Tequila Rose by Willow Winters (any book recommendations .TXT) 📗

A soft chuckle leaves me and all the weight of the date two nights ago seems to dissipate.

As Bridget returns to stacking blocks, Renee lists all the reasons I don’t have to tell him anything. Including the fact that he could be a serial killer and that Bridgey doesn’t need that in her life. I don’t think my eyes could roll any harder. Without giving her a response, I take in what Bridget’s building on the floor next to the bed. I think it’s a castle.

“You’re going to be a little engineer, aren’t you?” Renee hears me on the other end of the phone and asks if she’s playing with the blocks again. “Mm-hmm.”

“The Lego kind or the wooden ones?” I know she’s asking because she got her the wooden ones and Robert got her the baby Legos. That constant lightweight feeling in my chest grows heavier at the reminder of Robert and how he fits into all of this. He knew there was a chance the baby was his and that was reason enough to help me back then. Even though I told him I’d been with someone else.

When I was pregnant, I told him there was a chance she wasn’t his and that she wasn’t his responsibility. My sweet daughter distracts me once again, bless her heart, as she picks up Dolly and knocks over every single block in the tower.

Her shriek of happiness and the smile on her face is complete with what sounds like an evil laugh.

“She’s playing with the blocks you got her, and she’s not going to be an engineer … she’s going to be Godzilla.” Again I find myself smiling, even in all this emotional turmoil with no easy outcome.

“For real, though, I want to tell him … I should tell Robert too.”

“Robert?” The single word comes out like the most offensive curse.

“I don’t like secrets,” I say and the confession slips out a little lower and sadder than I intend.

“It’s not a secret. It’s just—”

“It’s just what?” I throw myself back on the bed and make sure my tone stays upbeat for Bridget’s sake. Her little ears hear everything. “It’s a secret. Robert should know and so should Brody.”

“It would be different if you were in a serious relationship. Robert uses you—”

“And I use him too,” I’m quick to reply, defending him.

Renee pauses for a moment and then repeats herself, the same serious tone taking over. “It would be different if you gave either of them the impression that you were looking for something serious. Robert uses you and Brody may be gone in a week for all you know. You have to protect yourself and your daughter. Tell them when you’re ready and the blowback is minimal.”

“Blowback?”

“What if Robert throws you out?”

“He wouldn’t do that and you know it.” It’s offensive that she would even say that. Robert is my friend and has always been there for me. I know she wishes things were different, but if I had to get over it, so does she.

“What if Brody’s the father and he leaves you and then Robert leaves you too?”

“He said his bar is going to be where the old hardware store was.” I remember the conversation last night. We could have talked for hours, but I had to get home for Bridget and also make it clear that I wasn’t looking for the same thing I was looking for years ago. “They’re just waiting on paperwork.”

“And?” Renee pushes, adding, “It’s his friend’s name on the paperwork. Not Brody’s.”

“What?”

“You know I have friends in all the right places. For all we know, Brody could be lying about sticking around. He could hightail it out of here the second you mention Bridget.”

My throat’s too tight and itchy, just like the back of my eyes are with the tears threatening to fall at how blunt Renee is.

“You need to protect yourself and your daughter. So when you feel the time is right and safe to do so, you can tell them and they aren’t entitled to a second sooner than that.”

“Right.” I manage to get out the single word. “But what’s the difference between today and tomorrow? Nothing’s going to change. There are always going to be those risks.”

“What could change is how much you know Brody.”

She’s got a point. The little devil on my shoulder nods as I bite down on my thumbnail. I can only nod, gathering up my composure as I watch Bridget stack the blocks once again. She’s my everything and we’ll be fine with or without them.

Renee’s right. It’s not serious with the men in my life. But Bridget’s upbringing is serious and I need to know more about Brody other than that he makes me laugh. The way he looks at me makes me blush. And I love it when he takes a drink of beer because he licks his lower lip after and I find it to be the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.

“Word around town is that you two had a good night.”

“He tried to kiss me at the door.”

“Your front door?”

“No.” My smile widens as I remember the night. “He didn’t want to do anything that might tarnish my reputation. So he got me an Uber to take me back home and he tried to kiss me goodnight on the sidewalk outside the restaurant.”

“What a gentleman,” Renee says and I can hear her eye roll in the comment. He’s trying, I think to myself.

“He really thinks I freaked because I’m ashamed we had a one-night stand years ago.” I laugh at the ridiculousness.

Silence from Renee and a squeal of delight along with