“So, this is Holly?” I glace up at him briefly, immediately dropping my gaze back to the angel snuggled in a pink blanket.
“This is Holly,” he says, taking a deep breath.
I don’t know all the details, and I won’t push him. He’s still overwhelmed. But from what he shared, Holly was the product of a one-night stand, and her appearance at his doorstep with a note was a massive surprise.
“Here’s the keys toyourbaby,” he says, handing over my extra key fob.
“I think mine is a little easier to handle for me,” I say, hoping the joke isn’t too much.
“Oh, me too. But I don’t think you want to trade,” he says, immediately adding, “Kidding. I’m kidding. I would never . . .”
“I know,” I say. “Come on. I’ll give you a lift back to your place.”
We pile into my truck, and Brooks fastens the baby carrier into the middle seat with some clip that connects to my seatbelt. I stare at his hands as they work, much the way I do when my mom operates her sewing machine. It’s like sorcery to me.
“You’d be amazed what you can learn on the internet,” he says. He gives the seat a little tug, then nods, satisfied Holly is secure.
His place is only a few blocks away, so he’s undoing his work within minutes. I reach an arm around him for a half hug in front of my truck, and I pat his back, hoping he figures out a plan soon. He needs a nanny, stat. And then it hits me.
“You know what? I have someone you should reach out to. She’s good with kids. And she’s looking for a job that might let her stay at home. Anyhow . . .”
Brooks hands over his phone at lightning speed, and I pop open my contacts to send him Lindsey’s number. It’s a fluke I have it, and it’s only because she called me the night I got into Dallas. But my half-hatched idea isn’t so bad. They could help each other out. And I’d like that, for both of them.
“I’ll call her today. Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.”
I hug him one more time and reassure him that he’ll be playing up with me soon enough—even if it takes him a season of raking down here to get there. And maybe he’ll have things sorted out about Holly by then, whether she stays with him permanently or not. I saw the way he looked at her, though. He’s letting her go.
“Say hi to the guys for me. Especially Roddy. Let him know I listened to the high and outside. He’ll know what it means.”
“Sure thing,” Brooks says.
I pull away as he heads into his apartment with his daughter, and on my way to Renleigh’s place, I take the route that runs by the stadium. The lights are on, though there’s not a game tonight, so it must be the field crew. I’m tempted to pull over andask if I can drive the mower, just once. It’s like the Zamboni in hockey, and I’m sure I’d fuck up the pretty lines in the grass. But it would grow back. And I’d have a check on my bucket list.
While that urge is strong, the one calling me to keep heading west is stronger, and soon, I’m pulling up outside the Blackwood home, and Renleigh is on her way out to me.
I roll my window down and kill the engine.
“Well, shoot. You’re all dressed up and pretty.” She’s wearing a white cotton sundress with a blue sweater over it. She reminds me of summer.
“I was hoping we could go on a date,” she says, her lips puckered as she lifts herself up by the running board to kiss me through the window.
“Date, huh?” My brow lowers with skepticism. If we’re heading out together tomorrow, it feels strange to go on a date tonight, which fills my belly with worried butterflies. But this is Renleigh, and nothing about our relationship has been by anyone’s book, not even those romance ones on her shelves. Well,myshelves.
“Hop in,” I say, leaning my head to the right as I smile. I’m doing my best to ignore the fast pitter-pattering in my chest, but my stream of worried thoughts is making it impossible. I can’t handle the anticipation, so the minute she slips into the passenger seat, I blurt my inner thoughts out.
“You’re not coming to Dallas, are you?”
Renleigh
Nothing like this ever goes the way you imagine. I rehearsed this talk with Hunter a hundred times, and always got to gently let him down. That method, however, was imaginary. And this one, therealone, is going to hurt.
I suck in my bottom lip, and his eyes fall along with the corners of his mouth. He hangs his hands over the steering wheel and sighs before rolling his neck and meeting my gaze.
“Why?”
I match the tilt of his head.
“You know why,” I croak.
