Page 72 of When Alec Met Evie
Two days.
It’s been two days since Alec told me he wasnotdating Riley. Since he started pinning me with long, pointed looks. Hinting that in the not-so-distant future, probably as soon as we find a minute without Juno and the twins hanging around, he’d like to kiss me.
Unfortunately, all those very exciting developments are tinged with an uneasy awareness lurking in the back of my mind.
Because it’salsobeen two days since Devon told me he’d like to come spend Thanksgiving in Harvest Hollow.
Thanksgiving withme.And with the daughter he’s finally ready to meet.
As I buckle Juno into her carrier on Friday night, I’m no closer to knowing what to do with this information than I was when I first received it. It’s so far out of the realm of what I expected, of what Devon haseverdone before. He does not make trips that do not serve his own interests. He does not prioritize anyone’s needs over his own. And since he made it explicitly clear that fatherhood was not his priority, I can’t fathom why,when Juno is almost five months old, he would suddenly change his mind.
He did sound different when we talked on Wednesday. Humble. Even a little contrite.
I’m still not convinced it isn’t a performance. Some kind of high-level trickery.
But he did just lose his job—one I know he worked hard to get in the first place. Maybe something really has triggered a change in him?
For Juno’s sake, I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. But I can’t let go of my unease. I don’t trust it. I don’t trusthim.
And I really don’t like the idea of spending a holiday with just the three of us.
I still don’t have a firm move-in date from my landlord, but it should be any day. Definitely within the week, which means I’ll be moved in and settled well before Thanksgiving. So at least I won’t have to host Devonhere,at Alec’s place.
But does that mean Devon would stay with me? Would he expect to? Would I let him?
“He’s missing out, baby girl,” I say to Juno as I tuck a blanket around her legs. “But I’m still not sure you won’t be better off without him.” I make a silly face and squeeze her toes, and Juno smiles, happily kicking her feet. “You’re going to be good tonight, yeah? You’ll be in a happy mood?” I need her to be, both because after all the Devon stress this week, I could use a really fun evening, and because I really want to make a good impression on Alec’s friends.
Once Juno is settled, pacifier in her mouth and blanket tucked around her, I stand and glance down at my sweater, hoping it was the right fashion choice for the evening. I haven’t worn it since before Juno was born, but it’s black and soft and fitted in all the right places without being too fitted on my slightly different post-pregnancy body.
I haven’t seen Alec since this morning, when we stood in this room and talked about kissing.
Onlytalked, much to my disappointment.
Because he had to go. And I had to go. And Juno was in my arms and the twins were waiting for him and did I really want our first kiss to be on a random Friday morning? But if not then, when?
Is this what romance will be for me now? Snatches of stolen moments? Tiny pockets of time when Juno doesn’t need me?
Footsteps across the room draw my attention, and I look up, expecting Alec, but it’s the twins who appear on the other side of the room.
Alec mentioned in a text that they were going line dancing tonight, and they are dressed for it. Jeans, boots, shiny silver belt buckles, their hair slicked back in matching styles. For once, I have a hard time telling them apart, not until Carter smiles and I recognize the warmth in his eyes.
“We’re heading out,” Carter says. “Can you let Alec know?”
“I’m here,” Alec says, walking up behind them. “Be safe, all right?”
Carter nods, but Theo doesn’t even make eye contact before turning and heading down the hall.
“How’s he doing?” I ask once Alec and I are alone. His expression falls, then he takes a minute to fill me in on what he learned during his drive into practice.
“That’s a really hard burden to carry,” I say, my heart breaking for the twins. “No wonder Theo is struggling.”
“He got into it with one of the assistant coaches today,” Alec says. “It took Carter and me both to pull him away and calm him down. But—you know what? I don’t want to think about the twins right now. Or hockey.” He holds my gaze for a long moment. “Hi,” he finally says, like we’re starting over.
I smile up at him. “Hi.”
Alec moves toward me, his eyes moving over my body in a way that makes my skin prickle with delicious awareness. “You look really beautiful,” he says, and heat floods my cheeks.
I have never been the girl unraveled by a single compliment, but I’ve never gotten compliments from Alec Sheridan, so maybe I am now. Maybe I’m the woman flustered and undone by a single word, a single touch.
