Page 21

Zoe

“Got another job?” Brooke asked as I came out of my room with Lainey on my hip.

“No, Lainey has just been restless all day,” I told her. “I was thinking of taking her on a ride to see if she would pass out.”

“Been there. I swear Soleil would only ever nap in the car. But her sister hated her car seat. So someone was always crying. Usually me,” she added with a little laugh.

“What are you doing out here? Taking a mental health break?” I could hear the girls arguing even with the door to her room closed.

“Started out that way. Now, I’m just being nosy.”

“Oh, are the Millers arguing again?”

“They checked out this morning. Packed up and took their baggage with them. I’m gonna miss their particular brand of messy. No, I’m spying on Tasha,” she said, angling her chin over toward the pool.

It was technically never closed, but no one ever actually swam at night thanks to the mosquitoes and the wonky, flickering light that barely kept the space illuminated enough to know if any snakes or critters were hanging around.

Sure enough, though, two figures were standing off to the side of the pool, cast mostly in shadow.

But I could make out Tasha’s yellow and white coverup I’d seen her wear more than a few times.

And she was currently being dwarfed by a giant of a man who had on a muscle tee—and the muscles to pull it off.

I could only see his profile, but I made out a granite jaw and some intense eye contact with Tasha.

“Is that her ex?” I asked.

“No,” Brooke said, shooting me wide, excited eyes. I’d gotten to know her well enough to know that was her ‘getting ready to spill the tea’ expression. “That is her ex’s best friend.”

“What?” I asked, my mouth falling open.

“Ooh,” Lainey hooted.

“He is one fine man, too,” Brooke said, fanning herself with her hand.

“He’s been here before?”

“Several times.”

“For what? Trying to make a case for his friend?”

“Not at all. No, he has been trying to convince Tasha to pack up her son and move in with him .”

“What? Really?”

“Yep. Turns out, he heard what his buddy did, dropped him like a bad habit, and sided with Tasha immediately. And he really don’t like her living here. See that Rolex on his wrist? He lives in a mansion and drives a car that costs more than most people’s homes.”

“Was Tasha’s ex well-off?”

“Oh, Lord, honey, no. I swear the only reason that man kept a job was because Tasha woke him up every morning to go. But the two of them came from the neighborhood, so it seems like Carter felt obligated to keep on with Michael just because of their past.”

“Is it just me, or does that conversation seem a little… intense?”

“Girl, I’ve been choking on the sexual tension from all the way up here since he walked up while she was swimming her laps an hour ago.”

“I think we need more details.”

“Ooh,” Lainey agreed, my sweet little gossip.

“She was in the zone, you know. Dunno how she pushes her body like that, but she’s like a pro. So our man Carter—he’s part mine now too—just stood there and watched. All sexy-like.”

“Was he maybe just standing there being sexy?”

“Girl, what’s the difference?” she asked, rolling her eyes at me. “Anyway, she eventually came up for air, seeing his feet, and nearly jumped outta her skin. He said something, but I couldn’t hear. I bet that man’s voice is like a cool drink of water on a hot day.”

“I mean, he has to, right?” I agreed, watching the way he ducked his head down, actively listening to something Tasha was saying.

“Anyway, he grabbed her a towel and she hauled her gorgeous self out of the pool. It was like a movie—all that water cascading off, him standing there watching, then wrapping her up in that towel.”

“Then?”

“Then they talked all casual-like for a few minutes. She put on her cover-up because Carter could not keep his eyes on her face. And he strikes me as someone who has a lot of self-control.”

“How long have you been standing here watching?”

“Oh, only like thirty minutes. Forty-five, tops. I popped the kids in front of the tube when it looked like this was going to go on. There might also be candy involved. Mama needs to watch her show too,” Brooke said, waving down toward the pool.

“Does Tasha know you’re watching?”

“Does it look like she knows I’m watching?”

Below us, Carter’s hand rose, gently snagging Tasha’s chin and angling it up.

“Oooh, be still my heart,” Brooke said, patting her chest.

“Ooh ooh,” Lainey hooted.

I was going to go ahead and pretend that the way my stomach twisted was happiness for Tasha and not jealousy that it wasn’t me and Coast down there.

“Right?” Brooke asked, reaching to give Lainey’s arm a little shake. “Oh, this is it!”

Tasha’s head lifted.

Their gazes locked.

Carter started to lean down.

“Mom?”

“Damnit!” Brooke said. “Go back to bed, Benji!” she whisper-yelled to the kid a floor below who had no idea she was there.

At the sound of her son’s voice, Tasha yanked almost violently away from Carter.

Carter’s hand fell, curling into a fist. His whole posture then was one of defeat as Tasha rushed past him and back to her room.

Alone, Carter turned his head up to the sky, sucking in a deep breath, then exhaling it hard.

Then he turned and walked away.

“Dang it. That was getting good. I’m all a-flutter,” she said, sighing dreamily.

“You know what I think?” I asked, looking at Brooke.

“That the two of them need to get a babysitter and tour the Egyptian cotton sheets at his mansion? Me too.”

A little laugh escaped me at that.

“That you should write.”

“Honey, I do write,” she said, brows pinching.

“Yeah, ad copy. I mean you should write stories. That was such a vivid description of events. I could picture it all. Write some page-burning spicy romances. I’d buy them.”

“Girl, you know, I gobble those things right up. The library hates to see me coming.”

“I’m serious. You should try. Who knows, maybe that will be the thing that gets you out of here. You could write about a single mom whose ex’s best friend wants to swoop in and sweep her off her feet.”

“You know, I just might do that,” Brooke agreed. “Since we’re giving advice tonight. I got some for you.”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t believe whatever he told you.”

“What? Who?”

“That delicious biker who was living with you for a few days. I don’t know what he told you before I caught him out here, moping, but don’t believe it. He didn’t mean it. He’s just being an idiot,” she told me.

There was a scream of outrage from Brooke’s room, making her sigh before rushing in there.

I stepped closer, making sure nothing was wrong, before making my way back down the steps.

Carter was still in the parking lot, parked just three spots from mine with a car that likely cost fifty of mine. He was leaned back against it, head tipped up to the sky.

“For what it’s worth, I think you should try again,” I told him.

Because as much as my own heart was hurting at the idea of having a good man slip through my fingers, I still rooted for love.

“With Tasha,” I said as I slipped Lainey into her seat. “She deserves better than this,” I said, waving toward the motel.

“All of you do,” Carter said. I couldn’t wait to tell Brooke that he absolutely did have that cool drink of water on a hot day voice.

His gaze flicked past me toward the end of the lot, brows narrowing.

“What?” I asked.

“Probably nothing,” he said, shaking his head.

“She swims like that every night. And, usually, Benji is sleeping.”

To that, he nodded.

“I’m not giving up.”

“Good,” I said, giving him a smile before climbing into my car and driving off.

I drove Lainey around, listening to her hoot at the lights out the window, kick her feet, do anything but actually sleep.

But hey, at least she wasn’t grumbling or crying, so I figured that was a win.

I was having a hard time holding onto my patience with the fussing when my own emotions felt all over the place. The drive at least gave me the peace to try to work through my own complicated feelings.

And they were conflicted for sure.

Because on the one hand, Coast’s actions had proven him to be kind, generous, patient, and intuitive.

On the other, the man claimed he’d killed thirteen people. Thirteen. That was more bodies than most serial killers could lay claim to.

Some part of me wanted to say he was lying, that he was just making up a crazy story to push me away because things had gone too far, too fast for his comfort.

But everything about how he said it screamed authenticity.

And each time I flashed back to how calm and capable he’d been in that alley that first night, I knew for sure he was capable of killing.

I wanted to believe that he would only ever do it for a good reason.

I also believed in my heart that we were all capable of murder given the right incentive. For example, I would claw someone’s eyes out of their skull, would break their hands, would bash their heads in with a rock if someone dared to try to hurt my baby.

If Coast had a reason even somewhat similar to that, or if he was trying to save his own life, could I really hold that against him?

“Ugh,” I grumbled. “I just keep going round and round about him, baby girl,” I told Lainey. “When he’s made it very clear he doesn’t want to be with me.”

I blinked back the ridiculous tears that burned my eyes.

I barely even knew the man.

We’d slept together once .

I was being absurd.

“What do you think, kiddo? Tonight is an ice cream night, right?”

Thanks to everything Coast had bought, I had some extra money lying around. Maybe it was time to treat myself to a pint of dulce de leche and some mindless TV to try to get my mind off Coast once and for all.

“I get the feeling that’s going to be easier said than done,” I told Lainey as I lifted her out of her seat and put her on my hip.

“But we can try, right? Ready for your first lesson in trying to drown your emotions in ice cream?” I asked her as we walked down the block toward the convenience store.