Page 29 of Fall Wherever They May

She sputters, which sends her descending into a coughing fit. “Are you serious?” She beams. “Isn’t that, like, nepotism or something?”

“Pfft. I can do whatever I want.” I giggle. “Seriously though. No, I don’t feel that way. I’m not starting you in a director’s position. You’ll have to work your way up. With your degree, you’re more than qualified for an entry-level position. Plus, if you hadn’t moved here with me, you would still have a job. So let me just do this for you.”

“Yes!” She sets Puck down on the floor and hops up, then leans over to hug me. “Thank you so much, Aspen.”

I pat her back. “Well, I’m sorry I didn’t think of it sooner. You can start next Monday.” I release her. “Also, I have a very teeny, tiny, tincy, wincey favor to ask of you.”

“Anything,” she insists, sitting back down.

Taking a deep breath, I recount today’s events. I tell her how Tucker took me literally when I asked Cal if he was going to follow me. “So now, Cal is determined to take us. And I just don’t know how I feel about that. Will you please go with us?”

“I retract my statement. I’m not playing fourth wheel.”

“What do you mean ‘playing fourth wheel’? You can’t leave me with him by myself.”

“You won’t be by yourself. Tucker will be there too.”

“Yeah, but it’ll be awkward. We’ve just started speaking to each other without ripping each other’s heads off. I’ve been in a vehicle with him one time, and that was during a traumaticevent. It’s going to be uncomfortable.” I trace my finger around the rim of my glass.

“Fine! I’ll go.” She acquiesces. “But I think someone might have a little crush.”

I gasp in horror. “I do not!”

“Oh, look at those little red cheeks.” She pokes her finger into said cheek. “I bet he makes your heart go pitter patter.” She baby talks with a giggle, then stands back up. “You know it’s true.”

Grabbing the bottle of wine from the kitchen island, she stumbles her way over, tops off my glass, and fills her empty one.

“I know he makes me feel something. At first it was annoyed and exasperated, but now it’s . . . I don’t know what it is.”

“I saw him with Tucker when he brought you both home. He was hovering over him like a helicopter dad. That even mademyovaries go into overdrive, and I’m not even the kid’s mother. I also noticed you glancing over at them when you thought I wasn’t paying attention. Don’t even get me started on how fine he is—the guy’s a total snack.”

I chug the entire contents of my glass. It scares me how rapidly I went from loathing him to actually liking him. He has softened up, and I think it has to do with the sweet little ten-year-old boy sleeping upstairs.

“Okay, it’s time I go to bed. I’m going to take Puck out, then take a PartySmart and call it a night.”

“Goodnight.” River singsongs and strolls over to the kitchen to put her glass in the sink, then heads upstairs, tripping on a step on the way up. Her giggle fades out as she makes her way into her bedroom, and then I hear the click of her bedroom door.

Grabbing the leash, I pick up Puck and head out. I descend the steps and start to make my way into the backyard,but before I get there, I hear footsteps slap the pavement behind me. “Aspen!” Cal calls out.

“Yeah?” I turn around. “What are you doing here?”

I’m not dressed appropriately. I have short sleep shorts and a tank top on, sans a bra. I cross my arms over my chest. My cheeks heat. It’s eleven o’clock at night, and I wasn’t expecting to run into anyone.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a run and saw you out here.” He pauses, catching his breath. “Um . . . I inserted myself into your business and made a decision without talking to you about it.”

“That you did.”

He just ran with Tucker’s assumption. He didn’t even give me a chance to correct my son. Like he said, he literally inserted himself into my business as if this is a fiduciary relationship. I don’t know what to think or feel about that. Confusion? A week ago we couldn’t stand each other, and now . . . well, I don’t hate him anymore.

Cal swallows hard, and when he does, his Adam’s apple bobs. He runs a hand through his hair, then paces back and forth. “I’m not sorry about that.” He looks at me, then continues pacing. Suddenly, he stops, tilts his head to the sky, and rubs his hands up and down his face, then whispers. “Fuck! I don’t know why I feel like this. I don’t know how to do this.”

He places his hands on his hips and sighs. “The thought of you both being in the middle of New York City by yourselves and something happening to you, like what happened on Friday, and me not being there to protect you, terrifies me. When you were shoved and then Tuck was knocked down . . .” His jaw ticks as he turns his head back to look at me. “It pissed me off, but more than that, it scared the hell out of me. So, I’m not going to ask your permission to protect you both, and I’m not going to say I’m sorry if I’m not. Because, as traumatic as that was for you,it was traumatic for me too. I will, however, ask you to have a little grace. I’ve tried to concentrate on hockey and nothing but hockey. I don’t make time for other people, and I haven’t cared about anyone but myself in a long time. Well, except for Carter. So, I don’t know how to channel what I’m feeling right now. But fuck, I love the hell out of Tuck and the thought of someone hurting him like that again because I’m not there to protect him." He pauses and shakes his head. “I can’t do it. So please, don’t ask me to.”

“Okay.” I whisper. It’s then I realize I do feel something for this man, even if I don’t know what it is. Even if he has been infuriating. This man. God, this man. He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before: anger, lust, happiness, butterflies. The way he is with my son and the softer side I’ve seen of him with me in the past few days, I could easily fall in love with that side of him, and that scares me to death.

“Alright, well, take your ass to bed; we have an early start tomorrow.”

“So bossy!” I laugh and begin to make my way to the front door. “Oh, and Hotshot?”

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