Chapter 5
DREW
The Jeep was gone by the time I got back from taking Izzy to school this morning, so I let myself into the rental. The first thing I notice is that it already smells like Willa, a warm mix of coconut and vanilla. I head upstairs and into the bathroom to finish the tiling.
Why I thought putting a herringbone subway tile pattern in a secondary bathroom was a good idea, I’ll never know. And I’ll never fucking do this again. But it does look good.
When I bought the townhouses, I was told that Holly Ridge is going through a sort of renaissance.
With the new resort and makeover the town has undergone, it's becoming more of a secret ski destination and drawing in a crowd that prefers luxury. High end finishes and design choices will enable my properties to be rented for top dollar. At least that’s the goal.
I had planned on pushing to get all the renovations done before Christmas, so I could list the property for at least the end of ski season, but I find myself slowing down.
If I felt like lying to myself, I’d say it was to ensure I do the best job that I can on the things I’m doing on my own.
But I’m not delusional, so admitting that I want to spend as much time around Willa as possible isn’t a leap.
The way she was looking at me yesterday makes me wonder if she’s not thinking the same thing.
Seeing her bake cookies with my daughter definitely didn’t help.
Izzy has two sets of grandparents who love her immensely, but it doesn’t make up for the loss of her mother.
As much as I would love to explore what could possibly happen between Willa and I, care has to be taken so Izzy doesn’t get attached.
Especially when Willa appears to be such a free spirit, following where the wind takes her.
The sound of my phone ringing pulls me from my thoughts, and when I look down, I see my mom’s name on the screen. I set everything aside and lean back on my heels while I answer the call.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi. Are you busy?”
“Nope. What’s up?”
“Your father and I want to come out for Christmas. Where should we fly into?”
“Denver would probably be the easiest. Isabel and I can come pick you up.”
“Isn’t that a long drive?”
“It is, but I have a few things I need to do there. It’d be a two-birds-with-one-stone situation.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. We have some vouchers to use before the end of the year.”
“I can cover any overage on your tickets, just use the credit card I left you guys with.”
“No, we’ll be fine.”
They refuse to let me treat them to anything, even though I was smart enough to invest most of my paychecks from the NFL.
Not to mention the various sponsorships I did while I was still playing.
If I wanted to, I could live comfortably without working another day in my life.
I couldn’t do that, though. I’d be way too bored.
Mom spends another fifteen minutes filling me in on all gossip. It runs the gamut from what her sister is doing to how the neighbor across the street got chased out of the house at six in the morning last Sunday. She thinks he cheated on his wife; Dad thinks Mom should mind her business.
My stomach is growling by the time I hang up with her, so I finish up what I was doing and wash my hands.
I’m just about to the front door when it swings open and Maya comes loping over to me, her pink tongue hanging out the side of her muzzle.
I crouch down and rub behind her ears while her entire body moves back and forth with the force of her wagging tail.
Willa walks through the door behind her with her arms full of groceries. I straighten and grab them for her.
“Sorry, I didn’t realize you’d be back so early. I was just upstairs working.”
“It’s your house, no need to apologize. I just had a few morning lessons today.” She pulls off her beanie and gloves, then removes her parka. “Where’s Izzy?”
“At preschool.”
She smiles as she walks into the kitchen. “She’s such a sweetheart. You’re doing a great job raising her.”
“Thank you, that’s always great to hear. Especially considering everything that’s happened.”
“What do you mean?” She tilts her head to the side.
It hits me that she might not know about Izzy’s mom or how I didn’t know about her until she was two. “Oh. Well, I didn’t know about Izzy until her mother passed away and child protective services stepped in to see if I wanted custody.”
“What?” Her eyes go round.
“Crystal, Isabel’s mother, and I had a one-night stand after we won the Super Bowl. She got pregnant and reached out to my team to try to let me know, but my then-agent ignored her thinking she was some sort of gold digger. Turns out she wasn’t and then she passed away in a car accident.”
“Oh my gosh.” She presses her fingers to her lips. “That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
I nod because there’s not much to say. It is awful.
“I was going to make chicken caesar salad wraps for lunch. Do you want to stay and have one?” Her offer comes after a long pause in the conversation that isn’t awkward, just like she’s taking in the story. Maybe pieces of Izzy and I are fitting into what she knows of us a bit differently.
“That sounds delicious, actually. I’d love to stay.”
I help her with the salad while she shreds a rotisserie chicken for us.
She offers me a sparkling water or sports drink after we finish assembling the wraps.
As I look around the kitchen more closely, I notice she’s added a few things.
There are definitely more kitchen utensils than I had stocked previously.
She also bought three stools for the counter.
“I can pay you back for everything you’ve purchased to live here.”
She waves me off as she chews. “No. You’re letting me stay here for free, it’s the least I can do.”
I’ll just slip cash in her coat pocket or something. I can tell by the way she looks at me she won’t be worn down by an argument.
“What preschool is Izzy at?” She proves my point by changing the subject before I can say anything.
“It’s actually through the school district. She qualified for speech services in Illinois, and because of that she receives the same services here.”
“I wouldn’t have ever thought she needed extra help.”
“She’s come a long way. Before her mom passed away, she was speaking in full sentences and hitting every milestone on time, but the loss set her back. Not to mention being sent to live with me, a man she’d never met before.”
“That had to be so scary for her.”
I nod. Remembering those first few weeks and how challenging it was for everyone involved always brings me down a bit.
“How did you end up here?” I ask, wanting to change the subject.
“I was just driving through a few years ago and made friends with some of the ski patrol at Holly Ridge. They invited me to apply for a volunteer position, and I figured why not, I had the time.” She takes a drink from her water.
“I received a nice little nest egg when I graduated from college from my grandma’s estate and was living off that.
It was easy to live out of my van and volunteer.
Then they asked me back the next year as a paid employee, and I’ve been coming back every year since. ”
“And in the summer?”
“I mostly stick to guided trips along the Pacific Crest Trail.”
“Impressive.”
She gives me a shy smile, one I haven’t seen from her before. “That’s a compliment coming from a Super Bowl winning former NFL player.”
“I was on a team of professional athletes. You’re leading groups of people through the wilderness, I think it’s a bit more impressive what you do.”
Her cheeks turn the prettiest shade of pink. I want to see that color staining her skin again and again. As we start cleaning up dishes, I find myself brushing against her arm, reveling in the closeness of our bodies at the sink.
Fuck me, maybe I do need to get laid if our fingers brushing as she hands me plates to dry is turning me on. I wonder if she’d actually consider going to the auction and bidding on me. There’s no way to ask her to do that, though, without sounding like an absolute nutcase.
“Thanks for lunch,” I tell her when I notice the time. “I have to go get Izzy.”
“No problem.”
Neither of us move away as we look at each other. It almost feels like there’s something holding us together. As if there’s magnets pulling each of us to the other. I can’t explain it, but I can see it clear as day in her eyes. If I were to lean down and press my lips to hers, she’d let me do it.
What would she taste like? Something warm and tropical like her scent? Or would she just taste like home?
What the fuck am I even thinking? Taste like home. That’s the most ridiculous thought I’ve ever had. I begin to lean forward as she mirrors my movement.
Right as our lips are a breath apart, the sound of a metal dish sliding across the tile floor jolts through us. She jumps back, laughing nervously as she looks over at Maya. The dog food bowl is empty as her large brown eyes travel back and forth between Willa and myself.
“You better feed her,” I finally say. “Seems like she’s getting impatient.”
“Yep.” She quickly turns to open a cabinet. “See you around.”