Chapter 17
Tuck
I smooth her hair back and watch the lines on her face soften, the tight edges around her eyes giving way to relief. “Everything’s okay, Maria,” I murmur, letting my fingers linger at the nape of her neck.
“Okay,” she breathes out, her voice barely more than a whisper. “That…really scared me.”
I lean down, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. She glances up at me, eyes wide, vulnerable. “Go say hello to the boys,” I say, my voice gentle but firm. “And then we’ll talk. Meet me in the kitchen.”
The kitchen.
Where I can never seem to keep my hands to myself.
Not your best move, dude, not when she was just on a date with another guy.
I help her shrug off her coat, and hang it in the closet as she walks toward the living room. I head into the kitchen, pouring her a glass of wine, as I give her a quiet moment with her boys.
Honestly, the call had shaken me too. My first thought was getting to them, getting them to safety, here with me. Once that happened, I hesitated on calling her. Of course she needed to know, but I didn’t want to ruin her date.
Not even a little bit.
Okay…maybe I wanted to ruin it a little bit. But definitely not like this.
Voices echo down the hall. Lucas recounts the rain, the fog, the moment the car slipped out of control. They laugh nervously, assuring her they’re fine, then ask if they can stay the night. She hesitates, and then, finally, relents.
As soon as I know I don’t have to go out into the night, I crack a beer, lean against the counter.
When Maria steps into the kitchen, the air seems to change.
Every fiber of me reacts to her presence—the tilt of her head, the little bite of her lip, the way she moves toward me, the way she fell into my arms at the door, like I was her lifeline, like she needed me.
“Sit,” I command softly.
She obeys, sliding into the chair and I set the glass of wine in front of her, watching the way her fingers curl around it.
“Did you eat?” I ask, trying to sound casual. “If not, I can make something, or we can order in.”
“This is how you’re going to take care of me?”
“For the moment.” I arch a brow, letting her know that later, however, I have very different plans.
Her smile softens. “We just finished eating when you called.” She dramatically wipes her brow. “Thank goodness.”
“Thank goodness?”
She chuckles, and I can tell she’s aiming for lightness. “I don’t want a repeat of the summer salad fiasco.”
I shake my head. “Will I ever live that down?”
“No, because no one could keep anything ‘down’ after it,” she teases.
“Okay, no salad. The boys did have pizza, though. I hope that’s okay.”
“Tuck—” Her voice drops low, shaky, like she’s trying to rein in something that wants to spill out. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s just pizza,” I shrug, but my gaze doesn’t leave hers.
“It’s this,” she says instead, voice small, pointing vaguely around the room. “They shouldn’t have called you. You’re not responsible for them.”
I drop down onto the chair next to her, close enough that the warmth of her knees brush mine.
“It was too late for them to call Grant,” I explain, watching her play with the rim of her glass.
“They didn’t want him on the roads. And you…
you were on a date. They didn’t want to disturb you.
They want that for you, Maria.” Even as those words leave my mouth they taste bitter on my tongue.
She tilts her head, eyes glimmering with that soft vulnerability that always gets me. “But—”
“It’s okay that they called me,” I say.
Honestly, I’m glad they did and that truth sneaks in between the cracks of my carefully constructed walls.
I had been avoiding getting close to the boys, pretending it wasn’t my responsibility.
But standing here, seeing her relief, watching them safe and trusting me, I realize… I actually like being needed.
“I guess they meant well,” she says, voice soft, almost reluctant. “And they’re looking out for my best interests, but I’m their mother. I should have been their first call.”
“Hey,” I say, shifting my chair. “You’ve got a lot on your plate right now. I told you before, I can help out.”
“Tuck, I don’t want to rely—” Her words trail off. That’s fine. I get it. She knows I’m not the man for her, and it only cements the truth that I shouldn’t get close.
But I lean in, lowering my voice, quiet enough that it’s just for her. “How about tonight?” I begin slowly. “Tonight, you rely on me.”
She blinks at me, eyebrows lifting. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Once we get the boys to bed, let me take care of you. Because, Maria, you look like you really need taking care of and I want to be the guy to do it, okay?”
Her brow arches, teasing. “What are you suggesting?”
“Bubble bath, back rub…”
I reach for her shoulders, fingers pressing lightly into the tight muscles. She flinches at first, then relaxes under my touch. “Tonight scared you. It scared me too. Let me help ease the tension.”
“You want to play doctor again?” she teases softly.
“Always.”
“I…I think I’d like that.” Her voice is low, hesitant, but there’s warmth in it, and she glances past my shoulders. “The boys…”
“They’ll sleep well after all that excitement.”
Her face tightens a little, and I catch it. “Speaking of tonight…” she winces. “My car. I need to call the insurance company, figure out the costs.”
“That can all wait until tomorrow,” I say firmly. “I had it towed to a place Ash recommended. We’ll get the estimates then. Tonight, there’s nothing you can do. Not a thing.”
“Was there a lot of damage?”
“Enough that you’ll be without a car for a while.”
Her fingers curl around the stem of her wine glass. I can see it—the tension, the worry creeping into her posture, the mental calculation of unexpected costs and setbacks.
“You can use my car,” I say, tilting my head slightly. “When I’m away, and even when I’m home and don’t need it.”
“Tuck—”
“The guys all live around me. I can get rides anytime. And when I can’t, and do need the car, I’ll drive you. Or the boys. Wherever you need to go.”
Her lips twitch into the faintest smile, just enough to make me feel like I’ve scored a small victory. “That’s…the sweetest.”
I bring my fingers to my lips, mock conspiratorial. “Shh. Don’t let that get out.”
She snorts, a humorless little laugh, but the way her shoulders drop from around her ears tells me she’s breathing easier and I’m happy I made that happen.
I lean back. “Now…tell me. How was your double date?”
She eyes me carefully, a spark in her gaze. “Why do you sound jealous?”
I shrug, casual, cracking my knuckles just enough to make her chuckle. “Beats me,” I lie. But the truth is written all over me.
And she knows it.
“He was actually a really nice guy,” she says, lifting her eyes to mine. “He really seems to love kids too. He said he was looking forward to meeting the boys.”
Her gaze lingers on me, waiting for some response—maybe for me to say I love kids too, which I totally do. Every single one of them. But I can’t risk getting close, not again. Been there. Done that. Lost it all. Never again.
“That’s great, Maria,” I say softly, letting my fingers brush her cheek. She leans into my touch, eyes closing briefly. Yeah, she likes Declan—sees him as good father material—but I know what really matters to her. This. Right here. Right now.
“I have to tell you something,” she begins, a little hesitant.
I pull my hand back. “This sounds serious.”
“It’s not, not really…but this…” She waves a hand between us, a small, nervous gesture. “I know it was sort of a secret, but I kind of told Gina and Rowyn.”
I take a swig of my beer, processing. “The other day you told me Gina said you were looking at me with your vagina…but you said she didn’t really know.”
“They staged an intervention.”
A laugh bubbles out of me before I can stop it. “An intervention?”
“They were at the Nook one morning when I went to work.” She shrugs, anxious. I sit back, and she blurts, “Gina called me out on it, on us, and I didn’t deny it. I hope you’re not upset.”
“We’re both consenting adults, Maria,” I say, tone calm. “I know we’re keeping it from the boys, but our friends…they’re pretty astute.”
“Yeah.” She hesitates. Then, softly, “I also told them about college.”
I smile. That makes me happy. She’s always been on the edge of our friendship group, looking in from the outside. Does this mean she’s open to more? To being closer to the WAGs? Everyone needs someone.
Who do you need, Tuck?
I have my teammates.
Is that really enough for you?
Fuck off.
“Okay, so they know about us. What else is on your mind?” I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.
“Declan.”
My chest tightens. Ah, yes…the moment where she’s about to end this between us. I can feel it coming. I’ve noticed her avoiding me, the space she’s put between us this week.
But didn’t she just tell me to take care of her tonight?
Confused, I shake my head, about to ask, when she continues, “I don’t know if I’m old-fashioned, or got married too soon to really know what dating is like, but I thought…once I started seeing Declan, then you and I were…”
“Over,” I supply.
She nods. “Yes.”
“I sense a but…”
“Little did I know, that’s not how things work,” she says, cocking her head. “The girls told me a date is a date. Not a commitment. That doesn’t mean you and I can’t keep…”
“Having sex?” I finish, my heart galloping.
“Yes.”
I shift closer, hands sliding to her thighs. I feel the subtle quiver beneath my fingers. She’s tense, nervous, but ready. “This week…you’ve been avoiding me,” I murmur, letting my hands inch higher.
“It’s true,” she admits, voice low, almost shy. “I wasn’t sure they were right… and something about sleeping with you while dating Declan…felt wrong.”
“Does this feel wrong, Maria?” I ask, letting my hands glide over her skin.
Her face flushes pink, a soft, sweet heat. “Not even a little.”
“Good,” I breathe, a slow grin tugging at my lips. “Then why don’t we see about getting the boys to bed and then I can show you just how right I can make you feel?”
Her chest rises and falls faster, shallow breaths betraying her nerves and excitement. I stand, voice calm but carrying an unmistakable command. “Hey boys, it’s time for bed.”
Bed.
Yes.
That’s exactly where I want Maria.
In my fucking bed.
Now.
Forever.
So what the hell are you going to do about that, Tuck?
Go all in, risk losing this family if I fail, or stay on the sidelines, pretending I don’t care, and be miserable for the rest of my life? My gut twists as I wrestle with that. Could I be the man they needed? The one who doesn’t fail them?
Before I settle on an answer, the boys burst into the kitchen, breaking the moment.
“Thanks for letting us stay, Mom,” Josh says, clutching Marbles to his chest, eyes bright. “I hope we never get a house of our own. I like staying here.”
“This isn’t our house, so don’t get too used to it,” she warns gently, as she wags a finger.
Josh has this strange, smug look on his face, like he knows something I don’t. It’s…weirdly familiar. Sort of reminds me of Stella. A little too clever for his own good.
“Head on up,” I say, trying for casual, though my heart is racing. “I’ll be taking you to school in the morning.”
“Mom, I’m sorry about the car,” Lucas says, his voice soft, full of that tender guilt only a kid can muster.
She pulls him in, holding him close, and I feel my chest tighten. My heart actually aches watching this mother and son, this little family. “All that matters is that you’re okay,” she says softly.
Lucas inches back. “I know Josh wants to stay here, but I really am going to build you a big house someday. I mean, you’re right, Mom. We can’t stay here forever…”
And then he glances at me. Just me.
“Right, Tuck?”
Possession and need hit first and then, one word jumps into my brain…wrong.
I guess it seems like my decision has been made. But how…when there’s a chance I could hurt this family, and break my own heart in the process?