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“What exactly are you saying, Jules?”
She shook her head. “Honestly, I think you just need to back things off a bit. Just be her friend.”
Now he stood at the end of his driveway, staring off toward the road that led to the French Farm. Hoping and praying that she’d got his text.
And there she was, pushing the stroller with baby Mae.
He didn’t even care how eager he looked as he jogged down the road toward them.
“You came.”
“Thanks for inviting me.” She gave a half-smile, opened her mouth as though she was about to say something, then closed it.
“What?” he asked.
She shook her head, her smile a little wider, but seeming forced.
“Hannah, you can say anything to me,” he said. He almost reached out, but hesitated. He would let her make the first move.
“Can you wait for me just a little longer?” she asked, so quietly he almost couldn’t hear her.
He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her right there. But he held back the urge and just squeezed her hand. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she began to walk beside him while Millie ran head.
“Papapapapapa.” Tiny bubbles popped on Mae’s lips as she babbled, then leaned over the stroller’s tray, scattered with crackers, and stretched her fingers toward Millie. “Papapapa!”
“Baby Mae, you just let Millie come to you,” Hannah said.
“Do pigs bite?” she asked, as Millie sniffed Mae’s hands.
“It’s good to be cautious, but my Millie has never shown any aggression, even around dogs.”
“The flowers suit her,” Hannah laughed, pointing to the scarf draped around the pig’s neck.
“My mother gives me her old scarves.” He had to admit he thought it was cute. Victor would have busted a gut if he’d ever seen him dress up a pig.
They walked on in silence for a while. Mae was content to gnaw on her crackers, and Millie bounced on ahead of them.
“I’d like to invite you and Emma to dinner,” he said finally.
She didn’t answer right away, and when she finally opened her mouth, he jumped in and said, “We can take things slow. Just a friendly dinner.”
She stopped and looked out at the pastures. “I can’t have Emma lose another person in her life.”
“Hannah, you don’t–”
“She doesn’t even have a grandfather,” she interrupted. “She lost her dad. We just made a big move.” She shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. “I know what it’s like to grow up with no stability, and that’s not what I want for Emma.”
“Hannah, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”
She took in a deep breath. “I need to focus all my energy on my daughter, right now.”
“Of course you do, but I want to focusmyenergy on taking care of both of you.”
She looked up at him, but the look was one of pity, not understanding. “You might have to wait a long time.”
She still didn’t get it. “Hannah, I’ll wait forever if I have to.”
