Page 17 of Thirteen Years
“I did meet someone a couple of weeks ago, when I went to check out the school on the first day.” I finally conceded. It had been about a week since I’d spoken with Becks on the phone. We’d mainly texted back and forth, teasingly as I made my way through the rest of the book. It was like I was a kid with my first real girlfriend again. I was becoming increasingly frustrated that she hadn’t committed to a date for us to go out yet.
I watched as her eyes lit up and cut her off immediately, “I literally just had her run into me and got her name, Nan. I can’t say it’ll go anywhere, but just that brief interaction felt like something. I asked her out about a week ago too.”
She studied me silently for a moment. “Are you asking her on a date or to your bed?”
“Nan!” At this point I scrubbed at my face with my hands, appalled at where our conversation kept going.
She snorted.
“I’m asking her out, Nan,” I said, looking at her. “She’s a single mom. I want to take this slow and do it right. I can’t say the thought of her in my bed would upset me. But there’s more than one person involved here,” I said.
That sure wiped the laughter off her face. She studied me again. It looked like she was checking for something unsaid. This woman knew me better than anyone. I squirmed uncomfortably. Even at forty years old she had the ability to make me feel like an eight year old that had taken a finger swipe of icing from the bowl while her back was turned.
Quirking her eyebrow, she nodded. “Good. Now go do something you young people do on Saturdays. You don’t need to be sitting in a stuffy old senior housing apartment with your Nana after your morning shifts. Plus I have Boris coming over for dinner.”
I crossed my tattooed arms and took my turn to stare at her. “He better be treating my Nan right. What are his intentions toward you anyway? Maybe I should pay him a visit? Run a background check?” I said jokingly.
Boris had lived in Reading, Pennsylvania his entire life. Ran the local flower shop until he retired after his wife had passed away and he’d moved into senior housing.
It was Nan’s turn to widen her eyes innocently at me. “Lucas Marshall, you will do no such thing. I am an eighty five year old woman perfectly capable of making my own decisions. And I haven’t been a blushing virgin bride since I was nineteen years old.”
I threw my hands up in concession. “Okay okay! Just for the love of God, Nan. Stop talking about sex.”
She threw her head back and cackled again as I grinned.
“You get on out of here. I have stuff to do, young man.”
I hugged and kissed her, promising I’d call in the morning to check how her date went. She playfully swatted my butt on the way out the door. I had to shake my head as I walked out to my huge black truck, pulling my keys out of my pocket. I don’t know how I’d ended up so lucky as to have a Nan that took in a brat and raised him like she did, but I would be grateful forever.
I got into my truck and pulled my cell phone out of my pocket. It was a Saturday. Maybe I could actually go out tonight. Hit up the local bar. I wondered if any of the guys would be able to go with me? I wasn’t planning on picking up any women tonight. I had a certain dark-haired beauty stuck on my mind. I pictured her brown eyes staring up at me behind those adorable glasses. I wondered what Becks was doing tonight.
I was trying to play it cool and not text or call her excessively. I had told her the ball was in her court, and I meant that. If she wanted to go on this date, I was going to let her call me this time after she’d lined up Monica watching her daughter. I didn’t want to suffocate her even though my entire being wanted to claim her as mine.
I shot off a quick text to Paul, Trevor, and Nick checking to see if they wanted to go out for a couple drinks later tonight.
Paul responded pretty quickly.
I scowled at my phone. Becks was going out with Monica? She had another free night and hadn’t set the date? I was glad she’d made a friend and felt comfortable leaving her daughter at their house but, damn. The thought of her out there and other men’s eyes on her before I’d even taken her on one date really chapped my ass. The fact she hadn’t called to solidify our date kind of irritated me too.
Well at least someone was available. Maybe it would take my mind off of Becks being out there.
Chapter 10
Ithrew my phone across the room slamming it into the wall.
“Fucking bitch!” I screamed.
“Clark? Honey? Are you okay?” Laura’s voice came from the kitchen.
“I’m fine. Mind your damn business and finish cooking,” I snapped.
Silence followed and I smiled. God, it was nice to be obeyed. I did miss Rebecca’s fire and fight sometimes though. I had been unable to break her in our time together. I relished her fighting me, her tears.
Those fucking pictures Lawrence had sent me. Talking to a cop?! Exchanging phones to trade numbers?! Who the fuck did she think she was? She was entirely too comfortable. It was time to escalate things again. I walked over, picking up my shattered phone. At least the texting still worked.
Send.
“Is dinner even done yet?!” I snapped, storming into the kitchen to pick another fight.
