Page 29 of New Hope

Ford took a step toward me. “That’s the thing though. You shouldn’t have to tiptoe around me. You shouldn’t have to pay for what Connie did. You’re a good man. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met and the best friend I’ve ever had. I’m sorry for the way I treated you.”

I smiled softly. “I accept your apology, although it isn’t necessary. I understand why you reacted that way. I’m sure anyone else who has been hurt the way you have would have the same reaction.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. Ellie had a hard time with it too.”

“Ellie?”

Ford grimaced. “She didn’t think you were ever coming back. She was worried you’d abandon Hannah the same way her mother abandoned her. I told her that wouldn’t happen, but I don’t think she believed me.”

I placed a hand on my chest, my heart lurching painfully. “Oh, my God. That explains the way she was staring at me when you first got here.”

“I’m not sure anything would have convinced her other than seeing you with her own eyes. Now that she has, I’m sure she’ll feel much better.”

I sighed. “I’m so sorry that my leaving caused you both pain. Trust me, that’s the last thing I’d ever want to do. That’s one of the reasons I texted you. I was hoping to break the tension between us before I came back.”

“I know and it made me feel like an even bigger jerk because I never should have created tension between us in the first place.” He cocked his head. “What was the other reason you texted? You said that was one of the reasons.”

“Because you’re important to me and I missed you,” I answered honestly.

Ford huffed out a humorless laugh, but I could see the vulnerability in his eyes. “Are you sure you want to waste your time with me? I come with an awful lot of baggage.”

I tilted my head at him. “I don’t know. Are there egg rolls in that bag?”

“Yes. Along with crab rangoons, sweet and sour chicken, General Tso’s, beef and broccoli, and a choice of either fried rice, white rice, or noodles. I wasn’t sure what you and Hannah liked, so I got a variety.”

“A variety? That’s a better selection than most buffets,” I teased. I grinned as he laughed for real that time but then my face sobered. “But to answer your question, spending time with you is never a waste, it’s a pleasure. You’re an amazing man and a remarkable father. I consider myself lucky to be your friend.”

“Thank you.” He smiled shyly and I took a second to admire how perfectly his lips were shaped, the bottom one fuller than the top, the color a deep rose. When I finally pulled my gaze up, I found him staring at me with an intensity that stole my breath but before I could think on it too much, the girls came bounding into the room.

Ford whipped around quickly and began digging cartons of food out of the bags. The girls gathered napkins for us while I poured water for everyone. I kept stealing glances at Ford, trying to figure out what in the hell had just happened, but he refused to meet my gaze.

Dinner was fun with lots of talking and joking around and we laughed as we read the fortunes we found in our cookies and tried to figure out how they might play into our lives. Afterward, we cleared the table while the girls picked out a movie then we settled in, both girls sprawled out across the floor, cushioned by a pile of blankets and pillows, and me and Ford on the couch.

He kept shifting throughout the movie as if he couldn’t get comfortable. Each move landed him a little closer to me until he was so close it was impossible for me to concentrate on anything but the smell of his skin and the warmth radiating off him. My brain nearly short-circuited when he stretched his arm along the back of the couch and his thumb accidentally brushed my shoulder. It was torture of the sweetest kind sitting that close and yet not being allowed to touch him.

And that was the problem because no matter how I felt about Ford, no matter how much I cared about him or longed to sample a taste of his lips, we would never be anything more than friends. He would never look at me with longing or feel vibrations course throughout his body whenever I walked in the room. He would never want me the way I wanted him, and I needed to remember that. To forget it would leave me with nothing but heartache.

Both girls were yawning loudly by the time the credits began to roll, so Ford told Ellie to get her shoes and jacket. The girls were too tired to put up much of a fuss and they shuffled up the stairs to get Ellie’s things from Hannah’s room. I smiled at Ford as he helped me clean up the blankets and pillows they’d left behind. “This was fun. Thank you for coming over and for bringing dinner.”

“Thanks for not slamming the door in my face,” he joked. “I had a good time too, although, I wouldn’t mind an evening that didn’t include an animated movie.”

He huffed out a laugh, but I tilted my head, considering what he’d said. “Why don’t we?”

“What?”

I grinned, excited by the idea. “Why don’t we have a guys night? My parents would be happy to keep the girls overnight. I know you haven’t met them yet, but—”

“I trust you. If you say Ellie would be in good hands with them, then I believe you. But are you sure they wouldn’t mind?”

I barked out an incredulous laugh. “You clearly don’t know my mom. Nothing makes her happier than spending time with her granddaughter. She’s going to flip at the chance to have both of them overnight.”

Ford watched me carefully, but I could see his excitement building. Finally, he started to nod his head. “Okay, let’s do this.”

“Yes! I’ll call my mom tomorrow and set something up for next Saturday.”

“Sounds great!” His smile matched my own as the girls came trudging back down the stairs.

Hannah and I walked them out to the porch. Ford started down the steps, but I called Ellie over to me before she could leave. I could feel Ford’s eyes on me as I stooped down to talk to his daughter. “Hannah showed me the beautiful picture you drew for her. Thank you for cheering her up while I was gone.”

---