Hattie shakes her head, her hair swinging. “Nope. I don’t think she ever found anybody that compared to her first love.”
I shoot her a wry glance. “Seriously? You don’t really think there’s something still there, do you? She’s too pissed off and there’s been too much time between us.”
“Time is relative.” She shrugs. “Go ahead and give up if you want to but I thought you had more gumption than that.”
“I do. But I can’t force this…well, this whole thing.”
“Actually, I think that’s exactly what you should do.”
“Huh?” Not exactly Shakespeare but I don’t know what the hell to say to this bulldozer of a woman.
“I think we’re going to push the issue a little bit. Make it so she can’t push you away. And she’s definitely planning on it!”
I shrug. “You think I don’t know that? She’s always been stubborn as hell. Everything had to be her way and it doesn’t seem like that’s changed at all.”
A roguish twinkle dances in Hattie’s old eyes. “I think we can change that up a little.”
“I don’t want to piss her off.”
“We’re not going to do that. Just make sure that she can’t hide away and try to forget that you exist.”
“How are we going to do that?” I ask, intrigued in spite of myself.
“We’re going to go see my brother, the judge, and see if we can’t get this all pushed forward.”
“Okay. If you think that’s best.”
“I can tell you want to know your daughter. I don’t think Carinna will keep you from that. But I think that she might make it take a heck of a lot longer than you’re going to be here.”
“Right. Just as long as this isn’t too big of a push.”
“What’s that old saying? Something about faint hearts and fair ladies, right? If you want to win more than just seeing your daughter…and judging by the way you looked at Carinna, I think that you do, you’re going to have to be pushy. Get up in her business. Make it your business.”
A quick twinge of unease almost makes me change my mind. Until Maddy looks back at me and smiles and Carinna glances down at her and then me with twin lines above her scrunched up nose.
“I’ll do it,” I say, hoping that I’m not fucking this up royally. Because although time and space have kept us apart, I still want that woman. And now I want the family that comes with her too.