Chapter 21
Willow
When I wake the next morning, the bed is empty and Brett is gone. I trudge over to Maylee’s room, pick up my baby girl, kiss her sweet cheek, and sit in the rocking chair to nurse her. As I think of last night, a smile splits my lips and it feels so good. My initial instinct is to panic. Feelings aren’t good. They are dangerous and lead to heartbreak. Slow breaths. This is okay. It’s okay to feel. Don’t be scared. I talk myself down from the impending panic that has made me run all my life. It’s time to stop running. Risk is inevitable and a life with my baby daddy will be good for me and Maylee. Since Maylee was born, I’ve wanted her to have a stable life. I wanted to give her the best of everything. It’s what made me reach out to Brett in the first place. After breastfeeding, I take Maylee and head to the main room. I place her on the floor in her play gym and make a coffee.
My cell rings and I head to Brett’s room since I left it there last night.
“Willow,” Eden says on a sigh. “Finally.”
“Good morning to you too.” I chuckle.
“We are all going to Sabrina’s Kitchen for breakfast. I’m not taking no for an answer,” she demands with a playful voice.
“Sure, what time?” I ask.
“We’re meeting at eight,” she says.
I look at the time and it’s seven thirty.
“I’ll do my best. It takes time leaving the house with a baby,” I explain.
“Patty is coming with Callie. Do your best. Some of us still have to be at work,” she adds.
“Right, okay. See you soon.”
I take Maylee to my room and place her in the playpen with some toys while I get ready. Brett wanted each room to be equipped with things for her so we have three playpens in one apartment.
After getting dressed, I quickly change Maylee and restock her diaper bag, taking her oat cereal with me. Brett left me the keys to his SUV so I guess I’ll be driving that to the restaurant. We get bundled up and head out. We bump into Ellie in the elevator.
“Hi you,” she says. I give her a hug and she coos at Maylee, who is sitting in her stroller. “I’m so excited about having you in the same building.”
“It is a great location here and it is so good to have a friend close by,” I reply.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
I scoff. “Besides me being a complete mess? Totally.”
“What’s going on?” she asks.
We reach the parking garage and leave the elevator.
“Oh, you know me. I’m all about self-sabotage.”
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
Maylee begins to complain.
“We should talk more at the restaurant. Eden made me promise to be on time. She has to go in to work.”
“Okay, see you there.” Ellie waves, heading over to her car.
I find Brett’s SUV and press the lock button. It’s a fancy platinum Land Rover. I get Maylee situated in the car seat and place the stroller in the trunk. It’s really a great mom mobile with all the space.
We head out to the restaurant. I am grateful Maylee is chill on the drive over. We arrive at Sabrina’s Kitchen at five past eight and I consider it a win. I quickly unload us from the car and head inside with Maylee in her stroller.
The girls are all here sitting at a table. Everyone is so excited to see us and we get lots of hugs. Eden picks up Maylee and gets her out of her snowsuit, and then she gets passed around between my friends. I say hello to Patty and pick up Callie, her baby girl, since we haven’t met.
“You and Maylee are going to be best friends,” I say to her.
Patty agrees.
After the warm welcome, we sit around the table and order breakfast.
“It is so damn good to see you,” Skylar says.
“You too,” I tell her.
“So how does it feel to be back in the city?” she asks.
“It feels amazing. I’m starting to work tomorrow. It feels good to have my life go back to some kind of normal,” I admit to my friends.
“And how are you and Brett?” Patty asks, waggling her brows.
“We are. . .complicated?” I say hesitantly.
“Tell me you slept with that man,” Eden says, waving a hand in her face.
“Well, obviously, we have a baby,” I deadpan, rolling my eyes.
“You know what I mean,” she says, shoving my shoulder.
“There is definitely an attraction between us,” I admit.
“Did he sleep in your bed in Sugar Meadow?” Sky asks.
“Yes, but it was just sleep,” I reinforce.
The waitress comes by, and we all order food. I order one of the fruit and granola yogurt bowls and a cup of tea.
“Dude, that man is hot. You need to tap that,” Eden urges.
I blow out a breath. “It’s not like I don’t want to. But we are complicated. We have a baby. We can’t rock the boat for her sake. What if we don’t get along after?”
I look to my friends like they have all the answers. Most of them are in relationships with players from Brett’s team.
“From my experience, rocking the boat leads to getting along better, if you know what I mean,” Ellie chimes in, giggling. I give her a look that says I am being serious. “Fine. Look I get that you’re scared. Do you have feelings for him?”
“I do. He’s been so good to me and Maylee.”
“And does he have feelings for you?” Ellie asks.
“I know I shouldn’t be thrown off by this, but Brett has been very open with me about everything he is feeling. It’s been refreshing not to have to wonder what’s on his mind, but on the other hand it’s also overwhelming too. He has a very busy past,” I say as the waitress sets a tea in front of me.
“So, Evan wasn’t a saint either,” Patty says.
“Connor wasn’t exactly a manwhore, but he wasn’t a saint either,” Ellie adds. “But you can’t blame the guy for choices he made before meeting you. Every player hangs up their skates, or whatever, when the right girl comes along.”
“That’s a terrible analogy,” I joke.
She shrugs. “I didn’t have something better.”
“Do you guys read the articles that are written about the team? It’s crazy,” I say. “Or what about the article about me showing up to the arena and blindsiding Brett?” I look around to my friends. Each one has a different version of a sheepish expression on their face.
“It wasn’t so bad.” Ellie tries to make me feel better.
“We don’t need to sugarcoat. I showed up and told him in public that I had his baby. I was supposed to go up to him after the game and tell him quietly by the locker rooms, but somehow Brett spotted me and now the whole world knows our business,” I lament.
“Because Brett charged at you like a jealous boyfriend when he saw you with Jacob,” Eden clarifies. “That should tell you something. The man has the hots for you.”
“He hasn’t hidden the fact he wants to try to be together, but you guys know me. After having a few meltdowns on him, I kind of told him I would try but I feel like I’m so out of my element here.”
“Relationships are hard. I hadn’t been in one for a long time when Evan and I hooked up. It’s a risk to put your heart on the line, but the payoff can be so much greater,” Patty shares.
“But no one knows how things will turn out,” I retort.
“True,” Skylar agrees. “But Patty is right. If you have real feelings for Brett, you owe it to yourself. I know what it’s like to be a single mom. I was lonely for a long time. Reuniting with Liam has made me happier than I’ve ever been, and Crew is over the moon happy too,” she says of her son. Liam isn’t Crew’s biological father but he adopted him.
“Gah, you guys make it look so easy,” I complain.
“Life isn’t easy but when you care about someone, and they care about you, it makes all the tough times worthwhile,” Ellie says.
I sigh. She may have a point.