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Hayes smirked. “I would have deserved it too. But he didn’t do that. He stopped at the pond, got out of the truck, and started skipping rocks. When I went to join him, I stood a few feet off, and he said, ‘Join me.’
“Of course, I was confused and angry and said something like, ‘I didn’t think you’d want to be around me.’ But Dad got on his knees in front of me, and I swear he was tearing up when he said, ‘I’m lucky to have you. On the good days, but especially the bad, because those are the days I can show you how much I love you, no matter what.’”
Now my eyes were stinging, and I cleared my throat. “I never knew about that.”
“Seemed like it was between Dad and me, but now, I think it needs to be between you and Maya too.”
A knock sounded on the office door, and we glanced over to see Liv and Maya coming in. With my heart full and aching, I reached for my daughter and pulled her to my side.
“Hey, sweetie, what do you say we go to Grandpa’s pond and skip some rocks?”
16
Liv
After Fletcher left with Maya, I went over to Henrietta and Tyler’s house for dinner. When we finished eating the steak and vegetables Tyler made on the grill, they offered for me to stay and play corn hole, but I needed to get back home.
Earlier, when Fletcher came to Hayes’s shop, he’d seemed so conflicted. I hoped I hadn’t overstepped in some way by taking Maya there, and I knew we needed to talk it out just to make sure we were on the same page.
When I got back to the house, I saw his truck in the driveway, so I parked beside it and steeled myself before going to the main house. When I reached the front door, I could hear country music playing through the speakers.
Looking through the big picture window, I saw Fletcher spinning Maya in a dance. She had a smile on her face, and he looked more at peace than since I started working for him and Maya.
Not wanting to interrupt the moment, I turned and walked to my place, knowing we’d get a chance to talk in the morning.
Back at my place, I took my time in the bath, relaxing from an emotionally heavy day. Then I turned on some country music on my Alexa and went about making a bedtime snack. Remembering that Fletcher mentioned a popcorn machine, I opened the top cabinet and saw it toward the back.
Maybe if I reached high enough I could... My fingertips grazed the edge of it, and I reached harder, trying to get it without needing a step stool or anything. But then I felt a solid muscled body reach over me and get it.
I screamed, backing away to see Fletcher holding the popcorn making.
“What the hell!” I yelled, holding my hand over my chest and feeling very aware of my wet hair and long t-shirt nightgown.
Looking sheepish, Fletcher said, “Seemed like you were struggling, and the door was open...”
My eyebrows drew together. “The door was open?”
“I mean, after I opened it,” he said.
I laughed. “Well, thank you for getting that down.”
He set it on the counter, and I rummaged through the cabinets for the popcorn, trying to hide how much his hard body pressed to mine affected me. This man was sex on a stick, and he didn’t even know it.
I poured the kernels into the back of the machine and once I had it on, I faced him again. “Did you just come to scare five years off my life? Or was there something else?”
Chuckling, he said, “The scare was only a side effect. I wanted to talk to you about earlier today.”
I folded my arms across my chest, and I swore I saw his eyes travel to my chest for a moment before glancing back up. My skin heated under his stare.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked.
He seemed confused for a moment, like he’d forgotten the reason for coming over here. Then he said, “I just... I wanted to thank you for what you did for Maya earlier.”
I rubbed my hand over my arm. “I was worried you’d be upset.”
“Upset with you?” he reached out, brushing his thumb over my cheek. Goosebumps ran down my spine. “I had my first conversation with Maya tonight that felt like... I don’t know. Like maybe things could get better between us. And that was a big part because of you.”
Pressing my hand to my chest, I said, “Fletcher, that’s amazing news. I’m so glad.”