Page 92 of Merging Wright

“Give me one second.” Holding Willow’s hand, I walk us back to this Jenny person, explain who I am, and then tell her my thoughts.

Minutes later, Willow and I are inside the vacant shop, which is nothing more than four walls of exposed two-by-fours and a cement floor. We’re temporarily using the space for storage. Willow and I have a clear view of the street, and I flip on the lights. I wish there was a mirror in here, but it’s okay that there isn’t.

“When I was little, I loved to dance. I’d get lost in the music and the rhythm of a song.” I scroll through my phone as I speak. “I wanted to be a ballerina, but I’m too tall.”

Willow’s bright eyes widen.

“Have you ever done ballet?”

She shakes her head.

“Then today is your first lesson with a little twist.” I find the song I want and position Willow before me, facing me. “Just follow my lead.”

Then I press play, and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off” fills the space.

And Willow and I shake off all our worries as we jut and strut and race around the vacant store.

“What’s going on here?” Mach’s chuckle interrupts the last few lines of the song, and I stop. Willow, however, has the beat in her head, and she finishes strong. When the song ends, I crouch and she rushes to my arms. Lifting her, I spin to face Mach.

“Just a little girl time and a dance-off.” I lower Willow back to the floor and pick another song. She starts to dance again.

“Don’t let me interrupt.” He leans against the wall, but I’m not sharing my moves with him.

“No, this is all for her.” I step closer to him, and we both watch Willow twirl and spin.

“She’s really smitten with you,” he whispers in wonder.

“I’m smitten with her.” Willow dances across the space, shaking her hips and kicking her legs. I’m totally enamored with her. “I want nothing more than to make her happy.”

I turn back to Mach. “Seems silly, right? I don’t live here. I won’t stay here.” I look back at Willow. “But I’d feel better if she was happy.”

Mach slips an arm around my lower back and tugs me to him. Pressing a kiss to my temple, he mutters, “You have a huge heart, Jane Wright.”

I have a foolish one, actually. One full of love for a man who won’t ever return that love and a little girl I wish could be mine. Shaking off the thought, I smile feebly at Mach.

“Are you gonna kiss her?”

Mach and I both turn in Willow’s direction.

“My daddy used to kiss my mommy all the time. They were in love.”

I swallow around the sudden thickness in my throat, and Mach’s lips tenderly curl, offering Willow a warm smile. “Your mommy and daddy were very lucky, then.”

Yes, they were. Being in love. Having Willow. They were very fortunate indeed.

42

Playlist: “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Elvin Bishop

(from Guardians of the Galaxy)

[Mach]

Jane has a prospective business for the old bank building, and we have the community room to build, but things are coming along. Of course, we still had Trixie’s Trims and Ma’s plans for the big house. We didn’t need to fill the empty locations on Bridge Alley. That would be up to the head of economic development, a position the city council agreed needed to be created and implemented once we were finished renovating what existed. We did promise to improve the exterior of vacant businesses to make the empty spaces more appealing.

Jane decided to put Your Future Business Here on the window placards instead of For Rent.

“It makes the building more inviting.”