Chapter 7
[Ford]
I don’t know how Felicity and I ended up like we did.
Hell, I no longer know how we even ended up together in the first place.
When she told me she loved another man before she met me, I thought it was a simple explanation of her relationship history.
When she told me she loved me, I believed her.
Why wouldn’t I? No one else had ever told me such a powerful thing, and all I’d wanted was my person.
That one woman who had faith in me, believed in me, and loved me.
When her love for me stopped, I have no idea.
Or maybe it was never there. When she suggested we get married, I agreed.
I was ready for a family. Felicity had not wanted to be a mother so soon in our marriage, but I was nearly thirty at the time.
I wanted kids. After talking it through, Felicity seemed to change her mind quickly.
She appeared more excited and eager to be a mom.
But I didn’t know it had all been an act, until it was too late. Our entire marriage had been a sham.
Zelle came along rather easily. Winnie was a surprise. June a bit of a how-did-that-happen. But I wouldn’t trade my girls. I’d grown up in a large family, and despite the troubles with our dad and the loss of our mother, I had siblings to commiserate with me.
Our oldest brother, Stone, had stepped in as guardian of the Sylver clan when our father was gone, and I garnered a lot of positive attention from him.
He was full of encouragement. If I wanted to play baseball professionally, I had to work hard and take every opportunity I was offered to put myself in front of the right people.
Most of all, I had to be kind and grateful for chances.
Stone knew what he was talking about. He’d given up all his professional football dreams to come home for Knox, Sebastian, Vale, and me as we were minors when Dad died.
I’d done all my brother had advised and more. Then I met Felicity.
“You can’t be Cadence. She has blond hair,” Winnie parrots her older sister, breaking into my thoughts after I’d followed my brood, led by Cadence and June, into the dining room.
My gaze wanders to Cadence’s hair, the color definitely more acorn than gold, and falling in long, loose waves around her shoulders. Her blue eyes flit upward meeting mine, hesitating a second, like she’s worried she’ll spill the truth about Santa Claus. Then her expression shifts.
“Well, a woman has a right to change her hair and her mind.” She bops Winnie on the nose. “Remember that, darlin’.”
Winnie continues to watch Cadence, skeptical she’s the superstar Zelle and her admire. With Cadence’s makeup lighter than what she wears on stage and her hair darker, a second glance is needed to register that she is indeed the woman behind the music sensation.
“Here you go, June Bug.” Cadence holds out a bun with J-U-N-E written in mustard on the dog. “Told you there was a hot dog with your name on it.”
June beams up at Cadence. Her thumb slips out of her mouth in awe. Zelle smiles as well, staring at the rudimentary dribble of mustard on the dog like it’s a masterpiece.
“Unfortunately, she can’t eat that bun and all. It should be cut into little pieces.” I motion with the side of my hand, chopping the choking hazard into fine slices and then divided into quarters.
“Ah.” Cadence nods with understanding. “I’ll eat this one then, so I’ll always have a little piece of you inside me.” She drops down to a squat before June and tickles her belly.
“What will happen when you poop it out?” Zelle asks and Winnie giggles.
Cadence looks to me once more for guidance on this one, but I simply shake my head. “Zelle, no poop-talk tonight.”
If someone told me boys were the ones with creative imaginations, I’d say they hadn’t met my girls. Zelle’s question wasn’t so much because she wanted to be surly but that she’s fascinated with numbers and the human body. She’s my future scientist.
Cadence stands back to her full height and I take her in again. The purple shade of her silk dress. The way it curves along her body, like wine being poured into a glass. My mouth waters, wondering if she’s crisp and dry or bold and flavorful.
Then I jolt because something hits me just above the kneecap. June bumped into me, hot dog in hand, and mustard smeared the knee of my suit pants.
“Sow-wy, Daddy.” June whimpers. Zelle and Winnie hold their breaths.
If I had been Felicity, there would be sharp reprimands for messing up the expensive clothing. Her demeaning tone often made me cringe. She didn’t need to spoil our children, but she should have given them more grace. Now, she wasn’t even interacting with them.
“It’s okay, June. It will wash off.” Or not. I don’t care about the damn pants. I care more about the tears welling in my youngest’s eyes, and the stark fear on Zelle and Winnie’s cheeks a second before their shoulders loosen and the tension fizzles out like air released from a balloon.
Scooping up June, hot dog and all, I pepper her cheek with kisses before leaning forward and taking a bite out of the offending sandwich.
“That mine.” June’s little voice scolds me and the tears are forgotten.
“Mmm. Tastes like a June Bug, too.” I chew fast, swallow quick, and nibble at June like she’s a delicacy.
June giggles, and Zelle and Winnie laugh. Situation defused.
All the while, Cadence watches me. Again, our eyes meet, and the corner of her mouth slowly ticks upward.
“Want to take off your pants, cowboy.” She winks.
I swear my face flames. This woman.
“There are children present,” I chide prudishly.
“Keep your clothes on.” She dismissively waves. “I only meant I could help with the spot.”
Glancing down at the drip of mustard on my knee, while holding onto June, I huff-laugh. How did my life get so chaotic and why is it that this woman is the one smiling back at me like I hung the moon?
Straightening, my shoulders tense. My jaw clacks. I cannot be flirting with her, especially in front of my girls. I have no idea yet what they’ve seen of Felicity’s antics with my teammate, but I won’t be replicating that behavior.
My dad never put his children above all else, but I won’t follow in his footsteps.
My girls will always come first.