It was my last night in Brook Creek, and I was feeling a little melancholy. That was probably where these unusual thoughts were stemming from. I was going to miss hanging out with Addison and Maddox. And I was really going to miss being around Tommy.
I’d heard from the police that morning. There were no fingerprints besides Tommy’s, Derek’s, and mine, and they were still collecting results from DNA on the letters and envelopes, particularly the seal.
But even though we didn’t know who had sent me the letters, there hadn’t been any more, and I didn’t feel right about pulling Tommy away from his vacation.
I was only going to be an hour away, and I was already working on ways I could come and visit. I just worried that I would look too desperate. Tommy had never mentioned seeing each other beyond this trip. Then again, neither had I. But Virginia was a long way away from Iowa. I couldn’t even make relationships work when I lived in the same town as the person I was dating. How could I possibly do it from half a country away?
“Hopefully, after the movie, we can put the boys to bed and watch a grown-up one,” Addison said to me. “If it’s not too late. I know you have to drive back tomorrow.”
“No, I’d like that.”
“Did you want me to put Thane to bed now?”
I rubbed the little guy’s back. “No, I’m good. It’s my last night to get baby snuggles, so I might as well take advantage of it.”
Addison smiled. “I never took you for a baby snuggler.”
I chuckled. “Me neither. But he’s pretty hard to resist.”
I heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming up from the basement. Tommy had gone down there with Maddox after dinner to go over some plans on what he wanted to do to finish up the lower level.
The two men stopped in the kitchen and were speaking in low voices to each other.
“What do you think is going on in there?” I asked.
She arched her back, sticking her ear out since she was closer to the kitchen than I was. She relaxed and shook her head. “No idea. I can’t hear what they’re saying.”
The two men rounded the corner, and my mouth dropped open when I saw them first.
Addison spun around in her chair, holding on to Spencer so he wouldn’t fall. “What is going on?”
Tommy and Maddox were wearing jeans, no shirts, and bow ties.
Tommy held up a bottle of nail polish. “We came to pay up. And we’re not quite naked butlers, but we thought this was pretty close.”
Maddox sat down at Addison’s feet.
“Whose idea was this?” she asked.
“I kind of forgot about the bet,” I said.
“I told you,” Maddox said to Tommy. “We can always leave,” he said with a smile to his wife.
“Oh, don’t you dare.”
He chuckled and picked up a foot. “I figured as much.”
“Daddy, what you doing?” Spencer asked as Tommy sat down by my feet and faced me.
“I’m going to paint Mommy’s toenails.”
Spencer held up a little foot. “Me, too.”
“After Mommy, buddy. You have to wait your turn.”
I had to admit, I was shocked that such an alpha male would be okay with painting his son’s toenails. Some guys would shut down the idea.
“Don’t you dare,” Addison said to Maddox. “There is no way he’ll sit still long enough for it to dry, and we’ll have streaks of nail polish all over the house.”
Maddox winced. “Sorry, buddy. Mommy makes a good point. Maybe when you’re a little older.”
“Now.”
Addison picked up Spencer’s foot and blew a raspberry on it. The sweet boy giggled and seemed to forget all about getting his nails painted.
“So, what color did you pick out for me?” I asked Tommy. “Some sort of red?”
He grinned. “Fuck-me red,” he said, whispering the word fuck so Spencer couldn’t hear.
I wiggled my toes. “Have at it.”
He picked up a foot and massaged the ball of it. “At this time, I would like to remind you that I suck at this. But I give great foot massages, if you’d like to change your order from nail painting to foot massages.”
His hands really did feel great, but I wanted to see this big manly man do my nails more than I wanted a rubdown.
I smiled and shook my head. “No dice.”
He shrugged. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He unscrewed the bottle, set it on the coffee table, and pulled out the brush. He painted my big toe and pulled my foot back to inspect his handiwork. “Not too bad.”
I lifted my leg and looked. “Good job, stud. Let’s see you do the little ones now,” I teased.
He pulled my foot back and went to work on my other four toes.
His brow furrowed in concentration as he painted. He was adorable.
Even though he had warned me that he was going to be bad at this job, he was still trying his best for me.
Thane stirred on my chest, and I suddenly wondered what it would be like to have Tommy paint my nails while I lay on our couch and held our baby as he slept on me.
I closed my eyes and tried to shake the image as my heart began to pound.
It was one thing to want a family someday. It was another to want it with my vacation fling.
I had never even pictured having kids with my past boyfriends.
Holy shit. I was in deep with this guy.
“Olivia. Olivia.”
I opened my eyes.
Tommy smiled. “I’m done.” He tilted his head. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I was drifting off there; I was so relaxed.”
“Sorry.”
“Do not apologize. That felt amazing.”
“You want to take a look at my work?”
I lifted one foot and then the other. There was a good amount of paint on my skin where it met my nail in a few places, but I didn’t mind.
“I love it,” I said with sincerity. “Thank you.”
Tommy
