Page 40 of Saving You

Lane squeezed hard. “I hope it all works out.”

“Mm,” Ridge said. He wasn’t going to say a word. All he wanted was to spill his guts and relieve himself of this burden, but he couldn’t. Oz deserved someone in his corner. Like all the way in his corner.

As he headed for the stairs, Adele caught up with him and threw an arm around his waist, keeping him close. Ridge had been around the guys for a while now, but he was still adjusting to how free they were with touch. It wasn’t something he’d grown up with, and it certainly wasn’t something he’d experienced with his last team.

But it was nice. It was just hard to remember the guys did this because they liked him and not because they wanted something from him.

“So. Oz,” Adele said when they passed the gate.

Ridge sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“It ain’t. I see the way your face gets when you talk about him. I’ve also seen your face when you’re looking at him and you don’t think anyone’s paying attention.”

Ridge swallowed heavily as they came to a stop by his car. “Please don’t tell anyone.”

“You know I won’t say a word. I sat in my own pining silence for half my life. I have no room to judge.”

Ridge stared down at his feet. “Worked out for you, in the end.”

“Yeah, but Kash and I didn’t have to jump the being straight hurdle, did we?”

Ridge was glad the yellow streetlamps hid the color of his blush. “I guess. Anyway, I’m not delusional. I don’t think there’s a future with Oz. I mean, I’m not really great boyfriend material.”

“Who the fuck told you that shit?” Adele demanded, crossing his arms. “I want a name.”

“Ridge Hayley.”

Adele pulled back and rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a dipshit.”

“I’m not.” Ridge threw his hands up in the air. “I’ve got a crappy schedule, absolutely no dating history longer than a few weeks, I’m a single dad, and my kid always comes first?—”

“Anyone who doesn’t want to work with those reasonable conditions is not worth your time,” Adele said firmly.

“Well, it still narrows the pool, and it doesn’t change the fact that for most people, those thingsaredeal breakers. I’ve already come to terms with it. Maybe I’ll find someone when Ina’s older and is living on her own. Or maybe I’ll open up a cat café and spend my empty-nester years taking care of strays.”

Adele groaned and took Ridge by the shoulders, giving him a gentle shake. “Look, if I thought you wanted that life, I’d invest now and get you started, but I know you. I know you want something more.”

Ridge glanced away, then let out a sigh of relief when Lane’s front door open and Frey appeared, carrying a tired Ina in his arms. “Talk later?”

Adele gave him a steady look that told him he wasn’t letting it go. “You drive safe, and I’ll see you on Monday.”

Ridge managed a smile as he took his daughter, who nestled into his arms. He held her tight, then leaned in and gave Frey a no-armed hug. “Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Mhm. You know I love my little princess. And I hope you know that I want all the deets for whatever bullshit you claim to have going on Sunday.”

Ridge choked on his own tongue. “I…it’s…”

“See you then, babe. Love you.” Frey turned, taking Adele with him, leaving Ridge to his sleeping daughter and the silence that spoke a novel about how absolutely and completely screwed he was.

CHAPTER TEN

OZ

He hated Deaf events.No, that wasn’t true. He didn’t hate them. They were the first things he’d experienced when he started setting his toes into the Deaf community that actually made him feel seen. Even cut off most of his life, he’d noticed how many shared behaviors and habits he had with other Deaf people who had grown up with access to the language and culture.

No, it wasn’t that he hated the events. It was that he hated how messy his head was. He couldn’t focus. It was the monthly meet-up at the billiards room a couple named Mandy and Eli owned. They were a hearing/Deaf pair who made it their mission to keep the space signing friendly. All the staff was either Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or more than conversationally fluent in sign.

There were print, picture, and braille menus, all the TVs had captions, and anytime they had entertainment, they hired Certified Deaf Interpreters to handle the shows.

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