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I look at the GPS and nod when she turns out to be right. My pulse quickens with excitement the closer we get to the small yellow house. Scarlett’s mom must be a bird lover if the several birdhouses on the lawn are anything to go by.
“Never understood why birds need baths,” Banks grunts. I glance over to find him reclined in the seat and toying with the rip on the knee of his jeans.
Brielle makes a noise in her throat. “Because unlike you, they take hygiene seriously.”
“Wow, good one,” he replies gruffly. Rolling down the passenger window, he leans over and spits his gum out. “How long have you been holding on to that sizzling burn?”
She pushes back into her seat, and I catch her glaring at the back of Banks’ head from the rear-view window. “Almost as long as it’s been since you’ve gotten laid. That would be what? Months?”
Banks’ laugh is rough, abrupt. “No, sweetheart. Not quite.”
I pull up in front of the yellow brick house at the same time Brielle rolls down her window and all but sticks her head out the window. Ignoring that, I turn to Banks. “I need you to knock it off. Please behave like an adult tonight. I want this to go well.”
“Yeah. You got it,” he replies without hesitation, and I smile gratefully.
Nodding to myself, I smack my hands on my thighs and announce, “I’m going to get her.”
When I get out of the SUV, I shut the door and wipe my sweaty palms off on my shirt. I’m not exactly sure why I’m so nervous. This isn’t a date; it’s not anything like that.
This is me being a friend. And fucking hell. I’ll be damned if this doesn’t turn out to be a fun night for her. It’ll be the first time she’s been to a hockey game since before her injury, and she’ll be away from the crowds in a comfortable environment. Plus, she agreed to come. I didn’t force her. If she didn’t want to, I have no doubt she wouldn’t have told me to fuck right off with my offer. All I did was point out the advantage of coming with us.
With a head-clearing breath, I straighten my shoulders and start up the sidewalk. The strong scent of flowers is instant when I reach the front porch. And once I climb the three steps, I realize why.
Flower pot after flower pot line the front of the porch, the petals vibrant, with not a single dead leaf to be seen, even in the dim light of the setting sun. A small table and two wicker chairs sit in the corner, and several wind chimes hang from the wooden slats above.
It’s clear a lot of care went into this area of the house.
I raise my fist to knock on the front door, but it swings open before I get the chance, revealing a petite woman I recognize as Scarlett’s mother. She’s grinning at me, her green eyes just as piercing as they were the day we met in the flower shop parking lot.
“Oh, Adam. It’s lovely to see you again,” she exclaims while lifting her arms and quickly closing the space between us. I laugh softly when she attempts to wrap me up in her arms.
“Likewise, Amelia. You look lovely.”
She steps back but grabs my hand in hers, squeezing it tight. I frown when her eyes become glassy. Her voice shakes when she says, “Thank you for doing this. You have no idea how much she needed to do this.” Her voice breaks. “Oh, I knew her working for you would be just what she needed.”
I ignore the lump in my throat and squeeze her hand. “Don’t thank me, Amelia. I want to help her any way I can.”
“Before you, she . . . she . . . oh dear.” She trails off, her lips pursed in concentration. “I seem to have forgotten what I was going to say.”
Before I have a chance to let the weight of that fully sink in, Scarlett comes rushing toward us, her red hair flailing around her. I catch her worried eyes from over her mom’s shoulder and try to paint a reassuring smile on my face before she looks away.
“Mom,” she breathes. With a tentative hand on her mom’s shoulder, she slowly, almost nervously, meets my stare and takes in the worry I know is prominent in my expression. She cringes. “You were supposed to come get me if Adam got here while I was taking out the trash.”
Amelia gasps. “I was. I’m so sorry, my darling.”
“I haven’t been here long, Scary Spice. Your mom is good company, anyway,” I rush out, immediately hating the pain in her eyes.
There’s obviously a story here, something she hasn’t opened up to me about yet. Something bad enough to be causing her grief. I want to know what it is so I can fix it, ease her pain.
“Scary Spice?” Amelia echoes with a bright laugh. Scarlett rolls her eyes.
“Don’t start, Mom,” she says.
Her mom shrugs her off. “That is perfect, Adam.”
I wink at Scarlett. “I thought so too.”
Scarlett, clearly not in the mood to be picked on, turns Amelia around to face her. “It’s time for you to say goodbye.”
