Teo paced in front of the ladies’ room, wondering what could be taking Miss Bell so long. He wasn’t used to waiting for a woman to do whatever women did when they disappeared behind that forbidden barrier. He had an appointment with his agent to get to and was already running late because he’d spent twenty minutes scouring his house for the diaper bag before he remembered not bringing it home on Saturday.

With his thoughts bouncing to that moment in the cafeteria where he’d been struck by the sight of Miss Bell and Akoni together, he raised his hand to knock. Just as he moved his fist forward, the door swung open, and Miss Bell barreled into him. “Oaf,” she grunted on impact.

Teo rubbed his belly where her elbows had landed. He was used to getting hit, but usually the people who hit him were thicker. “Did you just call me an oaf?”

She blushed. “No, but I should have.” She looked over Akoni to make sure he hadn’t been injured as they stepped into the elevator. Her concern for his son caused a warm sensation to bloom in his chest again. Since his family had flown home after the season, Teo had carried the weight of Akoni’s well-being on his own. He had amazing teammates, but they scattered during the off-season, and he wasn’t sure they would appreciate babysitting duty. His loneliness scared him sometimes. He tried not to think about how quiet his house was compared to the home he’d grown up in, where there was always someone to play with, wrestle with, and talk to. When the solitude pressed in on him, he pushed back and dug deep. Somehow, this time spent with Cedar had shined a spotlight on his isolation.

With a start, he realized this feeling was different from the dark blanket he’d thrown off before. This feeling was a deep desire to spend time with her specifically. That just wouldn’t do.

He reached for Akoni, who came willingly. “Thanks for your help, Miss Bell—”

“Cedar.” She dropped her lashes to her cheek.

Teo forgot what he was going to say as he watched her cheeks turn the color of ripe peaches. “Cedar.” He tested the name, enjoying the way it felt on his lips.

She smiled shyly.

Teo realized he was staring and pulled his attention away from his recently formed fascination with the blonde beauty. “We’ll get out of your hair,” he said as the doors opened. The light shimmered over her braid, and he made sure his mouth was shut.

She wiggled her fingers at Akoni. “Bye, precious.”

Teo wiggled his fingers in response even though she’d been talking to Akoni. He stared at his hand like it had a mind of its own as he hurried away. He needed to get out of here, to get back to his life where he could focus on moving forward without stopping every few minutes to admire Cedar. Yes, she was an amazing person. And yes, it was normal for a man to notice a woman with her full lips and beguiling blush. But it was not acceptable for him to allow all of that to overrun his level head. He didn’t get overrun—on or off the field.

At the end of the hall, he glanced over his shoulder to see Cedar moving slowly toward her cubicle, her back hunched and her head down. He’d seen that walk before—right after a receiver dropped the pass that cost them the game. It was the walk of someone who was defeated not only on the field but in their head.

He hated that walk. It tore at his gut to see a teammate, or in this case a pretty woman, beat themselves up. She had been laying face-down on her desk when he arrived. He’d thought she was catching a quick nap or something, not suffering. What did she have to suffer over? From where he stood, she had it all put together. A hearty dose of curiosity and that darn desire to take care of her burst through his veins like lightening. He jogged back. “Hey, everything okay?”

She pressed her lips together. “Fine.”

“Really? Because you look like you just dropped a Hail Mary.”

She gave a self-depreciating chuckle. “You could say that.” She paused and then looked back and forth down the hallway.

Teo settled in—a trick his dad used many a times to get him to open up after a hard practice or game.

“Are you waiting for me to spill my guts or something?”

Was he? Am I? “No. I just—um …” He moved Akoni to his other arm and patted her arm. “Hang in there, ’kay?”

“O-kay.”

His phone beeped. “Shoot.” That was the you have five minutes to make the meeting beep. He reached for his phone in his back pocket to turn off the recurring noise. With a sudden jerk, Akoni threw himself towards the floor, and Teo dropped the phone to save his son from pancaking his face into the carpet.

Cedar bent to get the phone for him. She handed it over face-up. “Looks like you’re late.”

“Yeah—you wouldn’t think a baby would slow me down, but just getting him in a car seat will take five minutes. I’d give anything for a babysitter.”

“Five hundred.” Cedar took Akoni from him.

“What?”

“I’ll watch him until six tonight, but it will cost you five hundred dollars.” She jutted her hip out to the side and settled Akoni in place.

“I thought you were an intern here?”

Her jaw flexed. The effect was kind of sexy, and he had to work hard to tamp down on the attraction that flared to life. “Today was my last day.”

Akoni grabbed her braid and held on. With Teo, he never had to hold on, but Cedar was so much smaller that the kid must have felt the need. She didn’t flinch as he tugged a little on her hair.

Teo was torn. Meeting with his agent needed to happen. He’d put it off as long as he could; being out of the spotlight after Amy’s death was a tender mercy. Jumping back in was going to be hard enough—he wasn’t a razzle-dazzle type of guy—but being entertaining while feeding Akoni a jar of prunes or changing a diaper would be impossible.

“I’ve already got the diaper bag.” She slipped it right off his shoulder, her fingers brushing his arm and leaving a trail of heat behind.

Her offer was almost too good to be true. “If you’re sure.”

“I’m sure. Here.” She programmed her number into his phone. “Call or text anytime.” She fumbled handing it back to him. “Today. You can call anytime today,” she clarified.

He considered Akoni’s obvious comfort with Cedar and the easy way Cedar had with him, and a sense that this was a timely meeting—one that hadn’t happened by accident—brushed its way along his thoughts like a whisper in the wind.

He put one hand on her arm and leaned over to kiss Akoni goodbye. Her hair tickled his cheek, and he caught a hint of sweetened pineapple on her skin.

Cedar gasped, the sound so quiet he wondered if he’d imagined it. She pulled away, and the moment was lost into the waves of time.

“I’ll call as soon as I’m done.” He began backing out of the building.

Cedar picked up Akoni’s arm and had him wave goodbye. Akoni grinned.

Teo smiled back. Cedar was charging him a generous amount, taking advantage of his desperation—five hundred bucks! But she was good for Akoni and good to Akoni, and that was more important than money.

All the other feelings Cedar stirred inside of him were inconsequential. He had no right to feel that way about anyone, not when he had a son to raise. Akoni needed to come first and Teo’s needs should come second. Even if Cedar was good for both of them, he couldn’t risk his heart again. He may look like a tough guy, but inside the body that could take a thousand hits was a heart that needed protection.