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Once again, I’m the big, hulking brute. Between my size, my tattoos, my long hair, and the leather jacket I’ve worn to perfect softness, I know how I look. Normally I don’t care, or I use it to my advantage, but sometimes I wish I could move through the world a little more gently.
I wish I knew how to tiptoe through people’s lives instead of stomping all over the place. For once, I’d like to not scare small children and dogs with my mere presence. Or at least, not scare a woman I thought was my friend.
Squeezing my bloody shirt in my fist, I pull open the door, coming face-to-face with Sophie.
“It doesn’t fit?” She looks down the hall. “I don’t think…”
“It’s fine, Sophie.” I interrupt her. “You don’t need to go to any more trouble over me.” Grimacing that she’s seeing me like this, I hand her the clean shirt. “Um, where do you want me to put this one?” I shake the dirty one in my hand, and she plucks it from me without hesitation.
“Go finish your beer. Thankfully, Theo’s washer and dryer are super fancy and high tech. It won’t take too long to get these clean.” That’s when I notice the other clothes in her hand. She steps aside and hurries off down the hallway. I take a second to calm my nerves. Theodore Sutton is just a person. A very smart, very rich person. But there’s no reason for me to be intimidated by him.
Giving myself a shake for being ridiculous, I head down the hallway toward the sound of voices and the kitchen. As I come around the corner, I catch Lauren inspecting Frankie’s face, turning it side to side. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up with a black eye. That would be kind of badass.”
Guilt plummets like a rock through my stomach. Frankie lets Lauren peer at her, a resigned expression on her face.
I snag my leather jacket off the back of the chair and pull it on before I swipe my half-drunk beer off the table, then retreat outside. Mr. Sutton is leaning over the deck railing, inspecting the horde of teenagers who have descended on his backyard.
“Mr. Sutton, you are a brave man.” I set my beer next to his and lean against the railing. He glances my way, does a double take at my chest, then goes back to looking over the crowd. The sides of the tents facing the house are rolled up so we can see inside. I spy Liam in the far corner with a couple of friends I recognize.
“Brave? Or naïve?” He laughs, pointing to the tall, blond Emma. “She’s a good kid and deserved a special day. Would I have offered to hold it here if I knew what she and Lauren were planning?” He chuckles. “Probably not. But that’s what I get for handing them my credit card and telling them to plan whatever she wanted. And please, call me Theo. I’m not Mr. Sutton when I’m at home.”
There’s a softness to his smile when he looks out over the crowd. I know that feeling. It’s the one you only get when you’re looking at someone you love. Damn, he’s really all in with Sophie and Emma.
I thought I had a shot at that once. Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. Kim didn’t give me a chance to decide if what we had could be forever or not. Now, Liam is the only one who can make me smile like that.
“Which one is yours?” Theo interrupts my musing.
I point out Liam. “The tall, gangly one over there—Liam. He said he and Emma are in biology class together.” I squint, eyeing Liam as he makes his way through the crowd to a group of girls, Emma included. “He’s a good kid. Doesn’t take after me much.”
Theo takes a long swallow of his beer. “Don’t worry, I’m not the ‘threaten the boys with my shotgun’ type. Pretty sure both Emma and Sophie would pickle my balls in vinegar if I tried. If he’s your kid, my money’s on him being a good one.”
I clink my bottle to his, even as confusion rattles through me. This is not the man I know from work. “How many beers have you had today, man? I don’t think I could be this chill if it was my house.” He’s so…relaxed. How is he this relaxed when a horde of teenagers is making a mess of his yard?
Theo shrugs. “Honestly? Lauren told me so many horror stories from when she and Sophie were in college that I’m trusting her to keep an eye out for shenanigans. Besides, it’s just a mess. All the alcohol is locked in the house, and Max is on the alert for any trouble.” He points to the pit bull following Emma around the tent below us.
There’s the whoosh of a sliding door opening and closing behind us, and then Sophie slips into the space between Theo’s arms. “I didn’t realize that Emma and Liam were such good friends, Julian. How fun!” She beams at me, one of Theo’s arms wrapping protectively around her waist. “Does Kim still live in that cute little place she was renovating?”
“Yup. She and her husband were thinking about buying a new place, but we didn’t want Liam to have to change schools.” Years ago, I would have been angry about that statement—not because I wanted Kim for myself, but because I would have been enraged at the idea of any other man stepping into Liam’s life like that.
Lauren and Frankie join us outside, Lauren holding a pair of wine glasses in her hand. She hands one to Sophie before peering at me behind Theo’s back. “So, Julian. Sophie doesn’t seem very shocked to see you, but I gotta admit you took the rest of us by surprise. I forgot you had a kid.”
“That’s because you never take the time to talk to Julian. You just say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’ as you walk through the doors.” Sophie points out. “I knew Julian’s son went to school with Emma. I just didn’t realize that the Liam she keeps talking about was Julian’s Liam.”
I hide a chuckle behind my beer as Sophie scolds Lauren. I don’t really care—I’m used to people avoiding me as they walk through the lobby.
“If it makes you feel like a less degenerate parent, I didn’t either until we got here. I don’t think I know the last names of most of Liam’s friends these days, not like when he was younger. Actually, I didn’t even realize she was your Emma until I saw you.”
“When you stormed in here like a man on a mission.”
Lauren’s laughing words almost hide the barely-above-a-whisper “thank you” Frankie mutters from beside my elbow.
I lean toward her. “Are you really okay?” I keep my voice low while Lauren and Sophie chatter together. “I’m sorry. About…everything.” I haven’t made eye contact with her yet; I can’t. The image of her creamy skin is still seared into my brain, whether I want it to be or not. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“I’m fine, really.” She’s gone before I can ask any more, scurrying back to the shelter of the other women. She stands close, not speaking, letting them talk over and around her while she smiles and makes enough agreeable sounds to count as involved in their conversation.
But I don’t miss the way her eyes drift back to me, lingering on my chest.
Zipping up my leather jacket, I force myself to answer Theo’s questions as I drain my beer while we stand in the damp air. If only it could wash the sight of Frankie’s skin from my mind.
