Page 30 of Forever Player

“If I remember that night accurately, you didn’t want me being a gentleman,” I reply and my body turns to fire as I remember our night together. When I look at Willow her eyes are blazing, but she quickly shuts it down and clears her throat.

“What is this?” she asks of the salad. “It looks so professional.”

“It’s just a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad,” I explain. “Try it with the tomato mozzarella and basil all fitting into one bite.”

She does as I say. “This is delicious.”

“Thank you.”

We dig into our salad. Truth is, I’m hungry.

We eat in silence and then I clear the plates and get the steak and vegetables. I also bring the French bread I got in the supermarket and butter.

“I really hope this turned out okay. I’ve watched Maddie and my mom cooking, but I was never a participant,” I admit.

I wait and watch Willow.

“Go ahead,” I tell her, waiting anxiously.

She cuts into the steak and the way she closes her eyes, I know I did good. “This tastes out of this world.”

“Good,” I blow out a breath. We eat in silence. I realize I should’ve bought a bottle of wine to complement dinner but with all the kerfuffle at the supermarket, I forgot. Plus, there is the possibility Willow isn’t drinking. I don’t like the silence that has fallen between us so I decide to break it. If I’m going to make headway with her, I need to make the effort. “I saw someone you went to high school with at the supermarket.”

“I went to high school with a lot of people from town.” She snickers. “Who was it?”

“A woman named Bonnie.”

I watch her features fall. “Bonnie was pretty much my nemesis. She went after every guy I dated. She even went after my spot on the cheerleading team.”

“Shit,” I curse.

“Did she hit on you? She probably knew you were Maylee’s dad,” Willow continues.

“She did hit on me,” I sigh. “I kind of got a little too much attention at the supermarket. Everyone was staring and it made me uneasy. I was also worried about Maylee needing something.”

“Yeah, well, welcome to a small town. Everyone knows everyone and since there aren’t too many dating options, they go in for the kill when a prospect shows up,” she says and I wince.

“Well, you don’t have to worry, I set them straight,” I assure her.

Willow stops chewing her food and watches me with furrowed brows. “What does that mean?”

“It means I may have told them we were together.” My eyes crease in the corners when I notice her reaction.

She drops her fork and looks over at the candles shimmering in the dark room. “You did what? You know we aren’t a thing. That night we said it was a one-time thing.”

“I know what we said that night, Willow. I also know I’ve never spent a night like that with a woman. It wasn’t only about sex, we connected. You must know that.”

“Brett, I told you I never want to settle down,” she says pointedly.

“But like you said things change. You love Maylee. You’re an amazing mom,” I tell her. “I’m not saying we have to rush things, but I’m asking you to be open to getting to know me and not just as a co-parent but a potential partner.”

She rises from her seat and begins to pace. “This wasn’t part of the plan, Brett. I came to you so Maylee would know her father.”

“And I’m here. I want to be the best father I can be. I’m not going anywhere, Willow, but I also know you’ve been on my mind for a damn long time and that was without knowing Maylee existed. I know Ellie and Skylar told you I asked about you over Christmas. It’s because you left a lasting impression on me.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she replies. “I can’t do this.”

“Okay, I don’t want to pressure you or ruin this meal. Why don’t you have a seat and relax? No pressure,” I suggest, knowing when I need to back off. “If you need to hear me say I am here for Maylee only, then fine. You got it. Now let’s enjoy this meal because if I do say so myself, I did a bang-up job.”

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