Meet Me Halfway (Learning to Love Series)
Meet Me Halfway: Chapter 20

It was Saturday. Another game day. Jamie jogged out of his room in his uniform, cleats hanging from his hands. I looked over his thin, short-sleeve top and blew out my cheeks.

“Dude, you can’t go in that, you’ll freeze. Go get the long-sleeve undershirt I bought you.”

He groaned, throwing his head back and wiggling his body around like an inflatable tube man. But he listened, dropping his cleats to the floor, and trudging off.

I shook my head, turning to the two people standing by the door. Jamie had asked both Garrett and Layla to go today, so we were all piling in and heading there together.

I’d legitimately feared for Aaron’s life when I’d told Layla what had happened that night. She’d nearly clawed my arm off in her haste to snatch my phone and call him. I’d had to tackle her and threaten to give her a wet willy before she conceded defeat. The woman was crazy, but I loved her for it.

She was now leaned over, talking nonsense and rubbing Sadie’s back. My lips tipped up at the sight but faltered when I glanced at Garrett to replace him looking at me. It’d been a few days since I’d woken up next to him, and in that time, he’d had dinner with us twice.

One night I’d cooked, and the next time he’d brought over Chinese. His proposal hovered over us like an elephant in the room—an overly large elephant wearing stilettos. Every time he said my name or brushed a little too close to me, the urge to say yes would whisper in my ear.

He didn’t bring it up again and neither did I, but every time he looked at me, I felt like he was undressing me. My body would tighten, my heart pounding in its cage while the air around us thickened to an unbearable degree. It was exactly what was happening now, and it was maddening.

“Ya’ll are making me wish I was headed to Rick’s rather than a soccer game.” Layla had straightened up, and she was fanning herself, looking back and forth between us. “Holy secret tension.”

“Oh, it’s not a secret. She knows.”

If I could have been a turtle, I’d have popped my head right into my shell. They were both looking at me, Garrett with self-satisfied humor, and Layla in wicked delight.

“I’m going to warm up the Jeep,” I muttered, slipping past. I could barely handle Garrett’s persuasion, but if Layla jumped on the bus—which she would—I wouldn’t stand a chance.

About five minutes later, the remainder of the group climbed in with me, Garrett up front and the other two in back. From the sounds of it, Layla was mid-way through an aggressive pep talk.

I rolled my eyes, backing out of the drive once everyone was buckled. The woman was incredibly competitive. Jamie would be lucky if she didn’t end up shooting to her feet, yelling, throughout the game.

Hearing Layla finally wrap up her speech, I glanced in my rearview mirror. “You get all that, bud?”

“I guess.”

I held a thumbs up behind my head. “Cool. Now chuck it all out the window and pretend you didn’t hear it because if you take any of her advice, you’re bound to get kicked out.”

Next to me, Garrett chuckled. “Maybe take a little bit.”

I stuck my tongue out at him, and he winked. Of course, he’d agree with her. Glancing back again, I saw Jamie eyeing all of us like we were a band of unruly marsupials.

“Can I just have fun?”

I rubbed my hands together, trying to keep warm. In the last week the temperature had taken a turn, but I swore it’d dropped even further in the last hour. I needed to remember to bring a blanket to the next game, or at least follow-through with purchasing a new coat. A large Thermos of coffee wouldn’t hurt either.

Bringing my hands to my face, I cupped them and blew hot air between them. This game was taking forever, caffeine actually sounded like a great idea.

“Hey, I’m going to go grab some coffee, would either of you like some?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” Layla didn’t even bother looking over at me, eyes riveted to the game, her thighs in a permanent state of half squat over the bench.

I stood, looking down at Garrett and pointing at him, but he shook his head. “I’m fine. Do you want me to walk over there with you?”

“No, it’s okay. Enjoy the game, I’ll be quick.”

I shuffled down the bleachers, thankful the audience was fairly sparse today, and I didn’t have to squeeze by anyone. The concessions were on the far side of the field, but it’d be nice to move my limbs and get the blood pumping.

When I approached, a line had already formed of other parents with the same idea, but at least I could still see the field. I took my place, turning to watch as I bounced from side to side.

“Today turned out to be a cold one, didn’t it?”

I nodded to myself, still watching the game, agreeing with whoever was talking.

“The boys sitting on the bench must be freezing.”

I absently nodded again. I’d already thought the same thing. Most of the boys were wearing layers under their uniforms, but I was cold under a long sleeve and a sweater, so I’m sure their thin undershirts weren’t helping much.

“You’re Jamie’s mom, right?”

Startled, I darted my eyes over to replace a man standing behind me, looking at me. “God, sorry, I thought you were talking to someone else. Yes, he’s mine.”

“Oh good, glad I didn’t make a fool of myself then.” He laughed, and his smile showed off a line of perfectly straight, white teeth. “I saw your group walk over before the game started, and it was hard to tell which of you were his parents.”

I waved a hand back and forth. “Yeah, we get that a lot. The other woman is his aunt of sorts, a close family friend.”

He bobbed his head, glancing at the line and moving up with me. I’d never seen him before, but he was an attractive man. He wasn’t quite as tall as Garrett, but he stood a few inches above me and was sporting perfectly styled, blond hair. Relaxed brows sat over a pair of strikingly blue eyes, and a trimmed beard covered his jaw.

“I’m Michael.” He held out his hand, and I hesitantly took it, unsure why he was being friendly with me. No one at school events was ever friendly to me.

“Madison.”

He held onto my hand a second longer and smiled again, crinkling his eyes. “Nice to meet you, Madison. My son has nothing but good things to say about Jamie. He seems like a great kid.”

That had me thawing, and I couldn’t help but return his smile. “I’m glad to hear that. He’s definitely a good kid, although I might be biased.” I glanced to the side, noticing the line had moved up, and shuffled forward.

“We’re fairly new to the area and new to the school. My son, Ian, is incredibly shy and doesn’t make friends easily, but he came home talking about Jamie on day one. Jamie kind of took him under his wing, I guess.”

My heart warmed. “We’ve moved around a bit, so he knows what it’s like to be new. I’m glad to hear they’re hitting it off.”

“Maybe we can get the boys together sometime so they can hang out outside of class.”

I certainly wasn’t against the idea of Jamie having a friend outside of school. I opened my mouth to agree when something was yanked over my face. I jolted, whipping back and bumping into something firm.

Hands brushed along my arms, pulling the item farther down until it encased me. I was two seconds from shooting out an elbow when I smelled it. That familiar, musky smell I’d know anywhere.

For the second time in my life, my head was forcibly shoved through the neck hole of a man’s hoodie, and I could see again. Michael was still there and was looking at me with an amused grin.

I turned to look over my shoulder and sucked in a breath. Garrett stood directly behind me, his eyes hard and heated as they locked with my own.

“Hi,” I whispered.

His full lips twitched. I could feel how tense he was as he looked up at Michael, but he nodded at him in greeting.

“Michael, this is my neighbor, Garrett. Garrett, this is Michael. His son goes to school with Jamie.”

Garrett’s eyes snapped to mine, and the look he sent me before he extended his hand to Michael had me rolling in my lips like a child caught in a lie.

Pulling the proffered limb back, he wrapped both hands around my arms and turned me, moving me forward. I’d been next and hadn’t noticed, and the woman working the stand stared at me, waiting.

“She’d like a coffee with one sugar and three creams.”

I looked up at him in surprise, but his hands on my arms kept me from turning around. “Make that two, please.”

He nodded, handing the woman cash and taking the cups from her outstretched hand.

He transferred one to me, and I wrapped both hands around it, stepping out of the way. I looked over my shoulder to bid Michael goodbye, but firm pressure on my back had me throwing out a quick wave and walking toward the bleachers instead.

I narrowed my eyes at the man beside me, the feel of his hand hot against my lower back. “We could have invited him where we’re at, I don’t think he knows anyone here.”

“He’ll live.” With the lack of concern in his tone, we might as well have been discussing the weather or the branches of government.

I grumbled. I knew Garrett naturally wasn’t talkative, especially to strangers, but being new sucked. It wouldn’t have killed him to be friendlier.

Garrett sighed, and I swore his fingers glided an inch up my back. “I’m sorry, I’ll look for him next time.”

I let him guide me back up to our seats, pointedly rolling my eyes when Layla wiggled her brows at me, accepting the second coffee from Garrett. I’m sure watching Garrett potato sack me with a hoodie was the highlight of her day.

I settled next to her, holding my cup near my face, and basking in the steam. Garrett dropped down next to me, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he was sitting a little closer than he had been before.

The boys lost the game. I wanted to be able to pat Jamie on the back and say something like, “It was so close!” But it wasn’t. They got creamed. He was eight, so I couldn’t care less who won. I just didn’t want to see him upset.

Layla, on the other hand, hadn’t shut up about it. Garrett and I were currently suffering through the tail-end of her rant as we stood to the side of the field and waited for the boys to be dismissed.

“I mean, honestly, if they would’ve just—” She stopped, nudging my arm. “Never mind. Incoming.”

I glanced over, expecting to see Jamie, but what I saw was the mutts of my own personal hell descending on us. Otherwise known as Tristan and her gang.

Her face was pinched like she’d eaten something sour, and Carolyn and Lara—I still wasn’t sure if those were their names—both looked uncomfortable. Tristan was looking directly at me until Garrett’s body shifted a half-step closer. Her eyes darted to him, and she swallowed, turning and transforming her features into a mega-watt smile.

“Hello, Madison. How are you?”

I fought the urge to frown and give her the finger. What did this woman want? “Fine. You?”

“Cold as an ice cube and sad the boys lost their game, but I’m peachy keen.” She continued smiling at me like we were fast friends, and I looked around wondering if I’d somehow dropped into another dimension.

“I wanted to let you know early, since you’re always…so busy, we’ll be having a party in a couple weeks for the team. I’ll send little invites at the next game, but I hope to see you there!”

I gaped, only succeeding in nodding my head. She seemed satisfied with the response and flipped her hand in a wave before she and her group moseyed off to go wait for their boys.

I slowly faced my companions. “That was weird, right? Did anyone else replace that super weird?”

Layla looked about as confused as I felt, but Garrett looked like a cat that’d finally caught the annoying ass canary. He was watching the women walk away, an immensely pleased expression on his face.

I glanced back and forth between Tristan’s group and him. “Garrett Rowe.”

“Hm?”

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class?”

He dragged his face down to mine but only tapped a finger under my chin and winked. Then he stepped past me, striding off to meet Jamie who’d finally been released from the field.

I watched him lean down to fist bump him before saying something that lit up my kid’s face with a laugh loud enough for me to hear from where I still stood.

They both had mischievous looks on their faces, and Layla burst into cackles behind me. “Girl, you’re in so much trouble.”

I was. I really was. Because I was pretty sure I might be in love with that man.