Page 71 of Wild Hit
He comes to a full stop, and I do too since my hand is on his arm. Miguel blinks up at the darkening sky, as if doing math in his head. “Maybe?”
That sets me off into a barrage of chuckles. “Yousodid.”
He helps me get into the uncomfortably low car, even going as far as picking up my skirt where it would’ve gotten jammed by the door, and closes it for me. I watch as he walks around the vehicle, rubbing his chin like he’s maybe contemplating his life choices. His left hand is on his hip, and I catch the glint of the wedding ring back on it. Seeing it is jolts me.
Miguel gets in with far more ease than I did, for someone who isn’t getting any help at all, and the one thing that throws him off is the dashboard of the fancy ass ride. I’ve also never seen as many sleek buttons and lights in my life, and that’s saying something. Dad’s always been keen on the Bentleys.
Drily, I point toward the bigger one. “I think that one starts the engine.”
Miguel snorts through his nose, lips stretching into a big, amused smile. He presses the big button though, and the engine roars to life in a way that screams power.
Not gonna lie, it makes me nervous. I’ve never had a great relationship with cars. When I was a kid, Dad drove like he didn’t care about his life, ours, or anyone else’s. And in the end, it was a car what took my brother from me.
I clench my hands at my lap as Miguel pulls away from the curb, and then something odd clocks with me. The houses and the trees outside are passing by fairly slow for how hard the engine’s purring.
I whip my head toward Miguel. So, he’s a slow driver, huh?
Why’s he so intent in not looking at me though?
“Miguel?”
“Hmm?” he hums from deep in his throat, almost as rumbly as the Maserati engine.
“Are you okay?”
“What?” He finally glances at me. “Why do you ask?”
“You’ve basically been quiet this whole time. That’s unlike you, you know?” We’re close enough that I can nudge his rock solid arm just a bit.
His response is to stay quiet even more, and I’m starting to worry.
Surely this can’t be about the blister in his hand, so does that mean he’s hurt somewhere else? Sick? Should we turn back around? I’d much prefer that, actually. But this isn’t about me. I already feel like garbage about roping him into all of this, the last thing I want is for the best baseball player in the world—and probably the best dad in history—to get hurt under my watch.
Before I suggest we cancel the outing, Miguel finally speaks. “I’m okay. I was just kicking myself for not telling you how beautiful you look earlier, but then I was wondering if it would make you feel uncomfortable.”
I’m stunned to silence, my mouth slightly open.
We’re at a red light, and Miguel turns to me with a little frown. “There, that’s what I was trying to avoid. Looks like overthinking it made it worse, huh?”
An ugly cackle tears out of my throat. It takes enough to calm down that the light changes and off we go. “Wow.” I cough a little and thump my chest. “Is this the real Miguel? An awkward turtle?”
“Yep.” He shrugs. “Don’t let the action shots fool you.”
Rather, this puts me at such ease that I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed before in my life.
A certainty washes over me that there’s no one better I could’ve found to pretend to be my husband in front of my dad. Tonight won’t be a complete disaster after all.
CHAPTER 26
MIGUEL
I’ve never been more annoyed in my whole damn life than at this moment, as I walk into some bougie place with Audrey holding my arm. That’s not the problem, though. I’m fully decked in a form fitting suit that won’t let me find a quiet corner to do a thousand quick pushups so I can get rid of all this energy coursing through my veins like hot lava.
Audrey looks absolutely mouthwatering. Enough that when she climbed down the stairs with my daughter, I felt something sharp, visceral, and primal that I’ve never felt before.
The need to make her mine—ours.
I could picture it so clearly, Audrey helping Marty with math on the kitchen counter, while I make us a quick breakfast before Consuelo arrives and we have to go to work. The three of us sitting under a tree at a pretty park, having a picnic and chatting about our plans. Marty walking to her school event with a real new mom, and not a fake one. Audrey waking up in my arms, eyes sleepy but smiling. And naked, because why not?
