AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I did, didn’t I?” I felt my cheeks burn with a light blush. Why in the hell was I blushing? This was neither the time nor the place for my rosy cheeks to turn me into the human torch.
“You did. And thank you again for saving my butt tonight. I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you dropped everything to be with my little girl.”
“I love children,” I said honestly. “If I was in that position, I’m sure you’d do the same for me.”
“I would. I’m just glad that you were here while I had to . . . deal with that nightmare.”
“I take it things didn’t go the way you thought they would?”
Travis sighed. His head fell back and rested against his shoulders as he stared up at the ceiling. “No, it went exactly how I thought it would. My ex asked me to meet her at some overcrowded sports club and when I got there, she basically tried to blackmail me.”
“She what?” I gasped, horrified by what he’d said. “She tried to blackmail you?”
“She did. She said that even though she’d gotten a huge payout from our divorce settlement, she was low on funds and that if I would give her another million dollars or so, she’d sign away her rights to Amie and I could have full custody.”
“That fucking bitch!” I yelled before clapping my hand over my mouth. “I’m so sorry. I have no right to say that.”
Travis busted out belly laughing. “It’s not like you’re wrong. Sheisa bitch, and I’ll be damned if she gets another penny from Amie and me.”
“I know a really good family attorney if you need advice,” I offered, just in case he needed it. A woman Casey and I knew from school was one of the city's top divorce attorneys.
“I still have the lawyer who handled my divorce on retainer for just this exact purpose. She’s an old friend from college who hates Tami’s guts, so she’s more than happy to help me nail her ass to the wall again if I have to.”
I laughed as I envisioned some faceless woman hanging on the wall with a nail through her buttcheek. Travis and I continued to laugh until the driver that would take me home pulled up in front of his building.
“I guess I’ll see you at work on Monday,” he said as he led me outside. His hand fell to the small of my back as he escorted me out and I found myself pleasantly surprised that I did not hate the feel of his hands on me. In fact, Ilikedhis warm palm and the protectiveness it possessed.
“See you on Monday,” I said too before he opened the car door for me and held it while I climbed inside. Travis shut it securely and tapped on the ceiling before the car pulled out into traffic and carried me away.
Throughout the ride home and later as I laid in bed trying—and failing—to sleep, I couldn’t help but think about Amie and the horrible things she’d heard her mother say. Anger and frustration tensed my muscles as I thought about how unfair it was that women like her had the ability to become mothers, while women like me, ones who desperately wanted children, were destined to never have them. It was further proof that life wasn’t fair and that ultimately, it might be better if I just avoided relationships for the time being. Too many complicated feelings could get in the way. Even if I felt a strong pull towards Travis MacDaniel and his sweet little girl, I couldn’t go there. What happened if I let him in and he pulled a Dennis and I was left to pick up the broken pieces all over again? I wasn’t going to do that to myself. I don’t think I’d survive and it wasn’t worth the risk. I’d just have to keep Travis at arm’s length and make it absolutely clear that the only thing we could ever be was friends.
thirteen
Travis
“Say,areyougoingwith us to the game tonight?” I’d just stepped into the breakroom when Glen, one of the young but promising lawyers who’d worked with Dee and I, stopped me.
“What game?” I looked between him and the young man he’d been talking to for clarity.
“The Cubs game. The company buys out a few rows several times throughout the season and treats us.”
“This is the first I’ve heard about it, but it sounds like fun,” I replied. It wasn’t that I didn’t like baseball. I liked all sports. I just didn’t know if I could get someone to watch Amie. “I'd like to go, but I’m not sure I can find a sitter on such short notice.”
“Hey, Dee!” Glen piped up as he suddenly spoke over me. “Are you going to the game with us later tonight?” I turned my head just as Dee stepped into the spacious breakroom and made a beeline for the refrigerator.
“Uh, duh! Of course I'm going!” she laughed as she rolled her eyes in that playful way that I loved. “I never miss a game.”
“Awesome! I was just asking Travis here if he was going too.”
Dee’s eyes flicked over to mine before focusing back onto the contents of the employee fridge. I tried not to gag as she pulled out one of those high-sugar, ultra-sweet iced coffees in a bottle and popped the lid.
“You’re going?” she asked before nearly swallowing half the bottle in one gulp.
“I’m thinking about it. Gotta find a sitter for Amie, though. Her normal sitter is out of town this weekend.”
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that, man!” Glen clapped my shoulder. “Russell hires out that place that’s like a child casino and hires professional nannies to watch over everyone’s kids while they have fun eating pizza and playing games.”
I wasn’t sure I liked the idea of some unknown person watching my child, especially in such a crazy, wild environment. My face must have betrayed my hesitancy because Dee was quick to speak up. “The nannies he hires are au pairs from The Caretakers. They’re that elite childcare service that all the society people use. Dennis and I left the boys with them several times whenever we went out to the game.”
