Erin Ashmore was a respected and in-demand OBGYN. They met through the Seattle Knights’ team owner, Riley Preston. Green-eyed, with legs that went on for miles, she was absolutely Dylan’s type. Normally, he would have asked her out on a date. But for reasons he couldn’t remember, they quickly settled into the friend zone. For them, romance wasn’t in the stars.
“I don’t have time for more than a quick word,” Erin said. “How’s the little girl? Daisy, right?”
Dylan shook his head. Erin’s memory and her level of caring never failed to amaze him.
“She’s healthy, happy, and well taken care of,” Dylan assured his friend as his thoughts once again turned to Eve. “The woman who took Daisy has done a phenomenal job. Above and beyond.”
“You sound like a fan.” Erin continued before Dylan was forced to reply. “The DNA results are back.”
“When I asked you to recommend someone to do the test, I didn’t expect you to go any further.” Dylan couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice. “You’re a busy woman. The last thing I wanted was to add another thing to your already jam-packed schedule.”
“I made a phone call,” Erin said, waving off Dylan’s protest with her usual flair. “Since I knew you were anxious to hear the result ASAP, I knew if I asked the lab to call me with the results, the technician would give your case priority.”
“Always pays to know someone with influence.” Dylan chuckled. Then, remembering the implications, he sobered. “What’s the verdict?”
“Ethical standards prevent me from seeing the results,” Erin told him. “I asked the lab to send you the findings. You should receive a detailed email within the next few hours.”
“How detailed?” Dylan asked with a frown. “I’m just a dumb jock, remember? Medical jargon is not my forte.”
“Don’t worry.” Erin chuckled. “On the first page, at the top, you’ll see if the samples are a match, or not. The language is simple and straightforward.”
“Okay.” Dylan let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Erin. I owe you. Once again.”
“Friends don’t keep track,” she said. “However, if you want to buy me dinner some night when you’re back in Seattle—a big steak and a medium glass or two of pricy wine—I won’t say no.”
“Deal.” Dylan grinned. “Showing up in public with you on my arm will be good for my image.”
“Which image?” Erin asked.
“As a lady’s man,” he answered.
“Please,” Erin scoffed. “Men aren’t the only ones who like to brag about their conquests. From what I’ve heard about you from other women, your reputation is solid platinum.”
“Really?” Dylan perked up. “Tell me more.”
“I don’t have the time or patience to stroke your already sizable ego. Two little girls are waiting to come into the world.” Erin sighed. “The first thing I plan to do is warn them about men like you.”
“I’m a pussy cat,” Dylan protested.
“You’re a wolf,” Erin corrected. “But as someone immune to your sexual charms—mostly—I appreciate the fact that you don’t prey on innocent lambs. You like experienced playmates.”
“Very true,” Dylan said with a nod. “Wait. Did you use the word mostly? As in, you might be interested in sampling my charms? When? Where?”
“Down boy.” Erin snorted. “We’re better as friends.”
“Agreed.” Dylan had to think twice about his answer. “Good luck in the delivery room.”
“With my mad doctor skill, I don’t need luck,” Erin said, showing where egos were concerned, she could hold her own with anyone. “On the other hand, I refuse to tempt fate. If luck is on my side, all the better.”
Smiling, Dylan ended the call. With a tap of his finger, he opened his email. Erin told him to wait a few hours, but just in case, he decided to check in case the DNA results arrived early.
Dylan found plenty of messages to delete, but nothing that might change the life of one little girl and the woman who cared for her with a brand of fierce love and devotion he admired.
Eve. He felt a twinge of guilt because he knew how much she loved Daisy—the emotion was written all over her expressive face every time she spoke about the little girl. And when they were in the same room, the love between woman and child was palpable.
In a perfect world, Dylan would leave Eve and Daisy as they were—together and happy. Unfortunately, life wasn’t perfect. Choices had to be made that were often difficult and sometimes painful.
Eve, for all her determination and dedication, wasn’t Daisy’s mother. Nor was she the little girl’s legal guardian. Plus, each day, little by little, she wore herself thin as she moved from part-time job to part-time job, making enough money to get by, but nothing more.
Dylan had little doubt that Tanner was Daisy’s father. Taking her back to Seattle was the only logical solution. She would have family around her. A doting grandmother, a devoted uncle, and hopefully, when faced with a real, live daughter, a father who would finally learn to step up and take charge of his responsibilities.
Young and adaptable, Daisy would adjust to her new normal. With her bright smile and bubbly personality, she would add a new layer of joy to the Montgomery family.
The problem with logical solutions? They didn’t account for a little thing called collateral damage. Eve. She was the one Dylan worried about. Yes, deep down he believed she would be better off once the only person she had to worry about was herself.
Absently, Dylan tapped the steering wheel with one finger. Without giving himself time to change his mind, he pulled up the contacts on his phone. Right at the top of the list—again, he refused to analyze why—he found the number he’d saved as Pain in the Ass.
Dylan felt a ridiculous amount of pleasure when Eve answered after only one ring. The way she greeted him was another matter.
“Whatever you want, make it fast,” she grumbled in a tone he believed she reserved only for him.
“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.”
“Look, slick.” Eve sighed. “I have deliveries to make. People expect me to be on time. I expect to be ahead of schedule.”
“What do you deliver?” Dylan asked with genuine curiosity. Everything about Eve interested him in ways that concurrently fascinated and alarmed him.
“Breakfast to the construction crew who work the late-night swing shift at the new condominiums on the south end of town,” Eve said. “Because the owner has promised to have the units finished and move-in ready by the end of next month, work goes on round the clock. Kelly’s Kitchen, my employer, has a contract to cater the meals.”
“Interesting,” Dylan said. As he imagined the happy response of the male construction workers when Eve arrived with their food, some of his enthusiasm dimmed.
“And why should I explain myself to you?”
Eve’s question seemed directed at herself more than at Dylan. Naturally, he answered anyway.
“Because, like all women, you find my charm irresistible.”
“Goodbye, slick.”
“Wait. Where are you?” Dylan said in a rush. He didn’t like the idea of her driving and talking on the phone. The activity was doubly dangerous considering the rattle-trap rust bucket she called a car.
“I’m at the restaurant waiting for food,” Eve muttered. “What’s it to you?”
“Ah, ha!” Dylan felt a surge of satisfaction. He started the car and headed out of the parking lot. “Then you do have time to talk.”
“You are determined to get on my last nerve.” Eve sighed. “My boss has almost packed up all the meals. In five minutes, I’ll be out of here. Goodbye.”
“Don’t hang up,” Dylan urged. He checked the navigation system. Five minutes was all he needed. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“No.”
Never one to let a little thing like a negative answer stand in his way, Dylan needed a reason so he could argue his case.
“Jerk,” Eve said with a derisive snort.
“One word down, forty-nine to go.”
Dylan couldn’t be certain, but he thought Eve laughed. Instantly, he lamented the fact that he wasn’t there to witness the phenomenon.
“Shady Dan’s is hosting a private birthday party tonight,” Eve said after a moment’s hesitation. “I agreed to work as a waitress.”
“Is the pay good?”
Dylan asked, knowing from their brief but eventful association that Eve was passionate about two things. Caring for Daisy, and money. His fervent wish was to add himself to the shortlist. He wasn’t greedy. If she penciled him in at number three, he wouldn’t complain.
“Decent. But I know the people involved,” she said. “They can be demanding and obnoxious, but they know how to tip—big time. Plus, the party starts at five o’clock and ends at eight. Little effort, big rewards.”
“Let’s have dinner after you get off work. You need to eat,” Dylan reasoned. “Whatever, wherever, you like. My treat.”
“Okay,” she said.
Dylan grinned when he realized he just discovered Eve’s weakness. Free anything. Pulling to a stop in front of a red and blue building, he jumped from the car and rushed to hold the door for a woman with two young children.
As Dylan entered, the scent of bacon and coffee hit his senses like a warm blanket of goodness. Wondering if he had time to order something to go, he scanned the room until his gaze landed on the object of his search.
Eve waited by the counter, tapping her foot, checking her watch. She wore a pair of dark jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of scuffed work boots. Unless Dylan was wrong, the same clothes she had on at the dairy farm.
Intrigued and a little alarmed, Dylan sidled close, sniffing the air. Besides the aroma wafting from the kitchen, the only scent he detected was that of a clean, freshly washed woman—not a hint of barnyard.
Either every item in Eve’s wardrobe was identical, or she laundered and dried yesterday’s clothes. Dylan wanted to ask which scenario was true, but he didn’t want to offend her. Some mysteries, he decided, were better left unsolved.
The concern on Eve’s face turned into a smile when a heavy-set man with dark skin and a stained apron tied around his waist walked from the kitchen with two large, insulated bags. Kelly, of Kelly’s Kitchen, Dylan guessed.
“Thanks, Kelly,” Eve said, confirming Dylan’s summation.
“Take these to the car,” the man told her. “I’ll follow with the others.”
“No need.” Dylan chimed in. He smiled at Eve’s gasp of surprise, then ignored her glare. “My car’s out front. I’ll take the rest of the food and drive Eve to the construction site.”
“And who would you be?” Kelly asked with a suspicious frown. “Never seen you around. But something about you is familiar.”
“Don’t pay him any attention, Kelly,” Eve said, warning Dylan with her eyes not to interfere. “I’ll take the food in my car, as I always do.”
“The SUV is safer—and less likely to break down without warning.” Dylan made his appeal to Eve, not Kelly. Instinctively, he understood that a woman didn’t need or want a man—even her boss—to make decisions for her. “Do you want to get stuck on the side of the road while a bunch of hungry, hardworking people is forced to do without their breakfast?”
Eve didn’t answer, she simply gnashed her teeth while shooting lasers of anger into his back. Dylan knew he’d won, but he didn’t gloat. Well, not to her face. Inside, he pumped both fists in the air as though he’d scored a game-winning touchdown.
“Need your name before I can send you off with Eve,” Kelly said. “She’s like a daughter and I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting her ride with just anyone.”
“Dylan Montgomery.” Dylan held out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Montgomery?” Kelly waited for a beat before his somber expression brightened. “The football player?”
“Yes, sir.” Dylan nodded. He shook his head and grinned. “Surprised you recognized me. Even if you watch the games, I have on a helmet most of the time. Kind of hard to see my face ninety percent of the time.”
“My wife is a big fan.” Kelly snorted, ducking his head as though slightly embarrassed by his admission. “Truth. She has a picture of you as the screensaver on her laptop.”
“I’m flattered.” Dylan didn’t lie. Ten years into his career and he still felt a sense of awe every time he was acknowledged by a fan. “Tell your wife hello for me. I appreciate her support.”
“Know I shouldn’t ask.” Kelly shot him a sheepish smile. “Could you stop back after you and Eve drop off the food? Didi, my wife, will be back from the bank by then. She’ll kill me if she finds out that I met you, but she didn’t get the chance.”
“Be happy to,” Dylan said.
“Really?” Kelly beamed. “Well, damn, son. Didi will be over the moon. And I’ll have a get out of jail free card for every marital infraction for the next six months.”
Kelly rushed to fill the thermal carry bags. When finished, he refused to let Dylan carry the bags to the SUV, insisting on taking care of the deed himself.
Dylan saw the bemused, slightly irritated expression on Eve’s face and stifled a smile. Taking the bags from her arms, he motioned for her to precede him out the door. As he helped her into the car, he returned Kelly’s enthusiastic wave before sliding behind the wheel.
Driving down the road in the direction of the construction site, Dylan waited for Eve to speak. He could almost hear the words bubbling in her brain and couldn’t wait to hear what she had to say.
“I didn’t take Kelly for the type to fawn over someone just because he’s famous,” Eve grumbled after a few minutes.
Okay, Dylan thought. Not the direction he expected her to take. He thought she would be surprised by how famous he was. Or impressed. Once again, Eve didn’t do the expected.
Honestly, he was relieved. One of the things Dylan liked most about Eve was her unpredictability. She was an original. Cut from a different cloth than anyone he’d known.
“You’re angry?” Dylan couldn’t be certain because Eve’s face was turned toward the passenger window. “Why?”
“Angry is the wrong word.” Eve sighed. When she turned her head, her expression was thoughtful. “Don’t you see how messed up Kelly’s attitude is?”
“Because he was excited for his wife to meet me?” Dylan asked, taking a stab.
“Because one second he was worried about sending me off with a stranger. The next, after he realized who you were, he didn’t give my safety another thought.” Eve scoffed. “Since when does a little fame automatically make someone a good guy?”
“You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you?” They hadn’t known each other long, but Dylan wanted to believe that Eve at least trusted him to keep her safe. “You aren’t nervous around me. Are you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Eve waved away Dylan’s question with an eye roll and a snort. “But Kelly hasn’t spent time with you. The fact that he dropped his objections so quickly shouldn’t surprise me. He’s only human. Still…”
Now, Dylan understood. On her own for almost half of her young life, Eve wasn’t accustomed to relying on anyone but herself. Kelly’s paternal concern for her must have been a nice change. Then, in one fell swoop, her boss turned out to be a little shallow and a lot careless with her feelings.
Dylan curled his fingers around the steering wheel before he gave in to the impulse and reached for Eve’s hand. There was a slim chance she might accept his comfort. The odds were better that she would slap away his efforts. Slap him. Hard. And with gusto.
As much as Dylan wanted to push his luck, he didn’t want to do anything that would damage the fragile, budding trust Eve felt for him. He wanted to touch her—so much. Instead, he used his words.<
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“I’m sorry,” he said. “I could make excuses for your boss but understanding why Kelly became starry-eyed won’t change the facts of his actions.”
“No big deal,” Eve said with a shrug. “You’d think I would be immune by now. Sometimes, I still forget.”
“Forget?” Wanting to see her face, Dylan glanced away from the road. “What do you mean?”
“As you said, Kelly was careless. He didn’t mean to be, but in the end, I’m not his family. Nor am I his friend. Not really.” Eve’s sigh held a lifetime of disappointment. “The rule of survival is simple. Don’t pin your hopes on anyone. If you do, you’re bound to be hurt. Or suckered out of your money. Or like Ellie, seduced and abandoned.”
“Don’t you get tired?” Dylan asked. “Doesn’t the cynicism you carry around on your shoulders—in your heart—ever weigh down to the point of exhaustion?”
“I’m a woman on her own. Alone,” Eve said. She turned back toward the window. “My shoulders are fine, thank you very much.”
“What about your heart?” Dylan needed to know.
“What about it?” Eve placed a hand on her chest. “I don’t understand why people insist on being fanciful. My heart is an organ inside my body. Vital for life, yes. But whimsy? Romance? Love? Give me a break.”
“Damn, you’re a hard woman,” Dylan said, a little disappointed but not surprised by Eve’s attitude. “You never felt a little catch in your chest—in the vicinity of your heart—when you looked into another person’s eyes? You never melted a little when he said your name? When he touched you?”
“You mean lust?”
“Beyond sex,” Dylan insisted. “Deeper. Stronger. A connection beyond the body.”
“You mean love?” Eve laughed. “How many times have you fallen for someone?”
“Never,” Dylan admitted.
“Ha!” Eve rounded on him. “All talk, no action.”
“Wrong. I admit I haven’t met a woman who’s moved my heart. And, yes, I believe the heart is involved as much as the brain,” Dylan said as Eve’s lip curled into a sneer. “But I believe love is out there. Right time, right place, right woman. I’ll fall. Gladly.”
The Last Honest Man: A Sports Romance (One Pass Away: A New Season Book 3) Page 6