Chapter 6

6

Piper

There aren't enough curse words to effectively describe how I feel right now.

Standing outside the gym, at night, with this grumpy yet cocky injured baseball player and my fucking car won't start.

And then on top of that, I blurt out to him that I'm going to pick up my son.

Not that it should matter but the less Cutter knows about me, the better. Bad enough I had to share the pool with him. And does he honestly think for a second I didn't feel him looking at me. Leaving me wondering what exactly he was looking at. Because being properly dressed to swim is not quite the best attire. I mean, if I wanted to show myself off a little.

You know - every woman has that one dress or outfit that brings out every good curve. Make my hair a little cleaned up but still messy. Oh, yeah, I could drive Cutter a little crazy. I mean, if I wanted to…

"Damn," Cutter says. "Car won't start and you need to pick up your kid."

"Great recap. I have to figure something out."

I start to turn and Cutter grabs my open car door. "How old is your son?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Can he get dropped off?"

I smack my forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Right," Cutter says. "Back off. Got it."

"Gee, thanks, Cutter."

I reach into my car to get my phone and I pause, wondering just who the hell I'm going to call for help. If I call or text Hunter right now and tell him I'm going to be late because of car trouble…

I close my eyes for a second and sigh.

"Want me to take a look?" Cutter offers.

"You know how to fix cars?" I ask.

There's the faintest glimmer of hope coming from Cutter. A chance to make him not seem like such a pain in my ass.

"No," he says.

Pop goes that bubble then.

"Then why ask that?" I snap at him.

"Trying to calm things down."

"Ah, yes, the classic I'll figure this out man attitude. Hey, let me just tell a woman to calm down! I bet that will work!"

"Better yet," Cutter says as he reaches into his back pocket. He shows me a big, fancy key fob. "I'll drive you. Pick up your son so everything is on time. I can drop you two off. You can make arrangements for your car."

I laugh out loud. "This isn't some cute meet up in a movie, Cutter."

"Okay," he says. He places the key fob on the roof my car. "Take the rental. Do what you need to do and we'll catch up tomorrow."

"Excuse me?"

"What else do you want me to do here, Piper?"

His jaw tightens with annoyance.

Oh, I annoy you, Cutter? Boo-hoo. Shouldn't have come to this town and bothered me.

"This is just some cheap attempt to get my number, isn't it? Or worse yet… you'll use this against me. For a… a kiss or a blowjob or something!"

That sends Cutter back a few steps.

He shows me his hands. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you kidding me? Is that how things work in this town?"

His voice gets louder, angrier.

He reaches for the key fob and I quickly grab it at the last second.

I shut my eyes and take a deep breath.

"I need to get Saxon," I whisper. "So… thank you…"

"Saxon," Cutter says. "That's your son's name?"

I open my eyes and look at him.

"I don't know what you think is so bad about me, Piper. You know what? Good luck with everything tonight. You might as well take off before you're late."

"What about you?" I ask. "How will you get to wherever you live?"

"I'll call for a ride."

I smile. "You think they have that stuff here? This little town? This town is so small we don't qualify for rides or food deliveries."

"I'm a famous baseball player, Piper," he says. "If I need a ride, I'll get a ride."

And there's that cockiness again.

Only this time his tone is a little different.

He's… a little bit of an asshole…

"Thank you for this," I say as I hold the key fob tight. "I'll give you my number. Text me. I'll figure out how to get your vehicle back to you."

Cutter takes out his phone and I tell him my number.

I can feel myself actually getting just a little nervous. As though I'm handing out my number to some cute guy in the hopes that he'll text me for a date.

Cutter puts my number into his phone and then sends me a text.

"Glad I didn't give you a fake number," I say.

"I guess I dodged that bullet," Cutter says. "Go get your kid. Hope the rest of your night is better."

There's an awkward moment when Cutter and I stare at each other. Waiting for someone to do something. I think somewhere inside me I'm thinking he's just going to walk home. Wherever his home is. Which means he would be the kind of guy to just give me his vehicle to help me out for the sake of my son. Which means he's a decent guy.

Cutter makes a call with his phone and puts distance between us. I can't hear what's being said.

Maybe he is calling someone to give him a ride. Flashing his money and his athletic fame.

I feel my lip gently curling, now sort of hating Cutter. I actually feel like handing him his key fob back and telling him no thanks.

I can figure this out on my own. I don't need him to-

My phone vibrates in my hand.

I look down.

Piper? Hello? Did you forget how to tell time? Saxon is sitting on the top step of the porch waiting for you.

Yup, there's Hunter.

You'd think he would check in and be a little more… nicer…? Or maybe keep our son distracted a little. Better yet - maybe create an environment where our son would want to be at his father's house and not have it be like a forced daycare.

On my way.

Now I have no choice but to take Cutter's vehicle.

I have to forget about Cutter for now.

Back to single mom mode.

Which, trust me, is not a problem for me.

I wish Cutter would have chosen a different small town with a pool to invade for his rehab.

One thing I've learned in my life is that you can hope, wish and fantasize about things in the past happening differently. (And the past can be ten years ago or ten seconds ago.) But once it happens… it happens…

You deal with it. You move on. You move forward.

Even if that means driving the vehicle of an injured, rugged, slightly grumpy yet kind of sexy baseball player who decides to help you out without asking you for a thing in return.

I've never driven a vehicle as big as this dumb SUV.

Leave it to a rich jock like Cutter to have something this big for just himself.

If that's not enough, the interior smells like that comfortable new-car smell with a hint of cologne. Warm pine. Sandalwood.

I put the windows down but then the air makes me shiver so I have to endure the stench of Cutter.

When I park outside Hunter's house, I see Saxon sitting on the top step. His book bag next to him. He's resting his right elbow on his right knee. His chin in his hand, staring down the steps.

It breaks my heart the way he hates being with his own father.

Of course Hunter is nowhere to be found.

I climb out of the SUV and walk around the front through the annoying blinding lights. Still no sign of Hunter, which makes me uneasy. Not that Saxon would ever get into a vehicle with someone he doesn't know, what if someone did pull up in a SUV and grab him off the porch?

Hunter finds new ways to piss me off on a weekly basis.

"Mom?" Saxon asks, squinting as he looks at me.

"The one and only," I say. "Sorry about being late. I had-"

"Is that ours?" Saxon asks, his eye lighting up as he stands up with a smile.

"That?" I ask, thumbing back to the SUV. "No. That's just, uh, a rental."

"You rented that? It's so cool looking. Can you take me to school in that tomorrow morning?"

I swallow hard. "Where's your father?"

The door finally swings open.

Here comes Hunter.

He's a big guy. Always was. Always will be. Far from being in football shape, that's for sure. Sometimes I look at him and wish I could go back to slap the college version of myself. But again, can't change the past. It was a different time back then. He was the big, mean, silly tight end. I was the super skinny, champion swimmer. He knew how to cheaply flirt with me - challenging me to a swimming contest. He didn't let me win either. He really tried to beat me, and failed. Believe it or not, that kind of stuff worked on me back then.

But, hey, without Hunter, there would be no Saxon.

And Saxon is the light of my life.

"Go ahead, kid," Hunter says in his deep voice.

Saxon doesn't even look back. He races down the steps, runs toward me and almost tackles me. We're at the point to where Saxon is almost as tall as me and jumping into my arms isn't an option anymore.

He's acting as though I haven't seen him in days.

I stare at Hunter as I hug Saxon.

Hunter looks to the SUV and nods. "Where'd you get that? Get a raise or something?"

That's another thing with Hunter, he doesn't realize how lucky he is.

I never once asked him for a dime when it came to Saxon. I refused it. Whether I'm entitled to it or not, I did not want any relationship between Saxon and his father having to do with money. And I do not want some man - a freaking ex of mine - giving me a penny only to have it be thrown in my face at a later date.

"Don't worry about what I'm driving," I say to Hunter.

"You're late picking him up," Hunter says.

"Go wait in the car," I whisper to Saxon.

He's excited and races to Cutter's SUV and climbs inside.

"Do you have to say things like that in front of him?" I ask Hunter. "Is it so wrong that you had to spend a few more minutes with your own son?"

"He didn't want to be here, Piper," Hunter says. "Kid paces the entire time and keeps looking at the clock. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Did you ever think for a second it doesn't have to be about you? Maybe find something to do with him? Connect with him?"

"Like how? Buy a piano for here?"

"There's a thought," I say. "I know it bothers you that our son isn't some star athlete, but he does like music. And he is getting really good at piano."

"I'm not having this conversation with you, Piper," Hunter says. "You're not throwing your verbal punches at me. I did my part. I picked him up. I fed him. He's alive. We're done here."

Hunter turns and goes back inside.

He aggressively locks his door.

I swallow hard.

No matter how you look at it, the truth is that I sometimes hate myself for how things are for Saxon. He deserves someone else in his life. Someone who cares. Someone who supports him. I didn't give birth to him with the hopes he'd become an Olympic swimmer. Or the highest paid tight end of all time.

I love that Saxon is who he is.

I wish Hunter appreciated it too.

I chase all emotion and threat of tears away on the walk to the SUV and climb up into the driver's seat.

"Where's your car?" Saxon asks.

"It broke down again. I'll take care of it. You just enjoy the ride, okay? Pretend I'm your personal driver. Where to, good sir?"

Saxon smiles. "I'm feeling a little… taco-y right now…"

"Really?"

Saxon nods.

I don't even ask if his father fed him dinner.

I really don't care.

Plus, I'm hungry too.

Swimming and dealing with Cutter has my stomach empty and growling.

Plus, who could turn down a late night taco trip with their only child?