Where We Belong (A Touch of Fate #1)(60)
The far wall from where I walk in is painted with red seams to make it look like a baseball and there is a mural on the south wall, painted to look like a stadium full of people. There is a large St. Louis Cardinal baseball rug in the middle of the room. Surprise, surprise. A small bookshelf sits in the corner and it’s overflowing with sleeved baseball cards, bobble heads, a few signed baseballs, and a replica of a World Series ring…at least I think it’s a replica. I’m going to be shocked if this kid doesn’t end up becoming a baseball player himself someday.
Like Harley said he would, Max ‘reads’ me the entire book from start to finish without missing a word. Whenever he’s done, he shuts the book, tosses it on the floor, and crosses his legs. “Did you like it? It’s my favorite book. My mom bought it for me. She’s my favorite mom, but she’s not very good at playing freeze tag. She told me that you’re her best friend. Are you still her best friend?" This kid can rapid-fire questions quicker than anyone I know. Forget the baseball player, maybe he’ll be a lawyer.
His face is full of innocence as his oversized chocolate eyes bore into mine, waiting for me to respond. “Yes, your mom and I are still friends," I answer, wondering to myself how much you should tell a four-and-a-half-year-old. He seems to be incredibly perceptive, so I want to be very careful about how I answer him.
“Why did I never meet you before?” he asks openly.
“Well…” I stop, trying to come up with the most appropriate answer. I decide to go with the truth. “Did your mom tell you that I’m a doctor?”
He smiles, nodding enthusiastically. “I want to be a doctor someday, but don’t tell my papa,” he whispers, leaning in to me. “I think he wants me to play baseball.”
I scoot off his bed and onto the floor, propping my elbow on his bed so that I’m closer to being at his level. “Well, when I was going to school to be a doctor, I decided to go to school in New York. Do you know where New York is?" He nods his head and I continue. “My classes were really tough and New York is so far away that I didn’t come back home as much as I should have.”
“Why not?”
Because I was an idiot. I was scared. I was mad. I could literally give a million reasons.
“I don’t know. A lot of reasons, I guess. But I’m back now and I’m not leaving." I don’t know why I felt the need to tell him that. It’s not like he cares, it just sort of slipped out. “But yes, your mom and I are still friends and I really, really wish I would have come back home sooner so that I could have met you. Because you, my man," I say, reaching out and ruffling his hair as he snuggles down under his blanket, “are a really awesome kid, and I had a blast playing with you tonight.”
He doesn’t say anything to that, but when I stand up and move toward the door he says, “Good night, Tyson. I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Goodnight, Max." I flip off the light and watch in amazement at how fast his eyes start to drift shut.
It’s mind-blowing. I came here tonight in hopes of talking to Harley and hopefully getting to meet Max. Never in a million years did I think I would end up playing with the kid for two hours and then tucking him into bed.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation that is yet to come. Walking down the hall, I head toward the kitchen where I find Harley standing at the sink, washing dishes. She’s staring mindlessly out an open window and a light breeze flows through, tossing strands of her hair up around her face. She’s an angel, pure and simple.
A pair of pink cotton shorts showcases her mile-long legs and her bare feet are tapping out a light rhythm on the floor. I know from seeing them earlier that she has her toenails painted hot pink and I find it sexy as hell.
And there goes my vagina again…it must be getting bigger! Who the hell notices the color of a woman’s toes?
She’s wearing an oversized t-shirt, and I can’t help but wonder who it belongs to because it’s obviously too big to be a woman’s shirt. The neck of the shirt has fallen down on one side, exposing the length of her neck and the top of her right shoulder.
She’s perfect. How in the hell did I walk away from this woman? I loved everything about her five years ago, but now…now I appreciate all of those things that I loved. She’s funny and tenacious, but at the same time she can be incredibly quiet and shy. She’s graceful and charming in a classic sort of way, and it’s utterly impossible for anyone who meets her to not fall in love with her.
And good God, let’s not forget her body. Harley has the kind of curves that are meant to be worshipped for hours on end, which is exactly what I plan to do when she finally gives me a second chance at more than friendship
I watch quietly as her shoulders rise and fall on a deep breath. She’s such an incredible woman, and the fact that she has raised such a wonderful little boy makes me admire her that much more. My head knows that Harley and I need to talk, but my heart…my heart is screaming at me to go get my girl. Well, five years ago I listened to my head; tonight I'm going to listen to my heart.
I wait until she's rinsing the soap off of the dishes before I make my way across the kitchen. She doesn't hear me approach, but when I step up behind her, placing my hands on the counter on either side of her, her back stiffens. I stand there for several seconds and then decide that there's no better time than the present.