As a single mom in a small town, there's only one thing I want. Another baby. When all the roads to getting what I want lead to dead ends, I turn to one of my best friends for help.
In my mind, Trent Castillo is the perfect baby daddy. He has good g...
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"Think about it," I say as I close and lock the front door of the house in the downtown core that I'm showing. "It has a lot of what you're looking for, but only you two know if that's enough."
"I really liked it," Leah says. "We'll talk it over." She smiles at her boyfriend, Donny.
"You know Trent Castillo, don't you?" Donny asks.
"I do."
"Do you know if he's hiring? We're just moving to the area. Leah got a teaching job in Little Falls, and I'm an auto mechanic. Everyone I talk to says that Trent would be the best guy to work for around here."
Warmth spreads across my chest. For the first few months that Trent took over, it felt like I faced resistance, both spoken and unspoken, about my perceived relationship with Trent. I definitely lost clients, and I'm certain people have said some not nice things behind my back. A few outright told me they suspected Trent only took over the mechanic shop to run drugs or launder money. Those comments made my blood boil because they clearly didn't know Trent at all if they thought he still had or wanted any of those connections.
"I don't know," I say. "He only took over Mullen Mechanics a few months ago. But I can let him know you're looking for work, and if you're okay, I can have him reach out to you, if he thinks he has any hours to offer."
"That'd be great," Donny says with a broad grin. "I love how friendly everyone is."
"We're always happy when people choose to settle here," I say. "I'll keep an eye out for that perfect house for you within your budget."
"Thanks, Emily," Leah says, waving to me as the two of them head towards their vehicle.
Just as I get into my car, a text from Maggie pings on my phone.
You still good for next week's trip to New York? Long weekend, baby!
I still can't believe Lila's engaged. To say her relationship with Henry had been a whirlwind would be completely accurate.
Right? At least she's not beating me to the wedding.
Saturday night is your bachelorette?
Yes, but I told Lila to keep it low key. I probably won't drink. No need to go splashy. Plus, we have to keep Mia in mind.
Maggie hadn't been a big drinker in years, so it wasn't surprising that she'd opt not to drink even at her bachelorette. It was really a matter of whether Lila would listen. As for Mia, her hit album had caused a lot of fanatical fans to come out of the woodwork. Her security concerns were huge, which is also why she and Tyler were thinking about creating a high security property just out of town and building a new house there.
Trent's taking Amir? Maggie texts when I don't keep the thread going.
Yep. He has big plans for them. He's taking the time off work to take Amir fishing and to build some kind of giant Lego set that Trent got off a guy at work.
He'll be a good dad.
Maggie's message makes me flex my hands on the steering wheel. Even with how well things are going with this shop, how well they're going between us, I don't know if he's changed his stance on telling people if we get pregnant. He was so adamant about not being known as the baby's father, that I'm not sure exactly what it would take to alter his beliefs.
Part of me wonders if I should broach it with him. Though I've tried not to think about our relationship too much or put much stake in how we are with each other, even the illusion of separate bedrooms has disappeared. For the last week, no matter what time he gets home, whether we're having sex or not, I leave my door open, and he's in my bed.
And I love it a little too much.
As soon as his hand is on my hip under the covers, it's like any worries from the day dissipate into thin air. Come here, he'll say, his voice gruff, and I never hesitate.
It took me years to get completely past my high school boyfriend, but then I met Omar, and that connection felt magical, in a way. We didn't get nearly enough time together in the end.
But what I have with Trent is different again, he feels like home, but also like desire embodied. Being with him is the deepest, most solid thing I've ever felt in my life on every level.
It's hard for me to believe I'm the only one who feels those things so fully. What's built between us is real, and it doesn't have to be temporary. Or at least, that's how I'm starting to feel.
Saying that to him goes against everything we agreed to in the beginning. I don't know if we can go back to being friends if I declare my feelings. Despite what he said, I could see him withdrawing if he wasn't either on the same page as me or ready to admit he was. Trent's past weighs so heavily on him, and it's difficult to know if the success of these past few months with the shop, with me, has made that weight heavier or lighter.
At this point, I think I could survive us going back to being just friends. It would be hard—so, so hard—but I would rather that than not have him in my life at all.
Given where we're at, it's hard to imagine not leaving my door open, having him slip under the covers, curling around him, breathing in the scent of his vanilla based cologne with a hint of motor oil.
If anyone had told me I'd one day find motor oil to be an aphrodisiac, I'd have been mortified. But here we are.
My phone rings as I'm driving toward my real estate office, and I see Maggie's name on my dash display. I hit answer, and I say, "I wasn't avoiding you after your little comment."
"Can you pull over?" Maggie says, and I can hear the tension in her voice.
"I'm almost at the office. Is everyone okay?"
"No one is in imminent danger," Maggie says. "Call me back when you get to the office."
Ever since our dad died, we've both been twitchy about calls with this sort of vibe, so I know Maggie understands how seriously I take her tone. The minute I'm in the real estate parking lot, I call her back.
"What's going on?" I ask as soon as she answers. From the buzz in the background, she must be at town hall in the mayor's office.
"I just heard that the police raided Trent's shop. He's been taken in for questioning."
"What?" I breathe out the word, shock hitting me like a wave of ice-cold water. "What?" I say again.
"Dan Ramouli was arrested a few days ago on suspicion of running a drug ring in Utica that's spilled into Little Falls."
"Oh no," I say. "He came to Trent's shop and threatened him."
"Did he?" Maggie sounds surprised. "Dan was always such a dick. You don't think Trent—"
"No, absolutely not." I have zero doubts about Trent's culpability. He's so paranoid about his past coating him that he's probably dying inside right now.
"If I go to the station, do you think they'll let me see him?"
"He's not arrested," Maggie says. "I'm being told he was brought in for questioning. I sent Mom down, just to see. I'd go home and wait. He should be released. I just..." I can almost hear Maggie shaking her head. "I can't believe he'd get involved in any of that again."
I know he hasn't. I have zero doubts. But the other thing I know, that's causing my stomach to sink with dread, is that Trent isn't going to take any of this well.
