by Jaxon, Lynn
Could he be more perfect? How is this even my life right now? For the past eight years, I’ve felt like an afterthought, yet in a matter of a couple weeks, I feel like I’m living a dream I don’t ever want to wake up from.
“Does that sound okay to you, Meredith? Do you care if I read Gage his bedtime story?”
“I could never say no to that. Gage, hurry upstairs. We’ll be up there in just a minute. I’m going to clean up first.”
“I’m going to help your momma, Gage, then we’ll be up.”
“My daddy never helped my momma do anything. All he ever did was yell at her and say mean things. You would never do that, would you?”
“Never,” Nash says, shaking his head emphatically.
Gage’s little legs run as fast as they can up the stairs. He’s so excited to have all this attention from Nash. If I’m being honest, I am, too. I guess the stories in my romance novels about insta-love really can happen, because that’s what I feel is happening here.
He caresses my cheek. “A penny for your thoughts.”
“I was just thinking about how wonderful you are. How I’m falling hard and fast for you.” Here I go again. Talking without a filter. He’s going to think I’m crazy.
He grins. “Is that so? Well, Blue Eyes, I just so happen to think the same thing. You consume me. You’re all I can think about. Say you’ll be mine. Let’s see where this thing between us goes. I’m falling hard for you and your little boy.”
He yanks me to him and crushes his lips to mine. I’m a puddle of want and need right here on the kitchen floor.
I pull away and smirk up at him, then look down his body. “It looks like you need some more time to…get things under control.”
“You vixen! See what you do to me. I’m always going to need to get things under control when I’m around you.”
He puts his hands on each side of my face, tilting my head toward him to kiss me on the forehead. “Let’s go read a bedtime story.”
As if on cue, Gage screams from the second floor, “I’m ready for my story now.”
We both laugh and, hand in hand, head up the stairs.
Gage looks absolutely adorable in his pjs, sitting in bed, toothpaste still on his lips. He smiles up at us. “See? I did whats you told me. My teeth is all clean.”
“My teeth are all clean,” I correct him.
He frowns. “That’s what I said.”
Nash smiles as he reaches over and wipes the toothpaste off Gage’s face with his thumb. “Did you pick out a book you want me to read?”
He picks up I’ll Love You Forever from his nightstand. “This one is my favoritest book ever.”
Nash settles in and starts reading, bringing tears to my eyes. Well, more tears than I usually cry when I read this book. Is this man even real? I can hear the love he has for my son, and he barely knows him. I bet he was a phenomenal teacher and now assistant principal.
Gage falls asleep halfway in, but Nash keeps reading until the end. Finished, he leans forward, giving Gage a peck on his forehead and whispering, “Sweet dreams, little man.”
When he turns and sees my tear-stained cheeks, his face falls. “Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?”
“I’m perfect,” I choke out. “You did everything right. These are happy tears…for the most part. That damn book about kills me every time I read it, but hearing you read it really gutted me, especially the last part when he held and sang to his momma.”
Nash stands and reaches for my hand, leading me out of the room. “You have an amazing son, Meredith. Thank you for letting me share this special time with him.”
More tears fall from my eyes, and I lean into Nash’s waiting arms. “No, thank you for being what a real man should be. That was beautiful to see. Other than my father, Gage has never had a man show him as much care and attention as you did tonight.”
“I want to be that for him, and you. You never did answer me earlier. Can we see where this goes?”
“Yes! Yes! One hundred percent yes!” I jump up and wrap my legs around his waist. Laughing, he carries me down the stairs.
Chapter 12
~Nash~
I just texted Meredith to let her know I made it home. She’s such a nurturing and caring woman. It’s going to be hard to wipe the smile off my face anytime soon. I’m over the moon with excitement that she agreed to be mine. I haven’t seriously dated in a few years, and I’ve never had an instant attraction and need to know someone inside and out like I did the moment I locked eyes with Meredith. I hated leaving her house tonight, but I didn’t want Gage to wake up and find us in any type of compromising position. After she wrapped her legs around me and kissed the breath right out of my lungs, walking out the door was the hardest thing I’ve done in a while. Before I left, we did sit down and talk about having her ex investigated. She reluctantly agreed, saying she was afraid what he’d do to me if he found out I was behind the investigation. I assured her Sean was the best in the business and there was no way Frankie would find out. I’ll stop at nothing to keep both her and Gage safe.
I pick up my phone to call Sean. It’s eleven pm, but he’s probably out at a club, so it’s worth a shot to try and reach him. I want this taken care of as soon as possible.
When he answers, I hear loud, thumping music in the background. “Hey, man. What’s up? I thought you were with Meredith tonight.” He has to practically yell so I can hear him.
“I just got home. I didn’t want her son to wake up and find me there. It’s so hard for me to keep my hands off her, Sean.”
“It sounds like you really are serious about her. I’m happy for you, man, but that ex of hers still worries me. Did you get a chance to talk to her about investigating him?”
“That’s actually the reason I’m calling. She agreed, but she’s scared he’ll find out about me.”
“You know you don’t need to worry about that. He won’t even know he’s being investigated until it’s too late. I’ll get the dirt on the scumbag. Mark my words.”
“I know you will. Thank you so much. This takes a weight off my mind. I want that man out of their lives. I’ll do whatever I can to protect them.”
“I’ll let you know just as soon as I find any info. Talk to ya later, man.”
I feel a little bit better. If there’s any dirt to be found, Sean will get it. And there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be knee-deep in it.
* * *
Today just drags. I have to speak at three of the professional development sessions. It always irritates me to be talking and have people carrying on their own conversations or on their phones. I’m not up there just to hear myself speak. When they let us out at two thirty, I can’t get to my Jeep fast enough. As soon as my phone connects to Bluetooth, I call Meredith.
Her phone doesn’t ring more than twice before she picks up.
“Hello, handsome. I’ve been wondering when I’d hear from you.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I was in classes all day. One of my pet peeves is seeing people on their phones when somebody’s talking. I refuse to be that person. Did you not get my good morning text?”
“I did, but I guess I didn’t realize you would be tied up all day. It’s so good to hear your voice, Nash. Gage ran downstairs this morning looking for you. It’s really sad that he expected you to be here, but with his dad’s revolving door, it’s nothing new to him to have someone else at the house in the morning.”
“I just wouldn’t feel comfortable with that.” I smile. “Not that I wouldn’t love to wake up with you in my arms, Meredith. What are you two doing this weekend?”
“Nothing. Do you have something in mind?”
“I’d love to take you both to the End of Summer Festival.”
“That sounds like fun. Gage will be so excited. I’ll let you surprise him tomorrow. My mom wants him to stay the night with her. Dad is out deep-sea fishing, and she doesn’t like to stay home alone. She’ll bring him back in the morning.”
&nb
sp; “In that case, how would you like to go out and grab a bite to eat tonight?”
“That sounds amazing, but I promised my friend Amy that I would meet her at Skippy’s Pub. She’s been a little down due to bad luck with men lately.” She chuckles. “You wouldn’t have any single friends who might want to go out for dinner and drinks with you tonight at, say, Skippy’s Pub, would you?”
“Come to think of it, I just might owe my buddy Sean dinner. Let me call him and I’ll call you back.”
“Sounds good. I told her I’d meet her at six.”
“Take an Uber, because I plan on taking you home afterward.”
As soon as I hang up, I text Sean to see if he wants to meet at Skippy’s. He’s all too happy to meet for a free meal.
I have a few hours to kill, so I decide to change and head to the gym. It’s never as busy on a Friday afternoon, so I’m able to get in and out in under an hour. I did have to dodge Ms. Lange, who was there when I arrived. She was hard to miss with her dyed red hair and fake boobs displayed for every man in the gym to see. I didn’t want all that in my face. If she saw me, I knew I’d never get away from her. This is the first time I’ve seen someone from school at the gym. I don’t normally come this early, so that may be why.
My phone rings as I walk into the house. I smile when I see Evan’s name on my screen. “Hey, bro! What’s up?”
“I’m on my way to work. I just wanted to let you know I got a call from one of the other guys telling me some man asked about me the night you danced. Said he seemed kind of shady. He’d never seen him before and didn’t get his name.”
“Hmm… That’s strange. It was probably some jealous husband mad that his wife was watching me dance.” I snort. “Keep your eyes open and be aware of crazy stalker husbands.”
“That’s for sure. What are you up to tonight? Are you seeing Ms. Money?”
“You’d better cut that shit out right now,” I growl. “Don’t you ever refer to her as Ms. Money. She’s so much more, and saying that is an insult to her and me.” It’s a good thing he isn’t standing in front of me right now; otherwise, he’d be on the floor.
“What the hell, Nash? I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just talking about the big tip she gave you. That’s all. No disrespect intended.”
I blow out a breath, running a hand down my face. “I’m sorry, Evan. It’s just a touchy subject. She has issues with people, specifically her ex-husband, using her for money.”
“I had no clue. It won’t happen again. I promise. So, when do I get to meet her?”
“Soon, I hope. I know you will love her as much as I do.”
“I’m really happy for you, bro. I’ll talk to ya later.”
“Bye, Evan.”
* * *
The pub is packed, the live band drawing a big crowd. There’s not an empty table to be had. I see Sean sitting at the bar. When he looks up and sees me coming, he waves me over, holding up a beer. I scan the room, breaking out into a grin when I see the most beautiful woman in the world sitting in a booth in the back of the room, chatting with her friend.
I walk up to Sean and slap him on the back. “Looks like a full house tonight.”
“I think we’re going to have to eat at the bar.”
I tilt my head toward the back of the room. “Or we could sit with my woman.” I lock eyes with Meredith, a zap of electricity passing through me.
He narrows his eyes. “Did you know she was going to be here?”
“Maybe…” I smirk.
He looks past me and to the table, growling, “Is this some kind of setup?”
“I wouldn’t call it a setup. I wanted to see Meredith tonight, but she had promised to go out with her friend, who has been in a relationship slump lately. We just figured I could come, with a friend, and join them for dinner. It’s a win-win for us both. Her friend is cute. What do you have to lose?”
“I can’t believe you, man,” he groans. “Here I thought you wanted to hang out with your best friend, but no. I’m just a distraction for her friend.”
“When you put it that way, it sounds bad.”
“It is bad, asshole.”
“Don’t be mad, man. Who knows? She could be ‘the one’ for you. If I would’ve refused to dance for Evan, I never would’ve met Meredith.”
My skin starts to tingle before I hear a sweet voice, and I know immediately that Meredith is walking up behind me.
“Hey, handsome. Do you two want to come join us?”
I look at Sean with a raised eyebrow, then at Meredith, pulling her into my arms. “We’d love to.”
Chapter 13
~Meredith~
I still can’t believe this is my life right now. The sweetest, most gorgeous man just walked through the door, and he’s all mine. All the ladies look his way, but I see him scan the crowd, searching for me. When my blue eyes lock with his green, I can feel the zap of electricity that seems to pass between us every time we’re near. Amy turns to see what I’m looking at, her mouth dropping open.
“Holy hell, Meredith. He’s even sexy with clothes on.”
“Yes, and he’s mine. But never fear. A friend of his is going to join us, and from what I can see, he’s not lacking in the looks department, either.” I smile. “Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
I know he can sense me behind him before I even reach him.
“Hey, handsome. Do you two want to come join us?”
He looks at his friend with a raised eyebrow, then at me, pulling me into his arms. “We’d love to.” He kisses my forehead. “You look beautiful, by the way.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
Nash’s friend smirks as he stands. “I know I’ll never hear the end of it if we don’t join two beautiful ladies.”
When we get to the table, Amy’s eyes widen slightly. Sean is every bit as big as Nash, if not bigger. She stands. I can see a spark of interest in Sean’s eyes when he looks her up and down, then reaches out his hand.
“Hi, I’m Sean. It looks like our so-called ‘friends’ have conspired for us to have dinner together tonight.”
Her blush is so cute. I haven’t seen her this way in years. Her voice shakes slightly when she says, “Hi, Sean. I’m Amy. It’s nice to meet you.” She turns to Nash and holds out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you…with your clothes on anyway.” At his smirk, she stammers. “Well, uh, I mean… I guess I didn’t really meet you, but… Shit, I’ll just shut up now. I talk too much when I get nervous.”
Sean smiles, and Nash pulls her into a hug. “It’s nice to meet you. Any friend of Meredith’s is a friend of mine.” He doesn’t even acknowledge her rambling and does what he does best. Makes those around him feel special.
As we sit down, the waitress comes to the table to take our order. Amy and I both order another vodka cranberry, and the guys another beer.
“Dinner is on me,” says Nash. “Would you ladies like any appetizers?”
“We’ve been snacking on chips and salsa, so I’m good.” Amy smiles.
“I’m fine, as well, but you guys get something.”
“Chips and salsa is fine with me. The service here is pretty fast, so I think I’ll survive until we get our food.” Nash chuckles and pats his hard abs, Sean nodding in agreement.
“What can I get you to eat?” asks the overly bubbly waitress. As expected, she looks right at the guys, completely ignoring me and Amy.
“Babe, what would you like to eat?” Nash inquires, a twinkle in his eyes. I could just kiss him right now for staking his claim.
I smile. “I’d like a cheeseburger, medium-well, with everything, along with onion rings. Have you tried their onion rings, Nash? They’re wonderful.”
“I haven’t, but they sure look good. I’ll take exactly what my girl is having, but make my cheeseburger a double.” He looks at me and waggles his brows. “Now when I kiss you, we will both have onion breath.”
I swat his arm and laugh. “You’re such a mess.”
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After Amy and Sean place their orders, we sit back to listen to the band. They’re actually pretty good tonight.
A few minutes pass, then Sean clears his throat. “So, tell me about your ex, Meredith. Is there anything specifically you think I should look for?”
I wasn’t expecting him to bring that up, but I guess now is as good a time as any. “Well, he loves women, loves to spend money, and has anger issues. I suspect he may be involved in drugs or illegal gambling.”
“That’s pretty much what Nash told me. Do you still have any home computers or phones he used that I can have access to?”
I think for a moment. “He didn’t take the desktop computer out of the office when he left, so there may be something useful on there. Our desktop was primarily used for my graphic design business. I use my phone and laptop for everything else. Feel free to come by anytime to check it out.”
“Hopefully he left a cybertrail he doesn’t even realize. I’ll come by Monday afternoon, if that’s okay. Nash told me he’s taking you to the festival tomorrow, so I know you won’t be home.”
“Monday afternoon would be great.” I give Nash a sideways look. “Maybe Nash will come over and help me keep Gage entertained while you are there. He can be quite inquisitive and will want to be all up in your business.”
Nash grins. “You know you don’t have to twist my arm to get me to come over and spend time with you. How about I come over right after work?”
“That sounds great. Will four o’clock work, Sean?”
“That’s perfect.”
He slaps his hands on the table. “Okay, enough business talk. I feel like we’re leaving this beautiful lady out of our conversation, and I hate to be rude.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Amy says, blushing. “I can’t wait for that snake to get what’s coming to him. He’s been tormenting Meredith since college. I only wish she could’ve seen it sooner and saved herself all the misery.”