Page 3 of Keeping Score

He nodded, face furrowing as if the enormity of the situation overwhelmed him.

“It wouldn’t do me much good anyway. Not like she’s answering my calls.” His knee bobbed as he spoke. “I never thought I’d be sitting in an office for this reason.”

I could tell that he meant it.

Most people went into marriage with the best of intentions, never imagining that they’d end up part of that horrible statistic that haunted the back of my mind.

I understood what so many people didn’t. Parents were human. They made mistakes. They screwed up like any other person. It didn’t mean they didn’t deserve forgiveness or second chances.

“Don’t worry,” I went against my better judgment by saying. “It’s going to be okay.”

I said it because I wanted it to be. Because I had faith that I was capable of making that happen for him. Not only because I had a gut feeling about it—I did, and was seldom wrong when it came to those—but there was more to it than that.

Because any man who put the time into fighting for his children? That was a man who deserved to be in their lives.

When his eyes met mine, I knew without him even having to say it: He was putting his faith in me.

And I didn’t plan on screwing up.

Chapter Two

Brody

“There’s my pretty girl,” I called out, watching as Maggie bounded out the door of her law office.

I was perched across the street, in my usual spot. Lately, I’d taken up residency on the steps of a brownstone I had recently learned belonged to an old man.

Mr. Waterman, as it turned out, was less than pleased that I’d chosen his steps to spend my evenings while waiting for my lovely girlfriend to get off work.

Loitering, I believe he called it.

Well, lucky for me, my girlfriend’s a hotshot lawyer who would save my ass if the old man decided to take it to court, so ha.

Maggie rolled her eyes when she saw me—or at least, I imagined she did based on the shadowy glimpse I got of her as she passed under the streetlamp.

It was late, and this bourgeois area of the city had almost certainly settled in for the night. Us, though?

We had a whole night ahead of us.

“Hi,” I grinned, looking her up and down. “You look hot.”

She scrunched her nose at me.

“I’m in work clothes. I shouldn’t look hot. I should look professional.”

“Well, I have a thing for corporate girls, so I’m biased,” I said, settling an arm around her shoulders.

“Girls?” She narrowed her eyes at me. “Plural?”

I flicked her nose.

“How long is it going to take for you to remember you’re my one and only?”

She let out a laugh, but even if she wouldn’t say it, I knew the assurance settled something inside her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, letting me lead her down the street.

“Oh, I know a place,” I smirked.