Chapter 5
Chapter Five
PRESLEY
“Poppy. What have I told you about talking to strangers?” I chide, rounding the counter with plates balanced on my arms.
Poppy is the most outgoing person. I don’t know where she gets it from. All of her teachers say she’s the most talkative in class, sometimes to her detriment.
Trying to teach her about stranger danger? It’s hard.
“I’m not, mama.” She says it like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “He asked about Strawberry. I told him I can’t talk to strangers and he said his name was Kade.”
“Kade?”
I haven’t heard that name in years. Haven’t thought about it in months. Okay, so that’s a lie—I think about it daily, but I try not to.
There is no possible way that it’s that Kade she’s talking to. It’s a common name, right?
My gaze moves to the man sitting next to her and I’d recognize that physique anywhere.
Kade Miller.
The man who left town and shattered me. Every nerve is tingling as a hard stare faces me. I map his features. The harder jaw line. Longer hair. Closed-off brown eyes. Strong hands and biceps. Everything about this person is Kade. My Kade. And yet, he’s an entirely different person.
He’s sitting on the stool next to Poppy, and it makes my heart clatter around in my chest.
Our eyes are locked on one another, neither of us moving.
When was the last time I saw him? The week he left town? I know he’s come back over the years, but I’ve never seen him. I heard the whispers. I didn’t need to see him. Didn’t need the complication of him in my life.
I had my daughter to worry about.
Kade stands, but doesn’t say a word as he turns to leave the diner. I’m still holding my breath, staring into the space he vacated.
“Oh my God.”
“Excuse me, can we have our order?” a voice calls out, stirring me into action.
I set the plates down, wiping my hands before heading to where Poppy is.
“Poppy. You can’t talk to strangers,” I scold her.
“But—”
“No buts. Now, finish your milkshake and we’ll go home in a few minutes.”
Thank God it’s the end of my shift because I don’t know if I could focus right now.
“Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Rylee says.
“Kade is here.”
“What?” She gasps, looking over my shoulder.
“I mean, he was. He was talking to Poppy.”
“You’re kidding.”
I shake my head. “What’s he doing in town?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything. Do you think it has anything to do with Verne passing away?”
“Maybe.” I blow out a breath. “God, I completely snapped at Poppy.”
“Do you think Poppy knows?” Rylee asks.
“She wouldn’t have a clue,” I say.
Rylee holds out her hand. “I’ll cover your tables. Take Poppy home.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Then her eyes go wide. “Do you think it has anything to do with what Serena said?”
“What? What did she say?”
“About your reading she did.”
“The lovers? I doubt it.” I snort. That’s the last thing I need to be thinking about. “Look, I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
She nods. “Text us if you need anything, okay?”
“I will. Thanks.”
Heading to the locker room in the back of the kitchen, I take off my apron and hang it up.
Kade Miller is in town. He was here.
I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk out to take Poppy’s hand to walk home.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” she says, looking up at me.
“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to snap at you. But if I’m not there, I don’t want you talking to strangers, okay?”
“Okay.” She nods.
We’re both quiet on the walk home.
I have enough going on in my life other than to worry about my ex coming back into our lives. Sneaking a peek at Poppy, it brings back up all the feelings when I first found out I was pregnant.
After Kade left, I was inconsolable. My life changed in the blink of an eye. Kade was gone and I found myself engaged to Paul. All because of my dad. The only thing that got me through was finding out I was pregnant.
It wasn’t until Poppy that I was able to pull myself together. I had to. I couldn’t fall apart if I had a baby.
Everything I do is for Poppy. It always has been.
But why is Kade here? Will he be back at the diner? I doubt it, considering he knows I work there now. I don’t know how long the two of us were locked in a stare down, but it felt like forever.
Now I’m going to worry about running into him around town. Can I handle seeing him again?
I guess we’ll see. I’ve done a lot harder things in my life. Seeing Kade again? It’s not something I thought I could handle, but I survived.
I’ve been in survival mode these last few months. I’m tired. Tired of it and ready to get my life back. So what’s another curveball of having my ex here?
Just one more thing to survive. I can do it, right?