Page 40 of Something Like That

“Em’s a great kid. And I like her a lot, too.” He didn’t think there was much for her to look up to, but he kept his mouth shut. If she and Alex liked him, he wasn’t about to point out all of his flaws. They’d stumble upon them soon enough. He just hoped they wouldn’t drop him too fast when they realized what a fuck-up he really was. “And I promise that whatever happens, I will not let it affect my relationship with her.”

“Good, because she’s… well, it hasn’t been easy, with Kevin and everything.” She tucked her chin to her chest, stared at the counter. Her finger traced abstract patterns on the top.

Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it.

“What happened between you two?” Damn it, he’d done it.

She looked up and smiled, but it was sad, strained. The kind that made a little spot at the base of his throat ache. “You know, the usual. Teenage pregnancy leads to a bunch of mistakes that just keep piling on top of one another, until finally you can’t breathe or move or anything because you’re suffocating. But the alternative is terrifying, so you stay, convincing yourself you can make it work.”

Shit, didn’t that sound familiar? His short lived, sham of a marriage had been just like that. Except, he hadn’t been a teenager and, most importantly, there were no children involved. Being shackled to Lucy forever would’ve been a fucking nightmare. And, after she’d trapped him with a fake pregnancy, he’d realized he never really wanted children. When you had nothing to offer, what was the point?

“And then?” He kept the words quiet, hoping to coax her into continuing.

She cocked her head. The sad, heartbroken look in her eyes damn near undid him. “And then one day, your husband comes home and tells you that you ruined his life and he’s leaving, because he’s tired of being unhappy and he knows that the life you’ve built together isn’t where he’s going to find his bliss.”

Her matter of fact, yet resigned tone, mixed with the thread of guilt she couldn’t hide, felt like she slid a knife between his ribs and twisted. And then her words actually registered. White-hot rage burned through him so fast and so bright, it was a miracle he didn’t burst into flames. That fucker. “He actually said that to you?”

She gave a single nod and swallowed hard. Anyone with a half a brain could see she was trying hard not to let her emotions show. He wanted to so badly walk around the counter and pull her into his arms. Hold her and tell her Kevin was a fool who obviously didn’t know a good thing when it was right in front of him. Had it been Nick, he never would have let her go.

He pushed the rogue thought aside, not willing to analyze it, especially after their conversation about keeping things casual. “Well, he’s a fucking idiot.”

She snorted. He was glad to see some of her sadness disappear. At least outwardly.

“Is he still a part of Emily’s life?” What the fuck was with all these questions? Why couldn’t he keep his big mouth shut for a second?

“He is,” she said. He could tell she was modulating both her words and her tone. “Although not as much as he initially promised he would be.”

Why did that not surprise him? The guy sounded like a fucking wanker. “Does he still live here in Seattle?”

“No. He got remarried about five years ago and moved to Denver. Shelly, his new wife, has family there. Em goes out and spends a couple weeks with them in the summer and every other Christmas. They also Skype every couple of weeks.”

Wow, he’d been right. Kevin Dumont was a fucking wanker. If he had a daughter as amazing as Em, there’s no way he’d only spend a few weeks a year with her. And forget the whole video chat thing. He’d be living in the same city as his daughter and spending as much time with her as possible.

“So,” she said, shifting back and forth. The movement was slight, but he caught it. “What do you think? Are those terms acceptable?” There was a wariness in her voice, like she was afraid of his answer. Was she scared he was going to say no?

And why did that amuse him?

“I don’t know,” he said. Her shoulders stiffened. “I think I might need to get a lawyer to look over the terms before I commit to anything.”

She stared at him for a moment, uncertainty swimming in her silver gaze. One side of his mouth quirked up. She blinked a couple of times. The other side of his mouth twitched. She snorted, the tension leaking out of her. “You jerk.”

He let go and smiled, suddenly feeling as if a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound defenseman had been lifted off his chest. “Well, you were the one who got all serious, talking about acceptable terms and all of that.”

She sighed and rolled her eyes. A smile teased her perfect mouth. “I just wanted to make sure that… you know, we were both on the same page and everything.” Her cheeks turned pink. It was the cutest fucking thing he’d seen in forever.

“So, then,” he said, “does that mean you’ll go out with me? Like, on a date?” His palms started to sweat, but he resisted the urge to wipe them on his pants. There was no way he was giving himself away that easily. And why the hell was he so nervous? It wasn’t like this was his first ever date. He’d been married for Christ sake.

“Yes, I will go out on a date with you, Nick Sadler.” She smoothed her hair back, which had to be an unconscious move, because her hair was in its usual, perfect bun. His fingers itched to pull the elastic out of her hair, to let it fall down around her shoulders, like it had been on the pier. Let the silky strands slide against his skin.

“How about I pick you up tonight? After you’re done with work? I could wait around after my session.” Holy shit, eager much? So much for keeping his cool. If he wanted to come out of this with any sort of dignity, he’d better calm the fuck down.

She scrunched up her face. His stomach dropped into his knees. “Sorry, but I’ve got plans tonight.”

Keep it cool, Nick. He placed his forearm on the counter and leaned to the side. While he was hoping for nonchalance, he had a feeling he looked like a big fucking dork. He stood back up. “What, you got a hot date or something?”

“Something like that.” She spun and walked away from him.

What? She was just going to leave him hanging like that?