by Taylor Hart
“Right.” Aspen met him at the door, opening it for him.
DJ walked out, pointing at her boyfriend. “Good to meet you, Harrison.”
“Sure.” He didn’t follow them.
Aspen held to the door and leaned out. “Thanks.”
DJ stepped away despite himself. So many long-buried desires came rushing back to the surface. “Night.”
She shut the door, and he rushed down the stairs, taking care to check one more time to see if he could spot the creeper. No one.
He hesitated, looking back up at her apartment. So many regrets.
The next morning, DJ woke early. Every morning, he got up at six to go for a run or do strength training.
After leaving Aspen’s, he’d gone back to his father’s house. Possession was nine-tenths of the law anyway, right? He could just hunker down and no one could get him out of this place.
He’d slept in his old room, and it was a bit off-putting to find that it looked pretty much the same. The same old high school Eagles poster on the wall. The same trophies on the shelf. The same picture of him, Travis, and Aspen when they were babies playing on the floor.
He thought of her parents and was surprised that he was sad they’d sold their home. The Roads were good people.
Too bad he hadn’t gotten any food, ’cause he was hungry. He opted for a protein bar; he’d stashed a bunch in his backpack before coming out here. Ripping it open, he wolfed it down in four bites.
It had surprised him last night, when he’d looked through the house, how the living room was mostly the same as it used to be. Now, though, there were pictures of Aspen and her son Travis. And there were pictures of Travis’s and DJ’s father with his grandson. At Christmas. On the beach. Holding fishing gear and standing at the end of the beat-up dock next to the house.
One particular picture showed DJ and his brother on graduation day before everything had gone sideways. He fingered the picture, surprised it was here. That had been pretty much the worst day of his life.
He wandered into the kitchen and noted it was in good order. He opened a cupboard and got out a cup. When he turned on the faucet it made a strange noise, like it was getting ready for takeoff, but it poured after a moment and looked okay. He sipped the water and evaluated where he would start if he were to begin a remodel project on this house.
With the kitchen. Rip it all out and kick down the wall, as Aspen had done in her place, to open up the space between the kitchen and living room.
Aspen.
His mind flashed to her jerk boyfriend. He didn’t like the guy. Had he stayed at her house with her last night? He cringed, not wanting to think about that. As Aspen had stated, he didn’t have a right to show up and demand answers from her.
He put the cup down and went to the back door to step out onto the dock. It was cooler this morning. There wasn’t much wind, and the sun was coming up. It was gorgeous, just like he remembered. It didn’t bother him that he was barefoot. How many times had he walked barefoot on this dock?
At the end of the dock, DJ stared out at the boat. With a pang of sadness in his chest, he thought of how his father had asked him to go out yesterday. His father had finally gotten sober right before getting this disease. DJ remembered his father sending him that letter when he was going through the twelve steps, but DJ had ignored it. It’d been easier to ignore his past completely. As far as he’d been concerned, all that was in front of him was football.
Football and flipping houses. He liked the process of restoring houses, and he was kind of obsessed with it now. His hobby had been quite lucrative in San Antonio.
He stared at the boat. It didn’t look like it had any structural damage. He got in, taking care to make a mental list of all the materials needed to fix the exterior.
Moving inside the cab, he bent and tried to start the engine. It didn’t turn over. He knelt and pulled up the flooring, quickly evaluating what parts he needed to fix the engine. He’d always been good at figuring out how to fix things.
Then he hesitated. Why would he fix it?
DJ put it all back and left the boat. He stared out at the ocean, thinking of all the times he and his brother had taken the boat out into the water.
There was a tiny island a couple miles out. They had named it Madden Island. Aspen had thought it should be named after her—Road Island. His grin widened as he remembered how she’d clung to him last night.
He needed to run. He jogged down the dock, sprinting down the beach.
Two hours later, DJ walked up to her door, holding his father’s toolbox. She should have it. She should keep it.
He knocked on the door. It was almost eight-thirty a.m., and he didn’t know if she would be home or not. He wanted to talk over the foreclosure on the house with her, find out more.
Someone inside turned the television down, and then there were footsteps. When the door pulled back, it wasn’t Aspen. It was a different girl.
“Oh my gosh, you’re DJ Madden.” The girl, who had brown hair and big brown eyes, started doing little jumps and squealing. Clearly, she was the babysitter.
He heard more footsteps, and then he was face to face with the boy from the pictures. His brother’s son. The boy had a hand covering his eyes, blocking the sun as he squinted, but a big smile crossed his face, and he started doing little jumps and squealing. “You’re my uncle DJ!” The little boy threw himself at DJ’s legs, hugging him. “I knew you’d come. I knew you’d come!”
DJ stared down at him and couldn’t believe that the kid was hugging his legs. He couldn’t believe that this was Travis’s son. His nephew. Aspen’s son.
Suddenly, emotion welled up in his eyes. After pushing it back with a long blink, he just laughed and put the toolbox down. “Well, let me look at you, boy.”
Travis pulled back, beaming up at him. “Hi, Uncle DJ.”
“Hey.” DJ couldn’t help but smile back.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I watched the game last week, and you were really good. You guys just need to win the next two games to make it to the playoffs.”
DJ was surprised his nephew knew so much about the Rebels. Spontaneously, he reached out and tousled the boy’s hair. “You’re right. Two more games.”
Travis rushed back into the house. “I’m getting my football. And my shoes. Then we can go down to the park, and you can teach me to tackle. Because I want to be safety or corner this next year.”
The babysitter put out her hand to shake his. “I’m Lauren Bailey.”
Perfunctorily, DJ shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Lauren.” He looked around her. “I’m guessing Aspen isn’t home?”
“No.” The girl looked a bit dazed. She started giggling. “You’re really DJ Madden?”
He flashed her his media-worthy smile. “In the flesh.”
Lauren stepped back. “You can come in.”
“It’s okay,” he said; the girl shouldn’t be inviting strangers in. “I’ll find Aspen at the care center.” He could hear the little boy running around making noises. Unprepared for this, he pointed to the floor next to her. “I’m just going to put this toolbox in here, and then I’ll go.”
Lauren took the toolbox. “I’ve got it.”
Travis reappeared, his shoes on and his football in hand. He grinned at DJ and held the ball up. “Can we go play? Please?”
Lauren eyed him cautiously. “I don’t think your uncle can today, Travis.”
Travis gazed up at him. “You can, right?” He lightly tossed the ball.
DJ caught it. He wouldn’t lie; this kid had already edged his way into his heart unlike anything he’d ever experienced before. “You sure it’s okay if we go to the park and play catch?” He was worried that Aspen wouldn’t approve. “Maybe we should call your mom and ask her.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.” Lauren waved them away. “I’ll get my shoes on and come with you and make sure everything’s okay.”
It made him smile that Lauren thought she could babysit
both of them. “Sounds good.”
“Come on, Uncle DJ.” Travis rushed out the door, dragging DJ by the hand. “I’ve been waiting to play catch with you for a long, long time.”
As they headed to the park, DJ was again touched at how his nephew so willingly accepted him.
Chapter 8
Aspen pulled up to her house, frustrated that she had forgotten her billfold. It took her off guard that no one was at home, yet DJ’s father’s toolbox sat next to the front door. DJ had taken it the night before, right? Was she going crazy?
She called out for them. “Travis! Lauren!”
No one. The television was still on, and when she went to the front door, she noted that it wasn’t locked.
Starting to worry, she looked at her phone, not seeing a text from her mom or Lauren. She rushed around the house, double-checking that no one was there. Finally, she said a prayer and had the idea to go look at the park.
As she ran down Main Street, she pulled out her phone and called Bill. She didn’t want to, especially after all the weirdness last night, but this was her son.
“Hello?”
“Bill, I can’t find Travis or my babysitter.”
“Hold tight. I’m coming.”
Aspen put her phone away and scanned the beach but couldn’t see anyone out there. As she turned the corner to the park, she spotted them. She stopped, baffled by the scene in front of her: Travis and Lauren were standing on one side, and DJ was across from them. They were all playing catch.
“When you throw you want to follow through with your arm like this,” DJ said, pretending to throw the ball. He was playing with Travis so casually and with such ease, it was like they had always known each other. “Not like this,” DJ continued, demonstrating the wrong way to throw, then falling to the ground and pretending he was a zombie.
Travis giggled and rushed over, diving on him.
Lauren laughed, too, running over to them.
He grabbed both their legs and continued to make zombie sounds. “I will eat you.”
So many memories pulsed through Aspen. He used to do the exact same thing with her. She put a hand to her chest. This was weird.
Last night, Harrison had grilled her for an hour about why DJ was in town. He’d wanted to know why DJ had been at her house. When she’d told him about the creepy guy watching her, he’d freaked and insisted she come to his place, which she hadn’t. She’d made him go home, and he hadn’t been happy about that, either.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Bill drive up, and she dashed over to his police cruiser. Bill was already out by the time she got to him; he was staring as DJ played with the kids. His lips pressed into a line. “Do you want me to haul him in?”
Why would he even ask that? “Uh, no.” She didn’t want to say anything that would tick Bill off. “I didn’t realize they were at the park.”
Now his lip tugged up. “What’s going on with you and DJ?”
The only thing she could tell him was the truth. “I have no idea.”
Bill frowned. “You’re still with Harrison, right?”
Why was he asking this question? “Yes.”
Travis saw them and rushed to her. “Mom! Mom! This is DJ!”
The way he looked so excited and the way DJ shuffled toward her, giving her a nervous look like they might be in trouble, actually made her smile. “I know, honey.”
Travis held up his hands in exasperation. “Why didn’t you tell me he was here?”
She shrugged.
DJ cleared his throat as he got closer. “Sorry. I stopped by to talk to you this morning and, well, Travis wanted to play catch.”
Aspen let out a laugh, caught somewhere between amusement and annoyance.
Travis tugged at her hand. “Mom, Mom, Mom, he’s teaching me how to tackle, how to juke a player.” He dropped her hand and did a side-to-side move.
“He’s good.” DJ winked at him.
Travis laughed. “Did you hear that?”
She nodded. His enthusiasm was infectious.
Bill crossed his arms. “It’s illegal to take a kid without the parents’ consent.”
DJ frowned. “I didn’t take him.”
Lauren cleared her throat and stepped in front of DJ. “It’s my fault. I told DJ he and Travis could play.” She turned to face Aspen. “Sorry, I should have checked.”
Aspen fought back a smile, proud that Lauren would take responsibility.
Bill wagged a finger at her. “You always need to let the parent know.”
“Bill, stop.” She looked at the babysitter. “It’s fine, Lauren. DJ is Travis’s uncle.”
Travis pointed at DJ. “I made him come. Right, Lauren?”
When Aspen turned to Lauren, the girl was looking at DJ like he was Superman. “Uh-huh.”
Bill jerked his head back to DJ. “I hear someone stayed in my house last night.”
DJ gave Bill the kind of look that said “don’t talk to me.” “How about I give you double for the house, Bill?”
Bill lifted his hands. “Nope. Paperwork’s signed. I was just giving Aspen time to move some things out. Because she requested that time. I move in at the end of the month.” Bill frowned. “And just so you know, I’m the kind of guy who would use it as my home, not some vacation house. I stay, DJ. I stay.”
DJ glared at him. “You want to do this right now, Bill?”
Aspen pushed them apart. “Please don’t.”
Bill took a step back. “So you’re gone after the holidays, right, DJ?”
Did Bill have to look so judgy?
DJ squinted at him, shaking his head. “Gone before the holidays.”
“Right. You’re playing the Miami Surf on Christmas Eve.”
It was stupid, but she didn’t want to talk about DJ leaving. Or staying. “Come on, Travis, let’s go home.”
Her son didn’t move. “No, I want to stay and play catch. Plus, you said he’s my uncle, and he can teach me stuff. Please, Mom?”
Lauren chimed in. “We can stay, if it’s okay with you.”
A little smile played at DJ’s lips, and he lifted his shoulders. “I’m his uncle, and I can teach him stuff,” he said a bit wistfully.
Aspen rolled her eyes. This was crazy. “Fine.”
“Fine.” Bill grunted, turning to go. “Don’t call me until he’s gone, Aspen. Whenever a Madden brother is around, you seem to lose your mind.”
She jerked around to stare at Bill as he left. The comment had blindsided her.
“Think fast, Uncle DJ!” Travis called out, throwing the ball.
DJ caught it, but kept his gaze on her. “Are you okay?”
She knew the butterflies in her stomach weren’t because she was worried about her son anymore. She was worried about herself. “Fine.” She tried to put on a pleasant, easy smile. “You kids have fun.”
Chapter 9
As soon as DJ walked into the care center around noon, he spotted Aspen at the nurses’ station. Her hair was pulled back in the same kind of ponytail she’d worn yesterday, and she wore the same blue scrubs he’d seen her in earlier at the park.
His breath caught. Dang, the woman was beautiful. She looked fresh and clean. It was effortless for her, but so different from the women who hung around football events.
Now, he realized he’d never gotten over the woman in front of him. It had been so apparent last night when he’d held her and everything had felt right again.
But what was there to do about it?
“Hey there,” he said, stopping at her station.
She looked him up and down. “Hey.” She moved past him, gesturing for him to follow. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”
“Sure.”
She paused a little ways down the hallway. “First of all, I don’t want you just showing up and playing catch with Travis.”
“O-kay.” He hadn’t expected this reaction.
She wagged her finger at him. “He’s nine, and he is just a kid. He won’t understand
when you leave, and he won’t understand all the past stuff between us.”
DJ’s pulse kicked up a notch. Aspen was gorgeous when she was angry. He wanted to smile, but he forced himself not to. “I’m sorry. Is that why you called Bill?” he asked innocently.
She glared at him. “Bill is a good guy, and he’s been there for a lot of crap.” She poked him in the chest.
“So I’ve heard.”
Her lips pinched into a line.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. He looked away, hating all the stuff she’d gone through. Why was he feeling so protective of her, and what had Bill meant when he’d made the crack about the Madden brothers? He put his hands up. “I’ll do whatever you want, Asp.”
“I told you to quit calling me Asp.” She glared at him.
He gave her a blank look. “That’s what I always called you.”
She let out a long breath, rubbing a hand over her face. “When you call me that, others think that we’re close. That…we’re more than just regular friends.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “So we’re friends again? That’s good.”
A fierce scowl filled her face.
He grunted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can stop calling you that, it’s—”
“What you always called me.” She filled in for him.
He grinned. “Right.”
“Look, I know Travis is delighted to have you as an uncle.”
“The kid’s amazing, Asp. Just—”
“I know. I know that, and I’m grateful you guys had fun, but I don’t think you should be around him.”
“Why not? You said it yourself: I’m his uncle.”
“Who hasn’t been here for ten years.”
He wanted to ask if she was worried about the kid or herself, but he held back. “I know I’ve made mistakes, but I really want to be part of Travis’s life now.”
“As I mentioned, I don’t want him being disappointed when you leave, which you will.” Her blue eyes turned to steel. “It wouldn’t be good for him if he got attached to you.”
“Maybe I can come back.” The words came out before he’d thought about them.
