Chapter Nine

Lance

You're both buttholes.

I read the text Tyler sent in the Hurricanes chat the guys and I had and couldn't help but laugh—he thought Hunter and I were the buttholes. Go figure. I placed the phone on the kitchen counter and went on cracking open a can of soda.

Shaking his head and placing his phone back in his pocket, Hunter sat on the bar stool at the counter and took a swig of his can. "Ty is such a piss head."

I swallowed and harrumphed. "Jealous is more like it."

"Yeah, jealous that we don't have to come in until the afternoon."

I looked over at the fridge and noticed the picture Mason drew was slightly askew, so I fixed the magnets to make sure it didn't fall.

"All right, that does it," Hunter said at all my fussing, "what the heck is going on with you?"

"I have a lot on my mind," I responded, hoping that would shut down this conversation.

It did not.

He put his soda down on the counter. "I'm no therapist, but even I could see something is going on with you. You never care about straight lines and you look distracted."

I raked a hand through my hair and exhaled. "You know, Mason wants me to have a girlfriend."

He laughed. "I love that kid."

I tilted my head. "I take it you agree with him, that I should be kissing women, as he puts it."

Hunter stifled a laugh. "He says that? Man, he's going to be something else when he gets older."

I held up a hand and ran my hand across my jawline. "Don't even," I warned. "I don't even want to think about Mason becoming a teenager. If he's anything like me, I'm going to have my hands full."

"Just make sure he doesn't knock some girl up. You'll be way too young to be a grandpa. "

I shot him a dirty look, but softened my glare when I replied, "I never could imagine how a mother could just leave her son stranded on a doorstep like that. I mean, I know she had her reasons. But she has never once reached out about him, tried to find us. It's like she doesn't even care."

"She did leave him for a reason, so why would she suddenly care now?" He shrugged his shoulders and looked at me as though the answer was black and white. As though my situation was black and white. But it wasn't. There was so much grey it made my head spin at times.

I didn't know what I was doing most of the time, just trying to be the best dad I could be while also having my own life. But it wasn't easy, and those were the things no one talked about. Those were the things I was so unprepared for. It was a juggling act and I was tired of holding up all the balls. I wanted to drop some and know someone was going to be there to pick them up.

And it wasn't like I didn't want to meet someone, like Mason wanted me to. The exact opposite, in fact. I was at a time in my life where I wanted to meet someone and settle down. I wanted to have more children and share them with a woman that made me see the world differently. One that kept me on my toes and made me feel again .

That would've been nice—to feel again.

I hadn't had that in a long time.

"Earth to Lance," Hunter said. When I looked over at him, I saw his hand waving in my face. "Geez, you really are having a rough time."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Some days," I started and brushed it off. He wouldn't understand.

"Well, Mason's at a playdate with one of his friends and you don't have to be into work until later today. Just chill, man."

"I don't think I know how to do that anymore."

"We both know that's not true."

I gave him a pointed look. "Enough about me. Tell me what's going on with you. Tyler's love life is practically public knowledge and we've officially established that Corey is, well, whatever he is."

Hunter scoffed. "Tyler's sex life, you mean." He got up and took his soda with him, taking another sip before saying, "I don't think I like the way this conversation is going. Maybe we should talk more about you and your sad life."

I cracked my knuckles. "Not a chance."

"I've actually been in a dry spell lately. Ever since Polly."

"I'm sorry, man," I said, actually meaning it.

Polly was a girl he met at the resort. She worked concierge and they were going steady for a while. For a second there I even thought they might end up lasting for the long-haul, but then she left abruptly. Hunter didn't like to talk about her or what happened, so I didn't know much more than that.

I strummed my fingers on the counter. "I'm so sick of all the pressure," I finally spit out what was on my mind the whole time. "I quite literally ran into a woman yesterday. Someone I'd been with before, actually."

He walked into the living room and sat down on my couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table, as if settling in for a while. "And you're just telling me this now?"

I shook my head. "There's not much to tell, to be honest."

"Why do I doubt that?" He raised a brow. "You're holding something back. I know you."

I shrugged. "I'm really not." I took a sip of my soda and let the liquid coat the back of my throat before going on. "I mean, she was something else. Beautiful, smart, funny, the whole package." I took a seat in the chair to the side of the couch. I leaned my elbows on my knees and thought back to our little run-in. "Her name is Gemma. She's even a little quirky, but I never hated it."

Hunter blew outwardly and then whistled. "So what's wrong?"

I scratched at the five o'clock shadow I still had on my chin. "We'd been down that road before. She was at the resort and we had a fling, but then she left and insisted it was over."

"She from out of town?"

"Orlando," I answered, knowing it wasn't all that far. And yet it was enough to stop her from wanting to see where things could've gone. "But when I saw her yesterday, it was weird. All these feelings came back."

He cocked a brow. "What's wrong with that?"

I sighed. "I don't know, but her expression when she saw me, it changed somehow. As did her whole demeanor. She started fussing with her hair as if she thought it looked a mess, but it didn't." I paused and mumbled, "Far from it."

Hunter looked to the side and then down at his soda before taking a swig. "Sounds like you're having a moment right now. Should I leave?"

I held up my middle finger before taking the remote off the coffee table and tossing it at him.

He caught it midair and put it back on the table, laughing. "So when are you seeing her again?" He stood, bringing his empty can to the kitchen garbage.

I didn't answer. I got up and watched as he turned around and whistled.

"You're an idiot." I ignored his stupidity, though, and added, "She didn't seem to want to continue a conversation with me. I didn't really have time to ask her out before she ran off in a hurry. "

He laughed, shaking his head. "You've lost all your game. I mean, seriously, maybe Ty's right, maybe you and Corey could use some lessons."

"She was nervous. What was I supposed to do? Beg her to stay and talk to me? She already left me once before. How much more can I take?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I think she showed up here for a reason, whether it was to see you or not, but the fact that she's here again can't be ignored. Not if you like this girl."

"I have Mason to think about," I countered, knowing it was as weak of an excuse as any.

"Come on, man, that's bull and we both know it."

I shrugged my shoulders not sure what else to say.

Hunter bent down and looked around the floor curiously.

"What are you doing?"

"Just looking for your balls. They've got to be rolling around here somewhere."

I faked a laugh. "You're hilarious. But I'm serious. She already made herself clear and based on the fact that she didn't go out of her way to say we should catch up tells me plenty."

He scoffed. "So every guy is supposed to sit around and wait for the woman he's into to send him a signal? That's like waiting for a shooting star. It doesn't happen. You have to go out and take a chance. "

"I don't know."

"You can't seriously be this naive."

I wiped down the counter and tossed my own can in the trash. "Maybe I am. Either way, it's too late now. Might as well move on."

Hunter pointed a finger in my direction. "You do you, but just know this, you are an idiot, my friend."

I nodded. "Point made." I looked at my watch. "We should probably be heading out anyway. Shifts' about to start."

He spoke in a low voice and held up his bicep. "Yes, we have to play the parts of strong lifeguard and sexy surfer for all the ladies."

"You're a real doofus." Although, he was a doofus who was on to something where Gemma was concerned. Maybe anyway. But there was no way I was telling him that.