AllFreeNovel
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Lauren and Gage. Gage is Kyle’s best friend and partner at the station.
The six of them are seated at the table.
I’ve known the guys for as long as I can remember. It’s nice, seeing them all happy.
Maven, Dallas’s his little girl, is sitting next to him. She grins wildly when she sees us.
“Hi!” she chirps, her eyes on Molly as she waves with a caramel apple in her hand. She pats the seat Dallas is occupying next to her with her free hand. “Come sit by me. My daddy got an extra caramel apple, and you can have it.”
Dallas moves down a seat and slides his old one out for Molly to sit. Molly peeks over to me, and I nod. Her eyes are wide as she scurries over to Maven and jumps in the open seat.
“I’m Maven,” she says, scooting the plate with the caramel apple to her. “I like your hair.” She flips her attention to Willow, Dallas’s girlfriend, on the other side of her. “Can you do my hair like that tomorrow?”
Willow smiles. “Sure.”
Sierra and I take a seat. Maven dances in her chair while eating her apple, and after a few minutes, I notice Molly doing the same, caramel on the side of her face. I’m so excited to see Molly so comfortable that I’m close to dancing in my damn chair, too.
If someone had told me this was what my life would be, I would’ve laughed and kicked their wrong ass out of my bar.
Conversation is happening around us, but my focus is on Molly and the glowing smile on her face.
“There’s a jump house,” Maven announces after finishing her apple. “After you’re done eating, we can go play in it! They’re so fun!”
Molly keeps on grinning while chomping on her apple.
The little tykes have sticky hands when Maven asks permission for them to go play.
Dallas and I nod at the same time.
Maven grabs Molly’s hand, and they run toward the bounce house, joining the group of children.
I suck in a concerned breath, my eyes glued to my little girl.
This is the first time I’ve had her and she’sawayfrom me. Even if it is only across a yard, I’m still nervous.
What if she gets bullied?
What if someone kidnaps her?
What if someone accidentally kicks her in the face in that jump house?
“Relax,” Dallas says, as if he were reading my mind. “I promise they’re not as breakable as you think.”
Willow nods. “Just wait until you have a little one. You’ll truly be crazy and uptight. I’m pretty sure I’ll be the epitome of one of those helicopter moms.”
I glance over at Sierra, and her attention is on Molly, too.
I beam with pride.
I can’t wait to have babies with her.
“I’ll be there, right beside you,” Lauren adds. “I thought being a nurse would make me more easygoing, but nope, I’m paranoid.”
Gage throws his head back. “You have no idea.”
My focus switches to Rex when he plops down in Maven’s abandoned chair.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” Sierra asks.
