Take A Chance Read online

  “Sorry everyone.” Remy winced when the baby let out an ear-splitting scream.

  Hayes spoke around a mouthful of pizza. “It’s okay. Babies cry.”

  She bounced the baby, cooing to him softly. Mathias reached over, rubbing the fine strands of brown hair on the baby’s head.

  “Let me sing to him.” Mathias pleaded, holding his arms out for the baby.

  Remy handed the baby over and Mathias cradled his son carefully. The baby was so small that he nearly disappeared in Mathias’ arms.

  The moment Mathias began to sing the baby stopped crying.

  “Every time.” Remy smiled widely at her husband and he leaned over to kiss her.

  “Is the pizza okay?”

  At the sound of Hayes’ voice I turned towards him. “Yeah, it’s fine. Why?”

  He shrugged, chewing on what looked to be his third slice. “You’ve taken two bites.”

  “Oh, right…sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He smiled at me. “Do you like your pizza?” He ducked his head, addressing Mia.

  She nodded eagerly. “It’s good.”

  I finished off my piece of pizza and wiped my hands. “Who are they?” I asked, nodding towards the couple at the end of the table that I didn’t recognize.

  “That’s my cousin Trace,” he pointed at the guy wearing a plaid shirt, “his wife Olivia,” his finger moved to the pretty brown-haired woman, “and their son Dean.” The little boy couldn’t have been much more than a year old. “And this,” he slung an arm over the shoulder of the woman beside him, “is my dear mother and the old fart beside her is the man I call dad. You should thank them, they created me.”

  “Joshua.” His mother scolded, brushing his arm off.

  Beside her Hayes’ dad cackled with laughter. Something told me that he was responsible for Hayes’ sense of humor.

  Hayes shrugged in a what-are-you-going-to-do gesture and picked up another slice of pizza. He was so thin that I didn’t know where he could possibly fit all of that food.

  “So, Ms. Mia,” he eyed my daughter, “once we eat this not-so-nutritious pizza will you do me the honor of joining me in the plastic ball pit? I need someone to score me on my belly flopping skills.”

  Mia nodded eagerly. “I can do dat.”

  “That’s my girl.” He held his hand out for her to give him a high-five.

  My heart clenched at his words though. My girl. Something her father should’ve been saying to her. Instead, the asshole had skipped out on her whole life. He’d never even asked for her picture. It broke my heart that Hayes—someone that was practically a stranger to her—cared for her more than her own father.

  Hayes seemed to notice a sudden shift in me, because he tilted his head towards me. “Are you okay?”

  “Mhmm,” I nodded, “yeah.”

  Little wrinkles marred the corners of his mouth when he frowned. “Arden,” he started.

  I shook my head. “It’s not important.”

  He looked doubtful, but thankfully let it drop.

  Mia finished her pizza and I cleaned her up.

  Everybody chatted with one another, but I sat quietly. I’d gotten to know the whole band pretty well, which consisted of Maddox and Mathias, who were twins, Ezra, and Hayes of course. I’d also grown close with Emma, Maddox’s wife. Upon noticing me she leaned forward and said hi.

  “Hey,” I replied, “how have you been?”

  “Great.” She replied cheerily, her hand falling to her tiny baby bump.

  “How far along are you now?” I asked, keeping an eye on Mia so that she didn’t run off.

  “Almost seventeen weeks.” Maddox answered for her.

  I wasn’t surprised that he knew. He was so wrapped up in his love for Emma that I sometimes wondered how he managed to play the drums. At least his love for her gave him lots of material for songs since he was the songwriter for the band.

  Maddox reached over and rubbed her stomach. “We’ll be finding out the gender of baby W.C. very soon.”

  “W.C.?” I questioned, confusion wrinkling my brow.

  “W.C.,” he repeated. “Willow Creek.”

  “Ah,” I nodded. “That makes sense.”

  “Enough of this chatter,” Hayes declared, tossing his napkin on the table, “the birthday boy declares it’s time to play!”

  With that, he pushed away from the table and came running around to grab Mia. She giggled as he swooped her up into his arms.

  “To the balls!” He began to run away.

  I shook my head and called after him through my laughter. “Please don’t corrupt my child!”

  He paused in his running and Mia held tight to his shoulders. He mock gasped. “I’m appalled that you’d think such a thing of me. I’m an excellent role model for children.” Before I could respond he was gone and a moment later we heard Mia let out a laugh as she was tossed into the ball pit.

  Across from me Hayes’ father shook with unrestrained laughter. “Excellent role model?” He cackled. “Now that’s hilarious. This is the guy that once tricked the neighbor’s kid into eating rat poop because he told him it was raisins.”

  His father’s statement had my stomach lurching in fear and I took off in the direction of the sound of laughter.

  Hayes had been excellent with Mia when we went to the beach together, but that had been a while ago.

  When I rounded the corner I saw the two of them sitting in the middle of the brightly colored balls. They were laughing and smiling while tossing them at each other.

  There was no reason for my worry and I couldn’t help but smile at the delight that lit my daughter’s face.

  “You know,” Sadie sidled up beside me, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched Hayes and Mia, “I warned Hayes not to hurt you.” Turning to look at me, she narrowed her eyes to thin slits. “I never thought I’d need to warn you not to hurt him.”

  I backed a few steps away so that there was no possibility of Hayes overhearing our conversation.

  “I don’t have time for a relationship, I have a daughter.”

  Sadie rolled her eyes at me and made a noise in the back of her throat. “You’re a mom, he knows that, we all know that, now stop hiding behind that as an excuse not to date.”

  “Date?” My eyes widened. “Wow, that escalated quickly.”

  Sadie sighed, her arms falling to her sides. “All I’m saying is he likes you, a lot. And for Hayes…well, that must mean you’re pretty damn special to him. I’m not asking you to fall in love with the guy, but look at him.” She pointed to where he was tossing Mia up in the air so she could fall into the ball pit and her delighted giggles filled the air. “He’s a good guy. Let him prove it to you that you’re more than a one-night stand.”

  I gasped, my eyes threatening to pop out of my head. “He told you about that?” I hissed, my heart speeding up.

  “Well, something was going on with you guys and I knew there was no way you’d tell me, so yes, after some persuading, he told me that you slept together.”

  “I’m going to kill him,” I mumbled.

  “Hey, don’t blame him.” She scolded me. “I really had to pry it out of him.”

  I hung my head. “I…I don’t know what to do. I feel like my life is such a complicated mess. Guys want easy, and I’m anything but.”

  She grabbed my arm and wrapped her hand around my wrist, giving it a squeeze before letting go. “Don’t give up on him before you even start something.”

  I sighed, glancing at Hayes and unable to hide my smile as I watched him and Mia climbing through the indoor jungle gym. I knew Sadie had a point, but Todd had cut me so deeply with everything that he had done that I was afraid to open up my heart and lay it bare to him.

  “Just think about what I said.” She hugged me and then went back to the table.

  Olivia and Trace were up with Dean, letting him toddle around, and I noticed Mathias and Remy were watching a child playing on one of the arcade machines. I hadn’t noticed the
kid earlier, but I’d been too taken with the baby.

  “Alright, it’s time to play!” Maddox jumped up from the table while Emma shook her head at him, fighting a smile.

  Maddox started running towards me and I thought he was going to mow me right down, but he ended up skirting around me and cannonballing into the ball pit. Multi-colored balls exploded, raining everywhere as some escaped over the netting.

  Emma busted out laughing. “Please tell me someone got that on video.”

  “I’ve got you covered,” Ezra chimed, holding up his phone with Sadie curled in his lap.

  “Momma! Momma!” I looked up at the sound of Mia’s voice and found that she and Hayes were above me, in one of the higher compartments of the jungle gym—or whatever you called it.

  Mia tapped her chubby fingers against the plastic bubble.

  “Hey baby girl.” I blew her a kiss.

  Hayes tapped the plastic and said, “Where’s my kiss?”

  I resisted the urge to smile. “You’re going to have to work harder than that to get a kiss from me.”

  His eyes gleamed behind the plastic. “I like a challenge.”

  I shook my head as he and Mia disappeared into a bright yellow tunnel.

  Since I knew in my gut that Mia was safe with Hayes I went back to the table and sat down.

  “So…” I started, all eyes turning towards me. “Why did Hayes want to have his birthday here?”

  “It’s Hayes.” His parents and friends answered in unison. I couldn’t help but giggle at that.

  “We’re pretty sure Hayes is actually a ten year old stuck in a twenty-seven-year-olds body,” Ezra cackled, ripping a paper napkin to shreds.

  “Aw, give him more credit than that. He’s sweet.” Sadie elbowed Ezra in the gut.

  Ezra nipped playfully at her ear. “He took you on a date before I did, therefore I’m not giving him any credit ever.” He growled.

  Sadie giggled and whispered something in his ear, which made Ezra kiss the end of her nose.

  I felt a pang in my gut. Todd had been like that once upon a time, before the pressure of married life got to him and then his fists replaced his lips.

  “What’s up with you?” Emma asked, bumping my shoulder lightly with hers. “I don’t think I’ve seen you since the wedding.”

  “Yeah, that’s because she’s avoiding us.” Sadie piped in and I glared at her.

  “Avoiding us? Why?” Emma’s mouth turned down in a frown.

  “Yeah, Arden, tell us why.” Sadie smirked. I narrowed my eyes even more. I knew she’d hated it when Emma butted into her love life, but I guess now that she was blissfully in love she’d forgotten all about that and was now determined to subject me to that torture.

  “Tell you what?”

  I jumped at the sound of Hayes’ voice and nearly fell out of my seat.

  “Whoa, steady there sailor.” He grabbed ahold of my chair to keep it from tipping over.

  Instead of taking the seat across from me where he’d sat previously he took Mia’s and placed her in his lap.

  “Momma, dat was fun.” Mia pointed over my shoulder at a slide.

  “It was baby girl?” I asked, pasting on a bright and happy smile. “Did Hayes go with you?”

  She nodded. “We said, ‘Weeeeeee!’”

  I ran my finger over her pink cheek. “Do you want momma to go down with you this time?”

  “No, no,” she shook her head. “Hayes again.”

  Hayes grinned, bouncing her on his lap. “Of course, princess. But first we must eat cake.”

  “Cake!” Mia exclaimed. “Wis it chocolate?”

  “It’s marble, do you know what that is?” He asked her.

  She shook her head and he explained.

  “You mean it’s bof?” She questioned him with wide eyes.

  “It sure is.”

  “Momma, dat’s my new favorite.”

  I laughed. “I’m not surprised. But maybe you should try it first before you tell me it’s your favorite.”

  She nodded her head eagerly. I knew that child well enough to know that it didn’t really matter what kind of cake it was, she was really more interested in the icing. What could I say? She was my kid, and like mother like daughter.

  The others ventured back to the table and I nudged Hayes.

  “Who’s that kid?” I pointed at the young boy with Mathias and Remy.

  Hayes leaned around me to see who I was pointing to. “Oh, that’s Collin. He’s Mathias’ little brother from the Big Brother Big Sisters program.”

  “Oh,” I nodded, “that was nice of them to bring him.”

  “Mhmm,” Hayes hummed, “Collin is a cool kid.”

  “Oooh! Momma! Look!” Mia pointed and I raised my head to see what caught her attention.

  A large cake shaped like a guitar was being carried out and once it was set on the table the candles were lit.

  As a group we began to sing, and Hayes ducked his head in embarrassment, his dimple piercing his cheek with his smile.

  “Make a wish,” I told him.

  He stared at me for a moment, the weight of so many things unsaid swirling in his blue depths.

  He looked away, breaking the spell.

  His cheeks hollowed as he blew out the candles and smoke wafted through the air.

  We all clapped and Hayes chuckled, kissing Mia’s cheek.

  “Princess Mia gets the first piece.”

  “But it’s your birthday.” I reminded him as someone came out with paper plates, utensils, and a cake cutter.

  “Ah, that might be true, but Ms. Mia is the real star. Isn’t that right?” He tickled her stomach and she giggled.

  “You really do like her, don’t you? It’s not an act?”

  His brows drew together and for once his face fell into serious lines. “Yeah, I do. Did you think I was faking it or something so you’d like me?”

  “I...” I gaped at him open-mouthed like a fish.

  “Seriously, Arden?” He sounded slightly irritated. With a deep sigh he relaxed his features and closed his eyes. He seemed to be counting silently in his head. Opening his eyes he looked directly at me. “I can see where your thoughts might go in that direction, but I’m anything but a faker. What you see with me is what you get. Remember that.”

  I swallowed thickly, past the large lump currently lodged in my throat.

  Unbidden, my thoughts went back to the passionate night we spent in each other’s arms.

  “Do you feel that?” He placed my hand on his chest, over his steadily beating heart.

  I nodded. “I feel it.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alive than I do right now. Here, with you.”

  My eyes connected with his and it seemed like he knew where my thoughts had strayed. The night we spent together had been one of the best of my whole life, but I was scared. Terrified, really, because what I felt for him was so potent that I knew if given the chance it could grow into something monumental. If I gave him my heart I feared I’d never get it back. And what if things ended? What kind of state would that put me in?

  “Life is nothing without risks.” He spoke, like he had a looking glass straight into my thoughts.

  My pulse jumped and I continued to stare at him. I knew that beyond us plates were being passed around and our friends were chattering, but despite that it still felt like it was only the three of us—Hayes, Mia, and me—existing in our own orbit.

  “One date. That’s all I ask for. If after that one date I haven’t proven to you that I’m worth it I’ll leave you alone and you’ll never hear from me again.”

  Why did those words fill me with such hollowness? The thought of existing in a world where I never spoke to Hayes was painful to contemplate. The last two months had been sucky enough and he had been talking to me.

  “Deal.” I finally managed to find my voice.

  Joshua Hayes was impossible for me to resist. The rock star bad boy should’ve been the last guy to strike my f
ancy, but there was something about him that drew me in unlike any other guy ever had.

  “Seriously?” Hayes flashed his mega-watt smile, all traces of seriousness leaking out of his eyes and posture. “That was easier than I thought it would be.”

  “What can I say?” I shrugged, reaching for a fork. “You’re kind of annoying so I wanted to shut you up,” I jested.

  He grinned at my words, adjusting his hold on Mia.

  I loved how we were able to go from serious to joking to flirting in a matter of seconds.

  Grabbing up his fork he speared a large piece of cake and shoved it into my mouth.

  Crumbs got all over my clothes. “Hayes!” I scolded, trying to keep the food in my mouth.

  He laughed merrily and even Mia joined in, clapping her hands. “Now I shut you up.”

  “Oh, it’s on.” I reached across the table and grabbed a huge chunk of cake, throwing it at his head and messing up his perfect hair before he could even blink an eye.

  “Now you’ve done it!” He laughed.

  An all out attack was launched and soon everybody was participating. Cake went everywhere, icing smearing across my face and into my hair, but all the while I laughed and couldn’t get rid of my grin. This was the most fun I’d had in a long time.

  Mia grabbed a handful of cake and smeared it on my skirt. “I gots you, momma!”

  “Yes you did baby girl,” I told her, smearing my hand in icing.

  Unable to resist myself I lunged towards Hayes and pressed my hand into his butt, leaving behind my handprint in blue icing.

  “I knew you liked my ass.” His blue eyes glimmered and he grasped my wrists, holding tight enough that I couldn’t get away but not hard enough to bruise.

  I laughed, trying to squirm away and in the process our legs tangled together sending both of us falling to the floor.

  He waggled his brows, a grin splitting his face. “And now I have you underneath me, right where I want you.”

  My eyes flicked to his lips and my heart tripled in speed. “You’re bad.”

  “On the contrary I think I’m very, very good.” His voice lowered to a husky whisper. He let go of one of my wrists and tenderly stroked the backs of his fingers against my cheek. “Honestly, I should be applauded for the amount of restraint I’m exhibiting right now.”