Page 27 of Chasing Honor

We stopped at the candy store, loading up on enough treats for Carson to have a sugar rush for a month. Honor had insisted on getting the fried crickets. One package for her and Carson to try and a second for my dad.

With ice cream cones in hand we walked River Street, taking in more sights, until we got to the Waving Girl statue that Carson was dying to see, even though she’d seen it every time we’d come to Savannah. She climbed onto the bench and threw her hands out, mimicking the sculpture. Honor’s camera came up and she started snapping pictures. I quickly pulled out my cell and, also caught the moment. Only I was focused on Honor focusing on Carson.

* * *

Despite the ice cream and handful of M&M’s Carson had eaten she’d passed out in the backseat thirty minutes into our forty-five-minute drive home. She barely stirred when I carried her inside and changed her into her jammies and tucked her into bed. I hovered over her, staring down at my daughter. It was hard to believe she was eight. It was both just yesterday and a lifetime ago she came into my life. My parents had been right about one thing, I’d been too young to understand all the ways my life would change when I’d decided to keep Carson. But there has never been a second I regretted it. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like not having my daughter. She was the best part of me.

I turned off her light and shut her door and made my way down the stairs to where Honor was waiting for me. I prayed I had enough left to give her. She deserved a man who could and would love her with his whole being. The kind of love my dad gave my mom. If Carson held my heart, would there be room for Honor?

I found Honor in the kitchen rooting through the pantry moving boxes around in search of something.

“Whatcha’ looking for?” I asked, and she jumped, banging her elbow on the open door.

“Shit on a shingle you scared me to death.” She rubbed her elbow and went back to riffling through the fully stocked, thanks to her, pantry. “I thought Carson and I could make waffles tomorrow, but I don’t know if we have baking powder.”

We.

I liked that.

“There’s a box of waffle mix right in front of you.”

She glanced over her shoulder and scowled, completely affronted I would dare making such a ludicrous suggestion.

“You don’t make homemade, Sunday-morning waffle goodness out of a box, Ethan. You spread out all the ingredients, measure, make a mess, whisk everything by hand, and watch the batter turn into fluffy golden delights.”

I shouldn’t have worried, there was more than enough room in my heart for this amazing woman and her Sunday-morning golden delights.

“I better up my gym time. With all the delicious food you make, I’m gonna get fat.”

“Right. Because your six pack and arms of steel are going to disappear overnight.”

“Arms of steel?” I laughed.

“Ethan Lenox, are you fishing for compliments?”

“From you? Always.”

She abandoned her quest to find baking powder and stalked toward me. When she was within arm’s reach, her palms went to my chest before they moved lower to my stomach.

“I thought you were taking me to bed?”

“In a hurry?” I joked.

“Yes.”

No games. No playing coy. Honor was straight up honest about what she wanted.

I covered her hand with mine and laced our fingers together, pulling her toward the front door, I double checked the alarm was set before I stopped in front of her bedroom door.

“You’re sure?”

“So sure.”

“I don’t want to stop tonight.”

“You wanna go all the way with me, handsome?”

“Fuck, yeah.”