He watches her dress in the dim light filtering through the window shade. She pulls on her running shorts and sports bra, sitting on the edge of his bed to tie her shoes. Rolling over, he wraps an arm around her bare waist, pulling her close and burying his face in her hair, inhaling the mixed scent of shampoo and sweat.
"I've gotta go," she says, but she doesn't pull away. She turns her head, brushes the hair from his face with long fingers and kisses the stubble along his jaw. Reaching his mouth she tugs gently at his bottom lip with her teeth. He responds, kissing her hungrily and her eyes lock on his as she pulls away, reluctantly.
"No victory laps today. I've really got to go." She sits up and slides off the bed, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and securing it with a rubber band from around her wrist. "I have a deposition at 3:30. Can you pick Willa up after Brownies? 4:00?"
"I can and I will," he says. She smiles and leans in for one more kiss. He reaches out and smacks her on the ass as she turns for the door.
"Jerk!" She calls over her shoulder.
He swings out of bed and pulls aside the shade, watching her exit the garage and break into a run, heading out of the complex and back toward her house.
The running is new, taken up in what she says is a last ditch effort to lose the final five stubborn pounds of baby weight. Since Willa is six, Raylan isn't buying her excuse; but then, he isn't the one who needs to.
She picks up her pace as she turns out of Raylan's complex, glancing at the time on her phone. Shit. She's later than she thought. She hopes Richard got Willa up. Winona was late getting her to preschool one day last week on a morning just like this. Everyone was lovely and sympathetic, but she had a feeling the office staff could turn judgmental if it became a habit.
"Long run," Richard says when she comes in from the garage. It's not a question or accusation, just a comment, but the guilt instantly assaults her. She searches her brain for an excuse.
"I ran into Malia – you know – up the street?" She's pretty sure he has no idea who this neighbor is. Opening the fridge, she grabs bottled water. "Her son Taj is in Willa's class?"
He shrugs and she's relieved.
"She's impossible to get away from." She chugs the water. "She tried to get me to commit to the face-painting booth at fun night next month."
True, Malia had tried to rope Winona into volunteering for the fundraiser, but that was the other day when she picked Willa up from preschool.
"And?" he says, pouring coffee into a travel mug.
"I told her I'd think about it. Is Willa up?" Please say she's up.
"Up but not dressed yet." He leans in and kisses her. "I gotta go. We're behind on the framing and they're supposed to put the windows in on Monday. Bruce is having a fit. We're really going to be pushing it."
She walks to the stairs and yells up to her daughter. "Get dressed, Punkin' I'll be up in a minute to do your hair."
Back in the kitchen she pours herself a cup of coffee. ""So you're working all weekend?"
"Tonight and Saturday. Sorry, Babe." He grabs a breakfast bar from the box on the counter. "I know Willa's with Raylan this weekend."
"That's okay," she says. "I've got some running around to do, anyway." She's already thinking about how to get some time with Raylan, and that, combined with the heat and the cold water churning in her stomach makes her half sick.
"See you tonight," Richard says. "We need to talk about Tómas' visit. Love you."
"Love you," she says. I do, really. I just love Raylan, too. Dammit.
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
Willa pulls the hood of her sweatshirt up and pushes off from the desk, making the chair spin in a circle, kicking her feet. She's wearing hot pink Chuck Taylors with her leggings and the glittery stars sparkle under the harsh lights of the Marshal's office.
"I'm bo-red. Are you done yet?"
"I thought I told you to stop that," Raylan says. About four times already. He glances at his notes and back to the computer screen, typing in the information he got from the witnesses as fast as he can. Winona dropped Willa off an hour ago, and he'd promised her pizza, but he really needs to get this report filed and his daughter's constant interruptions have turned a fifteen-minute task into a marathon.
"Daddy," Willa whines. "Can I play a game on your phone?"
"No."
Reaching down, Willa grabs the lever, raising and lowering the chair seat.
"Stop that," Raylan snaps.
"I'm hungry. Can I get a candy bar from the snack machine?"
"No. We're gonna go get pizza soon as I get done." Which might be a lot faster if you leave me alone for five minutes, he adds in his head.
She sighs and twirls the chair again, watching him all the while.
"Oh, alright, here." Raylan hands her the phone. "Play a game. But not the zombie one."
Looking up from his own pile of paperwork, Muñoz chuckles.
"What?"
"You'd better watch out. That one has you wrapped around her little finger." He drops his head back down. "I hope I'm still kickin' when she's a teenager. That I gotta see."
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
Willa takes a bite of pizza, letting the cheese string out of her mouth as she drops the slice back onto her plate. Raylan scowls, but she grins at him. "I l-ooo-ve pizza," she says. "Thank you, Daddy." She smiles and his annoyance melts away.
"You're welcome. Don't talk with your mouth full."
"Sorry." She grins again.
"I thought we decided pizza once a week was enough."
"Mama!" Willa jumps up, knocking against the table and almost spilling her pop and Raylan's beer.
"And pop? Really Raylan?" Winona says, reaching out to catch the plastic cup just in time. She bumps her hip into Willa and slides into the booth beside her. "She won't sleep at all tonight."
"7up," he says. "No caffeine. What're you doin' here anyway?" Dimetrios is close to both their places, but Winona doesn't allow herself – or her daughter - much in the way of fast food.
"Richard's late on a job, so I ordered take-out." Their eyes meet but hers flick away.
Willa grabs her slice of pizza again, stuffing way too much into her mouth.
"Willa Grace!" Winona chides. "Don't eat like a pig."
Her cheeks bulge as she chews and she makes a snorting noise.
Raylan and Winona both bust out laughing, then try to stifle it. Willa laughs too, choking a little.
"See," Raylan says pointing a finger at her. "Listen to your mama. Take smaller bites, please."
"Okay, Daddy." She sucks on her straw, slurping the 7up. Raylan opens his mouth to correct her, and then shakes his head, grinning.
"It's been like this since you dropped her off."
Winona nods in sympathy. "Some days I feel like all I say is 'no', 'don't do that', and 'please stop'."
"I feel your pain," Raylan says. Their eyes meet again, and hold. Winona's foot bumps his under the table, and he doesn't retreat.
"Can Mama come tuck me in?" Willa says. She takes another, smaller bite of pizza and looks from one parent to the other. "Please?"
Winona slips an arm around her. "Daddy will tuck you in tonight, Punkin'."
Willa pouts. "Why can't you both tuck me in?"
Winona dips her head, planting a kiss on her daughter's temple. "I suppose I could follow you back and help get you ready for bed, if it's okay with Daddy."
"Fine by me." Raylan says, signaling for the check.
-o-o-o-O-o-o-o-
"I didn't know if you'd still be here," Raylan says when he comes back into the living room.
Winona looks up from the corner of the couch and puts her phone down. "Is she asleep?"
"Yep. After Click Clack Moo again, and a story about Helen and a pig."
Winona raises an eyebrow.
"She's been askin' about her and my mama since we did that family tree." He sits beside her. "Thank God she's not askin' about Arlo." He considers the events of the evening and voices his worry.
"She's not a brat, is she?"
"No, she's not a brat." Winona assures him. "She's willful and a little bit spoiled, but overall she's a really great kid." She reaches over and brushes the hair back from his face. "She just had a bad day. We all have those."
"She comes by the willful naturally, dontcha think?"
Winona tucks one leg under her. Her skirt rides up and she makes no attempt to hide the silky expanse of thigh from his view. "We can both be stubborn, you and I."
"Ye-ah," he agrees.
She glances at the door. "I should go."
"Ye-ah," he says again.
"But I don't want to." She pushes up, kicking her shoes off and hiking her skirt up even more to swing one leg over and straddle him.
"Winona..." but his protest is lost in her kiss.
She breaks for air and arches back to look at him. "I'll go if you want me to."
"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" He pulls her into another, deeper kiss.
Tugging the skirt higher, he strokes her through silky panties. She moves against his hand, breath quickening and he hooks his thumbs in the sides and slides them down. She raises up so he can slip them off, her fingers working his zipper at the same time.
Her hands are on him and he leans his head back, gasping for air. "God, woman," he murmurs.
She laughs, soft, and slides off his lap, going down onto her knees and taking him into her mouth, working him with her tongue. He rests his hands on the back of her head, gathering her hair in his fingers like reins.
When he's close, he gives a tug and she comes up, lowering herself onto him slowly, inch by agonizing inch. Bracing one hand on his shoulder, she undoes the buttons of her blouse, silk falling away from skin. He strokes a nipple then flicks his tongue across it. Her eyes fly open.
"Do it again," she demands.
He obliges, again and again. Her breath falls into rhythm with his and she moans, low. "Oh. God. Yes." He feels her contract around him as he explodes.
As they recover, Winona raises her head from his shoulder and kisses him. He tightens his arms around her, and she snuggles in against his chest. "I don't have to leave just yet," she says.
"Good."
Closing his eyes, he relishes the weight of her on his lap, trailing his fingers down the small of her back, making her shiver. Words they don't say are on his lips, but he swallows them.
"Da-ddy!" Willa's cry startles them both awake.
"Shit!" In one swift move, Winona is off his lap and they're on their feet.
Willa calls out again. "I'm thirsty!"
They scramble for their clothes and Winona bangs her shin on the coffee table.
"Ouch! Damn that hur-..." She covers her mouth with her hand, and turns to Raylan, eyes wide.
"Comin'," Raylan calls to their girl. "You stay in bed. I'll get ya some water."
Winona retreats to the kitchen, and he heads back to Willa's room, stopping in the bathroom to fill Willa's Scooby Doo cup with water, a nightly ritual he should have anticipated.
She's sitting up in bed, waiting. "I heard Mama," she says, yawning and reaching out for the cup. "Is she still here?"
"Ya musta had a dream," he tells her, not exactly lying. Willa drinks it all and snuggles back down, hugging Mr. Bear. "G'night, Daddy."
"Night, Willa." He kisses her forehead and replaces the cup in the bathroom before going back out to Winona.
"That was close," she says.
"Yep."
"I'd better go."
He nods and follows her to the door. She pauses, looking up at him. "We should stop."
"We should at least try," he agrees.
She hangs her head, raising a hand to swipe at her eyes.
"Hey," he murmurs, pulling her in. "Don't cry. It'll be okay."
They stand that way for a long time before she slips from his embrace, closing the door quietly behind her.