by Molly McLain
“Bri and I are gonna hit up Pino’s for pizza tonight. You wanna come along?” God al-fucking-mighty, he was pathetic. Not dinner with her, dude!
“Hmm, I don’t know.”
She’d said no yesterday—why would she say anything different today? He was such a dumbass.
“I’m pretty picky about my pizza. Do you like olives?”
“Love ’em.” Not really, but he’d learn to if it meant she’d come along. And from the looks of the contemplative smile on her face that’s just what she’d be doing.
“Pizza sounds perfect then.”
He grinned too. “Great. I gotta grab a shower, so how about Bri and I swing by to pick you up in a half hour?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
***
The pub-style pizza joint in downtown River Bend took Nicole completely by surprise. Whereas the other businesses on Main Street seemed to pride themselves in embracing their historical roots—namely by sticking with their original 1960’s and 70’s décor—Pino’s was impressively modern. Lots of chrome, lots of glass...and lots of patrons.
She, Tony, and Brianna claimed a booth near the rear of the establishment—one of only two tables not already occupied. She would have preferred something closer to the bar, since she still hadn’t met many people in town and Tony seemed to know everyone if all the hands that stuck up in the air upon his entrance were any indication.
But the back was nice, too. Quiet. Better for Bri. And just dim enough that maybe Tony wouldn’t see her ogling how damn good he looked in that snug black t-shirt.
The man’s shoulders should seriously come with a warning label: Caution—May induce quivering naughty bits and the sudden saturation of one’s panties.
Good God. After tonight, she’d have enough in her fantasy file to last a solid week. Definitely not a prude. And definitely not as uninterested as she’d tried to convince Ally.
“This place is great,” she said as she shrugged out of her coat and slid into one side of the booth. Tony worked on unbundling Brianna, and then slid her into a highchair at the end of the table. An up-tempo Italian opera song played over the din of the patrons.
“It’s my favorite restaurant in town. We’re here at least once a week, sometimes twice.” Tony gave an almost shamed smile and she laughed.
“That surprises me. I would have pegged you as a country bar kind of guy. You know, bottles of beer and big, greasy cheeseburgers.”
“Give me a Budweiser and burger any day of the week,” he replied after a young waitress arrived to bring them menus and take their drink order. “But I don’t think social services would like it very much if I tried to balance Bri on a barstool.”
Nicole thought back to the one-sided phone conversation she’d overheard him having yesterday afternoon. It wasn’t difficult to figure out that it had been Brianna’s mother on the other end of the line. She was tempted to ask where the woman was and why she wasn’t a part of their lives, but it really wasn’t her business. “You said you’ve had her for a few months now?” she asked instead.
A crease formed down the center of his forehead and he frowned as he studied the menu. “How about sausage, mushrooms, and both kinds of olives?” he asked, rather than answering her question.
“Perfect. Pan-style or thin crust?”
“Pan. It’s more filling and I’m starving.”
Such a man’s man. And he further proved it when the waitress came back with their drinks and he ordered the largest pizza on the menu and a side of cheesy garlic bread as an appetizer. Then again, he had no food in his house, save a nearly empty box of cereal and a cupboard dedicated solely to baby food. He probably planned on surviving on leftovers for the next couple days.
“Listen,” he said suddenly, shifting uncomfortably in the booth. “I don’t like to talk about this, but I can only imagine what you’re thinking and somehow that’s more frightening than the truth, so...” He met her gaze for a brief moment before training his eyes back on Brianna. “Bri’s mom is in jail. She got pulled over for drinking and driving when Bri was just a few weeks old. It was her fourth offense. And Bri was in the car. Not buckled in.”
“Oh, my God. That’s—”
“Fucked up. I know.” He shook his head. “We weren’t together. Were never even a couple actually, and that made the decision to fight for custody an easy one.”
“If she was in jail, wasn’t Bri staying with you the obvious choice?”
He glanced down at Bri and pulled in a breath. “I didn’t know about Bri before Shannon got busted.”
She blinked. “Didn’t know, as in...?”
He gave a sad smile, but he didn’t look at her. “Like I said, we weren’t together.”
So many questions sprung to mind, but she held back. This was a personal conversation. One he might feel comfortable enough to tell her in time, but not likely tonight.
“That probably makes me sounds like a total player, doesn’t it? Like I go around, willy nilly, impregnating women.”
“No.” She laughed. “I get it. Things happen sometimes.”
He nodded, his throat working as he swallowed. “I just don’t want you to think I’m that kind of guy.”
Because he valued her opinion as a person...or as a woman?
“Never,” she said. “Honestly I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to find out like that.”
Tony lifted a shoulder and his eyes gleamed with a quiet sadness and a well-contained anger that she had to give him mad props for. Then again, he’d had months to get a grip on whatever had happened. And he had Brianna now, so the fact she was safe probably surpassed every other emotion he had on the matter.
“It wasn’t fun.” He attempted a smile, but it didn’t quite meet his eyes. No, that wasn’t right—his eyes were fine, very much alive and gorgeous. The problem was the exhaustion in his face and the heavy droop that had settled into those strong, broad shoulders.
“Do you ever get time to yourself? You know, to be a guy?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Pretty sure I’m a guy right now. I think I’m insulted that you didn’t notice.”
She rolled her eyes and waited to respond when the waitress returned with their drinks and Tony’s garlic bread.
“Hey, can I get this warmed up?” He dug a small bottle from the diaper bag and held it out to the waitress. “Fifteen seconds in the microwave should do the trick.”
The young woman—Kim, according to her nametag—grinned. Hero worship lit up her pretty eyes, much like Sammy’s. “Sure thing, Tony,” she purred before traipsing off.
“Wow.”
“What?” Tony frowned. “It’s just water to mix with her cereal. I know better than to nuke formula.”
And wasn’t that just the thing? “You’re in dad mode 24/7. You didn’t even notice that she was flirting, did you?”
He blinked. “Who?”
“Oh, my God.” Nicole leaned back in the booth and laughed. “When was the last time you were out with the guys? Or did the whole trolling for chicks thing you men do.”
Chewing on a bite of bread, he shrugged. “I go out.”
“Oh, really? When?” God, he was adorable. And too proud and determined for his own good.
“I’m out right now, aren’t I?”
“This is like a business meeting. And Brianna’s along. I mean an honest to goodness night on the town, Tony. You said not more than five minutes ago that you like the bar scene.”
“If this is a business meeting, we sure as hell aren’t discussing my social life.”
Tipping her head to the side, Nicole gave him her best appeasing smile. “You and I could be friends, you know.” He said nothing in return, just continued to eat, his gaze still locked on hers. “What I’m trying to say is...what you’re doing for Brianna is amazing and she’s a very lucky little girl to have you for her dad. But I think you’ve been neglecting you and if there’s something I can do to help out, I’m happy to do it. Babysitting on the weekend, f
or example, so you can go out and live it up a bit. Hang up your dad hat and just be a guy for a few hours.”
He pointed at her with his bread. “You’re awfully ballsy, you know that? We’ve known each other for, what, a couple days? And already you think you’ve got me figured out.”
Maybe she was overstepping, but she recognized the resignation in his eyes. The near defeat. She saw it in her patients all the time and she had personal experience too. She knew what it was like to be stuck in a situation, feeling like you’d lost so much of yourself you might as well give up on saving the rest. She’d almost done that with Derek. Almost stayed with him because it seemed like the right thing to do, even though it would’ve meant living a miserable existence.
“You’re right. I’m sorry.” She took a humble sip of her water and willed the waitress to return with the bottle and their pizza so they could wrap up the evening and she could take her too-big mouth home.
“For what? Being dead on?”
She glanced up at him tentatively and he was smiling that lopsided grin of his.
“You’re intuitive. And outspoken. I like that.” He paused as Kim came back with the bottle. He muttered a dismissive thanks before glancing across the table again. “You’re going to be good for Brianna.”
She nodded. “I am.”
“You might be a little too cocky though.” He chuckled while he mixed Brianna’s cereal.
“Why don’t you let me do that so you can eat your bread?”
He eyed her for a moment and, to her surprise, slid the bowl across the table. “You want me to lighten up, you got it. She’s all yours.”
Nicole grinned. “Who knows, Tony? I might just be good for you, too.”
***
Nicole crawled into bed at just before 10 pm. Vivian and Jake and their torrid love affair would hold until tomorrow night, because her mind was racing, rehashing her much more interesting night out with Tony. He was obviously guarded—and rightfully so—but he’d opened up tonight and she suspected that was a big deal for him. Heck, it was big deal for her and she hadn’t been the one sharing past indiscretions.
Feeling restless, she eyed her phone and considered the time. Rachel was probably getting ready for her eleven-to-seven shift in the ER at the children’s hospital, so she dialed and flopped back against the pillows.
“Tell me the house is settled and you’re on your way to Chicago, because I am in serious need of a girls’ night out,” Rachel said, bypassing the greeting. She sounded breathless, probably from running around her apartment trying to find clean scrubs.
“I’m making progress, but there’s still a ton of work to be done. And didn’t you just have girls’ night out with the nurses from the OB floor?”
“Yes, but it’s not the same as going out with you. I miss you, Nic. I need my bestie here, like, yesterday.”
“I’m working on it.” Not as hard as she could be, given she’d started watching Bri, but things were moving along nicely thanks to Ally.
“That’s what I like to hear. Hey, guess what? There’s this conference here at the end of the month. Doctors from all over the country will be flying in. You should come, too. We can share a bottle of wine and see if we can’t rope us a couple McDreamies.”
“As great as that sounds, I don’t think I can.” One, she was broke and, two, Bri.
“Why the hell not?”
Nicole pushed a hand through her hair. Rachel didn’t know the extent of her financial problems and she’d flip if she knew about the job, but... “Tony might need me.”
“Tony?”
Nicole pinched her eyes shut. “I’ve taken a temporary job here in River Bend. Just helping out a friend in a bind.”
“A friend? I didn’t think you knew anyone there anymore. And please don’t tell me this job is keeping you from you doing your thing at Gran’s and getting the heck out of Dodge.”
“Not really. It’s just...I couldn’t say no. Tony’s a single dad with this adorable infant daughter. Her mother’s in jail and Tony’s sitter had a heart attack and—”
“And that is so not your problem! God, you are such a sucker for people down on their luck.” Rachel’s sharp exhale crackled the connection. “The mom’s in jail? Jesus, Nic. You really know how to pick ’em.”
“Hey, I picked your brother once, didn’t I?”
“First of all, Derek’s a fucking idiot and I’m not above saying that just because we share DNA. Second, I wasn’t talking about romantic picking! But I’m guessing you like this guy since that’s right where your mind went.”
Way to go, mouth. “I haven’t known him long enough to like him.” Much.
“But you do. And his baby mama’s in jail? I knew better than to let you go off to that rinky dink little town by yourself. I mean, does this guy even have a job? Or a place of his own? Please don’t tell me he lives with his mother.”
“Not all small town guys are losers like Tim.” Nicole smiled when her friend groaned at the sound of her ex’s name. “Really, Rach, it’s not like that. At all.”
“What are you doing for this guy then? At least explain that to me.”
“I’m watching his daughter so he can go to work, because, yes, he has a job. A really good one. He’s a former Marine, too. I don’t know the full scoop on that yet, but it seems very up and up. He’s only had custody of Brianna for a few months and he’s struggling. I overheard his story in the coffee shop and my heart went out to him. Before I’d seen him, I might add.”
Rachel snorted. “So you’re more or less admitting he’s hot.”
She sighed and closed her eyes. The mental image—the memory—was too good to ignore. “The total package. Dark hair, dark eyes, and you should see his hot bod. To-die-for shoulders and arms, and an ass I could stare at all day long.”
“So sleep with him, get your fix, and get the hell out of town. I need you here, Nic. I’m lonely. God, I can’t even believe we’re having this conversation.”
“You’re the one who’s getting all worked up. I’m just egging you on, because it’s fun.”
“So you’re not falling for this country bumpkin’?”
“He’s just a nice guy who happens to also be nice to look at. And his daughter is adorable too.”
“But is she keeping you from the house? From getting it sold?”
“Not really.” She explained about Ally’s helping.
“Well, thank God for that. You remember Sean from Radiology? He asked about you again the other day. I think he’s holding out for your long-awaited return.”
Nicole grinned. “Sean, huh?”
“Yep. You made quite a first impression.”
So had Sean. But Tony made a better one, not that she’d ever tell Rachel that. “Tell him I said hi.”
“I will, if I ever get my butt out the door.” There was a rustling sound, like she was pulling a shirt on. “I am running so late. I slept for crap, so the only way I’m gonna make it through this shift is by stopping for a huge ass coffee. Ugh. I am so counting the days until we can do all of this together.”
“Me too. And we will soon enough.”
“Damn straight. Call me soon and, until then, be your baddest.”
Not likely, but a girl could dream, couldn’t she? Nicole clicked off the phone and smiled to herself. She’d certainly been plenty bad over the past few days, imaging what it’d be like to do a lot more for Tony than his laundry.
Did she like the man? Absolutely. Could it be something more, for just a few weeks? Not if she was smart. His life was already too complicated. Didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. In fact, if they were friends, he’d probably find her more credible as she tried to show him he could have a life of his own and be a dad to Brianna, simultaneously.
She picked up the phone again and thumbed out a text. Working out tomorrow?
His response came immediately. Yep. Never miss a workout.
Mind if I join you?
Only if you wear tight shorts.
<
br /> Was he flirting again? About her jiggly butt? I will if you will, she replied, her cheeks burning.
Yeah?
Oh, this man... Do we have a deal?
Guess you’ll have to wait and see.
Guess so. 5 a.m.?
Yep. See ya then, city girl.
City girl?
lol Definitely a city girl.
Nicole smiled and promptly ignored the butterflies in her stomach. Friends, Nic, friends.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday was always the hardest day of the week for Tony to get out of bed, but thanks to the prospect of seeing Nicole in workout gear, he was up at the ass crack of dawn, raring to go. He even showered before the workout, just to be safe.
He rolled his eyes at his steamy reflection in the bathroom mirror, and then gave himself the finger. He was such an idiot. This wasn’t a date, for Christ’s sake. Not when Brianna snoozed away only a few feet away.
Shaking his head and rolling on a few more swipes of deodorant, he tugged a sleeveless athletic shirt over his head and pushed a hand back through his hair. He was starting to look like a rock star and since Jenny had closed up her salon in order to take care of her mother, the only option he was left with were the clippers in the bottom drawer. Maybe he’d tackle that this weekend. For now, he left his curls going in all directions. Worst case scenario Nicole would think he looked ridiculous and take extra precaution to stay as far away from him as possible.
He’d just pulled on his socks and stuck his feet in his running shoes when he heard her knock. Rubbing his sweaty palms on his basketball shorts, he jogged to the door and paused, hand on the knob, while he pulled in and then exhaled a breath.
He swung the door open and— Holy fuck.
She was dressed in a hot pink, snug-as-hell tank top and a pair of itty-bitty black shorts that left nothing to the imagination. They were his favorite kind and the nervous grin on her face said she’d hoped that was the case.
Wasn’t that interesting?
“Aren’t you cold?” he asked dumbly.
She rolled her eyes and reached up to adjust her high ponytail. “Nope. I jogged over to warm up. And I see you chickened out on the shorts.”