Tess shakes her head. "No, I'll walk back up to the main street, then call a cab."
Sammy's tail starts flapping at the sound of his favorite four-letter word. "Are you sure?" I ask, still not positive how I feel except that I know I don't love the idea of her heading home alone.
She smiles softly. "Definitely. It'll be good exercise," she says as she heads toward the entryway. "No Krunk tomorrow."
I stop behind her as we reach the door. "Huh?"
She laughs. "Never mind. Thank you for having me. Sorry again for being late."
"Thanks for coming."
She tips her chin down and reaches for the knob. The door opens, and she steps outside, but before she starts walking, she turns back toward me. "Hey, Liam," she says.
I look up from where I'm holding a whiny Sammy back by his collar. "Yeah?"
"You're a good dad, I can tell. You'll make the right call. And I'd love the job, but I don't think who you choose will matter as much as you think."
"Why's that?" I ask skeptically.
She tilts her head, her eyes full of sincerity. "Because she has you."
With that, she bounces down the steps. I watch as she reaches the end of the driveway, her ponytail swaying as she disappears into the development. When I close the door, Sammy looks up at me and barks once as if he knows what I'm thinking.
"Don't start," I say sternly, pulling my phone from my pocket.
Her name lights up on my screen, the contact still open from when she added it.
Tessa Hastings.
Sounds like a name that's too good to be true.
5
Tessa
"Four more ladies, let's go!"
"No!" Brooke shouts back, still bending at her knees.
"Here we go! Squat… hips… jump… chest pop."
She rolls her eyes. "I'm gonna popherif she says that one more time."
I let out a breathy laugh, swirling my hips to the beat. "What's your deal? You love this one."
"I know," she groans, her toes barely leaving the ground at that part of the sequence. "But the Gators had a game yesterday afternoon, then I ran right to the rink for Drew's, and by the time I finished batching this weekend's content, I barely made it to bed in time to sit up all night contemplating if a maroon wall in the living room would be moody or obnoxious."
I stare at her rather than squatting again, picking the motions back up at the chest pop. "That's a lot to unpack, B."
"Two more! You got this!"
"I'm just tired," she says, giving this jump a little more effort. "I'll be a much nicer person once we're fully moved in. Did I tell you I think we're having a housewarming?"
I fake excitement. "You mean I'll finally get to see the bed where Drew Anderson sleeps?"
"Yeah," she says. "With me."
She winks, and I wiggle my brows. "Can't wait."
