“Because.” I bit down on my bottom lip, my brow furrowing. “Alaric has a daughter.”
“Ah.” Kelsey nodded, understanding dawning in her eyes. She was quiet, watching me as I picked up the pen and resumed writing out the invitations. “Is that…not something you want, then? A guy with a kid?”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” I spat, appalled. “I don’t mind that he’s a father. His daughter is really sweet. But…” I trailed off, not knowing how to voice my concerns.
“It’s him.”
“It’s both of us,” I corrected, exasperated. “We’ve both been hurt, and—“
“And nothing, if you’ve both been hurt then who better to be with? Someone who will think twice before hurting you.”
I nodded, pursing my lips. Kelsey made a fair point, but my insecurities always ended up holding me back. What if Alaric didn’t have time for a relationshipwith me?
Alaric
I ran the sander along the grain, smoothing what would be the surface of the coffee table I was working on. If I could build it, I did, and creating a coffee table took minimum materials and offered a distraction.
Usually.
When the wood was polished, I stained it, Gwen’s dimpled smile infiltrating my thoughts.
I wondered what she was doing, and tried to ignore the simple truth that I missed her. Having her around would make everything about today better.
I’d spent the last two days in the shop, cutting and welding the support beams that had been cut six inches short the first time around.
Russell was notably stressed, and his mood affected the other workers in the shop. I understood his frustration completely—two fuck ups on one job wasn’t good for business. I took his mood with a grain of salt, as it wasn’t my fuck ups that led us there.
I was the one working overtime to fix the mistakes.
Tonight, I’d wanted to stop in and see her before I headed home. I would have, but she texted me as I was climbing into my truck to tell me her sister had stopped by.
So, I’d come home, and I’d been in the garage ever since; Tig snoring on the concrete in front of the open door, working on this table, thinking about her and trying not to.
Tig let out a rumbling sigh as I walked by him to rinse the brush. The table would have to dry before I could attach it to the metal frame, which meant there wasn’t much else to do on the project.
I tapped the wet brush against the side of the shop sink, setting it to the side to dry before washing my hands.
I was just shutting off the lights in the garage when the sound of gravel crunching against tires had my head swiveling to the driveway. Gwen’s little red car pulled to a stop beside mine, and she climbed out, her pouty lips tugging into a slight frown as she hesitated.
The grin that spread across my face was immediate and easy. Her mere presence had loosened the tightness in my chest. “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” I teased, stalking toward her. I was really glad that she hadn’t.
“Must be that special vitamin D,” she retorted as my hand slipped around her waist. I chuckled as she brought her hands to my neck. Tilting my head down, I captured her lips with mine.
16
Roulette
Gwen
Iwalked up to my parents’ front steps like I was heading to the gallows. Ireallydidn’t want to be there. What I preferred was to spend another evening in Alaric’s arms, purposelynotthinking about my very un-casual feelings, but Dad was right; Mom wouldn’t stand for me continuing to skip dinner.
Ringing the doorbell, I shuffled my weight from one foot to the other while I waited for someone to answer. A moment later, Mom opened the door, smiling grandly at me. I frowned, not trusting her. “Mother. Why do you have that look on your face?” I asked, instantly suspicious.
When I walked in and set my purse down on the side table in the foyer, Mom retorted as if wounded, “What look? I’m just excited to see my daughter.”
“Ha,” I laughed dryly. Deciding to let it go for the sake of keeping the peace, I hugged her. “It’s good to see you too, Mom.”
“Your hair’s getting so long,” she remarked airily, hands fanning around my curls before she started to soothe the non-existent wrinkles in my dress.
