by Kaylee Ryan
I stay behind, laying out our wet clothes so they can dry. When that’s done, I slip quietly into my apartment and shut the door. In the kitchen, I warm some milk in the microwave and pour a packet of powdered hot cocoa into a mug. When the drink is ready, I take my favorite unicorn mug and head to my chair. Heat spreads through me as I sip the chocolaty treat and catch the familiar scent of Colton’s detergent still clinging to his sweatshirt. Like a lunatic, I bring the shirt to my nose and inhale deeply.
I may have to keep this.
Smiling, I reach for my laptop and fire it up. I have a few more hours of work on my current job, with a few new ones waiting in the wings. Plus, I need to meet with Gabby soon to finalize the All Fit Gym website for publication. I’m excited for it to go live.
My email has five new messages since I last checked, two of which are junk phishing messages. One is from my website host for my annual renewal and another a notification from my bank about a payment to hit my account. That makes me happy. I’ll be able to pick up a few more things for my apartment soon, including a small two-seater table for the kitchenette.
Smiling, I click on the fifth email, a contact from my website, and find myself unable to pull oxygen into my lungs. Tears burn my eyes as I stare at the words marring my screen.
Contact: [email protected]
Message: I’m getting closer, Hollis. Soon. I’ll see you soon.
I’m not sure what’s more unsettling: the fact he’s still sending me messages after I disappeared a few months ago or that he’s actually getting close.
Chapter 11
Colton
I’m jolted awake from my son's cries through the monitor. I scramble out of bed, and turn off the monitor, so it doesn’t wake Hollis, and rush down the hall. Milo doesn’t cry. My heart is pounding in my chest as I make my way to his room.
“Hey, bud,” I coo, lifting him from his crib. I immediately notice he’s burning up. His cries begin to quiet as I rock him in my arms, running my hands up and down his back. “Daddy’s got you. You feeling bad?” I ask him. Not that I expect him to answer, that’s just what we do. I talk, and he listens. It’s our thing. “I wish I knew what was wrong,” I say, rocking from side to side. “Let’s go get you some Tylenol.” Grabbing his blanket and binky from his bed, I carry him to the kitchen. I’m struggling with getting the Tylenol and the dropper filled with one hand, so I carry him into the living room and lay him on the couch sitting in front of him to keep him from rolling off. As soon as I lay him down, he begins to cry. Not just any cry. No, this one is loud, a piercing wail. It’s a mix between I’m pissed off and Daddy it hurts.
“I’m sorry, buddy. Daddy has to get your medicine.” I try to keep my voice soothing, even though I’m nervous as hell. I hate it when he cries, and it puts me on edge. “It’s okay,” I tell him, but I don’t even think he can hear me over his cries. I fumble with the Tylenol bottle, and I’m finally able to get the lid off. My hands are shaking. What if there is something really wrong with him?
“Colt?”
I look up to find Hollis standing in the kitchen. Her hair is a mess, she’s wearing my T-shirt from yesterday, and her eyes are sleepy but soft. Somehow through my son’s tears, I was still able to hear her. I don’t have time to figure out what that means. “I’m so sorry,” I tell her, continuing to work to get the dropper full of medicine. Milo’s little arms and legs are flailing, and he hits my arm, and I drop the bottle, spilling it all over my lap.
“Hey.” Her soothing voice is next to me. Before I know what’s happening, she reaches around me and lifts Milo into her arms. He shudders a breath, and his cries quiet. “I’ve got you, handsome. What’s going on, huh? Are you not feeling well?” She continues to talk to him in a calm, soothing voice, and his cries stop completely. Shuddered breaths and whimpers are all that you hear.
“Thank you. I’m sorry we woke you.” I stand and grab the bottle and rush to the kitchen to clean up the mess and start over.
“It’s not a problem. What’s going on with him?”
“I’m not sure. He woke me up screaming, and he’s burning up. I’m trying to give him some medicine, but as you can see, that’s not working out too well.”
“Let’s go change your diaper while Daddy gets you some medicine.” She breezes past me and down the hall to his room. I wait for Milo’s cries, but they never come. Instead, all I hear is the low hum of Hollis’s voice as she talks to him.
Bracing my hands on the counter, I let out a slow breath. This single-dad thing is hard. I’m so thankful she’s here right now. I grab a towel from the counter and wipe off my lap, but it’s no use, the sticky medicine has already soaked into the material of my boxer briefs. Tossing the towel back on the counter, I fill the dropper to the correct amount and go in search of my girl and my son.
“That’s better,” Hollis says softly, lifting Milo into her arms. He’s no longer crying, as he stares up at her. “I’m sorry, buddy. I wish I could make it better for you,” she tells him, and he shudders a deep breath.
“Looks like you already have,” I say, stepping into his room.
“There’s Daddy.” She smiles down at Milo. “Nah, he’s still feeling bad. You can see it in his eyes, then there’s the fever.”
Her words strike me in my gut. This woman, so new to our lives, yet she knows my son. She pays attention to know he looks ill in his eyes. She cares enough to pay attention. I’m falling hard and fast for her. Seeing her like this, comforting Milo, getting up with us in the middle of the night. That’s sexier to me than anything else she could have done, any seduction she could have offered. A year ago, I would have told you that you were crazy if you said that’s how I would feel someday. Today, however, that’s just not the case. She’s never looked more beautiful to me than she does right now. In my clothes, hair a mess from our lovemaking before bed, holding my son.
“Do you mind holding him while I give him this? He’s not really a fan.” I hold up the dropper of medicine.
“Sure.” She shifts him from her shoulder to cradle him in her arms. “Okay, buddy. Daddy has some medicine that’s going to make you feel better. I need you to work with us, okay?” Her voice is soft and soothing and has a calming effect on my baby boy.
Moving in close, I place my hand under his chin and stick the dropper in his mouth. He tries to spit it out, but the gentle hold of my fingers under his chin helps him to swallow. Pulling out the dropper, he lets out a cry, but it’s short-lived as Hollis once again cuddles him to her chest. She rubs his back and sways side to side, and his cries stop.
“You don’t think it was us playing in the snow last week, do you?” she asks. I can hear the worry in her voice.
“No. It could be anything. He’s been cutting teeth, so that’s my guess. I’ll call the doctor in the morning and see what they think I should do. Let me wash my hands, and I’ll take him.”
“He’s fine.” She follows me back to the kitchen and heads straight for the rocker recliner I bought two days ago. She settles into the chair and wraps Milo’s soft blanket around him and begins to rock.
“You sure you don’t want me to take him?” I feel guilty that she’s missing out on her sleep.
“No. We’re good, aren’t we, buddy,” she says softly, smiling down at Milo. His eyes are already shut, unable to resist the pull of the rocking of the chair and being snuggled up with Hollis. Like father like son. I can’t resist her either.
With the dim lighting of the lamp, I take a seat on the couch and watch her. Watch them. My relationship with Hollis has developed fast, but I wouldn’t change it. I’m crazy about her, and seeing her like this, so loving and caring toward Milo, well, it’s hard to separate the sex and the emotions. I sound like a fucking chick, even to my own ears, but it’s the truth. I can’t help but wonder what it would be like to have her by my side all the time. Sure, that’s how things have been this past week, but I mean more permanently. As in, her room is no longer hers. Maybe we’ll have more
kids? Move to a bigger place? My mind is all over the place. All because of the beautiful woman, sitting on my chair, in my clothes, holding my son.
All because of Hollis.
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been sitting here just watching her with him. I know it’s not polite to stare, but I couldn’t pull my eyes from them even if I tried.
“He’s out,” she whispers.
“Okay.” I nod but make no effort to move. I’m not ready for this time to observe her, observe them together to be over. I imagine this is what it’s supposed to be like. When there are two parents, and this parenting gig isn’t being done solo. This is how it’s supposed to feel. “I’ll take him,” I finally say, standing from my place on the couch.
“No, I can do it. We don’t want to jostle him too much and wake him up.” I nod and follow her down the hall to his room. I watch intently as she lays him back in his bed. When she kisses the tips of her fingers and places them to his forehead, I’m a goner. Reaching out, I link my fingers through hers and guide her back to my room. I make quick work of stripping us both of our clothes before snagging a condom from the nightstand and pulling back the covers. There are no words spoken. We don’t need them. Our bodies are talking for us.
We’re both giving.
We’re both taking.
I’m falling in love with you.
That last one, that’s all me, but I’d like to think she feels the same way. The way she looks at me, the way she looks at my son. It has to be true, right? Together, we fall over the cliff of ecstasy. When I’ve caught my breath, I handle the condom and slide back into bed, pulling her into my arms. I hold her tight, and don’t let go. I don’t ever want to let go.
“What did the doctor say?” Hollis asks when I walk through the door. She’s sitting on the couch with her computer on her lap. She’s still wearing my shirt, and her hair is still a mess. I love her like this.
“Teething.” I look down at my son, who is all bundled up in his snowsuit and trying to rest his head on my shoulder.
“Poor guy.” She moves her laptop to the couch beside her then stands to greet us. “Those teeth are meanies, huh, buddy?” she asks Milo.
“I guess I’ll call Chase and see if he can watch him for me while I do my classes tonight. Mom and Dad are out of town, and Gwen offered, but he’s clingy and doesn’t feel good. She’s pregnant, and she has Sophia, and Harrison to deal with.”
Hollis laughs. “I’ll keep him.”
“No. We already deprived you of sleep. I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. I volunteered. Besides, when he sleeps, I’ll work. I got some work in while you were gone too.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. Hand me the cuteness.” She holds out her hands, waiting for me to hand my son to her.
I hand him over, and she turns her back to me, carrying him to the couch and lays him down, stripping him out of his snowsuit. “There, now you don’t look like a marshmallow man.” She lifts him into her arms and kisses his cheek. “What are we going to do today?” she asks as if he’s going to reply. Just like I do.
“You sure about this, Hollis?”
“Absolutely. We’re going to hang out, play, nap, eat, and make a mess of the house.” She smiles over at me, and I find myself smiling back.
“I don’t have to go in until two.”
“Go take a nap. You didn’t get much sleep last night.”
“I can’t do that. You go work until I have to leave.”
She reaches down and closes her laptop. “Stop trying to steal my thunder, Colton Callahan. Today, I get to be the hero. Go.” She shoos me away with a swing of her arm. “We’ve got this, Daddy.”
Sliding my hand behind her neck, I pull her into a kiss. My hand slides around her waist, as I deepen the kiss, needing more of her when a tiny hand lands on my cheek, and a cry comes from my son. I chuckle and pull away, and he stops crying. “Looks like I’m not the only Callahan man falling for your charms,” I say, bopping my son on the nose with my index finger.
Hollis throws her head back and laughs. “Go call Gwen. Let her know that you won’t be bringing Milo today and get some rest.” She shakes her head as if she can’t believe my words. She doesn’t see herself like we see her. I’m going to change that. She needs to believe how incredible she is.
“Thank you.” I lean in for another kiss before heading to my room. It’s going to be hard to sleep knowing they’re out there, but it could be another long night of Milo not sleeping, so I need to take this opportunity while I can. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I strip down and climb under the covers before dialing Gwen.
“Good morning,” she greets. I can hear Sophia babbling in the background.
“Hey, Gwen. Milo’s teething and running a fever, and just overly fussy, so I’m not going to bring him today. He’s been pretty clingy.”
“So, what you’re telling me is my sister talked you into letting her keep him?” she asks, amused.
“No. Actually, Hollis is going to keep him for me. I don’t have to be at the gym until
two, and I have two classes, one at three and one at five.” I don’t know why I told her my schedule. She knows it. Hell, she has a copy of it since she is my babysitter.
“Hollis, huh?”
“Yep,” I say, popping the P.
“Nice. Well, if something changes and you need me, you know where to find me.”
“I do. Thanks, Gwen.”
“You’re welcome. Tell Hollis and Milo I said hi.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
“You got it,” I agree and end the call. I’m not going to hide the fact that Hollis is in my life as more than just a tenant. She’s important to me, important to Milo. She’s not a dirty little secret. No, she’s more like a prized trophy you want proudly on display. Not because of her looks, although she is beautiful, but because of the person she is. She’s kind, loving, and fun to be around. I’m honored to have her in our lives for those reasons alone.
Knowing that Milo is in good hands, I place my phone on the nightstand and close my eyes.
A few hours later, I wake feeling a lot less exhausted. Glancing at the clock, I see it’s just after noon. I need to get up and get moving. Grabbing some clothes, I hit the shower, which does wonders to wake me up. Once I’m showered and dressed, I go in search of my son and my girl. She doesn’t know it yet, but that’s a title I hope she keeps.
I find Hollis sitting at the kitchen table with her laptop. The house smells like she’s cooking something amazing. Peeking in the living room, I see Milo asleep in his Pack ’n Play. My eyes dart back to Hollis, who doesn’t see me standing here. No, her eyes are glued to the screen of her phone, and she looks… worried.
“Hollis.”
She jumps, knocking over the bottle of water that thankfully has a lid on it. It rolls to the floor, and she rushes to pick it up. “Sorry, you scared me.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just lost in thought.” She sets the bottle on the table, and her hands are trembling. She sits back down in her seat, her eyes darting around, looking everywhere but at me.
Bracing one hand on the table and the other on the back of her chair, I lean down and kiss her. At first, she’s resistant, but her shoulders fall, and she begins to kiss me back. That’s when my hand that’s on the table moves until I find her phone. Once I have it in my hand, I pull away from the kiss. Standing at my full height, I hold the phone in front of my face. It unlocks, and I look at what’s on the screen.
Contact: [email protected]
Message: I’m coming for you.
What. The. Fuck. “Hollis.” My voice is hard. “Who is this?”
“I-I don’t know. It’s nothing.” She reaches for her phone, but I lift my hand in the air, evading her. “Hollis.”
Those beautiful green eyes fill with tears and have me dropping to my knees. I toss her phone back on the table, and I cup her face in my hands. “Y
ou can talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes. You can,” I say firmly.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I just… I can’t talk about it.”
“Hollis. You are living in my home. With my son. Sleeping in my bed. I’m about to leave this house, and you will be in charge of making sure my son is safe. I need something more than I can’t talk about it.”
“I’m sorry,” she cries. “I don’t even know where to start. And Milo, I would never let anything happen to him. Never. Colton, you have to believe me.”
“I don’t know what to believe. You’re obviously hiding something from me. I have a child to think about, Hollis.”
“I know.” Her cries grow louder. “I know that. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what, Hollis. You have got to give me something.” She shakes her head again as tears flood her cheeks. As much as I want to trust her, I just can’t put my son in danger like that. I can’t leave him alone with her until I know what’s going on. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I call my sister-in-law. “Hey, Gabs. Can you do me a huge favor? Can you watch Milo this afternoon? My last class is at five, so I should be there a little after six to pick him up.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bring him with me. He’s been fussy and is teething.” I listen to her ask about Gwen. “I canceled on her. Hollis was going to watch him, but something came up.” Again, I listen. “Thanks, Gabs. I owe you one.” I end the call and stand.
“Colton.” Sad green eyes peer up at me. They’re pleading, and although I want to comfort her, I can’t. Not until she opens up to me.
“Get ready. We’re leaving in thirty minutes.”
“What?” She wipes at her eyes. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to work, and I can’t leave you alone.” I point at her phone. “Not after reading that. You can come with me or go home with Chase and Gabby. Take your pick.”