Finding a Hart Read online

  She grinned while trying to extract her hair from my son’s fist. “I’ll be brave with you.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.” I continued into the kitchen and made us a couple of sandwiches before returning to the living room.

  Stephanie was still on the couch with her feet on the coffee table and Chris against her knees. She was speaking to him quietly and he was just watching her with fascination written all over his face. It didn’t matter what she said, Christopher always paid attention to Stephanie. She didn’t use baby-talk, citing that the nonsense words were useless to everyone, but always had real conversations with my son. Granted, those were usually in a lighter tone or a sing-song voice but I had a feeling that those two might be talking politics by the time he was three.

  “I think that you and Ryder are going to get along perfectly. He’s got a few more rolls on his legs but you can’t hold that against him, okay?”

  “How is your nephew?” I asked as I placed the plate on the end table next to her. Steph smiled her thanks and moved Chris to the crook of her arm so she could eat with her other.

  “I don’t understand how those kids can be so perfect despite having fifty percent of Eldon’s genes,” she replied with a small chuckle. “He’s good, though. The other two adore the hell out of him.”

  I’d heard stories about her jerk brother-in-law and already disliked the guy. I could tell that he was one of those men who got off on abusing his power. It was strange, honestly. Everyone in the Gibson family sounded amazing, including those that married into it. Eldon was the only one who stood out. I also knew that if Stephanie didn’t like him, he was probably a terrible person. Steph liked almost everyone and those she didn’t, it was with very good reason.

  “What are your plans for the weekend?” I asked her as I picked up my sandwich. She took a bite of her own and swallowed before responding.

  “Remember Kara from the hospital?” I nodded so she kept going. “Well, Alyssa and I are going out to dinner with her tomorrow to celebrate a promotion she got at the hospital. Otherwise, my weekend is looking to be completely uneventful. What about you?”

  “I was going to take Chris over to Dave’s tomorrow for a bit since he has his kids.” I paused and took a sip of my drink. “Want to come over Sunday? We can rent some movies, get some unhealthy takeout, and do absolutely nothing.”

  “That sounds like the perfect way to send you back to work.” Stephanie readjusted the baby so he was against her shoulder again. I smiled at the sight of her and Chris together. I never knew that a woman holding a baby could be so damn attractive.

  She went back to work an hour later and I put Chris down for a nap so I could get some work done. Despite not having been in the office for more than an hour or two in passing over the past two months, my department was running smoothly. I was anxious to get back to the office on Monday, though. Leaving Chris didn’t sound appealing at all but being around other adults was going to be so nice.

  I went to Dave’s the next day and his four-year-old twins basically tackled me the second I was through the door. I laughed and put Chris’s car seat down so I could pull both boys into my arms.

  “Let me see.” I looked between them and pretended to be confused for a second even though the boys were fraternal twins. Tyson looked just like Dave, with chocolate brown hair and deep blue eyes. Braden looked like their mother, Jamie, with dark blonde hair and lighter blue eyes.

  I fixed my eyes on Tyson and nodded once. “You’re Braden.”

  “No.” He giggled and shook his head. “I’m Tyson, Uncle Jared.”

  I frowned and looked at Braden. “I thought you were Tyson.”

  “You’re silly. I’m Braden!”

  I tickled his armpit, doing the same to his brother, and both boys ended up on the floor as they squirmed to try and get away from me. I stopped when Dave laughed above us and he was holding Chris when I looked up.

  “Thanks for coming over, Jare.”

  I stood up with a boy over each of my shoulders. “Thanks for inviting me. It’s nice to get out of the house to do something other than grocery shopping.”

  My best friend wasn’t just someone who could sell ice to a polar bear but also an amazing cook. The whole house smelled like delicious pork roast and my mouth watered instantly. I set the boys back on their feet and they took turns running to their playroom and bringing back something cool they had to show me. Dave ended up giving me back Chris so he could finish dinner and an hour later we were sitting around his table with roast, mashed potatoes, rolls, and green beans. After weeks of eating take-out, I felt like a king.

  “Are you excited to be back in the office on Monday?”

  I nodded and glanced over my shoulder at the play mat Chris was laying on. “Leaving him is going to suck but having real conversations again sounds awesome.”

  “I bet,” he replied with a chuckle. “The daycare is pretty amazing, too. You guys love going to school at Daddy’s work, don’t you?”

  Tyson grinned underneath a face smeared with mashed potatoes. “Miss Chrissy is so nice and we have the best slide.”

  “See?” Dave laughed softly. “The best slide, Jared. Chris is going to be well cared for there.”

  “Well, Steph already checked out the daycare and it has her approval so I don’t think we can get much better than that.”

  My friend raised his brows and stared at me for a moment. “You’ve got it bad for this Stephanie chick. Are you ever going to just ask her out?”

  “I’m playing the long game and hoping I don’t get permanently stuck in the friend-zone.” I loaded my plate up with more food and shook my head. “I don’t know how to approach it otherwise without fucking things up.”

  Braden and Tyson both gasped but it was Braden who spoke. “Uncle Jared said a bad word. You have to put a dollar into the cuss jar.”

  “Sorry, guys.” I reached into my pocket to grab my wallet and handed the little boy a five dollar bill. “Do you have change?”

  “Nope.” Tyson snatched the bill away before Braden could and both kids took off out of the dining room, ignoring their father’s demand for them to be nice to each other. He shook his head and looked back at me.

  “Sometimes you have to just dive in. Don’t be a pussy because then you’ll miss your chance.”

  The boys reappeared and we changed the subject. I told him the details about Angela dropping in and he filled me in on the crap I had missed at work.

  Chris and I stayed over there until about an hour before his bedtime. I hugged the boys tight and promised to see them soon before thanking my best friend for the awesome food.

  I had just put the baby into the bassinet and settled onto the couch to watch a hockey game when my phone chimed. I saw that it was a text from an unknown number and opened it with my brows pulled together.

  Unknown Number: Doesn’t she look pretty? –Alyssa

  Accompanying the message was a picture and when I looked at it, I let out a loud groan.

  It was Stephanie. She was standing inside of some restaurant lobby in a blue dress that was so damn tight. It dipped low, giving anyone an excellent view of those magnificent breasts, and was sleeveless so it showed her smooth shoulders. It fell about three-quarters of the way down her thighs and she had paired it with some silver heels that made her sleek legs look endless.

  In the photo, she was standing next to that nurse, Kara, who looked pretty but I barely saw her. Stephanie was grinning at something she had said and I want nothing more than to put my hands on her in that very moment.

  I quickly typed out a text and was surprised at how quickly the reply came.

  Me: Pretty doesn’t do her justice at all. She’s breathtaking.

  Alyssa: Good answer. I just thought you might like to see your coffee buddy when she gets all dolled up. Don’t tell her I snagged your number from her phone. She’s super protective when it comes to you.

  Me: Thanks, Al
yssa. Let me know if you guys need a ride or anything at all.

  It was impossible to concentrate on the game after that and I ended up in my home office, thinking of Stephanie while stroking myself. It was something I’d done a lot since I first started getting coffee with her. The image of her in that blue dress was enough to get the job done far too quickly. I grabbed a couple of tissues and sighed while cleaning myself up.

  Dave was right. I needed to figure out a way to pull myself out of the friend-zone or my ass was going to end up there permanently.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Stephanie

  “Are you kidding?” I asked Kevin the following Friday as I sat back in my chair, exasperation evident in my tone. He sighed into the phone.

  “We’ve entered an order of protection for Christopher. She’s not allowed within a thousand feet of him and that includes his residence and the daycare. I’m going to call Jared now but I wanted you to know. The trial has been set for May twenty-ninth.”

  I nodded and let my head drop to my free hand. “Okay. Thanks, Kev. Let me know if I can do anything.”

  “Will do.”

  We hung up the phone and I opened the Hart file on my computer so I could make notes, also adding in that the DNA had confirmed that Angela was Chris’s biological mother.

  The week had been insane. Angela reappearing had caused a whirlwind of paperwork on the DCS end but also a whirlwind of emotions on the personal end. One of the things that I didn’t quite understand was why Angela didn’t have a reason for leaving her son in the garbage. She didn’t even have a bad excuse- just no excuse. We still had absolutely no answers.

  I had spent all day Sunday at Jared’s place, nursing a small hangover while doing nothing but watching movies, eating junk food, and talking about the most random things. I had cuddled with Chris but also Jared on the couch. Nothing felt out of the ordinary really, but I had bit back the questions I wanted to so desperately ask about his friendly neighbor.

  Jared went back to work as planned and Chris hated his first two days of daycare. Jared dropped him off at work and then doubled back to meet me for coffee every day that week. It didn’t make a lot of sense for him to go to work, get coffee, and go back to work, but I appreciated the effort. I loved that baby but having our coffee dates back in the morning was something quite amazing.

  Once I was done entering my notes and Kevin had been given adequate time to notify him, I dialed Jared’s cell, a number I had memorized at that point.

  “Steph,” he answered after one ring. “They let her out. Where did she even get the money for bail?”

  “I don’t know but she isn’t going to go near Chris. Just make sure the daycare is aware that no one but you is allowed to see or pick him up.”

  “I already did that,” he said quickly, the frustration obvious in his voice. “Except I included you in that, too. Just in case.”

  I smiled as I leaned back in my chair. “Everything is going to be okay, Jare. Deep breath. You have a meeting at two, so get your hand out of your hair.”

  He let out a huff of laughter. “Is there a camera in here or something?”

  “I can’t give away all of my secrets, Hart.” I heard his office phone ring and I sat up. “Go work. Everything will be fine. Call me later?”

  “I will. Thanks for talking me down, Steph. You seriously make everything better.”

  “Ditto, Jared. Bye.”

  I put the phone in its cradle and went back to what I’d been doing before Kevin called. What I had been working on was something completely amazing.

  I was scheduling an appointment get the adoption process started for Bettina Kelly.

  After all of the petitions I had filed, all of the work I had done, all of the uncertainty we’d all faced over the past five years, I had left court that morning after finally having her mother’s parental rights terminated. That cleared the way for Bryson and Carin to legally make her a member of their family. When I had called Carin to give her the news, she immediately burst into tears. She told me that she couldn’t even blame the hormones because she was just happy.

  I had just hung up that call when Robin said my name quietly. I looked away from my monitor and saw her standing in my doorway. She walked inside, a solemn expression on her face, and worry hit me immediately.

  She sat down at the chairs in front of my desk and stared at me for a moment. I inspected her face and realized how tired she looked. I mean, she and I worked a lot and usually looked exhausted but this was more. It wasn’t just lack of sleep. After a beat of silence, she let out a long sigh.

  “I have breast cancer.”

  Her words caused my jaw to drop and I blinked at her several times, unsure of what to say. Finally, I managed to croak out, “What?”

  “Yeah.” She nodded and leaned back in the chair. “I’ve been going through a lot of tests for the past few weeks and the biopsy confirmed. It’s still early, stage zero or stage one, they aren’t completely ready to classify it, but it’s there. That’s why I’ve been making sure you’re trained up on everything. I’m going to need your help.”

  “Anything,” I replied vehemently. And I meant it. I would have done anything to help the woman who was not only my boss but one of my friends, too. I stood and came around the desk so I was sitting in the chair next to her. “Tell me what you need.”

  Robin reached out and squeezed my hand. “Nothing right now. I’m going to go through a lumpectomy in a few weeks and I’ll be out for a few days. When the chemo starts, I’ll be out here and there, too. I’ll just need you to fill in from time to time.”

  “Of course. Don’t worry about anything like that.”

  “There’s no one I trust more to keep this place going.” She sighed and pushed to her feet. “I’ll tell the others at the next meeting but don’t worry your pretty little head too much, Gibson. They caught it early and you’re stuck with me.”

  “Good.” I forced a smile and stood, too, watching as she left my office like it was no big deal. The second she was out of sight, my smile dropped.

  My stomach felt completely sick and I did the only thing I could think of that would make me feel better.

  I called Jared again.

  He answered after a few rings and I could tell he was smiling.

  “Now I really think you have a camera in here. I literally just dismissed the meeting.”

  “Just imagine what I see you do on your lunch breaks, Hart,” I teased, causing him to laugh quietly. The small peal of laughter made me feel better instantly. “Sorry to blow up your phone so much today.”

  “What a ridiculous thing to apologize for. Your phone calls are the best part of the day.”

  My whole body warmed at the compliment and I had to resist sighing out loud. When I didn’t respond right away, Jared picked up on it.

  “What’s wrong, Vanilla Latte?”

  “I just received some bad news here at work.” I twirled the phone cable around my finger. “Between that and Angela being released, I’m in a funk.”

  He didn’t speak right away. When he did finally say something, his voice was soft. “Let’s end the day and week on a better note. Come by tonight. I’ll make you dinner.”

  I let out an unladylike snort. “You don’t cook.”

  “Ah, that’s where you’re wrong, Ms. Gibson,” he replied, his voice with mock formality. “I can grill a mean steak and just got my barbeque spring-ready again a couple of days ago.”

  “Okay. I can’t wait to taste this amazing steak. I’ll stop and grab some sides we can have and be there around sixish.”

  “Sixish works. See you in a bit, Steph.”

  I hung up the phone and I tried to get back to work but it was useless. My mind was completely and firmly settled on anything but the work in front of me. I saved everything I was doing right before five and decided to head to the store.

  The few people that were still in the office bid me a good night
and I joined the crowd of individuals who were already in the elevator. The elevator stopped six more times before we made it to the bottom and climbed out of the crowded metal box.

  I pulled into the parking lot of a Safeway near Jared’s place and grabbed a small hand basket when I walked through the doors. The store was already starting to get busy with people who were doing the same thing I was.

  There were a few potatoes in my basket and I was standing in front of the asparagus when an arm dropped across my shoulders.

  “Why are you even pretending to consider something healthy? We all know it won’t happen.”

  I glanced to my left and smirked at the newcomer. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, telling me that he’d been in class for the day. “It won’t be so healthy once I smother that asparagus in butter. Hey, twerp.”

  “Says the woman who is still shorter than me when she’s wearing those ungodly tall heels.” Austin hugged me to his side, only emphasizing the fact that he was taller than me. “Who are you making dinner for? Lyssa?”

  I shook my head and reached out to grab a bundle of asparagus. “A friend of mine that you don’t know.”

  My brother plucked my handbasket out of my grip and stuck it into his cart, ever the gentleman our mother had raised him to be. With his arm still draped across my shoulder, the two of us began walking towards the dairy section.

  “A friend? Of the male variety?”

  I elbowed him slightly, causing him to let out a grunt of pain. “You know that I’m the older one, right?”

  “Doesn’t mean I won’t do my brotherly duty, Steph.” He dropped a kiss to the top of my head and I turned to grin at him. Before I could reply, someone spoke in front of us.

  “Vanilla Latte.”

  Austin and I both turned our heads and it was pathetic how my heartbeat immediately quickened at the sight of Jared Hart. My lips curved into a smile.

  “City Roast.”

  He was still in his suit for the most part except he’d ditched the tie and jacket and his hair was a crazy mess. The best part, though? He was wearing a baby carrier and had Chris strapped to him so they were chest to chest.