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Instead, I press my fingers to my lips and flick a kiss his way.
He catches it in his hand, then presses his hand to his bottom.
“You just made me kiss your ass,” I say, fighting a smile.
“I did,” he says.“And I’m not sorry.Not even a little bit.”
I shake my head, my grin popping through.“All right, I’ll give you the win.Just this once.”
“That’s my girl,” he says softly.“Pick those battles, Freckles.”
“I will,” I say as I turn and start up the stairs, trying not to think about how much I like hearing Aaron call me “his girl.”
But man, do I like it.
Way too much.
Chapter 14
Aaron
Iwant to call Ben and tell him to quit being a controlling dick and ganging up on Melissa with his snobby fiancé, but it’s time to take my own advice.
I’m too angry to make good decisions right now.
Besides, I don’t want to do anything to scare Melissa away.She clearly appreciates my support here in the privacy of her home, but if I were to stick my nose in her family drama, she’d be pissed.She may be beaten down and need a break, but Melissa is still the kind of woman who likes to fight her own battles.I respect that, and I’d feel the same way if our positions were reversed.
So, I focus on things that are within my sphere of control.
I order dinner, heat water for coffee, and move the Lego tower to clear a space for our food on the coffee table.When I’m done, Melissa is still upstairs and the delivery hasn’t arrived, so I decide to call Pete instead of waiting for tomorrow.
He answers with typical Pete enthusiasm, “Finally, asshole!I was hoping you’d call.How you holding up?How long are you in town?We need to get a beer and catch up.I’ve had another kid since the last time we talked, and you’re a fucking hockey star.”
“We’ll see about the star part,” I say with a laugh.“It all depends on when I can get back on the ice.”
“Fucking Kriecheque,” Pete says.“What a piece of shit he is.Getting the Wisconsin fans all riled up and pissed at you whenhe’sthe one who started this shit.He’s not even from Wisconsin.He’s from Treble’s Woods, Minnesota, like twenty minutes from here.”
“I know, we used to play on the same travel team as kids.That’s actually why I was calling.”I explain the situation with Mel’s ex and his worry about the threats from the Wisconsin fans.“He doesn’t want their son staying here until he knows Chase is going to be safe, and Mel is pretty messed up about it.That’s her baby, you know?”
Pete grunts.“Oh, I know.If someone tried to take either of my little shits away, I’d be on the warpath.Even though they’re crazy, never sleep, and have probably taken at least a decade off my life.Did you know that kids can get a thing called ‘hand, foot, and mouth’ disease?And that they can get it more than once?And that daycare makes you pay the full price even when your kids are out for half the month with kid cooties?At this rate, I’m never going to be able to retire.I’ll be seventy and still paying off daycare debt.”
I smile.“But you love ‘em.”
“So much,” he says, a smile in his voice.“Kids, man.They really are the best.Believe the hype and have a few if you get the chance.”
My eyes lift.I watch Mel come down the stairs, as I murmur, “It’s on my list.So, you think you might be able to put in a call to the Bad Dog PD for us?Get Melissa’s house on a welfare check list or something?”
“Sure, I can do that,” he says.“I’ll put you guys on my drive by list, too.I have a few people I check on every day free of charge.A woman with a restraining order against her garbage ex, a lady whose grandson keeps breaking into her garage to steal shit to buy drugs, that kind of thing.”
“You’re a prince among men, Pete,” I say as the doorbell rings.I rise from the couch, signaling for Mel to stay back when she tries to beat me to the front door.“I’m buying those beers when we meet up.Be in touch soon.”
I end the call, pay the delivery driver, and turn back to Melissa with the bag full of food.“I have hunted and killed the feast.”
She smiles from the doorway of the kitchen, where she’s standing with one socked foot propped on top of the other, looking adorable in a pair of white sweatpants and a giant pale blue sweatshirt.She lifts a fancy-looking bottle filled with clear liquid.“Swanky orange blossom flavored sparkling water with your barbeque?I figured drinking wine is also off-limits when you’re headed down a bad rabbit hole.”
“Sounds good.”I smile, proud of her.She’s already rallying from her rough afternoon, like the champ she is.It’s not often you run into a woman who’s as strong as she is gentle, who fights hard, but loves even harder, and who clearly isn’t going to let the world crush her spirit.
It’s why Mel’s such a great mom.And why I instantly thought of her when Pete said I should try to have kids.I couldn’t imagine a better mother for my children, and that’s only partly due to the fact that I’m dying to fuck Mel again and the thought of being bare inside her tight body does dangerous things to my blood pressure.
