Page 28 of The Lucky List
“Did you show them the button they’re absolutely not supposed to touch under any circumstances whatsoever?” Sawyer asks. My blood pressure starts skyrocketing until I see the smirk on his face.
“No, I didn’t. You want the honor?” Mike steps aside as the chief climbs into the cab and starts the engine.
My boys stare with rapt fascination as everything on thedashboard lights up. Levi is sitting next to him, and I see the moment he loses his battle with his impulse control, but Sawyer throws his arm out, holding him back as he speaks in a low voice. “Whatever you do, don’t touch that button,” he says, pointing to the panel.
Levi’s body vibrates with pent-up energy as his eyes flick back and forth from the button to the chief. Micah pulls his cast against his chest, using his other arm to hold it in place as he cautiously sizes up Sawyer, unsure what to make of him. I hold my breath, knowing exactly how this is going to play out since I’ve seen this scenario hundreds of times at home. I tell them not to do something, and Micah easily complies, but Levi’s brain is set to destruct mode, calculating every angle of the situation.Is it worth it? Do I care? How fast can I do it? Will Mama notice? Will Micah tattle? Fuck it, I’m doin’ it!
I see all that play out in Levi’s head as he grips Sawyer’s arm, shimmies over it, and slams his hand down on the button. I cover my ears as a siren blasts through the closed space and Mike doubles over in laughter. Micah looks terrified. Levi is whooping. And I’m oddly at peace for once that these two men are showing my kids some attention and they’re eating it up. There aren’t a lot of people I can depend on, and these two seem content to spend time with my kids, even if it is just for the moment.
Sawyer cuts the engine to the truck shortly after, which is probably for the best. He looks at Mike. “Why don’t you give her a tour of the kitchen? I’ll keep these two entertained.” He then turns to my boys. “Have you ever seen the inside of an ambulance?”
“I have!” Micah says.
“I wanna see it!” Levi pipes up.
He turns back to me. “My kids are a little older than them, but I remember this age. I got this. Go take a break. Grab something to eat with Mike.”
Before I can respond, he’s chasing after my kids as they run over to the ambulance.
“Is he always like this?” I ask Mike, my gaze shifting back to Levi and Micah.
“A big kid? Yep. But he’s a good guy. Even better father.” We stand there in awkward silence for several moments before he speaks again. “You hungry?”
I am. But I’ve got groceries in the car I really should unload. They’ll be fine in the cold for a bit, so it’s not like I’m in a big hurry. But being in this man’s presence is overwhelming, and I can’t figure out why he has such an effect on me. My therapist would probably point out my lack of control. I don’t like not having control over situations. I know it goes back to my shitty ex, Kyle. It’s something I’m working on, but it’s a damn hard habit to break.
Shit, he asked me a question.
Iamhungry. Just not in the way he means, and definitely not for anything that can be served on a plate. My stomach tightens, heat pooling low as my brain insists on replaying the way he looked at me. The confidence. The ease. The fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing and isn’t the least bit sorry about it.
It’s been years since I’ve felt the touch of a man. Years since I let myself think about one like this, about hands and mouths and the kind of attention that has nothing to do with responsibility or restraint. But I’m not about to tell him that.
Focus, Lucy. Food. Normal adult conversation.Being around kids all day at home and at school, I’m clearly starved for grown-up interactions. I just need to keep my mind out of the gutter.
Easier said than done when the gutter currently has his name written all over it.
“Yes? Maybe. I don’t know. I just want to see how this plays out first.” I nod toward the ambulance, but Micah seems to betaken by Sawyer just like he was with Mike. Maybe he’s growing out of this phase of hating men. Maybe he just needs to be around more men instead of me and all my single mom friends all the time. Maybe he wouldn’t be so skittish if my dad hadn’t yelled at him for breaking a plate the last time I let him see them.
“They’re really feckin’ cute,” Mike says as Levi runs around the truck, Sawyer chasing after him.
“Thanks.”
“I know Micah already, but what’s the wee one’s name?”
Is he joking? “The number of times I’ve yelled it in front of you the past week should be a clue.”
He chuckles. “Fair.”
“It’s Levi.”
“Levi,” he says slowly as if he’s testing the feel of it on his tongue. “Not sure anyone could top our meet-cute.” His head turns to mine, a smile lighting up his features.
“Really?” I look over at him, trying my best not to roll my eyes. “Our meet-cute was a train wreck.”
“I was talking about me and Micah’s meet-cute.”
I shake my head, rubbing my forehead with two fingers as if I can iron out the wrinkles forming there as I hide my embarrassment. Of course he wasn’t talking about ours. “Meet-cutes are usually between love interests.”
“Anyone can have a meet-cute,” he insists. “And Micah and I bonded over Pokémon. Best meet-cute ever, in my opinion. And then I officially met your wee one at Meat Cute. We had a Meat Cute meet-cute.”
