Chapter 16 - Reggie
Sixteen
Reggie
The drive from Monterey felt like the longest of my life, even though Blayne kept texting me updates and reassuring me that Nia was fine. But I need to see her with my own eyes. Need to touch my baby and make sure she’s really okay.
“Regina, calm down,” Mama says as we get out of the car. “She’s fine.”
“I know, Mama. I just need to see her.” I force myself to give her a smile, I’m sure she’s just as worried.
We walk into the diner, and I immediately spot them in a corner booth.
Nia’s got her foot propped up on the opposite seat, crutches leaning against the wall, and she’s laughing at something Blayne just said.
He’s sitting across from her, looking completely relaxed, like spending his afternoon in urgent care with someone else’s kid is totally normal.
And fine as hell… as usual. He’s wearing construction clothes.
Sturdy pants and shirt, heavy boots, a baseball cap instead of his cowboy hat, sunglasses resting on top.
Blue eyes twinkling as he grins at my daughter.
All sun-kissed, scruffed jaw, dusty outfit.
Making my girl laugh when she just got hurt!
The relief that floods through me is so intense I nearly stumble.
“Mama! Grandma!” Nia waves when she sees us. “Look, I’m fine. See?”
I slide into the booth next to her, immediately pulling her into a hug that’s probably too tight. “Let me see.”
My mom settles next to Blayne, smiling. “Hi, you two.”
Nia rolls her eyes but lifts her foot so I can examine the brace. “It’s just a sprain. The doctor said I’ll be back to normal in a week.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Does it hurt? Do you need pain medicine?”
“Mom, breathe. I’m fine. Blayne’s been taking great care of me.”
I look across the table at him, and my chest fills with warmth. His thick dark hair’s poking out of the sides of his hat, and he’s got that soft expression he gets when he’s looking at my kids… or me.
“Thank you,” I say, and my voice comes out rougher than I intended. “I can’t even begin to tell you…”
“Don’t,” he interrupts gently, putting his hand on mine on top of the table. Right in front of my mother and daughter… “You don’t need to thank me.”
“Yes, I do. You dropped everything. You came running when she needed someone.”
“Of course I did.”
He says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, like there was never any question that he’d be there. And maybe for him, there wasn’t.
“How did shopping go?” he asks, clearly trying to change the subject.
“Cut short,” my mom informs him. “We barely made it through two stores before the school called.”
Blayne nods at her before turning back to me, like his eyes can’t stay away for more than a few seconds. “Did you at least get what you needed?”
“Some of it. I’ll have to go back next week.”
“I’ll come with you next time,” Nia says. “I can be your assistant.”
“You’ll be in school next week, young lady.”
“Not if I’m still in pain.” She grins mock-innocently.
“Nice try, kiddo,” Blayne says. “You’ll be fine by Monday.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re too stubborn to stay down for long,” her grandmother chimes in.
Nia laughs, and the sound makes warmth spread through my chest. I don’t know when was the last time I heard her laugh like that? Really laugh, not just the polite smiles she gives when adults think they’re being funny.
“We should get you home,” I say. “Get you settled with some ice and elevation.”
“Can Blayne come over for dinner?” she asks. “I want to show him my volleyball trophies. Prove I’m not always a klutz.”
I look at Blayne, who’s already shaking his head. “You guys have had enough of me for one day.”
“Actually,” I say, “dinner sounds perfect. It’s the least I can do.”
“You don’t need to…”
“I want to. Please. Let me cook for you.”
He studies my face for a moment. “What are you making?” he asks finally.
“What do you want?”
“Surprise me.”
* * *
Two hours later, I’m standing in my kitchen making Blayne’s favorite meal, or at least, what I think is his favorite based on the way he demolished it the last time I made it.
Pot roast with vegetables, mashed potatoes, and homemade biscuits.
Comfort food that takes time and attention, the kind of meal you make for people you love.
Nia’s on the couch with her foot up, recounting her misadventure to Jaylen and Annalise with dramatics. Blayne’s in the living room with them, supposedly watching TV but actually making sure Nia has everything she needs.
“He’s really good with them,” Mama observes from her spot at the kitchen table, where she’s been not-so-subtly watching the whole domestic scene unfold.
“Yeah, he is.”
“And they adore him.”
“I know.”
“And Nia… I’ve never seen her open up to an adult that fast.”
I glance into the living room, where my daughter’s showing Blayne something on her phone and he’s listening like it’s the most fascinating thing in the world.
“She called him,” I say quietly. “When she got hurt. The school called him too.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, when she returned her emergency forms, she put his name down as secondary contact. Without telling me.”
Mama’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”
“Really. The nurse said Nia specifically asked them to call him.”
“That’s… a big deal, Reggie.”
“I know”
“How do you feel about that?”
I consider the question while I check on the roast. How do I feel about my daughter trusting Blayne enough to list him as an emergency contact? About him dropping everything to take care of her? About the way he handled the whole situation like it was the most natural thing in the world?
“Grateful,” I say finally. “And a little scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Of how much we’re all starting to depend on him.”
“Would that be such a bad thing?”
“I don’t know, Mama. What if this doesn’t work out? What if he decides three kids, and a divorced woman are too much to deal with?”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Mama…”
“I’m serious, Regina. What if he’s exactly who you think he is? What if he’s the kind of man who shows up when you need him and doesn’t run when things get tough?”
“Then I’m in trouble, Mama.”
She smiles softly. “Why?”
“Because I’m falling for him. Hard. And so are my kids.”
“And?”
“And I’m terrified of getting hurt again. Of them getting hurt again.”
Mama gets up and comes over to where I’m standing, putting her arms around me.
“Honey, you can’t live your life afraid of getting hurt. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.”
“And what if I fall?” I ask with a sniffle through my smile.
“What if you fly?”
Before I can reply, Blayne appears in the kitchen doorway.
“Something smells incredible in here.”
And despite my mother’s presence, the deep rumble of his voice hits me straight between my legs.
“It’s just pot roast,” I say, staring into his amazing eyes. “Nothing fancy.”
“Pot roast’s perfect,” he all but whispers, and it’s like we’re having a completely different conversation. Alone. Naked.
Mama gives me a meaningful look, and heads into the living room, leaving us.
“How’s Nia doing?” I ask.
“Good. Complaining about missing her tournament next week, but I told her there’ll be more.”
“Thank you. For today. For all of it.”
“Stop…”
“No, let me say this.” I turn to face him fully.
“You didn’t have to come running when I called.
You didn’t have to spend your afternoon in urgent care with my daughter.
You didn’t have to know her medical information by heart, carry her to your truck or buy her milkshakes.
” Yeah, word goes around fast around this town. I’ve received a few text messages….
“Yeah, I did.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s yours. And you’re…” He stops himself, running a hand through his hair.
“I’m what?” I push.
“You’re important to me, Regina. All of you are.”
The simple admission makes my throat tight. “Blayne…”
“I know we said we’ll just see where things go. But there was nothing casual about today. About the way I felt when I got your call, or the how Nia looked at me like she knew I’d take care of her.”
“I know.”
“Do you? Because I’m starting to think we’re way past ‘we’ll see’ here.”
He’s right. We are. And we’ve been since the night he climbed through my bedroom window… even before that.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
“I don’t know. But I know I want to find out.”
Before I can respond, Annalise bounces into the kitchen.
“Mama, Blayne said he’ll help me practice my math facts after dinner. Is that okay?”
“Of course, baby.”
“And he said maybe this weekend we could go to the park, and he’ll teach me how to throw a football.”
“Did he now?”
“Uh-huh! And Nia said maybe he could come to her next volleyball game when her ankle’s better.”
I look at Blayne over Annalise’s head, and he shrugs with a small smile.
“Sounds like you’ve got a busy few weeks ahead,” I tell him with a smile and a cocked eyebrow, hand on my hip.
“Looking forward to it.” He winks. The bastard freaking winks after stealing both my heart and panties in one move.
And the scary thing is, I think he really means it.
This man, who could be doing anything with his time, who probably has women lining at his doorstep (don’t think about that Reggie!), wants to spend it teaching my six-year-old how to throw a football and watching my fourteen-year-old play volleyball.
When was the last time anyone made my kids a priority like that? When was the last time anyone made me feel like we were worth that kind of attention?
“Dinner’s ready,” I announce, because if I keep thinking about all this, I’m going to start crying or climb Blayne like a goddamn tree, and I’ve done enough crying for one day. And the other option is gonna have to wait until later…
When we all gather around the table, Blayne helping Nia with her crutches, Mama fussing over everyone’s plates, my kids chattering about their day, I think, this is what I want.
This feeling, this sense of family, this man who shows up when we need him and treats my children like they’re important to him too.
The thought should terrify me. Instead, for the first time in months, I feel like maybe everything’s going to be okay. And maybe better than okay. Perfect.