Nothing Feels Better (Better Love 3)

“It’s fine, really,” I assure her. “I’ve never met a real live pirate before.”

I flash the kid a grin and he gives me one right back, nose scrunched up in that fucking adorable way only kids can pull off. The woman laughs, and the sound hits me deep in my chest. It’s not a tinkling sound, like Ivy’s laugh, and it’s not a sarcastic bark like Bailey’s. It’s more...I don’t know. Full. Musical. And kind of raspy. And kind of tired. She only does it once, and I have to swallow the urge to make her do it again.

She gave me one note, but I want a whole scale.

“Right, well,” she says on a sigh, “Meatball needs to go back to bed.” She nods toward the fire. “Enjoy your night.”

The woman, with the miniature pirate still hoisted on her hip, turns and walks toward the neighboring townhouse—not the one Riggs’s house is attached to, but the one just across the yard. The kid waves at me with his sword, and I salute him. His smile makes me chuckle.

I watch until the woman reaches the dimly-lit cement patio and opens a sliding glass door. She steps into the house, and just before she slides the door closed, she smiles softly and sends me the wave that I didn’t know I was waiting for. I smile and wave back, then sink down into my lawn chair.

“Who was that?” Kelley asks, and I look up to find him and Ivy watching me. Ivy’s got a little smile on her lips, which has me realizing I’ve got one on mine too. I shrug it off and play it cool. “Captain Meatball and his first mate, I guess.”

“She was pretty,” Ivy adds.

I hum in response, just as Dylan comes stumbling from the house and throws his drunk ass into a lawn chair.

“Dyl, who is your neighbor?” Kelley asks casually, gesturing to the townhouse across the yard.

Dylan squints toward the house. “You mean The Hot Mom?”

“The Hot Mom?” I repeat. It didn’t register that she could be the kid’s mom. I assumed babysitter or something, but the eyes... Those big eyes that they both had. It makes sense.

“Yeah,” Dylan pushes out as his eyes drift closed. Dude’s gonna pass out. “Moved in last month. Zay and Riggs helped her unload a U-Haul.”

“Huh,” I say, and flick my eyes back to the house. The lights are all off but for a soft glow coming from a second-floor window.

I bet that’s her room.

The Hot Mom.