It was Nick, the bartender from the bar in town. My surprise had me asking, “You moonlight as a bodyguard?”
He shrugged, his scruff, dark eyes, shaggy hair, and adorable dimples giving him the look of the boy next door who had a wild side…and a past. “It’s one of my many talents,” he said, glancing up at Shaw. “We good?”
“Yeah, man. Thanks. I think we made our point.” Shaw reached out and shook his hand. “Thanks for the information.”
“No worries. It was nice to get out from behind the bar for a bit. It was actually very easy—the neighbors around here love to gossip. It didn’t take much to find the info you needed about his finances. Amber had been blabbing her mouth to anyone who would listen about that school and her plans for wrecking Kelcie’s life.” He turned to me. “She’s a vindictive bitch. The neighbors told me about the school drop-off story.”
I rolled my eyes.
Nick chuckled. “Hilarious.”
Shaw grinned, and it took my anxiety down a few notches for the first time in days.
“Well, see you back in town. Bring those friends of yours around, and I’ll buy the first round of drinks,” Nick said.
“You mean bring Aliya around?” I teased.
He hit me with a dazzling smile. Then he walked to the door of his truck. “Good luck in the playoffs, Shaw.”
“Thanks, man.”
Shaw and I watched him drive off.
“Wait…how did you know to talk to Nick?” I asked.
Shaw shot me a knowing look as he walked to the driver’s side door of the car. “How do you think?”
“Wyatt,” I said. “Of course, what Grace knows, Wyatt knows.”
“I was the one to call Wyatt this time. I mean, of course he spoke to Grace and got the story, but I called Wyatt for some help. We will all move heaven and earth to protect you and Aaron. You know that now, right?” he said.
I clicked on my seatbelt. “Yeah, I guess there’s no avoiding you all.”
Aaron popped up between our seats. “Mom, are we going home with Shaw?”
“No, honey. Shaw is heading back to Charlotte, and we have to stay here. You have to go to school and?—”
“But when will we see him again?” He turned to Shaw. “When are you coming home for good?”
Shaw side-eyed me, staying tight-lipped and waiting to see how I was going to answer.
“Shaw has a few games left before he can leave Charlotte. He’s probably going to get in trouble with the team just for flying down here again.”
I had no idea where we stood, and I didn’t want to ask. He needed to get on a plane and try to get back before his team noticed he was gone.
“Why don’t we see how things go? Take it week by week,” he said, glancing in his rearview mirror to Aaron.
Aaron pursed his lips, contemplating that for a moment. “Yeah. You need to focus on the game. Are we going to come see you?”
I couldn’t leave that up to Shaw. So I said, “We’ll see. We have to wait until we iron out an agreement with your father. Besides, you have school, and I work here in Maryland.”
Shaw changed the subject, distracting him from what had happened that evening. He talked football with Aaron, and I stayed quiet, just listening to them both and contemplating what to say to Shaw now. I was frustrated with his heavy-handedness in interfering when I’d told him to stay out of it. But I had to admit, he’d come through for me. I didn’t doubt his devotion to Aaron.
But every time I tried to think about us together, my insecurities got the better of me. How could someone like me ever hold onto a man who was larger than life and literally worshipped by people all over the country?
We pulled up to the drop-off at the departure terminal, and Shaw put the car in park. Aaron had fallen asleep about a half hour earlier, so we both stepped out of the car. Shaw grabbed his backpack, the only thing he brought, knowing he couldn’t stay.
I stepped onto the curb, waiting for him to walk around but still not sure what came next. Did I hug him, hold onto him, never let him go? My heart filled with dread at the thought of him leaving. I wanted to jump in his arms, wrap my legs around him, and never let him go.
