He almost touches her cheek, but then backs away. Swallows. “Look, Rox, I can’t be involved, but I want you to know that’s because of me and my issues. Not you. You’re great, and she’s a beauty.” He jams his hands in his pockets. “If you or she ever needanything—”
“They won’t,” Billy says, stepping closer to me. “I’ve got them.”
Ezra nods slowly. “Thanks, man. Then, uh, then I guess I’ll let you guys get back to the festival.”
When Ezra turns and leaves, Billy immediately wraps me and Marley in a hug. “You okay?”
I sniffle. “No, but I will be.” He kisses my forehead, and I melt into him. “Why was that so hard?”
“Because Marley is the center of our universe, and he’s a threat to that.”
Sheisthe center of our universe. “Thank you.” I look up at him and kiss his chin, since that’s what I can reach. “Thank you for loving her like she’s yours.”
He gives me a crooked smile. “In my heart, she belongs to me.”
I grasp his face with my palm. “I love you so much. And someday when you put a ring on my finger, you can make Marley officially yours. I mean, if you want to.” I’m not surprised Ezra won’t be around, since he hasn’t bothered to try to see her before now. And I’m good with that. My daughter already has a stand-up man in her life. She doesn’t need someone who’s not committed to her the way she deserves.
“I definitely want to.” Laughing, he lifts me and Marley in a hug and spins us around. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“Don’t squish her.”
“I’m not. I’m holding you by your ass.” He sets me down, kisses me, and pats my butt. “How about we go get some matching t-shirts so we can make our friends gag?”
“Let’s do it.” I don’t know how Billy does that, how he gets me in a good mood after that interaction with Ezra, but he does.
He takes Marley from me and rests her on his broad shoulder as we stroll through the vendors. My eyes keep drifting to him. He’s wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and his letterman jacket. He’s so damn handsome with that baby in his arms. I sigh at the gentle way he pats her back.
We pause by a stand of t-shirts.
“Did you know that pecans are an every-other-year nut?”
Billy hums. “I’m more of a daily-nut kind of man.”
I laugh and shove him a little. “Goof.”
The slogans are hysterical. Several have squirrels who are holding pecans with slogans like,Don’t touch my nuts, orI’m nuts about you, orI love big nuts and I cannot lie.And my personal favorite features a squirrel dangling off a tree that says,It’s all fun and games until someone loses a nut.
We laugh at a poster that says, The Charming Nut Festival. I came. I saw. I nutted.
I hold up a t-shirt to my chest. “What about this one?” It has a football next to a pecan and says,Charming, Texas, home of big ballers and bigger nuts.
Billy chuckles. “Is it safe to assume I’m the baller and you’re the nut?”
I frown at him with mock indignation. “Pfft. I’m the baller.”
“Whatever you say, biscuit.”
Snickering, I poke him in the ribs. “I’m totally a baller. Did you see my segment last weekend?” While my professor was hesitant to run it, my cheer story got such a great response, he said I could have my pick of human interest stories for the rest of the semester.
Billy pats my ass again. “You killed it. After watching your piece, Coach said he felt a little ashamed he hadn’t personally thanked the cheerleaders for always coming to our games.”
Aww. “Speaking of my dad…”
My parents are strolling toward us, arm in arm. I’ve never really appreciated how in love my parents are. They’re smiling at each other like the lovesick fools they are. It’s helped them get through my dad’s career in the NFL and several cross-country moves. I hope Billy and I can always be head over heels for each other the way my parents are.
When my mom sees us, she heads straight for Marley. “How’s my grandbaby?” Marley gives her a big, toothless grin. “Look at that smile. Come here, darling.”
Billy hands over the baby.
