I’d felt a lot of things in my life.
Shame was one I knew quite well.
And her expression mirrored it perfectly.
It wasn’t just that she was kissing me.
She was embarrassed she’d given in.
And maybe even a little bit ashamed that the person she’d given in to — was me.
I steeled my expression then looked away. I couldn’t even find a smile to flash at her in the moment. Because I wanted this — I wanted her — and I hated that she viewed me as a mistake when I saw her as a reward.
“Just a minute, honey.” Bronte quickly got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around herself, and left the bathroom.
Left me.
Alone, in an empty tub.
Couldn’t say it had ever happened to me before, a woman just walking away after I teased her breasts, kissed her mouth.
I waited in the tub, drumming my fingertips against the tile until finally, it was bordering on embarrassing with how cold the water was getting.
I grabbed a towel, dried off, put my clothes back on, and managed to empty the tub all within a few minutes.
When I cracked the door open, it was to see Amelia lying in bed with her mom, both of them sleeping.
And the lonely rockstar in the tepid bathwater? Completely forgotten.
Anger warred with rejection, and then a blanket of sadness decided to wrap itself around my throat as I tiptoed past the bed where they lay intertwined.
Where they physically showed me, there was no place for someone like myself, no room.
I tried to conjure up my walls, the familiar anger, but all I felt was left behind, abandoned, and I hated that feeling because it was the one I’d been running from my entire existence.
Bronte’s heart had been carved out by her three children, leaving no room to stretch for a guy she didn’t know, didn’t trust.
Feeling like an idiot, I reached for the sliding glass door and opened it.
“Sorry,” Bronte whispered. “She wasn’t feeling good, and I didn’t want it to look suspicious,” She was suddenly behind me, wrapping an arm around my stomach.
I glanced over my shoulder. Amelia was completely out and turned the other direction, the comforter over her head.
“It’s fine,” I said, holding a polite tone.
“You’re upset.” Bronte slowly turned me to face her. “I panicked, all right? She’s not ready to see me with anyone yet—”
“Did you ask her?” I crossed my arms and pulled away.
“What?”
“Did you ask her if she’s ready for you to date?”
She frowned. “Well, no, but I’m her mom. I don’t need to.”
I nodded. “Right, why don’t you come over tomorrow when you’re ready to stop using your fully grown children as crutches.”
Her hand went flying across my face so fast that I didn’t have time to block it. And that sting… I felt it heavy in my soul, face be damned.
“How dare you!” she hissed.
“Me?” I stood chest to chest with her. “Are you serious right now? You’re the one that hasn’t taken a chance in over fourteen years, and now that you have a person fully willing to give you everything, you use Amelia as a shield.”
“She could be sick again!” Bronte shoved me.
“You’re right.” I hung my head. “She could be sick, you could be sick, the world could end tomorrow — and I get that I’ve only known her a little while, but she’s the bravest girl I’ve ever met. So tomorrow, when you’re done running, ask her. Ask her how she feels about us. I can guarantee you, she’s happy.”
“How would you know that?” She shot me a death glare.
“Because…” I was suddenly exhausted. “…I did what you didn’t.”
She frowned.
I continued talking. “I asked her. I asked your daughter before I acted.”
Bronte’s face was pale, her eyes wide with shock.
I turned around and left, pulling the glass door closed.
Good, let her be shocked.
Did she really think I’d ask Braden and not Amelia? Hell, I would have asked Sarah too if she wasn’t away at school.
I wasn’t sure if I was insulted, hurt, angry, or all of the above. Was it fair that she was freaked out? Absolutely.
I just wanted, for the first time in my life, to be the guy others leaned on, not the one they ran from.
CHAPTER 10
Bronte
I didn’t sleep at all once Drew left. In fact, I found myself just staring out at the glass door as if he was going to come back when I knew it was stupid. Because what was he going to do? Watch me sleep?
Amelia woke up pretty early and said she felt good enough for a run, and that she might have just had some bad chicken the night before.
She didn’t look pale anymore, and everything about her revealed youth and excitement over another day. I had to ask myself if I even thought about the days I’d been given, or did I just go right into task-mode, mom-mode, crossing off a list of things that needed to get done before making the perfect dinner.
I frowned and hurried to get ready, unsure if Drew still wanted to even see me after last night.
Embarrassment washed over me as I thought about his kisses, about our heated moments in the bathtub where, for a few brief seconds, I felt like the type of woman he could be with — wanted to be with — not the terrified version of myself who hid under a shell of labels like mom, wife, etcetera.
“Mom!” Amelia’s shout could probably be heard across the country.
I ran into the kitchen and stuttered to a stop when I saw that Drew was already putting eggs and bacon on Amelia’s plate and asking if she wanted orange juice.
He knew we had an appointment today. I’d mentioned it before all of this started. Was he just trying to distract her? And had he really asked her about us? Exhaustion was already creeping in as
