Page 66 of Second Dance
“It’s awful.”
“She’s mortified that everyone saw,” Grace said. “I would be too.”
“It’ll die down after a while. But we have to encourage her to stay on the team. If she quits, she’ll never be able to go back without feeling super embarrassed.”
“Will you help her, Mom?”
“In what way?”
“I don’t know. She misses her mom so much, and stuff like this makes it even worse.”
“I’m here for her. If she wants that.”
“She knows she’s made everything harder the last few days. She told me so just now. Which means that tomorrow night you and Alex need to go on a date.”
“That’s very thoughtful of you,” I said. “We’ll see how Alex feels tomorrow. He’s pretty shaken up.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Grace said.
The front doorbell rang. “Who could that be?”
“You don’t think Darren would just show up here, do you?” Grace’s eyes widened.
“Darren? No. He has no idea where we live.” Even as I said it, fear made my legs go slightly numb. What if he’d followed us somehow?
I told Grace to wait in the kitchen and keep an eye on the popcorn, then hurried into the living room and peered out the window. It was Alex standing on the porch, carrying a blanket and a tuxedo cat stuffed animal. I yanked open the door, happy to see him, even though it had been only an hour since I’d left his house.
“Hey there. Come on in.” I backed up, beckoning him inside.
“Bella forgot these. I didn’t think she’d be able to sleep without them.” He held out the blanket and toy cat as if presenting a crown on a silk pillow to a queen.
“That’s very sweet of you.” My heart melted, seeing the pain in his dark eyes as I took the blanket and cat from him. “She’supstairs in the shower. Do you want to wait to say goodnight to her?”
“I’d like that. It’s just hard to know she’s hurting and that she doesn’t want me to be the one to comfort her.”
“She just needed a night away. And maybe some feminine energy. You’re doing the right thing. Giving her space shows her you respect her feelings.”
His mouth pulled tight, the muscles in his jaw working as though he was chewing glass. “I’m sorry for all this. Are you sure you don’t want an out?”
I stepped closer, breathing in the spicy scent of his cologne, wishing I could wrap myself around him. Forever. “I do not want an out. I’m in. All in.”
“It certainly seems that way.” He brought me in for a kiss. For a moment, I forgot all our problems, melting against him.
The sound of popping corn brought me back to reality. Grace poked her head out of the kitchen. “Don’t worry Mom, I’ve got the popcorn. Hi, Alex.”
“Hey, Grace,” Alex said.
Grace left us to attend to the popcorn.
“And I’m sorry for coming by unannounced. The car just kind of drove me here.”
“It’s okay.” I wanted to smooth away the worry lines with my fingertips.
He brushed his hands through his hair, causing it to stick up in the back. A shadow of stubble darkened his chin.
Just then, Bella bounded down the stairs. She stopped when she saw Alex. “Dad, what are you doing here?”
“I brought your blanket and Cutie.” Alex held up his hands. “But I’m going.”
