“Good advice.” Kissing her made him happy. It erased everything else from his mind but enjoying being with her. Next time those bad thoughts and memories creeped in, he’d think about kissing her. And if she was around, he’d distract himself by doing just that with her.
Her hands slid from around his neck to his chest. “Relax, Chase. You’ve got this.” She nodded to let him know she really believed that. “Dinner. Tonight. We’ll see where that goes.”
He took her hand. “I’ll walk you out.” He loved the feel of her hand in his as they moved to the wide-open front door.
They both stopped in their tracks on the porch and stared as Max held Eliza like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, his arm banded around her little legs as she draped down his back. He turned in a half circle, saying, “Where’d you go? Your dad is going to kill me for losing you.”
“I here,” Eliza squealed.
Max turned the other way. “Where?”
“Here,” Eliza shouted.
Max turned again, making Eliza laugh. “I don’t see you.”
She smacked her hands on Max’s back and pushed herself up. “Here.”
Max hoisted her frontward over his shoulder and held her against his chest. “There you are.”
Eliza hugged Max’s neck and laughed again. “Silly.”
Max held her close. “That’s what all the girls tell me.”
Chase smiled for the first time and squeezed Shelby’s hand. “I think our little girl has him wrapped around her finger already.”
“Just like she has you.”
“Yeah.” He pulled her to his side. “I hope you know you’ve got me that way, too.”
She glanced up at him. “If that’s true, then promise me you’ll drop what happened last night. Focus on her and dinner together tonight.”
He kissed her softly, falling into her and not letting the past intrude. “I’m looking forward to you coming back to me tonight.”
Her hand fisted in his shirt, and she stared at his chest. “That sounds like so much more than I ever thought we’d be.”
He smoothed his hands up her back and gently tugged on her ponytail to make her look up at him. Her shy eyes met his gaze. “I’m hoping we’ll be a hell of a lot more soon.”
She kissedhimagain. “Tonight. Dinner. More of you and me.” Shelby turned at Eliza’s cheerful giggle. “And her.”
He liked that she was getting more comfortable being affectionate with him. He hoped that over time, she’d not even have to think about reaching for him.
She walked down the steps, her hand still in his, until she reached the bottom and he had to let her go.
Max flew Eliza in for a landing in front of her mom.
Eliza stared up at her. “Bye, Mama.”
Shelby fell into a squat and looked Eliza in the eyes. “Be good for Daddy today. Follow instructions. Okay?”
“Okay.” Eliza threw her arms around Shelby and hugged her tight, then let her go and ran to Chase.
“Bye, Max.” Shelby headed to her car.
“Bye, Shelby.” Max joined him by the steps as Eliza chased a bug flying across the yard. “So you two...”
“Don’t start.”
Max shrugged. “I get it. You have a kid together.”