactly what's in my DNA. If it turns out you're not the guy I think you are, then I'll find a way to kill you."

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