Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Hadley

“Do you like tacos?” Lucy asked Elijah the second he stepped into our apartment after two trips down to carry everything in for me in which he responded with a yeah. When he made another trip down to get the paint kits from his truck, I placed Eli in his bouncy seat and turned him in my direction so he could watch what I was doing. I was still unpacking our groceries when Elijah knocked.

“Lucy, get the door.”

Within seconds, I could hear her talking his head off before they made it to the kitchen.

“Do you need help?” Elijah placed two boxes on the table.

“No,” I blurted. “Are you sure you’re okay with tacos?”

“I’m not picky, but don’t rely on me to cook or you’ll be shit—” He saw my heavy glare even though he’d already spat the word out. With a quick, slightly guilty cough, he glimpsed down at Lucy. “Poop out of luck.”

Lucy giggled, cupping her mouth. I didn’t know why I tried so hard when I knew my child already knew not to say bad words.

I sucked my cheeks in a little to keep from smiling. “I don’t remember asking you to cook for us. Lucy’s the one that keeps buggin’ you.” I gave my daughter a stern glower.

“We started from the lowest, but now we’re kinda, sorta friends.” He waved his hand back and forth as he grinned at Lucy. It took me by surprise how well he could goof off and aggravate her when he’d made it clear he wasn’t much on kids.

“Kinda?” Lucy placed her hands on her hips. “I choose, not you, okay? I say we are friends.” She grabbed his arm and tugged him to a chair. “Let’s paint!”

He chuckled, it was raspy and deep. My skin prickled, completely remembering and becoming aware a male was in my house. “We have to put it together first.”

That was how the next forty-five minutes went, I listened to the two of them work together as I put away groceries and put on the hamburger meat for the tacos. It was no surprise to me when Lucy got a little bored with the putting-the-car-together part and wandered into the living room to watch TV.

I slid into a chair at the table as he pieced the second car together. “I knew she’d get bored,” I mumbled softly as I watched him.

He chuckled, taking his eyes briefly off the car to look at me. “They’re ready to be painted. Should I ask if she wants to do it?”

“After she eats,” I told her. “The tacos are finished… Do you want me to make you a plate?”

He shook his head and stood, and so did I. “I can get it.” I hurried to the counter and grabbed him a paper plate. I didn’t wash dishes more than I had to. I grabbed another to make Lucy’s before mine.

“The lettuce, tomatoes and everything else is cut up.” I pointed toward them as I made Lucy’s. “Come eat, Lucy.” When I didn’t hear her footsteps, I turned around and Eli wiggled in his bouncy and screamed at me. I smirked at him as I walked into the living room to find Lucy asleep on the couch hugging her favorite blanket. I dropped my arms and sighed. “Oh, Lucy. You didn’t get to eat your tacos.” Shutting off the living room light, I picked her up gently and carried her into her bedroom. I would put the leftovers in the fridge for her to eat in the morning since I knew she’d complain in the morning about falling asleep. She never even budged as I laid her down and covered her up.

Eli was crying now that I’d left his line of sight so I quickly picked him up, murmuring to him as I went back to the kitchen and used Lucy’s plate for my own.

“Did she fall asleep?”

It wasn’t until Elijah spoke that I realized Lucy being asleep made things extremely awkward. Well, not him but me. “Yeah, if you want to take the cars home to paint them or wait for Lucy, either is fine.”

“I’ll wait and see what she wants.” He took a bite of his taco while I put my taco together. Meanwhile, Eli was searching for a nipple to latch onto. I was pretty sure Elijah noticed him as well. His ears got a little red as he took another bite of his taco. “Go ahead and feed him, I don’t mind.”

I stood quickly. “I can make him a bottle.”

“Would you do that if I weren’t here?” He surprised me. No, I wouldn’t. I liked nursing. I only pumped because I was a working mom and had no choice. I couldn’t be with him twenty-four seven to breastfeed him. “Go ahead.” He turned his chair the other way, giving me privacy.

Feeling extremely nervous, I laughed, and he glanced over at me. “Lucy puts me in some awkward situations.”

He chuckled. “I’ve noticed.” He took another bite of his taco and turned away. I sat down and finally lifted my scrubs so that Eli could latch onto a nipple. “We keep bumping paths.” I looked up to see the side of Elijah’s face as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He kept his eyes averted. “Do you mind if I ask you something?”

I blushed, thankfully he couldn’t see it. “Sure. Go ahead.”

“You had Lucy when you were in high school?”

“I actually didn’t find out I was pregnant until after graduation.”

“Working and college with a kid couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t but Lucy was worth all my hardships. I’m finished now though.”

Privacy forgotten, he turned his head. “Yeah? Is that why I don’t see you guys as much anymore when I’m getting home.”

“Yeah. I get more days off now.” His eyes fell to Eli’s head, but I didn’t think he could see anything else. “I’m a nurse at the hospital.”

“Sassafras’s?”

I nodded.

“So we both work with needles?” There was a playful grin on his face as he tilted his head.

“I guess so.” I hoped my cheeks weren’t as red as they felt.

His smile slowly slipped away as he watched me. There was something almost darker about his expression before he stared down at the floor and stood slowly. “I should let you guys rest. Just put the cars up, and I can stop by tomorrow?” I rose with him. He peered at me. A softness washed over his features. “What’s your last name, Hadley?”

“Reynolds.”

“Been buggin’ me for a while. Not knowing enough…”

I could feel the heat low in my belly and I gulped. Why would he want to know more?

“Mine’s Parker by the way.”

“Huh?” I wasn’t paying attention, too focused on my hot face.

He smiled. “Elijah Parker.”

“Oh,” I shook my head, and he laughed momentarily. “Call or text the next time you’re out so late. That shit’s going to bug the fuck out of me if I start wondering how often you guys shop at night.”

Maybe a few years ago, I was more confident in my own skin, but at that moment I couldn’t figure out why someone like him would care or go out of his way to think about me and my little ones. Maybe he still felt guilty. Feeling mortified at the thought, I held Eli tighter. “If you still feel guilty about your actions toward us in the beginning, please don’t. You’re only making me feel bad.”

He flinched like I slapped him. “You think I’m trying to befriend you guys because of that?” I squirmed as he scrutinized me. “That’s not the reason, believe me. I just can’t look away every time I see you guys. I don’t know. I never thought I’d befriend a single mother either, but here we are.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You look less tired now. I notice because I want to get to know you, Hadley. And your daughter is pretty cool for a kid.”

I laughed incredulously. “You truly don’t like kids, do you?”

“I can like some,” he mused. I rolled my eyes. “So, what is it, Hadley Reynolds? Are we friends or not? Are you going to stop acting like I’m the plague when Lucy yells at me?”

I scoffed. “I do not treat you like the plague.”

“You look like you can’t wait for me to leave.”

“I… I’m sorry, I just don’t know what you’re doing.”

“I’m just doing what I want.”

“And what is that?”

“I want to know you guys.”

That intense blooming of something I shall not name in my stomach grew larger, and I stared at the floor like it was the most fascinating thing I’d ever seen. “I’ll call if I need to,” I whispered reluctantly.

When I glanced up, he was beaming. “See ya.”

For once, those words didn’t terrify me. Instead, I was already waiting for them.