Page 4

W hat the hell was I thinking? Chaz wondered.

Once Lottie left, he’d sunk down on her couch and her soft floral smell immediately enveloped him. It was sheer torture and he clamped his jaw tight. His gaze settled on the baby monitor. Thank God it was quiet. Even though he’d assured Lottie he’d be fine, the thought of the nugget actually waking up made him uneasy.

The truth was he had no idea what to do with kids. He’d never had any, not even a sibling, and never really wanted one either. Growing up, his alcoholic father, who rarely came around, hadn’t been much of a role model. The whole concept of being a father intimidated him because the idea of fucking up a kid’s life was a lot to handle.

Granted, he supposed he could learn, if need be. If the situation was right…

He pushed up off the couch, shutting those thoughts down fast, grabbed the baby monitor and wandered over to the small kitchen. The tin full of cookies called to him and he opened it up, feeling a weird pressure on his chest when he stared down at the coconut chocolate chip cookies. There were at least two dozen. She must’ve spent all afternoon baking them.

He picked one up and took a bite. “Damn,” he muttered and moaned. Absolutely delicious, and chewy—just the way he liked.

Grabbing the entire tin, he sat down at the kitchen table and got to eating. Being a big guy, he could easily eat half without blinking. He wanted to take some home, though. It gave him a good excuse to come back over and return the tin.

After consuming more than he should have, he replaced the lid and walked over to the fridge. Thirsty, he grabbed a bottle of water. As he was downing it, he heard rustling from the baby monitor. Oh, shit. He turned to stare at the monitor like it was a bomb about to explode, his heart racing.

“C’mon, Madden. That nugget is the reason you’re here. There’s nothing to be scared of.”

Hell, she was a two-year old, not the fucking Taliban.

Pulling in a deep, steadying breath, he swiped the monitor up, clipped it to his belt and walked down to the room Lottie had pointed out earlier. The door was ajar and he could see colored lights from a nightlight dancing around the room. Pushing the door all the way open, he stepped inside.

The crib caught his attention first, then the double bed where Lottie must sleep. He hadn’t realized the apartment was so small that mother and daughter shared a bedroom. Her room smelled good—like flowers and baby powder, a scent he was beginning to really like.

Bracing himself for the possibility of the nugget being awake and, God forbid, having a dirty diaper, he marched over to the crib and looked down. But if she’d woken up earlier, she’d already fallen back asleep.

Thank Christ.

Chaz released a pent-up breath, relief filling him. Then he looked down at the nugget. She was so damn tiny, a wisp of a thing, and he’d never felt more like a big oaf. Her cheeks were the chubbiest things he’d ever seen and she wore light pink pajamas covered in yellow ducks. Already, she had a head of blonde curls and, for a long moment, he watched her chest rise and fall with even breaths. Every once in a while, she made a sleepy sound, clucking her tiny tongue or sighing softly.

Okay, so the nugget was damn adorable. Hell, five minutes alone in her presence and he was feeling a surge of protectiveness…and maybe even a little bit smitten. One thing was for certain—he’d make sure nothing happened to her. Not on his watch.

Moving over, he sat down on the bed. The mattress sank beneath his heavy weight and he looked around the room. It had a bright, cheerful presence. Just like Lottie. His hand trailed over the yellow comforter covered in flowers. The woman definitely liked flowers, but it didn’t surprise him.

He knew Lottie lived with her mother and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her father. She never mentioned him. Maybe he was a worthless piece of shit like his own. Or maybe he’d passed away. The urge to know more about her personal life filled him. That was strange for him because he couldn’t remember feeling that way about anyone before. Including his ex.

Standing up, he walked over to the small vanity and picked up a bottle of perfume. He uncapped it and lifted it up under his nose, breathing in the soft, floral scent. He closed his eyes, savoring the smell. Like a field of flowers in summer.

Thoughts of him and Lottie making out in that field of flowers filled his head, and his lonely body reacted. Fuck. He capped the bottle and set it back down with a clunk. Cringing at the sharp sound, he sent a panicked glance over to the crib, but the baby continued sleeping soundly.

“Don’t be a creep, Madden,” he whispered to himself.

Okay, the nugget was secure. Time to evac.

Turning, he headed out and decided to distract himself with some TV. Back on the couch, he turned it on with the remote. After finding a channel where they were remodeling a house, he settled in and started munching on more cookies. He enjoyed shows where they took something hopelessly falling apart and turned it into something extraordinary.

Three episodes later, his phone buzzed with a text. It was Lottie. He swiped the message open: How are you doing? Surviving? Has she given you any trouble?

He typed out a response: Not an ounce. I’ve been checking on her every half hour. All safe and secure with the nugget.

Those three little bubbles danced as he waited for her response: Thank you, Chaz. Brand said I can probably leave early, so I should be back around one. I appreciate you so much.

His chest tightened. In all his life, no one had ever told him they appreciated him.

No problem, Sunshine. I’m not going anywhere , he texted back, and she answered with a smile and sun emoji.

The next couple of hours flew by as Chaz watched TV and checked in on the package every thirty minutes. A little past midnight, the baby monitor erupted with crying and he jumped up like someone had lit his remaining hair on fire, hightailing it down to the bedroom and crashing inside, ready to rescue the baby from whatever unseen threat had gotten past him.

After a quick sweep of the shadowed room, still dancing with rainbows from the night light, he registered everything was fine. Well, except for the wailing nugget who was standing up in her crib. And looking on the verge of climbing out.

He flipped the overhead light on and warily approached the crib. Reya looked up at him with big, blue, tear-filled eyes and, as he was considering what to do, she smiled at him.

His fucking heart clenched.

Very gingerly, he slid his hands beneath her arms and picked her up. He held her out at arm’s length, feet dangling. She really didn’t know him, but she wasn’t scared. More curious. And she’d stopped crying. For a long moment, they just stared at each other.

“Hi,” she said then hiccupped.

“Hey, Nugget. I know we don’t know each other too well, but I’m friends with your mom.”

She just continued to stare at him.

“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say friends. It’s not like we hang out or anything. But you should know you have the best mom in the whole world. She’s sweet and kind and really hot. Maybe you could put in a good word for me?”

The kid laughed.

“Oh, you think that’s funny?” Chaz moved over to the rocker and slowly sat down, propping her on his lap. “Well, I think your mom’s a real special lady, so what do you think? Any advice? I mean, I know I’m not the kind of man she—or you—deserve, but it’s getting harder and harder to ignore the way she makes me feel. She’s never mentioned me, has she?”

Another half-laugh, half-gurgle.

“Wishful thinking, huh?” The baby’s bright blue eyes watched him closely. Then she reached up and grabbed a handful of his beard in her little fingers. “Ow. Let’s not tug the hair, Nugget. I don’t have that much to spare.”

“Story time,” she said.

“I think it’s bedtime,” he told her, and she shook her head.

“No. Story time.”

She didn’t look very sleepy, but what did he know about toddler sleeping habits? He wondered if he should put her back in the crib, let her settle back down. But what if she got upset and started crying again? Or, God forbid, tried to climb out and fell on her little nugget head? Nope, not on his watch. If she wanted a story, she was getting a story.

Reaching over, he plucked a book off the nearby bookshelf. “Settle in, kid. I’m about to tell you all about—” he looked down at the title and squinted, “—how the cow learned to like its spots.”

Then he reached into the front pocket of his flannel shirt and pulled out the reading glasses he rarely wore. He was just too damn self-conscious. But if he wanted to read the book, he needed them.

“You won’t make fun of my glasses, will you?” he asked, putting them on.

“No,” she said and opened the book for him to begin reading.

◆◆◆

A few minutes before one in the morning, Julia took over for Lottie behind the bar.

“Thank you,” Lottie said, untying her apron. “I know it’s still a little busy…”

“Don’t worry. Brand and I can handle it,” she assured her. “You better go relieve Chaz.”

“It sounds like he’s hanging in there. I still can’t believe he offered to babysit.”

“I’m not surprised at all.”

“Really?” Lottie arched a brow. “He doesn’t really like kids.”

“No, but he likes you.”

Julia’s words made Lottie’s cheeks turn red. “Oh, no, he’s just being nice.”

“Lottie, the man is completely infatuated with you. The question is, how do you feel about him?”

An image of Chaz filled her head and she pressed her lips together. There was so much about him she liked, but he’d made it clear he couldn’t give her the things she wanted and needed most.

“I really like him, but it’s not just about me anymore. I have to do what’s best for Reya, too. And Chaz said he doesn’t want to ever get married again or have kids. I’d be a fool to go down that road, Julia. It just leads to a dead end.”

And most likely a broken heart for her.

“People change their minds all the time. Especially men. Keep an open mind, okay? Because I think you two would be really great together.”

Lottie gave the other woman a sad smile and grabbed her purse as Brand came over. “C’mon, Lottie, I’ll walk you out.”

With a little wave, she followed Brand outside and thanked him again for letting her leave a little early.

“It’s all good and you’ll get paid for the entire shift,” he told her. “You just better get home before Chaz eats all your food.”

After thanking Brand again, Lottie got in her car and sent off a text, letting Chaz know she was on her way home.

He immediately texted back: See you soon. All secure on the homefront.

A smile pulled at her lips. Somehow, he’d turned babysitting into a military op. It tugged at her heartstrings because that meant it was important to him. And, well, caring for a toddler could be pretty dangerous.

As she pulled out of the parking lot, she thought over what Julia had said. Was Chaz completely infatuated with her? She had a hard time believing it. Yes, he was extra nice to her, but he probably felt bad. She was a single mom who worked hard and didn’t have a ton of options.

Thinking back over their encounters, he’d never openly flirted with her or given her any reason to think he wanted to pursue something. He wasn’t bold and flirty like Lex. No, Chaz was the complete opposite and tended to shut down fast. In fact, she remembered one specific time when she’d gone out of her way to be flirtatious. Maybe she’d been ovulating. But she gave him a couple of free drinks, bent over knowing full-well her shirt would fall open to give him a delectable view, and shot him her best come-hither look.

The man had bolted so fast, her head spun. She still wasn’t sure if she should’ve been offended. Sometimes, though, she caught him staring at her like he wanted to lick her from head to toe.

He was a hard nut to crack.

But the idea of being with Chaz seemed to open up a whole new realm of possibilities. Very tempting ones. A part of her wondered if she should take a leap of faith. What if Julia was right? What if they could be really good together?

The car behind her turned its brights on and Lottie glanced in the rear view mirror, squinting. God, they were blinding. She accelerated, trying to put some distance between them, when the other car rammed into her rear bumper.

With a shocked gasp, she tightened her fingers around the steering wheel. Once again, she jolted when the car hit her hard. A wave of panic flooded through her as she watched the other vehicle swerve around and begin to overtake her.

“Shit,” she hissed. Her old Honda only went so fast, and she wasn’t exactly trained in evasive maneuvers. Hitting the brakes, trying to let the other car pass, she glanced over. But she couldn’t see anything through the tinted windows.

Suddenly, the other driver slammed into the driver’s side, forcing her off the road. Lottie pumped the brakes hard as her car slid sideways and came to an abrupt halt, mere inches from hitting a split-rail fence. The other car roared past and she was gripping the wheel so hard her knuckles were white.

Two thoughts hit her hard. One, thank God Reya wasn’t in the car. And two, what the hell had just happened?