Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 169(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
“I am!”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Torch reached down and picked up the next piece as he said, “Remember those old tire swings Stitch put up at the clubhouse?”
“Yeah, I remember them.” I rolled my eyes. “I also remember you swinging with everyone but me.”
“I swang with you.”
“No, you didn’t,” I argued. “You wouldn’t even push me.”
“Seriously?” He shook his head. “I don’t remember that.”
“Well, I do, but it’s not a big deal. I got used to it.”
“Used to what?”
“You and the girls ignoring me and treating me like a dumb kid.”
“You were six years younger than us.”
“Oh, I know.” I held a piece in place as he screwed it in. “I was reminded of it all the time, especially when we got older.”
“I had my reasons for keeping my distance.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Okay, then why don’t you explain it to me?”
He studied me for a moment, then shook his head and grumbled, “Damn. You always were bullheaded.”
“How would you know?”
“Oh, I know. I’ve always known.”
He held my gaze for a moment, then got back to work on the swing. In no time, it went from looking like a pile of rubble to an actual swing set. As we worked, I couldn’t help but steal glances at him. It was hard to be so close to him. It brought back so many memories, but something felt different.
He felt different.
I stole another glance and noted the faint lines of concentration on his face. His hands were rough and calloused, and he worked with a steady precision that felt almost considerate.
It was unnerving.
This was the same man who’d broken my heart and made me swear I'd never look back. Yet here he was, crouched down beside me, guiding the final bolt into place.
When he caught me watching, he didn’t smirk or throw some careless remark like he did back when we were kids. Instead, his eyes met mine—steady and kind, and he smiled as he said, “Almost done.”
“Yeah,” I murmured, looking away before he could see too much.
After a few more minutes, he had it all pieced together and took a step back to admire our work. “Not half bad.”
Ava sat down on one of the swings, and Torch gave her a little push. Her laugh was infectious as he pushed her higher and higher, and it wasn’t long before Torch and I were laughing right along with her. “She’s a cute kid.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“How old is she? Three? Four?”
“Four. Almost five.”
“Hmmm. So, you had her your junior year.”
“Yeah, that’s about right.”
“And her dad?”
“I already told you.” I shrugged. “He’s not in the picture.”
“But why? The guy fall off the planet or what?”
“He didn’t want to be tied down to a kid and chose to walk away.”
“So, you’ve been raising her all on your own?”
“I’ve had some help, but yeah. Pretty much.”
“I don’t get it.” His eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you just come home?”
“I still had school.”
“And?”
Realizing that the conversation was going to a place I wasn’t ready to go, I nodded and said, “It’s getting cold. I should get her inside.”
“It’s been cold, and she doesn’t seem to mind.”
“I wanna swing, Momma.”
“I know you do, sweetie, but it’s getting late, and we need to get ready for dinner.”
“But Momma...”
“Best mind your momma. I wouldn’t want her to get mad at us.” Disappointment washed over Ava’s face when Torch stopped the swing and helped her down. He leaned over to me as he whispered, “Or she might not speak to us for the next six or seven years.”
“Torch.”
“I’ll leave you ladies to it.”
He turned and started for the back gate, but he didn’t get far before Ava shouted, “Bye, Torch!”
“Bye, kiddo.”
My heart felt heavy as I watched him disappear from our backyard and head over to his. I took hold of Ava’s hand and led her back into the house. I’d hoped that she would get to swing again later, but the weather turned, and it started to snow. And then, it snowed some more. As much as I hated it for Ava, it gave me an opportunity to get some unpacking done.
I’d been at it for hours when I heard a knock at the door. When I glanced out the window, I was surprised to find my mother standing on the front porch. Over the years, I’d had friends from school and the occasional neighbor drop by unannounced, but never my mother. Ava was napping upstairs, so I cracked the door quietly.
“Hey, Mom.” I forced a smile and stepped aside to let her in. “I didn’t know you were coming by.”
“I wasn’t really planning on it, but I thought I’d swing by and see how my girls were doing.” She took a quick glance around the living room and smiled. “Wow. You’ve been busy.”
“I’ve still got a lot to do.” I motioned my hand over at the boxes I still hadn’t gotten around to unpacking. “But I have a week or so before I start my new job, so I should be able to get it all done.”