Chapter 17 #3
I’ve got her car. When should I be there to get her?
Twenty minutes.
“She’s getting out of there in a few minutes,” he said to Ty. “Let’s go pick her up.”
Outside, he held the back door of the Lexus for Ty. “You need help?”
He gave Carson a withering look. “Please. I’m seven, not three.”
“’Scuse me for asking.”
“You’re excused, but only cuz you’re gonna give me surfing lessons. When can we do that?”
“That’s up to your mom.”
“She’ll say it has to be on the weekend because of school.”
“And because I actually work for a living during the week.”
“That, too,” Ty said with a cute little snort of laughter.
Carson never would’ve expected to enjoy spending an hour with a seven-year-old, but from what he could tell, this kid wasn’t your average seven-year-old.
He was sharp, witty, observant and freaking cute.
Carson was actually looking forward to teaching him how to surf—that was, if Cresley was cool with it.
And seeing her again wouldn’t be any hardship either.
He was still recovering from the impact of meeting her and finding out she was far more stunning in leggings and a T-shirt, her hair in a ponytail and not an ounce of makeup on her perfect face, than she was on the billboards around town that featured her in all her exquisite beauty.
If he’d had a type, Cresley Dane would be it.
But he wasn’t interested in the kinds of things the mother of a young child would want, even if she and her young child were awesome.
He’d loved the way she’d marched across the street and smacked that son of a bitch right across his smug, sanctimonious face.
That’d been hot as fuck.
He was waiting outside when she emerged from the cop shop with Julian and headed straight for the waiting vehicle.
When she got into the passenger seat, she immediately turned to check on Ty. “Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. How are you?”
“All good.”
Carson put down the window to speak to his brother. “Julian, this is Ty Dane, coolest seven-year-old you’ll ever meet. Ty, this is my brother Julian.”
“Good to meet you, Ty.”
“You, too. Who’s older?”
“Him.” Carson used his thumb to point at Julian. “Can’t you tell just by looking at him?”
Julian slugged Carson in the shoulder, which made Ty cackle with laughter.
“Let’s get out of here before the press finds me,” Cresley said.
“I’ll be in touch,” Julian said to her.
“Thanks for everything.”
“Any time.”
Following Cresley’s directions, Carson drove them home to a house on Mulholland Drive that clung to the side of a steep hill.
Carson walked them in to make sure no uninvited guests were waiting inside.
The back side of the house was all glass, with a stunning view of the city below. “This is quite a spot.”
“I never get tired of the view, especially at night.”
“It’s like a million twinkling stars,” Ty added. “Do you want to see my room, Carson?”
Carson glanced at Cresley, who smiled.
“Mr. Carson.”
“That makes me feel kinda old. Carson is fine with me if you’re okay with it.”
“He’s gonna teach me how to surf, Mom. I can’t call him Mr. Carson when we’re surfing.”
“He does have a point,” Carson said, earning a big grin from Ty.
“How has ninety minutes of ice cream undone seven years of parenting?”
“We’re guys, Mom. It’s just how it is.”
“Is that right?”
“Yep.” Ty took Carson’s hand and gave a strong tug. “Come see my room.”
“Is it okay with you?” he asked Cresley.
“Of course. Go right ahead while I pour myself a big drink.”
“Put some ice on those knuckles, too, killer.”
She laughed. “Good idea.”
Carson let Ty pull him down the hallway to his room on the left side.
Right away, he saw that the boy was a huge fan of LA sports teams, with Dodgers, Lakers, Rams and Kings swag on the walls, along with a life-size poster of LeBron James.
Mixed in with the sports were robots, Legos and superheroes.
“What do you think?” Ty asked.
Carson took a long, assessing look at every detail, from the Spider-Man comforter to the hat collection for each team to the signed jersey from Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. “I think you’re a man of many interests.”
Ty smiled, pleased with the review. “I do like a lot of things. Have you ever ridden on an electric scooter?”
Carson sat on the floor for a closer look at a remote-controlled truck with all the bells and whistles. He would’ve loved one of those as a kid. “Can’t say I have.”
“My friend Jonah has one, but my mom won’t let me go on it because she says it’s super dangerous. It goes pretty fast.”
“You should listen to her. Moms know things.”
“My mom knows all the things. None of the other moms can name the starting lineup of the Dodgers or know what it means to be offside in hockey. She’s super cool.”
“Sounds like it.” Carson was impressed that she knew the Dodgers lineup. “Which sports do you play?”
“All of them. Little League baseball in the summer, flag football in the fall, rec league basketball and hockey in the winter.”
“Wow, you’re a busy guy.”
“I am. Mom says that’ll keep me off the streets and out of trouble.”
Carson laughed. “Another thing she’s right about.”
“Do you want to come to one of my hockey games sometime?”
“I’d love to.”
“I’ll ask Mom to give you the schedule. When can we surf?”
“It’s a little chilly this time of year, but if we got you a wet suit, we could probably make it work.”
“That’d be so cool.”
“I’ll look into it. What size are you? Like a double extra-large?”
His belly laugh was delightful. “You know nothing about kids.”
“I know less than nothing about kids.”
“Clearly. I’d probably be a small in a kids’ wet suit.”
“Good to know.”
“Time for homework, Ty.”
He groaned. “We’re having fun.”
“I’m sure Mr. Carson has things to do.”
When Carson looked up at her, he experienced the oddest sensation. Goddamn, but she was beautiful. And then she smiled at him, and all bets were off.
“You need to listen to your mom, buddy,” he said to Ty. “She’s going to make sure you don’t grow up to be a dumbhead.”
Ty’s laughter would never get old to him. “That’s true. What do you know about second-grade math?”
“Less than you.”
“So you’re a dumbhead, then?”
“In many ways, yes, and in some ways, no. It’s a mixed bag.”
Ty got up and offered Carson a hand up, tugging mightily. “Thanks for hanging out. This was fun.”
“It was the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
“You should hang out with kids more often.”
Carson patted his blond head. “Probably so.”
“Go get started on your homework,” Cresley said. “I’ll be right there.”
After Ty ran off, Carson glanced at her. “He’s an incredible kid.”
“I know. I got really lucky.”
“It’s not all luck. He’s also polite and articulate and funny as hell.”
“I love that he’s funny. That’s my favorite thing.”
“I can see why. So, about the surfing… I told him it’s only if you say it’s okay.”
“It’s okay. He’ll probably love it.”
“I’m sure he will. Most people do once they get the hang of it. If you give me your number, I’ll get the stuff we need and hit you up about a date. For the surfing, that is.”
She smiled. “That’d be very nice of you. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. I truly enjoyed every minute with him.”
“As do I, except for the second-grade math, that is.”
Carson laughed as he followed her to the foyer, where she asked for his phone to put in her number.
When she handed it back to him, her hand brushed against his, making him feel like he’d been touched by electricity itself.
Over his shoulder, he said, “See you later, Ty.”
“Bye, Carson! Thanks for the ice cream and stuff.”
“My pleasure.” To Cresley, he said, “I’ll text you, so you have my number. If there’s any more trouble with the ex, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“I won’t.” She reached her hand out to shake his. “Thanks for everything.”
Later, he’d wonder what’d come over him as he took her hand and brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss over the back of it, realizing his error when the scent of roses and spice enveloped him in a cloud of fragrance he wanted to get much closer to.
“I’ll be in touch,” he said.
“We’ll look forward to that.”
He would, too. In fact, as he walked out to meet the Uber he’d take back to his car, Carson couldn’t wait to be in touch with her and her adorable son.