Page 6 of Falling for Red
Aaron raises an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to the gift bag. “She’s not working today. We gave her the week off.” He looks back to me, then at the bag again. “What’s in the bag?”
“A little something for her and her daughter.” I shrug, but I can feel my neck heating up, and tug at the collar of my polo.This was probably a bad idea.
Aaron lets out a short laugh. “Dude, you’re not the first guy to fall for Claire Moore.” He pauses, shaking his head. “She’s happily single after her nasty divorce last year.”
The word “single” makes me too excited, even though I’d assumed it. The way she carried herself yesterday makes more sense—strong but guarded, like she’s used to relying on herself.
“I’ve never seen her around.” I sip my beer, trying to cool down from the nerves I was just feeling.
“She moved here in January from Chicago. Lake Geneva is a clean slate for her and her daughter.” Aaron studies me for a moment, squinting like he’s trying to read my thoughts. “So, what are your intentions with her?” he asks, clearly enjoying himself.
I lift the bottle for another sip before answering. “To get her number. To take her out.”
Aaron bites his lip. “She could use a night out … you know what ... I’m feeling nice today. Let me text her that you’re looking for her.”
I watch as Aaron pulls out his phone, and my heart rate picks up. He types the message, reading it aloud as he goes. “Jake, thefirefighter from yesterday, is looking for you. He has a gift for you and Gabby in hand. What should I do?”
As Aaron sends the text, I try to act casual, but my foot taps against the stool leg.
Claire’s been through a rough patch—marriage, divorce, raising a kid on her own—and here I am, thirty-four, no kids, and never married. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about settling down, finding someone. It just hasn’t happened yet, and I’d like it to. I feel like I’ve gone out on a first date with everyone interesting in a twenty-mile radius of here. Well, everyone except Claire it seems.
“Let’s see what she has to say.” Aaron steps away, toward other patrons.
I take another sip of my beer, nearly in a sweat waiting to see how she responds.
5
Snuggling Gabby on the couch, I press my cheek against her warm forehead, grateful I get to spend the whole day comforting her. It’s been forever since we’ve had a lazy day in the house. We hardly spend any time here, and it shows. The walls around us are bare. Watching her favorite cartoon, I feel relaxed until my mind drifts to the idea of texting her dad. Should I let him know she’s sick? No. This is day two of this low-grade fever, and outside of her being a little lethargic, she seems good. She’ll be recovered or at least a lot better by the time he picks her up tomorrow evening. There’s no point in giving him an excuse to bail on his every-other-weekend duty. When he’s with her, he’s great—he loves to read Gabby stories and be outside with her. But getting him to show up is the hardest part. He’s been able to come up with more than a few excuses about why he can’t make the less than two-hour drive from Chicago or even the one-hour drive if we meet in the middle.
A familiar bitterness creeps in. My relaxation is over, and frustration takes hold. I’m the one who has to make up for his absences, who has to smooth over Gabby’s disappointment when he can’t make it. He acts like I should be so grateful for “his” money, like that makes up for everything or like it’s evenenough. But I would trade every cent for a dad who’s consistent, who’s a real presence in her life. A dad she sees more than the few days a month that he can barely manage.
My phone buzzes on the coffee table. Is this him canceling already? That would be like clockwork. Reaching for my phone, I see it’s a text from Aaron. Do they need me at the bar? Are they already slammed?
Aaron Olson
Jake, the firefighter from yesterday, is looking for you. He has a gift for you and Gabby in hand. What should I do?
Jake the firefighter.
A gift? For me and Gabby? Why am I smiling? I shake my head, almost laughing at myself. What a whiplash from being pre-mad at my ex to having some guy trying to be too cute. To have a guy trying, I repeat internally more than a few times. It’s been a while since anyone has. Points for Jake.
At least he isn’t a barfly.I’ve never seen him at High Five before, and I feel like I’ve met the whole town at this point since working there. More points for Jake.
But who is he? What does he want?
I glance down at Gabby, who’s completely enthralled with her cartoon. We’re both still in our pajamas and rocking bedhead, leaning into the lazy day. Maybe I should ignore this text, avoid the whole thing altogether. Curiosity gets the better of me though, and I type back a quick response.
Claire Moore
Do you know anything about this guy?
There’s a long pause, and I imagine Aaron debating what to say. Then my phone buzzes again.
Aaron Olson
Good guy. Spent four years in the Marines after high school and is now a firefighter. Not a player.
I knew he was in the military!It was all over him.Not a player.I can’t help but roll my eyes. If I had a dollar for every time someone vouched for a guy who turned out to be exactly what they swore he wasn’t … but Aaron wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t true.
