Page 31 of Coast to Coast

Kelsey took over for me with Crew so I could acclimate to my room. My bedroom had a beautiful queen bed with a matching bureau in blonde-colored wood. There was also a free-standing full-length mirror that matched the wood tone of the furniture.

I sighed with relief when I noted that my en suite bathroom had a tub. Baths were my favorite way to decompress when stressed, and they were especially important after a long day of skiing. I wouldn’t have time for a bath before dinner, but it was the first thing I planned to do once Crew went to bed for the night.

I was still unsure what I was expected to handle while Kelsey and Tom were around. Helping Kelsey while we were traveling was an easy decision, but Tom seemed to want to be fully responsible while he was home. I felt awkward watching them take of Crew while I was there being paid a healthy salary to handle that task.

I headed downstairs to the kitchen once I heard Tom call out, letting us know he’d finished cooking dinner. He was on the small patio that opened from the kitchen and had set thetable with plates, cups, and utensils. My stomach growled in anticipation.

“I heard that,” Tom said as I felt my face get warm. “Water? Wine? Beer?” He offered.

“Ooh, I’ll have a small glass of white wine, thank you.”

Kelsey helped herself to the water, “This is my choice for the near future.”

Tom passed Crew his sippy cup, and he took a generous sip before screwing up his face in disgust. “No milk, Dada. Juice, please.”

“Sorry, bud. Milk with dinner.”

Crew pushed his cup away from him, sulking.

“Milk is not his favorite thing,” Kelsey explained. “There is usually a lot of bribery involved in getting him to drink the bare minimum.”

“Noted,” I said, taking in Crew’s interest in his meal. He worked his way around his plate, more interested in anything covered in ketchup. That is exactly what I expected.

We made small talk throughout dinner, where Tom gave a general outline for his and my schedule for the next few weeks. Our eyes met briefly when he mentioned the team cookout that was planned for Sunday. Kelsey would already be back in Boston, and this cookout would be my debut as his girlfriend. I couldn’t help but think that we were playing with fire with this arrangement, and since I’d caught his gaze on my ass and my tits multiple times tonight, the attraction part wouldn’t be fake. I hoped Kelsey hadn’t noticed, but she didn’t strike me as naïve.

And once she returned to Boston, that left me and this man with only a toddler as a buffer. Zander was a runner, but his physique had been more lanky than athletic. While I was attracted to the athletes, I ended up dating men who looked more like coffee shop poets. I estimated Tom’s height to be over 6’4”, maybe 6’5”? Either way, he towered over my 5’4” frame. Iwasn’t a small girl. In fact, Zander had suggested more than once that I should diet, but being around Tom, I felt tiny.

I blinked myself back to reality, cleansing myself of the memories from Zander and the feelings of inferiority. The rational part of my mind reminded me that if I were as insignificant as he made me feel, he never would have needed to steal my work.

“Earth to Callie,” Tom said.

“Oh, sorry. I’m exhausted and zoned out.”

“More wine?” he asked, wine bottle tipped and ready to fill my glass.

“Ah, not right now. I’ll take a glass back to my suite with me. That tub will be the perfect remedy after a day of travel.”

Tom’s eyes widened, and his eyes darted from my eyes to my breasts and quickly back again. I smirked briefly, my body not understanding the rules of our arrangement. I’d never been one to deny myself a man if there was mutual attraction. And while it was evident that we were attracted to each other, anything more than pretend was off-limits.

“Did you bring your guitar?” Tom asked, and Kelsey perked up.

“I had it sent ahead. I haven’t gone through everything yet, but I assume the movers left it in my closet.” I had two acoustic guitars, and I sent one here and the other to Kelsey and Sam’s house in Boston. “I spent some time brushing up on kid-friendly music. If nothing else, I will keep Crew entertained.”

Kelsey looked back and forth between the two of us, “What did I miss?”

Tom spoke, meeting my eyes: “Calliope is an amazing singer. It wasn’t on her resume, but I found her at an open mic while I was still in Boston. And while she’s talented enough to headline, we seem to have her monopolized and singing lullabies to Crew.”

“Huh, that’s awesome. I tried to play the guitar when I was in school, but I could never get my brain to communicate with my fingers; it was a disaster,” Kelsey laughed.

“There were a lot of tears when I first started. But it wasn’t long before it clicked. Music and my guitar made the adolescent years a bit more tolerable. I turned down Berklee for BU and regret it to this day.”

“If we hadn’t been up at the crack of dawn, I would be begging you to play for me. But between that and the time zone change, I’ll wait for when you’re ready.”

“No song for Crew tonight?” I asked.

“He has two parents here to take care of his bedtime. There will be plenty of nights I miss it, but when I’m home, you’re off duty.”

I nodded, slightly disappointed. It was hard to explain, but as exhausting as a day with Crew could be, the mix of baby and toddler was infectious, and I didn’t want to miss any of it—even his little attitude when he processed his feelings and tried to assert himself. His giant, blue eyes mirrored his father’s, and his intensity matched what I’d seen Tom express on the ice in the videos I had watched of him.

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