Waylaid Read online

  Waylaid

  by Ruth J. Hartman

  Published by esKape Press

  www.eskapepress.com

  All Rights Reserved

  Copyright © 2015 RUTH J. HARTMAN

  ISBN-10: 1940695635

  ISBN-13: 9781940695631

  Cover Art Design by For the Muse Designs

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events and/or persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks, product names, or named features are the property of their respective owners and are used for reference only and not an implied endorsement.

  Except for review purposes, the reproduction and distribution of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically, without the written permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book, other than for review purposes, please obtain written permission first by contacting the publisher at [email protected].

  Thank you for your support of the author’s rights as provided for in the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976.

  For subsidiary rights, foreign and domestic, please contact the publisher at [email protected]

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  Other titles by Ruth J. Hartman

  Historical Romance

  A Courtship for Cecilia

  The Unwanted Earl

  Love Birds of Regent’s Park

  The Matchmakers

  Romancing the Dustman’s Daughter

  Romance at the Royal Menagerie

  Rescued by a Duke

  Time for a Duke

  Contemporary Romance

  Flossophy of Grace

  Pillow Talk

  Cats and Cowboys

  Better Than Catnip

  Purrfect Voyage

  Grin and Barrett

  Mind of a Stranger

  Memoir

  Life in Mental Chains

  Children’s Book

  Murphy in the Paw-Paw Patch

  Dedication

  To Garry, the love of my life. Thank you for taking the journey of life with me. I will love you always.

  Chapter One

  Addy

  I couldn’t make her stop. My friend Kendra was relentless. Just like the first day of kindergarten when she latched onto my hand and cried until I said I would be her friend. And she just never let me go.

  “Addy, you have to come. Please, I’m begging you.”

  “Why would I want to go to a dance club?” I shoved my books in my locker and slammed the door. I sure wouldn’t miss that bent metal door or the way I had to ram the door with my hip to make sure it stayed closed.

  “It’ll be fun.” Her pretty blue eyes sparkled. They always sparkled when it involved fun.

  “Fun for you. And Marcus.”

  “Don’t grumble at me because I have a boyfriend. You have one too.”

  Yeah, thanks for pointing that out. “But in case you’ve forgotten, I’m trying to find a way to not have that boyfriend.”

  What had I been thinking? To start dating a junior when I was a senior? And I wasn’t planning on staying in town after graduation. No. Way. That meant the boyfriend had to go. Soon.

  “So dump the guy.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s what you usually do.”

  “Nice, Kendra.” I started down the hall. She followed me like an obsessed puppy, her paws thumping against the floor. Glad I couldn’t see a tail wagging.

  “Well, that’s what you did to Josh and Matt and Brad—”

  “Hey!” A football sailed through the air, heading straight for Kendra’s face. I grabbed her arm and yanked her to the side.

  “And don’t forget Mike and Terry and—”

  “Stop.”

  The football went back in the other direction, followed by three jocks shoving past us. The one on the far left flipped me off over his shoulder.

  Great, he thought I was playing hall police.

  Apparently oblivious to the game of hallway football, Kendra danced along next to me.

  “And especially don’t forget Ali. Lucky you, getting to go on that trip with your parents and sitting next to him on the plane. Still wish I could’ve have met him.”

  I snorted. “You didn’t miss much.”

  The football players formed a huddle in front of us. Ugh. How obnoxious. And why did they have to smell like they’d rolled in sweat? Kendra went to the left and I moved to the right and we met on the other side.

  “Addy, he’s a freakin’ prince! From someplace way far from here. Like in another state.” She fanned her face with both hands.

  “Country. Another country. Saudi Arabia? Remember that from geography… Never mind. He really embarrassed me when he offered my dad fifty-one camels for me. What kind of guy thinks he can buy a wife? The nerve! Besides all that, Ali is pushy and opinionated and—”

  “And gorgeous, if the picture you showed me was accurate.”

  I huffed out a breath. “And short. He has little man syndrome.”

  Kendra put her hand on her hip. “What’s that?”

  “When a guy is small but wants to be tall so he makes up for it by being obnoxious.”

  “But a prince, Addy.”

  Two of the jocks trotted past, lobbing the football back and forth. The one on the left nearly crashed into a couple making out by the lockers. I laughed. Sweet.

  “Kendra, his Middle Eastern culture doesn’t value women the way our American men would.”

  She poked me in the shoulder, which I hated. “So you’d be a kept woman. You wouldn’t have to work. You could lie around all day and have servants bring you things. Sounds great to me.”

  “Not to me. I highly doubt if I married someone like him I’d be allowed to go to college to be a veterinarian.” We stepped around a nerdy girl with a backpack the size of a car. How did she not fall over backwards?

  “Why is that such a big deal anyway? Won’t you just get married and have kids someday? What’s the point of wasting all that time at college?”

  I blinked. “What century are you from?”

  Kendra stopped in her tracks. Opened her mouth to say something and closed it again.

  Poor baby. Might strain her brain. “Never mind.”Impatience took over, and I ground my teeth together.

  “Of course, at college I bet there’re some extreme parties.” Kendra flipped her hair over her shoulder as if trying to impress some frat guy.

  I shook my head. “Even so… It’s not that I want to be mean to guys I date. I just haven’t found a guy who’s worth hanging onto.”

  “So go tonight.” She poked me in the shoulder again. “You never know. He might be there.”

  “Who?”

  A girl passed by me and smiled. Wait, did she just wink at me? Eeewww!

  “The guy. The one.”

  I laughed. “Please. At a dance club? That’s the last place he would be. No, I’m looking for somebody with aspirations. Goals. Someone who’s going places.”

  “Well the club is a place. And we’re going.”

  As much as I loved her, Kendra wasn’t the brightest. “What I meant was I want to meet a guy who has an interest in a career. A life. You know—” I moved my hand in a circle, trying to make my point. “—like grownups have.”

  “But we’re in high school.”

  “About to graduate in a few weeks. Don’t you have any plans for after graduation?”

  A dreamy smile played on her lips. “Marcus and I want to sneak away and go camping in Hobbs
Valley.”

  “Kendra. That’s short term. Don’t you have any plans? You know, plans? Like what you want to do with the rest of your life?” I seriously worried about her.

  “Who wants to get all serious and think about boring stuff like that? I’m too busy having fun.” She waved at a group of cheerleaders. Who didn’t wave back.

  “Fun is great, but it’s not everything in life.”

  “It should be.”

  “Sorry to burst your bubble.”

  “Then just come tonight as a favor. To me.” She grabbed my hand and started swinging it like she had when we were in first grade. “I’m begging you. You can dance. We’ll have fun! Like a last fling before you go off to college to live out your plan.”

  I tugged my hand from hers and glanced around. Please let no one have seen that! “Why is it so important that I go, Kendra? You’ll be spending the whole evening with Marcus.”

  She lowered her gaze and smoothed a nonexistent wrinkle from her sweater. “Because I already told my mom I was staying all night with you.”

  “Kendra!” I let out a frustrated sigh. “Haven’t you learned your lesson? You tried that before. Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten your dad standing on my parents’ front porch at three a.m. looking like he wanted to string you up from your mom’s clothesline when he couldn’t find you.”

  “So his face really was red, huh?” One corner of her mouth went up. She was proud of it?

  “More purple. Like a grape. Can you blame him?”

  “I guess not. Though Marcus and I did have fun making out on that park bench.”

  I tapped my boot on the hallway floor. “Kendra. One of these days you’re going to learn that you have to take responsibility for your actions.”

  “You sound like my mom.”

  “Don’t mean to. It’s just that—” I clenched one hand in frustration. “—ever since we hit second semester of senior year, I’ve had this itch to move on. Leave this tiny town and actually do something with my life. Somehow sneaking around and lying to my parents doesn’t seem as cool anymore.”

  “That’s why you have to come.” She grabbed my hand but thankfully didn’t swing it, just squeezed and let go. Then I won’t be lying to mine. Again.”

  “Kendra, I really don’t want to go. You don’t need me there. With Marcus around, I doubt you’d even have time to talk to me. Besides, I’m not wanting to meet someone at a club. I’m trying to nicely get rid of my current boyfriend.”

  “But Jud is so cute.”

  I sighed. “Yes, he’s very cute. That’s what got me in trouble dating him in the first place. When he looks at me with those puppy-dog eyes and wants to kiss me…” Great, now I’m doing it. “Ah! Stop talking about Jud. The point is, I have a plan for my life and it doesn’t include a boy who only wants to party and drink.”

  “But you’ve done those things.” Her finger edged toward my shoulder but I stepped away.

  “True. But there comes a time when a person—”

  “Has to grow up. I know. Listen, Addy. You know me pretty well, right?”

  “Yeah…” I bit my lip. This could only mean trouble for me.

  Kendra curled one lock of hair around her finger. “So you know how I almost always get my way.”

  “True.” Unfortunately.

  “And knowing that, it won’t surprise you when I say that I will bug you every second of today until you say yes.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “But—”

  “I’ll follow you.”

  “I—”

  “Poke you in the shoulder.” She leaned closer.

  I leaned away. “Quit saying—”

  “Talk nonstop.”

  “All right! You win!”

  She pumped her fist. “Just like always. See ya tonight.”

  Kendra hurried down the hall before I could stop her. What was it about her that I couldn’t tell her no? In all the years I’d known Kendra, that inability had always gotten me in hot water. Soon, though, I’d be away from here, ready to start my new life on my own. Then she wouldn’t be able to goad me into things I had no desire to do.

  Chapter Two

  Graham

  I slowed my truck and parked in front of Marcus’ house. This had better be worth it. I didn’t have high hopes though, that Marcus would come through on his promise— that there would be some pretty girls I’d never met. It was way past time for me to meet someone new. Darlene had nearly ruined my heart for anyone else. Nearly. There might be just enough of it left if the right girl came along. I snorted. What were the chances of that?

  I opened the truck door and climbed out. Not an easy thing when you’re six foot four with the shoulders of a football player. With a final thought of Darlene dumping me, I slammed the door shut. There. That’ll show her. Yeah right.

  Loud music pumped out through the open windows of Marcus’ living room. His parents must have been gone again. That guy had more luck than anyone at having so much time in his house alone.

  Not alone.

  His girlfriend Kendra would be there. She was always there. So much that Marcus never wanted to shoot hoops or go anywhere or do anything without her along. Kind of hard to visit certain places when the guy’s girlfriend was in frickin’ high school. Couldn’t Marcus get a girl who was at least twenty?

  The automatic sensor on the security picked me up on the driveway. The light dang near blinded me. I reached the porch, grabbed the screen door handle and pulled. From across the living room, Marcus waved then made his way over to me.

  “Graham. Hey man. Glad you could make it.”

  “Didn’t think I had a choice.”

  “Why not?”

  I glanced around, glad not to see Kendra for once. I stepped closer and lowered my voice. “Because you said you needed my truck to haul all the people to the club, remember?”

  Marcus laughed. “Oh. Right.” The strong smell of alcohol floated over to me.

  I stepped back, a little disgusted. “Man, are you wasted already?”

  He shrugged. “I’m not driving, so what’s the big deal?”

  “True. I get the fun job of doing that. Remember what you promised if I drive, though.”

  A frown formed on his forehead.

  “Girls. Pretty ones. Remember now?”

  “Yep, man. Of course. There’s gonna be a few of those going.”

  I huffed out a breath. “There’d better be.”

  “Trust me, Graham. Have I ever let you down?”

  Was he kidding? I crossed my arms and stared him down.

  With his gaze darting away from mine, he shrugged. “Yeah, well… This time I swear. There will be pretty girls.” He smacked me on the back and turned away just as Kendra sidled up to him. With a quick glance and smirk at me, she yanked on Marcus’ arm until he followed her into the kitchen.

  Even though she was young, I felt jealousy tug at me. Not that I wanted her. I just wanted someone. Someone who I could hang out with, talk with, have fun with… among other things. I shook my head. Time to see if Marcus kept his word this time.

  Voices carried from the basement. Girls. Before I could head that way, two of them came up the stairs.

  I smiled, but didn’t feel it. Amy and Lisa. Nice girls, but we’d met before. No thanks. Not interested. Irritation coursed through me. Were these the girls Marcus had talked about? The ones who were going to the club tonight?

  I headed down the stairs preparing myself to face another boring evening of watching Marcus and his girlfriend have fun while I sat there like a freakin’ loser. When I got to the basement, no one was there. Great. The evening kept getting better and better. Where was everyone? I hadn’t shown up late.

  I turned and started to climb the stairs again, but someone else was coming down. I glanced up to the top step and saw jeans. Tight jeans. So tight she could probably get a physical without undressing. Too bad I’m not a doctor. I swallowed. Hard. Who was it? A striped red and gray shirt hugged her very seductive cu
rves with just enough cleavage showing to grab a guy’s interest but not so much that she looked easy. Would my luck hold out? Would she be a dog or would the rest of her be as good as—

  One glimpse of her face and I had my answer. Oh, yeah… Long brown hair, straight but with a little wave at the ends. Pale skin. Pink cheeks. And the biggest, darkest eyes I’d ever seen.

  Holy freakin’ wow! A sexy angel in blue jeans.

  I owed Marcus one heck of an apology.

  The girl blinked, her long dark lashes bumping her cheeks before rising back up. And the corner of her mouth rose. One of those one-sided smiles where a single dimple appears. Her skin looked so soft. My hand pulled away from my side just an inch or two, longing to reach out and stroke a finger down that perfect, silky skin.

  I momentarily forgot how to breathe. And my name. What was my name? And what in the world was I doing standing at the bottom of the stairs? Staring. At her. The perfect specimen of womanhood who descended the steps and now stood right in front of me. Her lavender scent nearly did me in. It was light, not overpowering. Just the right amount to make me want to lean closer. Was it from her skin, or her hair? I really wanted to find out.

  “Mind if I pass?” She pointed behind me.

  I frowned. “What?”

  “You know… pass? I think I left my purse down here.”

  I raised my eyebrows but still couldn’t form a complete sentence. “Purse?”

  She peered over my shoulder but then focused on my face. “I’m gonna need it tonight.”

  “Tonight…”

  “For the… dance club. Hey, are you okay?”

  She thinks I’m an idiot! I finally stepped back so she could enter the basement. “Yep. Fine. Just… yeah.” I shoved my hands in my front pockets and glanced away.

  She edged around me. There was barely room for two people to stand side by side in the room’s entrance and with me being an extra large guy, the fit was even tighter.

  I watched her. She was as good from the back as the front. Just enough wiggle in her walk to keep my eyes glued to her butt.