Page 18 of Eligible Best Friend

I’m getting into a pair of shorts when my phone chimes. A missed voice mail from Cass.

I hop on one foot while I finish dressing on my way to the nightstand as fast as possible. Missing Cass’s calls when I’m working annoys her enough. Not answering otherwise is a major strike against me.

I listen to the message. Just a curt “call me” and Jayden screaming in the background.

My pulse spikes as worst-case scenarios download in my imagination. Is there something wrong with him? His airway is obviously clear, but maybe he hit his head. Did he lose consciousness?

Cass answers with an irritated “Yeah?” Jayden’s stuttered cries pierce my heart. I just want to fucking hold him. To comfort him when he’s hurt.

“Hey. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

Relief chases away any irritation at her attitude and helps me watch my own tone. “He was cry—nothing. What’s up?”

“I have a meeting tomorrow and I need you to watch Jayden.”

Aw, hell. Here we go. “I work a twelve tomorrow. It’s on the schedule I gave you.”

“You’re his dad. Take it off.”

Finding someone to cover a twelve-hour shift on this short of notice would be next to impossible. “We’re short-staffed. I can try my mom—”

“Your mom hasn’t touched a baby in years. Her own stepkids hate her.”

We’ve been over this before. Besides, Jayden’s a toddler. Not as fragile as a baby, but more self-destructive. “Speaking of which, we were just at Karoline’s wedding.”

“Were you even invited?” Cass says flatly.

“Yes. Lia and I went with Mom.”

“Lia? Your partner?”

This is it. Once I tell Cass, there’s no going back. She’s the reason I came up with the idea that left me twisted all damn night. “We’re dating.”

“Like…as in more than once?”

I wince. “Yes, Cass.”

She tsks. “You can’t even keep it in your pants at work.”

I say quietly, “Lia’s a good person, and I’ll do what I need to do to be a good father for Jayden.”

“He could’ve had a physician for a dad. You would’ve been a resident by now.”

I stay silent. I’ve lost this argument a hundred times. It doesn’t matter what I say about my decision to not apply for residency, about the dire financial straits Mom was left in. Being a paramedic when I could’ve been a doctor is my shame to bear in Cass’s eyes.

A loud sigh resonates over the line. “Can’t you at least try to get out of work during my meeting? Or don’t you want your girlfriend to be partnered with anyone else?”

She sounds less catty and more vulnerable. As much as she’s used my playboy ways against me, is she prepared for me to be monogamous or is my plan going to backfire? I never thought of that. Maybe she’s insecure about it all. She made it clear when she broke up with me that I failed her. She’s still punishing me for not spending my days trying to win her back all these years later.

I only deal with her to beg for time with Jayden.

It’s paying off. She’s actually asking for my help. I can’t let her down now. “I’ll take care of it. When are you going to bring him over?”

As she gives me the details, I make a mental list of who I can call to switch shifts with me. Will Lia think I’m avoiding her after the kiss? Our stilted goodbye when I dropped her off at her place after the wedding had to be as uncomfortable for her as it was for me. And after the shower episode, I don’t know if I can work with her and ignore the fact that the fantasy of her got me off.

I could call her, but my dick is already excited that it might hear her voice. No, I’ll call Mitch and see if he can trade shifts and I’ll leave it up to him to let Lia know.

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