“Jesus, what is your problem?”
“I’m sorry. My nuts hurt,” I whined, coming up with the only excuse I could think of. Why would I give a shit if she was friends with Kit? It didn’t mean shit to me.
Bay woke up once we got to the airport because Aunt Bridge insisted she wake up. I carried her bags while Kit carried Bay, hugging and kissing her like she was never going to see her again. With Bay still in her arms she hugged me and I hugged her back, taking Bay with me when we parted.
“I love you,” she said, with half a whimper.
“I love you, too, even if you are a pain in my ass.”
Bridgett walked away with tears streaming down her face. “Bye, Bay Berry Jandt. I love you so much.”
I looked at Bay with a guarded glare and hooded eyes. “We’re not friends anymore.”
“Phil?”
“In the car. How about some I-Hop? You up for some waffles before school?”
I have absolutely no idea what she said, but the way she snarled her lip up and frowned at me kept me from being too mad, and it was funny as hell. Even though I was one-hundred percent sure she didn’t just tell me my boots looked like pork chops, I laughed as if that was exactly what she said.
Bay cried when I left her that morning, and my plan to impress Rydell by beating her to the rat race of traffic went up in flames. I was late—again.
“I’m sorry. I swear I was here on time. Bay cried this morning. I hate leaving her when she cries.”
Rydell gave me the same pissed off face she had the last time we had shared this job together. Never mind that we had sex. Her face still looked like she hated me. She pointed to the other end and the mess of cars that I would never get straightened out.
“Can you just go fix that, please?”
Two weeks into school and they still didn’t get it. Surely this five in, five out thing wasn’t that hard. It was Mr. Pierce this time, half sideways, taking up two lanes while the people behind him did the exact same thing.
“You have to move,” I yelled, a straight finger pointing him in the right direction.
Mr. Pierce stepped out, keeping half his body inside his wife’s SUV. “Where would you like for me to go, Einstein? Why the hell can’t you just form two lines, take it right up the middle? Two lanes. It doesn’t seem like rocket science to me.”
My eyes grew wide as the words flowed from my mouth. Words I wanted to stop as I chewed the foot already in my mouth. “Of course, why didn’t I think of that? You go ahead and form that second lane, let your kids out, and I’ll do a couple hail Mary’s and pray none of them get run over while they cross in front of all these crazies. Genius.”
Paxton Pierce took a half a second to consider my words and got back into his car, not about to let any of his kids cross in front of cars. Especially these cars.
One by one I got them in and Rydell got them out, Harry Potter tailing the end. “Simon, tie your shoe, buddy,” I called from afar, trying like hell to stay away from him.
Simon looked to his shoe and then me. “Hey, can I tell you something?”
“Later, tie your shoe and get to class.”
“Well, it’s about the population. It’s sort of important.”
Nope, didn’t want to hear about that one. I didn’t even know what population he wanted to tell me about, and I didn’t care. That sounded like a long winded conversation. “I hate that little fucker.”
Rydell busted a gut, backhanding me in mine. “You can’t say that.”
My hand instantly went to my stomach, feeling the ache in my balls vibrate with pain. All I could do was stop my feet and moan.
“Seriously? You pussy.”
“If you only knew.”
“Knew what? What the hell is wrong with you? You look a little gray.”
“I took a foot to the groin this morning; brought me to my knees.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.”
I hobbled away with Rydell, slower than normal. “What are you do doing later?”
“Brantley, don’t do that. We can have fun without making it—.”
I held the gate for her, but stopped her with a hand around her wrist. “Making it what, Rydell? Hurt? I’m not going to hurt you.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“Stop it. What are you doing tonight?”
Rydell took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. “Hanging at the bar. Not much to do around here unless you go into the city.”
“Come over tonight. I make one hell of a homemade pizza.”
“We’ll see.”
“Hey, can I tell you something?”
I stepped around Rydell, held onto Simon’s shoulders, and spun him to face her. “Here, tell her something.”
I laughed and left her to the tedious lecture on Los Angeles being overpopulated filled with plenty of ums, and well’s. My smirk continued as I stood in the door, welcoming everyone back from the weekend, eyes on Rydell. God, she was beautiful. Even when she was mad.
“I hate you,” she mouthed, head nodding while pretending to pay attention to Simon while we parted ways, me with a wink.
The good thing about being a second grade teacher was that not one of them knew I didn’t have a clue. I wasn’t what they remembered from first grade, but I was still a teacher, and that made me smarter than them. In their eyes anyway. They thought I was Super Teacher, and I sort of liked that feeling. Being a teacher wasn’t at all what I had expected. I wasn’t bored like I had presumed I would be, and truth be told, I sort of liked it. Except for a few misdemeanors, one of my girls locking all the stall doors, a rotten banana on the bookshelf that just magically got there, and a bunch of liars. My God, little kids never admitted to anything, but they were right quick to tell on one another. Oh, and they talked. A lot.
“Keep reading, I’m going to take a bathroom break, Kayla, you read the next part. Martin, you’re in charge.”
Pretty Penny chatter box raised her hand. “What?”
“I didn’t know teachers went to the bathroom.”
Did I mention they were stupid little creatures, too. “That’s dumb. Everyone goes to the bathroom. Next time you have a question, try it out in your mind before you put it out there. Keep reading.”
I stepped out the door, scratching my head with a quick glance back to the closed door, and then I stopped at Rydell’s. I stood there, watching her walk around her room with an opened book. She was so pretty.
Her eyes met mine and her book went to a little girl in braids.
I opened the door for her, but barely stepped back. “What are you doing?”
“Watching you.”
“Why? You’re supposed to be teaching your class.”
“Danny DeVito’s got it. I had to pee.”
“Backup. You can’t kiss me at school.”
“Can I kiss you when they go to art?”
She told me to leave her alone, but she kissed me first. “No, go away.”
I walked to the bathroom with a smile, running right into Crystal Cantral.
“Hey, cowboy. How’s it going?”
“Amazingly, very well. Thank you.”
“Good, so now that you’re settled in we should hang out.”
Yup, I was sick. “I can’t, but thank you.”
First came the frown. “Why? I thought you were single.”
“I am, sort of. I have a little girl that owns most of my heart, and I’m sort of infatuated with Miss Brinkley right now. I’m not looking to screw that up.”
“Ha, are you serious? You do know she likes them married, right?”
I stepped around her gossiping mouth and went about my day. “Have a nice day, Miss Cantral.”
As soon as I returned to my class, Harry Potter had something to tell me.
“Hey, can I tell you something?”
“No, Simon. You cannot. You can read the next paragraph.”
“But, Rowan talked while you were gone.”
“Read.”
<
br /> “Well, can I tell you something else?”
“What, Simon? Why can’t you just read the paragraph?”
“We’re done.”
I scanned the class, all eyes wide and on me. “Oh, well okay. Let’s go over the questions, see what you remember.”
Art couldn’t come soon enough. I was the one who couldn’t remember what we read. My mind wouldn’t stay off of Rydell, or her lips long enough to concentrate on anything.
Believe you me, as soon as that bell rang and we not so quietly walked to art, I joined Miss Brinkley in her class, locking the door behind me.
Rydell didn’t protest like I thought she would, not even a little. She kissed me first, one hand on each side of my face.
“Damn, is that a yes for pizza?”
“What’s wrong with me? I’m so stupid.”
“I love stupid girls. Bring your guitar.”
Rydell and I goofed off, flirting and messing around until she shoved me out of her room through our adjacent door, just as the bell rang. Forty-nine minutes to be exact. That’s how it was with Rydell. Time stood still, and I wanted it to.
With her.
Chapter Nineteen
This was one time I knew for sure my cooking would lead to forking. Rydell helped cut up fresh vegetables and Bay happily sat in the middle of the island adding them to a bowl. I swear Rydell laughed more at my silly daughter that night than I had ever heard. Tears in the eyes kind of laughing. Then again, Bay was pretty funny.
Everything was grand up until she got a text from someone. We’d just gathered around the table outside by the pool to dig into our pizza when she looked up to me. I didn’t need to be told the expression wasn’t happy with me.
“Did you tell Crystal we were dating?”
“No, that’s not what I said, but what if I did?”
“We’re not dating.”
“I didn’t say that. She asked if I wanted to hang out and I told her no, that I was sort of infatuated with you, and I didn’t want to screw that up.”
“You’re infatuated with me? What does that mean?”
“I fat, too.” Bay said as she lifted her shirt, her hand patting her little belly. Of course that settled the chill a little. We both laughed.
I cut Bay’s pizza into tiny strips while I said stuff that I didn’t say to girls. Ever. “It means, I think about you, a lot. It means I have this burning desire to be near you, all the time. We’re good together. Don’t you think we’re good together?”
Rydell tilted her head to the side. “My dad just asked me this morning why you weren’t married or why you didn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Oh yeah, you talked about me with your dad? What did you say?”
“That you were a dick.”
“Dick.”
My hand covered Bay’s as I tried to teach her about words only grownups were allowed to say. “Hey, you can’t say that.”
“Oops, sorry.”
“I do it all the time, but I have finally stopped saying the F one. Sister Dawn lets me know about it every time my daughter says it at daycare. She’s super smart.”
“Why don’t you have someone? I don’t get that part either. You’re sexy as hell, you can sing, you’re so good with people, you have a very nice package, and you’re super cute.”
“I have a nice package?”
“Shut up. Why are you single?”
“Because I’m a dick. Normally I would lie, and—.”
“Done.”
“You’re not done, eat more. Normally I would lie and tell you what you want to hear. I don’t want to lie to you. It’s the truth. I don’t do relationships. Never wanted to. Until now.”
“But is that because of me, or because of Bay? I feel like she’s grounding you right now. What happens a year from now when she’s not here? Are you still going to want me? Jesus, forget it. I sound like a hot mess.”
“No, I get what you’re saying. You have every right to feel like that. I’m a player, it’s what I do, but I swear to God, I’m not playing you, Rydell. I don’t know what all this is, but you’re right. I do feel grounded, but it’s not just Bay. It’s you, my job, this house. I fought Kit for months about me taking Bay for a year. I wanted no part of it. I belonged in Nashville. Fuck, I didn’t even like Florida. I hated it.”
“Fuck.”
“Bay, stop saying that. You’re going to get kicked out of daycare.”
“Done.”
“You’re not done. Eat this,” I coaxed, while holding a mushroom to her tightly squeezed lips.
“So her mom was just a fling?”
“Her mom was one weekend, a good time. She hit me with the Bay news a few weeks later, and I begged her to let me pay to get rid of her, and then I begged her to let me sign my rights over. Thank God for unanswered prayers, huh?”
Rydell studied me while she chewed food in her mouth. “It sounds like her mom didn’t really want her, either.”
“Oh no, she does. Kit loves her to the moon way past Mars and back.”
“I still don’t get how you could just leave your kid like that.”
I’m not sure why, but for whatever reason, I found myself in a protective state. I didn’t want her to talk about Bay’s mom in a bad way. Kit wasn’t a bad mom at all. “I guess the same way I did. She’s almost two and I’m just now getting to know her.”
“Yeah, but it’s different for a mom. Do you think she’ll ever come back for her?”
I looked at her, puzzled. “Yes, I’m very sure of it. They Skype every single night. Kit loves this kid like you wouldn’t believe.”
“And you don’t?”
“Don’t what? Love Kit? God, no. She was a lay, that’s it,” I admitted, as I stopped myself from saying she was a good piece of ass. Rydell didn’t need to know how good she was in bed, and Bay didn’t need to repeat “ass” again.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to be a—.”
“You’re not being a bitch. I get it. You’re gun shy and you have every right to be.”
“Done. Women.”
“Fine, go women. You can eat it later.”
I helped Bay slide off the chair and out of her shirt, grinning from ear to ear as her little feet pattered across the tile with her spoon and a cup. She walked to the first step and did exactly what I thought she was going to do. She used the spoon to fill the cup.
My evening with Rydell and Bay was precisely what I wanted it to be . Rydell only added to the dream I had never dreamed before. Having her there to flirt with while we watched Joy again was a nice little change, except Bay was a little jealous and kept coming between us. It was cute as hell. Every time I kissed Rydell, Bay kissed me. Cutest thing ever.
“Mommy go?” Bay asked, once again pulling my attention from Rydell to her. This time through a sleepy yawn.
I looked at the clock and stood with her. “I’m going to let her talk to her mom and get her to bed. It’ll be like twenty minutes, tops.”
Rydell stood with me, kissing Bay’s cheek. “Night, sweet girl. I had fun with you. Can I have a hug?”
Bay wrapped her little arms around Rydell’s neck and squeezed.
Daddy smiled happily.
“I’m going to take off, Brantley. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Whoa, wait. I thought we were going to play some tunes.”
Rydell gave me the sexy head tilt with the captivating eyes, “You thought we would play some tunes or have sex?”
“Both. Come on, don’t leave. We won’t do the other. We’ll sit out by the pool and drink a beer and pick a little. Please.”
“Peas.”
“See, Bay wants you to stay, too.”
“I’m not spending the night.”
“Okay. I’ll hurry.”
Bay went pee, brushed her teeth, chewed a fish shaped vitamin, and crawled into my bed with Phil.
“There’s Mommy,” I said, as the call came in.
Bay gasped like she did every night, excite
d to see her mommy.
“Hi, Bay baby. How are you?”
“Dell fine a sake.”
“A snake. We saw a snake out by the pool tonight,” I clarified, not telling her the part where Rydell called her over to show her.
“You did? You saw a snake? What happened to her eye?”
“A miscalculated dare devil jump from the coffee table to the sofa. I’m not sure what she hit her eye on. I caught the tail end of it.” Again, I refrained from telling her that I was busy kissing Rydell at the time.
“Bandit. Boo-boo.”
“No, you’re not getting a Band-Aid. It’s barely even there. Tell Mommy about what you made with your handprints today at school.”
Bay lifted her hands, her little fingers spreading apart. “Bay a cway wif apain.”
“They made handprints out of clay and she gets to paint it when it’s dry.”
“You better keep all that stuff for me.”
“Oh, I am. You should see the office. We go in there every day after school and hang something on the wall.”
“Ahhh, that’s so cool, Brantley. You don’t know how much that means to me. It sure makes being here a little easier. God, I miss her so much. I miss you so much, Bay Berry Jandt.”
“Miss you.”
“There’s a possibility of me getting to come home for her birthday. Maybe. I can’t say for sure yet, but I’m hoping.”
“But not Christmas?”
“I doubt it. I mean, I possibly could, but then there would be no way I’d be able to make it for her birthday, too. I think I’d rather be there for her birthday.”
“Okay, whatever works.”
“Bay, look what Mommy saw today. Do you know what that is?”
I listened to the silly interaction with many deep breaths, wanting them to hurry the hell up. I didn’t care about any of that. Not at the moment. I had other things on my mind, and it wasn’t monkeys in Kenya.
I did get rid of her a little earlier than normal, telling her I had a lot of papers to grade, and the lie that Bay still needed to go potty and brush her teeth. It was nearly nine o’clock by the time I sang her to sleep and carried her to her bed.