Page 72 of When the Storm Breaks
“Hi Lila.”
“I’m glad you’re with him. We need to arrange a time to hang out before you leave.”
“Definitely. I’m totally open so whatever works—”
Brody grew impatient with our chit chat and cut me off mid-sentence. “Did you need something, L?”
“I told Meredith I’d pick up Hayley today. She has a conference call she can’t get out of. You’re on the approved list for picking up Hayley. Are you okay with that?”
He muttered a curse under his breath. “Do I have a choice?”
“Nope.”
Brody exhaled loudly like this was a huge inconvenience. I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and tried to regulate my breathing.
“We were planning to take Noah for tacos.”
“Perfect. Take Hayley too. She’ll love it. Meredith’s meeting ends at six and I was planning to feed Hayley before I took her home. I’ll message her and let her know there’s been a change of plans.”
“Fine. See you later.”
“Bye guys. Have fun. See you soon.”
I tried to reply but my voice wouldn’t work.
Brody cut the call and I had half a mind to ask him to drop me off at the diner we were passing. Or turn the truck around and take me home before he picked up Noah. But I couldn’t do that. I was trapped. I’d made my peace with the situation and had been all set to leave without seeing Hayley again. But now I’d have to spend two hours with her. And I didn’t know how to deal with any of this.
I took a few deep breaths, trying to suck air into my lungs.
“I never know what the hell to say to Hayley,” Brody said, running his hand through his hair.
His words surprised me. But it was also the tone of his voice. He sounded worried which pulled me out of my own panic attack. “What do you mean? You’re great with Noah.”
“Yeah, well, he’s a boy and he’s my kid. I’m always trying to be careful not to say the wrong thing around Hayley.”
“Just be yourself.” How ironic that I was giving him advice when I didn’t have a clue what I would say to her or how to act around her. “I’m sure she thinks you’re great.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “I try to tone it down around her. I don’t want to scare her.”
“Is she sensitive?”
“She reminds me of those artsy girls from high school.”
Despite my own fears, I laughed. “She’s six, not a teenager.”
He snorted. “Noah is six. Hayley is six going on sixteen. Girls are different from boys.”
A laugh burst out of me. “How long did it take you to figure that one out?”
He snorted then side-eyed me before his eyes returned to the road. Two minutes later, he turned into a parking lot in front of a low brown building and put the truck in park but didn’t get out right away. We were five minutes early. “What I mean is that girls are more emotional. I made her cry once and afterwards I felt like shit.”
I reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sure she’s forgotten all about it.”
“Maybe.”
“What did you do to make her cry?”
“She fell and skinned her knee. I told her to cowboy up.”
