Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“That’s great. I’m glad it’s working out.”
“For the first time in a very long time, I feel like things might be looking up for us.” I see her out of the corner of my eye and look into the back seat at her daughter. “We have you to thank for that. The day we met you, good things started to happen.”
“It was just your time,” I tell her.
“You have your theory, and I have mine.”
“Fair enough.” I pull into the park, and she gasps.
“Sunflower Park? This is where we’re going?”
“It is. Is that okay?” From her initial reaction, I’m certain it is, but I could be wrong.
“Yes. Maverick.” I can hear the emotion in her voice. “You knew I wanted to bring her here.”
“I did, but the food trucks are here tonight too.” I nod out the window. “It’s like being at the fair, only on a smaller scale. Who doesn’t love fair food?”
“Thank you, Maverick.” She unfastens her seat belt and leans over to place a kiss on my cheek.
Something happens at that moment. My chest tightens, and I lift my hand to rub it. It’s a sensation I’ve never felt before. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Yeah,” she agrees.
“I’ll grab Ada. Do you want to sit in the back of my truck or find a tree to sit under? I assume a picnic table would be annoying for her being confined.” The sun will be setting soon, but for the moment, it’s still high in the sky, so that shade will be nice.
“Yeah, I should have brought a blanket.”
“I have one. The tree?”
“Yes, the shade is perfect.”
“I’ll get Ada and the blanket. I have a Walmart bag on the back floorboard. Can you grab that too?”
“I can get her.”
“Baby hog,” I tease. “Don’t deny me snuggles. I get that enough from my family.”
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.
I like her smile.
CHAPTER
EIGHT
Stella
I tag along behind Maverick as he moves through the park. He stops at an enormous tree and drops the quilt that’s still in its packaging.
He bought it for today.
I don’t know what to do with that information. There are so many layers to this man; I’ve barely scratched the surface.
“Let me.” I place the diaper bag and the Walmart bag on the ground and spread the blanket out on the ground beneath the shade of the tree. “Are you sure you want to use this? It’s nice.”
He shrugs. “This is what I bought it for. We need some cushion.” He smiles down at my daughter, who has her head on his shoulder. “Right, Ada girl?”
At the sound of her name, she lifts her head and places her hands on his cheeks. Maverick smiles at her, and it does something to me. I have to turn away before I ask him to do inappropriate things to me. That’s not what this is between us. Besides, even if it was, I have Ada to think about.
When I look away, my eyes scan the area, and I can see that it’s not only my attention that he’s snagged. There is a group of girls around my age sitting at a picnic table, and they’re watching him and smiling. I want to scream for them to look away, but that’s ridiculous. Maverick isn’t mine. He isn’t anyone’s, so they can look all they want.
One of them sees me watching them, and with hushed whispers, they all look away. I refuse to think about why that’s so satisfying. For all they know, Ada is his, and so am I. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Maverick sits down on the blanket with Ada in his lap. “Guess what I bought?” he asks my daughter. It’s as if I’m not even standing here.
I grab the two bags and take a seat next to them. I hold my hands out for Ada, but she shakes her head and clings to Maverick, making him laugh.
“You’re good for my ego, kiddo. Can you talk to my nieces and nephews and let them know I’m your favorite?” he teases, tickling her belly. She rewards him with her giggle. “Okay, let me show you what I got.” He stretches out his long legs and places Ada on the blanket between them. “Do you like bubbles?” he asks her. He reaches into the bag and pulls out a green bottle of bubbles.
All I can do is sit back and watch this man as he smiles and blows bubbles for my daughter. Discreetly, I pinch the back of my leg to make sure that I’m awake and that all of this isn’t a dream. If it is, I hope to never wake up.
“Look, Ada, bubbles.” I hold my hand out to catch one. She mimics me and my heart swells for the love I have for this tiny human. No one prepares you for the love you feel for your child. I don’t know how my parents could be so callous writing me off. I’ll never do that to Ada. She’ll always have an advocate in me, and a home with me. No matter what.