THEO
I pulled into Romeo and Lia’s neighborhood a little after seven fifty with Charlotte chattering nonstop from the backseat. We were late, partly because of me and partly because Charlotte decided she needed to find “the perfect outfit for the party.”
“Sorry we’re tardy,” I told Lia as we stepped through the side gate into the backyard. “Someone had an important fashion crisis.”
Charlotte twirled beside me, proudly displaying the final result.
Pink tank top. Fluffy light-pink skirt. Heart-shaped sunglasses.
Plastic princess heels that clicked dramatically with every step.
A pearl necklace. Her American Girl doll in a special carrier backpack.
And a tiny purse was slung over one arm like she was heading to brunch with the ladies.
Alisha would have had mixed feelings about this look. She’d loved dressing Charlotte in outfits that were more polished. The kind that photographed beautifully and stayed neatly in place.
But I didn’t have the heart to rein my little girl in. Charlotte would only be little once. And if she wanted to show up to a backyard garden party dressed like a miniature celebrity headed down a red carpet, who was I to stop her?
“Well, don’t you look darling,” Lia said in her soft Italian-accented voice as she crouched to Charlotte’s level. “Quite the fashionista.”
“Thank you,” Charlotte replied, flipping one pigtail over her shoulder with all the seriousness of someone who knew she looked good.
“She’s got style.” Lia laughed, glancing up at me with a grin that said she understood exactly what it was like to be outranked by tiny humans with very strong opinions. “And confidence. Dangerous combination.”
“Definitely,” I said dryly, though I couldn’t stop smiling.
“Hey,” Lia said, looking back to Charlotte and nodding toward the yard. “Bria and Camilla are on the swing set with Dante, if you want to go join them.”
“Otay!” Charlotte said, taking off across the grass before I could even remind her to stay where I could see her, pink skirt bouncing, plastic heels abandoned halfway to the swing set as she opted for speed over fashion.
I watched Charlotte for a moment to make sure she’d settled in, then followed Lia over to the patio where a small group of our friends were gathered.
As soon as we reached them, Lia slipped her hand into her husband Romeo’s, and he closed his fingers around hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Are you all ready for the wedding?” Lucy asked Maddie, who stood in the small circle beside her fiancé.
“I think so.” Maddie smiled, her brilliant blue eyes lighting up as she looped her arm through Ian’s.
“Thankfully, Ian’s mom has become a pro at this wedding thing after getting all three of his siblings married off in the last two years.
I just have my hair and makeup trial this week.
If that goes well, we should be all set. ”
“That’s so exciting,” Lucy said. “Just under two weeks and you’ll be married.”
“I know. I keep pinching myself.” Maddie laughed softly. “Before I met Ian, I honestly didn’t think it would ever happen for me.”
“You just had to find the right guy,” Lucy said, leaning in closer to her own boyfriend.
Maddie had come to Eden Falls last summer as a single mom. She was “girl next door” beautiful, and for a brief moment, I’d actually considered asking her out myself. But I was just barely dipping my toes back into the dating game, and timing had never been my strong suit.
And then, she and Ian had started dating, fitting together in a way that made it obvious I’d never really been a contender.
They made sense. All of them did.
Romeo and Lia, Lucy and Owen, Ian and Maddie. Hands linked. Bodies angled toward each other. Easy affection woven into every small movement.
Then there was me, standing just outside the circle, hands in my pockets because the woman I used to hold onto at these types of events had left this earth much earlier than I’d ever anticipated when we’d shared our wedding vows.
Leaving me and Charlotte behind to figure out how to live life without her.
But as sad as I was for the way things had panned out for me and my life plans, I was happy for my friends. Truly.
Still… I couldn’t help wondering if I’d ever get my turn again. If it was unrealistic to hope lightning might strike twice in my life. To believe I might get a second great love story after everything that had happened.
I sure hoped it wasn’t just a delusional dream. Not just for my sake, but for Charlotte, too. She deserved to have a dad and a mom who both loved her. Maybe even a sibling or two.
I scanned the yard, suddenly remembering what Romeo had texted me earlier this afternoon. That he and Lia were hoping to introduce me to someone tonight.
A single mom named Amanda.
Is she here yet?
I let my gaze drift casually around the yard, wondering what she might look like. Then my gaze snagged on someone I hadn’t expected to see here.
Nora. Chatting with Miles on the patio.
Tonight was a “men’s book club” and their significant other’s thing, so did this mean that Miles had brought her here as his date?
They did look pretty cozy on the patio furniture, his arm resting casually around her shoulders as they seemed to conspire about something.
Curiosity piqued, I excused myself from the happy couples and wandered over to see what Nora and Miles were whispering about.
“Hey, what’s going on with you two over here?” I asked, my tone light as I stepped in front of them.
Nora turned to me, looking up with an easy smile. “Oh, just a little harmless plotting.”
“What might you be plotting now?” I arched an eyebrow, even more curious now.
“Just some plans for Ian and Maddie’s wedding,” Miles said, giving Nora a playful glint before looking back to me. “You’re going, right?”
“Yep,” I said, sinking down into the chair across from them. “Just need to figure out if I’m bringing anyone.”
“Ah yes, the plus-one problem.” Miles nodded knowingly. “That’s something I was just figuring out myself.”
“It’s always a bit of a conundrum when you’re single,” I said.
Especially since I previously thought I’d found my plus-one for life.
I sighed, pushing the thought away. “But I’ve got a couple of weeks to figure it out, right?”
“Just under that.” Miles chuckled. “So, no pressure, right?”
“Right.” I looked at Nora again. “What about you? Are you going to the wedding?”
“Actually…” Nora said, exchanging a quick look with the football player. “Miles just asked me to be his date.”
“Nice,” I said, taking in their close positions. “Are you guys a thing now, then?”
Was I the only single guy here tonight?
“I’m not sure what we are.” Nora laughed, checking Miles’s face for reassurance. “I guess you could say we’re just enjoying each other’s company tonight. But who knows what the future may bring. Weddings always make things interesting, don’t they?”
“That they do,” Miles agreed, pulling her closer.
They were cute together. And Miles was a few years younger than me so the age gap between the two of them shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows now that she was out of college.
Before I could follow that thought any further, a sharp cry cut through the hum of conversation.
Charlotte.
My head snapped toward the sound, adrenaline surging as I scanned the yard. That was when I spotted her at the bottom of the slide, crumpled in the grass, crying hard.
“Charlotte,” I called, crossing the yard in long strides, my heart thudding as I tried not to jump to the worst conclusions.
Had she fallen off the playset? Hit her head?
She was clutching the side of her face.
“What happened?” I dropped into a crouch in front of her, scanning for any obvious signs of injury.
But instead of answering me, she just kept on wailing.
“It was an accident,” a small voice said. And that was when I noticed a boy with brown hair beside her. He looked a couple of years older, brown eyes wide, one hand hovering uncertainly near her back.
“An accident?” I asked, wondering what that meant. I shifted my focus to Charlotte, lifting her up so we were eye level. “Hey, bug. Talk to me. What happened? Are you hurt?”
But she couldn’t answer through her hitching breaths as tears streamed fast and furious.
She’d always been a crier, and I knew I wouldn’t get any info out of her until she calmed down.
I pulled her into my arms and held her close, rubbing slow circles between her shoulder blades. She curled into me immediately, her cries muffling against my chest.
“Can you tell me what happened?” I asked the boy who was still standing by our sides, looking miserable.
He nodded quickly. “I went down the slide, and she was running past it. I bumped into her and she fell. I didn’t mean to. I promise.”
“It’s okay,” I said, keeping my voice calm. “Accidents happen.” I knew from experience, since I’d been that boy too many times on the playground.
Footsteps approached then, and I looked up to see Lia hurrying toward us with another woman I didn’t recognize.
“Is Charlotte okay?” Lia asked, worry etched across her face.
“I think she just got the wind knocked out of her.” I stood with Charlotte in my arms, looking at the two women. “Sounds like they collided near the slide and she fell down.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” the woman beside Lia said. And when the boy stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her leg, I knew this woman must be his mom.
“It’s okay,” I said again, looking at the boy so he’d know I didn’t hold anything against him. “Playground accidents happen.”
“They do,” his mom said, wincing. “But I just hate seeing anyone get hurt. Especially sweet Charlotte.”
This woman knew my daughter? I didn’t know how that could be since I was pretty sure I’d never seen her before.
But before I could ask how she knew my daughter, Charlotte’s crying finally slowed so that she seemed ready to talk. Easing her back just enough to look at her face, I searched her eyes and gently asked, “You gonna be okay, bug?”
She nodded, sniffling, then wiped at her tears with the back of her hand.
“Where does it hurt?” I asked.
She touched her cheek with a small finger. “Bwaden kicked me here.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I don’t think he meant to.” I pressed a kiss onto her hair. “It sounds like you were both in the wrong place at the same time.”
“It still hurts,” she said, her lower lip jutting out in a way that told me she wasn’t ready to let this go yet.
That was my girl. Always wanting justice to be acknowledged.
A useful instinct in my line of work. Less useful on a playground.
“I’m really sorry you got hurt, Charlotte.” The boy’s mom knelt beside us, her voice gentle and earnest. “Would it help if Braden gave you a hug?”
I didn’t answer for her. I just watched Charlotte’s face, ready to step in if she needed me to.
Charlotte glanced down at Braden. He stood there scowling, clearly unimpressed with the idea of hugging a girl.
Cooties phase, most likely.
“Okay,” she said after a second.
I helped her back onto her feet, stepping aside as Braden’s mom nudged him forward with a quiet word. He shuffled closer and gave Charlotte a brief, stiff hug, like it was a chore he intended to finish as quickly as possible.
“Thank you for doing that, Braden,” his mom said, patting his head. “You can go play with Dante now.”
He didn’t need to be told that twice because the second he was released, he bolted toward the swing set where Lia’s son was waiting.
The woman turned back to me and offered her hand. “I’m Amanda. I’m really sorry about all of that. I took my daughter inside to use the bathroom and missed what happened. Braden and Charlotte usually get along great, so I don’t think it was intentional.”
“It’s okay,” I said, realizing now that this must be the woman Lia and Romeo had wanted to introduce me to.
“And I’m Theo. Charlotte’s dad.”
“I figured,” Amanda said with a small smile.
I took her in properly, then. Shoulder-length brown hair. Warm brown eyes. About my age. Pretty, with the subtle curves that came from motherhood.
“This is the friend I was telling you about,” Lia said, reappearing at my side. “Her kids go to the same playgroup Charlotte’s nanny has been taking her to.”
“That explains how you seemed to know my daughter,” I said, turning back to Amanda as I held out my hand. “It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, slipping her hand into mine.
Her palm was warm. Soft. Feminine.
Then her smile shifted, turning a little playful. “Sorry about the first impression. I promise I didn’t tell Braden to crash into Charlotte just to have an excuse to talk to you.”
“It’s fine.” I chuckled, a little caught off guard.
She was flirting with me, right?