He frowned and twisted his fingers around mine. “All right.”
Grabbing my purse, I strode out of the room and jogged downstairs. I didn’t wait for him. I couldn’t.
Not if I wanted to really leave.
I stopped in and said goodbye to Laurie, but she barely looked away from the screen. The Care Bears were far too enthralling.
He followed me to the door and dragged me back before I could go down the front porch steps. The kiss was hot and heavy and the lump in my throat grew even larger. So much that I thought I was actually going to choke.
I wouldn’t cry. It wasn’t his fault I didn’t know how to keep up with how things were supposed to be.
I wasn’t supposed to want more.
I pulled back and smiled. “I’ll see ya.”
His smile was soft and sweet and it took everything inside me not to let the tears brim over. “See ya tomorrow.”
“Sure.” I turned to leave and he snagged my hand.
“Hey. The munchkin’s graduation?”
God, I’d almost forgotten. “Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“Are you okay?” His eyebrows lowered.
“Yes. Just can’t believe she’s growing so fast.” I sniffed. At least these tears made sense as far as Seth was concerned. Right now I was more than willing to hide my face in his shoulder. “She’s getting to be such a big girl.”
He laughed. “I’m so glad I’m not the only one freaking out.”
“Not just you.” But if I didn’t get out of there I was going to absolutely melt down and that wouldn’t work. He’d never believe it was just Laurie growing up on us.
Him.
Me. Sort of.
God, what a damn mess. I stepped back again. “I’ve got to work.”
“All right. But hey, wear something extra pretty. Not that you’re ever anything else of course.” He kissed my temple. “But I want to show off my girls.”
“I’ll do my best.” There was no way I was going to be able to hold off all the emotions running amok in my damn head. I ran down the driveway to my car. I turned to wave at him. As soon as he went back inside, they fell. I couldn’t have stopped them if I wanted to.
16
Ally
I sat in my car nibbling on oyster crackers from my stash from the diner. I’d been a complete wreck the whole night and anything I ate this morning made me nauseous.
Oliver and Seth stood together under the stately oak tree at the edge of the property. Main Street was alive with pedestrian traffic thanks to the shops, and the forty or so parents trying to wrangle children.
One of Laurie’s boyfriends—the girl had a few—had escaped for the lake. Weston’s dad, Dare Kramer, had him tucked und
er his arm as he hauled him back up to the white folding chairs.
He was a handful, but Dare was patient if a little frazzled most of the time. Another single dad who stepped up when needed. There were far too few of them in this world.
All the little perfect pieces of the town I loved so much.
The perfect place to raise a kid.