Page 10 of Tricked in October
On the rareoccasion Kelsey was ever alone, she screamed curses into the void. If it was up to her, these screaming sessions would happen more often. Most of the time she either had the kids with her or she was surrounded by noisy customers at the bar. And then there was Isabella, who wouldn’t allow Kelsey to be alone for more than an hour at a time since losing Ricky. It was sweet of her friend to worry about her, but she didn’t need to be babysat. She did, however, need a regular babysitter for her kids.
When Kelsey picked up the kids that morning, she was running late getting the older two, June and Zach, to their ice-skating lesson and she still had to drop Charlotte off at Mr. and Mrs. Whitley’s. There hadn’t been time to talk to her in-laws about the bar. Besides, she wanted to be prepared to be sure she said the right things without growing emotional. And she’d had zero time to prepare. After she’d closed the bar the night before, said an awkward as hell goodbye to Davis—what was up with that by the way? she honestly had no idea—and she’d crawled into bed, it had been after 1 a.m. To say she was exhausted would’ve been an understatement.
Today was one of those rare days where she had alone time. How silly was she? She should be using these ninety kid-free minutes to take a nap. But how could she nap when she had so much buzzing through her mind? Besides the concern over losing the bar and the past due statements, things between her and Davis were awkward. And things were never awkward between them.
She was now alone while her thousand and one thoughts battled in her mind, all her worries striving for first place on her to-do list. Instead of going inside and watching her children’s session like the other parents, she sat in her minivan in the parking lot. She synced her phone to the radio and cranked the music. While The Chainsmokers’ blared through the speakers, the bass making the minivan’s door rattle, Kelsey sang-shouted the lyrics.
About halfway through the second verse, there was a knock against Kelsey’s window. She shrieked, clutching at her chest, and letting out an even louder expletive as she whipped her attention to the window.
Davis stood on the other side of the glass, an intrigued, crooked smile on his chiseled face. Warmth pooled into her cheeks. An unexpected flutter in her chest caused her pause. A glimmer of an image of a shirtless Davis from the night before flickered into her mind. She’d seen him without a shirt countless of times. But had his muscles on his chest and abs always been that defined?
Cooper, Davis’s golden retriever, sat obediently at his side, wagging his tail.
Once Kelsey had caught her breath, she lowered the music before opening the window. “Davis! What the heck? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“Sorry.” He laughed hard into his fist, and she honestly didn’t find the humor. He cleared his throat. “No, I’m serious. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, right. You sound really sorry.” She crossed her arms. It was a good thing he was fully dressed today in a jacket and a pair of dark Carhartt’s. Because if he was shirtless again, she might’ve had a difficult time being annoyed with him.
“Well, if you’re embarrassed, then maybe you shouldn’t be singing at the top of your lungs in public,” he shot back, raising a brow.
“I’m not embarrassed,” she replied.
Okay, so she was a little embarrassed. Typically, she wouldn’t be. It took a lot to rattle her. So why was she now?
“Fine, if you say so,” he said, putting his hands up in surrender.
“And technically, I’m not in public. I’m in my car,” she muttered and glanced down at the dog who had been waiting patiently for a personalized greeting. “Hey, Cooper.” She climbed out of the minivan to give him a proper hello.
Cooper wagged his tail with even more enthusiasm. She bent and scratched both his ears and buried her face in the top of his head. Cooper was nearing a decade old. Kelsey had gone with Davis when he adopted the puppy all those years ago. It was hard to believe she’d known him almost his entire life.
“I think he missed you,” Davis said.
“Aww, I’ve missed you too, Coop.” She straightened and petted him on the head. “You should bring him with you next time you come into O’Henry’s.”
“Um…sure. Next time.”
She heard the falter in his voice, caught the roughness in it. His hesitation of not wanting to come into O’Henry’s would normally grate on her, but instead she was aware of the distress between them.
The history she and Davis shared sat heavy on her mind. These new and raw feelings or attractions—whatever they were—if acted upon could threaten to ruin the relationship they’d built. The perimeters set years ago had been easy to maintain. The common denominator always in position in between them—Ricky and her sacred vows. But now, with those elements gone, she could feel the barriers weakening.
When the silent pause between them sat too long, she swung her attention back to Davis, the reflection from the autumn sun ricocheting off his crystal blue eyes. Her cheeks warmed and something stirred in her depths. An awakening of a craving she’d pushed away months ago and had assumed she would never feel again. And yet here she was—feeling it. Just slightly. But enough for her to notice. Enough she couldn’t push it away or ignore it.
Did he feel it too? Or notice her unusual behavior? The idea was ludicrous. Her and Davis. Her andanyoneother than Ricky.
Last night, when Davis had looked at her, his eyes darker than usual, it had set her skin on fire, and she felt a shift in their relationship. Along with the feeling of a light pain in her chest near her heart.
Before Ricky, Kelsey had a crush on Davis. But because of their friendship, she’d never acted on it. And she’d never told a soul either.
“Well…we should get going.” Davis tugged on Cooper’s leash.
“Thanks,” she blurted before he could take a step away. “For last night…for fixing the leaky shut-off.”
He shrugged, shuffling his feet back and forth, Cooper’s leash loose in his hand. The action was both adorable and childlike. “It was nothing.”
She waved him off. “You know me, I hate asking for help.”
The corner of his lips pulled into a crooked smile. “Don’t I know it.”
