Chapter Twenty-Two
Cat
“Cat?” My gaze darts to the rearview mirror, where I catch Scarlett kissing the top of Emmy’s head. When she looks toward me, warmth blooms in my chest, and a smile spreads across my lips. “Are you and Daddy going to stay married?”
My eyes flare, and my stomach swirls. “Um. Well. Hmmm…”
Scarlett’s gaze drills into mine, searching for an answer. One I don’t have yet.
Things have changed over the last two weeks since the kiss, and not just between David and me, but also with Scarlett. However, our original arrangement hasn’t changed.
Not in any official capacity, anyway, but something has shifted.
I feel it. I’m pretty certain David feels it. And if her question means anything, Scarlett feels it.
The question left hanging in the air, the one David and I have been avoiding, is: What are we going to do about it?
The adults in this equation are doing a stupendous job pretending it’s not something we need to address, unlike the adorable little girl who needs an answer. Scarlett’s a bull in a china shop, and her new target is this marriage.
Is David getting the same third-degree?
“Do you like him?” She asks, just as Emmy sticks her nose out the cracked window like this conversation isn’t worthy of her attention.
“Your dad is a very likable person.” My lips twitch, the answer coming out easily. I watch as she nods firmly.
“But do you like him, like him…” There’s a glint of hopefulness in her eyes, and my chest clenches. The simple answer is yes. I like him, like him. And if I’m really honest, I’m probably in love with him. But I’m not ready to fully admit those feelings quietly, forget about out loud.
When I see the entrance for Love It or Leaf It, the tightness in my chest loosens a teeny-tiny bit at the reprieve. Flicking on the blinker, a click-click-click fills the pregnant silence, and I turn into the parking lot of Emmy’s playcare.
Swiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I press my cool palms to my cheeks.
Why is it so hot in here?
Feeling Scarlett’s questioning gaze burning a hole in the back of my head, I focus on the task at hand, ignoring her last question.
“Let’s get Emmy inside.”
Opening the rear driver’s side door, I call Emmy. She hops over Scarlett, who giggles, and pushes her head out of the car and over my shoulder. I grab her leash before she can leap out and rush the front door. Scarlett unbuckles herself and follows suit.
“Take my hand,” I say, stretching out my arm toward Scarlett, when both Emmy and Scarlett are out of the car. She places her tiny hand in mine, making my heart flip. Shoving the door closed, we walk toward the entrance.
The next few minutes are a blur of activity, with the Love It or Leaf It staff’s laughter following us as we return to the parking lot.
When we’re on the road and making our way to school, the question is ‘forgotten’ as Scarlett tells me about her next school project and how ‘Uncle Dunky’ is helping her.
The corner of my mouth twitches as we pull up to the drop-off zone, and Scarlett, just like Emmy, all but bursts out of the car before giving me a quick wave. She meets up with some friends, blatantly ignoring the young boy who is watching her every move.
As if an afterthought, she flicks a wave in his direction and gives him a bright smile. For one moment, his frown flips before he drops his head and slowly follows the girls. The disappointment in his eyes obvious to anyone watching the interaction.
Unable to drag my gaze from the exchange, my insides lurch. The raw pain in his eyes stings, tugging at a familiar ache I had buried.
Swallowing hard, I fight against the memories threatening to resurface.
Me, sitting in the back seat, staring at my home as me and my mom leave my dad, David, and the only life I had known behind.
There’s a hum of excitement buzzing through the Smokies’ front office when I walk through the door, coffee in hand.
“You’re here!” Hope runs over to me, relief lining her pretty features. “We have to finish up a few of the details before the ‘meet and greet’ after practice today. Travis wants you and David to take some pictures together.”
My head whips in her direction at the last part of her statement, my eyes wide. “Pictures?” My stomach twists—the weight of ‘his wife’ under the spotlight isn’t one I’m comfortable wearing publicly.
“Don’t shoot the messenger!” She shrugs. “He said those are the ones getting the most traction on David’s, and the team’s, accounts. He wants more.”
I roll my eyes and bring my coffee to my lips, taking a huge swig. I need caffeine for this. I’m not sure I can deal with the world pushing me toward the feelings I’m not ready to talk about. I blow out a slow breath.
Hope’s footsteps echo behind me as I place my bag on the desk. “Is there anything else he wants?” I calmly ask as I turn to glance back at her, only to find she’s avoiding making direct eye contact, a smirk on her face. I groan, squeezing the bridge of my nose. “Just spit it out.”
“Emmy.” She huffs out a laugh, then covers her mouth with a hand.
“Emmy?!”
“The fans love her. They can’t get enough.” She hands me a piece of paper that has a suggestion to change the Smokies’ Mascot. The results are staggering. Emmy is winning by a landslide.
Of course, the organization won’t be changing its mascot, but it will want to ride the wave of opportunity Emmy is giving it. I chew on my bottom lip.
That should be an easy ask, and it’s also in line with David’s wanting to keep Scarlett off his social media.
When I glance back at Hope, she’s holding up a Smokies jersey, with double zeros and a single word above the number, ‘Emmy’.
“Are we being asked to do this?” I take the jersey, a reluctant smile tugging the corner of my lips. Saying the word ‘we’ makes my heart flutter. “Or being told.”
“It’s a strongly worded suggestion.” Hope gives me a sheepish grin. “Can you blame them after the last home game?”
Jade reached out to me after Bark In The Park and let me know it was a huge success! Not only did they raise enough money to keep the rescue operating for a year, but many of the pups found new homes. She also noted that the majority of the applications coming in were for Emmy.
Six weeks ago, David may have jumped at the opportunity to find Emmy a new home. Today though? That wouldn’t happen.
He adores her as much as Scarlett does.
And you do.
A voice whispers in my thoughts, causing my stomach to dip.
“What should I tell them?” Hope asks, interrupting the internal dialogue that’s becoming a daily occurrence.
“Let me see what David thinks first.” I sit in my chair and turn on my computer. “When do they want an answer?”
When Hope doesn’t respond right away, I glance up to find her making a face. “Yesterday?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. I love working with Travis, but when he wants something, he wants it now. “I’ll see what I can do. But there’s no way I can make this happen for today’s event.”
Hope’s expression falls. “I’ll let Travis know.” Her shoulders slump as she turns to walk out of the room.
“I’ll tell him.” She whirls and beams at me, palms pressed together, backing out of the office. “Can you leave the jersey with me?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.” Hope walks back to my desk and hands over the jersey, a gleam in her eyes. She knows, just like I do, the answer will be yes.
Laying the jersey flat on my desk, I snap a picture and pull up David’s contact. A zing zips through me after I hit send.
My heart leaps when a picture pops up of the laces in his cleats chewed, and I throw my head back and laugh.
When my phone buzzes in my hand, it’s like I’m struck with a bolt of lightning, and every nerve shoots to life. My cheeks pull up.
“You know I put extra laces in that one pocket of your bag, right?”
“I used the last pair yesterday,” he mumbles, and I can imagine him squeezing the back of his neck. My pulse hums, and my smile widens. “When will it stop?”
At the desperation in his voice, I giggle. “Maybe when she’s older?”
“Maybe?” David’s voice takes on a teasing tone, and the butterflies resting in my stomach start to come to life. “Can’t you give me anything more definitive?”
“Sorry,” I respond, my voice clearly saying I’m not sorry, and his laughter runs across the line through me like the hot sun on a warm summer day. “David?” My voice dips as I say his name.
“Everything okay?”
I shake off the heaviness that threatens to swallow me whole at the longing tugging at my heart.
This isn’t the time for this conversation, Cat. I chastise myself.
“Yeah, sorry…just thinking about everything I need to finish before the meet and greet this afternoon.” I attempt to cover and hear him blow out a long breath. Is he waiting for the other shoe to drop, too? “The front office wants to get Emmy featured in more events and pictures.”
“Ahhh…” David snickers. “Thus, the picture of the adorable jersey that she’ll probably redesign enthusiastically.”
My mouth curls up. “People are loving her.” In a more serious tone, I continue. “I think it’s a good compromise to fill your social media with you on the field, at events, and then Emmy. It gives people a look into your life without having to include Scarlett.”
“I agree,” he says, and I can hear him ripping the laces from his shoes. “Do they want more pictures of us? Or is Emmy taking your place?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26 (Reading here)
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37