I shake my head slowly. “You saw me. As soon as you pulled up, you saw me waiting right here. And then you looked down. A minute later, you kicked your car in reverse and backed out. Headed for the bridge. Why, Steph?”
Maybe I changed my mind.
“We both know that’s not what happened. You got a text,” I whisper. “I just wish I knew if she was the one who texted you that night, or if it was?—”
“Clara?” Damon’s voice startles me.
I damn near jump out of my seat, the memory quick to fade as I glance up and see Damon standing next to my booth, holding a sweet little girl in his arms. My heart stops, but my eyes register every detail.
She’s a pretty angel with curly brown hair, wearing a pale blue and orange dress with white stockings and the cutest ballerina shoes. Thumb in her mouth, eyes closed as she rests her head on Damon’s shoulder.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” Damon says.
“It’s fine. I was just deep in thought.”
Outside, the vision of my brother’s car is gone. Headed for the Samwell Bridge. The ache in my heart lingers, but I shake it all off and focus on the child in Damon’s arms.
“You’re not the only one with a surprise,” he chuckles softly.
I nod. “I can see that. How, when, I mean….wait. What are you doing here at this hour?”
“Our babysitter had a family emergency, and she didn’t get a chance to handle Shiloh’s dinner, so I figured I’d get off easy tonight with some fries and pie.”
“Shiloh,” I repeat. “That’s a beautiful name.”
“Thank you.”
“How old is she?”
“Three. My one attempt at settling down and starting a family. It didn’t end well,” he says, his gaze dropping.
“What happened?”
“Her mother bailed. It sounds more complicated than it actually was, but hey—we’re here, we’re cool, we’re better off.”
My eyebrows pop up in genuine surprise. “Honestly, I did not see this coming.”
“Me either. When Elizabeth told me she was pregnant, I let her decide what she was going to do. It felt like the right thing.”
“It was.”
“Yeah, well, she decided she wanted a family and everything that came with it. I wasn’t really ready nor entirely willing at the time, but I wanted to do right by this little baby,” he says, gently planting a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “So, I married Elizabeth. Six months later, Shiloh was born. A year after that, Elizabeth packed her bags and left me a note, telling me she wasn’t cut out for any of it.”
I motion for him to sit down. “Please, join me. I can’t imagine how that must’ve felt. Honestly, I can’t imagine how a mother could just up and leave her child like that.”
Damon shrugs. “We’ve got a good babysitter, and my mother helps as often as she can.” He pauses as Shiloh comes to and looks around in a sleepy daze. “Hey, there, sport.”
“Daddy?”
“Hey, Shiloh,” I say with a warm smile.
The little girl turns her head, and as soon as our eyes meet, she lights up, her mouth stretching into the sweetest, toothiest grin. “Hiya!” she says, waving a hand. “I’m Shy-Shy!”
“Shy-Shy?” I ask, softly laughing.
“It’s a new thing she’s trying out,” Damon explains.
The way he looks at his daughter melts me on the inside. There’s so much love, so much tenderness in those deep, brown eyes of his. It’s insanely attractive.
