Read Tequila And Tingles: Turtle Pine, Book 2 Online

Authors: Keri Ford

Tags: #single mother;single mom;Cinderella;younger man

Tequila And Tingles: Turtle Pine, Book 2 (10 page)

BOOK: Tequila And Tingles: Turtle Pine, Book 2
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“Where?”

Nowhere, because, no. She was too breathless and fuzzy brained to fix her flapping jaws. “I don’t know.”

“Your call. We can meet here, your office or somewhere in town. We can meet at my sister’s, but since it’s summer, she’ll be there.”

If he was thinking about why they should get together for the same reason as her—and judging by his length against her stomach, she’d say so—town and her office were certainly out. Her house wasn’t the best either because of neighbors. So that left here and…goodness, how many people would see her walking in and out of this office every day?

More specifically, see her walking in put together and walking out with rosy cheeks and an untucked shirt. It was a battle of the lesser options here. Every day wasn’t going to be an option. “Your office is fine, but only a couple times a week. I’m not going to have people saying I’m taking daily booty calls and have their kids repeat that in front of mine. I don’t want to lie or have to deal with it.” She waved the thought off. “So, no. Like two times a week, max, and not on the same days either. I don’t want it being a standing invitation where people are checking their watches for me to appear and then texting all their friends about it.”

His brow pulled down. “It seems like you think we’re going to be doing more than eating a sandwich together.”

Her jaw felt slack and she flushed. “Oh my God.” She slipped away from him and reached for her purse. She had to get out of here. What was it with this man and making a fool of herself in front of him? They were done. So completely done. Her pride couldn’t handle another hit. It was for the best, needed to happen, and now it had. “I need to go.”

His chuckles slowed her, and he got his hand around her elbow before she could get her purse up. “I’m teasing. I’m sorry.”

She eyed him and tried making sense through her racing heart, but her face was so hot. She swallowed and licked her lips. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m sorry.” His chuckles faded away. “You were just so wound up and looked like you were close to worrying yourself to death.” He rubbed her arms and encouraged her to walk in closer to him. “I get it. You don’t do this kind of thing and you don’t want people talking about you.”

“You sound like a pro at this.” She lifted a brow. “Is this your thing? Picking up desperate old women?”

His brows dipped. “I don’t think you’re desperate or old.”

Ha. Youngster. What did he know? She was totally desperate. Would she be standing in this room, arranging freaking weekly booty calls, if she wasn’t?

Oh my God.
She was arranging a hookup with a pool boy. Butt of all future jokes, right here. Her breath shortened and she pulled away from him to pace it out.

“You are turning red again. And panting. I think you should sit down.”

She shook her head and laughed. What else could she do? “I just realized you were a pool boy and that makes me a dirty cougar in this situation.”

He laughed. Leaned forward and completely belly laughed. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all week. Next time I see you, do you want me shirtless and wearing my swim trunks?”

“Stop.”

He leaned back on his desk. “Whatever you say, Ms. Revlin.”

She pushed at him, but damn it, his laughter was contagious and it was all so completely—
completely
—ridiculous. She collapsed in her chair. “I don’t know how this is ever going to work.”

His arms were over his chest as he leaned back. “Just how old are you? Because you look like you’re late twenties, but you talk about yourself like you’re nearing fifty.”

She lifted her chin. “I’m thirty-two. I’m on the downhill slide to fifty.”

He shook his head. “Seriously. You have yourself all worked up and you’re thirty-two. Do you think I’m eighteen?”

“No!” Better damn not be.

“Don’t get yourself twisted up. I’ll be twenty-five next month. You hear that? Twenty-five. You’re just a few years older than me.”

She tugged at her hair. “When I was twenty-five, I was married and didn’t have kids. It seems like an eternity ago.”

“It was seven years ago. Not that far back.”

“Except you were a fifth grader when I was a senior. A
fifth grader
, Jason.”

Could his grin get any bigger? Probably not. He simply shrugged. “Then that would make me the coolest damn person in the whole school, except this isn’t high school. We’re adults.” He stood, pressed a kiss to her forehead and eased away. “I think this is all a little too much for you right now.”

Thank you. Thank you. He was finally getting it, and even more so, at least one of them in this room talked some sense. “It’s just a lot to wrap my head around.”

He nodded. “I like you, Beth. I like you a lot, for a lot of different reasons. This conversation just makes me like you more, but you’re not ready for a relationship.”

“I know. I don’t know that I’ll ever be ready for one.”

“That’s a shame too.” He crossed his arms over his chest and seemed to be putting distance between them. “I’m not going to stop liking you. If you ever want to meet for lunch or whatever, send me a text and I’ll be there. Nothing more.”

Why did this feel like she was being dumped? “Okay.”

He checked his watch. “You said you only had thirty minutes for lunch, so you should probably go so you’re not late.”

He slid her purse on her shoulder and tucked her sandwich in her hand. His fingers lingered over hers and he leaned in, leaving a quick and friendly kiss on her cheek. Very platonic. Like she’d kiss her brothers. With a hand to her back, he showed her to the door. No teasing touch of his fingertips on her spine. “I’ll see you at practice.”

She nodded and stepped out. The daze continued all the way to her car. She sat behind the wheel and stared at the mirrored glass that covered the corner where his office was located. What just happened?

She called Tina. “I think I was just dumped.”

“By who?”

“Jason.”

“What?” The TV volume in the background lowered. “Tell me what happened.”

Chapter Twelve

Jason checked through the bathrooms to make sure no one was in them and began locking up the pool side of the gym. Closing time was in fifteen minutes and it had been the longest day ever.

He’d thought yesterday had sucked ass. After realizing it was never going to work with Beth and being forced to send her on her way, the afternoon had been agony. He hadn’t realized how much of his time he’d focused on when he’d get to see her again. Now he didn’t have that focus at all, and there was a lot of nothing on his mind. Swimming after hours yesterday to exhaust himself hadn’t been the help he’d hoped for.

On a spread of one to ten of things to regret in his life, having to put an end to his time with Beth was high. It was the best for her. He could wait and hope she would come around, but the odds weren’t in his favor. Knowing her as little as he did, he knew she wasn’t ready for more.

Griggs climbed off his tower as the pool was empty. “You swimming tonight?”

Jason looked to the water, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he wasn’t feeling it. His favorite part about swimming had always been that it was a solitary activity. There was no one else to depend on so that you won—unless it was a relay. So it worked out as the perfect sport for him.

He was so sick of being alone in this town. Swimming laps wasn’t going to cut it. And Griggs swimming in the next lane didn’t count. It was still basically solitary, and he gave Griggs a shake of his head. “Not tonight.”

Griggs nodded. “All right. Martha and her group are already in the lockers. Since it’s nearly closing time, can I cut out early?”

“Go ahead.”

Jason flipped off a few final lights and double-checked the locks on the doors as he tugged them closed. Pool was secured. Thirty more minutes and TPC would be locked for the night. Then? He didn’t know. Mope around his sister’s? Ugh. When had he gotten so pathetic? No plans for sitting around. He didn’t care if he had to sit in Jaspers alone, he wouldn’t be a loser holed up in his bedroom.

Maybe Sean would be up for a run. It’d be a chance to get his mind off Beth and get away from his sister, who would pester him with a hundred questions. He sent a text to Sean and put his phone away as the door to the women’s locker room opened and Martha White stepped out.

She smiled at him. “Phyllis is still in there. She doesn’t have her shirt on yet, so unless you want to give yourself an early death, give her a few more minutes.”

He chuckled. “No hurry. There’s another half hour until closing. I’m just early.”

“Got big plans this evening?”

“If I’m at all lucky, I’ll be running.”

“Whew.” Martha shook her head and patted at her gray hair. “I wouldn’t be caught running anywhere. Unless someone stole my wine. I’d run after them.”

“I think you might be on to something there. Did you have a good swim?”

“I didn’t go belly up, so I can’t complain.”

“I’m glad for that.” He opened the front door to TPC and stepped out to hold it for her. “Have a good evening, Martha.”

“You too.” She stopped halfway out the door and paused. “And find something else to do besides running. That’s a waste of energy for a good-looking man like you.”

He laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Not that he needed Martha to tell him to find something else to do besides run. There was a leggy brunette he’d like to get his hands on. Now that would be a good way to spend some energy. Wasn’t going to happen though. He cleaned papers off his desk and then headed to the back of TPC to make sure none of the water faucets or showers had been left on. He had half the lights off when he got a response from Sean.

Playing ball. Could use an extra.

He studied the screen. His gut said no, but the point of calling Sean was to get out of the house and busy his thoughts. Baseball, football, whatever. He didn’t care.
Sure.

A few minutes later, he got another text with an address of where they were playing. Jason shut the last of TPC down, thanked the customers who walked out with closing and made quick work of getting changed into his gym clothes. He headed across town and parked behind the local high school as instructed. A concrete court sat in the middle of a playground and a handful of guys were already out there dribbling around each other. Basketball. Contrary to popular belief, not all tall guys were good at this. Maybe he should rethink blindly agreeing.

Sean dribbled to the edge of the court. “Up for some two-on-two?”

“Sound great.”

He pointed over his shoulder. “That’s Peter and Cade. They’re Beth’s younger brothers.”

Perfect. He was trying to get away from her and ended up around her family instead. He shook hands and they got down to playing.

It was actually fun, considering he sucked. He turned around his blocker, caught the ball from Sean, went up for a layup and missed. Again.

“Dude.” Sean looked at him across the court, arms out to the side. “The hoop is that big round thing hanging off that big square thing. That’s your target.”

“I got the next one.” Jason chased Cade down court and circled around the man. He reached up and went to block a shot by Peter, but the man faked, shot and got the ball in for another two points, putting them at thirty-one for their third win of the night.

“What the hell, man?” Sean shook his head at him. “Aren’t you Olympians supposed to be amazing athletes?”

He laughed at the good-natured ribbing. “Maybe I should have mentioned that basketball isn’t my best sport. Next time we’ll do laps in the pool and we’ll see who wins there.”

Peter slapped him on the back as he walked by, heading for the bench. “Cade and I have been playing together since we were kids. You two never had a chance.”

He followed the group. “So next game we need to swap up our teams?”

Sean drank half his water and sat back with a brush of his hand over his mouth. “Damn well need to do something different.” He let out a breath and rested a hand on his knee. “I’m starving. How long did you say your wives would be?”

Cade lifted a shoulder. “Annie is building a wedding cake. Sounded like she’d be there all night.”

Peter nodded. “And Jane is with her, helping, so I don’t expect to hear from her for a while.”

“Pizza, beer and a ball game on the TV at my house?”

The two brothers nodded and so did Jason. Absolutely. He could go for a guys’ evening. If that didn’t keep his mind off Beth, nothing would.

Peter pointed at him. “You don’t have plans with Beth?”

Cade held the basketball between his palms and looked to be testing the limits of leather. “We don’t want you in trouble with our sister.”

Right. And here it came. He supposed rumors of their few lunches and day at the park were starting to get around. He couldn’t imagine Beth volunteering that information. He doubted she’d want anyone to know anything about her personal dating life—brothers included. “We’re just friends.”

Cade lifted his brow and tipped his head to the side. “Annie said you took her to the park to play with the kids.”

“I did. Katie is in my swim class and she’s hesitant toward me. Beth thought if I spent some time with her, it would help her to trust me so she could pass the class.” And there was the part of wanting to spend the day with Beth, and how those few hours at the park had been some of the best he’d had in a long time. There was also the adorable cuteness of Kent falling asleep on him and Katie giving him instructions for everything. Jason kept all those things to himself.

Cade’s eyes narrowed at the corners. “So you’re not seeing my sister?”

Only in his dreams. “Nope. She’s made it clear she’s not ready to start dating, and I respect that.”

“But you want to be dating?”

He held back a curse and didn’t try hiding his feelings. The man was sure to see right through him. “She’s a beautiful, funny and kind woman who loves her kids. I’d be a fool not to date her.”

Sean stood and hefted his bag up on his shoulder. “If you two are done, can we go? I’m starving.”

Cade eyed him a little longer and pushed off his knees. “Yeah, we’re good.”

Peter slapped Cade on the back and grinned at Jason. “You see which one of us is the overprotective one.”

Jason walked with them to the cars. “Not a bad thing to be.”

He didn’t know who Beth’s ex was, but the man better not show his face. There appeared to be a line of people waiting to get their hands on him. That was one body that would likely never be seen again.

BOOK: Tequila And Tingles: Turtle Pine, Book 2
6.66Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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