Page 64 of The Hook Up
But he and Ellie had agreed the occasional G-rated display of affection was fine, so Ty reached over and gave her knee a squeeze. She looked at him and smiled, then glanced down at her phone. Her brow furrowed as she read the words on the screen. He didn’t mean to snoop, but he thought he saw the name “Chuck” at the top.
He glanced back at the road, trying to remember if that was her ex-husband’s name. The thought of her staying connected with Henry’s dad didn’t bother him, but the worry on her face did.
He glanced back to see her biting her lip.
You okay?he mouthed.
Ellie shook her head and frowned, then gave a faint head-tilt toward the backseat.His father,she mouthed.Money.
Ty’s blood turned icy. She’d filled him in on the asshole’s persistent requests to lower his child support, and how tired she was of all the arm-twisting.
It made Ty so angry he wanted to punch something.
But as he pulled off the exit and headed toward his house, he told himself to keep his cool.“I think I have apples and some celery in my fridge,” he said loudly for Henry’s benefit. “So we’re all set with the fruits and veggies.”
“My hero,” Ellie said, beaming at him.
It hurt his heart a little to think her idea of heroism involved fresh produce. She deserved so much more than that. So did Henry, for that matter.
As Ty pulled into his driveway, he said a silent prayer he’d picked up all his dirty laundry off the floor and hadn’t left any grownup magazines lying around. He was pretty sure he’d tidied up before hitting the road, so hopefully there’d be no surprises.
“Here we are,” he announced as he pulled into the driveway. He thought about pulling into the garage, but his truck was already in there, and he’d left the floor littered with motorcycle parts. The front entrance was more scenic, anyway. He studied it with a critical eye, wondering how the cozy rambler looked to her. His place was small but tidy, with a manicured front yard and a big oak tree in front.
The realtor had patted his arm when he’d bought the place five years ago. “That’s the perfect place for a tree fort, don’t you think?”
Ty—who couldn’t fathom needing a tree fort for any reason—had nodded and changed the subject.
Now, he was looking at the tree with renewed interest. “Your place is adorable,” Ellie said. “Did you plant those daisies?”
He shook his head, liking the idea that she saw him as the sort of guy who’d plant daisies. Maybe he could be.
“They were here when I moved in.” He unbuckled his seat belt and pushed open the door, prompting her to do the same. “Let’s leave your bags out here, and I’ll run you guys home after dinner.”
Ellie got out of the car, looking a little nervous as she followed him up the walk. Henry fell into step beside her, reaching for his mother’s hand. Ty unlocked the door and ushered them inside, relieved the place didn’t smell like a bachelor pad.
“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, bemused to find himself in the role of a host. “I have water, milk, soda?—”
“Milk would be great,” Ellie said. “For both of us.”
“I would like chocolate in mine,” Henry piped.
Ty hesitated. “I’m not sure if I have any?—”
“Plain milk would be fine,” Ellie said, giving Henry a stern look. “You know better than to ask for sweets without permission.”
“Sorry, Mommy.”
“It’s okay.” Ellie ruffled his hair, while Ty stood watching, struck once more by how many landmines there were in interactions with children. Sweets and caffeine and privileges and rules—it was all so foreign to him, and there were a million ways to screw this up.
But he focused on pouring the milk, selecting plastic cups in case of accidental droppage. Maybe he could learn this. Maybe he’d figure it out.
Once everyone had a drink, Ty led them outside onto his sunny deck. While he fired up the grill, Ellie got busy wiping down the table and slicing apples and carrots into neat little piles. The whole scene was so domestic that Ty caught himself smiling at the craziness of it all. How much his world had changed in just a few weeks.
He was still smiling as he walked out to the garage to hunt for an old soccer ball.
When he returned to the back deck, he gave the ball a few quick pumps of air and handed to Henry. “You can kick this around the yard if you like.”
Henry beamed and shoved his glasses up his nose. “Wanna play with me?”
