Memphis couldn’t hear the kid’s answer over the hustle and instruction as they got some fresh clothes on Lucas.
Dang. He hated that the kid was sick. And he hated that it meant their date would probably have to wait. But then he overheard something Margo was saying.
“Not only don’t I mind,” Margo said, “I’ll actually be angry if youdon’tlet me do this for you. Besides, me and Lucas here have some serious catching up to do on Pet Patrol, don’t we?”
Lucas giggled. “Yeah.”
Ty’s hands went to her hips, where a pair of cutoffs hugged her curvy waist. “You’re sure?”
“I’m more than sure,” Margo insisted. “Where are the keys?”
The two spun around and looked at Memphis. He felt his face redden as they saw how far he stood from them. “Queasy stomach,” he explained, lifting Ty’s keys in the air.
“I’m taking Lucas home,” Margo announced as she hoisted Lucas onto her hip and walked toward his truck. “Andyouare going to bring Ty home after you’ve had a wonderful time together.”
Memphis met her halfway and handed over the keys. “That is very kind of you,” he said, meaning it from the depths of his seriously grateful soul. He lifted a hand to smooth the back of Lucas’s head. “I’m sorry you’re sick, buddy. Maybe we can do this another time, okay?”
Lucas nodded. “I forgot to take the pill my mom gave me. I was busy eating some candy Grandpa gave me instead.”
“Bummer,” Memphis said with a frown.
Ty came up behind Margo, the grocery sack with what he assumed was Lucas’s wet clothes in her hand. “I can’t thank you enough for doing this. I need to grab a few things out of the car real quick while you put him in.”
Ty was either purposefully avoiding his gaze or forgetting about his very existence. She hurried over to the car, hiked a purse strap onto her shoulder, and then ducked back into the passenger side where she popped open the glove box. She produced a container of sanitizer and squirted a generous portion into her palm. He watched while she meticulously scrubbed her hands with the stuff, scraping even the tips of her fingernails against her smothered palms. She hurried back to the river, dunked her hands in the water, and pulled them to her face to check the smell. He couldn’t help but smile when she pulled her tee shirt to her nose next.
It must have passed the test because suddenly her shoulders softened and she turned to look at him. “Ready.” She turned her gaze to where Margo was getting settled behind the steering wheel. “Almost,” she added. “Let me kiss him goodbye.”
Ty rushed over to the car, pried open the back door, and moved to press a long kiss to the kid’s head. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” she said. “Have fun. Feel better. We’ll do this another time.”
“Okay, Mom,” Lucas said with a nod. “Bye, Memphis. See you next time.”
“Okay, buddy.” Man, it felt like his heart was getting ripped out, watching the kid in his disappointment.
“I owe you one,” Ty mumbled to Margo.
“All I ask is for a play-by-play,” Margo said with a wicked laugh. “Have fun, you two.” She gave them a wave before starting up the car.
Then, for the first time since she’d arrived, Ty set her eyes on him. He watched as the stress of that situation melted away. Her expression softening at once. A smile pulled at her lips. “And there’s a day in the life of being a mom.”
He felt more tugs pulling at his heart. “You’re…incredible,” he breathed.
She shook her head and waved a dismissive hand, but Memphis was almost positive he spotted a hint of moisture welling in her eyes. “Thanks,” she finally said with a sniff. She turned her gaze to the tubes in the flatbed. “Looks like it’s just the two of us. You ready to give this a go?”
He grinned, securing a tube around each wrist. “Definitely.” He replayed what he’d seen play out before him, appreciating even more the many roles Ty held as a mom. Could he really be so lucky to score such an incredible woman?
Memphis wasn’t sure, but even if it meant he could get his heart broken, he was more than willing to find out.
