Three months ago, that kind of news would’ve sent me into an emotional spiral. Today, all I feel is genuinely pleased for my ex-wife.
“I didn’t, but good for her.”
Without even thinking about it, I rise to my feet, shoving my hands into my pockets.
Scott follows suit, reaching out for his crutch.
“It was good to see you, man,” I tell him, eager to bring this exchange to an end. “And don’t worry about the money; I’ll get everything transferred to you ASAP.”
He reaches out, setting a hand on my shoulder. “You’re a good man, Emmett. We’re blessed to have you in our lives.”
The wordsI’m involved with your daughterare right there, screaming to be released into the open. Every time Scott praises me for being a good friend, the struggle to make eye contact with him increases.
I clamp my mouth shut—for Billie, for Blake, and for the sake of the money I know they desperately need. When Billie and I finally tell Scott and Freya about us, it has to be at the right time, even if I know that the perfect moment likely doesn’t exist.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
BILLIE
Wrapped in a fluffy white towel, I’m halfway to the bedroom after taking a shower when my intercom buzzes.
I pad past Blake, who’s still asleep in her bassinet—she hasn’t been sleeping well the past few nights—and I head down the stairs toward the door.
“Hello?” I half yawn into the receiver.
“It’s Emmett.” His deep voice wraps around me, softer than the towel covering my body.
An automatic smile creeps across my face. It’s been a few days since our text conversation got caught short by Dad’s visit, and I’ve missed him.
“What brings you to this side of town?”
His voice grows a touch sultry. “You, mainly. Along with your beautiful baby girl. Can I come up, or do you have another guy keeping you company?”
I snort at the thought. “I think my life is complicated enough as it is, don’t you? One second. Let me release the door.”
Replacing the receiver, I hit the button and wait for Emmettto climb the stairs, a delicious excitement fluttering low in my belly.
Less than a minute later, he’s standing in front of me, eyes fixated on my face.
“Did you just finish morning skate?” I ask, unable to resist exploring his physique.
The last morning we were together, I got to appreciate how perfect he is beneath the training gear that he’s wearing today.
Bottom lip pinned between his teeth, Emmett takes a small step toward me. “My schedule says that I should be completing a light session in the gym, but somehow, I ended up driving over here.”
I can tell he wants to touch me, both hands sliding into his pockets.
Tipping my head to one side, I feed on the palpable tension growing between us each time we’re in the same room. “And what were you hoping to find when you arrived?”
His grin only confirms that he feels the same way over the charged atmosphere. “A beautiful girl, half naked and smiling at me.” His eyes drop down my body. “Some might say that I hit the jackpot.”
So many times in the past couple of months, I’ve wondered what it would be like to kiss this man, although none more so than in this moment right now. I think post-practice is how I like him most—his freshly showered scent filling my senses, a backward cap doing something to me I can’t explain.
When he closes the space between us, cupping my face in his palms, I feel sure that this is where we’ll take another step into the unknown.
“It’s a beautiful day outside, bright and sunny with spring flowers lining the roads.” He strokes his thumb under my left eye. “Spend the day with me, Mama. You, Blake, and my Aston Martin DB5.”
As a teenager, I thought it was the coolest car I’d ever seen, and he looked like a god when he drove it. I thought the samething when he drove me to the hospital in it too, even though I was having one of the worst days of my life.
