“Thanks.”
Owen grabbed the carafe from the coffee maker, filled it with water, then poured that into the reservoir before trying to make conversation again. “When did you…” He choked backsneak into my houseand went for the more diplomatic question— “come over?”
Hayden sighed. “Becca texted me an hour ago. She got up to feed him and couldn’t find anything to watch. I walked over to keep her company.”
“Don’t you need to work tomorrow?”
“If she’s not sleeping, I shouldn’t get to sleep.” The kid jutted his jaw out. His bravado only lasted a minute, though, then he sagged back against the counter. “It’s harder than we thought.”
“I’m familiar.”
“She’s really good with him.”
Owen nodded. “She is.”
“I want to be better.”
“That comes with time.” Owen stopped before he put the coffee grinds in the filter. “Doyou have to work in the morning?”
Hayden’s face fell. “Yeah.”
“Give me Charlie. Go lie down in Becca’s room. I’ll wake you up in a few hours. What time do you need to get going?”
“Seven.”
“Shit, son. Next time, you guys wake me up.” Owen shook his head.
Hayden still didn’t pass over the baby. “He’s quiet now.”
Owen finished measuring out the coffee, then sighed and added more grounds. “I’m not going to tell you to put him down, then.”
“I did get some sleep before she texted. I’ll grab a nap in the afternoon. I’m only working the breakfast rush.”
“How’s that going?”
“Good.”
But Owen could do the math. A couple of hours over breakfast rush at Mac’s didn’t pay much. Still, he nodded. “Good.”
There was a lot loaded into that single word. There was no love lost between them, and Owen wouldn’t—couldn’t—change that. He didn’t want to. But he hoped for Becca’s sake this could be a bit of a truce.
It was time for him to start seeing Hayden as Charlie’s dad. Hell, now Hayden was walking Owen’s own path. They had more in common than probably either wanted to admit, but it was what it was.
His resolve to be open-minded and kinder to Hayden lasted almost ninety-six hours, until he found Becca in a puddle of tears on the couch, surrounded by piles of baby laundry.
Charlie was asleep in his bouncy chair at her feet.
Owen carefully found the only free real estate in her vicinity and lowered himself quietly into a squat beside her right knee. “Bec?”
“I don’t want to talk about it. I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not.”
“I texted Hayden earlier to see if he wanted to go for a walk with Charlie. He’s sleeping longer in the stroller or baby carrier, so I thought Hayden could take him for a couple of hours and I might get some sleep. Or I don’t know, just stare at the wall. Anything.”
Owen didn’t want to jump straight to bloodlust, but he saw red. He couldn’t help it. “What did he say?”
Becca’s face crumpled again. “Nothing.He didn’t even bother to reply. I thought maybe he was sleeping, because he’s been working a lot of mornings, but I just saw that he was tagged in someone’s picture. He’s at a bonfire tonight. He’s out partying, and I’m home with our baby, and that is not the life I want.” She choked on the last word. “I mean, I want Charlie. Of course I do. But I can’t do this hot and cold thing with Hayden. He needs to be in or out, and if he’s out, he can beout.I’m not going to make...offers…like that.”
