Maybe Ma can look after Chris while I get this shit sorted out with his school? I cringe to think of asking my fifty-six-year-old mother to look after the child who exhausts me in my twenties. My sister is still living with her though, so it’s not like I’d be tossing her to the wolves. Besides, Chris could use the firm hand of guidance in his life that helped raise me.
Wait a minute.
“Who’s Hannah?” The name my son dropped earlier finally bubbles up through my swamp of thoughts.
Chris looks across the car at me with Mack’s signature smile pasted to his face. “She’s, uh, Mr. Vaughn’s daughter,” he admits looking up at me from under the brim of his cap again.
I swallow my smile, I don’t want to encourage him, but I know it’s too late. A laugh bursts from my throat as I shake my head. If I don’t laugh at this ridiculous hand I’ve been dealt, I’m gonna cry.
Like father, like son they say.
Lord, help me.
13
Mack
2014
“Ok, so don’t forget you can’t just stand still on this, but I also don’t want you going into an all-out sprint right now either,” Lauren’s still lecturing me. She’s been pretending that there’s nothing between us except a nurse and patient relationship all morning.
What Ms. Professional doesn’t realize is I’ve noticed as her gaze has licked every inch of my body. I caught how her eyes hovered over the bulge in my shorts. She might be doing a good job fooling the staff with her little show, but I lost my leg, not my eyesight. She’ll have to do a lot better than that to pull the wool over these baby blues.
“Just a jog, I’ve got it.” I interrupt and she gives me a sharp look. I know she hates me brushing her off like that, but I’ve been waiting a long damned time to get this carbon-fibre blade and I don’t want to sit on the sidelines of the track listening to instructions on how to run.
I know how to run.
“Yes, just a jog.” She answers sternly, double knotting the bright blue laces in her sneakers. “And I’ll do this first lap with you, so you can tell me if you have any problems, ok?”
I hop off the bench and am surprised by the springy response of the blade. In that small movement, I already feel lighter and faster, and I haven’t walked a step yet. “You got it.” I throw three fingers up to my brow in a sloppy salute and her nose gets these cute little crinkles on it as she frowns at me. Her gloss covered bottom lip sticks out just a little in a tiny pout.
God, how I want to just pull that lip in between my teeth and give it a little nip. I want to feel the heat of her breath on my skin as I make her cry out my name. Somehow I manage to direct my gaze back to the track and decide I’ll put this pent up energy into our little run instead of thinking about Lauren’s sexy round ass that she’s purposely showing off in a pair of skin tight yoga pants. Or her full, perky tits barely contained by her low cut tank top.
Like I said, she’s not fooling me with her little act.
Even though I’m eager to get out for the first run on my blade, I fall behind Lauren, just a bit. I mean, there’s no point in letting that sweet view go to waste now is there? When I left for the military, she was only a few months into adulthood. I remember her at eighteen, she was undeniably beautiful even if her body was still a bit lanky and a little awkward.
Now, at twenty-eight, she’s a goddess. Her frame has filled out with curves that would make a priest snap his neck taking a second look. It makes it hard to concentrate when all I can think of is how much better we’d both be in bed now that we’ve got some experience behind us.
As we stand side-by-side on the track, Lauren twists her arms out behind her in the world’s most unnecessary stretch. You know, you’ve really gotta limber up those shoulder muscles for a light jog. What’s next? Some downward dog yoga poses? That’s probably the most practical way to stretch her legs out, right? Regardless, I soak in the show she’s putting on for me with her tits pushed out toward me as her back arches.
I’m not totally sure what her game is yet. It’s clear to me that she wants me to notice her. And, well, she can check off that little box on the list. Done and done! On the other hand, she’s been distant and cold with me. I can’t decide if she wants to enjoy the chase, or if she still needs some space after losing her husband last year.
Enough racking my brain over it. If she wants me running around in circles for her while she gets some kind of kicks out of it, then she can get a taste of her own medicine right here on this track. “On your mark, get set, go!” I yell out and burst into a stride.