Page 71 of After the Vows

“Hi, Miss Madison!”

The teacher glances up from her clipboard. “Hey, Natalia. You’re participating in the high jump, long jump, and hurdles today.”

“I did high jump and long jump in high school,” Chloe says.

“Because you got kicked off the cheerleading squad,” Madison says.

“Technically, I was never on the cheerleading squad, so I couldn’t get kicked off.” Chloe winks. “How are you, Maddy? I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“Probably because I fall asleep by nine from exhaustion.”

“Hello, Madison. I’m Lucas,” I introduce myself. “Natalia’s my daughter, and Chloe is my wife.”

“No need to introduce yourself. Everyone on the island knows you married the wild child.”

Chloe cringes when Madison says wild child and I squeeze her shoulder. She smiles at me and my heart seizes. Yep. I’m falling for this woman.

“Can I go now?” Natalia asks.

Madison hands her a number to pin on her shirt. “High jump is first. You can line up with the other kids who are competing there.” She points to a line of children.

“Thanks, Maddy,” Chloe says. “Let’s get a drink and catch up.”

Madison snorts. “Not if the drink involves you shooting moonshine all night and then dancing on the bar.”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “That happened one time.” She glances up at me. “I don’t have the best balance.”

I chuckle. “You don’t say.” I throw my arm around her. “Come on. Let’s get Natalia sorted and then find a place to watch from the bleachers.”

Natalia sprints to the high jump line where her friend Piper is waiting.

“Good luck,” I tell her.

“Kick a—” Chloe cuts herself off. “Kick butt.”

Natalia waves but in the next second we’re forgotten as she begins talking to Piper. I lead Chloe away.

She bites her lip as she stares at Natalia. “Is she going to be okay? Some of those kids were half a foot taller than her. They have an unfair advantage.”

“She’ll be fine. They’re high-jumping not joining fight club.”

“Okay,” she agrees but continues to nibble on her lip.

I know how to distract her. “Let’s get a drink and a snack.” We join the line. “What do you want to drink?”

“She’ll have aFive Fathoms Summer Ale,”a woman behind us says.

Chloe giggles. “Hey, Lana. Have you met my husband?”

Lana rakes her gaze up and down me. “I have not met this long drink of water.”

Chloe places a hand on my waist. It’s possessive. A move I usually find irritating. A move that had me grinding my teeth when Holly did it. But with Chloe, I don’t mind. I want everyone to know she belongs to me.

Except she doesn’t.

“This is Lana, the mayor,” Chloe explains.

I hold out my hand. “Lucas.”

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