He wanted to follow her. Partly to make sure she was safe but mostly just to be close to her, pathetic as he was. But he wouldn’t follow. He’d keep his distance because he loved her. Sounded stupid, but in his mind, the best way he could prove the depth of his feelings for her was by staying away. From her running routine, from her office door, and from her. Period.
The past week had been hell. Mari alternated between threatening, wheedling, and torrential crying jags. Once upon a time, he would have given in to any of those if for no other reason than to make them stop. These days, he could hang up on her.
She was scared. He knew she was. Hell, he was too. He always thought he would like being a dad, but he never planned on anything like this. When Mari had told him she was pregnant the first time, he’d been nervous about the prospect of impending fatherhood, but at least he knew what to do. He’d married her. Made plans to have a family with her. Dreamed about adding a sibling or two for the kid as the years passed. Both he and Mari had been only children, so he loved the idea of his kid having the siblings he’d always wanted.
But none of those dreams were meant to be.
Chafing his hands to warm them, he leaned forward as Millie approached the near side of the track. This was her last pass before she’d take off toward the quad and all points beyond. As soon as she was out of sight, he’d have to put her out of his mind and return to the athletic center. The regular season had started, and the Warriors had posted a win in their first game. No thanks to their coach, whose mind had been off in la-la land.
His thoughts wandered away again as he watched Millie veer off the all-weather track and start pounding pavement. The headband she wore made her red hair stand up like the guy from the Christmas cartoon. He ached to tease her about it. To run his fingers through the fiery tumult of her hair, his hands over her tight runner’s body.
Her ass fit perfectly in his palms. She wore compression tights and a form-fitting jacket. He knew she would shed the jacket by the time she left campus. He’d seen her tie the sleeves around her trim waist without breaking stride. And what a stride it was.
Watching Millie run was almost as good as watching her come. Ty found the play of lean muscle under skintight spandex unspeakably erotic. He’d give his left nut to feel her thighs bunch and flex. To run his hands down taut hamstrings. Feel her heels digging into his ass.
“Hey.”
Ty started, his head jerking up as the decidedly masculine voice cut his trip down fantasy lane short. He blinked to clear his vision and glanced up to find Danny McMillan looming over him. “Oh. Hey.” Returning his attention to the track, he did a quick scan but knew in his gut Millie was already gone. Stifling a sigh, he forced a tight smile for the football coach. “How’s it going?”
Without waiting for an invitation, Danny dropped down on the bleacher. “Not bad. With a little hard work and whole bucket of luck, we might actually end up bowl-eligible.”
Ty frowned, trying to remember what he’d read about the football program’s upcoming conference games. They had two home games and three away before the conference championship game, and if he recalled correctly, every one of those games would be against nationally ranked opponents. Unable to hide his skepticism, he cast Danny a sidelong glance. “Ya think?”
To his credit, Danny laughed and shook his head. “Not really, but there’s always hope.”
“Any given Saturday,” Ty intoned like a television announcer.
“Could happen.” Danny dug his phone out of his jacket pocket, checked a notification on the screen, then tucked it away again. “You taking a breather out here?”
Ty shrugged. “Sometimes the smell of sweat socks can get to a guy.”
“I hear you.” Danny glanced over at him. “You doin’ okay?” When Ty cut him a sharp look, he had the grace to shrug and look abashed. “The girls talk, but not as much as Mike does.”
“So my secret is safe with no one.”
“Secrets, no. You, though… You’re among friends, Ty.”
Danny’s softly spoken reassurance spawned a lump of emotion the size of a fist. Before Ty could get a handle on himself, the damn thing rose up and lodged in his throat, making any kind of verbal response impossible. Pressing his lips tightly together, he feigned undue interest in the marching band’s intricate formations as he nodded an acknowledgment.
“Kate and Avery are slobbering to tell Mari off,” Danny offered.
Ty chuckled and swallowed the knot. “The line of people wanting to do that is long and distinguished.” He rubbed his palms together and was surprised to find them damp. “At least they wouldn’t be throwing elbows.”
The other man bobbed his head. “Kate would, if you needed her to.”
This time, Ty’s laugh rang out hearty and true. “God, could you imagine?”
“Wouldn’t be a fair fight.” Danny snickered too. “Just as well. Avery’s probably a pacifist anyway.”
Ty gave the theory some thought. “I’m betting she’d do a little harm on Kate’s or Millie’s behalf.” He smirked. “She lit into me in the student center the other day, telling me to get my shit straight and fix this thing.”
“Yeah, because you’re the one fucking everything up,” Danny commiserated.
“It takes two. That’s what everyone keeps reminding me.”
“Yeah, it does. But that doesn’t mean the timing doesn’t suck.”
With that one bit of unadorned acceptance of his plight, Ty’s self-control snapped. “It’s mine.” His voice cracked. “The baby. They did the test, and it came back a match.”
“Ah, shit.”
Danny’s soft exhalation echoed everything
