Page 25 of Courage, Dear Heart

Is that a blush coloring his cheeks?

He clears his throat. “Yes, my car is parked at the back of the building. I can give you guys a ride. Jamie’s probably too heavy for you to carry him all the way home. Even if you take the subway, that’s a lot of walking.”

I press my lips together. I want to say yes, but a part of me is scared to be so close to him. “Thank you. I really appreciate your offer, but it wouldn’t be safe for Jamie without a car seat.”

His smile broadens, and my heart lurches. “I have a booster seat in my trunk. Will that work?”

My eyes widen. There goes my excuse. “You have a booster seat?” Does he have a kid?

He tilts his head at Sabrina, who’s watching our interaction with a sly smile. “Our older sister Elsa has a little girl Jamie’s age, and she got a booster seat to keep in my car in case she needs me to pick up Maddie. I’m one of her emergency contacts.”

I’m not sure what to say. I have no reason to deny his offer, other than my need to be on guard since I lost CJ. But it’s time for a change, isn’t it? “Are you sure? I don’t want to force you out of your way.”

“I wouldn’t be going out of my way. I live a block away from your place. I would have offered to give you a ride to come here, but I had to step into my office today and wrap up some work.”

I shift Jamie’s weight in my arms. “I’d like that. Thank you. Jamie is getting a little heavy for me to carry.” A block away? All this time he’s been so close and I didn’t know. There’s a storm of fluttering wings and alarm bells in my stomach.

Sabrina holds out a box with the extra cupcakes we baked. “That settles it then.” Her smile widens. “Here you go. You and Jamie can have a few more to eat tomorrow.”

Elliott takes the box from his sister, and I turn and hug her with one arm, Jamie between us. “Thank you so much for having us. Jamie loved every minute of it, and I’m sure he’ll be asking me to come back. I think he’s a little in love with you.”

Sabrina rubs Jamie’s back. “I think I’m a little in love with him, too. He’s an adorable little boy.”

Elliott pouts. “What about me? Nobody loves me?”

Sabrina opens her arms to hug him. “You have too many admirers already.” And then quickly looks at me and back at Elliott. Her lips pressed together as if she said something she shouldn’t have.

An image of Elliott running from a bevy of women pops into my mind. Annoyance flares in my chest. I don’t know how many admirers he has, but I guess he can add one more to his list.

ELEVEN

Elliott

I openthe passenger door for Jillian. She sits and looks at the sleeping form of Jamie behind my seat. He slept through the entire process as I set up the booster seat behind the driver’s side so Jillian can see him as we drive.

I start the car and lower the volume on the satellite radio, then switch the talk show to a classic rock station. “This is okay with you?” I point at the car console.

Jillian nods and looks around. “This is a nice car. What is it? Still smells like leather. Is it new?” She rambles, the words fast and in a rush of breath.

I pull into the slow evening traffic. “It’s a Lexus, and yes, it’s new. I got it a couple of months ago.”

“It’s really nice.” She drags a hand across the panel in front of her.

My body reacts as if the caress were on my skin instead of the leather-wrapped console of the dashboard. We stop at a red light. I take a chance to look at her. “Ienjoyed spending time with you today. I’d like to do it again, maybe take you out on a date. What do you think?”

She startles. Her eyes are wide, and her lips open and close, but nothing comes out. I let my question slide unanswered. For now.

A waft of her perfume hits me. I didn’t notice it before, but now, in this enclosed space, her small shape in my car and her fragrant, sweet scent are a tempting and heady combination. “What’s your perfume?”

“What?” She balls her hands in her lap.

“Your perfume. I like it. What is it?”

“Oh, it’s called Indigo. My friend Sheila gave it to me.”

The light turns green, and I have to look away from her. “It suits you.”

“It does? I didn’t think it was me at all. I never really wore perfume before, but Sheila insisted I needed a signature fragrance, and—” She stops abruptly.

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