Page 65 of Just a Distraction

“They didn’t. They like to hang out with Leila’s ex-mother-in-law sometimes. She lives in Tollark and since it was on the way, they stopped by, without warning, as per the usual.”

His face holds anguish. “I’m sorry, but I can’t not say something, you know? I’ll try to rein in the tone moving forward.”

Moving forward? I want that. I want that so badly.

“I’ve never had a man defend me before, so it feels foreign.” I sigh, rub my eyes, and try to smile. There’s so much Milo and I disagree on or find a lot of discomfort discussing, and the tenseness in my body is begging me to take a break from it all. “You hungry? I could make us some PB and Js. I’m low on groceries so that’s all I got.”

“I can grab some groceries for you.” He motions his head towards a sleeping Callum. “I’ll try to lay him down without waking him. Not that I’m saying no to a PB and J because that would be criminal.”

I lightly run my fingers across Callum’s back. “He typically doesn’t fall asleep this early. This might mess up his sleep tonight, so I’m not sure what to do.” I smile. “It’s kind of cute, though, seeing you two like this.”

“I like that he fell asleep on me.” Milo’s gaze is guarded.

“You were his anchor in the storm. He loves playing with his cousins because he’s very social. But I think the noise got to him. He’s used to it being just the two of us and Thorin.”

Milo softly kisses the top of Callum’s head.

I maneuver closer to them on the sofa and wrap my arms around both of them. “Thank you for standing up for me. My family’s wild.” I nestle in closer, breathing in his warm, spicy scent.

“Hey, it’s okay.” He bends to kiss my forehead. “Every family has issues.”

I swallow down the stone in my throat and ease in even closer to him. He’s right, but I doubt his family was ever on food stamps or other government assistance. I doubt he grew up in an environment where fresh fruit was sometimes a luxury and where all his clothes were from the second-hand store. “True. But add it to the list of why Rose Hawkins can’t date.” I laugh, but it comes out bitterly.

I feel bitter about it because I want Milo in my life. Maybe it was his defending of me, maybe it’s how bonded Callum is to him. I don’t know. All I know is, I want him. As much as I hate to admit it, I want a lasting relationship with him.

Several minutes later, the tension in the room has tempered. I lounge on the sofa, watching Milo gently rock and pat Callum’s back. Callum’s getting slobber on Milo’s shirt. And I’m laughing at Milo explaining his and his brothers’ summertime fun befriending a donkey named Maverick, boating on the lake, and all the barefoot playing they did in the wilds of Longdale.

Callum stirs, wiping a drool-stained cheek off with his chubby fist.

“Hi, Bubby,” I coo, standing to rub his back. His cheeks are rosy from sleep, his dark eyes content. I reach out my hands to take him and he pushes me away. “Okay. You want to stay with Milo?”

Milo beams and pats him on the back. “I’m honored. Should we go grab some groceries? And then when we get back, we can put the crib together?”

“Yeah, and we need diapers, too.”

Thirty minutes later, I realize I’m totally attracted to this man while grocery shopping. Grocery shopping? It’s usually a high-pressured situation for me . . . all these thoughts about money and how much of it I don’t have. I always seem to be at war with the opposing forces of my needs and my resources. It’s stressful.

But with Milo? The grocery store is a magical playland.

He tells me stories of going shopping here in the summers with his aunt Stella and how he got caught shoplifting gum when he was three. Stella made him work to earn the money to pay the store back.

I love her instantly for it.

When he comes walking up to the cart with a wrench, I’m confused.

“They have those at the grocery store?” I ask.

“I had to ask around, but yeah.”

“I told you I have the tools to put the crib together.”

“I know, but this isn’t for the crib. It’s for your leaky faucet.”

I’m pretty sure my jaw drops open. I move to protest, but he cuts me off.

“I thought I’d try fixing it. But don’t thank me yet. I could make it worse.” He winks and suddenly I’m torn between worrying about him causing a flood in my apartment and melting into a puddle right here and now.

This man is a dream.

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