A Heart Not Easily Broken (The Butterfly Memoirs) (8 page)

“Cody, stop being a baby.”

“I’m not a baby!”

A little boy stood, his arms crossed and bottom lip poked out. He appeared to be at least six years old. He directed his hazel eyes at an older girl with long blond ponytails. She returned his pouty stare with a glare.

I set my shovel down. “Hi, my name is Ebony. What’s going on?”

“Cody’s being a scaredy cat. He won’t touch the goat,” the blue-eyed girl said.

“I’m not a scaredy cat,” he whined. “It’s gonna bite me.”

“See?” Cody’s sister threw her hands up in exasperation.

I smiled warmly, keeping the laugh inside. “The goats don’t bite. I’ll show you how to touch them, okay?”

He nodded, wiping at the corners of his eyes.

I held his hand and walked over to a goat in the pen.

“This is Delilah. She’s very friendly and won’t bite.”

His eyes widened, filled with disbelief.

“I promise it’s okay. Start petting her here.” I demonstrated by running my hand over her rump. “Don’t pull her tail though. When you’re ready, you can rub here.” I ran my hand over her back.

Cody joined in with his free hand, hesitant at first, while gripping my hand tightly. He relaxed and an excited smile spread across his face.

His sister, on the other hand, stood with her arms crossed refusing to touch the animal. “Touching is for babies.”

 “You know, you’re right. Why don’t you try this?” I released Cody’s hand and pulled hay from the trough. To her delight, Delilah ate from my hand. “What’s your name?”

“Hannah.”

I squatted down. “Here, Hannah, hold it steady so she’ll come to you.”

Hannah followed my instructions, but her hand trembled. Delilah turned to consume it.

“Wow,” Hannah said in a small voice.

“Uncle Brian, Uncle Brian, look at me!” Cody yelled, jumping with excitement.

I laughed at his enthusiasm and followed his line of sight. My mouth fell open in surprise.

Brian walked toward me with a confident swag. “Looks like we meet again.” He stood with his hands in his pockets and a sexy half-smile on his face. A red t-shirt, shorts, and sandals fit him perfectly. “What are the chances?” 

Even though he’d cleaned up nice the evening we went out, he was just as attractive now. I wiped my hands on my pants and stood. “Uncle Brian, huh?”

“Yeah, these are my sister Lisa’s kids. They wanted to come to the zoo. Their parents needed a day to themselves so,” he shrugged, “I volunteered.”

Giggles erupted from the kids as they exchanged glances but stopped when he cleared his throat.

“Really.” For some reason I found that excuse hard to believe. “Cody, keep rubbing her that way. You’ll be fine.” I grabbed my shovel and moved toward a newly released pile of dung as I shot him a look over my shoulder.

Brian followed closely, wrinkling his nose. “Wow, this looks fun.”

“Shoveling crap? It comes in all forms.” I threw the dung into a pile.

“Ouch,” he chuckled. “Okay, the truth is I hoped to run into you.”

I faced him, stabbed the shovel into the ground, and leaned on it. “It’s a big place, Brian. Your chances were slim. I’m usually behind the scenes.”

“Guess today was my lucky day.”

When it came to finding me, Brian never seemed to run out of luck.

I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay,” I shook my head. “Now what?”

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

I sighed. “Brian, I’m not going out with you.”

“I didn’t ask you out. I just want to know what you have planned.” He tried his best to be charming and innocent at the same time.

“Am I supposed to believe that?” I forced my smile to stay hidden.

“I swear my intentions are pure. If you’re free, I’m going to the amusement park at the Pier. It would be fun to ride the Ferris wheel, grab a funnel cake…talk while watching the tide come in. It’ll be nothing more than just two friends meeting to hang out.”

I eyed him skeptically. “And it wouldn’t be considered a date?”

“Not if we meet there.”

“We did that last week, and you considered it a date.”

“That was at night. This is during the day.”

I laughed at his reasoning. He seemed to make a habit of making things work to his advantage.

“It sounds nice, but I don’t think so. I’ve got studying to do.”

Even though school wasn’t starting for two months, I had borrowed books to read. Between my friends talking me into going out, spending the evening with Brian, and work, I hadn’t studied in days.

The glow in Brian’s eyes fizzled. And great, now I felt guilty. Though he seemed disappointed, his smile remained genuine.

“That’s too bad. Well, if you change your mind, I’m going around three o’clock. You’ve got my number. Text me, and I’ll meet you at the gate.” He looked over his shoulder. “Hannah, Cody, let’s go. There’s a lot to see before we eat lunch.”

Cody ran to his side. “Can we eat at McDonald’s?”

Brian ruffled his hair. “Sure thing, kid. Did you guys thank Ebony?”

Both blond heads turned. “Thank you,” they sang in unison.

“You’re welcome. Have a good time.” I waved at them as they left the petting area.

They’d walked a few feet when Hannah’s voice floated over. “You were right, she’s very pretty.”

“I did what you said, Uncle Brian, can I still get cotton candy?”

I shook my head and laughed. Sneaky bastard.

 Brian peered back over his shoulder, a sheepish grin on his face as he grabbed Cody in a headlock. “Kids, gotta love ’em.”

“You talk too much, Cody,” Hannah said.

Chapter 9

My Sunday morning routine started with yoga, followed by breakfast and a shower. My body loose and mind free, I was prepared to study. Dr. Jacobs hadn’t asked for his books back since our run-in. But it didn’t mean he wouldn’t change his mind. These books held invaluable information, which would make my last year in school easy. Especially since he’d been generous enough to give me copies of his notes on each chapter.

Determined to make the best use of my time, I settled in at my desk to read.

Forty-five minutes later, I realized I’d read the same page five times. With a sigh, I closed the book, rubbed my eyes, and massaged my neck. Ten minutes later, I tried again.

I couldn’t concentrate. No matter how hard I tried, it was impossible to focus on the words on the page.

I went downstairs to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. The house was empty. Both Yasmine and Kaitlyn were on dates, which left me home alone. Water in hand, I walked onto the back patio and surveyed the lawn. Brian and his crew did a great job. Thinking of that day brought back the memory of watching him hard at work without a shirt. Tiny shivers ran along my skin. Whether or not he cut our grass again, the image would remain imprinted on my mind for months.

I shielded my eyes and peered up at the cloudless sky. Another typical California day. The heat was bearable, nowhere as intense as it would be back home. It was the perfect day to be outside doing something fun.

Like riding the Ferris wheel with a friend.

Brian’s invitation tempted me. His confident eyes and picture-perfect smile were hard to forget. Hanging out with him for the day would be more fun than sitting around the house continuing to read a book I could not focus on.

A day spent with no strings, no commitment, no expectations, and no sex. Just two adults enjoying each other’s company in a public setting. After all, in order to become friends, you needed to spend time together.

He’d be there. I’d show up. That’s it.

I headed upstairs, grabbed my phone, and sent him a text message. Deciding what to wear should not been hard, yet I found myself unable to decide on shorts or jeans. I didn’t want to wear the same thing twice.

Five minutes passed with no reply. Could he have changed his mind about going? Or worse, found someone else willing to jump at the opportunity to spend the afternoon with him? Maybe I shouldn’t have waited to decide.

I grabbed my phone and flopped onto the bed unable to ignore the pain of disappointment. I was about to send a message to cancel when my phone chimed.

glad u changed ur mind. c u there
.

An unexpected feeling of warmth spread through me from head to toe.

Chapter 10

c. u. n. 5

No, I wasn’t dreaming. She was actually here.

When Ebony refused my invitation, I scrapped the idea of going to the Pier and dedicated the day to practice. My phone had been set on vibrate in order to avoid distractions. I didn’t see her message until I stopped to take a break.

And now, I waited with tickets in hand, unable to shake the nervous feeling in my stomach. I hadn’t felt like this the night we went out. But today was different. It wasn’t coercion that brought her here. She wanted to see me.

I surveyed the crowd. Groups walked by on their way inside the park for a day of fun.

And then, there she was.

How did she do it? Never had I seen a woman manage to be so beautiful, so sexy, and fun at the same time.

A deep purple shirt stopped at her midriff, drawing my eyes to the sexy flat plane of her caramel skin. Black fitted shorts hugged her hips and stopped mid-thigh like a second skin. Long, shapely legs ended in sandals with strings wrapping up her sexy calves. She wore her auburn hair away from her neck and face leaving her throat visible. I could imagine my mouth there, kissing her, whispering in her ear as my hands ran around the smooth expanse of her exposed flesh. My fingers ached, longing to slide along her narrow waist.

And then our eyes met. Her eyes seemed to sparkle as luscious lips pulled up in a sexy smile.

God, I wanted to kiss her.

“You look good,” I blurted, the moment she got close enough to hear.

“Thanks.” She tucked her hands into the pockets of her shorts. “So do you.”

I looked down at my khaki cargo pants and blue t-shirt, my favorite pair of Converse on my feet. “I try.” I nodded toward the entrance. “Ready for some fun?”

We headed into the park, taking in the sights, in no hurry to decide what to ride first. The lines were long which allowed plenty of time to chat about our jobs, likes and dislikes.

Several hours later we had ridden nearly every ride in the park. It was time to take a break. We found a stand selling funnel cakes. Our snack in hand, we searched out a spot on the boardwalk to enjoy the sweet treat.

“Oh, man, I can’t remember the last time I ate one of these.” She licked the powdered sugar off her fingertips. “I take that back, it was my senior year in high school. My sister took me and my twin to the fair to celebrate our birthday.”

“You have a twin?”

Ebony nodded. “Yes, my brother, Trevon. He lives in Atlanta and co-manages an Applebee’s. My sister, Lashana and her husband, live in Charlotte along with their daughter and my parents.” Her eyes lit up at the mention of her family. “My niece, Mia, is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Do you and your brother look alike?”

“Oh, God, no.” A mischievous expression lit her eyes. “I always tell people he’s my younger brother.”

I laughed. “Your younger brother? I thought you were twins.”

“We are, except I’m the oldest. I was born five minutes before him, so we call him the baby.” She laughed. “It pisses him off all the time.”

“Are you close to your family?” I bit my cake, savoring the powdered sugar and melted chocolate chips. I’d given up using my fork and went straight at it with my fingers.

Ebony giggled. “You’ve got sugar on your nose. I’ll get it.”

My hands were full holding the plate and the funnel cake.

I focused on her tantalizing lips as she leaned closer, concentrating on the cleanup. As great as the funnel cake smelled with its various toppings, nothing compared to her exotic perfume. She wore the same fragrance as the night we danced. It was sensual and sexy, yet sweet at the same time. It reminded me of caramel and cream. I wondered if her skin would taste the same way.

“Thanks,” I said when she pulled back.

“You’re welcome.”

Our eyes held before she cleared her throat and looked away.

“My family is pretty tight. Trevon and I are close, but not just because we’re twins. It’s because,” She giggled. “I’m a tomboy at heart. Dressing up used to be a pain as much as playing with dolls. My sister did all the girly stuff. I used to run away from her to play with Tre and his friends.”

“You were a tomboy?” I licked chocolate off my fingers. It was hard to imagine her running away from the dress she’d worn the night we met. “You’re kidding right? There’s nothing about you that says tomboy.” I allowed my eyes to linger on her legs. When I looked back up, Ebony’s cheeks sported a pink glow.

“I hated dresses. My favorite outfit was a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.”

I could imagine Ebony in pigtails and jeans.

“My Mom hated it though. Lashana did everything feminine. Fingernails always painted, hair always done. She never left the house without looking perfect.” Ebony shook her head. “For fun, she’d tell my mother Tre’s friends were making me play hospital, and I was the patient. Mom freaked out about me playing with a bunch of boys. She would make me stay inside all day with Lashana.”

I howled with laughter.

Ebony’s expression feigned irritation.

“What did you play?”

“Fashion show.” Her button shaped nose wrinkled at the memory. I continued to laugh, but toned it down.

“That annoyed the hell out of me. My brother would be outside playing Star Wars, while I got stuck inside wearing a stinking dress.”

“Let me guess, you wanted to be Queen Amidala.”

“Nope. I was the doctor who worked on the Wookie.” She grinned.

“An animal lover all the way, huh?”

“Oh yeah.” She cut her way through strawberries and whipped cream with a fork.

“When did you turn into a sexy vixen?”

Ebony rolled her eyes. “I’m still a tomboy. I just know how to attract the opposite sex.”

I allowed myself to appreciate the voluptuous curves of her body. Yeah, she definitely knew how to attract.