“Hey, it’s Taylor,” Tanner said to him. Disappointment washed over me that it was his best friend who noticed me first.
To make matters worse, Vivian stopped and looked over at the group. What the hell was she doing? Having no choice, I glanced over, giving Brad a little wave and big smile. Then I tugged on Vivian’s shirt to keep her going.
Vivian seemed almost frozen in her tracks. “That’s Greg Mendes.” Her mouth was practically hanging open. Vivian was a quiet girl in my sorority, and I think that’s why we had become friends. She usually calms me down.
I waved my hand in front of her face. “Do you want me to introduce you?” I wasn’t best buds with the guy, but I’d met him a few times at a party. He was kind of timid too.
“Taylor.” Brad’s voice had come from right behind me and my heartbeat sped up. Then her eyes were glued to Brad. “Hey, I’m Brad.” His hand bypassed me to reach Vivian.
She shook it without saying anything, so I turned around and practically choked on my saliva. Brad’s tongue snaked out to lick some ice cream about to drip down the waffle cone.
“This is Vivian.” I pointed toward my mute friend, wishing I could pry my eyes off his mouth, but the way he ate an ice cream cone was heating me up fast.
“Hi,” Vivian squeaked out.
Brad nodded. “Do you mind if I steal Taylor away for a second?”
“No, go ahead. I should get going.” Vivian began to walk away, but Brad grabbed her arm.
“Stay. I only have a few minutes before practice, and I don’t want Taylor walking by herself.” Vivian stopped and nodded. “Here.” He turned to his friends. “Jackasses, come over and keep this girl company.” He pointed down to Vivian, whose poor cheeks were bright red.
“It’s really okay.” She tried to fight it, but when Greg was the first one to saunter over, she quickly stopped arguing.
Brad looked back and forth between them, puzzled, but grabbed my hand and led me to a secluded area on the side of the building. He pinned me to the brick wall and tossed his ice cream cone in the trashcan.
“That’s a waste,” I said, using any kind of distraction I could find away from my racing heart and sweaty palms.
“Nah, it was a sad replacement for you.” Without warning, his lips crashed down on mine, kidnapping every one of my senses with his light cologne, his clean face, and his calloused palms along my cheeks.
His tongue didn’t wait patiently to slide in, but was determined, seeking mine out. My whole body ignited with want from that one kiss. I rose to my tiptoes, just as urgent as he was for more, as our mouths collided together unable to fully quench what we wanted.
Finally, after a blissful few minutes, Brad’s hands loosened on my head and my heels rocked back down. He laid is forehead to mine and stared into my eyes while we both caught our breath.
“You’re so much more edible than a King Cone,” he whispered.
He won me over in that moment on the side of the Student Center building. I knew then he had the ability to break my heart, which he succeeded in doing.
Brad
I’M SLOWLY WINNING HER OVER, I think as I click her bedroom door shut. She’s remembering how good we were together. There’s no way she’ll be able to deny our chemistry any longer after we talk tonight over dinner and I take her dancing. Taylor’s always loved to dance, and it was the first thing that popped into my head when she agreed to our date.
I round the corner of the staircase and enter the kitchen, finding my little girl’s grubby hands picking up a pancake. My mom’s at the stove, while my dad sits a few seats away from his granddaughter reading the paper.
“Dada!” Em holds up a hand full of pancake, and I watch the syrup drip down her arm to the sleeve of her sweater.
“Hey, baby girl.” I grab a napkin on my way over and quickly wipe the sticky crap off her.
My mom glances over her shoulder. “Are you hungry?” she asks, and I crinkle my eyebrows, making her laugh. “Yeah, dumb question.”
The rustling of the newspaper reminds me that my dad is still sitting there, keeping his distance from Emerson. My anger is about to hit the limit on that topic. This isn’t the dad I grew up with. Not the one who coached my t-ball and played Barbies with Piper.
Emerson is completely content with her spoon, trying to pick up the pancake and make it to her mouth. She’s entertaining herself.
“You still up for watching Emerson tonight?” I ask, and my dad peers over the rim of his reading glasses at me, but doesn’t answer.
“Of course. We can’t wait to have some time with her,” my mom says over her shoulder, but my dad’s judgmental eyes continue to bore into mine.
“Great. I have to make a few phone calls.” I stand, but my dad’s hand grabs my wrist on the table.
I look down and back to him. “Rick is coming by this afternoon.” He lowers his voice so my mom doesn’t hear him. He’s lost his marbles if he thinks I’ll even entertain this idea.
“Have a nice meeting. I’m taking my daughter out for the day.” I pull back my wrist from his hold and leave the room.
“Dada!” Em yells, and I turn around, holding my finger up. “I’ll be right back, baby girl.” Her bottom lips quivers and she drops her spoon.
My mom rushes over, dropping a plate full of pancakes on the table before sitting down to distract her. She waves me on, letting me know she’s got it covered, and I watch my dad turn the page of his newspaper. What a jackass.
I pick up my phone, praying I can get this favor in on such short notice.
Two rings, she answers and I release a breath. “What would Brad Ashby want with me?” That high-pitched voice hijacks me back to the days of high school.
“Hey, Audrey, how have you been?”
“Let’s see. I’m eight months pregnant, and can barely fit behind my desk. My husband knows jack shit and disappoints me every day. So, all in all, I’m tired.”
“Eight months, that’s great. When are you due?”
“Cut the bullshit, Ashby. What do you want?”
Audrey swam with Piper in high school, and she’s one of the only ones who returned home after college. Lucky for me tonight, she now runs Washington Court Athletic Club.
“I was just checking in with you.” I’m thankful we’re not in person, because she’d see me nibbling on my bottom lip.
“Did I mention, I’m temperamental? What do you want?”
I laugh, but when the line remains silent, I figure I better start talking.
“I need to use the pool tonight.”
“Nuh-uh. Last time, you had some sort of an orgy and I almost got fired.”
“It wasn’t an orgy. It was a party, and I’ve apologized for my friend’s poor judgment how many times? Not to mention, that was like four years ago.” The Thanksgiving weekend back together party got a little out of control. “Plus, if I remember, you snuck off to the locker room.”
“You have me mistaken with someone else. Are you training again?”
If only.
“No, and I don’t want to go into specifics, but it’s just me and another person coming in, but I want it after hours. Only us.”
“You sure come with a lot of demands. Hold on.” I hear the shuffling of paper as I pace back and forth in my parents’ foyer.
“Eight. That’s the best I can do.” The clicking of keys now replaces the sounds in the background.
“Great. Thanks, Audrey.”
“Ashby, I’ll be here to let you in, and then you’ll lock up. Don’t fuck this up.” I can just imagine her getting up on those tiptoes, all five feet of her trying to intimidate me.
“Thanks. Boy or girl?” I stop her before she hangs up on me.
“Boy.” I hear excitement and happiness in her voice.
“That’s great. I have a daughter myself.”
“You? Have a daughter?”
“Yep.” I’m proud to tell people I’m a father of an amazing girl, whose mother did an outstanding job of rai
sing her.
“I had no idea. It’s a scary thought though, you as a father.” She laughs. “Eight o’clock, Ashby. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t.”
The line goes dead at the same time Taylor walks down the stairs.
She still has the capacity to take my breath away. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail again, and she’s wearing a pair of skinny pants and a sweater. She’s beautiful, and it hurts me that she’s not solely mine yet.
“You look gorgeous,” I say when she reaches the last step.
“Thank you.” She blushes, making me want to see her flushed like that after I’ve made love to her.
The urge to kiss her is so strong, but I keep my distance, not wanting to ruin anything before we start.
My phone alerts me of a text message, so I pull it out, finding Cayden’s name.
“Emerson is in the kitchen eating. I’ll be right in.” She smiles and walks by me.
I watch her ass sway and I’m barely holding on right now. Needing a distraction from her body and desire for it, I read the text message.
Cayden: Can you meet Monday morning
Me: Yeah. Meet me at Creadle’s Aquatic Center. You have a car, right?
Cayden: Yes, I’ll see you there.
Me: Great. See you then.
I tuck my phone in my pocket, thinking about how I’m going to help Cayden. I just hope I have enough tricks up my sleeve for him to stay on the team. I was always fortunate to be on the upper scale of the team and didn’t have to worry about cuts.
My mom and Taylor are laughing at Emerson when I enter the room. My dad’s newspaper is abandoned on the table. I glance down at it and my mom must sense my aggravation because she shoots me a small smile. She’s struggling with my dad, too.
“When are you guys heading out?” I ask, taking the seat next to Taylor and filling my plate with pancakes and bacon.
“Our appointments are at ten-thirty. What are you doing?” my mom asks, leaning back in her chair with her hand wrapped around her cup of coffee. She blows on it before taking a hesitant sip.
“I’m taking Em to the mall. Maybe ride the carousel.” Instinctively, I look over at Taylor to see what she thinks. She smiles, and her approval does nothing but light me up inside.
“You and Piper loved that carousel when you were little,” my mom gushes and glances over at Emerson. “She’ll love it, too.”
“I hope so.”
It’s odd the insecurity that lives inside of me when it comes to Emerson. I’m the cocky guy who never second-guesses his decisions, but with her, I never think I’m good enough. Every memory we make needs to be perfect. The last thing I could handle is to disappoint her somehow.
A warm hand covers mine on the table. My eyes follow the hand to find Taylor looking at me. “She will. She’s never been on one.”
A burst of fireworks explode in my stomach that I finally get to experience a first in my little girl’s life. “A first?” I question, and she nods, a smile gracing her lips.
“Yes. Take a picture for me?”
I give her hand a tight squeeze. “Yeah.”
My voice cracks from the emotional roller coaster that little girl puts me through every day. I glance at the clock, mostly because this is getting a little too sappy for me.
“Well, I better get going.” I move over to her highchair.
“Us too,” my mom says, standing up and piling up the plates. I admire the fact that Taylor is helping her. She’s more comfortable than she was yesterday.
“Why don’t you ask your father to go with you?”
“Because he doesn’t seem to care for Emerson at all. He hasn’t even talked to her.”
“You’re being silly. He has.”
I shake my head and my mom’s eyes scrunch in confusion.
“Chris!” she screams, and I roll my eyes. Taylor comes alongside me, that jasmine scent wafting up to my nostrils.
My dad walks in the room and looks around at all of us standing together.
“Yeah?”
“Brad is going to the mall with Emerson. I thought you’d want to go.” My mom quickly loads the dishes in the dishwasher.
A sour look contorts his face. “I have someone coming over. I had asked Brad to stay.”
“Emerson has a nap schedule I have to adhere to. I’m leaving now.”
I sidestep him and walk off to the foyer to grab her shoes and my own. Taylor follows, probably assuming I need some help dressing my daughter, which I don’t. Then again, my dad doesn’t make a warm companion at this moment either. She could be fleeing his presence.
My parents’ hushed voices carry through the high ceilings of their house. As always, my mom works her magic and my dad comes in a few minutes later with his jacket on.
“I’ll go.”
“Don’t do me any favors,” I sneer. Taylor busies herself putting her boots on, probably trying to ignore the animosity in the room.
“Ready, Taylor?” My mom walks around the corner with her purse swung over her arm, bearing an exaggerated smile.
“Yes,” Taylor answers, rounding Emerson up in her arms to kiss her temple.
“Bye,” Emerson says.
“Bye. Have fun.” One more kiss and Taylor steps back.
“What about my kiss?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes, but we both know she wants to kiss me. “That’s okay. I’ll cash in tonight.”
“Don’t count your chickens—”
“Never.” I lean in closer, happy to hear my parents talking amongst themselves in the hallway. “I’m fairly certain they will hatch tonight.” I wink and her cheeks flush.
“Always arrogant.” She turns to walk away.
“You love it.” She can act annoyed by my high self-esteem, but I’m positive, it’s a characteristic she fell in love with.
“We’ll be back around two or three. I’ll text you,” my mom says to my dad, and they hug and kiss good-bye.
“Enjoy your time,” my dad responds, and you’d never think he’s been acting like a dick for the last two days from his charming voice.
Twenty minutes later, my dad patiently waits at the back of my truck for me to unhook Emerson from her car seat.
I buckle her in the stroller, shoving the damn diaper bag in the bottom. Mission One is to find a manlier diaper bag than one with flowers.
My dad hasn’t spoken since we left the house, and I’m not spending a rare day alone with my daughter with his crabby ass.
“We can separate if you’d like. I know Mom made you come.”
He opens the door to the mall for me. “No, I’m fine. Are you looking for something here?”
“I’m taking Emerson on the carousel, and then I might buy a few things for her.”
He nods. “You know I’m just protecting you and your rights.” He’s never been good at quiet. Constantly wants others to see his points.
“I get that, but don’t you see I’m trying to make something with Taylor. You were all for me seeking her out and telling her how much I love her before you found out about Emerson, so I don’t understand.”
Emerson is awfully quiet, so I peek into the stroller to find her already asleep. She’s so peaceful and beautiful with her princess doll tucked under her arm.
“She hid her from you. You aren’t that hard to find, Brad.”
I keep the stroller moving so as not to wake her up, and before I realize it, we’re in sync with all the mall walkers.
“You don’t need to worry about that. It’s my job to forgive her, not yours.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m positive you did something horrible for the breakup, but to hide your kid? It’s inexcusable.”
Unable to hear the venom in my dad’s voice in regards to Taylor anymore, I confess, “I cheated on her. Right after I didn’t make the cut, before I went to see Dr. Freeman, she caught me with someone else.”
“Cheating doesn’t mean you have the person’s baby secretly.” His voice might have toned down the ang
er some, but he’s looking for answers I don’t have.
“No, but having a drug-addicted sister and alcoholic father does. I’m talking with her about it tonight, but I understand already. She was worried about the situation she’d be putting her child in, and I’m not sure I blame her. I was a different person then.”
“That you were.” He lowers his voice, and I wonder if he finally understands Taylor’s reasoning.
“Still, I don’t see the harm in having papers drawn up, making sure you have the rights to her.”
“Because I want both of them, and the way you’re suggesting only gets me Emerson.”
He nods, seeming appeased by my answers. Maybe he’s figuring out I’m not the train wreck douche I once was.
“Just keep your options open.” He clasps me on the shoulder, the first sign of affection since I arrived.
“I know what I’m doing, Dad. Trust me.” I stop us in front of the bathrooms, so he can see the determination in my eyes.
“It’s hard for me to do. You’re my son and it’s my job to protect you, but I’ll try.”
I nod a few times.
“Glad that’s cleared up. Now, I have to run into the bathroom. Watch her for me?” My head dips down to make sure she’s asleep.
“Yeah.” My dad sits on the bench, pushing the stroller back and forth.
“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” I jog into the hallway where the bathrooms are located.
On my way out, I text Taylor quickly to make sure she’s still sane with my mom. I’m sure a spa day with my mom isn’t what she thought she’d be doing this weekend. Talk about uncomfortable.
Me: Your nails all pretty for tonight?
Taylor: Just my toes. Your mom is doing too much. She’s offering to have me get a massage too.
Me: Tell her that’s my job.
Taylor: Not yet it isn’t. Crap, I think I just saw the masseuse.
Me: I’m not there, so you didn’t.
Taylor: He’s six-two, short brown hair, bulging biceps, strong hands. I think I’m going to accept the offer.
Me: You better be describing me.
Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) Page 13
