“Hey,” she whispers.
“Hi. Looks like you have the magic touch.”
“He’s in a food coma.” She laughs softly.
“I’m almost done putting a new sheet on his bed.” I finish what I’m doing and turn to face her.
“Just lay him down?”
“Yes.” Carefully, she places my son in his crib. Then, she does something that knocks the wind from my chest. I watch her as she kisses her index and middle fingers, then softly presses them to his forehead.
“Sweet dreams, sweet boy,” she says, her voice soft and gentle.
I have to push my hands into the pockets of my jeans to keep from kissing her. The urge is strong, but I fight it. Instead, I step up to the crib and lean over, placing a kiss on his forehead. “Love you, son.” When I stand back up, she’s there. Right there. We stare at each other, a current passing between us. Neither of us willing to move in fear of breaking the connection.
“I think I’ll take that beer now,” she says and rushes from the room.
I count to ten, and then twenty, then thirty before I leave the room and follow after her. I find her in the kitchen with two beers, one in each hand. She hands me one and takes a long pull from the other. She grimaces.
“I’m not much of a beer drinker,” she confesses.
“No? What’s your drink of choice?” I ask, taking a sip of my own. I move to the living room, hoping she’ll follow me. I’m not disappointed when she takes the seat on the opposite end of the couch. Not close enough, but she’s not hidden behind her door either, so I’ll take what I can get.
“Fruity. I prefer to not taste the alcohol.”
“Got it.” She smiles, and I don’t want things to grow awkward, so I begin. “I enlisted in the Army when I was eighteen. I was young and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I knew that I didn’t want to go to college, that just wasn’t for me. So, when a recruiter came to my high school and talked to my senior class, it just felt right. I enlisted. My parents, although worried, supported me. Turns out, I loved it. I was good at it, and I met my brothers-in-arms. Those are relationships I will never forget.”
“That had to be hard being away from your family.”
“It was, but as time went on, it became my normal. I found out that I loved the Army. It gave me a sense of pride fighting for my country.”
“It’s very honorable.”
I nod. Her praise warms something inside me. “Anyway, I would come home on leave. Most of the time, for a couple of weeks, max. My last leave of absence, Chase and I met up, and we pretty much got hammered. I lost track of the number of shots and drinks we had. It wasn’t something we often did, but I was going away for at least nine months, so we made the best of our last night together.”
“No judgment zone, Colton. We’ve all done things we regret.”
“Yeah, but I can’t regret that night. It gave me Milo.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh.”
I go on to tell her how I told Laura that my name was Chase. I don’t stop until we get to the present. Me being a single father to a little boy whose mother signed her rights away to him.
“Wow.”
“Yeah, so now you know.”
“You’re a good man, Colton Callahan.”
“He’s my son. There is no other option but for me to try and be both mom and dad for him, and love him unconditionally.”
“Thank you for telling me. For trusting me with your past.”
“I’m not going to push you, but I want you to know that you can trust me.”
She gives me a weak smile. “It’s late. I should get to bed.” She stands, and downs the rest of her beer, with yet another grimace. “That is truly awful.”
“You didn’t have to finish it.”
“Isn’t that alcohol abuse?” she asks with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
“That it is, Hollis. That it is. Thank you for tonight. For putting up with my crazy family, your help with Milo, and listening.”
“Anytime. Goodnight, Colton.” She stops in the kitchen and tosses her bottle in the trash, then disappears into the laundry room.
I stare after her long after she’s gone. I’m disappointed our night was cut short. I could have spent the entire night talking to her. I don’t want to push her, but I want to know her. It’s more of a need at this point. I want to know what makes her who she is. I spent my entire adult life in the Army. We strive for discipline and patience. Let’s just hope I still have that skill set in me. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t fight it.
Hollis Taylor is quickly becoming my addiction.
Chapter 6
Hollis
I keep myself busy, submerging myself in my work throughout the next few days, even though I can hear Colton and Milo move around on the other side of the wall. The rest of his furniture was delivered Monday, and he stayed home that morning to oversee the job. His place is now equipped with a complete living room, kitchen, and bedroom furniture, as well as a few more things for Milo. This place is really starting to look like a home.
Even though we’re two separate homes.
The temperatures are starting to dip, and now I see the disadvantage of moving to the Midwest. Southern California left my skin tanned and thin to the elements, not really prepared for what November in Missouri brings.
First stop today: the strip mall for some warmer clothes.
I hop into my car, noting Colton is already gone for the day. He usually takes off around seven, dropping Milo off at Gabby’s sister’s house before heading to work. I’ve heard a lot about the gym in the last week, especially from Gabby. She talked to her boss, Harrison, who’s married to her sister, Gwen, and he’s agreed to update the website. I sent him a mock-up of a new site yesterday but haven’t heard back yet. The wait is killing me.
The first place I stop is a boutique for women. The lady behind the counter greets me the second I walk through the door, asking if she can be of any assistance. “I’m just looking,” I tell her as I glance around the store.
I’m not really a big fan of shopping. I never have been one of those girls who likes to browse and try on everything and anything. I’m more practical. Come in, get what you need, and get out before the credit card starts to smoke. Fortunately, I don’t need much today. A few sweaters to go with my leggings and jeans, a coat and gloves, and maybe a pair of warmer boots since my ballet flats probably aren’t going to cut it in the Missouri winter.
I head over to a display of sweaters and check the price. They’re a little higher than I’d like to spend, but this is a small, locally owned boutique. I decide I can spend a little extra on a sweater here and find one in a soft blue and gray. The material is thick, promising to keep me toasty this winter, so I find my size and decide to buy it. I glance around a little more, finding all sorts of cute items that would look great paired with skinny jeans or leggings. I promise myself I’ll come back when the budget allows a little more wiggle room for clothing expenses. Right now, I need to stick to the basics until another job or two comes my way.
As I head to the register, I come across a display of gloves and scarves. My eyes immediately fall on a set of black and gray mittens, hat, and scarf. A smile falls on my lips as I think about my grandma and all the times I found her knitting or crocheting. Of course, when I was younger, I didn’t find it cool to wear a handmade hat or scarf, but now? I’d give anything to have something handmade with her love in every stitch.