Wide Open (17 page)

I smiled, couldn't help it. "Is that supposed to deter me or…"

"Oooooh," he mocked with a grin and settled in closer. "She shoots, she scores."

I giggled. "You're pretty cute."

He looked at me funny and then grimaced. "Oh, my… No."

"What?"

"You're a morning person." He wrinkled his nose. "Look at you. All smiley and sassy at whatever the hell time it is before the sun comes up."

I giggled and then covered it. "Um…sorry?"
"
Good night
, I need coffee." He pulled me into his lap before scooting under me and sliding over in the driver's seat. He gripped my thigh and tugged me closer. "Let's go get breakfast."

"My favorite meal of the day," I gushed happily and slipped my arm through his.

He chuckled and rubbed my leg during the short drive. In no time at all, I was scarfing bacon and eggs. He watched as he ate his own, his eyes lit with fascination.

"What?" I laughed, mumbling around my eggs.

"I've never seen a girl eat like that."

I glared and cocked my head. "Like what exactly?"

His lips twitched as he pushed his plate aside and leaned across the table. "I am going to sound like a total chick right now, but God, I just…God, I am so glad I met you." I bit into my smiling lip. "A girl who's beautiful, humble, eats real food, has completely real boobs." My brows rose. "I assume," he recanted and grinned devilishly. "Is short, but still manages to have legs for days, wickedly smart, genuine, loving, and knows what's important." He shook his head.

I laid my fork down gently and pushed my plate over near his. "Is that really how you see me?"

"Yes. I think your boobs are totally real." I chuckled under my breath, but my eyes never left his. His never left mine. He reached over the short Formica table and cupped my cheek. "Yes. That's you, sweetheart."

My breath eased out slowly. "I really love it when you call me 'sweetheart', Milo."

"I love it when you call me 'Milo', sweetheart."

I was absolutely falling for him. There was no turning back now. But could something I wanted so much last? Could something that seemed so easy really be that easy?

He paid the check, and I didn't protest. I could tell he was the type that was raised to pay, and that fighting about it was futile. Besides, it was nice. I hadn't had anyone take care of me before. It felt odd to let someone look after me for once.

"Hey now," he scolded like he'd done this morning, rubbing between my brows. "Don't do that. No waiting for the worst to happen."

I smiled as best I could. "It's hard for me to accept it when good things come my way. And before you make some smart remark, yes, I'm talking about you."

He smiled, but didn't crack any jokes. He leaned in, taking me in his arms and pressing his lips to my ear. "Fall, sweetheart. I'll catch you."

Milo

The next four weeks were amazing ones.

Maya and I had become that gross, disgusting couple people didn't want to invite out to dinner because they couldn't keep their hands off each other long enough to make it through a course.

Man, did I love that.

Just about every night I was at Maya and Will's, she was at mine, or we went out for dinner and a movie or something. We went to an NA meeting every week and sat through every one of them together. Will seemed to perk up the past week, too. He seemed relieved that I knew about his illness. He was strange that way. Most people with an illness didn't want you to know, but him—he wanted you to know and just get everything out in the open. We wound up becoming pretty good friends, and I even took him to the doctor once for Maya, who had run out of sick days.

Of course she was going to take it off anyway, but I insisted, and Will insisted even more than I did. It was a long drive into the city to the Cancer Treatment Center—about three hours. He said, and I quote, that riding with his nail-biting sister was like pulling out his hair one by one because she was just so worried the whole time. Will and me? We got greasy burgers, and we jammed to The Black Keys the whole way. I didn't go into the doctor's office or caner wing of the hospital with him, but I sat in the waiting room. It was pretty uncomfortable, and it made me feel bad for Mason having done this for Mamma so many times and I hadn't been there for any of it.

Will and I didn't talk about what the doctor said. I figured if he wanted me to know, he would have said. He didn't, so I didn't. He fell asleep halfway home, and I was forced to think about my own brother. I felt guilt pile on me in a way I hadn't in weeks. I was doing something like this for someone else's brother and not my own.

When we got home that night, I don't know how she knew about the junk food and loud music and the pit stop to the smoke-filled arcade, but she knew. It was the first time I got chewed out Maya style. Will took it like a champ because obviously he was no mere novice of the inner workings of his sister's psyche.

I, on the other hand, saw the tirade as a ticket to the crazy train and used that term to describe the fight. Yeah, I said "crazy". That only escalated things to nuclear levels, to which I was saved by Will, who hugged his sister to him and with three words reduced her to a sobbing mess.

I'm still here.

It hit me, like a ton of idiotic bricks. But before I could apologize, she was apologizing to me, and before I knew it, when we were doing more than that.

The make up make out was worth the fight, believe me.

A few days after that, I was getting ready for dinner out with Maya and her brother. He said he felt like the squeaky third wheel, but I knew she worried about him. He rarely ever left the house, so we were taking him to a new restaurant in town that boasted
the best breakfast for dinner food you can find
. So we were going to sample to whole-grain pancakes. Maya said it was the best of both worlds. She still felt like Will was eating well and healthy but eating bad at the same time. He just shook his head and didn't argue.

I had just gotten out of the shower when I heard Maya talking to someone in my living room. I didn't even know she'd gotten there yet. With my towel wrapped around my hips, I peeked out my door and gave her a small wave. She was on the phone, but she gave me an uneasy look.

She was on
my
phone.

"Sorry. Here he is. He just got out." She handed it to me and looked at the floor. "I'm really sorry. It rang and it's habit to answer Will's all the time. I'm…sorry."

I gave her a funny look. "It's all right." She looked at my chest and I realized I was only in a towel. Her eyes drifted lower and closed.

I took the phone. "Hello?"

"Milo?"

"Mason?" I said in surprise. I hadn't heard his voice in so long…it sounded so foreign yet so familiar.

"You said to call when she was having the baby, and she's having the baby. She went into labor about an hour ago. I don't know where you are, but…if you left now, you might make it before he's born."

I looked into Maya's eyes that were now open and searching mine. I didn't know why I did. I hadn't even told her about my family or anything and she hadn't pushed me to. I thought she might make me feel guilty about her spilling all her guts and me having yet to spill mine, but she didn't. And now, she searched for clues as to whether or not I was going to slam the door closed. Now that the opportunity was knocking, was I going to slam it in her face like I'd done before, or face it?

"Milo?" he asked again, defeat in his voice. He thought I was bailing, too.

"We're on our way," I told him, my eyes on hers—always on hers.

"I don't know who she is," he said quietly, "but, man, I like her."

"Yeah, I kinda like her, too." I hung up and took a step closer to her. "Call Will and tell him our date is cancelled. You and I are going to meet my nephew."

"You're not angry with me?"

"Why would I be?"

"For answering your phone," she whispered. "I know you don't want…"

"No," I whispered back. "I'm not angry."

"I thought you didn't want me to know them," she confessed.

"I didn't want you to know the old me."

She swallowed and put her hand on my chest. "You really want to take me with you? To meet your family?" She looked up, her eyes burning into mine. "You can do it alone if you have to."

"You don't want to come?" My heart ached at the thought of that.

"I do. A lot. I just don't want you to feel like I'll hate you if you don't bring me. It's a big step. It's been years, right?" I nodded. Long, hurtful, stupid years. "I won't. I'll be right here for you either way."

"I want you to come with me," I insisted and pulled her to me, my arm hooked around her hip. "Can I ask one thing, though?"

"Anything."

"Can we wait until this is over before I explain anything to you? Because I want you to fall in love with them before I tell you and you hate me. That way you won't leave me."

She palmed my cheek, taking a deep breath before blowing her peppermint breath against my lips. "I won't leave."

"Please. Don't ask me anything until we get back, okay?"

"I won't push either."

"I know," I said, and knew it for truth. I pressed my lips against her cheek. "And I love that about you."

She sucked in a quick breath. I moved, searching for her lips until I found them. Her cool hands on my warm-from-the-shower bare skin had my own hands gripping her to me tighter with the amazing feel of it. Her mouth opened under mine as I pushed her against the back of the couch. One of her legs lifted a little as her butt took the hit. "I would love to let you violate me as long as you wanted to," I said against her lips, "but I think babies probably don't wait."

"I think you have this backward, mister." She giggled at her joke. Good night, it was adorable. "You're going to meet your nephew!" she squealed happily. "You're an uncle. Oh, my gosh. That's the hottest thing," she breathed.

"Really?" I asked, really, really intrigued.

"Babies make a man…" She shook her head. "That's it. Babies make a man a
man
."

I chuckled. "Uncles aren't really classified as men. We're supposed to be silly and throw the kids around, get them in trouble, and pump them with sugar before we take them home."

"Yep," she agreed with a small smile.

"You are pretty confusing right now, woman."

She laughed and pushed my chest, turned me, and slapped my butt. "I'll call Will and get Marybeth to babysit him. Get dressed, uncle."