Page 11 of One Little Kiss
My gaze never leaves her as she talks with her mom. Their relationship is … different. I can tell Winnie’s a fixer. Her mother’s love is evident, but I wonder about their dynamic. Then again, what do I know? I come from a family full of boys.
As soon as she’s off the phone, curiosity gets the better of me. “So, your mom seems fun, and Wes is cute.”
“She is, and he’s so cute.”
That’s it. I think she’ll make me ask, but then she lets me off the hook. “Wes wasn’t planned, but he’s the best brother I could ask for.”
Brother.
She doesn’t miss the sigh that escapes me, but she doesn’t comment on my noticeable relief, either.
Why does it even matter?
“So, it sounds like you help with him a lot?”
Winnie’s quiet for so long I don’t think she’ll answer. When she does, her voice sounds strange. “My mom’s a nurse.” She peeks up at me through long lashes I want to feel against my skin. “I have no idea why I’m telling you this.” She shakes her head like it’s the most ridiculous thing ever, but I’m caught in her spell. She could tell me her mother makes bat soup, and I’d be enthralled.
“Hey, I gave you a rundown of my entire family, remember? We’re not strangers anymore.” I flash a smile that always works for me.
“Does that always work for you?”
Can she read my mind?
“Does what work?” I ask, with practiced innocence.
“Turning on the charm with that panty-melting grin?”
“I’m sorry, all I heard was panty melting. My brain is short circuiting. You’ll have to try that again.”
Winnie throws her head back and laughs. Her long, creamy neck is on full display, and that uncomfortable, erratic flutter happens in my chest as I watch her.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” she says with a melodic giggle that has my ears ringing. “Honestly, though. Is this how you go about picking up strangers? It seems like a lot of work for a booty call.”
I don’t want to tell her I never work this hard for a booty call, but for some inexplicable reason, I desperately want to impress her. As I speak, a low rumble happens in my chest, and I know I’m in trouble. “I only work this hard to get to know you, Winnie.”
“Charming,” she mutters, crossing her arms over her chest, putting up an invisible barrier between us.
Even scowling, she’s beautiful. I don’t know what it is about this girl that has me jumping through hoops. It doesn’t make sense. I’m surrounded by beautiful women all the time, yet I’m willingly sitting my ass in an abandoned airport just to talk with her.
She lets out a long sigh, and it causes the curls around her face to flutter. My hands twitch with the need to tuck them behind her ear, but she set the rules. No touching. Instead, I ball my hands into fists, then flex them a few times.
“My brother wasn’t planned, and my mother wasn’t seeing anyone. She always wanted more kids, but my dad took off before I was born. My stepdad took off when I was a teenager after they struggled for years with infertility.” She pauses, and my gaze tracks hers. With her hands in her lap, she twists her fingers around her left wrist, and this time, I can’t help myself. My palm rests lightly over her hands, stilling them.
“Sweetheart? You don’t have to tell me anything you’re not comfortable with.” Her expression morphs into confusion, but I see the determination behind her eyes.
“You probably won’t understand this, Colton. It sounds like you come from a close, loving family.”
“Appearances can be deceiving, Win. Yes, my blood brothers and I all had a relatively normal childhood, but my adopted ones? They each have shadows that lurk beneath the bed. My parents felt like it was their job to give them some normalcy, some stability, and at the same time, opened our eyes to life outside of our bubble. I think you’d be surprised by what I understand.”
Winnie shakes her head, and those soft curls bounce against her flawless skin. After a few moments of silence, she turns in her seat to face me. Inhaling a large breath, she flashes a determined gaze on me and lets her truth fly. “My father’s an alcoholic. A mean one. The only time he ever came around was to scare or embarrass me. He liked to yell to anyone listening that my mom had brainwashed me into believing he was the enemy. He didn’t realize that I knew he was bad news from the time I was four. I don’t have a single memory of him where I wasn’t terrified. My stepdad, Dennis, was amazing, but he just left one day. He gave my mother a note, saying the infertility issues they were experiencing were too much for him, but I never got a chance to say good-bye.” Her voice wavers, and I gently squeeze her hand. I only now realize I’m still holding it.
Straightening her spine, she continues, “Mom and I … well, we were both kind of blindsided by Dennis leaving. It really messed her up for a long time. I thought she was over it, but I guess my dad came around one night when she felt particularly lonely. She had tried for so long with Dennis, so I think she thought she couldn’t have children anymore. Anyway, one thing led to another with my father, and Wes is the result. She found him a few months later to tell him, and he shoved her. Told her to get rid of it because he wasn’t going to pay for another useless waste of space like he did with me.” She chuckles humorlessly. “The funny thing is he never paid a cent in child support for me.”
“Jesus Christ, your mother told you all that?” It slips out before I can censor it. A wave of irrational anger holds my breath hostage as I wait for the rest of her answer.
My words startle Winnie, and her mouth drops open in shock. The expression on her face tells me everything I need to know. She doesn’t open up to anyone, definitely not strangers, yet she’s sitting here with me and just told me something deeply personal.
A caveman instinct I didn’t realize I had beats against my chest at that knowledge.
