When I Need You (Need You #4)(60)

A week in which only my pride kept me from asking Bob, the apartment complex manager, if Rowan had moved out.

A week in which I'd convinced myself the only reason I'd wanted Rowan to begin with was because I couldn't have her. That "out of sight, out of mind" would cure my obsession with her.

But as I looked at her, I realized my feelings hadn't changed. At all.

Immediately Rowan focused on Astrid, but Calder was all about me.

"Hey, Jensen! I can't believe I didn't see you all week."

"Did you miss me?"

"Yeah. I didn't even watch Chopped."

I couldn't mask how much I needed to hear that. "I missed you too, ninja-boy."

"Didja know I graduated from kindergarten last week?"

"I never doubted for a second that you'd pass." I leaned closer to whisper, "Did you say, ‘In your face!' to Tiara the troublemaker?"

"Huh-uh," he whispered back. "I'm not mean like her."

"Good for you for having in-teg-rity." I held my fist out for a bump. "Congrats on officially being a first-grader."

He bounced a couple of times and pointed at the paperwork in front of me. "Does it say that I'm a first-grader?"

"Of course it does."

"That's why I got up really, really early today because I was so excited to come to camp!"

Do not look at his mother and ask her if her son was so eager, then why are they arriving late?

"During camp you should be respectful and call him Mr. Lund," Rowan said to him.

Calder blinked those big brown eyes at me. "Really?"

"Nope. Doesn't matter where we are, you call me Jensen, because we're friends."

He looked relieved. "Okay." Then he was back to bouncing with excitement. "Know what else?"

"What?"

"I made my own lunch today! Guess what it is."

"A PB and J, baby carrots and a root beer."

"Huh-uh." He leaned in and whispered. "It's fancy."

I tried to keep a straight face, but his earnestness just got to me and I grinned. "I'm not a fancy-food guy. You know I can't cook worth sh-beans, so hit me with this fancy-schmancy sandwich that Chef Calder created this morning."

"Deviled ham on toast!"

"Wow. That is right uptown."

"And I have a hard-boiled egg, pepper sticks and hummus too."

"Pepper sticks?"

"Sliced red and green peppers to dip into the hummus," Rowan said.

"Thanks, Coach Michaels, for the clarification."

"What's in your lunch?" Calder asked.

I groaned. "Shoot. That's the one thing I forgot this morning."

"Oh. Well . . . you can have some of mine."

This boy's sweetness slayed me. I reached out and tugged on his hair. "Thanks for the offer, little dude, but you'll be starved after dance class."

"Maybe you could call your mommy and she'll bring you something."

"Come on," Rowan said to Calder, "let's put away your lunch and find your dance class."

She left without making eye contact with me.

As soon as Rowan was out of sight, Astrid said, "Brrr . . . it's cold in here." Clap clap. "There must be a mad coach in the atmosphere." Clap clap. "I said . . . Brrr-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Hilarious."

"So, what did you do to the ravishing Rowan to make her act like that to you?"



       
         
       
        

I pinned Astrid with a hard look. "Don't you have shit to file? Calls to make? Clerical duties to perform?"

Astrid saluted. "Yes, sir, boss man. Sir. I'll keep my questions to myself." She pushed away from the table. Then she stopped in front of me. "But that doesn't mean I'll keep my opinions to myself."

Of course not.

"Even when Rowan acted cold to you, when she watched you interacting with her son . . . she thawed out a lot. She even smiled. Twice."

"So you're a voyeur too?"

She laughed. "I couldn't help but watch her because she is one hot mama. But she couldn't keep her eyes off you, even if those eyes were shooting daggers. Watching you two neighbors dance around each other is gonna be entertaining. I might even bring popcorn."

I pointed at the office.

She laughed again . . . and did the cheer from Bring It On until she vanished from my sight.

Surrounded by meddling smart-asses appeared to be my lot in life.

• • •


The morning went smoothly, but with the kids' excessive amount of energy, I opted to give them a fifteen-minute break between activities and before lunch. With Jax at my disposal, I had him supervise the kids inside while I took on the role of playground monitor.