Page 33 of Falling Stars (Wild at Heart #2)

BAYLEE

“Someone’s in a good mood,” Vera calls out as I walk by with a smile.

“It’s a beautiful day. I’m appreciating the weather.”

I can’t tell my employees I’m in a great mood because I had the best sex of my life. I keep it to myself all day. When I can’t stand it anymore, I finally reach for my phone and text Paige.

Me: We did the thing.

Paige: Thing? What thing?

Me: THE thing.

Paige: OMG, YOU HAD SEX?!!!

Me: YESSSSS.

Paige: Was it amazing?

Me: SO. FUCKING. GOOD. I’m walking funny today.

Paige: You got dick-matized! LOL. Those Walker boys know what they’re doing. *laughing emoji* Guess this means you’re not moving to the ranch.

Me: He wants me to stay. He was so sweet last night. HE SPOONED ME!

Paige: SHUT UP. This is MAJOR.

Me: I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

Paige: DID YOU TELL HIM THAT???

Me: No, I’m not dumb.

Paige: You’re going to marry him and be my sister-in-law!!! I KNOW IT!

I sigh at the idea. Marrying Maverick would be a fairytale ending, but I’m not sure small-town hairstylists marry big-time NFL stars.

Me: I’d love nothing more, but that’s not what I think is going to happen.

Paige: Do you have a feeling?

I don’t get a chance to respond before the bell over the door jingles, and a familiar male voice calls out my name. There goes my afterglow.

With a lump of chew in his bottom lip, Sean waves at the women in my shop. “Ladies. Y’all are looking lovely as ever.”

I shake my head. How did I think this man was charming? I hope I never have to see another nasty cup of chewed-up tobacco again.

Vera, who’s bouncing Leo in her arms, brings him to me. I try to keep my voice steady. “What do you want, Sean? ”

“Can we go talk for a bit?” he asks as he smiles down at Leo.

“I have a business to run.”

Over his shoulder, Vera mouths, “I can watch things. Go ahead.”

Annoyed that Sean’s ruining my afternoon, I reluctantly agree. “Fine. I have ten minutes.”

We walk down to the park around the corner. Because it’s rush hour, everyone’s out and about, and I swear we pass half the town. Awesome. I love being the center of gossip.

“Hi, Baylee,” Estelle Dutton of Darling Divas shouts as though we’re friends. “Sorry to hear business isn’t great.”

Business is fine, and she knows it. I hold up my middle finger and smile sarcastically at her. My mother would be mortified, but I’m out of fucks today.

Sean’s head whips back and forth between me and my nemesis. “Who’s that?”

“The co-owner of Darling Divas.”

“What’s that?”

“Doesn’t matter.” If he doesn’t remember the half-dozen conversations we had about that woman, it’s not worth wasting my breath.

I march toward a grassy area in front of the courthouse that has several picnic tables. The sidewalks are busy, but there aren’t many people in the park. I sit with Leo in my lap and wait for Sean to join me.

He settles a foot away and turns toward me. “How have you been, Baylee?”

“Great, Sean. I love being a single mother and doing everything by myself.” Granted, I’ve had help recently from Maverick, but if it weren’t for him, I’d still be drowning.

He flinches like I struck him. “I know I really screwed up. I want to apologize.”

“And how does Giselle feel about you being here today? ”

“Dunno. We broke up.”

“So you thought you’d check out how your backup girl is doing?”

“I’m sorry. None of that was fair to you. If it’s worth knowing, I regret everything.”

The misery on his face melts away some of my anger. I blow out a breath. I’m tired of being angry with my ex. “I guess… I guess you can’t help who you fall in love with.” God knows I tried to get over Maverick for years.

“I suppose there’s no chance of you giving me another shot, huh?”

“Because you’re the father of my child, I’ll forgive you for how you treated me, but I’m not ready to forget how you treated Leo. And no, I’m not interested in dating you again.”

“But we could be a family. Isn’t that worth taking a chance?” he asks as he grabs Leo’s little hand.

My son not only doesn’t smile at his father or coo, but worse, he starts to cry.

I turn him away from Sean so that he’s nestled at my shoulder.

I pat his back and he settles down. “That’s not the kind of life I want to live, and neither do you.

I want someone who loves me, someone who picks me first, Sean.

You didn’t. So, no, I’m not interested in going down that road again.

We can co-parent, but that’s it.” He starts to argue, but I hold up my hand. “Do you want a relationship with Leo?”

“Of course.”

“Then show up. And if you start dating someone next month, do me the courtesy of not bringing some rando around our kid until you know it’s going to work out.

” Am I being a hypocrite hanging out with Maverick?

Maybe. But I carried my son for nine months, and that should buy me some flexibility.

Plus, I’ve known Maverick my whole life.

Nodding, Sean pats our son’s back. “Does he need anything? Do you need money? ”

I debate how much to tell him, but I want to get everything on the table. “I’m not sure you heard, but my house was vandalized.” I leave out the other creepy stuff because talking about it freaks me out a little. Fortunately, I haven’t had more hang-up calls or notes on my car.

“What happened?” Sean leans forward.

I explain the move and how I couldn’t afford to rent anymore.

“So where are you staying now?” he asks.

“Maverick’s new condo.”

His jaw tightens. “He’s back in town?”

“For a few weeks.”

He nods slowly. “That’s why you won’t date me. Because you’re with him.” I was always honest with Sean about my past with Maverick, so I’m not surprised he jumps to this conclusion.

“I won’t date you because you were an asshole. But yes, I’m with Maverick.” For now.

“Let me get this straight. You didn’t want Giselle around Leo, but it’s okay for Maverick to be around my son?”

“It’s funny. When you say ‘son’ it’s almost as if you’ve been there for our kid.

Like you’ve changed his diapers or fed him or burped him.

But since you haven’t, you don’t get to judge me.

Because Maverick does those things. He shows up for me and Leo.

He replaced all of the baby shower gifts that got destroyed and put together a nursery for him.

And unlike Giselle, he didn’t steal me away from you. So they’re totally different things.”

Sean rests his face in his hands. “Okay. I get it. I guess I’m having a hard time being replaced so quickly.”

“Now you know how I felt when I showed up to your apartment last summer.”

“Shit. I’m sorry, Baylee. It just sucked being long distance.” He turns to me. “I obviously have a lot to make up for. Can we start with some visits? I’d like to spend time with Leo. ”

“Under one condition.”

“Name it.”

“That you don’t change your mind. That you’ll always be there for him.

You can’t just dip out in the future because you meet a woman who doesn’t want kids.

Or a woman who thinks she gets to make the rules about my child.

Because next time, I won’t play as nice as I am now.

If you break our son’s heart, there will be hell to pay. ” I mean every damn word.

He swallows but nods. “You’re a good mom. I always knew you’d be. And I’m on board with whatever you want.”

Sean’s being shockingly agreeable. I consider how to tackle this.

“It’s going to be hard for me to let Leo go, even for a little while.

” I take a few deep breaths so I don’t get choked up.

“Could we start slow? Like, maybe you come over and spend time with him at the salon or a restaurant? So he can get to know you first? So you can get familiar with his schedule?”

“Whatever you’re comfortable with.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t screw this up, Sean. I mean it.”

He chuckles and pulls out his wallet. “I have a few hundred I can give you.”

This is weird. “Hold up. Yes, I can use the money, but Leo has what he needs right now. I could save it for him, though.”

He gives me a soft smile. “You’re his mother. By helping you—like I should’ve all along—I’m helping him. Please take the cash. Replace your clothes that got vandalized or use it for your salon. If you do better, Leo does better, right?”

I’m still conflicted, but I accept the cash, deciding to save it for Leo. Because it feels weird to use Sean’s money for my personal expenses.

When I get home that night, I find Maverick sitting in the dark, staring out the window .

“Hey. Are you okay?” I lean over to kiss him.

“It’s been a long day.”

I set Leo’s car seat down on the floor and sit next to Mav. “How did your PT go?”

His expression flattens. “Not great. He wants me to focus on a few stretches and strengthening exercises.”

“Okay. That’s not so bad.”

He finally looks at me. “He restricted my nighttime activities.”

I swallow. “Oh.”

“I mean, I can have sex, but I can’t be on top. I shouldn’t put my weight on my forearms or lean over. Apparently, I shouldn’t bend you over like a pretzel.”

“So almost everything we did last night.”

“Pretty much.”

“Aww, that sucks, but I’m sure we can find some fun alternatives.” I curl up next to him and rest my head on his shoulder, and he hisses. I jerk away.

“Sorry, Bay. Everything hurts today. That’s another thing. I shouldn’t sleep on my side because it puts pressure on my neck and shoulder. So, no spooning.”

If I’m reading between the lines correctly, I can’t really snuggle him either because I might put my head on his chest in my sleep.

Bummer. But I don’t want to make him feel worse, so I don’t mention this.

“It’s not forever. You’re getting more serious about rehab and feeling better after a horrible winter. It’ll just take a little time.”

Even as I say the words, I feel our clock ticking in the background. How long will he have to do this? A week? Two weeks? A month? Will he be back in New York by the time he can resume normal activities and we’ll already be over by then?

I keep my grim outlook to myself and force a smile.

“I’m really proud of you for going. No matter what happens with football, getting stronger is the right thing to do.

You’ve always been athletic. Even when we were kids and you and your brothers would race across the fields and leap into the river, you’ve always been a little feral.

I’d hate for you to rein that in because you didn’t rehab correctly. ”

His lips tilt up. “Feral, huh?”

“Yes, wild boy.” Arching my head up, I kiss him, making sure I don’t inadvertently lean on him.

He brushes my hair out of my face. “How was work today? How’s our boy?”

My heart sings when he says those words. Our boy. How I wish it was true. “I had a visitor this afternoon. Sean stopped by.”

His eyes go glacial. “The fuck did he want?”

“To apologize.” I explain the conversation I had with my ex. I hate dumping this on Maverick today, but this is a small town, and I don’t want him to hear this from someone else.

“So he wants to get back together with you? I hope you told him over my dead body.”

Surprised by the vehemence in his voice, I smile. “Why, Maverick Walker, are you jealous?”

He yanks me into his lap, and I nearly collapse on him. At the last minute, I’m able to brace myself on the couch cushion behind him. We’re almost nose to nose when he growls, “Yes, Baylee. I’m fucking jealous.”

Once I get my balance, I grab his scruffy face and graze my lips against his. “I’ve always been yours, Maverick. Pretty sure that’s not going to change.” I don’t mean to make such a vulnerable confession, but I don’t want him to doubt my intentions.

“Bay,” he whispers and pulls me closer.

I lean back. “Should I really be on top of you right now?”

“This is a medically acceptable sex position. ”

Chuckling, I shake my head. “I need to feed the baby, and you’ve been in pain. Maybe we hold off for a day or two.”

The grimace on his face is laughable. “Two days? Why? We just got to the good stuff. We should be fucking twelve ways to Sunday.”

“And while I would love that, motherhood calls. Plus, I’m guessing your physical therapist didn’t want you to come straight home and have sex, right?”

He rolls his eyes. “He’s not my boss.”

“So I’m right.” I lift a brow.

“Whatever.”

Laughing, I lick my finger and stick it in his ear. He chuckles and smacks my ass. “Don’t worry,” I say. “We can make up for it later.”

“Oh, I plan to.” His smoldering smile tells me it’s a promise he’s going to keep.