“Is that true?”
“Yeah, my dad, he adopted me after he and my mom got married. He’s never once treated me as if I’m not his biological son. His family welcomed me and my mom with open arms.” I tighten my hold on her. “That little girl is a part of you, Larissa. I know this is a package deal. I wouldn’t pursue this otherwise.”
“Your father is a good man.”
“The best,” I say, before kissing the top of her head. “I know this is all fast, but I’ve never wanted someone the way I want you. Not just so I can fuck you.” She tenses in my arms, and I rush to finish what I was saying. “It’s more than that. I just like being around you. Your smile lights me up inside. And as far as your little princess, she’s just that, an adorable little girl who I would be honored to get to spend more time with.”
“I’m worried she’s going to get attached to you and she’s going to get her heart broken.” A pang of longing hits me, causing an ache deep in my chest. I want her to get attached to me. I want to be engrained in their lives. I know I have to prove it to her, but no way would I break either of their hearts. In fact, it would be quite the opposite if she were to let me in and then push me back out of their lives. My heart would be the one broken.
“I won’t hurt either of you. I know what’s at stake here. I know it’s more than just about me and how much I want you. I know what it means to date a single mom; I’ve lived it.”
“Yet you’re still here.”
“I’m still here. This is where I want to be.” Her body relaxes against me, and I smile in silent victory that maybe, just maybe, I’m getting through to her. “Tell me about her dad.”
Rather than stiffening in my arms like I expected her to at the mention of her husband, I’m relieved when she presses even closer to me. “Steve and I were high school sweethearts. We had everything all planned out. We’d both work and save up money. He would go to the police academy first since it was a shorter program. Once he got a full-time job, I’d start on my degree. We were so young and a lot alike. He was a foster kid, and well, all I had was my mom. The day we found out I was pregnant, we were thrilled but scared out of our minds. He left for work that same morning, and I never saw him again. A few hours later, there was a uniformed officer at our front door telling me he was killed in the line of duty.”
“I don’t know what to say to that,” I confess. Although it would mean we were not here in this moment, I wish I could somehow change the outcome for her. For both of them. Then it hits me. I can change it now. Maybe that’s why I met her, maybe that’s the pull I feel toward them.
“Yeah, I get that a lot. Steve had life insurance, but it was small. We were young and thought we had time. He was a rookie so his pension and benefits, although helpful, weren’t much. It was enough to cover the funeral and get caught up on the bills I was behind on from not being able to… function for a few weeks after his death. Eventually, I knew I had to start living again, for our baby. I gave her his middle name, Paisley Gray. I wanted her to always know she had that part of him. I don’t know what I would have done without my mom. She’s helped me so much, watching her on days she doesn’t have to work.”
“What about the other times?”
“She goes to daycare.”
“Damn, Ris,” I murmur into her neck. Our stories are so similar yet so very different. I can’t help but think that if she would let me in, if this thing building between us grows even more, she wouldn’t have to work. She could focus on finishing school and taking care of P. Hell, I would do that for her now. That’s how important these two have become to me.
“What?”
“I know this is going to sound bad, but hearing what you’ve been through, how strong you are, it makes me even more attracted to you. You’re a fighter. It takes a strong woman to be with a professional athlete. You remind me a lot of my mom, in a non-creepy way.” I laugh. “She did what she had to do to make ends meet, working two jobs. I admire you for that.”
“Thank you,” she says, looking over her shoulder at me. Her eyes shine in the moonlight. They captivate me, but it’s the look itself that leaves me speechless.