Page 6

Lainey

“Please.”

“You need to get a job,” I said, and eyed the silver anklet Lottie had just held up to the sun like it was treasure.

Lottie rolled her eyes. “Just as soon as I get my license.”

I pursed my lips with my arms crossed over my chest. “I’ll buy you the anklet if you don’t get your license until you’re twenty.”

Lottie snorted and put the anklet back on the rack. “I don’t really need it.”

Damn.

I glanced at her as she wandered to the next stall, then reached out and plucked the anklet from the rack. While she admired handmade soaps a table over, I paid the vendor and tucked the little bag into my pocket.

Lottie was already halfway to the next tent by the time I caught up.

“I’m going to get my license, Mom,” she said as she fingered a crocheted turtle in shades of sage green and cream at the next booth.

“I know,” I murmured, but I could feel the tug behind my ribs.

We were at the Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market, and so far it had not disappointed. We’d already been back to the car once to unload the mountain of produce we’d bought, and now we were hauling two more bags apiece. Every stall we passed had something we didn’t know we wanted until we saw it—fresh pastries, handmade jewelry, potted succulents in coffee mugs, and now, apparently, the cutest crocheted animals I’d ever laid eyes on.

“I’ll buy you the turtle,” I offered, “and you can still get your license.”

Lottie turned toward me, already mid-eye-roll, ready to scold me for bribing her again. But then she paused and blinked like she’d misheard me.

“Really?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

I was trying. I really was. She was growing up whether I liked it or not, and pushing against it wasn’t doing either of us any favors. She deserved her freedom—her license, her nights with friends—and I needed to let go… a little.

“Can I get the same deal?”

The voice came from behind us, and Lottie and I both turned. A woman with shoulder-length dark hair and a mischievous grin stood beside us, eyes sparkling with amusement.

“I want the snail, dog, cat, dolphin, and the T-Rex,” she said as she counted each one with a finger. “Pretty sure Aero’s not going to be cool with that many.”

“Can I get that many?” Lottie asked, eyes wide and hopeful.

I laughed and shook my head. “The turtle or nothing.”

The woman laughed too. “Fair.”

I nodded toward her. “And you might want to butter up your husband before you bring home a whole zoo.”

Before she could answer, a tall man joined her—jeans, dark tee, tattoos, and a worn leather cut with patches on the front and back. My heart dropped into my stomach.

Iron Fiends.

The name patch read Aero .

He was one of Dice’s brothers.

My breath caught. I swallowed it down and tried to keep my face neutral.

“One, Sloane,” he said, eyeing the table full of crochet chaos.

Sloane wrinkled her nose. “Three.”

Aero arched an eyebrow. “One.”

“Four,” Sloane countered smoothly.

“You know how to negotiate, woman?” he drawled.

Sloane tilted her head. “Yes. Do you not know that we’re buying four?”

Lottie and I exchanged glances as they volleyed back and forth. Their rhythm was comfortable, practiced. Married.

“One,” Aero repeated.

Sloane grabbed the snail, dog, dolphin, and T-Rex in one swoop. “Say one, one more time, and I’m getting the cat too.”

Aero scowled at her but didn’t speak.

“Wise choice,” Sloane murmured as she turned to the vendor.

“That’ll be one hundred,” the vendor said, placing the chosen creatures into a plastic bag.

Sloane held out her hand toward Aero expectantly.

He slapped a hundred-dollar bill into her palm. “You do know we have real dogs back at the clubhouse that you can play with instead of buying a stuffed one.”

Sloane passed the cash to the vendor and grabbed the bag. “Yes, which is why we need to find the stall that’s selling homemade dog treats.”

“Fucking hell,” Aero muttered, but there was no heat in it.

Sloane linked her arm through his. “Don’t act like you don’t enjoy this.”

“My wallet sure doesn’t,” he grumbled.

Sloane turned back and smiled at us. “Bye!”

We watched them wander off toward a jewelry booth.

“She was cool,” Lottie said, still watching them. “The guy was scary. But, like, hot scary.”

“Lottie!” I gasped.

She rolled her eyes. “I know I’m a teenager, but I’m not blind, Mom.”

I sighed. There it was again. Her rapid climb toward adulthood. My never-ending descent into denial.

“That guy is your father’s age,” I muttered, and handed the vendor a twenty and a five as Lottie passed her the turtle.

Lottie shrugged and grabbed the bag. “Still hot.”

We moved on to the next stall—handmade journals—and, thankfully, Lottie didn’t insist on buying one. After that, donuts.

This stall was dangerous.

We settled on a half-dozen: two glazed, two chocolate-frosted, and two cinnamon cake. While I paid, Lottie’s phone dinged. She checked it quickly and frowned.

“Are we almost done?” she asked, typing quickly.

“I mean, there are maybe ten stalls left,” I said, glancing down the aisle.

She wrinkled her nose. “Tiff’s wondering if I can come over soon. Like… twenty minutes soon. They want to do a double feature.”

“Twenty minutes?” I asked, surprised. “That’s three hours earlier than you told me this morning.”

“I know , but a double feature sounds fun.”

I opened the donut box and grabbed a chocolate-frosted one, biting in with a dramatic groan. “You’re killing me, Lottie. I am trying to be the cool mom who goes with the flow, but you’re still my baby.”

Lottie groaned. “I’m not a baby, Mom. I’ll be gone for twenty-four hours. Just a full day. Please, please, please can we go now?”

I chewed slowly.

Then sighed, swallowed, and dropped the rest of my donut back in the box. “Fine. But you’re not getting a single donut. I need them to fill the void of you not being home tonight.”

Lottie grinned wide. “I am more than fine with that.”

“We need to go home so you can grab your overnight bag.”

She looped her arm through mine and leaned into me. “Actually, we don’t. It’s in the backseat.”

I looked at her. “What?”

“I brought it just in case. You’re the one who taught me to always be prepared.”

I stared at her, a little stunned and a lot annoyed.

“Well,” I muttered. “Lesson learned.”

It was my own advice biting me in the ass. I had taught her to think ahead, to be ready, to anticipate. She had learned all of it. And now she was using it to spring her independence on me before I was ready.

“You’ll still be home by noon tomorrow?” I asked, just to be sure.

Lottie nodded. “Yup. I promise.”

We made our way back to the car, weaving through the crowd of shoppers with overflowing bags and kids tugging on parents’ sleeves. The sun was high now, warming the back of my neck, but I felt a little colder inside than I had at the beginning of the morning.

Not only was Lottie in a hurry to spend less time with me, but I had just run into people from Dice’s world. Aero and Sloane had no clue who I was, but that wasn’t the part that had my chest tight.

If I ran into them , that meant it was only a matter of time before I ran into him.

And I didn’t know what I wanted when that happened.

Lottie slid into the passenger seat and held her hand out to me. “I’ll put Tiff’s address in the GPS.”

I nodded and said nothing as I handed her my phone.

As I pulled out of the parking lot, I glanced at Lottie.

I knew she loved me. That would never change, no matter how old she got, but it still stung a bit that she was so excited to hang out with friends.

Yes, I was being dramatic.

I focused on the road in front of me and sighed. She would be back tomorrow.

She would have fun with her friends, and I would…

I could order Chinese and finally figure out what color I wanted to paint the walls while I popped open a bottle of wine.

And I also had five and a half donuts that were all mine.

Not exactly the most thrilling Saturday night, but it was better than being back in Oklahoma, married to Lee.

“Do I want to know why you’re suddenly smiling?” Lottie asked.

I glanced at her. “Just thinking about how different our life is now.”

“Without Dad?” Lottie asked.

Lottie was smart.

Lee had treated her well, but then she saw how he treated me.

I felt bad for her that she had to wrestle between her dad being good, but then him treating me badly. I had tried to shield her from it, but I knew she still saw it.

“Do you miss him?” I asked.

She shrugged and looked out the window. “I miss him, but I don’t miss Stephanie at all. She was just… too much.”

Ha, that was an understatement. “Have you talked to him about visiting?”

She glanced at me. “I don’t want him coming here. Can I go there to visit him?”

“Why don’t you want him coming here?” That was surprising.

She wrinkled her nose. “Because this is home now for you and me. I don’t want him coming here and making… not good memories with you.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to do things because of me, honey. I will be fine if you want your dad to come here.”

“I don’t want him here. I’ll go there when I want to see him. Besides, for now, I’m good with just FaceTiming him. I’m busy with school and getting my learner’s permit.”

I groaned. “You have to mention that all the time, don’t you?” I laughed.

A big grin spread across her lips. “I can’t let you forget about it.”

I squeezed her hand again. “I want you to have a relationship with your dad, Lottie, and not worry about it affecting me.”

She leveled her gaze on me. “I love the man, Mom, but I don’t love how he treated you… ever.” She sighed. “So, that is why he’s not coming here, and I won’t change my mind about that. I’m old enough to tell him what I want, and that’s that.”

“Have I told you how much I love you lately?”

“This morning,” she laughed.

“Well, I love you.” Lottie was my whole heart, and that would never change.

“I love you, too, Mom.”

In half a mile, turn left. The GPS droned.

“Oh, we’re close!” Lottie exclaimed.

And just like that, I was thrust back into reality. Lottie was running off with her friends for the night, and I was picking paint colors and pigging out on Chinese food.

Boring to some people, but for me, it was going to be perfect.