Our food arrived, along with the icy cold milk shakes—vanilla all around, except for Lucy, who liked strawberry.
“It’s pink,” she informed me. Pink, it appeared, always won out when a decision was to be made on anything. It explained her room, socks, T-shirt, and hair things she wore today. I was sure if the coveralls Paige had her in came in pink instead of denim, that would be her choice as well. She was adorable, sipping her shake, taking little bites of the chicken strips she ordered, constantly asking for more ketchup for her fries. I was pretty certain she ate more ketchup than actual food, but I managed to persuade her to eat a little.
She and Evan had a great relationship—that of real siblings. He teased her, yet was watchful, making sure she was okay. She adored him—it was evident in the way she hung on his every word and looked to him constantly for his advice.
A sudden image of the two of them playing on the beach while Ronan and I watched over them hit me. Our houses were close together, so they would see each other all the time, even if they were no longer living together. I had to mentally shake my head. Where that thought had come from, I had no idea, but it was there, and I felt it with a certainty I couldn’t dislodge.
“What’s wrong?”
I blinked and looked at Paige, who was gazing at me with concerned eyes.
“You stopped eating.”
I grinned and winked. “Nothing, baby. Nothing is wrong.” I smiled reassuringly. “In fact, everything is great. Really great.”
Lucy looked at me, her little brows drawn down. “Momma not a baby.”
I chuckled. “It’s a fun name. Like I call you Munchkin sometimes.”
She shook her head as if I were crazy, making me laugh.
Ronan clapped his hands. “Okay, who is ready for the fair?”
The kids both clapped, and I grabbed the bill. “Let’s go, then! Rides await!”
Evan hesitated as he looked around. “There’s a lot of wires and stuff.”
“We’re gonna go slow. Really slow. Once you get past the first part, the ground is pretty even. Liam and I are going to be right beside you. No one will run into you, and if you get tired, we can help. You want to try?” Ronan encouraged him.
Evan squared his shoulders. “Yes.”
I grinned. He was a brave kid. Stronger than he looked. Determined. I knew Ronan was looking forward to Dad meeting him. We were both certain he could help Evan.
I bent and scooped Lucy to my shoulders. “Hold tight, Munchkin.”
Three hours later, it was a weary group heading back to the cars. Lucy was half asleep, her head resting on my shoulder, too tired to even try to sit on one. Evan was walking slower than he had all day, but his face was wreathed in smiles. Paige carried a massive unicorn with pink feet I had won for Lucy, and Ronan had a smaller elephant shoved under his free arm. Every ride possible had been ridden. Cotton candy, fried donuts, and iced lemonade had been sampled. A wildly colored freehand painting that Lucy had wanted to try making was in a bag. The splatters contained a great deal of pink, although purple, white, and yellow were added to the mix.
I met Paige’s eyes. “Will she stay awake until bedtime?”
She rubbed Lucy’s back affectionately. “I’ll let her sleep for a bit. She can stay up later tonight.”
“I’m going to pick up Beth. You wanna come with me, Evan, or you wanna head home?” Ronan asked as I carefully strapped Lucy into the car seat, grateful that it had been one of the standard options on the truck. I had never even looked at it until today.
“I’ll go home, Ronan. I’m kinda tired. But it was, like, the best day ever!” he exclaimed.
I helped him up into the cab, noting how he favored the leg. We’d skirted a lot of wires, slowly trod over covered-up cables, and stuck to the edges of the crowds, but he had done it. I could see he was tired and the long afternoon had taken a lot out of him, but his eyes shone with happiness.
“You go get Beth. I’ll get this lot home,” I said with a grin. Even Paige looked ready for a nap. I wondered how she’d feel about letting me lie down with her, snuggle her close to my chest, and sleep a while. Maybe I’d ask.
With a wave, Ronan left, and I loaded the last of the stuff into the back, squishing the unicorn in last. It was so big, Lucy could ride the thing. The guy manning the throwing booth wasn’t happy when I aced the balls in the buckets and won it. His smile was fake when he handed it to me, but I didn’t care. Munchkin was so excited, I thought she’d squeeze my neck until I stopped breathing.