Page 21 of Poppy Kisses (Return to Coal Haven #3)

“You want a title that means something. DDC doesn’t do that.” He looked down at his hands and his fingers tensed over my jeans, but he didn’t lift them off me. “I have no doubt you’ll come up with something perfect.”

“I have all the doubt.”

“I might’ve said some stupid shit when we were kids, but I never doubted you. Ever.” He stood up and pulled me to my feet. “Can I give Auggie’s teacher your number?”

Oh. No. Not soccer. I liked kicking the ball around, but coaching again? Being in charge? “I’m homeless, and I work out of a spare room. I shouldn’t be in charge of a team of kids.”

“Yes, you should. I don’t know anyone better.”

I rolled my eyes. “Now you’re overcorrecting.”

He tugged me closer, wrapped an arm around my waist, and feathered the backs of his knuckles down my cheek. I turned my face into his touch.

What was happening? Why was I letting it happen?

Because it felt good. I liked it. And I didn’t want him to stop.

“You’re scared,” he murmured. “Don’t mistake that for a lack of ability. Part of our deal is that I’ll help you get the house ready for you and for tutoring. That means helping you with Poppy’s Peep Into Your Mind.”

“Oh my god, that’s awful.”

His gaze lingered on my lips. “I really want to kiss you right now.”

Yes, please. No. Boundaries. Those were important. I couldn’t remember why. “You shouldn’t.”

“You keep saying that, yet nothing changes. I still want to kiss you.”

I wanted him to, but then what? We had to navigate even more complicated boundaries. Because once he kissed me, I didn’t think I’d want him to stop. “We have to look at your website and get to your estimate.”

“Yeah.” He didn’t move. “I shouldn’t go there with an erection.”

“You do not have—” I dropped my attention down. Oh. The bulge in his jeans was impressive. And it was for me. “That would be bad for business.”

“So far, you’ve only been good for business.” He released me and adjusted himself. “But I’d better not test it. It’ll be bad enough watching you wander around in those tight fucking jeans.”

* * *

The house he’d been asked to do an estimate for was several miles out of town but wasn’t far from his place.

Jensen was amazing with clients. His issue wasn’t his typos—there weren’t many at all.

I checked on our way over. Nor was it the few times he might mispronounce something.

His issue had been one woman being catty.

If I had a dollar for all the stories I’d heard from my students about getting teased for mispronouncing words and names, for asking how to spell words others found simple, or for missing punctuation or some other grammar rule that made people feel superior knowing, I wouldn’t have to marry to afford office space.

His main obstacle was population. The community was small. He’d have to travel to get more clients, and it was hard when he had a son to care for. He’d said his mom had started going south in the winter, and that left him with even fewer hands to help.

We wrapped up at the house. He’d practiced saying Jeremy and Kate all the way there and I didn’t hear one “Germy.”

“Want me to drop you off before going to Mom’s?” he asked.

“Only if it’s better I’m not there.”

“It’s never better,” he said easily.

I wanted to roll my eyes again, but the warm spark ignited in my chest every time he said something like that.

Could I trust his intentions? He claimed he wasn’t placating me, but how did I know? He was a single guy and he said he didn’t date. I was a single woman who he was supposed to marry. I was convenient, and I’d been convenient before.

He opened the door for me and gave me a wink when he closed me in. My cheeks grew hot. Was I blushing?

Never in my life would I have thought Jensen Hollis would make me flush with more than anger that he beat me at something or that he had goaded me into another competition.

He got behind the wheel and drove to his mom’s place. We flew by familiar pastures. I used to sit on the bus with my head on the glass and watch it all pass by. Then I’d watch a scrawny Jensen make his way down his drive, massive backpack on his shoulders. “Remember our bus driver?”

“Bonita Franks? She’s in the same retirement community Mom stays in down in Arizona. She doesn’t tell me to sit down anymore.”

“You were always standing on the bus. You couldn’t sit still.”

“I still can’t. Auggie’s the same. Drove his mom crazy.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“I didn’t say you can’t talk about her.” A mix of emotions battled behind my ribs. I wanted to hear about Auggie’s mom, but then I’d remember who she was. “I was friends with Rodeo Barbie.”

He cocked a brow at me as he turned onto the highway that’d lead to town. “I believe she’d say she was Barrel Racer Barbie and probably list all her winnings.”

I chuckled. He had to be proud of her. He’d supported her through it all to get to where she was. “I have to admit that I have a hard time reconciling Hassie and Auggie’s mom as the same person.”

“She does too.”

I blinked at him, but he didn’t elaborate, turning off the highway to his mom’s house. He’d made cryptic comments before, but if she’d been that bad, would Auggie still cling to a magazine she was in? Or have his room cowboyed up?

Auggie was playing in the yard, kicking a soccer ball around. When it came down to it, I didn’t know him that well, or his history, and it wasn’t my business, no matter what wishful thoughts went through my head.

I tapped the passenger window. “He’s seriously taking to it.”

“It’s something he can do. He had a hard time around the horses. A high-energy kid who didn’t want to be held back. High-strung horses. It wasn’t the best combo.” As if Auggie heard our conversation, he sprinted over. “Poppy! My teacher wants to talk to you!”

Oh. I should be elated. I had dedicated so much of my life to the sport.

I had lived for playing. Like Auggie, I hadn’t gotten in trouble when I raced around the field.

Dribbling the ball and kicking it off the wall kept me busy at home until Mom chased me out of the kitchen because the noise got to her.

If it wasn’t for what happened after my college graduation, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity. I probably would’ve been coaching.

“What’d you tell her?” I asked.

Auggie beamed. “I said you’ll take me to school on Monday and talk to her.”

“Augs,” Jensen groaned. “You’ve got to ask first.”

The sweet boy blinked, oblivious to the tide of panic he started. “Well, you’re supposed to be my new mom.”

The word “mom” referring to me was trippy, yet I wouldn’t mind hearing it again. Should I be bothered by that? Boundaries and all? Jensen’s eyes went wide, his gaze flying to me.

“Riiiight.” New mom. I wasn’t going to reject the idea and hurt his feelings.

He was a great kid, and he tugged at those strings in my heart, the ones that were getting shorter the older I got.

They’d be tied up for good. I wasn’t old, but my closest shot at getting married was striking a bargain with an old friend who’d never been interested in me. “I’ll give you a ride, no probs.”

He grinned. “Really?”

“Any time, as long as I don’t have a client.” I’d change my schedule if he asked, but I didn’t want to overstep his dad. “I’m not sure if I can coach though. Starting a business and all.”

His expression fell, yanking my heart down with it. “Okay. I was going to be on a team if she got one started this summer.”

If there was a Most Wanted List for breaker of kids’ hearts, I was on it. Not a good feeling. “I mean, I’m around all summer, so I’m sure I can do something with your team.”

“Yeah!” He jumped up and down. “Grandma!” He raced off.

Jensen crossed an arm over his chest and stroked his chin with his other hand. His eyes were dancing. “He took you down that easy? Weak, Duke. Weak.”

He wanted to play that game? “Auggie! Your dad said he’d coach too!”

Jensen made a choking sound, and I dissolved into laughter.

“You think that’s funny?” He lunged for me, a wicked glint in his eyes.

I took off. I didn’t know what he planned to do, but I was mostly afraid he’d wrap those big arms around me and I wouldn’t struggle. Terrified a moan would leave me. My nipples would get hard and poke into him.

I sprinted to the garage, and dammit, he let me win. There was no way I’d gotten faster than him in the last twenty years.

Erin watched us charge in, an indulgent smile on her face. Auggie was probably telling her everything about soccer, but her grin only grew. “Sounds like it’s going to be an interesting summer.”