Page 22 of Unbelonging
We started out at the usual uneven pace, with Chucky pausing every so often to water the bushes, and bounding ahead every so often to chase after whatever caught his attention, real or imagined. But after a couple of blocks, we'd fallen into a nice rhythm. I didn't want to admit it, but Lawton handled Chucky easier than I did.
After a while, Lawton said, "About yesterday –"
"Forget it," I said. What happened on the Parkers' front steps was the last thing I wanted to talk about. I'd made a total fool of myself.
"Not gonna happen," he said.
I stopped and gave him a look. "Excuse me?"
He stopped too, turning around to face me on the sidewalk as Chucky tried unsuccessfully to drag him in the other direction. "You're not getting off that easy," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, "I can't forget it."
"Why not?" I demanded.
He looked at me for what seemed like a long time. As the time passed, I felt my face grow warm, and probably not just from the sunshine. When he finally spoke, his voice was oddly quiet. "I dunno. I just can't."
"You just don't want to," I said.
"Probably."
For Chucky's sake – the dog was about to go nuts – I started walking again, and Lawton fell in beside me.
"Look," he said, "I know what you were thinking, me showing up so early, but that wasn't it."
"Oh." That was a relief. Sort of.
"I saw the tag when I got into my car, and I knew you wouldn't want Chucky running around without it."
"He's not supposed to run around, period," I said. "Well, not without me, anyway."
Lawton said nothing, and I snuck a sideways glance at him. Even in long sleeves, I saw hints and shadows of the muscular form underneath. There were things I'd like to ask him, things about the reality show and his fights, but somehow, I didn't want to be just another stalker-chick digging into his business.
Thanks to my computer, I'd done that enough already.
When he changed the subject to movies, it was a huge relief.
Walking with him was totally surreal. He acted just like a normal guy, sometimes funny, sometimes serious. We talked about nothing in particular as we made our way along the sidewalk. The thing that wasn't completely normal was how quickly time flew.
We were in front of the Parkers' before I knew it.
"Thanks for the walk," I said, reaching for Chucky's leash.
Lawton grinned, holding it just out of my easy reach. "You sure you can handle him?"
"Oh please," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Please what?" he said, his voice full of hidden meanings that I didn't dare decipher.
I reached up and snatched the leash away from him. I never did answer. Instead, I gave him a quick goodbye and headed straight down the Parkers' long driveway. When I reached the front door, I glanced over my shoulder and saw him standing on the sidewalk, waiting for me to get inside.
It was a funny habit, but I found myself smiling at the thought of it. I gave him a quick wave, unlocked the door, and went inside along with Chucky.
Chapter 13
Later that afternoon, I was sitting at Grandma's kitchen table, sipping hot chocolate and telling her and Josh all about my job offer. Josh had just gotten out of school, so the timing was perfect. "It's an accounting job," I was telling them. "The company sells car parts, stuff like mufflers and alternators."
