Abby and Dexter reach the bottom of the steps and Abby nods toward her father. “Keith. I’m glad you showed up.” She glances at me and arches an eyebrow. “Mom, be good. We’ll be back soon. The tablecloth is on the table. Love you.” She kisses my cheek and Dexter hangs back as he watches his sister pass their father with very little fanfare.
He glances up at me and then back to Keith. “I’m mad at him and don’t want to go.” His whisper is obviously meant only for my ears.
I drop my gaze to his and hold it steady. “I completely understand. You’re welcome to stay. I never said either of you needed to go. Knox would love to have dinner with all three of us.” I lean even closer to my son and speak into his ear. “And it’s okay to be mad at him. I’m mad at him. But make sure it’s not more toxic for you than it is for him.”
“Will you be okay, if we go?” Dexter worries at his lower lip with his teeth, studying me as if I’ll implode if he leaves me alone.
I nod. “I’ll be okay. I promise. I won’t binge this Sunday.” I hope.
We smile and he nods slowly, turning toward Keith. As he draws nearer his shoulders straighten and he lifts his chin. “I’m not happy with you, but I’ll go with you.” His brazen honesty surprises me.
If only I could be more like that.
Keith gives me a slight wave, confusion on his face as he reaches out to close the door.
I decide to attempt the brazen honesty, too. “Just so you know, you coming here and telling me you made a mistake and that you want to go back to how we were, isn’t how you fix anything.” I nod toward my children climbing into Keith’s car. “They’ve been through a lot. I doubt they’ll ever be able to trust a man again as a father figure. I wouldn’t be surprised, if they don’t trust you anymore. Add to that, the fact that you think we should just forget what you did?” I shake my head. “Too little, too late, Keith. However, I do think it’s great that you’re here getting them. They need that. They do need you in their lives and you could make a bigger impact if you show up for them.”
I want to add there’s no way in Hades that I’m going to take him back, or even let him step foot in my house, but why kick a man when he’s down?”
He doesn’t reply, but nods as he shuts the door behind him.
I glance at the watch on my wrist and grimace, whirling back to the kitchen. I have twenty minutes left and no idea what I’m supposed to do with all the now-extra food I was going to have.
That, and the table needed to be reconfigured with only two place settings.
Keith… Always messing things up.
***
“I wanted to see the kids, but I’m glad Keith came for them. For a lot of reasons.” Knox studies me across the table, his glass of water in his hand. He leans back in his seat, his gaze intense.
I swallow, nodding. What do I say to that? Yeah, I’m glad their deadbeat dad finally showed up? Yeah, I’m glad we can be alone together? Yeah, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I can definitely see you in it, now, kiss me?
What would he say, if I did tell him to kiss me? I’ve accepted that I can be brazenly bold, but in honesty, not in… kissing. I’m just too nervous to be too forward.
Since Knox arrived, exactly two minutes before he was supposed to – yay for promptness! – I haven’t been on edge. We’ve naturally moved around each other like we’ve been doing it for years.
Knox had three plates of my lasagna. I raise my eyebrows. “Did you want another plate?”
Knox takes a deep breath and drops his gaze to his empty plate. “Yes. I do, but if I do, I’ll blow up.” He’s so matter-of-fact. He reaches behind him and pulls two cells from his back pocket and sets them on the table beside his plate. “I have no room for air, if I’m being honest.”
I chuckle. “You showed that lasagna who’s boss, that’s for sure.” I glance curiously at the presence of two cells. “What’s with the two phones?”
Right then my phone dings from the kitchen where I’d left it. I glance up and then glance at one of the phones sitting beside Knox’s plate as it buzzes.
His face turns red and he reaches out, turning the piece off. “I just…”
My phone goes off again and I stand, holding up my hands. “Pause. Let me get that.” I rush to the kitchen and grab my phone and then return to the dining area. “Okay, you were going to tell me why you have two phones.” I sit back down and smile at Knox. I can’t believe he’s there with me and it’s just us.
His face has paled and he glances at the phone in my hands. “Are you going to get that?”
“Not until you tell me why you have two cells.” Why is he deflecting the question? It’s not a hard one. Is he hiding something?
My guard goes up and I lean back in my high-back chair and fold my arms, still smiling. I don’t want to come across as untrusting, but what if he’s not being honest with me? What if he’s hiding something? Serious.
“Actually, I have one for personal and one for work. Sometimes David takes over the on-call position and he needs the phone. I don’t want to leave mine with him. You’ve seen what he does with it when left unchaperoned.”
Heat floods my face. Of course, I jumped to conclusions. Why wouldn’t I? “That is actually a really good idea.”
I lift my phone and swipe the screen, reading the list of texts I’ve missed.
Apple: Guys, I’m scared. My ex is here and he’s losing it. I can’t call the cops. He’s watching me.
Dion: I’m not close enough to be there. I’m in Seattle. Anyone else?
Alex: What’s the address? I can try to get over there.
Apple: 3429 Dallin.
I glance up at Knox and back at my phone. I can be to Dallin in three minutes. That street is just a couple blocks over.
But will Knox understand or will he do what Keith always pulled? He’s too busy or that doesn’t fit in with what he wanted to do?
Either way, I can’t wait to figure out if I’m nervous or not about his answer.
This is my chance to be there for my new friends. I have to claim the opportunity and not be afraid.
Even if I might lose Knox in the process.
Chapter 28
Knox
I saw the text thread before Savvy returns and I’m breaking out in a sweat. We need to go help Apple. I don’t know anything else about her except how nice she is and how funny she can be.
Savvy thumbs out some kind of message and then raises her eyes to me, her brow furrowed. “Um, I hate to do this. I promised myself I wouldn’t ruin this date tonight, but my friend is having some drama at her place and it’s only three minutes from here. Is there anyway we can go? Her ex is causing problems.” She gives me the once over and nods shortly. “Actually, you’re exactly what we need to scare him off.”
I take her words as a compliment. Normally, I can’t help thinking there must be something wrong with me, but not right now. Not when we’re rushing out the door and climbing into my truck.
Savvy gives easy enough instructions and in moments we’re at a rancher style house with a well-maintained small front yard. The shutters are painted charcoal while the rest of the house is a muted army green. Oddly enough, I kind of like the color combination with the greener grass leading up to the house.
I park at the curb, noting the poorly parked Fiat blocking the rest of the driveway.
Pulling my phones out of my pocket, I toss them on the dash and turn off the engine.
“Let’s go.” Savvy doesn’t hesitate. She bounces from the cab and I’m left to follow. She strides to the front door, not looking around or even hesitating. One more reason I can’t walk away or let her find out I’m lying about who I am on the threads.
What started out an accident is fast becoming a reason to get up in the morning.
I’m not as eager as Savvy to get into the house. My stride is longer and more of a lope as I take my time, glancing over the windows and the backyard.
Issues with exes can be hard.
Did he bring a gun? Did he bring a group of friends? Not that I can see him bringing a lot of people in the little yellow Fiat.
A Fiat. Yellow.
I’m shaking my head. Hopefully, it’s his girlfriend’s or something. I just don’t see an intimidating man driving that kind of a car. Unless of course it’s Apple’s. I could see her driving that car. It was spunky and fun and small. All the things I would attribute to a woman.
Savvy knocks once and then turns the knob on the door, pushing the panel open just as I reach the steps of the stoop.
“Apple? It’s Savvy. Are you in here?” Savvy steps back, bumping into my chest as I come through the front door.
I narrow my eyes and reach out, steadying her as I plant my feet shoulder width apart. If someone touched her, so help their soul.
But there’s no one intimidating in there. In fact, there’s a man – I think – standing in the center of the living room with a blanket wrapped around him like he’s the Statue of Liberty and he’s holding…
Oh, seriously? He’s holding up an empty wine cooler bottle. Wine cooler.
I scan the room, my gaze stopping on Apple standing in the far corner with her arms crossed over her abdomen. She sees us and shakes her head. I motion her direction and lower my lips closer to Savvy’s ear. “I’m going to go over there to talk to your friend. I just need to make sure she’s okay.”
Savvy nods and because I’m a man and acutely aware of her, I notice the goosebumps on her forearms. Maybe I affect her like she affects me.
Ducking around the guy pretending to be a statue as he stares toward the corner where the ceiling and top of the wall meet, I stop beside Apple and smile to hopefully reassure her. “Hey, Apple. Do you remember me? I’m the grill master you guys helped out with the phone numbers.”
She nods, her wide eyes flicking side to side. “Yeah, I remember. Spicy Buns.”
“Spicy Buns. Okay. I’ll have to verify that later. Hey, how much has he had to drink? He seems pretty wasted, but that’s… a…” I don’t finish because it’s pretty obvious what it is.
“It’s mixed berry, you jerk. Don’t you know class when you see it?” The guy in the middle of the room pulls my attention from Apple to his location and I swivel, making sure I’m in between Apple and her ex.
“Okay, mixed berry wine coolers. Got it. That’s the better kind, okay. And how many have you had, buddy?” I’m not a small man and this guy seems to acknowledge that as his droopy eyelids shoot wide open when I address him.
“I’ve had one. Do you want one? I can get you one. And me one. One and one and one.” He shrugs and then lowers his hand holding the empty bottle. “I think I can get one.” He glances at Apple behind me and then back to me. “Are you with her? You’re with him?” He ends up yelling at Apple, raising his hand and throwing the bottle to the ground. It doesn’t break, but it does bounce on the carpeted flooring.
The guy is not impressive.
I sigh and fold my arms over my chest and tuck my chin as I look down on him as he steps from the coffee table he’s been standing on.
Oh, wow, he was shorter than Savvy. I’m not sure at what point this will turn into bullying.
“I’m not dating him. This is Savvy’s guy, Carl.” Apple rolls her eyes and picks up a wadded piece of material that looks like a sweatshirt and throws it past me toward Carl. “Just… take it and go. I don’t even want the Betty Boop sweatshirt anyway.”
Betty Boop. I blink and hold out my arms and shake my head. “Wait, you’re literally drunk off one wine cooler and you’re over here causing problems because of a chick’s sweatshirt? Dude, you might have problems.”
Carl’s shoulders slouch and he nods, dropping his chin to his chest. “You’re right. Wine coolers are too much. I shouldn’t be drinking at all. But all of this… is infuriating. I just want…” He hiccups flaps his arms at his sides and then lets them fall slack.
Shifting my gaze over my shoulder, I look questioningly at Apple. She shrugs and then sighs. “He’s always been… co-dependent. I just need to get him home.”
Jerking my thumb toward Carl, I incline my head toward Apple and keep my voice low. “You were worried about him?”
“Well, he’s bigger than me and last time he threw a chair through the window.” Apple goes on the defensive.
I hold up my hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean you shouldn’t be worried about him, I just… Okay. Where do we take him? Is that his Fiat?”
“Yeah.” She bites her lower lip. “You really think we can get him out of here and back home?”
I nod. “Yep, I can carry him, if I have to.” If Carl were five times his size, I could still deal with him easily. I glance over to Apple and can’t help thinking she needed to be hooked up with my brother. David would at least treat her right for the short time he saw her. Maybe that would kickstart her into only taking on the manlier men.
Not that who she saw is any of my business.
Moving up beside Carl, I reach out, clamping my hand on his shoulder and jerking my chin to the side. “Come on, Carl. We need to get you back to your house. Apple is out of wine coolers and you promised me one. Remember?”
He turns his gaze blearily my way and then nods. “Yeah, she never kept them in the house when I lived here either. Do you live here?”
I shake my head and steer him out the front door to the car. “No. I don’t live here, man.”
“Good. I think I would throw up, if you were seeing Apple. Are you seeing Apple? She can’t be with a guy like you.” He looks me over, craning his neck to look all the way to my hat. “No. She can’t be with a guy like you.”
“A guy like me? Who doesn’t need a wine cooler to have a good time?” I grin as I open the front door to the Fiat and shove him inside. My patience is wearing thin.
I’ve never met anyone drunk on one wine cooler. I doubt this guy is actually drunk. He’s just trying to take advantage of a situation. But for what gain?
Apple stands on the grass beside Savvy. “He lives over on Seltice. Do you need me to go with you?”
“Nah, Savvy can drive my truck behind me and we’ll go back home from his place. If you need anything, let me know.” I offer a side smile at Savvy who is staring at me like a super hero, which I have to admit I kind of like.
A lot.
“Do you know how to drive a stick?” I want to say a lot more to Savvy, but first I need to get rid of Carl who is hitting his head against the window of his own car, like he’s in a cop car or something.
“Yeah, I’ll follow you.” She smiles and wiggles her fingers at Apple. In just a few steps, she’s climbing into the rig of my truck and I want to go to her and kiss her. She looks so small behind the wheel of the large rig.
I grin and round the rear of the Fiat and then sigh as I realize I have to try to fit myself in that car.
If it’s not one thing it’s another.
I slide into the front seat and reach down, letting the seat latch go so I can push it all the way back.
Carl is still ramming his head against the window.
“Hey, that’s enough.” I reach out, grabbing his shoulder. “There’s no way you’re drunk off one wine cooler.”
Carl stops and looks at me, his eyes red-rimmed and his forehead red where he’s been smashing it against the window. Good glass, that Fiat.
Wrong Text, Right Reply: A Sweet Accidental Romance (An Accidental But Perfect Romance Book 1) Page 19
