Stolen Kiss with the Single Mom Read online

  Ben hadn’t been a soldier—he’d been a doctor.

  When they’d first met at the local college Ben had talked of coming back to Louisiana after he’d finished his residency. It hadn’t been until after they had started making plans for their future together that he had brought up going into officer training with the military.

  Even after he had gotten her to agree with his plans she had never considered that he might die while serving his country. She had thought that, being a doctor, he would be far away from actual danger.

  She had been so naïve. But Ben hadn’t been. He would have had to know that he was at risk of being injured or worse while he was overseas, but he had never told her...never discussed the possibility of his not coming back.

  Lacey saw a clearing up ahead and knew it was their camp ground when one of the other members let out a holler. Lacey dropped her pack where she stood and stared at the small buildings in front of her. They might not look like much to some people, and they definitely weren’t five-star hotels, but they were a lot more shelter than she had hoped for on this trip.

  Scott assigned the buildings—one for the men and one for the women—and they split up to stow their gear. They were all surprised to find a small bathroom inside the small bunkhouse, and they each took a turn at a cold shower before they headed back out.

  By the time Lacey had showered and changed a fire had been built in the center of camp. An in-ground grill had been lit and a large amount of meat was grilling. She stopped by where Scott stood, beside a set of ice chests.

  “Where did these come from?” she asked.

  “I got one of the park rangers to bring them down from my car. We’ll carry some of the bread for tomorrow night, but the rest we need to eat tonight.” Scott said.

  Lacey moved over to where Katie was wrapping potatoes and corn in foil. They worked together quickly, then agreed that they deserved a break after opening another cooler and finding it full of cold drinks.

  As the hot sun set they gathered around the table to eat. And after everything was cleaned up around the campsite Lacey wandered over to the fire, where someone had found sticks for toasting marshmallows.

  Lacey watched as Scott moved around the camp. His limp was more pronounced tonight—undoubtedly from the amount of time he had spent walking today. She knew that he still suffered pain due to his injury, though he tried to hide that fact from everyone. Watching his face, she saw the small grimace he made as he walked back over toward the fire.

  “Come sit down beside me,” she said.

  “I didn’t want to disturb you,” he said as he sat on a tree stump next to her. “You’ve been quiet tonight. I figured you’d head to bed the first chance you got.”

  “I’ll head that way soon,” she said. “How are you doing?”

  She had to be careful when asking Scott about his injury. He made every attempt to ignore it and she knew he wouldn’t want her to be worried about him.

  “Tired...but in a good way, you know?” he said.

  “Yeah, I’m surprised to say that I can understand that,” Lacey said.

  She picked up one of the logs that had been left at the side of the fire and carefully placed it on top of the other burning wood. As they sat there in silence, with both of them staring into the fire, she wondered where Scott’s thoughts were right then. Was he back remembering another time, before the world had changed, perhaps when he’d sat around a fire like this with his friends? With Ben? Or did the bright flames and the smell of burning wood take him back to Afghanistan? To the explosion that had injured his leg? That had killed Ben?

  He’d never shared anything about what had happened that day and she had never asked. Some things she didn’t need to know.

  Looking around the campground, she was surprised to see they were the only two who hadn’t headed into the cabins. How long had they been sitting there, just the two of them?

  She looked up to the sky and saw that there was only a small sliver of the moon shining through the clouds. She heard the hoot of an owl in the distance and heard the crackle of the fire as one of the logs broke apart into bright embers.

  “I like this,” Scott said.

  “It’s a nice area, and the cabins are definitely a bonus,” Lacey said.

  She reached for another log when she saw that the last one had already burned. Then she picked up one of the sticks they had used for the marshmallows and stirred the embers.

  “No, I like sitting here with you,” Scott said.

  Lacey’s hand froze. The stick in her hand began to burn and she tossed it into the fire. What was Scott saying? She felt that he wanted something more from her. More than the friendship they had shared. Had shared? No, they were still friends. It was just that they had complicated things between the two of them with feelings that they knew weren’t right.

  She wanted to beat her head against the ground till she figured out exactly what it was that was going on between the two of them, but she knew all she’d have was a headache and still no answers. She didn’t want to have this conversation, but she knew that it was needed, so that they could return to the way things had been before they’d messed up.

  “I enjoy being with you too, Scott,” she said. “It’s something that has always made our friendship special. I’ve never had to watch what I say or do with you. Being with you has always made me feel comfortable.”

  * * *

  Scott knew without her saying anything more where she was headed with this conversation. She found their relationship comfortable. Like an old pair of shoes. Was that what she had always thought of their relationship?

  He made himself stop before he said something that would make things worse. And, really, could he blame her for the way she felt? Hadn’t he felt the same? If he had never kissed her at the hospital would they be sitting here now, discussing relationships and feelings?

  But had it only been the kiss that had changed things between them? If he was honest with himself—really honest—he had to admit that his feelings for Lacey over the past year had been changing. He’d even stopped dating after he had started to compare the last two girls he’d gone out with to Lacey. He’d told himself that he just needed a break from all the drama that came with dating, and that his life was full with his job and the vets he worked with on the program.

  And with Lacey and Alston.

  They’d been a big part of his life ever since Ben had died, and at some point his time with Lacey had become less about helping Ben’s widow and more about spending time with her. And that was something that was never supposed to happen and it wasn’t something he was proud of.

  He’d managed to put his attraction to Lacey away years ago, after Ben had come home one night and declared that Lacey was the one for him. And since the day he had stood as Ben’s best man at their wedding he had looked at Lacey as his best friend’s wife.

  But how did he explain all this to Lacey without it coming out as if he was some jerk trying to hit on his best friend’s wife?

  “I’m not sure what to say to you,” Scott said.

  He always tried to be honest with people, and this was especially true with Lacey. He didn’t want to lay out all his feelings for her, but he had to at least be honest.

  “I’d like to say that I’m sorry I kissed you, that I crossed the line of friendship, but I can’t. We both know that I...we were both upset that night, and maybe if I hadn’t experienced that fear of losing you I wouldn’t have kissed you. But I did. And you kissed me back.”

  “I didn’t mean to,” Lacey said.

  He watched as she picked up another stick from the ground and began raking it across what was left of the fire.

  She looked over at him and he couldn’t help but smile. She’d pulled her hair back from her face, and even though he was sure she’d covered herself in sun protectant a scattering of freckles was now sprin
kled across her face. Her eyes were bright green tonight, as the light from the embers in the fire reflected off them. He saw that she was working through what he had said.

  “But you did. I can’t lie to you and tell you that I regret that, or that I’m sorry for kissing you in the first place. Whether it was fueled by the adrenaline of the night or it was something that would have happened eventually, I don’t know. What I do know is that it was a wonderful kiss and every time I see you I think about it. And don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it too,” he said.

  “So where do we go from here?” she asked. She dropped the stick she’d been doodling with and looked up at him.

  “I think that’s up to the two of us,” he said. “It could be that it was just a onetime fluke, and if we kiss again neither of us will feel a thing. Or it could be that there is an attraction between us that we are only just now discovering.”

  “And how do you suggest we find out which it is?” she asked. She was looking down at the ground now.

  “There’s really only one way to find out,” he said.

  Putting his hand under her chin, he guided her eyes up to his. She stared back at him, then her expression changed. Her chin tilted up and her eyes filled with determination.

  His lips touched hers for the briefest of moments and then she pulled away quickly.

  “See—nothing. No fireworks, no angels singing. We’re fine,” she said.

  Did she really think she was going to get away with that?

  “That doesn’t count. I’ve had longer kisses from my Aunt Jo,” he said. “Now, are we going to do this right or are you too scared to find out the truth?”

  “I’m not scared,” she grumbled.

  He watched as she stuck that same determined mask on her face again. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  He felt like a bull having a red flag waved before him.

  The hell with it all.

  He moved onto the log where she sat and took her face in both of his hands. Impatience drove his lips down to hers, and before she had time to react he had pushed his hands into her hair. Tearing off her hairband, he caught the thick red mass in his hands. His lips pressed into hers and when she opened her mouth his tongue slid in.

  He had no time to wait for her response. He’d spent days thinking of kissing her, and if this was his only chance he would enjoy every moment of it. He felt her hands come up between them and feared she would push him away. When she gripped his shirt and pulled him closer he would have sworn he heard those angels she’d mentioned singing.

  His tongue tangled with hers and he felt the need to delve deeper, faster. His hand had found the hem of her shirt before he realized what he was doing. Cool skin filled his hand as it worked its way up her chest.

  Lacey released his shirt and covered his hand. Pulling back from her, he was surprised to find that she was almost lying in his lap. He removed his hand from under her shirt and she moved away from him. Though neither of them could talk yet, Lacey’s movement told him all he needed to know.

  They sat there in silence as they both fought to fill their lungs with air, and then Lacey stood and walked away from him.

  There was no way she could deny the attraction between the two of them, but that didn’t mean she liked it. And could he blame her? They’d had a safe relationship, and they both knew that Lacey liked to play it safe.

  The clouds cleared from the sky and the moon shone down through the trees, bathing the ground in a soft light. Bending over the log, he could now see what Lacey had been scratching into the ground.

  Ben’s name stared up at him accusingly.

  He had to accept that his best friend, the love of Lacey’s life, would always be there between them. She had been married to the best man he had ever known, and Scott would always just be Ben’s best friend to her.

  And did he really deserve to have it any other way?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  THE UNDER-STUFFED MATTRESS had very little to do with the fact that Lacey hadn’t been able to sleep. If her mind had been muddled before the kiss they had shared last night, now it was totally scrambled.

  She’d all but run after Scott had kissed her. Even now the thought of what they’d done and what she had thought about doing with Scott set her heart racing. She’d agreed to kiss him so that she could prove to him—and, yes, also to herself—that the kiss they’d shared before had just been brought on by the moment. She’d been confident that under other circumstances she’d feel nothing when they kissed. It was Scott, for heaven’s sake, her husband’s best friend; she couldn’t have feelings or desires for him other than as a friend.

  But, boy, had she been proved wrong. There was no way they could go back to being friends after what they had shared last night. Could they...?

  Someone knocked on the cabin door, and let her know they were moving out in ten. She hurried to repack her backpack. The last thing she wanted was for Scott to come looking for her. She had a lot of things to think about today, and being near Scott would not help her understand what was going on between the two of them. She would try to keep her distance for as long as she could.

  They headed back to the trail they had followed the day before, then cut away from the path after the first couple miles. They sloshed through swampy water and she was glad for her pink boots. Unlike the day before, Lacey’s mind wasn’t on the dangerous wildlife in the area. Now the only thing on her mind was what she was going to say to Scott the next time they were alone together.

  “So how long have you and Scott been an item?” Katie asked her.

  “Excuse me?” Lacey asked, not sure that she had heard the question correctly.

  “You and Scott,” Katie said. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

  “It’s not like that,” Lacey said. “We’re just friends.”

  “I’m pretty sure there’s more than friendship there,” Katie said, “but if you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine.”

  Lacey thought about that for a few minutes as the two of them walked together. The rest of the group was up ahead of them and she was pretty sure Katie could have kept up with them if she’d wanted to. Instead she had chosen to keep Lacey company. She felt sure that Katie wasn’t fishing for information for the gossip mill. And maybe what she needed was someone out of this situation to talk to. Maybe Katie could see things differently.

  “What makes you think there’s more than friendship between me and Scott?” Lacey asked.

  “Well, there was all the heavy breathing you were doing when you came in last night,” Katie said.

  The veteran gave her a bright smile.

  “I’m sorry. I tried not to wake you,” Lacey said. “Did I wake the others too?”

  “Maybe, but they didn’t say anything,” Katie said.

  Lacey thought about telling Katie that she had been running, then decided not to. The more she tried to explain, the guiltier it would make her look.

  “What else?” Lacey asked, curious about what the woman thought she saw in them.

  “Well, every few minutes Scott is turning around and looking at you,” Katie said.

  “He’s just checking to make sure I’m keeping up. He’d be doing that no matter who was in the back,” Lacey said.

  “This is not that kind of look,” Katie said. “Just watch him for a few minutes. You’ll see.”

  Even more curious now, Lacey kept her eyes straight ahead, watching Scott as he talked to Dennis about something on the map, talked to the hikers behind him. He changed direction, with the rest of them following.

  She was about to look away, to tell Katie that there was nothing there to see, when she saw Scott turn around. His eyes met hers and for a few seconds they were connected. She could feel the tension between the two of them. His eyes bored into hers, searching for something—but what? What was it that Scott really wante
d from her? For her to admit that she was attracted to him physically? He’d proved that to both of them last night. But they both knew that their relationship had to stay platonic. Didn’t they?

  Unable to stand the intensity of his stare, Lacey broke the connection between the two of them. There was nothing more for her to give to their relationship. They had to agree to go back to being friends. Only friends, nothing more.

  Lacey looked over at Katie. One look at her face and Lacey knew she had witnessed the exchange.

  “Told you,” Katie said.

  They followed the rest of the group into thick forest. Tall old cypress trees with large trunks jutted out of murky water, and the farther they walked the deeper the water surrounding the trees became. A splash in the water ahead of them reminded Lacey that this was a good place for a gator to be hunting for food. And as the water became even deeper she began to worry about whether the waterproof hiking boots she wore were going to be high enough to keep her from getting wet.

  They reached an opening in the trees and saw a large lake spread out in front of them.

  “I wonder why we’re stopping here,” Katie said.

  Lacey watched as Scott worked his way through the group until he’d made it back to the two of them.

  “What’s up?” she asked, glancing at him for a second, then making it a point to look away.

  “Yeah, why are we stopping here?” Katie asked him.

  Lacey turned at the sound of the hum of a boat engine in the distance. Scott turned with her and pointed to a small dot across the lake that seemed to be coming their way. As it got closer Lacey realized it was an air boat, headed towards them. Maybe it was her lucky day, and instead of hiking they were going to be riding the second part of the way.

  Lacey and Katie moved closer to the shore as the boat came to a stop. Lacey had seen airboats before, but she’d never gotten up the nerve to ride on one as they were usually used for taking people out to see the gator population—something that she had no interest in seeing.

  The driver killed the engine and removed his ear protection. He offered a hand out to Scott, then pulled him into a man hug. She watched as they shared several animated moments that seemed to include an unnecessary amount of slaps on the back. Finally turning back to the rest of them, Scott introduced the man as a cousin who lived farther up the lake, and explained that they were going to take the boat over to the far side, where there was a path that would take them farther into the swamp area.