“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 ro
om, 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. “You 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.”
“I can take care of myself,” she counters, standing and placing her hands on her hips.
“That’s great, Hollis. Truly, and if I knew what you were taking care of, I might be inclined to believe you.”
“It’s a long story.”
“Then you can tell me tonight. Get ready.” I turn and walk back down the hall to Milo’s room and begin packing the diaper bag. I make sure there are plenty of diapers, a binky, some toys, and bibs. In the kitchen, I toss in a can of formula, some bottles, and the bottle of Tylenol and the teething gel the doctor gave me samples of. Carrying the overstuffed diaper bag into the living room, I shove in his favorite blanket and zip it up.
“Colton,” her soft, sad voice says from behind me. I turn to look at her over my shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re not leaving my sight unless you’re with my brother. Do you hear me? Not until I know you’re safe.” My voice is gruff as the reality of the situation lies heavy on my chest. I care about her. Not just “hey, she’s a good friend, a nice neighbor,” no, I’m falling for her. Hell, I’m already half in love with her, and she’s in danger. Someone is coming for her, and I don’t know why. She won’t tell me why. It’s fucking eating me up inside.
“I think it’s best if I go,” she says as more tears flood her cheeks.
“No.” My voice is hard and stern. “You don’t get to do that. You don’t get to make me want you. You don’t get to come in here and wrap your fucking hands around my heart and then just walk out the door taking it with you. You don’t get to do that,” I say again.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice cracks.
Pulling her into my arms, I hug her tight to my chest, burying my face in her neck. “Talk to me, Hollis. Let me help you. I don’t know what we’re up against, but I promise you, baby, you are not in this alone. I can protect you, but I need to know what I’m protecting you from.”
Her tear-filled eyes peer up at me. “I can’t ask you to do that, Colt.”
“You didn’t ask me.” I move her hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ears. “You didn’t ask, and you don’t need to. I’m in this with you, Hollis. I want you in my life. I want you in Milo’s life, but we need to handle whatever this is. Whoever sent that message, are they fucking with you? Is this a real threat? I need to know.”
“It’s real.”
Fuck. That’s what I was afraid of. “Okay. Tonight, after we get home, we’re going to have dinner, spend time with Milo, give him his bath, and put him to bed. Then, you are going to tell me everything. I want to know it all. I can’t protect you if I don’t know.”
“I can stay?”
“Damn right, you’re staying. I never want you to leave. Fuck me, but I never want to let you go. Let me help you, Hollis. Let me get you through this so that we can move forward.”
“Forward?”
“Me, you, and Milo.” I want the three of us to be a family. I know enough to realize that I want her in my life. There is nothing she can tell me that will change that. I just need to know, so I’m aware of what we’re up against. I have to keep them both safe. That’s my main priority. To keep them both safe.
“Okay. Tonight,” she agrees. “I made dinner. It’s in the Crock-Pot.”
“Thank you. Go get ready. I’m going to start the truck and get Milo suited up.”
“I can stay here,” she tries.
“No. You come with me to the gym. If you don’t want to be there, you go to Chase’s with Milo. Those are your choices. At least until I know what we’re dealing with.”
She looks behind her, where Milo is still sleeping peacefully, unaware of the turmoil going on around him. “I want to be with both of you.”
That right there. That’s why I know this woman is worth fighting for. “I guess we can keep him with us at the gym. We have a ton of baby stuff there from Sophia. How was he before he went down? Still fussy?”
“No, he was fine. I think the Tylenol helps and the teething gel.”
“Okay. As long as he’s in a good mood, the two of you can stay at the gym with me. You can hang out in the office that’s set up for the kids.”
“You have an office for the kids?”
“Harrison knows no bounds when it comes to his wife and kids. Chase is going to be the same with Gabby. So, yeah. We have an office for the kids. There’s a bed, changing table, and rocking chair. A TV for cartoons and lots of toys.”
“Okay. I want to do that.”
Leaning in, I kiss her softly. I don’t know what I’m up against. I don’t know who is sending her those messages or why. What I do know is I’ll do everyth
ing in my power to make it go away.
Chapter 12
Hollis
There’s a weird tension in the truck that wasn’t there the last time I rode shotgun. Hell, it wasn’t present an hour ago. Damn that website notification. Damn the asshole who has been sending them to me.
A cold shudder of dread runs through my veins.
I should leave. Just the thought of endangering Colton and Milo makes me want to vomit. I thought the creep was just trying to scare me. I never believed he’d actually find me, but now, the messages are getting more and more frequent, and I can’t help but feel like maybe he’s actually getting closer.
Closer to me, means closer to Colton.
And Milo.
My eyes fill with tears again. I try to wipe them away without drawing any attention. Milo has been snoozing since he was bundled up and put in his car seat, the medicine doing wonders for his discomfort. If only a little Tylenol would help my own discomfort right now, but I know that won’t help. Nothing will help.
Except the warmth of Colton’s hand. He reaches over and takes mine, seeming to understand and offering a little bit of comfort. He doesn’t speak, yet holds my hand on top of the console, his coarse thumb gently stroking over my knuckles in a way that brings both solace and an unspoken reminder of the mess I’ve made and the problems I’m causing.
We pull into the lot easily, the piled remnants of last week’s big snowfall turned an ugly shade of brown. It’s a bit reminiscent of my mood. What once was white and bright is now dull and drab. A little sludge mixed in too.
Colton parks his truck in the back and only lets go of my hand when he has to turn off the ignition. We sit in the quiet, the only sound Milo’s even breathing and a thousand thoughts and unsaid words. I can feel his eyes on me, and while I’d much rather hide my head in the sand, it’s what got me into this mess in the first place.
Fair Lakes Series Box Set Page 67