Page 10 of Falling Together

Chapter 10

Erin

Erin couldn’t believe she needed a

code

to get into Blair’s gated community. Her mouth hung open as she passed the houses that were all at least four times bigger than hers.

So, this is how the other half lives, huh? Very interesting.

Erin knew her life could more closely resemble this if she wasn’t a single mom paying for all of her child’s things on her own, but that thought wasn’t enough to make her regret her past. Without her ex-wife, she wouldn’t have Nolan, and without Nolan, well, honestly, she wouldn’t have much of anything. He was her whole world. Living in a modest townhouse was a more than fair trade-off for getting to be his mom.

Blair’s house was just as big as the others in the neighborhood, if not even bigger. She pulled into the driveway and parked on the right side of it as Blair had instructed her to do, then walked to the front door.

Immediately after hitting the doorbell, a high-pitched voice that definitely didn’t belong to Blair shouted, “Coming!”

A few seconds later, a woman with brown hair and blue eyes opened the door. Even though this woman was shorter than Blair and her eye color was different, it was still very obvious that she was Blair’s mom.

Erin held out her hand. “You must be Mrs. Breckenridge. It’s very nice to meet you. Thank you for letting my son crash your pool today.”

Mrs. Breckenridge accepted Erin’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “Oh, it’s my pleasure. I’m just happy it’s getting used. With Blair and her brother, Blake, both having jobs this summer, the pool has been sitting vacant most days.” Mrs. Breckenridge stepped to the side so Erin could walk in. “Also, please call me Brandy. Being called

Missus

makes me feel old.”

“Of course,” Erin said with a laugh. “I completely understand.”

When Erin took the time to look around, she noticed the hallway she was in seemed to be half the size of her whole house. A few feet away was a staircase and to her left was a room with the door closed. To the right was what appeared to be a living room or family room (Erin had never quite understood the difference between those two and switched between both terms when referring to the TV room downstairs in her house).

Brandy led her past the stairs and down the hallway into what appeared to be the dining room. To the left of the dining room was the TV room and to the right, the kitchen. Everything was gorgeous and Erin loved the open layout of the house. It made the interior of the house appear even bigger than it already was, which would have been overwhelming if it didn’t have such a welcoming feel. Pictures were scattered all over the walls, along with quotes about love and family. The house wasn’t messy, per se, but you could definitely tell it was lived in, which Erin appreciated. She hated walking into a house that she felt like she could mess up just from breathing.

“You have a beautiful home,” she told Brandy, who was now opening the sliding door, which led to a pool that was almost as big as the public pool.

“Thank you so much. You’re so sweet.” Brandy’s eyes lit up as if an idea had just popped into her head. “What are you and Nolan doing for dinner tonight?”

“I’m not sure,” Erin answered honestly. “I didn’t have time to plan anything. I’ll probably just pick something up on the way home.”

“Nonsense.” Brandy waved a hand at her. “You two should stay here.”

“Oh my gosh, no. We couldn’t. I wouldn’t want to intrude on your family time.” Erin had to admit that a home-cooked meal she didn’t have to make sounded wonderful, but she also didn’t want to make Blair uncomfortable. Plus, she was sure Brandy was just being nice and didn’t

actually

want her to stay.

“You’d actually be doing me a favor. I made enough food for Blake and his girlfriend, and he just called to let me know they made other plans. I don’t want that food to go to waste.”

Erin looked toward the pool to see how Blair felt about her mother’s invite. If the deer-in-the-headlights look she was giving her mom was any indication, she definitely did

not

want Erin to accept her mom’s offer.

“We’d love to stay, but I don’t want to make Blair feel like she’s working overtime.” Even though she was addressing Brandy, Erin kept her eyes on Blair as if they were having a secret conversation.

“But I want to have dinner at Bear’s big house!” Nolan yelled.

Blair’s face softened as she reached out to grab ahold of Nolan. “Then I think you should stay.” Her eyes drifted back to Erin and a small smile parted her lips. “Hanging out with this dude never feels like work. I’d love it if you stayed.”

I’d love it if you stayed.

The words echoed through Erin’s brain as if there was a deeper meaning to them. For just a moment, she let herself believe there was. She stared at Blair, who was still smiling at her, and was transported to a different time and place that didn’t actually exist. She pictured Blair standing at her front door and reaching out a hand when Erin turned to leave. She imagined Blair pulling her back into her arms and saying those exact words. As they both struggled to catch their breath, their lips were drawn together like magnets and…

“Mommy!” Nolan shouted. “I want to stay.”

Erin shook all of the inappropriate thoughts from her head. Why was she even thinking of Blair this way? She especially shouldn’t be having these thoughts when she was standing right by Blair’s mother, who might honestly be closer in age to her than Erin was to Blair. That thought made her stomach twist into knots. She

really

needed to let go of this strange infatuation she had with the babysitter.

“Mommy!” Nolan shouted once again.

“Yes.” Erin cleared her throat. “We can stay.”

“Yay!” Nolan ran out of the pool and wrapped her in a very wet hug. “Thanks, Mommy.”

Erin held Nolan up against her and stared down at the top of his head to keep herself from watching Blair get out of the pool.

“Nolan’s dry clothes are in the backpack over there by the table,” Blair said as she walked past. “I’m going to change too, so I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”

Erin nodded in acknowledgment, but didn’t look up until she heard the sliding door open and close.

“Hey, Pops!” she heard Blair say through the thin glass.

A few seconds later, the door opened again, and a man walked out who also closely resembled Blair. His hair was lighter, but his eyes looked just like hers. It was clear that Blair was the perfect combination of her two parents.

Emphasis on perfect.

Erin once again shook these thoughts from her head.

She smiled at the man walking toward her, but as had tended to be the case since having a child, he was focused on someone other than her.

He stopped right in front of Nolan and put out his hand for a high five. “Hey, little man! What’s your name?”

Instead of hitting his hand, Nolan burrowed deeper into Erin’s legs. Erin ran her hand through his hair and smiled at the man again, who was now looking back at her. “This is Nolan. Sorry. He’s a bit shy.”

Mr. Breckenridge smiled and took a step back. “That’s okay. I understand. Blair told me it took him a bit to warm up to her, but now they’re best friends.”

Nolan shook his head at that. “My mommy is my best friend.” He held up two fingers. “Bear is number two.”

Mr. Breckenridge chuckled. “That’s understandable.” His eyes met Erin’s again, and he held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Blaine.”

Erin accepted his handshake. “It’s very nice to meet you, Blaine. I’m Erin.”

“I’m happy to finally meet you after hearing so much about you from Blair.”

“Sh-she talks about me?”

Play it cool, Erin.

Blaine chuckled once again. “All the time. This is definitely her favorite job she’s ever worked.” He squinted his eyes as his smile grew. “It certainly helps that it’s the

only

job she’s ever had, but between you and me, I think it’d be her favorite either way.”

Of course. Blair talks about her

job

and

Nolan

. She doesn’t actually talk about Erin, a fact that shouldn’t have hurt quite as much as it did.

Blaine waved a hand at her. “Did anyone show you where the pool bathroom is?” When Erin shook her head, he began to walk back in the direction of the house but veered to the left before he came to the sliding glass door. He opened the door to a bathroom that was bigger than the master bathroom in her house, complete with a shower. “You can help Nolan get changed here.” He pointed to the opposite wall. “That door over there goes into the garage, which then leads into the kitchen, so feel free to go through there once you’re done.”

After getting Nolan dressed in dry clothes, they walked through the garage and into the kitchen as instructed. As soon as she opened the door, the most amazing scent hit her nose. Erin had no idea what Brandy was cooking, but given the smell, it had to be amazing. She was so distracted by the wonderful aroma of a home-cooked meal, she almost didn’t notice Brandy setting the table.

“It smells wonderful in here. Thank you so much for having us.” Erin motioned toward the table. “Could I help you with that?”

Brandy scoffed. “Absolutely not. You’re our guest. Plus, you just got done with a long day of work.”

“I don’t mind. I’m sure you had a long day as well.” Erin remembered Blair telling her that her mom was a pharmacist, so she was sure her job was far from easy. The fact that Brandy could come home and still find enough energy to cook for her family was very impressive.

“Today was my short day, which is why I am the one making dinner tonight. Most nights it’s either Blaine or takeout.” Brandy stopped sorting the dishes to smile brightly at Erin. “There is one thing you can do for me.”

“Anything.”

Brandy nodded down the hall. “Go upstairs and get that daughter of mine moving. I swear we can never start a meal on time when she’s home. I don’t know what she does up there.”

Erin swallowed hard.

This is why you never agree to anything before knowing what you’re agreeing to.

“Of course.” She put her hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “Let’s go, sweetie.”

Nolan shook his head. “I stay down here with Bear’s Mommy.”

Traitor.

“She’s trying to get everything ready for dinner. I don’t want you to get in the way.”

“No. I help.”

Brandy smiled “That would be great. I could definitely use the help of a strong little boy.”

Nolan smiled and tried to make muscles. “I’m a strong

big

boy.”

Brandy chuckled. “Yes, you are. Would you like to help me finish setting the table?”

Nolan nodded enthusiastically and Erin had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Any other time, this kid would be attached to her hip all night. Of course,

this

is the time he decides to stop being shy.

“Go left at the top of the stairs. Her room is all the way at the end of the hall. Tell her if she’s late for dinner, I’m giving her portion to the dog,” Brandy said with another chuckle.

Erin hadn’t seen a dog since she walked in, but that was the last thing she was worried about right now. She had to go up to Blair’s room

alone

. It shouldn’t be a big deal, and it wouldn’t be if she could keep her feelings in check, but the problem was she couldn’t. Just the thought of seeing Blair’s room had her heart beating a mile a minute. She swore she could hear her heart beating in her ears as she made her way up the stairs and down the hall. The sound was so loud, she could barely hear herself knock.

A few seconds later, Blair opened the door. She tilted her head and scrunched her eyebrows, clearly surprised to see Erin standing there. Her wet hair was now down, and she was wearing loose gray sweatpants and a tight black tank top, an outfit that was unfairly sexy.

Erin cleared her throat as she tried to think of what to say. “Your… umm… your mom told me to come get you for dinner.”

Blair smirked and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her before Erin could get a peek, which was probably for the best. “Good to go.”

Instead of moving, Erin stared into those deep eyes that always seemed to hypnotize her. She could have continued to stare at them all day if the feeling of something brushing along her leg hadn’t scared her. “Holy shit,” she said as she instinctively jumped in the air.

Blair laughed as she bent down and petted the very fluffy medium-sized tan dog. “This is Moon.”

“Moon? That’s a different name. I don’t think I've ever met a dog named Moon before.”

“He’s a rescue. His shitty previous owner gave it to him. At first, I tried to convince my parents we should change it, but it’s grown on me.”

Erin bent down so she could pet the dog too. “How long have you had him?”

“Eight years. He just turned nine last month. This little guy and I have been through so much together. I got him at the end of middle school, and he was my best bud through all of high school and anytime I came home from college, of course.”

Eight years ago, Blair hadn’t even started high school yet? Meanwhile, Erin was working a 9 to 5 job and moving in with the woman she ended up marrying.

Very different points in life.

It was a good reminder of how wrong it was for Erin to fantasize about Blair.

“I didn’t see him when I came in,” Erin said.

Anything to keep my mind off of other things.

“That’s because he went to work with my dad today. He must’ve come up to my room as soon as they got home, because he didn’t realize I was already here. He waits on my bed for me to get back each day.”

Well, that’s the sweetest thing ever.

“What kind of dog is he? I’ve never seen one that looked like him before.”

“He’s a mix between a chow and a collie.” Blair rubbed his stomach and leaned in to give him a kiss on the nose. “And he’s the best boy in the whole wide world.”

Seeing hot women with children and dogs was a weakness for Erin, so this

definitely

wasn’t helping to dampen the feelings she shouldn’t be having. “He’s really sweet,” she said, focusing her attention on the dog so she didn’t have to look at Blair.

“He really is.” Blair quickly jumped to her feet, scaring both Erin and Moon. “We should probably get downstairs, though. My mom doesn’t like when people are late for dinner.”

Blair was halfway down the hall, with Moon on her heels, before Erin could even comprehend what had happened.

So strange,

she thought before standing to her feet and following after them.

Blair’s parents were exactly as Erin would have expected them to be, having a daughter like Blair, which was to say, they were the nicest people in the world. They spent the whole meal asking her and Nolan questions about themselves, most of which Nolan insisted on answering.

“So, what are you two doing for the Fourth of July this weekend?” Brandy asked when they were all finishing up with their dinners.

“My mom and my sister and her family are coming down to visit.”

Erin was thankful for the reminder since she had almost forgotten it was coming up in just a few days. She didn’t even know what she was doing with them yet, aside from maybe finding a local parade.

“That’s nice. What are you doing with them?” Brandy asked, pouring salt in the wound.

“That’s a wonderful question,” Erin answered with a laugh.

“I know what you’re doing!” Blaine said matter-of-factly. “You’re coming here!”

“Here?” As in back to Blair’s house once again? No, she absolutely could not do that.

“Of course! We're having our annual Fourth of July party. A bunch of friends and neighbors come over and stay late into the night. It’s a really great time, and you’re welcome to invite anyone else you’d like. The more, the merrier.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” Erin stared down at her empty plate. She wasn’t sure if Blair’s parents were being so nice because that was the kind of people they were, or if they pitied her for being a single mom. She absolutely hated the thought of anyone pitying her, especially this family. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to invite us just because we happen to be here. We’ll find something to do. It’s no big deal.”

“No.” Blair’s voice was so loud and stern it startled Erin. But when she looked up, the softness of Blair’s expression was in complete opposition to the intensity of her tone. Blair cleared her throat, as if she also noticed how intense she sounded. “We want you all to come. Seriously. Please? It’ll be fun.”

Erin knew she should say no. The fact that she couldn’t force that small word through her lips was reason enough for why she

should

say it. But that wasn’t what she said. Before she even realized she was talking, she heard her own voice say, “Okay. Thank you. There’s nothing we’d rather do.”

This is about to get very interesting.