Page 72 of His Brown-Eyed Girl

“Once,” Michael said, nodding and looking somewhat interested. “It made me a little sick, but it was pretty cool.”

Lucas grabbed the cowboy hat on the dash, opened his door, and climbed out. “I remember liking this area when I was younger because it was like a small town. I think there’s a park and they had this cool village with a blacksmith shop.”

“What’s a blacksmith?” Chris asked sliding to the pavement below.

“We’re going to find out,” Addy said, grabbing her purse and glancing up at the rain cloud that moved steadily toward the small suburb outside New Orleans.

Thirty minutes later her cowboy and his nephews were off to explore space leaving her and Charlotte to await story time in Heritage Park. She sat on a bench with Charlotte next to her. There weren’t too many other people present, but it was a nice day to be outside. Trees were starting to sprout new sticky growth and the dormant grass clothed itself in green clover. A few daffodils arrived early, huddling at the base of small trees. The rain cloud seemed to have moved on, but other gray flannel clouds dotted the perimeter, and Addy knew a New Orleans shower could come at any moment.

A couple of little girls eyed Charlotte, and she eyed them back but made no move to slip off the bench.

“Do you want to play with those little girls?” Addy asked, giving one girl who looked about Charlotte’s age a friendly wave. The adorable pixie ducked her head but didn’t run away. She seemed interested in coaxing Charlotte to come hop about with her.

“I don’t know that girl,” Charlotte said.

“Well, that’s how we make new friends.” Addy had already checked out the area for any dangers. No skulking old pervs, no red flag warnings popping in her mind… just a nice day at the park.

“Your little girl’s welcome to play with Sarah,” said a woman who sat crossed legged about ten feet away next to another woman who tapped furiously on her iPad.

Addy didn’t bother to correct the woman on her role in Charlotte’s life, but she did give Charlotte a little shove. “Sarah wants to play. Go have fun.”

“No,” Charlotte said shaking her head. A few pieces of her ponytail came down and the bow lurched sideways.

“You don’t want to play?” Addy gave Sarah’s mom a strained smile. “It’s fun to make new friends.”

Charlotte shook her head.

Addy turned to the mother. “Sorry. She’s just getting over the stomach virus and hasn’t-”

“Nevermind,” the woman interrupted, hopping up with a graceful leap and dragging Sarah back to where she sat. “We don’t need that with our vacation coming up.”

Addy snapped her mouth closed and looked down at Charlotte. “Well, guess you don’t have to bother making new friends.”

Charlotte scooted closer to her and rested her head against Addy’s side. Addy curled an arm around the little girl, feeling her heart swell… and maybe something else move inside her.

She suspected it might be the tick of her biological clock.

Addy had never really given having children much thought, mainly because she’d not had a successful relationship of late. Sure, she spent time with her nieces and nephews who she adored, but she’d never truly thought about what it would be like to spend her Saturdays in the park with little Addys and little—she refused to imagine a mini-Lucas—frolicking about her.

Did she even want to procreate?

Kids were messy. They got things like stomach viruses, they crashed into greenhouses and sulked, fought and made ungodly messes. But they also snuggled up to you and made your heart feel full and your throat a little scratchy with emotion.

What would her and Lucas’s children look like?

Oh, dear Lord, Addy, don’t go there. Don’t you dare go there.

Thankfully, a woman dressed in a black dress carrying a rolling trunk appeared. Behind her came the rest of what should be the puppet show. Addy said a silent thank-you for being saved from her dangerous thoughts. “Look, Charlotte. Here comes the puppet show.”

The little girl straightened, her eyes growing big.

An hour later, Addy met Lucas in front of the science center. The boys each had changed into new T-shirt with the space center logo in the center, and Lucas waved a stuffed frog with a pink bow around its neck at Charlotte. “Look what Uncle Lucas found hopping inside.”

Charlotte held little hands up to him. “Froggie.”

Lucas gave her the stuffed animal, looking pleased with himself. Just as Charlotte took the frog, a raindrop splashed onto Addy’s cheek.

“Uh-oh,” Chris said as several bigger droplets landed on her shoulder and head.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com