“Hey, mom, can I play my Xbox?” Jesse asked as he walked into her room.
Her heart surged at the sight of her son. He was why she was pushing Zach away. He needed her more than anything. She didn’t want to drag him into the pain of a past he couldn’t change. The Stedmans were a fickle people. What if they didn’t accept him? Would she be able to handle watching her son get rejected?
“Wow, where are you going?” Jesse asked as he nodded toward her dress.
“Do you like it?” she asked.
“Yeah. You look like a disco ball.”
Danielle shot Sunny a dirty look as Sunny busted up laughing holding her hands up. “Hey, he’s eight. Don’t take his word for it. He wears sweatpants and t-shirts.”
Jesse looked as if he didn’t understand what was going on and then shrugged it off. “So can I?”
Danielle nodded. “If your homework is done, you can.”
Jesse scrunched up his face. “Not all the way.”
Danielle sighed. “Work on it until I leave and then you can play.”
Jesse nodded and turned to head out of her room before he stopped. “Hey, is Zach going to come over again?”
The sound of Zach’s name on her son’s lips caused her heart to panic and pound at the same time. It made her light headed so she sat down on the ratty armchair in the corner of her room. “Zach? Why?”
Jesse shrugged. “He said something about teaching me to play some football. And there’s an after school team I want to join.” Jesse smiled over at her. “It’d be nice not to totally suck.”
Danielle took a deep breath and nodded. “I’ll see what I can do. Now go get started on your homework.”
Jesse left the room and as soon as he was gone, a tsking sound came from Sunny.
Determined not to acknowledge her, Danielle stood and grabbed her purse. “I have to go,” she said.
Sunny nodded. “Go get that hunky football player that you and Jesse want so bad.” A giggle erupted in Sunny’s throat.
“I don’t—that’s not what this is,” Danielle said, turning to give her a sharp look.
Sunny held up her hands. “Sure it isn’t.”
Danielle groaned and stomped out of the room. “I’m going to be late.”
“M-bye!” Sunny called after her.
Once she was out in the hall, Danielle tried to calm her mind as she rode the elevator down to the lobby. Thomas was waiting for her and as soon as she approached, his eyes were as wide as saucers.
“You look…amazing,” he breathed.
A shiver ran down her spine as she nodded. “Thanks.”
“I mean, wow.”
It felt weird, standing there being admired by Thomas. She’d always suspected that he might have a thing for her, and from the way he was looking at her, it confirmed her suspicions. Not sure she could lose another man in her life, she just gave him a small smile.
“Thanks, Thomas. Let’s get to Bucky’s and get this over with.”
Thomas nodded as he held the door open for her. The hot Georgia heat slammed into her like a brick wall. Thankfully, the sun had set behind the buildings so the temperature was on its way to cooling down.
From what she’d heard of Bucky’s festivities, they were outside and grandiose.
She climbed into Thomas’s van just as Thomas did. Once they were buckled, Thomas took off down the winding Georgia streets.
