Okay, so maybe I was thinking the same thing Thorny was—she is breathtaking in her tailored suit.But I can go down that path because Halle and I have history together.I know things about her that no one else knows.
I was Halle’s first.We shared something together that no one else can ever repeat.
My thoughts jump from the past to the present, and a mess of confusion and questions jumble in my head.
What is Halle doing here?I don’t understand.
I never expected to see Cherry again, and definitely not under these circumstances.Here.In Vancouver.Working for the same team I play for.
Did fate just pass me a second chance with the one girl I let get away?
4
Halle
There’s nothing more luxurious than taking a long, hot bath without interruption.
I’m taking advantage of these last few days of his built-in support before my Dad leaves next week.After he’s gone, it’ll be the first time since Lenni was born that I’ll truly be raising her on my own.
The thought fills me with excitement and a little bit of dread.
I worry about whether I’m strong enough to do this all on my own, if I’ve possibly made a mistake moving away from home, even if it is for my dream job.
When I first told Dad I was pregnant, I was of course worried about his response.I was, after all, his only daughter.It was understandable that he might be upset over my decision and would try to talk me out of keeping my child, since he and Mom had both been very young when they had me.Had my mom still been alive, would she have been in my corner?Or convinced me to give the baby up and finish college.
All my concerns were unfounded.Dad jumped in with his whole heart and has been there for me and Lenni every step of the way.
Although I initially never told him the baby was Dane’s, Dad figured it out but never pressured me about it.He knew about my relationship with Dane before I left for college, and the timing of the pregnancy pointed directly at Dane as the father of my child.
But because my father is who he is, even with all his shortcomings and the long absences away from his family as a truck driver, he did everything he could to step up, becoming my rock and the father figure Lenni needed in her formative years.
Even Zack and Drew rose to the occasion.They were thrilled to become uncles and fell in love with Lenni the minute they saw her.My daughter has no lack of love in her life.
It didn’t prevent me from having difficult days along the way, though.There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by when I haven’t second-guessed my decision to keep Dane in the dark about his daughter’s existence or questioned whether my choice was fair to Lenni.
There were moments when I nearly broken down and thought about tracking Dane down to tell him the truth, if only to see if he’d be the kind of stand-up guy Lenni needed as a father.
But every time I came close, I would read something about Dane’s off-the-ice behavior and playboy activities, and it stopped me short.I didn’t trust that he was capable of settling down and could be relied upon to put Lenni first.Family ties are a priority for me and with how easily Dane let me go in the past, I wasn’t going to risk that he’d do the same thing with Lenni.
She’s only inquired a few times, but each time she mentions her daddy, it nails me, and sends me in a spiral over whether I made the right decision.But I just don’t trust him to be what she needs right now.Maybe ever.
I rub a palm over an ache in my chest and sink further down into the bathtub.The hot water cocoons me in its delicious citrus, honey, and lavender scent.A soapy bubble floats on top of the steamy water, and I pop it with my finger, wishing it was that easy to absolve the anxiety and guilt that bubbles up in my soul.If only my worries would evaporate and fade as easily as bath bubbles.
I just wasn’t prepared to see Dane again.Logically, I knew there was a chance since we now work for the same organization.But it was more unsettling then I expected, and a curveball distraction to the excitement I’d been feeling over my new job.
I thought I’d have time to adjust and get ready for that potential run-in.Yet fate had me confronting my past within my first few hours on the job.
Good Lord, I was afraid I’d faint on the spot the moment my eyes connected with his.Everything was a blur, and my nerves had me in a state of panic, but I swear I saw him mouth the wordCherry.
But that’s probably just foolish thinking on my part.
In the real world, Dane probably forgot about me the moment I left his orbit and had no idea who I was when he saw me today.
I’ve changed considerably since having a baby.So has Dane.He’s grown from an adolescent boy into a full-fledged man.A strange thread of awareness had pulsed through my veins when I caught him staring at me with those unforgettable piercing gray eyes.Even with his still damp hair slicked away from his forehead, and appearing darker than its usual sandy-blond coloring, he was easily recognizable.My heart knew instantly.
And the mass of dark stubble at his cut jawline, new since we last met, spiked that awareness even more.
The sight of Dane in the flesh had my knees weak and my heart pounding.I had wanted to turn and run but wasn’t sure my feet could move.
