Taryn shepherded both children over toward the sink where step stools awaited. “He’s a great kid,” Lacie said to Shane, scooping the Lincoln Logs back into their container. “I’m going to enjoy having him next year.”
Shane didn’t respond. When she looked up, she caught him staring at her, a questioning expression on her face. She couldn’t possibly know that in watching her with Patrick, he had visions of her with their own children. Crystal clear visions that were so real it felt as though he could reach out and touch them.
“You’re wonderful with kids,” he said, his voice unusually thick, simply because she was still looking at him and he had to say something.
“Thanks,” she said, her lips twitching. “It helps with the job, you know.”
“Do you want kids of your own?” he asked bluntly.
“Yes,” she admitted shyly. “Do you?”
“With the right woman, yes.” He pinned her with his gaze, silently communicating just who that woman was.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he whispered, pushing a strand of hair away from her face, leaning toward her until his lips hovered over hers. Catching him by surprise, Lacie took the initiative and pressed her lips to his.
Shane’s hand slipped beneath her hair, cupping the back of her neck, and he deepened the kiss. He thought he had accurately remembered the impossible sweetness of her mouth. He’d been wrong. His tongue danced with hers, playfully, sensually, taking everything that she would give him, binding her to him that much more. Lacie McCain was his, and he would never have enough.
“Ugh, they’re kissing!” said Patrick before Taryn could grab his hand and snatch him back to the sink.
“Busted,” Shane grinned as Lacie began to laugh. Her cheeks turned the prettiest shade of pink. Holding up the stickered notecard, he asked, “So... does this mean you’ll have coffee with me tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” she said. “The rose was beautiful, by the way, and the apple, delicious. Thank you. You made my whole day brighter.” Shane grinned, pleased. He would spend a lifetime doing little things to make her smile, especially if it got her to kiss him like that.
“Well, I guess I’d better be going,” Lacie said, rising. “I promised Rinn I’d hang out with her tonight. She doesn’t like staying in that big house all by herself.”
“Big plans?”
“Huge. Take-out and some Supernatural binge watching on Netflix.”
That sounded safe enough. “Make sure you lock the doors.
Lacie gave him a patient smile. “Always.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Tomorrow,” she confirmed.
The knot of worry eased a little, knowing that Lacie would be with Corinne. He’d spent a good portion of the day with Ian, investigating Craig Davidson. The more he learned, the more anxious he was to put as much space between Lacie and Davidson as possible.
*
“A single rose you say?” Corinne said later as Lacie told her about the presents awaiting her when she arrived at the school that morning. “What color?”
“Why?”
Corinne rolled her eyes. “You might be older, but you are woefully na?ve.” At Lacie’s blank look, she explained with exaggerated patience, “Because, my dear sister, roses are like a secret code, a very specific language. Everything matters – number, color – it all says something.”
Lacie shook her head. “I doubt he put that much thought into it.”
Corinne arched a brow. “We are talking about Shane Callaghan, aren’t we? Lace, I would bet that man has a very deliberate meaning for everything he does.” She pulled out her smartphone and started tapping away.
“What are you doing?”
“Decoding your secret love message,” Corinne said, waggling her eyebrows. She fired up Google and typed in “meaning of roses”. Lacie looked on curiously, even though she continued to mumble her skepticism.
“Okay, just one rose, right? That means.... Ah, here it is – ‘The gift of a single rose of any color depicts utmost devotion’. See? That means he’s really into you.”
Lacie tried not to put too much faith in that. It was a romantic interpretation. It might just as well have meant ‘I like you, but I’m not that into you, so I’m only getting you one so you don’t get ahead of yourself’. After all, it wasn’t as if they’d post that as a possible meaning.
Then she thought about the way Shane had kissed her and felt bad for doubting him. It was just so hard not to, when everything about him screamed perfect. She might be a hopeless romantic at heart, but she’d seen enough to know that ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, something that seemed too good to be true, was.
“And, hmm, that is a really interesting color,” Corinne was saying, studying the rose more closely. Lacie had placed it in a delicate bud vase the minute she’d gotten inside. During the school day it had sat regally in the small, reusable water bottle Lacie brought with her every day, and had stood proudly in the cup holder on the ride home. “I’m going to say that it’s ... peach. Hmm. Okay, here it is.”