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“But I’d still be using him for the information.”
“And what then? When you get what you need, how will you feel when you kick him to the curb? Happy he’s gone, or sad because he’s gone?”
And there was the problem. Landon was a great guy, and I was already wracked with guilt for leading him to think there was more going on than there was.
That wasn’t me. That wasn’t how I was raised.
Emotional attachments were for the weak, and they were so draining on my system. My family tree was a shining example. Aside from my father, Everest, and over time most recently, Erin, there wasn’t anyone else. I didn’t know my mother, as much as I knewallthe mothers. The others flitted in and out of my life. Until Landon batted his dark blues and introduced himself.
Oh shit? Was Erin right? Was I starting to have feelings for this guy? How was that going to work?
Chapter Ten
Friday afternoons were my favourite day of the week. As part of an outreach program, I helped run a one-hour after-school program. This was a way for me to voluntarily give back to the community that had given me so much. It was no surprise that Sylvia’s Bakery was one of the sponsors. She truly was the heart and soul of the small-town community, and it was because of her that I’d set down in Cheshire Bay for as long as I had.
Under the blazing sun, in the cool autumn weather, the small group of twelve kids and I were playing soccer.
I chased after an errant soccer ball that little Stevie had kicked out of the zone before it rolled onto the road. Stopping it just in time with my foot, I kicked it up into my hands and ran back to the kids. I blew my whistle, gathering the little tikes around me.
“Snack time.”
Cheers circled me until the twelve kids bolted off the makeshift field over to the picnic table. It was going to be a tight squeeze getting everyone seated.
Opening up a bag, I produced individually portioned cheese and crackers, along with a drink box and a cookie each, and handed them out. No surprise, the cookies were devoured first.
“Today we did soccer, how about next week, we do parachute games?” Assuming, the school hadn’t borrowed it.
Groans filled the space.
“Fine. How about soccer-baseball?”
That brought a round of cheers, and I loved the happiness on their faces.
From the corner of my eye, a dog and its owner started walking across the field in our direction. Not unusual, since it was a public park, but there was something familiar about his form.
As I took a better look, it wasn’t just any dog walker, it was Landon. But he didn’t have a dog, and I would have noticed dog hair on the couch and feeding dishes around.
He strode on over. “Kingsley, sit.”
The giant, copper-coloured dog did as he was told.
“Hey there. I thought that was you.” Besides the growing grin on his face, there was a light bounce as he stood in place. He had as much energy as the kids.
“It’s me, but what are you doing with a dog?” I stared down at the dog panting in the heat. It looked hot. Did they drink apple juice? I didn’t have any water.
“It’s my ex-girlfriend’s. She’s gone for a couple of nights, so I offered to take Kingsley for a walk since her mother, who’s staying at her place, has mobility issues.”
“I see.” But I really didn’t. He still saw his ex-girlfriend and they were on good enough terms that he walked her dog? It was highly unusual.
He glanced around at the kids. “Oh shit, is it okay if they pet the dog?”
“Language.” I covered his soft lips with my finger and turned to the kids. “Does anyone have any dog allergies?”
They all shook their heads.
“Okay. You can pet the dog if you’d like, but you don’t have to.”
“Kingsley,” Landon added.
