“Now I’m craving a ballpark hot dog.” Molly touched her stomach. “Only place I eat a hot dog is at a baseball game.”
“Do you eat out or cook more?” As a final attempt, it wasn’t all that strong. Still, he ran with it. Desperate times. Finding the right woman hadn’t been on his agenda. He was supposed to be getting his old life back.
“Unfortunately, a lot of takeout.” Molly twisted her hair into a loose bun on top of her head. “I want to learn to cook more. Once I’m more settled, maybe I’ll find a cooking class that specializes in quick meals. I should be making good choices as an example to Hazel.”
“Cooking for one isn’t the same.” He sat on the couch beside her, purposely well out of accidental-touching distance. “What about when you were with your ex?”
“Derrick preferred to eat and be seen.” She paused and frowned at him. “You’re wondering why I was with him for so long.”
Drew was curious. From the little he knew, her ex didn’t seem to be a good fit for her. Already Drew was a better partner based on the similar likes and dislikes checklist. He was definitely more interested in seeing Molly for who she was than being seen with her. And if he were honest, he’d much prefer having her to himself—sharing more moments exactly like this one.
But all of that only mattered if Drew was interested in being her partner and if she was interested in him, neither of which was true.
“Derek and I worked together at Loft and Concord.” Molly pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered her legs. “We made a good team and had great results. Everyone at the firm was thrilled.”
“Naturally you should’ve been a good team at home too.” Drew set his arm on the back of the couch rather than take her hand.
“We should have been.” She ran her fingers over the soft blanket. “It was nice for a while.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I got pregnant.” She looked at him. The mix of emotions in her gaze swept into her hushed tone. “You really learn a person’s core values in a life-changing event like that.”
“What did you learn?” He edged toward her. Disliking her sudden sadness. Wanting only to see her joy return.
She considered him. “I learned good work isn’t a good enough foundation for a relationship. I thought he loved me, would stand with me no matter what. Once I realized that wasn’t the case, I left him and the firm.”
“What is a good foundation?” What made him certain she was the right woman? What established a good foundation? What was it about her that pulled him to her? And made him want to seize Reuben’s advice and not ever let her go.
“I’m not sure.” She sat up. Strands of her hair slipped free, curved around her face. Her smile wavered. A trace of humor highlighted her words. “Maybe it’s shared vacation goals, Santa pictures and mystery date bets.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Drew couldn’t push aside his feelings any longer. The pull toward Molly was too strong, too real. He leaned forward and twisted a strand of her hair around his fingers. He curved his other hand under her chin. “Or maybe it’s something like this.”
She met him halfway. And he lost himself again.
The kiss went on. Transitioned from learning to giving and receiving. To simply feeling.
And in that moment, he discovered a connection and the beginnings of the foundation he was looking for.
CHAPTER TWENTY
SEVERAL DAYS AND several good-night kisses on the front porch later, Drew carried an exhausted Hazel through the backyard to Molly’s apartment. Their Sunday had been spent at the park. First, a soccer game with the Sawyer family. Then a walk around the pond to watch the ducks and swans. “I still can’t believe Wesley made that goal against Dan to win the game.”
“It was amazing.” Molly grinned and pulled her keys from the diaper bag. “My teammates were the best.”
“Next time, I’m picking the preteen soccer whizzes for my team,” Drew said. He’d always picked Molly for his flag football team in college. “And you can have Brooke and Dan.”
“I expected better after Brooke’s volleyball play the other night.” Molly shook her head.
“I should have known you had soccer skills.” Drew nudged his shoulder against hers.
“I don’t.” Molly laughed and opened her apartment door. “Wesley and Ben made up for my lack of talent. And they might have shared a few insider secrets with me about Brooke and Dan.”
“Totally not fair,” Drew said. “But I like the boys’ game play.”
“Well, there’s a rematch already scheduled for next Sunday,” Molly said. “I suppose we’ll have to revise our game plan now that I revealed our secret to winning.”
Drew had a few secrets of his own too. Ones that included how much he liked Molly. How much he liked working with her. How much he liked being with her. “Hazel has a secret too.”
“What’s that?” Molly turned around.
Drew handed the baby to her. “In addition to needing a bath, she also needs a diaper change.”
“So, you’re handing her off,” Molly teased. “Just like that.”
“I need to clean up too. I plan to shower in the guest bathroom in the main house.” Drew pulled several blades of grass from Hazel’s hair. “You’d think Hazel had joined us for the soccer game.”
“As soon as she’s bigger, I don’t think there will be any way to keep her off the soccer field or the volleyball court.” Molly laughed and brushed the dirt off Hazel’s cheek. “As it was, Rick got more of a workout than we did following Hazel all around the park.”
“She’s a fast crawler and really starting to get her legs under her.” Dan’s father had walked Hazel around the perimeter of the soccer field, her tiny hands braced inside his. Drew had demonstrated how Hazel preferred to be assisted. Hazel and Drew had been perfecting the best place for him
