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She nods. “Maybe you could join me if you get him back to sleep soon.”
I watch her leave the room, her hips swaying. Between her and my son, I have the perfect life. The only thing that could make it better is her wearing my ring and taking my last name.
10
IVY
The smellof funnel cake and corndogs in the air makes me smile. Beneath my feet, leaves crunch with every step. Hale and I walked to the autumn festival. It’s September here in Courage County. The cooler temperatures and plentiful harvest are more than enough to have everyone in a celebratory mood.
Ollie is against Hale’s chest and looking around in wide-eyed wonder like he does any time we leave the cabin. Hale is quietly narrating our lives to him. He always does that. He talks to Ollie and explains things to him.
There are booths lining Main Street, and the traffic has been stopped. Summer is selling her clay creations at one booth, and I pause to admire a figurine of a boy playing with his dog. The details are so realistic that I have to buy it.
As I’m paying for my purchase, Mackenzie and Ginger join me.
Ginger looks at Hale and says, “We want to steal your girl away for a few minutes.”
He scowls. He doesn’t like to be away from me. He’s possessive and convinced another man will try to seduce me. That’s ridiculous. There are no other men for me. There’s only Hale, my hot mountain man. “Not too long.”
The two of them whisk me down the street. We walk arm-in-arm while they pepper me with questions about Hale. They ask me what his cabin is like, if Hale is nice to me, and how I feel about being a nanny.
“Now, it’s time for the most important question. Have you slept with him?” Ginger asks.
My cheeks turn pink at the same time that Ginger lets out a whoop. “You did! You slept with him!”
I glance around to see if anyone is paying attention to our conversation, but they’re not. The only thing I notice is that Ace is following behind us. He’s one of Hale’s mountain friends. He’s trying to look inconspicuous, but it’s pretty obvious that he has his eyes on Mackenzie. Come to think of it, he was hovering outside the gym after our last class too.
I think maybe he has a thing for Mackenzie. There are probably twenty years between them, but then again, there are a lot of years between me and Hale too. Love doesn’t tell time. It only knows when you’ve found your kindred soul.
“Was he any good?” Mackenzie prompts, taking my silence to mean I have a complaint.
I glance around one more time but no one is looking, so I give her an enthusiastic nod. “So good.”
“Does he make you happy?” Ginger asks, her voice taking on the note that lets me know she’ll have a few choice words to say to Hale if he doesn’t. It would be like her to fearlessly confront a man twice her size on behalf of her friend. But that won’t be needed.
I can’t help smiling. I feel like ever since I moved in with Hale, all I do anymore is smile. I love spending my days with Ollie and my nights in Hale’s bed. “He makes me smile every day. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”
Mackenzie snorts and bumps my shoulder. “You meanhedoesn’t know how he got so lucky.”
I roll my eyes at these two.
When I hear Hale call my name through the crowd, he waves me over. I tell my friends goodbye and walk toward him. He’s standing next to the family photo booth. “Come on. Let’s get the three of us together.”
Two minutes.
Two minutes is all it takes for the photographer to take her photos.
As Hale is paying for the prints, I realize that I’ve never had family photos because I’ve never been in a family. The thought makes the cavern in my heart that’s been there since I was a little girl open wide again.
With a start, I realize this is only pretend. I’ve been pretending that I could have people that care about me. I’m an imposter. This will never be my life.
The rest of the festival passes in a blur. It feels like moments, or maybe it’s hours, pass. Then I’m back at Hale’s cabin.
He tries to talk to me, but I shake my head and move to my room. Well, see that’s the problem. It’s not my room.
Nothing here is mine.
With jerky motions, I begin dumping my clothes into my suitcase. It’s better to leave now. It won’t hurt so much. At least, that’s what I tell myself. But I still put a hand on my chest.
