* * *
Laughter rose above the comfortable buzz of patrons inside Dino’s Pizzeria. Willow’s soft, lilting tone was among them. Bodie couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen her so happy, carefree. Maybe never.
“They are good kids, right?” he said.
Ronni’s gaze landed on him, only the third time since they’d arrived. “Of course they are.” She gave him a questioning look.
“Willow has had a rough time with mean ones. I don’t want her getting hurt.”
“Alex and Lucas will look after her.”
“She seems to be having a good time.”
“Hmm.” The opening door pulled Ronni’s attention again.
“Are you having a good time?” During the football game, he’d sensed Ronni’s tension and assumed she was nervous because of his attention. Now he was sure it was something else.
“Yes.” She smiled, a perfectly pleasant plastic smile.
“What’s wrong?” Bodie decided to tackle the problem head-on.
“I told you earlier, I wouldn’t be good company.”
“Your company is fine, Ronni. But you jump every time the door opens. Who are you afraid of?”
The warmth drained from her eyes and her smile turned into a brittle frown. “It’s nothing.”
Bodie didn’t push. He wanted Ronni to confide in him but not at the risk of alienating her. He placed his hand over her fingers worrying the paper napkin beside her plate. “If you need someone to talk to...” He shrugged.
“Thanks, but—”
“Ah, don’t shoot me down. I’m hoping to strike a bargain.” He offered her a smile.
Her reddish-blonde brows arched.
“My wife died in childbirth, so it’s always been me and Willow, and my mom.” A dull ache rose in his chest. Though he hadn’t loved Layla, he had planned a future with her and sometimes he missed what could’ve been.
“My mother has helped me raise Willow, but some of her ideas are a bit old-fashioned. It would be nice to have someone to talk to.” Bodie looked over at Willow, her head bent toward Lucas as he showed her something on his phone. When his gaze returned to Ronni, her eyes had warmed and her expression softened.
Just the response he was aiming for.
“It’s hard being a single parent.” She blinked away the water in her eyes, then squeezed his fingers. “I lost my husband over a year ago.”
“Is this your first date since his death?”
Surprise registered in her expression. “This isn’t a date.”
“What is it?” Bodie leaned forward, arms resting on the table. He couldn’t stop the smile wavering on his lips as a myriad of emotions flickered across Ronni’s face.
“We’re chaperoning them,” she said, more confidently than the doubt that flashed in her eyes suggested.
“Maybe. Willow isn’t sixteen yet. And considering the rough time she’s had with fake friends, I intend to keep a close eye on her. But Alex—” Bodie glanced at the tall, blond young man with an easy smile and manner. There was a subtle prowess that suggested when he entered adulthood, he would be a force to be reckoned with—if he wasn’t already.
“Has been through a lot,” Ronni said defensively.
The fierce look in her eyes said she was in protective mama mode and would likely use those pretty white teeth to shred someone to pieces if she felt her son was threatened.
Unbidden affection rushed through Bodie. He could really use an ally as strong as Ronni. All he needed to do was earn her trust and the best way to do that was help her deal with whatever had her so worried. But she was too defensive tonight. He’d have to broach it another time.
“I was nineteen when I lost my father.” A bitter lump grew in Bodie’s throat. He sucked down his entire glass of water, trying to dilute it.
“Losing a parent at any age is difficult,” Ronni said quietly. “Did your mother remarry?”
“No.” Bodie knew to tread carefully, but he figured if he spoke to be flattering, the she-wolf would sense the insincerity. “I became her life and now that’s a huge complication for us.”
He averted his gaze to Willow. His mother wanted to shelter Willow, keep her safe, protected. Caged. More and more, Bodie simply wanted to see his daughter soar.
“She’s a lovely girl.”
“Thanks.” Willow would grow into quite a beauty, like her mother, but she needed a strong feminine role model who would help her discover her own inner strength and develop a stronger spirit than Layla had.
Rather than encourage Willow, his well-meaning mother was more likely to squelch her emerging independence.
“Do you want to get some fresh air in the park?” Bodie could use some.
Ronni’s furtive gaze shot to Alex and then to the door. “It’s getting late.”
“Tomorrow isn’t a school day.” Bodie stood. “We’ll be in full view of the restaurant. The kids will be fine.”
He could read the word no forming on her tightly pressed lips.
“Unless you’re afraid of being alone with me.” He held out his hand.
The she-wolf’s nostrils flared. Fire sparked in her eyes and pride straightened her shoulders.
Bingo!
He’d pushed the right buttons. His smile grew uncontrollably broader, until she clutched his hand. Electricity shot through his palm as if he’d grabbed an exposed wire juiced with a live current. The powerful charge scrambled his brain and his vision might’ve gone a little wonky because an overly satisfied gleam lit Ronni’s eyes.
She walked over to the kids’ table and spoke to them, then sashayed to the door without looking back. He gave Willow a nod. Her smile lit the dining room. Lucas inched closer to her, dropping his arm protectively across the back of her chair. Alex’s gaze was fixed on his mother. When she disappeared out the door, his laser-intense eyes swung to Bodie.
The warning was clear. This one would be hell to deal with if crossed.
Bodie turned to follow Ronni outside, willing steel in his legs. He wished the wobble was from something other than the she-wolf’s touch, but he’d only drank one beer and Alex’s attempt at intimidation had no real effect.
A light breeze nipped Bodie’s face as he stepped into the night. Ronni leaned inside her car and pulled out the blanket they’d used at the game. She wrapped it around her shoulders, closed the car door and walked to a nearby park bench. He sat close beside her. Closer than he normally would on a first date but he’d already seen her naked and his instinct pushed him to leave no space between them.
The moment their thighs touched, Bodie’s mind flooded with the awareness of her femininity and her vulnerability. All the while, her heat warmed him far deeper than the surface of his skin. If she hadn’t been the first to break eye contact, he could’ve easily drown in the sea of blue her gaze held.
Tilting her head back exposed the creamy expanse of her slender throat. “It is a beautiful night,” she said, echoing his earlier sentiment.
“Not compared to you.”
Something more than physical attraction awakened in him. Whatever it was, he needed to keep it in check. He couldn’t afford to lose his heart or his head when his family’s future hung in the balance.