Page 9 of Bravely Yours

Tension hung in the air as we stood there awkwardly. It was looking like I had a nice, quiet night in my future. So why I wasalmost disappointed when she let the door swing shut a moment later?

Although I was grateful that there was no more crying for the rest of the night, I tossed and turned in bed, and images of the green-eyed goddess, with long blond curls and a smile that I wanted to see more of, haunted me throughout the night.

Chapter Six

SARAH

I adjustedthe strap of the diaper bag on my shoulder while juggling Nora in the opposite arm as I left my apartment. For once, we weren’t running late, but if I didn’t get a move on and get her dropped off at my mom’s, that would quickly change.

“I must have the magic touch.”

Heart thumping against my ribcage, I spun, coming face to face with Jay, whose apartment door swung shut behind him. Jesus, that shit-eating grin of his was making mecrazy. It screamed young and cocky. But it needed to come with a warning label:Will disintegrate panties.

“Huh?” I shook my head, well aware that I was now staring.

“Nora didn’t cry at all after I left.”

I fought an eye roll. Of course he thought he was the reason.

“When she fussed, I brought her to bed with me.” For weeks, I’d been working to get her to sleep in her crib, but I didn’t want Jay back at my door, and frankly, I had been too tired to fight her.

Brows furrowed, he tilted his head in confusion.

With a sigh, I shifted Nora again. “I’ve been trying to break her of the habit.”

“Why?”

Because I wanted my own space back. Because I didn’t want to have to be tied to my bed when it was time to put her down. I worried I was messing her up by continuing to encourage the habit that everyone seemed to have an opinion about.

There was no way I would unload all that on this virtual stranger, so I shrugged. “It’s better for her.”

“Doesn’t seem like it. She’s probably sad.”

I deflated. Great. Yet another person who wanted to put in his two cents. Nora’s doctor frowned at the idea. My mom encouraged me to break the habit. Not surprisingly, Tina told me to do what felt right. Now this guy thought I was making my daughter sad. Could I just tell everyone to shut up?

“What about that thing that attaches to the bed?”

I bit back a chuckle. It would have been a great idea nine months ago or so. But Nora just turned one, and it wouldn’t be long before she would need an actual bed. So transitioning to a bedside crib just to transition again probably wasn’t wise. And honestly, she was already pulling herself up to standing, so it probably wasn’t the safest solution either. But now I wascurious about how my young, clueless neighbor even knew what a bedside crib was.

“How do you know about those?”

“Oh.” He chuckled. “My friend Owen. His girlfriend is pregnant. He was telling me about it. Cece wants to put one on their registry.” He cracked that smile of his again. “He worries about how they’ll have sex, though.”

“Well, I don’t have to worry about that,” I blurted out.

His eyes widened a fraction, and he gave me a once-over.

My cheeks heated. Why the hell did I say that? It was obvious the thirty-one-year-old single woman with a baby wasn’t having sex, but was it really necessary to spell it out for him?

“Gotta get to work.” I turned and headed down the hall.

Falling into step beside me, he asked, “What do you do again?”

“I’m a kindergarten assistant.”

He waved at an older lady as we moved past her on the sidewalk. “Our new paramedic’s girlfriend works at a school too.”

“Tina,” I said, shifting the diaper bag on my arm again. “She’s the teacher I assist.”

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