Page 18 of Savannah Sweethearts

Ashley bit her lip. “I can take them back inside. My apartment isn’t very big, though, and Trainer wasn’t too happy for the invasion.”

The girls came back and bowled into us. We all sat on the grass for a minute, and the girls said what animals the clouds looked like.

I took Ashley’s hand in mine. “You’re doing fine. She won’t bother you again, since I told her I was getting a lawyer.”

“Daddy, is Miss Ashley your girlfriend?” Saffi blushed as she asked.

That caught Sami’s attention. “Will she be our stepmom?”

I coughed. “How do you know what a stepmom is?” She was only four. How did she know that term? Both girls shrugged. With a glance to Ashley, I smiled. “Yes, Ashley is my girlfriend. Beyond that, we will see. But I need to get back to Gigi at the hospital. I’ll be back for you soon.”

The girls jumped on me and knocked me over with their hugs. Ashley laughed. This was the family I had always envisioned with her. Getting full custody of the girls could make it a reality.

I left them as they headed back toward her apartment and I went back to the hospital. Once Mom was feeling better, I would have to ask her about it. She was the wisest person I knew and wouldn’t steer me wrong.

By the time I had mom ready to go home, I realized she wouldn’t be able to do much on her own. She would need constant help. My house was half the size of hers, so the girls and I would need to stay at her place for a while.

When she was settled in her own bed and resting, I went to pack some things and retrieve the girls from Ashley. I wondered how the rest of the day had gone. Lunchtime had passed hours ago; she had to have been exhausted caring for two girls on the fly like that.

I knocked on her door, and she opened it, looking refreshed. How had she done that? My jaw dropped at how gorgeous she was. “Wow, here I thought you’d be completely worn out.”

She winked at me. “Guess again.” Allowing me inside, her apartment was cleaner than it had been that morning, and the girls were both passed out on her bed.

“Did you poison them?”

“Tyrell, really. They wanted to find Trainer, so I got them to help me clean up while we looked for her. Lunch, a movie, cuddles, and they were out.” She looked proud of herself. “I can even tell you who is who.”

Now I was impressed. Ashley knew which girl was which? I raised an eyebrow. “Do you now?”

“Saffi is in the green, Sami in the pink.” She beamed. And she was right. “How’s Gigi? The girls were worried, so we made cards.”

I filled her in on Mom’s break and her cast. “I think we’ll need to stay with her for a while. She won’t be able to move around easily with her leg in that cast. But she’ll be okay. Doctor said it was a clean break. And she’s young, so it will heal.”

The offer of coffee was made, and I accepted it. I sat at her bar while she popped a pod into her single cup coffeemaker. We were silent as I watched her prepare the coffee for me with a heaping spoonful of sugar and a splash of half-and-half. She popped another pod into the coffeemaker before handing me the steaming mug.

She leaned in close to me. “How about Sabra?”

I had been thinking about it all day while waiting for doctors. “I’m going to call some lawyers on Monday and see what my options are. I’ve been working toward this for a while, and I think it’s time. I don’t want to take them from her, but I’ve seen the string of men she’s brought around, and after hearing her today…” I shook my head, afraid to say more.

Ashley’s hand patted mine. “Say no more. It’s none of my business, but that outburst worried me.”

“Me, too. And I’m so sorry, again, for this mess. You didn’t sign up for this. You’ve barely signed up for me.” I stared down into my coffee. Once again, I felt as though I wasn’t good enough for her. I had too much baggage.

She turned and got her coffee, then looked back at me while she leaned on the counter. “Stop that right now. Stop feeling like you’re not enough. While I’m learning what I’m getting into, I’m not scared off.”

One of the girls sighed, but when I turned to look, they were still sound asleep. Turning back to Ashley, I saw she had tears in her eyes. Maybe she was scared. “Ash, I’m sorry. This is too much, too fast. I’ll wake the girls and take them home.”

She choked back a sob. “No, wait. That’s not why I’m like this. I need to tell you something. In case it’s a deal-breaker for you.”

A deal-breaker for me? I was the one with the crazy baby momma and two children. A thousand thoughts went through my mind, and my body flushed. I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and nodded for her to continue.

With a deep breath, she whispered, “I can’t have children, Tyrell. I had some extensive issues during and after college, and it ended up being the best choice for me to have a hysterectomy. That’s why I’ve never had a long-term relationship. I’m defective.”

Shock did not cover what I thought in that moment—not that she couldn’t have children, though that did surprise me, but that she would think she was defective. I went around the counter to her and wrapped my arms around her as silent tears slid down her cheeks. I had the feeling she had already cried plenty over this.

“Hey, Dream Girl, you are not defective. Not at all. It’s okay if you can’t carry children. If some guy can’t see that, then he’s the one who’s defective.” I soothed her as best I could, rubbing her back and kissing her hair.

She pulled back and looked up at me, her mouth turned down. “Not according to my mother.”

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