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I blow out a breath and glance at Des.
Since our conversation in the car, we haven’t really spoken. He came in for two shaves since then, but all my barber’s chairs remained intact and I’ve kept my hands to myself. It seems we’ll be sticking to the original rules, with no more hanky-panky happening.
Fine by me. Absolutely, totally fine. I promise. That’s not disappointment in my gut; it’s just nerves.
Right now, Des smiles at my daughter. “Now, we go talk to the airline and see if we can get another flight.”
“Won’t that be expensive?” Bailey asks, a wrinkle appearing between her brows.
Not for the first time, I cringe. How much has my daughter picked up on about money? How many times has she been worried when she shouldn’t be? I’m supposed to shield her from all this. She’s just a child.
Des just smiles. “Maybe. But I always budget a little extra when I’m traveling, in case something goes wrong. And I got travel insurance, so you don’t have to worry.”
Bailey brightens. “Oh. Okay. That’s good.” She nods, and to my shock—and Des’s, judging by the thunderstruck expression on his face—she slips her hand in his. “Who do we talk to?” she asks, glancing around the gate.
“Let’s start with the lady at the counter,” Des says, holding my daughter’s hand very, very carefully. I let them walk ahead, heart banging at the sight of my daughter with this big, surprisingly gentle man.
I…Ilikethe sight of them together. I like the way Bailey leans against his side when she pokes her head above the airport gate’s counter. I like the way Des starts laughing and ruffles her hair. Bailey grins back at him, then glances over her shoulder at me. She waves me over, and I hurry to their side.
“The next flight is in three hours,” the woman says, batting her long lashes at Des. Painted red lips tilt into a smile. “I can bump you up to business class for the inconvenience.”
Jeez. Being a devastatingly attractive man has its perks, apparently.
“That would be great,” Des’s deep voice rumbles. He smiles back at the woman, and I feel the urge to hop on the desk and kick them both in the face.
That can’t be healthy. I pretend to study my nails until the feeling passes.
We get our new boarding passes and find empty seats at an unused gate. Bailey pulls out a deck of cards and challenges Des to a game of Go Fish.
“What do you call a fish with no eyes?” she says, picking up a card and staring at her hand.
“I don’t know,” Des replies, frowning at his cards.
“Afshhhh,” Bailey says, then giggles. Des’s warm chuckle makes my heart expand until it crowds out my lungs and breathing becomes difficult.
“I’m going to get us some snacks,” I say, needing some space. When I come back, having been extorted by a friendly old man running an airport kiosk, I find the two of them locked in the most intense game of Go Fish I’ve ever seen.
Bailey wins, and she throws her hands in the air with a loud cheer. Des tosses his cards onto the pile and clicks his tongue, shaking his head. “Unbelievable.” He meets my gaze with sparkling, laughing eyes. His arm curls around the back of my chair as we settle in to wait a little longer, and Bailey comes to my other side to rest her head against my shoulder.
Contentment settles over me like a warm blanket. We hit a snag on our travel plans, and it didn’t even seem to ruffle Des in the slightest. Things that would have been stressful and difficult with just me and Bailey are suddenly no problem at all. Des took care of it all.
I could get used to this…and that’s dangerous.
20
DES
HavingMia and Bailey beside me on the way to Lovers’ Peak has allowed me to avoid the big, messy feelings lurking under the surface of my skin at the thought of returning to my childhood home. It’s only been a few months since I left the small mountain town, but it already feels like a lifetime has passed. I’m a different person now.
As our rental car crosses the stylized sign depicting the double-peaked mountain that gave the town its name, my heart starts to beat faster.
I never belonged here. From the time my parents passed until the time I decided to leave, I was an outsider. As we enter the town, dusk is darkening to night, and the streetlights illuminate the quaint shopfronts and bare trees. I tighten my hold on the steering wheel, letting out a long breath.
“Everything okay?” Mia asks quietly from the seat beside mine.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror tells me Bailey’s asleep in the back seat. I nod. “I’m fine. It’s just that I’m realizing this place never really felt like home, even though I spent my entire life here.”
“We’re staying at your aunt’s place, right?”
