Page 82 of The Best of Us

Every door was shut except the last one, which I assumed was his bedroom. I called out his name and peeked in. All black and white, no color anywhere. No surprise. And also, no Constantine. Damn nice bathroom, though.

I went back into the hallway, knocking on every door, repeating the same phrase, “Hey, it’s me, are you in there?” until I lucked out.

“Yeah,” he answered on my fourth attempt. “Coming.” He opened a moment later but remained a blockade to my path inside. He parked one hand on the frame, holding a drink in the other. “Is Colin all right?”

“Much better now, and he told me more about what happened at the rave.” I tried to look behind him to see what was in there. Based on the fancy desk and bookshelf I could see, it was an office.

“He tell you everything?” The notable hitch in his voice had me worried.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because you don’t look upset.”

Ohh.“Well, maybe that’s because he promised he’s done with that life, and since you’re in his now, I’m going to try and believe him. Also, I trust you’ll do whatever it takes to protect him from his past. Protect all of us.”

He stepped back, surprise continuing to remain rooted in his expression. When was this man going to realize I wasn’t a runner?

He didn’t need to know that yet. I was in over my head with feelings I probably had no business having for him so fast. You know, feelings that sort of never went away, even with time.

I couldn’t believe I’d actually thought he’d decorated the guest room with an Aruba-y theme because of me. He’d think I was nuts if I worked up the nerve to ask.

He slowly lifted his glass to his mouth and took a generous sip. If there was ever a time for me to be a drinker, it’d be today.

With him no longer blocking the entrance to his office, I went in uninvited, searching for a bar cart I hoped to find. “Mind if I have a drink, too?”

“I do, in fact, mind,” he said as I located more than a cart, but a fully stocked bar. An open bottle of Legacy Ridge sat on the counter, half empty.

I was still curious why he drank that all these years, especially if it was possibly a painful reminder of me. I pushed those thoughts to the side for now and faced him, settling into my typical “mom” pose with my hands on my hips. I couldn’t fight the smile trying to slip loose. “Why can’t I?”

“Because I doubt you’ve had any food today.” He crossed the space to stand in front of me, probably not trusting me to be so close to his bar without him there to intervene in my quest for a drink. “You’ll get sick if you have anything on an empty stomach, and I can’t let that happen.”

My stomach growled in confirmation, betraying me. “And have you eaten?”

“Nope.”

Well, that’s not fair.

His gaze fell to my mouth before he took another indulgent sip of bourbon.

I reached for his glass, but he shook his head and held it up. “This is not a game you will win. Food first. A sip later.”

“Just a sip?”

“I think that’s the safest amount for a non-drinker like you, even with food, while sharing a roof with me.”

I couldn’t help but pay close attention to the underlying message there. Bold print. All caps. He was making himself very clear that he, at the very least, still desired me. There was no denying we had obvious chemistry and could make spectacular kids together. I didn’t question that.

Without lowering the glass, he leaned closer, dropping his mouth an inch from mine, making my pulse leap. A rush of heat slammed into me and went south, waking me up in places that’d been dormant until he’d walked back into my life, demanding his wallet but winding up with so much more.

“We want all the decisions you make to be yours,” he said as his eyes thinned. “Now, don’t we?”

And just like that, I morphed into that twenty-one-year-old who’d spoken similar words to those at the bar in Aruba.

“And what decisions might those be?” Against my wishes, I allowed hope for more to finagle its way into my heart and mind. Who was I kidding? It’d resecured its place in both while I’d shared photos of our son.

He straightened his posture, removing the temptation of his lips. “You’re a mystery to me.”

“I was just thinking the same thing about you.” I rested a hand on my nervous stomach. “I think I need that sip now, food or not.”

---