The Fix (The Carolina Connections, #1)(38)
I stalked over to where Rocco sat dejectedly staring at his ruined masterpiece. “Hey, kid. Wanna get out of here and get some ice cream?”
His watery eyes came to mine and he twitched his nose. Then he nodded and took my hand.
One stop at SweetFrog (By the way, what ever happened to DQ?) and another at Home Depot and we were headed back to Laney’s. Rocco remained pretty quiet, but I’d gotten a few smiles out of him and we’d exchanged a couple jokes. His were clearly made up and made zero sense but I laughed anyway. I’m no idiot.
I retrieved the “hidden” key, and after unlocking the door I placed the key inside the fake rock I’d purchased at Home Depot and set it in an inconspicuous place by the side door. I thought I would see if Rocco wanted to throw a ball around or play something outside, so I went in search of outdoor toys. The coat closet by the door seemed to be the best place to start looking; however, when I opened it an avalanche of purses, coats, shoes, and, oddly, unopened mail spilled around my feet. Hmm. What to do now? Since I didn’t spot any sporting equipment, I decided to shove everything back in and pretend I’d never been there. It appeared Laney didn’t mind a bit of clutter, to put it nicely. After that I thought it best to enlist Rocco’s help, and we located a soccer ball in his bedroom.
I was no soccer player and it was safe to say Rocco was even less of one, but we still had a good time kicking the ball around the yard. We made up our own game, the rules of which he changed every time he started losing. I didn’t care one bit. The kid and I were having fun. Rocco ran to the big tree in their backyard, declaring himself the victor, and I finally lay on the ground in submission. I stayed there for a minute looking up into the branches of the tree, and then Rocco came over and lay down right next to me. I put my hands behind my head and noticed him mimic my movements. It may have been the single most adorable thing I’d ever seen, and I felt a tug in my chest. Then a thought occurred to me.
“You know what you need, Rocco?”
“What?”
“A treehouse.”
“For real?” His voice was filled with awe.
“For real. Let’s build one.”
His little fist punched the air. “Yes!”
And that’s when I lost the first piece of my heart to that little kid.
When 6:30 rolled around we were both starving and nobody else was home yet. We’d gotten dirty playing soccer so Rocco’s solution was to shed all his clothes. I opted to keep mine on, despite the aforementioned “pants optional” policy in place at Laney’s house. I fixed us some peanut butter sandwiches and threw in a banana to make myself feel like a more responsible guardian.
Laney and Gavin both got home around 7:00. They walked in the door at the same time, and I heard Laney tearing into Gavin about keeping his phone charged. He threw an insult back at her and it reminded me so much of Bailey and me that I had to smile. Rocco and I were on the couch watching some asinine show about a bald kid with some weird-ass name I can’t remember and his overly touchy-feely family. I don’t even think Rocco liked it, but it was the only cartoon I could find.
“Hey, Nate,” Gavin greeted us first. “Sorry about the daycare thing. I didn’t realize my phone battery was dead.”
“No problem. Hey, things are looking good at the new site. I hear you’re picking things up pretty quickly.”
Gavin scratched his head a little self-consciously. “Yeah, they’re going pretty well. I’m learning a lot.” He walked over to the couch and put his fist out for Rocco. “Hey, dude.” They exchanged a fist-bump and he turned and headed for the hall. “I’m gonna hit the shower. I’ve noticed my luck with the ladies hasn’t been so great when I head straight from work to the bars.”
“It’s a learning curve, my friend,” I shot back.
“Hey, Rocco,” Laney said quietly as she approached next. She was wearing a sheer blouse with some kind of black tank underneath and her ass was perfectly showcased, yet again, in a pair of tight black pants. It took everything I had not to pull her onto my lap and cop a feel. “I am so sorry I couldn’t come get you today, buddy, but I promise I’ll be there tomorrow.” The guilt was plain on her face. Now I felt like a perv and instead wanted to pull her in for a hug. “Did you have fun with Nate?”
Rocco’s head swiveled from the TV and his eyes were bright. “Mommy! Nate and I are gonna build a treehouse!”
Laney cocked her head at me, eyebrows to the sky. Perhaps this was the kind of thing you’re supposed to discuss with the mom first.
Even though I may have been in trouble with Laney, my mood was sky high when Rocco gave me a hug on his way to bed. I waited on the couch and switched the TV to ESPN while Laney put him down. She emerged from his room fifteen minutes later and sat down beside me. I turned to give her my full attention.
She cleared her throat. “First of all, I want to thank you for picking up Rocco and taking care of him. I really don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t come through for me.” She placed her hand on my arm.
Before she could continue I said, “But I shouldn’t have made plans to build a treehouse without conferring with you first. It didn’t occur to me at the time, but I get it. I’m new at the whole kid thing so you’re required to cut me some slack.” I went with my most charming grin.