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He closed her door, and Sam started the car, then rolled the window down a bit.
“I’ll see you tomorrow? At school?” she asked, and he agreed.
“Okay. Get home safe.”
She smiled again, rolled up the window, and drove out of the parking lot.
“Where have you been?” Zed asked Aero when he walked into the clubhouse kitchen.
Zed was feeding one-year-old Levi, who waved his little arms at Aero from his highchair.
“Hi!” Levi grinned, his blue eyes sparkling.
“Hey, pal,” Aero said, patting the boy’s red hair briefly before crossing to the sink for a glass of water. While he struggled to be around Ashlyn, Levi was a bit easier for Aero to handle.
“It’s late,” Zed told him, wiping Levi’s hands with a washcloth.
“What are you, my mother?” Aero asked, and Zed chuckled.
“Just looking out for you, is all.” Zed scattered another handful of Cheerios on the tray in front of the toddler. In a baby voice, Zed cooed to Levi, “Daddy thinks Uncle Aero found a girlfriend.”
Aero froze. Was he that transparent? How would Zed react to him taking Sam out? Even worse, what would Gemma do when she found out? She’d probably castrate him just for having the idea. Aero’s mind spun with fears and what-ifs until Zed spoke again.
“Who is she?” Zed raised a pierced eyebrow and smirked.
Aero considered telling the truth but thought better of it and said, “I got hung up at work. I couldn’t leave the job until I fixed the problem. It was a security issue.”
Zed nodded. “Mhm.”
“Daddy,” Levi said. “Milk.”
Aero rinsed his glass and put it in the dishwasher before heading for the door.
Zed handed over a sippy cup before calling out to Aero and making him cringe slightly. “I hope she’s pretty. You deserve it, man.”
Upstairs, Aero bypassed his desk and headed for the bathroom.
Stripping, he tossed his clothes into the hamper and turned on the shower.
Standing beneath the spray, Aero let his mind wander to Sam. He wondered what she was doing, if she regretted going to dinner with him, and if it would be awkward tomorrow when he saw her.
An excited little shiver traveled up his spine at the thought of seeing her again.
Aero was breathing hard. He hadn’t been interested in a woman for years, but one look at Sam and she had commanded his attention. He shook his head. Even if he wanted her, which he wasn’t ready to admit that he did, he knew he couldn’t have her.
Sam was so young, so vibrant, and had so much potential, and Aero couldn’t make himself believe he was good enough for her. He’d drag her down. He couldn’t give her what she wanted or needed.
He should probably label their dinner as a one-off and make sure it didn’t happen again.
The thought made his chest ache.
? ? ? ? ?
Sam kept looking at her classroom door, expecting Aero to appear at any moment, but he didn’t.
She’d brought two lunches, assuming he would show up again without one.
“Miss Coleman?” A little voice pulled her from her thoughts.
