freakin’ yo-yo. Sh ayn e flipped from flirty to distant so fast, he didn’t know whether he should have brought along his swim trunks or his ski parka.
Damn, the woman was the epitome of frustration!
As he made his way back toward her, the look of utter fear on her face stopped him cold. She stood stiff, her hand flexing around the bat. She chanced a quick look at Ma tt out of the corner of her eye then her s hrewd, protective eyes watched Ricky approach.
He’d seen a woman like that once before. When he’d been about ten. His terrified neighbor as she stood in the middle of her lawn, standing off against her abuser.
He held up his hands , spoke softly . “Shayne , you okay?”
She dropped the bat, shook her head. “Yeah. Fine.”
He took a hesitant step forward. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah.” She looked at Matt again. The kid had gotten the hang of things and was banging the crap out of everything coming down the pipe. Her smile was short-lived, only long enough to find him. She frowned. “I just need a minute. Where’s the restroom?”
“Go out the gate, around the corner and down the hallway. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be right back,” she hollered at Matt, who nodded.
Ricky wondered what just happened between them. Yeah, he’d been pissed, but come on, he wasn’t spittin’ mad and besides he’d never take it out on her.
But did she know that?
What the hell had happened to her?
He considered for less than a heartbeat to ask her brother, only to scratch that piss poor idea off the list of possibilities. Xavier hated him and would never approve of Ricky dating his sister.
“Everything okay?”
Ricky turned to see Matt approaching. “Yeah, I think so.”
“I know she can be frustrating.”
Ricky chuckled. “You do, huh?”
“I’m thirsty.” Matt rubbed at his forehead with the back of his forearm. “Is there a drinking fountain around here anywhere?”
“I don’t know about a drinking fountain, but I know where a Coke machine is.”
The two of them walked in silence to the lobby. Ricky slipped a dollar bill into the machine and hit the Coke button, got his change and added another dollar. “Diet Coke for your mom?”
“Coke Zero for her and I’d probably better stick with Sprite. Mom doesn’t like me to have the caffeine this late. She says it makes it so I can’t sleep.” He shrugged. “I sleep just fine. It just takes me a while to get there.”
Ricky bit back his humor and didn’t inform the kid that he’d just confirmed his mother’s reasoning. They sat at a table off to the side and waited for Shayne to come back.
Matt took a swig. “Why do you wear number thirteen?”
“It’s my lucky number.”
“Mine too.” Matt screwed the lid back on his soda. “Why is it yours?”
“My birthday is September thirteenth.”
“Shut up! Mine is May thirteenth.” Matt grinned. “I guess we have something in common.”
“Yep. I’ll bet there’s more, too.” Ricky checked his watch and realized she’d been gone about ten minutes. A slight worry wriggled around in his gut. “Do you think she’s—”
“She’s okay.” Matt took another sip of his soda. “She’s just freakin’ out because she doesn’t know what to do about you.”
“What to do about me?” Ricky tried to play the casual with a sip of his own soda.
“Yeah.” Matt sipped and smothered a soft burp. “’Scuse me. Mom doesn’t date much.” He frowned. “Well, not really. Ever. I think she likes you. And I’m pretty sure that scares the crap out of her .”
Ricky couldn’t help but wonder what else scared the crap out of her. Or who? “Was your dad…did he… hit her?”
“I don’t know my dad. Never have. She never talks about him. I know her dad hit her when she was a little girl. Uncle X stopped him and got his ass, I mean butt kicked for it.”
Ricky really didn’t want to talk about the man who’d obviously been a big part of her life. He’d
Damn, the woman was the epitome of frustration!
As he made his way back toward her, the look of utter fear on her face stopped him cold. She stood stiff, her hand flexing around the bat. She chanced a quick look at Ma tt out of the corner of her eye then her s hrewd, protective eyes watched Ricky approach.
He’d seen a woman like that once before. When he’d been about ten. His terrified neighbor as she stood in the middle of her lawn, standing off against her abuser.
He held up his hands , spoke softly . “Shayne , you okay?”
She dropped the bat, shook her head. “Yeah. Fine.”
He took a hesitant step forward. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah.” She looked at Matt again. The kid had gotten the hang of things and was banging the crap out of everything coming down the pipe. Her smile was short-lived, only long enough to find him. She frowned. “I just need a minute. Where’s the restroom?”
“Go out the gate, around the corner and down the hallway. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’ll be right back,” she hollered at Matt, who nodded.
Ricky wondered what just happened between them. Yeah, he’d been pissed, but come on, he wasn’t spittin’ mad and besides he’d never take it out on her.
But did she know that?
What the hell had happened to her?
He considered for less than a heartbeat to ask her brother, only to scratch that piss poor idea off the list of possibilities. Xavier hated him and would never approve of Ricky dating his sister.
“Everything okay?”
Ricky turned to see Matt approaching. “Yeah, I think so.”
“I know she can be frustrating.”
Ricky chuckled. “You do, huh?”
“I’m thirsty.” Matt rubbed at his forehead with the back of his forearm. “Is there a drinking fountain around here anywhere?”
“I don’t know about a drinking fountain, but I know where a Coke machine is.”
The two of them walked in silence to the lobby. Ricky slipped a dollar bill into the machine and hit the Coke button, got his change and added another dollar. “Diet Coke for your mom?”
“Coke Zero for her and I’d probably better stick with Sprite. Mom doesn’t like me to have the caffeine this late. She says it makes it so I can’t sleep.” He shrugged. “I sleep just fine. It just takes me a while to get there.”
Ricky bit back his humor and didn’t inform the kid that he’d just confirmed his mother’s reasoning. They sat at a table off to the side and waited for Shayne to come back.
Matt took a swig. “Why do you wear number thirteen?”
“It’s my lucky number.”
“Mine too.” Matt screwed the lid back on his soda. “Why is it yours?”
“My birthday is September thirteenth.”
“Shut up! Mine is May thirteenth.” Matt grinned. “I guess we have something in common.”
“Yep. I’ll bet there’s more, too.” Ricky checked his watch and realized she’d been gone about ten minutes. A slight worry wriggled around in his gut. “Do you think she’s—”
“She’s okay.” Matt took another sip of his soda. “She’s just freakin’ out because she doesn’t know what to do about you.”
“What to do about me?” Ricky tried to play the casual with a sip of his own soda.
“Yeah.” Matt sipped and smothered a soft burp. “’Scuse me. Mom doesn’t date much.” He frowned. “Well, not really. Ever. I think she likes you. And I’m pretty sure that scares the crap out of her .”
Ricky couldn’t help but wonder what else scared the crap out of her. Or who? “Was your dad…did he… hit her?”
“I don’t know my dad. Never have. She never talks about him. I know her dad hit her when she was a little girl. Uncle X stopped him and got his ass, I mean butt kicked for it.”
Ricky really didn’t want to talk about the man who’d obviously been a big part of her life. He’d
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