What Tears Us Down: A Single Dad Standalone Romance (Arrow Creek Book 3)

by A. M. Wilson

  When I look up, I find her staring down at me as if she’s soaking in each word. As if hearing about someone else’s pain makes her forget her own for just a second.

  “You realize we’re going to share this space now, right? I mean, you can’t bring me here and not expect me to return.”

  “Why not? We already sleep next to one another.”

  The pink hitting her cheeks chases away some of the sadness. “We do not sleep next to each other, Rhett.”

  “Near then.”

  “In separate cars.”

  “Parked close.”

  “Parked an acceptable distance away.”

  “This will sound strange being that we’re two strangers sharing a parking lot at night, but I feel a friendship developing here, so I’m going to say it. If it didn’t seem weird to the owner, I’d pitch us a tent in the middle of the parking lot just so I don’t have to worry about you sleeping in your car all alone.”

  She slaps a hand against her chest. “Why that might be the friendliest thing you’ve said to me yet.”

  “I’m a friendly guy.”

  I snag her hand and yank until she nearly topples in my lap. Lucky for her, she catches herself. I really didn’t think that through and nearly got slammed in the balls. “Sit and relax a while.”

  She pins me with a glare only inches from my face. “Your bossiness is going to get you into trouble.”

  “You like it.” My gaze drops to her mouth.

  She shrugs one uncovered shoulder. “No use in denying the obvious. It’s too bad you have so much baggage,” she teases with a sparkle in her eye.

  I nearly drop my mouth open in affront. “Just for that, I’m going to stop calling you Rosie and start calling you suitcase instead.”

  “Only if I can call you nutcase.”

  “We are quite the pair.”

  She settles her back against the right side of my chest and sighs. The smell of her shampoo, something minty and fresh, reminds me of summer and crisp drinks to cut the heat.

  “Can you hand me a drink?”

  Without dislodging her from her position that I quite like, I slide the bag off my back to retrieve the snacks. I picked up some items while I waited for her to get back to the parking lot earlier. She takes the offered bottle of water. Before taking her own drink, she pours some into a bowl for her dog.

  “If you aren’t busy tomorrow, I’d like you to come hang out with my friends. We’re helping them move, but you wouldn’t have to do any work. It might be nice to meet some more people in town.”

  “After that rant, you’re willingly inviting me to hang out with you?” Her tone remains teasing, but I sense an undercurrent of insecurity.

  I nudge her back with my shoulder. “Let’s just say I don’t mind being stuck with you any less than I did an hour ago.”

  “In that case, I refuse to go to a moving party and not help carry some boxes. I’m just sorry that my car’s full of my own junk so I can’t fit anything inside it. I’d love to come.”

  There’s an easiness to her personality that’s comforting. Nora was the type to need at least forty-eight hours’ notice for anything. I couldn’t even plan to meet Nathan at Calypso’s without a drawn-out plan with a detailed start and end time. Evie takes my demands disguised as invitations in strides. If I’m being honest, I’d probably pester her in the parking lot until she agreed to come along. I may not have access to the money that can help her, but I do have access to time and good people.

  I take a drink to clear my dry throat. “Perfect. They’re going to love you.”

  10

  Evie

  “You nervous?”

  Rhett poises his fist to knock on his friend’s door as he takes one last look at me. I don’t know if the apprehension is written on my face or if he’s just observant enough. With Ghost’s leash clenched in one hand and my cleaning caddy in the other, I shake my head.

  “Not nervous. Hoping I don’t end up in the way.”

  “You won’t. You’ve already won them over with a dog and an extra set of hands.”

  I crease my brows. “You can’t know that. They haven’t met my dog.”

  His retort is silenced by the door swinging open.

  “Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?”

  Cami, my dog sitter, immediately holds out her hand to Ghost for a sniff before the gentle pit bull nudges her nose into her open palm. The sweet brunette brings her face closer for a slobbery doggy kiss.

  “You two know each other,” Rhett states, not quite asking with an undercurrent of unease. What’s wrong with having met one of his friends already?

  “She watched my dog while I met with a client.”

  “And she’s the best dog ever! Even though she can’t hear me,” Cami coos and scratches beneath Ghost’s chin.

  Rhett’s eyes meet mine for a silent beat before he cracks a smirk. “What’d I tell you?”

  “I’m missing something,” Cami suddenly announces and rises from her crouch as she relieves me of the leash. “How do you two know each other?”

  Rhett cocks his head, his smirk transforming into one full of sinful secrets. “It’s a small town. I thought I’d help her get familiar.”

  “With what, your bed?”

  “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  My shoulders fall back as I stand tall at the implication. How dare he. Before I can say as much, Cami signals my dog to follow her and heads inside.

  “I won’t keep you on the porch. We need all the hands we can get.”

  Rhett moves to follow, but I snag his bicep in my hand. Shaking off how nice the rounded ball of hard muscle feels, I wait until I have his attention. Once again, his eyes meet mine, though this time, they’re guarded.

  “What was that?”

  A muscle twitches in his jaw. “It’s nothing.”

  “Not nothing. Not when you make it seem like I’m just the current lay you didn’t have time to kick out of bed this morning. What was that?”

  He flicks his attention to the open door and beyond. “I’ll share later.”

  “Look at me.” I wait for him to return his wary gaze. “We’re all allowed to have secrets. I get that I stood on a mountain yesterday and bared more of mine than is probably normal, and I’m not asking you to do the same. But please don’t tarnish my character to people I’ve hardly met. It’s hurtful.”

  Warm palms cup each of my elbows as his face falls into one of regret. Our bodies inch closer together on the small porch.

  “My friends don’t know about where I’m staying, and I want to keep it that way until I sort my situation out. Rumors are that I make my home in many beds across town. It seemed like the easiest lie. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how it’d make you feel or look to them. They’re used to me sleeping around.”

  Brushing away the comment about many beds takes a surprising amount of willpower, considering he and I just met. I squeeze where my hand still rests. Seeing as I don’t want my own family to know where I am, I’d probably panic too.

  “Apology accepted. Just don’t do it again. Cami’s been watching my dog for me, and I’d hate to lose that relationship because she thinks I’m just your flavor of the weekend.”

  He tugs me closer and dips his head to level me with his gaze. “Never again. You have my word.”

  The seriousness of his tone convinces me nearly as much as his handsome face. From this close, I can see the lines fanning from the corner of his eyes. His lower lip is slightly larger than the top one, but both are soft and kissable. The sharp line of his jaw entices me to run my fingers along it. Somehow, he still manages to keep his cheeks smooth of stubble while sleeping in his car and using a gas station bathroom.

  He shakes both my elbows. “Let’s go. They’re probably already gossiping about us, and staying out here gives them more reasons not to stop.”

  “Right,” I mumble, a little thrown off course. These past two days have packed an emotional punch, and it confuses the hell out o
f me. This across-country getaway is supposed to help me find myself, not find myself tied to someone else.

  The moment we step over the threshold, the coos over my dog reach my ears. I instantly warm to the voices praising her. Too many people fear the breed without giving these dogs a chance. Without having even met them yet, I feel like I’ve stumbled upon my niche of people.

  Boxes are stacked high against the walls of a modern rambler. The cute place springs longing for somewhere to call my own. And maybe a touch of envy that it’ll take years before I can manage to afford a place as cute as this. The size of the open-plan living room and kitchen would be perfect for a single woman like me. I can already picture setting up Ghost’s crate in a spare bedroom. She’s the only roommate I’ll ever need.

  That isn’t entirely true. I was planning to marry a man before my world flipped on its axis. I don’t even think the experience was enough to turn me into a cynic. Romantic hearts float around my head from time to time, and I remain open to experiencing the most swoon-worthy moments.

  A few pop unannounced into my head. Rhett holding me after the scary experience with Dan the trucker and surprising me with a hot meal the same day I started with my first client. Inviting me on a hike with a gorgeous view and allowing me to simply express myself without him needing to fix me as if I’m broken.

  I’ve known the man for one week, and he already appears to see the battle cracks in my heart and soothes them.

  Cami returns to the room with my dog, and a pretty blonde follows her. The woman’s face splits into a grin when she sees me. She steps from behind Cami to take me in from top to toe but loses my focus. The moment she moves from behind her friend, I see the small baby cradled in her arms.

  My heart stutters at the cuteness overload. The sweet bundle peers with wide eyes and sucks contentedly on a chubby fist. The green fuzzy blanket swaddled around is clutched tightly in the other.

  This town is perfect for me in as many ways as it’s painful. This has to be like the frequency illusion—where you buy a new car and then immediately start seeing the make and model everywhere. The last year of my life has been filled with such a desire to have a baby, and now I’m surrounded by them.

  “Hi, I’m Kiersten.” The blonde steps closer with her hand outstretched, forcing me to divert my attention away from the little one.

  “Hey. I’m Evie.” I can’t quite help my gaze from reverting back to the baby in her arms. She notices the shift and calls me out on it.

  “This little guy is Cedric.”

  “He’s beautiful.” My voice fills with awe, and a rush of embarrassment follows. Rhett’s warm palm settles reassuringly on the low curve of my back.

  The new mom beams and glances down at her little one. “You are beautiful, aren’t you?” She strokes his cheek as she coos in a baby voice. “Even your stinky little poos are beautiful.”

  “He’s getting over his first bout of baby constipation,” Cami adds helpfully. “She’s not normally this weird.”

  Rhett coughs behind me, but I hear the low rumble he fails to disguise completely.

  Kiersten rolls her eyes. “Weird is relative. I don’t have to explain to anybody why I am the way I am.” She aims a beaming smile at me. “But I already have the feeling we’re going to get along just fine, even if I am weird.”

  “I don’t think you’re weird.” She doesn’t appear the type to need confirmation, but I give it anyway.

  She shifts her gaze to Rhett. “Love her already! So tell me the story. Are you two an item or just sharing sheets?”

  Oh my God!

  “Kiersten!” Cami’s defense of us is loudest, but I swear Rhett grumbles from behind me.

  “His highly known reputation isn’t a deterrent. We’re just friends.” I rock side to side.

  Her brows pinch together as she flicks her gaze back and forth between the two of us. “Hmm. Yeah, I’ve done just friends.” She gives the happy baby in her arms a little jostle. “This is my souvenir.”

  My next inhale turns sharp at her words as the sting of infertility settles in.

  “Please don’t refer to my son as a souvenir like you just went to Mexico and won a wet T-shirt contest.”

  The new voice belongs to another attractive man. He has to be about six feet tall, built—if his biceps are any indication—with a length of brown hair that’s disarranged perfectly on his head. His eyes are adoring as he shifts the box in his hands in order to lean in to kiss his girlfriend or wife on the cheek.

  “Not that I’d mind seeing you in a wet tee.”

  The hand Rhett placed on my back moves to the left a few inches and squeezes my hip. The slight pressure encourages me to loosen the muscles in my back.

  “Unless you two are ready for another baby, let’s turn the heat down a notch, okay?” Cami says with a smile. “Speaking of babies, where’s yours today?”

  “His mom asked for an extra day. I’ll have him tomorrow instead,” Rhett answers in a tone that stems additional questions.

  Cami directs her gaze at me. “Enough standing in the doorway. Let’s get you a drink. You can meet my hot hunk of a man, and then we can let them get back to manly stuff while we take care of the children.”

  “Do you have more kids?” I ask, glancing around as if I’m about to be ambushed by more of the very thing I’m trying to leave behind.

  “Nah. I just have Evelyn, though I won’t say never to more. Kiersten just has Cedric for now, but the way those two can’t keep their hands to themselves, I’m betting she’ll be pregnant again in a month or two. By plural, I included your dog child because she’s just perfect.”

  The heaviness wafts away, and I smile. “Thank you. I didn’t mean to crash in on your efforts, though. I plan to work too.” I hold up the cleaning caddy in my right hand.

  Cami drops Ghost’s leash to allow her to explore and hooks me through the elbow. As she drags me away, Rhett’s fingertips drift along my lower back until he’d have to physically follow to keep them intact. The look in his eyes is a mixture of heat and concern as I turn to share a content smile over my shoulder.

  I’ll think about that later.

  “If you want to lend your efforts to the task, I won’t be the one to stop you. But I will make sure you are properly liquored while you do it. If you drink, that is. If not, ignore me. No pressure whatsoever,” Cami says as she tows us to a halt at the kitchen island.

  “I’ll have a drink, sure.” I can’t even remember the last time. When we were trying to have a baby, I cut out anything that might even remotely hurt my chances, even if it was just in my head and not proven by science.

  “Wine, seltzer, vodka soda, or something stronger?” She waggles her eyebrows.

  “Have a strong one for me.” Kiersten pouts.

  “I keep telling her she has options.” Cami rolls her eyes.

  “We don’t pump and dump in this house. My milk is liquid gold, thank you very much.” Kiersten looks at me. “I only have a drink if someone’s babysitting and the little man has a bottle.”

  At the mention of the baby, my attention drops there. “I think that’s inspiring. The things mothers are willing to do for the sake of their children’s well-being.”

  The silence raises my head just as the two women exchange a look. I’m guessing this isn’t the only time they’ve had to make sacrifices for their kids.

  Cami clears her throat. “What can I get you?”

  “Seltzer is great. Thank you.”

  The crack of the can punctures the quiet, and I glance around the nearly empty room. This one appears to be fully packed up and ready to be cleaned. “Mind if I start here? You two can sit and keep me company.”

  “Psh. Give me a sponge. We can take turns holding the baby.” Cami ties her hair into a messy bun.

  There will be no baby holding for me. Helping with Tommy at my client’s house was one thing. I couldn’t get started until his mother came back. But this one is snuggled right where he belongs in his mother�
�s arms.

  I fill the sink with my cleaning solution to start wiping down the cabinets and fridge. “Do you want to take the cabinets or the stove?” I ask Cami, who stands at the ready with a pair of yellow rubber gloves on as she drinks her own canned seltzer.

  Her face contorts into a grimace. “Cabinets, please. I hate cleaning my own oven, and I’m scared of what hers looks like.”

  “Then you’ll love to see how easy it is when I do it. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think an oven exists that doesn’t need a little elbow grease, but I have the secret weapon.”

  We set out to our tasks. Cami takes over the sponge from the sink and wipes out all the open spaces while I work on degreasing the hood fan, stovetop, and oven. We make quick work together even with time spent giggling like girls and enjoying our drinks. I discover Cami is a paramedic with Kiersten’s husband, Nathan, and Kiersten is a 911 dispatcher. The three of them have been friends for over a decade.

  It doesn’t take long for a familiar pang to remind me I’m alone in this world. I don’t have a tribe or a girl gang. I didn’t even leave friends behind. They all drifted over the years as they settled down and started families while I was steps behind.

  Sitting in this room with two women who are clearly good friends brings another longing. I vow to myself I will find this in Arrow Creek if I settle down here or somewhere else. A solid friend or two to keep me grounded.

  I make a mental note to thank Rhett again for bringing me along. For reminding me that all hope isn’t lost for my life at twenty-five. That I can find things to fulfill me even though I can’t have what I thought mattered most.

  “Are you just super well-stocked on cleaning supplies and knowledge?” Cami breaks us out of a silent moment and leans her hip against the edge of the counter she just scrubbed.

  “I used to run a cleaning business back home. I’m hoping to start one up here to help me get settled in.”