Jay’s grin stretches ear to ear, and my heart stutters in my chest. Jay isn’t even his, and he’s swooping in, taking part in not only Abby’s life, but equally Jay’s.
“I know!” I say, poking Jay in the tummy. “Taught him all those moves, just so you know,” I tease.
Jay rolls his eyes. “You did not, Mom. I had to teach you how to play HORSE. Everybody knows how to play HORSE.”
This brings a laugh to my lips. “You get better by teaching, kiddo.”
I notice several moms waiting to speak to Tyler, but he never looks their way. Austin steps over to them to see if he can answer any questions. With curious glances at Tyler and me, they speak with Austin instead. Again, something stirs, because he could be talking to every mom in this room, yet his eyes haven’t left me.
“Where’s Abby?” Tyler asks, looking around the gym.
“She stayed home,” Jay calls over his shoulder then scampers off to talk to one of his friends.
“The kids and I are getting a Christmas tree today. Wanna come?” The words are out of my mouth before I can second-guess them. I hadn’t even thought about going to the Christmas tree farm today, but here I am, looking for excuses to be around Tyler.
“Of course I wanna go.” Then like he read my mind, he tacks on, “Anything to be with you, Jo.”
My lips part on a breathy exhale. Tyler keeps on doing this. Saying things that make me think perhaps I’m more than just themother of the daughter he didn’t know he had. More than an obligation or a responsibility. And damn my heart. The quickening in my chest is proof of how easily he affects me.
I give a cool, “We leave in an hour,” then collect Jay and head out to my car.
Forty-five minutes later, I look much more presentable, wearing my favorite denim overalls. They have a few paint stains, but I think that gives them character. There’s no time to straighten my hair, so it’s staying curly today, but I did throw on a quick dab of makeup. Examining my reflection in my bathroom mirror, I turn my head back and forth, looking at my wild curls. This is the first time he’s seen my curly hair. Reaching up, I pull one spiral strand, watching as it springs up from my release.
A knock sounds at my front door, greeted by Smudge’s yaps. I head to open it, knowing it’s Tyler on the other side. Rising onto my toes, I look through my peephole to ogle him without him seeing me.
He must have run to the apartment and changed, because he’s now wearing jeans and a UT hoodie. A brown beanie is pulled low over his ears, his nose red from the cold. I don’t even bother biting back a smile.
Swinging the door open, I step back so he can enter.
“I know you said an hour, but I thought I’d come early to see if you need anything to secure the tree to my roof rack.” Tyler kneels to pet Smudge, scratching under his chin.
“Oh, I usually borrow Liam’s truck when we go.” And now I have to text Liam and see if he’s in town to use his truck. I did not think this spur of the moment idea through.
Tyler straightens, glancing to his SUV and back at me.
“I’ve got you, Jo.” His words give me pause and if I think toohard on them I could easily read more into that statement than a reliable way to haul a Christmas tree.
I tell him where the tarp and rope are, and we all load into his vehicle. Tyler plugs the tree farm address into his GPS, and we’re off.
Throughout the drive, Jay talks almost non-stop about ball practice, and Tyler answers each and every question.
“Hey, Tyler. Wanna hear a joke?” Jay asks.
“Sure do.”
“Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?”
Jay doesn’t wait for Tyler to take a guess, jumping to the punchline immediately. “Because the P is silent.”
Tyler’s laugh is genuine as he slaps the steering wheel, repeating the punchline under his breath. Getting a laugh out of Tyler spurs Jay on, delivering joke after joke. Some make sense, and some I’m sure he made up on the spot, but Tyler laughs at them all. Abby and I listen in, and every now and then I’ll open the mirror to the visor to make a silly face at her. This only makes her roll her eyes skyward with a small grin on her face.
The tree farm is out in the country, not far from where Greg, Lisa, and Liam live. We arrive about twenty minutes later to a full parking lot. Jay has already unbuckled, and as soon as the car is in park, he’s clambering out, yelling something about hot chocolate. He takes off toward the concession stand, and I have to call after him to slow down.
“I swear that kid could live off sugar,” I mutter.
“Wonder where he gets that from,” Abby replies, and I laugh. I do love sweets. I blame Mawmaw. She and I would start on a bag of orange slices and next thing you know the bag would be empty. We’d laugh and pretend like we didn’t know where they disappeared to when my grandfather would notice the empty bag.
Tyler, Abby, and I catch up to Jay, who is already in the line for hot chocolate. When it’s our turn at the window, we all place our order. The concession worker hands Jay and me cupsbrimming with extra marshmallows, meanwhile Abby and Tyler take theirs plain. The kids take off, weaving through the rows of trees leaving me alone with Tyler.
