Page 97 of Won't Back Down

“It’d be nice if something did. He sure doesn’t like my controlling the trust’s purse strings.” Her focus swung across the restaurant.

Following her gaze, I spotted Drew and Kelly McNamara, Hoyt’s younger brother and sister-in-law, and their little girl, Isabelle, who was enthusiastically conducting the music on the sound system with a curly fry. From this angle, I could just see the obvious curve of a baby bump beneath Kelly’s sweater.

When Willa just kept quietly watching, lips curved into a faint smile, I finally nudged her shoulder with mine. “What is it?”

“I was just thinking how nice they all look together.”

With the chaotic beginning to our marriage, we’d never had a conversation about kids. Not wanting to ruin the easy mood, I tried to keep my tone casual. “Yeah? Is that something you think you want? Kids? Family? The whole shebang?”

Willa went quiet, but I understood this was a reflective silence as she really considered her answer. “I never thought I did. But I didn’t think I wanted marriage, either, after the example that was set for me by my parents. I feel like you and I are doing pretty great at that.” She squeezed my arm and leaned in for a partial hug. “I think we’d actually make pretty good parents, because we wouldn’t make the same mistakes that ours did. Obviously, we’ll make our own, but I think we’ll do a better job.” Her cheeks pinked, and she dropped her gaze to the table briefly before bringing it back to mine. “Is that something you might want?”

I loved this woman so damned much, and she had no idea how much I’d been thinking about exactly this for the past six months. Smiling, I cupped her cheek. “Yeah. With you, anything and everything. Whenever you’re ready.”

With a little laugh, she tipped her face into my palm. “I don’t think I’m quite ready yet. I’d rather be just us for a while. But someday, in the maybe not too long, too distant future.” Her eyes sparkled. “After we’ve had plenty of time to… practice.”

Laughing, I took her mouth in another hungry kiss, all too ready to get to that practice.

“Okay, you two. I’ve got no problem with Willa setting up a mobile office here, but I draw the line at y’all making it a second bedroom.”

My wife eased back, rolling her lips in on themselves to hold in another smile. “Sorry, Bree. We’re celebrating.”

Bree went brows up. “Oh? There an announcement you want to make?”

“Not that kind of announcement.” There went those pink cheeks again. Damn, my wife was cute. “Sawyer just got his contractor’s license. He’s all official.”

“No shit? Congratulations, Sawyer.” She offered me a fist bump. “You want a celebratory drink?”

“Let’s have a couple glasses of whatever y’all’s latest creation is.”

“You got it.”

As she turned to head back to the bar, a motion by the door drew my attention. A teenage girl with a backpack over one shoulder looked around the room. I was shit at judging age. She might’ve been anywhere from thirteen to sixteen. It was hard to tell, these days. I didn’t know her, but there was something about her that seemed oddly familiar. I just couldn’t put my finger on what.

She moved toward the bar, and Bree called out, “Can I help you, hon?”

The girl bellied up to the bar, leaning forward on her elbows. “I hope so, I’m looking for somebody.”

“You meeting your party here?” Bree made her own quick scan of the room, obviously trying to place her with one of the groups already seated.

“No, not like that. I’m looking for my father. He lives here on the island. I thought, this being such a small place, that maybe someone here would know him.”

“We can sure give it our best go. Who’s your daddy, hon?”

The girl straightened, cocking her chin in a gesture that had hair rising up along my arms.

“Ford Donoghue.”

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