Chapter 6
Tex
A sudden weight dropped onto my gut, making me jackknife up with a groan. Ruby, the little hellion, started giggling. I peeled open my eyes with difficulty. It had been a long-ass night.
A faint sizzling came from the kitchen, along with the aromas of coffee and sausage. My mouth started watering, and my stomach rumbled.
With everything that had happened last night, I’d skipped right over dinner.
“Ruby!” Hollywood called. “We’re letting Tex sleep, remember?”
“Wake!” she exclaimed.
“No, sleep,” he repeated.
“Wake!”
I hoisted her up. “I’m awake now, and I’m hungry!”
I pretended to munch into her tummy, and she squealed and wiggled.
By all appearances, she was a happy little girl, but she’d slept poorly, tossing and turning and calling out for her mama.
I’d gotten up with her twice before Hollywood stumbled out of his bedroom, dressed only in a pair of gray sweatpants, hair sticking up in three directions, to take a turn.
He’d ended up swaying with her while crooning “Love Me Tender” by Elvis in a velvety voice that slipped under my skin like the sweetest caress.
It was too bad I’d been too damn groggy to fully appreciate it.
And wasn’t that a strange thought? Not that I appreciated it, but that I was admitting it to myself, even if it still plucked a cord in me that seemed slightly out of tune with the rest of my life.
“Sorry,” Hollywood said. “I was hoping to let you sleep in. Maybe I shouldn’t have made breakfast. I couldn’t really wrangle Ruby at the same time.”
“No, no.” I continued to hold Ruby over my head in airplane style, her arms and legs kicking. I noticed her bandage was gone, a small scab the only sign of her injury in the car accident, thank god. “You definitely should have made breakfast for me.”
“Oh, did I say it was for you?” Hollywood blinked, trying to look innocent.
“It better be for me,” I growled up at Ruby, making her giggle again. “I earned it.”
Hollywood chuckled as he poured coffee into a Thurston University mug. “Yeah, you did. I don’t think Ruby is ready for coffee yet, anyway. So this is definitely for you.” He paused. “You want milk or sugar?”
“Nah, you’re all the sweetness I need.”
He tilted his head, brown eyes narrowing. “You don’t have to butter me up. I’m already feeding you breakfast.”
I grinned. “Just making sure.”
Hollywood waited for me to lower Ruby to the couch, then handed me the mug of coffee. “I really appreciate your help. I was in over my head.”
This close, I could see the little amber flecks in his eyes and the long lashes that framed them.
He was a criminally handsome man. That was the real reason he should have gone to prison.
He tempted every person he walked by. Even now, unwashed and uncombed, his hair was a wild tumble that looked intentionally styled.
His features were masculine with just the right touch of softness to make him more beautiful than rugged.
He wore more stubble than usual this morning, and surprisingly, my stomach flipped at the sight.
I swallowed hard. “Anytime, Hendrix.”
He drew back, surprised. “Using my real name now?”
“Just want you to know I’m serious. Anytime you need me, I’m here.”
He pressed his lips together, as if holding in words. I could just imagine what they might be. I had been an idiot three months ago. I opened my mouth to tell him just as Ruby cried out, “Potty!”
He blinked, confused. “Potty?”
“Potty,” she said urgently.
I set down my coffee cup and grabbed her up. “They started potty training. She must want the bathroom. Grab the potty chair.”
I carried Ruby to the bathroom. Holly came in and set the potty chair down. Ruby plopped on the seat and grunted loudly enough we both had to muffle laughs.
We didn’t quite make it to the potty in time, but then, she was in a new place. Now that she knew where the potty chair was, she could get there faster.
Hollywood fetched the wipes, and we cleaned up, then I dumped the potty basin into the toilet.
“Want to flush, Ru-Ru?” I asked her.
“Yay! Flush!”
She walked to the side of the toilet to pull the handle, watching intently as the water flushed away all evidence. “Poo go bye-bye.”
Hollywood laughed from the doorway. “Good job, Ruby.”
She beamed. “I’m a big girl.”
“Yes, you are!” He held up a fresh pullup. “Want to put this on?”
“I do it!” she said.
He handed her the pullup, and she plopped down on her butt on the fuzzy bathmat to push her legs through the holes. She pulled it up and wiggled it over her hips.
“Nice work.” I held up my hand, and she slapped my palm.
A beeping came from the kitchen. Hollywood flinched. “Crap! Breakfast!”
He raced off. I exchanged a look with Ruby. “Is breakfast gonna be burned up?”
Her mouth formed an O-shape. “Uh-oh.”
I laughed as I scooped her up and held her over the sink so we could both wash hands. “Uh-oh is right.”
When we got to the kitchen, Hollywood stood by an open window, waving out smoke. The eggs were a lost cause, burned so badly they’d become part of the pan. The sausage was okay, already removed from the burner and resting on a plate. I snagged a sausage link and popped it into my mouth.
Ruby held out a hand. “Me!”
“Yeah?” I grabbed another and handed it over, letting her gnaw on it.
The smoke detector was still going off. Hollywood climbed on a chair to unscrew the lid and take out the batteries until the smoke cleared.
I watched him stretch up to the ceiling, T-shirt rising to show a strip of abs.
I had the oddest urge to lean forward and kiss him right below his belly button.
The beeping cut off.
“There,” he said. “Sorry. I got distracted by the potty business.”
“Didn’t want to miss out, huh?” I joked.
He hopped down from the chair, a tiny smile tugging at his lips. “More like I wanted to see the master at work. I wouldn’t have known what to do.”
“It’s not rocket science, Holly. Just let her show you what she needs.”
A hint of pink crept into his cheeks. “You make it sound so easy. But what if I…I don’t know…mess her up somehow?”
Ruby chose that moment to shove half the sausage in her mouth at once.
“Hey, no.” I held my hand in front of her mouth. “You’ll choke. Spit it out.”
She shook her head, eyes wide as she tried to chew. It was too much for her. I squeezed her cheeks gently to encourage her to spit it out. Finally, she did, and I dumped my soggy handful of half-chewed meat into the trash can.
“See, like that!” Hollywood said. “I wouldn’t know to do that!”
“You probably wouldn’t have handed her a whole sausage to begin with.” I wanted to kick myself for making such a stupid mistake. “Just cut her small bites, and you’ll be fine. I wasn’t expecting her to do that, but it happens.”
Hollywood shook his head, clearly giving me too much credit. “Still. I think I need a manual for this stuff.”
I chuckled. “Get on . They’ll have dozens of books for you.”
“That’s not a bad idea.”
“More,” Ruby demanded. “Want eat.”
“I’m with Roo on this one,” I said.
Hollywood sighed, looking tired. “Good idea. I promised I’d take her up to the hospital early, and I still need to buy a car seat so I can return Kelly’s.”
“Let’s get this show on the road then,” I said, even as regret tugged at my heart. The sooner we finished here, the sooner I’d be on the way back to Hayworth.
Away from Hollywood and his little girl.
I really didn’t want to leave.
An hour later, I was still in Riverton. I bent over the back of Hollywood’s back seat, wrestling with the new car seat’s locking mechanism while he was inside with Ruby.
I shouldn’t be here. Hollywood was fine now, wasn’t he? He’d smiled this morning. Drunk two cups of coffee. Called his boss to discuss taking a few days off.
He didn’t need me.
The motorcycle growled behind me. Three guesses who that was.
The car seat latched into place. Finally. I straightened, my back giving an uncomfortable twinge, and turned.
Knight came to a stop and pulled off his helmet.
“Hey.” He cut the engine. “Didn’t think you’d still be in town.”
Yeah, me either. I shrugged, aiming for casual. “I crashed at Holly’s place after I brought him the stuff for Ruby.”
Knight nodded. “Glad he wasn’t alone. I think…”
My guard went up. “What?”
“I think he’s missed your friendship, even if he won’t admit it.” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe more than friendship?”
I scoffed. “Okay, just because you’re lovesick doesn’t mean you need to spread the disease.”
He laughed. “Just calling it like I see it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Taking care of a toddler is a lot, even when it’s not sprung on you overnight. He was overwhelmed. I stayed to help. That’s all.”
I was fooling no one, judging by Knight’s expression, but admitting my attraction to myself was one thing. I wasn’t ready to share with the class.
“You heading back to Hayworth then?”
“Soon,” I said vaguely. As soon as I could convince my ass to get into the truck and drive away. “I’ve got nothing pressing there.”
Not yet, anyway. Dad had mentioned a big job this weekend, but he could take another job anytime and want me to haul ass back home. The thought made my stomach clench.
Joyride’s big yellow Hummer pulled into a parking spot beside us. He and Ghost got out.
“Why don’t you come in with us?” Knight said. “We’re going to check in and see how Carrie’s doing.”
I had to return Kelly’s old car seat, anyway. “Sounds good.”
We headed for the main entrance, then took the elevator to the fourth floor. Carrie was out of the ICU and in a regular hospital room. Hollywood was standing over by Kelly, conferring quietly with her and an older couple.
We took seats in the waiting room, not wanting to interrupt. I set Kelly’s car seat on the floor beside me.
“That looks like an intense conversation,” Joyride said. “I hope it’s not bad news.”
Knight grimaced. “Even good news isn’t going to be that good. Based on what Aiden said last night, she’s got weeks, if not months, of rehab ahead.”
My sister had called it. “He’s going to have Ruby for a long time, isn’t he?”