Page 43 of Second Chance Baby

“Though you’ve been here before for visits, somehow, she suspected change was afoot. And thanks to your...ambition, my family is going to have a mighty fine Christmas this year!” Hooting with laughter, she pulled back with a wave and walked back to her lawn, rushing up the steps and back inside before I’d even pulled my jaw off the ground.

I swallowed hard. “Is she somehow getting paid because we had sex in a timely fashion? Is that a new Cove tradition?”

He merely laughed and lifted my hand to his lips. “At least she won’t be getting paid each time. Gotta love a small town, right?”

I did love my small town, and the feeling was growing every day. But there was no disputing it was a little crazy in the very best way.

A loud quack had me drawing back in surprise. “Are you lost?” I asked the clearly juvenile duck perched on the nearby sidewalk and sharing his opinion of us.

Many quacks followed.

“Nah, they often wander around the neighborhood since the lake is so close. They find their way back there in time. No worries.”

Everything with Travis seemed to end with that sentiment. I had to admit I liked it far better than my own style of being twisted up with worry and recriminations.

I cleared my throat. “Should we go find our kid? And Amerie?”

“Good idea. See you later, duck.”

“Dad! Help with Biscuit.” Carrington yelled from further up the block, darting around a fully decorated lawn. She seemed to be dancing with a Grim Reaper, but as we got closer, I realized she was chasing the dog, who was trailing his leash behind him.

Apparently, he’d gotten loose.

Travis managed to get hold of the leash, which he wrapped securely around his hand as he led the way back home.

To show his appreciation, Biscuit marked every lawn we passed what seemed like several times each.

And toourgreat appreciation, no more neighbors exited their lovely homes to ask if we were changing our lives immediately due to our outrageous sex lives.

As far as I was concerned, that plan seemed sound to me.

Once we arrived home, we conceded to Carrington’s need for Halloween.

Now.

Her father suggested after we got leaf bags and a rake at the hardware store, we should stop by a couple of the shops on Main Street. Shop local, sis boom bah.

But that idea was swiftly vetoed by Carrington, who felt that by now,everyonehad started their decorating, so we needed to get a move on.

No more time to waste.

That seemed to be a theme in all ways.

For this little while, I was pretending to be part of thewe. The idea of heading back to my apartment in Queens by myself just was ridiculously hurtful.

I’d only spent a day here and I already felt as if I didn’t want to go home anymore. That I didn’t even have a home. Not really.

Not one that beckoned me half as much as the town I’d grown up in, anyway.

But it wasn’t so much the town I didn’t want to leave, as charming and beautiful as it was. It was the people in it that made all the difference—my daughter and Travis.

And of course, my sister too, who I hadn’t spent more than a few minutes with when we dropped off Amerie at her place, explaining we had a big shopping trip to undertake so could she watch the dog until we could make sure Biscuit could handle being alone in the house.

She waved us off, saying it was all good, she’d lock him in the bathroom when her new boyfriend stopped by. I wasn’t really excited about that prospect, but it was better than letting him loose in our—Travis’s—house unattended.

God, it felt likemyhouse already. I pushed that thought away.

Now that I was back in the Cove for good, I’d right all the wrongs. Including spending a lot more time with my sister and Amerie.

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