thinner and a little taller, if that was possible.
“Billy,” she called out, and he lifted his eyes from the ground to them. Then he was smiling and running towards them.
He jogged a little and met him in the middle.
“Hey.” He smiled at her and dropped his bags.
All of a sudden, a bout of awkwardness rushed over her. She didn’t know if she should hug him or not. He made the decision for her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her right there on the street. She felt her heart jump and her pulse skip. Then he released her and knelt down to pull Maggie from her stroller.
She used that time to get her breathing back under control. She had never reacted to him like this before. For that matter, she’d never reacted to anyone like that before.
“I can’t believe how big she is.” He tried to hold Maggie like he’d done when she was a baby, but Maggie was having none of it and kept trying to sit up in his arms.
Savannah chuckled. “She likes to be held like this.” She walked over and helped him turn her around. “There, now she can see you.”
Maggie’s little hands came up and rested on his chin as he smiled down at her. He laughed when she reached up and put his chin in her mouth.
“Sorry,” Savannah laughed. “The doctor says she’s teething.”
“What?” He chuckled and looked up at her. “So soon?”
“She is just over six months old.” She smiled and waved at someone who honked as they drove by.
His eyes were on her and she saw him smiling at her.
“What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious.
“Look at you.” His eyes ran over her and he frowned a little.
“What?” She frowned back and looked down at herself. “Did Maggie mess up this shirt as well?”
He shook his head and held Maggie tighter. “No, you look good.” His voice softened and lowered, causing her face to flush as she smiled.
“We have a surprise for you.” She smiled. “But we’ll have to drop off your bags first.” She nodded to the discarded duffel bags that lay on the sidewalk.
He nodded and bent down to pick up the bigger of the bags. “Toss that one on her stroller will you? I want to carry my girl for a while.” He smiled and kissed Maggie’s cheek.
Savannah picked up his bag and set it on the stroller and then walked beside him as he started back down the street.
“How was the trip back?” she asked, not sure what to talk to him about. Why was she feeling nervous? After all, it was just Billy. She’d known him her whole life. They’d slept together, made a baby together, and lived together. Why was she feeling nervous around him, like she didn’t know him?
“It was okay. The bus had a flat tire just outside of Dallas.” He shook his head and placed another kiss on Maggie’s cheek, causing their daughter to squeal with glee.
“I hope you don’t mind, but the sheriff stopped by one day and suggested I have the house painted, so I hired Corey to put a fresh coat on the place.” She nodded to the house.
Corey, Billy’s friend, had done a fantastic job, and he’d put a fresh coat of paint on the inside, as well.
“The place looks good. Corey texted me and filled me in.” He smiled. “Who would have known he’d have the talent and patience to do that.” He laughed.
She used her key and opened the front door. “He also did some work inside.” She stepped in and set the stroller in its corner. “I hope you don’t mind, but I moved a few things around.” She nodded to the room.
He smiled. “Savvy, I told you, you can do whatever you want with the place.” He set his bag down.
“Good, because I was reading this book about parenting, and well, Maggie needed her own room,” she blurted out.
He turned to her, his dark eyebrows going up slowly. “Oh?” His smile spread a little.
She ignored his smile and walked past him. “Yes, well, I think you’ll like it. Maggie loves it,” she said nervously as she opened their daughter’s room.
He stepped in with Maggie on
“Billy,” she called out, and he lifted his eyes from the ground to them. Then he was smiling and running towards them.
He jogged a little and met him in the middle.
“Hey.” He smiled at her and dropped his bags.
All of a sudden, a bout of awkwardness rushed over her. She didn’t know if she should hug him or not. He made the decision for her and pulled her into his arms and kissed her right there on the street. She felt her heart jump and her pulse skip. Then he released her and knelt down to pull Maggie from her stroller.
She used that time to get her breathing back under control. She had never reacted to him like this before. For that matter, she’d never reacted to anyone like that before.
“I can’t believe how big she is.” He tried to hold Maggie like he’d done when she was a baby, but Maggie was having none of it and kept trying to sit up in his arms.
Savannah chuckled. “She likes to be held like this.” She walked over and helped him turn her around. “There, now she can see you.”
Maggie’s little hands came up and rested on his chin as he smiled down at her. He laughed when she reached up and put his chin in her mouth.
“Sorry,” Savannah laughed. “The doctor says she’s teething.”
“What?” He chuckled and looked up at her. “So soon?”
“She is just over six months old.” She smiled and waved at someone who honked as they drove by.
His eyes were on her and she saw him smiling at her.
“What?” she asked, feeling self-conscious.
“Look at you.” His eyes ran over her and he frowned a little.
“What?” She frowned back and looked down at herself. “Did Maggie mess up this shirt as well?”
He shook his head and held Maggie tighter. “No, you look good.” His voice softened and lowered, causing her face to flush as she smiled.
“We have a surprise for you.” She smiled. “But we’ll have to drop off your bags first.” She nodded to the discarded duffel bags that lay on the sidewalk.
He nodded and bent down to pick up the bigger of the bags. “Toss that one on her stroller will you? I want to carry my girl for a while.” He smiled and kissed Maggie’s cheek.
Savannah picked up his bag and set it on the stroller and then walked beside him as he started back down the street.
“How was the trip back?” she asked, not sure what to talk to him about. Why was she feeling nervous? After all, it was just Billy. She’d known him her whole life. They’d slept together, made a baby together, and lived together. Why was she feeling nervous around him, like she didn’t know him?
“It was okay. The bus had a flat tire just outside of Dallas.” He shook his head and placed another kiss on Maggie’s cheek, causing their daughter to squeal with glee.
“I hope you don’t mind, but the sheriff stopped by one day and suggested I have the house painted, so I hired Corey to put a fresh coat on the place.” She nodded to the house.
Corey, Billy’s friend, had done a fantastic job, and he’d put a fresh coat of paint on the inside, as well.
“The place looks good. Corey texted me and filled me in.” He smiled. “Who would have known he’d have the talent and patience to do that.” He laughed.
She used her key and opened the front door. “He also did some work inside.” She stepped in and set the stroller in its corner. “I hope you don’t mind, but I moved a few things around.” She nodded to the room.
He smiled. “Savvy, I told you, you can do whatever you want with the place.” He set his bag down.
“Good, because I was reading this book about parenting, and well, Maggie needed her own room,” she blurted out.
He turned to her, his dark eyebrows going up slowly. “Oh?” His smile spread a little.
She ignored his smile and walked past him. “Yes, well, I think you’ll like it. Maggie loves it,” she said nervously as she opened their daughter’s room.
He stepped in with Maggie on
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