“Yes!” I clapped as one of the kids on Charlie’s team stole the soccer ball and kicked it down the field.
A few feet behind me, Thea was lying on the blanket. My hands were on my knees and my eyes glued to Charlie as she stood stoically in front of the net.
“Will you sit down?”
I looked over my shoulder at Thea. She looked so beautiful, stretched out on the blanket. The tendrils of her hair were floating in the breeze. Her skin was glowing under the sun. It was tempting to sit down, to cozy up to her, but I was too into the game.
“I can’t sit.” We were up by one goal and the game was almost over. I was practically coming out of my skin, wanting Charlie’s team to win. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been this keyed up for a game. Any game.
Thea huffed. “Then will you move out of the way so I can see?”
I shuffled down a foot, not taking my eyes off the game. Just then, the opposing team stole the ball and kicked it down the field toward Charlie’s goal.
“No! Where’s the defense? This whole team is a bunch of ball watchers. The coaches need to start getting these kids to play their positions. The only one sticking to her zone is Charlie.”
Thea laughed behind me. “After the game, I’m sure Susan and Melinda would appreciate your input. Volunteer moms who coach peewee soccer really love getting tips from other parents on how to run the game.”
I shot her a glare. “You’re teasing me? For taking an interest in Charlie’s team?”
“Someone should. You look ridiculous pacing along the sideline and barking soccer terms.”
“You know, not many people tease me.” Except for Nolan and my assistant at the foundation.
She laughed. “Trust me. If all the people who you normally intimidate into silence were sitting in my spot, they’d tease you too.”
“I—forget it.” I swallowed my retort and focused on the game.
One of the forwards on the other team was dribbling the ball toward Charlie’s goal and it sent an uneasy feeling up my spine. For five, the kid’s footwork was impressive. He knew how to handle the ball, and if he scored on Charlie, the game was over. It would end in a tie, which was still losing in my book.
My hands extended past my sides as I mirrored Charlie’s stance. She was ready and waiting to make the save.
The kid with the ball had a cluster of others behind him, all trailing along and not trying to do anything but watch and see what happened. Parents and coaches on the other side of the field were cheering and clapping the enemy on.
Come on, Charlie. Come on.
My heartbeat roared in my ears as everything else went silent. I blocked everything out, focusing only on the ball and my daughter.
The kid moved in range and swung back his leg, hammering his foot into the ball and sending it flying over the grass.
Charlie made the right move, leaping left for the ball. She held out her hands, stretching her small body. Her knee hit the ground first as she fell to the side, with her arms still extended. Her fingertips had just enough reach to swat the ball away from the net right before her body collided with the grass.
No score.
“Yes!” My arms shot in the air. I punched the air a couple of times before clapping and shouting, “Way to go, Charlie! Nice save!”
I was so damn proud. I hoped she could hear me yelling. Her success felt better than any I’d ever had personally, and I’d known her for just a couple days.
Parental pride was incredible.
And I wasn’t alone in my feelings. When I stopped cheering for my daughter, I looked to my side to see that Thea had gotten off the blanket and was cheering too. Her smile was beaming, brighter than any I’d seen before.
“Couldn’t stay seated?” I nudged her elbow with mine.
“Quiet, gorgeous.”
Gorgeous.
I’d been given nicknames in the past by women. My girlfriend in high school had called me Lo-Lo. Emmeline used to call me darling. Alice had annoyed the fuck out of me by whispering stud in my ear. I hadn’t really liked any of them, not even Emmeline’s.
But Thea’s gorgeous was hot as hell.
Mostly because she said it with that smile.
She could call me an asshole or a douchebag with that smile and I wouldn’t care.
I stepped a little closer so I could feel the warmth from her arm on mine. She sucked in a tiny breath, tensing a bit at the electricity between us. When she looked up, her smile was gone but her cheeks were flushed.
I wished she wasn’t wearing those mirrored sunglasses. I’d do anything to see her eyes darken with the same desire they’d shown in her workshop last night.
The whistle blew on the field, breaking us apart. Thea’s face whipped back to the game and she took a step away before sitting back down on the blanket.
As much as I hated it, I understood her reason for keeping some distance and for stopping me before I’d kissed her last night. We’d burned hot six years ago, and that fire between us was still hard to ignore. But it would be best for Charlie if she was the focus.
Kicking thoughts of sex and Thea aside, I focused on the game. The kids were all lined up to shake hands. Charlie was getting high fives from a couple of her teammates, and just like her mother, the smile on her face was blinding. It made breathing difficult to see that little girl so happy.
My little girl.
“She’s a natural between the goal posts,” I told Thea, taking the seat beside her. “She could be an Olympian. Maybe we should look at getting her a professional coach. Or at least getting her into some bigger leagues.”
Thea shook her head but smiled. “Let’s give it a few years, okay? If she still likes soccer when she’s ten, we can discuss the Olympics.”
I grinned. Thea was worried that I would disappear and forget Charlie, yet she’d just admitted we’d be talking about Charlie at age ten. On the surface, she might be hesitant. But deep down, I think she knew I’d keep my promise. I’d be here to discuss Charlie’s life when she was ten. And fifteen. And thirty-five. I wasn’t going anywhere.
I’d be around for her entire life, and if Charlie wanted the Olympics, I’d do what I could to make it happen.
The kids were huddled with their coaches on the field and after a team cheer, they were all dismissed. Charlie turned from her team and sprinted toward us.
Her hair bounced behind her as she ran. The smile on her face hit me hard again and I couldn’t stay seated.
I hopped up from the blanket and jogged a few steps forward, holding up my hand for a fist bump as she got close. “You did awesome! That last save was amazing.”
“Thanks.” She tapped her knuckles on mine, her smile still bright, but shied back a few feet. “I heard you a couple of times.”
Oh, shit. Had I embarrassed her? Was that why Thea kept teasing me? Why hadn’t she told me that Charlie wouldn’t like my cheering?
“Sorry. I was too loud, wasn’t I?” I was messing up everything. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
Charlie shrugged. “It’s okay. Katie’s dad yells a lot too, and you weren’t as loud as him.”
I was taking that as a win. At the next game, I’d be sure to tone it down—if I could. I was also going to find Katie’s dad and sit closer so I could make sure I didn’t get any louder than him.
Thea stood up and ran her hand down Charlie’s ponytail. “Good job, honey.”
“Thanks, Mommy. Can we get pizza?”
“Obviously. You were the star of the game! I think it deserves a root beer float too.”
Charlie’s face lit up before she turned to me. “Are you coming?”
“If it’s okay with you.”
“Yeah,” she whispered, smiling at her feet.
A rush of warmth spread over me and I fought the urge to clap again. My second win of the night: a dinner invitation from my daughter.
“Meet us at the bar?” Thea asked as she folded up the blanket.
“Sounds good. I’ll follow you there.”
We loaded up and got into our cars, making our way across town. I chuckled to myself as I drove.
Two days ago, I would have laughed if someone had told me I’d be in a hurry to get to the Lark Cove Bar.
“Here you go.” Jackson slid a round pizza pan onto our table. “The Landry Special with extra cheese for my soccer superstar. And . . .” He set an enormous root beer float in front of her and bent to kiss her forehead. “Good job, Chuck.”
She leaned into his side. “Thanks, Uncle Jackson.”
“You guys need anything else?” he asked Thea.
“We’re good. I’ll get it if we need something. Looks like you’ve got your hands full tonight.”
“Yeah. Busy night.”
He winked at her before leaving to take care of the other patrons.
I didn’t miss the way he squeezed her shoulder as he walked behind her back. Or the glare he shot me from over her head.
The asshole had made it a point to constantly touch Thea and Charlie, like he was marking his territory. When we’d arrived, he’d made a huge show of coming around the bar and scooping Charlie up into his arms. Then he’d given Thea a hug that had lingered on too long before she’d patted his back and stepped away. When we’d ordered beers—Thea had reminded me that it was a law to get beer with pizza—Jackson had put his arms on the back of each of their chairs.
The show was getting old.
I got the message. He was here first. He had something with Thea and Charlie that I didn’t.
But I was about done with Jackson Page.
And judging by the way Thea had dismissed him to wait on others and how she’d been rolling her eyes at him all night, she was about done too.
The bar was packed full of other families from the soccer game as well as some people who didn’t seem local. With a full place, he needed to back off and concentrate on work.
Thea and Charlie were mine tonight.
I was the one who’d cheered Charlie on at her game. I was the one sitting next to Thea, occasionally brushing my knee against hers. And I was the one sharing pizza with them tonight.
“So this is the Landry Special?” The thing was huge, at least sixteen inches in diameter. Half was only cheese. Half was piled with meat and veggies.
“Mmhmm.” Charlie nodded, sucking down her root beer float.
“Okay, honey.” Thea dished up a slice of the cheese pizza for Charlie. “Enough of that until you eat.”
Charlie swallowed a gulp, then pushed her glass away to load her small hands up with the slice.
“Which kind would you like?” Thea asked.
Before I could answer, Charlie spoke up with her mouth full. “He can have one of mine.”
My eyes snapped to Thea. She was trying to pull in her smile, not make a big deal about Charlie’s declaration, but we both knew it was a big deal.
I was making progress.
“Thanks,” I told Charlie, taking one of her cheese-only slices. Then I took a bite, surprised at how good it was. The thin crust had a delicious char. The sauce and cheese were perfect, better than a lot of the pizzas I’d had in the city. “This is great.”
“Mommy invented pizza,” Charlie said before taking another bite.
Thea laughed. “Not all pizza, just the pizza here. We have a brick oven in the back, so it’s kind of become our specialty.”
“So you’re an artist. A mixologist. A pizza chef. I’m guessing you’re the one managing this place. Is there anything else you do?”
She nodded to our daughter. “Just try and keep this one mostly clean.”
Charlie giggled and took another bite.
“Maybe tonight I can see that fort.” I held my breath, waiting to be rejected. I knew I was pushing it. I’d done the soccer game and now dinner. Thea had warned me to take it slow, but I couldn’t help it. I wasn’t asking because I felt rushed that my week was ending.
I was asking because I really wanted to see Charlie’s fort.
“Okay.” Charlie nodded and took another bite as I nearly fell off my stool.
The smile on my face stayed through dinner, until after the pizza was demolished and Charlie was jittery from all the sugar in her float. I was still grinning as I followed Thea’s car back to their cottage and parked on the street.
The minute I opened my car door, Charlie was racing into the trees, waving for me to follow.
I waved at Thea as she walked to the front door, then jogged across the grass, trying to catch my daughter.
When I hit a clump of tall trees close to the shoreline, I followed a trail of cleats, shin guards and socks until I heard Charlie’s voice.
“Come on, Logan!” She poked her head out of a small opening, waving me toward her fort.
Between three tall evergreens was her little hideaway. The trees were clustered together enough that she’d been able to build walls from plywood boards. Someone, my guess was Thea, had painted them in a mix of browns and greens, like camouflage. Tacked on top was an old army-green canvas tarp that acted as both the ceiling and door flap.
“Wow,” I said, ducking down to shuffle inside. “Cool fort.”
“Thanks.” Charlie was standing barefoot in the middle of the dirt floor, ready to show me her sanctuary. “You can sit there.” She pointed to an old stump against one wall.
I sat, crouching forward a bit to keep my head from brushing against the tarp ceiling. On the wall opposite the door, a small square window had been cut to overlook the lake.
“What’s all that stuff?” I pointed to a small bookshelf leaning against one wall. She had tin lunchboxes stacked neatly on the top shelf, and on the bottom were two green plastic totes.
“My supplies.” She went to the shelves and began setting down the lunch boxes, opening them one at a time to tell me what was inside. “I’ve got forks and spoons in this one and a cup. This one has my shovel and a couple strong sticks. This one usually has my snacks but it’s empty now because Mommy needs to go to the grocery store. And this one has ropes and my favorite rocks.”
There wasn’t one single toy.
I loved that about Charlie. She was different from any child I’d ever met.
“That’s an awesome collection of supplies.” I pointed to the tubs. “What’s in those?”
“My books and coloring stuff.” She pushed the lunchboxes aside to drag out a tote. “I have to keep them in there so they don’t get wet.”
“Do you like to read?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, taking off a lid. Then she dug through the books until she found the one she’d been searching for and handed it over.
The cover was of a tadpole transforming to a frog.
“You really like frogs, don’t you?”
“They’re my favorite besides dogs and cats and birds.” She grabbed the wooden kid-sized chair next to the bookshelf and brought it over to sit by my side. Then she took the book from my hand and started going through it page by page.
My daughter was reading me a book.
I spent the next hour learning all about frogs and tadpoles and then about cats and dogs from her other books. I could have sat on that stump for hours, if not for the fading light.
Finally, when the pages were getting hard to see, Thea called us inside.
Charlie and I packed up her things, making sure lids were on securely, and then walked toward the house, collecting her strewn clothes as we went.
“Thanks for showing me your fort tonight,” I told Charlie, snagging a cleat from the ground.
“I have another one at camp. It’s not as good because I had to make it myself without Mommy or Uncle Jackson’s help. But it’s still cool. Want to come see it?”
I smiled, ignoring the burn of jealousy that Uncle Jackson had helped her build her fort. “I’d love to see it.”
And I’d help her make it even better. I didn’t know shit about constructing outdoor forts, but how hard could it be? I graduated at the top of my undergraduate class from Columbia and was a distinguished graduate from law school. I could figure out a fort.
“See what?” Thea asked as we approached the porch.
Charlie stopped next to Thea on the bottom step. “My fort at camp.”
“If it’s okay with you.” I hadn’t even thought to ask Thea for her permission first.
I wasn’t used to asking permission, for anything. I gave orders, people followed them. I came and went as I pleased in New York.
But here, I was out of my element. Here, Thea was in charge. And it was strange how that didn’t bother me.
Much.
“It’s fine by me.” Thea smiled. “You don’t need to ask. See her whenever you’d like.”
Damn, that was nice to hear. It meant she trusted me with Charlie and she knew how hard I was trying.
I bent down to Charlie’s level. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Good job at your game today. You were awesome.” I dropped her cleats and shin guards on a step, then held up my hand for a high five.
She slapped her palm to mine. “Night, Logan.”
“Good night, Charlie.”
“Go on upstairs,” Thea told her. “I’ll be up to do your bath in a minute.”
When the screen door slammed closed behind her, Thea leaned against the railing on the steps. “So? How’d it go?”
I smiled like I’d just won the lottery, not even trying to play it cool. “Fucking incredible.”
