Page 49 of The Hook Up
Her reassurance made it worse. He’d disappointed a kid who’d had cancer, for crying out loud. What kind of asshole did something like that?
The kind of asshole who teaches his three-year-old to open a beer.
But Ty did his best not to dwell on it.
And he had a great time at the game, sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Ellie, making corndog runs for Miriam, sipping beer with Jason, and scrambling with Henry to catch a pop fly at the bottom of the seventh inning.
Henry was still clutching the ball as he slept in the backseat on the way home. Ty glanced at the boy with his freckle-dusted nose and little glasses askew on his face, and for the first time in his life, he wondered what it would feel like to be a dad.
“Here we are!” Miriam announced from the front seat. “Rise and shine, little buddy. Time to do some camping.”
Henry roused, confused for a moment until his gaze landed on Ty. “Hey,” he said. “Thank you for the fun time.”
“You’re very welcome,” Ty said. “I liked hanging out with you.”
It was totally true, and that surprised the crap out of him. Ellie doled out hugs and reminded Henry to be on his best behavior with his aunt and uncle. The boy assured her he would.
“I make extra sure I put up the seat when I pee and put down the seat so other people can poop,” Henry announced.
“Good man,” Ty told him. “You’re well on your way to becoming a well-mannered gentleman.”
“A well-mannered gentleman who still needs to learn when it’s appropriate to talk about poop and pee,” Ellie said with a sternness Ty recognized as a cover for amusement.
“Maybe he’ll become a urologist,” Jason pointed out. “Or a proctologist. Then he can talk about poop and pee all he wants.”
“I’m going to be Batman when I grow up,” Henry insisted.
“Or that,” Ty said. “It’s good to have career goals.”
Ellie kissed her son once more, then stepped back with her hand on the door. “You’ll call if you need anything?” she asked her brother.
“Relax, El,” Jason said. “We’re pitching a tent in the yard, not backpacking into the Three Sisters Wilderness to go snow camping.”
“Don’t think he hasn’t suggested the latter,” Miriam muttered. “I’ll make sure they’re properly roped-up if they decide to practice climbing techniques on the roof.”
“That’s reassuring,” Ellie said as she closed the car door then waved as they drove away. She turned and gave Ty a sheepish smile. “On a scale of one to ten, how neurotic is it that I fret about him when he’s sleeping a block away from home?”
“I think it’s in my best interest not to answer,” he said, reaching up to tuck a stray strand of hair back under her baseball cap. A warm, clover-scented breeze tugged it loose again, making him smile. “I also think it’s sweet,” he added. “The way you are with Henry. The way you are with your brother and Miriam.”
She grinned, her blue eyes shimmering the way they always seemed to when she talked about family. “They’re the best. They’ll be great parents.”
“Seems like they’ve had a lot of practice with Henry.”
Ty had watched in awe all evening, amazed by how everyone seemed to magically know the right way to handle the kid.
Everyone but him.
“Anyway, thanks so much for inviting us.” Ellie touched his arm, sending a current of energy along the surface of his flesh. “Everyone had a great time.”
Ty nodded, shifting his keys from one hand to the other. The air felt warm, though the sun was already halfway gone. Crickets had started to chirp, and he wondered whether he should kiss her or not. He urgently wanted to, but what was the etiquette here? How did a friends-with-benefits arrangement work with a single mom? He didn’t want to presume anything.
He was still debating when Ellie solved the problem for him. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”
He’d never wanted anything more, but he held back a little. What was it about Ellie that left him so undone? That made him question whether he could pull off a no-strings-attached arrangement? Nothing like that had never happened before, not once in his entire life.
She’s inviting you in for a glass of water, not a marriage proposal,he reminded himself.Get a grip, Hendrix.
Still, he hesitated. “Are you sure?” he asked.
