The Hook Up (First Impressions)

by Tawna Fenske

  “You ever read romance novels, Ty?”

  That threw him for a loop. “What?”

  “Romance novels,” she said, unclasping her hands from around her belly. “I love them. I’ve read some amazing ones over the last years, and a few shitty ones, too. Want to know what the shitty ones have in common?”

  Ty shook his head, not sure where she was going with this but relieved it seemed to have taken her off the subject of Ellie and Henry for the moment.

  “I have no idea,” he said.

  “Backstory,” Miriam said. “In bad romance novels, it’s like the author feels the need to fill those first few chapters with every last detail of a character’s history. Who his parents were or how she liked her first job or whether the hero’s brother stole his girlfriend in high school. But the thing is, none of that matters.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Ty said, a little perplexed to realize he was arguing about romance novels when he’d never read one. “Someone’s history matters a lot when it comes to making them who they are.”

  “Exactly,” Miriam said. “And you can see who they are by how they act now. That’s what matters.”

  Ty frowned, not sure he was picking up on the metaphor. But maybe he should stop dancing around it. Maybe she didn’t know how badly he’d screwed up.

  “I taught her kid to swear,” Ty said. “And I bummed him out over and over by promising shit I couldn’t deliver.”

  Miriam shook her head, not doing a very good job of hiding her, ‘man, you’re a dumbass’ look. “You don’t get credit for the swearing,” she said. “You might have taught him some more creative forms, but Jason’s been cursing around the kid since he was in utero.”

  Ty sighed, appreciating her attempt at placating him, even if he didn’t buy it. “He’s better off without someone like me in his life. They both are.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Miriam rolled her eyes. “You took her kid to a ballgame and taught him to bodysurf at a water park,” Miriam countered. “And you did double-duty by making his mother come her brains out.” She put a hand up, heading Ty off before he said anything in response. “Don’t worry, she didn’t kiss and tell. I’m just guessing, based on the glow she had every time you two had time alone.”

  Ty frowned and fiddled with his mouse. “I’m not sure I should be talking about this with my boss.”

  “For the last time, Ty—I’m not your goddamn boss. You’re a partner in this firm now, and the director of Speak Up.”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “So, does that mean I can ask you to leave?”

  “No, because I still own the building.”

  “Fair enough.” Ty sighed, but he wasn’t disappointed. Truth be told, he didn’t want her to go away. Since he’d broken things off with Ellie, he hadn’t talked with anyone about this. It was nice to share with Miriam, even if he did still think of her as the boss.

  “I miss her,” he admitted. “And Henry. I miss them a lot.”

  “They miss you, too.”

  Something flared in his chest, but he refused to believe it was hope. It was too late for that, wasn’t it?

  “Can I tell you a secret, Ty?”

  He looked at her and nodded. “Of course.”

  “When Jason and I started dating, I felt like an idiot with Henry. I’d never been around kids before, so the idea of getting involved with a guy who was like a surrogate dad to his nephew scared the shit out of me.”

  “So how did you handle it?” His eagerness belied the cool-guy tone he’d been trying for, but Miriam didn’t comment.

  “I did it anyway,” she said. “Even though I was scared. Even though I knew I was going to screw it up. I figured if I kept doing it, I’d eventually screw up less.”

  “But how did you know you weren’t screwing up Henry?”

  “Because I kept showing up,” she said. “And he kept smiling. You can tell a lot from that.”

  Ty sat quietly, digesting that. He didn’t say anything for a long time, not until Miriam leaned across his lap to grab his computer mouse. “Let me show you something,” she said.

  “Ugh,” said Ty, reeling from the heft of her mighty baby-belly pressing into his arm. “How about if you tell you what you’re looking for and I can pull it up on the—”

  “There!” Miriam sat back, triumphant, and pointed at the screen. “Remember that first shoot you did with Ellie? The one where she was nervous as hell and you tried to put her at ease?”

  It seemed like so long ago. “Vaguely,” he said. What he did remember was the smell of Ellie’s hair and the warmth of her breast grazing the heel of his hand.

  “Did you know the camera was rolling when you came out from behind it to talk to her?”

  Ty frowned, trying to recall the details of that afternoon. “I haven’t seen it,” he said. “I just put it out on the server so you could check it out if you wanted.”

  Miriam jabbed one manicured nail at the screen. “Watch it now. Notice the way you both light up when you’re talking to each other. If you can do that and then come back and tell me you don’t belong together, I’ll shut up about this forever.”

  She smiled then heaved herself up out of the chair. Ty reached out to steady her, but she waved him off. “I’m good,” she said. “Just a couple more weeks to go.”

  Headed toward the door, she turned and pointed at him. “Be good to yourself, Ty. You deserve it, too.”

  He stared at her for a long time then nodded. “Thanks.”

  As she vanished through the door, Ty turned back to his computer monitor. He looked at the file she’d cued up, hesitating. Editing the footage from Great Wolf Lodge had hurt like hell, but this was different. This was Ellie alone. Ellie and him together Could he really do this?

  Don’t be a chickenshit. He clicked the file.

  Ellie’s face appeared on the monitor, nervous and flushed as she sat there alone in her pale blue dress. There was fear in her eyes, but also determination. The simple loveliness of her face hit Ty like a fist to the sternum.

  “I’m sorry,” she said to the camera. “I feel dumb.”

  Wow. Had it really been only a few weeks since she’d been terrified of the camera? He watched, spellbound, as she bit her lip and stole a nervous glance at the light.

  “How about we try this.” It was his own voice this time as he slid into the frame. “I’m just going to sit right here, and we’re going to chat like normal people.”

  But there was more to this conversation than a simple chat. It was there in the way they leaned close like two people sharing the warmth of a campfire. It was there in Ellie’s eyes as they sparked with interest at his story about the asshole Navy admiral. It was there in the way he watched the side of her face as she turned to grab her water glass, his expression so full of love and admiration and hope that he looked like a whole different person.

  Something magical had happened that afternoon. Had Ellie known?

  He sure as hell hadn’t. How had he missed it?

  “That’s so sweet,” Ellie said on camera. Her gaze was fixed on him, and the way she smiled brought back a clearer memory of that conversation—how her voice had stirred something inside him, like two puzzle pieces finally clicking together.

  How had he been so blind?

  “I believe in karma.” It was his own voice speaking this time, and the look on his face answered his question. He had known. Deep down, he’d known from the start that Ellie meant something to him.

  “If you take the chance to be a jerk to someone, someone’s bound to do the same to you,” he continued, his gaze fixed on Ellie’s face. “Stop the flow of assholery and respond with kindness instead, and you’ll eventually get the same in return.”

  She lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind one ear, and his breath caught in his throat. Ty forced his lungs to take in air. Had anyone ever looked at him that way, ever?

  Not in his whole life. Not ever.

  But it wasn’t just the way Ellie
looked at him.

  He stared at his own face, noticing the easing of lines he’d thought were permanently etched in his forehead. As the images flickered on his screen, his face came alive, and Ellie responded in turn.

  Jesus.

  The video was still playing as he reached for the phone. He hit the speed dial for Miriam, speaking before she had a chance to say hello.

  “Do you honestly think there’s a chance?”

  Miriam laughed. She was too polite to say I-told-you-so, but he heard it anyway. “That was fast,” she said. “I barely made it out of the parking lot. You’re on speakerphone, by the way.”

  “Hi, Ty.” Jason’s voice. Ellie’s brother.

  The hell with it. Ty swallowed hard. Might as well get this over with.

  “I know I don’t deserve it, but I want another chance,” he said. “Do you think there’s any way she’d ever forgive me?”

  “That depends,” Miriam said. “Are you going to freak out on her again?”

  “No,” he said. “I mean, I’ll do my best not to.”

  “And do you genuinely care about her?” Jason asked. “Her and Henry, I mean.”

  “I love her, okay?” he said. The words stunned him as they tumbled out of his mouth, but the second he said them, he knew it was true. “I’m in love with Ellie. I need to find a way to tell her. No,” he said, stopping himself. “To show her. I need to find a way to show her. Can you help?”

  Miriam laughed again, but Ty didn’t take it personally. The laughter sounded joyful, and Ty needed more of that in his life right now.

  “You’re going to have to figure this out for yourself, Ty,” Miriam said. “The relationship stuff, I mean. It’s something everyone has to learn the hard way.”

  “I know, I know,” he said, impatient for advice and eager to win Ellie back. “And I have a few thoughts about convincing her to give me another shot, but I need some help.”

  “Good,” Miriam said. “I have an idea, too.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  As Ellie eased her station wagon into a parking space at the elementary school, she glanced in the rearview mirror at Henry.

  He met her eye and beamed at her. “Are you coming to school with me?”

  The excitement in Henry’s voice was contagious, and Ellie caught herself smiling. “Just for a few minutes,” she said. “Your teacher wanted to talk with me this morning, remember?”

  “Uh-huh.” Henry frowned. “Are you in trouble, Mommy?”

  Ellie shook her head, not sure whether to laugh or wince. “No, I just need to visit with Mrs. Colt,” she said. “Come on. I’ll walk with you to class.”

  “Yeah!” He unbuckled his seat belt and scurried out of his booster, snatching his little Batman backpack before Ellie had even closed her car door.

  “Whoa,” Ellie said as she grabbed his hand. “A little eager to get to class today?”

  “Uh-huh.” He towed her along, hustling as they made their way to the front doors. “It’s career week, and everyone’s been bringing famous people. Toby brought his big brother who’s a dump truck driver, and Emma’s mom came yesterday to tell us about cutting up brains.”

  “That does sound impressive,” Ellie said, crossing her fingers Emma’s mother was a surgeon and not a serial killer.

  “Yeah,” Henry said. “But my mom’s the coolest.” He grinned up at her, swinging her hand as she walked. “I told Hank and Sadie and Peter and—well, everyone that you’re gonna talk, too.”

  “Right,” Ellie said, her twinges of guilt reminding her of Ty. “About that,” she continued, pushing aside the ache that stirred every time she remembered he wasn’t in her life anymore. “I’m so flattered that you want me to talk to your class, sweetie. It means a lot to me that you’re proud of me like I’m proud of you.”

  Henry grinned as he grabbed the handle of the front door then held it open for her like a little gentleman. Ellie’s heart gave a sharp twist. Where had he learned that? It didn’t seem like something Jason would have taught him.

  “And you’re pretty,” he added, making Ellie smile.

  “Right,” she said. “Well, thank you for that. It’s just—my job isn’t the right kind of job for talking with kids. It’s a different kind of job. Does that make sense?”

  Henry frowned and shook his head, steering her toward the class. “Are you nervous, Mommy? If you want, we can do lion and fish so your face is ready.”

  A pang of sadness chattered through her body as Henry led her into the open area between classrooms. Ellie spotted Mrs. Colt in the center of the space and crossed her fingers the teacher would be understanding. Maybe Ellie should focus on explaining things to her before tackling this with Henry.

  “Why don’t you head on in to class, baby?” She caught Mrs. Colt’s eye and waved, then turned back to Henry. “I want to talk with Mrs. Colt alone for just a minute.”

  “Okay!” He stretched up his arms for a hug, and Ellie bent down to squeeze him tight. She breathed in the scent of baby shampoo and Cinnamon Life and recognized that’s what love smelled like.

  “Bye, Mommy!” He scurried off toward the classroom, leaving Ellie to face Mrs. Colt alone.

  Ellie took a deep breath and turned to the teacher, feeling a bit like a truant pupil. As she approached, Mrs. Colt offered a broad smile. “Good morning!” she sang with a cheer that must be a job requirement for first-grade teachers. “Did you and Henry have a nice weekend?”

  “It was great, thanks,” Ellie said. She cleared her throat and smoothed down the front of her dress. “Listen, I understand you want to talk about career week. I know Henry volunteered me to speak, but I wanted to explain privately why that might not be such a good idea.”

  “Oh, dear.” Mrs. Colt frowned and glanced toward the classroom.

  “I’m so sorry,” Ellie said. “I hate to leave you high and dry if you’re counting on me, but given what I sell for a living, I thought—”

  “No, it’s not that,” she said. “It’s just—well, we already filled your slot.”

  “Excuse me?” Ellie blinked, wondering if she’d heard right and if “filled your slot” was some sort of Madame Butterfly innuendo. The thought reminded her of the bowling ball conversation with Ty, and she missed him all over again.

  “I mean, I guess that’s a relief,” Ellie continued. “Henry said he volunteered me to speak some time this week, but I didn’t realize it was today.”

  “It wasn’t, but we did some shuffling,” Mrs. Colt explained. “At the request of Henry’s uncle, actually. Since he’s on record as Henry’s other guardian, I just assumed was acting on your behalf.”

  “I—we—” Ellie stopped, utterly confused. “Jason? My brother’s speaking to the class?”

  Mrs. Colt’s frown deepened. “Why, no. It’s Tyler Hendrix. Your brother said he’s a friend of the family?”

  Ellie’s head began to spin. What on earth was happening? She steadied herself on a bulletin board covered in sheep made with cotton balls and construction paper, too dumbstruck to care that she was crumpling some poor kid’s masterpiece.

  “Ty,” she repeated, her heart speeding up at the sound of his name. “Ty is presenting to the class?”

  “Yes,” Mrs. Colt said slowly. “Is that okay?”

  “It’s…it’s…unbelievable.”

  Mrs. Colt gave her an uncertain smile. “He’s getting set up right now. Would you like to come in and watch?”

  Ellie gave a numb nod and wondered why Jason hadn’t mentioned anything. Was this why he’d been so insistent she come in this morning to talk with the teacher?

  Mrs. Colt turned toward the classroom, her expression uneasy. “Is this a problem for some reason?” she asked. “I assumed when Jason made the arrangements that—”

  “No, it’s fine.” Ellie forced a smile, as reassuring as she could manage. Her heart was pounding like a jackhammer, and the thought of seeing Ty again made her palms sweaty. “Ty’s a great guy. Totally amazing. Smart and talen
ted and—”

  And really, really sexy, she thought as she stepped through the door and spotted him at the front of the classroom. She froze in the doorway, making Mrs. Colt bump into her from behind. But Ellie hardly noticed. Ty stood there looking rugged and handsome as he watched Henry demonstrate his lion and fish faces.

  “Ms. Sanders?”

  Ellie turned to see Mrs. Colt giving her an awkward smile and a hand gesture suggesting she move it along.

  Right.

  Ellie stepped forward in time to see Ty grin down at her kid. All at once, her heart melted into a big, warm puddle of maple syrup.

  He looked up then, and Ellie’s knees went to goo, too.

  Somehow, she remained upright and made her way across the room to an empty chair next to Henry’s desk. Seeing her there, Henry said something to Ty then scurried across the room to take his seat.

  “Did you see, Mom?” Henry gushed with excitement. “Mr. Ty came. He came to teach the class.”

  “I see,” Ellie said slowly, still not sure what was happening.

  “Good morning, boys and girls,” Mrs. Colt said, taking her place at the front of the room.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Colt,” Ellie chorused along with twenty-five small voices.

  “This morning we have a very special speaker for career day,” she said. “Tyler Hendrix is a partner with Speak Up. It’s a video studio that’s part of First Impressions Branding & PR. Does anyone know what that means?”

  Several hands shot up, including Henry’s. Mrs. Colt smiled and deliberately pointed at another little boy on the opposite side of the room. “Joey?”

  “Branding is what my grandpa does to his cows,” the boy said. “He has a ranch in Montana.”

  “That’s one kind of branding,” she said, smiling at Ty before stepping back toward her desk. “I’m actually going to have Mr. Hendrix explain that for us in just a moment. Mr. Hendrix?”

  Ty stood up, reminding Ellie all over again what a big man he was. He’d always seemed huge to her, but in a room full of three-foot-tall humans, he looked positively gargantuan.

  And positively—nervous?