Page 64 of One Kind Goal

“No promises.”

The quick tilt of Morgan’s lips as she drove toward Pine River Cottages told Sawyer she didn’t truly want him to quit distracting her. Good thing. He didn’t plan to.

After a delicious meal at the Pine River Cottages dining hall, the three of them took their desserts—huge hunks of chocolate cake—back to their cottage. Nia dragged the tote bag of books to the couch and climbed onto the cushion between Morgan and Sawyer.

“Can we start with the carousel one, Daddy?” She plunged her arms into the bag as Morgan held her cake.

“We can start with whichever one you want, Nia-bunny.” Sawyer shoveled a piece of cake into his mouth.

Nia foraged around in the bag then ripped her hands out. “Here it is!”

“Wow,” Morgan said, looking at the cover. “That looks like the one I—” She stopped abruptly and Nia swiveled her head to look up at her.

“Like the one you what?” Nia asked.

Sawyer glanced at the wooden Pegasus from Trixie’s in the corner of the living room. He looked back at Morgan. “Does that Pegasus mean something to you?” Because holy shit, what if she gave it up for his daughter when she’d wanted it herself? People that kind didn’t actually exist, did they?

Morgan pointed to the winged horse. “Not that Pegasus in particular.” She toyed with some cake crumbs on her plate with the tines of her fork. “One of my best family memories involved a carousel and a Pegasus.”

“Have you ridden a carousel?” Nia asked in a soft voice.

“Yes,” Morgan said. “Many, many years ago.”

Even in the dim light of the living room, Sawyer could see Morgan’s eyes were glossy. He was about to offer comfort—not that he knew what to say exactly—but Nia plopped the carousel book onto Morgan’s lap.

“Maybe this book will help you feel as if you’re riding one again.” Nia reached over and opened the cover. “Will you read it to me?”

Again, Sawyer was about to cut in and let Morgan off the hook, but she placed her cake on the end table beside the couch and handed Nia her piece. Morgan’s fingers slid along the colorful pages of the book on her lap.

“I’d love to read it to you,” she said.

Nia cuddled into her side, her cake balancing precariously on her plate, and Sawyer had an overwhelming urge to do the same. Somehow he managed to stay on his couch cushion as the woman of his dreams read to his precious daughter. He desperately wanted to record these perfect moments to play whenever he felt like shit. With Morgan and Nia around, however, he wouldn’t feel like shit often.

Morgan finished the carousel book and read the ballerina one next. Then Nia asked Sawyer to read the frog book. She didn’t want him to only read it to her though. She wanted to recite the words after he read them. By the time he’d reached the end of the book, Nia had essentially read it along with him while Morgan took several pictures of them and a video.

“You’ll be reading books by yourself in no time.” Morgan stacked the books neatly on the coffee table.

“I have two books at home I can read already,” Nia said proudly. “One is about a caterpillar and the other one is about a house Jack built. I can read them to you sometime.”

“I would like that.” Morgan smiled at Sawyer over Nia’s curly head. “Maybe someday you’ll write your own books.”

Nia popped off the couch. “I can write my name. Wanna see?”

“Of course.”

“I have crayons and paper in my suitcase!” Nia yelled as she raced down the hallway.

“Because that’s what four-year olds pack for Vermont getaways.” Sawyer slid toward Morgan and nosed around in her hair. “Hopefully those crayons are under all her other stuff and we have a few minutes to . . .” He pressed his lips to Morgan’s cheek, pushing her hair aside to reach her earlobe, the rim of her ear, that soft, sensitive spot right behind her ear.

Morgan let out a little moan as she arched her head to the side, giving him more surface area to explore. “That’s nice.”

“I plan to head into the naughty zone,” Sawyer whispered into her ear. “Soon.”

Morgan shivered next to him and he loved that his words could do that to her.

“I only found the red crayon,” Nia announced as she reappeared in the living room, making Sawyer sit up straight as if he hadn’t been about to lick his way along Morgan’s neck next.

Morgan cleared her throat as if she hadn’t been about to let him.