With Winnie tucked under my arm to keep her from running off, we headed back to our cars. I stared straight ahead, making a beeline for my escape.
The man I’d had completely anonymous, slightly illegal forest sex with was now playing softball with my family, waving at my daughter, and being recommended as my childcare solution.
This is not sustainable.
As I buckled Winnie into the car, I glanced across the lot to see Austin talking with my brother, Hayes. Somehow that man had gotten my impossible grump of a brother to actually laugh.
Winnie had noticed too. “I like Austin. He seems nice.”
A half-hearted hum was all I could manage as my brain all but imploded.
FIVE
AUSTIN
The Lady’sLantern smelled like grease, floor wax, and defeat—though in a way that felt almost comforting. Post-softball, the crowd had thinned into a familiar mix of barflies, off-duty mechanics, and men who probably had the same barstool every Wednesday, sipping domestics like it was tradition—and maybe it was.
I nursed a beer at the end of the booth while Hayes talked to the bartender, Cal leaned back in his chair with his boots crossed, and Brody flipped a coaster between his fingers. There was a postgame haze hanging over all of us, warm with adrenaline and muscle ache, a little sharper for me since my nerves were still chewing on the fact that I’d made eye contact with Selene Darling for more than two full seconds.
Not just eye contact. A spark. A jolt. Something I wasn’t supposed to want but couldn’t stop replaying.
“You keep looking like that and people are gonna think something is wrong with you,” Brody muttered, his voice low as he slid another beer across to me. “Relax. You’re allowed to have fun.”
I flicked a brow. “This is my fun face.”
“Then someone should tell your jaw.” He leaned back, settling into the booth.
He followed it with a smirk, but I knew better. Brody had a casual way of watching people that made you forget he was doing it. He was all easy strength and dad jokes until he wasn’t.
I learned quickly that when it came to Selene and her sisters, the guy went into full big-brother mode—whether anyone asked him to or not.
I couldn’t help but wonder. “Do you think Selene really needs help?”
“She’s just been through a lot,” Brody said casually—but not really. His eyes stayed on the television in the corner, but the shift in his tone was impossible to miss.
“You mentioned that,” I said, careful to keep my voice neutral.
He took a sip of his beer. “She doesn’t exactly ask for help, but between her business and that little girl of hers, she’s got more than any one person should have to juggle.”
I nodded, slow. “The kid seems like a handful.”
“Winnie’s a firecracker,” Brody said, and I didn’t miss the way his mouth tipped up at the corner. “Smart as hell. Funny too. A lot like her mom.”
I let the words hang between us for a second, unsure whether we were still talking about the kid—or if we’d drifted into something else.
My gut filled with lead, but I had to ask. “Is there like ... athingbetween Selene and you?”
“No.” Brody chuckled. “Hell no. She could use a break is all,” he added. “Honestly, you should offer. Mornings, afternoons—your schedule’s flexible enough, right?”
“You really want me to babysit?” I blinked. When Brody had first mentioned it, I thought he was joking, or maybe meant I could help her hang a picture frame or something.
“Not babysit. Just ... show up. You’re right next door. Kids aren’t that hard. You’re practically still one yourself. You can kick a soccer ball and tie a ponytail, right? That’s the job description. It doesn’t have to be complicated.”
I wanted to laugh. He had no idea that it wasalreadycomplicated.
I shrugged. “I can think about it.”
Brody finally looked over at me then, and there was something behind his eyes—something more than just concern. He didn’t know the truth, not really, but he wasn’t blind either.
