Page 6 of Savannah Sweethearts

A stray lock of hair fell over her shoulder, and she gently tucked it back. “I’ve been good. How long have you been back in Savannah?”

Aside from college, I hadn’t really left the area, so I know I made a face at her question. “Since after school. I mean, I moved back in with my mom after I graduated; then I got my own place after the girls were born.”

Our drinks were slid onto the table, breaking up the conversation. Ashley thanked the server, then cleared her throat. “And the girls are four?”

I could talk about Sami and Saffi all day long. A soft smile broke out on my face, and I pulled out my phone to show Ashley more pictures of them. “Yeah, they’re four. They’ll be five in July; then they’ll start kindergarten this year. I can’t believe they’re getting so big.”

Ashley only nodded at the picture of the girls before grabbing her drink and downing it in a few gulps. Her face flushed, and she shifted in her seat. It may have been ten years, but I still knew when Ashley was uncomfortable.

“You okay, Ash?”

She nodded, but the swipe under her eye told me she was not.

“Are you—are you upset that I have kids?” My whole body got hot. No matter how much I had missed Ashley over the years, my girls came first and foremost in my life. No flame would ever compete.

Her hand shot out in protest. “No! No, not at all. It’s been ten years, Ty; I figured you’d be married and have a family at this point.”

The eye roll couldn’t be stopped. “Well, I’m definitely not married to Sabra or anyone else. Sami and Saffi are all I have time for outside of work.” I realized she had gotten the topic away from herself. Her hand was on the table, so I covered it with my own. “Now, why are you so upset?”

She shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m just being sentimental, that’s all.” Classic Ashley, she straightened her back and put a smile on her face.

“Do you like teaching kids?”

Her eyes lit up, and I knew I had hit a sweet spot. She had always loved kids. “Oh my gosh, you have no idea. I adore it. Even if I’m in a class that still has diapers. Can you believe it? I’m hoping I can work my way up to being a school director one day. I just need to remember the kids’ names. And their parents.”

Remembering names was not Ashley’s strong suit. It had taken her weeks to remember that I was Tyrell and not Tyler. She constantly mixed up her friends’ names. She knew them and knew details about them, but she somehow lost it when it came to names, especially similar names.

“So, my girls being Samirya and Sapphire?” I chuckled.

She pretended to wipe her brow. “Yeah, I’m glad they’re not in my class. I’d never get them right.”

Ashley

Thankful Tyrell had distracted me from the tears that threatened, I was determined that I would not cry. I would not be telling Tyrell that I couldn’t have children when we weren’t even dating. Technically, we weren’t anything at this point. It wasn’t information I offered easily. That conversation could wait until later—much later.

The jealousy that someone else had given him children mixed with the joy that he was a father at all made my mind a jumbled mess. “It’s been so long.”

Tyrell’s expression softened. “It’s been too long.”

Our server returned and took our orders. We never looked at the menus but ordered our usual favorites. They must still be available because she didn’t question us.

“Tell me about your twins.”

That was all it took for him to spend the next ten minutes telling me all about school, their soccer team, what each one loved and hated to eat, and that they both adored K-pop music.

I raised an eyebrow. “K-pop? Really?”

The laughter was so familiar and so magical. “Really. I think they learned about it from friends. They love to watch these Korean boy bands on YouTube. They know all the words.”

When the food was set before us, we fell into a comfortable silence. I stole little glances of Tyrell as we ate. He looked much the same, but a little more filled out, more mature. He had changed from being a boy to a man. I wondered what changes he saw in me.

“What’s been going on with you over the years? No one has been able to catch you?” He made a show of looking at my bare left hand.

“Nope. No man has ever caught my eye and held it for more than a few months. My last boyfriend was probably two years ago; but after four or five months, I realized he was just like Tanner, and I gave him the axe.” I took a bite from a still-steaming, crispy fry.

The face Tyrell made told me what he still thought of my over-the-top brother. “Oh, Tanner. I haven’t thought about him in forever.”

With a giggle, I told him about Tanner’s marriage to Morgan and how the world now revolved around Jonny. “I just try to stay in my own lane and live my best life. Maybe one day, I’ll find the right person to settle down with.”

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