His mouth curves. “Okay…you’d better go. We’ll talk soon.”
Outside, the night hits cold and damp. Rain pings steadily against the pavement, turning the street into a blur of reflections and mist. Maeve and I hover under the awning while Tanner jogs toward the car.
“I shouldn’t have let him take the car tonight,” I murmur, scanning the foggy street like I might somehow see the accident from here. “Not in this weather.”
“Maria.” Maeve’s hand settles on my arm. “Accidents happen. They’re not hurt, and that’s what matters.”
I nod, but the guilt still claws its way in. “Why didn’t they call me?” I whisper. “Why Tuck?”
Even as I say it, I know. Because they trust him. Because they look up to him. Because somehow in the last couple of weeks, they started seeing him as…more.
“Maybe they didn’t want to bother you on your date,” Maeve says gently. “I think the boys like seeing you out there again.”
Josh would prefer it if I were dating Tuck.
The thought flickers through me and I shove it down hard. Headlights sweep over us as Tanner pulls up. I slide into the back seat, the door shutting out the rain but not the tension coiled tight in my chest. Fog clings to the road as he drives carefully, wipers beating out a steady rhythm. I text the boys to let them know I’m on my way. Two bubbles pop up almost instantly.
We’re okay, Mom.
Promise.
My chest loosens a little. Twenty minutes later, Tanner turns into Tuck’s driveway. The house glows warm against the dark, rain-slick night, and I’m already reaching for the handle before the car fully stops.
“Thanks for the ride,” I say, glancing between them. “And…for the double date.”
“Do you want us to come in?” Maeve asks.
I shake my head. “No. They’re okay. That’s what matters.”
“You want me to wait? I can drive you and the boys home after.”
That’s when it hits me. My car is damaged. I don’t have transportation.
“Maybe you should stay here tonight,” Maeve says gently, like she can read every thought on my face. “They’re probably shaken up, and Marbles will help. I can call Gina. She won’t mind opening the café tomorrow.”
I hesitate for half a second then nod. “Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” I don’t normally work on Sundays anymore, but we’re short-staffed with Zack away on his honeymoon.
“Text me when you’re settled,” she says.
“I will.”
I step out into the rain, barely feeling it as I hurry toward the front door. It opens before I can knock. Tuck is already there. Waiting for me, and I like it. A lot. I go straight into his arms.
“Hey,” he murmurs, his voice low as he wraps me up, one hand coming up to cradle the back of my head.
From somewhere deeper in the house, I hear the boys—laughing, arguing over something with Marbles—and the sound cuts through the panic still lingering in my chest.
“They’re okay,” he says softly.
I nod against him, breathing him in, letting that truth settle. Slowly, I pull back. His hands stay on my arms, his eyes searching my face.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For taking care of them.” I honestly don’t want to drag a man into my life if he doesn’t want to be there, but I’m so truly grateful he was there for my kids tonight.
“Of course,” he says. His gaze softens, something shifting there as his thumb brushes lightly along my sleeve. “And now…” he adds quietly. “It seems to me, you’re the one who needs to be taken care of.”
17
Tuck
