Page 19 of Revived

Chapter 7

Rachel

“Speed dating? You can’t be serious?” I stare at Jess seated next to Pfeiffer on the park bench as she watches Grayson playing on the playground equipment while Jess and I talk.

“I am. I need to get back out there. My hymen is growing back,” Jess whispers as Pfeiffer and me both laugh.

“First of all, you and I both know that is humanly impossible,” Pfeiffer counters. “And secondly, I thought you were hot for Doctor McSteamy at work?”

Jess slumps back on the bench. “Come on Piper, we’ve had this discussion. We work together. It wouldn’t be smart to start something with him. So what if he’s just the hottest man I’ve ever seen in my life… It’s not like he’d actually make a move. Plus, what if he’s another victim of my curse?” She admits defeatedly as Grayson comes running up to us.

“That curse is all in your head,” Pfeiffer retorts.

“Easy for you to say since you met the love of your life,” Jess fires back.

“I need a drink, Rachel,” Grayson interrupts the conversation, out of breath, his cheeks red from running around like a maniac. But I quickly learned the best way to tire this kid out is to let him run it out at the park for a bit. I give him a stern look he’s quickly become familiar with in the last month that I’ve been watching him—a slight arch of my eyebrow and a twist of my lips, waiting for him to use his manners. “Please,” he huffs as I triumphantly smile when he realized what he forgot. I hand him his water bottle and watch him empty half of it.

“Thank you for using your manners, Grayson.”

“Uh huh.” He nearly throws the bottle back at me before sprinting away, climbing up the stairs and darting for the highest slide behind another little boy he’s quickly become friends with.

“He is so cute,” Jess says as Pfeiffer nods beside me.

“Yes, he is. And the kid knows it, I swear. He tries to manipulate me with those dimples, the same ones his father has…”

“Speaking of Professor Hottie, how is that situation going?” Jess prods, being less informed of my new job than Pfeiffer is. Pfeiffer works at Emerson Falls Memorial Hospital as a nurse, and Jess is one of her co-workers. They quickly became friends when Pfeiffer moved out here under her new identity. Once Pfeiffer moved back and I quickly followed, the three of us became a tight-knit group of gal pals and try to hang out as often as we can. The fact that they both had the same day off called for an afternoon spent together, catching up on each other’s lives, even while I was still technically on the clock.

“Professor Hottie? Real original, Jess.” Pfeiffer rolls her eyes.

I search the playground for Grayson, locating him running for his life while the other little boy chases him laughing before answering. “Things are great. I really can’t complain. We’ve established a routine and schedule that works for us. Luke is awesome about making sure I don’t feel like a housekeeper on top of a nanny, but I honestly don’t mind taking care of stuff for them. Grayson has slowly showed me his true colors as a four, almost five-year-old, but that was to be expected. Honestly, everything is going so smoothly, it’s kind of scary—kind of like we’re a family, but not.”

“Yeah, it is kind of like you became a mom and housewife overnight,” Jess adds.

“Sort of. But honestly, Luke and I don’t talk much, except about Grayson. He’s actually a very closed off person, and I don’t feel like I know him much more than I did when we met. Except maybe for the fact that I know he likes his coffee black and eggs scrambled, and he actually enjoys doing laundry.”

“Maybe he can rub off on Cash then,” Pfeiffer teases, referencing her almost husband. Their wedding is in less than a month and she’s been busy making sure everything they want for their small ceremony is perfect. I remember when she told me about their first date and the lock fence in the park they discovered together. Now they’re getting married there on the third Saturday in April, and I couldn’t be happier for my best friend.

“No, I think that’s a unique thing to him. But seriously… I know he has a story, one that obviously included losing his wife. I see her face all over their house and I know she died. But he never really talks about her. Do you guys know what happened?”

Pfeiffer shoots Jess a look as they hold a silent conversation between them, contemplating how to respond. “I know you’re curious, Rach. But I honestly think he should be the one to tell you…”

“O-kay,” I draw out. “Is it that bad?”

Pfeiffer nods. “From what Cash has told me, Luke quit his job as a sheriff partly because of how his wife died. He continued to work there even though it’s been almost five years, but he was always anxious being on duty. That’s all I know, but I can't imagine what that must mean.”

“I’ve heard things from people at the hospital, but I don’t know enough to feel right telling you what I know unless I was sure. Just know, it was traumatic and he’s never been the same since… at least that’s what people in town that were here when it happened have told me,” Jess claims, her head darting towards the playground as squeals fill the air.

I watch Grayson run around again, processing the tidbits of new information I just gathered. I knew Luke was a sheriff before he became a teacher, that much he’s told me. But how that ties in to why he quit his job? I don’t see the connection yet.

“I just feel for the guy… he seems so lonely…”

Pfeiffer eyes me across Jess sitting between us. “Has he told you that?”

“He doesn’t have to. I can see it on his face. I swear, the only time I don’t see it is when we talk to each other on the couch after Grayson’s gone to sleep.”

Jess and Pfeiffer both smirk as they shoot me curious looks. “Are you keeping him company then?” Jess inquires with a lift of her brow.

Narrowing my eyes, I try to assess what they’re insinuating, hoping that my attraction to him is not as apparent as it feels. It’s been over a month since we met and there’s no doubt that Luke is handsome, the way my body responded to him initially told me as much. But since living with him and accepting money from him, I’ve forced myself to remember he’s my boss and not a potential love interest. Still, there are moments when he comes out fresh from the shower after working out in his garage when the smell of his body wash hits my nose and renders me stupid, or when he glides down the hallway buttoning the cuffs on his dress shirts he always wears to work that makes my heart flutter a bit with each movement. When he comes home from teaching in the evenings and his stubble is slightly longer than it was that morning, or he laughs easily when Grayson recalls our day to him at the dinner table—those moments all make it harder to remember that this man has entrusted me to look after his kid, not harbor a crush on him. So needless to say, I’ve been struggling with our brewing friendship, especially when his knee casually brushes against my leg on the couch or when he pours my coffee for me in the morning when he hears my door open.

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