bottom lip, just like before. “I’m glad I got to see you.”
“Me too.” She blushes.
This girl. Sweet as hell. “When do you think I might get to do that again?”
She shrugs. “Not sure. I have plans with my parents’ this weekend. They’ve been gone for two weeks.”
“Can I call you, at least?”
“I’d like that.” She smiles up at me. I know she has to get to work, but I need just one more second with her. Every second counts—at least with her. I drop my hand and pull her into a hug, breathing her in. She melts into my hold. Perfect.
Reluctantly, I pull away, even though I could stand here all day. I’ll analyze that thought later. Instead, I block the feelings she evokes in me and kiss her forehead. “Have a great day, sweet girl.”
She surprises me when she stands on tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “You too,” she says softly. I step back, reaching around to open the door for her. I wait until she’s strapped in before shutting the door, watching her pull out of the drive until I can no longer see her. It’s my ringing cell phone that finally breaks my trance.
Tyler.
“Yeah,” I say, turning to go into the house.
“Just want to make sure you weren’t running off into the sunset,” he jokes.
“Not yet, man, not yet.”
“Wow, okay. Not the answer I expected.” I can hear the others in the background wanting to know what I said.
“Get to work.” I laugh. How can I not? Life has a way of shaking things up until you feel like you can’t breathe, but then it settles into a calm where it feels like all that pain brought you to this point. Maybe it’s Melissa—hell, I don’t know if I even believe in all of that—but I know this is coming fast and hard, and for some reason, I don’t want to stop it. I want it, all of it . . . all of her. I want to see where this unexpected reality leads me this time. I’ve lived it the last month. It gave me my son, and I wouldn’t change that for anything. Maybe, just maybe, it will give me Kendall as well.
A man can only hope.
The guys are already working on the trim around the cabinets by the time I make it inside.
“No shit?” Mark asks.
Tyler must have filled him in. I shrug in response. What can I say? I want her. I can’t explain it, and honestly, I don’t want to.
“What’s the plan for this weekend?” Kent asks.
“There’s a fight on Saturday night,” Seth suggests.
“Sounds good to me. My place. I don’t want to have Knox out that late.”
They all nod their agreement. “I’ll call Reagan, we’ll need food,” Tyler says. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him to have her invite Kendall and Dawn, but I don’t. I keep my mouth shut. We’ll get there; with everything in me, I feel it.
“You all will have to keep it down, or I’m kicking your asses out. Can’t have you waking my boy,” I warn them. It’s still strange to me, but then again it’s not. We seem to be settling in okay. I guess like Mom always says, “God will not give you more than you can handle.” I think I’ve had my fill for a while, unless it’s Kendall. He can give me Kendall.
I push thoughts of Kendall and my son out of my mind and dive into work. It’s not until the guys start complaining that they’re starving that I realize how much time has passed. I suggest we go to the diner, hoping to run into her again. Overnight, I’ve become the guy who chooses a restaurant just for the chance to get a glimpse of the girl. I let that sink in, and surprise even myself when I realize I really am good with it.
“You just want to see your girl,” Seth teases.
“Yep.” No point in denying it. Not to them.
“Holy shit,” Kent says.
“You’re sunk, brother.” Tyler laughs.
I nod. “Yeah, I think you might be right.”
“Fucking crazy shit, Beckett,” Mark chimes in.
“It is,” I agree. This is not me—hell, any of us really. We’ve been good flying solo with the occasional hookup, settling down not on our radar.
Wait, settling down? Is that what I want?
“I bet—” Kent barely gets the words out before I cut him off.
“No,” I grit out. “No more bets. Stephanie was a huge mistake, and just . . . no. I won’t