Gage stepped out of his harness and stalled for more time to respond. He wasn’t about to admit he was wiped out. After the stress of his full day of orientation and climbing the tower in the cold, all he wanted to do was sleep until noon tomorrow. Dane and Max seemed like the kind of guys who’d give him a hard time about that, though. Besides, he’d missed the camaraderie of hanging out with other men—the harmless teasing, casual conversation, the inside jokes that made him feel like part of a group.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” He smiled, then quickly stowed his gear and climbed inside the company truck.
Max drove while Dane rode in the passenger seat, and Gage sat behind Dane in the truck’s extended cab. They made small talk on the drive back to Alta Vista’s offices, and Gage felt the tension in his weary shoulders slowly release. Warmth from the truck’s heater chased away the bone-deep chill, too.
Once Max parked near the maintenance garage, they unloaded their gear and tools inside.
“You know the way to the diner?” Dane stopped inside the garage doorway, jangling his keys in his hand.
Gage nodded. “Across the street from the furniture store, right?”
Dane grinned. “That’s the one. By the way, if you need anything for your new place, I highly recommend Tomlinson’s.” He released a long whistle. “Skye Tomlinson is running the place right now, and she is easy on the eyes. Know what I mean?”
Gage gritted his teeth. He knew exactly what he meant. “Thanks for the tip. See you in a few.” He turned and strode toward his own truck. Dane’s comment bothered him more than it should. He was right—Skye was a beautiful woman. Was it the tone that pricked at him? Or the knowledge that Dane had noticed and didn’t mind sharing his observations?
He started the engine and followed Max’s and Dane’s vehicles out of the parking lot, his headlights bouncing across the snowbanks lining the road. A light snow started falling, and he turned on the wipers to clear his windshield.
Why did he care what Dane thought? Gage barely knew Skye. They were two adults forging a friendship and keeping Connor’s best interests as their shared focus. It wasn’t like he had any interest in dating her.
Did he?
* * *
Connor flung another french fry onto the floor of the diner and followed it up with a defiant glare.
Skye wanted to scream. Why had she agreed to bring Mom to her book club in Angie’s meeting room? The outing had seemed simple at first, and her mom had looked forward to it all week. They hadn’t considered how Connor might react, though.
“No throwing food, remember?” Skye tried to keep her voice even while she gave him her most pointed stare.
His lower lip pooched out, and he made a throwing motion even though his hand was empty.
What a stinker. She bit her lip and glanced away. Another family with three young children sat at a booth nearby. None of the kids were flinging their food on the floor. The adults looked like they were actually having a conversation. They made it look so easy. She was not cut out for this parenting business.
She stabbed a forkful of Cobb salad and checked her phone for new text messages. Nothing. She’d already sent one desperate plea for reinforcements—first to her best friend, Laramie, and then to her brother Drew. Laramie had declined because she had a new puppy to train, but Drew said he’d be by soon.
The door to Angie’s Diner swung open, ushering in a blast of cold air along with three guys wearing heavy winter jackets. They paused and stomped the snow off their boots on the mat in the entryway. The first was older and she didn’t recognize him, but the second looked familiar—he’d stopped by the store at least once, although she didn’t recall his name. The door swung shut behind the third man, and her breath caught as she recognized Gage. He glanced her way and their eyes met, sending a jolt of electricity ricocheting through her.
Connor chose that exact moment to swivel in his high chair and survey the new arrivals, too.
Uh-oh. Skye braced for his reaction once he saw Gage. Just as she feared, Connor pointed and squealed so loud most of the folks in the restaurant turned to see what all the fuss was about.
An embarrassing heat flushed Skye’s skin as Gage spoke briefly to his friends before making his way toward her.
“Hey.” He stopped beside their table and smiled, making her pulse stutter while Connor took his screeching to a whole new level. “What’s up, buddy?”
Connor offered him a soggy fry.
Gage laughed and politely declined. “No, thanks. You can keep it.”
The weight of every curious stare in the restaurant made Skye want to crawl under the table. This scene unfolding would give the whole town something to talk about.
Gage shifted his gaze back to her. “Your mom doing all right?”
“Yeah, she’s meeting with her book club in the back room.” Skye angled her head toward the far end of the restaurant. “I had the crazy idea that I could fly solo with this one tonight.”
“Aw, I’m sure he’s a great wingman.” Gage shoved his hands in his pockets. “I better catch up with the guys. See you next week?”
“Oh, I meant to ask you—would you like to come over on Sunday afternoon? We’re having a small party for Connor at four. It’s his birthday.”
Surprise flickered in Gage’s eyes. “Yeah. Of course.”
“Perfect.” She smiled, relieved he hadn’t objected. “See you then.”
“Catch you later, dude.” Gage waved and walked away.
Connor’s gaze tracked him, and then his expression crumpled and he burst into tears.
Not again. Panic welled as Skye tried to counteract his meltdown. She reached for a packet of crackers from the container in the center of the table and ripped it open.
“Here. Want to try a cracker?”
He batted it from her hand while his face deepened to a shade of dark pink. Wow, he was angry.
She tried offering him his sippy cup of apple juice mixed with water, but he pushed that away, too. Her appetite had waned, so she slid her plate aside and reached over to unbuckle Connor’s straps. Maybe if she held him, he’d calm down. If that didn’t help, she’d have to interrupt Mom’s meeting and get them both in the car somehow.
“Need a hand?”
Skye glanced up as Drew slid into the chair opposite hers.
“I’ve never been so happy to see you in my life.” She lifted Connor from his chair and handed him to her brother. “Here.”
“Connor, my man. What’s the problem?” Drew gently suspended Connor in the air and made a silly face.
Startled, Connor paused his tirade and reached for the bill of Drew’s navy-blue-and-orange Broncos cap.
“Are you a Broncos fan?” Drew pulled Connor close and let him grab the edge of the hat. “You’ll fit right in around here.”
Skye slumped in her chair and took a long sip of her iced tea. How could one little person’s temper tantrum ruffle her feathers so easily?
Maybe this has nothing to do with Connor.
She crunched on a piece of ice and dismissed the idea as quickly as it pinged through her mind. Her frazzled state had nothing to do with seeing Gage.
“Who was that you were speaking to before I got here?” Drew asked, his gaze roaming the restaurant behind her.
“Gage Westbrook. He’s the guy I told you about—Connor’s dad’s friend.”
“That’s right. I ran his background check. Squeaky-clean. Does he still want to spend time with Connor?” Drew shifted his attention back to Connor and puffed out his cheeks while crossing his eyes, which made the little boy giggle and squeeze Drew’s face between his hands.
“He already has.”
“Really.” Drew pulled back from Connor’s grasp and studied her. “How’s that going?”
She shrugged. “He had dinner with us, and he played with Connor. I g
uess it went well.”
“Seriously?”
She sighed. “Yes. Seriously. Why?”
“No reason.”
His line of questioning made her uneasy. What had he heard? “You seem surprised. What are you not telling me?”
“Nothing.”
“Drew. If there’s something I need to know, please—”
“Skye, relax. I’m just making conversation.” Drew braced Connor against his shoulder and patted his back awkwardly. “What else is he doing, besides hanging out with you?”
“We’re not hanging out.” Skye glared at him. “I’m at the store when he’s with Mom and Connor.”
“Right.” Drew waggled his eyebrows. “Would you hang out if he asked?”
“Don’t make me sorry I invited you here.” She balled up her paper napkin and flung it at him.
He easily deflected it. “Ha. You begged me.”
She sighed and braced her chin on her hand. “You’re right. Connor was wearing me out. Next time I’ll ask Mom to find a friend to bring her to book club.”
“Speaking of Mom, how do you think she’s doing?”
“With her knee? As well as can be expected. I think she’ll be able to live independently by the time I go back to Denver.”
Drew frowned. “Possibly.”
“What’s wrong? You look worried.”
“Even though it’s only February, I’m wondering what your long-term plan is with this little guy, that’s all.”
She leaned across the table and lowered her voice. “I can’t stay here forever. That was never the plan. I’m going back to my job right after Easter.”
“That’s less than two months from now. What will happen to Connor?”
“Maybe I’ll take him with me and enroll him in a day care close to my apartment.”
Drew’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure? That’s a huge commitment.”
Her stomach twisted in an anxious knot. “I’m not sure, but we don’t have a lot of other options. What if McKenna doesn’t come back?”
* * *
His cheeseburger sat like a rock in his stomach. Nothing against Angie’s Diner—the appetizers, burger and fries he’d ordered all tasted great. The reason for his discomfort had everything to do with the man sitting across from Skye on the other side of the restaurant, with Connor snuggled happily in his lap, while she leaned across the table, clearly engaged in meaningful conversation. The whole scenario aggravated him. And he hated to admit it.
“So how do you know Skye?”
Dane’s pointed question rammed into Gage’s careful introspection. He reached for his soda to keep his gaze from wandering her way again. “I’m a friend of the family’s.”
“Is that right?” Dane’s lips twitched. “Small world.”
“How so?”
Dane shrugged and helped himself to one of Gage’s fries. “’Cause you haven’t quit staring at her since we sat down, it must be—”
“I’m not staring.”
“What would you call it, then?”
Gage’s scalp prickled. “The baby was making a scene. I felt bad for her.”
“Why don’t you offer to help her out?” Dane glanced over his shoulder, then back at Gage, and feigned a sad expression. “Oh. Too bad. Somebody beat you to it.”
Gage bit back a terse reply. Dane didn’t mean any harm. This was tame compared to some of the razzing he’d endured from his navy buddies. He still wasn’t going to tell Dane why he cared about Connor. Or Skye.
“Judging by the way you’re not staring, I’m guessing you’re single?” Dane asked.
Gage nodded and reached for his soda. “You?”
“Yep.”
Shocker. Gage drained the last of his soda and set the plastic cup down.
“What made you leave the navy?”
He scrubbed his fingers along his jaw while he caught a glimpse of Skye’s new friend kissing the top of Connor’s head. Gage’s chest tightened. Who was that guy? Dragging his gaze back to meet Dane’s, he forced himself to sound casual. “I didn’t feel the need to reenlist, and this seemed like the right time to try something new.”
“Huh. Did you like it?” Dane rattled the ice in his own cup, then flagged the waitress down for a refill.
“Most of the time.” He had enjoyed his years in the service. Even the mundane routines when they were in port, struggling through another physical fitness test or filling out paperwork—he’d thrived on the order and clear expectations. But when he’d made a selfish decision that ultimately cost his best friend his life, he’d suddenly loathed his role.
No need to go there tonight. That wasn’t exactly something he wanted to reveal, especially if he wanted a permanent job with Alta Vista.
Max sat to Gage’s left, swapping stories with a few other guys who’d joined them. They didn’t seem to be in a hurry to finish their meals and go home. He stifled a sigh and tried to focus on what Max was talking about. He didn’t want to leave before Skye anyway, or he’d have to walk past her table to get to the door. Part of him wanted to see how long her mystery man stuck around.
Dane must’ve given up on interrogating him, because he shifted his attention to the guy next to him, and before long they were engaged in a lengthy debate about the Rockies baseball team and their prospects for spring training. Normally Gage could hold his own in a conversation about professional sports, but tonight he was way too distracted.
And mad at himself for his acute awareness of Skye’s presence. What happened to just being acquaintances with a common goal? In less than an hour he’d already caved on his resolve not to care. The guy holding Connor smiled and even though her back was to him, Gage imagined Skye revealing that beautiful smile of hers. He grabbed his cup and crunched on another mouthful of ice.
Dane shot him an amused look, but Gage ignored him and deliberately shifted in his seat toward Max. If he didn’t pay attention to what was happening at Skye’s table, maybe he’d have some hope of reining in his irrational thoughts.
A few minutes later, a group of ladies emerged from the back room, laughing as they moved at a slow pace to keep up with one woman using a walker. Mrs. Tomlinson. The parking lot outside was slick. Should she be using a walker to get to the car?
Oh brother. Stop caring, remember? He palmed the back of his neck. Full of opinions about what was best for Skye’s family, when he really had no business getting involved. They were taking great care of Connor, and minus a few tantrums, he seemed to be thriving.
Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone?
Mrs. Tomlinson made her way to Skye’s table. Based on her wide smile and the way her hand touched the shoulder of Skye’s mystery man, she was thrilled to see him. So they knew each other well. Interesting. Gage couldn’t help but watch as Skye stood, lifted Connor into her arms and fumbled with putting his knit hat and jacket on. Mrs. Tomlinson moved toward the door of the diner, while Skye trailed behind, struggling to hold on to a wiggly Connor while shouldering the diaper bag, too.
The man walked behind her, then hurried to open the door for Mrs. Tomlinson. When he pressed his hand to Skye’s back and gently guided her outside, Gage’s stomach clenched in an ugly knot.
While it wasn’t any of his business who Skye dated, Gage wasn’t going to let just any guy get close to Connor without asking questions. If Gage was going to keep his promise to Ryan, didn’t he owe it to his best friend to inquire about who was allowed into Connor’s world?
Chapter Five
“You have polished those blinds to perfection. What gives?” Laramie Chambers, Skye’s best friend, sat on Mom’s living room floor wrapping Connor’s birthday gifts.
“Nothing.” Skye swabbed her microfiber cloth across the next row of cream-colored faux wood blinds. “Don’t most people clean house before guests come over?”
“T
his is a birthday party for a one-year-old. You’ve known all the guests for most of your life. I don’t think they’ll notice—or care—if there’s a little bit of dust.”
“I’ll notice.”
The subtle crinkling of wrapping paper followed by the crisp slice of the scissors answered back. Laramie was too kind to say what she was thinking. She’d been her closest friend since seventh grade and was quite skilled at recognizing Skye’s coping strategies.
Laramie was right—they’d intentionally planned a small, low-key gathering so as not to overwhelm Connor. There was still one guest in particular she was concerned about—one she hardly knew at all. That was what was driving her compulsion to clean, because that was what she did when she was worked up—created order out of chaos. It soothed her. So what if most women their age didn’t spend their Saturday nights dusting their mother’s blinds? Most twentysomething single women she knew didn’t have a widowed mother reading quietly in bed down the hall, or someone else’s baby asleep in a crib in the next room.
Satisfied the blinds were cleansed of all dust particles, she moved on to purging the wooden coffee table of extra magazines and junk mail. Her thoughts wandered to all the Saturday nights she’d spent out to dinner with friends at one of the trendy restaurants downtown or enjoying a musical at the theater. Lazy weekends doing whatever she wanted and taking her time to prepare for the coming workweek. Since Connor had upended every area of her life, she’d surprisingly spent very little time thinking about the vibrant social life she’d left behind. Her conversation with Drew at the diner last night had her second-guessing her future, though. Could she return to Denver with Connor in tow? What would happen when she severed the bond already forming between Gage and Connor?
“Want to tell me what’s really bothering you?”
No. Yes. Skye heaved a sigh and sank onto the couch, a stack of magazines in her hands. “I wish I hadn’t told Gage about Connor’s party.”
Laramie glanced up from the gift she’d just wrapped, her long platinum hair woven in a fishbone-style braid dangling over her shoulder. Her pencil-thin brows tented over her wide-set green eyes. “Told him or invited him? There’s a difference, you know.”
Their Baby Blessing Page 5
