One to Love (One to Hold 4)

“I wasn’t really thinking, I just heard her screaming and I reacted.” Everything faded to the memory, and in that moment I was alone, on that bench, telling my story. “It wasn’t premeditated, I just had to stop him. So I hit the guy hard. Twice.”

Continued silence greeted me on the other end of the line.

“She was okay. She is okay.” Looking at the back of my hand, I made a fist. “He was okay, too. I heard him making noises before I ran. She got away from him...”

“Sounds like there’s more to this story.” Cautious optimism was in his voice. “How do you know she got away?”

“She works at the gym with me. She’s one of the trainers.” I tried to keep all emotion out of my voice, but it didn’t make a difference to someone who knew me as well as Doc.

“Must be a special lady.”

Coming so close to naming it made me back away. “She’s special. For somebody. I’m not looking to start any drama.”

A chuckle was in my friend’s voice. “Just because drama is all you’ve ever known doesn’t mean it’s the normal state of affairs. Remember what I told you.”

“One step at a time.”

“Right. Now I gotta get back to work.” He exhaled lightly. “Take care of my friend Slayer.”

“Slayer’s nobody’s friend.” Bitterness tightened my chest. “But Slayde’s doing pretty good so far.”

“Sounds like it. I’m proud of you.”

That was all I needed to hear.

* * *

Saturdays were a modified schedule at the gym, but my body didn’t see it as any special day. My eyes popped open at six thirty, and I was in my truck, driving to the gym for seven. Sure enough, a shiny Honda sat in the lot.

A shot of happiness hit me straight to the chest, but I tried to tamp it down. She wanted to learn to box, and I was the only person around here qualified to teach her. That’s all it was, nothing more.

Inside, she sat on the bench looking at her phone when I walked into the small room. Her blue eyes seemed to brighten a little when she saw me, or maybe I just wanted them to.

“I wasn’t sure if you were coming,” she said, lowering the device.

“Did you do what I said when you were practicing?” It had only been a day, but I didn’t want her to think I’d forgotten.

She ducked her head with a laugh. “I haven’t really had a chance to practice. But I could see if I remember today?”

“Whatever you feel like doing.” I shrugged.

She stood and I watched as she reached back to braid her long ponytail. Her slim torso lined as she did it, and I looked straight at my shoes. Damn, she was so sexy. I knew if I kept watching her movements she’d see it all over my face—and possibly somewhere lower.

“My eyes popped open at six just like every day.” She laughed as she worked, and I turned my hand over, examining my palm.

“You don’t have a boyfriend or something?” Why the hell did I ask her that? “I just mean, being home on a Friday night.”

“No,” she said, and I saw she’d lowered her arms in my peripheral vision. “There’s only one boy in my life.”

Those words burned in my midsection more than I cared to recognize. Still, I seemed to be bent on torturing myself. “Oh, yeah? Where is he?”

“Wilmington.” She pulled on the gel gloves, and by the look she was giving me, I could tell she wasn’t finished.

“What’s he doing there?”

“Living with his daddy.” Her smile grew a little wider, as if just talking about him made her happy. “It’s hard being apart, but he’s getting to do way more there than he ever would with me.”

“You’ve got a son.” Everything inside me took a huge shift to the side, derailing my stupid dreams. If she didn’t need to be around me, a little kid certainly didn’t.