Meet Cute(39)

I try to slip past him to avoid further embarrassment, but he blocks the door. “Wait. I’m sorry. I’m not making fun. Well, I am, but only because I’ve missed riling you up like I used to in law school. I’ll stop. Just stay awhile longer and have a drink with me? Please.”

I should leave. His proximity does something to me. But then I remember that I’m trying to get him to come over to our firm and this is the perfect opportunity to have that kind of conversation. “One drink.”

I have to look away when he smiles this time, because it’s soft and warm, and almost all the ice around my heart seems to have melted tonight.

Dax grabs us both a beer from the fridge and we head outside. An in-ground pool takes up a good portion of the yard—the water glowing pale blue in the warm dark night. It’s private here, the gardens surrounding the pool lush and full of pretty flowers.

Dax settles beside me, legs spread wide, head tipped back as he stares up at the stars. I imagine tonight has been hard for him, with so many reminders of what he’s lost and how many challenges lie ahead. I have the urge to run my fingers through his wild hair, smooth it away from his forehead, soothe him with a gentle touch, which is not at all why I’m here.

I pull my knees up and turn to face him, propping an elbow on the backrest. “You okay?”

He sighs. “Yeah. Fine. Thank you for everything tonight. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You would’ve figured it out.” Tonight has changed my perspective. Watching him care for his sister like a parent would, toeing that line between brother and father, isn’t easy, and it’s clear he’s trying.

“Maybe, but I don’t think it would’ve gone nearly as well. I don’t know how single parents do it, especially single dads. It’s fucking exhausting.”

“Has it been hard balancing work and adjusting to all of this?” I motion to the house, not needing to explain more.

“The firm’s been really good about everything, but it’s a struggle to keep up. Emme has a lot of after-school activities and my mom was retired, so she had the time to take her to all of them. Emme took a little break from all of it, but she’s back at it now, so managing it has been tricky. She’ll be in high school next year, which is another adjustment, so for now…” He shakes his head on a heavy exhale.

“It’s a lot,” I finish for him.

“Too much sometimes,” he admits.

“Have you thought about changing firms? Maybe going somewhere that can be more flexible about your hours and the cases you take on?”

He tips his bottle back as he contemplates this. “Yeah. I have. But putting together a résumé, having to interview, making another change, the thought is enough to give me a panic attack. I’m just so overwhelmed already.”

“What if you didn’t have to do any of those things? What if the change was the only stressful part?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t think it’s a secret that Beverly would like you over at Whitman and Flood.”

His gaze moves over me slowly. “She’s expressed interest before, but that was a long time ago. She offered me a position right after I graduated, actually. We could’ve ended up at the same firm.”

“She offered you a position at Whitman?” Beverly failed to mention this.

Daxton nods. “Yeah, I mean, I had a few offers, but there seemed to be more opportunities over at Freeman, and the money was a little better so I went there instead.”

“Right, of course.” There was only one opening at Whitman back then. I hadn’t received a call back for almost a week post-interview, and I’d nearly accepted a different position outside of the city until Beverly called. Whitman had been my first choice and obviously I hadn’t been theirs. It seems like I’m always coming in second where Daxton is concerned.

I force the next words out. “Well, you’d only be more of an asset to the firm now. It’s a thought, right? She’s progressive. Understanding.” I don’t want to push too hard. “It’s just something to think about, maybe when you’re more settled and things calm down for you.”

He rubs his lips with his fingertips, as if he’s considering it. “I just want this to get easier, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going to.”

I put a hand on his forearm. “The trauma is still fresh, Dax. It’s going to take a while for you to get your bearings.”

His head drops and he releases another long breath. His next words are barely a whisper. “What if I can’t do this? What if Linda’s right and I’m not cut out to raise a teenager?”

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re doing a great job. Being a parent is never easy, especially when you’ve been thrown into it without any warning.”

He huffs a small, humorless laugh. “I had no idea what to do tonight. All of this is way outside of my wheelhouse. Emme needs women in her life she can rely on who aren’t her friends. And I can’t go to Linda because she’ll use it against me.”

“I’m here when Emme needs me.” I mean it, even though I worry about the weight it carries, and the deeper implications.

“I shouldn’t put that on you.” He threads his fingers through mine, curling his over the back of my hand. It’s unexpectedly intimate and strange how natural it feels. “But I want to.”