Chapter 5
Brett
I enter the supermarket with Maylee strapped to my chest. She cried the whole way here and my anxiety spiked because it is not a sound I like to hear from her. Now I’ve got a shopping cart and I am walking down the first aisle. I’m a big eater and there is no way I would expect Willow’s family to feed me the next couple of weeks. I start to pile on some fruits and vegetables. Truth is, I don’t really know how to cook for myself. I have an assistant who preps my meals. I figure I’ll call Maddie later and ask her what I’m supposed to do with all this stuff. I buy enough packages of berries I think to hold me over a couple of weeks. Then I get into the dairy aisle and I grab large pints of yogurt, figuring I can have that with the berries for breakfast and it won’t involve cooking. I pass an older woman who smiles widely at me and Maylee. I grin back because I am polite. I reach for some cucumbers but before I do I pay attention to my surroundings and, shit, everyone who is shopping is watching me. Do they know who I am? I smile back but I feel confused by all the attention. I’m not sure what to do so I grab five cucumbers and leave the vegetable section. Walking over to the meat aisle doesn’t seem to solve my problem as everyone stares at me and smiles at my daughter. At the butcher counter an older guy offers to serve me, and I ask for thirty rib steaks cut one inch thick. The guy’s eyes bulge.
“Not sure we have that many,” he chortles.
“I’ll take what you have then,” I reply.
He looks down at Maylee, who is facing outward on my chest in the baby carrier, kicking out her legs. “Is that Maylee?”
“Sure is,” I reply. “Have you two met?”
“I know her mama since she was a little girl,” he explains. “I’m guessing you’re the baby daddy?”
There are three women who have stopped beside me at the meat counter and they turn their heads and watch me. What is going on here?
“I am Maylee’s father,” I confirm.
The redhead beside me whispers to the blonde next to her.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the butcher says. “And I know you play for the Rangers. I’m a hockey fan but I won’t come down on you in here. Just feel free to buy your food in peace,” he says, and he gives the women beside me a look and raises his brows.
“Oh, come on, Rodney,” the redhead says. “We’ve all been curious about Maylee’s paternity.” She has the audacity to say it like he is in the wrong for telling her to mind her own business.
“That’s the problem with a small town,” the butcher, who I now know is named Rodney, says. “Everyone is all up in everyone’s business.”
“I’ll take thirty packages of chicken breasts too,” I add because I’m not sure how to order. Is it by piece or weight? These people must know Willow, and I’m guessing it was a big deal she showed up pregnant with no partner.
“Coming right up,” Rodney says with a smile.
The redhead coos at Maylee.
“Oh, her face is turning red,” she suddenly says and then she starts laughing. “I think our girl is taking care of business. I’m Bonnie, by the way. I went to high school with Willow.”
“Nice to meet you,” I respond.
I feel my daughter taking care of business because little bubbles of air hit me in the chest and the small sounds confirm she is definitely making a number two.
I look over at Rodney. “Is there a restroom where I can change a diaper?”
“Got a restroom but it doesn’t have a changing table,” Rodney says as sweat pops on my forehead. “But you can come around back to my office and use my desk.”
“Thanks a million,” I say.
I follow the older gentleman to his office. It’s a small room with a large brown desk in the center.
“I’ll clear off my papers,” he says. “You got a mat or something to put down?”
“I do. Willow pretty much stocked up this diaper bag for a week and told me that wherever Maylee goes, it goes,” I explain, and he laughs a deep hearty laugh.
“I’ll leave you to it then,” he says.
I place the mat on his desk and take Maylee out of the carrier and lay her on her back.
“Are you a troublemaker, sweetheart?” I smile down at her.
She smiles back at me, and it makes cleaning the mess in her diaper not so bad. “Don’t worry, because I’m a troublemaker too, but I know that’s got to stop because I have to be responsible for you.”
If someone would have told me, even a week ago, that this is what I would be doing, I would’ve told them they were certifiable, but here I am and I am liking it, which is the crazy part.
Since the diaper leaked, I change her sleeper and undershirt thingy. Then I pick her up and kiss her cheek. “All nice and clean now. Let’s go finish our shopping, ya?” I place her back in her snowsuit and then into the baby carrier. I am sweating profusely because I wasn’t going to take off my jacket and then change her. When I head back out, Rodney has my order ready. I thank him and continue on to the cheese counter. From there I grab some nuts and other snack food and head over to the register with a shopping cart that is overflowing.
“Oh, geez, let me help you unload all this,” the lady behind the cash register says.
“It’s okay, I got it,” I assure her.
I begin to put my stuff on the conveyor belt and Maylee starts shrieking, causing my heart rate to kick up so I start unloading faster.
“Why don’t I call Lewis over? He can bag everything up and take it to your car,” the woman behind the register offers.
“Sure, okay,” I agree because this is stressful. I rock Maylee and talk to her peacefully. A text comes in from Willow and I see it’s already half past three, which means Maylee needs a bottle. I quickly text Willow back that everything is fine, but it’s not okay. This is really hard and I am stressing.
With the groceries packed, I pass the woman my credit card.
“I’m Dolly, by the way,” the woman says.
“Huh?” I’m so flustered I can’t really focus on her.
“My name is Dolly. It’s nice to finally meet Maylee’s father,” she says.
“Oh, yeah, nice to meet you,” I reply tensely.
She smiles at me.
“So are you and Willow a thing?” she asks.
My head is spinning.
“What do you mean?” I ask her.
“You know, are you two together now?” she asks.
I can’t tell if she is trying to find out for the town gossip mill or if she is hitting on me.
“Willow and I are definitely a thing,” I say to her.
Her lips twist. “Well, you’re all checked out. Lewis will meet you by your car.”
I head out into the cold. Snowflakes are falling now. I have Maylee’s diaper bag on my shoulder and Maylee in the carrier in front of me. I see Lewis and point to Jacob’s truck.
“Wow, you’re driving Jacob Heaton’s truck,” he says like it’s a weird thing.
“Yup,” I say.
He loads me up. I pass him a few singles and head into the cab of the truck. I turn the engine on and crank up the heat. With Maylee in the carrier, I prepare a bottle for Maylee, but it takes a few minutes because I have to heat the breast milk with some boiling water I have in a thermos and the bottle needs to sit in the cup a few minutes to heat. Meanwhile, Maylee is having a fit, and I feel like I’m losing years off my life. I don’t know how Willow’s done it on her own because it seems like her family hasn’t been all that hands-on, besides living with her and giving Maylee the occasional attention.
With the bottle ready I check it on the inside of my arm by pouring a bit on my skin. It feels like it’s a good temperature, so I have to get out of the cab to unhook Maylee from the baby carrier while she is shrieking. Then I get back in the truck, get my baby in position on my arm, and place the bottle at her lips. She calms instantly and after a few beats I take a calming breath too.
“You have got vocals on you for a tiny little thing,” I murmur to her.
She finishes the bottle fast. I burp her and get her in the back seat in her car seat.
I start to drive, feeling completely drained from that small outing to the supermarket.
When I reach the stoplight, Maylee starts crying again. Since it’s a red light, I place her pacifier in her mouth. I start to drive and when I’m met with silence I take a deep cleansing breath, but the silence doesn’t last long. At least I’m pulling up to the farm when Maylee decides to exercise her vocals again.
I pull up to the front of the house as Lev and Jacob are walking up to the door. I realize there is still one brother I haven’t met.
I go straight for Maylee.
“What’s going on, Noble?” Jacob asks. I still hear the hint of mistrust in his tone, but I don’t take it personally.
“Went to the supermarket,” I say to him. “I’ll get her in the house and situated and then I’ll get the groceries.”
“I got it. You go ahead,” he offers.
Lev follows him to the bed of the truck and they both bring in the groceries.
“Hi there, baby girl. You don’t need to cry,” I soothe her. I kick off my boots at the door and walk her over to the couch. I lay her down and remove the snowsuit. “There, that’s much better.”
I place her in her bouncer and turn on the music. She calms and smiles at the little hangy things on the arch.
I take off my jacket and hang it at the front door.
“Did you buy a whole cow?” Jacob asks as he unloads the groceries.
“I tend to eat a lot. I didn’t want to burden your family. Figured I’d buy enough for everyone,” I explain.
Lev gives Jacob a look and then he leaves the room. Jacob unloads the groceries into the fridge and I help him.
With everything unloaded, I take the bread I bought along with the cheese and ham. I make two monster-sized grilled cheese sandwiches, while Jacob sits beside Maylee and talks to her. I wonder if he is checking to make sure she is okay after spending the day with me.
“You want a grilled cheese?” I ask Jacob.
“Sure, but why does it smell?” he asks.
“Gouda cheese and ham,” I reply. “My sister is in chef’s school back home. I’ve learned a thing or two from her over the years, and this is one of those easy recipes that leaves an impression.” I fry up another two grilled cheese sandwiches because Jacob looks like he has a hearty appetite too.
Jacob and I sit to eat.
“What’s your story, Noble?” Jacob asks. Then he bites into his sandwich. “Shit, that is good.”
“Told you,” I say, eating mine. Damn am I starved. “I don’t have a story but I told you I’m here to stay. We need to get along. I’ll talk to Willow and come up with a plan for when I have to go back to work, but I am not walking away. What’s your story?” I ask him back, thinking it’s fair game.
“What do you mean?” He chuckles.
I laugh too.
“I don’t know. I know you got hurt but why did you leave hockey?” I ask him.
“My dad had health issues. Willow showed up pregnant. She doesn’t have a trust fund. She needed a place to live and this farm isn’t going to run itself.”
“You’re here because of Willow?” I ask him.
“I’m here because my family needs me. My younger brother, Finn, is just finishing high school. His prospects of getting a scholarship are high. Lev is, well, I don’t know, and my other brother, Jack, is in New Haven playing NCAA hockey. Mom could’ve sold this place and moved to an apartment in town, but I didn’t want that for Maylee and Willow,” he says.
“That’s honorable of you,” I say to him. “I appreciate you watching out for them.”
He gives me a weird look. “You keep talking about Willow as if you’re together. You had a one-night stand with her. You can’t just, I don’t know. . .claim her.”
“Why not?” I retort. “I think she and I can be more.”
He breaks into manic laughter. “Dude, I’m saying this like a friend because you seem like a nice guy, but Willow isn’t settling down with you. She has trust issues. We all do. Growing up in this house was like living in a war zone. She is never going down that road.”
“Well, we’ll see about that,” I counter. We finish eating our sandwiches quietly. When I look over to Maylee, she is fast asleep.
I yawn.
“Thanks for the sandwiches,” Jacob says and he’s still laughing like I amuse him.
With Maylee asleep in the bouncer, I walk over to the couch thinking I’ll just close my eyes for a short while.
* * *
I hear the sound of a crying baby and I fly up to my feet. Only when I do, Willow is standing in front of me holding Maylee with raised brows.
“Good morning to you. Rough day?” she asks, giggling while holding Maylee on her hip.
My hands scrub at the stubble on my cheeks. “I feel terrible that you’ve done this alone until now.”
Willow frowns. “I don’t want you feeling bad. Not when you didn’t know what was happening. Yes, I’ve been through a hard time, but I’ve changed since. . .that night.”
“Yeah,” I exhale and smile as I watch her spreading small kisses on Maylee’s cheek.
“Did you just get back?” I ask, looking around the room.
“About half an hour ago. Thanks for such an amazing day.” She smiles, and she doesn’t look so tired. She also seems more relaxed.
“Please don’t thank me. It was the least I could do,” I say.
“How was your day?” she asks. “By the looks of the inside of the fridge and the counters, you must have gone to the supermarket.” All the groceries didn’t fit in the fridge and freezer so whatever could be left on the counter was left out.
“It’s really hard to go shopping with a baby, which you probably already know, so I bought us enough food to hold us all over,” I explain.
She giggles. “Does that mean you’re spending your entire two weeks off here on the farm?” she asks, and she walks over to the fridge and takes out a bottle of what looks like lemonade.
“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay,” I answer, feeling nervous. My focus zeroes in on her nails painted red. They are also longer and look like almonds, and I just imagine her scraping my back while I drill into her.
“If you want to stay, I’m okay with it, but what happens when you leave? I don’t want Maylee to get close to you only to watch you walk away,” she says and then she sips at the lemonade while Maylee pulls at her hair, which is done in soft curls.
Her words pierce my heart in a way she can’t possibly understand, but nonetheless I feel that knife twist. I blink, pushing my negative feelings from childhood away.
“Even if I have to go back to work, I’m always going to be in both of your lives,” I reply.
Willow’s medium brown brows slightly crease, dipping in.
“How about I make us all dinner?” I offer because I get Willow’s hesitation. I remember the night we hooked up. Her words are as clear as day in my mind. “Don’t go falling for me, Brett, because I will never settle down.” My reply had been, “You’re easily the most beautiful woman I’ve been with and I like being with you, but you’ve got no worries with me because I’m a forever player.”
Yeah, a lot has changed since that night. Willow may love our daughter, but she doesn’t trust me. That’s something I am going to need to build with time.
“You want to cook?” Willow finally says, looking confused.
“I’m going to make dinner for your whole family,” I offer because I need the whole Heaton clan liking me.
Willow laughs and watches me like I’m a fascinating creature. “That’s sweet, Brett, but it’s Thursday night. Jacob and Lev go in to the bar in town and spend the evening there. Mom is playing cards with her friends, and Finn is at practice and then will probably meet up with Chelsea. We don’t do big family dinners around here. We all kind of just fend for ourselves.”
“Gotcha. Well then, you’re in for a treat because I’m going to make you dinner,” I inform her.
“You know how to cook?” She raises her brows as Maylee grows antsy in her arms. “What’s wrong, baby girl? Are you hungry?” She walks over to the couch and lifts her shirt.
I don’t mean to look but I can’t help myself either. Yes, her breasts are sexy as hell, but watching her with my little girl does something to my insides that I didn’t know was possible. “You didn’t answer.”
I blink. “Huh?”
“Cooking?”
“Oh, I’ll call my sister. She’ll put me on the right track,” I assure her. Damn, I think back to the past year and a half or so and now I realize why I couldn’t get with other women, because the one in front of me left her mark. She’s also skittish as hell.
“Just don’t burn the kitchen down. Not sure my mom has the best insurance.” She laughs again, but I don’t think she was joking.
“How was the spa?” I ask as I take two steaks and a bunch of vegetables out of the fridge.
“It was beautiful and relaxing. I haven’t seen Ellie and Eden for a while, so it was good to catch up and just have time for myself.”
“I get that. I’ve only been here a day and it was hard. I was sweating at the supermarket. Maylee needed a diaper change and Rodney was nice enough to let me use his desk,” I share as I lay out the steaks.
“Wait up.” Willow pauses, watching me wide-eyed. “What do you mean Rodney let you use his desk? As in the owner of the supermarket?”
I nod. “He’s a nice guy. He was super helpful.”
“I don’t understand. You want to tell me Rodney took you back to his office?” she asks for clarification.
“Yes,” I confirm. “She made a number two. I wasn’t going to leave her in it.”
Willow bursts into such hard laughter her shoulders shake and my eyes zero in on her breast that isn’t in Maylee’s mouth because it’s bouncing.
“What would you have done?” I ask, placing my hands on each of my hips.
“Probably taken her back to the truck and cranked the heat and changed her on the back seat. But I’d probably have checked out first,” she says, and then she’s laughing to herself and mouthing, “He changed a shitty diaper on poor Rodney’s desk.”
“Ha ha, okay, laugh at my expense. At least Maylee was well taken care of. Weren’t you, baby girl?” I coo and look at my daughter, who has her hand on Willow’s breast like she is holding a bottle.
“I’m sorry,” Willow says, trying to control her laughter. “It’s just that Rodney is a big clean freak. I used to work in the supermarket when I was a freshman in high school. He likes everything very sterile because of the food and all. For you to change a shitty diaper on his desk,” she explains, and then she’s laughing again. Her laughter is contagious and so I laugh too, and it feels good to laugh and just let go after my day. I loved spending time with Maylee, but I have a lot to learn.
Willow blows out a breath as her laughter dies out.
“I’m going to call Maddie. I need some tips,” I tell Willow.
“I’ll go give Maylee a bath.”
“I should be there to learn,” I mention.
“I can show you tomorrow. I have the same bedtime routine for her every night,” she explains. I’m glad things are going well between Willow and me. She seems to be on board with me playing a major role in Maylee’s life, and it helps that we are getting along.
“Yeah, okay, sure.” I feel guilt churning my gut. It wasn’t by choice that I missed out on all this time with my daughter and Willow, but it still makes me feel bad. Once again, Willow gives me a curious look before she turns away and heads upstairs. I slip in some AirPods so my hands are free and I call Maddie.
She picks up after one ring. “How have you been? I can’t stop thinking about you, and Asher wants to meet his cousin,” she shoots, talking a mile a minute.
I chuckle. “I hope Asher can meet her soon and I had quite the day.” I give my sister the short version of waking up with Maylee early this morning, feeding her, and changing diapers. When I tell her about my outing to the supermarket, she told me I was brave, and when I told her how many groceries I bought, she told me I was insane.
Maddie sighs. “You’re going to make a great father.”
“I hope you’re right. I just feel so damn guilty about not being here from the start,” I confess.
“Which is why you are going to be a great dad,” she assures.
“I’m sure as hell going to do my best,” I exhale. “The real reason for my call is that I need help making a kick-ass dinner for Willow.”
“Ah, so you’re into this baby mama. I had a feeling during Christmas,” she admits.
“Dude, we aren’t going there now. I just want to show my appreciation. She went through the entire pregnancy on her own, plus the first months of Maylee’s life. I’m going to have to spend forever making it up to her.”
“Well, then we can’t disappoint,” Maddie says, sounding conspiratorial.
She goes on to tell me how to sear the steak in the pan while adding in butter, garlic and thyme. I also get some of the vegetables grilling on another pan.
“What are you doing for an appetizer?” Maddie asks next.
“I’m not making a four-course meal,” I deadpan.
“You said you wanted to impress,” she reminds. “Did you get any type of vegetable to make a salad? Any seafood?”
“I didn’t get lettuce or anything, but I got nice Roma tomatoes and fresh mozzarella,” I reply.
“Ooh, that’s perfect. Can you find a balsamic vinaigrette?” she asks.
“I can do better. I bought a ready-made salad dressing and I got some fresh basil.”
“Perfect. So you know how to line that up and drizzle some dressing down the middle, but not too much. It needs to look pretty,” she instructs. “And what about dessert?”
“I can’t bake a cake,” I say.
“Did you get any type of flour?” she asks.
“Now you’re pushing it. I’m not trying to poison her. Maybe I can make chicken breast,” I offer.
She bursts into laughter. “No woman is eating more meat for dessert. You’ll just have to charm her.”
“That isn’t going to be so easy,” I reply.
“Does she think you were a mistake?” Maddie asks.
“Excuse me?” I retort, insulted.
“You know what I mean. I’m sure you’ve kissed someone and then regretted it,” she clarifies.
“We aren’t discussing this now,” I cut off the conversation. “Thanks for your help with dinner. Give Ash a hug for me and say hi to Kaleb.”
“Will do and take care. I hope things work out the way you want them to,” she says oddly.
“Me too,” I reply.
We end the call, and I get to work making sure the steaks are cooking just right. I forgot to ask Willow how she likes her steak so I decide on medium well. I quickly slice the tomatoes and mozzarella, thinking how easy it is and how nice it looks, and I layer with some fresh basil.
I find a tablecloth in a cabinet and set the table. I even find a lighter and light the candles on the table. Then I worry it’s too much and I am going to scare her away, but she comes downstairs with a freshly bathed Maylee in her arms. She places her in the high chair and then pauses when she takes in the table.
“Did I go overboard?” I ask jokingly because I want to lighten the mood.
“Um, I need to feed Maylee her cereal,” she says instead of answering, and yup, I’ve freaked her out. It’s okay, I will work this situation slowly.
“Steak should be ready in about ten. How do you like yours?” I ask.
“Medium well is good,” she replies. She gets to mixing Maylee’s cereal.
“It seems to be a lot easier when there is two of us taking care of her. I don’t know how you did it on your own,” I observe.
“It was hard but I managed,” she replies.
I get the plates and cutlery set up and place the salad on the table. I make two separate plates and I put them so we are sitting across from each other. Maylee finishes eating and Willow gives her a teething toy to hold on to.
I walk around the table and hold out her chair. She smiles and sits.
“I don’t remember you being so gentlemanly,” she jokes.
“If I remember that night accurately, you didn’t want me being a gentleman,” I reply and my body turns to fire as I remember our night together. When I look at Willow her eyes are blazing, but she quickly shuts it down and clears her throat.
“What is this?” she asks of the salad. “It looks so professional.”
“It’s just a tomato and fresh mozzarella salad,” I explain. “Try it with the tomato mozzarella and basil all fitting into one bite.”
She does as I say. “This is delicious.”
“Thank you.”
We dig into our salad. Truth is, I’m hungry.
We eat in silence and then I clear the plates and get the steak and vegetables. I also bring the French bread I got in the supermarket and butter.
“I really hope this turned out okay. I’ve watched Maddie and my mom cooking, but I was never a participant,” I admit.
I wait and watch Willow.
“Go ahead,” I tell her, waiting anxiously.
She cuts into the steak and the way she closes her eyes, I know I did good. “This tastes out of this world.”
“Good,” I blow out a breath. We eat in silence. I realize I should’ve bought a bottle of wine to complement dinner but with all the kerfuffle at the supermarket, I forgot. Plus, there is the possibility Willow isn’t drinking. I don’t like the silence that has fallen between us so I decide to break it. If I’m going to make headway with her, I need to make the effort. “I saw someone you went to high school with at the supermarket.”
“I went to high school with a lot of people from town.” She snickers. “Who was it?”
“A woman named Bonnie.”
I watch her features fall. “Bonnie was pretty much my nemesis. She went after every guy I dated. She even went after my spot on the cheerleading team.”
“Shit,” I curse.
“Did she hit on you? She probably knew you were Maylee’s dad,” Willow continues.
“She did hit on me,” I sigh. “I kind of got a little too much attention at the supermarket. Everyone was staring and it made me uneasy. I was also worried about Maylee needing something.”
“Yeah, well, welcome to a small town. Everyone knows everyone and since there aren’t too many dating options, they go in for the kill when a prospect shows up,” she says and I wince.
“Well, you don’t have to worry, I set them straight,” I assure her.
Willow stops chewing her food and watches me with furrowed brows. “What does that mean?”
“It means I may have told them we were together.” My eyes crease in the corners when I notice her reaction.
She drops her fork and looks over at the candles shimmering in the dark room. “You did what? You know we aren’t a thing. That night we said it was a one-time thing.”
“I know what we said that night, Willow. I also know I’ve never spent a night like that with a woman. It wasn’t only about sex, we connected. You must know that.”
“Brett, I told you I never want to settle down,” she says pointedly.
“But like you said things change. You love Maylee. You’re an amazing mom,” I tell her. “I’m not saying we have to rush things, but I’m asking you to be open to getting to know me and not just as a co-parent but a potential partner.”
She rises from her seat and begins to pace. “This wasn’t part of the plan, Brett. I came to you so Maylee would know her father.”
“And I’m here. I want to be the best father I can be. I’m not going anywhere, Willow, but I also know you’ve been on my mind for a damn long time and that was without knowing Maylee existed. I know Ellie and Skylar told you I asked about you over Christmas. It’s because you left a lasting impression on me.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she replies. “I can’t do this.”
“Okay, I don’t want to pressure you or ruin this meal. Why don’t you have a seat and relax? No pressure,” I suggest, knowing when I need to back off. “If you need to hear me say I am here for Maylee only, then fine. You got it. Now let’s enjoy this meal because if I do say so myself, I did a bang-up job.”
“You did,” she agrees.
“And I won’t bring an ‘us’ up again,” I say because I don’t need her to be a skittish cat around me.
“Thank you.” She nods and begins to relax again.
I start to ask her more questions about Maylee that include if there are any books on child development I should be reading. She laughs at that one until she realizes I am serious. We google some books together and the mood remains light. After dinner I clean up, and then I insist on putting Maylee to sleep.
“You go take a bath or do something to relax,” I urge Willow.
“A bath, I haven’t had one of those since I was seven months pregnant,” she guffaws.
“Why?” I ask.
“After that, I got too big to get myself out,” she admits, and I feel bad I wasn’t there for her. I think of her naked and pregnant and even that turns me on. I don’t know what it is about this woman that intrigued me from the start.
“So go take a bath, woman. I got our baby girl,” I assure.
She gives me a lopsided grin. “Thanks, Brett.”
“Of course.” I blink.
I watch her strut off, knowing I need a change of plan. Willow is attracted to me; I just know it deep down. The way she looks at me and checks me out. There is something there, which means I need to use sex appeal to show that woman we are meant to be. Luckily, it isn’t beneath me to try all kinds of dirty things. I quickly grab my phone and open the Amazon app. If I’m pushing for Willow to take better care of herself and take time for herself, then it should also include her sexual wellness. I begin my search for a good vibrator and choose the one with the most reviews that has both vaginal and clitoral stimulation. Then I choose the fastest shipping option, which is set to arrive for tomorrow afternoon. That works out perfectly because I’ll send her for a bath tomorrow night with her little friend. I’ll also have to talk to one of the Heaton brothers and see if they would be willing to babysit so I can take her out for a night on the town. Willow Heaton thinks she doesn’t want a relationship and I get where she is coming from, but since my father died, I’ve been seeing things differently. I don’t want to waste another minute of my life, not when what I want is right here in front of me.