A smile spreads across his lips as he says, “I’m all in if you are.”
The end of a date is always bittersweet. The day has been everything I could’ve asked for and more, but I don’t want it to end. If Liv wasn’t at my house, waiting for me to get home and relieve her of her honorary aunt duties, I could easily spend at least a few more hours with Logan. Even if all we did was sit in his truck and talk, it would be worth it. She has sent a few texts to check in and let me know they’re fine, but I don’t want to take advantage of her offer to watch Jake. Though I’m sure Liv would probably tell me to take my time and have fun.
Music is playing low through the truck’s speakers as we make the drive back toward town. Tall shade trees line either side of the road, and rays of golden afternoon light spill through the branches as a sense of peace washes over me. I didn’t expect to have the “what happened” conversation today, but I’m glad we did. Hearing him say he’s all in if I am settled something inside of me, like a puzzle piece was finally beginning to shift into place.
He reaches over and places one hand on my thigh while he drives, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Are you busy tomorrow?” he asks, glancing inmy direction before he looks back at the road. “I’d really like to see you again.”
My heart kicks in my chest, flames dancing across my cheeks as I press my lips together and turn my head away from him. It takes mentally counting to ten before the heat subsides, and my gaze meets his. “You don’t have to work?” I ask.
“Twenty-four, fourty-eight.” He rattles the numbers off as though they should be enough of an answer. A playful laugh escapes him when he takes in the confusion painted across my face. “My schedule,” he clarifies. “I’ve got another day off before I have to be back at the station. Unless a major call comes in that requires more than whoever is on duty, I’m free.”
As much as I would love to spend tomorrow with him, I can’t ask Liv to watch my son again. My parents would probably be more than happy to take him for the night, but then I would be subjecting myself to their interrogation. Plus, the weekends are the only time I have to do something fun with my kid. During the week, it’s all school and work.
“I’d love to, but I promised Jake we could do something fun tomorrow. Now that he’s in school, the weekends are all we have.”
He flips his hand over where it’s resting on my thigh, his palm facing up, and I slide my hand into his, our fingers intertwining. He gently squeezes my hand, the gesture oddly comforting. “If it’s not overstepping, I would love to spend the day with you two.”
“Are you sure? Have you been around many five-year-olds?”
He chuckles. “Not really. But like you said, you two are a package deal. I want to be with you, and that means gettingto know him too.”
I don’t know if the buzzing in my stomach is from nerves or excitement. Probably a bit of both.
He’s got a point, though. If we’re dating, it only makes sense that he also gets to know the little boy who my world revolves around. I’ve seen too many relationships where the child and step-parent don’t get along. I can only imagine the kind of stress that would cause. I don’t think I would ever be able to fully commit to someone unless I knew that my son would be safe and happy in their presence.
“Okay,” I murmur. “Let’s give it a shot. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Chapter eighteen
Logan
“Comeon,comeon.Pick up,” I groan, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel as the sound of ringing fills my truck. I just dropped Tessa off at her place, and after what she shared with me about her late husband, I need to talk to someone.
Talking to the crew at work feels a little too close to home. They all grew up in this town. We might work together, but I don’t know whether they would be able to have an unbiased conversation about this. Calling Luke seems like my best bet, but the guy never takes a day off. Even though he finally hired someone to help him out at the bookstore, he insists on being there as much as possible.
“Hello?” Luke answers.
I expel a heavy breath before asking, “Are you at the shop?” I don’t necessarily need to hear him answer to know what he’s going to say. Of course he’s at the bookstore. And if he’s not, then he’s at home, which is conveniently locatedabovethe bookstore. Because somehow, my brother managed to find the perfect location for his dream bookshop, and it just so happened to come with a modest-sized apartment located above it.
“Where else would I be?” Luke asks, a flair of annoyance in his tone. The faint sound of people talking in the background filters through the line.
I don’t want to pull him away from work if he is busy, but I could really use a sounding board right now, and I trust him to give me his honest opinion without any sugar-coated bullshit.
“I’m coming over. Can you step away for a bit?” I’m sure he can hear the desperation in my voice. He knows I wouldn’t interrupt his day or bother him unless it was important.
He’s quiet for a minute, no doubt taking stock of how many people are in the shop. “Yeah, Rachel’s here. She can handle things for a while.” Rachel is the woman he hired to help out at Blue Ridge Bookery when needed. From what he has told me, right now, she is only working part-time, but she has been a good addition. He’s hopeful that she will be able to handle a full-time position.
Luke is standing behind the check-out desk when I walk in, the bell above the door chiming as he seemingly runs through something with his employee. His head lifts, a slight smile forming on his lips before he utters something to Rachel and then slips out from behind the desk. He tilts his head, nodding toward the back of the shop where there’s a door that leads upstairs to his apartment. He waits until we’re upstairs with the door closed and locked behind us before he asks, “What’s wrong?”
The mental dam breaks, and the words flow out of me. I relay what I learned on the picnic date with Tessa, telling him that her husband was a police officer who lost his life on the job, that she found out she was pregnant after losing him, and that she has been raising her son on her own the entire time. I had no way of knowing what her story would be or just how much my heart would ache for her when she opened up to me about it all. Nothing she told me changes my mind about her. Ifanything, I’m even more sure now that she’s an incredibly kind, strong, resilient woman—one who deserves to be loved and cherished.
Luke nods his head, releasing a heavy sigh. “Fuck,” he breathes. “And you’re okay with all of this? I mean, I wouldn’t blame you if it’s too much to handle.”
Being “okay” with it doesn’t feel like the right way to put it, but I get where he’s coming from. My relationship with Tessa started with a one-night stand. I didn’t anticipate it becoming more, but it has. I would be a fool to walk away from what could end up being the greatest thing to ever happen to me simply because it’s more than what I expected.
Pulling in a deep breath, I say, “I could never be okay with what she’s been through. I hate that she has been through that kind of heartbreak, you know? But at the same time, I wouldn’t have met her otherwise.”
“But do you think you can handle being with someone who has a child?” he asks, studying me. “That’s a big commitment.”
