Page 35 of Coast

“Thanks for letting me crash. And taking her for a bit. It was like a vacation.”

“Kinda sad, Zo,” he said, shaking his head at me. “But I get it. Anytime you need a break, Jade wasn’t kidding about watching Lainey. Pretty sure Sass would challenge her to a duel over who got the right first, though.”

“Does Jade have kids of her own?”

“Not yet. But I’m sure that’s coming soon. For now, she just likes to temporarily kidnap everyone else’s babies.”

“She seems really sweet.”

“Could give you a toothache,” he agreed. “She and Sass made me write down their numbers for you,” he said. Reaching in his pocket, he passed me a piece of paper with hastily scribbled names and numbers on it. “And wanted me to press that they would happily watch Lil’ Bit here at no charge.”

I took the paper, trying to squash the disappointment that he hadn’t includedhisnumber.

I mean, not that I could call him.

He wasn’t offering babysitting services.

And I certainly wasn’t in the place to start dating again.

In fact, I was reasonably sure I wouldneverbe in the place to date again. I wasn’t sure I could trust my judgment with men any longer.

“Thank them for me,” I said, stuffing the number into Lainey’s diaper bag.

“Thank them by letting them babysit,” he said as I reached for my daughter, suddenly feeling weirdly teary-eyed and wanting to get out of the clubhouse before I did something humiliating like cry in front of Coast.

“Thanks again,” I told him. “We should be getting out of your hair.” I’d probably already missed out on a bunch of delivery orders that could have brought in some decent money.

“You’re not in my hair,” he said. “She’s been good.”

“She usually is,” I agreed. “I will wash your clothes and drop them back sometime this week,” I told him as we walked through the house.

“No rush. Toss me the keys. I’ll get the car going while you get her strapped in.”

Unbidden, my mind flashed to him doing so every time we had to go in the car, so Lainey never had to be uncomfortable.

God, what was wrong with me?

I never fantasized about a man in our lives.

“Thanks again. For everything,” I told him as I closed Lainey’s door to find him standing there.

“Got nothing to thank me for. Drive safe. Be good, Lil’ Bit,” he said, knocking on Lainey’s window as I got in the front seat.

There was a strange ache in my stomach as I reversed out of the spot then pulled out of the driveway.

I was halfway down the street when there was a ping on my phone.

There was an update on my trip detail for the clubhouse.

The estimate for this trip was $95.05 including an upfront tip—and the customer tipped you even more after delivery. Nice job!

My heartbeat tripped into overdrive to find the trip earning went from the projected $95.05 to a staggering $295.05.

Coast had added on a two-hundred-dollar tip. Extra. On top of what he’d already included when he’d ordered.On top ofgiving me two meals, a night of sleep, and an uninterrupted shower full of pampering.

I was blinking back tears as I pulled into the lot of our motel, thinking maybe I needed to accept that therewereactually some really good men out there. Regardless of what my experience before had shown.

“He’s a good guy, huh, Lainey?” I asked as I pulled her out of her seat to carry her inside. “I was starting to lose hope that those existed. But I’m happy to be wrong.”

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