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A muffled shout came from inside, followed by the unmistakable sound of little feet running across the floor.
“Mommy! Mr. Hart’s here!”
A moment later, the door swung open, and we were met by a pretty woman in her early thirties who looked like she was ready to call it a night. She wore an oversized sweatshirt and leggings, and her chestnut hair was pulled into a messy bun. Her tired eyes widened in surprise.
“Hart?”
“Hey, Ms. Taylor.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Making a delivery.”
Her eyes dropped to the boxes in the wagon.
“No. You didn’t,” she whispered.
“Figured we’d get you guys squared away for Thanksgiving.”
She pressed a hand against her chest. “Hart, you didn’t have to do all this.”
“I know,” he said with a smile. “But I wanted to.”
She stepped aside. “Come in. Please.”
Hart glanced at me before introducing me. “This is my girlfriend, Vera. I hope you don’t mind that she tagged along.”
My heart did a ridiculous little flip.
My girlfriend.
It wasn’t as if Hart had never called me that before. He had plenty of times… privately. It was his first time introducing me to someone as his girlfriend, and I liked it more than I ever imagined I would.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” Ms. Taylor said.
“You too.”
“Here. Let me take some of those bags from you, and please watch your step. It’ll be a cold day in hell before my kids pick up after themselves. I stepped on a Lego the other day and thought I saw Jesus.”
I laughed, handed her a bag, and followed her inside. Hart had barely wheeled the wagon in when two children came barreling out of the living room.
“Mr. Hart!”
“Whoa!” Hart laughed as a little boy wrapped himself around his leg. “What’s up, little man?”
A girl who looked a few years older appeared behind him, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hi, Mr. Hart!”
“Hey, Amelia. How’s school?”
“Good! I got a hundred on my spelling test!”
“Did you?”
“I did. I did way better than last time.”
“I told you would if you practiced.”
