“But –”
“He’s makin’ his play,” Lawson said firmly.
“Uh… okay,” I agreed since he would know because he was a man and I, obviously, wasn’t. “But I’m home now.”
“Yeah,” Lawson agreed. “You’re in a home that every time you walk up your walk or into your livin’ room, you’ll be reminded of Tack’s play.”
Hmm. This was true. I hadn’t thought of that.
Still, what Tack did was nice.
“Mitch –”
He cut me off. “Remember what I said to you, Gwendolyn. Head up, eyes open and I’ll go on to say, be happy. And I’ll finish by tellin’ you, you’re willin’ to give me a shot at makin’ you happy, you call me because I’m willin’ to take that shot.”
Wow.
“Mitch,” I repeated and his hand came up to cup my jaw so I blurted, “Please don’t kiss me. I like kissing and if you’re a good kisser that’ll definitely muddle my head. No joke. And, honest to God, I don’t need that right now.”
His head dipped toward me, I braced but his face stopped an inch away.
“Okay, honey,” he whispered, “I won’t kiss you but just for your information, I’ve had no complaints.”
I bet he hadn’t.
“Great,” I muttered. “Now I’m curious.”
He grinned and his thumb moved over my cheek. “You ever wanna assuage that curiosity, find me. Yeah?”
“You’re muddling my head,” I warned.
His grin got bigger and I knew he knew he was and I also knew he intended to, so I knew that whole speech about not muddling my head was a big, old play.
“You’re eyes say you’re soulful but you’re actually dangerous,” I whispered.
“A man can be both,” he replied, his fingers slid back into my hair, he tipped my head down, kissed my hair at the top, let me go and, when I looked up at him, he winked at me and walked away.
I watched him drive away and then I wondered about the angles of Hawk’s cameras and then I worried that he’d seen that or it would be reported and then I got in my car and checked my phone.
Nothing.
Then I drove to the grocery store and, considering my recent past, I did this vigilant so it wasn’t lost on me that the minute I pulled my Hyundai away from the curb, a shiny, black SUV pulled out with me and followed me to the store and in the driver’s seat was Mo.
Shit. Even if the cameras hadn’t seen me, Mo had and Hawk would get a report.
Shit!
Well, the silver lining was, Hawk had sent Mo to have my back which didn’t exactly equal good-bye forever and ever you thoughtless, selfish cow.
But it didn’t say I forgive you either.
* * * * *
“I’m a thoughtless, selfish cow,” I announced to Cam, Tracy and, somebody kill me, Elvira.
Then I leaned forward and banged my head on Cam’s kitchen table.
“I think maybe this means cutoff time,” Elvira muttered.