after wave of emotion that washed over me as he held me. The way my insides tumbled and pulled as he kissed me.
I had to shut it down that night years ago. It wasn’t the life I wanted. There was no room for Kyle Webber in the world I was carefully constructing.
But as he pressed into me, I knew a part of me would always be with him.
I came back to the present.
“Maybe,” was all I could say.
Awkward silence. Carefully avoided eye contact.
Kyle turned away. “Well, have a good day. My guys won’t bother you again.”
That was it.
I hurried back to the office, my palms slick, my mouth dry.
Feeling like a goddamn fool.
Chapter 5
Kyle
“You’re late! But I’ll allow it because you brought my favorite little girl,” Adam boomed, opening the door and immediately taking Katie from my arms. She wriggled like a fish wanting to be put down.
“Mimi!” she shouted.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Is Uncle A chopped liver or something?” He kissed my daughter noisily on her cheek and put her down. “Mimi’s in the kitchen. Let’s go find her.” He took her hand and then looked at me. “Come on, man, the gang’s all here. As I said, you’re late.”
I walked into the foyer, closing the door behind me, balancing the crate of beer I had brought along and the overstuffed diaper bag that kept sliding down my shoulder. “I know, I know, but Katie wasn’t really into wearing clothes today. It took a lot of bribery to get her dressed and out the door. I may have told her Meg would give her chocolate chip cookies when we got here, so I hope you have some.”
Adam grinned down at Katie. “Of course, Mimi has chocolate chip cookies! She knew you were coming.” The two of them ran toward the kitchen, and I couldn’t help laughing at the sight of my best friend jumping around like a little kid with Katie. He was going to be a good dad. Hopefully, he’d learn from all the mistakes I had made with Katie and get it right the first time.
I dropped the bag onto the hallway table and followed the pair into the kitchen. I could hear music playing, but it was a far cry from the thumping bass and crazy noise of the parties Decate held in the past. As I walked into the living room, I was greeted by all the usuals. Adam’s sister Lena and Jeremy were on the couch, their daughter Daisy between them chewing her fingers.
Skylar Murphy, the other member of the fearsome foursome, was listening to something Robert Jenkins was saying and for once didn’t look bored out of her mind. Was she actually smiling? Skylar wasn’t the smiling kind and Robert Jenkins—Adam and Jeremy’s third partner—wasn’t exactly that interesting. A nice guy definitely, but interesting, not so much. Whatever he was talking about had her rapt as she didn’t even look my way when I came into the room.
“Mimi!” Katie yelled as Meg walked in carrying a tray of cheese and crackers.
“There’s my favorite girl,” Meg cooed, putting the plate down and immediately going down on her haunches, though I wasn’t sure how she was able to, given the size of her very pregnant belly.
“I promised her cookies, Meg. It was either that or a full-blown meltdown.” I grimaced watching my other best friend fuss over my daughter.
“Well, it’s a good thing I bought some today. Come on, Katie Bug.” She took her hand and walked her into the kitchen. I could hear Katie’s nonsensical words sing-songing the whole way. Katie loved Meg—her Mimi—and had glommed onto her the way she had my mother, in that heartbreaking way that showed that even at her young age, she missed having a mother.
It was then that I noticed the other person in the room. Whitney had come in with Meg and was now sitting in the chair opposite Lena and Jeremy, her long red hair the same color as Meg’s, hanging down low on her back. It had grown considerably. I remembered she used always to cut it shoulder length, stating she hated how heavy it felt on her head when it got long. I also remembered telling her how much I loved feeling it between my fingers the one and only time I touched her like that.
I gave myself an internal shake. Not going there. Nope. Not doing it.
So what if I noticed she was wearing a skirt that fell just above her knees, her