The meeting broke up and the trio was halfway to his truck when Colton heard Reggie's voice behind them, bristling with rage. "Lila Walker. I need to speak to you."
Reggie looked angry, and Colton tensed for the confrontation as Lila turned with a sigh. "Give Jonah the keys and send him to the truck," she said, her tone brooking no argument. Colton handed Jonah his key ring and nodded his agreement. The sound of Jonah's cleats dragging against the sidewalk made Colton grit his teeth as Reggie approached him and Lila.
Reggie wasted no words. "
My
team, Lila. They can't listen to two coaches."
"Tonight, there was only one of us coaching," Lila said calmly. "You were too busy screaming. And, you almost cost these kids a game, starting with your lineup, which needs work, but I made you some notes."
Colton suppressed a laugh as Reggie's face darkened, but the short man was apparently unable to articulate his thoughts. Lila pressed her advantage, holding out the scrap of paper. "Nepotism isn't going to win you any games, not in this league. Then, after digging them into a hole with that lineup before they ever stepped out on that field, you gave up on those kids, Reggie. But I had your back, so you're welcome." She pressed the paper into the top of his equipment bag and turned her back on the little man, who appeared to shrink in light of her calm, assured words.
"Does this look like Colton's truck?" she asked Jonah fiercely, who had paused beside another vehicle well within earshot.
"No," Jonah replied, ducking his head to hide an unrepentant smile. "Sorry about that."
"You don't look a bit sorry," Lila said knowingly, as she threw her arm around the kid's shoulder for a hard squeeze. "But, oh my God, Jonah, that was such a beautiful steal. You really set your team on fire with that move, kid. Good job."
"Like it wasn't your idea," Jonah shot back.
Lila laughed. "But you had the guts and the speed and the skill to execute, Jonah. All I did was say what I could see you thinking."
Colton gave her an admiring glance as he watched Jonah seem to grow about two inches. Lila was too busy giving Jonah her trademark smile to see his look.
"We're gonna have to make a Braves fan out of you, somehow. I bet you're a Dodgers fan," Lila said to Jonah as he nudged Colton aside to open her door.
"My mom took me to Dodger Stadium once," Jonah burst out. Colton swallowed hard. Jonah never voluntarily spoke of Sarah.
"Who was pitching?" Lila asked, as she hooked her seat belt, and it must have been the right thing to say because Jonah, silent, sullen Jonah, talked their ears off after that. Her ear, really, since Colton didn't know what they were talking about, except when Lila mentioned how her son Charlie's high school team had won the state championship, he was proud to say he'd been in the bleachers that night.
He just bought the burgers and listened as Lila and Jonah talked baseball.
By the time he pulled into Lila's driveway, he was telling himself it was stupid to be jealous. He wanted them to get along, he assured himself. But when Jonah opened the back door, Colton was blunt. "Stay here, squirt, I can walk her to the door without your help," he said, getting a chuckle out of Lila and a glare from Jonah.
"I'm just getting in the front seat," Jonah huffed.
Her shoulders were shaking silently as he walked her around the back of her house. "Little shit," Colton grumbled.
"Relax, in no time, I'll do something that reminds him I'm as stupid as any other grown-up," she replied easily.
They reached her back door and he took both her hands in his. "Or maybe, good taste in women just runs in my family," he said, bending to kiss her.
Their kiss deepened and he lingered, pressing her to his erection with more than a little frustration. From the driveway, a horn blared.
"No, he did not," Colton snapped in disbelief as he broke off their kiss, raising his head with a glare that bore his nephew no good will. "That had better not be my horn, damn it."
"The world revolves around a teenager," Lila advised, stepping back. "And right now, he needs to know he's important to you, Colton. He's just flirting with me to get your attention."
"Soon, Lila. I'll see you soon," he promised hotly. "Just the two of us, next time, I swear."
Lila studied his face before stepping inside her back door. "Does that mean I'm not invited to his next game?" she asked, lingering in the doorway.
Colton stepped inside and kissed her again, unwilling to leave on terms not his own. The horn sounded again, and he blew out a frustrated breath. "It's safe to say we both want you to be there, Lila. But this parenthood deal can really suck. I swear to God, I'm going to figure out a way to get you alone, though, and I don't mean on your deck."
She studied his face. "I look forward to all of the above. And I second the parenthood thing. Good night, Colton, and thank you. I really missed baseball."
It was the same way she'd confessed to missing sex. He wanted to tell her he was offering her a full summer of both, but a third blast had him backing out the door. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised. "Right now, though, I think I'm going to feed Jonah his own arm."
* * * *
Lila collapsed in giggles against the door after closing it behind her. "He might want to hold on to his sense of humor," she told the orchid breathlessly. "Before it gets better, it'll get a lot worse."
Her truck might be dead, she might be as frustrated as Colton, but it had turned out to be a good day.
Better than good
, she thought as she climbed into bed. A great day, all things considered. Better than any day she'd had in a long, long time.
Chapter Ten
Long before noon, Colton had replaced the broken serpentine belt that had stranded Lila the day before. It was a relatively fast, inexpensive repair. But there were some other things under her hood that would need attention soon, and he didn't care for the idea of her being stranded again. The woman didn't appear to even own a cell phone. He blew out a frustrated breath as he wiped his hands on a rag, thinking of her comment about crying over a big repair bill.
It made no sense, but it looked as if Lila had a problem with money. Her money wasn't any of his business, but her safety was something he felt he had a right to worry about.
The repairs he wanted to make would cost someone walking off the street about a grand, but the parts were a good deal less than that.
Fuck it
, he decided, shoving the rag into his back pocket. She'd never realize the work had been done. He'd settle up with the shop whatever way his brothers wanted and charge her for replacing the belt and the tow. That way, they'd both be happy.
He stepped into the office and closed the door before he called her.
Lila sounded thrilled to hear her truck repair would cost just a bit more than a hundred dollars. But on the heels of her relief came suspicion. "Are you sure about that price, Colton? I expect to pay the same rate as always."
How many times had he listened to Eric bitch that women thought a little pussy meant free car repairs for life?
"Positive, it's the going rate for that belt job and a tow and it'll be ready by tomorrow noon. Do Jonah and I need to pick you up after I get off work? I know you're stranded, do you need groceries or anything?" He didn't give her time to wonder why such a small job was taking so long. He'd ordered the parts, and they'd be delivered any minute. Eric was taking Jonah to a movie tonight, and Dan had offered to stay late and help do the work on Lila's truck.
"No, I'm good. I have plenty to do to keep me busy here and just bought groceries the other day. But thanks for the offer," she added. "Does Jonah still have two arms?" she asked curiously.
"Sure he does, but now he can slip one under his bed," Colton replied promptly, "so I can pull it out and beat him with it any time."
"You're only kidding." Lila chuckled.
"Kidding," he admitted. "But you won't believe his excuse for laying down on that horn."
"Urgent bodily function?" she guessed.
"Not even that good," Colton said sarcastically. "The little rat said his mother gave him fifty dollars a week allowance and it had just popped into his head to ask me when that might start."
"Did he even have on a cup last night?" Lila asked in amazement. "'Cause I'm thinking that took balls of steel. He might not need one."
Colton laughed heartily, something he had yet to do about any topic concerning Jonah. "It gets better. He says he didn't have to do chores or anything for the money. Knowing Sarah, it's probably the truth."
Lila whistled. "Two hundred dollars a month, for turning air into carbon dioxide? Good work if you can get it, I'd say. Don't tell me you're thinking about doing that?"
"Well, the kid just lost the only parent he had," Colton began.
"And two hundred a month in easy cash will bring her back? Love means discipline, Colton. It sets up bad things to make a kid think he or she doesn't have to earn their own way." He thought that over. It sounded just like what his Dad would have said, yet Lila didn't have his father's mean temperament. He heard her gasp. "I shouldn't have said that. It's up to you, I'm sorry," she apologized.
"No, I was just thinking how much sense that made. He comes in here after school and slams the door to the office and plays that handheld video game. I keep thinking he'll get interested in what goes on around here, but he just shuts himself away until we close up. We eat supper, and I try to catch for a while, but I can't seem to do it to suit him, which puts him in another bad mood, then he stomps to his room to do his homework. I haven't been willing to put much pressure on the kid. But I can start assigning chores, I guess, for an allowance. I have my own way of doing things around the house, but maybe I can grit my teeth until he does it my way."
"I needed to find a new normal ASAP," she confessed. "I wanted to be busy. But I do have one thought. About the allowance thing, if you don't want to argue over household chores and if you want him to get interested in the family business."
"Gathering pearls here, Delilah. Keep talking."
"Ugh, nobody calls me Deliah. Do you still open on Saturday for oil changes?"
The name was printed on her checks. "I do. I like the name Delilah. And yes, Scott and the other hired guys open the place on Saturdays. Dan's usually here, too."
She ignored his name comment. "I used to drive all the way across town to get my oil and filter changed. I must have passed a dozen places that did that on the way. But I went there because in addition to the fluid check and all that, they always washed my windshield inside and out and vacuumed out my vehicle, and it might have cost a dollar or two more."
Colton saw the plan quickly. Reggie didn't practice on Saturday, choosing Sunday afternoons instead. Games were during the week. It might bring in a bit of extra business, too, if there were other women like Lila, whose floorboard needed raking before any vacuum could take over. He had no idea how she managed to see through the scum on her windshield, but it might explain why she couldn't see to drive in the rain. "Dan would pick him up, he has to drive right past my place," he mused aloud. "But if he gets here and refuses to work? He might just play that stupid game. I just can't beat on the kid, Lila. He's so attached to that game, taking it away feels wrong too."
"Well, he might, if the game still had batteries in it. But if those batteries are in your pocket, he could sit there until boredom made him pick up that shop vac. Just pocket the fresh batteries the night before and put in some dead ones."
"Delilah, I love the way you think," Colton said admiringly, still using the name he preferred. The one Pete hadn't called her. "No work, no allowance. But no video game, either." But Jonah would still have possession of the last gift his mother bought him before she died.
"Don't you dare tell him it was my idea," she said quickly. "Not that I mind being the bad guy, but it's you he needs to respect, and your brothers. And by the way, I never made Charlie do much more than pick up his room and take out the trash. He drove me nuts half-assing the housework. He did things like wash our cars and yard stuff with Pete."
"Yeah, we followed Dad around, too, and Sarah handled the house for the most part. But except for baseball, I can't drag that kid outside."
"You'll get there," she encouraged. "It's a hard task you took on, Colton."
"I don't know what kind of rules Sarah had for him. He doesn't talk much. Last night, I listened in amazement while he opened up to you. I guess you two speak the same language."
"You're not ever going to be Sarah," she reminded him softly. "You're a fast learner, though. But you have to remember that your relationship with Jonah has changed. You have to be his parent now and not his friend."
"I think it's going to be a while before I can use my new pearl necklace to strangle him," he joked, feeling she had hit on something important, even if he was unsure how to go about being a parent. "You did a good job with Charlie, Delilah. Always feel free to stop me from making a beginner's mistake. All I have to go by is what my dad did with us, but that's not always the route I want to take."
"So, I'll find someone to bring me to pick up the truck tomorrow afternoon," she began.
"No ma'am. I'd prefer to bring it to you, take you to lunch, and have you drop me off, if you wouldn't find that a hardship."
"You bring the truck and I'll make you lunch," she countered.
Okay, damn it
, he thought. He'd been good long enough. "And for dessert? How about a little sweet taste of Delilah? It's my turn, as I recall."
"Fair play and sportsmanship. Always a welcome policy."
"She did not hang up on me," Colton said hoarsely as he stared at the dead receiver. The conversation had just begun to get interesting. He replaced it slowly, laughing softly as he realized he'd see her twice tomorrow, one for lunch and sex, and again later that evening at Jonah's game… and he now had Saturdays free, if Dan signed off on Lila's idea.
Daniel studied his face while Colton recounted his discussion with Lila. "We should've thought of that sooner," his oldest brother said. "Who knows? The kid might get some tips, too."
"I'll square those parts with you and E," Colton assured Daniel.
"Like we wouldn't do the same, if we ever found our Lila, kid," Daniel said gruffly. "Call it a job perk. So, what you figure to pay Jonah, one, maybe two bucks a car, plus tips? I'll pick him up and drop him off, maybe keep him overnight occasionally. Sounds like you're gonna need some Saturday nights free."
Colton blinked in amazement at Dan's comment about "his Lila", and the meaning behind it. Was he that obvious or was Daniel just that observant? "One dollar a car is good, for starters. Good work gets him tips, or a raise down the line. Thanks, D."
"Gonna yap or work?" Dan asked gruffly, walking to the bay that held Lila's truck.
"You're a moron, C," Eric growled as he and Dan began the work under her hood. "Pete would've left Lila well off, what the fuck are you doing? She's probably just gonna run that truck into the ground and go buy a new one."
* * * *
Her garage doors were down when he rolled into her driveway, but as he stepped out of her truck, a tapping noise made him look up. Lila was framed in the window above the garage, and if she was wearing anything but an attitude, he couldn't see it. Breaking into a jog, he had his shirt off by the time he hit her back door, shedding it carelessly on the table. Hopping from foot to foot impatiently, he tugged off his work boots, dropping them by her back door. She came to stand at the top of the steps. "I need you," was all she said. Colton took the steps two at a time, undoing his pants.
The idea that she wanted him as badly as he wanted her made him so crazy, he walked her straight back against the wall, relishing the way her soft tummy cuddled his cock as his hands found her breasts. He thumbed her hard peaks as he nipped at her lips. Her nails made fiery trails down his back as her hands dropped to his ass, and she pulled him against her with an urgency that drove his desire for her higher as he slipped his tongue in her mouth. She promptly sucked on it so suggestively that he feared he'd blow on her belly if he didn't get some control. His chest was heaving as he broke off the kiss.
"Just thinking about you makes me wet," she confessed, not a trace of blue visible in her eyes. "And I woke up thinking about you."
His cock jerked in jubilation at her admission as he went slowly to his knees, pressing hot kisses to her soft golden skin. Stroking his palms along the tops of her thighs, he used his thumbs to open her slit, urging her feet into a wider stance with his knees. A framed photo went askew as she slapped a hand to the wall at her right, the nails of her left hand digging delightfully into his shoulder. He curved his palms around the back of her thighs till he could caress the soft skin just beneath her ass as he inhaled her arousal. Seeking her slit from behind, he eased a finger inside her as his tongue found her hard nub.
A sweet whimper was his reward.
She was wet, gloriously so, and as he lashed the hard pearl at the top of her slit with his tongue, he soon added another finger, pumping heatedly as she pressed her mound against his lips.
He would happily have made her come more than once using only his fingers and tongue, if for no other reason than because she tasted so damn fine, but there was a desperate quality to her voice as she begged to be fucked that had his cock so hard he could barely think. She pushed at his shoulders and he eased to his back on the carpet, fumbling in the front pocket of the jeans still stuck around his thighs for a condom. Lila straddled him, her heavy breasts swaying enticingly as she panted. Her hands curled around his shaft.
"Let your hair down, Delilah," he commanded as he performed the small chore of protecting her, mostly because he needed her to do something besides expertly jack his cock or he was going to come in her hand.
She obediently raised her hands to her head, and he sheathed himself in record time, so he could cuddle her gorgeous globes in his hands once more. Her fingers raked through the freed waves, spreading her hair around her shoulders. She guided his cockhead to her entrance, and once again, the sound she made as she took him inside her to the hilt seemed to penetrate him physically as surely as he shafted her.
She leaned over him, holding onto his shoulders, and began to ride.
Pressing her breasts together, he encouraged her to lean forward so he could get to the rosy peaks that were making his mouth water. Colton suckled each one in turn, enjoying the rhythms she set on his cock, until he had to take control. Tumbling her gently to the padded floor, he settled rapidly between her soft thighs, unable to resist caressing the length of her legs as he arranged them over his shoulders. Her opening wrapped snugly around his cock as he entered her again, and her eyes were dark and huge in her face as he leaned over her. His hands at long last burrowed into the thick silk of her hair, and he knotted his fists as he gave her the hard ride she was begging him for until she cried out she was coming. His world went dark from the lightning bolt of pleasure that shot through him as he began to come as well.
She was sobbing. "Hold me, just…"
He folded his arms around her. He tried to kiss her but she turned her head to the side, yet she held him tightly to her with her legs and her arms and her sweet little cunt.
The crooked picture caught his gaze. A shot of an unsmiling Charlie in his cap and gown, kneeling beside Pete in his chair. Lila knelt on the other side, equally serious. Colton had a similar shot of his graduation day, as did each of his brothers. Sarah's was packed away in one of the boxes he'd dumped off at Dan's. But in their pictures, everybody was smiling and his dad had his arm around them.