Chapter 17
Bri
“Wakey-wakey,” I crooned. “Eggs and bakery.”
Hayden giggled. “What’s going on?” she asked groggily.
“Jace has a surprise for us today,” I whispered. “I let you sleep as late as I could.”
This kid. She was going to be a nightmare as a teenager. At seven, she would’ve slept until noon if I’d let her. “We have about an hour before Jace will be here.”
Her eyes flew open. “What is the surprise?”
I laughed and pulled her hot pink blanket back. “No idea. But come eat.”
Breakfast was a little healthier now that we were home.
I still let her have pancakes, but only two small ones, and instead of syrup, she got whipped cream and a bunch of fruit.
She’d never complained, so I didn’t fuss about the higher-sugar option she often ate at my mother’s table.
Grandparents were for spoiling their grandkids, after all.
I’d gotten up early to give myself plenty of time to get ready. After Hayden ate, I texted Jace. What should we wear?
He responded quickly. Comfortable. We’ll be inside and outside, but it’s supposed to be warm and sunny.
Okay. I laid out an outfit for Hayden while she brushed her teeth, then went and changed my clothes to something a little more casual.
In a small backpack, I put a small first aid kit, a couple of packs of peanut butter crackers, and some sunscreen. By the time I finished, my doorbell rang.
“I got it!” Hayden screeched.
“Ask who it is,” I called.
“Duh!” As she thundered down the stairs, I laughed and followed at a more sedate pace, then watched as she pressed her ear to the door. “Who is it?”
“The surprise fairy,” Jace’s deep voice replied.
Hayden squealed and she unlocked the door. I’d already undone the chain, knowing darn well she’d want to let Jace in.
Jace grinned at me when he walked in. “Ready? Need any time?”
I shook my head. “We had breakfast, are you hungry?”
“Oh, I was going to take you out to breakfast. That’s okay, I’ll grab something on the way.” He tweaked Hayden’s nose. “Think you’ve got room for a donut?”
She stared up at him seriously. “I’ve always got room for a donut.”
I had a good idea of where we were going, once he’d said inside and outside. But I played along and held out my car keys. “My car or yours? You can drive if you’d like.”
He grabbed them and grinned. “Only because I don’t think Hayden would be as comfortable riding for an hour in my truck.”
Ah-ha. An hour’s drive. I knew exactly where we were going. “Hay, run and grab your tablet. You’ll get bored in the car.” Probably she should’ve been able to go an hour without entertainment, but she loved to read and would do so on her little cheap tablet her grandmother had gotten her.
But she didn’t read nearly as much as I thought she would.
She and Jace chatted the whole way, talking about everything from television shows to food to where she wanted to vacation someday.
He was making every effort to get to know my little girl and she ate it up. I didn’t know how I’d gotten so lucky.
When he pulled into the wildlife center’s parking lot, I wanted to squeal like Hayden. I couldn’t wait to see her face.
“Where are we?” She craned her neck, but she’d totally missed the sign at the entrance. I doubted there’d be another one until we walked up to the entrance.
I was right. But what I’d expected was just a zoo walkthrough, where Jace bought us tickets and we went in.
That was not what we got. A wildlife center associate walked out as we approached the gates. “Are you the Hayden party?”
Hay’s face lit up. “That’s me!” she shouted.
“I hear we’re having a late birthday present today.” She beamed at us while Hayden began to jump up and down. “My name is Sasha, and I’ll be your guide today.” She crouched down to Hayden’s level. “You ready?”
“Yes!” she shouted.
Chuckling, we followed behind as Sasha held Hayden’s hand and asked all about her. “Now, am I to understand that you’re a special friend of our very own Popo?”
Hayden’s response came out so high pitched that I didn’t catch it from behind. I slipped my hand into Jace’s. “This is amazing. Thank you so much.”
He pulled me close and we walked with his arm around me.
I’d tried to do this with Damon a couple of times, but it proved too awkward to go very far.
But I fit under Jace’s arm perfectly and our steps synchronized.
Walking toward the pandas was as easy as walking all on my own.
And when Hayden looked back, she didn’t even pause about us being so close together.
Of course, I had no way of knowing if that was because she accepted it or because she was so distracted by where we were going.
Hayden bawled through meeting Popo. We were taken to a special area just outside her enclosure and we watched her keepers feed her and play with her.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she sobbed.
Chuckling, I rubbed Hayden’s back as the sweet girl threw her arms around Jace’s neck. We sat on a bench outside the panda enclosure and watched Popo until I started squirming from pressure on my bladder. “I’m ready for the bathroom.”
“No, Mommy! I want to stay.” Hayden begged to remain in Popo’s area.
“There are a lot more things we can see,” Jace whispered in her ear. “And we can come back before we leave, okay?”
She finally agreed, so we rushed to the restroom so I could stop doing the dance.
After that, we explored the rest of the wildlife center, ate a special lunch prepared just for Hayden on panda plates, and with a panda cake.
When the afternoon dragged later, we went back to Popo’s area in time to watch as Popo played with the keepers as they attempted to clean her large enclosure out.
It was a riot, and Hayden was entranced.
“You’ll never get rid of her now,” I whispered.
“I don’t want to get rid of her.” Jace looked down at me, and the emotion in his eyes made my throat catch.
And damn if I didn’t want to keep him, too.
By the time we got home, after half the car ride listening to Hay talk about her panda, Hayden was sound asleep. Jace carried her up to her bed and took off her shoes. I covered her up and gave her a kiss.
“I’ve got to go,” he whispered. “Or we’ll do things with her here that she’s not ready for.”
I walked him to the front door. “Thank you for doing this for Hayden,” I said softly.
“I’d do anything for her. And you.”
I stared into his eyes. He meant his words. “Have a good night,” he said, then pressed a sweet kiss to my lips.
After I closed the door and locked it, knowing he was standing outside waiting to hear the locks engage, I pressed my back to the door and clutched my chest as happy tears pricked at my eyes.
Yep. There was no doubt about it. I was head over heels in love with that man.