Single Dads Collection. Lynne Marshall

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       Chapter Four

      “You don’t actually believe we’re going to let you off the hook, right?”

      Lucy was hoping for exactly that. She set the mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream down on the coffee table and Tara and Kate each reached for theirs. This was Lucy’s first night off in days and she wanted nothing more than to wear her fat sweatpants and no bra, and have some sugary drink with her friends.

      The hot chocolate wasn’t even spiked. Kate’s parents had been killed by a drunk driver, so she didn’t drink, and Tara and Lucy respected her enough to not drink in her presence.

      “We’ll hang around long enough and she’ll be chatty. She won’t be able to keep it inside.”

      Lucy rolled her eyes at Tara. “I’m not going to get chatty. There’s nothing to tell, really.”

      “I heard you were at Officer Spencer’s house yesterday afternoon,” Kate stated as she held her moose mug with both hands.

      They’d gathered at Lucy’s house, in agreement they were going to stay in, binge watch romantic comedies, and have some downtime. They were all so busy with their own work lives lately that it wasn’t often they could meet outside of the support group.

      But here they were and Lucy was being quizzed, all because Noah lived on a street with busybody neighbors. And it wasn’t like anything had happened. She’d drunk tea; she’d played for a while with Emma. End of story.

      Right?

      “What’s that look on her face?” Kate whispered to Tara.

      “I think she’s trying to find a way not to answer our questions.”

      Lucy laughed. “Would you two knock it off? I was at Noah’s house, but just to take him some scones.”

      “The cranberry orange ones?” Tara asked. “Those are the best things you make. You must really be interested in him.”

      Lucy didn’t take the bait. She should’ve known girls’ night in would turn into her best friends teaming up against her. Though, if the tables were reversed, she’d be doing the same. Still, she didn’t want to talk about Noah. There wasn’t really much to say. She’d seen a spark of interest, but at the same time, he’d also kept that guard up.

      Even at work that evening, he’d entered with another officer coming on duty. They’d all made small talk and then the guys had been dispatched. After that, their only conversations had been emergency calls on the radio.

      And now she was off for the next two nights. She wasn’t sure if he was or not, but she didn’t ask. She’d gotten done what she set out to do and that was apologize for making things seem unprofessional.

      “So what’s his story?” Kate asked. “Because the town is starting to make up their own about him. I heard he has a cute little girl.”

      Lucy nodded. “Emma. She’s four.”

      Tara curled her legs to her side on the couch as she reached for her drink. “And he’s a widower?”

      “Yeah. His wife passed away during a storm when they lived in Texas. I heard he was a rancher and an officer, but he hasn’t said any of that to me. He’s pretty private.”

      “Yet you were in his home, with his child, for what? An hour?”

      Lucy met Kate’s raised brow and knowing grin. “Exactly. His child was home. We work together, for pity’s sake. Nothing is happening.”

      “Not yet,” Kate muttered around her mug.

      Okay, it was time to steer the conversation away from herself because as much as she’d like for something to happen with the new officer, she wasn’t holding her breath.

      “Are we still on for dancing tomorrow night at Gallagher’s?” Lucy asked as she licked the point off her whip cream.

      Tara nodded. “Marley is with her dad, so I’m game.”

      Tara and her husband, Sam, hadn’t been married long when they realized they didn’t want the same things out of life. They’d married after a whirlwind affair and amazing chemistry, but marriages were based on so much more.

      Being a single mom was difficult for Tara, but she and her ex managed to get along and put the needs of their daughter, Marley, first.

      Lucy and her best friends all faced different obstacles and trials in their lives. They’d been friends since grade school when Lucy had cut off Kate’s pigtails with her new sharp scissors. Kate had wanted her hair cut and her mother had kept saying no, so Kate had actually been grateful to Lucy. That same year, Tara had moved to town and the three just clicked. They’d been through it all together and always had each other’s backs.

      “I love going to Gray’s place.” Tara swiped her finger through her whip cream and licked it off. “We may be the only ones who go there just to dance. But Gray Gallagher has taken that bar and made it even more popular than ever.”

      The local bar was in its third generation and currently owned by one of their good friends. Gray Gallagher was such a great guy and no doubt one of the reasons why so many women flocked to the place on ladies’ night. Gray had always been that fun guy with a sexy build. When he’d come home from the Army, he’d immediately taken over Gallagher’s from his father, but he’d yet to settle down.

      Because isn’t that what people did in this small town? They came home after college or the military and immediately met the love of their life, married, settled down and had babies. Or so the myth went. But not every life was so picture-perfect and neat and tidy.

      Sometimes tragedies happened, lives were ripped apart. And sometimes something positive could stem from such tragedies. Lucy, Kate and Tara were dedicating their lives to making a change in this community. They all had their own type of heartache and voids in their lives which made them perfect to work together and comfort others.

      Too often when someone suffered СКАЧАТЬ