The Standby Guy (Men of Lakeside) Read online

  “Would you like to come home with me and we could be lonely together?” His face turned bright red as soon as he realized what he said.

  “Oh, Frank.” Katie tried to stop the laughter, but it burst out of her, and then he joined in good-naturedly.

  “Man, I used to be smoother at this, but that was a long time ago.” Frank held out his glass for a refill, and Bud poured him another bourbon.

  “I know what you mean.”

  “And shit, I was way out of line. You’re with Carter. I know one argument doesn’t mean anything. You didn’t say you’d broken up, did you?”

  “Nope.” This time, the lie didn’t bother her at all.

  “Didn’t think so. Sorry I propositioned you, Katie. Can I buy you a drink to make it up to you?”

  “You don’t have to make anything up to me, but sure, I could use another draft.” Now that the awkwardness had evaporated, she and Frank chatted amiably, catching up on each other’s lives. She understood loneliness. Too bad she didn’t feel even the smallest spark from Frank. When his eyes suddenly widened, she looked over her shoulder to see Carter stalking toward her, a glass of beer in his hand.

  “Well, it was nice talking with you.” Frank hopped off his stool. “Hey, Carter.”

  “Frank.” Carter barely spared him a glance as he walked by. He climbed up on the stool that Frank had vacated. “Hey.”

  She used to be able to read him, but right now she couldn’t figure out his mood. “Hey.”

  “What are you doing here?” he grumbled.

  Her hand tightened on her glass, the condensation making her hand slippery. “I could ask you the same thing.”

  “I’m in here all the time.”

  She lifted her chin. “Well, so am I.”

  Carter narrowed his eyes. “Not talking with other guys.”

  He had no right to be going there. “Oh, but it’s okay for you to talk to other women?”

  “We’re having Noah’s bachelor party in the back. No women allowed.”

  “I’m not talking about tonight, and you know it. And you don’t have any business coming over and questioning me like this.” She would have said more, but Bud was hovering, and she didn’t need to let that cat out of the bag.

  Carter sighed. “Sorry. You’re right. Of course you can talk to anyone you want to.” His eyes darkened as he looked her over, and her body shivered in a good way, nothing like the way she felt when Frank did it. Carter looked as if he was going to say something else, but then he shook his head.

  “It was just Frank. I think he’s getting back out in the dating pool. I was so surprised when he and Lacey got divorced. They’d been together since high school.”

  Carter grimaced. “Seems like it happens more often than not anymore.”

  “Or maybe you just see it more in your law office?”

  “Maybe.” He leaned in until their shoulders touched. “So what did Frank have to say?”

  She lowered her voice. “He flirted with me.”

  He avoided looking at her. “That’s what you wanted, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes. No. I don’t know.” She cleared her throat and pulled out her wallet. “I don’t want to keep you from the party.”

  Carter put his hand over hers to stop her from pulling out her money. The tingles ran all the way up her arm. “Stay. It’s breaking up anyway.”

  Bud stopped in front of them. “Glad to see you two made up.”

  Carter caught her eye.

  “I had to admit we’d had an argument. They wanted to know why we weren’t together tonight.”

  “You could have told them I was at the bachelor party.”

  Katie raised her brows. “I could have if I’d known about it.”

  “Right. Sorry. Don’t worry about us, Bud. We can’t stay mad at each other for long.”

  “Glad to hear it.” Bud headed down to the end of the bar by the young lovebirds.

  Carter’s hand was still on hers. “I’ll help you,” he murmured. “Whatever you need. If you’re going to carry on with your plan, I don’t want you to go it on your own.”

  “Really? Thanks.” She leaned over to whisper, and her lips accidentally brushed his ear. “Frank asked me to go home with him.”

  “What?” Carter whirled around to glare at Frank, but he’d left. “Didn’t he know we’re dating?”

  That flew out of his mouth like it was the truth. “I could use some of those tips you talked about.” Katie kept her voice low. “But you can’t keep freaking out, Carter. I’ve been clear to you from the start what I’m looking for.”

  It wasn’t Frank.

  And it wasn’t Carter, either.

  “You’re right, I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat. “And I don’t want you freaking out, but I will remind you that my family believes the gossip. Next weekend is Labor Day and the annual Colburn picnic. You usually come anyway, but Mom has invited you specifically and is so excited that you’re officially my girlfriend.”

  “Okay. I’m officially freaking out.”

  Chapter Seven

  It had been a busy day. A will. A farm sale. A business license. More phone calls than he cared to count. When he’d first decided to go to law school, Carter hadn’t thought he’d still be working for the family business except as their attorney. But here he was, stuck in between them both. Some weeks after coming into the office early and staying late, attending evening committee meetings, and spending hours at the courthouse, he toyed with the idea of gradually pulling back from salvage work. His mom had always had that sixth sense parents often did. No wonder she’d been worried about his commitment.

  Carter knew he’d never quit the family business. He’d never abandon his family. And he didn’t want to abandon the community, either. He practiced in Lakeside for a reason. The people here needed him, too. Someday, he’d find a balance. So far, it was his personal life that he’d seemed to have abandoned the most.

  Herman Brown came stomping into his office right before lunchtime, claiming that fifty years was more than enough time to spend with one woman and he wanted to file for divorce. But when June came bustling in shortly after and apologized for calling him a numbskull because he’d left his shoes in the hallway for her to trip over one too many times, Herman decided he’d keep her around. Before they left his office hand in hand, June told Carter she reserved the right to file herself if she tripped over Herman’s shit one more time.

  Carter’s last appointment of the day was another couple, this time two twentysomethings finalizing their divorce. Brock and Jasmine Martin had only been married a little over a year. At their initial meeting, Brock had spent most of the time complaining, and Jasmine had been silently fuming. Carter had suggested they might want to try counseling, but neither one of them had contested the divorce. This afternoon, they’d both sniped at each other constantly, even though they were now no longer married. By the time they left his office, Carter had a headache.

  Sometimes, marriages made it long term, but more often than not, they didn’t. He saw proof of that nearly every week. Maybe he’d seen too many marriages dissolve to believe in the institution for himself. Surely all the couples he saw in his office thought things were going to work out when they said their vows. Even Noah and Charlene had split up after more than fifteen years of marriage.

  Friendship was much more reliable.

  Katie had said she wouldn’t be home after work, so he stopped into the Coffee Mug instead. Chatting with Sue and Lisa, the couple who owned the place, and enjoying the aromas of coffee and pastries, lifted his mood considerably.

  He was leaving with his to-go cup when a wiry guy burst through the door. Kurt Burg had been a few years ahead of Carter in school and always seemed to live in fast-forward. It amazed Carter that instead of becoming something like a race car driver, Burger—a nickname he was given in grade school that never went away—was a tattoo artist and the owner of Burger’s Best Ink and Piercing. Guess the guy could be calm and still when he n
eeded to be.

  They shook hands, and then Burger said, “Are you coming over with Katie in a few minutes?”

  Had they made plans he’d forgotten about? Wait. Katie never said why she wasn’t going to be home for coffee today. Carter narrowed his eyes as his suspicions rose. “Coming over where?”

  “My place. I thought since you guys are dating and all, you’d be there when she gets her first tattoo.”

  Burger took a step back. Carter wondered what the expression on his face looked like if it scared a guy who’d survived multiple tattoos and piercings.

  “I take it you didn’t know,” Burger said. “Oh shit, I bet I ruined the surprise. Forget I told you, Carter. She’ll kill me if she finds out I spilled the beans.” Apparently, he was even more scared of Katie?

  Carter wanted to laugh, but right now he was furious. It wasn’t the idea of a tattoo that bothered him. No, he was upset because she hadn’t told him about it. She’d never mentioned she was even thinking about it.

  And that was his problem. Was it an indication that their friendship had already changed? They used to tell each other everything.

  “I’m not going to be able to forget that, but I won’t tell her how I found out. Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  Carter headed across the street to Katie’s studio. Her car was parked behind the building, and Burger’s tattoo place was too far to walk. How could he get her to tell him about getting a tattoo without coming flat out and asking her? He walked through the door and hoped the answer would come to him.

  “I’m sorry, but I’m closed,” Katie called out as she rushed in from the back. She hesitated slightly when she saw him. “Oh, hi. What are you doing here?”

  He thought fast. “I came to take you out to dinner.”

  “What? On a Wednesday?”

  “You have to eat on Wednesdays, too. There’s a new barbecue joint across the lake I’ve been wanting to try. I’ve heard it’s really good.”

  She glanced down at her watch. “You don’t have to take me out to dinner. We’re not really dating.”

  He’d never tell her he thought she was cute when she was flustered. It happened so seldom. He fought a grin and took a step closer. “Can’t I ask my friend to go out and get something to eat with me?”

  “No. I mean, sure, you can, but I can’t. Not tonight. Sorry.” She bustled over to her desk, straightened the papers, and shut off the computer. Avoided looking at him.

  “You have plans?”

  Katie grabbed her purse out of the bottom desk drawer, then slammed it closed harder than was necessary. “Yeah. I told you I did.”

  Carter crossed his arms. It was so much fun to give her a hard time. “But you didn’t say your plans would prevent you from eating dinner.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to?”

  He shrugged lightly. “Me?”

  She huffed, but there was laughter in there. “I have an appointment in a few minutes.”

  “Well, how about if I come along with you to your mysterious appointment and we can go out to dinner afterward?”

  “Mysterious?” Katie rolled her eyes. “How do you know I don’t have a doctor’s appointment? Or a dentist appointment? Or a hair appointment?”

  “Because you would have told me any of those things. You’re keeping a secret, Katie Kat, and you know all that does is make me insanely curious.”

  She crossed her arms. “It’s none of your business, Mr. Nosy Colburn.”

  “Are you having a rendezvous with another man while we are still officially dating?” He kept his voice light and playful; although, the thought made him want to frown. “That would be a very naughty thing to do.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted. “Don’t worry. I would break up with you first.”

  He dropped his lighthearted tone without realizing it. “I kind of hate the idea of us breaking up. I feel like we couldn’t be friends anymore.”

  When the truth burst out of his mouth, it surprised the hell out of him. Carter hated the thought of Katie not being in his life. For the first time, he wondered what it would be like to be with Katie. Like in an actual serious relationship. Like Beckett had said, they were practically married except for the sex part. And the legal part. What would happen if they added the sex part and the legal part? What if they started a family? What would their children look like?

  What was he thinking?

  “Of course we’ll still be friends,” she told him before he could recover from the thought of having children with her. “Nothing could break up our friendship, especially not a fake romance.”

  Fake. Right. Why did his mind seem to keep mixing that up?

  “But I’m going to be late if I don’t leave right now.”

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “Carter…”

  “I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”

  She huffed. “I’m getting a tattoo,” she blurted. “In ten minutes. We have to hurry. You know I hate to be late.”

  They made it to Burger’s place with a couple of minutes to spare.

  …

  Wednesday had come faster than Katie would have thought. She walked in the door of the tattoo shop with Carter, and her insides trembled. There was a reason she hadn’t told a soul, not even Carter. And it hadn’t been because she was afraid she’d back out. Or had it?

  No. It was because she wanted to do it on her own. Didn’t want anyone to try to talk her out of it. Didn’t want anyone else’s input on what design she was going to have inked on her skin. She hadn’t thought she’d want anyone to go with her, either, but she realized she liked having Carter beside her. He hadn’t tried to get her to change her mind as she feared. He was there as silent support. Maybe silent. Maybe not.

  The reception area was small and cozy, with a soft sofa and a couple of chairs against the walls. No one else was waiting. The walls were covered with framed tattoo art, splashes of color against the white that tickled the creative side of her. Burger peeked his head out of one of the doors. “Hey, guys, I’ll be right with you.”

  The buzz of nerves started building again. Bantering with Carter had taken her mind off them for a while. She whirled around to face him. “You knew, didn’t you? You kept asking all those questions to take my mind off my nerves.”

  He grinned. She loved that grin. “It worked, didn’t it?”

  She threaded her arm through his and kissed his cheek. “Yes.”

  “So are you going to tell me what you’ve chosen for your first tattoo?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “Still keeping secrets?”

  “No. I want you to see it rather than me trying to explain it to you.”

  “You don’t want me to go in with you?” He tugged her down onto the sofa with him, then kept her hand in his.

  “You can come in. Now that you’re here, I’m glad I can share it with you. I already explained to Burger what I wanted, so I don’t mind you watching it come to life.”

  Come to life. Wasn’t that a perfect phrase? It was kind of the way Katie felt now. She was coming to life now after putting herself on hold for so long.

  “You’re shaking. Are you nervous? Or excited? Or…”

  “Can’t I be nervous and excited at the same time?” she asked.

  His gaze locked with hers. “Of course you can. You can feel however you feel. No one can tell you it isn’t right.”

  Right now she was feeling warm. Hot. Drawn to him as if they were…smoldering,

  The door opened, and Burger burst into the room. They jerked apart, and the moment was gone.

  “Hey, guys. Happy to see you both here. Katie, once you get your tat, you’ll have to tell your guy here he should get one of his own. I’ve been trying to talk him into one for years.”

  Katie grinned and tried to picture Carter the lawyer with a tattoo. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Burger slid a piece of paper across the counter. “I came up with this drawing. If it’s not w
hat you had in mind or you want to change any part of it, I still can tweak it.”

  Her breath caught. “It’s beautiful.” The words My Time were framed by a delicate watch face and a flourish of filigree. Not the simple tattoo she’d envisioned originally. It was even better. “It’s bigger than I thought it was going to be.”

  “If I shrink it too much, it’s going to be difficult to read all the elements.”

  She looked over her shoulder at Carter. His expression was blank. She couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She waited until he shrugged. “If you’re going to do it, you might as well go big.”

  Burger tapped his finger on the paper. “I might have to adjust the drawing depending on where you want it placed. I hope you’ve decided.”

  She rested her arm, palm up on the counter. She traced her finger between her wrist and elbow. “Here. I want to be able to see it all the time.”

  Carter was standing behind her. He reached around her and brushed his hand along her forearm where the tattoo was going to go.

  “What do you think?” she asked.

  “Beautiful.” He winced. “It’s going to hurt, though.”

  “Don’t get her nervous, man.”

  “That’s okay. He doesn’t make me nervous.” She grinned and nodded to Burger. “You make me nervous.”

  “Nah. I’ll be gentle.” He nodded toward a bright-blue door. “Come on back.”

  Carter took her hand. “You’re trembling.”

  “I don’t know why I’m shaking.”

  “Because you’re excited,” he whispered, his lips touching her neck. Shivers that had nothing to do with nerves or thoughts of ink and needles shimmered along her skin. “Because this means a lot to you.”

  She nodded. They stepped into a small bright room full of all kinds of equipment and small pots of color. In the center was a large padded chair that reminded her of the ones in a dentist’s office.

  “Have a seat, Katie.”

  It was hard to swallow. Hard to breathe. “I can’t stop shaking.”

  “You’re going to be fine.” Carter was there by her side. He took the hand of the arm she wasn’t getting inked and threaded her fingers with his. “Hey, you’re going to be able to check another item off your list, right?”