Page 54 of The Perfect Distraction

“We’ll be more careful next time.”

Next time. She didn’t realize how much she’d wanted to hear him say that. “Won’t Joey be with you this weekend?”

“Yes, but we can still get together—the three of us. If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. I like spending time with both of you.”

“I don’t get it. Christopher must have been an idiot to let you go. Far as I can tell, you’re damn near perfect!”

She couldn’t have smiled any wider if she’d tried. “Nobody’s perfect, Colton.”

“So, am I going to uncover some hidden flaw?” he teased.

She decided not to remind him that she wouldn’t be around long enough for him to unearth all her flaws. “I promise I don’t have a criminal record or any communicable diseases either. And if I were to get a ticket, it would probably be for driving too slow!”

He chuckled, and then as if he’d just noticed the time, he said, “Wow. It’s already past your bedtime. Sorry for keeping you up so late.”

Glancing at the clock, she saw how late it was, but she was no longer tired. Instead, she was invigorated by the thought of them getting together again, and not just to round the bases.

“I’m glad you called and that you were able to get some things off your chest.”

“Besides my shirt, you mean? Because my back is itching like crazy!”

“The aloe didn’t help?”

“Some, but that was hours ago. I could use another dose.”

“I wish I was there to rub it on you.”

“Me too. I liked having your hands on me, and I’m not just talking about my back.”

Her lady parts twitched, and glancing down, she saw that her nipples had hardened.

But before she had a chance to respond, she heard a loud knock, and then Colton shouted, “Hold on, Joey!” There were more rustling noises, and then he whispered, “I have to go, Beth. See you tomorrow.”

After they hung up, she lay there for a while, unable to sleep, but this time, it was for a better reason. She kept envisioning all the things they might do together, the three of them, and then just her and Colton. When she finally fell asleep, it was with a smile on her face.

The next morning, about an hour before she was due to pick up Joey, Colton called. Or at least, that’s whose name was on the display.

“Hi, Miss Beth,” Joey said excitedly.

“Hey, Joey. You’re not calling to cancel, are you?” Based on his enthusiasm, she thought that might be it.

“No. I told my grandpa about the Petoskey stone you found, and he said if you bring it today, he’ll polish it for you.”

“Oh. Well, that’s nice of him.”

“It’ll take a few days, though.”

“That’s okay. I’m sure your grandpa is very busy.”

“Grandma says it’s best that way!”

She laughed, and she thought she heard a man laughing in the background too.

“Did your grandpa hear you say that?”

“Yeah.”

One of her favorite things about kids was their honesty. “Okay. I’ll bring the stone when I come get you.”

After they hung up, it struck her how interested Joey was in collecting rocks. He’d been excited to show her his collection the other day, and now this. It gave her the perfect idea.

Slipping the Petoskey stone in her purse, she left the house so she’d have time to stop at the library before she picked up Joey. This time, she went right to the section of books on hobbies and checked out a few on rock collecting. One way or another, she was determined to get Joey excited about reading again.

She pulled up to the shop a few minutes before eleven, but this time, nobody came outside to greet her. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and prepared to meet Colton’s family. She felt nervous even though she had no reason to be. As far as his brother and dad were concerned, she was a neighbor and Joey’s tutor, and that was all. Unless Colton had told them something else…

“You gonna keep standing there, or are you coming in?”

Colton. She must have been staring off into space when he’d slipped out the door.

Squashing her nerves, she smiled sweetly and said, “Lead the way.”