“Did you two fight?”Cody wiped at his cheek.“Delilah said Braden’s been sad.”
Sad?She ignored the sharp tug in her chest.“I’m sure he’s fine.”
“So you didn’t fight?”Mike asked.
She kicked his shin under the table, making him jump and mutter a long list of colorful expletives that had Cody laughing.“I don’t want to hear you saying any of those words, okay, Cody?
“’Kay, Ma.”Cody scooped up a bite of pie.“Are we going to the football game tomorrow night?Delilah wants to cheer with you.”
Maggie wanted to cheer with Delilah, too.She missed Delilah terribly.And Braden—even though she didn’t want to.“Maybe Uncle Mike can take you?”At the moment, she was still too vulnerable.
It was her fault for letting things get out of control.Braden had done nothing but be his incredible self.She’d started to rely on him.From wanting to share her day with him to catching sight of his crooked grin to stolen kisses to their passionate night in bed, he’d become a part of her every day.Braden and Delilah had given her a glimpse of what a happy family should be.
That last day, he’d dropped everything when she called.For her.For Cody.He’d come running.Once he’d calmed Cody, he’d wrapped her up in his arms to console her.
The love she felt for this man was too much—too big.Meaning losing him would be unbearable.That thought had scared her.Desperately.So desperately she’d pushed him aside and made herself miserable.
“We have to go, Ma.Come on,” Cody pleaded.“Can we go, please?”
They would inevitably see one another again.Tenacity was too small not to, but she wasn’t going to willingly put herself in a position where the odds of running into Braden were high—like a football game.She couldn’t risk running into him, not yet.
“We should all go,” Mike said.He’d been all too happy to tell her, whenever he got the chance, that she was making a mistake ending things with Braden.“Together.”
She tried to kick his shin again, but wound up kicking the booth bench instead.Thankfully, she was wearing her boots or her toes would have been bruised.
Mike started to say something, then froze.“Guess we’re not the only ones hungry for pie.”He raised his hand and waved.
“Who is it?”Maggie continued breaking apart the pie crust with the tines of her fork.Sleep wasn’t the only thing she was struggling with.Her appetite was all but gone—which had her mother nagging her at every turn.
“Cody?”Delilah’s squeal echoed across the restaurant.“Maggie, Maggie.Hewwo.”She ran right up to her and held her arms wide.
Maggie wrapped the little girl in a big, long hug.“Oh, I’ve missed your hugs.”She kept her eyes closed until she was ready to face the inevitable.“Are you here for pie?”
“Yep.”Delilah slid into the booth beside her.“Come on,Daddy.”She pointed at the bench Mike was sitting on.“Hi, Unca Mike.”
“Hey, Delly.”Mike grinned at her.“Wearing some knee socks today?It’s getting cold out there.”
“One pink one and one blue one.”She smiled.“B-lue.See?I said it.B-l-ue.”
“She’s been working on herl’s,” Cody explained.
“At recess.Cody helps.”Delilah beamed up at Maggie.
Oh, how she’d missed that sweet smile.And it filled her with happiness to know Cody and Delilah were spending time together at school.“You’re doing a great job.”She was trying very hard not to acknowledge the presence of the very large man sitting directly across from her or she’d have looked to see if he was as happy about all of this as she was.
“What kinda pie is that?”Delilah pointed at the crumbled mess on Maggie’s plate.
“It’s buttermilk pie.”She pushed the plate over for the little girl.“Want to try some?”
“Sure.”Delilah used the fork to take a big bite.She tipped her head to the side, considering the flavor.“It’s okay,” she said around the mouthful of pie.
Braden’s chuckle had the hairs along the back of her neck pricking up and her stomach flipping upside down.“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Delilah.You might choke.”
“’Kay, Daddy.”She made a big production out of chewing and swallowing.“Are we going to the football game?I want to cheer real woud.”
“You’re good at being loud.”Cody laughed.
Delilah laughed, too.“I know.”
