Page 27 of Stealing Forever (Bridge Point Bears Baseball #1)

“So how was it?” Hartley asks over her steaming mug of coffee the second Declan shuts the door behind him as he leaves for work.

We got back from Fox Den Ranch early this morning, trying to beat the morning commuter traffic. Declan needed to get to the stadium before noon, anyway.

My eyes meet my sister’s from across the island. Leaning against it with my mug in my hands, all I can do is bite my lip. I know I’m blushing— as usual —I can feel the heat of it.

“Hailey Nicolette Shea. Tell me everything .”

So I do. I tell her about the drive and the picnic. Watching the sunset while we lay in each other’s arms. Skinny dipping in the moonlight. Our skin covered in gooseflesh after we got out of the water. The body heat we utilized to warm up.

I spare no detail for my sister, and after I’m done, I definitely feel like I overshared.

With her jaw slackened, Hartley stares at me for a few minutes, wide-eyed. Then, she gives a frustrated sigh. “I need a new man.”

“Break up with Owen,” I volley immediately. I’m not a fan of the smug bastard who treats my sister like shit half the time.

“It’s not that simple,” she argues. I narrow my eyes, judging her because, as her sister, I’m allowed to.

I’m not sure what’s not simple about it, but I won't press further. Instead, I ask, “What time do you want me to drop you off at the airport?”

The thought of her going home so soon makes me sad, but I’m grateful that she took the time to make this quick trip happen. Declan doesn’t have many options when it comes to help with Sailor, so when he wanted to get a babysitter so we could go out, he was at a complete loss.

“Maybe in about an hour and a half?” She shrugs, then takes a sip of her coffee.

“Alright.” I set my mug down after chugging the rest of the lukewarm drink. “Let me get Sailor ready, then. It takes about an hour to get to the airport from here, so we should get on the road soon.”

“Okay, good girl , whatever you want.” Hartley leans her elbow on the counter and places her chin in the palm of her hand, batting her eyelashes at me.

I’ll regret telling her about discovering how much praise turns me on for the rest of my life.

Tossing a crumpled up paper towel across the island, I flip her the bird.

“Love you, sissy!” she calls out to me, laughing as I walk away.

Our airport goodbye is full of tears and several warm hugs, with promises of seeing each other soon. Hartley promise’s she’ll be back before turning to walk through the automatic doors that lead into the airport.

It hurts watching her go, and by the sad look on Sailor’s face, I know I’m not the only one who wants her to stay.

Seeing Hartley twice in the span of a week renewed a joy within me I’d been missing, but I desperately wish my sister would just move to Bridge Point.

As it is now, I don’t see myself moving down south again—certainly not at the rate things are progressing with me and Declan.

One thing I didn’t confide in Hartley about, though, was that conversation.

Our future.

Such a heavy topic for a new relationship, but with a child involved, it was necessary.

We talked about her, both of us realizing we have the same fear of hurting her if things between us don’t work out.

Not only is Sailor’s well-being common ground, but it’s a priority for both of us.

I could see the relief in his eyes when he realized I care just as much about how this will affect her as he does.

But that conversation also made things feel exponentially more real.

I also expressed my need to finish college before things get too serious between us, and he told me I am in the driver’s seat. We can progress our relationship as slowly or as quickly as I want.

He isn’t going anywhere.

Which is reassuring, but that little voice in the back of my head still is telling me to proceed with caution.

And now, as I drive back to his home in Bridge Point, every mile feels uncertain.

Something is wrong.

Off .

I can feel it in every inch of my body.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, Sailor’s neck hangs in an incredibly uncomfortable position as she sleeps in her car seat.

Lovely. Now she won’t sleep when we get home, and she’ll be an emotional rollercoaster by dinner.

A pop music station plays on the radio, doing its job of keeping me focused with upbeat liveliness while I continue down the road. The drive from Ridgewood to Bridge Point is monotonous. I start thinking about yesterday, and I’m hit with a wave of longing.

I miss him.

Using the automated feature on my car’s dashboard, I call Declan. He might still be coaching, but I want to hear his voice.

He answers on the second ring, his deep timbre filling my car speakers. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“Hey,” I drawl. “Bad time?”

From the speaker, the distinguishable sound of a ball connects with a bat, then some muffling directly on the phone, like he’s moving away for some privacy.

“Not at all. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s good. I just dropped Hartley off at the airport. Sailor fell asleep in the back, so I was hoping for a little company. But I can hear you’re still at work, so I won’t keep you.”

“I’m hoping to be out of here soon. How about I fire up the grill when I get home and make us some barbecue chicken sandwiches as an early dinner?”

“Oh gosh, Sailor would love that. She’s been asking to go to Chick-fil-A all day.”

Declan laughs. “Well, not much tops Chick-fil-A, but I think my sandwiches are a pretty close second.”

“Hmm. I’ll be the judge of that,” I tease, my stomach already growling. I guarantee they’ll be better than the popular fast food chains and I’m a stan for them.

“I look forward to your critique,” Declan muses.

Smiling, I drum my fingers against the steering wheel and sit up a little straighter in my seat. “I’ll let you go, see you shortly?”

“Hopefully within the next forty-five.”

It’ll be longer than that, I’m sure. It always is with that unruly bunch of Bears.

“Perfect, see you then.”

Declan says goodbye, and I jab my finger into the screen on the dashboard to hang up, feeling much more at ease.

At least for a moment.

When I turn onto Declan’s street, the dread hits me like a brick to the stomach.

I can’t explain the feeling—everything looks normal. Everything is normal.

Sailor wakes up when I pull Declan’s car into the garage, already cranky from the crooked-neck catnap. Walking around to her side, I take her out of her car seat, and she goes limp in my arms, her head resting against my shoulder.

The garage closes behind me, and as I go through the door leading into the house, I immediately catch the scent of a perfume I don’t recognize.

My stomach drops, and I realize I’m not alone.

Startled, I jump back and cradle Sailor tighter in my arms, staring at the woman sitting at the kitchen table, looking down at her phone.

Her dark hair drapes over the side of her face, but it only takes about fifteen seconds for me to recognize her. “Addison?”

Her attention snaps to me, and she places her phone face down on the kitchen table, plastering a saccharine smile on her perfectly made up face. “Oh! You must be the new nanny. Hi, I’m Sailor’s mom.”

Really bold of you to assume you’re a mother when you’ve been absent for the last two years, but okay , I think to myself, but don’t dare voice it aloud.

Standing, she takes a step toward us, and instinctively, I take a small step back. “Sailor! My love, come see Mommy.” She speaks to her in a baby voice, and Sailor lifts her head, looking over at her mother.

I’m not all that surprised when she doesn’t make any attempt to wiggle out of my arms.

Visibly annoyed, Addison crosses the kitchen with her arms out like she’s about ready to grab her from me.

Protectiveness rears its head despite this woman being Sailor’s mother, and I pivot so she can’t pull her from my arms. “Sailor just woke up from a nap in the car. She’s not quite awake yet.”

I smile, but anger flashes through Addison’s eyes as she watches me with her child.

It feels wrong not to immediately oblige and reunite her with her daughter, but Declan would have told me if he’d known she was going to be here. He wouldn’t have let me walk into this blindly.

Sailor doesn’t even know her. She was a baby when she left.

“Give me my daughter,” Addison demands. She leaves no room for me to object and pulls Sailor from my arms, despite the tight hold I have on her.

Sailor immediately starts crying.

Anger turns into shock as she tries to console her. “Why are you crying, baby?” she coos. “Mommy has you.”

Addison starts bouncing as if she’s trying to comfort a newborn, and it takes everything in me to keep my mouth shut.

I’m at a complete loss for what to even say to her. Questions race through my mind, and I realize I should probably dig my phone out of my purse to call Declan, but the thoughts don’t fully register for me enough to actually do it.

Why is she here?

How did she get in?

Does she still have a key?

“Put me down!” Sailor whines, squirming in her mother’s grasp.

Being much bigger than she was when Addison left, Sailor is able to break free from her hold, and Addison’s forced to put her down, otherwise she will drop her.

The second her feet touch the floor, Sailor runs back to me, her arms wrapping around my leg as she steps behind me. Addison plasters a fake smile onto her face and smooths her blouse, but the look of fury is undeniable.

In a sickeningly sweet voice, she bends and addresses Sailor. “That’s okay, baby. You’ll remember me after we spend a few days together.”

A few days? Does Declan know she’s here?

“Does Declan know you’re here?” I verbalize my thoughts.

Her eyes narrow just a beat before she shakes her head. “Oh, no! I’m going to surprise Decky! I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he gets home from work. He’ll be so excited to see I’m back—I’ve been away from home for far too long.”

Decky? Away from home?

Alarm bells ring in my direction. She doesn’t outwardly say it, but with the way she’s speaking to me, I know she knows him and I are together.

Her smile is all teeth before her eyes travel down my body, fully and openly judging me. There’s a slight roll of her eyes before she jets her hand out, opening and closing it a couple of times in Sailor’s direction.

“Do you want to show Mommy your playroom?” Then, dramatically, she gasps. “Oh my gosh, Sai Sai. I forgot, I have a present for you!”

Practically gliding over to the table, she reaches for a small package wrapped in silver gift wrap, with an extravagant matching bow on top.

Sailor perks up at the word present , curiously breaking away from me to go take it from Addison’s hands.

In true kid fashion, she obliterates the wrapping paper, tossing it to the floor before she rips open the box. Inside is a bright pink device that looks like a miniature cell phone.

“What is that?” I blurt, unable to contain my immediate irritation.

Addison eyes me like I’m the dumbest person in the world. Her tone reflects that, too. “You haven’t seen the KidzCall3? It’s the top-of-the-line kid's cell phone on the market right now!” There’s a hint of pride in her voice, and I wonder what level of delusion this woman is.

“She’s three,” I spit, my tone leaving no room for friendly banter or any sort of cordialness. I’m at a loss for words, completely flabbergasted by the woman in front of me. The educator in me immediately makes a mental list of the reasons why this is the worst idea on the planet.

“That’s why it’s only programmed to call me, and her father,” Addison tells me, annunciating like she’s speaking a language I don’t understand.

My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, trying to formulate a response. This woman really just shows up out of nowhere and gives her three-year-old a phone so she can call her.

Sailor looks just as confused as I am, inspecting the pink gadget for a moment before losing all interest and setting it on the floor.

Addison scoffs and bends to pick it up, putting it on the table instead. Then reaches for Sailor’s hand, not giving her the option of refusing to hold it. “Are you ready to show Mommy your playroom now, sweetheart? I can’t wait to see all your new toys.”

I flinch at the term of endearment, the nickname coming from her mouth immediately making me want to burst into tears.

Watching me through narrow eyes, Addison leads Sailor out of the kitchen, the click of her heels that she didn’t bother taking off growing fainter as they disappear down the hallway together.

And I’m left standing here wondering what the hell is going on, and is everything about to fall apart?