AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER 23
Skylar
“ICan’t Help Myself” by the Four Tops played through the Bluetooth speaker as I flipped the chocolate chip pancakes that were a birthday breakfast tradition. I couldn’t believe that Luna was already five years old. Next year she’d be in kindergarten. My baby wasn’t a baby anymore.
Tears started to fill my eyes.
I’d never been particularly sentimental. But this birthday was hitting me. It felt like a milestone. Once your child started school, that was it. The countdown began to high school graduation. I was going to blink and she’d be going off to college.
I’d planned to have another baby by the time Luna was five. But like almost everything, life had laughed hysterically at my plans.
As much as I’d loved being nine years older than Ash, I’d been lonely for the years before she came. My parents had always been around, but they weren’t the most nurturing people in the world. I wanted Luna to have an Ashley. But that didn’t seem to be in the cards.
My ears perked up when I heard the floorboards in the hallway creak.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,” I began to sing as I lit the five candles sticking out of the pile of heart-shaped chocolate chip pancakes and continued singing as I set the plate down in front of her as she climbed up on the stool that Hank had built next to the kitchen island he’d also built. “Happy birthday Princess Luna. Happy birthday to youuuuuuuuu!”
She was smiling from ear to ear as she took a deep breath and blew out the flames. I erupted in cheers when the final candle was extinguished.
“What are we doing today?” Luna rubbed her sleepy eyes as a yawn claimed her.
A tinge of guilt pinched at my chest. I hated that I wasn’t able to throw Luna the baby shower birthday she’d wanted. But I planned on making this day as amazing as I possibly could.
I’d come up with several options, none of which were close to the baby shower themed birthday she’d originally wanted, but I was doing my best.
“We can go to the beach. Or we can drive into Savannah and go to the aquarium. Or we can go out on a boat and see if we can find whales. Or we can go to the pier and ride the Ferris wheel.”
Sure, it was the tallest on the East Coast. And, yes, I was deathly terrified of heights. But I’d white-knuckle it to put a smile on my baby girl’s face for her birthday.
“Can Hank come with us?” she asked as I cut up her pancakes.
Was she old enough to cut up her own pancakes? Sure. But I planned on milking all the time I had left to take care of her for all it was worth.
“I think he might be working today.”
Or he was avoiding me. I hadn’t seen him since the Notebook kiss. Of course, he could just be working like he’d said he would be. I hadn’t seen his truck out in front of his house for the past few days.
Working? Avoiding? I wasn’t sure.
What I was sure about was that kiss. It was an anomaly. I’d only known Hank a short time but when we’d been lip to lip it had been the most intimate encounter of my life. My entire body responded to him as if he were my sexual soulmate, yet we’d never done the deed.
And then there was the kiss itself. It was equal parts explosive and gentle. Somehow it simultaneously was five-alarm fire hot, yet smolderingly seductive.
I’d dreamt about it every night. Who was I kidding? I dreamt about it every day, too.
Trying to shake off all memories of the kiss that was seared into my being, I turned my attention back to the birthday girl. This day was about her.
“So, what’s it gonna be Lu Lu? Aquarium? Beach? Whales? Ferris wheel?”
“Umm…” I could see that she wasn’t thrilled over any of the selections. But it was the best I could do.
A knock came at the door and her eyes widened. “It’s Mr. Hank.”
“Maybe, let’s go see.”
I understood why she’d jumped to that conclusion. He was the only visitor we’d had. But Ashley had texted asking for our address the day before so she could send Luna a surprise present. Still, I couldn’t help but hope my daughter’s first instinct was right.
She was squealing as she jumped up and ran to the front door. Although I didn’t show my enthusiasm outwardly, inside I was squealing and jumping as I made my way to the door at the thought Hank might be here.
