Chapter 4

FOUR

Britt

I'm kicking myself for being a good girl. It's been three days since I was making out with Hot Doc in a public park and I can't get that kiss out of my head. He turned me upside down, inside out, and left me spinning. With. A. Single. Fucking. Kiss.

Okay, it was a little more than a kiss. There might have been a little bit of grinding going on, too, but not damn near enough of it.

I hear feet hit the floor down the hall and I groan. Karli's up. She's up and raring to go. My dad is taking her for the night. He and Ava are going to take her to see the newest animated kids' movie that just came out. It's at the drive-in theater at the next town over from us. I'd lay ten to one odds that she'll be asleep in the backseat before the movie is halfway over. But if Dad wants to waste his money on it, more power to him. Because I need a night off. I just had one, but it didn't end the way I expected. And frankly, being horny makes me a total bitch.

"Mommy!"

It's all the warning I get before she launches herself into the bed with me, a flurry of sharp knees and elbows that manage to hit every internal organ all at once. I grab Karli and hug her close. It's as much a display of affection as it is self defense.

"Hey, munchkin. You want some breakfast?"

"Donuts? Chocolate ones with sprinkles!"

"I love your grandfather too much to load you up on donuts and send you to him... how about bacon and eggs?" I ask her.

"Pancakes?"

I sigh. "A frozen one? Cause whether or not I say yes is based on how much effort you're wanting out of me."

"Can I have chocolate chips?"

It's like negotiating a damn treaty. "Chocolate chips. And I'll even give you whipped cream."

She's flying out of the bed, whooping loudly and probably pissing off the neighbors. Forcing myself to move, I sit up on the edge of the bed, stretching my leg and doing the exercises that PT has given me. Those make all the difference in a relatively pain free day or one that has me gritting my teeth just to get through it.

When I'm done, I get up and make my way to the kitchen. Karli's already opened the fridge and is pulling out the bacon and the egg carton. Then she opens the freezer and pulls out the box of pancakes. She's six years old and that level of self sufficiency is both impressive and sad. It breaks my heart because she's spent the last few months feeling like she had to take care of herself and me, too.

"Hey, munchkin... Have I told you that you're the absolute best kid in the world?"

She looks back and grins. "Every day, Mommy!"

"Go watch Bluey," I tell her. "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."

From the pocket of my sleep shorts, I hear my phone dinging. Digging it out, I check the screen and can feel the smile that's spreading across my face.

Hot Doc: Good morning, klutz

It's a simple message. Just three little words. More funny than flirty, but it's still definitely flirting. And it makes me happy... which scares the fuck out of me.

B: Might be a klutz, but I can still kick your ass.

Hot Doc: Wanna prove it? I'm out of here by two today. It's the limit on hours and they're kickin me to the curb for the rest of the week.

Do I? Yeah. Should I? Probably not. But then I've never been too good at playing by the rules.

B: K's going with her grandpa for the night. They'll pick her up at four.

Hot Doc: I'll pick you up at five. Wear something nice.

"I'm so fucked," I whisper, dumping some bacon into the pan. "Completely fucked."

My doorbell rings promptly at five. I check the mirror one more time and then go to open the door. "I am sooo underdressed."

Hot Doc is hot as fuck in a very well fitting suit. "You look great. Better than great. In fact, you look so good, I kind of wish I hadn't made reservations for us."

"There isn't a restaurant in Bellehaven that requires a reservation."

He shrugs. "Guess it's a good thing we're not staying in Bellehaven then. Get in the car, klutz. I'm gonna feed you and then... we'll just see what happens."

I grab my purse, lock the door, and then climb into his SUV. It's not a luxury vehicle. It's nice, but it's not new and it's not crazy expensive. It's just a regular person's car. "I figured you more for a devotee of German engineering... a Benz or a Beemer seemed more likely."

"I'd tell you to bite your tongue, but you're a self professed klutz and I have plans for your tongue later tonight."

"Explain the car, Doc."

He shrugs. "I spend a lot of time working on my parents' farm. Having a stupidly expensive vehicle that I climb into when covered in cow shit is just stupid."

"And you're a lot of things, Doc, but you're not stupid."

He takes the road out of town that will lead us to Lexington. We talk about nothing, just idle bullshit that's fun and easy and doesn't touch on the sexual tension that is filling up the space between us. Thirty minutes. Forty-five long ass minutes later, he's rolling up to a valet stand outside one of Lexington's nicest and most romantic restaurants.

"Are you trying to impress me, Doc?"

"I guess that depends on whether or not it's working."

"Do I get to order lobster?" I ask.

"The whole fucking tank if you want it," he says.

"Then, yeah. I'm impressed."