But carving out time for Hazel? That’s effortless.
“I’m glad you got to see her.”
“Oh me too. Plus, she loved hearing all about you and the Single Dads Club.” Her eyes sparkle with mischief.
I shake my head, smiling. “You and your names.”
“What?” she asks, mock offended. “Someone needs to know I somehow managed to catch your eye.”
There it is again, that note of disbelief that tinges her words at times. “Hazel,” I say soft and low, “I hope you know I’m not planning on going anywhere.”
The sudden serious turn in the tone of our conversation has her blinking in confusion. “What?”
Here we are, miles apart and talking on a video call, not at all how I envisioned having this conversation. “You think I’d let a woman like you hobble into my life and let her go? I think you’ll have a hard time getting rid of me.”
Hazel blows a raspberry with her lips, laughing at herself and the day we met. “Is this your way of telling me that I’m your girlfriend?” A smile spreads across her beautiful face, her teeth biting into her thick lower lip as if to stifle the same giddy feeling that’s bubbling under my skin.
“God, I want to kiss you right now.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She laughs. “Too bad we decided to save the booty call ‘til later.” Her voice has turned sultry and my body immediately responds to it.
I groan, dragging a hand down my face. “If you don’t want me sprinting across town to your apartment, we better talk about something else.”
“I mean, I don’tnotwant that,” my eyes snap open, meeting hers through the screen, “but I’ll be good.”
We spend hours on the phone talking about anything and everything.
“Mark’s…Mark,” she sighs. “He’s always done his own thing, ran on his own clock kind of thing. I’d say he was the wild child.”
“Really? Why did I think that was you?” We’d already gone over my life as an only child. It was nice sharing stories about my grandparents and hearing her laugh at my family's camping fiascos.
“Me?” She chuckles. “No, that was Mark. Candice is the perfect one, and I’m… well, I don’t know which one I am.”
We’re both lying down, our phones resting on our pillows. It’s like she’s lying in bed right next to me and I can’t wait for the day when she is. “I’d say you’re pretty fucking perfect.”
“Not compared to Candice.” Gone is the playful tone from several seconds ago. Even her eyes, tired as they are, lose some of their sparkle.
Sheets rustle as I sit up wanting to hear her every word. “What do you mean?”
Hazel sucks in a deep, hitching breath, her eyes darting to the ceiling. “Candice is amazing and I love her, but she does everythingright. Not only that, she’s sofucking goodat it too. Do you know how many things she does? She teaches nursing courses at Liberty College, is president of the PTA, hosts book club, sits on the city council,” she ticks off the lists on her fingers. “Not to mention that she's like, the best mom in the entire world and Mason is the luckiest kid to have her. Lord knows how Tony managed to snatch her up,” she mutters. “I think I better remind him how good he has it before he forgets.”
She inhales, swallowing before she continues. “I guess growing up it’s easy to notice how we were different. And the older we got the more stark those differences became. I don’t have everything figured out like she seems to, and I tend to mess up a lot.”
I wait until she relaxes back into her mattress before I do the same. “Can I tell you something?”
The soft smile she gives me has warmth spreading in my chest. “Yes.”
“I think you’re amazing, Hazel Elizabeth Bryant.”
By the time I wish her a good night, I don’t want to end the call. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted and then some. I never imagined that I’d find the woman of my dreams at my son's soccer game, but the way I’m feeling right now, I think I have.
Chapter Six
Hazel
Grant’s coming over tonight. We’ve continued our nightly video calls and I don’t even care that I wake up exhausted. I guess that’s what happens when you find yourself falling in love.
I’m falling in love with him.
