Chapter 8 #2
What was the right amount of time? Was there a sweet spot when it came to introducing a new boyfriend to your child? Vivian made a mental note to Google that question tonight. She didn’t want to jump the gun, but she also couldn’t stop herself from wanting more.
She was getting carried away. She and Dean had only been dating a few weeks, so it was far too soon.
Dammit.
She and Belle watched the Stingrays game after Pip went to bed, splitting a bottle of pinot noir. As Vivian suspected, Belle chose to spend the night, complaining that she hated sleeping in Victor’s big house alone.
Climbing into bed, Vivian checked the time. It was just after eleven, which meant Dean was likely back at the hotel or would be soon. On nights when he had games, she waited for him to call her.
She had forwarded Dean the video of Pip riding her bike before dinner, unable to wait to share it with him.
Guess who rode all the way to the mailbox and back today?
As she sat in bed, she considered the significance of that. She hadn’t sent the picture because Dean taught Pip how to ride. She’d sent it because somewhere over the past few weeks, sharing good news with him had become as natural as breathing.
Somehow, without either of them trying, Dean had slipped into the spaces of her life that she always thought would belong only to her and Pip. The surprising part wasn’t that he fit there. It was that there had been room for him that she hadn’t recognized before.
Ten minutes later, her phone rang with an incoming FaceTime, Dean’s name flashing on the screen.
“Congratulations,” she said when she answered, acknowledging the team’s win. Like her, Dean was kicked back in bed, propped against a slew of pillows. He was still in the clothing he’d worn to the game, but the suit jacket and tie were gone, the top two buttons of his shirt undone.
Vivian’s pussy clenched hungrily. The man was fully dressed, but she had discovered early on, it didn’t matter what Dean wore. Everything—from sweatshirts to suits to faded T-shirts—turned her on.
“Dominic scored a hat trick,” Dean said excitedly, obviously pleased that one of the new players he’d recruited to the team was doing so well.
“He was on fire tonight. It was a great game. Sorry I wasn’t there to see it in person.”
Dean sighed. “Don’t be too sorry. The weather in Buffalo sucks. Cold and rainy. Looks like it was a beautiful day in Baltimore,” he added, letting her know he’d watched the video she sent.
“Might be a beautiful day, but I’m still forced to do the adulting thing.”
Dean chuckled. “Like?”
“Like cleaning the house, doing the laundry, then wrestling with a broken drawer in the kitchen. I’m going to have to see about hiring a handyman to help out around here. Too many small tasks are piling up.”
“Like what?”
“The ice maker in my freezer has been broken for a month. I absolutely hate filling the trays. I bought a bookshelf for Pip’s room that’s officially defeated me as far as assembling—the instructions are in Chinese.
Plus, I need to change the batteries in the smoke detectors, but that requires a ladder and energy and…
” She laughed. “I know Vic will do everything if I ask, but I hate bugging him when it’s hockey season, and he has his own house to take care of.
At this point, I’d rather just throw money at someone and have them do it all rather than try to find the time to figure it out myself. ”
“Save your money. I can do all those things.”
She paused for a moment, touched by the offer, while also wondering if she should take him up on it. “You don’t have to—”
“Save your breath, Viv. Make me a list. I’ll start tackling it as soon as I get back.”
“Thanks,” she whispered.
If Dean noticed that he’d thrown her for one hell of an amazing loop, he didn’t let on. “Pip is killing it on her bike.”
“She really is. I can’t thank you enough for teaching her. I suspect if it had been up to me, I would have put that training wheel back on, insisting she wasn’t old enough.”
“She was going pretty fast today,” he pointed out.
Vivian laughed. “She’s becoming fearless. Wonder if it’s practical to start swathing her in bubble wrap before she rides.”
“That’s a thought, though it could make pedaling difficult.”
“I’d be okay with that,” she joked. “She can’t wait to tell you about today’s accomplishment, by the way.” The words slipped out before Vivian considered them, because Dean’s smile wavered slightly.
She knew Dean still felt a lot of guilt and regret over missing McKenna’s childhood. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure if hearing that Pip wanted to share her success helped alleviate those feelings or drove home how much he’d missed in his own daughter’s life.
“I’m glad,” he said after a moment.
Vivian tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Every time she rides her bike, she tells me she can’t wait to show Coach Dee how much better she’s getting.”
For just a heartbeat, something flickered across his face. “I’d like to see her ride again.”
“You will,” Vivian replied. The certainty in her tone surprised both of them—and for a split second, she panicked.
Dean must have noticed, because his expression changed. His smile remained in place, but it was gentler. “We’re working on your timeline, Viv. No one will know about the dates until you’re ready to tell them.”
“Okay,” she murmured.
Silence settled between them. Vivian wasn’t sure about Dean, but she was scrambling to find some way to put them back on firm footing.
Mercifully, Dean found the way. “I’ve got tomorrow’s morning skate, then the bus home. The plan is to stop in Pennsylvania for dinner.” He stretched, wincing slightly. “If traffic cooperates, the bus will probably pull into Baltimore around nine or ten.”
“You’ll be exhausted.”
Dean shrugged. “Worth it.”
She frowned. “The road trip?”
He shook his head. “No. Coming home.” His eyes found hers, and she allowed herself to add words to the end that he didn’t say aloud.
To you.
Her heart squeezed.
“When are you free?” he asked. “We’ve got a game Sunday afternoon, but early next week works for me.”
Vivian opened her calendar. “I’m in meetings all day Monday, but Tuesday—”
“Lunch Tuesday?” Dean interjected, sounding as impatient as she felt.
“My house,” she said. “This date should be at my house. When Pip is at school,” she hastened to add. “I’ll make you lunch, and we can eat it in bed.”
She and Dean hadn’t slept together since that night after the firepit. She wasn’t sure if that was something he was doing on purpose, or if it was as simple as the opportunity hadn’t presented itself.
“Dirty girl,” he said in a low, hungry voice. “Though I agree it should be at your place. It’ll give me a chance to tackle some of those chores…before we eat our lunch in bed. Text me a time and I’ll be there.”
Neither of them made any move to say goodbye or end the call. Dean tried to hide a yawn.
“You look tired,” she observed.
“Long day,” he murmured.
“We should say goodbye.”
He chuckled. “You first.”
Vivian laughed. “What are you? Five?”
“Nope. Just don’t like the idea of saying goodbye to you. I like looking at your pretty face.”
Vivian felt her cheeks heat. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d blushed this much.
Probably not since college, when she and Phil first started dating.
He used to say sweet things like that too.
She didn’t consider herself vain or the type to need validation from another to feel good about herself, but that didn’t mean she didn’t love it when he told her that she was beautiful or called her sunshine.
“What if we do it together on three?” he offered playfully.
“Okay.” She reached toward the screen, her finger hovering just over the button to disconnect. Before he could start counting down, she spoke. “Dean?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really glad I ran into you at Logan Airport during that hurricane.”