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The projectile smacks me right in the middle of the face, and I fall flat on my ass, smacking my head on the ground behind me. Pain explodes through my nose and my eyes immediately start watering. That’s when I hear shouts and noises, and see my ex-husband’s face appear above my head on one side, Rick’s face on the other.
“You okay, Trina?” Kevin says, something like real concern on his face. Huh. How about that.
“Yeah.” I try to sit up, but my head is killing me from the fall and as soon as I move, blood starts gushing out of my nose.
That’s when Mac shoves aside the small crowd of parents that has gathered around me, his eyes wide as he crouches beside me and wraps and arm around my shoulders. Before I can stop him, he shifts his weight, tears his T-shirt off, and shoves it under my nose to catch the blood.
It smells like him. Oh, God. Mac is shirtless beside me, keeping one arm around my shoulders and holding the shirt against my nose with the other hand. It’s only been a few weeks, but I missed his touch. His scent. His voice. I missed how safe I feel in his arms. I close my eyes for a moment, then I hear Kevin’s voice.
“She’s fine,” he says, annoyed. “Back off, buddy.”
“Where does it hurt?” Mac says, ignoring my ex-husband.
“Mostly my pride,” I answer, muffled by the tee bunched up near my nose, because did I mention Mac is shirtless?
He gives me one of those sexy half-grins, and my core spasms.
“Lie down.” That comes from Kevin. He’s stripping his shirt off now too. Why? Why would he be doing that? He unbuttons it and bunches it behind my head, now wearing nothing but a thin undershirt. He glares at Mac. “What the hell was that kick for? Were you trying to hurt her?”
“Fuck off,” Mac grits out.
Mac’s arm moves from my shoulders, and Kevin helpfully replaces it with his own. There is way, way too much testosterone here right now.
Kevin tightens his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his body. Mac’s jaw tightens at the movement, but he stares into my eyes, concerned.
“I’m fine,” I say, tasting blood. “Really.”
“You hit your head on the way down. I need to check you for a concussion.” Mac ignores my ex-husband’s soft stroking of my shoulder and pulls his shirt away from my nose to prod at my aching face.
I wince, and Kevin gets in Mac’s face. “You’ve done enough. Back. The fuck. Off.”
“Guys, there are kids around,” I say. “Stop swearing so much.”
A whistle blows, and Mac glances up. “Shit.”
“Go,” I tell him. “I’m fine.”
Mac hesitates, then glances at Kevin’s hand on my thigh, his other arm braced across my back. He flinches back, eyes going cloudy. Then he nods. “I sent one of the supervisors to get the first aid kit. Just…let me know if you need anything else. Please.” Then he’s up, grabbing a zip-up hoodie from the sidelines and covering up his gloriously bare torso to the great displeasure of all the moms in attendance.
I shrug out of Kevin’s hold. “Stop fussing.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?” He holds up two fingers, and I roll my eyes.
“Two.” I hold up my middle finger. “How about me?”
Surprisingly, Kevin cracks a smile. “There’s the woman I married.”
Uh, what? I hold Kevin’s gaze until Katie comes into view, her little brows drawn together. “Are you okay, Mommy?”
“I’m fine, honey.”
She gives me a kiss, then burrows into Kevin’s arms. He picks her up as she wraps her arms and legs around him, and my heart gives another stutter.
Was I wrong to divorce him? Did I act too quickly? I’ve denied the kids the chance to grow up with their family together, and for what? People forgive each other for infidelity all the time. Maybe I should have tried harder to get marriage counseling, to keep us together.
Doubt worms through my heart as I watch the father of my children be, well…a father.
Then I glance at Mac, and I know that no matter how great and caring and sexy he is, he’ll never be Katie and Toby’s dad. He must sense my gaze, because he glances over his shoulder. I’m still holding his bloodied T-shirt, and his eyes flick to the red stain on the fabric. Then he looks at Kevin, his lips pinch, and he looks away.
