by C. Morgan
I paused. “Mr. Patty did that for you?”
“And much, much more. Trust me, if he’s the right one for the life you already have? You’ll know it sooner rather than later if you take my advice.”
I decided to do just that.
Chapter 9
Tyler
I counted the minutes while I stared at the clock. Melody was due to my shop in seven minutes, and I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I couldn’t stop dreaming of her. My encounter with her? Well, it had been the best fucking sex of my entire life. And now, I knew for certain that I was addicted to her.
However, when she came walking into the shop, she seemed on edge.
Her smile was curt when she nodded at me. She brushed past me quickly to go clock in. I watched her, wondering what had changed. Had someone pissed her off at the restaurant? Done her harm in some way?
Had I done something wrong?
“All right, boss,” she said, with a tired, restless voice. “Reporting for duty.”
“Just watch the register for now,” I said. “I’ve got some restocking to do.”
“I can do that.”
I wanted to give her time to shake things off. In the meantime, I didn’t want to crowd her. I went into the back room, looking for a few toys that had already cleared off the shelves. I searched through the boxes. I cursed softly to myself. Fucking hell, I needed another way to organize this stock room.
“Hey, Tyler?” Melody said.
I whipped around at the sound of her voice. “Yes?”
“There’s a girl out here looking for a plastic horse of some kind? But none of the horses on the shelf are what she’s looking for.”
I chuckled. “What is it with preteens and horses?”
She paused. “How did you know the girl was a preteen?”
“It’s always a preteen girl. It must be some evolutionary stage of growing into a woman.”
She giggled. “I suppose you have something there. I was flat out obsessed with horses until I was about fourteen.”
“See? Phase into grown woman. And a beautiful one at that.”
When she blushed, I felt some of the tension ease between us. I certainly didn’t want to regret the time we spent together last week.
Thank fuck.
“Hey, did you know some girl’s out here talking with her friends about the horse I picked up last week?”
Charlie’s head appeared behind Melody before she jumped. She turned around, startled by the voice. I merely smiled. Charlie was a regular in the shop. He constantly came in for collector’s items and some of the more expensive things for his nieces and nephews.
“You okay, Melody?” I asked with a chuckle.
She put her hand over her chest. “Sorry. You just scared me.”
Charlie’s eyebrows rose. “And who in the world is this?”
“This is my newest employee, Melody.”
When Charlie grinned, I didn’t like the way his eyes flashed.
“Melody, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Charlie.”
“Very nice to meet you, too,” she said.
“I need to get out there and help this poor girl with that horse,” I said.
“No bother,” he said. “I’m sure your new employee can be of much help to me.”
A flash of jealousy pinged my gut, and I tried pushing it away. I slipped between the two of them, forgetting the restocking before I shot Charlie a look. I told him to behave with my eyes. Because if he laid a finger on Melody, I knew I wouldn’t hesitate to throw my best customer out of my shop.
For good.
“Your order’s come in, by the way,” I said. “It’s in a blue box behind the register. I’ll get it for you after I’m done with this customer.”
“Take your time,” Charlie said as his eyes still lingered on Melody.
“Melody?” I asked.
“Yes?” she asked breathlessly.
“Man the register until I can get this all settled. Okay?”
She looked practically relieved to be moving away from Charlie, too.
I found the preteen girl in crisis and had to go back into the stockroom in order to find what she was looking for. Then I grabbed a few things out of boxes to restock. I dropped them near the register before finding Charlie’s order, holding the blue box in my hands. I searched the store for him. I tuned in to try and find the sound of his voice.
“That one there. Yes. The lower shelf.”
“This one?” Melody asked.
“That one’s perfect.”
My eyes narrowed. My hands curled around the box I carried. I rushed down the aisles, watching as Charlie ogled the way Melody bent over. He licked his lips. His eyes danced along parts of her body that didn’t belong to him. My vision dripped red, and I stalked toward him. I nudged him with my shoulder.
As he turned toward me, I dropped the box heavily in his arms.
“Hey, thanks for this,” Charlie said.
“Now, get out and don’t come back,” I said hotly.
He blinked. “Excuse me?”
“She might not see what you’re doing, but I do.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’ll keep that kind of language to yourself in my shop. And you know exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t appreciate the way you’re treating my new employee. You’re no longer welcome in my shop.”
His eyes grew wild. “Are you insane? Do you know how much money I spend in this shop every month?”
“I do, but I don’t care. The well-being of my employees is worth more than your money times twenty. Get out, and don’t you dare come back.”
He paused. “You’re being serious.”
I stepped closer to him, murmuring under my breath. “As a fucking heart attack. And if you don’t leave, I’ll kick your ass out.”
I stared him down and went toe to toe with him as Melody stood there, mashed up against the toy shelf. My nostrils flared. My fists clenched. Charlie started cursing underneath his breath, and he backed away. He walked down the aisle. He shoved his way out of the toy-store door, almost knocking a poor woman over.
“I’m sorry for him,” I said, drawing in a sobering breath.
“Thank you, Tyler,” she said softly.
“And I’m sorry I didn’t catch him sooner.”
“It’s okay. Really. Thank you for standing up for me.”
I turned around to face her, and I felt her lips come into contact with my cheek, making my heart smile as a grin crossed my face.
“Do you mind if I ask you something bold?” I asked.
“Not at all. What’s on your mind?”
“I can’t stop thinking about you.”
She blushed. “I suppose I know how that feels.”
“I mean, I’m sure you think about yourself all the time.”
She giggled. “Not what I meant.”
“I know. And thank you. That means more than you know.”
“Is that all that’s on your mind?”
I shook my head. “I was actually wondering if you’d like to get dinner with me sometime.”
Her face grew stone-cold serious, and I actually thought she wanted to slap me.
Chapter 10
Melody
I sighed. “Tyler, in any other situation, I’d love it. You know, to go on a date with you.”
“Ah,” he said flatly.
“I just—it’s not what you think, okay? It’s not like there’s someone else. I mean, I have a hard time just finding time for myself. Much less someone else.”
“I can only imagine.”
“And I don’t—I haven’t—” I sighed, trying to collect my thoughts.
“Take your time,” Tyler said. “It’s okay.”
I snickered. “You’re so kind. And very handsome.”
“Well, thank you.”
“I just—I’m not in a position where I can casually date someone, you know?”
“You
’re looking to settle down?”
“Not even that, I don’t think. I mean, I haven’t even so much as entertained the idea of a date since Austin was born. And ushering a child into someone else’s life is a lot to ask of someone I’ve only just met, you know? But my son is part of me. An extension of me. And he isn’t going anywhere, you know?”
“Of course, I know. Did you think I didn’t?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like that. It’s not you. I swear. But, I mean, unless you can accept that Austin is my priority—always—I can’t be comfortable dating you. Not even casually.”
I nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why? The store’s closed tomorrow. I’m coming to pick you and Austin up at eleven. If that’s all right.”
I blinked. “What?”
“We aren’t open on Sundays. Is eleven thirty better?”
“Both of us?”
“Yes.”
“Me and my son?”
“Unless you have another child I don’t know about.”
“No! I don’t.”
He grinned. “So eleven thirty, then?”
“Eleven is fine.”
He smiled. “Good.”
“Mommy, where we going?” Austin asked.
I fluffed my hair out as I studied the third outfit I had tried on. “It’s a surprise, honey. Just be patient, okay?”
“Can I jump on your bed?”
“No. You know what happened the last time.”
“But, I’m bored,” he said.
“I charged up your dino truck last night.”
He gasped and took off running, causing me to shake my head. That bought me another twenty minutes to get ready. Hopefully, it would stave Austin off all together until Tyler got here for our date. At least, I thought it was a date. Was it really a date, though, if my son came along? Or would this screw things up in the end?
Or screw things up for my son?
Shit.
I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know where we were going or how long we’d be out. So I didn’t know what to wear. How to dress. What to take with me.
“You should’ve asked him,” I murmured.
I finished getting ready, finally settling on my outfit. I smoothed my hands over my tight black shirt, hoping it didn’t show too much, with my skinny jeans and my boots. I painted on a bit of lipstick. Just enough to make them pop along with the mascara I’d decided to wear. Nothing too heavy.
Just enough to make him stare maybe.
A knock came at the door, and Austin yelled for me. I drew in a deep breath and went to open the front door. I smiled up at Tyler, studying his outfit to make sure mine was appropriate. And as I took in his dark-wash jeans and the button-front shirt he had on, I figured I was dressed about the same as him.
Only his eyes lingered heavily on me.
“You look outstanding,” he said.
I smiled. “You don’t look half bad yourself.”
“Mommy?” Austin asked.
“Hey there, honey. You remember the nice man from the toy store? You know, the one that helped us?”
Tyler bent down. “Hey there, buddy. How ya likin’ the dino truck?”
Austin smiled. “It’s awesome, Mr. Toy Man! Mommy charged it last night for me and everything. Wanna come see it?”
“How about we see it after our adventure today?” he asked. “You ready to see some animals?”
“Yeah!” Austin exclaimed. “Mommy, can we go?!”
I cocked my head. “Animals?”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled into a place called Old MacDonald’s Farm. We headed straight for a beautiful crimson red barn in the distance. It had pristine white trim, and the smell of farmland was all around us.
How in the world did I not know about this place?
“This—is—awesome,” Austin said.
“Have you guys ever been here?” Tyler asked.
I shook my head. “I didn’t even know this was here. How did I not know about this place?”
We parked the truck, and Austin practically leapt onto the pavement. He made a beeline for the front gates, with me quickly in tow behind him. I called his name and told him to slow down. That he’d hurt himself otherwise.
“Come on,” Tyler said. “We can catch up.”
He took my hand, and away we went, running after my son, hand in hand. Calling out his name and telling him to stop. And somehow, it felt natural.
Tyler’s interactions with my son seemed fluid.
The entire time, he held my hand. As we bounced from exhibit to exhibit, Austin got to pet and feed animals he’d never come into contact with in real life. He fed the pigs and petted the baby goats. One of the instructors helped him get onto all fours before the littlest goat I’d ever seen hopped onto his back. My son squealed with delight. I rushed to get my camera phone out. I snapped as many pictures as I could, feeling Tyler’s hand rub softly up and down my back.
Seeing my son so happy brought tears to my eyes.
There were sheep to see and a massive corn sandbox to play in. Austin made corn kernel angels as I sat there, leaning against Tyler. It was the perfect day. Nothing could top seeing my son so happy while resting against Tyler’s firm body.
Until we made our way back to his truck.
“You know there’s an awesome outdoor park up the road, right?” Tyler asked.
Austin gasped. “Can we go? Can we go? Please, Mommy? Please?”
“Aren’t you hungry, kiddo?” I asked. “It’s well past lunch time.”
“I have a picnic in the trunk,” Tyler said. “We’ve got plenty of food and drinks to keep us company.”
I paused. “You have what now?”
He chuckled and cranked up his truck, then drove down the road. The trees shaded us until they parted, like the heavens opening up after a storm. And there, on a softly sloping hill, was the nicest and largest outdoor playground I’d ever seen.
“I wanna go slide!” Austin yelped.
I watched in awe as my son barreled out of the truck. He ran, practically throwing himself onto the playground. I sighed and let my head fall back against the truck seat. I hadn’t seen my son this happy in, well, ever.
You should be able to give him stuff like this.
“Melody?”
I sniffled. “Huh? Yes? Oh, sorry. Hold on.”
“You okay?”
Tyler took my hand as I wiped my tears away.
“Sorry. This is all just—”
“Too much?” he asked.
I smiled. “In all the best ways.”
He squeezed my hand. “Good.”
“Are you ready to eat? Because I’m starving.”
“Do you want to eat in the truck with the air? Or do you want to get closer to the playground?”
I paused. “Can we get the truck closer to the playground?”
He smiled. “For you? Anything.”
I giggled at his words. We drove around for a bit as my eyes stayed hooked on Austin. He climbed on the monkey bars and tumbled down the slide. He climbed up the small rock wall they had before jumping off and proclaiming he could fly. We found a closer spot to park, and Tyler went to get our food. He hoisted the massive basket between us, handing me a drink, a sandwich, and some fruit.
But he didn’t stay in the truck for long.
“Looks like he’s struggling to swing,” Tyler said.
“He hasn’t gotten the rhythm of it yet, no,” I said.
“I’ve got a cure for that.”
“Wait, you what?”
In a flash, Tyler was out of the truck, leaving his food behind as he trotted up toward the playground. I watched in awe as he helped my son into the swing. He crouched down, showing Austin how to bend and thrust his legs out while leaning back and keeping a tight hold. My heart fluttered in my chest. I smiled as I saw Tyler get behind him. He started my son off slowly, pushing softly as he got the rhythm with his legs.
Then, with a bit of help, Austin was swinging, keeping up the pace and the height he wanted without Tyler having to push him at all.
Chapter 11
Tyler
I enjoyed helping the boy learn to swing. More so than I figured I would. He giggled and yelled for me to push him more, and in the process, I showed him how to do that for himself. Seemingly unlocking a whole new world of independence for the boy.
Lunch was completely forgotten about as he tugged me around the playground. I caught him as he came tumbling down the slides. I helped him climb all the way up the rock wall before jumping into my arms. I didn’t even realize when Melody joined us. Not until she tapped me on the shoulder.
“Let’s get him some food before you collapse,” she said, giggling.
The day had been spectacular. We ate and played. Played and ate. Until Austin started getting defiant. Soon, I wasn’t doing things exactly as he wanted me to. I wasn’t running or walking or catching him the way he wanted.
And Melody quickly intervened. “I think it’s time for a nap,” she said.
“No,” Austin said.
“You’ve also got some more food, if you’re hungry,” I said.
“No,” he said again.
“Austin. We’ve had a good day. But you’re getting tired.”
“But I don’t wanna go. I’m having fun.”
“If you promise to be good and take a nap for your mother, I’ll bring you back soon,” I said. “Okay?” I felt Melody side-eyeing me as Austin perked up.
“Promise?” he asked.
“With all my heart,” I said.
We wrangled the tired boy back into the truck. But we didn’t make it out of Bever Park before he was asleep in his car seat. I smiled at his soft snores. At the way Melody’s hand settled naturally against my knee. She massaged it softly. Traced her fingertips along my thigh. I kept my cool, burying the want to capture her lips at every stoplight we hit.
Then, we pulled up to her apartment building.
“Want me to carry him upstairs?” I asked.
“Actually, that would be nice,” she said. “I’ll rush up and get his bed ready.”
