I push the thought aside and focus on my work. Excitement wraps around me like a soft blanket on a rainy day. Not excitement at the task at hand, but at how in a few hours I’ll be spending time with Troy and Nova.
Playing with them. Getting to know the little girl who’s an important part of Troy’s life.
Getting to know the little girl who reminds me so much of Amelia at that age.
I know she isn’t my daughter, but spending time with Nova feels a tiny bit like I’m getting back some of the time I lost with my little girl.
And after what happened earlier at Little Wonders, hanging out with an adorable two-year-old will make my day better. Brighter.
I just hope the media or judgment surrounding me don’t follow me to the beach and keep me from spending the afternoon with Troy and Nova. I’ll leave if it comes to that—but I really hope it doesn’t.
Troy walks into the office a few minutes early for our late afternoon excursion with Nova. The curve of his smile is not quite fully formed, his eyes missing their usual sparkle. Even his shoulders don’t seem to have the strength to be strong and proud. They’re slumped, deflated, caved in.
It’s a good thing I’m joining him and Nova. I’m not sure he’ll survive an energetic toddler without me. He has put too many demands on himself, and it’s still another six weeks until the festival is off his to-do list. Six weeks until he has one less thing weighing him down.
I walk to him and loop my arms around his shoulders. “Hi.” I smile at him, and my mouth finds his, taking whatever he’ll give me. Giving him so much in return. My tongue strokes his, and I greedily consume him.
He slips his arms around my waist. The tension in his muscles loosens, but it doesn’t fully disappear. With everything he’s got on his plate, it doesn’t surprise me.
I pull away ever so slightly, our bodies still pressed together. “You ready to pick up Nova now?”
Troy’s eyes cloud for a fraction of a second with an emotion I can’t read. It sends my heart stumbling.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
He closes his eyes, and his body goes tense again. He releases a hard breath.
Oh, this can’t be good.
“Olivia came to the worksite earlier. She…” He opens his eyes, and I can see in them what he’s trying to say, but he doesn’t have the heart to eviscerate me with the words. He knows I was excited to spend the afternoon with him and Nova.
I step away, and Troy’s arms fall to his side. “She doesn’t want me to hang out with you and her daughter,” I fill in for him, my voice a rough whisper.Because of the protesters and because of my past and because she might be in love with you.
I attempt to fix my lips into an understanding smile. It’s wobbly at best. “That’s okay. I’m not family. You, Olivia, and Nova are family. And given everything…” The rest of my words stick in my throat, their taste bitter and rusty and foul.
Even if the world wasn’t imploding around me, thanks to her sister’s article, Olivia wouldn’t want me to spend time with Nova and Troy. She has feelings for him that go beyond friendship. Troy has become Colton’s replacement in so many ways, and that includes being Nova’s father.
“I’ve got lots to do this evening,” I tell him. “This way I can get an early start on it all.” The novel about Angelique won’t write itself.
Troy studies my face, and I do what I can to make my smile look genuine. “Are you sure?” he asks, my smile apparently not convincing enough.
I nod. “Absolutely. The time you spend with Nova is important. It will ensure she grows up strong and brave—like her father would want her to be.” Like I’m trying to be. Like Angelique was.
My words to Troy sound pretty convincing even to my ears. They don’t come off as if I’m heartbroken by the turn of events. I hope. It’s not Troy’s fault Olivia doesn’t want me spending time with him and her daughter. It’s not Olivia’s fault either.
“She might be only two now, but the years will go by quickly,” I remind him. “Enjoy the time with her while you can. Once she’s a teen, she probably won’t want to spend so much time with her…her godfather.”
Troy grabs my hips and pulls me to him. “I hate leaving you alone with everything going on.”
“It’s probably better I’m not with you two. I don’t want to risk the protesters catching wind of where I am and scaring Nova.”
“I hate that it’s come to this.” He blows a ragged breath, the exhaustion on his face deepening the lines around his eyes and mouth. “I shouldn’t have to choose between you two. I should be able to hang out with both of you at the same time.”
Olivia is making him choose between Nova and me?
Of course she is. She loves Troy. I’m just the woman who’s standing in her way of getting what she’s dreaming of—Troy as her husband and Nova’s father.
Can’t say I blame her. What woman wouldn’t want Troy as her husband and the father of her children?
