Page 18 of Beating Heart
“One personal question.” I raised a brow. “Personal questions aren’t my thing, but if there’s a trade involved, I can tolerate it.”
“Fine. I guess the rule-breaking childhood wasn’t enough for you?”
I smirked before glancing out at the water. “I raise Cutler on my own. His mom and I weren’t planning for a child. She wasn’t from Magnolia Falls, and we spent a summer together, inseparable for those few months. But then she left to go back to her real life, before returning nine months later to let me know she was pregnant.”
“Wow. That had to be a big surprise. Had you kept in touch before she returned to tell you she was pregnant?”
“We’d texted a few times. She’d never said a word before she showed up on my doorstep. So, I moved her into my place, and we gave it a shot. We quickly learned that we didn’t have much in common when it came to the real world. Summer flings are fueled by booze and time on the lake, and the real world isn’t quite as fun when you’re paying a mortgage and preparing for a baby.”
“Yeah, that’s a lot all at once. So what happened?”
I studied her for a long moment, unsure why I was sharing so much with her. “She wasn’t ready to be a mother. She stuck around for a few months, but she was miserable. We came to an understanding. We wanted different things. She shows up here maybe once or twice a year to see Cutler, sometimes less than that.” I turned back to face her, surprised to see how intently she was listening. “It’s all good. I got the best kid on the planet out of the deal.”
“Wow. And you were just ready for fatherhood?”
I ran a hand over the back of my neck. “I wouldn’t say that. I freaked out when she first told me. Suddenly I had a woman I didn’t know all that well living with me, and a newborn on the way. But from the second that little boy entered the world, I knew that he was my purpose. I knew I was meant to be his father. Tara didn’t have those feelings. It’s better that she left.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Not many men would be willing to step up like you did.”
“I don’t know about that. I’ve got four best friends who are godfathers to my boy, and every single one of them has stepped up for Cutler. Maybe you’re just hanging out with the wrong men.”
“You have no idea,” she said, shaking her head and staring out at the water.
“Let me guess… you’re dating a Stanford grad who also claims to be a rule breaker?” I asked, my voice all tease, but I was suddenly dying to know her story.
“My ex did graduate from Stanford, and he’s definitely a rule breaker. But not the kind of rule breaker that’s charming or fun. More like the devil pretending to be someone he’s not and hiding behind a business suit.” She pushed to her feet as if she were done with the conversation.
“Sounds like a real asshole. What did he do?” I asked, my hands fisting beneath the table at the thought of someone mistreating her.
Why did I care? We barely knew one another.
“That’s a story for a different day, neighbor.” Her smile was forced, and she held up her bottle. “Thanks for the beer. Have a good night.”
“Yeah. You, too.”
She yelled out for Winnie, and I called the boys over because it was getting dark.
“Can Winnie have a sleepover sometime?” Cutler asked her as he bent down and hugged her pup goodbye.
“Well, then I’d be all alone,” she said, as she ruffled the top of his hair.
“Maybe you could sleep over sometime, too,” Cutler said, and I barked out a laugh. “Right, Pops? Cause we’re neighbors.”
Emerson’s gaze found mine.
“Sure. Our door is always open.” I winked, and she shook her head with disbelief before walking briskly back to her house with her dog beside her.
“Thank you. Good night!” she shouted, and I was still laughing.
I enjoyed getting under her skin.
I enjoyed it a lot.
six
. . .
Emerson
