Abruption (12 page)

“You ever take the kids? They’d love it. There are plenty of easy trails I’m sure Finn could handle, but even if he got tired, I’ve seen kids much bigger than him in backpack carriers. And I bet they’d get a kick out of Casey.”

She was spot on again—my kids would totally tear it up. They took after me when it came to downtime. I contemplated how we hadn’t notched out some time to get up north yet, wondering if Jules’ comment was an invitation. I couldn’t see past the next five minutes. Did she already have us on a date with the kids and whoever the hell Casey was?

“Casey?”

“Sorry, he’s my yellow Lab.”

Good to know she wasn’t inviting Hair Gel on a family date.

“You live in an apartment and have a full size Lab? It’s not a little tight?”

She flipped the catalog closed, indignant. “You’re seven foot five and live in an apartment. It’s not a little tight?” There she went again with her ridiculous hand motions, this time bringing her palms an inch apart mimicking a tight space.

“Touché.”
Smart ass
. “You’re about a foot off, and yeah, it gets tight.”

Jules giggled and something about the sound redirected blood flow south. Speaking of south, I said, “So I take it you’ve decided to forgive me for being a dick.”

“I never said that.”

“You always make future dates with dicks?”

Her face immediately flushed. Caught.

“So … six Oscar nominations, huh, better not disappoint.” She redirected the conversation while snagging the blanket off the back of the couch, covering her legs, and outstretching her hand. “And give me my drink.”

“Bossy,” I mumbled loud enough for her to hear. Flushed and demanding, now this I could work with. I handed off the margarita before tagging the remote and firing up Netflix.

She liked me.

And in not so many words, she secured our next date. Not wanting to think too hard about it, I settled on the oversized couch, pulled her into my side, and got comfortable. Wasn’t difficult, she melted right in. It was time to test the waters.

“You’re staring at me,” she whispered, seemingly engrossed in the film. “Thought this

was your favorite movie.”

The outline of her cherry lips were pleading with me and suddenly I was hungry. “Never said favorite. Classic. And I’ve seen it a hundred times. I know what’s gonna happen. But right now I’m more interested in what’s gonna happen”—I tipped her chin and brought our lips millimeters apart—“after this.”

“Wait.” Her index finger slipped between our lips.

Damn, I could have sworn she was on the same page. The sexual tension had been suffocating. Shit, I was seriously rusty.

“Um. It’s just I should have said this earlier … days ago, actually. I don’t know why I didn’t and I’m really so embarrassed. But then there was never a good time. Not that anytime is a good time. Trust me, I know. Probably better than anyone …”

“You’re rambling, doll.”

“I’m really sorry about your wife. So incredibly sorry.”

Talk about left field and epically bad timing. She bit her bottom lip and furrowed her brow, sincerity oozing from every pore. Did she really bring up Britt … now? The mention of her name probably should have elicited pain or guilt, or at the very least, killed the mood. Not even close. She was such an enigma and so fucking adorable, I wanted to kiss her even more.

Her finger was still against my lips when I said, “Okay. That is totally
not
what I thought you were going to say.”

“If you want to talk about it …”

I shook my head slowly, hoping I wouldn’t offend her. But I had to be honest. “Not even a little bit.”
Especially now
.

“Okay, if you ever do, just know I’m a good listener.” She dropped her intruding hand and her caramel eyes melted. “Why don’t you kiss me then.”

My fucking pleasure
.

This was the best idea she had all night.

Her gaze dropped to my mouth, while the tip of her pink tongue wet the seam of her lips. The smell of tequila and lime mixed with apples, a dangerously delicious combination, skyrocketed my hunger to insatiable levels. A small moan slipped from somewhere deep in her throat and it was all I needed. I closed the distance and claimed her. My pulse pounded in my ears. She tasted unfuckingbelievable. I parted my lips, urging her on, and to my surprise, she matched me movement for movement. Sweet Jesus, this woman could kiss. I clutched the nape of her neck, tangling my fingers in her silk hair and coaxed her closer. If I deepened the kiss any more, she’d be in my lap, right where I wanted her, straddling my growing ache. The only thing in my way was the stupid blanket and her jeans and her—

“Let me,” she mumbled, sliding her hands up my chest, confirming she wanted closer too.

I tore the damn throw off her legs and gripped her thighs, pulling her warm core against mine. The sound of clinking glass echoed off the hardwood floor. Spilled milk, spilled margarita—who the fuck cared? It would take an atomic bomb to pry me away from her sweet taste or the gut wrenching sound of … retching.

Several seconds passed for my brain to interpret the noise echoing through the apartment, being that my entire blood volume was currently engorging my
other
brain. I pulled back, breaking our connection and leaving us both panting and bothered. The vile sound amplified and my instincts extinguished my burning desire.

Without hesitation, I was off the couch and running. Jules’ footsteps trailed mine.

“I’ll grab a pail and some water,” she said, turning toward the kitchen.

“Hey, bud, Daddy’s here.” I chucked his vomit-drenched sheets aside and picked up my boy so he could breathe easier. He was heaving so hard he wasn’t even crying. Another wave exploded onto the floor, breaking my heart and making me feel even more useless. “Shh, breathe, buddy. It’ll be okay.”

Always Finn. It wasn’t fair.

“Here, handsome, try and take a little sip.” Jules calmly stepped over the foul puddle, sat beside us, and rubbed Finn’s sweaty back. Before he sipped from the straw Jules held in front of him, the vicious cycle began again.

“Shit.” I tried my best to curb my swearing in front of the kids, but this qualified as an
Oh Shit
moment.

Jules’ concerned gaze agreed with mine. When Finn gasped for oxygen after emptying the last of the bile that could be left, I didn’t have to say a word.

Jules said, “I’ll grab Max. Let’s go.”

Yeah, we were on the same page.

“E
wwww! Finny’s getting sick again, Daaadddyyy,” Max cried.

Wedged in the back of a cab driving a hundred miles per hour didn’t stop Finn’s body from convulsing each and every time he heaved. There was nothing but bile left. I’d seen a lot of sick kids, really sick kids, over the years, but I couldn’t remember a time I’d ever seen a little one retch this violently with barely a moment in between cycles. I rubbed his back and held a towel under his mouth as Guy barked at the cab driver to drive faster. Finally, a few tears were leaking down his cheeks and he was whimpering.

Thank God.

When we found him slouched over in his bed, he had been struggling to breathe, using every single one of his accessory muscles. This seemed more intense than a random twenty-four hour bug. Guy’s panicked eyes told me he felt the same.

“Max, it’s okay. Finn’s tummy is a little upset,” I said, feebly attempting to calm Max who was scared and probably disoriented from being dragged out of her warm bed into the freezing cold in the middle of the night. Who was I kidding—I was saying it to calm myself as well.

The cab finally stopped, and Guy threw open the door and gingerly scooped Finn from my lap. “It’s okay, buddy. I’ve got you.”

My eyes welled and my heart ached for them, for this situation. In his short life, Finn had already been through enough. This sweet boy deserved a slice of easy with a side of luck. At the very least, he deserved to have his mom by his side to help fight his battles.

Swallowing back the lump in my throat, I said, “I’ve got the cab and Max. Go.”

Guy jerked his chin and took off towards the ER entrance.

I wadded up the vomit-drenched towel and tied it off in a plastic bag I dug out of my purse before paying the driver. Max was shivering, and I could feel her pressing deeper into my side. I swung her on my hip and kicked the cab door closed. “Hold tight, Maxie girl.”

“Max,” she whispered back. Right, Max.

She wrapped her little legs around my waist, clinging for dear life. Even in the midst of what was going on, she was adamant. Even though I could have sworn that I’d slipped earlier in the evening, I loved how
her
Finny was the only one with free rein to use nicknames.

“Oh, sorry, honey, that’s what I meant.”

A burst of warm air blasted us in the face as we rushed through the automatic doors. The combination of nerves, adrenaline, and the alcohol from earlier, mixed with the heat, caused a wave of nausea to roll through me. Max hid her head in my neck, and I squinted against the blinding lights.

“Where are they?” I asked the approaching triage nurse before she had a chance to say anything.

“Bay four.” She didn’t even try to hide her suspicious elevated brow when she saw me carrying Dr. Hunter’s daughter—in the middle of the night, in her pajamas. Fortunately, she held her tongue. Tomorrow would be another story, and no doubt her reality TV rendition would go viral. “Want me to take Maxine?”