Chance on You (Pub 4)

20 - In between

"It was an accident. I think he should stay home from school," Leo said, as they drove home from the hospital. He knew too much about accidents.

Leo didn't know why he reached over and patted her hand. Was it to reassure her or him? Watching his son being sutured, he felt emotional. Cody's perfect leg would be scarred forever. He remembered inspecting him after his birth. As Cody slept, thoughts of Autumn filled Leo's mind. To keep from going under, he squeezed Isla's fingers. Cody was fine, and Autumn never would be, but he wasn't alone. Isla cared about his children more than he could have asked a nanny.

When he pulled his hand back from the reassuring pat, his fingertips brushed her soft leg. Ever since she started wearing shorts, he was hyperaware of her. Truthfully, it was since his nightmare in the basement. The dream which followed was not his only one. Sometimes Autumn appeared, and once Reagan surprised him, but they always included Isla. Typically, he could compartmentalize his dreams from real life, but with his defenses down he crossed the line.

Riley ran to him as he carried sleepy Cody into the house. She looked up at Leo, and he nodded. "He's fine. Eighteen stitches! He'll sleep, but I'm going to put him in my bed in case he wakes up in the night."

The last thing he needed was Cody wandering at night and falling down the stairs. When he returned Zach had pizza out.

"Eat. Both of you." Zach put slices on plates.

Leo was so hungry he bit into a piece cold. "Thanks for your help. I owe you."

Zach laughed. "You owe me about six weekends of babysitting."

Leo snapped his head. "Do you have something to tell me?"

"What? No! Not for a few years. Lilli is still establishing herself."

Leo smiled. "Good plan."

Zach shifted his feet. "I think I'm going to ask her this weekend."

"Finally! You said the same thing months ago, and you've had the ring for months."

Zach nodded. "I know and she knows thanks to office gossip."

Leo put down his pizza. "Hold on. No one knows you two are together, but they know you bought a ring! Who do they think it's for?"

"I do not know. Chelsea acted sympathetic like she had when Ann announced her move to New York, so she must assume my relationship ended."

"Backup. What does Ann have to do with anything?"

"I took Ann out to celebrate NYC, and my former assistant spread rumors I was proposing to Ann."

"So she's accused you of having two relationships and knows nothing about the one you're in?"

"Yup. And no one, but me, knew when Ann dated Josh Roche."

"Chelsea will know when you're engaged."

Zach laughed. "Lilli wants to keep it secret and have me come back with a wedding ring."

Leo laughed. "So she knows it's coming, and it's a slam dunk she'll say yes. That's good."

Zach frowned. "Did you think you'd get rejected?"

Leo shook his head. "We talked about our future. The surprise is in the proposal. What's your plan?"

"Yeah, Zach!" Riley had been listening. Leo looked around the table; Isla was as well.

"I would love to be on the beach, but Lilli will drop the ring in the sand."

"Tie a string to it." Everyone looked at Riley. "If you tie a string to the ring and you, then it can't get lost."