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Finally, I cough and manage, "Uh, honey, Miss Harper and I are just good friends."
She raises her eyebrows skeptically. "But if you did marry her, would she be my mommy?"
I let out a weak laugh to relieve some tension. As my gaze stays fixed on the road ahead, I swallow hard. "You already have a mom, remember?" I remind her gently. "Even though she isn't here, she's still your mom. Getting married to Harper wouldn’t change that."
From the backseat, she makes a little 'hmm' sound and sinks further into the chair. "Yeah, maybe not," she says softly. "But it might be nice if Harper was my mommy instead."
I grip the steering wheel tighter, bracing myself against that sentence. I want to ask what prompted her to say such a thing. But if I’m being completely honest, I already know. Of course, Sasha would say something like that. Every little girl needs a mom, and from the beginning, I knew the day would come that she would want one.
It just never occurred to me that she would look at Harper as a potential candidate. It should have, now that I think about it. Those two get along so well, it only makes sense, really. But it still blindsided me. And I'm not sure how I feel about that thought.
No part of me will ever understand how Kathy could just leave. She gave birth to a beautiful, wonderful daughter, and she left her. Just like that. Abandoned. No matter how things ended between us, Sasha was pure. She didn't deserve what her mother did to her. And I honestly still have a hard time understanding how a mother could do something like that. There aren't any excuses for it, even if she was overwhelmed. So was I, but I didn’t leave.
It breaks my heart knowing that I will never be able to make that pain go away for Sasha. I've tried to shoulder the burden of it for her, to make up for the damage Kathy has done. But it isn't enough. And eventually I have to give up expecting otherwise and come to terms with the fact that sometimes life is cruel and that it really, truly sucks.
But that only makes it even more amazing when someone like Harper comes back into your life.
Chapter seventeen
HARPER
Bella is sitting next to me on the bleachers when I give her the heads up that Deacon is on his way to join us. Her eyes go wide as saucers, and she smacks me hard in the arm.
"Wait, hold on a minute!" she whisper shouts, grabbing my shirt sleeve and pulling. "What do you mean that he's coming to meet us?"
"Keep your voice down," I hush her, looking to see if Deacon has appeared yet.
"I thought we agreed that you and Deacon were the worst idea known to man! Have you forgotten about that conversation already?"
I can't help but smile at my friend as she gives me an angry glare. I love that she gets so worked up on my behalf. Shifting my gaze around the stadium, I spot Deacon near the concession stand, and I wave in his direction.
"It's complicated, Bella," I explain under my breath. "I've been spending more time with him and his daughter, and I just—"I sigh, keeping my eyes trained on the opposite bleachers as Deacon heads in our direction. "He's great with her, Bella. I didn't expect this, but I actually think there may be something real there."
"Are you two canoodling?"
The question is frank and comes as no surprise, being the straight-forward gal she is. "Absolutely not canoodling," I answer adamantly, putting a little emphasis on the last word.
"Then what are you doing? Are you dating? Is he courting you properly, Miss Harper?" She giggles when she says my name. I give her an eye roll and add a light jab to the ribs in return.
Deacon approaches our seats just at that moment, cutting our tussle short as he climbs the steps and walks down our row to find a seat. "Hey, there you are," he greets us cheerfully. He tips his head toward Bella. "Hello, Miss Bella. Long time no see."
"Howdy, Deacon. Pleasure to see you," Bella says sweetly, looking pleased as pie. "Thank you kindly for keeping our Harper company as of late. I heard she's taken a shine to you and young Sasha. Said y'all are becoming fast friends." She bats her lashes and gives him a suggestive wink.
Of course she's being facetious, but I wish she'd tone it down a few notches. Bella always was more brazen than me. "I see you still say everything that pops into your head, Bella," Deacon cuts in, taking the words right out of my mouth.
"That I do," she pipes up without missing a beat. "Nobody ever could break me of that."
"I don't doubt that at all," Deacon throws back, laughing along with us. He slides into a seat in front of us, giving a little wave to Kip who is about halfway down the field, directing the kids.
It's nice to have him here, nice to see him again outside of the office. I find my attention drawn to him instead of the game, studying his profile and the way the side of his face curves into a dimple. His expression shifts from concentration to exuberanceas the game goes on. When our team hits a home run, he jumps to his feet to cheer, surprising me and swinging an arm around me, squeezing me against his body in excitement.
The sensation of being pressed close to him, having him next to me, fills me with warmth, and sparks run through my nerves. When he lets me go and returns to his seat, I feel the loss, the coolness replacing his heat.
We're winning the game, and the kids on the Greenwood team are around the bases fast. When the clouds start rolling in, everyone in the stands notices. Darker clouds follow soon after, and as a player rounds third, heading for home, a loud clap of thunder booms overhead. We barely have a moment to think before a sheet of rain falls from the clouds, drenching the field, the stands, and everything in between in a mere second.
It's a given that the game has been called, and Deacon removes his jacket to cover me as we sprint for the parking lot with the rest of the spectators. I follow him the whole way, waving to Bella as I go. She gives me a wink and a small wave.
Deacon keeps the jacket over my head to protect me from the elements. Somehow, we make it to our cars without being completely drenched. We’re each making a beeline for our vehicles when another crash of thunder rumbles through the sky, making me jump.
