There was enough food for three more people and I suspected Eva had read the situation correctly and bought too much on purpose, which meant she wasn’t as much of a stick in the mud as I’d thought. Dammit. “What do you say, Eva, enough for one more?”
“If Ricky wants you here, then you can stay.” That was easier than expected, but I dropped down beside Ricky before the prickly woman changed her mind. “What did you boys have planned?”
Ricky smiled. “Video games and fishing. Guy stuff.”
“Sounds fun. You from around here, Ricky?” I froze at the question, knowing he could be equally as prickly when it came to his background.
“Some. I moved around a lot even before my mom died and my dad landed in the big house. Then foster care. That’s how I ended up here. Feel bad enough to let me have the last of those ribs?” He flashed a playful smile, but Eva didn’t look amused. At all.
“Feel bad? No. I’m sorry any kid has to lose a parent, because it sucked losing my dad. For that reason, I’m willing to split the last two with you.”
Ricky laughed and shook his head. “Like a dead dad’s club or something?”
“Why not?” She shrugged and flashed a sympathetic grin. “It’s not like anything can make us miss them more, right?”
Ricky turned his head to the side, thinking hard before he nodded and smiled back at there. “Yeah, that’s true. I miss her all the time.”
“Me too. I hated fishing, but I loved hanging out with my dad, enjoying the sun and the quiet. Sneaking sips of beer when he fell asleep.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I watched them both, shocked that two people so closed off had managed to open up to one another so easily. “Here you go, kid, first lesson in living on your own: always make extra ribs.” She pulled another foam container from the paper bag with a wide, happy grin.
“Ms. V., I think I’m in love.” He put his hands to his chest and flashed a smile that did something I hadn’t been able to pull off in months— charmed Eva.
Her gray eyes went wide and rounded in shock. “That must hurt you to your core, to know that he’s not receiving your anti-love message.” Her words were aimed at me, but her smile was playful.
“He’s a kid. Give him time.” The world had been hard enough for Ricky, I was sure he’d learn the truth about love and relationships on his own.
“Oh no!” Ricky pointed at Eva. “You’re the lady who’s gonna find a wife for him?” He pointed a thumb in my direction, clutching his belly with his free hand. “Good luck with that. The only thing better than a hot woman is a hot new woman,” the kid said, mimicking my tone damn near perfectly.
“Very funny.”
Eva thought so. It was the first real laugh I’d ever heard from her and it was deep and full-bodied, just like she was. “That sounds pretty accurate to me, Ricky. You nailed him.”
“Thanks,” I grunted and shook my head, reaching for one of those thickly-sauced ribs before they were all gone. “You really know how to make a guy feel welcome.”
They both laughed again, even harder this time, and I couldn’t even be mad because Ricky was laughing and smiling. Acting like a little kid, and that was the only thing I ever wanted for him during our time together.
I wasn’t even upset that it was Eva, not me, who’d given him the smiles and the laughter. And the food.
She wasn’t who I thought she was and, dammit, that intrigued the hell out of me.Eva“At least we’re doing this at a department store, far away from town.” Oliver’s deep voice right in my ear startled me, and I looked up from my phone to see his smiling face far too close for my liking.
“Afraid someone might find out you’re not the stylish bachelor you pretend to me?” I gave him a cursory look up and down and, admittedly, he was every bit as stylish as he pretended to be. Even for this shopping trip, he’d chosen a striped green and white button-up shirt with a slate gray vest over it and denim that matched the blue in his eyes. He finished off the outfit with a pair of Italian loafers that were, yep, stylish.
He barked out an amused laugh and shoved his hands in his pockets, shaking his head as if I was the one who amused him. “No, but I don’t want anyone to see you jostling me around like a toddler.”
A thought that brought a wide grin to my face. “Then I’ll try not to jostle you too much. How would you describe your personal style?”
“Comfortably hot?” He shrugged. “That sounds about right, right?”
I rolled my eyes and yanked open the mall door, sighing as the rush of cool air hit my overheated skin. It was early, but already the sun was burning hot and bright. “Whatever you say, Mr. Perfect.”