I was trying to change my attitude for Ruthie's sake anyway, not mine. I'm not even sure I'm ready to pursue someone at all let alone a woman in a relationship, even if the person that they're with doesn't seem to deserve them—or is selfish and arrogant and, quite frankly, annoyingas hell. Tess is with Trevor and whether or not I agree isn't my business. At the end of the day, she's unavailable to me.
For more reasons than one.
With that in mind, I slow down before I reach the floor-to-ceiling windows that are just around the corner, bound to lead me right to her. I peek around, looking into the pool room. It's darker than you'd expect thanks to the three glass walls that look out into the night—faint flickers of fireflies from the hotel garden are the only lights streaming in from outside. But the LEDs that run the perimeter of the pool cast a sky blue glow over the water.
I spot Ruthie first, the only one swimming, her hair flipped back George Washington-style. I instantly smile, watching as she dips under, emerging with her hair sailing backward like a mermaid. Laughing, I cross my arms over my chest and savor the moment where, in my mind, she's little again, splashing and sloshing around. She dives and swims across the pool, and as I follow her path, I get lost in the memory.
Until my eyes land on Tessa.
She's sitting on the edge with her feet in the water, wearing a thin white cover up with her hair down for the first time ever. It's damp still, tossed at the roots and slinging over one shoulder, falling gracefully in tousled waves. And for the second time today, I'm not thrown by what she's wearing, but my reaction to it.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I head in, and the heat wraps around me like a warm blanket, immediately coaxing the ache from my legs. I soak it in, allowing it to relax both my body and mind. So I find Tessa attractive, she's great with my kid, and for some reason she makes me feel things I wasn't sure I was even capable of, let alone interested in. It doesn't matter. She has a boyfriend, and that's not a bad thing.
It's the perfect silver lining.
"There she is," I say, walking toward Ruthie as she comes up for air after her very shaky handstand.
"Dad!" she cries, wiping water from her eyes.
"Couldn't even wait for me, could ya?" I ask, sliding out of my shoes and slipping off my socks. I tuck them into my sneakers and fold up the bottom of my warm-up pants.
She giggles, and I look at Tess for the first time up close.
"Hi." My voice comes out softer than I intended, my throat tight as I sit beside her, sinking my feet into the luke-warm water.
She smiles, shyly tucking her hair behind her ear, and I give myself a split second of lingering on the way her locks frame her face before I pull my gaze away.
"Good game today," Ruthie says, bobbing. "How much were the Oilers paying that ump, huh?" She scoffs. "Your first three at-bats were solid, but I have notes on the last one."
I arch my brow, glancing over at Tessa who's smothering a laugh.
"Oh! And I made two new best friends. Can we invite them to my birthday party?"
I attempt to hide the fact that in the midst of everything, I have roughly nothing planned for said party and ruffle her hair. "We can talk about it tomorrow," I say, too physically and emotionally exhausted to talk about cupcakes and PG-13 movies right now.
I settle beside Tessa, grateful for the temperature in the room soothing my muscles and my nerves. "Best friends, huh?"
She laughs, tucking her hands under her thighs. "She could tell you everything from their first names to what their dads do for work, but I'm pretty sure we didn't get phone numbers, so you might be safe from the extra invites."
I blow out a heavy breath. "I actually have to get on that. I sent the invitations out but only got maybe half of them back, and of course, I have nothing planned. Last year we went to the movies—no talking, everyone sitting in one place—it was perfect. This year she wants areal friend sleepover,whatever that means. And I have no idea what I'm doing."
Tess grins as Ruthie does what feels like her thousandth front flip under the water. "Don't overthink it. Preteen girls aren't as complicated as we make them out to be. Buy some junk food and a few face masks. Get the sheets, not the clay—way less mess. And play whatever it is the kids are listening to these days on that karaoke machine you guys have. They'll love it. Throw on a movie with one of the Marvel guys in it, and wear ear plugs… the good kind."
I stare at her, mouth gaping.
"Two younger sisters, remember? Plus I was one so… "
"I need you," I blurt, the words tumbling out—and not at all how I meant them. Tess's eyes flick to mine—too fast. She huffs out a breath, swallowing hard as she finds Ruthie floating in the deep end.
"For the uh, party," I add quickly. "If you're free next Saturday?"
"Oh," she pauses, thinking. "Brooke's having a housewarming, but… " Her voice trails off as her gaze falls to the water. She shakes her head and inhales deeply. "But I've seen her new place already. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if I missed it."
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"I know." She paints a smile. "But it's for Ruthie."
That part of me I'm trying to keep locked away lights up again.
