Chapter 1
Makari Phoenix
Ahigh-pitched scream woke me from much needed sleep. I felt like I had just closed my eyes and that was highly possible since my daughter had been screaming her head off for most of the night. This ear infection had been one of the worst so far and I was praying we got this under control so I didn’t have to do another doctor visit. Or worse, a trip to the emergency room.
I pushed out a short breath and rolled over, sluggishly lifting myself from the bed, trying to find the energy to move my body. As soon as I reached her portable crib and my lips brushed over her forehead, my heart sank.
She’s burning up…
The fever had been manageable all day, which made me believe we were over the worst of this, but shit. I scooped Avi into my arms and pressed her face to mine and my stomach dropped.
I moved to the dresser, lifted the bottle of infant Tylenol, and unscrewed the lid when it felt light in my hand. This cannot be happening. I balanced my baby girl, whose harsh cries had settled to whimpers since she was in my arms, and unscrewed the lid to see if my worst nightmare was happening. WhenI squeezed the dropper and nothing filled the end, my chest tightened, because it was two in the morning and I had a crying infant in pain. What the hell was I supposed to do now?
Get dressed and take your ass to the store, Makari. Avi needs medicine.
As much as I hated this, there was no way I would let my little muffin suffer. So I kissed her face and placed her on the bed long enough for me to grab whatever I could get my hands on so I looked decent enough to be out in public: baggy sweats and a hoodie which had likely expired when it came to fresh and clean.
Laundry was an entire task these days and was also the reason I was out of Tylenol. In between caring for Avi all day, I attempted to wash a few loads, but unfortunately, her things were more of a priority than mine, so my loads were still piled up in the hamper in the corner while her last load was in the dryer.
Fuck my life.
Being a single mother was exhausting and I rarely ever had time to think or process, but this was what I wanted. This was the life I chose because the alternative was not happening.
After I yanked on my sweats and shoved my feet into a pair of Tasman Uggs, I moved to the dresser and found a footed onesie for Avi. It was March in Crescent Falls which meant icy cold temperatures and it had been snowing for the past two days. The streets were mostly clear but at two in the morning, I would guess the temperatures had to be at least thirty degrees. Not the type of weather I needed to be taking a four-month-old out in but what choice did I have.
Yep, pretty much fuck my life…
I got Avi bundled up, grabbed my keys and wristlet, and headed out the door. Once I had my sweet girl settled in her car seat, I carefully navigated the dark and empty streets to the closest twenty-four hour pharmacy, which was thankfully only aten-minute drive. More like twenty since I wasn’t trying to risk speeding tonight and hitting a patch of black ice.
We made it safely and I breathed a sigh of relief that my little muffin wasn’t screaming her head off. I navigated to the infant medicine aisle and searched the shelves, debating between Tylenol and Advil since Avi’s doctor mentioned alternating between the two. After a moment of contemplation, I grabbed both and decided to be safe. There was no way in hell I was risking this again.
I dropped my head and kissed the top of Avi’s tiny pink hat while she began to whimper and squirm against my chest in her carrier.
“I got you, sweet girl. Mommy’s going to make you feel better in just a second,” I whispered against her hat before I began rocking her and bouncing on my feet to temporarily soothe her.
With the medicine in hand, we were on our way to the counter when a massive body stumbled into us. I frowned, pressing my hand into Avi’s back to make sure she was okay before I lifted my head and scowled at the brick wall that plowed into us.
“Watch where the fuck you’re going,” I hissed and the guy tensed before he lifted his head and dropped his eyes to mine. My heart almost leapt out of my chest when those eyes, eyes I was very familiar with, locked on me.
Oh, fuck.
His expression was pinched when he searched my face and I turned to walk away because this could not be happening. There was no way in hell this was happening. My pulse began to race and my mind was moving a mile a minute.
Maybe he didn’t know. He wouldn’t… right? One night, he was drunk, we barely even knew each other. There was no way…
“Excuse me,” he mumbled and that voice made my chest tight. Only two words and I still recognized it. I quickly turnedaway from him, hoping he kept it moving but I wouldn’t be so lucky.
“Do I know you?”
I quickly shook my head without turning back to him because I wanted to keep Avi shielded. “No, sorry.”
My pulse spiked again because I felt him moving, so I glanced over my shoulder and sure enough he was right behind me. Those damn eyes were narrowed and locked on me.
“Wait, I do know you. Last year, Super Bowl party. Gold dress.”
I wanted to be annoyed that he referenced the memory by my dress but I had more important things to consider, like the baby strapped to my chest with the same eyes as the man questioning me. This man had more hookups than Avi had blowouts and she had a lot. Of course he would catalog them by situations and clothing.
If I wasn’t currently in panic mode, I would have called him out on that small detail. I turned to walk away but he stepped around me and his eyes dropped to Avi who picked that exact moment to throw her head back and blink up at me.Oh, fuck.
