“You’re welcome.”The cafeteria worker nodded.“You make sure and clean your plate, little miss.So you’ll get big and tall like Cody.”
“I’ll try.”But Delilah didn’t sound optimistic.
Braden would be happy if she ate a third of her pizza.He was always worrying about how little she ate or the foods she preferred.When it came to Delilah, it was one thing on his long list of worries.
While Cody helped Delilah pick out the rest of her lunch, Braden hung back to wait for Maggie.He didn’t know why he wanted to explain himself to her, but he did.
“I wanted to thank you,” Braden murmured.“For earlier.”
She looked up at him.“Rough day?”
“You picked up on that, huh?”He managed a smile.
“I did.”She nodded, her long brown curly hair bouncing.“Some days are harder than others.”
“You can say that again.All I wanted was for her to be happy—it being her birthday and all.”
“She’s happy now.”She glanced at Cody and Delilah talking together a few feet ahead.
“Pretty sure I’ve got Cody to thank for that.If he hadn’t worked his magic, I’d probably be chasing her down again.”He paused.“That wasn’t a joke.”
“Parenting is hard.”Maggie Cooper had a nice smile.He figured she was a nice person, too.“That’s so cliché.But it’s true.It’sreallyhard.We just have to keep trying to do our best.”She shook her head.“Well, crap, that sounded cliché, too.”Then she covered her mouth and looked around them.“I can’t believe I said crap… And I just said it again.If Cody had heard that—”
“He didn’t.No one did.”She was so mortified by what she’d accidentally said that he hurried to reassure her.He thought the whole thing was hilarious but figured she wouldn’t appreciate him laughing.“And I won’t tell anyone.”
“I owe you one.”She pressed a hand to her cheek.“Am I blushing?”
“Yes, ma’am, you are.”And, red cheeks or not, she waspretty.The way she got all animated, blushing and embarrassed, was so genuine that he found himself taking a longer look at Maggie Cooper—and he liked what he saw.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be taking advice from a woman who cusses in her child’s school cafeteria.”She sighed, the red slowly draining from her cheeks.
“Was that cussing?”He shook his head.“Even so, I’m willing to give you a pass this time.And, cliché or not, I’ll take any advice I can get.It’s all still pretty new to me.”
Maggie paused, her green eyes meeting with his.“Oh?”
“This is Delilah’s first birthday with me and her first birthday without her mom.Moving back to Tenacity was a big change, too.Most days are like a roller coaster—up, down and all over.”He glanced at Delilah.“It’s been a lot for her.”
“And for you.”She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“I… Yeah.It is.”There was no point arguing.She was right.“It’s…complicated.But I’m hoping this’ll be a fresh start for both of us.”
“You said movedbackto Tenacity.So why don’t I remember you?”She tucked one of her long curls behind her ear.
“I’m thirty-six.I’m thinking I’m older than you.”
“Only eight years.”She shrugged.
“You might know my brothers, Hayes and Miles?”When she shook her head, he said, “But my sister, Rylee Parker, is closest to your age.You two might have gone to school together.”He paused.“She married Shep Dalton so she’s Rylee Dalton now.They live over in Bronco.”
“Rylee Parker?”She seemed to consider this information before shrugging.“The name’s familiar, but, to be fair, I was painfully shy and had next to no friends back in highschool.Now I travel a lot for work so I’m always out of the loop on who’s who and what’s what.And I guess I’ve still got a shy streak.”
Shy and next to no friends?He hadn’t expected that.Would Rylee remember her?He’d be interested to know.
“How has it been going since you got back?”Her gaze swept over his face.“What’s that saying?You can’t go home again.Any truth to that?”
“I’m not sure yet.It’s been…something.Showing up at my brother’s wedding with a kid no one knew about was… something.”He risked a glance her way.
“I bet.”Like before, there was no judgment in her voice or on her face.“They have to adore her, though.I mean, how could they not?”She smiled up at him.
