Least Likely to Fall in Love (14 page)

As she parked her car beside Ryan’s truck at the football field, Lindy had a spirited conversation with herself. Most of it took place inside her head and revolved around whether or not she was going to get out of the car.

She had no reason to be here. Ryan had wanted to slow down, but he’d apparently just decided to go for a full stop. He hadn’t called. Maddie’s session this week had been a meeting with the group about their progress and the few minutes they’d chatted afterward had been awkward, like neither one of them could ask what they wanted to know. And Sarah had given Maddie a ride home. No Ryan sighting. No Ryan conversation. No Ryan kiss.

She hated how depressing that was and after she’d taken out her frustration on the punching bag, Allison had told her not to come back until she’d talked with him. Apparently, her bad mood might cause “property damage.”

Sarcastic air quotes only made her feel a bit better.

So here she was. To do what? She hadn’t made it that far.

Just to make sure Ryan and Maddie were both okay.

After checking her reflection for stray hairs or smudged lipstick for the third time, she muttered, “Just get out already.”

Coach Ford was leaning against the railing so she stopped to say, “Good game last week, Coach.”

She could tell by the little curl of his lips that he’d been watching her. “They’re both in the field house.”

Lindy cleared her throat and thought about pretending she’d come for some other reason.

Coach tilted his head down patiently, and she was reminded he had a lot of experience dealing with young people, too. That meant he was pretty good at cutting through the bull.

So she straightened her shirt as she forced herself to walk confidently into the field house.

This is what you wanted, Lindy.

Also what kept you up last night.

Lindy shoved open the door. The smell of fresh paint and the catchy hook of some pop song greeted her. And when she turned the corner, she was amused to see both Ryan and Maddie singing into paintbrushes. Maddie was dancing wildly and Ryan… It seemed he was swimming through the air. Neither one of them noticed her until she killed the music.

For three seconds, she heard Ryan and Maddie belting out the words and realized that, no matter how many things Ryan Myers had been blessed with, vocal talent was not one of them.

Ryan was handsome, smart, and the kind of father she’d always admired. But he could not sing. At all.

And he knew it.

That might be enough to pitch a woman headfirst into serious love.

When they realized the music had stopped, he and Maddie both jerked to a stop. She kept singing, but Ryan got very quiet very fast. The hint of red in his cheeks convinced Lindy she might have found one of Ryan’s weak spots.

“Sorry to interrupt.” That was the best she could come up with as a conversation starter. Awkward.

Ryan waved his paintbrush in what was supposed to be a carefree manner, but Maddie snatched it out of his hand before he could put a stripe across her arm. Then she rolled her eyes and put both their brushes in the tray. “Listen, kids, it can’t be like this every time you meet, you know?”

She patted her father on the shoulder and then walked over to the door. “I’m going to go outside for ten minutes. When I return, I will cough loudly. Please straighten out this…whatever it is.” Then she pulled her phone out of her pocket and walked out, her fingers already flying as she texted someone about something. Probably how sad old people were.

“I wasn’t sure you would be here today, but I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Ryan shoved his hands in his pockets. “Between me and Maddie, yeah. She understands the panic I felt and why I don’t expect her to miss out but I do expect her to tell the truth.” His eyes finally met hers. “Finding the right balance is tricky. I wish…”

Lindy crossed her arms over her chest and pretended not to care that he was about to say what she thought he would. He still missed his wife at times like this. That was natural.

“I just wish I had some help sometimes.”

She nodded. “It makes sense that you’d both miss Anna now. Maddie’s growing up, spreading her wings. Doing that without a mother is a challenge.”

Ryan eased down next to her. “Well, maybe.” He scooted the paint tray farther away. “But Anna and I were on the verge of divorce when she died. I’m not sure how much longer we’d have made it.”

Lindy wanted to ask a dozen questions, but she wouldn’t interrupt. It was hard to imagine the homecoming queen and king arguing. They were permanently frozen in time, like wedding cake toppers, happy.

“Maddie would be living with her, not me. Anna and I would still be locked in a battle over the right way to raise her.” His lips tightened. “The first time something like Maddie calling me from a wild party happened, Anna would have gone into full meltdown.”

Lindy stared hard at the floor even as the small boost of gratification went through her. She’d been homecoming queen and head cheerleader, but Anna had fallen apart in emergencies. That was good to know. And sad that she was planning to squeeze that small crumb for dear life.

“Maddie and I were better off, even if we had to handle that alone.” He wrapped his hand around hers, tangling their fingers together, and the weird, hot wave that flashed through her meant that she might have a bit of pink in her own cheeks now. But it was nice. “And having you there, helping to calm us both down? You have no idea how that feels after so many years of doing it by myself.”

“You and Maddie seem okay.” She didn’t want to ask the question.

“Yeah, on that short ride home, I had no problem imagining the way my father would have reacted. If I was lucky, he would have shouted and grounded me. And if not… Well, it doesn’t matter.” The shift of his arm against hers turned up the heat, relighting the pink in her cheeks. “A wise woman once told me that kids make mistakes. Maddie’s always been a smart kid. She was scared. She could see I was scared. She got it. And, if she didn’t, she’s been warned that one strike is all she’s getting. Next time, full-on solitary confinement until she can vote, at the very least.”

Lindy laughed and he added, “I mean it. I might even go for porridge shoved through a slot in the door. And country music. Nothing but country music, twenty-four hours a day.”

“Some people would call that cruel
and
unusual punishment, warden.”

He sighed happily. “Yep, as a parent, that’s how you know it’s good.”

When their laughter died out, the uncomfortable tensions stretched between them again and Lindy stared down at their entwined hands. “Why haven’t you called this week?”

He untangled their fingers and stood up to pace. “When I got home and everything had settled, all I could think about was you and kissing you and how I felt holding you. Out of control. Out of my mind. You stopped it. I’m not sure, if it were up to me, if…”

“You’re afraid you’d have missed Maddie’s call when she needed you.” Lindy thought that was where he was going. His worry and pain were clear when he finally looked at her. “Seriously? That’s what the radio silence has been about?”

He frowned and nodded.

So Lindy stood up to pace to see if she could be logical about the whole situation.

Ryan was the one with so much at risk if they went forward. She could understand that. The smart thing to do would be to call it friends and be done. When he’d walked in the door of her office that first day, she was certain they’d never make it that far.

But the way she felt sitting next to him, the admiration she had for his treatment of his daughter, and the stupid sparks that she couldn’t remember feeling with anyone else made it next to impossible to walk away.

“Well, this is awkward.” Maddie pulled her ear buds out as she walked in. “I expected to see something I shouldn’t. And instead, it’s like waiting-room serious in here.”

Ryan propped his hands on his hips and plastered a fake smile on his face. “Country music, Maddie. I forgot to add that to the nuclear option punishment. I’ll feed you nothing but bread and water and country music.”

Maddie blinked. “Got it. You put the fear in me, Dad. Anything but that.” Her tone was dry, deadpan, like she knew better than to believe anything he said on the subject. “I’ve already promised to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but. There’s no need to dream up gruesome experiments like that.”

Lindy realized that even if Maddie had her mother’s coloring and someday she was going to be a real beauty, she had her father’s personality through and through. She’d gotten lucky that way.

And the fact that she could say that without also wanting to burn him in effigy suggested she’d turned a corner in her feelings about Ryan.

“And I’m going to sign you up for sessions with Lindy’s trainer.” Lindy jerked when he turned to face her. “Show her your right hook.”

With a stupid blush on her face, Lindy demonstrated her best jabs.

Maddie crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at them. “I don’t know. I’m pretty busy.”

Lindy could feel the weight of his stare, but she didn’t move until he said. “I want you to know you can take care of yourself, Bebop. I don’t want you to ever feel afraid again.”

Lindy met his stare and had to remind herself they weren’t alone. Every bit of gratitude and respect he had for her showed in the warmth of his eyes.

Maddie made a clear sound of teenage disgust to break the mood. “When are you guys going out? I mean, tonight could work. I’ll be over at Grandmother’s.” Maddie picked up her brush and carefully finished the outline of the lettering she’d been working on. “Perseverance” was almost finished. Lindy wondered how many inspirational words Coach Ford had planned.

She also refused to acknowledge the fact that it might be a message she needed to take to heart.

“Unless you’d like to save me, Dad.”

Ryan glanced at Lindy but neither of them had an answer. Maddie heaved a sigh. “Margaritas. La Tia’s. We talked about this. Didn’t you mention it to her?”

Lindy couldn’t help it. Her eyes locked with his, and the laugh was trembling on the edge of her lips. “Your daughter is your date planner?” She whistled. “Wow, things
have
changed.”

Ryan closed his hand around hers. “Yeah, they really have.” The warmth in his eyes was hard to ignore.

So she decided to go for it, teenage audience and all. “What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Let’s go to dinner. I understand your priorities. Trust me.”

He glanced at Maddie who rolled her eyes. “Been out of the game for a long time, but the coach here gives good advice. Perseverance. How about tonight?”

“I couldn’t think of a way to get out of tonight,” Maddie muttered and set her brush down. “But let me just make my vote clear. Dad, you gotta get out more. In a few years, I’ll be off to college and then what?” She shrugged. “Mom wouldn’t want you to be alone.”

Ryan staggered back in a pretense of shock, one hand clutched to his chest.

Lindy watched closely for gray to sprout in Ryan’s dark hair at the threat of college and wondered that Ryan had never explained to Maddie how things had been. She had been too young to remember fights or tension and that was a blessing. Of course, Ryan had also been measured against a ghost who could do no wrong for a long time.

Any woman who became a part of their lives would be, too. Whether she was prepared or not, Lindy would have to face that.

The familiar fear welled up, but she was going to conquer it this time.

She could punch her fear in the face.

“La Tia’s. Margaritas. It’s settled. We’ll talk.” Both Ryan and Maddie relaxed at her answer. “Pick me up at seven.”

Ryan saluted and let her fingers slide out of his grasp. Before she made a clean getaway, Maddie had her arms wrapped around her neck. “Thank you again. For all your help. We needed you.”

Blinking back the sting in her eyes, Lindy just squeezed Maddie closer. Over Maddie’s head, she met Ryan’s stare but his face was hard to read. She’d have to wait until they were seated in a noisy Mexican restaurant to explore his feelings.

Tequila would help.

Couldn’t hurt, could it?

She said, “See you later, Ryan” and waved at Maddie before she made as quick and graceful an exit as she could manage. When she slid behind the steering wheel of her car, Lindy glanced in the mirror. She’d thought the change in attitude she’d experience with Ryan would show or the affection she could feel building for Maddie would be obvious.

Instead she looked exactly the same. Maybe less afraid.

“But that doesn’t mean you have to
be
exactly the same.” With a quick glance out both windows to be sure no one was standing there watching the high school principal talk to her own reflection, Lindy pulled out of the parking spot and headed for home.

If she was going to make a change, she was going to need a knockout outfit.

Luckily, she had one in mind.

When the band took a break, Ryan wracked his brain to try to come up with something interesting to say. It had been a long time since he’d been on an actual first date and Anna had never run out of her own stories.

He figured a high school principal would have some pretty entertaining ones, but she seemed perfectly content to enjoy the music. And he should know. It had been next to impossible to look away from her after she’d opened her door. The nice, simple red dress worked for her. He imagined if he’d met her in a bar, surrounded by lots of women wearing less, he’d have still had a hard time seeing anyone else.

He’d also have been forced to wade through a crowd of admirers to get to her.

It was enough to make a man nervous.

He just wanted to sit next to her and appreciate how beautiful a mature, confident woman could be.

But at some point, that would get weird. The way she glanced around the restaurant like she was searching for a window the right size to climb out of made him think they might have reached those crossroads.

“So…”
Good start. Now what?

“So.” Lindy fiddled with the silverware next to her empty plate. “You were right about the band. And the margaritas. And the food’s good too. Nice choice.”

Ryan cleared his throat. “Ah, thanks.” They nodded at each other, and he gave himself a mental kick. “You may or may not be able to tell this, but it’s been a while since I’ve done first-date conversation. I might be rusty.” He tugged the collar of his shirt and then pasted on what he hoped was a rueful yet confident smile.

He was sure he’d missed when she patted his hand like she was consoling him, pretty much the opposite reaction of what he’d been going for. “I’m glad.”

He picked up his glass of water and took a long drink. When he set his glass back down, he was happy he hadn’t strangled himself. “Yeah? You like awkward conversation?”

“I can’t imagine that big man on campus Ryan Myers, captain of the football team and local heartthrob, had much trouble chatting up girls. Seems like another way you’ve changed.” When she smiled, the crinkles around her eyes showed she was a woman who’d rather spend her time smiling than worrying over wrinkles. Thank God he remembered enough not to say that out loud.

Admiring her sense of humor was one thing. Pointing out lines around her eyes was a different thing. A bad thing.

“I can’t imagine why I’m so nervous. It’s not like I have any secrets from you.”

They both scooted back as the waiter zoomed in to snatch their empty plates and deposit the ticket. Deflated at how efficiently La Tia’s was run, Ryan pulled out his wallet and dropped enough money on top to cover the meal and tip. He couldn’t come up with scintillating conversation, but he wasn’t quite ready to end the date.

Lindy didn’t have any such qualms. She scooted back her chair and stood, so he followed suit. And he frowned at every guy who watched her weave through the tables on the way out the door.

Outside, she turned to face him. “What’s with the face? Did I do something wrong? Did you want to stay for more mariachi? ” Her lips were twitching like she wanted to laugh at his disgruntlement.

He wanted a suave way to brush off the question, but he couldn’t come up with one. “Every eye in the place was on you, watching you leave. I blame the dress.”

“Impossible. At least half of them were watching you.” She took his hand in hers and pulled. “Let’s walk down by the river.” He wasn’t sure how she did it, but there was something about her that made a bad mood hard to hold on to, especially when she was smiling. Frowning Lindy would put a kink in his plans. And crying Lindy… Well, he’d know his world was ending.

He shivered and blamed the cool breeze. No one should have that much influence over how he felt, not even a woman like her.

Should she?

“Do you have Maddie making hourly reports?”

Bless her. She was going to save them both. Chitchat to the rescue.

“Yes. And my mother, although I suspect Maddie may be writing those, too. The last one contained the word ‘totes’ as in dinner was ‘totes taken care of.’ And now the anti-bullying posse’s getting together to work on ‘copy’.” He made air quotes because, no matter how serious Maddie had been when she said it, “copy” was code for loud boy band music and flirting with Eric. And at some point he’d have to get past gritting his teeth at letting her spend time with a boy. Maybe after she was married. “They’ll run circles around my mother, but I felt bad for Maddie on her own. She’s right. My mother would have had her dressed in all-American plaid separates right after their trip to the salon for a more ladylike hairstyle. Somewhere, there’d be a beret in the trash and Maddie would either be mad as hell or heartbroken or both.”

Then he realized he was saying entirely too much. “Mom’s not big on individuality or artistic expression. Wearing the right brands and associating with the right people has always been important to her. If Anna’s dad hadn’t been the president of the bank, the football team’s biggest financial supporter, I don’t think my parents would have pushed so hard, even if she was pretty and popular.”

Something about this woman made it not just easy to talk about the challenges of raising a kid, but unnatural not to. “You’re easy to talk to. You must get tired of helping the clueless parents in your off hours.”

She shrugged and he was reminded all over again that he was on a date with a beautiful woman in a red dress. “Doesn’t happen often. More parents are like Blake’s father, sure that they’ve got it all under control.” She raised both eyebrows. “But you know I have no qualifications, right? I’m not a parent. No experience.”

Why is that?
The question was just begging to be asked. She was beautiful, smart, good with kids. She’d make an outstanding mother, so why didn’t she have one or two cluttering up her walls with finger-painted masterpieces?

He was curious, sure, but a little afraid of her answer too. If she didn’t want kids, they had a problem. He had one.

“Maybe, but you do have common sense, and that’s rare enough to keep you busy, right?” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “Common sense is damn sexy.”

Lindy squeezed the hand that fit so perfectly on her hip.

“You know, when I sat down across the desk from you that first day, I didn’t know what to expect.” He stopped and waited for her to turn to face him. “Never would have guessed how much I’d appreciate your advice and good opinion. Honestly, I sort of expected you to make my life difficult. You’re just…amazing.”

Lindy sighed. “Listen, Ryan…”

And then she stopped. Just hooked him and left him hanging like a bass out of water.

“Well, first, I know what you mean. When you sat down, I was pretty sure you would be as unpleasant as you were the first time around. And I wanted to get even. I really did.” She shivered in the cool breeze. Ryan cursed his missing jacket. Pulling the old school chivalrous move of offering her his jacket appealed to him.

“If you’d walked in the same guy I suffered in high school, everything would have gone a completely different direction. But you’re different. And I am too, even if I forget sometimes.”

“Like when you have some loser panting over you like a boy with his first crush about to embarrass himself? Yeah, I can see how that might throw you back to high school in a heartbeat.” He still couldn’t believe how close he’d been to losing control over a make out session on the couch. Clearly, he needed to get out more, but the only woman to interest him in taking the leap in years had already seen him at his almost worst.

Lindy cleared her throat. “Well, your high school experience and mine were pretty different. I had to wait until I was a freshman in college to find a boy willing to embarrass himself with me, but it still didn’t feel quite the same as last night.”

The old creeping guilt was inching up his spine again, but this time the exultation that she’d spent a lot less time with overanxious boys battled it. Dangerous, confusing mixture.

“It’s funny in a ‘not really funny at all’ way.” He stepped closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. When she relaxed against him, some of this anxiety eased too. “I did all my exploring in high school. Once Anna and I started dating, that was it. She got pregnant. We got married. She died. It’s no wonder I suck at grown-up dating. Or that Maddie has to give me pointers.”

Lindy frowned. “I hadn’t thought much about it.” They walked slowly back to the truck. “That might mean…”

Ryan opened the door and waited for her to slide in before he trotted around the car and settled behind the steering wheel. As he backed out of the parking spot, he said, “What? What does it mean?”

Lindy blinked. “Well, how do you feel about dating a woman who’s more
experienced
than you are?” He braked abruptly. Lindy’s twitching lips showed her amusement at the situation.

“My number’s more than one, you know.” He frowned at her but couldn’t quite control the answering twitch of his own lips.

“It’s not a competition.” She patted his hand in consolation again and looked out the side window.

And he couldn’t help it. He laughed. He laughed hard enough to have to catch his breath and when she joined in, he thought it might be the best feeling he’d ever had with a woman, laughing like this. Then he remembered her kiss. Definitely second-best feeling with a woman but still pretty damn good.