Page 12 of A Way Out
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Sorry. It’s just…she hasn’t had much interaction with other kids. She’s either been with me or the nanny for her entire life. I…she was supposed to start preschool in the fall.”
Lots to unpack in that statement. “Do you want something to drink before we head out and let them get in the pool? Beer? Wine? Mixed drink? Water?”
“I’m not much of a drinker.” She paused. “But a glass of wine sounds lovely.”
“You got it.” He opened the wine fridge. “Red or white? I doubt they have the pink stuff—oh wait, what’s this? Rosé.” He held up the bottle. “Want to try it?”
“That’s not quite the same as the pink stuff you are imagining.”
“Oh.” He started to slide it back into the fridge.
“No, no, it’s fine. It’s better, actually.”
Oh, okay. He didn’t know shit about wine, other than, generally, women like Maria drank it.
Since there was a bar outside stocked with stemless wineglasses and a fridge, he carried the bottle with him as he escorted Maria out to the patio.
Once Riley was fitted with her life vest, the kids charged for the pool. Oz poured wine for him and Maria, and then he snagged a second lounger to situate next to the one he’d been chilling in earlier.
He took a tentative sip of the wine. “It’s not sweet. But I like it.”
He was rewarded by Maria’s breathtaking smile.
Totally worth it.
“Okay, hit me,” he said when they were settled.
She sipped her wine delicately. “With what?” she finally asked.
“I promised to be your sounding board, remember?”
“Oh. Right. I…”
He waited. The kids had been like this for months after Raquel’s death. Very clearly wanting to talk but unsure what to say, how to say it, whether it was right. Whatever it was.
Maria clutched her wineglass in her lap, staring down at it like it would tell her fortune.
“I’m, well, I’m currently homeless.” She lifted her gaze to the sky. “God, that sounds so weird.”
“Not really.” If she’d walked away from an abusive situation in a hurry, it wasn’t weird at all.
She gave him a swift glance before taking another sip. “I didn’t think, didn’t realize the timing. I just figured if I could get here, I could stay with Holly until I worked out my next steps.”
“You can still do that. I mean, I assume Holly won’t turn you away.”
“No, she won’t, but she isn’t here. I mean, I had planned to go to the wedding anyway. I just didn’t pay attention, didn’t realize it was this coming weekend. We have flights booked, but they’re from Seattle. And I wasn’t even thinking about flying with a toddler when I packed to drive here. All the stuff she requires. Plus, my hair products. I can’t fly with a big bottle of shampoo.”
She paused and closed her eyes. “God, I’m babbling.”
“You’re not. You’re releasing stress. I’m a good listener, so keep going if you want to.”
She opened her eyes and gave him another of those dazzling smiles. He wanted to do whatever he could to keep her lips tipped up like that.
“Thanks,” she said.
“Hey, remember, I’m going to the wedding, too, so I’ll be there if you need to continue releasing stress.”
