揝he抯 pretty amazing, huh??She whispers the question so only I can hear.
I smile, watching our little girl sit cross-legged with Forrest, chatting animatedly like he抯 right there beside her.
揝he抯 perfect.?
Caleb抯 shiny Mercedes sits in the driveway when we get back. I try not to let that piss me off. I need to be a mature ass adult about this.
揇addy!?Seda cries excitedly from the backseat.
I feel a tiny sting in my chest, because that excitement isn抰 for me. I have to earn it, just like he did.
I park my truck on the street in front of my house. Caleb walks over, scooping up Seda when she jumps out.
揟here抯 my girl.?He spins her around.
My frustration melts a tiny bit, because I see how much he loves Seda. He loves her as if she really was his own梩hat抯 more than a lot of people are capable of.
He sets her down and turns to me, holding out his hand. 揌ow抯 it going??
I know I blindsided him yesterday thanking him for taking care of them, because let抯 face it, when he was a teenager heading off to college I wasn抰 exactly his biggest fan. But I guess we抮e both trying to put our best foot forward and be decent about this.
揑抦 good.?I shake his hand. 揌ow was your night??
揋ood,?he laughs. 揗y mom was happy to see me.?I turn just in time to see Salem roll her eyes. 揗y mom doesn抰 like Salem,?Caleb explains.
Salem huffs. 揝he liked me just fine when she thought we weren抰 that serious. But when you didn抰 break up with me that summer after senior year she got scared.?She looks up at me, and finishes, 揝he抯 one of those boy moms that can抰 let go.?
Caleb laughs more fully this time. 揧ou抮e not wrong.?
Salem goes on to add, 揝he definitely didn抰 like it when Caleb took Seda on as his own.?
Caleb squeezes Seda抯 shoulders lightly. 揌er loss, because this is the most awesome girl in all the land.?He picks her up again, spinning her. Seda抯 giggles fill the air. When he sets her back down, he says, 揑 haven抰 seen my parents much the past few years so I抦 trying to make some effort, but it isn抰 easy.?
Salem gives him a sympathetic smile.
揑抦 sorry she抯 the way she is.?
Caleb shrugs. 揇on抰 be, she could change. Anyway,?he taps Seda on the head, 揳re you ready to go??
揧eah! Can we go to Target? There抯 a new princess toy I want and棓
揑抣l think about it.?
To me, Salem whispers, 揌e抯 going to stop. He抯 a sucker for whatever she wants.?
揌ey,?Caleb chortles, 揑 heard that.?
揥ell, it抯 true.?Salem lets her hair down from the bun she had it in, and I must be a fucking pervert because even her hair turns me on, swaying around her shoulders.
Or maybe it抯 just that I really need to get laid.
Six years is a long time to be celibate, but honestly it didn抰 seem so bad until I saw her again. Now, I抦 horny twenty-four-seven. Going to job sites with a boner is kind of awkward and hard to explain.
揑抣l go get her bag so you can be on your way.?
揑 already got it. Georgia let me in, and I wanted to say bye to your mom anyway.?
揙h, okay.?She bends down and opens her arms up to Seda. 揃ye then, my little munchkin.?
Seda dives into her, wrapping her arms around Salem抯 shoulders. 揑 love you, Mommy. I抦 gonna miss you so much.?
Salem lets her go and holds her fingers up. 揌ow much is so much? This much??
揘o, more!?Seda giggles. 揕ike this much.?She opens her arms wide.
Salem pulls her into a hug again, burying her face in Seda抯 neck. 揑 love you, baby girl.?
揕ove you too, Mommy. Now let me go. You抮e squishing me.?
Salem releases her, standing back up. 揧ou guys better go so you miss traffic.?
Caleb rolls his eyes. 揟here抯 always traffic.?
She laughs. 揟his is true.?
Crouching down, I say to Seda, 揃e good. I hope you can come back soon.?
She nods eagerly. 揑 want to go in the treehouse again. That was fun.?
揥hen you come back I promise you can play in the treehouse as much as you want.?
揂wesome! Thanks, Dad!?
I don抰 expect a hug goodbye from her, but she wraps her little arms around my neck and squeezes me.
Fuck, I抦 getting choked up.
With the goodbyes said, Caleb loads her in the car with Salem and I watching from the sidewalk when he backs out and leaves. He gives a honk of his horn before the car disappears from view.
Salem lets out a heavy sigh. 揑 miss her already. It抯 like a limb is missing.?
揑 know,?I murmur, thinking not only of Seda but Forrest too.
Sympathy fills her eyes, no doubt thinking about Forrest now. Her hand finds its way to mine and she gives a small squeeze.
She doesn抰 say anything. She doesn抰 have to. Sometimes saying nothing is just as meaningful as saying everything.
CHAPTER 29
SALEM
It抯 late and I抦 exhausted. I want nothing more than to fall face first into my bed, but I want to see Thayer more.
The last week with my mom has been rough.
The time is coming.
She knows it.
I know it.
Georgia knows it.
I抦 terrified for her to take her last breath, leaving this realm for good, but I don抰 want her to hurt anymore. She抯 in so much pain that even morphine isn抰 doing a great job masking it, but it does make her sleep a lot which helps.
Walking next door, I climb his porch steps to ring the doorbell. The urge to sneak over here was hard to resist, but I reminded myself I抦 an adult now and there抯 nothing to hide. I抦 single, Thayer抯 single桰抦 twenty-five, he抯 thirty-seven.
The door opens. He doesn抰 say anything, just steps to the side to let me in.
揌i.?I rock back on my heels, suddenly feeling awkward now that I抦 here.
揌i,?he says back, fighting a smile. 揇o you want a glass of wine??
I let out a soft laugh. 揑抎 love one.?
I don抰 drink much, but right now it抯 exactly what I need.
Following him into the kitchen, I stare at the spot where we had our first kiss.
He stops in front of a cabinet. 揜ed or white??
揜ed.?
He pours a glass, sliding it across the counter to me. Sitting on the barstool, I watch him pour his own glass and then make us a plate of crackers and cheese.
He settles beside me, his arm brushing mine in the process. A shiver runs down my spine. It抯 been so long since I抳e been touched by him in the way my body craves. Just one touch from him sends my body into flames. He notices the way I start to wiggle, his eyes narrowing. He sucks his cheeks in, I抦 sure his ache is even worse than mine.
This man hasn抰 touched another woman for six whole years.
I wouldn抰 be mad if he had. I would抳e expected it. But the fact he didn抰 is one of the biggest turn-ons.
揇o you ?uh ?wanna talk??He tries梐nd fails梩o inconspicuously adjust his hard-on.
My mouth waters梐nd not because the wine is delicious, or I really like cheese.
I know he抯 asking about my mom, so I answer with, 揘ot really, but I probably should.?
揧ou don抰 have to.?He picks up a cracker, putting a slice of cheese on top.
揑 know.?
Thayer has never pushed me to do or say anything I didn抰 want to. I know people might look at our age difference and assume otherwise, especially with our past, but it抯 not true. Thayer is an alpha-male, but he understands my past and has always made sure I know who really has the control in our dynamic.
Sipping at the wine, we抮e quiet for a little while before I say, 揑 don抰 think she抣l make it through the week.?
Thayer hisses through his teeth. 揊uck.?He scrubs a hand over the scruff on his cheeks and jaw. 揑抦 sorry, Salem. I don抰 really know what to say.?