Page 2 of Tinsel in Telluride

“I know.”

“And we need everything to the commissioner’s office by the end of the?—”

“I know, Wills,” I snap, making the mistake of looking up.

The hurt I see flash in Willow’s eyes guts me.

This deal for Renegade Hearts is really important to her. It’s important to me. I hate that my own bullshit is the reason it’s not done yet.

“I’ll get it finished.”

“Will you?” she asks, not as my best friend but as my boss. “Because if you need me to assign this one team to someone else, I can.”

“No, it’s fine,” I reassure her. “This is my mess, and I’m going to figure it out.”

Or die trying.

I promised myself when I found out I was pregnant with Zach that I wasn’t going to let my pregnancy or the circumstances get in the way of my future. And I have done just that. I’ve made sure Renegade Hearts continues to grow while Willow has taken a leave of absence to be a present owner for the Renegades baseball team. Our summer camp is thriving. And Zach is growing into the sweetest little boy.

I’ve done all that.

Me.

I will figure this out too.

Her tense brows soften, and she offers me a warm smile. “Are you going to tell me what happened between the two of you?”

No.

Yes.

I should. I really should. Willow has been there for me through every up and down in my life for the better part of fifteen years. But if I tell her the truth, then it makes it real, and I’ve rather enjoyed the space of denial I’ve created for myself.

See? Deflection at its finest.

“What’s going on between who?” Indiana Lewis, the third wheel to our friendship tricycle, slides into the seat next to me and pops a piece of popcorn in her mouth. Picking up a strip of tinsel, she ties it to the end of her thick black braid, making it a fashion statement in a way only Indie can.

God, I hate that stuff. I don’t know who thought it was a good idea to throw loose strands of glitter on trees, but it just gets everywhere and makes a mess.

Indie glances between Willow and me,her pointed gaze landing on Willow. “Also, your boyfriend’s best friend is sneaking Zachary candy to introduce him to the pretty volunteers.”

All three of us swivel our heads and watch as my almost two-year-old son teeters up to a volunteer and proceeds to point to the Renegades Ace pitcher, and says, “Cawson.”

The pretty brunette volunteer, who looks like she’s dressed for a night out at a club and not to set up a kid’s Christmas party, falls to one knee and coos at Zach before looking up at Carson with hearts in her eyes. “Is he your son?”

I roll my eyes and yell across the banquet hall at Willow’s boyfriend. “Bishop, get your teammate in line. And Carson, stop using my son as your pickup line.”

Carson lifts my sweet boy in his arms and twirls him in a circle. Zach’s laughs echo, making my heart melt. It’s a stark reminder that he needs this. I can’t keep him locked away in order to protect him. He needs people in his life that he can count on. And these people are good people. People I trust. They aren’t going to leave us.

Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll finally believe it.

Carson laughs and sets my son down, giving our table a shrug.“Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

He makes a show of handing Zach his reward, a piece of chocolate, and ruffles his too long blonde hair. “Your mom’s no fun, you know that?”

“I used to be fun,” I mutter, mostly to myself. Now my thoughts revolve around remembering to make an appointment to get my son’s hair cut and worrying if he pooped today or not.

Indie chuckles beside me. “Yeah, then you let your vagina become a bat-infested cave instead of the cave of wonders.”

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