CHAPTER TEN
BRIDGETTE SLEPT THROUGH the alarm Monday morning, sending her into a panic. She raced through her shower and getting Louie’s breakfast ready. Louie spilled cereal all over his clothes, and all over Jeter, which caused a torrent of tears.
“It’s okay, honey. You run upstairs and get changed, and I’ll get him cleaned right up.” As her little man hurried up the stairs, she washed the stuffed animal in the sink, trying to picture Bodhi’s reaction to this morning’s mayhem. His morning chaos probably consisted of which to do first—turn on the coffeemaker or let Dahlia outside.
A knock sounded at the door, and she hurried to answer it, but Louie got there first. Her insides melted at the sight of Bodhi crouched in front of her boy with their foreheads almost touching. Louie had changed into a long-sleeved T-shirt with YANKEES emblazoned across the chest, a pair of shorts, and his favorite old, one-size-too-small blue rain boots he refused to throw away. He put his arms around Bodhi’s neck, and Bodhi rose to his feet, scooping up Louie with one arm and holding an empty mug in the other hand. Bodhi’s gaze trailed down Bridgette’s pink sweater, over her white miniskirt, all the way down to her strappy white sandals. An appreciative smile broke through his serious expression.
“Morning, beautif—Bridgette. I just came by to borrow some sugar and heard about the cereal tragedy.”
His presence was like the calm at the eye of her morning storm. Just what I needed. “It was only a little spill. But Jeter’s all cleaned up. Grandma Roxie can put him in the dryer when she picks up Louie.”
“See that?” Bodhi said to her little boy, who was beaming at his new buddy. “Your mom’s got your back.”
“What does that mean?” Louie asked, absently tracing the line of Bodhi’s scruff with his finger.
“It means she loves you, and she’s always watching out for you. Think she’ll mind lending me some sugar for my coffee?”
“Nope.” Louie wiggled out of his arms. “We have a huge bag of sugar in the pantry.”
“Honey, run up and get your backpack with all the things you want to bring to Grandma and Grandpa’s while I get Bodhi some sugar, okay?”
Louie darted up the stairs. Bridgette tugged Bodhi into the kitchen and around the corner, out of the line of vision from the hallway in case Louie came down. Bodhi backed her up against the wall, taking advantage of every second, and kissed her breathless.
“I didn’t expect to get two seconds alone with you.” His mouth came down over hers again, sending gusts of heat swirling through her.
At the sound of Louie’s footsteps on the stairs, Bodhi pushed back, while she tried to remain erect on Jell-O legs.
“Did you get your sugar?” Louie asked.
“I did, little dude, and it was even sweeter than I’d hoped.”
Louie smiled up at Bodhi and said, “Mommy has your back, too.”
Bodhi’s eyes darkened. He ran a hand through his hair and gave Louie a serious nod. One glance at the enticing bulge in his jeans told Bridgette she wasn’t the only one still reeling from their kisses.
“SO, YOU’RE FUCK buddies?” Piper followed Bridgette to the back of the flower shop late Monday afternoon as Bridgette prepared to meet with a couple to discuss floral arrangements for their wedding.
“Do you see any hard hats in here? How about being a little less crude?” Piper had come directly from a job site. Clearly her mind was still stuck in man-mode.
Bridgette pulled several thick binders from a shelf and carried them to the table by the windows, thinking about being in Bodhi’s arms last night.
“Sorry, Bridge. I forget you’ve been brainwashed by years of mommying. I do love that he came over and left with an empty mug.”
“He might have left with an empty mug, but he did not leave running on empty.”
Piper touched her arm, stopping her from fidgeting with the binders. “Seriously. Do I need to worry about you?”
“Why? We’re not even sleeping together yet.” Although she wanted to be. She headed toward the back of the store and grabbed a bouquet for the table. “I can handle this, Piper, and I’ll be careful with Louie. He won’t know there’s anything more than friendship between us.”
“I joke about you getting down and dirty, but in all seriousness, are you sure you can do this without getting attached?” Piper arched a finely manicured brow. “The guy lives next door, which means easy access to nighttime rendezvous, and he cleaned puke off the floor of your car. That’s got to do something to your mommy hormones.”
Bridgette set the vase on the table. “Isn’t it crazy that I can get turned on by a guy cleaning up puke? That was truly one of the hottest things he could have done.”
“Yeah. Gross. I think I might wait until I’m totally over hot sex to have kids.”
“What makes you think you’ll ever get over hot sex?” She looked at her tough-as-nails sister, knowing that beneath her steel armor was a sensitive soul. But it would take a hell of a tough man to break through her barriers. Bodhi had come off the same way, but he wasn’t completely encased in a brick silo, as Aurelia had thought. Bodhi and I aren’t that different after all. Her mind traveled back to Jerry, who had been very different from Bodhi.
“Why do you look like you’re doing algebra in your head?” Piper asked.
Bridgette shrugged. “Just thinking how different Bodhi is from Jerry. Jerry was like my male counterpart. We were both wild. We never planned or thought things through. We just did whatever we wanted, around his touring schedule, of course. And he was always smiling and joking. Bodhi’s careful and he’s always thinking ahead, worrying over things. And his smiles come few and far between, like secrets I don’t want to miss.”
“And . . . ?” Piper flipped open a binder and began leafing through it.
“I don’t know. It’s just interesting that I’ve only ever felt completely swept up in two men, and they’re complete opposites. And yet I feel like I was as similar to Jerry as I am to Bodhi, which is even weirder.”
“Well, baby sister. Maybe that says more about you than them. Are you sure you can handle this? There’s a lot of analyzing going on in that pretty little head of yours.”
“Pfft. This is a piece of cake compared to dealing with a colicky baby or two-year-old tantrums. Sex with no commitments? I’ve totally got this. That’s my thing, remember?” She was a big, fat liar. She’d been a wild child, going to too many parties, drinking with her friends, staying out all night, though she’d never slept around. But Willow was the only one who knew the truth about that part of her life. Piper took what she wanted, when she wanted it, without her emotions getting in the way. Maybe if she could convince Piper she could handle it, she could convince herself, too.
Piper smirked. “That was your thing, years ago. It hasn’t been your thing for a very long time. Not that I don’t think you deserve it. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”
“Not a chance.” Bridgette put her hands on her hips, meeting Piper’s concerned gaze. “We put all our cards on the table. I know he’s leaving in a couple of weeks, and he knows I can’t put Louie at risk of getting attached.”
“Getting attached to what?” Willow asked as she came through the archway carrying a bakery box.
“Hey, Will,” Piper said. “What’s in the box?”
“Zane and I are going to a dinner meeting in the city about his screenplay.” She opened the box. “I’m bringing these, but I have way too many. Take one.”
Bridgette and Piper each grabbed a pastry.
“So . . . ?” Willow asked. “Attached?”
Piper turned an expectant gaze on Bridgette.
“Me and Bodhi,” Bridgette answered. She’d filled in Willow before work about her talk with Bodhi. “She’s worried I can’t handle the friends-with-benefits thing.”
“I sucked at it, obviously.” Willow waved her engagement ring. “But Bridge has great willpower, and she has her priorities straight. She’s careful. She’s definitely got this. I was thinking, since you don’t really have any time alone with Bodhi to take advantage of the neighborly things he is so generously offering, Zane and I would be happy to babysit. This coming weekend is crazy at the bakery, and the Peach Festival is next weekend, but maybe one day in between?”
Excitement whipped through Bridgette. Louie was feeling better this morning, and Roxie had taken him to the park to run off some energy. Bridgette had actually considered opening the shop late and showing up at Bodhi’s house to seduce him. But sanity had taken over, and she’d come in to work like a responsible adult. Adulting sucked sometimes.
“I’d give anything for a night with Bodhi without worrying about being interrupted,” Bridgette admitted. “I feel like we’re teenagers dodging our parents, making out in fits and spurts. I don’t need a lot of freedom. All I want is one night to fall asleep in his arms and wake up with him in the morning. Does that make me a terrible mother?”
“It makes you a twentysomething woman. But if I were in your position, I’d want one night to attack him,” Piper said. “You can cuddle when Louie’s watching television.”
Bridgette rolled her eyes. If only it were that easy. “No, I can’t. Louie’s never seen me with a man.” She’d been up half the night worrying over how to handle things around Louie. Could she keep her lips to herself around him when Bodhi was with them?
“None of us have since you moved back home,” Piper reminded her.
“Yes, but you guys are adults. You’re pulling for me to enjoy myself. Louie’s impressionable. If he thinks Bodhi and I are a couple, it’ll make it harder for him when Bodhi leaves.”
Willow and Piper exchanged a look that Bridgette read too easily.
“You can fool a kid, but what about you?” Piper asked.
Oh, the tangled web of lies she was weaving. “I’m a mother. I can handle anything.”
BODHI FINISHED PAINTING the trim in the upstairs bedrooms and bathrooms Monday evening, cleaned up, and went for a run. It was after nine when he got back. Louie hadn’t called on his walkie-talkie, and Bodhi imagined the newness of the gift had worn off. He could kick himself for not asking for Bridgette’s phone number. After barging in unannounced that morning, he decided against showing up again this evening. But she was like a drug, and he wanted his next hit.
Badly.
He took a shower, and his phone rang as he dried off. Shira’s name flashed on the screen. He tugged on his briefs and answered.
“Hey, you.”
“Hi. How’s life in Sweetwater? Do you miss the incessant noise of the city yet?”
“Not even a little. What’s happening with you?”
He dressed as she caught him up with the latest events on the charity front. They were planning a fundraiser for the holidays, and as always, she had it under control.
“Who do you want to be seated with this year?” Shira asked.
Bridgette. “I don’t know. Ask me in a few weeks.”
He went down to the living room with Dahlia and sat on the couch, wishing Bridgette were there with him. Dahlia rested her chin on his leg, and he grabbed a paperback from the end table.
“A few weeks?” Shira asked.
“I’ve got mandatory training after I leave here.”
“Unless you get called for an assignment,” she reminded him.
“No shit.” He didn’t mean to sound harsh, but every day that passed brought him that much closer to leaving, and he didn’t want to think about leaving—for training or for an assignment. “If I am called in, and if I make it back alive, then you can ask me who I want to sit with.”
“If you get sent away, your lame ass better make it back or I swear I’ll kill you a second time over.”
He smiled. “Hey, Shira?”
“What?” she snapped. “You pissed me off. I hate it when you talk about not making it back.”
“I’m sorry, but you know—”
“Booker? Shut. Up. I know the reality of your stupid job.”
“Right. Sorry.” He petted Dahlia. “I need a favor. Can you see about getting me four tickets to the Yankees game this weekend? And see if you can set up a call between me and the manager. I need a favor.” The owners of the Yankees were major donors to Hearts for Heroes, and every year they offered up tickets to the games. Bodhi’s mother, Alisha, was an avid Yankees fan, and he tried to take her to at least one or two games each year.
“I’m on it. Wait. Who’s your plus two?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He sat back and thumbed through the book.
“You’ll tell me soon enough. How’re the renovations going? Will you be done before you come back?”
“Yeah. I should be fine. It’s a cute town. Mom will like it here.”
“Or maybe Bodhi likes Mom’s neighbor?”
A text came through, and Bodhi lowered the phone to see who it was from. He didn’t recognize the number, but it gave him a long enough pause to avoid answering Shira’s question. “Sorry, Shira, but I’ve got to run.”
“That’s cool. I’ll check into the tickets. And, Bodhi?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you avoided answering my question. I’m hoping you lifted your not-getting-involved rule and are enjoying some time with that cute blonde next door. But come on. Plus two? You, your mom, and hopefully blondie would be three. What does plus two for baseball mean?”
He chuckled. “It means her kid likes baseball.”
Shira was silent for a long moment, and hell if he didn’t know exactly what was going through her mind.
“Bodhi,” she said with a serious tone. “You sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Definitely not, but aren’t you the one who encouraged me to relax and enjoy myself?”
“Yeah, but . . . a kid?”
Silence filled the airwaves. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, no matter how right she was.
After an uncomfortable end to their call, he read the waiting text—Hi. What are you up to?—and thumbed out a response. Who is this?
He opened the book and kicked his feet up on the coffee table. His phone vibrated with another text. Your sugar supplier.
The knot in his gut loosened as he sent a response. About to start Charlotte Sterling. But I could sure use some sugar.
Bridgette’s text came through seconds later. Who is this Charlotte chick? I’m not above taking a bitch down.
He pushed to his feet, and Dahlia jumped to hers, following him into the kitchen as another text came through. Not that we have that type of commitment or anything.
“My ass we don’t,” he grumbled as he grabbed two glasses and the bottle of wine the Realtor had given him when he’d bought the house, and placed them in an empty box. “Let’s go, Dahl.” He grabbed the book, threw the blanket from the back of the couch over his shoulder, and headed out the door as he called Bridgette.
“Hi,” she said shakily.
“Open your kitchen door.”