Page 28 of Confined Space

"He slept through the night pretty well," I say from the doorway as I watch them.

"Yeah, he only does it occasionally. He's going to act like he's starved, so I need to feed him, then I can make you breakfast." She turns to look at me over her shoulder. Her smile is one of the most beautiful sights I've seen.

"How about we go out for breakfast?"

I watch a look of panic cross her face, and I'm across the room to her.

"He's not going to hurt you as long as I'm around."

"Okay. I need to go get the car seat from Georgia."

"No, you don't."

"I do. I don't have one for him yet."

"I got one. A friend of mine does car seat inspections and helps with this program to help people get proper car seats. She told me what brand to buy and said if we stop by, she'll make sure it's adjusted correctly," I quickly explain.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. If I want him to ride with me, I need a proper seat for him." I don't tell her that I bought a set that includes a stroller. Now she won't have to hold him the whole time at my next game or put him in the carrier.

"Let me feed him, quickly change, and make myself look better, then we'll be ready."

"You look beautiful."

She proceeds to feed Archer, and I burp him while she gets ready. I have a change of clothes in a bag in my truck for the station. While she fed him, I got myself changed and cleaned up.

She steps out of the bedroom in another pair of those cutoff shorts that I want to burn. Her tan legs are exposed. She’s wearing a red flannel shirt with the cuffs rolled up and a black tank top underneath. Her cowboy boots complete the look.

"Don't you have anything else to wear?" I can't help the bitterness in my tone. I love seeing her legs, but I hate others seeing them.

She looks down at herself. "I spent most of my life until I moved to California wearing long dresses with long sleeves no matter the season. I like to be able to wear shorts and my cowboy boots. My grandmother got me these boots before she died. She was the only person who let me choose what to wear when I was with her." Her words give me pause.

"Okay, baby. You look fantastic in them. It’s just I hate the fact other men can see your sexy legs."

"Stop it. They are short."

"They are long for your frame. I love them. Besides your eyes, they were the first things that took my breath away," I confess as I step into her space with Archer in my arms. Her hair is partially up as waves of it hang down her shoulders. Her long bangs hang in her eyes. Her full lips look plumper than usual from all my kisses. She doesn't have any makeup on, and she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.

She reaches for Archer, and we turn toward the door. I guide her down the stairs to my truck. She lets me put Archer in his seat and then we head out for breakfast.

Chapter Eight

CORAL

I've been floating on cloud nine the last couple of days. After breakfast with Rowdy, he drove me around, showing me more of the town. He took me out to his family’s vineyard and winery. I met his aunt and uncle, who are a nice couple. You could tell they love each other very much. I saw where Rowdy got a lot of his features. His uncle was the twin brother to his father. Rowdy has called me on his breaks and has come to have dinner with me the last couple of nights at work.

There’s an unexpected knock on my door, which scares me after last week. I look through the peephole and see the apartment complex manager standing there. I should have known that my luck wasn't changing. I open the door.

"Ms. Pierce, I'm sorry to do this." He hands me a folded piece of paper. I open it, and tears form in my eyes when I read the words Eviction Notice.

"Please give me time. I'm going to the bank today to see if my deposit was done. I also get paid next Friday. I'll catch up."

"You have until tomorrow. If you can’t pay, you need to be out by Sunday."

"I can't," I stutter, but he walks away, leaving me there. I slam the door. I'm so angry and upset. Why can't the world stop pooping on me? Even in my head, I can't cuss.

"Shitting on me," I say, but it comes out in a whisper.

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