Chapter 20
Hallie
You’re a mom. ~ Dustin
“Do you have any pictures?” Dustin asks as we walk through the bay back into the kitchen.
“Of Mia?” I ask him.
“Yeah. Of Mia. I mean, if you have pictures of something else you want to show me, I’m all eyes. But I would like to see your daughter.”
I chuckle. “Yes. I have some.”
I pull out my phone. “How are we doing this? Is it an I want to see a current photo situation? Or do you want the tour of her life in picture form, because I’m going to warn you, I love my daughter and I could talk about her forever.”
“Do I look like I’m going anywhere?” Dustin asks, waving his hand around the room. “Unless the alarm rings, I’m here. Give me the tour.”
He takes a seat at the table—the same one I sat in when Greyson and I had our midnight snack together. I sit adjacent to him. I think Grey is going to tuck into one of the recliners, but he surprises me by sitting next to me. And then, Patrick surprises me most by grabbing the seat across from me.
“Hey, Cap!” Dustin shouts. Then he looks at me with a sheepish expression. “Sorry. Does he know about Mia? I just assumed.”
“He knows.”
Dustin smiles wide. “Cap!” Then he adds. “Wait. Greyson knew and Cody knew. Man. That’s rough.”
“Sorry. I just wanted to wait until I was really one of the guys.”
Awareness dawns across Dustin’s face. His tone softens. “I get that.” Then he pauses. “You’re still the rookie, though. No escaping that.”
“I hadn’t thought I would.”
Cody sticks his head out of the office. “What’s up?”
“Hallie’s about to show us a bunch of pics of her daughter. Want to see them?”
“You don’t have to …” I start to say.
“Yeah,” Cody says. “I’d love to see them.”
We spend the next hour or so scrolling from image to image while I relay stories from Mia’s birth to her first T-ball game.
The guys pass my cell around during each story, admiring the photos and listening attentively.
Greyson seems to hold the phone a little longer at times, studying me or Mia in a picture.
We go through holidays, school events, pictures of us goofing off around the house, her with Henry Cavill and a few of the four of us women together.
“She looks just like you,” Dustin says. “If I’d’ve seen her before you told me you had a daughter, I’d’ve been like, Hey! That’s Hallie’s daughter. I didn’t know Hallie had a daughter!”
Greyson says, “You would not.”
“Sure would. Look at them. They’re identical twins at different ages.”
“That’s not even a thing,” Greyson growls.
I chuckle softly. He’s probably just sore because he didn’t recognize the connection sooner. Or maybe he doesn’t like me sharing with the guys. Though I think he does. He just doesn’t show his emotions when he’s in a group.
I put my cell away. Patrick picks up his book.
I’m about to suggest a run or a card game when the alarm rings. We head out on a medical call.
Afterward, around a late dinner, Dustin says, “Emberleigh and I want four kids.”
Patrick says, “You already know how many kids you want?”
“Yeah, don’t you?”
“We aren’t set on a number. We just know we want children.”
I swallow the bite of food in my mouth. “Mia is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
I look across the table at Greyson. His eyes practically sparkle in this light. He’s smiling—about Mia.
“She did not come when we had planned. It was actually not the timing I would have chosen. But now? I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“You’re a mom,” Dustin says as if this is the first time he’s hearing the news.
I smile. “It’s the best thing in the world.” I look at him. “And you’re going to be such a great dad.” My eyes move around the table and I smile at Patrick. “You are too.”
And when my eyes land on Greyson, I don’t know what to say, so I simply say, “All of you will.”
We clear our dishes and wind down for the night.
On the way to our bunks, Greyson pulls me aside. “So, you're alone these next few days?"
“Yes.”
“Alone and curious?”
“I don’t follow.”
“Never mind,” he says, shaking his head. He starts to turn for his bunk.
“Greyson?”
“Yeah?”
“What were you going to ask me?”
“I was thinking about how you asked to see my property. If you're just sitting around bored …” He runs his hand through his hair. “But ... Never mind.”
I reach my hand out, resting it on his forearm before I think better of it. “I'd love to see your property.”
“Yeah?” His eyes drop to my hand.
I lift it away. “Yeah.”
Shift change ends and the next four days loom wide open in front of me. As much as I say I need a break—and often, I do—having one isn’t always easy. I don’t know what to do with myself.
Usually, I’d be heading home to catch a minute with Mia before driving her to school. Then I’d be doing chores and resting before I picked her up from school. Or if my day off falls on a weekend, I rush out so I can grab up a whole day with her.
We talked on the phone at bedtime last night. I stepped into my bunk and pulled out my cell to call Mia in private. Dustin had helped me come up with some great knock-knocks and Mia giggled hard.
I’ll call her again later today. I’m trying not to grab my phone to make sure the ringer’s on every few minutes. My hand goes there again, like a nervous tic. Greyson tracks the movement while we all wave goodbye to one another.
“See you in four days!” Dustin shouts. He adds a whoop. “Days off in a row! That’s what I’m talking about!”
“Bye, guys!” Patrick shouts back.
Greyson lingers. I look over my shoulder to see if Patrick and Dustin are watching us, but they seem to think nothing of the fact that we’re lagging behind, facing one another while they rush to start their four-day break.
“What time do you want to come by?” Greyson asks me.
“I should probably go home to shower and change, check in on my mom …”
“How about lunch?”
“Lunch is good.”
“Okay,” he smiles almost nervously. “I’ll text you the address. Park anywhere on the driveway when you get there. You’ll see my Jeep.”
“Is this some massive property, Grey? Have you been holding out on me?”
“Massive? No.”
“You said your house was too big for one person.”
“That, it is.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
“I can’t wait either.” He smiles down at me.
Then he walks backward toward his Jeep, his eyes shamelessly lingering on me the whole way. “See you at lunch, Hallie.”
“See you.”
My heart feels constricted, but in a good way, like before you run a race or when you come down the stairs Christmas morning.
I smile all the way home. Before I walk into the house, I take a few breaths.
Mom’s bound to be up, and she can sniff out anything unusual.
I don’t want her sniffing anywhere near Greyson.
And now I’m picturing my mom and Henry Cavill, both on all fours, panting and sniffing Greyson’s shoes and legs.
I’m officially losing it.
I make quick work of the shower. Shaving my legs for no reason. I take too long deciding what to wear.
You’re just going to see his house, Hallie. It’s not a date.
I do my hair, blowing it out until it’s wavy and full.
Around the station, I wear it up a lot, or it ends up a mess from a long day of moving around and answering calls.
I’m putting in effort, and I know it. I can’t help myself.
This is Ace. Greyson. Grey. He’s the boy from Munich, but I get the feeling even if he weren’t he’d have a certain pull on me with his silent, watchful ways and his constant vigilance over others.
As inconvenient as he is, he matters—probably more than I want to admit right now.
On that note, I pick up my cell and head out of my bedroom.
Mom’s in the kitchen when I walk in. Henry’s at her feet, like an oversized mop when not in use. He jumps up and trots over to me, licking my hand and wagging his tail.
“Hey, Henry.” I ruffle his head.
Mom breaks into a wolf whistle—one that rivals any group of gawking construction workers.
“Well. Well.” Her eyes go from my hair to my shirt to my nicest pair of jeans to my shoes.
“What?” I ask, turning my back to her and grabbing a glass for some very, very cold water.
It’s suddenly hot in the kitchen and I don’t want to sweat my makeup off. Yes. I’m wearing makeup. Will Greyson think it’s too much? Agh. I’m not used to giving any of this a second thought. I feel like I’m getting on a roller coaster after years of avoiding theme parks.
“What do you mean, What?” Mom says, wagging her brows.
“You look like wow-eee zow-eee kowabunga. I’m pretty sure looking that hot in small town Tennessee will bring all the boys to the yard.
You’d better prepare yourself for a mob of men out there, missy.
Should I set up a lemonade stand to hydrate your suitors while they wait in line to see you? ”
I break into a laugh. “Mom! Where did you hear that saying?”
“My last date said it to me. Fun, huh? He told me my milkshake brought all the boys to the yard. I made him take me to ice cream for saying that.”
I fill my glass and join Mom at the island. “You’re officially ridiculous.”
“And you’re officially dressed up. Where are you headed? I thought we could spend the day together. I’ve got a date tonight.”
“Another one?”
“They’re just dates, Hallie. And they’re fun. Mostly.”
“Are you looking for someone … never mind.” I swallow a sip of water and the rest of my question. Who am I to judge Mom? She’s single. If she wants to run through the eligible men in Waterford, so be it.
“I’m going out to see a friend,” I tell her.
“A friend?” Her one brow raises. It’s a thing with her. “Since when do you have friends?”
“I have friends.”
“Okay then, Miss Mysterious.” She eyes me. “Rain check?”
“Definitely. Let’s plan on some time together tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. But don’t blow me off. I don’t give second dates to people who blow me off.”
“I won’t. Think of something you want to do. Avery took me to a fun place for lunch. Maybe we can go there.”
“I’d love that.”
I pick up my purse and head toward the door.