Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83612 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Lately, every moment we manage to steal feels rushed and delicate, as if what we’re building between us might slip through my fingers if I’m not careful. I catch myself wanting to stretch those moments out, to make them last longer than they should. An extra conversation. A few more minutes standing beside him. Any excuse not to walk away just yet.
Maybe that’s why this day feels so important before it’s even begun. A whole day together. No rushing, no passing each other in the middle of something else, no worrying that I stared at him for too long, or with too much affection.
Just us.
Mia squeals suddenly, knocking her block tower over with dramatic enthusiasm, and I laugh softly, crouching down beside her. I brush a curl away from her forehead and glance toward the window, half expecting to see Will’s car pulling up already.
The anticipation settles warmly in my chest.
Wherever we’re going doesn’t really matter.
I just know that for today, I get more time with him. No matter how wrong my head tells me it is, my heart tells me that every moment with him is right, and that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
A soft knock sounds at the door. “That’s Will,” I tell Mia, lifting her onto my hip so we can answer the door. Sure enough, his smiling, handsome face greets us. He quickly moves inside, shuts the door, and pulls me into a kiss.
“Missed you, Mandy,” he says softly before reaching for Mia. She squeals with excitement as he kisses her cheek, settling her on his hip. “Are my girls ready to go?” he asks.
“We are. I have extra clothes, her blanket, sippy cups, which she’s doing great with now and only taking a bottle at night, snacks, toys, diapers, and wipes,” I ramble on down the list.
“Baby, if we need something, we can stop and buy it.”
“I just like to be prepared.”
He smiles. “I know you do. Now, hand me that bag, Momma. We’ve got a day of fun ahead of us.” He bounces Mia, and she grips his shirt, laughing. “I’m taking my girls on a date.”
And just like that, I fall a little harder for my best friend’s dad.
“Where are we going?” I ask, once we’re on the road.
“It’s about an hour north,” he tells me.
“Is that all I get?”
His deep chuckle reaches inside my chest and grips my heart, while his large, calloused hand extends over the console and rests on my bare thigh. “Patience, baby.”
“Will they recognize you there?” I ask.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. I know we’re still keeping this secret for now. I’ve taken care of it.”
“I trust you,” I tell him, and I mean it. I trust him to get us to wherever it is we’re going safely. I trust him with my heart, and my daughter’s, as well. I trust him, but what I don’t trust is that once our little bubble is burst, will he still be ours?
He gives my thigh a soft squeeze. “Thanks, baby. That means a lot,” he says.
“I guess we should plan on telling Bellamy soon, huh?”
“I’d like that, yes.”
“Maybe after training camp?”
“So, a couple more weeks?”
I nod and realize he can’t hear my head rattle. “Yeah, sometime after,” I say, not really committing to a timeline because even thinking about my best friend hating me sends my anxiety into orbit.
Mia falls asleep fairly quickly while Will and I talk about anything and everything. We like the same movies, the same music, the same foods. It’s hard for me to believe that we’re so well matched. To be honest, I almost feel as if I’m living in a dream, and I’m just waiting to wake up.
“A petting zoo?” I ask as he slows his SUV to turn into the lot. “Is this where we’re going?”
“It is. I thought Mia would enjoy it, and honestly, we could watch paint dry, and I’d enjoy it if I got to spend that time with the two of you,” he says, parking the SUV.
Removing my seat belt, I lean over the console to kiss his cheek, just as he turns his head and our lips connect. “Thank you,” I say softly.
“You’re welcome.” He smiles. “Now, we have three hours before they open. So, let’s get moving so we can be sure to make our way through all the animals.”
“Wait. What?”
“I had them open to the public later to give us time here alone. The employees and staff know not to take pictures or alert the media that we’re here. In exchange for that, I came up yesterday morning before they opened, signed autographs, and took pictures with the staff and their families. They’re already circulating online.”
Tears well in my eyes, and the back of my throat feels tight. “You did that for us?”