Page 17

Zoe

In the end, we got three days with Coast.

But the second one, I spent so much time sleeping that I really only saw him when he was forcing me to wake up to take medicine and chug sports drinks.

By the time the fever and body aches subsided and the head cold part took over, it was time for him to go.

I mean, the guy had actually borrowed a beach wagon and pulled me and Lainey around while he also held the leashes of my dog-walking clients.

“Technically, you are doing the job. I’m just helping.”

Even just as a passenger, it had been miserable each time we had to take to the streets. What with me needing to blow my nose every two seconds, having a wicked headache from sinus pressure, and a wicked sore throat, and an equally miserable—but more on the mend—Lainey riding with me.

Coast, on the other hand, had been in a splendid mood, dragging us along, talking to the dog, occasionally regaling us with one of his crazy stories or breaking into a completely inappropriate song.

But after those walks, some more soup Coast seemed determined to force down my gullet, and a full night of sleep, I woke up feeling a lot more human.

And he was getting enough texts that I knew it meant his club president was on his case about getting back home.

Playing house was over.

As much as there was a sinking sensation in my stomach and a smushing in my chest at that, I knew it was for the best.

The last thing we needed was for myself or Lainey to get attached to a man who was bound to leave eventually.

Better for us to get back to our normal life sooner rather than later.

“Sure you got this?” Coast asked as I drove him to his friend’s very fancy neighborhood where his bike was still parked on the street.

“I’m sure. I know you don’t want to hear it, but thank you. Really. I don’t know if I could have done that alone.”

“You could have,” he assured me. “But I didn’t want you to have to.”

God, there it was again. That little floating sensation in my chest that I’d been feeling all the time lately.

When he would play with Lainey, when he would dote on me.

When he would do something silly when he didn’t think he was being watched.

Like singing in the shower. Like narrating the domestic argument going on amongst a set of seagulls.

“Seriously, though. Thank you.”

He shrugged that off. “I had fun.”

“Fun. Wiping my sweaty brow and shoving medicine down my throat. And changing diapers. And doing laundry...”

“Yeah, fun,” he said, giving me a smirk. “You take care of yourself. And Lil’ Bit.”

With that, he climbed out.

And I swear the second the door closed, the morale in the car plummeted.

Suddenly, I was acutely aware of the sinus pressure under my eyes, the way I could only breathe out of one nostril, how my hair was pulled too tight, making my scalp hurt.

As if in the same exact headspace, Lainey started to grumble and kick in her car seat.

“I know,” I agreed, since there was no one else to hear what I was about to say. “I already miss him too. But we are going to be okay without him. We are going to go take Blue on a walk,” I told her, injecting pep into my voice that I didn’t feel.

Lainey was easier to distract than I was. She hooted at Blue, watched the surroundings with wide eyes, laughed at some boys who whizzed by on their bikes while chanting some dirty rhyme.

Me? I was stuck in my head, stuck in my sour mood. Not even Blue’s whole body wiggles or his incessant kisses could lift my spirits.

All I could think of was Coast going back to his clubhouse. To the parties and women.

I had no claim on the man, but the idea of him carrying around another woman, bringing her drinks, giving her those smirks and smiles I’d grown so fond of so quickly, made my stomach churn enough that I didn’t even bother to stop and have lunch or dinner between jobs.

“I think it’s almost time to upgrade your car seat,” I told Lainey as I hauled her out of it, dreading the idea of carrying the bulky thing all the way back up to our apartment again. “Though we might have to pick up several more jobs a day to save up for one,” I added as we neared our room.

“Hey girl!” Brooke called, coming out of her room in her bare feet—bright yellow toenails on full display.

The proof of her time spent with her kids at the pool was out in the open, too.

Tan lines from her bikini, jean shorts, and flip-flops spoke to hours in the sun, the way some freckles stood out across her nose and cheeks despite knowing she lathered herself and the kids up every hour or so when outside.

“Hey, Brooke,” I said, giving her my first genuine smile of the day.

“Feeling better? You don’t look like death no more.”

“Yeah. Still have the head cold thing going on, but feel mostly human again. Lainey too.”

“That’s good. Getting any ick is the worst with kids. But it seems like you had some help on your hands,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

“It’s not like that.”

Fine, it had been for just a few moments. In the bathtub. But I’d convinced myself it was just an ‘of the moment’ type of thing. Nudity and closeness and hormones.

Nothing else had happened since. Not even close.

“That’s a shame. That is one fine man.”

“He had a black eye.”

“What can I say? Bad boys have always been catnip to me. Which is why I have sworn off men. I can’t be trusted. Anywho. You got a delivery while you were gone,” she said, walking back to her room to grab a large box. “I didn’t want to let it sit out, so I snatched it for you.”

“You’re the best,” I said.

“What’d you order?”

“I didn’t. Coast has been on a buying spree,” I told her, nodding my head toward my room that was now a lot fuller than it used to be.

Brooke’s jaw went slack as she took in the baby swing, the activity saucer (that Lainey was still too small for), the tummy time mat, and the various other items he’d ordered and had delivered same or next day, then spent an hour or two assembling.

“Girl, give him some kitty,” Brooke said, dragging a snort out of me.

“I’m serious! Lock that man down with some good, old-fashioned loving.

Get on your knees until he gets on his. This is a marriage-material kind of man.

Wouldn’t complain about your shopping habits because he’s doing it all for you. What’s not to love?”

“He just felt bad for me.”

“And he had a thought. Then acted on it. That’s hot. If you don’t give him some cat, I might toss mine at him,” she said, grinning at me. “Can I open this box? I wanna see what else he bought.”

We both stood there on the balcony so she could listen for her kids as she tore into the box like a raccoon, using her nails to get the paper tape open.

“More toys for Lainey?” I asked.

“Girl, no. He’s treating you now.”

She placed the box on the ground, reaching inside to pull items out one by one.

There were two silk pajama sets (with matching short robes), bath goodies, a nice pair of flip-flops.

“Girl, these are designer ,” Brooke said, wiggling the flip-flops in front of my face. “And I’m still not done.”

She wasn’t.

There was also one of those big stainless steel tumblers in a cute gradient pink color, an iced coffee carafe with the perfect dimensions to fit in my tiny fridge, and a three-pack of different coffee flavors.

“If you tell me you told this man that you like flavored iced coffee, I might spontaneously combust out of pure jealousy.”

I had.

He’d remembered.

And, like Brooke said, he’d acted.

I wasn’t exactly surprised. Everything about my time with Coast told me he was a good man. Kind. Generous. Thoughtful.

“God, I’m getting all hot and bothered, and he didn’t get me anything,” Brooke said, piling everything back into the box. “Listen, you want to go jump that man’s bone in thanks, you can leave that baby with me.”

“I’m not going to jump his, or anyone else’s, bones.”

“I said bone but I get it. I mean, clearly, we have some bad history with men.”

“Mama,” Soleil called.

“Yes, baby?”

“Can I have chips?”

“Yes, baby, have some chips,” she called back. “Dinner is going to be sandwiches, so chip-etizers makes sense,” she added to me. “So, bad history aside, what’s the hang-up?”

“He’s a biker.”

“What I’m hearing is he has a vehicle,” Brooke said, making me laugh. “What? My ex didn’t. Had a tree fall on his during a hurricane. And he was such a baby that he wouldn’t call the insurance company to deal with it, so he just… didn’t have a car anymore.”

“Wow.”

“I know. But what else is on your list?”

“He gets into fights.”

“I’m hearing he would be able and willing to defend you and your baby.”

“He has wild stories about naked pool parties and body shots.”

Brooke pressed her lips together at that, looking for a possible perk to it.

“I imagine he has had lots of practice in the way of loving. Which you can enjoy the benefits of. After a comprehensive STI panel.”

Caught off guard, I threw my head back and laughed.

“See why I can’t be trusted around men? I can turn any bad into a good. But I still think this one is one of the rare good ones. Just something to keep in mind,” she said, moving into my room to put the box on the bench.

“Thanks, Brooke.”

“Anytime. Once all that head ick cleans up, we want to see you down at the pool again.”

“We will be there,” I assured her, moving into our room.

“Ooh,” Lainey hooted as I put her in her beloved new swing that I’d wanted since she was born but could never afford.

“Swanky, right?” I asked as she started to swing side to side.

While she was occupied, I quickly cleaned up the room, making a mental note to add a vacuum to my list of non-essentials to buy. Sure, there was housekeeping at the motel. But they tended not to clean the rooms of the people living there as well as the rooms with high turnover.

Once I had some water in my giant new tumbler and had forced myself to eat some of the leftovers in the fridge—cold, since we didn’t have a microwave—I changed Lainey and gave her the final bottle of the night before putting her down in her playard.

Then turned on her white noise machine Coast had bought her.

Finally, I took myself into the bathroom, spending a glorious half hour using all the new bath products Coast bought me—scrubbing, exfoliating, shaving, and slathering on some yummy-smelling lotion, then climbed into one of the new pajama sets.

As I walked back into the bedroom, I felt spoiled and luxurious.

And it was right then that there was a knock on the door.

I expected Brooke—back to sing Coast’s praises and offer to babysit while I took Coast for a ride—so I didn’t even stop to look out the peephole, just slid the lock and pulled the door open.

Then there he was.

Coast.

“Hey—” I started.

“Is Lainey sleeping?” he asked.

“Yeah, she—”

Coast stepped forward, grabbing me, turning me. Swinging the door shut, he pressed me back against it, making my stomach flip-flop.

“Thank God,” he said, reaching to slide the lock beside me.

Then his lips were on mine.