Page 63 of The Hook Up
“Definitely. You?”
Ellie nodded, feeling giddy and joyful and only a little bit scared of what this all meant. “I’m game if you are.”
He picked up his glass and clinked it against hers. “Well, okay then.” He leaned in to kiss her, then drew back and looked her in the eye. “We’re in a relationship.”
Ellie set down her wine, then pulled him against her for a hug. He was big and strong and solid and warm, and most of her felt pretty sure this was a great idea. “Thanks, Ty.”
“For what?”
“For being brave enough to start that conversation,” she said. “For being such a great guy.”
Something flashed in his eyes, but he nodded and smiled and stroked a finger over her cheek. “I’ll do my best to be a great guy for you,” he said. “For you and for Henry.”
She smiled and kissed him again, trying not to notice the fear in his eye.
Trying not to think there was something they’d failed to disclose. Something they’d overlooked that could bring this whole thing crashing down.
CHAPTER14
“Will I get to watch myself on the television?”
At the sound of Henry’s voice from the backseat, Ty glanced in the rearview mirror. The boy still wore his fuzzy gray wolf-ear headband from Great Wolf Lodge and a smudge of chocolate on one cheek.
The grin on his face made Ty smile, too. “You mean the video I was shooting of you at the waterpark?” Ty asked.
“Yeah,” Henry said. “Will it be a movie on a screen like when Mommy and me went to seeFinding Doryand I got popcorn and Skittles, or will it be on TV likeBatman: the Brave and the Boldwhen Uncle Jason makes us chocolate milkshakes?”
Ty smiled, charmed by the idea that the joy in Henry’s world revolved around snacks and family relations. He glanced at Ellie in the passenger seat, and his heart gave a pleasant twist. Her window was cracked just a little, making her blond hair ripple in the breeze. He was driving a station wagon, a rental car he’d picked up for the business trip and because he wanted something kid-friendly. The whole arrangement felt so comfortable and domestic that Ty reached over and squeezed her hand.
As Ellie smiled in response, Ty turned back to answer Henry’s question. “Well, first I have to take all my footage and edit it,” he explained. “Do you know what edit means?”
Henry frowned, his small face scrunching up in the rearview mirror. “Mommy told Uncle Jason I need to learn to edit myself in public,” he said. “And Uncle Jason said sometimes a guy’s gotta burp. So, I think edit means you cover your mouth.”
Ellie stifled a giggle beside him. Struggling to keep a straight face, he gave a quick nod. “I like your powers of deduction,” he said. “It’s a little like that. The idea of figuring out how to work with what you’ve got. It’s about looking at the good stuff and the bad stuff and all the stuff in the middle, and making the very best of it. Does that make sense?”
Henry nodded and pushed his glasses up his nose, shifting a little in his booster seat. “I think so. Hey, can we get a hamburger?”
Ellie snorted in the passenger seat and glanced over her shoulder at her son. “Way to keep up with the conversation, buddy.”
Ty laughed and glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “He does have a point. It’s almost dinnertime.”
He hesitated, wondering whether to suggest a drive-thru or if Ellie was one of those moms who never let her kid eat fast food. Seemed wise to play it safe.
“My place is on the south end of town,” he murmured to her, trying to keep his voice low in case she didn’t like the plan. No sense getting Henry’s hopes up. “I could have us there and have burgers on the grill in fifteen minutes if you’re interested.”
Ellie shot him a grateful look. “That would be amazing. I have nothing at home to cook. Besides, it’ll be fun to see where you live.”
He smiled at her, amazed at how normal this all seemed.
How easy it was to have a real relationship.
I have a girlfriend. The words filled him with excitement instead of fear, which was a miracle.
Okay, so there was a tiny bit of dread in there. But he was working on it.
They’d agreed that for now, they wouldn’t use terms like “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” around Henry, or give him any reason to ask questions about the nature of the relationship or where it was headed.
In his short span of time with Henry, Ty had grown to appreciate the need to speak with discretion around a chatty, inquisitive six-year-old.
