Page 24 of Unbelonging
I picked up the bin, said my goodbyes, and headed out to my Ford Fiesta. It was a total beater, but had an eclectic look that might pass for fashion with my upscale clients. It ran okay, most of the time, but it wasn't exactly roomy. I set the bin on the passenger's seat and headed out of the long driveway.
On the way, I passed the house where my Dad lived with Loretta. It was an impressive place, brick, two stories, a lot like the Parkers', except for the fact it had a guest house. The garage was shut, and the shades were drawn. They both worked days, so I was spared the obligation of stopping by.
Dad and Loretta were funny like that. If I stopped by, they made me feel unwelcome. But if I didn't stop by, there'd be hell to pay later on. I could take it, but Josh couldn't, which was why I made a point to stop by Grandma's on weekdays.
Halfway to the Parkers', I swung by the recycling center and dumped the envelopes into the paper-and-cardboard bin, watching as they scattered over old cereal boxes and newspapers.
After that, I hit the office supply store to buy more envelopes and paper. Maybe this time, I'd do a flyer for cat supplies. My Grandma adored cats. She'd probably like that.
Chapter 14
When I walked Chucky the next day, Lawton wasn't exactly waiting for me. But he did happen to walk out his front door when I walked by his house. It might've been planned, or it might've been a spur-of-the-moment thing. I didn't ask, and he didn't say either way.
He did, however, have another bag of treats in his hand for Chucky, who had apparently decided that Lawton was the best thing since grilled steak, or maybe a designer purse. Looking at Lawton, I had to agree, but for entirely different reasons.
If Lawton were a treat, he'd be the kind that smart girls avoided. His body was too sinful, his reputation too dangerous, his face too hypnotic. It would easy to fall for him, and even easier to believe I could somehow mean more to him than some passing fling.
But he wasn't treating me like a fling. He was treating me like a friend. This was a good thing, or at least that's what I told myself. Flings came and went. Friends were harder to come by, especially for someone like me, who lived in one world and worked in another.
When he offered to take Chucky's leash, I didn't argue.
We'd gone only a couple of blocks when he said, "I always wanted a dog."
I turned my head to look at him. "Really? Then why don't you have one?"
He shrugged. "Too hard to take care of."
"Oh c'mon," I said, "they're not that hard. Besides, you're great with dogs."
"Yeah, but I'm gone a lot."
Not from what I'd seen. For someone with so many business projects – assuming everything I'd read was true – he seemed to spend an awful lot of time just hanging around the neighborhood.
"You're not gonethatmuch," I said. "I see you around here all the time. Like almost every day."
His gave me a crooked grin. "Yeah? You been watching for me?"
"No. Of course not." I felt color rise to my cheeks. "It's just, well, I – "
He laughed. "Just kidding. Truth is, Ihavebeen around a lot more lately. But it's not always like this."
"So why is it now?" I asked. "Are you on vacation or something?"
"Something like that."
"You're not gonna tell me?"
He stopped walking. Slowly, he turned to face me. "You can't guess?"
As I met his gaze, I almost forget to breathe. The autumn breeze played with the loose ends of his tousled hair, while the rest of him was a study in stillness. His eyes met mine, and I felt my lips part. He leaned his face toward mine, and time all but stopped.
Unfortunately, Chucky didn't.
With a series of frantic yips, he tugged against his leash, breaking the spell as Lawton and I glanced in his direction. A squirrel was darting up a tall oak tree. Chucky was straining against the leash, barking as if his very life depended on it. The squirrel stopped on a high branch, chattering as it looked down on us.
I gave a nervous laugh. "I think it's taunting us."
Lawton looked up. "Probably," he said, not sounding too happy about it.
