Page 20 of Defensive Indifference

On the way, I drop a call to Katie whose excitement can only be managed by my best friend, who assures her he will take her directly to the stables to wait for her horse. I should be the one to do it, but a pull towards another woman keeps me on the road. The old building seems to groan under the pressure of the modern structures around it, and while I think it’s sad Evalina needs to move, I can’t say it would be entirely wrong. Eventually, foot traffic in this part of town will decline to nothing, leaving her without much business anyway. As much as it stinks, it’s reality.

I push through the door and am immediately met with a warm set of brown eyes and a faint smile. Evalina puts her hands on her hips, pops one hip out, and blows hair from her face. “Are you going to hound me forever? Don’t you have anyone else you can annoy?”

Okay, that sass hits different when it’s playful. It’s got me wondering why I showed up unannounced for reasons that do not include purchasing food or drink items. I came because…because she was the first person I wanted to see after getting what might be the best news of my life. I can’t explain it. I’m not sure I want to. I simply want to be here.

My cheeks warm, which is a first when it comes to women. Andrew always teases me about being impossible to pin down, and he’s right. For a long time, marriage wasn’t a thing I thought much about, so dating was always casual. No strings. No long-term plan. Just dates for events and the occasional night out with friends. Then he went and married his perfect match and everything changed. Since their wedding day, all I’ve wanted is a Lottie of my own.

Even so, Koa Keaton does not blush when a woman smiles at him. Ever. Until now.

It does things to my mind that no man can explain, least of all me, the one who wouldn’t have expected it in a million years. Yet, here I am, looking at a woman who waits for an answer to her sassy question. All the while, I can’t figure out a single reason why I shouldn’t want to be here, looking at her, excited to see her.

“I got some good news, and this is where I ended up.” I shrug like it’s nothing, all while my brain sends warning signals that I should have thought this through.

“Oh no, don’t tell me you decided you liked pitching donuts more than baseballs and you’re here for practice.” She dips her head and drops her hands to her sides, seemingly ready to defend herself against an onslaught of baked goods.

“Nope. No, but my lawyer called. Something about incorrectly filed paperwork that means my sister and I get all our stuff back. For now, things seem okay.”

Evalina smiles, broad and dazzling. “That’s really good news, Koa. I’m happy for you.” Legitimately, she is. I see it in her eyes, but it only lasts for a blink before they dull and she grabs a broom. “Can I get you something?”

“Let me take you to dinner?”

Evalina drops the broom, which makes such a loud pop when it hits the brick floor, even I startle. “What?”

“Dinner? That thing you eat at night? Let me take you to get something. A little celebration.”

“What are we celebrating?”

“My good luck, I guess. Us becoming friends and burying the hatchet. That sort of thing.”

She attempts to pick up the broom but steps on the bristles and slams the handle back down again, repeating the pop. She does it twice more before I pick it up for her and keep it for myself until she responds.

“Um. I…have a lot to do here, but thanks.”

“Okay, well, I’ll just sweep for you and help you finish faster. I’m sure Annie won’t mind if you take off a little early, right?” I’m pushing a broom for literally the first time in my entire life. Working from one table to the next, I prove I’m in it for the long haul until her laughter interrupts my solid work ethic.

“Is this the first time you’ve ever swept in your life? It’s awful. Give me that before you hurt yourself.” Evalina snatches the broom and shakes her head before getting back to work for herself. This woman is not going to give me an inch. I’m not even sure why I invited her to dinner other than a deep, incessant need to know her. To figure her out, see what makes her tick—besides me—and what makes her happy.

“It actually is, but my dinner offer stands. I’ll pick you up in two hours.”

She scowls. “Two hours? I’ll smell like a bakery, Koa.”

She didn’t say no… “So, I’ll pick you up, take you home where you can do whatever ladies do, then I’ll take you to dinner. Dustin too, if you want.”

Her lips part and she lifts ramrod straight. I don’t know what she planned to say, but the way her eyes sparkle when I invite her son tells me so much. She loves her kid. Obviously, she does, but this is the sort of motherly love that goes to war, that fights bears, that runs to the ends of the earth for her child because she’s already had to do it so many times she’s lost count.

“Really?” she whispers.

“Yeah, of course. How about pizza and video games?”

Evalina’s smile spreads wide again and she nods. “He’ll love that. Thank you.”

“Sure. I’ll be here at six? Take you home, then we’ll head out for an evening of fun?”

She nods and looks away, but I detect the faintest blush before her cheeks are hidden from view. Satisfaction blooms in my chest, another first for me. Only, my brain crashes the party and reminds me that this woman comes with a child. He’s an amazing kid, so easy to like, that I brush it off as nothing to worry about, but it is. It’s a boy who looks up to me; a kid whose life revolves around baseball and his mom. It’s not a life I can waltz into then leave if it’s not for me.

I realize what I’ve done. I’ve gone and caught an interest in a woman I hardly know, leading me to one final conclusion. I better figure out what I want my life to look like before I get in too deep with her, and I better do it fast.

Chapter Eleven