“Hi, Wren.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I know you’re probably shocked to see me right now. I apologize for not calling first. But I was hoping we could talk.”
“Oh…kay.” I swallowed, glancing over at my father.
Theories as to what he could have to say flooded my brain at warp speed. Did he change his mind about wanting to date me? Had he been thinking about me and felt bad for the weird way things ended between us? I even wondered if he felt sorry for me and came to offer me a job.
He snapped me out of my thoughts. “Can we possibly take a ride? Or if you prefer, we can talk here.” Dax fidgeted with his watch. He was definitely nervous in a way I hadn’t observed before.
I looked back over at my father, who seemed as confused as I was. It would probably make sense if we went somewhere for more privacy. The house was small, so Dad would overhear the whole thing no matter which room we were in.
“Let me get my jacket,” I said. “We can take a ride.”
My father followed me to the coat closet at the back of the house.
“Are you sure this guy is safe?” he whispered.
“Yes. He’s a good person. I’m not in any danger. You don’t need to worry.” Trust me. I could throw myself at him, and nothing would happen.
“Okay.” He sighed. “Text me in a half hour if you’re not back.”
“I will.”
I shivered in the cold February evening air as Dax and I walked to his Porsche, parked in front of my house. There weren’t a lot of spots on the hilly street where we lived in Boston’s Roslindale section, so I was surprised he’d managed to find a spot at this time of night when everyone was home from work.
He disarmed the car, and I got in. The leather beneath me was cold.
Dax turned on the heat as he settled into the driver’s seat. “If you want the seat warmer on, the button is there on your left.”
“What’s going on, Dax?” I asked, ignoring his suggestion. “How come you didn’t call me first?”
“This was an impulsive decision. I didn’t want to give myself time to change my mind because this talk is necessary.”
“How did you get my address?”
He started the car and took off. “It came right up on Google.”
“Where are we going?” I asked as we headed down my street.
“You tell me. We can’t go to my house because Rafe is there, and we won’t have privacy.”
“Let’s just park somewhere,” I said. “There’s a field about half a mile down the road. Go down to the end of the street and turn right.”
Five minutes later, Dax pulled into a spot overlooking a baseball field. He kept the engine running and the heat on as he put the car in park.
He stared out at the field for a bit before he turned to me. “Wren, you deserve so much more than the hot-and-cold treatment I’ve given you in the short time we’ve known each other. I just hope you can forgive me for all this.”
“What is going on, Dax?”
He balled his fists, taking a long breath in. “When I set out to find you, I never imagined that I would connect with you in such a way, to the point where I feel like an entirely different person around you, a better version of myself. That was very unexpected.”
My stomach sank as I absorbed his words. “What do you mean…set out to find me?”
“When I first called you to my house for a massage, I had an ulterior motive. It wasn’t about the massage. It was about you, Wren.”
A rush of adrenaline hit. “You need to go faster, Dax. Because you’re freaking me out.”
“I’m sorry. Please don’t be freaked out. It will make sense.” He exhaled and repositioned himself to face me. “Okay…” He took a deep breath. “You know I’ve felt completely lost when it comes to Rafe. I’ve never felt like he belonged in my care, but I’ve still vowed to do my best…for Maren’s sake.” He paused. “He has no one else but me. Maren’s mother’s too old and is never in one place. It was my responsibility, as Maren’s husband, to look after her child.”
I gulped. “Talk faster, please…”
“A year ago, I came to the conclusion that he needed more than just me. I felt like I owed it to him to find out if there was someone else who could love him like Maren did—in the way he deserved. It didn’t seem fair that this woman who’d loved him with all of her heart and soul was ripped away from this Earth, and then he was left with me. Someone who’d never even wanted a kid.”
I shook my head slowly and whispered, “I don’t understand…”