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She took Grayson's hand and walked toward the first room, which was being set up as a little boy's room. Grayson ran in and hopped on the race car bed with glee, giggling as he rolled around on it.
“I want to sleep here!” he said.
“No, honey,” Hadley laughed. “We aren't staying here.”
“Why not, mommy?” Grayson asked.
“Because it's not our house, baby.”
God, if only I could find someone like Hadley. She was bent over, showing off some of her cleavage by accident, and I couldn't tear my eyes away. She caught me staring, and that broke my paralysis. I looked away quickly, feeling the heat in my cheeks. She chuckled as she stood up, then winked at me as she walked out of the room. Grayson walked with her, chattering excitedly.
We walked into the next bedroom, which was set up as a nursery for a little girl. Hadley's smile wavered a bit as she walked around the room, running her hands along the crib. Grayson picked up a teddy bear and was playing with it, but Hadley was in a world all her own. She stared down into the crib, a distant look on her face.
Rebecca hadn't followed us into the room, I noticed. Either she'd ducked away into the bathroom or got held up along the way, I wasn't sure. Truthfully, I was grateful for the repreive and I took it as a chance to talk to Hadley, alone.
I sidled up next to her, and she jumped a bit as if I'd startled her.
“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you,” I said softly.
“It's okay. I was just lost in thought,” she said.
“What's on your mind?” I asked.
“Evan, I have to tell you something,” she said, turning toward me.
We were standing really close together now, I could feel her breath on my face as she stared up at me. There was something in her eyes I couldn't quite identify.
“I'm – ”
Rebecca's voice cut her off before she could finish that thought.
“This is really nice, actually,” she said.
Hadley flinched as if she'd been slapped, and she pulled away from me.
“I
have always wanted a little girl,” Rebecca continued. “A little princess to dote on.”
“What if she prefers superheroes over princesses?” Hadley asked curtly.
“No little girl prefers – ”
“Hadley did,” I countered.
Both women looked at me in surprise.
“What? I have a good memory. I remember when you used to dress up as Batman and play in your front yard. Not Batgirl, but Batman,” I said. “You argued with anyone who tried to correct you.”
Hadley and I both chuckled at the ridiculous memory, but Rebecca didn't look amused at all. She pursed her lips and went back to pouting, mumbling something under her breath. Hadley's smile warmed my heart, making it easy to forget about my ex moping, pouting, and trying to manipulate me by talking about a future that we would no longer be having together.
“Ready to see the master bedroom now?” I asked, motioning for Hadley to follow me out.
“You know, I think I've seen enough,” she said. “It's a lovely home, and if I decide to move back to Castle Creek, I'll definitely consider it.”
Her face had paled since we'd first stepped into the room. Something was on her mind. She'd mentioned wanting to tell me something, but what? With Rebecca tailing us, it wouldn't be easy to get an answer.
“Let me walk you to your car,” I said. “I think I'm going to head out myself actually, since it looks like they're finished for the evening.”
