Page 13

Rio

Out my living room window, I watch as Frank parks Hallie’s car on the street in front of the house next door. He manually locks the door, leaves her keys in her mailbox, and gets into the passenger side of another vehicle that followed him here.

I hold my hand up to him in a wave as they drive off.

Frank has been my mechanic since I moved to Chicago. Everyone should have a good mechanic on speed dial and Frank is the best. Not only because he’s honest and fair, but because when I called him early this Saturday morning, he was happy to tow Hallie’s car to his shop so he could take a look at it.

Yeah, she’ll probably be pissed that I handled it myself, but fuck it. She can be mad all she wants, but she needs a working car.

Hallie was never all that prideful about money. That’s a new development. When we were younger, we were both well aware there was going to be a pay disparity in our chosen careers. But I don’t think her new view of money is due to some martyr mentality. I truly believe if anyone else offered her help, she might accept it.

But that offer coming from me? It’s all anger.

Anger towards me, that her life has been harder than it was supposed to be, harder than I told her it would be. Anger that she’s working two jobs and brutal hours to make ends meet because I left and didn’t take her with me when I promised I would.

Last night, I drove for another hour before getting Hallie home, and once I finally made it to my bed, I didn’t sleep much. That’s not a new development by any means, but the hours spent lying awake were also spent coming to some harsh realities. I’ve only ever focused on my own anger towards her, never once stopping to think why she could have that same sentiment towards me.

I’m not sure if she’s home tonight. I’m not sure if she had a shift at the bar and if Wren drove her there. Most of me wanted to go next door and offer to give her a ride or hand her the keys to my truck if she wanted to drive herself, but there’s still a piece of me hoping to keep some semblance of distance from her, to not let us get too messy or intertwined.

That part of me also knows it’s playing a losing game.

Tired of thinking about the girl next door, I grab the remote off the coffee table, and as soon as I’m about to drop onto the couch for the rest of the night and binge-watch some TV, my doorbell rings. Which is weird because it’s a Saturday night, most of my teammates are going out again, and my other eight friends are having a date night at the three-star Michelin restaurant downtown that’s near impossible to get into without having a reservation booked a year out.

No, it wasn’t the captain of our city’s hockey team who got the exclusive reservation, or the best point guard in the NBA. It wasn’t the newly retired ace pitcher of the Windy City Warriors or his stud shortstop of a brother. It was Miller who scored the table without a wait because the head chef there is begging her to collaborate on a new dessert menu and is using this reservation as a bribe.

With how stoked Miller is for this dinner, I’d say it’s working.

Of course, I was invited to join when the night was being planned, but I didn’t have it in me to play the ninth wheel yet again. It’s different at family dinner, but a full-on date night where I’m the only one solo? I’m happy to sit this one out.

Apparently, I’m not fast enough to answer the door. By the time I’m nearing the entryway, it’s already being unlocked and the handle is turning.

Way too many people are on my front porch once the door swings open.

Indy holds up my house key proudly before she, Ryan, Zee, Stevie, Kai, Miller, Isaiah, and Kennedy pile into my house with all their kids in tow. My friends are dressed to the nines. Their kids are wearing pajamas.

“I’m going to revoke those house key privileges,” I tell Indy.

She waves me off as she walks by. “No, you won’t. You love us.”

“What’s going on?” Closing the front door, I follow the group into my living room.

“Babysitter canceled,” Miller explains, which in fact doesn’t explain anything at all.

Taylor Zanders ambles over to me and I pick her up, slinging her onto my hip. “Still wondering why you’re here. Shouldn’t you all be downtown for dinner?”

The other kids—Iverson Shay and his sister, Navy, along with Max Rhodes, climb onto my couch, making themselves comfortable in front of my television. Kai keeps his sleeping baby girl, Emmy, held tightly to his chest.

Indy’s smile screams that she’s about to guilt trip me. “Remember how you’re my best friend and you’re in love with my husband and would do anything for him and I’m totally cool with your one-sided man-crush?”

“It’s definitely two-sided,” I scoff, glancing at Ryan. “And I don’t know. He’s starting to lose his appeal.”

Ryan chuckles. “We need you to watch the kids, Rio.”

“Did they make you ask because they thought you’d have the best chance at getting me to agree?”

He shrugs, not disagreeing, which only tells me I’m correct.

“Wait.” My brows shoot up. “You need me to watch all five of them? At once?”

“Not Emmy,” Miller adds. “We can take her with us.”

I like to think I’m good with kids, especially these ones. But babysitting four at one time? Not a chance in hell I’m that good.

I look around at my friends to confirm this is some kind of joke they’re trying to pull on me, but it’s clearly not.

Miller is begging me with big, pleading eyes, trying to remind me how hard this reservation is to land.

Kai nods in her direction while looking at me, as if to say, please don’t disappoint my wife, man .

Before I continue down the line, knowing I’ll get even more guilted into this, I shake my head. “This feels like child endangerment. There’s no way.”

Stevie cuts in. “They’ll be asleep in an hour, they’re already in their pajamas, and we’ll be back by nine. All you need to do is throw on a movie and hang out until we’re back.”

Kai furthers the campaign to get his wife to this dinner. “They wanted to hang out at Uncle Rio’s one more time before your house becomes a full-blown construction zone. Isn’t that right, Bug?”

I look to Max. “You have Spider-Man ?” he asks from the couch.

I shake my head. “Sorry, Maxie. I have nothing fun here. Only vegetables and boring TV that adults like. No toys. No snacks. No fun.”

He giggles manically because he’s spent his whole life around grown-ups and can already understand sarcasm at four years old. “No. We see Spider-Man !”

Isaiah stands behind Kennedy, wrapping his arms around the front of her shoulders, holding her back to his chest. “We believe in you, Rio. You can do this.”

I narrow my eyes at them. “You two don’t even have kids. You’re both filthy rich and can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Why are you joining in on the guilt trip?”

Isaiah shrugs. “I didn’t want to feel left out.”

Kennedy chuckles at him. “And this dinner means a lot to Miller.”

“Tay,” Zanders says to his daughter on my hip. “What do you think? Do you think Uncle Rio can do this?”

Taylor nods enthusiastically before resting her head on my shoulder, snuggling close, and wrapping her arms around my neck.

I immediately close my eyes in defeat.

Goddammit, these kids.

When I reopen them, I spot the shit-eating grins plastered on all my friends’ faces because they know she got me. They know I’d do anything for these kids and their parents, and they know I’m about to spend my Saturday night off work watching Bluey or some shit while eating my body weight in Goldfish crackers.

“Fine,” I finally agree. “But I’m going to pump them so full of sugar before you all pick them up that none of you are getting a wink of sleep tonight. And Miller, you owe me so many homemade desserts, it’s not even funny. In fact, I want one of your menu items named after me. Something that everyone likes and looks good on the plate. An Italian dessert, obviously.”

“Obviously.” Her excited grin grows. “Thank you! Thank you!”

The eight of them move quickly, trying to get out the door before I change my mind.

Stevie plops a bag on my kitchen island, quickly explaining all the shit she brought in case the kids need it. Some books. Some stuffies. Some snacks, including little crustless PB&Js that I’m for sure going to eat myself.

They all kiss their kids goodbye, and Zanders gets a movie started on my television.

Kai stops at the door, turning back. “Max, you’re the oldest. You’re in charge. Keep an eye on Uncle Rio for us.”

Max giggles at his dad from the couch, while I secretly throw Kai the middle finger.

“On a real note, Rio, thank you for watching them,” he says. “Mills has been working her ass off between the two patisseries and she’s been looking forward to tonight all month. I would’ve hated for her to miss it.”

I shake him off. “Don’t mention it. You guys know I’d do anything for you.”

“And we’d all do the same for you.” He lightly knocks on the doorframe as he leaves.

Indy is the last out, with Ryan waiting on my porch for her, but I stop her before she reaches the door.

“Indy, honestly, do you think this is a good idea?”

“Good?” She tosses her head from side to side in contemplation.

“See! Child endangerment. I’ve only got two hands.”

“Are you really that worried about it? You’ve watched my two before, and we wouldn’t leave our kids with you if we were worried. You’ll be great. They all love you.”

“Four, Indy. There’s four of them.”

This knowing grin spreads on her lips. “You could always...” She shrugs. “I don’t know, call for backup? Word on the street is you’ve got a new neighbor. Any chance she’s good with kids?”