“She’s an adorable kid, Leo. I’m sure you’re doing great.”
Slowly, he threads our fingers together. “Thanks. I’m just hoping moving here was the right choice. Having my family around is a big help, and this job should make things easier. But it’s not a decision I took lightly.”
Our bodies are inching closer and closer, drawn together by an invisible force. His green eyes are penetrating my hazel ones.
“For what it’s worth, I think you made the right decision.”
“Yeah? Why?”
“Because… ” I trail off, my brain stuttering to a stop simply from being this close to him again.
“Because you’re here?”
I can smell the familiar spearmint scent from the mints I remember him being obsessed with. He was always crunching on one. I came to love that flavour, and even now I have a container of the exact same mints in my car. My hand lifts up to lay against his chest, feeling the lines of his uniform and the hard muscle underneath. I let my eyes flutter closed.
“Look at me, Serena.”
My body responds willingly, and when I open my eyes, he’s right there.
“I need to kiss you.” It’s barely a whisper, yet I hear — and feel — every word down to my bones. His eyes search mine, and I know he’s looking for any hesitation on my part. But he won’t find any. Just to make that clear, I lift up onto my toes and press my lips to his.
In so many ways, it’s our first kiss. But it’s a first kiss laden with history, with familiarity, with old love.
His mouth fits over mine perfectly, and the rhythm we had all those years ago returns instantly. As his tongue slides over the seam of my lips, I part, letting him in. He pulls his hand from mine only to cup my head and tilt slightly, covering even more of me with his lips. It turns greedy and demanding, and I let it happen. Leo can have whatever he wants from me.
But just as I’m about to give in to temptation and attempt to see what’s underneath that uniform, I remember reality.
Leo has a daughter, and an ex, and twenty years of life that I know nothing about.
I break away, even though my body aches at the loss of contact. Because no matter how much I want him right now, and he clearly wants me, too, it won’t last. It never does.
Chapter six
Leo
Kissing Serena was not a good idea. It was amazing, but not a good idea. She’s still got her walls up high, and I don’t know if I can find a way in — or if I even should. After Alexa left, I swore to myself I’d never let anyone else walk out on Violet ever again, and Serena definitely seems like she’s got one foot out the door.
When I got off shift this morning, Aunt Claire had already taken my baby girl out for the day so I could sleep.
But rest did not come easy. My head refused to settle, instead flipping between memories of high school with Serena, memories of the first few months with Alexa and Violet, when things seemed like they might actually work out, and then memories of the first few weeks after Alexa left. When I was stuck trying to figure out how to parent a tiny baby by myself.
I don’t know if I can trust Serena, even knowing now why she did what she did. I get that her parents’ divorce was unexpected, but if that’s how she handles big stressors, how would she handle a kid?
When Violet and Aunt Claire return home in the early afternoon, I’m exhausted mentally and physically. But I put on a smile for my girl as she babbles in my ear, stroking my cheek and hugging my arm while we sit on the couch.
“Seems like you had a good day?” I ask Aunt Claire, who’s picking up her things.
“We certainly did. We drove over to Westport to check out a playground that has a splash pad for little ones, and Miss Violet had plenty of fun getting Aunt Claire all wet, didn’t you?” She leans down to tickle Vi’s feet, earning a giggle. “Oh, and while we were there, someone mentioned a farm nearby that has animals, and your little lady was very interested in seeing the P-O-N-Y.”
“Got it. Well, maybe that’s something we can do this week on my day off. Thanks again for taking her out this morning.”
“Of course. Did you get some sleep?”
I wince. “No, but it’s fine.”
Aunt Claire puts her hands on her hips and arches a brow at me. “Leo Talbot, you’re a single father. You need rest.”
Tell me something I don’t know,I think to myself, but to Aunt Claire, I just smile. “I know. It’s fine, I’ll go to bed early tonight.”