It wasn’t like Tolson had a ton of traffic, but it wouldn’t have been completely out of left field for Champ to stumble home from the tavern. I didn’t feel like giving Colton’s neighbor a show. It took some bribing, but when I told him I had a surprise for him he gave in.
Steering Colton through his front door, I led him to the bedroom. I dug through his drawers until I found a gray T-shirt and his favorite sweatpants, then I started to unbutton his shirt.
“Oh, you want tickets to the gun show?” he asked while flexing his arms, which made it difficult for me to get his shirt off. It also made him lose his balance and he tipped to the side before leaning against the bed.
“You did not just say that.” Laughing at him, I gave up on trying to change his clothes.
“All you had to do was ask,” he slurred, and fell back on the bed. He reached for me, but I moved out of the way.
“Now for your surprise,” I said while digging through my overnight bag. “But you can’t peek.”
“I’m not peeking,” he promised, flinging an arm over his face.
Quickly, I changed into the new lacy white bra and panty set, then decided to up my game and wear the cowboy boots, too.
“Okay,” I breathed out. Fluffing my hair, I leaned against the wall and tried to strike a sexy pose. “You can look now.”
I was met with silence.
“Colton?” As I peered closer, I noticed his parted lips and the slow rise and fall of his chest. He was completely passed out.
Suppressing a giggle, I quietly changed into my pink flannel pajama pants and an oversized white T-shirt I got out of Colton’s drawer. Pulling back the covers, I climbed in next to him.
Feeling content I snuggled close, soaking up the warmth of his body. Lifting my hand to his face, I traced his lips and ran a finger down his nose.
A month ago, I never could have predicted this would be my life.
In such a short amount of time, I had fallen head over heels in love with Colton. I had friends and I was happy.
As I closed my eyes, I let out a content sigh.
I felt like I was finally getting everything I’d ever wanted.
When Colton told me he wanted to take Ava and me on a day-trip, I was really excited. I had to leave his place early in the morning to get back home, but before I left I set a couple Advil and a bottle of water on his nightstand. I had a feeling he was going to be dealing with one hell of a hangover.
Part of me wondered if he would want to reschedule our outing, but he showed up at my house, bright-eyed and ready to go at noon, just as planned.
Ava used to hate riding in the car for long periods of time, so I had never taken her anywhere far from home, but she did great for the two-hour drive. After she got tired of the ‘Frozen’ soundtrack being on repeat, Colton handed her his phone because he’d downloaded a couple coloring book apps.
“Are you sure you want to let her play with that?” I asked, feeling warm and mushy over the fact that he took the time to put kid games on his phone. “She might drop it or something.”
He smirked, looking good behind the wheel of my car. “If she breaks it, I’m pretty sure she’d be doing me a favor.”
Reaching across the middle console, Colton took my hand in his. The last 20-minute stretch of the ride was quiet and peaceful.
After we made it to our destination, the first thing Ava wanted to do was find the indoor park. The play structure at this mall was way better than the one we were used to. It was basically a huge foam pirate ship and the whole area was brightly lit by a high-dome skylight ceiling.
Ava squealed and giggled as Colton tried to grab at her through the netted sides of the bridge connecting the ship to a dock.
Running to the other side of the ship, she hid behind one of the cartoonish pirate statues and Colton pretended to look for her. I smiled, remembering the way he and I used to play just like that.
Thirty minutes later, they started to lose steam. Looking worn out, Ava climbed into my lap and Colton sat down next to me on the bench.
“There’s a cellphone store over there.” He pointed down one of the corridors, then frowned down at his phone. “It’s been acting weird.”
“You mean weirder than usual?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. If they turned off his autocorrect, I was really going to miss his perverted texts.
Shaking his head, he slipped it back into his pocket. “It’s been turning itself off.” He shrugged. “Maybe there’s something wrong with the battery.”
“We might go get a snack while you’re doing that.” I discreetly gestured toward the frozen yogurt store. “I thought I saw a sign for lactose-free I-C-E C-R-E-A-M.” I spelled out the word so I wouldn’t get Ava’s hopes up in case she couldn’t have it.
Colton and I made a plan to meet back at the ship in 30 minutes. With Ava’s hand in mine, we made a pass by the ice cream counter.
We were in luck. The store had soft-serve vanilla frozen yogurt that was, in fact, lactose-free. Put some sprinkles on top, and I had one happy little girl.
Smiling, I watched her devour the dessert. As she shoveled spoonful after spoonful into her mouth, her snack started to dribble down her chin but she didn’t seem to notice.
After finishing up, her face was a hot mess. I wiped at her mouth with a few napkins. When I got too aggressive with it, she started sputtering in protest.
“Sorry, Bug,” I apologized, sneaking in a couple more swipes. “There. All done.”
“That’s okay. I yuv you forty-five point six cents.”
Leaning down, I kissed her slightly sticky cheek. “I love you, too.”
Our hands swung between us as we passed a few clothing stores. This mall had most of the same stores we were used to back home. Express. Victoria’s Secret. The place with the cinnamon rolls. That didn’t stop Ava from marveling at them like they were brand new, though.
“I kind of have to pee,” she said, her footsteps staggering because she was trying to walk with her legs crossed.
“We’d better go to the bathroom then,” I told her while searching for signs to point the way.
“No, that’s okay,” she said. “I can just swallow it back into my body.”
I laughed. “It still doesn’t work that way.”
Spotting the restrooms, I pulled Ava along at a quick pace. Since getting rid of pull-ups completely eight months ago she’d only had one nighttime accident, but I didn’t want to take the chance of that happening here. Lately, Ava had been waiting until the last minute to tell me she needed to go.
Luckily, we made it in time.
After washing our hands and having way too much fun with the automatic hand dryers, we were headed back out.
Ava tugged on my hand. “Can we go on the expalator?”
I glanced down at her to tell her we needed to meet back up with Colton first, but we almost ran straight into someone in the hallway.
“Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was—” My apology was cut short, the breath leaving my body as I looked into familiar blue eyes.
They were the same eyes I had looked into every day for the past four years. Only these eyes didn’t look back at me with love—his shock mirrored my own.
“Josh,” I gasped, an array of unpleasant emotions hitting me all at once.
What the hell was he doing here? Honestly, I thought I would never see him again—and that was the way I preferred it. Then I recalled the college he ended up going to was in Indiana, so I could only assume it was close by.
“Bree,” he said, seeming just as surprised as I was.
He looked a lot different than I remembered. No longer was he the gangly boy with curly brown hair and a sweet smile.
Cocky and entitled were the words that came to mind as I took in his attire and the smug expression that seemed to be permanently etched onto his face. His pants were some kind of pastel plaid and the pink polo shirt he was wearing had the collar popped.
He actually had the collar popped. That alon
e screamed douchebag.
“How are you?” I said cordially, still in shock. I really didn’t care about how he was doing, but it seemed like the polite thing to say.
“I’m great. So great. Got accepted into law school,” he boasted, rocking back on his heels and adjusting the brand-new suit he had slung over his shoulder. “I’ve got big things ahead.”
Got big things ahead?
Inwardly, I scoffed. What a douche-y thing to say. Then again, I shouldn’t be surprised. This was Josh. The man who turned his back on the most special person in the world.
“Good for you,” I said, trying to keep the bite out of my voice but I didn’t do a very good job.
“It is good. I’m very happy with my life, Bree,” he insisted, his eyes flaring with anger. “The best thing I ever did was leave that white-trash town and everyone in it behind.”
“Tell me how you really feel,” I said sarcastically, trying to hide how much his statement hurt my feelings.
When he said everyone, that included the little girl at my side who was currently clinging to my leg.
As if my thoughts brought attention to Ava, he glanced down at her. His eyes widened a bit like it was the first time he was noticing her presence. I didn’t like the way he was looking at her. Instead of love or affection, I only saw disinterest and possibly a hint of disgust on his face.
“People back home have been calling me a deadbeat,” he scoffed, as if the very idea of it was ridiculous. “I don’t appreciate that kind of slander, you know. I never even took a paternity test, so I don’t even know if she’s mine.”
Judging by the venom in his voice, I could assume these were things he’d wanted to say to me for a long time. I put my palms over Ava’s ears so she wouldn’t hear what I was about to tell him.
“You wouldn’t even have to, Josh. All you have to do is look at her,” I hissed. “Plus, it would be impossible for her to belong to anyone else. You were the only person I was with.”
“You were just trying to trap me,” he insisted, as though he didn’t hear me. “But you just would’ve been holding me back. I never wanted to be saddled down with a kid that isn’t even mine.”
Appalled, I couldn’t believe Josh had convinced himself he wasn’t Ava’s biological father. People always said she looked just like me, but that was only because they hadn’t seen him. There was no denying that he contributed to 50% of Ava’s DNA.
“If people are calling you a deadbeat, that’s their own opinion,” I said. “Anyway, I wouldn’t know what people are saying in Hemswell. I haven’t lived there for years.”
Swatting at my hands, it was obvious Ava didn’t like being left out of the conversation. I picked her up, feeling the need to protect her from his scrutiny. Ava leaned her head onto my shoulder and started sucking on her thumb—a sure sign that she was uncomfortable. She’d kicked that habit six months ago.
I wasn’t kidding when I’d told Colton that she was a good judge of character. Somehow she sensed that Josh wasn’t a good guy and my heart broke for her. She had no idea that he was the reason she was created, and I wasn’t about to tell her either. Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday I would explain the situation when she was old enough to understand that some people just suck.
“Can she talk?” he asked, and the question pissed me off.
“She’s almost four. Of course she can talk.”
Anger bubbled up inside me. I’d spent years telling myself his absence didn’t matter until I convinced myself it was true. And I still believed we were better off without him, but seeing his smug, asshole face made something inside me snap.
What I really wanted to do was to tell him to fuck off, but little ears were listening. Grudgingly, I decided to be the bigger person.
“I’ve never asked you for anything. The least you can do is show me some respect.” I turned, ready to throw a final goodbye over my shoulder, but he let out another rude scoff.
“Respect? Speaking of respect, I also heard from someone back home that you’re stripping these days. Really classy, Bree. Can’t say I’m surprised, though.”
Outraged, my mouth fell open. He had no right to judge me for the way I lived my life.
Josh and I had never been a match made in heaven, but there was a point when I thought he cared about me. He’d just proven that I had been delusional.
Maybe he was just an asshole who wanted to hurt my feelings. Maybe insulting me was his way of making himself feel better about the choices he’d made.
Either way, it wasn’t okay.
Not only could Ava talk, but she could also hear. If he had nasty things to say to me, fine. But the fact that he was doing it in front of her made my blood boil.
I believed there was a right time and a place for the F-word. If Ava was going to learn that, now was as good a time and place as any. Just as I was about to tell him to fuck off, her thumb left her mouth with an audible pop.
“My mom is a dancer and she’s beautiful.” Her little voice came out strong as she stood up for me.
Josh’s eyes flew to her and he looked a little shocked at her declaration.
My throat got tight, my nostrils flared, and my eyes stung—all the tell-tale signs that I was about to cry.
Crying wasn’t something I did often and the tears filling my eyes had nothing to do with Josh’s cruel words. It had everything to do with how quickly Ava came to my defense.
I had never been more proud of her.
Turning my head, I nuzzled her cheek and tried to hide my tears because I didn’t want her to think I was sad.
“Thank you, Bug,” I whispered. “And you’re beautiful, too.”
“Just like you?” she asked, pronouncing her ‘L’ correctly. My heart squeezed with a feeling of nostalgia because her speech impediment improved every day.
I nodded. “Just like me.”
Now that I’d blinked away the moisture in my eyes, I pulled back to smile at her. Setting her down I turned to face Josh, still intent on giving him a few choice words.
But he was gone.
Letting out a sigh of relief, I had to admit I was glad he didn’t choose to stick around to hear what I wanted to say. If I never saw him again, it would still be too soon.
“Who was that guy?” Ava asked as we walked back to meet Colton.
“That was no one,” I told her, hoping she would drop the subject.
“He looked like an Easter egg.”
Despite the bad mood I was in, I laughed at her comment. “You’re completely right about that.”
Feeling shaken up and distracted, I pulled Ava in the direction of the play area. Leaning up against a pillar by the pirate ship, Colton was waiting for us while fiddling with his phone.
An easygoing smile spread over his face as he saw us approaching. “Well, apparently, there isn’t anything wrong with my phone.” He frowned down at the device. “But somehow they talked me into buying a new battery, a car charger, and a new case. Go figure, right?”
“Oh,” I said dumbly, still trying to come to terms with what just happened.
“Are you hungry?” he asked. “The food court has that Chinese place Ava likes.”
“With chicken and rice?” she asked.
“Yep.” Colton nodded and lifted Ava onto his shoulders.
We took a few detours into the familiar shops Ava insisted on visiting before heading to the food court, and I tried my best to seem cheerful.
The conversation with Josh left me feeling uneasy. I knew I shouldn’t let his words bother me, but they did. It was like he had brought my biggest insecurities to the surface. In just a few short minutes, he’d managed to make me feel two inches tall.
I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter, but I was upset. And, apparently, I wasn’t very good at hiding it.
“Hey, are you okay?” Colton asked, glancing in my direction as we sat down at a wobbly table with our food trays.
“Yeah.” I tried to smile, but it didn’t feel very convincing.
Although this mall didn’t have a carousel, Ava was happy to compromise on riding up and down the escalator a few times. Since it was getting close to Valentine’s Day, the department stores were decked out in pinks and reds. Hearts and balloons were everywhere.
“Oh!” Ava pointed to a display of Valentine’s Day-themed gifts. “Can I have that?”
“This one?” Colton picked up the fluffy white bear. Ava hugged it and looked up at him with the biggest puppy-dog eyes I’d ever seen.
Covering my smile, I watched as she totally played him.
He barely even took a second to consider it before nodding. “Sure. Why don’t you pick out one for your mom, too?”
Being very careful with her selection, she finally decided on a matching pink bear. After that, we bundled up in our coats and went back to the car.
“You want me to drive?” Colton asked, seeming concerned as I buckled Ava in.
Absentmindedly, I made a sound of agreement and handed him the keys.
As we got on the highway I gazed out the window, still thinking about the unexpected run-in with Josh. The trees outside became an unfocused blur as the conversation played over and over in my mind.
“Hey, look at that,” Colton said, snapping me out of my inner thoughts. “Little bug got worn out.”
I glanced back at Ava who was passed out in her car seat, hugging both bears.
Smiling a little, I looked at Colton. “I think that’s the first nap she’s taken in like a year.”
A minute of silence passed between us before he spoke again. “What’s wrong, Ellie? And don’t say it’s nothing because I know it’s something. Did I do something wrong? Because whatever it is, I’m sorry.”
“No.” I sighed and decided to spill it now that Ava wouldn’t hear me. “I ran into my ex at the mall.”
Colton’s hands tightened on the wheel. “Your ex, as in Ava’s father?”
The Good Guys Box Set: TRUCKER, DANCER, DROPOUT, and A Trucker Wedding Page 41
