rather talk abou t Shayne. “ Your mom’s beautiful.”
Matt grinned and snorted. “You noticed, huh?”
“I got eyes, kid.”
Matt threw his head back and laughed. Ricky couldn’t help it, he laughed too.
“What’s so funny?” Shayne’s smile emanated her gentle spirit and kind heart. Every bit of discomfort had disappeared in the time she’d been in the bathroom.
“You had to be there, Mom.” Matt shook his head and when his eyes met Ricky’s he snorted and burst out in another crack of hilarity . He pointed at Ricky. “He’s a really funny guy.”
Her smile widened when she looked at Ricky and his heart stuttered. She offered her hand. “Should we get something to eat?”
“Heck, yeah!” Matt jumped out of his seat.
Her hand hung in the air between them. Rock steady. She smiled a bit, glanced do wn at her outstretched fingers and nodded. Ricky hesitantly took her hand and stood slowly, questioning her with his eyes.
“Keys?” Matt held up his hand. Ricky reached into his pocket and tossed them in the kid’s direction. The keys hit his palm with a jangle and he raced out into the parking lot.
Ricky tugged Shayne’s arm just a bit, giving her the option for a quick hug or the chance for retreat. She stepped into his arms, laying her head on his chest. He rubbed her back. “I’m sorry for whatever happened back there.”
She sighed. “It’s okay. They’re my ghosts, not yours.”
“I’ll never hurt you, Shayne.” He kissed her brow. “I might yell and scream and even put my fist into the wall, but I promise I will never—” He tipped her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes to finish his vow. “—I will never lay a n angry hand on you.”
Her timid smile broke his damn heart.
“I just wanted you to know.” He jerked his head toward the giant window leading to the parking lot where Matt was climbing into the backseat of his SUV. “Him either. I don’t believe hitting is the solution for anything. I really, really like you, Shayne. Matt, too. And I want this to work out. ”
Tears swam in her eyes. “I like you , too, Enrique.”
He beamed at her. “I love when you say my whole name. The way you roll your r’s is really damn sexy.”
“ Enrique .”
He groaned and swatted her butt. “Come on, let’s get out there before he takes off with my car.”
***
Shayne hadn’t laughed so hard in a very long time. Matt and Ricky took turns telling your mama jokes all through dinner. Matt had started it, most likely thinking Ricky wouldn’t take a stab at his mama. Instead Ricky had looked at her and grinned, mischief sparking in his eyes.
“No offense, beautiful, but—” P ointing a finger at Matt, Ricky announced, “Your mama is so fat the scale says one at a time please.”
And it went from there, each trying to do one better than the other. When Ricky slurped the bottom of his drink, Matt jumped to his feet. “I’ll grab refills if I can hit the arcade.”
“Deal.”
Matt gathered the glasses. When he came back a few minutes later, Ricky handed over a twenty.
Her son’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Really?”
Ricky jogged his head in the affirmative. “Have fun.”
Matt let out a whoop and took off at a dead run.
Ricky chuckl ed and scooped up her hands. “That should keep him busy for a while, huh?”
“You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.” His thumb ran over her knuckles. “So, why’d you leave Kingman?”
She wished she could take her hands back and wrap her arms around her middle to keep from falling apart. He had a way of making her vulnerabilities stand out.
“Long story.”
Another swipe of his thumb. “I think we already decided we have a while.”
She didn’t want to look in his eyes, but found herself seeking the comfort she knew would be staring back. Love and compassion glittered in his dark eyes and it annoyed her. “The bottom line is, I’m living in my brother’s house, forced to
Matt grinned and snorted. “You noticed, huh?”
“I got eyes, kid.”
Matt threw his head back and laughed. Ricky couldn’t help it, he laughed too.
“What’s so funny?” Shayne’s smile emanated her gentle spirit and kind heart. Every bit of discomfort had disappeared in the time she’d been in the bathroom.
“You had to be there, Mom.” Matt shook his head and when his eyes met Ricky’s he snorted and burst out in another crack of hilarity . He pointed at Ricky. “He’s a really funny guy.”
Her smile widened when she looked at Ricky and his heart stuttered. She offered her hand. “Should we get something to eat?”
“Heck, yeah!” Matt jumped out of his seat.
Her hand hung in the air between them. Rock steady. She smiled a bit, glanced do wn at her outstretched fingers and nodded. Ricky hesitantly took her hand and stood slowly, questioning her with his eyes.
“Keys?” Matt held up his hand. Ricky reached into his pocket and tossed them in the kid’s direction. The keys hit his palm with a jangle and he raced out into the parking lot.
Ricky tugged Shayne’s arm just a bit, giving her the option for a quick hug or the chance for retreat. She stepped into his arms, laying her head on his chest. He rubbed her back. “I’m sorry for whatever happened back there.”
She sighed. “It’s okay. They’re my ghosts, not yours.”
“I’ll never hurt you, Shayne.” He kissed her brow. “I might yell and scream and even put my fist into the wall, but I promise I will never—” He tipped her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes to finish his vow. “—I will never lay a n angry hand on you.”
Her timid smile broke his damn heart.
“I just wanted you to know.” He jerked his head toward the giant window leading to the parking lot where Matt was climbing into the backseat of his SUV. “Him either. I don’t believe hitting is the solution for anything. I really, really like you, Shayne. Matt, too. And I want this to work out. ”
Tears swam in her eyes. “I like you , too, Enrique.”
He beamed at her. “I love when you say my whole name. The way you roll your r’s is really damn sexy.”
“ Enrique .”
He groaned and swatted her butt. “Come on, let’s get out there before he takes off with my car.”
***
Shayne hadn’t laughed so hard in a very long time. Matt and Ricky took turns telling your mama jokes all through dinner. Matt had started it, most likely thinking Ricky wouldn’t take a stab at his mama. Instead Ricky had looked at her and grinned, mischief sparking in his eyes.
“No offense, beautiful, but—” P ointing a finger at Matt, Ricky announced, “Your mama is so fat the scale says one at a time please.”
And it went from there, each trying to do one better than the other. When Ricky slurped the bottom of his drink, Matt jumped to his feet. “I’ll grab refills if I can hit the arcade.”
“Deal.”
Matt gathered the glasses. When he came back a few minutes later, Ricky handed over a twenty.
Her son’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Really?”
Ricky jogged his head in the affirmative. “Have fun.”
Matt let out a whoop and took off at a dead run.
Ricky chuckl ed and scooped up her hands. “That should keep him busy for a while, huh?”
“You didn’t need to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.” His thumb ran over her knuckles. “So, why’d you leave Kingman?”
She wished she could take her hands back and wrap her arms around her middle to keep from falling apart. He had a way of making her vulnerabilities stand out.
“Long story.”
Another swipe of his thumb. “I think we already decided we have a while.”
She didn’t want to look in his eyes, but found herself seeking the comfort she knew would be staring back. Love and compassion glittered in his dark eyes and it annoyed her. “The bottom line is, I’m living in my brother’s house, forced to
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