“Watch your tone,” I warned him.
“Aha. It’s getting dangerous already,” Alex quipped.
“Look, look, I promised her I’d take her and her daughter out to the zoo this weekend. Her kid’s wonderful, by the way. A complete laugh riot, and I like my weekends with the two of them. For now.”
“For now?” Alex asked skeptically. “You’re not getting serious about a woman, are you, Jonah? We’ve already lost Desmond and Sean to their wives.”
“For now,” I said firmly. “I’m not falling in love, Alex. I just made a promise, and I intend to keep it. That’s all.”
It had been a week since Lexi came down with the flu, and I was just starting to appreciate what Lexi and I had.
Alex snorted. “You’ve never made promises like that to anyone you’ve dated before. Be careful. And if she’s a single mom, you’d better watch out especially if the ex is in the picture.”
I cut him off, but his words lingered.
He wasn’t wrong. Dylan had always been a complication. Lexi rarely spoke about him unless it was necessary, and even then, her voice tightened in a way that made me want to punch something. There was a possessiveness in the guy’s history that didn’t sit right with me.
“I’m serious,” Alex said, his voice sounding heavier. “You’re not just spending time with a woman; it’s a mom. Which means you’re in the kid’s orbit, and that changes the whole dynamic. You’re stepping into something the ex sees as his territory.”
“Lexi isn’t his,” I said, too fast. My voice sounded too defensive.
“She’s not,” Alex agreed, “but that doesn’t mean he won’t act like she is. Or that he won’t make things ugly if he feels threatened.”
I rubbed a hand over my jaw. “You think he’ll come after her?” I asked.
“Maybe not directly. But guys like that? They don’t like losing control. And nothing makes them spiral faster than another man stepping into the picture.”
“I’m not falling in love with her,” I repeated, more to reassure myself than him. “I’m not marrying her or settling down.”
“Thank goodness,” Alex said wryly.
But my words didn’t comfort me. Why did it feel like a loss? To never have those things with Lexi? I shook my head, trying to clear the thought. What was wrong with me? Neither of us wanted anything more than a relationship.
“For a minute, I thought I should be worried,” Alex continued.
I chuckled. “You don’t need to worry about me, Alex. I’ve got it under control.”
I looked out the window, at the busy city we passed. I would never be the man Lexi deserved. A husband, and a true partner for forever.
I shoved that thought out of my mind immediately, feeling uncomfortable. Why was I thinking these things?
I needed to focus on the practical stuff. Dylan was a problem for our future. I needed to keep an eye on him.
46
LEXI
After I’d shaken off the flu, life began to settle back into its usual rhythm.
Jonah stopped by often to visit Evie and me, sharing an easy, laughter-filled dinner at home.
One Monday morning, more than ten days after I’d caught the flu, I woke up to an unexpected text from Dylan.
DYLAN
Can we meet?
I frowned at the message, wondering if he was still half asleep. Rubbing my temple, I texted him back a curt reply while waking Evie to get ready for the day.
