Page 16 of Need You To Choose Me

He tilts his head back, his eyes lighting up. “For real? We can go and get ice cream?”

The way he asks, the clear surprise and sheer joy at the idea, has my chest tightening. But why wouldn’t he be surprised? I couldn’t remember when the last time was I took him to get ice cream or anything really. While I tried to spend as much time as possible with my kids, things came up more often than I’d like to admit. Practice would run late, one of my teammates would ask me for help with one thing or another, or I had to do PR or an interview orsomething. There was always something, and my kids were the ones who had to deal with canceled plans and broken promises.

This is why you’re here. So you can focus on them. So you can have more moments like this.

“For real,” I reassure him, ruffling his unruly hair.

He pumps his little hand. “Yes! I can’t wait.”

Chuckling, I lift my hand and knock on the door. Turning the doorknob, I urge Levi in front of me.

“Let’s g—” My voice trails off as I look up, and my eyes land on the blonde woman in front of me.

She turns toward the door, her attention on my son as she smiles brightly at him. “Well, hello there. It’s so ni?—”

“Blondie.”

She glances up, her eyes widening when they land on mine.

Holy shit, it really is her.

All the air is knocked out of my lungs as I stare at eyes as bright as the sky on a sunny day. The same eyes that were haunting my dreams even though I’d only seen them once before—months ago—when we shared that one passionate night that most days seemed more like a mirage than reality.

It was crazy. I was thirty-five, recently divorced, and a single dad. Hookup days were long behind me, but damn, something about that woman drew me to her from the very first moment I laid my eyes on her.

She was gorgeous, but that wasn’t it. I’ve met my fair share of gorgeous women over the years. I was married to one, and never before have I been as captivated as I was when I saw Blondie.

And then, as if she wasn’t tempting enough, she threw me a challenge.

One night. No names. No kissing.

I loved and despised the idea. I didn’t have time for dating, not with two kids who needed me. Not when I just bought a house in a small town and prepared to uproot their lives. Did I even knowhowto date? It’s been ages since I did it. Besides, who even dates at thirty-five? But there was something about this woman that drew me to her. It was the combination of innocence and allure around her, the sorrow I could see shining in her irises, and the spunky attitude that slipped out every once in a while. She was a walking, talking contradiction, and I couldn’t get enough of her.

So I agreed.

I had her, but the next morning, when I woke up, my bed was empty. The only sign that she was even there was her sweet scent lingering on my bedsheets.

But now she was here.

Not just that, but she was my son’s teacher?

My heart is beating wildly inside my rib cage as I stand still in the doorway, too afraid to even blink because what if I do, and she disappears?

Blondie.

My mystery girl.

Here.

In Bluebonnet Creek, Texas.

What were the odds?

I take her in slowly.

That gorgeous face I couldn’t get out of my head was completely drained of color.

Those full breasts peeking delicately from the cleavage of her white and blue floral dress rising and falling rapidly.

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