Page 34 of Under the Lights
“I was thinking more along the lines of cleaning the grout in my bathroom.”
He leaned close. “If you take that pistachio bar, I’ll tell you in detail, in a very loud voice that carries, exactly what I’d be willing to exchange for it. And it won’t include grout.”
“MaybeIshould buy the last pistachio bar,” Jen said, and Chase realized both women had given up being stealthy and were blatantly watching them.
“No,” Gretchen said, waving her hand between Chase and Kelly. “Please do go on. In detail.”
“What’s the holdup?” somebody shouted from farther back in the line.
“Enjoy your pistachio bar,” Kelly said, tucking her money in her pocket so she could pick up her brownie.
“I think I would have enjoyed trying to get it from you more.”
Kelly walked away, but Gretchen stopped to whisper, “She would have, too.”
—
Afew hours later, Kelly fell into step beside her mom, wishing she was still in her jeans and T-shirt. It was a beautiful day, but hanging out with her friends had been a lot more fun than patrolling the street fair on foot.
“Hi, honey,” her mom said. “Having fun?”
“It was more fun before I went on duty, but everybody’s having a good time and the dollars are adding up. Jen and Gretchen have been circling around emptying the fund buckets every so often, and it looks like it’ll be worth the work.”
“Have I mentioned today how proud I am of you girls?”
“At least twice.” Kelly laughed and hooked her arm through her mom’s. “Hey, do you have a recipe for pistachio bars?”
“No, but I could get you one. That’s an odd request, seeing as how you don’t like them.”
Busted.“Asking for a friend.”
“Mmhmm.” They walked in silence for a moment but, as always, it didn’t last long. “Chase told me you got the call when they broke into the school to see the trophy.”
Kelly stopped in her tracks, her arm sliding free from her mom’s. The transition from pistachio bars to Chase made her wonder if Jen and Gretchen had run their mouths. And she was surprised Chase had confessed so quickly. “He told you about that?”
Her mom chuckled. “I asked when he’d seen you, and not many people lie in front of your father. Especially his boys.”
That was true. “The dispatcher called me personally even though I was off duty, thankfully. I don’t think the guys would have arrested them, either, but this way I don’t have to listen to it or owe anybody any favors.”
“Speak of the little devils...”
Kelly followed her mom’s gaze to where the alumni team members were holding court on the steps of the gazebo. Though she couldn’t hear them, she saw the men laughing and, of course, she couldn’t look away from Chase.
He looked relaxed, standing on the top step and leaning against one of the gazebo’s support beams. His mouth moved and she wished she could hear his words as the people around him laughed some more.
“Nothing there but heartache, honey.”
Her mother’s words were softly spoken, but Kelly heard the message loud and clear. She could have tried to deny she was attracted to Chase, but there was no sense in it. Not with her mom. “Nobody said anything about my heart.”
“I’ve been keeping an eye on you today, and every time you cross paths with him, the chemistry’s obvious. But there’s affection there, too. You enjoy each other’s company, and sex will muddy the waters. Especially if the sex is good.”
Kelly felt her cheeks grow hot, and she glanced around to make sure nobody else was in earshot. “Mom!”
“I’m just saying.”
The sex would be good. Kelly had no doubt about that. “Now that the other guys are around, we won’t see as much of each other.”
Even as she said the words, they watched Chase’s head turn as he scanned the area until he spotted her. They locked gazes for a long beat, and then he smiled slightly before turning back to the crowd.
