Another hour passes, as I wait patiently for my best friend and to get a glimpse of his son.
Alone in the hallway for so long, I startle when the bedroom door opens.
Apollo gives me a big smile when he sees me, and I immediately wrap him in a hug, clapping him on the back and congratulating him.
“I need a favor,” he says when he pulls away.
“Anything.”
“I need you to drive us to the hospital.”
“Of course,” I answer.
Thirty minutes later, my hands are shaking on the steering wheel as I slow-poke it across town to the hospital. I’ve saved lives. I’ve literally pulled people from burning buildings. I’ve jumped in front of bullets to save civilians, but driving my best friend, his wife, and newborn son is the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I’m grateful for the turtle-in-peanut-butter slow pace the convoy is taking to get us there.
Chapter 10
Faith
“Yes, Pauline,” I say into my phone when my office manager calls.
“Mr. and Mrs. Fosse are here for their appointment.”
“I’ll be right out,” I tell her, hanging up the phone and finishing the email I was working on.
My hands are shaking, and that’s weird for me. Normally, I’m a calm and collected person. Normally, I wouldn’t be in my most expensive suit for a day in the office that doesn’t include a trip to the courthouse.
But Ethan Packwood came with April and Apollo the last time we met, and some part of me is hoping that he’s going to be here again today. That some part being the one who spent extra time on her wardrobe, hair, and makeup before leaving the house this morning.
I don’t know what I was expecting from him, but silence for the last three weeks wasn’t it. The grown-up part of me argues that the road works both ways, and I could’ve easily reached out to him just as he could’ve contacted me. That little girl inside of me, the one I thought I had gotten rid of, is upset that he hasn’t made contact, even though I’ve made it clear on more than one occasion that I’m not interested in any of his advances. That little fleck of crazy all women have has left me angry more than once with the silence. The sane part of me has tried more times than I can count to remind me that we’re both adults and he has a life outside of what happened three weeks ago at the bar.
I don’t even want to think about which side of me is winning right now.
Standing from my desk, I straighten my clothes and check my compact mirror to make sure my makeup hasn’t gone crazy at any point this morning before heading out to the waiting area to greet April and Apollo.
In case the man needs a sign, I don’t bother trying to hide my excitement when I notice Ethan standing beside his friend.
“Good morning,” I tell all three of them before crouching down to peek at the baby.
April gave birth to their son two weeks ago at the clubhouse. We had to reschedule this appointment to give them time to rest and get into a routine. I was happy to do so.
“And look at this little sweetheart,” I say, pulling back the blanket a little so I can see his precious face better.
“Nathaniel Alexander Fosse,” Apollo says with absolute pride in his voice as his eyes stay locked on the little boy in the infant carrier.
“Cute as a button,” I say as I stand. “Ready to get started?”
Apollo helps April stand before grabbing the handle on the carrier, and although I’ve never wanted children myself because of my past, I love seeing a happy, healthy family. With a sweep of my arm, I indicate for April and Apollo to head into my office first, turning back to look at Ethan.
A thrill runs through me, the feminist part of me gasping at the audacity, when I discover him staring at my ass. He’s slow to rake his gaze up my body, unashamed of my discovery, and for some reason that electrifies me even more. He winks at me when his eyes finally meet mine. Unbidden, my lips turn up in a smile before I disappear into my office and close the door.
The meeting with the Fosses is quick since we are only touching base about their court hearing coming up next month, and much to my delight when I walk them out, Ethan is still in the waiting room. He nods in my direction before turning to follow his friends out of the office.
“Ethan? A few minutes of your time?”
Apollo stops in his tracks as well, his eyes darting between his friend and me. Without a word, Ethan hands over a set of keys and the family of three leave the office.