Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now

real job, I didn’t know what it was. He had school and baseball. Over the years he’d had some side jobs, but nothing that stuck around long. Somehow he got money. I’d started to ask him about it when the bathroom door opened and Daisy stood there frowning up at us.
    “What’s wong?”
    I couldn’t let her know why I’d been crying. I smiled and stepped out of Preston’s arms. “Nothing. I just got something in my eye and came in here to get it out.” I reached back and turned the water off.
    “Why was Pweston hugging you?”
    The kid didn’t miss anything.
    “I was getting it out for her,” Preston replied.
    Daisy seemed to be okay with this answer, so she nodded. “I got my stuff weady to go.”
    “All right, my Daisy May, let me finish eating, and then we will go.”
    "But what about his supwise?" Daisy asked me looking at the refrigerator hopefully.
    "I think now would be an awesome time for his surprise," I replied, and she dropped her bag and ran over to retrieve the peanut butter pie out of the fridge. Preston shot me a questioning look and I just grinned.
    "I did all the hawd stuff. Just ask Manda," Daisy informed him as she held out the peanut butter pie toward him with pride.
    "You made me a pie?" Preston asked with awe in his voice as he bent down to her level.
    "Yep, I did. Peanut Buttah."
    Preston bent over and kissed her cheek. "I bet that’s gonna be the best peanut butter pie I’ve ever had."
    Daisy beamed up at him, and at that moment, Preston Drake was absolutely perfect.

Chapter Sixteen
Preston
    I was restless. Amanda had left when I went to take Daisy home. She said she needed to go eat dinner with her mother. Last night she’d told her mom she was staying over at a friend’s. She said her mom would get curious if she didn’t show up tonight. The whole apartment smelled like Amanda. I hadn’t been alone with her since work today. I needed to be alone with her. The fear inside me was eating me alive. If she ever found out . . . That couldn’t happen.
    My phone rang, and I stalked over to the counter and jerked it up. It was the wrong Hardy.
    “Hey,” I said, trying not to be irritated that it was Marcus and not Amanda.
    “Hey, what’re you up to tonight?”
    Waiting by the phone for your sister to call me wasn’t exactly something I could tell him. “Nothing. Just at home.”
    “Low is studying for an test, and she needs me to get out of her hair. Feel like meeting me at Live Bay? Rock will be there. Jackdown’s playing, and you know Trisha won’t miss it.”
    No. I wanted to stay here and wait on Amanda. But then if she didn’t call, I might go a little crazy. I needed a distraction.
    “Okay, yeah. I’ll meet you there.”
    “Sounds good,” he replied, and we hung up.
    I slipped on my boots and grabbed my keys. I’d go hang out with my friends until Amanda called.
    The place was already crawling when I walked in. I stopped by the bar and grabbed a beer before making my way over to our table. Marcus was already here. Rock and Trisha were taking up only one stool since she was in his lap. Dewayne wasn’t around.
    “There he is,” Marcus said as I pulled out the stool beside him and sat down.
    “But for how long? Soon as a girl comes over here sniffing, we’ll lose him for the night,” Rock drawled.
    Marcus laughed.
    I tried not to tense up. They’d notice if I acted different. Then they’d all start asking questions. And there was no way in hell I was answering those questions. Marcus was like my brother, but if he tried to keep me from Amanda, there was gonna be a problem. No one was stopping this.
    “I’m taking a night off,” I replied.
    “Someone wear you out last night?” Rock asked.
    Wasn’t going there with them either. This was hard. I’d always been able to talk about girls with them. But then, I’d never talk about Amanda the way I talked about those other girls.
    “I’m just not in the mood,” I explained, and took a long swig.
    A phone rang, and Marcus pulled his out. “Is she okay? . . . Yeah, I checked on her today. . . . Sorry, I’m at Live Bay. Can you hear me now? . . . If she’s sleeping fine, then you should be good if you want to leave. . . . Uh, no. Preston, Rock, and Trisha are here. You wanna come see me? . . . Ha! Sure you do. I’ll see you in a sec.”
    He hung up the phone. “My mom is going to wear Amanda out. As much as I’d have missed her, I don’t like the idea of her staying here to take care of Mom.