Eight Days a Week (12 page)

I yanked my hands from the piano keys and pressed them to my face in frustration.

“Dat was weally good, Dee.”

I laughed. “Thanks, little man.”
 

He stared with awe at the keys and then at my hands. Then his mouth pursed. With tentative fingers, he plinked out a couple of notes, a huge smile crossing his face.

“Do you want to learn?” I asked.
 

He turned his face up to mine, a look of adulation in his electric-blue eyes. Then he nodded.
 

“Okay, we’ll do this instead of T-ball. If Gwen’s okay with it.”

“I’m more than okay with it,” Gwen said from the doorway.
 

I took a deep breath before lifting my eyes to her. She was leaning against the door frame, and Bree was pressed against her hip, both of them gazing at me. Everyone was in their pajamas, and I chuckled at how much we looked like a real honest-to-God family right then. With a soft click, I closed the lid over the keys and leaned down to scoop Brady up.

“I’ll help you tuck them in tonight.”

Gwen nodded and followed us up the stairs. Once the kids were brushed, watered, and tucked, Gwen and I shuffled down the stairs, our feet padding softly on the carpet.

“Dee?” she called before I turned the corner into the kitchen. My shoulders slumped and I held my breath, turning warily to face her.

“I was wondering if you’d be interested in going to Bree’s school dance on Friday. It’s for parents, but . . .” She couldn’t finish because her eyes were welling up. What was it about this woman that made me want to take her upstairs and run a bath for her? Brush her hair and hum her to sleep?

Get a grip, Lyons
.

“Of course,” I said.

Her face was pained, her eyes downcast, and for the life of me I had no idea what I was supposed to do there anymore.
 

“And?” I asked.

She looked like she was struggling, and I was starting to get tired of the hesitation.
 

“What, Gwen?”

She closed her eyes and looked down at the floor. “I have a date on Saturday night.”

What. The. Fuck.

I blinked. “Okay.”
 

Her head flew up to gauge my reaction. My face was an expressionless mask, and she looked disappointed.

“I’m not doing this to hurt you. Please know that. I have reasons.”

“If you say so.”

“I just want to know if what we’re doing is going to be best for everyone involved.” She stared at me, wringing her hands like even
she
knew that was bullshit. “Tess said—”

“I don’t care what Tess said.”

“—maybe we’re doing . . . what we’re doing . . . just because we’re together by circumstance. And if the kids were to find out—”

I cleared my throat loudly. “It was one night, Gwen. Is there anything else, or can I go now?”

She sighed. “No. You can go. We’ll be ready to go to the dance Friday night by six.”

“Great.” I stared at her, watching her chest rise and fall, her mouth twitching like there was something else, but she kept her lips pressed together. Not willing to wait any longer, I went back downstairs to my room to try and sleep through the deafening echo of emptiness I felt in my heart.

Manny Log

Monday:

What the hell is going on with my life?

Tuesday:

Bree is becoming more social. Letting Jennifer come over to do homework for an hour has made her seem less like Wednesday Addams.
 

Brady is stuck to me like gum to a bus seat. Must remember to be a good example.
 

REALLY want to scream “shit” . . . just because.

Wednesday:

Do none of these cartoon kids have parents? Max and Ruby—do they live alone? And why won’t she EVER listen to what Max says? Damn goody-goody know-it-all. Reminds me of Cece.
 

Thursday:

Brady’s first piano practice: I need more patience.
 

Bree sat with us and did homework alone. Pretty sure this is the first time she hasn’t corrected every last thing Brady tried to do. Maybe she’s learning to be a kid instead of a parent. She’s a good sister.
 

Don wants to know what he did to make Gwen want to hang out with other dicks.

Chapter 13

I’m Happy Just to Dance with You

By Friday night I had cooled off enough to concentrate on my duties at hand. Bree knew I was taking her to the dance, and I had to do my best to make her feel special. I couldn’t let my feelings about Gwen’s decisions affect that.

At five forty on the dot, I knocked on the bedroom door and pushed it open to see Bree staring in the mirror with distaste. I raised my eyebrows at Gwen as we appraised each other, trying not to show any sign I thought she looked beautiful. Because she did. And I thought maybe she felt the same way about me since her eyes were fixed directly on my black suit. Or maybe it was the little daisy corsage I was holding in my hand.

I raised it up, and my mouth twisted in embarrassment. “I wasn’t sure about this, but—”

“It’s perfect.” She tore her eyes away from me and looked over her shoulder. “Bree? Your escort is here.”

Bree huffed and ran her hands over the front of her dress. Her shiny black little-girl heels caught the light and shone as she stepped forward like she was walking to her imminent death. Then her mouth opened in an
O
as she set her eyes on me and flushed.

“Hello, date.” I had to stop myself from chuckling as Bree opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out but a squeak. I knelt to give her the daisies, and she extended her wrist and watched as I slipped on the corsage. Then I stood and held out a hand. “Shall we?”

Her light-yellow dress shifted about her legs as she kept up with my strides. We descended the stairs, and when we got to the garage, we all stared at the Instant Vasectomy that was the Hyundai.

“Do I sit in back?” Gwen asked, smiling as she threw Bree’s overnight bag in the trunk. Bree shook her head and crawled into the backseat, so Gwen took the passenger seat while I started the car.

The school gymnasium had been filled with balloons and converted to a dance floor. Parents were sitting all along the bleachers watching their elementary school kids dancing or, rather, jumping up and down to the beat that filtered through the air.

Bree stood off to my side and scanned the crowd before a cluster of little girls screamed her name and came running over, fawning over her dress and talking about the decorations. Bree nodded and pretended to care.

Jennifer was among the group, and she tugged on Bree’s hand, begging her to come out onto the dance floor.

Bree looked up at me. “Is that okay?”

I smiled and waved my hand. “Go. Have fun.”
 

She rolled her eyes and pulled her hand from Jennifer’s. “Are you going to dance, Dee?”

“You
are
her date, you know.” Gwen’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

I ran my hand along the back of my neck. “Yeah, okay. You go dance now, and I’ll come get you in a couple of songs.”
 

She seemed appeased and turned back to her fan base.
 

I tilted my face a fraction of an inch toward Gwen, and she laughed.
 

“What?” I asked.

“You’re just good to her, that’s all.”

I looked away and set my jaw. “She deserves it.”

We bought a couple of drinks and watched the girls from the sidelines as they flailed awkwardly to the music and sang along to the songs. Bree was smiling and laughing, but every few minutes she’d check to see if we were still in our places. Satisfied we weren’t going anywhere, she’d resume dancing.

“Brady will be excited when Bree shows up tonight at your mom’s,” I said.

“Why is that?”

“Because he said it’s so boring there.” I smiled and pointed to my chest. “I mean, after you hang out with me, anything will seem less fun.”

Gwen laughed and finished her drink. “Yep. Nobody is as fun as you are.”
 

My face fell, and then hers did, too.
 

“No, I mean it,” she said. “I don’t know anyone else who would put in as much time and effort to get Brady and Bree up and out. You’re perfect for them.”

I looked at the floor and cleared my throat. “Perfect for
them
. Good to know.”
 

“Dee!”
 

Gwen and I looked up to see Bree running at us full force.
 

“Come on!” She tugged on my arm.
 

I handed Gwen my cup, followed Bree out onto the floor, and was immediately surrounded by little girls. They gaped at me like they’d never seen a grown man before. It completely freaked me out.

I stood in the middle of the circle and turned at the waist to see Gwen. She gave a small wave, and I grinned wide, shrugging. Bree started to sway and jump, just like the other girls, and pretty soon it looked like a sea of prairie dogs around my chest. I screwed up my face at all the underage female attention, but once the song changed to “Shout,” I pushed my way out of their circle and went along with it. The other parents watched, and the more I danced, the more other adults moved out onto the dance floor.
 

When the music changed again, I walked over to Gwen and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Slow dance. Don’t look, but I think Bree has a boyfriend.”

She whipped her head in their direction, and a slow smile spread across her face. The blond boy was a little shorter than Bree, but he was staring at her with wide eyes and an almost dazed expression.

“I told you not to look! His name is Trey,” I said. “I got his social security number and an address before I let them dance.” With a serious face, I pointed two fingers toward my eyes and then at Trey and mouthed, “I’m watching you.”
 

The little boy froze, then slowly returned to dancing with Bree.

“It’s started already, hasn’t it?” Gwen couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice.

“It had to start somewhere.” I smiled and shook my head. “Would you like to dance?”

She took my hand, and I pulled her to my chest, dropping one arm around her waist. Her touch sent shivers up my spine, and I concentrated on the heat from her body coming through my clothes.

She settled her cheek against my jacket, and I allowed myself the moment to just feel. She was so soft, safe, and familiar. I willed down the reaction growing inside me, but our one night together and the constant sexual tension was getting the best of me.

“She’s ready to go,” I murmured against Gwen’s hair.

She lifted her face from my chest, and our eyes met. I swallowed, and she stared as I licked my lips and tilted my face toward hers. Her eyelids fluttered, and then I pushed away and gave her a grin.
 

Bending down, I grabbed Bree’s hand. “Let’s go.”

We dropped Bree off at Debra’s, where I was polite and gave Bree a kiss on the forehead before we left. She blushed and thanked me for taking her to the dance, and I assured her I’d had a great time. “Best date I’ve ever had,” I whispered before the door closed.

I pulled the Hyundai into the garage at Gwen’s house and killed the engine and the lights. We were coated in darkness, and all I could focus on was my breathing and how loud my heart sounded in the small space. Neither of us moved or looked at the other, a strange feeling of finality to the night hanging in the air.

She pushed her car door open, and I followed, then walked around the hood to pause in front of the door to the inside.
 

“Thanks for asking me to come tonight,” I said.

“Thank you for coming.”

I swallowed the dirty response I wanted to give her inadvertent innuendo, and instead made a tentative move to hug her. She leaned in, and my arms encircled her waist and pulled her to me. She hugged me back, her breathing growing shallow, and as I pulled away, my cheek brushed against hers and my mouth skimmed her jaw.

She let out a shuddering breath, her lips parting as my nose brushed against her lower lip. She tightened her grip around my torso, letting me know without words that it was okay. That she wanted it.

Our mouths found each other in the dark, and she sighed into mine, her tongue searching between my lips. Warm and soft, her lips trailed lightly and then sucked as my teeth nipped at her sensitive flesh. She slid her hands up my arms and across my neck, and her body arched against mine with force.

I tightened my grip on her waist and ground my hips into her, and she whimpered. There were no words, just the sound of our ragged breathing and wet kisses in the darkness as the room became more heated from the early-summer-night air.

No thoughts entered my head as my lips attacked hers and our tongues roamed. My body was on fire, and I couldn’t stop pressing against her to appease the new ache that settled below my waistband. Her fingers slid down my back and around my chest, pushing their way underneath the suit jacket.