And it was all because of his unexpected houseguest.
Just the thought of her had him adjusting his jeans. He couldn’t help but wonder what it was about this woman that got under his skin—in more ways than one. She certainly wasn’t his usual type, from what he could remember of his type anyway. It had been so long since he’d been single, he wasn’t even sure what his type was anymore. Maybe it had changed in the last decade. He certainly had.
As clichéd as it might sound, having a child had changed him. He wasn’t interested in “chasing tail,” as his friend Tom so eloquently put it. But he wasn’t really interested in anything serious either. It wouldn’t be fair to introduce another woman into Maddie’s life. What if it didn’t work out? A breakup wouldn’t only involve two people anymore, and his daughter had lost enough. Which was why Lucas had sworn off the idea of women altogether, at least for the time being.
Then Paige Parker walked into his life. More like barged into it, seeing as how she’d just walked into his home that first morning like she owned the place. Although to be fair, at that point she practically did, seeing as how she was the only thing standing between him and the county tax assessor. She’d been demanding and abrasive and so uptight he could practically hear her grinding her teeth from across the room. But she was also one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. Even when she’d come back that first night, soaking wet and mad as hell, all he could think about was how much he wanted to kiss her.
And now he finally had.
He’d only meant for it to be a simple gesture. A quick peck to tide them over until later that night. But then she’d looked up at him with those big green eyes and her teeth nipped her lower lip and damn if he wasn’t a total goner. It had taken every ounce of self-control not to press her up against the refrigerator. Or even better, lay her out on the counter so he could take his time exploring every luscious inch of her. The thought alone had an audible groan vibrating in the back of his throat.
Get a grip, he thought. There were still—Lucas glanced at his phone—at least four more hours until he’d have the chance to kiss her again. If he kept on the way he was, he’d end up jumping her like some overzealous teen the minute they were alone. Probably last that long too. He needed a distraction. So instead of indulging his fantasies, Lucas turned his attention to the aftermath of the storm.
He assessed the damage as he made his way through town. The awning on the post office had a rather large tear, and the Kitchen Spoon had lost the trellis they’d installed on their patio. There were a few downed trees and washed-out roads, but all in all the little island seemed to have weathered the nor’easter quite well.
So well, in fact, that it seemed nearly half the town’s population had decided it was time to venture out to the grocery store. At least it was restocked.
Lucas dialed his sister with one hand while reaching for a grocery basket with the other. If there was one surefire way to avoid small talk at the market, it was to be otherwise occupied. He knew talking on the phone as he worked his way up and down the aisles made him a bit of a douchebag, but it was an effective deterrent. And in this case, necessary. He needed to catch Sophie before she left.
“I was just about to head out,” she said when she answered.
Lucas tucked the phone between his shoulder and his ear and reached for a bundle of broccoli. “Don’t.”
He turned to find a well-meaning neighbor headed his way with that look that told him she was gearing up for a chat. But as she rounded the grapefruits, she realized Lucas was on the phone. “Oh, sorry,” she mouthed as she backed away. Worked every time. Lucas gave her a friendly nod, then started toward the tomatoes.
“Wait, so now you don’t want me to come get Maddie? I’m confused. I thought things were going well between you and Paige.”
“They are,” he said without thinking. Damn Sophie for getting him to admit there was anything between them, let alone that it was going well. “I mean, she’s enjoying her stay. Probably give us a good review too.”
“Drop the act, Luc. It was obvious you have a thing for… What did you call her? Ah yeah, the pain-in-the-ass city lady.”
He added three Roma tomatoes to his basket. For a moment, he considered changing the topic, but for some reason, he dropped his guard. “I like her, Soph.”
“Whoa. Okay. I mean, I suspected after the way the two of you were all googly eyes this morning but…”
“But what, you didn’t think I’d admit it?”
Sophie snorted. “Not without some mild torture.”
“Very funny.” Lucas tossed a box of pasta into the basket and then stopped midstride. He hesitated a second before turning on his heel and heading to the rear of the store.
“How do you feel about that?” Sophie asked.
He could have really blown her mind and told her he was about to buy condoms, but instead all he said was, “Let me call you right back.”
“What? Don’t think you’re going to avoid—”
Lucas ended the call just as he reached the display. Damn, were there always so many options? He scanned the descriptions, then grabbed the closest pack. His heart was racing so fast, he could feel it thumping against his chest. One more memory from the high-school highlight reel.
He tucked the box of condoms under the pasta and made his way back down the aisle. As he did, he realized that after the condoms came the pregnancy-test display and after that, shelves of diapers. The product placement was either one hell of a coincidence or someone in the store had a sick sense of humor.
When he reached the checkout, Mr. Jenkins, the store’s owner, opened a new lane and waved him over. Thank God. He was far better off having Mr. Jenkins ring him up than, say, Mrs. McKenzie. She would no doubt have spread the word about the condoms the moment he left the store. Then again, maybe that would have gotten the die-hard matchmakers off his back. Certainly would have given them something to talk about over at the coffee shop.
“Morning, Mr. Jenkins,” Lucas said as the older gentleman began scanning the items. He didn’t react at all when he scanned the condoms. Lucas exhaled in relief. Maybe he would be able to keep his personal life private. At least for now.
“I can do that, Mr. J,” Lucas told him as the grocer began to bag the items. But it was no use. Mr. Jenkins was old school. To him, grocery stores were not places with self-checkouts, and that included the bagging portion of the transaction.
“Full service, Mr. Croft.” He flashed a kind smile. “In my grandfather’s shop, I used to carry the bags to the car. I’d do that now.” He laughed. “If you had one.”
“Thank you.” Lucas gathered his bags and headed for the door. He’d barely dialed when he heard his sister’s voice coming through the phone.