Page 10

Chapter ten

Holt

I let out a nervous chuckle. Things I did not have on my bingo card this year—find out I have a daughter and accidentally drop my towel in front of the pretty physical therapist. But here we are. I will my dick not to react to the way she’s touching me.

So what if her hands are on me? I stopped her from falling. Plus, she’s touched me before, when she’s helped me with exercises and stretches. It’s not as if I don’t know what her hands feel like on me. But this feels different. Probably not helped by the fact that we’re in my dark bedroom.

“Shit,” she mutters, stepping back and clapping a hand over her eyes. “I didn’t see anything.”

I miss her touch instantly. Does that make me a bad person?

That I want her in my arms again? I shouldn’t want that.

She’s my doctor. Even if she wasn’t, I need to focus on my daughter and adjusting to single dad life.

Besides, if I couldn’t keep Kat happy after knowing her since high school, there’s no way I’d be able to keep a new woman happy.

It doesn’t matter anyway because I’m not dating ever again.

I grab my towel off the ground and wrap it back around my waist.

“I was putting Hazel down in her bassinet. I swear I wasn’t snooping.”

“You can look now. I’m decent.”

She doesn’t drop her hand, instead continuing to use it as a shield as she steps around me and hurries out the bedroom door .

“Let’s pretend it didn’t happen. I’m going to wait in the living room while you get dressed.”

She pulls the door shut gently behind her.

Huffing out a breath, I peek over at my daughter to confirm she’s still sleeping before drying off and pulling on a pair of clean joggers and a gray shirt.

I feel like a new man after my shower. I didn’t realize how something so simple could make me feel so much better.

It’s been a rough few days. I jinxed myself the first night thinking Hazel would be easy and a good sleeper because, except for that night, she hasn’t been.

She’s taken a few decent naps, but only if I hold her.

Which means I’ve barely been able to do anything except run to the bathroom, brush my teeth with one hand, and order takeout.

My respect for mothers has grown twofold over the past few days. Heck, my respect for parents in general has grown. I knew it was tough, but not this tough. I don’t know how single parents do it. Thank goodness Hadley will be here tomorrow to provide backup.

I hang my towel in the bathroom then make my way out to the living room where Rebecca is. Where my physical therapist is, who apparently is also my neighbor. The neighbor who plays her music too loud. A fact we probably need to talk about.

“Hey . . .” My voice trails off—Rebecca is sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep.

Well, it is after four in the morning, so I can’t say I’m surprised. I yawn, shifting back and forth on my feet. Do I wake her? Cover her with a blanket?

She answers the question for me when she startles awake. She blinks up at me, sitting up when she sees me.

“Shit,” she mutters.

“Thanks for your help.”

“You’re welcome.” She gets to her feet. “I’m going to go back home and go to bed.”

She stops in front of me, putting a hand on my arm, and I ball my fists at my sides to keep from reaching out and pulling her into a hug.

What the hell is going on with me? I don’t think about hugging random women.

Okay, so she’s not a random woman . I’m gonna blame it on the lack of sleep. Yep, that’s probably all it is.

“If you need any help, you know where I live,” she says.

I give her a small smile. “Thanks. How’d you get her to go to sleep?”

She shrugs, removing her hand from my arm, and I miss her touch. “Honestly, I don’t know. I kept thinking she’d wake up at any second. You should probably get some sleep while she does.”

“I plan to.”

She walks past me and toward the front door. “Night, Holt,” she says over her shoulder.

“Night, Rebecca. And thank you.”

Without another word, she leaves, and I’m left standing in my living room staring after her.

“She came over at three in the morning and got Hazel to sleep?” Hadley asks from the passenger seat of my new SUV the next day, on our way home from the airport.

“Yeah. I feel bad Hazel woke her up. But I swear Rebecca’s got a magic touch because Hazel slept for five hours straight. Which was amazing. Until she came over, I couldn’t get her to sleep if I wasn’t holding her. It’s been a rough few days. I’m still exhausted.”

“She sounds pretty fantastic. Neighbor’s baby wakes her up and instead of being mad about it she helps get said baby to sleep,” Hadley says, and I feel her gaze on me. “Can’t wait to meet her.” I glance over at her, and she has the gall to wink at me.

“Don’t even think about it. It’s not happening. Hazel, and getting back on the ice, are my focus. Nothing else. You hear me?”

She chuckles and I have a feeling I haven’t heard the last of it.

I shake my head.

“Well, I’m here now. For as long as you need.

You’re not alone in this anymore.” She pats me on the leg.

“Not that you really were all alone—you have the guys and their wives. And apparently your neighbor.” She pauses.

“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner. Who knew there wouldn’t be any flights with seats available until now? It isn’t even the holidays yet.”

“It’s fine. I’m just glad you’re here now,” I tell her.

And I am glad. So very glad she’s here.