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"Where else would I be?" He answers my question with one of his own.
"The beach, a bar, helping some old lady cross the street." I bite my tongue to prevent listing the other thirty places I thought he'd be. Anywhere but here.
"All of those places are missing one thing."
"What's that?"
"You." His gaze meets mine, and time stands still. We're standing on the sidewalk as cars whiz by, yet we don't move.
His words are like the perfect note hit at the end of a masterful performance. I had no idea how much I needed to hear these words until just now.
If this was Laredo, I'd know immediately what these words meant. But they're not. They're from Adam. The quiet, kind, attentive man who lingers. My heart pounds in my chest, interpreting his words one way while my head lists all the reasons I'm mistaken.
"That's sweet." The intensity of his blue eyes fade with my comment. "How long have you been waiting in this blazing sun?"
Adam raises his hand, and I notice the yellow plastic band around his wrist. "Doesn't matter. You're here now. I got you something." He pinches a matching strip between his thumb and index finger.
I feel my brows rise in confusion. He must read my expression.
"We're going mini golfing." I read the inscription along the strip, a comic sans font meant for kids, Tiger's Putt-Putt.
He can't be serious. I'm paying for studio time. Time which is being wasted because of his misbehaving brother. "And what makes you think I have time to play games?" I hear the bite in my voice. A challenge that should be directed at his brother.
"Because I'm not asking," he says the line with a confidence I don't normally associate with him.
He reaches for my arm and pauses. "Is this okay?" He waits for permission before touching me. It's a common courtesy men raised the right way practice. Yet, the way he asks, especially after what just occurred upstairs, rattles my world. I blink away the water building behind my eye and nod before he notices.
He's gentle. He takes his time. He handles me with a care that has been missing from my life for some time. The sound of the plastic ends snapping together brings a smile to his face. A soft smile that's as sexy as it is safe. While I was stewing upstairs, forming evil thoughts of revenge, he was plotting ways to bring joy into my life.
"Do you trust me?" he whispers the words and, at this moment, I don't dare respond. "I only want what's best for you."
He releases my hand, and the warmth from his fingers lingers. I reach with my other hand and tap the same spot where his fingers were a second ago. "And how would you know what that is?"
"I don't," he replies quickly, putting me at ease. Few men admit to not knowing. Their world view doesn't allow them not to. "Which is why I'm going to continue to try. Until I do."
My teeth nibble on my lower lip. "Why?" This question is more curious than challenging. I've made too many mistakes, assuming I know the intent of men, only to find out I should have asked.
"Everyone could use someone to help lift them up during the tough days," he starts, and I fear he's read my mind. "Hailey is incredible." His gaze lowers, but it can't hide the look of love and admiration he carries for his sister. I've seen it back in Boston. I saw it last summer. I've only begun to get to know Hailey, but I have to agree with his assessment.
"Laredo and I were still minors when our parents…" He pauses, and my hand snaps forward, capturing his forearm. I know the history and what it's done to Adam. He doesn't have to say the words.
"Hailey became your guardian." My touch helps him fast forward the dark period in their lives, hoping to help him avoid the burden.
"The other option was for Laredo and me to move in with relatives in another state, away from everything and everyone we knew. Hailey gave up college to care for us." He shakes his head, and I know he's reliving the memory. "Back then, it wasn't just Laredo who was a handful. We were sixteen and didn't understand boundaries. And Hailey was learning on the fly how to be a parent. Those first months were a disaster."
"One night, I crept into the house late from someplace I shouldn't have been, and I heard Hailey in her room. Her door cracked open, and the sound of sniffles slipped down the stairway. I had been so wrapped in my world I hadn't noticed the price she was paying. I knew immediately the sadness and hurt she felt wasn't just the grief. But from the struggle of being overwhelmed.
"The next morning, I got up early, made breakfast for everyone, and told Laredo to be on his best behavior. After school, I begged her to take us bowling. I nagged her until she gave in. An hour later, Laredo was tossing the ball between his legs. I had straws up my nose, and Hailey was laughing. The next week, it was a bike ride. The week after the skate park. Anything to get her out of the house, out of her head. Everyone can use a distraction sometimes."
Adam raises his arm, displaying my distraction, the yellow bracelet. I lift my arm and line up my matching bracelet. "I don't think you know what you're agreeing to," I warn.
"I had the same thought." A short smirk flashes for a second, and I'm reminded of how handsome this quiet man is. "This way."
Adam waves his arm, and I follow. His feet stomp as he races to catch up with me, and I picture the sixteen-year version of him doing the same for his sister. A dutiful man who sees others and cares. They're rare and deadly. I'm not his sister. He's distracting me from my history, but what he doesn't realize is that it's not just mini golf he's placed in front of me to distract me.
It's him.
Chapter Ten
