Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

Saturday night, Aelin sat at the kitchen table, staring at the empty fields of the childcare application for the place Ryan had recommended on her computer screen. She ran a finger along the rim of her coffee mug.

Just do it.

She'd received two interview requests after submitting a slough of applications, but neither of them was for a night shift. It was like bait fishing in the middle of the afternoon. She was getting no bites.

Her gaze flicked to the photo on the fridge. Bailey, beaming in her bright red swimsuit at the lake last summer. She was so small, her hair soaking wet, her eyes filled with the kind of unabashed joy that only kids seemed to know how to access. She clicked back through the four open tabs with job listings, scrolling for any new options that had posted during the night.

The idea of telling Bailey that they were not going to be having an adventure summer like last year made her want to jab a hot poker into her eye. But she didn't see another option. Getting a night job would suck balls, but at least she could sleep for a few hours, go out and do something fun, and then nap in the afternoon. Movie time or play dates. She could make it work .

It was moments like these she desperately missed being in California. Her parents and sister were there . She could easily ask Mariah to adopt Bailey during work hours and it would be the best of both worlds. She could have normal hours, and Bailey would be surrounded by cousins and plenty of sand and sun. She'd brought up the idea of spending time there, but Clark had shut it down with zero consideration. He didn't even give a shit about his time with her, but he sure as hell wouldn't give up a daddy-daughter night on paper so his daughter could have a good summer break.

I hope you can find a good work situation. That might not look great in court.

Aelin wanted to light his house on fire. Which also wouldn't look great in court.

Laughter echoed from upstairs, and Aelin straightened. It wasn't often that Bailey was in a good mood after coming home from Clark's. He always talked a big game, but when it came down to it, he often chose to sit at his computer and work while Bailey played with some new game or device he'd purchased to make up for it.

Aelin pushed her chair back and walked upstairs, pausing in the doorway of Bailey's room. She was on her bed, her head propped up on her hands as she stared at her tablet. Amaya's face filled the screen, the camera so close, Aelin could only see two eyes and two nostrils.

"You guys exchanged numbers?" Aelin picked up the dirty socks on the floor and threw them in Bailey's laundry bin. Her heart did a little happy dance that Bailey was giggling with a friend in her bedroom. She'd spent hours on the phone with her friends growing up, and it felt like a lost art.

Aelin walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, and Bailey looked up, barely able to speak through her giddy laughter.

"Mom, look at this meme Amaya just sent me." She turned the screen, and Aelin squinted to make out the words.

How do you find a cat? Look behind the couch .

She raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Bailey giggled. "No, Mom, you have to see the picture." She clicked the meme, and it expanded, showing a picture of a cat and the caption. Look, it's the same cat!

Aelin had never felt more like a thirty-eight-year-old than in that moment. She smiled, even though she zero percent understood what the hell it was saying or why the girls thought it was funny. A perfect metaphor for her parenting at the moment.

"It's almost time for bed." Aelin stood and walked back to the door. "Are you staying on while we do your nighttime routine?"

Bailey nodded. "Is that okay?"

"Yes, but you have to say goodnight once your teeth are brushed."

"Got it."

Bailey and Amaya talked about a YouTube video they'd both watched about a family who did a twenty-four-hour challenge in their trampoline room— what the actual? —and Aelin pretended she wasn't eavesdropping on every single word.

"I think Dariel likes you. He was staring at you in choir yesterday." Bailey washed her face with a microfiber cloth she'd purchased with her allowance money.

"Girl! He just doesn't know the words!" Amaya laughed.

The whole interaction suddenly made Aelin feel like she was breathing through a drinking straw. Skincare routine? Boys? How were these girls not talking about friendship bracelets and Polly Pockets or something? "Alright, tablet away. Time to brush teeth."

Bailey nodded and ran the tablet into Aelin's room, then padded back to the washroom to brush. She changed into pajamas, and that only made Aelin think of standing on the front porch giving Ryan her WiFi password. A zing flashed through her at the image of him sitting on her porch swing, his eyebrow raised as he clarified whether BJ was capitalized.

She should change it. But Clark had hated that password. Since she'd come up with it before they'd gotten together, he was immediately jealous of whoever had inspired the phrase. Now that she was finally free of him, she kind of wanted to keep it even if it was awkward. A spite password sounded delightful. She would change the network name to ClarkIsADouchebag if she thought he'd ever see it instead of his phone automatically connecting.

Bailey picked up Island of the Blue Dolphins , and they continued where they'd left off. After a few chapters, Bailey's eyes drooped. Aelin pulled the comforter up over her shoulders, then stood and flipped off the light.

Aelin slipped out of Bailey's room and left a small crack in the door, just how she liked it. She went downstairs and finished loading the dishwasher, then locked up and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. When she walked in, she saw Bailey's tablet propped up on her nightstand, the screen still bright.

Aelin walked over to turn it off, and frowned. There was something on the?—

Her eyes widened, and she nearly dropped the tablet on the floor. Amaya's screen was pointed directly at the couch where Ryan relaxed with a book. Shirtless. He was a reader? She could count on one hand the number of men she knew who read actual paperbacks and didn't listen to podcasts or audiobooks.

His hair was down. It came just past his shoulders. Her eyes traced the lines of his bare chest and the dark trail of hair that started at his navel and disappeared into the waistband of his fitted sweatpants.

Aelin's mouth went dry, which was when she realized she was spying on him in his own house . What the hell was wrong with her? She hit the red button to end the video call, and then the blood rushed from her face when she thought about what that had sounded like on his end. Was the tablet silenced or had it made a weird "this call has ended" noise?

She fell back on the bed, dropping the tablet onto the mattress. He was going to know. He would be able to look and see when the call had ended .

She groaned and forced herself back up to sitting. Maybe he would think it had timed out. Ended on its own. He didn't know that she'd been looking. But she sure as hell did.

_____

The next morning, Aelin stood in the kitchen watching as Bailey cracked eggs into a pan. "You sure you don't want me to do that?"

Bailey shook her head, chewing on her bottom lip as she focused on the hot burner. "I've got it, Mom."

Aelin smiled. She leaned against the counter and sipped her coffee. It was Sunday, and they had big plans. Two more weeks. "What do you want to do after the trampoline place?"

Bailey gave her a sly grin. "I don't know. Maybe . . . brunch?"

Aelin laughed. "Are you going to pay for that?" Bailey dropped her eyes, and Aelin drew a deep breath. "Kidding. Of course we can do brunch. Then maybe the park?"

Bailey's eyes lit up, and she nodded. When the eggs were finished, they ate breakfast together and talked about the only two things that seemed to be on Bailey's mind at the moment. The end of the year choir concert on Tuesday night and the sky-high list of things she wanted to do over the summer. Bailey talked about the books she wanted to read and the craft projects she wanted to try. Parks. Playgrounds. Friends. Movies.

Aelin took a large gulp of her coffee.

After they finished eating, Bailey ran to her room to grab her things. Aelin packed a bag with snacks and then they were out the door. The drive was quick, and as they walked in, Bailey's eyes lit up at the rows of trampolines and massive slides stretching out before them.

"Mom, look at that one! It has a basketball hoop!" Bailey pointed, but Aelin didn't hear her since her eyes had snagged on the guy filling out waivers at the counter. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a strong build. His hair was tied up in a bun.

She pulled Bailey close. "Did you tell Amaya we were coming here today?"

Bailey grinned and scanned the room, then launched forward when she caught sight of her friend at the counter. Aelin didn't know what to do with her hands as Ryan put the pen down and turned. Their eyes locked, and Aelin gave a half wave, immediately imagining him lounging on a couch half-dressed.

Damn him and his broad shoulders for fixing her garage code pad. Her antiquated ovaries were not equipped to handle that.

"Hey." Ryan's voice was low and smooth as he walked past the stanchion and ropes that along with the neon colours and the smell of foam pits decidedly gave the place a wax museum vibe. Aelin's stomach flipped. Married. She could not give in to having dirty thoughts about the married dad of her daughter's friend, and what kind of person was she to do so when his wife was in the hospital?

She was a very broken person. That's what she was. Which meant she should not be spending one-on-one time with a very not single man who knew how to fix things at her house.

"Hey." She tried to keep her tone casual, but when her hands turned into finger guns and pointed at him, she knew she'd swung too far in the other direction. She shoved her hands in her pockets.

Ryan glanced at Amaya. "So. Eleven o'clock."

Amaya shot him a cheesy grin as she twisted her wrist band. Bailey stood at the counter waving Aelin over.

"I'm going to go pay." She walked past them and pulled out her wallet. Was he going to expect her to sit and talk the whole time the girls played? She'd worn athletic clothes and brought her grip socks so she could jump with Bailey, but with Amaya there, she doubted she'd make the cut for number one friend. But Aelin didn't know what was worse. Sitting and talking to Ryan for two hours or jumping in front of Ryan for two hours. She was probably going to pee a little.

As they walked to the cubbies to store their shoes, Bailey turned to her. "You're going to jump, right?"

Her heart swelled. "Yeah, baby. Of course."

They put on their grip socks and walked out to the trampoline area. Ryan wore brand new grip socks, and Amaya was already asking him to bring her the zip-line rope. He jogged over to it and stretched his arms above his head to grab it, and his shirt rode up, revealing a strip of what she already knew existed under there.

Aelin turned and pretended to be very interested in the mechanics of the obstacle course.

"Mom! Show Amaya your double backflip!"

Aelin turned and found Bailey on the trampoline next to the zip line. Ryan was waiting to retrieve the rope again if needed. He was staring at her.

She waved her daughter off. "Maybe later."

Bailey scoffed. "Do it now! I told her you could teach her how to do a single."

Aelin gritted her teeth, then padded over to the tramp. She never thought twice about doing her old gymnastics tricks, but she didn't usually have an audience. She jumped on and double-bounced Bailey, sending her into a fit of giggles. Bailey rolled to the edge and motioned for Amaya to come watch. Aelin kept her back turned to where she knew Ryan was still standing, and pushed off. That familiar swoop of exhilaration hit her gut. She bounced twice, then flipped, landing easily on her feet and slowing her momentum.

Amaya gaped at her, then she nudged Bailey's shoulder. "I thought you were lying."

Bailey beamed. "She can do way more tricks than that. She was a gymnast when she was a teenager."

"A long time ago," Aelin pointed out .

"My dad only knows how to do a front flip." Amaya bounced over to her.

"Not true." Ryan's voice sounded behind her, and she shivered.

Amaya gave him a look. "You never land your backflips. That doesn't count."

"You don't have to land them in the pool." He walked up to make a triangle between Aelin and the girls.

Amaya reached out and grabbed his hand. "Maybe you should learn, too!"

Aelin's cheeks heated. "I'm not sure I'm the best teacher."

Amaya pulled Ryan onto the tramp, and Aelin didn't bother with any more protestations. She started with backdrops, over-the-shoulder rolls, and tuck jumps. After a few minutes of practice, she turned to Ryan. "Is it okay if I spot her?"

He nodded, and Aelin motioned for Amaya to come closer. "Okay, you're going to jump and tuck like we practiced. When you throw your legs up, I'm going to help you get around, okay?"

Amaya nodded. The first attempt, she ended up nearly kicking Aelin in the face. The second wasn't much better, but by the third and fourth, she made a full rotation. Bailey gave her a high five.

"Okay, your turn!" Amaya moved to the mats, watching her dad. Aelin turned to follow, but Amaya shook her head. "He needs a spotter!"

Aelin pursed her lips. She slowly turned to face Ryan. "I'm sure you'll be fine, right?"

Ryan opened his mouth, but Amaya looked indignant. He drew a deep breath. "I weigh a lot more than her, A."

"Which means you could hurt your neck if you land on it." Amaya crossed her arms over her chest.

Aelin gave in and walked back onto the trampoline. "She should be a lawyer when she grows up."

He exhaled a puff of air. "You have no idea. "

Aelin stood next to him, her arms ready to catch his legs and give a little push. He jumped and tucked, throwing his momentum up and back. Aelin caught his calves and gave a bump. Ryan landed on his feet first try.

Amaya's jaw fell open. "Not fair!"

He nodded, then gave Aelin a tight smile. "Thanks for the help."

He might as well have been thanking her for picking up a quarter she'd found in the parking lot with his lack of enthusiasm. "No problem."

They spent the next hour jumping, playing dodgeball, and trying out the various obstacle courses. Aelin escaped to the couch along the side, checking her phone and avoiding all eye contact with Ryan or the girls. It worked for about twenty minutes before Bailey insisted she go down the mat slide.

Finally, at around one o'clock, they collapsed on the sidelines, sweaty and out of breath. Aelin leaned back against the wall, her legs like jelly. She was not in gym shape.

It was then that she noticed Ryan hadn't joined them. He was still over by the slide, pacing with his phone to his ear.

"That doesn't look good," she murmured.

"Probably work. Or Grandma." Amaya peeled off a damp sock.

Aelin watched him rub his temple. She couldn't help herself, she was curious about him. Ryan was quiet. His expressions rarely gave a hint at what he was thinking, but without realizing it, she'd already started to catalogue tidbits about him. There was a strained relationship at work. He'd do anything if Amaya asked him to. He didn't talk about his wife.

Aelin cleared her throat. "He's close with his mom?"

Amaya shrugged. "Not really. But he talks with my mom's mom all the time."

Aelin's heart tugged. Adorable. She took the girls to the café and got them water cups, then pulled out the snacks she and Bailey had packed that morning. "Now I see why you wanted to bring two Fruit by the Foots." She raised an eyebrow, and Bailey had the decency to look at least a bit chagrined.

Ryan walked up a few moments later, his expression grim.

"Everything okay?" Aelin asked, busying herself with cleaning up the trails of contact paper trash.

He nodded once. "It'll be fine." Aelin dropped the wrappers into the bin next to their table. "If you haven't already, don't apply to the childcare place I gave you."

She put her hand on her hip. "I was planning to do that tonight."

"Yeah. Well, they just decided to shut down."

Amaya looked up, her eyes wide. "Ms. Christy isn't doing it? Why?"

He shook his head. "She didn't give details, just said she has some personal issues she needs to deal with."

Aelin blinked. "A week and a half before school's out."

Ryan's jaw ticked. "Looks like it."

He kind of looks like Tarzan , Aelin thought. With his hair pulled back and that brooding expression on his face. She cleared her throat. "I can send you some of the other places I was looking at if that's helpful."

"NO!" Amaya shouted, and both of them jumped. "No, no, no." She hopped up from the table, and nearly tripped on the bench as she ran over to them. She put out her hands like two stop signs, grinning at them. "You need a job, right?"

Aelin frowned, not sure whether she should play along.

Amaya turned to her dad. "You need a place to ditch me for the summer."

"Okay, ouch," Ryan's brows pulled closer together.

Amaya looked between the two of them, miming first to Aelin then to Ryan. "Dad! Why don't you hire her to be my nanny for the summer!"