unused space.”
Colby chuckles and stands up. “It would be a shame if it went to waste, wouldn't it?”
We share a look before both taking off toward the oversized inflatable.
I COLLAPSE ONTO THE floor and bounce with Colby's movements as he follows. After a straight hour of being all over this thing, I'm completely out of breath. Even Brenna looks exhausted, but she keeps going anyway. I don't know how she does it.
“This was a much better idea than batting cages,” I point out. “Which I tried telling you was a bad idea, by the way.”
Colby throws his head back, laughing. “Touché. Next time I'll listen to you.”
“Oh, that'll be a nice change.”
“I wasn't always that bad, was I?” He grins, flashing the dimples that always seemed to make me swoon, and pokes me in the side.
The breath is sucked right out of me as I stare back at him. “No, you weren't.”
We're both frozen in place, less than a foot away from each other. His eyes drop down to my lips for a second, and I'm paralyzed. I can't move. I can't speak. I can't even breathe.
He starts to move in.
“Are you going to kiss?” Brenna asks.
Colby jerks away so fast I wonder if I imagined it, but the pink tint that fills his cheeks tells me I didn't. He looks over at Brenna and chuckles before attacking her with tickles. It wipes the moment straight from her mind, but I know it will be in my memory bank for a lifetime.
My phone rings, and like she could sense my heart pounding, Maddie's picture fills my screen. I climb out of the bounce house and put it to my ear.
“Hey, Mads.”
“Hey.” Her voice sounds a little panicked but more sorrowful. “I don't have long, and I hate to do this. You know I'm always there to help you, and if it wasn't a crazy opportunity, I'd turn it down.”
I snicker at her rambling. “Maddie, spit it out.”
“I can't watch Brenna on Friday. Something came up for work.”
This Friday is the premier for a movie Topher is in, and I promised him I'd go. It’s been on the calendar for months. Dread fills my stomach when I think about how disappointed he's going to be. And with my wrist still aching from this morning, I can only imagine what his reaction will be. Still, I can't expect my best friend to give up important opportunities to babysit.
“It's okay, really,” I assure her. “I'll figure something else out.”
She sighs. “I really am sorry, S. Are we still on for coffee tomorrow morning?”
“Duh, and you can tell me all about what has you so excited.”
“Definitely. Love you!”
I smile even though she can't see me. “Love you, too.”
Hanging up the phone, I turn around to see Colby standing there. I startle and bring my hand to my chest.
“Don't do that.”
He smiles and raises his hands defensively as he takes a step back. “Is everything okay?”
I take a deep breath and shrug. “Yeah. Maddie was supposed to watch Brenna this Friday night so I could go to Topher's premier, but she can't now.”
Maybe it's wrong to talk about my fiancé with the guy who almost just kissed me, but it could also be exactly what's needed to bring this back into neutral territory. Thankfully, he seems to agree because he doesn't miss a beat.
“I can watch her.”
My brows raise. “You would babysit?”
He runs his fingers through his hair and glances back at the bounce house that Brenna is still ricocheting around in. “When it's your own kid, it's called parenting.”
My nerves are shot. This is the last thing I expected. And still, my stomach churns.
“I don't know,” I say hesitantly.
He puts a hand on my shoulder. “Saige, you've seen me with her. She'll be fine, and imagine how happy she would be. She can sleep here Friday night, and you can pick her up on Saturday.”
A part of me wants to say no. It's too soon. He knows nothing about being a parent. What if she gets hurt? But the hopeful look in his eyes renders me defenseless.
Brenna slides out of the bounce house and runs over.
“Why aren't you two jumping? Come on, it's fun!”
I smile at her. “We were just talking about you having a sleepover here on Friday night.”
Her eyes double in size as she looks at Colby and back at me. “Really?”
“Yeah, really?” Even Colby looks like he's in awe.
I nod, and Brenna leaps into my arms, making me giggle. “I take