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After a quick shower, I went to my room and slid into bed, seeing a missed call from Bridges. My phone buzzed in my hand, and I dropped it on my duvet cover, scrambling to pick it up before he ended the call. “Hello?”

“Hey. Everything okay? You hung up kinda fast.”

“Yeah, sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you about the job. It’s not your place to help me with my problems, and I appreciate everything you’re already doing for me. Please, don’t worry about it.”

“Really, West, it’s fine. I didn’t mind, and if your mother needs a job, I can find something for her to do. Look, Claude has put you and your mother in a shitty position, and I don’t mind helping. I’ll see what I can come up with. I know you’ll probably say no, but I could loan you some money?”

Now way. Uh-uh. Never would I ever borrow money from that handsome man. I’d have to get another job on weekends.

“Thank you, but no. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll handle it. You’re already helping me so much. Again, thanks.” We said goodnight and hung up.

I grabbed my laptop from my nightstand and booted it up, going to a popular job-search site. “Okay, Universe. What’s out there for a part-time job?”

No doubt, I wouldn’t find anything in my field of study that only required one to work on Saturday and Sunday, so I skipped all the business options and went right to the hourly pay jobs.

“Barista? I like coffee, but can I make coffee?” Not well enough for it to be consumed by another human.

Moving on. “Deliveries. I know I can deliver shit, contrary to that BS I got from Andi this afternoon. It had to be Hank, the guy who answered the phones at Superior, who got the addresses mixed up when he gave me the ticket. Hmm…” Does Hank have it in for me?

I scrolled through the various job openings for delivery drivers until I stumbled across one that was something I could do—delivering food for a bakery and deli in my neighborhood. I could get miles in and make some money. I didn’t get tips from delivering packages to businesses in Manhattan, but I was pretty sure people tipped for food deliveries.

I quickly filled out an online application and sent it off.

Fingers crossed!

Friday morning, I rode my bike over to Eaton’s Cycles with my backpack filled with stuff I’d need for the Katy Trail ride. We were flying into St. Louis to pick up a rental RV for Alexis and her girlfriend to accompany us. The trail ran along the northern bank of the Missouri River. There were highways and multiple access points to the trail for us to meet up with our support team, so I was excited. I also had some good news to share.

I rang the bell, and when a grinning Bridges answered the door, I was once again gobsmacked by how stunningly handsome he was.

“Come in, Weston. You can leave your bike here. I shipped the Elite Hybrid bikes to the hotel where we’re staying near the trailhead in St. Charles. You got everything you need?”

“Yeah, uh,” I pulled off my backpack and extended it to him if he wanted to see for himself.

He laughed. “I’m not going to check. You know what you needed from our last ride, so I trust that you brought all the things you need. As soon as Alexis and Steph get here, we’ll head to the airport. Do you want something to eat or drink?”

“I’m good, thanks. So, uh, again, I’m sorry about asking you to hire my mom. I overstepped, and I don’t want to make things weird between us.” My stomach had been twisted up since that phone call.

Bridges opened his arms. “Come here. There wasn’t a line to overstep, okay? No weirdness here.” He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and hugged me tight. My arms stayed at my sides because I was afraid I’d grab onto him and not let go.

My dick decided to inflate like a tube man in front of a car dealership. I shifted my hips back, and he quickly released me. “Sorry,” he said as he stepped back.

“No, no. I’m just—uh, may I use your restroom?”

He pointed as I rushed by him and down the hallway, closing myself into the bathroom to try to calm my dick. “You’re not getting any action. Get over it.” God, Bridges was tempting.

Once things had settled in my pants, I returned to the office where Bridges and Alexis worked, finding Alexis had arrived with a woman I assumed was her girlfriend. I stepped forward and extended my hand. “I’m Weston Aames. You’re being dragged into this trip because of me, so thank you.”

“Stephanie Williams, and it’s not a problem. I read that the Midwest is gorgeous this time of year with all the fall colors, so I’m excited. I’m looking forward to getting to know you, too. Alexis speaks highly of you.”

“Okay, everyone ready?” Bridges rubbed his hand together like my father used to do. It was no surprise. They’d spent a lot of time together before Dad died.

We grabbed our bags and went out to Bridges’ SUV so he could drive us to the airport, piling everything in the back. The ladies hopped into the rear seats and I rode shotgun next to Bridges.

Alexis recited Things to Do Along the Katy Trail information she’d found on her phone during our commute to Newark Liberty International Airport. Bridges laughed when she mentioned, “…and there’s an abandoned state penitentiary that’s allegedly haunted near Jefferson City.”

“You really wanna visit a penitentiary where prisoners probably died in agonizing ways?” Bridges glanced in the rearview mirror toward Alexis.

“It’s not me. My woman has a sick interest in ghosts and haunted places. Nobody would ever believe she was a pediatric NICU nurse.” Alexis leaned over to kiss Stephanie on the cheek.