“Fuck, it’s cold.” Jasper rubbed his hands together, blowing on them as he bounced on his toes in the ring.
“I need to buy more space heaters.” I rubbed my temples. If only this headache would go away.
But it wouldn’t. Because the headache was directly tied to my furnace—the furnace that had quit working five days ago. I’d come home from my dinner with Talia to a freezing cold gym.
I probably should have expected it with how hard the damn thing had been running since I’d bought this place. I should have had someone inspect it earlier.
The guy who’d come to look at it Saturday had laughed, saying I was lucky it had worked this long.
There was no repairing it. If this had been Vegas, I probably would have had a new one that same day. Except this was Quincy and they’d needed to order a replacement because the two they had on hand were spoken for. My furnace wouldn’t arrive until Friday.
So for the past five days, I’d been heating the gym and apartment with electric space heaters.
“Of course this doesn’t happen in the spring or summer,” I told Jasper. “Has to happen on the coldest damn week of the year.”
The high today was forecasted to be three. Three fucking degrees above zero.
“My toes are numb,” he grumbled.
“Mine too.” Most of the heaters were in the apartment, making sure it stayed warm enough for Kadence. The ones out here were barely cutting the chill. The gym was simply too big and the temperature too low.
“I’m not cut out for Montana,” he said.
I scoffed. “I’m not sure I am either.”
This morning, I’d taken Kadence to school dressed like a marshmallow in her bibs, puffer coat, boots, hat and mittens. The snow was a novelty for her, part of the adventure. But even she’d complained about the cold, and on the ride to school this morning, she’d been sullen and quiet.
“Okay.” I rolled my shoulders and jumped up and down, gearing up for whatever else Jasper had planned for today’s training session. We’d been at it for hours, each of us pushing hard simply because if we were moving, we weren’t freezing. “What’s next?”
“I want to practice some sweeps. I’ve been studying videos from Savage’s previous fights and I noticed a pattern in his later rounds. When he gets gassed, he sinks into his heels. Might be an opportunity to sweep for a takedown.”
“All right.” I cracked my neck and got into my fighting stance, arms raised.
Jasper mirrored my position, facing off.
I stopped worrying about the cold. I stopped thinking about anything outside of this ring. I focused on my opponent, ready to jab, fake a kick by raising my knee, then sweep my lead leg against his, hoping to get him off-balance.
Except before I could move, the chime of my phone filled the air.
“Ah. Sorry.” I rushed to the side of the ring. The school’s name flashed on the screen. “Hello?”
“Is this Foster?” a woman asked.
“Yes.”
“This is Denise, the school nurse. I’ve got Kadence with me and she’s got a 100.3 fever.”
I’d started ripping off my shin pads before she’d even finished her sentence. “I’ll be right there.”
“What’s going on?” Jasper asked as I hung up, taking off the other shin pad.
“Kadence is sick. I gotta go.”
“What can I do?”
“I don’t have any kids Tylenol.” Fuck. “Or a thermometer.”
Why hadn’t I bought any medicine, just in case? I ducked between the ropes, rushing to the apartment to pull on a hoodie and a pair of sweats over my shorts. When I came out with keys, Jasper was pulling on his shoes, dressed similarly to me.
“I’ll hit the store and get supplies. Meet you back here.”
“Thanks.” I nodded and jogged for the door.
The outside air was a frigid slap to the face, the wind biting into my skin, so I quickened my steps, blasting the heat in the truck as I sped into town and whipped into the school’s parking loop.
Kadence was waiting by the front desk with the nurse when I burst through the front door.
“Hi, little bug.” I dropped to a knee and pressed one palm to her forehead while the other took the backpack off her shoulders and slung it over mine. “Not feeling good?”
She shook her head.
I glanced up to the nurse. “Do I need to check her out or anything?”
“We’ll take care of it. Feel better, Kadence.”
She forced a smile, looking like she was about to cry. Guess her mood this morning hadn’t been about the cold, but about feeling crappy.
But she’d made it nearly through the whole day. Why hadn’t she told me she wasn’t feeling well? Or made the school call me sooner?
“Let’s go home.” I picked her up, thanked the nurse, then carried my girl to the truck. When she was buckled in her seat, I pressed a kiss to her temple and hurried to the driver’s side.
“Daddy?” she asked as I pulled onto the road.
“Yeah?”
“Am I gonna miss school tomorrow?”
I glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “I don’t know. Depends on how you’re feeling. Why?”
The corners of her mouth turned down. “We were supposed to have a popcorn party.”
“Is that why you didn’t tell me you were feeling icky this morning?”
Her chin dropped. “It’s Maggie’s birthday today and she brought cupcakes.”
My sweet girl.
I felt awful that she was missing fun and so fucking happy that she wanted to be at school, that she was making friends. “If you miss it tomorrow, I’ll get you popcorn, okay? The most important thing is we get you feeling better.”
She slumped against the door, and by the time we made it to the gym, she was asleep.
Jasper hadn’t made it back from the store yet, so I carried Kadence inside, stripping off her coat and getting her into bed. Then I dug my phone from my pocket and called the first person who came to mind, hoping like hell she hadn’t changed her number.
“Hello?” Talia answered.
“Hey.”
“Foster?”
The surprise in her voice was another punch in the gut. “You deleted my number.”
“Oh, um . . . yeah.”
She’d erased my contact info while I’d kept hers safe and memorized her 406 number just in case. That was on me, not Talia. And at the moment, I didn’t have time to worry over past mistakes.
“Kadence is sick. She’s got a fever.”
“What temp?”
“It’s 100.3.”
“Have you given her anything?”
“Not yet.” I stalked to a window, searching down the road for Jasper’s Yukon. “Should I bring her to the hospital? I’m starting to freak out.”
“Has she never been sick before?”
“Yeah, she has. But I don’t do good with this stuff. Vivienne is the calm parent.”
There was a jingle in the background, like she’d picked up a set of keys. “I’ll be over in a minute.”
“You’re not working?”
“Not today. See you in a few.”
The air rushed out of my lungs as I ended the call. Then I paced the apartment, calling Vivienne next, and when she didn’t answer, I left a message.
Every time I passed a space heater, it was too hot. When I got close to a window or the doorway, it was too cold.
Kadence hadn’t once complained about the apartment or the gym. My girl was a trooper. But her room was small, and despite Vivienne’s efforts to hang photos and decorate, it wasn’t home. This place wasn’t a home.
“Hi.” Jasper walked into the apartment with a plastic grocery sack in one hand. I was so stuck in my head I hadn’t noticed him drive up.
“What the hell was I thinking living here?” I threw an arm in the air. “I should have a house. A real home with two bedrooms and a goddamn working furnace.”
“Maybe you should crash with me for a few days until they get the heat working.”
“I’m going to call the hotel.” The A-frame he’d rented was nice, but it was small and there wouldn’t be room for all three of us. It wasn’t much bigger than this apartment. “Thanks for offering. And for going to the store.”
“Anytime.”
I dragged a hand through my hair, my eyes cast to the bedroom. “I hate it when she’s sick. I feel helpless.”
“She’ll be fine.” Jasper put the bag on the counter just as a car door slammed. We both glanced to the window, watching as Talia hopped out of her Jeep. “Looks like you called in reinforcements.”
“Yeah.”
“Holler if you need anything.” He walked out of the apartment, his voice low as he greeted Talia.
“Hi.” She stepped across the threshold and my lungs filled with air. I could breathe again.
“Hi. Thanks for coming.”
“Sure.” She walked straight for the counter, rifling through the bag Jasper had brought. “You haven’t given her anything yet, right?”
“No, not yet.”
“Okay.” She worked efficiently, pouring some red medicine into the tiny plastic cup. Then, with the thermometer in hand, she went to the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed as she coaxed Kadence awake. “Hi, Miss Madden. Your dad says you’re not feeling so good?”
She shook her head. “Uh-uh.”
“Can you sit up for me?”
Kaddie obeyed, her eyelids droopy.
Talia took her temperature, still high, then helped Kaddie drink down the Tylenol. Then she tucked my daughter into bed before we retreated to the kitchen.
“Thank you,” I said, easing Kadence’s door closed. “Vivienne was always in charge of this sort of thing. I get a little worked up.”
“And she is . . . not here?”
“She’s back in Vegas. It’s not an ideal arrangement, but it’s only temporary. She’ll move sooner or later, but we wanted to get Kadence into school here as soon as possible.”
“Ah.” Talia nodded, pulling the sleeves of her coat over her fingers. “It’s chilly in here.”
“The furnace broke.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “It won’t be fixed until Friday. I’ve been trying to stick it out, but I’m going to call the hotel. See if they’ve got a room.” Time to tap out.
“I’m sure whatever bug she has isn’t related. She’s in a new school. New friends come with new germs.”
“But the cold can’t be helping. It’s drafty and cramped. If she’s still sick on Friday, I want her to get some rest, and if they’re putting in a new furnace, it will be loud. And to be honest, I’m sick of sleeping on the couch.”
Talia glanced at the couch and the blankets I’d folded on a seat this morning.
“Know anyone who has a place for rent?” I asked. “Or for sale?”
“It’s January. Quincy doesn’t exactly have a booming housing market, especially in the winter.”
I sighed. My asshole of a realtor should have told me about the condition of the gym. Or I should have asked for a virtual walk-through. Maybe if he’d known I was bringing my daughter to live here, he would have warned me against it. Damn, I should have bought a house.
“You guys should come stay at my place,” Talia said.
“Huh?” I blinked. Had I heard that right? “Seriously?”
“You can stay at the hotel if you want, but you’ll need a kitchen. I happen to have a kitchen and two guest bedrooms. I’ll also give my realtor a call, see if she has anything on the market.”
I was still stuck on the invitation. “You’d really let us stay?”
“If you want.” She shrugged. “But if you’d rather stay here, then—”
“Ten minutes.” I held up a hand, already moving toward the bedroom. “Just give me ten minutes to pack some stuff.”
“How about you let her sleep?” Talia dug her keys from her coat pocket. “Come over when she wakes up. I’ll stop at the store and grab some soup for dinner.”
Was this a dream? “ ’Kay.”
“See you in a bit.” She waved and headed out, leaving me stuck in place. Then I glanced around, really looking at the apartment. It was a far cry better than what it had been. It was clean and tidy. But there was no life here. This was fit for a bachelor, not a little girl.
And if Talia was willing to let me be closer, I’d jump at the chance. For me and for Kadence.
While Kadence slept, I moved around the apartment, packing quietly. Vivienne called and checked in, and after we talked for a few minutes, I made sure the space heaters were plugged in and close to the sinks, with one in the bathroom, so hopefully the pipes wouldn’t freeze. There was no other choice but to leave them running, even if I wasn’t here. But if the building burned down, well . . . I wouldn’t be heartbroken.
It was nearly dark outside by the time Kadence stirred from her nap. I had her suitcase and my own packed and loaded into the truck, so all I had to do was carry her outside and buckle her into her seat.
“Where are we going?” She yawned, cuddling her favorite green blankie.
“We’re going to stay with Talia for a little bit. Until we get the heat working at the gym.”
“Okay.” She yawned again, not voicing a single word of protest. Not that I’d expected one. She hadn’t complained about the gym but she hadn’t complimented it either.
The lights of Talia’s house were a welcome sight when we parked on the street. So was the woman standing on the porch, ready to wave us inside.
I took Kaddie in first, leaving her with Talia, while I hurried to bring in our bags. Then I closed the door behind me, toeing off my boots, before following the sound of voices into the kitchen.
A bar separated the kitchen from a dining nook. Kadence was sitting on a stool, her attention on Talia as she moved around the room, ladling soup from a pot on the stove into a small bowl.
Maybe it should have been awkward, the first night as a guest in her home, but as Talia served our dinner, the three of us ate chicken noodle soup and it felt like something we’d done a hundred times.
But that was Talia. That was us. Even when she was angry or frustrated with me, it hadn’t been awkward. We were too in tune with each other. We flowed, always had.
After dinner, Kadence took a warm bath before settling into the guest bedroom. Talia checked her temperature and gave her another dose of Tylenol. And when my daughter was dressed in her favorite pink dinosaur pajamas, I brushed out her damp hair and curled beside her in bed, waiting until she was asleep before easing out of the room.
Talia was in the kitchen, the dishwasher running and the leftovers stowed away. The wind had picked up after dinner, whipping snow against the house. “Is she asleep?”
“She’s exhausted.” I yawned, rubbing the back of my neck. The kink I’d gotten from too many nights on the couch felt permanent. “I hope she can rest.”
“Me too. Your room is next to hers. I’ll be upstairs if you need anything. Just make yourself at home.”
I nodded. “Appreciated.”
“See you in the morning.” That scent of coconut and lime filled my nose as she walked by, heading for the staircase.
I drew in a long breath, holding it in my nose, forcing my feet to stay exactly where they were.
She hadn’t invited me here tonight for anything but a decent place to stay. And as much as I wanted to follow her upstairs, to find out what color sheets she had on her bed, I stood at the counter, gripping the edge tight. It wasn’t until I heard the sound of a door closing upstairs that I wandered down the hallway to the bedroom next to Kaddie’s.
The bed was plush and warm as I slid beneath the covers. Given how many restless nights I’d had lately, I should have conked right out. Instead, I listened to the wind howl and stared at the ceiling. What was Talia dreaming about tonight?
A light turned on, casting a glow toward my open door. I shoved out of bed, wearing only a pair of boxer briefs, and padded toward the kitchen. Talia stood at the sink, filling a glass of water.
The sight of her made my mouth go dry.
She was wearing an oversized T-shirt that had once been dark green, but after countless washings, the color had faded over time. Her back was to me, but she didn’t need to turn. I already knew what was on the front of that tee. It barely fell past the curve of her ass. Her toned legs were bare. Her hair was pulled up in a messy knot, a few strands escaping down the long column of her neck.
Fuck, but she was perfect. There would never be another woman, only Talia, wearing one of my old T-shirts.
Maybe she’d deleted my phone number. But she hadn’t tossed that tee.
“Couldn’t sleep?” I asked.
She startled, turning to face me and pressing a hand to her heart.
“Sorry.” I stepped into the room, loving the flare of lust in her eyes when she took in my naked chest. “I wondered where that shirt went.”
Her gaze dropped, taking in the distressed white shamrock on the front. “Your lucky tee.”
“My lucky tee.” I walked right into her space, not giving her a chance to object as I framed her face with my hands. “Thief.”
“You abandoned it in my drawer.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to steal it back.” I crushed my mouth to hers, wrapping my arms around her.
Talia rose up on her toes, her tongue tangling with mine as I swept into her mouth, savoring her sweet taste with a hint of mint toothpaste.
God, this woman. She tasted good. Felt good. I held her tighter, one arm over her shoulder while the other came around her ribs. Pinned.
She did the same, holding me so tight it was like she didn’t ever want to let go. There was no space between us as I hefted her up, setting her ass on the counter. Then I kissed her deeper, leaving no corner of her mouth untouched.
Fire spread through my veins. She lifted her legs, wrapping them around my hips to haul me closer.
My cock throbbed as it pressed into her core, wanting so badly to sink inside. The only thing between us were her panties and my boxers. I groaned down her throat. I swallowed her whimper. Every stroke of her tongue, every nip of our lips, I fought the urge to bury myself in that wet heat.
Talia clung to me, her fingertips leaving crescent indents in my back as she swirled her tongue against my own.
She’d always loved to dig her nails into my back. I’d always wanted to have those marks tattooed on permanently. Maybe now I would.
Another night, I’d worship her body for hours. Another night, when my daughter wasn’t sick and asleep down the hallway.
Tearing my mouth away, I dropped my forehead to hers as we both panted for breath. “Talia.”
“Don’t let go.” Her arms cinched tighter.
“Never,” I whispered, holding her with my face buried in the crook of her neck, until finally she relaxed her arms, and I helped her off the counter.
Her lips were swollen. Her face was flushed and her hair was coming loose from its tie. Wearing my lucky tee, she was perfect.
“Why’d you really invite us to stay?” I asked, pushing a lock of hair off her forehead.
She touched my beard, lightly, like she was trying to decide if she liked it or not. “I don’t know.”
“Do you regret it?”
“No.” She ran her thumb over my bottom lip, then slipped past me, glancing back when she was on the opposite side of the room. A safe distance, out of my reach before I changed my mind and hauled her to bed. Smart woman. “Good night, Foster.”
“Good night, Tally.”
